Entry tags:
- -event,
- -tdm,
- aether,
- alucard emery,
- ashelia b'nargin dalmasca,
- ashi,
- astarion,
- balthier,
- barnabas tharmr,
- benedikta harman,
- cidolfus telamon,
- clive rosfield,
- cloud strife,
- dion lesage,
- eizen,
- eustace,
- faris scherwiz,
- fenris,
- graha tia,
- jarlaxe baenre,
- jill warrick,
- joshua rosfield,
- kotori iida,
- ky kiske,
- lyney,
- march 7th,
- miriam,
- nanaki,
- nimona,
- professor turo,
- reaper,
- reno,
- rikku,
- roxas,
- sorey,
- tifa lockhart,
- toge inumaki,
- velvet crowe,
- xenk yendar,
- zack fair
« test sail »
Welcome to the first Test Drive Meme for
escordvi! Anyone can participate in the test drive, regardless of invite eligibility. Just keep in mind that only those who have received invitations from the mods can actually reserve on August 25th and apply on September 1st. Our Interest Check can be found here.
For your toplevel, please include the following: Character Name | Canon | Armada Choice. If undecided, put "Undecided" for the Armada.
For everyone's convenience, TDM threads can be carried over in game if you wish! If you are still unsure which armada to place your character, you can play it a bit loose and vague in the TDM and make retroactive changes if you carryover the threads. We'll have more armada focused prompts in the opening log in September. The log itself is set to cover the next two weeks, until the end of the month. Characters will appear at random intervals during this time rather than all at once, so players have some more flexibility on how much more adjusted they are for someone else.
IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR MAGIC USERS!! All magic abilities will be "sealed" until characters get their tattoo from the Inkwave parlor in Eltrut. That means no magic on the starter ships before docking.
We do require TDM threads for samples for our application!
If you have any question about the TDM, comment here. If you have questions about the game in general, please comment to the Game Info.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Mai | Undecided
Azur Lane - Bremerton | Paladin
Azur Lane - Enterprise | Paladin
Baldur’s Gate 3 - Astarion | Corsair
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Miriam | Paladin
Critical Role - Percy DeRolo | Paladin
Dragon Age 2 - Fenris | Corsair
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves - Xenk Yendar | Paladin
Fate/Grand Order - Edward Teach | Corsair
Final Fantasy V - Faris Scherwiz | Corsair
Final Fantasy VII - Aerith Gainsborough | Undecided
Final Fantasy VII - Cloud Strife | Paladin
Final Fantasy VII - Nanaki/Red XIII | Paladin
Final Fantasy VII - Reno | Corsair
Final Fantasy VII - Zack Fair | Paladin
Final Fantasy VIII - Laguna Loire | Paladin
Final Fantasy X-2 - Rikku | Undecided
Final Fantasy XII - Ashe | Corsair
Final Fantasy XIV - G’raha Tia | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Benedikta Harman | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Cidolfus Telamon | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Clive Rosfield | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Dion Lesage | Paladin
Final Fantasy XVI - Gav | Undecided
Final Fantasy XVI - Midadol Telamon | Corsair
Final Fantasy: Type-0 - Rem | Corsair
Forgotten Realms - Jarlaxle Baenre | Corsair
Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage - Morning’s Observation | Corsair
Genshin Impact - Lyney | Corsair
Genshin Impact - Wanderer | Undecided
Good Omens - Aziraphale | Undecided
Granblue Fantasy - Eustace | Corsair
Guilty Gear - Ky Kiske | Corsair
Honkai Star Rail - March 7th | Paladin
Jujutsu Kaisen - Toge Inumaki | Corsair
Kingdom Hearts - Roxas | Paladin
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Tetra | Paladin
Nimona - Nimona | Paladin
One Piece - Roronoa Zoro | Corsair
Overwatch - Reaper | Corsair
The Owl House - Gus Porter | Undecided
Pokemon - Professor Turo | Paladin
Samurai Jack - Ashi | Paladin
Shades of Magic - Alucard Emery | Paladin
Skies of Arcadia - Fina | Corsair
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Cal Kestis | Undecided
Stormlight Archive - Shallan Davar | Corsair
Sweetness and Lightning - Kotori Iida | Paladin
Tales of Berseria - Eizen | Corsair
Tales of Berseria - Velvet Crow | Corsair
Tales of Zestiria - Sorey | Undecided
Welcome Home - Julie Joyful | Corsair
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
For your toplevel, please include the following: Character Name | Canon | Armada Choice. If undecided, put "Undecided" for the Armada.
