childrenofbajablast | Test Drive Meme #1

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Test Drive Meme #1

Arrival

Broken Palace by Jonathan Eng

0:07 / 1:13

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Click here to listen.

During 2014 Jonathan Eng composed the soundtrack for interactive narrative experience The Sailor’s Dream, consisting of a mix of instrumental tracks and a seven-part musical story told in folk song-form.

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Like all who come through summoning circle, your arrival is heralded by a dream. Waking up is a dizzying, disorienting thing... and possibly made worse by the fact that you aren't alone.

Right after you appear, so does someone else. If you're lucky*, they'll simply blink into existence by your side. If you're not, there's a chance they spawned below or above you. That's one way to make a memorable first impression. Best untangle yourselves and get things figured out.

If you're extremely unlucky*, instead of another person being brought through the summoning circle, it's a monster. The creature bobs, laughs maniacally, and immediately begins to spit flames your way.

Some welcome this is. If you aren't the fighting type, hopefully someone nearby is. Eventually, one of the local Town guards will slay the monster before it - and you - cause too much trouble or fire damage.

Town Tricks

After your unexpected introduction to either your fellow offworlder or monster, you'll be given a proper one from Charlie in Town. He sends you on your way shortly after to get settled in properly and deal with then next offworlder that walks in. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a revolving door right now so he doesn't have time for a more in-depth explanation or to answer too many questions.

Nor does he remember to warn you about The Fae.

Although native to Talahee Forest, which is currently off-limits to offworlders, the surge of magic from the summoning circle has piqued their interest. While the faefolk vary wildly in appearance, the ones scouting are pixies.

These tiny tricksters may be too shy to reveal themselves outright... but that won't stop them from playing pranks on all these fun, new victims. Some examples of what can happen are:

At night

Thankfully, these Fae mean you no harm. In fact, if you react with hostility they will give you a wide berth and simply find someone more fun to play with.

Rocky Talky

One of the things that was given to you in your welcome pack from Charlie was a summoning-stone. Although it looks like, well, an ordinary stone- It's actually magic! You can look through it and see someone else's face too if you're both viewing your stones at the same time. It can also record your speech and deliver that to someone else in a snap.

One of the other features is that you can scrawl on it. It will turn your writing into legible text that you can send others to read on their stones. Of course, you need to attune yourself to your stone first. To that end, it prompts a small questionnaire:

Name:
Age:
Race:
Favorite soup? Why?:
Is soup something you eat or drink?

The last couple of questions might seem... strange but, surely, it must have a reason for asking. Once you answer the questions and unlock your device, you might pocket it and forget. Unfortunately, your scrawled answers were sent to the entire summoning-stone network throughout Town. Everyone can see what you put and they might even have some thoughts about it.

Registration Questionnaire

Notes

⁂ Hello and welcome to Children of Bahamut! If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback feel free to comment here!

⁂ For the Arrival prompt, feel free to roll a d20 to see how lucky or unlucky you are.

⁂ The Town Tricks example list for pranks isn't exhaustive. If you have other silly prank ideas in mind, feel free to roll with that and have fun with it! The Fae certainly are.

⁂ There is a correct choice of favorite soup and the moderators will remember your choice/opinions. (We're joking. Mostly.)

⁂ Full Navigation ⁂

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[Being touched so casually is something that Ignis has always been a touch picky about. Gladio especially knows this little quirk of his, with how avoidant Ignis is in regards to PDA even with the man he's dating. It's just one of those things picked up. Perhaps because of his personality, perhaps picking up habits from the man who primarily raised him.]

[Who knows?]

[All that can really be said is that this sticks in place even in regards to the person who he adores so much like Noctis, where he weathers the finger in his hair for just a second before sighing and lightly swatting them away.]

And it shall stay down, since I am unlikely to find any hair product in a place such as this.

[Sure, he could try and make up some things himself, but... Anything made here wouldn't have the same effect as in a modernized world. And there are more important things he should be focusing on than just his appearance.]

[...Generally speaking.]

Although it's good to hear that I do change my appearance in the future. I've been pondering it for a short while now, truthfully.

Well, that can be gossip shared over dinner tonight. For now, we should get a new look at this house and make sure that it is to our standards, although I recognize grabbing it or something similar to it immediately.

