test drive 02

[thestewards]

I know dust grows even when there is a breeze
Can't move, can't grow When you've fallen on your knees

► All TDM threads may be considered canon provided both parties agree and are accepted into the game.

► Canon threads may be redeemed for influence and reputation depending on how you solve the issue at hand or how you engage with the prompt. They also count toward AC.

► Feel free to switch up your character's Jewel from thread to thread. Get a feel for how a Birthright Jewel may limit or enhance your character's abilities.

HOT UNDER THE COLLARD GREENS
The relationship between the Blood and the landens has never been easy anywhere, least of all Draega, and even less so now that the Strangers have arrived. Between Blood and landen, opinions on the Strangers vary wildly. Some Blood believe the Strangers were landen in their original worlds and thus cannot possibly have anything to offer, but some landens think this means that the Strangers will be more sympathetic to them—or that landens could gain the power of the Blood one day, too. Then there are the landens who think the Strangers have sold their souls to Queen Fayura to gain the Jewels and the Blood who think the Strangers have embraced what it truly means to be Blood. Whatever that means.

Tensions are high, and they're highest on the main street of the Old Town Bazaar, where two restaurants have an on-going feud. The Last Meal is owned by a Blood family, none of whom wear a Jewel darker than Yellow. Across the street from them stands the mockingly named Blood and Breakfast, owned by a landen family.

To say these two hate each other would be something of an understatement.

On this particular morning, Lord Harle, the Yellow Jeweled owner and chef at The Last Meal, comes storming out of his front door. "You've done it now, Laney Cook! Soured all my milk!"

Simultaneously, Laney Cook, who is the owner and chef at Blood and Breakfast, comes stomping out the front door of her establishment, brandishing a wooden spoon like a sword. "Aye, and you've replaced all my sugar with salt, you ripe old bastard!"

Without missing a beat, both turn to you and the Stranger at your side. Wrong place, wrong time, friend. The two chefs decide the two of you can be trusted to help them prove the other party guilty of sabotage because neither of you has a stake in this. And, well, if the Queen brought you here, you should be an independent party. Both Harle and Cook seem to think the Queen is pretty okay.

Truthfully, they're both equally guilty. Lord Harle and Ms Cook have been trying to ruin each other for years, but who knows what you'll find when you go searching for evidence. And even if you find evidence that decides one way or the other, perhaps you'll simply lie and manufacture a solution that suits you—or the Queen who brought you here.


TERRIBLE TWO(HUNDRED)S
You're not entirely sure how this happened, but you're starting to understand why Blood females constantly grumble about the caste of males they call Warlord Princes. Prince Loren has, somehow, managed to maneuver you to the place you're at now: the head of a classroom full of Blood children who all look like they're somewhere between the ages of eight and ten. It's hard to tell, and you're pretty sure one bossy little boy declared he was 203-years-old, so everyone else has to listen to him, thanks.

Regardless of how Loren managed to get you there, there you stand. Fifteen energetic elementary school children all wearing Jewels shriek and shout, using Craft to amplify already shrill voices. One girl floats near the ceiling, her face screwed up in concentration as she clutches a Rose Jewel. Two little boys are taking turns passing their hands through their desks, which strikes you as distinctly unsafe for eight-year-olds to be doing. (You're not wrong.)

At least there are two of you, and you only need to babysit these children for the morning. "They're here for Craft lessons. Surely, you can manage until Lady Sheera arrives," Loren had said before abandoning you to a battlefield full of powerful, pint-sized children.

There's a lesson plan on the teacher's desk, but maybe you should lead with the snacks.


REVENGE, SERVED STINKY
The air is crisp and cool; it's still winter, but it's not as chilly as it has been, and so you're out for a walk. You've made your way north through Old Town and now find yourself meandering down the roads in front of the landen Guild Halls. Even though they're all made of red brick, each building is entirely unique. The Hunter and Crafter Hall, the largest of all the buildings, has more in common with a hunting lodge than the university building it once was. The Elektriline Hall might be the smallest building, but it's covered in neon lights and impossible to ignore.

Equally impossible to ignore is Master Tinker Mari and her collection of landen young adults. They're clustered around a storm drain. When Mari sees you, she detaches herself from the group of landen students and bounds over to you. "Ahhah! Stranger! You have been brought here against your will and are surely sympathetic to our cause!" she exclaims.

