TDM II

[thetonmods]

The Ton Test Drive Meme II

Welcome to the The Ton's second Test Drive Meme!

Applications will OPEN on the 1st of June. Players with characters already in game are also welcome to top-level with them. However, we ask that all TDM-related prompts stay on the TDM post itself.

If you do write a top-level, please make sure to include your character's name and canon in the subject field - regardless of whether your character is already in game or not.

Please note that the Test Drive Meme does not require an invite in order to participate - submitting an application does.

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NAVIGATION.

🌿 Arrival • Welcome Drinks • The Greenhouse Effect • Skinny Dipping • Give You Butterflies [NSFW] • That Belongs in A Museum • Jump to Comments 🌿

🌱 Applications • FAQ • Rules • Full Navigation 🌱

Arrival

I. WELCOME

You don't remember when or where you fell asleep exactly...

Perhaps it's the tickling sensation of a low hanging tree branch brushing against your nose or the feel of the slightly damp grass underneath you that causes you to awaken but when you do you'll find yourself lying amongst a glade of wisteria trees. You're not alone - nymphs of the trees laugh and dance about you, clearly amused at the new arrival. Along with them, your new loyal servant is here on Pheme's bidding. How this servant looks is different to each arrival. Some are saddled with short, stout butlers, others are welcomed by towering, busty maids. Regardless of their appearance, they introduce themselves with a kindness and warmth that is simultaneously reassuring and strangely impossible to resist when they beckon you to follow them from the grove and out into the city of Andovale.

The closest structure within sight is the Palace and its grounds. It is here that the Lady Pheme resides and from here that she rules over the city, your servant explains to you. You have been selected and brought here personally by her. It is she who assigned the servant to guide you through the regency-inspired city that is your new home.

Eventually, they will bring you to your new residence within the outskirts of somewhere called the "Trade Quarter". You are now the resident of a room within one of the many imposing town houses which make up the Grand Crescent. Throughout your stay here the servant will be your own personal butler or maid. This is where all new arrivals will be living for the time being you are told. Your servant will also give you a crash course on life here and the concept of Thumos - the energy or life force that keeps Andovale and all life within it going - including you now that you are here. It's generated through acts of intimacy, whether that be physical or emotional.

Once you have been shown to your room, you are given two things: a network communication device and a letter. The letter reads as follows:

My dearest reader,

Welcome to Andovale.

The delights of our fair city are yours to explore.

I do hope that you make your stay here a most interesting one. I shall be frightfully disappointed if you do not - and we do not want that, do we?

You will hear from me again very soon.

Yours Truly,

Lady Pheme

You are free to wander about and explore the house and its surroundings as you please. It's certainly spacious enough. As well as your own quarters, each of the townhouses of the Grand Crescent have large communal areas, which includes the kitchens (although why you'd like to go there when your servant can fetch any delicacies you'd like for you!), a dining room, a parlour with its own small library, two drawing rooms (somewhere you can go to chill out basically - harp music anyone?) and a generously sized garden.

Strangely, unlike most accurate regency townhouses, there do not appear to be any servant's quarters - perhaps these servants don't need to rest? Or they go somewhere else entirely for that?

Why not introduce yourself to your new housemates? Or enjoy some tea and cakes that have been prepared for you personally by your retainer, which they seem to keep insisting on bringing to you?

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II. AN INVITATION

Whether you're brand new to Andovale or a an established if a little unwilling resident by now, your assigned maid or butler will track you down. They are not empty-handed and they carry a silver tray, upon which is an envelope with a wax seal bearing the letter "P". Inside the envelope is an invitation. An invitation from your benevolent ruler, Lady Pheme herself.

Each character will receive an invitation identical in wording to the one below:

EVENT AT THE PLEASURE GARDENS

YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME HERE

Is requested to attend an exclusive event at the PLEASURE GARDENS, on 27th of May current.

Admission to the attraction begins at 6 o'clock p. m.

Wear something green for this special occasion.


