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test drive

August-September Testo Doraivu!

TEST DRIVE MEME

➞ Post with a character you wish to test drive in this game's setting.
➞ Tag other people's starters and thread out shenanigans!
➞ Invite your friends! Try out new characters! Come play with us!
➞ Have fun!

NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN YOUR TEST-DRIVE JOURNEY?
CHECK OUT ALL THE LOCATIONS WE HAVE AVAILABLE IN:

JOHTO | and | KANTO

ALSO, AS PROMPTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Last month's mini-events!

Effect: Friday, July 8: Flower Gift - All day, despite the season, flowers drift down from the sky. They’re harmless, beautiful, and smell lovely, but if trainers aren’t careful, they might end up trudging through rosedrifts up to their knees before long.
Swarm: Tuesday, July 12: Spinda
Effect: Friday, July 15 to Sunday, July 17: Worry Seed - Affected characters won’t be able to get any sleep. Does that make your character cranky? Does it damage their brain-to-mouth filter? The effects can last as little or as long as you’d like over this weekend.
Effect/Swarm Double Duty: Friday, July 22: Surf - Large waves appear in all bodies of water, including things like bathtubs and your Sawsbucks drinks (it’s just bean water, you know). Be careful on the ocean, but also, hang ten, dudes! The waves won’t destroy anything, but trainers are going to get wet on this ride. Also, oh god, small jellyfish Pokemon (Tentacool, Frillish, Inkay) happen to be swarming randomly in these bodies of water. GANBATTE, VICTORY ROAD.
Effect: Friday, July 29: Haze - The forecast is misty inside and out on this oddly cool July day. Affected trainers will find it difficult to remember things, whether those happened long ago or just five minutes past. The memories aren’t gone, of course, it’s just…foggy.
Swarm: Sunday, July 31: Illumise and Volbeat

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Anders...

[His confirmation helped some of the pieces fall into place. While the bulk of what happened was hazy, the important details were clear. The chantry and all of its inhabitants were dead.]

[In some ways, she was glad she was on the ground. She couldn't fathom taking the news standing up. She'd been able to laugh in the face of many things, including her own brother's betrayal. But her lover ending the lives of the countless faithful. It was blasphemy, it was monstrous...]

[But she had seen both man and spirit warped. What once might have been out of the question for Anders had gone by the wayside.]

Anders... [For the first time in what felt like ages, Marian's silver tongue had fallen silent. Nothing seemed to click into place in her head. She was left to merely quietly contemplate what had befallen them.]

You... We had allies in the church. Elthina was willing to listen. She sympathized with our plight.

I know. I told myself a hundred times, and I still do. But nothing was changing. Nothing would have ever changed if --

[He draws a long, trembling breath and shakes his head.]

I don't want to justify what I did. And I don't expect you to forgive me, or even continue to tolerate me.

[His heart thuds in his throat. Again, trying to gulp it down doesn't help. The worst part of this isn't even admitting that he's a murderer. Most of all, he hates the disappointment in her voice. He would rather her brand him a traitor in rage and end his guilt in a moment.]

If you judge my actions inexcusable, I will gladly suffer whatever punishment you see fit.

[If there could be anything more distressing than what she was currently feeling, it was the implication in Anders' voice. It wasn't that she was offended at the thought, but rather at how deeply she might have considered it in another world.]

[Once, she might have been selfish enough to have let him live. There wasn't a world in which she could imagine being without him. But this went beyond them. And if there was anything she cared for more than Anders, it was the mages that saw her as a hero.]

[The mages that would have to bear the consequences of what Anders had done. Without his punishment, they surely would suffer.]

[But this was, very clearly not Kirkwall, or even Thedas at all, it seemed. As her grief faded into a dull ache, and the shadows of memories settled into the back of her mind, Hawke could feel a strange hollowness in her very core.]

[The fade itself was gone.]

[She doubted that Anders hadn't noticed. She had half a mind to bring it up, anything to move away from her troubled thoughts. But Anders wouldn't be dissuaded so easily.]

I am afraid I didn't pack my guillotine on this impromptu journey. Perhaps another time.

[Only Hawke could effectively turn his potential execution into a joke he actually finds humorous in the slightest. Of course, he doesn't show it. What he does is sigh and shake his head, unable to hide his own disappointment.

It may be an act of mercy, but he knows better. Living with what he's done will bring him far greater suffering than death.

Still...]

I don't deserve you. I doubt I ever did.

That's what all my suitors say. It starts to go to a woman's head, you know?

[With a rumble of a laugh, Marian tilted her head over, cheek resting against the feathers of his coat. In the chaos of the past few days, perhaps even the past few years, she had forgotten what it felt like to simply... stop. If it wasn't her friends, it was the mages. If it wasn't the mages, it was something else in the city.]

I don't recall the last time I breathed in something other than the stinking Kirkwall air. Aside from all those times we spent chasing Darkspawn. But then, I suppose even the scent of rotting corpses and the taint is better than that.

[This was easier. Draw a few laughs and forget about the sense of betrayal and the ache of guilt in her chest. It was the same way she had always gotten on, this needn't be any different.]

