TEST DRIVE MEME #11

[expiationmods]

Test Drive Meme #11

Welcome to Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and some subtle horror.

THE STORY SO FAR (click to expand!)

Characters have arrived in Expiation, a seemingly idyllic fantasy world where they have been told they will be judged and sentenced for crimes they were charged with upon arrival.

Every two months, several characters are chosen for sentencing, where they’re brought to City Hall and told to perform a task related to their assigned crime.

Their only contact at City Hall is a mysterious and long-suffering man called Jerry.

Over time, characters have begun to realize that not all is as it seems in Expiation: as it turns out, the entire world is a simulation that seems to be run by an artificial intelligence.
This AI claims that its purpose, and thus the purpose of Expiation, is rehabilitating the Chosen after their crimes.

In March 2024, after the destruction of City Hall, the city of Aldrip was forced into an upgrade status. While this upgrade was being implemented, characters were pulled into a false reality where they believed they were natives to the city of Aldrip.

Aldrip has been a bit of a glitchy place for many, many months. However, in Summer 2024, these glitches became difficult to ignore, and pointed at evidence of a catastrophic systems failure. For several months, characters experienced chaotic effects as elements from their worlds and many others were thrown into the setting without warning, even going so far as to import a Gnosia infection.

The AI in charge of Expiation believed that performing a system reset might be the only way to stop the glitches before they could impact the world as a whole.

In September 2024, characters complied with the AI’s request and performed a reset. Although this set the AI back to a default state where it felt more neutral–rather than affectionate–toward the Chosen, several people created a system backup that they hope will return some of the data that has made the AI more sympathetic toward the Chosen.

When Aldrip was reset, City Hall became a Courthouse, and this is the new building where Chosen are now sent for sentencing.

TDM top-levels are open to all, whether you are already in-game or not. New characters, please put TDM in your subject header so we’ll know you’re trying things out! You can also put your top-level in the TDM DIRECTORY at the bottom of the post. New folks are welcome and encouraged to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Current players may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs.

October's TDM takes place on October 21st.

You can view our CALENDAR to keep important dates in mind. RESERVES open on October 21 and APPLICATIONS will open on October 24. After this, applications will next open in December 2024.

Full Navigation

Arrival

Spooky season has come to Aldrip in full force! City and outskirts gardens are full of pumpkins to harvest, trees begin turning red and orange, and there’s a chill in the air that’d have anyone reaching for a cozy sweater. The wind picks up occasionally, howling through the trees, especially near the forest… While the seasonal weather is welcoming, the locals are anything but: they send disapproving glances and keep a wide distance. Unfortunately, this may only be heightened by the new arrivals to the city…

Newcomers to Aldrip face a rude awakening this month. Strange iron cages have appeared on surfaces all over town, short and tall alike, and this is where new Chosen find themselves upon arrival. The cages themselves aren’t terribly hard to open, honestly; the latch is on the outside, and it’s a bit finicky, but it’s not locked or anything. That said, some of these cages are quite high up. They’re sometimes near ledges and windows, but not always, and some new Chosen might need a helping hand to get down.

Yeah. The optics aren’t great. No wonder the locals are a little nervous!

The fall carnival

On the morning of October 21st, a Fall carnival pops up, seemingly out of nowhere. It hasn’t been well-advertised–maybe a flyer or two around town–but luckily for the Chosen, those who work there don’t seem to have the same opinion of them as the locals do. Costumes are not required for the carnival, but they’re definitely encouraged! There is a large tent near the entrance with lots of costumes to choose from, and changing rooms as well, should the Chosen decide they’d like to give it a try. The tent workers will be so excited to help with this process–but they might find some very unexpected choices for the Chosen!

There are plenty of rides, games, and food stalls, so come on down! Some special attractions the Chosen may take note of include:

The Funhouse
Billed as a standard house of mirrors, the Chosen are encouraged to try to get through the maze as quickly as they can. Push your limits! Test yourself!

Inside the mirror maze, the Chosen will find more of a test than they might have expected, at first. As they go deeper into the maze, the mirror reflections seem to change. At first, it’s just little things: your reflection might look in a different direction, or move when you stand still. But deeper within the maze, these mirrors begin to show things about the Chosen that they might not be ready to admit just yet. Some reflections may try to confess to the character’s crime to anyone who may be in the funhouse, even going into detail about it. Some may even show the crime as it happened, or a warped version of that crime. Anyone present can see and hear these reflections.

