TEST DRIVE MEME

[theflaws]

TEST DRIVE MEME

PREMISE PLOT ARRIVAL SETTING NAVIGATION

01. ARRIVING IN PELEA
A cold wind singing down from the white-capped mountains which hang blue-black in the distance stirs your cheek, the tall grass all around you. A bough creaks as the wind makes it tremble, and the dappled shadows drift over you, leaves rustling. As you blink awake, you hear the quiet hiss of water over stones. You are not where you once were!

You and a large group of strangers are blinking awake, pulling yourselves up off the dirt, grass, and rubble near a small wooded stream. There is no evidence of civilization in sight, and as you exchange stories you realize that you must decide what to do.

Will you head past the trees and towards the mountains? Deeper into the forest? Stay put and wait for help to arrive? You might even try to meet everyone else, and either convince them to band together... or head their separate ways.

02. CITY SLICKER
There are many cities throughout the world of Pelea, and in most of them player characters, the Flaws, are welcomed as curiosities. Whether they're among the passionate, oft thought as hot-headed, but hospitable folk of the Banner or the noble and haughty people of the Empire, your characters will find a wide variety of cultures, races and simply people to interact with and investigate. They could be seeking employment, answers to the mystery of their arrival or other folk like themselves, or a quiet place to drink away their worries.

03. WILDCARD!

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He gives the new guy a once over, and as new to this place as Peter is, he recognizes a fellow fish out of water when he sees one. His lips part to offer some nicety, like “No problem. Keep a better eye on your stuff, next time,” but the question catches him off-guard.

Which is why he blinks, frowns, and a little defensively, ] Not like there’s a law against it, right?

[ … or… is there? Who the hell knows with this place? ]

[animated]

[ Ah, whoops. He wasn't expecting a defensive reaction, and he raises his hands a little. ]

What? No. At least I don't think so. It's just nice to hear something familiar for once.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Alright, that's a fair sentiment, and the explanation seems to mollify him.

Meanwhile, Charlie's thief tries to slink away on his hands and knees, and Peter glares at him. ]

Yo, Artful Dodger. Not so fast.

[ The guy freezes, turning to look over his shoulder, and Peter looks back to Charlie. ]

You got everything back, right?

[animated]

I think so. [ He didn't have anything in his pockets to begin with, but he checks them out of habit before inspecting the lining of his coat. One, two, three, four, five... ah. ]

Wait, I'm missing a knife.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Alright. That is exactly five more knives than he expected this guy to have at first glance, and a look of surprise crosses his face before he turns expectantly to their would-be thief. The man sits there, shaking his head, but when Peter takes a step forward, he scrambles and sheepishly produces a matching knife, holding it flat on his palm. ]

Just the one?

[animated]

Just the one. [ He’s a little wary of just stepping in to grab a knife from the guy who tried to rob him. Only Charlie can use the enchantment on them, but that won’t stop somebody from getting stabby in the old fashioned way.

He casts a quick glance around, and the crowd has pretty much lost interest in the scene, provided they even had it at all. It’s just him, the guy who helped him out, and the thief. Charlie whistles, one single, soft note, and the blade zips from the thief’s open palm, and into Charlie’s hand. He quickly stows it back in the lining of his jacket, leaving the thief to scurry away, wide-eyed. ]

You didn’t see me do that, by the way.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Oh, but that’s familiar, and for a second there, Peter thinks of all the times he’s watched Yondu whistle a crowd of people to death, controlling that arrow of his with laser precision while the metal embedded in his head glowed in kind. The two of them weren’t exactly on good terms, last time Peter checked, and the reminder makes his already shitty mood dip a little.

After a second, Peter realizes he’s staring at Charlie and the spot in his jacket where the knives are stowed, and he shakes himself.

Deliberately and brightly, ] Didn’t see what?

[animated]

[ Normally he’d be happy that the guy just played along, but the look on his face is concerning, and Charlie frowns. ]

They’re only for self-defense, I swear.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter shrugs, waving a hand dismissively. ]

As long as you don’t use ‘em on me, it’s not any of my business.

But, you know. Maybe keep a better eye on your stuff if you’re packin’?

[animated]

[ Whatever weird reaction he garnered seems to have passed, and he’s not about to poke and prod at a complete stranger for an explanation. ]

I know, that was my bad. There’s nothing about this that isn’t alien to me and I’m still kind of floundering.

Thanks again for stepping in. I'm Charlie.

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah, tell me about it. One second I’m minding my own business, next I end up in the land of Fantasia, and all my stuff is busted.

