TDM #7

[vivalamods]

TEST DRIVE #7

The day begins as any other, you’re going about your day, living your life, when, without warning, you feel the world around you shift on its axis. You feel a great tear, welling from the depths of your soul as you are ripped from all you have known. If you’re lucky, you arrive in the wilderness of an unfamiliar world, where the language is foreign and the people are hostile. To make your escape, you must learn some language, flee, and occasionally fight, all to find your way off the floating isles you find yourself on and to the great ocean below, where rebel forces will welcome you.

If you’re unlucky, you materialize within a room full of armed guards and are quickly subdued with charged nets, stripped of your belongings, fitted with strange devices that suppress your powers and pressed into servitude. Your days are unimaginable pain and toil.

Fortunately, even in this world, there is still hope. For the denizens of this world have not given up. And it is for that dream of salvation that the Crimson Corsairs raise their flags and sail - for liberation. Perhaps you are one who has lived their entire life under the oppressive yoke of the Empire. Perhaps you have seen first hand your family and friends cut down by nobles hunting men for sport, or perhaps you have run afoul with the church and barely escaped with your life. No matter your origin, the Corsairs sail for you, for your freedom, for your life. And today, a taste of freedom will be won for all.


ARRIVAL/LIBERATION
With the impending attack on the Vindess Mines, the Corsairs sent in a negotiation team to get the Miners on their side. Although there was some conflict with the pro-Imperial miner leads, most of those on the ground are horrifically mistreated and open to a better life. As such, the Corsairs have reciprocated their allegiance by quietly evacuating their loved ones and relocating them to the Vault. Among these are some Servants and dissidents who had been held in the mining area for penal labor, and are now enjoying their first taste of freedom as they’re quickly loaded onto a Corsair airship.

During the tense hours of the journey, the ship runs silent and dark, with nobody daring breathe a word and with only the gentle groan of the machinery as its carefully guided away from the Isles Above and descends toward the Eternal Ocean. The silence is finally punctuated by an announcement from the Crow’s Nest - Flotsam sighted! Suddenly the entire ship seems to blaze with light and warmth as cheers from the sailors are accompanied by lamps bursting to life, and it is with this relieved and celebratory air that the ship comes in for a landing and a warm welcome at the hands of the Flotsam crew before their handoff to the Vault.


A NEW YEAR DELAYED BUT NOT DENIED

While the official celebration of the New Year has been pushed back to give the Corsairs a chance to complete their mission, there are still muted observations throughout the three cities. Warm food and drink are passed around table and tavern as those who have been left behind quietly ring in the new year, hope in their hearts that the mission will succeed and give them much more reason to celebrate.

While muted, the taverns are bustling as people share food, most homes partaking in a traditional hot pot-style meal where whatever good food they still have on hand can be tossed in and boiled in flavorful broth to feed a large audience. With hope in their hearts and prayers on their lips for the Corsairs engaged in their most daring operation yet, the Crimson Corsairs watch and await the dawn.


NEW YEAR RE-RIGGING

A major Flotsam New Year tradition is to replace as many weathered sails and ropes as possible on the fleet. The Corsairs spend hours during the colder months sewing sails, weaving rope, and forging hooks to keep the fleet in tip-top shape. During the first clear day of the new year, any hapless soul who looks limber and unoccupied will be pressed into service, working with crews for long hours to replace sails, rigging, and other essential pieces that define a ship’s worthiness. It’s not all bad though, those who do help are plied with copious amounts of grog and food after the job is done.


WHAT’S NEW YEAR WITHOUT A BIT OF GAMBLING?

With a New Year comes bonuses! The Corsairs don’t have much, but it is still customary to give out bonuses to Corsairs who do well. The sums aren’t necessarily much, but they go a long way for the Corsairs with family hoping to get a few luxuries off the black markets of Elysium. For those without such obligations, however, well, there’s always poker. The taverns of Flotsam are bustling with ne’er do wells looking to burn through their new lucre with a game of cards, or perhaps acquire more of said lucre from unsuspecting marks. Care to try a hand? Just be warned, Corsairs play for keeps.


