phantasmemes | TEST DRIVE - BELLMARE MOUNTAINS

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TEST DRIVE - BELLMARE MOUNTAINS

Hello and welcome to Phantasmal Rift's Test Drive Meme!

Test drive threads are assumed to be game canon for accepted characters unless otherwise noted, so don't feel like you'll have to introduce yourself a second time to everyone you meet! As an added bonus, participation in the test drive comes with the chance to earn up to two items of loot for your trouble! Characters who are accepted can earn one item for having a top level, and one for tagging out to someone else's top level! Your SWEET LOOT will be included with your acceptance notice.

Additionally, characters currently in game can earn themselves a piece of bonus loot for the dungeon by tagging people's top-levels on the test drive! Existing characters get their bonus loot along with the rest of their loot at the conclusion of the dungeon.

This test drive takes place in the Bellmare Mountain range, a chilly environment even when it's not locked in the dead of winter. Considering that November is just starting to bite - or is it, with the Fissure's time-displacement effect in place? - that makes for an extremely chilly reception for all of the new arrivals. If you're a person at risk of frostbite, you'd better hunker down in one of the scattered mountain cabins or find someone with extra snow gear, and quick.

Once you're a bit more warmed up, exploration of the area will reveal that it's largely abandoned, but there's still some evidence of past human habitation. Old chair lifts stand guard over untouched ski slopes, the remains of what was once a resort, and a handful of hiking paths twist back and forth through the mountain forests, the snow melting off them due to the magical crystals in the gravel that lines the paths.

LET IT SNOW

Chances are that, upon arriving, you find yourself outside in the snowfall. Hopefully you weren't from somewhere too terribly warm, but chances are that unless you were specifically in a cold environment before, you're going to be feeling the chill now. (Unless, of course, you're not human and don't get bothered by the cold. That happens.)

Fortunately, there are plenty of paths scattered around that are warm enough to keep the snow melted off of them - it shouldn't be that hard to stumble across one. The question then becomes, which way to shelter and civilization? You'll have to take a bit of a gamble, but it's almost certainly better than staying where you are and freezing.

LOCKED IN

How fortunate, then, that you were able to find shelter against the cold - at least for the time being. The wooden cabin is the exact opposite of luxury, but there's a bed and wood to make a fire in the fireplace, so you can't ask for terribly much else. Especially once night falls - or when the snow outside begins to fall in more than flurries - it's far better to be outside than in. Even if you can't figure out how to start the fire, the dimly glowing crystals that serve as fire starter will at least keep your hands warm.

Of course, with only a limited amount of shelter to go around in these mountain trails, it's fairly inevitable that you would have to share with someone... Hope they're friendly, otherwise this place is going to get awkward fast.

FROSTY THE - OH, MAN!

And if you're still running around outside, sooner or later you're almost certain to run into a deep patch of snow that rises up to meet you. These giant snowmen, ten feet tall and aggressive, stand up in response to anything that isn't the local wildlife approaching - and their goal is quite simple. Better watch out, because these guys are your own personal avalanche, seeking to bury you under themselves until either the cold or the weight saps the life out of you.

One's dangerous, but it's not uncommon to find them in groups of 3-5, either, which is where things start getting to be a problem. Luckily, it's possible to melt them down to nothing, or just blast them apart with pure force - the scattered snow won't rise again, at least not any time soon.

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Well, if you don't mind cold ham, cheese and bread, I can hold off on cooking.

Well, I do have one magic item that might help with that, but I'll hold off on using it. I don't want to have to use it if I don't need to.

[ She reaches into the backpack and pulls out a spool. ]

Put this in a bowl and read the word on it, and it fills with gruel. And not good tasting gruel. But it'll keep us alive.

....come to think of it, the pine needles might be tastier.

Eh, fine by me. Though I don't actually need to eat, so focus on yourself first. Or we can head back to the cabin and cook there.

At least it's good for you.

Not many outright children, but quite a few in their mid to late teens.

[Which is still basically a child when you're two thousand something, and also too young to be drinking.]

[Given the cane and the pragmatic use of magic, maybe it's Ignis Prompto should see through the snow, difficult to make out given the trees and the inclement weather. Something about how the man carries himself, though, the slow dignity and once-dark hair looking dark again in contrast to the snow, quickens Prompto's heartbeat with the familiar and the longed-for and the known.

