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

[ex_bossily211]

"If I have to pretend not to know you to get warmer things, I'd rather freeze." She arches an eyebrow as she scoffs at the idea of doing it. "And I haven't stood still long enough to be told entirely what's going on, but it's not hard to gather there's a war going on and we're expected to contribute somehow."

The very idea of it is beyond frightening to her, but after all that she's been through out in space, this can't be that dangerous.

[forwardmomentum]

Miles gives her a slightly strained smile. "Spare yourself, Clara. All I get from the people around here are hex signs. Mutant paranoia. I've been getting it for as long as I can remember. Please don't freeze to death on my account."

He huffs out a breath, shaking his head, trying to figure out where to start. There were many people on the Moira he'd have liked to show his home to, Clara included, but not like this.

"Right, so," he starts, "this is Barrayar. My home planet. But it isn't my home time. That hard-faced man in his, oh, thirties or so in charge of the camp? That's my grandfather. Not that he's allowed to know it," he adds quickly, because oh God, this is some kind of time travel horseshit and thinking of the implications is giving him a headache. "This is, give or take, about sixty years before I was even born. And it's...not a great time to be vacationing on the planet."

[ex_bossily211]

Clara looks like she's getting an insight into a beautiful space soap opera and barely restrains the smile that's overtaking her face. "I'm used to dealing with time displacement, you know. And the issues that are caused by meddling with people you know in a time you're not supposed to be in."

She doesn't bother responding to the fact that things here are far from a vacation and that she's feeling a little inclined to try giving his grandfather a very large piece of her mind.

"Any place that has real, actual widespread mutant paranoia isn't worth fighting for. The only reason I'd properly consider going along with this is because if something happens to your family here in this time, you may end up not existing at all." That, and if she doesn't she'll likely be turned out in a frozen wasteland where she knows no one. That's not very appealing.

[forwardmomentum]

Ah, right. Miles lets out a little huff of laughter in concession of her expertise. In all the panic he'd almost forgotten what it is she did back home.

But her editorial about Barrayar sees an abrupt change in expression in him. His brows draw down, his jaw setting, and he looks not quite angry, but fiercely defensive. Well, okay, maybe a little angry.

"It is absolutely worth fighting for," he says heatedly. "Its future alone is worth fighting for, and I'm not talking about me. I love this planet, Clara, for better or worse. It's my home, for better or worse."

He lets out a ragged, short breath, raking a hand back through his hair. "Look, it might have caused me no shortage of suffering growing up, but I refuse to let this planet or its people be defined by only by their vices, with no thought to their virtues. Can you tell me your Earth exists in perfect harmony?"

He doesn't give her a chance to answer before he goes on ranting. "After the first wormhole collapse that stranded this planet for seven hundred years, it sent out a massive blast of radiation, all at once. That many possible mutagens in a population of only fifty thousand, and all their technology, medical or reproductive or otherwise, in ruins? What would you expect?" He brings himself up short of explicitly defending the mutant paranoia or, say, the infanticide that tended to accompany it. "This planet has barely been given a chance to develop. These people haven't been given a chance. It was maybe thirty years ago, tops, that another wormhole to Barrayar was discovered. That we were able to rejoin galactic society. And ten years ago, we were hit by the invading forces of an eight-planet empire, just because the only planet between them and us was willing to accept a bribe. Nobody on this planet asked for this war. We haven't even had a chance to adapt. And -- and dammit, Clara, things get better. How can they get better if you don't even give them the chance?"

[ex_bossily211]

His passion for his home, even if they call him a mutant reminds Clara a little too much of the Doctor and his love of Gallifrey. Her eyes widen as he keeps going, not giving her a chance to speak up in the midsts of his tirade. She almost looks hurt and offended by his doing it, but she knows that he needs the chance to get it out of his system. The fact of the matter is she doesn't understand, and she's not afraid to admit that her loyalty currently lies with him because he's what is familiar and he's her friend.

Once she's certain that he's done speaking, she frowns up in his general direction, looking remarkably like a kicked puppy that's seeking love and approval. "Miles." She only says his name at first, reaching up to bump her thumb against his chin, to turn his head just right so he'll look at her.

"Look at you. Getting to be home looks well on you." There's a pause, while she smiles a little, not sure if her speaking is welcome or not at this point. "You're putting too much into my wanting to defend you. This is your home, and you love it. Of course I'll help in whatever way I can."

She very carefully chooses not to address anything about Earth because she has plentiful opinions on the state of her planet. She thinks to when her world was going to end, and when the Doctor takes her away from the planet and she protests. Not because of the people on the planet dying, but because she doesn't want to be the last of her kind. She doesn't want that for Miles, either, so she'll fight and do whatever she can to make sure that doesn't happen. Even if it means never seeing her own home again.

Hoping that he isn't angry with her, she anxiously knits her hands together and watches his face for signs that she needs to bite her tongue.

[forwardmomentum]

Miles flushes slightly at the touch to his face, and he feels an immediate pang of guilt at her face. Dammit. But she's more than welcome to speak, and he's relieved when she smiles again. He gives her a tilted smile back, rueful and apologetic.

"Not too well, I don't think." He blows out his breath and puts a hand to Clara's shoulder. "Sorry. I just got a little -- well, it's been a long couple of days. Thank you, Clara, it...means a lot." His smile becomes even more rueful and just a touch ironic. "I'm just sorry you're here too. Not that I'm not glad for your company, but, ah...it's not one of the best periods of Barrayaran history. I wish I could show you my Barrayar."

[ex_bossily211]

She spots that slight blush and manages a soft laugh as she gives his cheek a pat before pulling her hand away to rest against his that's on her shoulder. "Never know, you may still be able to show me someday."

She's been to dark phases in history on quite a few planets. It's doubtful that what she sees here will be any different than what she's experienced before. And really, this whole thing is starting to feel a bit Lion King. Miles is returned home to help better everything, and she supposes that makes her the meerkat. It's enough to put a smile on her face as she takes hold of his hand and tries to start dragging him away. Enough standing around in the snow, it's freezing.

"It can't be that bad. And if it is, then I'll just have to rely on you to keep me safe." Because she's most definitely known for rushing recklessly into things that may kill her.

[forwardmomentum]

Unfortunately, so is Miles.

"Ah, well, according to Barrayaran history, this war goes on for another ten years, with about five million casualties, and they nuke the district capital, so," Miles says with a slight wince. "And they spent most of it up in these mountains. So -- yes, it can be that bad." He glances down at his broken leg and smiles wryly at her. "Well, if you're counting on me for your bodyguard, I think you might be shit out of luck. But I think I can manage to keep us out of too much trouble."

That is not even remotely true. Miles is constantly in trouble.

[ex_bossily211]

Her eyes widen to a near comical point as she looks up at him with no attempt to hide her fear. "I watched a planet burn out before. But imagining ten years, with that many dying..."

She can't help but frown and look like she wants to cry. "I'm sure there's a lot of children that are lost in that five million casualties." Kids are her biggest soft spot, and she forces herself to try and keep the mood light because if she doesn't she'll just live in anxiety over the fact that she's stuck here.

"At least you know what happens. Maybe there's a way to change some of it." Because any good time traveler knows that's exactly the wrong thing to do anywhere you go.