That doesn't make you feel too great since, you know, you're aware that the Hunter Guild tried to kill all the Strangers maybe two or three weeks ago. They may have mellowed out, or they may just be biding their time. Thankfully, none of Mari's students bear the markings of a Hunter.

She pulls you to the group. Already, canisters have been lowered into the sewers. A handful of students have clambered down after the canisters. "The Blood wouldn't help us repair the damage in Old Town," she says, rubbing her hands together. "Our people's homes were unlivable. So we're going to make their workplace unbearable." She points at the canisters. "Stink bombs."

There's another Stranger in the group, and you make eye contact over the top of the storm drain. Are you of the same mind as each other? As Mari? The choice is yours: agree to Mari's plan and fill the buildings of the Ebon Council with untenable stench or try to convince them there's a better way.


AIR TIME
Whether you catch the news on a Far-caster in the city or you're spinning the dial on your own device, you'll hear…

etiquette with evandra and aren
[Evandra's voice is a little bit rough and a little bit husky, the kind of voice that gives bad ideas to young men and headaches to fathers.] Today we're talking about everyone's favorite subject.

[Aren's voice is chipper and bright. He sounds more like an eager boy than the full-grown man he is.] Food?

[A laugh from Evandra.] No, Lord Aren. Sex and flirting. Culturally, the Blood don't consider it rude to flirt quite blatantly with each other, even when one or both of the parties is married. Isn't that right?

[Aren:] That's exactly it, Evandra. Older males allow young witches to flirt because it's understood that the male isn't interested or available. He becomes a safe partner for her to practice on, and his approval lets her know what is and isn't acceptable.

[Evandra:] What does it mean if a married male or witch flirts with you?

[Aren:] Casual flirting means that witch or male thinks you're safe. It's their way of telling you they feel comfortable around you. Of course, it's always acceptable to ask them to step back! [He laughs.] As we all know, just because you can flirt with a Warlord Prince's lady doesn't mean you should!

[Evandra:] Let's take a look at casual flirtation between different Blood castes…

the weather
[A soft-spoken man's voice rumbles out of the Far-caster. He's pleasant to listen to, with a soothing cadence to his voice.] Warmer temperatures will see melting snow over the next week. Be careful around the Heartsblood River, as the heavy snows will result in flooding along the banks. Need flood insurance? The Transport Guild is looking to expand into…

the news
…amusing to hear that Grand Master Niall blames the Blood for the fires in Old Town. It is my understanding that members of the Blood, these so-called Strangers, went out of their way to rescue both Blood and landen during the fires set by the Grand Master's Hunter Guild. [The man speaking has a slow, clipped cadence to his voice. It's very posh and polished.]

[Another voice, presumably an interviewer:] The Council counts the Strangers as Blood, Lord Grejor?

[Grejor:] What else can they be? They wear the Jewels, therefore they are among our number. [He laughs, and the sound is cold.] The Council is pleased to welcome our new brothers and sisters.

Comments

[shiftinglikeclay]

Ah. Cool. [She nods as if that makes perfect sense.]

Do you know Percy Jackson?

[fulminatum]

[ Alex didn't need to pass it, strictly, and Jason didn't administer it, strictly, but the lack of animosity in Percy's name has raised an unseen, unremarked upon green flag for Jason. He nods. ]

He's a good friend.

[inducings]

[ Piper just shrugs. With the confidence of all teenagers, she is convinced that what she and Jason have is True Love. She might even be right. It certainly is her first, and it certainly feels true. She doesn't at all feel the need to defend one of her bedrock realities.

Instead, she keeps the weight of her gaze steadily on him, waiting for an answer. Why she'll believe him if he says he's going to back off is beyond her, but... she will. So she waits, just standing there with an apple with a bite out of it in one hand and a pencil tucked behind her ear. ]

[shiftinglikeclay]

He helped my... friend Magnus with some ship stuff before we had to sail this summer. Decent guy. [Said with a strong implication that it makes Jason pretty likely to be decent as well.

The children are getting close to finishing their snacks, but attention is still primerally on the food. ]

I don't suppose we could just sneak out.

annabeth chase, riordan mythos.