WILDCARD

Have an idea for your own prompt? Feel free to make any prompt that you think would fit!

OOC
Welcome to the seventh Test-Drive Meme for Viva La! All threads here may be considered canon once characters have entered the game. Threads here are eligible for use as a roleplay sample for applications, which will open on the 15th of December at midnight.
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Comments

[theriflespiral]

"When told to march, I march," she puts simply. "I have good control over-- back home, it was called internal energy. 'Personal Ether', I suppose, is the equivalent here. I need more energy to walk than stand... but then..."

"the Currents are orders of magnitude stronger than any human's Ether, so surely I could... but that wouldn't resolve the lack of reserves, simply restore them to back before... And that's if the Currents don't sweep me up entirely..." She's actually calculating if she can do this.

[heaven_rooted]

Tsuyukusa's expression flattens again. He runs a hand over his face. "Tch, you're overcomplicating this."

That's about all the warning he gives before stepping closer with the full intent to try and pick her up.

[theriflespiral]

Thankfully, occupying her with both the nerd bomb of getting somewhere else, and the problem of remaining ambulatory, has just about managed to keep her from realizing Tsuyukusa is about to do what he's doing until he does it.

That said not long into hauling her around, she does say a muffled, "So I could probably do it."

[heaven_rooted]

He's a little surprised for the lack of protest as puts her over a shoulder like she weighs little more than a pillow. The maneuver draws more than a few curious looks and some cautiously amused commentary, confirmations from stories they'd only heard, of Tsuyukusa hauling drunks twice his size in such a manner, tossing them into the ocean to help sober them up- a rumored pastime of his.

"Don't gamble with things like that. It's either you can or you can't, or you end up bouncing back or collapsing on the other side." A malicious but brief smirk tugs at his face, revealing his sharper canines. "Or pulled apart. Who knows. Devices like those only manipulate Ether into doing specific things and usually under the expectations that whatever or whoever's interacting with them are at some baseline." Honestly, that's the best way he understands such artificial creations. He's no tech-head and doesn't really care to figure out the specifics.

"Anyway, if it doesn't feel like enough's getting us through, I'll supplement it."

[theriflespiral]

"see that's the thing, the main effort's in converting corporeal to incorporeal ether, once you've overcome that boundary, you're in the Currents..." She blinks-- "Wait. Where are we goin'?"

[heaven_rooted]

"Portal. Elysium? That's what you said, right?" he asks, still keeping a steady pace.

[theriflespiral]

"-- I thought we were going back to hospital?" ... Thankfully, similar directions up to now. "The ward?"

[heaven_rooted]

"Would you be more inclined to stay there? Or wherever you're quartered?" he asks. "Or would you be more tempted to move around knowing things were slightly more accessible for the latter?"

[theriflespiral]

"I'm quartered in a bare flat with no accessories and a cheap Ether stove. So long as I've something to read, I'll be fine in the ward." At the very least, she's learned escape in her current state is impossible, and getting from her flat to Penguin would be difficult.

[heaven_rooted]

Tsuyukusa considers that, nodding. "At least you've got people over there too. All right then." One less thing to fuss about.

"I'll have someone run some books up for you later, if that's all you want."

[theriflespiral]

"For now, yes. ... I'd ask for magic theory and spellcasting basics, but I think if I tried to learn a martial art in this state you would tie me to the bed."

[heaven_rooted]

"Yep."

Not even a moment to consider.

Books though... That means a trip to the Vault. Tsu makes a face at that. Well, can't be helped. So long as it keeps her from going anywhere herself, which is really the point.

"Magic theory and spellcasting basics, huh?" he murmurs, committing it to memory. "You trying to learn anything specific?"

[theriflespiral]

"... I'm surprised. I'm becoming of the opinion that most spellcraft, as it is practiced on Esthere, are martial arts and the fruits of hard work under a different color, not at all like pacts or high-level formations." She pauses.

"As for specifics... Principles and properties of ice-type Ether. Anything you can find on curses on a person's Ether. And especially any texts on supernatural martial arts."