For everyone's convenience, TDM threads can be carried over in game if you wish! If you are still unsure which armada to place your character, you can play it a bit loose and vague in the TDM and make retroactive changes if you carryover the threads. We'll have more armada focused prompts in the opening log in September. The log itself is set to cover the next two weeks, until the end of the month. Characters will appear at random intervals during this time rather than all at once, so players have some more flexibility on how much more adjusted they are for someone else.
IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR MAGIC USERS!! All magic abilities will be "sealed" until characters get their tattoo from the Inkwave parlor in Eltrut. That means no magic on the starter ships before docking.
We do require TDM threads for samples for our application!
If you have any question about the TDM, comment here. If you have questions about the game in general, please comment to the Game Info.
TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated August 28)
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Mai | Undecided
Azur Lane - Bremerton | Paladin
Azur Lane - Enterprise | Paladin
Baldur’s Gate 3 - Astarion | Corsair
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Miriam | Paladin
Critical Role - Percy DeRolo | Paladin
Dragon Age 2 - Fenris | Corsair
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves - Xenk Yendar | Paladin
Fate/Grand Order - Edward Teach | Corsair
Final Fantasy V - Faris Scherwiz | Corsair
Final Fantasy VII - Aerith Gainsborough | Undecided
Final Fantasy VII - Cloud Strife | Paladin
Final Fantasy VII - Nanaki/Red XIII | Paladin
Final Fantasy VII - Reno | Corsair
Final Fantasy VII - Zack Fair | Paladin
Final Fantasy VIII - Laguna Loire | Paladin
Final Fantasy X-2 - Rikku | Undecided
Final Fantasy XII - Ashe | Corsair
Final Fantasy XIV - G’raha Tia | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Benedikta Harman | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Cidolfus Telamon | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Clive Rosfield | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Dion Lesage | Paladin
Final Fantasy XVI - Gav | Undecided
Final Fantasy XVI - Midadol Telamon | Corsair
Final Fantasy: Type-0 - Rem | Corsair
Forgotten Realms - Jarlaxle Baenre | Corsair
Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage - Morning’s Observation | Corsair
Genshin Impact - Lyney | Corsair
Genshin Impact - Wanderer | Undecided
Good Omens - Aziraphale | Undecided
Granblue Fantasy - Eustace | Corsair
Guilty Gear - Ky Kiske | Corsair
Honkai Star Rail - March 7th | Paladin
Jujutsu Kaisen - Toge Inumaki | Corsair
Kingdom Hearts - Roxas | Paladin
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Tetra | Paladin
Nimona - Nimona | Paladin
One Piece - Roronoa Zoro | Corsair
Overwatch - Reaper | Corsair
The Owl House - Gus Porter | Undecided
Pokemon - Professor Turo | Paladin
Samurai Jack - Ashi | Paladin
Shades of Magic - Alucard Emery | Paladin
Skies of Arcadia - Fina | Corsair
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Cal Kestis | Undecided
Stormlight Archive - Shallan Davar | Corsair
Sweetness and Lightning - Kotori Iida | Paladin
Tales of Berseria - Eizen | Corsair
Tales of Berseria - Velvet Crow | Corsair
Tales of Zestiria - Sorey | Undecided
Welcome Home - Julie Joyful | Corsair
STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION
There are two ships that serve as starting ships for each armada: Stormbringer for the Corsairs, and Royal Fortune for the Paladins. There are various ways new arrivals—or riftfarers as they will be called, among other creative names—will appear on or by these ships.
However the new riftfarers arrive, they will be poorly clothed, practically rags or loose uniforms depending on the ship. Fortunately, veteran crewmates will guide them, escorting them to a room with a strange typewriter in it. After typing their name, the typewriter will magically continue and type by itself at a fast pace until it dings and rolls out the paper. This paper will have the following information:
After that, the crewmate will do their best to explain the basics of how they got here, what's going on, and what they'll need to do to live in Escordvi while they are here, giving them a small leather pouch with money. They will be reaching Eltrut soon, so the crewmate will suggest they look around, meet the others who have arrived. Even from their distance, they will be able to see the giant sea turtle that serves as Eltrut's leviathan.
