allthisshitisweird | TEST DRIVE MEME!

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TEST DRIVE MEME!

TEST DRIVE MEME

While in some alternate, tidier timeline, the War against the Elder One ended years ago, you're not in that timeline. It's 9:46, and there's a war raging in northern Orlais, where the Chantry, aided by the Inquisition, marshalling Orlais and the faithful of Southern Thedas into a new Exalted March against the army of demon-bound Wardens, Red Templars, Venatori loyalists, and darkspawn Corypheus has amassed over the last four years. Rifts are still scattered across the continent, periodically spitting out strangers from strange worlds with green-glowing anchors embedded in their hands. There's no Herald of Andraste to save Thedas. Someone else is going to have to do it.

You're part of (or allied with, recently hired by, imprisoned by, etc.) a new organization that's an offshoot of the Inquisition, dubbed Riftwatch, that consists mainly of the otherworldly new arrivals, rebels and Wardens, and other people who want to prevent the apocalypse without necessarily marching under the Chantry's banner to do it. Their headquarters is an island fortress called the Gallows—formerly a Circle of Magi, more formerly a prison for slaves, but its new occupants have done a good job removing the more grotesque reminders of that past and making the place livable.

Maybe you're here because you want to help. Maybe you need the money (though there isn't much of it). Maybe you acquired an anchor and sticking around is the only way to prevent your hand from falling off. Maybe you've been sent by the Chantry or some other entity to keep an eye on everyone—they're rumored to be a lot of weirdos and troublemakers. Or maybe you're a new rifter and just going where the nice people with swords tell you that you need to go.

OOC: We post Test Drives fairly infrequently! But current players are strongly encouraged to track new top-level comments to the post so they don't miss new arrivals, and new folks should not be shy about commenting just because the post has been up for a while.

I. KIRKWALL: Even when enormous evil darkspawn are trying to take over the known world and you and your colleagues might be the only ones who can truly stop him, you can't work all the time. And when you aren't working, Kirkwall is there for you, with its dingy Lowtown taverns, its flashy Hightown establishments, its market stalls and street musicians and underground network of old mining tunnels inhabited by the disenfranchised and a few violent criminals. Or maybe you can work all the time, and you're in the city to do some official shopping, keep an eye on a suspicious character, or show a potential financial backer a good time. The city is grey, cold, and in places vaguely sinister—but it's home.

II. SUNDERMOUNT: North of Kirkwall lies the highest peak of the nearby mountain range. In more ancient days it was rumored to be the site of unspeakable horrors, but at present prowled by more speakable horrors, like possessed skeletons, shadow warriors, and the rare revenant or varterral. And you've been sent to prowl along with them, inside the winding caves that cut through the peak or over the snow currently coating the paths that wind around it. The reasons vary: maybe you're in search of medicinal herbs, maybe you're tracking a party of suspicious travelers lurking outside Kirkwall, or maybe you just took a wrong turn off the road trying to travel in or out of the city.

III. ORLAIS: Further south, Orlais is weathering the winter and the invasion of its northern territories in its usual style—which is why you're here, in a snow-blanketed manor just outside Val Royeaux, representing Riftwatch at the invitation of a gathering of masked nobility who have gathered to discuss ways to support the war effort while not starving their serfs and alienages. And to play parlor games. Maybe have an occasional chamber concert. Your role may be to actively participate in the planning, or it may be to be charming and noncommital while observing, or it may be to provide an example of a well-behaved rifter/elf/mage/Qunari/Fereldan. Regardless: your best behavior is expected, but that doesn't mean you can't sneak into the Duchess' very well-appointed library at night or slip away to try sliding down the length of a frozen reflecting pool in the gardens.