Lady Pheme

Your servant can help you find something appropriate to wear - or not appropriate, the choice is entirely yours, after all. If you decide to go with their guidance, it is notable that they seem a little less decisive in the sort of outfit you should be wearing for this event - only, as Pheme said, that it should be something green. An evening gathering surely must require formal wear though and they will eventually press upon you the importance of wearing Regency Full Dress for the night ahead.

You may come to regret this.

Note: Even though it's a little different from the norm, this event will still count as a ball and all attendees will get 10 Reputation Points✨, just for showing up and looking respectable. Indulging with the theme and wearing an acceptable green outfit will also gain attendees a further 5 Points✨.

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WELCOME DRINKS

CW: alcohol

So, you've received an exclusive invitation to the Pleasure Gardens' latest pop-up attraction from Lady Pheme herself? How exciting! Ordinarily, the Gardens are open to anyone willing to pay the small amount of Thumos required to enter, but tonight it seems that only those brought in from other worlds are permitted access. You're getting an exclusive preview of the attraction, one of the guards at the gates tells you.

One of their colleagues will escort you down the torch flame lit pathways, through the gardens to the centre - the open space where all events like this take place.

Tonight, that open space is not so open. Besides the vast outdoor ballroom floor, in front of you is a giant glass house - basically, a large fancy green house between you and I. These are often found at grand country houses to show off and cultivate exotic, never before seen plants from far off lands. You've been brought here for the unveiling of this attraction. How such a thing could possibly be temporary seems highly improbable, but that's Pheme for you.

Feel free to begin the evening with mingling and dancing as befitting of any ball, but before the night is over you will feel yourself propelled forward to join the queue to get into the "Palm House," almost as if an invisible hand is shoving you forwards. You're even handed an extremely green and theme appropriate alcoholic beverage to consume in the queue while you wait. It's all very civilised.

Oddly, this drink won't get you drunk in the usual way, despite the alcohol content. Instead you will find yourself imbued with a hefty sense of glee and eagerness for adventure. It's all to help ease you into this experience, after all.

You're admitted to the Palm House one at a time - it's fine, you'll see your friends inside! Just as you set foot through the doors, your head is filled with the sound of a woman's voice, soft and beguiling:

"Dearest gentle member of the ton - what happens in the Palm House, stays in the Palm House. You are free tonight."

Note: For those that don't drink, there's also an alcohol free version. It looks completely identical to the boozy version.

Whether that drink has got you in the spirit or not, entering the Palm House is worth your while. All of those who enter will instantly receive 20 Reputation Points✨. And in case it wasn't already obvious, on this very special of occasions and the debut of her attraction, Pheme is turning a blind eye to what happens to you all in there. These things need a whole lot of Thumos to run properly and some of you will be doing her a huge favour... you just don't know it yet.

There will be no NPCs present in the Palm House, only your characters. Tonight is an exclusive preview for Pheme's Chosen, after all.

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THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Entering the Palm House is a rather surreal experience to say the least. Sure, it looked pretty grand from the outside, but that's nothing compared to what greets you inside...

You might have been expecting a typical large tropical greenhouse as per any botanical garden visit, if such things exist to you back home. However, this particular green house appears to contain nothing less than a few dozen acres of rain forest. If the word "Tardis" resided in the vocabulary of the Ton's residents then it would surely be applied here. Pheme's out to show off again.

The moment you take a step or two through that door you feel strangely disoriented. Take a few steps more - perhaps you change your mind and decide to head back to the door you just came through. Only when you do, you'll find that the door is no longer there.

There is another door out of here but that involves crossing the length of the exhibit - and as you can now see quite clearly, that is not going to be such an easy task. There are paths to take and to (hopefully) stick to, but they seem to crisscross at every turn you take and go in all different directions. Thick rainforest surrounds you on all sides, its dense foliage extending towards what you can see of the glass ceiling and the night sky beyond that.

Pheme hasn't been quite cruel enough to leave you wandering through the rainforest by moonlight alone. Many of the plants here glow with an unnaturally bright bioluminescence - and there is more. Every now and again during your travels you will see the light of a of lantern darting amongst the trees, accompanied by alluring and lilting female voices, often laughing with delight. They might seem a little familiar to you.

