thirstology | TEST DRIVE.

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test drive meme

TEST DRIVE.

test drive

Firstly, thank you for your interest! Secondly, since the game hasn't begun and therefore characters haven't actually gone to a world yet, this test drive is going to be a little different. It's intended to be presented as a mini-mission of sorts, on a much smaller scale and timeframe than a real mission in-game but with a somewhat similar feel. Because of this, if you join the game, you're allowed to count this as game canon, so make sure you make choices you want to follow your character into the game!

You know how this works, so go forth and have fun, and don't forget to reserve!

BASICS

Anwick might have been a beautiful town once. It's hard to tell now, since most of the buildings are scorched and crumbling, but they do resemble some rural modern-day buildings. Likewise, the people don't appear to be living too much in the past; several are carrying intimidating guns. For years, Anwick has been terrorized by dragons, living in fear of the next attack. Not anymore.

The people have just ended a bloody battle. Several people limp towards the outskirts of town, holding their bleeding wounds or new burns. In the center of town lies a slain dragon, the last full-grown one left in the world. To be honest, it looks like they've already taken care of their own problem.

A monotonous voice comes through your communication device to explain. You aren't here to help the townspeople; you're here for the dragons. The one motionless on the ground may have been the last adult, but it certainly wasn't the last dragon. Her children are located in a nearby cave, alone and orphaned. They're the ones you need to protect.

WYRMLINGS

The wyrmlings are still growing up, only the size of a small dog. Each has a slightly different appearance, but all of them have at least a few bright copper scales. They're beautiful, and they look a little bit harmless... at least, until they notice you. These dragons have never been exposed to humans before. Or anyone outside of their family, for that matter. They're small and scared, and they don't know any other way to protect themselves than to attack. Luckily, because of their tiny size, they can't do much more than small burns at a time — but make no mistake, it still hurts like hell.

The cave they're located in is pitch-black and labyrinthine. Every footstep echoes throughout it if you aren't light enough on your feet. It'll be difficult to navigate if you don't MacGyver yourself a torch or other form of lighting. Cell phones will work decently, at least until their battery dies, but you don't want to get stuck deep within the cave with no light.

If you do manage to get through the cave and rescue some without getting burned to a crisp, the trouble's not over yet. You'll have to find a safe place to stash them until they can be relocated; the townspeople aren't done with their dragon-slaying yet, after all. Walk into town with one in tow, and you're putting a target on your back. (Of course, this doesn't mean you can't do it.)

PROMPTS

ONE ✗ GOING ROGUE
Not feeling too obedient? Maybe you're ignoring the orders and helping the wounded people in town instead... or just coming to gawk. Maybe you're coming to slay the wyrmlings yourself. Whatever it is, at least try to be sneaky about it.

TWO ✗ THE DRAGON'S CAVE
Try to navigate the cave, fail to navigate the cave and get lost, or try to take the wyrmlings without getting barbecued. Somehow, you get the feeling that you aren't alone. Those footsteps are probably just your imagination... or they could be townspeople coming to kill you and the dragons. Of course, they could also be an ally, but you'd better hope you don't find out.

THREE ✗ HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
You've gotten the dragon(s) to a secure campsite out of town, but the fun's not over yet. They're kind of freaking out a little. Some of them are still spitting fire. Even the less aggressive ones are crying shrilly, bound to attract townspeople or at least annoy everyone nearby. It can't be too hard to calm them down; they're basically scaly, fire-breathing babies, right?

FOUR ✗ NIGHT TIME
It's been a long day, and now it's time for the crew to sleep. Get to know your tentmates, try to ignore them, pray that they don't want to bring along a wyrmling to cuddle... or maybe you've been put on night watch with a few others, in which case you'd better find a way to pass the time until your shift's over.

FIVE ✗ CHIT CHAT
Network option! Maybe you've got a little downtime and you're bored. Or maybe you're frantically asking the rest of the team how bad a dragon bite is. Maybe you're just trying to figure out how the hell this magical jewelry thing works. No matter what, you get one username to identify you and one only — if you don't enter one, it will default to your real name (for example, Voldemort's would be tomriddle.) Choose wisely... or make it assfarts69, if that's your thing. More information on the network is here!

SIX ✗ WILDCARD
Do whatever the hell you want. Explore the ashes of the burned city, try to run as far away from this crap as possible, or try to teach a wyrmling tricks. The world is your oyster.

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[ and then there is regina mills.

who, usually, would be only to glad to sit in her corner of brooding and gloom and imagine herself exploding a baby dragon with a fireball only to have dragon stew for dinner; but when it comes to emma being so painfully obvious about her concern, she's willing to put her usual regal air aside and just nudge her aside so she can sit ]

you look terrible.

