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

forgiven ♥

[mirrortide]

The first thing Lapis notices about the person speaking to her is that she's... very Large. Big, built like some kind of Quartz. Second thing she notices is the pink hair and that gives her further pause, because with as little as Lapis knows about humans and how they work, she's pretty sure they don't come with pink hair.

But it's not really a Quartz nature to offer help like that. It's very, very confusing, so Lapis responds the only way she knows how: "I'm n-n-not putting that on my body." Her teeth are chattering something fierce.

👌😚

[sibearian]

"That is fine," Zarya responds simply. If someone doesn't want something on them, she won't force it.

"I do not mind taking you to a trader. Their wares are fairly cheap," she says, simply slinging the coat over her shoulder. She can survive a ten minute walk without it. Lapis? Not so much. Zarya decides if the blue woman collapses then she'll get the coat regardless.

"It is not far away. I'm sure they will make you a warm drink, too. It is a wonder how someone so skinny has lasted so long to begin with..."

apparenly my phone doesnt like putitng the heart emoji ):

[mirrortide]

"They wont s-s-" Hang on, her teeth are at it again, and this is honestly almost painful. "Serve me. I'm with the c-" There it goes again, and she vigorously rubs her arms in an in vain effort to make some sort of heat. "Cetas. And blue. T-They don't like that."

Finally, Lapis decides to ask, because she really can't help it, and she might as well make conversation. "What kind of Q-Q-" Hang on a moment, she'll get it out. "Quartz are you?"

FLAUNTS ❤ MY ❤ EMOJIS ❤❤❤❤❤

[sibearian]

Zarya makes a face. Lapis doesn't seem to be dangerous, just genuinely lost and confused. It seems a bit wrong to let someone like that freeze to death.

"All the more reason you should take my coat. As for Quartz? What is this? Some kind of military rank? I have not heard of it."

this is harrassment im telling the mods

[mirrortide]

Well, that answers Lapis' question on what kind of Quartz she is. She's not. Which means... "Sorry. I didn't know humans c-came in pink." That being said, she rubs her arms and shoulders again, feebly trying for more heat before she finally gives in, because she's cold everywhere.

Awkwardly, she holds out her hand for the coat. "I'll take it. The c-coat." Not that it does anything for her feet and legs, but at this point something is better than nothing. Humans generate heat, right? Which means that someone the size of this human should have a fairly warm coat.

🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆

[sibearian]

"Pink...?" Oh! Her hair! Zarya can't help but chuckle. That's a new one. "We come in all colours of the rainbow, my friend!"

Maybe if she can find some blue hair dye... Zarya discards the line of thought and swings the coat off her shoulder, handing it over.

"Ah, see. You may think you can do it, but the weather... it says no!" Lapis will probably be happy to know the coat is very warm. "I, ah, hope it is not rude, but do you mind if I ask what race you are? I only know of one other on Earth and they are... not small and blue."

this is abuse i cant believe this

[mirrortide]

Lapis takes the coat all too eagerly, wrapping it around herself and revelling in the leftover warmth from the human. It's definitely a heavy one, and a lot bigger than her. In fact, Lapis is fairly well covered in the garment minus her legs and feet.

Maybe she should invest in some shoes too, but for now the warmth is enough to semi-quell the teeth chattering.

"I didn't know that. I knew black, brown and blond, but I didn't know about the pink. Or.. any other colours. As for me... I'm a Gem, Lapis Lazuli. Or was. Now I'm organic, like everyone else here."

HOW TO GET BANNED BEFORE GAME EVEN OPENS

[sibearian]

"You have met quite a few humans, then! I suppose it is inevitable when you live on a colony of them."

She cocks her head at Lapis, a little confused. Living gems?

"A Lapis Lazuli? I see. Do you have gold flakes somewhere?" It's a joke. Don't be weirded out. It's a joke.

[mirrortide]

"You mean Pyrite?" Since it's not actual gold, sorry. Only Fools Gold here. "I do, but you can only tell close up. I don't have any calcite, though. I was made pretty well." Thankfully she's not weirded out, because she herself had asked about the humans own colours. Besides, the Pyrite in her form is extremely sparse, more like freckles than anything else.

Then again, it's probably not pyrite in her anymore. The only Pyrite on her should be on her Gem, and while she still has that embedded into her back, it's more or less useless. Not to mention cold.

[sibearian]

"Is that the name? I see. Forgive me, I am no expert in precious stones."

Zarya wonders, vaguely to herself, what kind of gem she would be. Maybe a ruby or-- Lapis had called her a Quartz? This culture seems fascinating already.

"Where are my manners? My name is Alexsandra Zaryanova, but Zarya is just fine," she says, holding out a giant hand for Lapis to shake.

[mirrortide]

Definitely not a Ruby, and Lapis might actually laugh if that were even suggested to her. This human, Zarya, is way to big to be a Ruby.