[ And that had been a blow, finding his blasters and jets and even his mask rendered into little more than fancy paperweights. The worst shock had been desperately hitting play on his well-worn Walkman and receiving little more than a pleasant click in response.

So, yeah. Peter is really fucking unhappy, and doing poorly at keeping a lid on it. ]

Name’s Peter Quill. People call me Star-Lord.

[ No. No, they really don’t. Mostly, they call him “Space Lord” or “Star Prince” or “Get back here with that, you little prick,” but it never hurts to dream. ]

[animated]

You too, huh? My phone’s pretty much useless. I had all my music on there, too.

[ He really misses his music. It would have at least been grounding in this sort of situation. Something familiar to keep close, but right now he just has to settle for the familiar feeling of keeping his phone in his pocket.

The codename garners a raised eyebrow from him. ]

Why? Is that like a call sign? Like “Maverick”?

[nostalgiabomb]

Something like that.

[ Actually, he used it for a long time as an outlaw name, like “Billy the Kid” or “Calamity Jane,” but considering he’s, like, half-reformed and just thwarted one attempted theft today, he decides to keep that little fact to himself in favor of a slightly more interesting topic: ]

… You had music on your phone?

[ ????

because Peter is imagining an old rotary phone ]

[animated]

Yeah.

[ Charlie’s gaze narrows a bit. So far Peter has been keeping up with their conversation pretty well, and that that of all things should throw him is a little strange to Charlie. ]

Is that weird to you?

[nostalgiabomb]

Kind of?

[ Kind of a whole lot. Where would… the music… even go………

He starts saying something else, but frowns a little at the people moving past them. ]

Maybe we should have this conversation somewhere else.

[animated]

[ Charlie finds it weird that Peter finds it weird, but he’s right. The crowd is oppressive and they’re not exactly in a great place for a conversation. ]

Good plan. Lead the way.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter probably knows the city as well as Charlie does, which is to say not at all, but that doesn’t stop him from leading them through the crowd – because he has to admit, having a sympathetic ear is probably the best part of his day so far. At least this guy isn’t looking at him like a plague victim after he’s asked where the hell he can get his equipment repaired.

It’s not too difficult, at least, to orient himself toward the closest tavern or to divest a distracted, wealthy-looking passerby of his coin purse, both of which he does with practiced ease. It’s even easier to convince the bartender to give them two tankards of whatever he has on tap, because Peter learned from a young age that the clinking of coin is a near universal language, and money can turn away even the most curious of gazes.

It belatedly occurs to him that Charlie might wonder why Peter is in possession of the local currency, and that the guy may not appreciate casual acts of larceny, so with the mug halfway to his lips, he says wryly, ] You didn’t see me do that, by the way.

[animated]

[ Charlie keeps close to his new companion. Peter has an easier time with the crowd, considering he's much taller, so Charlie just sticks to trailing along in his wake. He doesn't see peter nick the purse- he doubts he would have caught it had he actually been watching for it- so the appearance of the coins comes as a surprise.

How Peter chooses to survive in this place isn't any business of his, though, and the guy did help him out. Charlie is willing to overlook it.

Brightly, ] See what?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That makes Peter huff out a laugh before he takes a drink – it’s not terrible, whatever kind of ale this is, and that’s a blessing. ]

How’d that guy get you out of your jacket, anyway?

[animated]

Not by being charming and handsome, that's for sure.

[ He shrugs. ] I was looking to trade my clothes for something a little more... local. I took it off and he snatched it.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He clicks his tongue, almost disapproving. ] Typical. No subtlety.

[ He's like 90% joking. ]

Guessin’ that means you just popped up here, too, then?

[animated]

Slow your roll, Danny Ocean. You don't need to critique his performance.

[ He's joking right back. Even if Peter is a criminal, he's a helpful one. Cute, too, which is a definite bonus. ]

Yeah. One minute I was minding my own business, and the next I'm in Narnia- only without the whimsy.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ …Oookay, there.

Peter learned from a pretty young age to never assume someone’s Terran, no matter how much they look it, and given that he was currently in Middle-earth, he figured this would be more of the same. Right now, though, he looks at Charlie like he’s speaking in another language. ]

I—

[ He sets down his tankard with a dull thunk. ]

… What?

[animated]

[ Did u not get the Top Gun reference earlier?

Charlie blinks, surprised. ] "What" what? Was that too much? Nobody's gotten any of my references so far, but I guess I just kind of assumed, what with the whole "dude" thing and all.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ easily chalked up to coincidence. ]

I— no, I just— I didn't think you were—

[ A pause, as he regathers his thoughts, and now he really looks at Charlie, like he's seeing him in a completely new light. ]

You're Terran? Like, from Earth, I mean.