[heaven_rooted]

"Ether exists in everything. It's literally a part of us, so really, taking that into consideration, putting effort into when you make use of it, depending on the use, is only natural."

The levels of Ether at one's disposal varies, but use of it was perhaps adjacent to exercising ones muscles, just more figurative ones.

"Ice? And curses...hah. You've got weird interests." He's not one to sugarcoat things, clearly. If he thinks you're weird, he'll straight up say it, it seems.

"Supernatural martial arts sounds vague. Do you mean like...enhancing your hand-to-hand attacks with Ether or something?"

[theriflespiral]

By the time she gets done saying all this they're probably there-- she's speaking much slower and more carefully than written here, and rambling a bit more, but not much more.

"Exactly. It doesn't come from the broader shape the Ether takes among a combined force, or an outside being. It is your own sweat, instinct, and training that moves and changes Ether, makes a spell, here." And that means she can master it without too much help.

"Well. They're vested interests, yes." She won't say more about it; her body temperature was deathly low at the critical moments and by all accounts it saved her life. "There's something I observed I want to be more certain of."

"And-- somewhat?" Argh, there was that language barrier again. "Like I said, the fruits of hard work are important to learning how to maneuver your breath or energy-- I already have some of that thanks to my past work, but it would be best if I understood how that works here instead of attempting to... wake the [Inner Lotus] my old ways."

[heaven_rooted]

She already clearly understands a lot and has been looking into things on her own. But then a lot of the outerworlders do. It's easier to take things for granted, what you grow up with. Tsuyukusa knows better however, because even what surrounds you, what you've known, can be taken away, or circumstances can change.

He hums thoughtfully. "I'll see what I can find." At least the library itself isn't the problem.

"But that's a good perspective to have. I don't know how drastically different or very similar what you know may be to here, but the fact is still that you're here now and not there," he nods.

Their destination is soon in front of them, finally. Tsuyukusa doesn't look to have broken a sweat, and he pulls open the door to step inside with the escapee. "You need to watch this one better."

[theriflespiral]

She nods.

"Again!? Sorry about this, Tsu. We're not sure how she keeps getting out."

Natalia blinks. "Sight lines, change blindness, and unlocked doors, mostly."

[heaven_rooted]

Was that a smirk? Surely one's imagination! It vanishes before one can register it. Tsuyukusa sets Natalia down, rolling his shoulder before he offers a shrug.

"Well, there you have it. At least I didn't have to chase this one." This time he grins, an almost feral look on him. "It's been a while since I've gone on a good chase though. Anyway, I'll be by again at some point to make sure she's still around, but you let me know if she disappears again."

He glances at Natalia. "Oi, what's your name again?" Since he kind of breezed over all that.

[theriflespiral]

"Natalia Koutolika. Likely to be styled Nathalie." She could go through all her various titles, former and current, but the one that's most likely to make it all fit together is, "Former Cadet."

"Speaking of, you lost a lot of blood, you need to not be up at all."

".... Ah. of course. transfusion. It's transfusion." Or rather, the lack of it.

[heaven_rooted]

"Natalia?" He nods. "Most call me either Tau or Tsu. They have trouble with Tsuyukusa." It sounds strangely fluid and loses any of the roughness of the local language when he shifts between that and his name.

"We've already established that she should rest. I'll leave her to you, then."

[theriflespiral]

"Tsuyukusa." She says it as if she's learned a very similar language. Tsuyukusa. Herbalist. Compounds own medicine. Bound my wounds. Quite strong and endurant. Interested in healing people, dislikes people who disregard hi advice. Tends to compel patients. Tsuyukusa.

"[It's been a pleasure to meet you,]" she adds, in Japanese, then-- "I will remember the name."

[heaven_rooted]

He looks briefly startled at that, having not expected to hear it spoken. Not that it's unheard of, his own guardian having said his father likely came from a distant place. He recovers quickly though, a warmer smile touching his face at that.

Tsuyusa gives her a brief bow, then nods at the hospital staff before he turns to step back out, waving a hand over his shoulder. "[Stay out of trouble]," he says in parting.