IV. THE FRONT: Riftwatch is no longer part of the Inquisition or directly engaged in the war that it, the Chantry's faithful Exalted Marchers, and Orlais are fighting against an invading Tevinter and Ander force in northern Orlais. But frequently enough, Riftwatch's business—delivering helpful intelligence, spending quality time with prisoners of war that might have information, assisting soldiers with a rift they've found too close to their camps, or passing through on the way somewhere else—requires passing near or through the frontline drawn through northern Orlais and now northern Nevarra, where it's possible to encounter enemy bands of dracolisk-mounted soldiers, fire-throwing mages, or particularly nasty darkspawn with red lyrium growing from their bodies.

V. SEND A MESSAGE: Each member of Riftwatch (or rifter, or ally) is assigned a blue crystal, small enough to wear around the neck, that can transmit voice messages, as well as an enchanted book tied to that crystal that can be used to exchange written messages. They're secure enough to discuss the war, if you'd like to get down to business, but loosely controlled enough to ask a question or play a game with only a few rolled eyes from people who hate fun.

VI. WILDCARD: From the Gallows' library to the pirate islands off the coast, from Hightown's high-priced market stalls to the bloody frontlines of the war, Thedas is yours to explore.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ it doesn't escape Margaery's notice that they're able to speak freely, even where soft sounds of the party, an occasional laugh, floats over to where they are. a small detail, but no less wondrous. here, they appear to be free from listening shadows at every corner. ]

Not at all.

[ - although if Ellie looks at her now, she'll find that Margaery's smile has grown, almost crooked in its playful quality. ]

What would you prefer to be doing at this hour, if you had the freedom to do whatever you want?

[The courtyard isn't completely free of shadowy corners, but Ellie doesn't mind them so much anymore. The worst they can pin on her is a small amount of awkwardness. It's nice not to be important; she'll leave the diplomacy to the people trained for it.

She and Margaery catch each others' eye at the same moment, that playfulness mirrored, and Ellie snorts aloud with laughter, reaching up to push a lock of hair back from her face. Yep. She's been read.]

Right now? Hunting through the library in the Gallows for something I haven't read yet, maybe. Or seeing if Artichoke would be up for a midnight ride.

What about you?

[ Ellie's laugh brings out her own, and it's enough to make her feel warm again, even if only for a moment. ]

Both sound like fine ideas to me, especially a midnight ride. I miss having the freedom to take a horse from the stables and just let her roam without thought to where.

[ those days ended long before she ever came here though, and it shows in her face before Margaery smiles once more. ]

Artichoke is your horse?

[ whatever else this strange place might have (she'll need another month to get used to the sight of nuggalopes and dracolisks), at least they also have horses.

she decides to forgo her manners - not wanting to interrupt the smooth flow of their conversation by asking if she may sit - and moves to dust the bench off before joining Ellie on it. at least this way, they'll both have full view of the frozen pool while enjoying a modicum of privacy themselves. ]

[That distant sadness for times gone is so heartbreakingly universal, it's a look Ellie knows well. Most everyone gets it when they're around long enough, but it's a staple for Rifters. Hell, at least they can still laugh. Ellie's expression sobers.]

If you go with someone, they'll probably let you do it. A little midnight right seems way less risky than an Orlesian dinner party.

[At her question, though, Ellie's expression goes from a reassuring smile to something almost wicked. She leans forward, turning her face to fully look at Margaery at her side, and lowers her voice.]

Artichoke's a griffon.

A griffon?

[ that gets Ellie an honest, awestruck response. Margaery turns her body to face her in full, just barely restraining herself from reaching out and touching her arm out of habit. dragons appear to be universal across worlds, but griffons - she's only ever seen them etched in sigils and statues. ]

I've only ever read about them so far, in our introductory tomes. How did you ever come across one? If I remember correctly, they must choose you as a rider - isn't that right? Were you afraid, when you first saw one?

[Ellie grins right back; she wasn't aware of the mythology of griffons; and given she's seen them eat hair and hack it up immediately after, she struggles not to laugh. Margaery's assessment is true, but it's not as epic as it sounds.]

Riftwatch has some in one of the towers. They raised them from eggs, and yeah, the griffon has to like you or they won't let you on their back.

I was kinda nervous, but they didn't chomp any of my fingers, so.

