allthisshitisweird | TEST DRIVE MEME!

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TEST DRIVE MEME!

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.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TDM FEATURES SNOW.

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, currently covered in snow and ice; 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, currently very cold. 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. In the snow!

II. KIRKWALL: A quick row across the near-freezing harbor will take you to Kirkwall proper. The city is built into the cliffs, from exclusive and wealthy snow-dusted Hightown at the top to impoverished Darktown in the abandoned mining tunnels below, where discarded waste is presently frozen into slushy brown ice. In the middle is Lowtown, home to taverns, merchants, and plenty of trouble to keep anyone looking for it happy. And a lot of snow. You’re welcome to spend your free time and your money here—but try not to annoy the locals too much, please, in case the Inquisition's welcome runs out. It’d be a shame to have to pack up and leave in all this snow.

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 Denerim, in the snow, pouring demons into the snowy 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 snow-covered road, or to gather samples out of the snow and take notes on the rift’s location once its closed, or to speak to prominent locals (in the snow) 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. And snow.

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.

There is no snow on the crystal, unfortunately.

V. WILDCARD: The whole of Thedas is yours to explore, from coast to uncharted wilderness filled with bears, and did we mention that there is snow? Anyway: choose your own adventure!

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He doesn't hide the shock when she tells him how long she's been here. Surely someone in the Resistance would have notice? Surely he would have noticed? Losing her presence within the Force wasn't something he would miss, though it certainly wouldn't have been the same as when he had killed his father. That, to his mother, had surely been akin to having a cord cut from her soul. To think he could imagine the consequences now made him feel somewhat guilty.

"Over a year? How is that even possible?" Surely the First Order would notice his absence, but they would not be able to retrieve him if Rey's words were true.

Rey shrugs her shoulders. She honestly wishes she has a better response than that, but she doesn't.

"No one knows. My best guess is that if we return home, it's at the exact point of time that we left from. Which is why I have two lightsabers. One belonged to Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was here, as a young man." She knows Ben will know that name, likely even better than she had. She looks a little sad when speaking of Obi-Wan. He'd been such a great teacher to her, and not a day passes that she doesn't miss him.

"He's gone, now."

He absolutely does know that name and for a moment his internalized anger dissipates. He remembered hearing stories of his namesake from his mother who had grown up hearing of the Clone Wars from her father, from his uncle who had also been trained by the man briefly before he'd died saving their motley crew from his grandfather's wrath.

"You met Obi-Wan Kenobi." He feels strange, repeating words back at her. He was in that much of disbelief. Everything about this place was strange and surreal. "What was he like?"

In another life, a young boy had dreamed of such greatness. He had grown up knowing his bloodline had power in it, but knowing the man he'd been named for had been great too had been enough to conjure up delusions of grandeur. He had always wanted to be great, but those dreams had been dashed when his uncle had tried to kill him. Instead his greatness had become cruelty.

Rey's eyes had drifted with thoughts of Obi-Wan, they snapped back to Kylo now, and she was seeing Ben again. Kylo Ren wouldn't have cared about a long-dead Jedi. Ben Solo, she knows would.

"He was strong, kind. He took me under his wing and trained me." She knows he'll take that for her replacing her parents yet again, but she was fine with that, in this case. Obi-Wan had been a better father to her in the time they'd shared than her own had ever been.

"I imagine he was a fair bit better than Skywalker." The disdain in his voice wasn't even within the realm of hidden. He did think she was reaching again, latching onto the nearest father figure she could in the absence of her own. "I can tell. You aren't so weak minded anymore."

A backhanded compliment was about all she was getting today. Even just talking to her made him feel irritated. His mind kept replaying the moment she'd denied his offer. She hadn't outright said the words, but they had been clear enough in that direction. He'd told Luke he would kill her and now he had one less tool at his disposal to do so.

Rey's lips pressed thin at the insult (because she can't see it as anything but) as well as the disdain for Luke. While Obi-Wan had been her master much longer, Luke had been as well, furthermore, he'd given his life to save the Resistance.

"And you're exactly the same as the last time I saw you." She knows that won't go over well in Thedas, he's going to get himself into trouble in one way or another. She should offer to help him, but she's so angry with him still.

"Should I be changed by this?" He holds up a gloved hand, indicating the hand where the shard was - it showed a light glow through the thick leather, pulsing like a heartbeat. "I wasn't aware having a shard forcefully embedded into my skin should change my personality."

You knew what you were getting into, he wants to say. She should have known that his personality wouldn't completely change just because of their Force bond or this situation.