It seems that the tree nymphs (or dryads) from the wisteria grove have sisters and they're making themselves quite at home in the Palm House. If you happen to catch a decent view of one of them, you'll find yourself face to face with quite possibly one of the most beautiful - not to mention scantily clad - women you have ever laid eyes on. They won't stick around long though. Make the mistake of trying to follow one of them and you'll find yourselves off the path and even more lost and disoriented than you were before.

You might be really regretting your choice of dress right about now - even if you are camouflaged with all of the greenery.

Note: If your character does not manage to find the exit (or one of the magic wreaths mentioned below) then they will only remain trapped in the Palm House until dawn. After that time period they will themselves slipping into a deep slumber, only to awaken right back in their cosy bed within the Grand Crescent (or wherever they've now made their home) a few hours later. You can thank your servant for that.

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SKINNY DIPPING

CW: large bodies of water, possible nudity

Unsurprisingly, it's hot in the forest, and the chances are that you didn't exactly come in here dressed for this.

While the dryads have made themselves at home on the land inside the Palm House, their naiad cousins (or water nymphs) have made themselves comfortable within the many rainforest pools. You can hear their delighted giggling as you traverse the forest and they will even call out to you in alluring tones, somehow knowing your name. It's impossible to resist following the sound and when you do you'll find yourself in front of one of the many pools that can be found within the Palm House.

Oddly, there is no sign of the naiads now that you're here. The water is beautifully crystal clear and dappled with the snatches of moonlight managing to shine through the forest canopy. That water is calling out to you, to drink and to bathe - you will feel an overwhelming compulsion to start removing your stuffy clothing, dive right in and cool down.

It's fine, after all, there's no one else around. Yet.

Just be care those pesky water nymphs don't hide your clothes.

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GIVES YOU BUTTERFLIES... (NSFW)

CW: sex, aphrodisiac, sex pollen, insects

It's not just nymphs and you lot making yourselves at home in the Palm House.

Often mistaken for moths, there's one species group of nocturnal butterflies, but their wings are dull, plain, and uninteresting. Clearly not a good fit for a glorious Palm House, designed by Pheme herself. That is precisely why Pheme has created her own, never before seen species of night butterfly, especially for this occasion.

Their wings are like gossamer, beautifully transparent like a ordinary glasswing butterfly but these ones glow in the dark. You probably encounter one or two as you make your way through the rainforest, but the longer you spend in here, the more the butterflies begin to swarm. Looking up and you'll see a "kaleidoscope" high above your heads, hundreds of them flocking together in a brightly glowing mass above the treeline. The display is only brief, but it leaves you with a strange yet probably not unfamiliar feeling.

You see, these butterflies have been carrying pollen on their bodies and legs, as butterflies often do, helping to spread the stuff. It seems whatever plant they have recently been feeding from has some very curious properties... and you can probably guess where this is going.

You feel hot - even more than you already did being stuck in a tropical forest. Not only that, you feel the strongest desire for physical intimacy. Effects vary depending on how much pollen you've been doused with, but you still have a deep, desperate need to do something about it. For those most strongly affected and desiring the ultimate, touching yourself may bring some relief. That may very well be your first thought to try, but some is the operative word here.

That person you've always had a flirtation with? Now is the time. You have to have them. You have to have each other. Or maybe you've just met this person, here, in the rainforest today? Maybe you're two people who ordinarily don't even like each other? Perhaps there's more than two of you?

It doesn't matter. You won't rest until you've gotten that release.

Note: The butterflies swarm covers a wide enough area that you can be anywhere within the Palm House when their pollen hits. While this is obviously a sex pollen prompt, players can choose how strongly their characters have been affected. It may be that they only got the lightest dousing of pollen and kissing is enough to satisfy them. On the other hand, maybe they got so covered in the stuff that only doing the deed will do. The choice is yours.

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THAT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM

CW: chance for NSFW

So, you're not having much luck navigating your way out of this foliage filled nightmare? There is another way out. At some point on your travels, one of the naiads will take pity on you and try to help you out: "Find one of the wreaths!"