[ which, in regina-talk is really a 'how do you do' ]

( you'd think she's projecting more than enough signs that she needs and expects people to keep their distance, so someone bold enough to ignore all of those is rather unexpected. Emma stiffens just at a slight touch, fists tightening, and she might have said something sharp if she didn't notice the familiar swath of dark hair and pristine tailored blouse.

Regina had never been good at respecting her personal space, so wasn't too much of a shock she didn't do it now. even if she should.

Emma is too startled to see her at first to really think about why it is a terrible idea for someone to be close to her. ) Regina? ( gaping like an idiot is probably not going to make her look much better, but oh well. she could have scales, you know. ) Wait, but— Henry isn't—

( if both of them were here, then Henry was alone, and that was nearly as overwhelming a thought as holding onto all the darkness in the realms. )

Henry isn't here. You and I, however, are here, miss Swan and now that I have finally found you, we can begin planning our return to storybrooke before anyone thinks to touch our son.

[ this all said very primly and to the point which is really a sign of what storms beneath the calm facade. yes, regina is pissed off. yes, she is doubly so now that she actually sees emma alone and realizes that henry is left only with two brainless idiots and a pirate that's only good with applying eyeliner.

but emma seems to be troubled and so regina takes the reins ]

I'm guiding you through it as you seem inflicted with slowness tonight.

( Emma can't decide if she's pissed off or not. in some ways, her being here is safer than her being at home. she can't hurt her family if she's nowhere near them. the biggest problem is she was kind of anticipating the people that cared about her being there to help her find a way to destroy the darkness she is now harboring for the good of everybody, and well...

her family isn't here. or at least, she didn't think there was anyone from home, until now.

realizing suddenly how close she is to Regina, she shifts away suddenly, hands lifted. )

You shouldn't be that close, Regina, we don't know what will happen. ( or, maybe Regina did, but Emma sure didn't and she wasn't willing to risk it. it felt like magic was a steady boil just under her skin at all times, demanding an outlet, and she was terrified it might just develop a mind of its own. ) Slow? Seriously? ( it's almost comforting that Regina is determined to be an ass to her, even after everything... but almost and not quite. )

Whatever it is you have can't be worse than what I do. Miss Swan, I've done evil before you were even a fleeting thought in your parents' mind.

[ ok, she's kind, she didn't said 'barely existent minds' now did she. and yes, she's perhaps a bit worried about emma possibly possessing a meteor sized amount of darkness but hey, they've been through worse.

ish. ]

Slow. Seriously. You're catching up. Now, we can sit here, roasting marshmallows over the fire and talking about our feelings or we could start thinking about getting at least one of us home back to Henry.

I didn't take on a curse to protect you to end up accidentally roasting you with dark magic, Regina.

( well, she'd taken on the curse for everyone, but still! she's freaked out, and she doesn't know how safe it is to be close to people. she shifts to the side in a clear hint, and hopefully Regina will take it. she'll think clearer if she's not spending her time terrified she'll hurt someone. )

I'm listening. They say they're going to help us, that means they know how to send people back.

( Emma doesn't exactly trust that anyone will help them, but the fact that it's possible is actually reassuring. )

You give yourself far too much credit, Swan. So you happen to be hosting a whole fleet of darkness. At least it didn't make you giggle and chuckle like a monkey the way it did Rumple.

[ she rolls her eyes ]

and they could be lying. I do believe they can send us back, I also absolutely believe they won't tell us how which means, we'll have to find out by ourselves and set ourselves free.

( Emma looks tempted to argue. Regina can probably see it in the narrowed green of her eyes and the squirrelly look she's wearing. in the end, there's no point. Henry is a more important concern than her current condition, however troubling. )

No, they won't tell us how. Which means we'll probably have to play along until we get a chance to understand how this operation is running. I doubt the answer home is on this... ( world? planet? she has no damn idea. ) They got us here somehow. When they move us next, maybe we can get an idea of how they do it.

realm. that's the world you're looking for.

[ if there's one thing regina mills really, truly hates is feeling like she's not in total control of her life. and this place really does irk her in that manner. henry is out there alone and the only other person she trusts to keep him safe is here with her.

unacceptable. ]

well, we got their stupid dragons, the next move shouldn't take that long.

[ she's silent for a moment ]

Emma, when we get back, we will take this darkness out of you. You know that. I will save you.