[The abrupt change of conversation is jarring. He doesn't feel it should be brushed aside, but that must be his guilt and some amount of neediness talking. And being the source of all this grief, he's in no position to crawl to Hawke for comfort. He'll do his best for hers, instead.]

I should hope you don't entertain the others... [Or didn't, as his trailing off implies. He isn't sure where he stands anymore, and he isn't about to drill her about it.

When the Skitty crawls into his lap and curls up, he tries to relax somewhat, careful to avoid disturbing either of them.]

I think I've endured my fair share of both, frankly.

I don't think I've ever been somewhere quite so clean. It's a bit uncomfortable, in a way. [Well, in many ways. But he means the unfamiliarity of so much healthy, wild green in one place. Mostly.]

Only with my sharp wit.

[Anders wasn't the only one unsure of where they stood. It was true that she still loved him, she doubted something like that would ever change. But the raw feeling in her chest, combined, of course, with the fact that were they somewhere else, he would be dead by her hand...]

[One way or another, it didn't feel right to fall over him, just yet. But even with that thought in mind, Hawke wasn't willing to begin that conversation. It didn't seem like the right time — just outside a town with a handful of souls she didn't know. She prided herself on keeping her emotions in check, but in this situation...]

[She couldn't exactly guarantee a level head.]

I agree. What does one do with untainted ground? Are we meant to start a farm here?

[Sarcastic as she was, it brought an important thought to mind. She wasn't sure what she was meant to be doing in this place. She'd simply been handed a backpack and told to get on her merry way.]

[Twisting around, she pulled that very backpack forward. With some effort, she began to unpack her belongings, taking the time to glance curiously at the round ball that had come with the collection of books, food, and clothing.]

What do you suppose this is?

[He can't help a smile, small and brief as it is. Now more than ever, he appreciates Hawke's penchant for making light of terrible situations.]

Maker, I hope not. Can you imagine reaping grain and shoveling manure for a living after what we've been through?

[The kitten stirs again at all the jostling, stretching and only just barely digging her claws into his leg. She seems as interested in the ball as the humans are, traipsing over to sniff and paw at it.]

I'm not quite sure. I have a few, too, but I haven't found a use for them.

It would still smell better than Kirkwall.

[Hawke turned her attention to the cat, smirking at her efforts. She barely paid any mind to her actual fiddlings, and didn't notice the pink paw depress the circle in the very center of the sphere. It was only once the sphere exploded into a red light that Hawke took notice, particularly by flinching and clambering backward. She was getting more than a little tired of things bursting around her.]

[It didn't take long for it to become obvious that whatever had happened, it wasn't harmful. In fact, judging by the delighted cries of the cat, it was something worth celebrating. Squinting at where the sphere had once been, Hawke found a shaggy looking dog, nothing more than a whelp, staring back at her.]

What in the maker is that?

Edited 2016-09-27 04:12 (UTC)

[The sudden noise and light has Anders on his feet as quick as anything. Even a place as peaceful as this seems doesn't quite take his guard down. That's good. Sort of.

When he sees the creature, he scrambles to take his Skitty out of the dog's reach, cradling her in his arms. Only once he has her secured (in spite of her very vocal protests) does he groan and turn to Hawke with an accusatory look.]

Another dog! As if I didn't get far enough from the last one.

[The loud crowing from Anders is enough to draw both woman and beast from their respective shock. Hawke whirled on the man, eyes narrowed.]

Oh, don't be like that. He's precious!

[As if to prove it, the beast leapt into Marian's lap, licking her hand as it came to rest at the top of its head.]

Look at him. He is just like Dog. Do you want to be Dog Two? Do you?

["Precious" is the last word he'd use to describe that thing. His nose wrinkles into a sneer, which he doesn't bother to hide in the slightest, and he rolls his eyes at her babytalk as if he doesn't do the same thing to cats.]

I can't believe this...

Just keep that filth away from Princess Pinsy. She doesn't like dogs, does she?

[The Skitty mewls and struggles against his grasp, which he of course interprets as fear and continues stroking and cooing to her.]

Edited 2016-09-28 02:31 (UTC)

[It took everything in her power not to scoff at the name. As if "Dog Two" was any better.]

Don't be a fool, Anders. The cat wants to play.

[Hawke rose up, lifting the pup with little effort and holding it out. Dog Two, oblivious to Anders' obvious disdain for him, immediately nosed at his face, licking a line from jawbone to eyebrow. He proceeded to do the same to the pink cat-thing, though perhaps a little more gingerly.]

[Hawke's arms immediately began to shake, rattled by a laugh she could barely contain.]

Look at that... She choked out between giggles.] He likes you.

[The noise that wrenches itself from his throat is horrifying enough that Pinsy immediately uses his chest and arms as a springboard to leap away from him. Which is just as well, because in the next second, he's clawing desperately at his face to get the drool off of it.]

Hawke, how could you! That foul, disgusting creature -- !

[As soon as he can open his eyes without fearing rubbing dog slobber into them, he looks down at his clawed robes and the Skitty now stretching up against Hawke's leg in an effort to bat at Dog Two's wagging tail.]

