assguardians | ASGARD GENESIS

Entry tags:

!test drive meme

ASGARD GENESIS - TEST DRIVE #1

the test drive meme.

❧ let's do this.

Anyone can post to the test drive meme, including duplicates! Please put your character name and canon in the title of your comment.
All threads are considered open to everyone! Tag around and make some friends (or enemies)!
If you decide to apply to the game, you can use your TDM threads for your app samples! You only need to provide seven comments if you use TDM samples.
You can't be "late" to a TDM! This will be considered open until the next one goes live next month.
You can make up your own scenario, interact with one of the locations in the game, use the welcome process of your character selecting a god house, or use our optional prompt below!
You do not need to pick a god house to play on the TDM! You can have your character still in the process of discussing/deciding/despairing instead.
If you are accepted to the game, you can keep TDM threads as game canon as long as you fudge some of the details depending on your original thread. If you aren't sure exactly how to do this, you can always ask a mod.
Reserves open on May 25 at 12:01AM PST and close on May 31 at 11:59PM PST.
Applications open on June 1 at 12:01AM PST and close on June 7 at 11:59PM PST.
Please always feel free to contact the mods if you have any questions! Have fun, dear (future?) Wanderers. ♥

❧ optional scenario.
As you enter Asgard proper, many of the natives have gathered into curious crowds to greet these mysterious children of the World Tree. Some of them carry baskets of flowers and nervously offer one to any Wanderers that come near. They are vibrant and colorful, picked from the wilds surrounding Asgard, and they might have an odd effect on your character if they sniff the flowers directly.

Purple flowers will make your character very giggly and easily amused by everything they see and hear.
Orange flowers will make your character feel very warm all over, like the sun is beating down on them directly.
Blue flowers will make your character somewhat short and impatient with anything that seems like even a minor inconvenience to them.

Effects of the flowers can wear off anywhere between a few minutes to an hour. And for those new to Asgard, this scenario aligns with some of the general curses we might have in the game!

navigation.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He has a nurturing way about him, something Brianna had noticed quickly when they'd arrived at Fraser's Ridge. He likes to take care of them, of everyone under his watch.

Smiling fondly at him, Brianna is quick to offer her gratitude. ]

Thank you, da. It smells delicious.

[ Her stomach rumbles rather noticeably, making it clear she's been quite hungry. Taking a few bites of food, Brianna glances towards her mother, reaching out with her free hand for a moment to hold and briefly squeeze hers before letting go. So much has changed for her so suddenly, it must feel wonderful and dizzying at the same time. For Jamie, too.

Brianna never got to see this side of it; by the time she'd found her parents, they'd been together again for three years. Her mother's fears had clearly been unfounded, just as Brianna had suspected, but it must have been just as wonderful and uncertain for them then as it is now. When she'd first learned the truth about Jamie, she'd been so angry, cruel with her words even. It had taken a lot of humbling and self-awareness on her part to mature beyond that, to put her mother's well-deserved joy above her own. She should have had this all along, this happiness and peace that's so easy in her eyes now when Bree looks at her.

Now, she can be with them, see them reuniting for the first time in eighteen years, and just be purely happy for them.

A small part of her - nothing she would ever say out loud - wishes her daddy could have had this, too. With someone he loved and who truly loved him. ]

You both must be...overwhelmed? Happy, I know, but it's a lot. On top of being stuck here so far from home.

[Overwhelmed is an understatement.

Claire can count the number of times she's swooned in her life on one hand. Is she going to pass out? No, probably not, but she's been making sure to not move too quickly and avoid sharp corners just in case. Bree and Jamie both before her eyes is so jarring that she thinks she could watch them for hours. The way they regard one another. The features and mannerisms that Claire saw in Bree that reminded her of Jamie now so painfully clear when beside the man himself. It has her uncharacteristically quiet for a very long time.

But only because her heart is so full. She really does call him da. He looks at her like she put the stars and moon in the sky. Claire feels, in an odd way, like she's having a sort of out of body experience. She's merely watching, the shock and awe and wonder mixing together with the ever-growing realization that they're together. They're happy. They all accept one another.

