test drive meme

[barrayarmods]

Playlists by tsarcasm:
Barrayar ⚔ Cetaganda ⚔ The Invasion

Have you read the FAQ?

The Village ⚔ The Barrayaran Camp ⚔ The Cetagandan Base ⚔ The Fight

You've been on Barrayar for a while now, and you're finally starting to adjust. Or maybe you're not. Maybe this is all still too much for you – the attacks, the constant raids, living in the middle of a war zone by no choice of your own. But if you want to live long enough to make it back home one day, you might as well do what you can to help the war effort. Besides, where else are you going to go?

The fierce Barrayaran winter rages even to the southern end of the continent, and it's been none too kind to Vorkosigan's District. Temperatures at sea level are well below freezing, and up in the mountains, it's even colder. Several inches of snow already blanket most of the mountains all the way down to the Cetagandan base, and the storm that's just started up is only bringing more down. Visibility is low in the flurries, wind swirling snow everywhere, and God help you if you get lost on your own out in the storm. Nights are cold, these days.

A recent attack on the Cetagandan base has left half their facilities damaged and in disarray. Raid parties snuck in by night, planting bombs in previously scouted locations for maximum effect. Damage to the base's water treatment plant and organic grow labs have considerably impacted the Cetagandans' food and water supply, and in the chaos caused by the explosions, the Barrayaran guerrillas raided their medbay and made off with a considerable bounty of medical supplies. One man's bane is another man's boon, and while the Cetagandans have reserve supplies to sustain them for now, some of the damage is extensive and the repairs will take time. But in the meantime, the Barrayarans have scored a precious victory as well as equally precious resources.



the village
The Riverfall villagers are used to the harsh winters of the Dendarii mountains, and though they don't have much themselves, they are happy to offer what they can in terms of cold-weather clothing and extra blankets to those allied with the guerrillas. Despite the cold, the hill children are going wild in the snow, and they may try to lure you into their play by sneakily pelting you with snowballs.

Cetagandan allies, however, may not be met so warmly, and at the first sight of ghem soldiers, any children out playing in the snow will be immediately ushered into their homes. Unaccompanied outsiders from the Cetagandan base might have an easier time talking to the hillfolk, but any attempt at digging information about the guerrillas out of them will get you stonewalled fast. A sneaky hill child or two may steal away from their home to approach one of the "bad guy" outsiders to sate their curiosity.



the barrayaran camp
Morale is higher than it has been in a while after their recent victory, and the guerrillas are in high spirits. And do they ever love their spirits – as night falls, most of the Barrayarans gathered around the campfires are enjoying the deceptively named, dangerously alcoholic moonshine they call maple mead. It might start out sweet, but it burns all the way down, and a few glasses of that stuff will tank even the heaviest Barrayaran soldier.

But the storm rages on despite their celebration, and preparations must be made. Clearing as much snow off the tents as possible will help ensure that no tents collapse overnight, the horses need to be tended to, and the officers are always running training drills. Food is in real supply now, but the guerrillas need help foraging and hunting nonetheless. And when night falls, you'll have to find a way to keep yourself warm – it's a good thing there are a cozy ten of you to a tent.



the cetagandan base
The Cetagandans outnumber their guerrilla enemies almost seventy-to-one, so their base has not been completely devastated, but it hardly looks to be the work of a few raiding parties. Nothing is beyond repair, but the water treatment plant has been taken offline, which means that all water is now locally sourced and must be treated by hand with purification tablets. No one in the base will starve, but fresh food is mostly unavailable until they get the grow labs back online, which means that meals are mostly comprised of ration bars and MREs. Morale isn't exactly at an all-time low, but none of the ghem officers seem to be in a good mood.