Deeper into the greenhouse, or this pseudo rainforest as it basically is, you'll find ancient Greek laurel wreaths made of pure gold. They might be just lying on the ground, or up a tree, or under the water in one of the forest pools... The choice is yours as to where you find it, We'll leave that entirely to your discretion.

It will take quite some doing given how far into the jungle these treasures are, but should you manage to find one, upon contact, it will teleport you, and whoever you might be holding onto, out of the greenhouse and right back to the entrance to the Pleasure Gardens again.

The wreaths won't be easy to find, and you'll face many obstacles along the way. Some set to distract you entirely from your goal, which is get the hell out of here. Unless you actually like it in here? You do you, boo. We're not judging.

The teleportation abilities of the wreaths themselves can only be activated by generating a small amount of Thumos between yourself and another first, another naiad will explain. That means no grabbing one for yourself and hightailing it out of here! Oh no, no, no. What about your chums? It would not be seemly to leave them in the lurch, after all.

Note: Obviously more than one character can use one of these wreaths to teleport out of the Palm House, as long as each of you has a hand on the item and you have generated Thumos between all of you then it will work.

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Wildcard

To assist you with inspiration our full list of Andovale's locations can be found here.

Want to play something that isn't listed here? Go ahead!

Please note that TDMs are considered game canon.

As stated above, both prospective and current characters who are already in game are permitted to top-level on TDMs. However, we do ask that current players be mindful and welcoming to prospective new players and that they do try and make the effort to tag out beyond their current in-game CR.

For newbies: As your first port of call, we would recommend having a read of the premise page, as well as our rules and FAQ.

For any general game questions you may have which are not answered by the FAQ then please leave a comment on the FAQ page - for any questions specific to this TDM then please respond to the questions comment below.

Most importantly - have fun!

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Comments

Astrelle Rainier | Final Fantasy XIV

[book_bunny]

[Just a note for all and sundry: Astrelle is not the Warrior of Light, she is a coinmistress and a person who chases you down when you don't pay your duties and taxes. LOL.]

↳ { i. And as long as you stay intoxicated; open to all; cw: alcohol }

[ With the finishing up of the schooling, over the last few weeks, and returning to normal, Astrelle was almost excited to be stuffed into a beautiful gown(?) and a tiara of bronze and emerald green paste stones. The color turned her already emerald green eyes even greener, which pleased both the Elezen and the lady's maid her butler had asked to help her dress. Modesty, the aptly named maid, had been nearly beside herself with excitement as she decorated Astrelle. It reminded her of the maid her Lord Father insisted she use on visits to the manor. Astrelle was tall, had a lovely and long column of milk-white neck, and the elegant proportions natural for her people. To say she was practically made to drape pretty things on was an understatement.

Still, the thought stung when she worried about who might be missing her at home, uncertain of her whereabouts in an already fraught time. She tried not to think of it overmuch as she was escorted into the venue and rested herself at the edge of the party. A servant provided her a small glass of green liquid. Astrelle looked over her shoulder (and down a bit, she was very tall) and smiled. ]

I am not really one to drink. In fact, I'm very poor at it. Do you think it would be unbecoming to pretend to sip this and hide it away somewhere?

↳ { ii. I'll keep beating your heart until I break it, because you can take it; open to all; cw: nudity }

[ Astrelle had gone into the greenhouse because why wouldn't she? Greenhouses were rare enough in most places, but even she went to one for the first time at her father's estate, marveling at how warm it was within despite the absolutely frigid weather without. And she hadn't been disappointed, either, as she meandered about the miniature forest. It was a good deal larger and more impressive than the one Astrelle had been to, and the scent of the flowers was absolutely lovely.

But it was hot. Uncomfortably so, even wearing as few layers as she was (indeed, she wore more at home in Gridania). The coolness of the water beckoned Astrelle further, and the little bit of alcohol she had imbibed had pressed her forward. Wouldn't it be absolutely lovely to slip into the waters for just a little while?

Of course it would be.]

Hello? Seems empty enough...