🚪 Random room. It could be empty, filled with crates or supplies; down in the hull where the livestock are kept; have the luck to awaken in a bed...or the misfortune of that bed already occupied; somewhere in the kitchens; in the bathroom—any room! Now let's hope the doors can open or someone may have to try and ask for help. Or jump through the porthole if there is one and it's above water.
⛵ On deck. If not in the ship itself, another possible spot to wake up to is somewhere on the maindeck. If they're lucky, they're on the deck itself. More unfortunate souls may find themselves caught in the sails or netting, the crow's nest, or on the top of the masts. Someone should be able to help, right? Or catch.
🌊 In the water. The most unlucky sods will find themselves appearing in mid-air just past the ship and plummeting straight into the water. Good news, there's always someone on the look out for such a thing and calls for help to throw a lifesaver get the rowboat will be made. Are there sharks? Well... ...Are there?
⛵ On deck. If not in the ship itself, another possible spot to wake up to is somewhere on the maindeck. If they're lucky, they're on the deck itself. More unfortunate souls may find themselves caught in the sails or netting, the crow's nest, or on the top of the masts. Someone should be able to help, right? Or catch.
🌊 In the water. The most unlucky sods will find themselves appearing in mid-air just past the ship and plummeting straight into the water. Good news, there's always someone on the look out for such a thing and calls for help to throw a lifesaver get the rowboat will be made. Are there sharks? Well... ...Are there?
However the new riftfarers arrive, they will be poorly clothed, practically rags or loose uniforms depending on the ship. Fortunately, veteran crewmates will guide them, escorting them to a room with a strange typewriter in it. After typing their name, the typewriter will magically continue and type by itself at a fast pace until it dings and rolls out the paper. This paper will have the following information:
• Name and Shellphone ID (journalname)
• Armada (Corsair or Paladin, will match the starter ship)
• Cabin Number for their personal cabin on the starter ship
• Apartment Address for their personal address at their base armada location
• A basic map of the starting locations in Eltrut, including written directions (continued in the Eltrut section)
• A basic map of where they can find a chest with their original clothes and belongings (this will be different for every person and will be anywhere either on the starter ship or on Eltrut—players can be creative here).
• Armada (Corsair or Paladin, will match the starter ship)
• Cabin Number for their personal cabin on the starter ship
• Apartment Address for their personal address at their base armada location
• A basic map of the starting locations in Eltrut, including written directions (continued in the Eltrut section)
• A basic map of where they can find a chest with their original clothes and belongings (this will be different for every person and will be anywhere either on the starter ship or on Eltrut—players can be creative here).
After that, the crewmate will do their best to explain the basics of how they got here, what's going on, and what they'll need to do to live in Escordvi while they are here, giving them a small leather pouch with money. They will be reaching Eltrut soon, so the crewmate will suggest they look around, meet the others who have arrived. Even from their distance, they will be able to see the giant sea turtle that serves as Eltrut's leviathan.
ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE
After reaching the port of Eltrut, several birdfolk will appear and happily greet all the new arrivals from both starter ships. Here it doesn't matter which side they are affiliated with, as long as they keep those swords and weapons sheathed and not pointed at each other's throats. The birdfolk will even act as guides, showing them the main places they should visit and give them a visitor's map to help guide them.
It's a lot to take in for sure, with the port city bustling with all walks of life. Not only do they have both armadas mingling with each other, there are different races and species from all over Escordvi gathered here. It's not just humans, which many riftfarers always seem to be surprised about. There are also plenty of veteran riftfarers who will gladly give some advice and even share stories of their world. Maybe some are familiar.
After finding their belongings, exploring the town, and meeting other people, being able to just sit back and enjoy a drink and warm meal will be in order. While there are plenty of places to choose from, the Minstrel and Cask will be the top recommended tavern for all newcomers to visit at least once. Great drinks, great food, and can learn a lot from the patrons or meet more people.
