November Test Drive Meme~!

[thewakemods]

It's that time again!

→ Comment with a new character you'd like to test out in the game's setting. (put character/canon in subject line pls!)
→ You don't have to be in the game to comment! HI NEW PEOPLE LET US ENABLE YOU.
→ Tag around with new and old characters.
→ App all those characters
→ ???
→ PROFIT!

**NOTICE** - For new series and recent updates/occurrences to existing ones, please mark as SPOILERS if you must refer to such, but please use your own discretion in general.

Comments

<3

[credence_barebone]

He hunched even more as the stranger approached him. Recent events having made him even more mistrustful of others, even those who seemed to be caring.

"B-brought where?" He managed, his voice still very quiet and hushed. Almost as if he was afraid to speak up.

Re: <3

[motherofresistance]

Leia made no attempt to touch the obviously nervous young man, especially after he'd practically flinched away from her. Instead, she simply stopped near enough that they could easily converse, doing her best not to intrude on his personal space.

"It's a place called Nautilus," she said. "It's a bit difficult to explain, but Nautilus is sort of a world between worlds. People are brought here from a lot of different times and places. I was just brought here recently myself, from a world called D'Qar. Can I ask where you're from?"

Baby steps. If she had some idea where he was from, she might be able to better judge how to reassure him.

[credence_barebone]

"New York," he answered, his eyes glancing around before alighting back on her again.

It was strange. Even though he was anxious about finding himself in an unfamiliar face - there was a sort of internal peace for once; as if something that had been coiling and knotted in his chest had gone.

But the loss of his repressed magic didn't make him any less nervous.

[motherofresistance]

Well that didn't ring any bells unfortunately. It didn't even sound like the name for a planet, more like a settlement of some sort. It might not even be in her galaxy, given this place.

"New York," she repeated. "Can't say I've ever been there, but given what I know of Nautilus, that's not too surprising. My name's Leia Organa-Solo. What's yours?"

[credence_barebone]

It took him a moment to hesitantly reply.

"I'm Credence. Credence Barebone."

That was the name he'd been given when Mary Lou adopted him, anyway. In the back of his mind he vaguely wondered what his birth name might have been before he'd been taken in by that terrible woman. Part of him wanted to reject that last name now but for now it was the only name he had. So that's what he gave.

[motherofresistance]

She nodded politely. "It's good to meet you, Credence," she said, smiling gently.

"Now I'm sure you have questions," she said. "So feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer. There's no need to worry about sounding foolish; everybody here was a newcomer once, and it's a lot to take in."

[credence_barebone]

There was one particular question he had, although it did indeed sound foolish, now that he was here.

"Is... Is this hell?"

He'd been told it was the place where all witches and wizards would burn, along with all bad and naughty children. Mary Lou had made it clear that he was on that track if he didn't smarten up and do what she said. But... after what he had done... and to suddenly find himself here... Maybe this was the place he'd been threatened with.

Even if there didn't appear to be any flames.

[motherofresistance]

Under other circumstances, Leia might have been amused, but the seriousness with which he asked the question really sucked any potential humor out of it. "No," she said. "Nautilus might not be everyone's favorite place to be, but it certainly isn't any version of hell."

[credence_barebone]

Despite wanting to take her word for that, he just couldn't. He'd only just met her, after all. It would likely take time for him to trust anyone again, even if he did yearn for some sort of friend. Or somebody to care about him at all.

Credence didn't really relax at hearing her words but he became slightly less hunched up.

"How do I... um... get home?"

He wasn't sure he even had any home to go back to, but surely he couldn't stay here?

[motherofresistance]

"Unfortunately, we can't," Leia said. "At least not right away. Once you've had a chance to adjust to being here, going back through the gate you just arrived through and focusing all your will on going home will take you there."

"In the meantime, there are places new arrivals can stay, called Welcome Houses," she said. "I can show you to the one I've been staying at, if you like. And food is provided at no charge. In fact there's no charge for anything, since Nautilus really doesn't have any form of currency."

