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farsickooc2020-08-20 11:36 am
fernwehmods) wrote in farsickooc2020-08-20 11:36 am
Entry tags:
test drive meme #2
01. Settling In
It's been a couple of days since you have arrived and once the fatigue from that multiversal travel has been fixed there is a town that you should probably get acquainted with. At least well enough that you don't get lost every time you venture away from the inn where you are likely staying for the time being.
Down the narrow streets to the south where most newcomers first enter Gazin, the tradespeople have set up their shops. Armourers, blacksmiths, bowyers and carpenters can all be found there, as well a few shady types who cannot pass up the advantage of ripping off an unsuspecting person.
Heading east, one can find the two apothecary shops, a bakery, a herbarium, seamstress and shoemaker. There is also a medical clinic set up and is equipped to care for anything up to moderate injuries.
The northern part of town is the district that most people tend to avoid. It's smelly and dark and trouble lurks in every corner. It's hard not to get an uneasiness that feels like someone is watching you. If asked, most civilians will explain why it is called The Devil's Mouth.
In the west district, it is bright and cheerful and generally happy. Music and celebration seem to happen twice daily, every day of the week with Saturday being the loudest. During that day, the marketplace comes to life with vendors selling their fresh food or wares. In the evening, there's typically a firework show and maybe a drunken fistfight or two that ends with more drinking and some laughter. Sometimes, but not often, trouble from the northern district trickles into the west. Those slow festivities but not for long.
02. Exploring
You have heard people talk about the places beyond Gazin and now you find yourself itching to get out and see them. Be it Vasari Forest or Roselake, you and your trusty legs (or horse) plan to be gone for a week or more. One must always be cautious of the dangers while travelling, however. Bandits and rogue soldiers often cannot pass up the chance to take what isn't theirs. There are also creatures and monsters hiding in wait to curiously check you out or worse, hunt you for their next human-shaped meal.
But, that's all part of the adventure! Take someone along with you and maybe some weapons, too. Make sure one is made of silver.
03. Quest
The Druid known as Bhalris has contracted you to head into the Oren Mountains to find and pass a message along to the dwarf known as Brazmas Steelbelly. What Bhalris doesn't exactly explain is where Brazmas can be found, only giving approximate directions to a certain landmark where a series of clues will be revealed that start an interesting, though perhaps frustrating adventure.
Pay attention to the white raven and other animals along the way. They may be there to help with your journey. How do you tell them apart from the other wildlife that may or may not be dangerous? You can't.
Good luck!
04. Celebration
Impromptu parties are quite the norm in Gazin and it doesn't matter what the occasion is or who it is for. There's music, plenty of drink, dancing and good times to be had.
Let loose and have some fun!
05. Wild Card!
Want something else? Feel free to choose your own adventure or mix and match to create something completely different!
C
And so of course he wants to celebrate! He's even not wounded at the moment, nor is he in recovery from an injury. So he's laughing with some of the villagers, dancing with others, and yes.
He's also drinking, though no where near as heavily as he used to. Before Yi City. He hadn't really registered Wei Wuxian's return until the other speaks up, mentioning Emperor's Smile and asking him to drink with him. But now that he has - he grins and steps out of the flurry of dancers to grab for the offered drink.
"Senior Wei! Welcome back to Gazin! How long've you been back? Of course I'll drink with you." Forgive the bouncing little gremlin...
no subject
First of all, he's been here before? How is this possible when he has no memory of such a place? Secondly, that Xue Yang is alive and being.. nice. Not that he'll fall for it, he saw that facade in Empathy with A-Qing.
"You should be dead, Xue Yang." He shoots the man a menacing glare, killing intent dripping from his words. "What do you mean by I'm back, I've never been here."
no subject
Oh.
Realization can clearly be seen as it sets in. And then Xue Yang laughs, shoulders shaking as he shakes his head. "So it's like that," he mutters. Give and take and take and give and take...
The grin sharpens and he decides staying in the crowd is probably in his best interest. His A-Lan gets so upset and fusses when he gets hurt and he feels just bad enough he tries to avoid getting stabbed.
He takes a long drink and hums, shifting from foot to foot. There's no sign of his sword on him, but the hilt of a dagger peeks out at his waist. But he doesn't reach for it. He doesn't plan to, either.
"Should. Not yet," he chirps, head tilting as he stares at the other man. "You don't remember being here, just like A-Chen. So sad. Hanguang-Jun used to be here too." He spreads his arms in a clear display that he isn't dead, despite Lan Wangji's presence.
"You've been gone for months and months."
no subject
He takes another drink of his own, fixing his gaze on the other man, attentive in case of attack.
"Lan Zhan was here too? When?" Magic words there Xue Yang, enough to distract enough that he won't rip your head off. "Months and months? Do tell, why didn't I run you through last time?"
no subject
Xue Yang plays with the bottle a bit, moving it back and forth between his hands. Never idle. Never quite still. It makes him a horrible patient when wounded, Zichen has had to sit on him on more than one occasion to keep him from over doing it.
"And I haven't killed or hurt anyone here. I help keep everyone safe. Daozhangs Song and Xiao are here now and keep a close eye on me." Not that they really need to. Just the thought of upsetting either man makes his stomach churn.
no subject
"Did you just say Jiang Cheng was here too? Tell me, who else from home have been here along with myself apparently? And who else besides you three and myself are currently here? Is he alive or under your control?"
He hasn't relaxed quite yet, but for the moment Wei WuXian is giving him some credit, even if he'd still like to run him through.
no subject
One of the women in the crowd bumps into Xue Yang just then, of course, but instead of lashing out as he once would have, he immediately turns to steady her with a laugh and helps her back to her partner so they can return to the silly dancing going on.