It's everything she could want. Claire's hardly looked away from either of them since they came together.]

Oh, it's... [Jamie will have the words, she's sure. Claire's still processing and doesn't seem to have noticed the food, plate untouched.]

I'm speechless.

[She can't help but laugh because yes, she's sure they've figured that out.]

[ Jamie isn't sure he's stopped smiling since seeing his wife and daughter together, side by side. He has no idea, of course, that his thoughts run parallel to his own wife's, but he wouldn't be surprised to know it.

He's eaten a bit, only because his stomach is about as loud as Brianna's. ]

My heart's so full, I dinna ken that I was truly alive before now. I had to be, but I havena felt this since--

[ Jamie shakes his head. Since he said goodbye to Claire. From that day until now, he's been existing. That's different from living. ]

All that I wish now, is to build a life for the three of us, a home.

[ Bree has been making a very conscious effort not to dump a ton on both of them at once. It's a strange place to be, the keeper of so much more knowledge. There's a lot she could say, and should say, but she's tried to stick to only the most basic, most important facts for now. The rest can be filled in over time, when it makes sense.

Like right now.

Her smile brightening a little, she adds: ]

You do end up building a home, you know. For you and mama, in the colony of North Carolina. Fraser's Ridge, you called it.

[ Looking at Jamie now, she calls back to something she'd mentioned to him earlier, now that there's more context. ]

Remember I told you sometimes the way the sun rises over the valley is so beautiful, I have to draw it? That's what I was talking about. It's the home you built, it's overlooking the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen.

[A home is what Jamie's always wanted. Once, it was Lallybroch. The, apparently, North Carolina. And now, it will be here, and perhaps it'll be the most precious of all with Brianna.]

Good God.

[She's more taken aback that Bree and Jamie have had numerous conversations that she has no idea about. It's so... strange. Still, Claire seems to gather some of her sensibility.

And she knows that Bree's just planted quite the seed in Jamie's mind.]

We should wait before trekking out here and finding some land. We hardly know the city.

[ Finding Brianna first afforded Jamie time to get to know his daughter more than just a little as they searched for Claire. If he can build a house in North Carolina, then he can do it here, eventually. Claire's words sink in, and he reaches over, covering her hand with his. ]

Aye, for now, I think it best to stay in the temple, where we have lodging already.

[ He can see it in her eyes, the way she's overwhelmed, and Jamie keeps his eyes on her face reading, studying her just as he used to. Lucky for him, that glass face is as fragile as ever. ]

Now that we're all here together, we'll be alright.

[ It's the most practical thing right now, of course. They should stay close to the temple, to each other, and figure out more about where they are first. Just as she'd felt when finally finding them in North Carolina, Bree is in no real hurry to leave them here, either. Though, she is well aware they'll likely want some time alone for a while soon. She's purposefully not going to think much about what that time alone involves, but it's understandable. ]

Is there more you want to know about...the future? There's a lot I could tell you, but it's already been so much for one day.

[ She's worried about her mother, mostly. ]

[Claire looks down at her hand, Jamie's fitting over it always has. A heartbeat or two passes, and she turns her palm upwards so that she can give his hand a gentle squeeze. It's not the most comfortable thing, showing affection to Jamie in front of Brianna, even if she's apparently been exposed to it.]

I want to know everything.

[Eventually, about both of them. Claire looks between them before her eyes settle on Bree.]

But the most important thing, I think, is you. You're happy with us?

[Asked with a hopeful smile. It means she can be happy here, too.]

[ Jamie's very aware that the two of them have shared something over the years that he doesn't have at all. There's a connection with Brianna to be sure, it's there, but there's something else between her and Claire. So much time knowing one another, growing in the same space together. He doesn't know his daughter the way his wife does.

As such, he doesn't think about what it might mean to Brianna to see him so affectionate with Claire. He never wants to stop touching her; eighteen years is separation enough. The question makes him aware, though, and Jamie raises his hand, letting go in case the answer is that Brianna is in fact uncomfortable. ]

Aye, I dinna wish to upset ye, lass.