He dashes straight off his path towards Regis's, galumphing like a colt through the more heavily built-up snow in the undergrowth, dressed not at all for this weather in his long-sleeved tee and jeans but bursting unstoppably with warmth.]

Noct! Noct, over here, it's me! Welcome--

[Then, the figure resolves itself, and it's greyer, older, more bowed than he's yet seen--and hopes never to see--Noctis. Snow crunches under his boots as Prompto stops, breath puffing out of him into the frozen air and vanishing again. His voice takes a second to find its way back to him.]

...Your... Your Majesty?

[He rubs his eyes with the heel of his hand and stares again, dumbstruck.]

Wait. Where you come from, guns run on magic?

[Okay, that was kind of cool. And weird. And a little unnerving considering that his only knowledge of magic came from Walter and that was...well, that wasn't the best example for this. Less 'fireballs down Main St' and more 'manipulate your brain with my will'.

At the man's sudden change of expression, Jake frowned slightly, carefully keeping his thoughts to himself and not reaching out to the Touch that came so naturally to him. It was rude to go poking around in people's heads.]

It's okay. And Oy is protective, but he's a good boy. Don't try to hurt us and he'll have no reason to bite you. Right, Oy?

[And, possibly to Nyx's surprise, there came a gruff "Oy!" in response.]

[The little fox-like creature was wonderful and Jake grinned, looking very much like the child he used to be. The grin only grew when Oy, startled by the little thing, suddenly sprang up to his feet and all but twisted his head almost all the way around to get a better look at it.

Then it was gone, and that grin faded back as Jake nodded in understanding.]

I've seen things like that. They weren't so nice, though.

['Not so nice' was the understatement of the century, but he didn't elaborate. Honestly, it probably wouldn't have translated well into words anyway. Black Thirteen was a feeling. A crawling under the skin that whispered into the mind and Jake was quick to jump onto the topic of Regis' severed fingers to keep himself from giving that orb too much thought.

After all, speak of the devil... ]

I haven't seen much in here, but I can at least bandage it a bit better. Stop the bleeding.

[He reached into the bag under his arm, being surprisingly careful not to touch the crisp white dinner plates that the bag had obviously been made to hold, and retrieved a small leather pouch from it's depths. It wasn't Roland's purse, but it was still full of small, useful things. Including a carefully wrapped pouch of tobacco about the size of his thumb.]

[They are on a mountain range so it's not surprising. Really, though, uphill sucks and requires more effort but downhill would be even harder to keep their feet.

Nyx is doing his damnedest to try not to actually make any outward indication of the pain that's steadily making itself more known. But that suggestion makes him stagger to a stop, head snapping to the side to give Regis a look. Not just horrified but a little hurt that he would think for a second that something like that would be even remotely acceptable. Of course Nyx isn't going to leave his King to flounder in the snow, in pain.]

I will carry you up this fucking hill before I do something like that.

[It's gruffer than he means it to be and he sighs as soon as the words are out, frowning thoughtfully.]

That... actually... might be easier. If you think you could hold on?

Course it does.

[At least this is tasty enough without the burn. And the healing properties are doing more than the numbing burn or liquor would, he knows that, but fuck if knocking himself out right now doesn't sound like a good idea.

His dagger goes back into the thigh sheath, the extra strapping and reinforcement from that probably the only reason his leg didn't give out sooner. At least the left side of the uniform doesn't take much to peel it off. A single slice along the top of his shoulder and the entire jacket can be pulled away. The shirt will take a little more doing but it is a thin fabric and hardly worth using the sheers on.

There's a part of him that despises the very idea of disgracing the uniform like this but he knows, logically, there's no saving it at this point. Once the fabric is slit and cut away though the extent of the damage done by the ring becomes more apparent. It's not just his arm, his left shoulder, a large expanse of his chest on the left side fans out into the lines that crawl up his face. The network of fissures spanning across the top of his chest, skating over his clavicle to meet up with the older scaring. Both sides of his neck, both cheeks, down over the back of his shoulders and meeting beneath his hair. Thin streaks of silver now coloring dark hair where the scars have crept up to his scalp.