The barrage of questions doesn't surprise him, and once he turns his attention back to the other cultivator, he sobers a bit. "No one is under my control. I gave Daozhang Xingchen my Stygian Tiger Seal...just after we all got here. He put it somewhere and I haven't gone looking. He doesn't even remember now. Like you, he vanished, then came back and doesn't remember the first time here.
"He and Daozhang Song are alive and free. We live together and they have been teaching me how to quiet the chaos."
His lips twitch and he takes a drink from his bottle. "You don't have to trust me. I don't care. Just don't make trouble for my Daozhangs. They are the ones who deserve to decide if I live or die."
no subject
"Your Stygian Tiger Seal? You forget quickly whose it really is, but I suppose you could claim some ownership of it after repairing it after I destroyed half of it." He heaves a sigh, waving a hand before continuing. No point in arguing ownership of that thing.
"But you're right in one thing: I don't trust you, and if those two are around and free from your trickery, I'll leave your judgement in their hands. You wronged them more than others. But. For now as it seems you're being civil, I could return the favour so long as you tell me more about this place." He knocks back his drink and motions for another.
no subject
He snickers at the words his senior sends back at him, not bothered at all. Especially since Wei Wuxian hasn't made a move to actually stab him this time. He counts that a win! "You had the real thing. Mine is a remake and not as powerful." A fact he isn't all that bothered by either. It had mostly done what he needed it to.
No. What matters is the agreement to let his Daozhangs handle his judgement. For that alone, he dances into the fray to grab them a couple more bottles after emptying his own. He hands one over - fair is fair, right? Wei Wuxian provided the first round, he provides the second!
"There are good people here, Senior. And there are monsters out past the wall, and the northern district here can be a bit dark. You'll want to get a job. I make enough for me and my Daozhangs and building our house."
no subject
"And a good thing at that, a shame I didn't get the chance to destroy it completely before I died. Who knows what could have happened if it remained whole in someone like you's hands."
Is he still miffed about that? Yes he is. That seal was dangerous in its creator's, his, own hands, let alone someone else's. When Xue Yang goes to get more drinks, his gaze doesn't leave the man for a second, and while hesitant, he accepts the drink that's handed to him.
"You mean that area the locals claim is disturbing? I checked it out earlier and wasn't impressed." He shrugs again with indifference, keeping his mouth busy to distract his hands. "A job? Monsters? Doesn't sound any different than what we do back home with night hunts."
no subject
Being watched is nothing new. Wei Wuxian will come to accept the changes he's made in himself, or he won't. He'll continue as he has been.
He grins and takes a drink. "For us it's nothing. For these people, it isn't. So those brought here like us are leaned on for help."
no subject
"Those like us? Do you mean to say other cultivators?" He waves his hand at that, another question nagging at the back of his head, ever since he noticed that Xue Yang had both arms intact. "What do you remember before you were dragged here? Last I saw you, Su She was taking you away with a teleportation talisman. You were missing an arm and bleeding out."
no subject
He raises a brow at the question before chuckling and shaking his head. "Those who wished to be elsewhere and were brought here. Only a couple are cultivators still hanging around. The rest are form other worlds and I haven't spoken all that much with most of them."
As for what he remembers before coming here...he listens, going briefly still - so that's what's in his future? "I don't know if that will still happen. But I came here before that. I was fighting Hanguang-Jun and then I was here and Daozhang Xingchen was looking for directions. Of course I helped him."
no subject
"The only other cultivators being the ones you mentioned along with myself? There's people from other worlds?"
He has more to say, but he's refraining. For now. Other answers can come later.
no subject
And yet he's keeping his distance. Doing nothing threatening. Just drinking and talking, occasionally dancing out of the way of celebrating locals but not making any move to leave the safety of the crowd. Trust goes both ways, after all.
The confusion and the question is understandable, so he doesn't end up teasing the other. It can be a lot to accept! Xue Yang nods expressively and takes a drink.
"There are people who have actual dragons in their world. Have seen them and everything. And they haven't heard of cultivators in their worlds. The magics are different between the worlds too, including this one."
no subject
"Not every place has cultivators, but has different ways of dealing with monsters and the like? How similar are they to ours, or how different?" He pauses, taking a breath before deciding that learning more is more important than stabbing the man next to him. "Show me. I won't stab you away from the crowd, either." He adds at the end for good measure with sincerity in his tone, implying at least a temporary truce.
no subject
But the promise not to stab him is appreciated, so he saunters away from the crowd, heading in the vague direction of the wall where he remembers one of the mages having set up shop, though maybe she's not there now...? He doesn't exactly keep stock of who's still around, other than his Daozhangs.
Tfw you find perfect use for an icon
"Where are you leading me?" The tone is not as accusatory as it normally would or should be in normal circumstances, but is still cautious, albeit filled with the same curiosity.
lol
"There are dragon-like creatures here, but not the same. They're not very scary. You could take one in as a pet if you really wanted." No, Xue Yang, don't give ideas!
"There was a forge one of the people from other worlds like us made, just outside the wall. I don't know if she's still around, but it can't hurt to see and introduce you if she is."
no subject
"I see some things haven't changed about you then." Quickly remarking with some hostility returning, but excitement returning far too quickly, replacing the hostile tone. "As a pet? A pet? I must see these creatures!"
The way he's reacting makes it seem as though all hatred and animosity towards Xue Yang has left him, especially with the childish bounce in his step as he nods to the explanation of where he's being led. Sometimes excitement of something new can be enough not to kill an enemy then and there.
"What type of person is she, what are the things she does in this place?" Knowing what kind of people are around is important!