Of course, as expected of a highly popular tavern, it's not always peaceful. A man will ask travelers what they want to do with their life. Clearly drunk, he only accepts answers that hint at wanting to find riches. If told this he will give out a treasure map. But if told anything else, he'll put up a fight, hoping to deliver a black eye. Those who do receive the map will be sorely disappointed—it will lead them down a long, winding, circuitous path around town and end at a random outhouse, likely occupied and certainly stinking to high heavens. There's likely some kind of moral here, but at some point, others who have been duped will return to the tavern to sling their fists around.
Looks like another tavern brawl for the night.
🐚 Microshell. The first stop that is encouraged will be Microshell, the main store to acquire their own personal Shellphone. The paper they received on their starter ship will have their ID and the staff at the store will set them up, explaining how the device and the network works.
✒️ Inkwave, Tattoo Parlor. The next stop is Inkwave, a tattoo parlor run by a very burly but friendly octopus, Knistej. Here everyone receives their own unique magic tattoo, allowing anyone to cast specific single element spells and other magic. Note: tattoos are required before anyone will be able to use their original magical abilities.
📜 MANTA office. The final stop is the MANTA office, where all the request, mission, and task notices are posted. Each armada has their own branch office for armada specific notices as well. A great place to find jobs to earn some cash so they don't stay a hobo forever.
✒️ Inkwave, Tattoo Parlor. The next stop is Inkwave, a tattoo parlor run by a very burly but friendly octopus, Knistej. Here everyone receives their own unique magic tattoo, allowing anyone to cast specific single element spells and other magic. Note: tattoos are required before anyone will be able to use their original magical abilities.
📜 MANTA office. The final stop is the MANTA office, where all the request, mission, and task notices are posted. Each armada has their own branch office for armada specific notices as well. A great place to find jobs to earn some cash so they don't stay a hobo forever.
It's a lot to take in for sure, with the port city bustling with all walks of life. Not only do they have both armadas mingling with each other, there are different races and species from all over Escordvi gathered here. It's not just humans, which many riftfarers always seem to be surprised about. There are also plenty of veteran riftfarers who will gladly give some advice and even share stories of their world. Maybe some are familiar.
After finding their belongings, exploring the town, and meeting other people, being able to just sit back and enjoy a drink and warm meal will be in order. While there are plenty of places to choose from, the Minstrel and Cask will be the top recommended tavern for all newcomers to visit at least once. Great drinks, great food, and can learn a lot from the patrons or meet more people.
Of course, as expected of a highly popular tavern, it's not always peaceful. A man will ask travelers what they want to do with their life. Clearly drunk, he only accepts answers that hint at wanting to find riches. If told this he will give out a treasure map. But if told anything else, he'll put up a fight, hoping to deliver a black eye. Those who do receive the map will be sorely disappointed—it will lead them down a long, winding, circuitous path around town and end at a random outhouse, likely occupied and certainly stinking to high heavens. There's likely some kind of moral here, but at some point, others who have been duped will return to the tavern to sling their fists around.
Looks like another tavern brawl for the night.
QUESTS
For those who want to try their hand at some quests, there are a few that would do well for newcomers. Teaming up is of course encouraged, no matter what the affiliation. You can assume they acquired some kind of ship for the quests out at sea, either the starter ship or some other ship heading out there.
There is a traveling food ship (think food truck but on the water) that has been going around challenging ships to their extraordinary Hornswaggle's Spicy Squid Eating Challenge. If participants can scarf down a prepared three-pound bowl of exceptionally spicy ghost pepper squid and rice, they will win their meal for free as well as a crate of dried spicy squid for their ship's stores. If participants fail, they will have to pay for the meal and the crate.
...Careful, are some of the squid tentacles still moving?
Rumour has it that certain types of coral reefs contain unique properties that can make you more alluring to the one you desire, but no one is sure what the side effects are. Test this out by trying to crunch into chunks of coral reef pieces to see if there are any added effects on your body. Hopefully, they don't ruin your teeth in the meantime.
Oh, and you have to find the correct coral reef too! Red chunks seem to make you more affectionate towards others, while blue chunks seem to make you more volatile towards others. Eaters, beware!
Giant sea slugs tend to only attack ships if they feel threatened but are otherwise peaceful creatures. They're about the size of a large wild cat. They also secrete a slime that contains strong disinfectant properties. This thick slime is highly sought after for its ability to heal wounds cleanly, so kill them and collect as much slime as possible.