[ He isn't trying to replace the man who raised her, the man she thought Claire loved wholly. ]

[ She truly is their daughter, because while they're both thinking of her, she's thinking of them. If she'd been brought to Asgard shortly after her mother had first spoken the truth about Jamie, things would have been so different right now. She was angry, then, and hurt beyond measure. The mother she hadn't really been able to reach for so many years was harboring a secret that shattered her in an instant. Even so, with wisdom borne of age and separation from the most important person in her life now, Brianna feels so much regret for how she'd behaved. She was entitled to the anger and the hurt, she thinks, but nothing her mother had done could have ever warranted such cruel words at the time.

She had enough time in those years apart to reflect, to wish only the best for her parents, and to begin missing them; her mother, simply because of who she is and always was to her, but she missed Jamie, too. The man she'd never met. Or, the idea of him, rather. Those feelings, coupled with news of the fire, had been enough to compel her.

Leaning in now, Brianna nods with a soft smile, first covering her mother's hand. ]

I'm happy. You're so happy, mama. You deserve this.

[ Glancing at Jamie now, she covers his hand as well, hoping to reassure him. ]

Please keep the kissing around me to a minimum, for obvious reasons, but you haven't upset me, I promise.

[ The "obvious reasons" being that they're still her parents, and some tame kissing and soft touches in front of her are fine enough, but that's the most she wants to see in public, thank you very much. ]

[Her eyes haven't been dry since these two found her. Smiling, touched by how absolutely sweet and mature her daughter is, it's Claire that takes Jamie's hand back, holding it firmly.]

We'll behave.

[She can't help but think this is all going too well.]

[ Jamie can't help but chuckle, looking at Claire under his lashes as he holds onto her now tightly. ]

As ye ask. I'll try no' to make up for all eighteen years in one kiss.

[ He may or may not be a bit eager to be alone with his wife. For the first time, after nearly two decades. The thing keeping him from so much, now, is never wanting to take his eyes off of his daughter. ]

[ It was easier to reconcile the idea of her mother being with the love of her life when Bree wasn't around him at all. It had been hard at first when she'd arrived at Fraser's Ridge. She was happy for them, but that feeling of missing her daddy had been difficult to handle at first. It was only after spending more time with Jamie, getting to know him, that she started to realize she didn't have to think of it as choosing one father over the other. And once she knew Jamie was true to his word, that he had no intention of trying to replace the man she'd grown up with and loved with her whole heart, she could start to view Jamie more fondly.

As she'd mentioned before, there's a lot to tell. But one very big thing that she's hesitant to bring up. They still don't even know back home, and it feels easier to protect them from it, to try and deal with it on her own, in her own time.

They're so happy, she can't bear the thought of ruining that now. ]

I saw Lallybroch, you know. I met Uncle Ian, and I wanted to meet Aunt Jenny, but she was away and I had to leave in kind of a hurry to catch passage on a ship. He was so kind to me, though.

[For a long time, when she thought of home, she thought of Lallybroch. It wasn't until Bree was old enough to go to school that home became Boston. Claire was always eager to go home from medical school, to see her daughter. To go home after a long day at the hospital. Lallybroch will always make her chest tighten with memory of the brief time she and Jamie spent their as lady and laird.]

How did you manage to explain yourself?

[She glances from Bree to Jamie.]

I don't know how you even explained my being gone.

[Dead would be the easiest way to do it. Lost during the battle.]

[ Jamie hasn't told Claire so much of what happened to him while they were separated. ]

When I returned from the battlefield, I was only taken to Lallybroch as a courtesy, ye ken? They took me there to die at home.

[ He'll tell Claire the hows of it later. ]

When ye never came, Sassenach, and I wouldna speak of ye, I allowed Jenny and Ian to believe what they wished. I never corrected them.

[ He looks a little ashamed at that; he couldn't tell them the truth. And it hurt to even speak his wife's name. ]

Honestly, I didn't have to. They knew enough about your absence, or it must have been explained well enough when you first returned. Uncle Ian knew I was yours the moment he saw me. No questions asked. And he gave me money to secure passage to North Carolina, along with a trunk of your clothes, mama.