Nearly everything above the bloody smears of his abdomen is covered in the scrawling lines of magical burns. He'd felt it, before, of course he had. But now, looking down at the wreckage, he sucks in a hard breath, pale eyes flicking up to Izunia for one panicked moment.]

Shit.

...oh. Right. Human. Got it.

[being made of magic had it's downsides, like intent alone being dangerous. But it had it's benifit too. She was way sturdier when it came to extreme conditions.]

I think I saw something big back that way. Might be a building

[She took a few steps... then paused. With a huff she shrugged out of her jacket (more a worn denim shirt than anything) and tossed it back at Jake]

I don't wanna deal with the kid crying if you die.

[Hearing her refer to him as 'human' as if she were something else was unnerving, but not unexpected. After all, she pretty obviously wasn't human. But that didn't necessarily mean she was Taheen, either.

And Taheen weren't animal-like for their entire bodies, right? Just from the shoulders up.

As caught up in his thoughts as he was, he almost missed the jacket being tossed, but he nonetheless got his hands up in time to swipe the article of clothing neatly from the air.]

Oh...well, I don't want to take it from you. Aren't you cold? [Weren't reptiles cold-blooded? Was that racist? Speciesist?] And he's not a kid. He's a billy bumbler. Full grown.

["'Rown! Oy!" The bumbler's voice was almost a bark, the little beast stretching his long neck out as far as it would go to show just how grown he was.]

You will do no such thing!

[Regis meets that look with one of his own. There is hurt in his expression as well, but it is matched with disbelief instead of horror.]

I'm injured, not blind. You're keeping your footing no better than I am.

[He's worn the Ring for nearly 30 years and knows full well what it does to those who wear it without the blood-right given to the Lucis Caelums. Need he really mention the result of Ravus' foolish actions?]

At least my suggestion sees one of us to the top without them becoming too closely acquainted with the snow.

Edited 2018-12-20 02:18 (UTC)

Not all of 'em but... yeah.

[And it's bullshit. That's exactly why the Empire is fucking them over so much. Daemons and magitek.]

Not planning on hurtin you. [He sighs heavily but he's not really going to argue that the kid has no reason to believe him. He does, however tilt his head in Oy's direction, curious and wondering, briefly, if shock is setting in hard enough that he's hallucinating now. Audio hallucinations aren't exactly a new thing for him after all.]

Right... it talks. Why not.

[Some people make it really hard to look after them. At least Regis isn't as bad as the princess.

Barely.]

I'll acquaint you with the snow.

[Grumbled under his breath and for one hysterical moment he considers scooping up some snow and stuffing it down Regis' collar, just like he would have to Libertus in their youth. Fighting dirty, maybe but it brings a smirk to his lips. A smirk that turns into a chuckle and gradually he gives up on staying upright, slumping down onto the path in a fit of laughter that says more about blood loss and shock than his sense of humor but he does flick a loose snow ball up at Regis.]

We're so fucked.

Huh.

[He didn't like the sound of that, actually. Guns were real, solid objects with mechanics that he knew and understood. Bullets were also something he understood and could even create if he absolutely had to.

He'd never done it, but the knowledge was there...and his hands, while not as sure as Roland's, would no doubt find their way.

Magic was something he didn't understand. Something he wasn't sure if he wanted to understand. Sure, he had the Touch, but even that wasn't magic. It was more of a universe guided gut reaction, so to speak.

Like how he knew without having to really look that Nyx was dying. Slowly. A part of him twisted his guts at the thought of being alone in a room with a man who could end up like...

no.

He rose smoothly to his feet, graceful despite his coltish age.]

I need to stop the bleeding. It's not going to feel good.

[Instinctively, Regis raises his arm to block the snowball and it breaks apart harmlessly, scattering bits of white against the darkness of his cape. The look he gives Nyx when his arm drops very clearly says 'did you really just throw a snowball at me?' for several seconds before Regis dissolves into helpless laughter, leaving him leaning hard on his cane in order to stay upright.]

A bit crudely put, but true nonetheless.

[He slowly makes his way to the side of the path Nyx has collapsed onto and then lowers himself to sit next to the Glaive. It's going to be hell getting back up, but for the moment it feels good to be off his feet. As he settles, he 'accidentally' flips some snow in Nyx's direction.]

It's seems we've come to an impasse. I wonder how we should resolve it.