They won't hesitate to put you to work, either. They need all the engineers and laborers they can get for the grow labs and the treatment plant, and the medbay's inventory needs to be thoroughly audited before they can send a request for more supplies. But if you need a break, it's not too hard to slip away for a little quiet downtime. Some of the lower-ranked ghem ladies might let you participate in some more artistic activities, or maybe some of the enlisted soldiers who are a little more used to you by now might invite you into one of their Cetagandan games of strategy. Or, since the treatment plant only affected potable water, you could appreciate your comfortable surroundings and take a nice hot soak in the bathroom while everyone else is working.


the fight
PVP
You're in the midst of a skirmish with the other side -- maybe you signed up for the battle, maybe you just got caught up in the fight -- but at least it's easy to tell who's on what side. Only one side is wielding swords, and the other guns.

But then you come across someone who doesn't look like they're either -- not one of the rugged Barrayarans or the face-painted Cetagandans, but an outsider, an exotic like you. They must be. So do you fight?

RECON
Maybe you're not on the front lines, but there's plenty more to winning the war than just fighting. You're partnered with another outsider on recon; the ground is cold, and you try not to let your shoes crunch too loudly on snow as you scout, scanning for patrols or supply lines.

Or maybe you're with the Cetagandans, hiking it thorugh the mountains with one of your fellow exotics in an attempt to locate the enemy camp. Except it's damned cold, and there's hidden ice everywhere, and everything is starting to really look the same.

--

Feel free to write prompts for your character on either side -- you don't have to choose just one for the TDM! Just label it clearly so folks know. GO WILD, MY FRIENDS

Comments

i'm so sorry

[vorbratta]

[ oh, this one's a barrayaran for sure, though he's got to be one of the outsiders, or else sonia's sure she'd know him. the fact that he's waving at her like that really seals it -- is he waving at her? her? sonia glances around. oh, maybe no one's told him yet. that'd be nice. ]

Me? [ sonia points at herself, looking a little perplexed but mostly surprised, but then she has to bite down on a smile. ] I wouldn't know. I've never gotten to handle a bow. Are you offering lessons?

Never be sorry

[use_everything]

[He didn't know at all. In fact, the accent... An urban Vorbarra undertone? ... is a visible surprise on his face. He was expecting an outsider.

The man recovers well enough, however.]

I've time. [Is the answer, the raspy baritone didn't waste words, at least.]

[vorbratta]

[ and a touch of betan, too, though the flatter parts of her accent have been filed away after ten long years on barrayar. he looks surprised, but he isn't scrambling to bow and scrape, and that's good enough for sonia. her eyes positively light up. ]

Really? [ she doesn't give him time for a chance denial, hiking her skirt up with one hand to crunch through the thick snow closer to aral. ] Alright, so what do I do first, then?

[use_everything]

[Anything but bow and scrape. He gives her a quick, evaluating look.]

First, find some rope and bind your sleeves up. [He frowns, just watching for which hand she seemed to favor to pick the bow. One of the trainers the children used would be a fair start to get a gauge of her pull.]

[vorbratta]

[ oh, excellent. maybe if she learns a little archery, she can shake her armsman off her back once in a while. bless the man, she does love him, but a girl needs a little freedom once in a while.

it doesn't take sonia long to find rope, and as she neatly ties back her sleeves, aral will notice that she's right-handed. once she's done, she ties her hair back, too, for good measure. ]

Done, sir.

[ she grins. it occurs to him she doesn't actually know the man's name, and he's surely a stranger, but she recognizes the captain's tabs on his collar. he clearly knows what he's doing, and he's willing to teach her, so sonia's going to ride this one as long as she can. she figures that, eventually, he'll find out she's the younger princess, and this will probably come to an abrupt end, but maybe she could persuade her sister otherwise. ]

[use_everything]

[Right-handed certainly makes it easier. The sir got no further reaction than the distant, automatic nod of a man who is very used to a level of deference. And absolutely unaware of the actual nature of the situation he's in right now.

After a moment's inspection and satisfaction she wasn't going to rip the front of her dress, he nods. He doesn't hand her any arrows, just the bow. It's a thinner, more supple version of the one he has slung on his shoulder.]

Everything about bow hunting is posture, patience and practice. I can teach the first and the last.

[vorbratta]

[ despite her tendency to act out, when sonia's really engaged she doesn't have any problem following instruction. she grips the bow the way she's instructed, pulling back the string experimentally. it's got more resistance than she was expecting.

she turns her head back toward aral, half-smiling. ]

You sound like my sister.