She doesn't respond for a moment, just staring at him, her expression flat. It might be unreadable to most, but given their Bond, he can likely tell how frustrated she is by this. She'd accepted that she was the only person from their galaxy to end up in this situation. It wasn't ideal, but she was happy enough, and had made friends.

First, she remembered all these things that happened between them, things that were now suddenly fresh and clear even though they must have happened over a year ago, for her. Then, he showed up. It made her want to hit something, not necessarily him, though if he frustrated her enough he was as good a target as anything.

"The First Order isn't here. You have no power. No one to influence, to destroy. You're just a man with a useless piece of metal. Maybe you'll make the right choice here."

"I made my choice when I joined the First Order in the first place!" His voice raises slightly, only to lower again when passerby looks at him as they pass. "Meeting you has changed absolutely nothing for me. If anything, you've only caused more trouble."

That was a blatant lie and he knew it. She had changed him in ways that were too horrible to admit. She had opened him up to a part of himself he tried so desperately to shut away. The vulnerability, the shame, the fear... all of it. He'd tried to kill Ben Solo, cut him out like a piece of dead flesh. Rey had shown him it wasn't so easily done. Try as he might to deny it.

He'd wanted her to be with him. He'd wanted to be that man for her, but on his own terms. He wanted to create the world that he envisioned with her at his side and she'd denied him. That still stung and looking at her now made it feel worse.

Rey exhales a laugh, though it's entirely humorless. She doesn't find this situation funny, it's making her stomach hurt. But she can feel the conflict in him even now, rolling off him in waves.

"You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me. I know what's in your heart, Ben." She didn't want to do this, not here, in this place. She'd left him on the Supremacy because she had felt so betrayed by his choice. There had been the briefest moment when she'd seen what they were capable of together, how strong they really could be, and then he'd turned and stubbornly continued down that path that was so fraught with danger.

He steps closer, wary of her dog as he does. If the dog doesn't try to tear his leg off before he gets within touching distance, he approaches enough to lean into her space.

"Do you? I made the mistake of letting you in once, but that doesn't give you permission to claim to know what's really in my heart." He could reach out and touch her if he wanted to. Instead he leans in close like he'd done during one of their earliest moments during their connections with the Force. She'd called him a monster, telling him she knew everything she needed to know about him. He still didn't think she knew nearly enough, even if he'd let her see glimpses.

Padawan growls again, low and dangerous as Kylo gets closer, but again Rey waves her off. She isn't afraid of him, not anymore. She holds her ground as he leans into her space, lips pressed together over clenched teeth. Her gaze holds steady on him, remembering when he'd advanced on her like this before. She couldn't see him as a monster, not anymore. He had pain in his eyes, even when they were angry, that angry originated from so much pain. It was something she'd never be unable to see again.

"You let me in more than once," she finally replies, evenly, despite her own emotions wavering, threatening to give way both to anger and despair. "You fought at my side. I know you felt the same things then that I did."

"I did. That doesn't mean I let it cloud my judgement." Save for the one moment of weakness when he had asked her to be with him. That had come far too close to some sort of disgusting love confession and he hates himself for it. She clearly hadn't felt the same, given she had turned away his offer.

"I thought you saw things the way I do, but I was mistaken." He straightens to his full height again, taking a step back. This topic was making him feel disgusting and vulnerable and he hated it. He swallows and then clears his throat, gesturing to the dog at her side.

"Where did you find this creature?" A change of topic that was hopefully safer than his conflicting emotions.

She wants to point out that yet again, no, he'd let his hatred and pain cloud his own judgement, taking him down that path that she couldn't follow. Maybe they'd both just been wrong about one-another, and they were still entirely alone, separated.

She doesn't though, when he changes the topic. Frowning a little at him referring to Padawan as a "creature, she rolls her shoulders. Padawan's ears which had been perked up before, listening carefully to the exchange between the two humans, went back as soon as she was referred to in a manner she didn't appreciate.

"Careful. She can understand every word you're saying. She was a gift from Obi-Wan. He named her Padawan, and she became mine when he left." A constant and faithful companion. Rey likely would have been much worse off when Obi-Wan disappeared, if she hadn't had Padawan with her.

"Is that so? Well, she's doing a good job of it - looks as if she's attached to you at the hip." He didn't have pets, but he'd enjoyed meeting a fair few on various travels when he'd been a child and his father had taken the time to show him such things. He remembered playing as a child, rough housing with friends and getting covered in dirt, but such carefree memories were long gone along with any desire to have something as frivolous as a pet - whatever this was. It looked like a dog.