[Despite how tired he is, there is mischief in the gaze he turns Nyx's direction.]

We are both far too stubborn just to give in.

[It's cold, sitting in the snow, but it's not as cold as it could be. Not as cold as it should be and maybe that's something else to worry about, how feverishly warm he is even when he's not using the magic.

Slowly he lets the fire blazing up his arm burn down to a softer light, his usual finesse and control ruined by the sheer force of the magic he has now. A playful flick of snow in Regis' direction, half of it melting before it even leaves his fingertips.]

How indeed. [A weak laugh as he looks out over the hillside, quiet for now.]

Stopping was probably the worst thing we could've done.

Probably.

[A smile turns up the corner of Regis' mouth as he watches the snow hit his arm and then slide down to the ground.]

Throwing snow at each other is likely not making things any better.

[Even so, he considers a return volley for a few moments, before setting the idea aside and turning his body to better face Nyx instead. The Glaive is putting off so much heat that Regis can't help but wonder just how much he's actually feeling the cold.]

I don't suppose you will let me see if I can do anything to calm the power, will you? While I no longer have the Ring, it may still recognize my authority.

[Honestly, Regis has no idea what will happen if he tries. He's in between right now, consciously having released the Ring so it can be taken to Noctis, but not having passed into death so that he can join the rest of the Lucii within it. At the very least, there is little chance the power will lash out at him. The greater possibility is that it will ignore him completely, being he is only one and this deal was set in place by the Lucii as a whole.

Still, he would like to try, as small as the chance may be.]

Makes me feel better.

[It's the kind of thing that would be accompanied by a stuck out tongue once upon a time. Now it just gets another laugh and Nyx starts nudging some of the snow into a little pile. The kind of pile that could become a fistful at any moment.

But the request has him looking aside at Regis, expression going dark.]

The last thing you need to be doing right now is straining yourself.

[Let the magic kill him, it's what he signed up for. He won't endanger Regis even by letting him push himself to try to exert his control over it.] I asked for it, I'll deal with it. Don't you burn yourself out for me, isn't that what you said?

[Hi pot, I'm kettle. Nice to meet you.]

[Regis closes his eyes and then signs softly, unable to bring himself to be surprised by the answer. When he opens his eyes again, the gaze he levels at Nyx is one filled with both fondness and exasperation.]

I hardly see why I should abide by that when you are refusing to do that same. Perhaps if you were to listen to your king, he might consider doing the same.

[Astrals, they are certainly a pair, aren't they? Regis just isn't sure what they are a pair of yet. Besides fools, of course.]

Or you could always try what Clarus and Cor did when they wanted me to listen and I refused. It would require you besting me at something. Your choice.

[Lets just leave 'Best Dramatic Death' off the table for now, shall we?]

Not when my King is putting himself at risk.

[He sighs it more than snapping, no matter how frustrated he is he can't really hold it against the other man. They're certainly a pair of fools, alright. But the offer of a challenge? That has him nodding, slowly pondering what he could challenge Regis to that either of them stood a chance of accomplishing.

It took a long moment and, in the end, it was the gentled snow drifting down around them that has his lips twitch up in a faint smile.]

Okay... a challenge then?

[And slowly he starts to hum a tune that Regis may or may not recognize.]

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
Snow is softly fallin'
The air is still in the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly callin'

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter's night with you

[ Meliantha has some ham and bread, then brushes off the crumbs.]

Ready now.

Erm, for? I missed something, didn't I...

[The moment Regis hears the sound of something--someone?--moving rapidly in his direction, he stops walking and his whole body tenses. He's in no shape to deal with another battle, but he also has no intention of going down without a fight. The flame in his hand tightens into something more suited to attacking with, ready to be thrown the moment he can identify a target.

Ultimately, the preparation is unneeded for the form approaching him resolves not into an enemy but a familiar head of blonde hair and a pair of bright blue eyes.]

Prompto? Son, what are you doing here?

[His son's best friend shouldn't be in this Astrals-forsaken place, but at Noctis' side on the way to Altissia. Had they been separated or...]

Is Noctis here?

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TEST DRIVE - BELLMARE MOUNTAINS

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Let it snOPE NOPE NOPE

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injury cw continues

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ftr Jake is welcome to use the Touch on Nyxie

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Re: Locked In!

Re: Locked In!

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