[ Astrelle looked around and slipped off her dress, her stockings, their green ribbon garters, until she was in little more than what the Twelve had blessed her with upon her birth. Byblow as she was. Tucking these items away where she could fetch them quickly (and unaware of the peevish naiad spirit to hide things), Astrelle turned and walked into the water until she was simply a becrowned head above the surface. ]

Oh, this is lovely, very lovely!


↳ { iii. I'll play you like a slow song; open to all; NSFW - aphro }

[ She was lucky that her clothing hadn't been carried away by a tricky little river nymph. Astrelle was damp and a little abashed, but that was fine. It was just a bit of time before she found her way out of the greenhouse and back to the Grand Crescent.

Pheme seemed unreasonable enough to make a butterfly a messenger. So Astrelle followed along until she was feeling... odd. Warmer than usual. Heat fluttered wherever the butterflies had landed or brushed past her skin. She leaned against a tree and pants softly.

Her large green eyes are bright, their pupils blown. The pale pink of her painted lips had worn off over the night, and were now a hot, deep red. A blush crawls across her cheek. She needs... something. Touch, touch that isn't her own. ]

P-pardon me... if you wouldn't mind, would you touch me?

↳ { iv. Wildcard; open to all }

[ Nothing here exciting you? Let's wildcard it. You can find me on Discord and on plurk @ sentralia, but I'll respond faster on discord. ]

Skinny dipping

[there_again_falcon]

[ Jetamont was not unused to being utterly lost. Being only somewhat aware of one's location was a common occurrence in his line of work. Even so, his propensity for becoming completely confused since arriving in this curious country left a cast of concern, cheeks cleaved by creased lips. He was not worried so much as annoyed, soon feeling as if he had retraced his steps through the forest at least three times. The sweat gathering beneath his high collar was starting to soak into the cloth, the young elf's pique rising by the second as he wondered if he would be stuck sleeping outdoors again. This place gave him a strange sense of recollection, as if visiting a memory that was never his own.

His mouth opened to release a scathing string of curses when a distracting voice he could not quite place became known to him. It sounded vaguely feminine, and more than a little welcoming, which seemed a worthy alternative to his current predicament. Following the sound as best he could, it was not long before he found himself standing before a large pool of water. The thought of a refreshing dip was not one he spent any energy resisting, quickly and wordlessly stripping down until he was absolutely bare. The only piece of clothing that remained was the patch over his right eye. It would take more than the threat of heat stroke to pry that from his person. He spared little thought for why exactly he seemed to feel more warm the closer he came to nude, but the answer to his suffering was right in front of him, clearly.

Using the branch of a tree overhanging the slick surface entering the water, Jetamont was surprised to find it almost immediately deep enough to sink up to his shoulders. The pool itself was so clear as to let him see his wiggling toes at its bottom, distorted as they were by the ripples he caused. That same clarity allowed him to spy a similarly undressed woman that had already waded out beyond the edge. He blinked, a quirking brow indicating a sudden urge to make mischief. Was this the source of the voice?

Instead of speaking, he took a moment to enjoy the sudden relief he felt in the cool waters. Whomever or whatever it was could wait until he stopped melting. ]

[book_bunny]

[ Wildwood elezen were known for having excellent eyesight... however, that only worked when one was actively looking for something. Astrelle was not, and instead was enjoying the coolness of the water on her skin.

However, just because she couldn't see Jetamont didn't mean she didn't hear the sound of a body slipping into the water. She turned to look over her shoulder, searching for the person who had made the noise, but the dim light of the building was doing her no favors, and Jet many of them. ]

If someone is there, announce yourself immediately!

[there_again_falcon]

[ Yes. His eyes were indeed more attuned to perceiving when light was scarce. However, given the beading sweat upon his brow, the calling of Pheme herself was unlikely to move him. He needed this like air. The chill of the water was like a dessert upon his tongue. It took conscious effort to resist drinking it, as if he could cool his body from the inside out.