In a rare bit of show that betrayed who he was beneath the mask of Kylo Ren, he actually gets down on Padawan's level, curious and wanting to make a study of her. If she wanted to attack him, he'd defend himself, but for now he takes his gloves off and holds out a hand.

Padawan looks entirely confused by the sudden change in this hostile human in front of her, and looks up at Rey, letting out a curious whine, as if she's asking Rey "what the hell is with this guy?" Rey on the other hand is watching Ben carefully, because she's seeing the cracks in the mask again. If she can just reach in and pull, she feels like she can reach him. So she takes a hand off one of her lightsabers and gently pats Padawan's head.

"You can say hi. I won't let him hurt you," she gives him a sideways glance, because she's serious about that. Right now she likes the dog more than you, Ben. After that, Padawan looks back at Ben and lets out a huff, stepping forward to sniff his hand, before nosing her way under it looking for more rigorous petting.

He was curious at the dog's presence. She was large and bulky - more like a miniature bantha, minus the longer fur and the horns, than any dog he'd ever seen. He hesitated at first, his hand flinching away when she began pressing her nose under his hand. For a moment he felt fear, knowing that this dog could tear him to pieces if he did something wrong. Carefully, he brings his hand over her snout, along the side of her face to her neck. His other hand follows the same trail on the other side.

"She's native to this place? I've never seen anything like her." He looked down at the creature in his hands, his brown eyes covered over by long lashes from Rey's view. Dare he say he was in awe. She looked like a powerful beast in her own right and if there was one thing he respected it was power.

Cautiously, Padawan's tail starts wagging when she realizes that this human is clearly just badly in need of some affection. She leans into him, turning her head to lick his chin.

Rey can't help the smile on her face at this and she nods her head at Ben's question.

"She's called a mabari. They're bred as warhounds, here. Fiercely loyal, and steadfast in battle. They choose who they're bonded to, not the other way around."

He makes a face, trying to respond to what Rey is saying to him and failing as he's being showered with dog kisses. His hands move down her back, scratching the fur there too, before coming back to her ears.

"Ugh." It was all he could manage while being showered with attention. Hastily, he wipes the slobber from his chin.

Well, Padawan knows that noise and she stops licking him, letting out a little wuff and sitting down, looking at him with an expression that clearly says she thinks he's rude for making a face when she was being nice.

"You don't have much experience with animals, do you?" Rey comments, tilting her head down a little.

"Not since I was a kid, no." When one was one of the most feared people in the galaxy - animals and people kept a good distance. He looks from Rey to Padawan, petting the dog's ears some more. It wasn't his fault, he thought. Not entirely.

"I'm pretty sure my mother wouldn't have wanted any pets around - maybe a dog if she wasn't too busy to care for one. One of those ones with pointy ears that can sit in your lap."

"I could see her with a mabari," Rey replies, looking down at Padawan with a fond smile. The dogs were strong, tenacious creatures, which seemed to be an earmark of their breed. They'll fight until they can't anymore.

"She's tough, like they are."

"I couldn't picture her here. Dog aside - I don't see her being able to sit still here." Both of his parents would have a problem with it, honestly. It had been part of his problem with them - neither knew when to take a step back and just see him. He had given up on any notion of that a long time ago, until it was too late to repair things.

"I'm not surprised you've done so well." He clears his throat, rising to his feet again when it became uncomfortable kneeling on the ground for Padawan. "Any theories you want to share? We don't belong here."

And he might be in a hurry to leave, honestly. The longer he's this close to her the harder it is to keep up his usual presence. She made him softer, weak. It made him uncomfortable.

Rey can't see Leia here either, really. She wouldn't want to. The galaxy needed the general, needed her strength. She wouldn't have said she could see Ben here either, and yet here he was. Sticking out horribly, but he was here.

She can only shrug at his question, shaking her head.

"I've been here over a year. Rifters have left, but we don't know if they go home, not really. I would think they do since Obi-Wan was from so far in the past, but..." she frowns, shaking her head. "There are people studying the rifts and the Veil, but I've only been involved with them when they've asked for information."

"Then we just stay?" He feels frustrated all over again, bits of his usual mood leaking out into his presence. "There has to be someone to get better answers than that from."

And if he had to force it out of someone and risk this Inquisition's ire - well he doesn't really give a damn. Tense, he crosses his arms again, clearly not pleased. Rey may be complacent with this place but he isn't. He had things he was doing back home and he'd been quite busy with those things.

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