TEST DRIVE MEME!

[faderifting]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Maybe you’ve been around for a while, or maybe you’re new to the Inquisition. Maybe you’re new to Thedas, having recently fallen from a tear in reality and been collected by uniformed rescuers. Whoever you are, you’ve been sent to Kirkwall, to an outpost where many of the Inquisition’s members and allies work on some of the biggest mysteries and problems the organization must solve if it’d like to keep the world from ending, where “ending” means “falling under the power of an ancient powerful corrupted being who wants everyone to bow to him as a god.”

And just to be clear, it would like that. It would like that a lot.

I. THE GALLOWS: The Gallows is an island fortress in Kirkwall’s harbor. It’s been home to, in order: Tevinter slaves, a Circle of Magi, a lot of creepy red lyrium, and now the Inquisition, which has occupied the fortress with the provisional Viscount’s blessing. There are walls that still need rebuilding and corners that still need dusting, but for the most part the Inquisition has gotten down to business. There’s space in the stone-floored courtyards to train or spar; or, if your skills don’t lie in the realm of hitting things, there’s a large library and several offices supporting the Inquisition’s areas of research and diplomatic efforts. If you don’t know what to do with yourself, then by all means, ask; someone will definitely be able to put you to work.

II. KIRKWALL: A quick row across the harbor will take you to Kirkwall proper. The city is built into the cliffs, from exclusive and wealthy Hightown at the top to impoverished Darktown in the abandoned mining tunnels below. In the middle is Lowtown, home to taverns, merchants, and plenty of trouble to keep anyone looking for it happy. You’re welcome to spend your free time and your money here—but try not to annoy the locals too much, please, in case their welcome runs out. It’d be a shame to have to pack again so soon after arriving.

III. QUESTING: Barely had time to make yourself at home, did you, before you were sent away from Kirkwall again—but this time on a mission. There’s a rift outside of Markham, pouring demons into the fields, and the Inquisition has been asked to lend a hand. Maybe literally. If you have an anchor embedded in your palm, you’re needed to close the damn thing. If not, maybe you’re here to fight demons or guard against bandits on the road, or to gather samples and take notes on the rift’s location once its closed, or to speak to Markham’s nobility afterwards to make sure that they fully appreciate the Inquisition’s efforts. Regardless, it’s a long trip, so we hope you like campfire cooking and sharing a tent.

IV. SENDING CRYSTAL: Joining the Inquisition gets you access to the very latest in barely-understood magical communication devices—namely, a crystal, small enough to wear around your neck, that will allow you to communicate verbally with anyone else who has one. Or everyone else who has one. Say hello.

V. WILDCARD: The whole of Thedas is yours to explore, from coast to uncharted wilderness. Choose your own adventure!

Comments

beth childs | orphan black. cw: potential reference to suicide and drug & alcohol abuse

[bethamphetamine]

A LITTLE AFTER A RIFT SHENANIGAN/LOCATION FLEXIBLE.
( There's a woman dressed smartly - a dark single breasted jacket, a deep red skirt and shirt. "Smartly," but something is off about her. Her feet are stockinged but she's wearing no shoes. Her knuckles are a little bloody, clearly the worst of it was washed away, but the flesh is intact. Her hair is tied back neatly, her make up is simple and well done, but she looked hagged and tired.

She's clearly not okay, if the tense way she holds herself is anything to go by, the way her stockings have ripped about her feet, filthy from walking in the dirt. )

Christ, I've really lost my mind. ( Quiet, barely audible, as she looks at the world around her. She's clear of the— whatever the fuck those things were, but that hadn't made the world fall back into what it was supposed to be. Her laugh is quiet and sardonic. ) Congrats, Childs. You've gone to Hell, and it's a God damn D and D campaign.


KIRKWALL.
( And by "Kirkwall" I, of course, mean "The Hanged Man Tavern," because fuck this. She's sitting, nursing something weak claiming to be whiskey, and wondering if this place is really that shitty, or if she just got ripped off. )

Hey.

( The barkeep ignores her, and she raises her voice a little. ) Hey. You got something better than this shit?


WILD CARD.

[newwaver]

[Felix had been having similar thoughts.

Even more so now he's confronted with the sight of Beth Childs. He stares in shock for too long to make a believable recovery, but under the circumstances he doesn't think he can be blamed for that.]

Who knew hell would be so nerdy? I always pictured more BDSM.

[Considering who he's talking to he thinks he should be commended for how calm his voice sounds now.]

[bethamphetamine]

( The comment startles her out of The Doom Spiral, and after s couple moments of just looking at this guy, assessing him, she allows herself a quiet chuckle. )

Maybe you have to be a puritan to get BDSM hell.

( Alison, bless her heart, would probably get BDSM hell. God, Alison, Cosima, she hadn't-- she hadn't said anything to them. It would keep them safer, right? They'd be okay? )

[newwaver]

[She doesn't seem like she'd noticed his stunned staring, thank god, which helps him relax a bit. Just a bit. Under the surface he's still on the verge of freaking out, but Felix was raised with a talent for deception. Sarah had guaranteed that even if his earlier foster years had already started him on that path.