It's also hard to be scared when they're named stuff like Dumpling, Buttons, and Lord Tuftytoes.

[ Tuftytoes. she can't help her laughter at that even though the others are equally adorable, and it resounds a bit louder than she's meant for it to, which makes her instinctively press her fingers over her lips until she can speak again. ]

It does sound a bit more welcoming than anything I might've imagined. What is it like, riding a griffon?

Is it anything like ice skating, you think? Gliding to feel free but never quite fully in control?

[Ellie snickers too, letting her shoulders relax. She's been admonished to trust nobody in Orlais, but really, she just can't care. Out here in the garden they feel removed from that world.]

Fucking awesome. And I've never been ice skating but -- I dunno, that sounds like it. Free but not in control. He's good about not letting me fall, though.

[That's something that'll come with time, she figures; but for right now it's mostly about going along with him, getting used to the feeling of moving together, trusting him to carry her.]

[ Margaery's smile grows into a proper smirk as her head tilts towards the frozen pond, eyebrows raising with the universal sign for shall we? ]

I've never skated on ice before either, but I can't help but think we should seize this opportunity.

[ if no one's come out to search for them just yet, she's quite certain that no one will for a while longer, and who knows? if they get caught, perhaps they can convince the nobles that such an innocent pastime is fully capable of keeping their skin younger than any special elixir could.

Margaery stands, brushing off of her fine clothes, and reaches out to offer a hand to Ellie, eyes hopeful. ]

You mean-?

[Ellie lifts her scarred eyebrows, at first thinking Margaery's joking, but then it mingles with surprise, and a little intrigue.]

All right. You're on. Don't blame me if we bust open our faces on this.

[She reaches up to take Margaery's hand. They're surprisingly soft, the kind of soft that Ellie didn't know it was possible for hands to be. It's like touching silk, and it leaves her almost unsettled, aware of her own calluses, how rough they must feel.

But she's good for it, and thankfully wearing good flat boots. She heads over to the water, carefully steps over the railing, testing it -- frozen solid.]

I'm telling myself that it's... not at all a lapse in judgment that we're doing this alone for the first time.

[ Margaery's voice is breathless with anticipation as she also steps a gentle foot against the ice, marveling over the way it feels completely dense under her feet. as much as she hates the cold, it does appear to have its perks.

she takes a few more tiny steps, more hesitant about slipping and falling at this rate, and very, very thankful that she's not alone. ]

But if we get caught, you can blame me and my odd curiosities.

[ with a grin flashed in Ellie's direction, just before she tentatively slides her foot against the ice and promptly lets out a surprised yelp at how easily it goes - ]

Better not to have any witnesses.

[Ellie shoots back, flashing a grin as she stays on shore, letting Margaery get both feet on the ice, still holding her hand so if she starts to fall immediately, she can catch her. Ellie's thin and not too tall, but she's wiry and strong. Thankfully, they make it a few steps without disaster.

With a little snort of laughter, Ellie carefully lifts her boot over the edge and puts it down on the ice. It's got a good tread, but it's definitely not the spikes they'd use in the icy places back in Wyoming. She keeps her balance, careful-

She jerks forward at Margaery's yelp, keeping hold over hand and reaching out to wrap her other arm around the small of her back, bracing as best she can.]

Ohshit--

[They may stay on their feet, they may not. All depends on how off-balance they get.]

[ they stay up - this time - although it's with no small amount of straining muscles and the sheer force of dignity on Margaery's end. she winds up with her legs spread in a precarious position for her efforts, and when she's no longer in active danger of slipping, Margaery swallows and looks at Ellie for a moment before bursting into laughter. ]

And I thought speaking to Orlesian nobles was a slippery ordeal!

[ when she's calmer, and far more aware of how to keep her movements minimally risky - ]

Thank you. Without your help, I most definitely would've fallen. But that just means I'm determined not to take you down with me if there's a next time.

[ it's a promise marked with a squeeze to Ellie's hand. ]

Did it also snow often, where you're from?