Still, the voice was at least affronted, if not frightened. He could hopefully save himself some level of dramatics by at least answering the demand. When he spoke, his voice came calmly and slowly, the elf confident with the notion that nothing this frightened stranger might do would be worse than death by hyperthermia. ]

Consider me announced. I followed a voice here. It was not yours, I think, though I do not mind it. If you can tolerate my presence here, I can blind myself to you. It is... rather hot. Might we enjoy this peacefully?

[book_bunny]

[ Astrelle found herself in a conundrum. It was entirely beyond the pale to swim with a man that she had no relationship to as far as marriage or courtship went - even if he did sound somewhat familiar - and furthermore, if she swam further out, she would float and that was certainly not an ideal position to be in. No, she would stay where she was, and just... use the thick leaf of some jungle plant to help them both keep a modest view of one another. ]

If you stay over there, yes. And I will find some way to keep myself from being exposed as best I can. For propriety's sake.

[there_again_falcon]

[ Her tone seemed genuinely concerned. It was enough to awaken some basic sense of chivalry in the fellow. At the mention of exposure, he suddenly remembered they were both absolutely nude. This place had quite the way of making you stop noticing the most obvious things. ]

Yes, propriety.

[ On a whim, the elf reached up to pluck a generously proportioned leaf from the branch he was still near to, managing to tuck it into the strap of his eye patch and cover his left eye, as well. It surely looked ridiculous, but it served its purpose. He washed the odd scent of the plant from his hand, but opted to remain above water otherwise. ]

I can no longer see you. Well, anything, actually. Will that do?

[book_bunny]

[ Astrelle hums, balancing the options in her head. After a few moments pass, she speaks up, ] Yes, that will do. You must remain that way until I get out, however. I will tell you when I've gotten dressed again.

[ The Fury strike her down, but she wasn't going to suffer heat like this and not at least enjoy her time as she could. ]

[there_again_falcon]

[ His urge to comply was at vicious odds with his usual inclinations, but he was far too overstimulated to put up much mental resistance. Not to mention, the scent of the damn leaf was beginning to irritate his nostrils. He felt an itch growing beneath the patch of plant, but ignored it for the time being. He was not one to be seen fidgeting.]

As you wish. Have you a name, then? Nothing here is known to me, but it is all familiar in a way.

[ Tired of raising his voice to converse, he pushed off from the floor, easing closer to the mysterious (by choice) woman. Having only his memory of her presence to pursue, he floated in a direction that brought them nearer to one another, but only just so. ]

I am Peregrine.

[book_bunny]

Astrelle Rainier, [ Better not to reveal the Lady du Lac end of her title to a relative stranger who decided to get naked in a spring where someone else was already naked in a spring! ]

I would say it is a pleasure, but this is all very strange and quite unlike me.

[there_again_falcon]

[ Every time she spoke, he drifted just a bit closer. Her words, bitter as they were to his ear, proved quite the enticing lure. By the time she was done complaining, he was just perhaps two arms' lengths away. Even with the lighting, she would find it easy enough to discern his figure, should she choose to. ]

Your accent is familiar to me, Astrelle. I--

[ The itching under the leaf suddenly grew from a smoldering annoyance into a flaming pain. The eye beneath watered heavily, allowing the plant's seed to coat his skin with great ease. It hurt more by the second, and the elf finally collapsed downward, clawing the leaf from his eye beneath the water and scrubbing hard at his face where it had rested. Nothing helped, of course. ]

Frkble [ The bubbles floating from his mouth carried a masked obscenity into the air. ]

[book_bunny]

[ Astrelle's surprise was twofold - she didn't realize it until now, but that droll tone was very familiar, even if the form he spoke to her with was not. ]

Jetamont? [ She breathed, uncertain if she ought to help him and his eye problem, or if she was better off letting him take care of it himself. After all, without her tome, she didn't have as easy an access to magic as, say, a thaumaturge. ]

Gods be good, do not drown yourself!

[there_again_falcon]

[ What did she call him? He had yet to speak that name since entering this strange plane. Well, add another question to the growing list of oddities he seemed to be experiencing at an ever-quickening rate.