The reflections will follow Chosen until they find their way out of the funhouse. Unfortunately, that could take quite a bit longer, since those reflections are so very vocal and distracting.

Pumpkin Pick-up
You know those duck games at a fair where you pick up a rubber duck and the bottom of the toy has a prize written on it? Well, we know better than to pick up a duck in a dungeon carnival here in Expiation, so for extra spooky flair, these are small pumpkins instead, with painted jack-o-lantern faces! Picking up a pumpkin should reveal a prize…but what’s this? It’s a challenge instead? Interesting.

Written on the underside of each pumpkin is a truth-or-dare style directive. Players are free to make up any challenge they want, here! If you’re looking for some ideas, we’ve provided some examples in the details cut below.

Click here for a list of example challenges!

Tell someone your biggest regret
Tell someone about the scariest moment you’ve ever had
Confess your deepest shame to a stranger
Take someone’s shoes
Attempt to pickpocket someone without them noticing
Find a stranger and show off a secret talent
Tell someone about the thing you hate most, deep down
Kiss or hug a stranger
Eat something that doesn’t look like food
Tell someone about the cruelest thing you have ever done
Start dancing in the middle of a crowd, but only if there’s no music playing
Tell a stranger about the worst lie you ever told
Ask a stranger out on a date
Set off a small firework without warning
Give away your shirt and do not replace it
Confess your greatest weakness
Put on an extra silly costume
Exchange clothes with a stranger

You get the idea! Feel free to use these as a jumping off point and make up your own–there are no limits to what the pumpkins might say. Once the task has been completed, Chosen may turn the pumpkins in at one of the prize booths for whatever prize they would like. There’s no visible indication on the pumpkin as to whether the task is done or not, so you’re welcome to try bluffing, if you don’t want to complete it…but somehow, the booth worker always seems to know.

Dueling Potions
One of the stalls is a game of chance: two identical potions sit before you on a table. The carnie claims that one is a luck potion, and that choosing that potion will give you excellent luck for the whole day…but how do you tell which is which? By drinking the potion, of course!

There’s a 50% chance of victory, here. One vial does indeed contain a good luck potion, and if you choose that vial, your luck will be incredible for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, the other bottle contains a bad luck potion, and that will have the opposite effect: for 24 hours, you’ll be plagued by disaster, bad happenstance, and maybe even some extra clumsiness. Does it seem a bit like you need to have good luck to get good luck, here? What, is this a commentary on something? Hmm.

Fortune Teller
Want some woo in your spooky season? A midnight-blue tent covered in stars seems to invite you in. You’ll find a bonafide fortune teller within, complete with crystal ball and heady incense. How fun! They’ll give you a cursory reading, either by palm or with strange-looking cards. You get the feeling that this reading is fairly accurate, but strangely…it’s hard to recite details later, if you try to tell someone else about what they told you. How odd. Maybe it was the incense.

It’s not just a hazy fortune and a nose full of frankincense that Chosen leave this booth with: they also feel a compulsion to speak their minds more than they might otherwise. Whether this is telling secrets usually kept close to the vest, expressing their opinions more readily, readily admitting to crimes they’ve been charged with or other wrongdoings, or some other manifestation of this effect is up to players!

There are plenty of other games, rides, and booths to explore, many of which have perfectly standard fare for events like these. Characters can use these booths to win tickets and get prizes: many booths offer cute stuffies and kitschy toys, of course, but Chosen can also find useful items like weapons, food, clothing, accessories, and things like that.

Witch hunt

Last year’s Witch Hunt was metaphorical in nature–this year, it’s much more literal. A limited number of witch hats are placed on a table in front of the carnival. As soon as the clock strikes noon, the Chosen may grab one and try to keep it out of the hands of fellow competitors. These hats are first-come, first-served, but it really doesn’t matter who starts out with one–it’s who ends the hunt with one that counts!

It seems to be like a city-wide game of tag. The Chosen’s job is simple: obtain and keep a witch hat on their head until the clock strikes midnight. If a “witch” is caught by another Chosen (by way of being tagged), they must hand over their hat, or they’ll be disqualified.