[If it helps, Margaery's not the only one who windmills a little and ends up tangled, and gingerly has to unstick herself, easing her way into a better and more balanced position. Her laughter's contagious, and Ellie ends up sputtering out some of her own, feeling better than she has since well before the start of this stupid, poofy party.]

Fuck it, if this is how I go, it's how I go.

[She's still grinning, and manages to shift her feet. They're not exactly graceful, but they are moving across the ice, and after a little finagling, they manage a short glide.]

Uh, sort of. When I was fourteen I moved to little town in the mountains, and we used to get these insane snowstorms out there. My friends and I-

[She pauses here, caught on something invisible, something that has her smile faltering before she presses on.]

We used to sneak out over the back wall and go sledding after dark.

[ the pause, the heaviness of it, is one Margaery's grown to know well; a plunge into emotions brought on by memories. she suffers from it too, no matter how much she tries to stifle her heart. Ellie's hand is gently squeezed in solidarity before she picks up the conversation smoothly - it's something she appreciates the most when it's her trapped in a temporary well. ]

What was the appeal of sledding after dark?

[ her tone is appropriately curious, but also light, in case her companion decides she'd rather speak of other matters. ]

Surely it was far more dangerous, and after a snowstorm as well?

[ the pond is rather large, reflective of the gardens they're in, and she estimates that they'll be able to make at least one or two rounds on it before they'll have to find their way back inside, hopefully still presentable. ]

Edited 2021-05-25 00:07 (UTC)

Eh, you know. Just sneaking out because you can. You do stupid things when you're a teenager.

[Ellie squeezes back, automatically. Her attention is on her words, and it's a remnant of the soft, warm touches that at some point were part of her life, snuck in over and over again until she'd started to respond to affection without overthinking it.]

You didn't do anything like that? Just dumb shit with your friends, to see if you could get away with it?

[ it's difficult for Margaery to conceal her own smile - suspiciously mischievous - at that. ]

No, not at all, I was a proper lady.

[ - which is obviously a load of bull by the way she's unable to keep herself from laughing. ]

I had a lot riding on my shoulders even as I was growing up, but I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where people weren't as bloated self-righteous pigs as the nobles in court. [ with an incredible grandmother who knew the importance of mischief ] So there were occasional midnight rides, escapades... experiments.

[ here she gives Ellie a wink because you know, teens are teens everywhere. ]

What was the most foolish thing you ever got away with, with your friends?

[Ellie's own smile only widens -- she has a feeling she's really going to like this girl. Anybody who smiles like that at the thought of trouble has generally been good in her book.]

Oh-ho-hoh. Proper experiments. Of course.

[She affects a "fancy" voice, some mangled version of the Fereldan accent. It's not Great, but it's ridiculous enough that she's almost laughing through it.]

... oh, hell. Got away with?

[Ellie has to cast her thoughts back, rolling her eyes upward. And typical of her, she chooses something she remembers, but sounds... questionable. To everyone else.]

So, the same day I met my best friend, I was thirteen. And I caught her sneaking out of our school at night.

[Ellie pushes forward, as they find their stride on the ice, start sliding with a little more purpose. Talking helps.]

I kinda blackmailed her into letting me come with. She had a radio so we could listen in on the military movements in the city, and got wind of a skirmish going on a few streets over. Maybe a dozen soldiers had some of the Fireflies -- some rebels -- pinned down. We threw some smoke bombs in. They shot at us, but we ran like hell, and so did the Fireflies. We actually got away with it.

[As far as the military went, anyway.]

[ the story starts out relatively normally, and then devolves rather quickly from there. Margaery's brows furrow from the mention of a radio and then forget about that confusion for the sake of the content. ]

If I'm understanding this correctly,

[ spoken slowly, ]

You and this person who became your best friend stood up to the military and helped some rebels escape?

[ at thirteen, her mind helpfully supplies. the slip-and-slide quality of the ice is temporarily forgotten as Margaery skids to a stop in front of Ellie, taking her other hand. she doesn't ask what she most desperately wants to - what in seven hells was your world like? - and instead, smiles. ]

It seems as though I'm skating with someone who's braver than they initially let on. Maybe I should let you do all the talking if we're caught?