[ She honestly wishes she'd had more time to spend with him, that she could have met Aunt Jenny as well. But there's every chance she'll meet them at some point, she hopes. ]

[At mention of Culloden, Claire's fingers squeeze Jamie's tighter, thumb caressing his knuckles. Ian and Jenny must have naturally assumed she died--and then realized it was some sort of mistake when Brianna showed up.

She reaches out with her other hand to touch Bree's cheek with a fond smile.]

You look like a Fraser. With your hair like that, you look like your grandmother--there was a painting of her, upstairs, at Lallybroch. Ian would have passed it every day.

[ Jamie lets out a soft breath and looks at Claire, heart warming to hear her recall his family --their family-- this way. ]

I'm glad ye were able to see Lallybroch, Brianna. 'Tis where I always though--

[ Well. They know what he thought, so he trails off. ]

Tell me lass, what of Fergus? Is he with us in the colonies?

[ As they talk, Bree continues to eat a little, though her stomach is slowly filling at last. ]

He is, he's in Wilmington right now, with his wife and son.

[ She knows they adopted Fergus, and it will no doubt bring them added joy to hear he's with them, and that he has a child.

There's a very slight shift in Bree's demeanor as they continue to talk. It's good, it's so good to have them both here, but there's still so much she's wrestling with internally and it quiets her a little. It's so imperceptible for now, only her mother is likely to notice, if at all. ]

Wife and son? God, I feel ancient.

[But she laughs, glad. Fergus, with his one hand, still got himself a wife and family. It's good. She's been worried ever since Jamie told her he'd been injured so.

She lets go of Jamie's hand now, needing both to hold one of Bree's. If she notices something if off, she might not even be aware of it. There's just a need to have this contact with her daughter for one reason or another.]

You have a big family now.

[Frank himself was an only child, leaving Bree without any aunts, uncles, or cousins. There were distant relatives that sent the occasional Christmas card and birthday gift, but they were all overseas in England. Ironically, in the 18th century, Bree had a wealth of people that would love her like they always knew her.]

[ Jamie just sits back and watches this, watches them. Fergus has a child which makes him and Claire grandparents. The thought makes him smile, but mostly he's overcome with seeing his wife and daughter interact. There's a familiarity between them, an undeniable connection.

It makes his heart shatter and soar at the same time. Christ, he's glad he could give this to Claire. But how it hurts that he doesn't yet have the same close bond with Brianna. So, he's quiet, letting the two of them have their moment.

His eyes may or may not be suspiciously moist. ]

Bigger than I'd ever imagined.

[ There's a flicker of a smile, lingering for the briefest of moments while she squeezes her mother's hand in return, keeping a hold of her for now.

A glance over at Jamie pulls on her heart a little, though. Worried maybe she'd said something wrong. Or maybe the threatening tears are happy ones. She knows it must be hard for him, and she never wants to hurt his feelings.

Reaching out with her other hand, she grabs for his. ]

Only good things now, da.

[Claire follow's Bree's gaze. Each one of them is a little out of place. Jamie doesn't have the years between Claire and Bree, just as Bree doesn't have the time between Claire and Jamie. And Claire looks like she's the oddest addition to them, dressed still in her blouse and skirt and coat from the hospital, hair dark and straight compared to their beautiful red curls, even if Jamie's have faded over the years.

Jamie, of course, has the biggest loss. Nearly two decades of milestones and memories and familiarity.]

She's right. It's the three of us now.

[He won't be alone again.]

[ Jamie lets out a breath, laughing softly with it. ]

Aye. The three of us. As it should be.

[ He clears his throat, reaching for his water and drinking before taking a few bites of food. The longer they're here, eating, the longer he can put off telling Claire everything that happened to him. ]

Brianna, do ye ken of anyone else? Other family in North Carolina? My aunt Jocasta owns a settlement there, I think.

[ Quiet again for a brief pause, Brianna nods before speaking. ]

Uncle Ian told me to ask for her, actually, and that she'd help me find you. Turns out, I found you first.

[ Another flicker of a smile. She'd found her father first then, just like here in Asgard. ]

My cousin, Ian, lives with you both, too. Young Ian, you call him. And there's your godfather, Murtagh. He tells the best stories about you, da. Both of you.

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