ASGARD GENESIS - TEST DRIVE #1

[asgardmods]

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.

Comments

[voktys]

[ Why would he lie to her? This is what she asks, rather than to wonder if he tells her the truth, and she comes to the conclusion that he doesn't have any reason to. There is nothing to gain, and while he mentioned friendship, early on, this seems to be about his only motive in this moment, at least. He could still lie to her, for the joys of it, but...

He seems honest enough, about this. She watches him roll over, onto the grass, and wonders what it is like, then, to have a mother, to meet her, but without recognition from her, with the connection missing. There's a twinge of sympathy, for this strange, young man. It isn't easy to feel alone among many. ]

I was. I saw the bracelet, but I wondered if you might be exempt. Maternal love and fertility... I chose Njord, for better or worse.

[ One she had given to the shadows, and another, she hasn't known, and doesn't trust now, so late in her life. It seems like a kind house, though, Frigg's. In another life, she would choose it for herself.

Her first impulse had not been so wrong, then – he does belong to some shape of this world. Now, unto the 'seer' – interest piqued, here. ]

If you could change its future, would you? Even just in this one world?

[ikols]

[ Over the years Loki has grown accustomed to the assumption that he's lying, not only situationally but borne out of sheer wariness of his reputation, and to be fair he does lie frequently. Never without cause, since gain is the only thing that should be on the cards when manipulating a situation and the truth is a dead brick that can never be unmoved once dropped. It never occurs to lie about his love for his mother; Loki's love terrifies most, many wouldn't risk the godling's wrath by exploiting the connection. Also, Freyja is a formidable witch and warrior. Strict but loving, Asgard's lionness.

No, he doesn't mind being affiliated with her in any dimension. Perhaps she doesn't have Odin's special Sight but she's the owner of ten times more common sense, too (and Odin still has two eyes in this realm, so). ]

Njord grew to hate the Aesir in the Asgard I knew, he's prideful. Be wary of his ego, that would be my advice if he's anything like the man I remember.

[ Staring up at the heavens as he contemplates her question about altering fate, a smile lances across his lips and his grin is toothy, flashed in Melisandre's connection. ]

There's no harm in giving people choices. [ Chaos-inducing little bastard. ] Wouldn't you want to know your future so that you could tailor it to your liking?

[voktys]

I spent most all my days with a king, an ego is nothing new to me. But I thank you for your warning.

[ Though Stannis is more uncompromising than prideful, he is rather hard to sway – or used to be, at least, before she had finally won him over just a bit. Whether Njord is the right choice for her here is to be seen, but she figures she would run into trouble regardless of whom she tethered herself to. As long as her first loyalty lies with R'hllor, so, as long as she shall live, they will mean some form of trouble, even the kindly ones.

His grin is a near contagious one, and her ruby glows pleasantly at it. God above, a little chaos can be nice. ]

No harm at all. [ She cocks her head to the side, red curls following suit. ] I can see the future in my flames. Not here, but back... home. [ The pause before home is longer than necessary. ] It is something we are taught on our path to priesthood, though it is not about my liking as much as it is about the will of God. He shows me the signs, and I try to prevent what needs preventing and enact what needs enacting. He has lead me to the saviour of my world, though... I haven't seen him in a while.

[ikols]

[ The ruby is flashy for such a demurely dressed priestess. Is it a token from her god? A favour? He misses having his magically-inclined instincts to sense power in people and objects, only mollified by the fact everyone else is suffering a mental block too. Melisandre included, apparently, admitting she can't see through the flames. ]

Does this saviour not know how to stay still? That's inconvenient.

[ Heroes, in a bevy of ways, usually are. ]

[voktys]

[ Her lips twist into a smile. He was keen on marching, after all, keen on ending this war and claiming his right and then defeating the Great Other, as is his duty. ]

There are battles to be fought, and this once, I stayed behind. Of course, this once, the fire refuses to show him to me.

[ The ruby comes attached to a choker that looks as if it would be quite difficult to be taken off, almost more of a collar than a necklace. It, too, is richly made, of gold.

Even a stranger might see what Melisandre keeps her eyes shut to – that she might have been wrong, in who the saviour was, but at this point, still, she refuses to believe in her own error. Countless men, women, and children would have died for nothing, she would have lead someone so, so far astray.