Proximity to water is a rather high commodity, you know.

[Oh Noct is well aware of how much of a stickler for propriety Ignis is. Which... is, honestly, half of why he does it. He just spent the last gods know how long crying on this man in a public space. Isolated, sure, but still out in the open. He's the Crown Prin-

King of an entire country. He can't be doing that, letting his emotions get the better of him. He really can't. He knows that. Never mind that it's just outright embarrassing that he can't keep his shit in check.

And maybe all of that feels a little less awful if he can drag Ignis into suffering with him. It's such a small thing but it makes him feel a little bit less like a disappointment, knowing even someone as impeccably put together as Ignis can be embarrassed about things as well.

Not that Noctis really thinks about it that hard. It's just nice to have a moment where things are more normal, despite Ignis being younger, their world being on fire, this world being strange and unpredictable- Gods it really just never stops, does it?]

Yeah... sorta like how you used to do it when you were like... 13? And Gladio's hair is a lot longer so it's not like you both have that hairstyle like you did back then.

[Gossip for dinner. Right. Which will probably need water... which there aren't pipes for. So the stream really will be for more than just fishing, huh?]

I guess it would be if this place is as ass backwards as it looks.

Unfortunately, it does seem rather stuck in the past.... Not unlike some Hunter outposts, from what I've heard on the matter.

[They're not really places he's had a chance to visit yet. Just what he's heard from others, like his uncle, or Cor, or Nyx. People who were expected to go out and about.]

[It's fine. He can adjust for this. Ignis always expected he would be sent out into the world eventually, and made plans even this young to learn everything that he could. This is honestly far better than some of the worst-case scenarios he thought he would have to take into consideration. Those never thought that he would have access to a roof over his head like this, and food, while basic in ingredients, does seem to be plentiful.]

[Speaking of things that may be for the better... Trying the back door and opening it, Ignis holds it for Noctis.]

You know... There is a possibility that this land may not have daemons to trouble it. In fact, I would say that it is incredibly likely.

At least, not daemons as we would be familiar with.

[The mention of hunter outposts has Noctis nodding slightly. He's not even been to any of the really out-of-the-way places but seeing the grungy shacks Dave has holed up in it doesn't take much to imagine.]

At least the hunters have lights and phones. Radios, guns, all of that.

[He pauses a moment before stepping inside to look around, peek inside, and give Ignis a pointed look that clearly says "unlike this place". Then he steps inside, looking around the little cottage properly.]

That'd be nice. I'll believe it when I see it though.

[a beat]

Ugh they better not have them, there's no lights.

All the more reason to believe they aren't as we know them. If they were truly a matter, then we would see some evidence of powerful lights, or magic which might keep them at bay such as the Havens utilize.

[Well, whatever one wants to call the power of Havens anyway. But Ignis knows that Noctis doesn't particularly care about the fiddly little details like that.]

[He may be older, but Ignis suspects Noctis hasn't changed that much when it comes to such things.]

[Carefully inspecting everything, Ignis goes about so slowly. There's a lot to investigate, things he needs to make sure are up to snuff as much as they can be.]

We shall have to use candles at night, if we wish to move about the house at all... Which means we will have to be careful on our supply of them. I wonder how good oil lanterns may work here...

[All things to consider, and he glances back to Noctis from the window.]

I can see about finding out ways to make the bed and pillows more comfortable. I suspect that they won't be in the sort of condition we're used to, although perhaps better than sleeping bags.

[Magic? Divine Blessings? Whatever the hells Luna's ancestors got up to Noct sure has no idea what it is or how it works. Ignis is spot on there. Some things just don't change.

Some things do, however. Ignis moves through the house to examine what he might need to make things suitable for them but Noct doesn't let him get too far away. The way Ignis immediately falls back into the practicalities of the situation, the fact that he's already thinking on how best to make sure Noct is comfortable just drives home what he'd already known. As soon as he'd broken down he'd known.

Noct puts a hand on Ignis' arm, pulling his attention away from the latest detail that he's adding to his mental to do list.]

Ignis... [He glances away, guilty but determined.] Sorry. Y'know... for snapping at you. And for- that was a shit way to tell you.