Seagulls can be a pain to most ships. Yet, seagulls that have evolved to be violently carnivorous can be even worse. These new birds, effectively named sharkgulls, have been seen attacking ships and ports alike. They are big enough to eat small children in one gulp or will do their best to eat full-grown humans after they've ripped them to bite-sized shreds. Beware and kill them before they can kill you!
A merchant's ship has crashed upon an outcropping of rocks after being lured in by a group of rogue sirens. These captivating creatures possess the power to ensnare their prey with their enchanting voices, luring unsuspecting souls into the depths to meet the grim fate of drowning.
Search for the missing ship and help rescue the captive sailors before it's too late! You will be supplied with special earplugs to muffle out the siren's voices so be careful to keep your ears effectively plugged. You don't want to succumb to the siren's bloodlust yourself.
Any sailors or rescuers affected by the siren's song can be treated with a harpy's potion that can reverse the song's effect. Or tie up the afflicted for twenty-four hours to wait out the effects.

Spicy Squid Eating Challenge
Eltrut PortThere is a traveling food ship (think food truck but on the water) that has been going around challenging ships to their extraordinary Hornswaggle's Spicy Squid Eating Challenge. If participants can scarf down a prepared three-pound bowl of exceptionally spicy ghost pepper squid and rice, they will win their meal for free as well as a crate of dried spicy squid for their ship's stores. If participants fail, they will have to pay for the meal and the crate.
...Careful, are some of the squid tentacles still moving?

Coral Reef Snacks
Eltrut Rumour has it that certain types of coral reefs contain unique properties that can make you more alluring to the one you desire, but no one is sure what the side effects are. Test this out by trying to crunch into chunks of coral reef pieces to see if there are any added effects on your body. Hopefully, they don't ruin your teeth in the meantime.
Oh, and you have to find the correct coral reef too! Red chunks seem to make you more affectionate towards others, while blue chunks seem to make you more volatile towards others. Eaters, beware!

Giant Sea Slugs
Starter ShipsGiant sea slugs tend to only attack ships if they feel threatened but are otherwise peaceful creatures. They're about the size of a large wild cat. They also secrete a slime that contains strong disinfectant properties. This thick slime is highly sought after for its ability to heal wounds cleanly, so kill them and collect as much slime as possible.

Killer Sharkgulls
Eltrut port and shipsSeagulls can be a pain to most ships. Yet, seagulls that have evolved to be violently carnivorous can be even worse. These new birds, effectively named sharkgulls, have been seen attacking ships and ports alike. They are big enough to eat small children in one gulp or will do their best to eat full-grown humans after they've ripped them to bite-sized shreds. Beware and kill them before they can kill you!

Siren's Serenade
Out at SeaA merchant's ship has crashed upon an outcropping of rocks after being lured in by a group of rogue sirens. These captivating creatures possess the power to ensnare their prey with their enchanting voices, luring unsuspecting souls into the depths to meet the grim fate of drowning.
Search for the missing ship and help rescue the captive sailors before it's too late! You will be supplied with special earplugs to muffle out the siren's voices so be careful to keep your ears effectively plugged. You don't want to succumb to the siren's bloodlust yourself.
Any sailors or rescuers affected by the siren's song can be treated with a harpy's potion that can reverse the song's effect. Or tie up the afflicted for twenty-four hours to wait out the effects.
no subject
She feels like nothing more than a speck in a wide, vast, terrifying world, but for all the anger that thought alone makes her feel, she is far too exhausted to do anything about it. Yet... But she holds onto it. Grips it tight in her hand knowing that if she is to survive at all, she would need that fuel.
Before Cid leads her much further, he'll feel a light tug on his hand, and if he looks back at her, he'll be faced with Benedikta's confusion.]
... Why are you doing this?
no subject
But then he feels the tug and looks back at her in wonder... Before his brows raise.]
Why wouldn't I?
[That is a genuine question. Helping her just seems like the most logical thing—even if others might think otherwise given their history. But it is because of their history...and especially because of recent history.]
no subject
... Until she does find it within herself to give one.]
After everything...
[It isn't a very good one, of course.]
no subject
It's because of everything.