[credence_barebone]

Taking in all that she's saying, in some ways it doesn't make a lot of sense to Credence. Was it something like a charity here? Free food and a place to stay. But was there a catch? There always seemed to be a catch. Somebody always wanted something in return.

He looked down, shoulders hunching again.

"What do I have to do?"

Even without currency he assumed he'd have to do something for food and everything else. Nothing was truly free.

[motherofresistance]

"We're not required to do anything, from what I've seen," Leia said. "Though learning to Bend seems to make it a lot easier to get along."

"Bending," she explained, "is a big part of why there's no charge for anything here. Bending involves using your will to 'bend' or alter reality in different ways. It has a lot of uses, but the most common one seems to be creating things you want or need. It's something everyone here can learn to do, and there's even a school for it that can teach you the basics if you need some help."

[credence_barebone]

"That sounds like witchcraft."

The idea at once terrified and excited him. He'd had to suppress any thought or twinge of magical power, so much it had turned inward on itself to create something destructive and horrible. But that tiny bit of hope he'd had from Graves resurfaced slightly. If he could learn... If he could be free to...

No. He shivered and looked down wide-eyed as if something horrifying had just occurred to him.

[motherofresistance]

"I suppose some might call it that, yes," Leia said. "But there's not really anything like spells or incantations involved, just willpower. And maybe a bit of imagination."

Leia hadn't thought to much of it at first. Some cultures thought of the Force as 'magic' or 'sorcery' as well, so it made sense that Credence might see Bending that way. But when he suddenly shivered and looked down, his expression horrified, Leia became concerned. "What's wrong?", she asked.

[credence_barebone]

"I-- I--," he struggled to get words out and shook his head. His mind and thoughts pelted with random memories of beatings and betrayals and insults and his retribution, which frightened himself as much as it had others. Maybe he could control the power within him, but he was still frightened of it, having been told repeatedly how wrong it was. Even by those who hadn't known he had it. Especially by them.

"I can't do that."

It was a denial or a refusal. Either way, he wasn't sure if he should hope to be normal or want to be able to freely use such powers. Will and imagination? Is that what it could be about? He was still afraid of some sort of trap here, despite Leia's soothing words.

[motherofresistance]

That reply didn't make Leia look any less concerned, though it did ad a bit of confusion to the expression. "Well, it's not something you have to do; it just makes things simpler here from what I've seen," she said. "But if it's not too personal a question, why do you think you can't?" Because unless she was greatly mistaken, it sounded like there was more to it than simple doubt of his physical ability to do it.

[credence_barebone]

"It's... dangerous."

The statement worked on two levels. He thought himself to be dangerous if he tried it, but also it had been long beaten into him that witchcraft in general was dangerous, or any sort of magic. As if it was against nature and the natural order of things. Something... freakish and wrong.

Even if he wanted it, it still felt like something bad and wrong. Something he shouldn't be doing.

[motherofresistance]

"Well I can certainly see how someone could think that," Leia said. She paused a moment, looking thoughtful, before continuing.

"Back home, I have access to a power called the Force," she said. "It runs very strongly in my family, and certain aspects of it are similar to Bending. You'd probably call it 'witchcraft' too, if you ever saw me use it. And though I decided not to make it the central focus of my life the way my brother has, it's always going to be a part of my life, and a part of me."

"I won't try to push you to learn if you really don't want to," she said. "But as someone who has some experience with unusual powers, I will say that in my experience they're much more dangerous if you don't know how to control them or handle them safely."

"On a more mundane front, though, it's rather cold out here, and neither one of us is really dressed properly for it," she said. "So how about we head back to the Welcome House? I can try to explain things a bit more and maybe get us something to eat. I've found that most situations, no matter how bizarre, are a bit easier to deal with when you're warm and have a full stomach."