It took him several moments, but he eventually managed to contain the flare of pain encompassing his uncovered eye. Focusing intently, the elezen was able to regain his composure, slowly rising from the water to stand with a hand over the inflamed flesh. He lowered it to the water, but the eye remained closed, swollen shut and discolored an unseemly red. ]

Well, it seems you have little to worry yourself about, stranger. [ There was a noted emphasis on the final word, as if daring her to prove him mistaken. ] I will not be seeing anything any time soon.

[ As for what Astrelle saw, it was similar enough, after a fashion. His hair was its familiar black, but it looked somehow less artificial in color. His body teemed with scars, including a particularly vivid one around the base of his throat, its shape a thick circle that traced around the front half. There was a vibrancy to his skin that told of the benefits of youth untamed despite the many scars networking his dark olive skin. ]

[book_bunny]

[ That cockscomb! Of course she wasn't a stranger! But he did look... strange. Younger? If that was a correct assessment. And here, she does look, because one must be certain. At least she cannot discern much below the rippling waters. Or maybe she is just ignoring the fact that he's two of his armlengths away and thankful. ]

We are hardly strangers, but you look as though you've... you look odd. Inflamed eye and nudity notwithstanding. You should likely remove yourself from the water. I'll help you find a way back.

ii.

[bringthepayne]

[Hailing from the jungle, Lysa is accustomed to humid climes more than most people. Where others complain about the oppressive heat, she thrives, but even this greenhouse seems to be a little too much to handle. Fortunately for her, Lysa also has very little issue with lessening how much clothing she wears in such temperatures so she is already removing the silks that are beginning to stick to every inch of her body without glancing around for safety before she's halfway through the greenhouse. It wouldn't be the first time she's been in the nude in front of strangers and it certainly won't be the last.

That's why she doesn't react much (or at all, really) when she finds herself led towards the pools in this strange new world and there's already someone else in there. Let the naiad do whatever they want with her discarded clothing; it makes no difference to her and her shamelessness.

Lysa stands at the side of the pool, looking down at the other woman who seems to be nothing but a head above water, wearing nothing but a friendly smile.]

Is it? 'Tis a strange place to find a welcoming body of water, but I am not one to turn down a chance for a soak. [She waves her hand palm side up towards the water.] May I?

[book_bunny]

[ Astrelle yelps in surprise, turning in the water and sinking to her chin as best she can.]

Fury's own breath... B-By all means. I imagine there was a reason this was put here. Odd, though, that the guest did not provide even a single bathing suit.

[ Or even mentioned it in her own invitation. Astrelle swam close enough to be polite, but far enough to give the- wait! WAIT! ]

You're a Viera! My goodness! [ A familiar (if only by way of sharing the same star) face at last! ]

[bringthepayne]

[Lysa turns her hand upright, a silent sign of an apology for startling the woman. Not so much for brazenly appearing in what she wore on her nameday.]

Perhaps they expected us to bring our own, though I'm doubtful of that. I arrived here with nothing else but the clothes I had on.

[Lady Pheme seemed to have neglected to mention the need for a bathing suit as well. Oh well, it is clearly of no issue to Lysa who slips into the water a good distance away. She might be bold about bathing in public, but she runs under the assumption that most other people aren't, so giving more than enough room means that the other woman has a modicum of privacy.

The next statement that comes has Lysa raising her eyebrows in curiosity.]

I am. [With a slight twitch of her ears, Lysa takes note that she was called a Viera, not a Vii. Seems they are from the same shard.] And you are an Elezen. Hydaelyn, I take it?

[book_bunny]

[ Astrelle keeps her head turned, at least to allow her new companion some semblance of modesty (honestly, what was she thinking? Astrelle knew better than to let her worse impulses rule her!) and smiles with relief. ]

I am indeed. Ishgardian by birth and Gridanian by location. I have been here for a near-moon now, though. Though, I don't think the Mothercrystal has anything to do with why I am here, exactly. I'm not even an adventurer.

[bringthepayne]

[That is very kind of her, but really, does it seem like someone like Lysa appreciates the notion of modesty?]