[There's a heaviness in his voice, one that hints at something more. Hints that much more needs to be said between them, but now isn't really the time for it. Even if he wanted to say more, footsteps approaching can be heard before a voice calls out to them.
"Hello...oh! You're some new riftfarers, aren't you?"
Cid can only glance at Benedikta before he smiles a greeting and asks if there was a bathroom and a change of clothes—women's, specifically—they could use. Curious, but knowing and clearly used to such requests, the sailor (what looks to be some kind of black bird with a large colorful beak) will guide them one that happens to be on this floor, promising to find a spare set of clothes. Once it leaves, Cid will turned to her.]
Can you manage?
no subject
She doesn't realize that she'd been holding that breath, waiting to hear the "something more" that the heaviness in his voice suggests...
...
Except she's startled at the voice that comes up behind her, visibly jumping when she turns around, that disappointment clear, and the frustration even clearer.
Every time... This happens every time.
She lets Cid take the lead on this one where she otherwise might have or have cursed the strange bird-creature out for interrupting what was clearly an important, private conversation, but she is desperate for some better clothes. So she follows without a word, always a step behind Cid, watching his back as he leads her by the hand still through the hallways until they find another room with the prospect of new clothes, and the answer to his question will come swiftly.]
Yes.
[Even if she couldn't, did he honestly expect that she would accept his help there?]
And what about you?
[There's a subtle note in her voice... one that begs him not to leave without saying as much.]
no subject
I'll wait out here so our little bird friend will know who to look for when they come back.
[Which, he doesn't really need to. Said bird friend knows where they left them. But that is also his way of saying he won't leave her.]
no subject
She doesn't say anything to that, and instead shuts the door. Though... not all the way. She doesn't know why the click of the door would riddle her with so many prickles of anxiety, and so she leaves it open just a crack. Enough that she could open it at a moment's notice and escape if she needed to.
But she doesn't, and she won't need to. It will take some time, her condition not making it easy to get changed into new clothes. She finds herself looking back at the door every now and then as if to check that Cid might still be there...
...
And finally, when it opens, she stands there in new clothes. They aren't much better, and she'd rather have the leather back, but it will have to do for now. It's leagues better than what she had been wearing, which wasn't much, and at least now, she has proper boots to tide her over until she can find her own clothes... and her sword.
She wrinkles her nose and groans under her breath, feeling a touch more like herself now that she's out of those terrible rags, though not quite there yet.]
I don't like them.
no subject
Not yet, at least.
The more she calms, the more she'll want to be away from him he's sure, but...
As he stares at the hand that held hers, he can't help but hope that she doesn't. Even if he knows he's a fool for holding onto such a thing, it's there. Stronger now, perhaps, given like he said—everything. From the first time he met her, to the last time he placed his necklace on her chest, his silent farewells.
Thinking about it makes him wonder—does she have necklace now? Here? ...No, probably not. If they didn't have their clothes or weapons, only makes sense she wouldn't have that either. He's not sure why he feels a bit hollow at that thought, but said thoughts will be broken when he hears her approach the door, and he turns to look at her when she steps out.]
Still better than what you had before.
[...Yeah, not that great, but like he said. Better. Especially without the blood.]
...And? Calmed a bit?
no subject
She doesn't answer him right away because no, she has not calmed one bit. While she may not be screaming and fighting and trying to fly away and is less panicked on the outside, on the inside, she is still at odds, that storm of fear still swirling like a tempest. She still doesn't know if she can trust him, or anyone else on this fucking boat, but what choice does she have right now? He is the only thing familiar about this place, and if she is to survive, she's told herself, then she needs to at least last long enough not to cause any more of a scene than she already has. She needs to find out what's going on, where she is, who is behind it all.
And more importantly, how to get Garuda back.
Her eyes are red when they meet his, the circles beneath them deep and dark, and her face is still specked with dried blood, but even then...]
You look like shit.
[Very much a non-answer, but it's true. He looks just as terrible as she does, covered in her blood.]
no subject
....Ah.]
No wonder that bird fellow looked at me strangely and left me a pair of clothes. Thought it wasn't as bad.
[...Her blood, indeed.]
no subject
Why can she only look at him this way? Like some helpless bird caught in a net, chirping quietly, and waiting for him to free her?
She tries to bring back the edge to her voice but fails to do so when it falls flat and quiet, too timid for her tastes when her throat burns with every fucking syllable.]