There’s no official sign-up for the hunt, so characters can join in whenever they’d like, or may decide not to join at all. So, what’s this all for? Anyone who manages to have a witch hat on by the time the clock strikes midnight is guaranteed a prize! OOCly, this prize is any small non-magical item from home, either personal or not; ICly, Chosen will not know what this prize is before entering. How do you obtain this prize? There’s an RNG for those who would like a chance to sign up to win an item. Sign-up is optional, and TDMers are welcome to join in! New items will be delivered at the start of November, so any new applicants who win the hunt will be able to obtain their items as well.

Wildcard

Make your own fun! Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Have at it! Go crazy! Try not to break anything (too much)!

♡

Comments

[chimericalclaw]

[A few more moments pass as his fingers slide the mechanisms out of place, the initial question going without an answer as there's a final clack of success. Altius swings the cage door open and wraps a hand around the gate's frame to lean forward an get a better vantage point.

Nothing in his posture changes as he peers down towards the ground, then up and around the cage's bars and the chain and building to which it's attached. Living in a penthouse with a balcony would likely have erased any fear of heights in him even without the more... unusual aspects of his life.

It's only then that he turns his gaze back to this apparently-smug stranger. He's suspicious, certainly—but that doesn't necessarily close off any options. Neither is he so proud as to refuse assistance... even if he technically doesn't need it. He prefers to keep his cards close to his chest, as it were.]

Are you offering?

[There's nothing light in his words; it's an entirely serious question. Something tells him that confidence isn't effected.]

[erschlagen]

[Rosen lets out an impressed whistle as the salaryman opens his cell door. It appears that all of his awkward maneuvering paid off handsomely. How fortunate. Rosen, on the other hand, has not even attempted to open the cell door yet. He wanted to see what his cellmate would do first before freeing himself. Now that this guy has proven his worth, Rosen decides it's time to get out of here.]

Perhaps.

[He answers before slowly pulling himself up from his sitting position using the iron-clad bars. Rosen is as strong as he looks. He hoists himself up with no effort, as if he done something like before. In no time, the white-haired menace extends his arm around the bars and starts fiddling with the latch with expert ease. It takes him a moment, but once he's done, he swings the cell door open.]

It depends on how well you barter for my services.

[There was a very smug tone in the response from this alleged know-it-all. Rosen gives him another of his signature smiles before glancing at the nearby wall. He has an idea that may result in a broken bone or two, but they may be able to survive.]

[chimericalclaw]

[This man is so certain of himself. Altius might almost admire it if he weren't the target. In exchange for that certainty—bartering. A favor, money, goods?

Zekarion has nothing of worth on his person that he's willing to give away. Not to mention, who knows whether what he has even means anything in this mismatched city, wherever it is they are—it's unlike anything he's seen. As for a favor, there's plenty he can do, but admitting to that would have the same result as simply using his powers to save himself.]

I have nothing to offer you.

[His answer is frank; a simple statement of fact, rather than an aggressive rejection. He doesn't have time for negotiations—if he doesn't get home soon, then—

Altius looks at his free hand, stained, then back to the bars.

With a glance at the other man who's also decided to escape, he pivots on one foot and pulls the other around so he's grasping the outside of the bars, and though the weight tips the cage dangerously as a result, the horizontal pieces are spaced close enough to use as hand- and footholds. A normal man in his position—hands still not dry, apparently already fatigued from something, leather shoes hardly made for climbing, much less at an angle like this—would struggle with the task.

He does not. It takes effort, surely. But he only has to break the surface of his magical reserves for this. His other, faster methods are too risky right now, when he doesn't know who might be watching or even if his pact will still function as he's used to. He prefers to remain in the realm of plausible deniability.]

[erschlagen]

[Rosen lets out a scoff when the salaryman seemingly brushes him off.]

Nothing at all? [He inquires with a slight tilt of his head. This guy seems to be in a hurry to get out of here. Naturally, he couldn't blame him. But do they really believe they can simply climb down from here? It's a very long drop.]

Not even your immortal soul?

[Rosen's words contain a hint of sarcasm, as if he's joking, but he's completely serious. He watches the man climb out of his cage, his oddly colored eyes tracking his every move like a wild animal. Rosen has been described as very catlike at times, but the type of animal he resembles is entirely up to him.

He's keeping an eye on him, regardless. Rosen won't take his gaze away from the man as he continues with his hair-brain scheme. While he expects him to slip and fall, Rosen suspects there is more to this salaryman than meets the eye. The blood on his hands is proof of that.]