[There's a measure of self-awareness in the apology that the Noctis Iggy remembers would never have been capable of. Something he'd struggled for years to admit to. Even with things falling apart the way they have been. Even though he's only now realizing that they'd left the resort in such a rush that he hadn't taken his meds and by the time they caught up with Cor it was just past dawn. And then he showed up here.

Damn. No wonder he's a fucking wreck.]

Whatever we've gotta deal with here, though. It's fine, Iggy. It's going to be enough of a chore covering the basics from the sounds of it. It can't be worse than sharing the tent with Gladio's snoring, right?

[When Noctis touches his arm, Ignis isn't really expecting what comes next. Instead, he's thinking maybe a request for reassurance, or an inquiry about how much is really possible in this situation, or something to do with one of the others like Gladio and Prompto. He has answers prepared for any of those, really. All of Ignis's life has been meant to burn fiercer than whatever troubles come his way, flame flickering but never dying.]

[So he isn't prepared for an apology. A recognition of things more mature than he would have ever expected from his prince, when they were grinding against one another like sandpaper not all that long ago. Not long ago in the grand scheme of things, anyway.]

[Ignis's lips part in surprise, just a moment, before a soft smile actually creeps its way there. Just for a second.]

Well. It seems you've grown up more than merely physically, haven't you?

[And what a quiet little ache that stirs in his chest. He wanted to see it happen. He wanted to be there every step of the way.]

[But that's not in his cards, is it?]

Well... For what it is worth, such information like that has no good way to be told. [A hurt that will coil in his gut for a long time, and which he'll hide away.] But better to stay busy.

A place like this will at least save you from the fate of Gladio's snoring, since it seems large enough for us to have some of our own rooms. Can you go about, do a proper count of them? I'll see what may need to be considered in here.

[Gaps in the windows for the wind, what cooking tools they'll have here, etc.]

[Okay Iggy, especially when this Ignis doesn't know.... so much, recognizing that he has grown up at least a little bit has a faint blush dusting his cheeks. A lopsided little flicker of a smile before he shrugs and rubs at the back of his neck.

He's at least able to redirect pretty quickly, following up Ignis' dismissal with another squeeze to his arm.]

Hey... I know there's a lot to do and you- [He rolls his eyes] you're determined to stay busy. Always. But if... I dunno. We can just... talk if you need to.

[Okay he's improved but he's still awkward as all hell about it. It's fine. Don't worry about it. He gives Iggy's arm one last pat before muttering an affirmative and going to wander about the house while Ignis continues to.... examine the kitchen are, let's be honest.

After doing a lap of the small building though he circles back around to Ignis, pulling himself up to sit on a counter with a huff.]

Well... There's a pantry? But that means there's only two bedrooms. So I guess it kinda depends on how long we're gonna be stuck here. Me an Prom can share, obviously. I know you and Gladio will but if we can find somewhere you guys can have your own rooms that'd probably be better?

[Talk if he needs to... hm?]

[Ignis reflects on that, even as he does a check up of the kitchen. And, indeed, it may be true that he has a predisposition towards a kitchen out of anywhere else in the house.]

[At the same time, however, Ignis can already tell that it is going to be a vital room for all of them if their stay stretches out into the months - or perhaps even simply weeks. The hearth of this place will be their heart, through which so much flows. They'll need its heat for so many dishes he'll make to make sure they're not lacking, warmth so that they can survive rapidly cooling nights, the fire which will clean their water sources... Because, without the modern plumbing they are so used to, there is not guarantee of clean water. He knows this well.]

[Will they be able to rely on Noctis's ability to make potions out of anything? Will that clear contaminated water? He's not wholly sure... and, because he lacks certainty for the time being, he relies on his own knowledge.]

[They'll need to make sure the water is clean. And that means boiling it. The hearth again.]

[All of that is simply what rises to his head first. He's sure that, given a few more minutes, and he could think of even more reasons that this room especially, out of all of them, needs to be inspected to make sure that any issues are sniffed out immediately in order to be dealt with.]

[...And perhaps it's easier this way. Easier to focus on thinking about who might know carpentry, on how to block a cold draft, various matter, than the strange floating disconnect of his home being destroyed.]

[He wants to ask how it happened.]