( for all their differences and god there are so many Emma could spend the rest of her life listing them, they're both the same on a few key things. lack of control, loss of choice, they both go into a tailspin when those things are taken away. Emma's not doing much better with the world hopping thing, she just thought for a bit she was away from the people she could potentially harm.

her grip is tight, almost punishing, as she grips her legs for lack of allowing herself anything else. )

I know you will. I never doubted that. ( and she still believes that Regina, Henry, her family, the pirate she left behind... she thinks they'll all save her. that's not what has her worried right now. ) There's no dagger here, Regina. If this magic takes me over, there's nothing that will stop me.

( she knows enough about her curse to be terrified by the implications. she's invincible, lost to darkness, and the one way to force her under control isn't here. )

I'll stop you. whatever it takes, we'll be fine and we'll be back home to our son where we will solve this heart of darkness matter.

[ for a moment, she looks disgusted ]

since when do I have to be the determined optimist? I need a shower.

[ gross. ]

We could never stop Gold. Why do you think you'll be able to stop me?

( it's not really that she doubts Regina's strength. Regina is the strongest magic user she knows, other than the Dark One. Emma doesn't know if anybody can stop her, and the most terrifying idea is that she won't be able to control herself. she's been falling down that path for a lot longer than she wants to think about, and now she's in a free-fall, with dark whispers and power coursing through her veins to keep her company. )

I don't want to hurt anyone.

( it's a feeble whisper, because apparently, Regina is gonna have to be the positive one. Honestly, when had Emma ever been good with the silver linings in life. )

Because I care about you. You may wear only one jacket and keep feeding our son poptarts but I care about you. and that sets you well apart from Gold.

[ who regina cares for but in a whole other way. she scrunches her nose with a little groan again ]

I won't let you hurt anyone, Emma. Myself included.

[ dryly ]

we're not going to hug and sing about our wishes, right?

( Emma stops staring at her hands like she expects them to implode or strangle someone at random if she doesn't keep a stern eye on them to look at her company, and her expression is an ugly mix of fondness and at least a little bit of comfort. it's the first she's felt since she wrapped her palm around the heavy metal of the dagger.

she still feels lost in all the power she can't control, and fears that seem too heavy for one person, but in that moment, it doesn't feel like she's the only one that has to carry them.

she laughs and shakes her head, and it's bitter but better than nothing. )

Well if there was ever a place for kumbaya and handholding, it's next to a campfire.

I don't know if they did good setting up a fire to begin with. it could attract all those peasants who tried to keep people from taking those lizards.

[ and really, regina doesn't want to end this mission with killing some farmers and town people ]

we should have put those out.

I know you've got maternal rage to keep you warm, but not all the volunteers are so lucky.

( Emma considered the risk of the villagers traveling up to find the source of the fire, but considering the state of their town, she doesn't think they'll be picking any more fights. )

I don't think they'll be able to chase anybody down. That village is a wreck.

( it's said with the wistfulness Emma has unfortunately passed down to their son. the heroic, Charming gene, that lingers in all of them in varying doses. )

[ she does quirk a smile at that. it would seem regina always has some sort of rage to keep her going despite the growing concern for henry who is entirely alone and emma who holds her darkness at bay for now but might not be able to do so tomorrow or the day after that. ]

well this is fantastic. so we saved the dragons and now we're left here in the middle of nowhere.

[ a sigh ]

I could really use a drink.

( Emma is a little discouraged by that, too. where the hell are the people that they are supposed to be working for? there's no communication, and it's not like Emma trusted them in the first place, but she definitely doesn't trust a group that hides in the shadows where nobody can reach them. )

You could conjure some, but the taste is... never that great...

( Emma fades off at the end, making a face. being the dark one comes with arcane knowledge she never had before. usually she's not the one making observations on magic.

she frowns at the reminder of the curse, but it's probably for the best she doesn't forget. )

It's not that bad.

[ but she is right in that it isn't a catch, either. ]

if these...people brought us here, then they should be able to bring other things in. People are harder to ship around realms than items, I should know.

[ being the one who shipped a whole kingdom to storybrooke, maine to begin with ]

If they could bring us maybe we can have them bring the dagger.

You think they brought us here on purpose?

( because the story was that they poofed here all on their own, but Emma agrees that seems a little too convenient. everything happens for a reason, and even space and time didn't tend to do things randomly.

having the dagger would at least abate her fear that she could slip out of control. if somebody had the reins, they could pull her back before it's too late. )

If they know what's good for everybody here, they'd do it.

( because as far as Emma is considered, she's a hazard without it. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE.

NIGHT TIME;

i was mean with her canon point

hush ilu

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