... Are you going to get changed?
no subject
[A pointed look at her before he continues.]
Are you gonna run while I'm in there?
[It can't be helped, given her history and her current state. But it's also because of her current state that he doesn't want to keep his eyes off her. Not afraid of her hurting anyone else, but herself.]
no subject
Why? You wish to keep me here still?
[Whether that is or isn't a rhetorical question doesn't matter, because she dismisses it with a click of her tongue, and weakly looks down at herself. Looks at her bloodied knuckles, and at the sorry state her arms and legs are in, battered and bruised still.]
Do I look like I am in any condition to run?
[Maybe if she could fly, but...]
no subject
Given how you usually are, can you blame me?
But no, I just think it's best we stick together for now, that's all.
[Especially because of her condition.
But as if to show goodwill and understanding, he'll reach out to open the door so he can head inside.]
no subject
[She only gawps at him, bewildered that he would even say such a thing. How she usually is? What is that supposed to mean? She is only the way that she is because of him, and only ever around him, so can he blame her!? He'll earn several daggers pointed at him as he makes for the door and heads inside the room, and Benedikta really does have half a mind now to make her escape.
...
Except when she does try to move, a new ache forms in her side that forces her to stop and lean against the wall, that single step more than enough to have her searching for air.
There's plenty of noise around the ship—footsteps above the deck, shouts, splashes outside, other people finding themselves in rooms and panicking as they run past her, but Benedikta pays all of it no mind. She can't... not with how there is no room to think of anything else but her own condition. It's so loud, but the silence around her has never been more deafening in the absence of Cid's company, or anyone's for that matter. Being alone with her thoughts... all the universe needed was that split second before all her doubts could start sinking their fangs into her again.
Her fears...
Fears of what all of this could mean. Why is she here? How did she get here? And why, of all the people who could have come to break down her door, was it the man she had thought of in what she believed to be her last moments? This must all just be a dream as Garuda uses her to destroy the world like she had asked, and Cidolfus was made manifest by those thoughts... And to have him helping her like this... To not have him preaching and singing his songs of saving the world to her, but to have him taking her by her hand and caring for her like he had back then...?
No.
This must all be a dream. A nightmare. Or hell.
But there is no way that this is real.
It's that thought that has her face twisting into a deep, thoughtful frown as she leans up against the wall, her hands shaking as they ball into fists at her sides, and tears lining the edges of her eyes again when he comes out.]
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And as he tries his grip strength, his left hand clutching the edge of the sink until his knuckles turn white, he again can't help but feel...strange. How long has it been since he could do more than just pick up normal things? Feel as he once did before the curse started taking his arm? He can't even feel the soreness, it's all just—gone.
Although, while he would have thought the same of Ramuh... It's faint. So faint he could have missed it, but that particular ghost's presence he is well acquainted with, and he can feel the Eikon in the deepest edges of his consciousness. Is it his own intuition or Ramuh's that's helping make his decisions right now? He doesn't know.
Hell, he still has no idea what the fuck is going on.
As the water runs as he starts wiping himself off, he tries to think of the situation he woke up to and what he's been told so far. A different world? Rifts? And from the sounds other people apparently finding themselves in similar situations, they're not the only ones?
But why them? If he even entertained the idea of world dimensional hopping, he'd expect it for the living.
Not the dead.
So is this some weird afterlife? A dream? Hell?
He may be seeming confident in front of Benedikta, but the truth is he's at much of a loss as she is. He's no fool—he's not taking everything at face value. He's going to need to investigate and look more into this whole situation. But if they really are in a new world, if they were somehow taken here then... What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?
And what should he do?
After her death, he had been rattled far more than he'd like to admit, and at that point he was far more willing to go that length to take down the Mothercrystal. Ready to do it alone, too, before Clive and Jill waltzed back into his solar. He wouldn't say he did everything he did to save her, but it would be a lie to say she wasn't part of his motivation.
And the guilt, the regret. Of not being able to stop Clive before it was too late...or maybe it was, he doesn't know. Couldn't stop her from losing herself, couldn't stop her from spiraling down that path. A path he's afraid she'll take again. In some ways he's wondering if this a second chance, but in other ways he's wondering if her death was it. If it was a sign that he just needs to let her go. They both fought, cursed, even hated each other for so long and so often, one would think they would have cut everything long before now.