[athnvas]

TERRIBLE TWO (HUNDREDS)

[ annabeth blinks around at the screaming children, equal parts exhausted but accepting. for the one standing next to her, she looks fairly calm. more calm than she probably should. she’ll be having words with prince loren later, that much is for sure, but there is a task at hand and there is chaos around her and annabeth chase is nothing if not familiar with chaos.

especially chaos that happens to involve screaming children with impressive powers that only lend them more potential to be that much louder and that much more obnoxious. at least she doesn’t have godly parents to deal with as well.

a child screams near her leg, and annabeth doesn’t so much as flinch, surveying the room around her. it’s not that she likes or dislikes children specifically (and in situations like these she would absolutely lean more towards the dislike side of things), but she has experience in this. she has been a camper, and now basically a camp counselor, for more of her life than she hasn’t. this? this is easy. try leading capture the flag after the ares and haphaestus cabins have started in on a prank war. that will change your outlook on things.

so annabeth sets her hands on her hips. ]

Hey! [ not nearly loud enough. one, maybe two kids turn to look at her. this won’t do. ] Come on guys, this is- [ she means to say embarrassing, that even eight and ten years old know better. most of the eight to ten year olds she’s dealt with have been on world-saving missions, or have had to outrun monsters to save their own life. but this?

a boy - she’s not sure which one, but she say him duck behind his desk before running off so she’ll remember his face when she sees him next - throws something at another couple of boys a few rows in front of him.

she sighs, reaching up to rub the bridge of her nose, before- ]

Hey!

[ there’s a force behind it, loud and carrying. ever heard a camp counselor voice? this is close, but with something a little more threatening behind it.

the sound in the room stills briefly. annabeth gives a small smile. ]

Better.

REVENGE

[ annabeth's eyes wander to the architecture more than anything, the red brick reminding her of boston, of magnus. it's a complicated turn in her chest, but it's also interesting enough to keep her attention as she wanders into this part of town. how the buildings have changed, what has been added, what isn't worth looking at. and despite her better judgement, she lets the thoughts consume her a bit, keeping her distracted. or at least, distracted enough that she doesn't notice the woman until her elbow is being latched onto and she's being pulled off to the side.

who...oh. mari. annabeth's eyes quickly shift around to the group of other young adults, checking their attention, their...well. their level of threat, really. annabeth doesn't appreciate being pulled into a group of people she doesn't know. honestly, appreciates it as much as she appreciates being put on the spot in front of said group, noticing whatever it is they're trying to drop down into the grate, their intent.

she frowns, looking both disappointed and also disgusted as she pulls her arm back from the woman's grip. ] If your homes are unlivable, why don't you fix them instead? [ she can't deny the slightest hint of mischief that does rise up in her chest, but it's small enough for her to push back away.

her gaze catches the eyes of the other stranger. she holds them a moment, before turning her attention back to the group. whatever you'd like to do, that's your prerogative, but she is not into this. ]

Besides, you're not doing yourself any favors. An obvious, suspicious group of people standing right over where they'll assume someone would place something like this? [ she rolls her eyes, unimpressed. ]

WILDCARD

[ feel free to hit me up at disarmingly ]

[fulminatum]

Yeah, he's your guy if you want to sail. I'm the one you call if you're flying.

[ Said amiably — with the usual competitive edge he has with his bro Percy; Jason loves him dearly. Not a lot of demigods go flying anyway. Even Thalia doesn't — he's sure it's not only because she hates heights. ]

[ He turns his attention to the kids, looking them over, sizing them up. ]

No, but I have a few ideas to keep them entertained for the afternoon. You can relax.

[ The shifting looks effortless, but he'd rather not tire Alex out, and for this purpose. ]

;laskdjf - revenge

[inducings]

[ Piper, who was thrilled beyond measure to see her friend, still hates the feeling when the crowd's eyes shift to the strangers... to her.

She glances at Annabeth and immediately agrees that this is not the best way to get things done.

The question is - what's the best way to get them to back down. ]

It's certainly get their attention... but would it be the right kind of attention?

[ The crowd murmurs and Mari speaks up: 'Are you threatening us?' ]

[houseparty]

[ Lord Grejor's voice is abruptly cut off as Tony pulls the power supply, and sets in on disassembling the device down to its components, replacing a switch here, finessing down the bulk a little where he can. It's all very analog, which presents a challenge all on its own.