You know—[He gives a sardonic chuckle as he rests his chin on his hand.] A fall from this height would be fatal.

[chimericalclaw]

[His immortal soul? If his mind weren't so set on the dire situation back home, he would laugh. If he ever had anything like that, it's already been pledged to another and thoroughly degraded; there's nothing in him that's immortal at this point. He's quite serious when he replies with,]

As I said.

[Well, at least he's not giving Rosenkrantz the silent treatment, though he doesn't take his eyes off of what he's doing. Altius even humors him with another response as he hefts himself up another set of handholds, unfazed by the statement.]

There's already—a life at stake. [How selfless of him...]

[erschlagen]

[The salaryman's unimpressive response receives another glance. There's something fishy about this guy, and Rosen's not sure why. It's not as if he can sense anything. No, nothing at all. This guy appears to lack any sort of supernatural power or magic, making him as ordinary as the rest of the unlucky fuckers up here.

So, why isn't this guy freaking out about being forty stories up without a prayer to keep him from falling? That's the question Rosen has as he watches this man effortlessly climb out of the cage. Any normal person would be screaming for help right now, willing to give anything for assistance. Not this jerk, though.

Rosen is puzzled but also amused. However, his amusement ceases once the man mentions something about a life being at stake.]

Do you mean your life or someone else?

[Rosen asks, leaning up against the bars of his cell, causing it to sway slightly. There's also a slight creak when it does so, indicating that those bars aren't very secure. Not that he is concerned. It's not like Rosen could permanently die here.]

[chimericalclaw]

[His reply is dragged out of somewhere dark, almost unsteady despite the weight of it. Though the goal is seared clearly into his mind, even his vision, he can't speculate on the possibilities. He can only afford to focus on the singular task of returning to his home.]

The one whose blood I'm wearing.

[He pauses once his hands reach the top of the cage and he hauls his upper half on top of it, moving his feet to keep the cage itself from angling further from his weight. Amber eyes dart back to the fellow caged man and his slightly more serious expression before turning to the building and the contraption's chain, tracing a path. The bricks will at least make for an easier experience than solid stone would...]

[erschlagen]

[Ah, so the blood isn't his. Rosen suspected as much, especially since the man didn't seem injured.]

That's an awful lot of blood for someone's life to be at stake. [He chuckle.] Are you certain they're still alive?

[Rosen doubts whether the person in question is still alive, but he doesn't care. He just wants to know what happens next now that this guy has climbed out of the cell. Rosen begins to rock back and forth within his cell, causing it to sway forward. He's letting his intrusive thoughts get the better of him right now. The chain that connects their cells to the wall is a little loose.]

Are you certain you'll survive all this?

[chimericalclaw]

[If he didn't have the powers that he does, he wouldn't be certain. He'd have no real way of assuring himself of his ward's survival. Knowing that he did heal the boy well enough for him to last past those wounds is helping, but the state he was in Zekarion's last memory... he won't last long without his guardian there.

He grabs the swinging chain with a sharp look at this person who's gradually becoming an annoyance. For him to die in this place, whatever it is, however he got here? Unacceptable.]

I have to.

[It almost sounds like a threat. Don't make this harder than it has to be. He doesn't bother asking after the stranger's goals, far past caring about his typical attempts to ingratiate himself to those around him.

He pulls himself fully onto the top of the cage, carefully maneuvering with his few options for where to place his knees and then feet as he rises with the help of the chain, steadier than he should be. After that—stupidly, he's reminded of gym class in middle school. Regardless, he continues to climb, after which he'll have to use the final bar connecting it to the building to shimmy across—assuming the chain remains as is.]

[erschlagen]

You have to? [He arches his brow.] Really?

[The impish smile he gives the salaryman is almost sinister. He is fully aware of what he is doing but does not want to stop. In fact, he begins shifting his weight just enough to make his cell sway closer and closer—until Rosen leaps out of it.

He lands on the other cell with a solid CLANK, the sound echoing as he quickly climbs upward. All of the rattling causes the brittle chain to wobble slightly, providing a suitable scare for the fellow above him.]

Let's see if you can survive.

[chimericalclaw]

[The sudden movement does certainly startle him—but he can't say the upgrade to a nearly-immediate danger was entirely unexpected. Still, he tightens his grip around the chain and grits his teeth, irritation rising into anger.