...Yet he can't, a thought that is reaffirmed when he finally steps out cleaned and changed and sees her standing there. Sees her up against that wall, her hands trembling, eyes red. The memory of the necklace.
Fuck.
He really is too nice for his own good.
Too nice and unable to forget or let go of that history they had. One that had been as genuine and real as anything else.]
...Benedikta.
[He quietly calls out to her, but he makes no move to reach out as instinct first tells him.]
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Not that she cares. That is the least of her worries, and it's a question of whether she even notices or not.]
What...?
[Benedikta's head turns away from him and she pushes herself away from the wall, that wave of shame sweeping over her again, making her tense up in response to his presence again. But it helps to at least stem the voices that she hears in her head, the many, many different ones pulling her every which way.]
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Here.
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...
... and holds it out to her, round, surprised eyes meeting his for just a moment before they go to her hands.
As she lifts it to her face to wipe away that blood, she asks herself again—why? Why is he doing this? If this is a dream, why is her subconscious making him do this? And why... in some strange way, in the deepest parts of her, is she actually fond of it?
It draws her back to the days she's tried to forget. Those first nights she spent in Stonehyrr with him when he would make the same offers, the same gestures of comfort to a girl who was alone and so very scared. He had the same look on his face then, too.
A look of pity.
A look she would not have him fix her with.]
Where do you mean to take me now?
[Asking like this really is a dream—that this Cidolfus is just a guide that will lead her to their next place.]
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[Cid only watches her for a moment before he looks around, trying to get his bearings. If this ship is like any of the others...]
Let's head up deck, see if we can find some more answers about this place.
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It's up on the deck where she lets Cid do all the talking while she listens intently. That is what she does—listens, absorbs, takes information as it comes and holds it with an iron grip. She watches, eyes scanning the faces, the voices, all the people who come and go. Who interacts with who. It is all a reflex, but it is not something she takes lightly. Not here. Even if this were a dream, if she stood any chance of escaping it and waking up again, she would need to know this place inside out just like she does the pillars that hold up Valisthea, weak as they all are.
The attendants aboard the ship explain where they are, how they got there (though that answer leaves much to be desired), where they can go and what they can do. They mention a typewriter that they will have to visit downstairs (ugh, back they go) in order to get all of their information, and explains that their clothes will be found in a chest... somewhere on the island!?
And once that's through, Cid will find Benedikta standing slightly off to the side, and while she had been listening, she gazes out to the island spanning out in front of them.]
I suppose the typewriter is first?
[She addresses him with hardly a glance back.]
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Just what kind of technology...?
And then there were the different sorts of people. ...If he could call them that. They were already exposed to a few, but on deck it's quite obvious that humans are not the only beings that live in this place. Human-sized, sometimes larger, animals walked as if it were natural. Creatures he's never seen himself. Birds, seals...was that a tuna!?
If this is a dream caused by the Mothercrystal, then they've been using the bloody things all wrong this entire time—
In any case, after learning what they need from the...colorful bird, he finds Benedikta and steps up beside to also stare at the island.
...
That is definitely a turtle.]
Seems like it.
[Yet he makes no move just yet, just staring out ahead, the cool wind and the smell of the sea so strong. Even the stray spray of water feels real.]
...Doesn't seem real, does it? Like one fucked up dream after a long night of drinking or some hallucinogenic. Though I doubt even my creative mind could come up with something like this.
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I don't think that it is.
[She finally admits it. Now that she has seen it all, and not just the confines of that small room she woke up in or the narrow corridors that span the underbelly of the ship, she is now, more than ever, certain that—]
This is all just a fucking dream.
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Honestly, he can't really argue with her. Not now, at least, when he's thinking the same.]
Well, dream or not, we might as well see how far it goes.
[It's now that he pushes away to head back down, waiting for her to follow.]
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Though, her footsteps hesitate here and there as she runs it all over in her head again because there is that small part of her that does not think it is. That something really is going on here and that what those... animal people explained was all true. Honestly, like Cid, how in the world would her mind even come up with any of this?
Still, Benedikta walks after him back below the deck, allowing him to continue leading her on this merry chase for information and, apparently, their clothes.]
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