[use_everything]

[It's easier, in a lot of ways, than showing the young boys and new recruits. They want to jump on past what they can pull, get an arrow in and shoot something immediately. This lets Aral spend some time on how to do it properly, go through how to keep the elbow out, how to seat the grip and curl the fingers to catch the bow, rather than hold it tight.

He gently pulls out of a draw he was demonstrating for her. The expression was dry, but not without a show of humor.]

A compliment, I'd hope.

[vorbratta]

[ surprisingly, or perhaps only so because she's never really been given the chance to try, she's a quick study. not nearly as strong as most of the new recruits, true, but she makes up for it in earnest effort. practice, he'd said. she could work on that. ]

Just so. [ that half-smile widens into a grin, and her eyes all but light up. ] I can't think of a lady I respect more.

[ and if this barrayaran has a problem with being compared to a lady, even the countess vorkosigan, well. that's his problem. ]

[use_everything]

Hm. [That is an oddly favorable noise from a Barrayaran being compared to a woman. It causes no stutter or harshness in the lesson either. Nor is it lent any lenience. Even as she gets tired, Aral instructs her on the correction of her posture (never touching), until she truly starts to flag.]

Rest today and tomorrow. The day after, I'll show you sighting if time and duties permit.

[vorbratta]

[ sonia's sore in her arms by the time they're done, and in places she hadn't expected she'd use for archery -- but she knows she won't really feel it until tomorrow. well, more's the challenge for the day after, she supposes. she appreciates what she takes for fair treatment, enough that she doesn't even complain beyond the occasional scrunching of her face at repeated corrections, or the fresh rawness on her drawing hand.

she's a little red-faced by the time they're done, even though she's hardly really moved, but she gives aral a bright and grateful smile. this is, surprisingly, some of the least trouble she's gotten into lately. ]

Thank you, sir. It's much appreciated, ah, Captain...? [ she realizes that she still hasn't gotten his name, nor given hers. her smile turns a little sheepish. ] I'm sorry -- I don't think I even asked.

[use_everything]

[Aral waves it off and gives a formal nod, not quite moving from parade rest.] The fault in politeness is mine, I hadn't offered. Naismith. Aral Naismith.

[Much like Miles had, the idea of altering the timeline more than the application of strangely powered dimensional travelers was going to was abhorrent. In a way, this secret was more personal.

He busies himself with removing the string on the trainer and applying a brisk layer of wax to the limbs.]

[vorbratta]

[ sonia gives him a perplexed look, although she's watching with interest the way he handles the bow. ]

Naismith? That's an awfully Betan-sounding name. [ and she would know. still, she offers him a smile in return. ] Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Naismith. I'm Sonia.

[use_everything]

[There might be something in the way the man pauses, stiffens a little, and searches her face at the sound of her name.]

I've some in my bloodline. Mother's side.

[vorbratta]

[ oh, damn. was just the first name a giveaway? well, that's not going to stop sonia from trying. she just looks curious and pleased. ]

Oh, really? Me too! [ she doesn't have to say how, although if this man's as smart as he looks, he's probably already figuring out. ] Where from?

[use_everything]

[His Aunt Sonia. He... remembered even less of her. A shoulder, the cut of her jaw as she held Padma, bounced some of the fuss from him at his first birthday. (Was it a red or a blue dress, he can't remember now..) He'd lied once, to Padma, when they were both children, and he wanted to know what his mother had been like.

He'd pulled clumps out of the grass, mixed a fantasy with what Aral remembered of his own mother, and the few little details he actually knew. It had cheered the younger boy, given him a little bit back. Facing her, now, he could feel every inch of his throat as he swallowed. He wanted to apologize in some way, but couldn't.]

I'm afraid I didn't get to know her well. There were hard times.

[vorbratta]

Oh. [ the smile fades from her face, not just at the words but at the pain that seems to lurk under the surface of his own. he's older than her, must be old enough that he remembers the time of isolation and its end, and those had been hard times, certainly --

wait. sonia's brow knits together as the math falls into place. ]

How old are you?