[He wants to ask how much is still left.]

[He wants to ask about refugees, survivors, who they know has survived.]

[He wants to feel out the shape of a monster so much more massive and harmful than any creature he's been trained to fight, as though describing it, hearing of it, might give him something to grasp onto rather than this hopeless feeling set adrift within his ribcage.]

[And yet it was only but a few minutes ago that Noctis was falling apart in his arms, encompassed by rage and despair and helplessness. How could he make him burden those sorts of questions with that so fresh and painful?]

[It wouldn't even do any good. Ignis knows that. Just picking at scabbed over wounds, really.]

[So he ignores the gaping hole that's been left behind as a result of the world being torn out from underneath his feet, walks around it just like he walks around the kitchen, until Noctis returns from his own inspection of the place, and Ignis now has a new matter to focus on.]

Two bedrooms... That will be more than enough. [Don't want to end up like the bakery's own couple, although their old simulated villa was lovely enough, he supposes.] You needn't worry about Gladio and I, however, really.

[It's just an automatic response, really. Of course it wouldn't be a problem for them. The two of them are dating. Even before Amani, they'd comfortably shared beds together.]

[...Which is when it hits him, as he looks over to Noctis and takes in the slight length to his shaggy hair.]

...Noct, if you had to guess, how many years is the discrepancy between us?

[Of course Ignis immediately dismisses Noct's concern and he rolls his eyes, huffing with a bit of exasperation. But then Ignis has a question that seems so far out of left field that Noct is left blinking at him in surprise.]

Huh? Where did that come from? [He tilts his head in confusion but his expression drifts as he considers it.] Well... it's been almost exactly 3 years since I graduated and you said it was something you were looking forward to yeah?

It was, yes...

[And Ignis tries not to let himself be too disappointed by that. The reminder that not only has he missed many little milestones, precious parts of Noctis's life that he gets to be a part of, but one of the most important as well.]

[He can be sulky over that later. For now, there's another matter to take into consideration, one that has him curling a hand at this chin.]

Three years, then. [And he knows him and Gladio have been mostly steady. ~~Besides a break up in a part of a future he has yet to hear about.~~] Has Gladio ever mentioned anything about the two of us, then?

[Noct's confused head tilt turns the other way and then he just shakes his head as though he's realized what he's doing.]

Mentioned you two....? Like what? We all talk about each other all the time?

[Perhaps Ignis is beginning to see why Noct has no idea what he's getting at. Noct is so used to them being so intimately embedded in each other's lives that the idea of it meaning more than that never occurred to him.]

[...So.]

[While Ignis understands more than well enough that he and Gladio kept things under wraps in the beginning for simple reasons - Ignis wasn't even certain if it would last past a month, after all, in the start - three years seems like just a tad much to not let Noctis know that they're dating.]

[...Or for Noctis to realize that they're dating, too, although Ignis supposes that could be excused with them all living their own lives separately from each other a bit.]

[Still, it wouldn't be right to just leap ahead on this without consulting Gladio and Prompto, so...]

Hm, no, I was simply curious on if anything had changed in those three years.

As it is, you don't have to worry. Gladio and I will be fine sharing a room together, so we don't have to worry about finding another building to reside in for now. This one already has a fine location, with clearly enough room for all of us, so we shouldn't be too picky on the matter.

Running water like that is a fine resource. Someone else will surely snatch it up if we turn our backs on it.

[He wrinkles his nose, giving Iggy a Look. There's a suspicion there, a nagging that he definitely meant something by it but there's already so many new and horrible things bouncing around in his brain that he doesn't have it in him to question it.

So in the end he just shrugs, fingers hooking over the edge of the counter so that when he leans back there's a satisfying stretch through his shoulders and, finally, a pop and he slumps forward again. It's strange, perhaps, how much he can just... let go of all the worries when he has Ignis with him. It takes a weight off his shoulders almost literally. Enough to make him able to relax a bit.]

If you say so. The rooms are next door to each other so-

[And then, abruptly, he realizes that Ignis doesn't remember all the panicking he did before he officially asked Prom out.]

Uh... right you don't know... well. No, I know you know but like... we made it official a little after we graduated. After-

[He sighs, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking embarrassed. It's not going to be the same as that first confession but he can't do it like this either. So Noct slides off the counter and puts a hand on Ignis' arm once more, making sure the other man is looking at him.]