Jon Snow, who is clear in the fire, must unarguably be important to the Cause. Nothing else. ]

And now, I am here.

[ikols]

[ An attempt may be made in the future to steal that choker. If anyone could do it, he proudly thinks, it would be him. ]

If it makes you feel any better, I've also had my own powers dampened by residing in this realm.

[ All the magic-users are suffering together, spoiled brats. ]

What will you do with your time here, Melisandre? Enjoy the impromptu holiday by lighting a few more bonfires?

pls pls pls try and steal that choker omg this is plot i N E E D

[voktys]

[ No truer suffering than that of people who overly rely on magic and are now suddenly expected to do all their own work. With their hands. ]

Not better, not really, but at least it is good to know it is a shared defect?

[ What if she doesn't get her powers back, though. What if the zombies Long Night comes and she's without her connection to the Lord of Light? ]

There is no holy day, certainly not now. [ What do you mean 'vacation'. ] Is there?

>steals choker >mel becomes rapunzel's mom >ABORT THEFT

[ikols]

[ All the broken wizards and witches crying into their Cheerios each morning, sounds accurate. He doesn't even have TikTok to stay sane with memes, it's terrible. ]

We're living in the realm of the Norse gods, I'd say every day is pretty holy from now on.

[ Those are fingerguns and a wink, yes. ]

Live your best life, Mel.

PUT THAT THING BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM OR SO HELP HER

[voktys]

[ If Melisandre had a slightly healthier relationship to her powers, she might feel relieved, considering how some of it physically hurts her, but that would mean she'd have to act like a healthy person for a while. No dice. ]

At least you are not singing.

[ Like the fool on Dragonstone, yes. Some kind of comic, this one.

Anyway, because one can be only so lucky, she responds to his finger guns with... an attempt of her own. ]

Is this some traditional greeting? I am living life, the life the Lord has chosen for me. What are you doing?

HE WAS JUST ... looking

[ikols]

[ Is there anything better than a medieval person doing fingerguns from The Office, probably not. ]

It's a traditional gesture of good luck, as if firing a well-wishing arrow at the other person. Two counts are doubly lucky!

[ So sincere and straight-faced. He sits up to better face her, legs crossed. ]

You can have a calling and still do your own thing, I'm sure if R'hllor already chose you as his priestess he trusts you quite a bit. Do you always have to do everything he ordains? Because he isn't here now. You're free.

gonna write a letter of complaint to frigg

[voktys]

[ The most harmless form of chaos caused is Melisandre occasionally doing finger guns to cheer people on. She bought that one wholeheartedly. ]

Is this how you would think of your priests and priestesses?

[ She does shift out of her prayer stance now, chin resting in her hand. ]

You bought them. You gave them everything they are, raised them up from the lowest of the low. And then you'd set them free?

playing dirty wow

[ikols]

Norse gods don't have priests or priestesses, there are seers we sometimes speak to but as for preachers ... it's not that sort of faith. We've no churches either. Anyone can pray to the gods and the gods can certainly hear them, [ tapping the side of his head where a usual steady undercurrent of prayers awaits his rarely given attention, ] but whether they respond is something else entirely.

I do favour the skalds, though. Storytellers.

dear frigg, why did you teach your son such shit manners

[voktys]

We are all in one. Seers, storytellers, preachers. The Temples are just a space for us to live, where we can conduct our rites, keep the history, train our practice. I have not seen one in years and years.

[ That... isn't all there is to the Temples. Some, like Volantis, train warriors, most have temple prostitutes, and so, so many servants.

He keeps saying 'Norse' and she is so, so tempted to ask 'North of what', but it seems such a stupid question. ]

So you only respond to stories?

dear mel, pls take him off my hands

[ikols]

I respond to whatever I want, [ with a careless shrug, ] as do most gods. There was a time when Allfather Odin refused to answer the prayers of a man and his family about to be eaten by a troll, but I heard it. I saved them. I may have done it to embarrass my father's honour, it's hard to remember that far back, but the point is any god can be benevolent if they're in the mood. I suppose a skald is very much like a priestess, when you put it like that; spreading tales of the gods to anyone who wants to listen.

