farsickooc | test drive meme #2

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*test drive meme

test drive meme #2

SCENARIOS

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!

NAVIGATION

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Sam froze as the woman described what had happened to her. He takes a long drink of beer as he works out what he should say. "Did...did you see him," Sam says carefully praying that he's wrong. "God I mean?"

She nodded slowly, giving Sam a look.

"Scruffy guy, curly hair somewhere between greying and brown, beard, maybe? Looks like he needs a good meal, real angry eyes? Yeah. I remember that face. I always thought God would have been nicer, not so much an asshole. He was pissed. No idea why he spared me of all people. Probably never will," that look on Sam's face, "...know."

Still staring at him, she took in a long draft of her beer and wished it did anything.

"...you've seen him, too."

Sam took a deep breath and nodded suddenly wanting to stand up and run away. But Winchesters didn't run from their problems and he needed to face this head on before it spiraled into something bad. "Yes," he says roughly, "my brother and I....we're the reason your world was destroyed by God...or Chuck as we call him." He takes a long drink. "He was pissed we were fighting against the story he wanted to tell."

"Oh," she said, mulling that chunk of information over for a while. Yeah, she was angry, but not at Sam. Her life had never been spectacular. "Well, that's a petty-ass reason to destroy shit. I'm sorry you had to be a part of it. I hope Chuck got what was coming to him for that."

She poured herself more beer, sighed, and looked him in the eye.

"Honestly, Sam? No sense in being angry or upset about something I can't change. You know? I was a Hunter, a researcher, magic practitioner. Now I'm an angel. Sometimes shit just hits the fan. You and your brother were doing what any of us would have done. His pissiness, his anger, his stupidity, is not your fault. He did what he did like a kid with LEGOs in a temper tantrum because some kid took a single block. Still not your fault. It's his. You fight the fight and you always keep fighting."

"I don't know," Sam says, "we were in the process of talking to God's other half...his sister in the hope she could convince him to stop." He takes a long drink of his beer and tries to smile. "Thank you for....saying that....I still feel bad because we didn't mean to hurt anyone else when we said no...but people still got hurt anyway."

He sighs. "You used to be a hunter?"

"Mmm, one day I hope your guilt eases."

She sipped on her fresh mug a while, quietly observing him. Merlan nodded once, setting her mug down lightly.

"I was a hunter, when I was needed. I lived in Australia which has forces of its own protecting it but I'd fly on jobs other places. Or walk people through cases remotely. I was...a pretty good source of information. I was supposed to be Men of Letters, legacy trained, and I was until I was about ten. Demons took my parents in Ireland. Belfast. Nearest family was Straya."

Sam blinked. "My brother and I are legacy Men of Letters too," he says softly, "Kansas branch.....our grandfather. Turns out hunting was in our blood in a way we didn't realize given our dad didn't hit the road until our mom died. But her family were hunters too Campbells. A demon got her after I was born...long story you most likely don't care to hear."

Legacy just like her. That made her smile until he mentioned his mother's death. Shit. That, well...matched with her story in a few ways. Kinda creepy but hunters had to come from somewhere and hell if that wasn't a good way to make them. Murder their family.

Take them away.

She gave him a look and ordered another pitcher of beer. When it arrived, she cooled it with the touch of her hand.

"Sam, we're in a tavern on an alien world in another universe. I'm a magic bearing angel and I don't sleep. And if I keep making swords and armour someone's gonna say something and the locals might freak. Please, tell me your story. I got nothing but time. If it weren't for monsters here screwing with locals, I'd be bored out of my skull."

Merlan wrinkled her nose.

"Also, I haven't been able to get drunk at all. Good thing I like the taste of beer and the locals are always trying to drink me under."

Sam chuckles and takes a long drink of beer before beginning his story. He tells her about being a Winchester and being raised a hunter from the time he was a baby. He talks frankly about being addicted to demon blood and the true vessel of Lucifer. He mentions his time in Hell and his year without a soul but doesn't give details. Same with his broken mind.