No, I don't think so either. I am one myself, but that doesn't mean I know how I got here myself. Can't really chalk it up to a wrong turn at an aetheryte.

[When it comes to being the Warrior of Light, Lysa doesn't care to toot her own horn to random strangers. It's not a secret, per se, just sometimes the fame can get a bit much when one just wants to blend in the crowd. Downplaying her achievements as just an mere adventurer is the key to that.]

If not an adventurer, then what do you do to make a living? Merchant?

[Perhaps a little forward to ask that before they've even exchanged names, but it seems like a timely topic for small talk.]

[book_bunny]

Twelve, no. Merchants are the devil. I'm a coinmistress for a Free Company. Several, actually.

[ It seems that those years chasing down merchants to pay their goddamn taxes had left a scar on Astrelle that she was unwilling to look further into. Ul'dahns were the worst offenders by far. ]

I imagine any sort of aether sickness that comes from traveling from Eorzea to... Andovale would be hellacious, to put it mildly. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Astrelle Rainier, it is a pleasure to meet you.

[bringthepayne]

[She laughs softly, shaking her head.]

And now I see why you think so lowly of merchants.

[No surprise there. Lysa's sure Tataru's probably had to shake a few Ul'dahns down in her time.]

Lysa Payne. Also to be honest [at least halfway] I'm a dancer by trade, actually. Adventuring is something I do when duty calls.

[And by the gods, does it call often.]

[book_bunny]

Lovely to meet you, Lysa. And good on your for being an adventurer. I would quickly be dead a number of times if it weren't for the ones that go about culling everything that even looks remotely at a person in the wrong way.

[ Then again, she lived in Gridania, so who knew how long the Woods would allow them that? Despite the Leader's (and then later, their new leader's) urging, staying in the woods seemed follow. What if the spirits got angry that she ordered too much paper? What then?

But that was neither here nor here. She smiles at Lysa, but keeps her head turned. Though the water was blessedly cool, her face felt wildly hot. ]

Have you been to Ishgard, then, in the last few years? I have been hearing very interesting news in my family's letters, but I haven't made the journey myself to see.

[bringthepayne]

Indeed I have. I visit quite often to see a good friend. Someone has to make sure he doesn't find himself dead from overwork. One would think there's nothing of amusement to partake in with how he seems betrothed to his desk.

[Aymeric is a lovely man, both to know and to look at, but she's convinced that nothing less than a great wyrm still set on revenge knocking at his chamber door could pull him away from his paperwork these days.]

News? [Lysa shifts under the water a bit so she can stretch her long legs out, causing some ripples to form in the water. She's doubtful there's been any happenings that hasn't already made its way to the Scions, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.] What kind of news? None of the potential Ishgardian uprising sort, I hope.

[book_bunny]

Potential upris-- oh no, no. Nothing like that. They run a bookshop and were excited that the new quarter for housing - Empyrean? I think they called it? - was finally opened.

[ Because of the movement, Astrelle's eyes nervously slide to the side to make sure it isn't - inexplicably - some sort of underwater creature. There had been giggles in the water ahead of her somewhere, but where? ]

No, they're very happy with the significantly less Witchdrop-happy leadership.

[bringthepayne]

It's quite the thing to see it go from ruins to a full-fledged district that's teeming with life. A few fellow adventurers have taken up residence there, but it's not for me. The endless winter isn't too agreeable.

[How it agrees with any of the Ishgardians is beyond her. The place requires far too many layers just to head to the markets, much less take up a weapon against some enemies.]

I'm sure they are. Surely Halone should be the one casting judgement on all, right?

[She's no believer, but at least Lysa has the good sense to know that someone's fate shouldn't be left up to some Ascian-tinged arrogant old man and his crew.]

[book_bunny]

I don't know, it's a bit better than the Shroud's gloomy rain, I think.

[ Astrelle laughed quietly. ] And it wasn't always so wintry. I hope someday things turn around enough that we can see green grass and blue skies again in Coerthas.

As for the Inquisition... I only know what they believe, and they believe they are carrying out the Fury's will. But there are reports where they've gone far too far in their purging. I'm glad we seem to be past those days.