He hums under his breath, giving Percy a glance. ]

Mm. Think she's telling the truth? How long have you been here, exactly?

[retrorsum]

Come on.

( there's a curious glance spared to her companion before river heads towards one of the restaurants. whilst river could likely handle this alone, particularly with her companion seeming confused, she won't openly refuse him. perhaps he'll be more useful than he looks )

What's your name?

[phykios]

[ tony's apparent inattention doesn't bother him; he's reminded of his friend leo, or his brother tyson, who often keep their hands busy with tinkering. percy, like every demigod, has attention issues and isn't one for sitting still himself. ]

I think she was telling the truth about what she knows. But there's probably more to it than that. [ as for the second question, he shrugs. ] Few weeks. I was with the first group here.

[kastellano]

( at first he doesn’t recognize him. he’s not freshly sixteen. gone is the boy, wet behind the ears, unable to see beyond his own nose. there’s something in his eyes he can’t place ( something he feels he’s known for years ) but the anger he recognizes. his voice. he’s been on the receiving end of that vehemence before and for luke, it hasn’t been some time. his clearest memory is the throne room on olympus — percy, grover, thalia, annabeth.

unconsciously, he tucks his hand under his arm, all at once tense and uncertain. he can still feel the dagger like a phantom pain.

that fog shifts, releasing him from the haze and he rises to full height with a familiar scoff. how predictable. a group of people, huddled in the street, literally with bombs ( smelly ones ) in their hands and he’s zeroed in on luke. )

What do I think I’m doing? ( enjoying a fabulous mimosa? digging the fresh air? punching you in the throat??? he spreads out his arms, hands up ( they’re empty, percy ), and gestures wildly at the spectacle before them. ) Encouraging these fine people to get themselves killed.

( obviously, right? that's what he does. there's a scraping bitter edge to his voice — yeah, he's aware he's putting it on thick, thanks. )

I'm trying to pick up your slack and change their minds. What are you doing?

!!!!!!!! c:!!!!!!

[athnvas]

[ annabeth feels herself give a small smile when she meets piper's eyes. because while she knows it isn't the other girl's favorite place to be, under the eyes of so many, she's just happy to see her. did that end up meaning she's pulling her into this current mess? yes. will annabeth apologize later? maybe. ]

You would know if we were threatening you. [ she states, calmly but with a level of something much more threatening underneath. don't worry, mari. she won't be subtle if she's threatening you.

she looks back over the small crowd, and then to mari. ] We are, however, trying to make sure you don't find yourself in a situation you'll regret. Retaliation is just going to lead to more retaliation. Are you prepared for that?

[houseparty]

[ Yes, please leap on that grenade for him and take the jelly tart. Tony wraps up with... what was the kid's name, Micah? and finds another set of hands thrust at him, a dutiful chain of sticky-fingered youngsters assembling for both men to deal with.

At least they're quiet now? Silver lining? He plucks another tissue from the box and sits on the edge of the desk, flippant: ]

Palms up. You know you're meant to chew with your mouth, not your hands, right?

[ The boy grins gap-toothed at him, bits of strawberry jelly still stuck in his teeth. Peter's odd bracelet draws his eye for a fraction of a sec when Ezran calls attention to it, a curiosity he intends to ask about. Weapon? Weird Fitbit? A delivery system for...dunno, he needs a closer look.

A small hand, sans jelly, tugs at his sleeve. "CanIhavemilkplease?" the equally small girl asks in a shy, hurried rush, clutching her rose jewel to her chest. ]

What? Breathe, kid, yeah, would you gimme a minute– Tony, [ he adds, distracted, vaguely remembering the tiny, seriously old school icebox under the desk, and the likely source of said aforementioned milk. ] Tony Stark. You?

i am SO EXCITED

[inducings]

[ Mari frowns: "They started it. It's their responsibility to their own people that they're neglecting. We have every right to take these steps, we must let our voice be heard!"

That appears to be a cue, and several of her students repeat it. There's more murmuring. Piper distinctly hears someone say: 'It'll be worth it just to see their faces.' 'Let them know what it's like to wallow in their own stench for once.' 'Anyway, that's why we're going through the sewer - they won't catch us.'