The Aesir, the gods of Asgard, require no temples when they can be anywhere at once. If you see a rainbow that is the Bifrost bridge that connects Asgard to Midgard, the realm of mortals, meaning a god is visiting.

[ It's a pretty story and he smiles as he watches her reaction, anticipating some scorn for the fanciful nature. ]

dear frigg, this is the one child who is legitimately older

[voktys]

[ Excuse you, she doesn't just preach to people who want to listen. Stannis once said she inspires dread in people, and that's partly the sorcery and partly her eagerness to convert her way through Westeros. ]

And yet, they have temples here. And no god can walk the world of humans, for it is hell itself.

[ She has... strong opinions about that one. ]

Then, how about offerings? Do you take them?

[ikols]

I think the temples here are for our benefit, not the gods'. It's not like they're empty canisters that need topping up with prayers, or at least they aren't where I come from. I could be wrong. Everything's so weirdly young here ... [ But that's a rant for another day. ] I hope Hercules turns up and I get to introduce the two of you.

[ Look at this mischievous snot not even hiding his amusement. ]

And I love offerings, preferably iPhones and coffees. [ Ah. ] Fancy gifts and food.

[voktys]

[ She simply nods at the idea of meeting Hercules, though she can't help but picture some kind of large bug creature, rather than a person. If she had to pick anyone to meet him, she would pick Davos, simply because Loki is likely to drive Davos insane, and it would be quite funny to see. ]

Fancy foods and gifts are popular with R'hllor, too. Pretty things.

[ Also people. People are high up on the list. ]

The rest I haven't heard of.

[ikols]

Ah, well, [ he slips out his Starkphone, currently black screened as he tries to work out a new powersource, and offers it over, ] this is a phone, it lets you speak to and see people far away. Currently, as you can see, it's a very impressive brick and little better. This realm seems to be sapping its energy, the same as us.

[voktys]

[ She takes it, carefully, only to come face to face with a dark, albeit surprisingly clear reflection of her own face on the screen. ] Oh. [ She tilts her head, almost like a bird. ]

[ Honestly, it's hard to tell if she feels childlike excitement or a little bit of envy.l ] God, how handy this would be in my world. Do you know how many ravens have pecked my fingers over the years? [ She hands it back with a sigh. ] Beside, one could hit someone with it. Not very efficiently, mind, but certainly more useful when push comes to shove than a rude bird.

[ikols]

We used messenger hawks for the longest time, I completely sympathise. Probably be back to that while we're here.

[ If only his phone were working! Even without wifi he has so many apps he thinks she would like. ]

I feel like I should explore more but I honestly don't want to run into anyone I know. [ He cocks his head, lips twitching. ] How about you, is anybody from your world here? Possibly someone you feel like knocking out with a fancy brick?

[voktys]

I shall take hawks. At least, the beasts don't talk.

[ Call her superstitious, but the whole obsession Westeros has with ravens who will sneak up behind you to croak some ominous word they have learned... No, absolutely not her goblet of wine. ]

No one I know of, but herein lies the rub: I have not met a great many of my King's enemies face to face. I might be able to recognise them by their manner of dress... [ She gives something that is almost a shrug. ] Especially the lesser men fear to even say my name, so at least to my face, I will be left in peace.

Who are you avoiding? Relatives from another dimension?

[ikols]

Oh, absolutely everyone, especially the ravens. Birds of ill-omen and my father's favourite.

[ Avoiding people is the name of his game, only coming out of the woodwork for information and to interact with curious folk. Like her. ]

Would you ever go by a fake name, just to avoid attracting attention from would-be loudmouths from home?

[voktys]

It is a small space to try and evade people in.

[ Especially for the two of them, she reckons. Neither of them is subtle enough in appearance to blend in. ]

I am not afraid of them. If they wish to face me, they may as well try. [ She's got Fire Jesus on her side, and, looking at some common prayer lines of her faith, probably in her loins. ] Do you regret telling me yours?

[ikols]

Too small, perhaps. We'll see.

[ Loki doesn't need magic to be a sneak, thankfully. He looks a little surprised at the question, shaking his head after a moment. Solemn. ]

No, I don't. I'm always me no matter what, there's little point hiding the fact I'm here. Besides, [ perking up a bit, ] don't you want to rub elbows with someone from the royal family? Extended, maybe. I'm practically a meal-ticket.