His smirk is easy now, like he's entertained rather than scared.]

Then I've lived my earthly life all wrong.

[Shit. Is he dead? He isn't tripping, so the odds of this being some bizarre hallucination is too unlikely for comfort. Maybe he's dreaming, but he never has dreams like this.

Forcing his smile to stay in place he extends a loose hand. He can't let his facade crack now. He knows that the moment he does he'll fall apart.]

Childs, was it?

Iiiii need to upload more icooooons whoops

[bethamphetamine]

I've got no idea what that's like.

( Dry, dry dry. And yet, there's enough weight in it, enough of a pause after, that it's not really a joke at all.

Who is this guy? Does it matter? She's gone to Warcraft Hell and she's got random strangers with English accents trbjg up. According to every fantasy film or historical drama she's ever groaned at and channel-skipped, random English accents are what you're meant to encounter.

Pretty sure they're usually not so fabulous, though. )

Beth. My boss calls me 'Childs.' So: you gonna turn out to be some frolicking sprite, or are you in the screwed up hand club, Mister...?

( She holds up her hand, the green shard from the rift glowing in her palm. )

Ffff, I'm stuck with the 15 it left me with, it's fine.

[newwaver]

[Felix grimaces, reluctantly pulling his other hand from where it had been concealed in his coat. It's glowing, much to his displeasure. He'd like to pretend it isn't.]

Though it wouldn't be the first time I've been called frolicking.

[He's fairly sure sprite's never been added to the end of it, but who knows.]

[bethamphetamine]

First time for everything.

( Including all the rest of this shit.

He's a stranger, she doesn't have the luxury of letting all the turnoil just fall out onto the floor in front of him, even if she's struggling to hold it together. She'd thought there would be some relief, some freedom in death, maybe there was some fucked up silver lining.

Apparently not. ) You got a name?

[newwaver]

Felix.

[It doesn't hurt to introduce himself. Maybe she'll start to feel more comfortable telling him things, and he'll be less likely to make the situation worse by slipping up and giving away things he really shouldn't know about her.]

I don't suppose you know what this place is?

[bethamphetamine]

Gonna take a stab in the dark and say it's not Toronto.

( A little sniff, and she pulls her jacket a little tighter around herself, arms crossed over her chest. )

Not gonna rule out Quebec.

Kirkwall, because no one takes Cosima on rescue missions if any other rifter is available

[youwonscience]

[Cosima breezes into The Hanged Man with casual ease; she's here often enough to feel relaxed, for all she's definitely the kind of patron who steers clear of brawls rather than instigating them, which puts her in the minority.

She stops walking abruptly, and it feels as if her heart has stopped. As if she's seen a ghost, because that bearing is unmistakable, even if she and Beth had spent most of their relationship over the phone or Skype.

Any moment now, she's going to think of what to say. Or at least remember to start breathing again.]

[bethamphetamine]

( Beth is rubbing over the freaky glowing thing in her palm with her thumb, staring at it. It's weirdly hypnotic, and she grits her teeth as it flares painfully, before downingng the rest of the shitty booze.

Maybe this is what she deserved for fucking things up for her sisters, a weird fantasy realm quest, some Hero's Journey bullshit.

She sets the drained tankard down, waiting for the barkeep to get her a bottle of something stronger, and turns to rest her back against the bar. The motion is the controlled fluidity that comes with alcohol abuse and being pretty good at hiding it when she's in the mood, and then she stops short. )

No.

( No. No fucking ways. Cosima can't be here. )

[youwonscience]

Oh my god, Beth --

[And she's moving for her sister's side faster than she thought possible, not giving a shit who notices, because she'd been alone in Thedas a long time, and she'd mourned Beth even before that and suddenly Beth is here.

Just short of colliding with her, Cosima recalls that Beth isn't a hugging sort of person, but denied that outlet, Cosima looks worryingly as if she might burst into tears.]

Oh my god, [again, small and kind of overwhelmed but trying to respect the fact Beth's first reaction was no.]

[bethamphetamine]

( Cosima looks like she might fall apart. Beth had an idea what that feels like. Though she isn't huge on casual contact, it's complicated and buried in history, she still craves intimacy with meaning. Hugs from people she loves, being seen by people who know her. God, she'd been so desperate to be wrong about Paul, and he'd... he'd been hollow. Everything she was afraid of him being.

Hugging Mika might have been the most sincere contact she'd had in months (years?), peeling everything back, stripping all the bullshit away. Art saw her, but he didn't know the truth, couldn't.

God, everything is screwed up, but her sister is in front of her and hurting, so Beth takes a step forward and loops an arm around a Cosima' back. ) You're not supposed to be here.

( This was supposed to keep her safe. )

[youwonscience]

[Her laugh shakes, but she wraps her arms around Beth and hugs back tightly.]

Shit, tell me something I don't know. When did you get here?