He talks about his brother and their angel friend, his mother and God. It all comes pouring out in a way his brother would most likely slap him for because Winchesters aren't supposed to be this open...but he needs this. Neets to talk to someone who who might get it. He talks until his voice is horse and he has to stop to drink some beer.

She listens, just that, letting him talk and purge, nodding and making soft noises when appropriate. It's a harder life than she's had, even with her parents gone, even with her uncle gone and her auntie going on more and more hunts before dying herself.

Merlan listens and asks no questions, save perhaps about Men of Letters and angels. When he's done, she tells him of her own life, and about the angel Micah, how he taught her as much about angels as she did about humanity, how they changed each other, and how he must have died in the Fall in her universe. Being an angel now eases some of the loss but it's still a loss of a best friend.

Or whatever they were.

Pieces of each other at the end.

But her expression is one of understanding, of getting it and knowing as much about hunting and lore as maybe Sam's Bobby - getting close at least. She'd been high tech, they'd been low tech, she'd been rich, they'd been scraping by but she gets it. The pains and agonies, they joys. The hunting, but not Heaven or Hell. She understands and she places a hand over Sam's and just squeezes once before taking a drink of her own beer.

"Lotta shit, but also sounds like you've done an amazing amount of good," she finally says. "Hard to let go of mistakes but the good outweighs the bad from where I'm sitting, Sam."

Sam ducks his head still unable to take praise when it is given to him. "I've done my best," he admits quietly, "it hasn't always been easy, but I've tried." He takes a long drink of beer and then meets her eye again. "Guilt is a hell of a thing isn't it?"

"It's a thing alright," she says with a sigh. "Never lets you rest, gets in the way of sleep. Probably why I don't sleep much myself. But you can do only so much. Doesn't make the guilt any better though."

Sam shakes his head in agreement. "No it doesn't," he says, "I've felt it's weight on my soul since I was a kid....since I was force fed demon blood."

"That's an awful lot to place on a child," she murmurs. "I hope I am no burden on you, Sam. I survived and landed here, maybe not by Chuck's hand entirely. There's goodness out there, still. It has a way of coming together, I find. Especially when a few battered souls need it the most."

Merlan laughs softly.

"It sounds like horseshit, I know. But I can't lose hope."

Edited 2020-12-14 04:22 (UTC)

(deleted comment)

"I was looking," Sam says, "and I'd be happy to take one of your rooms. I can do odd jobs in trade. I'm good at woodworking and I'm strong so I don't mind. I'm also good with magic and can ward any place you need warded if you want."

"Sounds like a plan," she says with a nod. "The better we can keep the place maintained the better it'll be to live in."

"I'd be happy to," Sam agrees, "I like knowledge but I also like working with my hands."

"Same here," she says, rising. "It's basic furnishing right now. You're welcome to come back with me and settle in. I should head back anyway. I want to get back before dark."

Sam stands and waves her ahead. "Please," he says, "I don't want to keep you from anything important."

"Nothing important, just the dark," she says quietly. "Travel by daylight is generally best in these parts. Night travel can get a little spicy."

Sam huffs. "The dark hasn't scared me since I was four," he replies, "which reminds me I need to get some weapons made. I feel like I'm missing an arm already."

"There are things that probably would eat you out there," she said dryly. "I've seen them in the night. But that's what wards are for. As far as weapons, I have many from swords and knives to spears or I can make them."

Sam shrugs. "I'm probably too much gristle for anything that might even try to eat me." He chuckles quietly. "As for weapons I'm used to guns, but I get the sense from talking to other people that might not fly around here...a sword wouldn't be horrible...or a crossbow."

"I haven't really made a gun before. I suppose it can't be that difficult considering I've taken them apart and put them back together several times before. Swords or crossbows aren't difficult for me to make though."

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notarambler - 2021-01-11 22:01 (UTC) - Expand

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