A black crackle of energy momentarily sparks behind him, opposite of where Rosen is approaching, quick enough to be a trick of the light: a test of his powers. But it's not an offensive sort, what he's testing. He won't humor any aggression with a fight.]

Do you have nothing better to do than threaten a man who's already struggling?

[erschlagen]

Struggling?

[He lets out a cheerful, almost maniacal laugh.]

You don't seem to be struggling at all, friend!

[This is one of the reasons he wants to increase the difficulty a bit. He stomps hard on the iron bars, causing the entire jail cell to rattle erratically. They're dangling about four stories above the ground, and this insane son of a bitch is making matters worse for them both. Rosen has a sick sense of humor, especially since he knows his brand of magic is still effective here.

He just wants to know what this guy is all about. No one has nerves of steel like that, no one.]

Not at all~

[chimericalclaw]

[...hmph. Fine. So he's not really having that much trouble—so it's too easy for him to be normal. So what? A witness to him not struggling is hardly a blight.

He doesn't bother hiding his disdain as his lip curls. Those steel nerves, though, only solidify. He's lost any reason to hide his own confidence, as called out as he is now.]

If you break your legs or worse from the fall you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

[He climbs the chain despite the disruption and the shaking, keeping his eyes on this lunatic. It should only take a moment or two for him to reach that bar, which he could swing himself on top of with clearly superhuman strength, and make a final leap to grab onto the edge of the roof. He can't say whether this one will let him achieve that without further interference, though.]

[erschlagen]

[That look of disgust makes me laugh. This amuses him greatly, especially because it means he has finally gotten under the man's skin. It seems like Mr. Cool, Calm & Collected has finally lost his cool a little. What fun! Rosen was hoping to make the man crack a little under pressure but unfortunately, this guy is colder than ice.]

Don’t worry, I don’t break so easily.

[As a demonstration, Rosen leaps from the cell to the ledge above. The heel of his boot scrapes against the side of the building as he pushes off to leap higher, completely disregarding gravity's laws. Rosen grunts as he grabs the ledge, using his momentum to propel himself upward. He then effortlessly pulls himself over the side, demonstrating his athleticism and impressive inhuman strength.]

Still down there?

[He asks as he peeks over the ledge with a grin.]

Might want to hurry up!

[Rosen leans off the side there to grab the chain. He could probably crush it with his bare hands but he’ll play nice for now.]

[chimericalclaw]

[A show off, he thinks to himself as he watches those forceful movements, still where he is for the moment. Such personalities have worked in his favor in the past, but right now it's just an additional annoyance. Either way, the near-scowl to Altius's gaze says he's not impressed.

Still, he refuses to show all of his hand, merely continuing as he was. Between each upward reach that pulls him further up the chain in Rosen's grasp, he says almost dismissively:]

Don't waste your energy. [or my time, he decides to keep in his head.]

[erschlagen]

[C'mon! That landing was ten out of ten, a perfect score. Anyway, Rosen is almost tempted to end their brief conversation by melting the chain, but thankfully he does not. No, this guy clearly has too many cards stacked against him. This is why he simply releases the chain and moves away from the ledge.

Rosen gets his first good look at the horizon. This may not be a dream, but it doesn't seem real to him.]

Talk about a breathtaking view, right?

[chimericalclaw]

[Thank God. Zekarion could have dealt with further interference, but his patience is thin enough as is; he definitely prefers this to the alternative.

A few more moments, and he's pulling himself up onto the roof—and keeping a cautious distance between them once he's on his feet, brushing the blood off his hands that's dried enough to flake. His sharp gaze moves from the man to the city with its strange, anachronistic buildings. What sort of place could this even be? His phone had no service when he checked minutes ago, and he can't make sense of what his magic detection is telling him.]

Absurd...

[Still, it is a decent view, if nothing more than for practical purposes. If he can set his eyes on it, he can go there. He's just in the middle of considering doing that when he feels a solid bump at the back of his ankle, and he turns to look with a notable tension in his posture, like he's ready to retaliate. The miniature... robot and its screen displaying WELCOME is almost enough to disarm his immediate suspicions, at least.

There's another approaching as well, that one heading for Rosen.]