Mmmh- yep, pretty much.

[Ellie tries to sound casual about it. It's far cooler to describe in hindsight, and privately, she's a bit glad that Margaery both isn't calling bullshit and isn't horrified at her antics.

Instead, she smiles, and Ellie smiles back, unable to help herself. She's made of tougher stuff than she thought, and it's surprising. The good kind of surprising.]

Maybe. Or maybe we should concentrate on not getting caught.

[Ellie's smile sharpens, and as Margaery takes her other hand, she feels a flutter of unease up in her throat. Because while her right hand is whole, and that's the one Margaery's been holding, her left one is wrapped across the palm to hide the anchor.

It's also missing the two smallest fingers.]

Thankfully, I'm good at that part.

[ she definitely notices the difference in holding both of Ellie's hands, but it's simply a factoid delicately slipped into her memory as she observes the slight change in her companion's smile. ]

You know, I was expecting something more like a scandalous rendezvous story.

[ when the other party is clearly experiencing a bout of self-conscious, turn the subject back towards yourself and keep it going to help them feel at ease. Margaery lets go of Ellie's hand so they can keep progressing. ]

But I find my own tales a bit too tame in comparison now, so shall we say that next time we exchange stories, I go first? That way, I still get my chance to shine.

[ it's obvious she's teasing, but Margaery goes the extra mile and gently bumps against Ellie as if to make her fall - even as her hold on her hand tightens simultaneously. ]

[Margaery's kind, and they way she tacked that together was practically seamless. Ellie can almost pretend she didn't notice. It's nice, but it trips her up- until she makes her laugh again. A little snort, but she drops her hand to hold just the one.]

Psh, nah. Nothing exciting to report there.

[Ellie casts her a grin back, nodding an agreement, though she ends up almost slipping, she regains her feet with another sputtered laugh.]

You make it sound like you've got some really juicy stuff, though. Some kinda secret romance?

[Shut up, Ellie.]

Juicy stuff, maybe. [ that had been a fun phrase to learn. she gives Ellie a small, meaningful smile when she continues - ] But romance, no.

[ considering Ellie had been nice enough to share the night she met her best friend, it would only be polite to return the favor, wouldn't it? ]

It was critical that I keep my maidenhead intact until I got married. Of course, arduous activities I loved doing like horseback riding and sailing and hawking made it possible for me to have torn it without any sexual intimacy, so I had that to protect me even when I was checked.

But the irony is how men expect you to stay pure, but to also know how to please when the time comes. My family - [ she pauses, although she frames it as restarting her sentence ] - I'm lucky to have been born in a family that was much more forward-thinking than most. And encouraging, when it came to discovering my sexuality.

[ she squeezes Ellie's hand, expression back to a playful smirk. ]

So yes. Lots of sordid activities. Sometimes my brother and I even competed for the attention of the same man, simply for the fun of it.

[Ellie listens with a mix of confusion, disbelief, a slight bit of disgust (in the customs, not in Margaery), and the mad urge to laugh.]

That sounds so fucking ridiculous. Having to watch over your shoulder all the time.

[Sorry, Marg. Harsh. But about the news of her brother, Ellie can't help but grin a little wider, squeezing her hand back -- and poor Ellie, she doesn't. Pick up on the fact that that might've been a hint.]

Okay, so tell me about that. Who'd win, you or your brother?

Doesn't sound so different from your world when you put it that way though.

[ her tone is gentle, words delivered with an equally soft smile that belies the depth of her understanding underneath the humor. ]

Well. It would depend.

[ a pause for dramatic effect. ]

If the man had good taste, I'd win.

[ laughter's bubbling up even before she's finished saying the last word, the chill of the night kept at bay as amusement and company warm her up all over, enough for her to swing their hands gently as her feet acclimate to the surface. ]

I suppose it's a good thing that my brother wasn't into women as well.

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