[She wants to ask when Beth came from, the last thing she remembers from home. But that's a lot, maybe more than either of them are ready for right away. Instead, she just presses tight for a moment, like Beth is something precious she lost and never expected to find again. Maybe exactly like that, actually.]

[bethamphetamine]

Couple days.

( She's not looking her best, truthfully.

Cosima feels solid and alive and real, but so does she. It doesn't mean anything, does it? The hug lasts a couple moments longer than what Beth is usually comfortable with, and she eases back a little, though she keeps a hand on Cosima's shoulder - anchoring, comforting. God, Cosima was something special, just like Alison and MK. Was Cosima was gonna save Katja, somehow? She had faith in them. They'd-- they'd be okay. )

You? ( There's a hesitation. She's almost afraid to know, afraid of whatever Cosima's answer will be. ) I didn't know Uhaul delivered to the World of Warcraft.

[youwonscience]

[She manages a smile, and looks a bit less like she's going to actually cry.]

About a year, local time. Though someone from my future showed up briefly, so either I eventually go back to the time I left or we're into some weird alternate universe, quantum ... yeah.

[Stay focused, Cosima.]

I was pretty sure I'd just lost it, for a while, but if this is a hallucination it's been unexpectedly internally consistent and includes a lot of boring parts where no one's invented electricity or pop music or ballpoint pens.

[Her pen ran out of ink months ago, and it was a very sad day.]

[bethamphetamine]

( okay she's going to ignore that ramble because Priorites, Cosima. Pens? Seriously? Time travel?

It's all kind of a scramble in her head as she stares blankly at Cosima, and then after a long pause: )

A year.

( A YEAR? ) We spoke on the phone...

( A couple days ago, tops. Her entire vibe is extremely What The Hell??? )

a

[coppelganger]

[ Sarah's been through a lot of shit tonight, the least of which is finding herself limping up to one of her dead clones. This is far from the first time she's seen Beth Childs when she really, really shouldn't be seeing Beth Childs, and so it doesn't immediately strike her as odd. Or more odd than anything else happening, anyway. Not even the fact that Beth looks as roughed up as she is, when dream logic suggests that Beth stays the way Sarah last saw her in life. Dreams change all the time, after all. ]

So what the hell do I do now? [ She's already limped around and found nothing that looks familiar, and now she's at a loss. Advise her, O Ghostly One. Beth's usually got some decent, if snarky, suggestions for her, and she could really use one right now. ]

[bethamphetamine]

( Oh, Jesus Christ.

It doesn't register, right away. She hadn't been focused really on what she was seeing in front of her at the train station. Art wouldn't listen and her life was literally slipping away and the last bit of control she had was ending it. Her choices had been taken away; to call suicide "control" was--

It was a sick joke, really. She'd have given anything to stay with the others, to protect them, to be able to see them again, and instead she had put that burden on Mika.

And now she's here, and there's someone else with her face but it's not one of the sisters that she knows. What the hell did it mean? More sick jokes piled on sick jokes? )

You tell me. ( Her voice is harsh, raw. ) Fix your eyeliner, how's that?

[coppelganger]

Ha, ha.

[ Her voice is tired and not at all amused, but she shrugs off the comment, because she'd been expecting something like it. Beth's modus operandi seems to be insult Sarah first, give life-changing advice second. ]

Seriously. [ She wipes some sweaty hair off her face and tries to find some kind of landmark. ] Where the hell am I?

[bethamphetamine]

Do I look like Siri?

( Okay, Siri is phone feature without a face, but whatever. She can't dramatically fling her phone at the stranger, because they're both in her bag, back on the platform at Huxley Station.

She rubs her hand - the one without the creepy glowing light in it - over her hair. )

Who are you? Let's start with that.

[coppelganger]

[ Sarah stops walking. She looks around again, like maybe someone will pop out of the dream bushes to dream save her. Nothing is happening. She's still sweating and her leg is bleeding and it doesn't particularly feel like she's dreaming, and this Beth doesn't know her. ]

Sarah Manning?

[bethamphetamine]

( A woman is injured in front of her, a clone, and she... what? Snaps at her? What's wrong with her?

Beth sighs heavily at herself, walks closer, pauses just short of putting an arm around Sarah to support her. )

Okay, Sarah. We're in some shit, but we're gonna figure it out. I'm Beth.

( A little tilt of her head, a silent question about whether Beth can put her arm around her. Deal with this first, deal with the roaring in her ears later. ) Come on.

[coppelganger]

[ This is suddenly a lot, and Sarah feels like she might faint. Her vision's swimming and she stands in place, trying to breathe through it. This is not a dream, this is not a dream Beth. This is happening. Somehow. ]

I know who you are.

[bethamphetamine]

( woah, okay, holding Sarah up regardless now, and steering her towards something to sit on. A nice convenient fallen tree, or something. )

Careful.

( Her heart feels like it's beating out her chest, but she sounds calm. Calm-ish. )

Familiar face, right? ( Probably not something that witty, but maybe Sarah's reaction is blood loss and shock rather than... well. The other kind of shock. ) Sit here.