Piper doesn't want to start using her power, but she isn't opposed to it either. She glances at Annabeth and decides to try to bring them to their senses first. If she convinces them against their will, then they'll just be back here to do it again later, and maybe no one will be there to stop them.

Mari's the key, she's the one who has a hold on these kids. Piper can see that immediately, with the almost creepy way they repeat her words. There were a couple of faces that seemed hesitant, but Mari'd picked well. Piper gets the distinct feeling that although Mari wouldn't necessarily want retaliation, she isn't opposed to it either. Every Blood atrocity is an excuse to stir up more aggression toward the Blood.

She thinks quickly. ]

I guess it depends on what you really want. [ Piper shrugs a little, and she looks away from Mari to carefully meet the gazes of those few whose expressions had flickered at Annabeth's words. ] If you want to make them pay for their neglect, this will definitely make an impact. They might not even find out who did it. But the key really is pay. Even the Blood only have so much time and resources. [ She turns her gaze to meet Mari's. ] If you stink up their council chamber, where do you think they'll be using it? Making your houses livable again? Or cleaning out their council chambers? Don't you see by doing this, you're not only opening yourself up to retaliation, but you're making it harder for them to actually help?

[sunborne]

[ his winglets wiggle, pleased as punch. ]

Awesome! [ he punches a hand up in the air, but is quick to lower it when some of the humans gesture at him to put that down. ] Okay, so, I'll go over there, near those stalls, and start making a distraction now.

This is going to be awesome!

[ there's no way this could go wrong. possible arrest over major property damage aside. ]

[sunborne]

[ as that famous saying from that book once said: all plans of mice and men, etc. etc. etc. something in great grandpa's home language.

when that very reasonable question is asked, daylight looks like a deer caught in the light of some headlights. he clearly never gave that thought and it's a good thing that it was asked, since it's making him consider their options over this slight hiccup. ]

Um... [ he tilts his helm, reaching out to tap a cheek of his with a finger.

what to do, what to do? there's got to be something that he and his partner can do to remedy this issue. ] We could either push the desks and chairs to the sides or take them outside...?

[ he's trying to weight which option won't get them into more trouble with the teacher. ]

ME TOO??? ME TOO

[athnvas]

[ there it is. annabeth watches mari frown, watches her respond, watches he connections happen behind her eyes and where the source of the anger starts and she watches the rest of the people around them follow suit. she draws the same conclusion as piper - mari is the key.

wars are always tricky. convincing someone who at their heart feel wronged?

she scans the group briefly again and sees a few of their eyes dart away. not all of them seem convinced, and it gives annabeth just enough of a holding ground. she nods at what mari says, as well as what piper follows with. she's not disagreeing with mari at all - she did have sound reasoning, albeit flawed. ]

They'll spend all their resources on fixing their hall, and less time doing what they should be. You'll be giving them all the reason they need to keep ignoring you, and your plight. [ she shrugs as well, and the whole sight of it probably looks rehearsed, piper and annabeth working off each other all too well. ]

All they are looking for is a reason to leave you on your own, without aid or help. That- [ she gestures to the entrance to the sewer. ] Will make their lives difficult, at best, but will in the end cause you to suffer more. [ she can see a few more of the young adult sturn to each other, starting to murmur, but she can also see the slow set in mari's jaw. the tension building there. and before she opens her mouth to speak, annabeth cuts in, walking into the group a little further. they step aside as she moves, making it easy for her to move and stand above the sewer entrance where the other members of the group have now stood from where they were lowering canisters. ]

Now- I'm not saying you shouldn't retaliate. It's unspeakable what they're forcing you to live through. [ she leans down and picks up one of the unopened canisters, turning it over in her hands and looking at it curiously. after a moment, she lifts her eyes to meet piper's, making a face of looking mildly impressed (though piper can probably tell it's not entirely genuine. ) ]

Hmm. Impressive design. [ her eyes turn to mari. ] Did you make this? Or one of your students...?

revenge-ish? don't question me

[athnvas]

[ she sees him walking, and it kicks the air out of her chest.

for a solid moment, she is ten years old. she is asking him to take her into the city the next time they go, following him around camp like a child. you were a child she reminds herself, but it doesn't help. it doesn't make it any easier to push the wind back into her lungs, to push the thoughts through to their normal, present speed. but it's harder than it should be, seeing him, him, walking through the city streets.