The hand simply gets a look before Lapis looks back up at Zarya's face. "You can call me Lapis or Lazuli if you want." One or the other is fine, but really she'll respond to her full name as well if she decides to say it. She's not exactly picky, and she's... definitely proven herself helpful.

Lapis bunches herself into the coat a little more, still forgoing shaking Zarya's hand simply because she doesn't know about that bit of human interaction.

[sibearian]

Shrugging, Zarya lets it fall back to her side.

"Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lazuli." There's a definite edge of victory to her tone. She's pleased about getting Lapis to warm up.

"How have you found yourself settling in? This world and it's values is very different from my own - I hope you have not been given odd looks for your... stature."

[mirrortide]

"Just 'Lapis' is fine." There's really not any need for a title. Especially considering she doesn't have one. "I don't like it here, honestly. I don't like being human either." It's not like she can even effectively pass as human either, given the blue skin and gem on her back and all of that fun stuff.

[sibearian]

"I imagine it is not easy for someone used to existing as something else entirely," Zarya says a little airily. She's trying to imagine it herself. "I can tell the way we feel temperature is very different."

Speaking of...

"...Perhaps we should find somewhere to talk that isn't in the snow, yes? Humans can lose their body parts if they get too cold. You only have two feet!"

Which, yeah, where Zarya comes from it would be entirely possible to get replacements but also... that's no reason to actually get frostbite and let your feet drop off????

[mirrortide]

Those words definitely get Lapis' attention, and she looks absolutely horrified about the prospect of such a thing happening. "Human feet can fall off from being cold?" For the millionth time, Lapis is wondering exactly how Humans ended up being the dominant species. They were so fragile!

And her feet were really, really cold. Were they in danger of dropping off? Where would they drop off? At the ankle? Maybe knee? How would she walk without feet? Would she get limb enhancers like Peridot had once had?

"Can you take me somewhere safe? Please?" There's more than a little sense of urgency in her voice.

[sibearian]

"Do not worry, I will valiantly save you from the evil snow," she says, crouching down.

"Come, there is a cafe nearby. I can carry you. When we get closer to the more populated areas, there may be debris under the snow."

[mirrortide]

Zarya crouches down, and it takes a moment for Lapis to understand what she means by that. She's going to carry her.

Seriously?

Lapis looks around nervously. She doesn't want her feet to fall off, but she thought that the human would have just... Lead her? Her feet do hurt though, and they're certainly some manner of numb. She stays put for a moment.

"You.. want to carry me?"

[sibearian]

"Yes! Is not a problem, right? As I said, there could be things under the snow in the village that would cut you."

She shrugs.

"You could also wrap up more to start warming them up again."

[mirrortide]

"I guess." She's trying to make to seem like it's not such a big deal because it isn't, but it is really embarrassing to be carried. Lapis goes a darker shade of blue as she moves closer to the woman, before pausing.

"Am.. I supposed to just climb on you?" Stars, this is terribly embarrassing. The only other time she's been carried has been by Garnet and that was after Malachite. And she was unconscious.

[sibearian]

"Нет. I will carry you like princess!" She says, laughing again. This is a ridiculous situation and Zarya did definitely not expect this day to go the way it did. Oh well.

She's just gonna SCOOP this lil lady up, arm under her knees and one at her back, supporting it.

[mirrortide]

Lapis has no idea whether or not its a good thing that suddenly being lifted like that brings back feelings of being able to fly. Either way, she grabs tightly onto the large human woman with a small yelp of surprise as she's hoisted upwards.

"Stars." Is what Lapis gets out, because this is so very, very embarrassing, and her cheeks are already a darker blue than they had been even previously. "You sure you're not some kind of Quartz?" Because from what Lapis had seen, most humans were very soft and very vulnerable and Zarya matched none of those qualities. Maybe she was some kind of elite human? But Humans don't come in castes like Gems, so that was probably unlikely.

[sibearian]

"I am sure I am not a Quartz, Lapis," she says, smiling. "Though, I do not know what those are, so maybe."

Anyway time to start WALKING!!!

"You are very light."

[mirrortide]

Lapis doesn't respond, because she knows that if Zarya was indeed a type of Gem, she'd probably know it, so she just silently stews in her embarrassment, and her feet already start to feel a little better. They aren't warm by any means, but she's also not ankle deep in snow anymore.

"That's what my form should be made out of, before I was turned into an organic life form." Not that the human probably cares, but it feels good to complain. Not like it's the first time she's done it, though. The Cetas have had to listen to it nonstop at the base.

[sibearian]

"I see," she says. She doesn't.

Luckily for Lapis, it's not a long walk. The cafe is nearby, still open and has a couple of customers littered around.

"I will put you down when we get inside. I am going to assume you can walk on wooden floors."

[mirrortide]

"Of course I can." She was standing in the snow, after all. "I used to live in a barn." Not that Zarya knows that, but now she does.

Awkwardly, she huddles a little closer against the warmth of the human until they get into this 'Cafe'. "I don't think they're gonna serve me here." She's already been told and warned. She's the on the same side as the 'bad guys' after all.