I know, for you, we've been fighting. A lot. And I know it doesn't make it okay but... it does get better. After I finally own up to my part in it and you help me get some anti-depressants.

[Yes, yes, Noct can give him that look all he likes. However, Ignis will keep quiet silent on the matter for as long as he's allowed. And it seems like this time he will be allowed for a little while yet.]

[Just a little while. Really, he doesn't plan on keeping it a secret for very long, so long as Gladio agrees with him on the matter.]

[But it just doesn't seem like the kind of thing which they could really hold up in the long term.]

[Right?]

[Noctis seems to think similar, although in a slightly different direction considering he stumbles and looks embarrassed as he admits to something that Ignis knew would come a very long time ago. Still, to hear that it's come to pass, that Noctis can find some measure of happiness... It has him smiling a bit.]

[There's not quite any time to congratulate him on the matter, however. Not before there's a sigh, and Noctis's warm palm on his arm.]

...I knew that it would get better. I did. But it really does try a man's patience, sometimes, when all you want to do is speed towards the result. [He raises a hand up, fingers brushing against Noctis's knuckles.] Do I apologize, then? For suspecting there was such an issues, but never knowing how to approach it, and so doing nothing?

[Because sometimes, even with the suspicions, the knowledge he'd looked up... If he told Noctis of it, would tempers flare up again, and another argument would be had? It was something he worried about, and which none of his lessons ever covered.]

[Ignis' hand drifts up and Noctis turns his over to catch those fingers as they move over his knuckles. Giving them a reassuring squeeze.]

I don't think I'd have accepted the help if you had said something. [He shrugs a little, helpless and tired.] Probably I'd've been pissed about it.

After graduation though. No goals, no schedule, no deadlines... I fell apart pretty fast.

Structure is often far more helpful than people realize in their day to day...

[But then take that structure away, and more fall apart than they realize. Ignis gently squeezes Noctis's hand right back.]

Then, with that said... Do you still have any of the medication on hand?

[If not, then that is another thing that they're going to have to figure out, and rather soon. Certainly, Noctis managed to make it for many years without it, but... all while abjectly miserable. Worse, even, then just miserable.]

[He might have to start doing more research on this as well... In fact, with a limited supply of medication, he should start doing it regardless.]

[Noct sort of rolls his eyes a little. He hates that leaving school turned him into such a mess. Mostly because he was miserable and a disaster. But some small part of him feels like a total dweeb for needing that routine.

But Ignis' next question gets a sigh and his free hand reaching back to rub at his neck again. Frustration and all of the high emotions only making him more tense and thus more sore.]

Yeah about that... they were in the armiger.

I thought as much.

[Just a brief pause before he dares to reach out, hand on Noctis's shoulder.]

Then after we've made sure that this location is secure enough, and we've made sure to round up any of the others who might have arrived in this vicinity, I will look into the matter. Even if they are not the proper medications that we know, I am sure that some manner of substitute can be found.

[...The only problem is that they might be herbs... and he knows how allergic Noctis is to putting anything green in his mouth. Hm. Well, he'll tackle that problem when he gets to it.]

[Noct doesn't even really register that he does it, shifting ever so slightly to lean into that touch. He just flashes Ignis a faint smile, accepting the support for what it is without a thought.]

I figured I'd talk to that Charlie guy about it. Things have just been... a lot today.

[He hadn't realized the limited extent of the Armiger when he and Prom talked to the guy earlier. He'd had his fishing pole. It didn't even occur to him to test beyond that.]

[Seeing a smile like that at him... Ignis gives a soft one back, welcoming the quiet relief that comes with it. It's hardly like things were at their worst with them, in the period of life he's still living, but... This is still nice.]

I can understand completely. Things can slip through the cracks rather easily, when all happens at the same time.

Hm... Why don't you clean up some of the rooms and see if there's anything tucked away, and I can see about inquiring on the matter to Charlie while I go fetch the ingredients necessary for dinner? Since I will be out and about regardless.

[And, whatever else about their situation, they will need to eat regardless.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Test Drive Meme #1

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DW ate the notif for this

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