there is no woman, right now. no group of students all circled around a vent. this is simply the area of town they call old, surrounded by red brick and old architecture, and annabeth feels so horrendously out of her depth. but she can't, she can't let herself do this, because a part of her had always been expecting something like this to happen. they'd be down to tartarus, had been warned that she would meet the faces of her past.

she knew this was coming.

and yet.

annabeth's fists tighten at her side, luke's easy wandering leading him further and further away, and through the shock comes a quick ping of panic. there has to be something going on. there has to be something else happening. but if he gets away- ]

Luke!

[ her voice doesn't quiver, thankfully, despite the way her hands feel like they're shaking at her sides. turn around. ]

[ilves]

[Confused about what? Does he not trust that Lalli knows what he's doing here?? ...I mean, that's fair—Lalli doesn't know what he's doing, not really, but this apparent lack of faith is something he's definitely going to get a bit huffy about; it's why he doesn't look over Emil's way, and why he, you know, takes his sweet time responding.]

No? [Yes.] I'm listening. To them.

[The KIDS! Just in case they decide to rebel or something? Surely he'll hear some war cries... but anyway, after another pointedly long pause:]

Why are you confused? You wanted things to be quiet.

[thequitecontrary]

[ Not paying attention to her jewel may come back to bite him (ha), but Mary hopes that it won't come to that. She's still getting used to using magic anyway. ]

Ah, a word, if you please.

[ Mary motions for Damon to follow her so that they are out of earshot of the two natives. ]

I urge you to think of how a Stranger attacking a member of the Blood and a landen will reflect on our image and what we are trying to accomplish here.

[ In a word? Badly. ]

[illequipped]

[Oh, now it's petty time! Emil understands. First Lalli doesn't want to hear any kids and now he's ignoring Emil so he can listen to kids? Please.]

Not this quiet! You can still hear a little. I wanted it to be like that.

[UUUGGH. But okay, okay. You know what? All things considered, as much as he is Bothered by the way this turned out, he can spare... a petty compliment.]

Well, at least you're good at making things quiet.

[ilves]

[Let Lalli Be Petty 2k19!! Especially since Emil got the perfect version of the spell while Lalli got, like, the half-baked version... in his humble opinion, there's no reason for Emil to whine about it...

Oh, and that is possibly the worst compliment of all time? Lalli isn't entirely won over by it, but—well, some recognition is better than none, which is why he deigns to glance over Emil's way. This baby.]

I am. [And that's it! No, no—] It's not even hard. You just gave up too quickly.

TERRIBLE TWO(HUNDRED)S

[thequitecontrary]

[ This is absolutely a nightmare scenario. Despite being a mother, Mary does not particularly like children. They can be loud and messy, especially the more of them you get in a room together. Her child is moderately well-behaved, but she cannot speak for these. They're already starting to get restless and Mary is looking anxious. ]

Some sort of... game, perhaps? [ That's what children like, right? ]

[illequipped]

[He thought the half-baked version was perfect!! He wanted it!! Emil is a beta tester who is dissatisfied with the final product, confirmed.

But please, stop judging him. He gives Lalli a look, exasperated.]

I'm not magic like you are, so it is hard, actually. And this place- [he waves a hand over his head, for emphasis; this place, a literal school, but--] -is terrible to learn anything in!

[Emil's scathing commentary of the public school system rears its head again... no, it's just loud in here. He's a beginner Lalli is trying to make master level 50 right off the bat! Too much!!]

[ilves]

[At least Lalli doesn't have to teach Emil how to recite a runo; he's certainly grateful for that, but ugh, this whole telling-Emil-how-to-do-basic-shit is still the worst? He didn't sign up for it?? He briefly thinks back to his early years, when he learned valuable lessons by just, you know, accompanying his grandmother right into the thick of things; compared to that, this noisy classroom is...

Well, it's annoying, but it's nothing to whine about. Things could be worse! Things have been worse, so sorry, Emil, but Lalli's pity is practically non-existent.]

Why? You're not doing anything? And you can't hear anything. [Thanks to him! Listen to that mental huff!] Just... focus on your Jewel. Try.