And you! What could you possibly want with that thing? I was trying to protect you from it!

[Deception... Disgrace... This is what real betrayal looks like.]

[Hawke burst into a loud laugh almost immediately. She clutched D.T. closer to her, curling around the dog as her body rocked with her raucous chortles. It didn't take long for the dog to get tired of her, wrenching away to instead play with the skitty nearby.]

Anders... [A scoff] Don't be so rude to the poor thing! Either of them! They want to be friends!

[Straightening up, Hawke reached out, fingers hovering just a hairsbreadth off of his skin. Seconds away from making contact, her reservations, her concerns, and that apparently ever-present sense of betrayal fluttered back. Quickly, Hawke withdrew her hand, dusting herself off none-too-casually]

[His heart jumps up into his throat again with a skipped beat. It takes him a moment to gather himself, take a step back, and act like he's focused on something else.

The Pokemon don't seem to harbor any ill will toward each other, so he'll leave it alone for now, lest he create another mishap like this. Instead, he returns to his seat beneath the tree and examines the tears in his robes.]

This is no good. [His voice is quieter now, meant more as a distraction for himself than a conversation as he begins digging through his bag.] Doubt I have so much as a needle and thread in this blighted pack.

[Hawke turned her attention away from Anders, opting to mimic him and continue rifling through her own bag. She takes out the remaining balls, fidgeting with them to see if they contained anymore (hopefully distracting) creatures. Following an unsuccessful search, Hawke stashed the balls once more and continued her search.]

At least they had the decency to pack us undergarments! [The cheer in her voice was only slightly forced, just as she has to force her hand to lift and twirl the panties around her fingers.] No holes, either! Already better than what I have.

[Exploring further, Hawke pulled out a long, spooling scarf, followed by a jacket and a handful of other clothes]

And here I was, hoping to traipse about in my armor.

[Well, he has to be grateful for the rags, at least. He runs the smallest over his face and hands, getting the last of the dog's saliva off of himself with a shudder. The urge to complain again about how revolting dogs are is strong, but he resists.

He also almost pretends like he doesn't see Hawke waving around her unmentionables, but even the towel can't cover every bit of flushed skin on his face.]

Why do you insist on being so difficult? It ceased to be cute years ago.

[That's a big fat lie if he ever told one, and it's obvious by the joking undertone. But in this moment, the jesting is a bit awkward. Enough that he refrains from a more lewd comment concerning her armor, or lack of it.]

We do stick out a bit in town, don't we?

[Anders gave Hawke just enough attention for her to chortle for a moment. She still felt odd, joking about her unmentionables around a man she wasn't sure she could trust. Not long ago, these jokes would have been enough encourage for a more illicit dalliance. It felt almost wrong to tease him, when she couldn't say she was comfortable enough to lay with him once again.]

[Especially when she couldn't even bring herself to broach the subject. Especially when she readily welcomed a subject change like this.]

Just a little. Like a qunari in a Dalish tribe.

[With a short roll of the eyes, he resumes ferreting whatever he can out of his bag. Eventually, he produces a set of clothes of his own and turns the articles over a few times in his hands.]

Ugh. Trousers. Doesn't anyone appreciate a good set of robes?

[After giving a bit of a sigh, he reclines against the tree and keeps an eye on Princess Pinsy and her... friend, admittedly a bit impressed that she seems to be the one batting him around.]

Not everyone enjoys a breeze on their nether regions, Anders.

[Paying Anders' griping no mind, Hawke gathered up her clothes and stood up, stepping into the trees just behind Anders. She was more than a little tired of the spikes and metal on her normal attire, and quickly set to casting it off. A few metal clinks and clatters followed as she tossed her equipment outside of the woods, not too far from Anders.]

[D.T., for his part, was only slightly troubled by the noise, and quickly relaxed upon realizing that it was simply his new friend making it. He quickly settled back into his game with Princess Pinsy, tail still wagging a mile a minute.]

[After struggling with the clothes, strange as they are, and tugging on her new vest, Hawke stepped out from behind the trees. She fussed with her scarf some, before casting it behind her shoulders. She gave a glance to Anders, before giving a flourished bow.]

See. Not so bad.

Edited 2016-09-28 21:06 (UTC)

I'm not asking everyone to enjoy them. Just enough that they're readily available.

[His brows furrow as she changes out of sight, just as perturbed by the Pokemon at her racket.]

Careful you don't attract every hungry creature this side of the forest.

[The look he gives her now is only slightly less judgmental, though it only lasts a moment. It isn't something he'd have expected, but...]

I suppose it does suit you.

Edited 2016-09-29 01:01 (UTC)

Mmm-hm. [Hawke quirked a brow, smirk once again playing at her her lips.] Tell you what. If we find anyone living who doesn't think she's my dead mother, we can see if they know a seamstress.

[With her piece said, Hawke plopped down once more. D.T. quickly ran over to her, springing into her lap (and eliciting a soft 'oof' from the mage). After contenting the beast with a few head scratches, she turned her attention back to Anders.]

Speaking of finding people... what next?

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August-September Testo Doraivu!

TEST DRIVE MEME

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