test drive meme #2

[fernwehmods]

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

Comments

[ostavil]

"Well, if you're sure, then I'll accept it. But I owe you one in the future," Bucky says. He doesn't want to ever owe anyone anything, not really, but having one IOU isn't so bad.

"I appreciate what you do, anyway."

[darksmokerising]

"If that's what makes you float," she said and stuck her tongue out at him just a little. "I just call it friendship."

She drained her mug and set it on the table, leaning her chin on her hands.

"Glad you do appreciate it. It's nice to know the work you do is well received. Whenever you're ready, Bucky."

[ostavil]

"Guess it's time to go hide my old friend again," Bucky says, tapping the metal of his arm for a moment. "Glad for it, too, because it makes me feel...I don't know. Normal. And normal is a good thing to feel when you're used to being anything other than."

[darksmokerising]

She smiles and once they're outside, she links her arm through his as they wander out to where Thunder's got his nose buried in a feed bag, which she removes and stores in a saddlebag.

"Hop up, handsome," she says with a wink to Bucky and a pat to Thunder's shoulder as he shifts. "VIP treatment today. It's a little further from town than people expect. Might as well ride."

[ostavil]

"I don't think I've ever ridden a horse." Bucky doesn't remember it but that doesn't mean much; there's a lot he doesn't remember. From what he's read about himself, he'd lived in the city and there's not a lot of horseback riding in the middle of Brooklyn.

He might have ridden one while he was under as the Soldier but he has no idea if it happened. There's nothing to confirm, anyway. Still, he's strong enough to get up there and mounting a horse seems logical.

"You promise this guy isn't going to throw me off?" Does it matter, with his healing?

[darksmokerising]

"I trained him myself." She flashed a grin. "If I put you up there, you'll be fine. He's a warhorse, so he'd go so far as to protect you, and me. Trust your instincts. We won't do anything strenuous. I can ride up there with you. The saddle can accommodate more than one. Hang onto me, like a motorcycle or a bike."

[ostavil]

Bucky snorts a little. "I think I can hang onto it. I just don't think most animals like me very much," he admits. Maybe it's because he has an uncertainty about himself and animals can pick up on it. Still, it isn't hard to get up there, not with his strength.

"If he doesn't revolt, we might be in business."

[darksmokerising]

The horse shifts a little craning his massive neck around before settling. Reins in hand, Merlan clicks her tongue twice, and they're moving at a fast walk.

"We can go faster than this but let's see how comfortable we can get you first," she says with a soft laugh. "Just let yourself move with him, nice and easy. Balance a little more into your butt and legs to seat yourself further against him. How does that feel?"

[ostavil]

Bucky figures it out after a moment, how to distribute his weight, and he's pleasantly surprised that the horse seems to be able to take it easily without strain. Good. He knows he's a wall of pure muscle and that doesn't even account for the arm. He's goddamn heavy.

"Lead the way, I guess."

[darksmokerising]

She clicked and leaned back to say hold on as they moved into a trot. The big warhorse was trained to carry men like Bucky and any extra weight they had. He loped easily with the two of them onboard. It was always a pretty ride home and soon, with a cut through the forest, the forge came into sight.

Once they were in front of the stables, she dismounted in a fluid, practised motion and offered Bucky a firm hand down. When he was on the ground, she worked on untacking Thunder and giving him a good rubdown.

"How was that for a first horse ride?" Getting home had been all the easier with the help of her equine friend.

[ostavil]

"Unusual," Bucky admits. "But now I can put it down on the list." He'd gotten in the habit of keeping journals while he'd been in hiding and most of them ended up lists, for some reason. Maybe he could pick it back up here and just write...lists of weird shit he's done.

"I could get used to it, I guess. I don't think animals would like me much anymore but I actually do pretty well with goats, given the chance."

He had been a decent goatherd in Wakanda while hiding out - even good enough they didn't feel sorry for him.

[darksmokerising]

"Do you want goats? Because I can get some goats for cheese and milk. Not a problem. A rooster and some hens as well." She pats Thunder and lets him out into the paddock. "Eggs and chicks. I mean, I'm no farmer but I guess I'm gonna have to be if I want to be self-sufficient. Winter's coming, though, so maybe I'll wait for spring to come. I'm just dreading having to kill a chicken."

She gestures at one of the cabins.

"Plenty of space, if you fill like sticking around."

[ostavil]

"I can kill chickens," Bucky says, shrugging. "It wouldn't be the first thing I had to kill and at least it has a purpose. Goats, though, I know. I spent some time raising them when I was on an...extended vacation."

It had been a good time for him, Wakanda, but he feels the need to protect the place in case anyone ever means it harm. They deserve it.

"If you need the help."

[darksmokerising]

"Always need the help," she murmurs, gesturing toward the main house's porch. "Let's take a look and see what we can do for your arm again, hmm?"

That means they can talk as she works on it once more.

"I have no idea what a vacation is at this point, though, I'm sorta getting the idea now."

[ostavil]

"I really do appreciate it." It's about the fourth time he's said it but Bucky thinks it's worth saying it again and again. It gives him a sense of self he hasn't had in a long time.

"I hate owing people stuff, I really do, so I'll make it up to you even though you claim you don't need it."

[darksmokerising]

"Alright," she murmurs. "Make it up to me by helping out around here. Don't mind the three-eyed crows, they seem to like it here. Those are magic and seem to want to keep me company. They'll want to get to know you as well, so just let them inspect you and don't raise a fuss."

She tinkers around for about an hour or two with the arm, laying spells down delicately until the illusion is right and the nerves connect properly, then she's done and inside making coffee.

"Tea or coffee?" she asks, either is easy.

[ostavil]

"Coffee. Think I'll need the stronger stuff today," Bucky says. "New world, old faces, something like that. Although I guess Gazin isn't completely new since I was here before."

It's just familiar enough that he doesn't worry about having to case it out completely like before. He'll check for any new buildings or businesses, of course, but he knows the general lay of this land.

[darksmokerising]

"Gotcha," she said with a laugh, getting the kettle started on the fire. "One of my crops is coffee beans. Roasting them the right way makes for fantastic coffee but it means I have to mature them as well and with some tricks, I can. I save a few beans, replant, etc. etc. It's been interesting to tap into magic a little more and for different things."

While the kettle heated, she rejoined him.

"Well, it's good Gazin's familiar."

[ostavil]

"Is there anything you can't do? I figure that's a shorter list than what you can?"

It's a little incredulous, honestly, because this woman has more powers than anyone he's met. He's seen people with powers that they've gotten in various ways - both inherited and not - but Merlan is unique.

"And yeah, it's familiar enough. I remember the layout."

[darksmokerising]

"I did a lot of reading growing up," she says with a laugh. "I'm just glad to use it on something real. Once it's in here, it's in here. Beans took a while to figure out when they were roasted right, though. I had some gross coffee for a while. And sure, there's probably something I can't do, a lot of somethings. I'm just good at figuring things out, magically or not."

She'd gotten bored once and read up on coffee making, how they'd roasted beans, etc., the local traditions of coffee bean preparing. It was anthropological as much as it was just about beans. Fascinating stuff. And now it was applicable. Her crop was tiny, though, and inside.

"Give me something to try and we'll see if I can do it."