[erschlagen]

[Rosen notices the antediluvian design of the sprawling city before them, particularly because it reminds him of Lumière, the City of Lights. His master's home town. Rosen hasn't thought about Luna since he arrived here, but he's suddenly reminded of his responsibilities back "home." To be honest, it makes him slightly agitated.

As he stares at the unknown, the arkana lets out what sounds like a sigh. What is one supposed to do here? He has no idea. If this isn't a dream, then what the heck is going on here? He honestly has no idea, but thankfully the welcome wagon arrives in the form of two miniature robots.]

Well, aren't they cute.

[Rosen murmurs as he kneels to get a better look at the robots. He's seen something like these robots before in a dream he visited, but damn if he understands the inner workings of robotics. Rosen assumes it's just a cute toy or something. He rudely nudges it with his finger, almost knocking it over. The little robot struggles to regain its balance, but when it does, it flashes the words "WELCOME".]

It seems we have a "welcome party" after all.

[He peeks over at his silent companion with a little smirk.]

What do you think? A little fishy, huh?

[chimericalclaw]

Meant to disarm, perhaps, [he grudgingly agrees, scrutinizing the thing as new messages flash on its little face-screen:

TAKE THIS

PLEASE

Zekarion's eyes narrow as parts of the machine slide open to reveal... a phone...? He doesn't look particularly pleased as he bends down to retrieve it, but the robot didn't seem to retaliate against this other man's aggression, so he's been given no reason to think he'll be subject to immediate danger by accepting it.]

Mixed signals, [he mutters as he returns to his feet. Caging them and then being welcomed with a gift?]

[erschlagen]

Disarm and not explode, right?

[The last time he dealt with these types of robots, they exploded. That nightmare was far from easy for him. Rosen almost died at the time, especially since the dream was so unstable.

Nonetheless, it appears that he has nothing to worry about right now. Hell, the little robots appear to be offering them "goodies" such as a new phone. He takes his phone from the robot, but not before giving it a little pat on the head. Rosen then begins to look through it.]

I'm used to getting freebies, but not like this.

[He mutters before inching over to peek over the man's shoulder.]

Got any contacts on there, bud? I think we're in it for the long haul.

[chimericalclaw]

[The look Altius fixes the other man with out of the corner of his eye is plainly meant to express his desire for Rosen to step the fuck away, and he maintains that eye contact for several uncomfortable seconds, or until Rosen breaks it—not that he expects the latter.

After that, though, he does glance over the screen he's powered on and quickly locates the list in question, which is a mix of names and what appears to be self-chosen monikers, the likes of which he'd expect from some sort of lighthearted social media forum.]

No traditional numbers, [he answers.] Only usernames. A few dozen.

[He only glances briefly through them before scrolling through the short list of apps and opening what claims to be a map, stepping towards the opposite end of the roof. He needs to see more of this place.

The welcome bots, apparently happy to have done their job, start puttering away to disappear to wherever welcome bots go. Zekarion only realizes he's missed their departure a moment too late, glancing over his shoulder to find the roof empty of anything but him and his unpleasant companion.]

[erschlagen]

[Oof. Old boy is really giving him the death glare, huh? Oh, well. Rosen deserves it after jokes about killing him earlier. Even so, he can't help but grin as the man glares at him with such annoyance.

Right, no more peeping. Although, he did get a brief glance at the layout on the salaryman's phone. It seems they're both starting off fresh, from what he could tell. His knowledge of technology is still a bit iffy. While Rosen might seem quite youthful at times, he doesn't understand the first thing about technology.]

Usernames, huh? [He couldn't help but frown once he found a particularly odd username on the list.] Love n' Thunder? Yeah, no, I don't recall adding anyone by that name.

[Rosen looks up from his phone and notices that the robots are no longer present. He glances around in confusion, unsure where the eerie bots went.]

Seems like the welcoming committee left.

[He puts his phone away for the time being and climbs onto the roof's ledge instead. Yes, this is the beginning of something big, isn't? Rosen feels it in his bones.]

Time to paint the town red~!

[chimericalclaw]

[He would have liked to see where those things went, himself, but it seems there's nothing to be done for it. Instead, he watches the white-haired stranger from over his shoulder, managing to admit to himself he's curious as to what nonsense this bastard plans to get up to. Whatever it is, it's better directed at whatever else is in this town—Aldrip, if this map is to be believed—than at him.

He decides, as a treat to himself for enduring all of this thus far, to remark flatly:]

Try not to have too much fun.