cityarcade | [meme] Test Drive

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meme: test drive

[meme] Test Drive

Tag into this post with characters you're thinking of apping to the game (characters who are not currently in-game or currently reserved by someone else). It can be just a tag, a brief EP, a blurb about the character, a line of dialogue, or whatever you want. You can be new to the game, or simply want to test out a fresh pup. Tag each other with these characters or those already in game, and have fun.

Also, please include the name of their canon somewhere in or on the comment or on their profile page.

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Lila Bard

[Lila, having disposed of the ridiculous, needlessly tight dress, moves freely above deck of The Copper Thief. She's dressed all in black; a black body suit, her black leather mask over her eyes with its long, curved horns tipping backward. She has one of her favorite knives in hand, but it's nothing to simply push the poisoned pirate who'd harassed her overboard. The splash he gives as he plunges into the water is a satisfying thing, but when Lila turns to look for the others, all she sees is land. It's jarring for a moment, to have been on a ship and suddenly on solid ground, but Lila keeps her wits about her and looks around.]

Grandma and Leo took me to Ocean, once. I thought it would be yucky and dirty with all of the poo that Toilet takes to Ocean, but then I found out that Toilet doesn't just send poo to Ocean. It goes somewhere else to get clean first. Ocean was more fun after I learned that.

I jump when a lady is suddenly in front of me. She smells like Ocean, but she looks scary. I take a step back and don't say anything.

She looks like the dangerous people Grandma tells me about.

[Lila pushes the horned mask up, revealing her face, and regards the child almost curiously. He seems to be here alone, and he doesn't look like a beggar. She doesn't worry about keeping her Sarows persona in tact here on land in front of a child, but she also doesn't sheath her knife, not until she knows where she is and who she's up against.]

[She tries speaking in Arnesian first.]

Hello, there. Where are we?

I breathe out when she takes off her mask. I saw a lot of them in a store once, I thought they were scary. I guess they look even more scary when somebody wears one. I take another step back and breathe, in and out, in and out.

My chest hurts, like the way it did before a Doctor gave me a paper bag to breathe in. I don't have one of those now. She speaks some words I don't know, and I know almost all the English words — that means maybe it's Spanish.

I... I don't speak Spanish.

[The boy speaks English. He has a ponytail and fair features. He easily looks like he could be royal, but for the plain clothes. He's scared, and Lila knows she can use that to her advantage, but she doesn't push it.]

English. Smart boy. Can you tell me where I am?

I breathe in and out again. It's a little bit easier. I think if the lady wanted to hurt me, she could do that already. And she doesn't sound fake nice, like Old Nick.

I think it's called Darrow. I was here one time before, but then I left. K— my friend was here for years and couldn't leave, she says there's some kind of magic that keeps here. I don't know the magic to get out.

[Darrow? It isn't a place Lila has ever heard of, but it's his description of magic bringing him here and keeping people here that gives her pause.]

You left, and came back? [She kneels to get a better look at him, but his eyes are both clearly hazel.] Only Antari can do that.

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[Sirius has his wand at the ready, brow furrowed as he hunches slightly, waiting and watching as the black figure looks this way and that. There may be little reason to believe the figure to be dangerous, but it's best not to take chances, Sirius has learned.]

Oi! Looking for something?

[There's a man not too far ahead of her with long hair speaking English. He's brandishing a stick, and Lila's frown shifts to a sharp smile. She keeps her voice low, male, though without a jacket her figure may not be entirely convincing if he gets much closer. At least it's not the wretched dress.]

I seem to be lost. What port is this?

We're all lost here, mate.

[Stepping closer, Sirius notes the detail in the mask as well as the shape of the man's body. Perhaps not a man at all, then. Or perhaps a man like Krem.]

You're in a place called Darrow though it's no use telling you as much -- I'm sure you've never heard of it. You from England then?

[Lila's expression remains stony behind the mask at the idea of everyone being lost. Is that some sort of flowery metaphor? She notices the way he looks at her, and assumes herself found out. It doesn't matter, what matters is where she's ended up and where her damn ship is.]

What makes you think that? [Lila can feel her heart thudding in her chest. How does he know she's from Grey London? Is she back, is that why it looks so plain? But how?]

[Sirius frowns, head cocked as he regards the man-woman with growing curiosity, taking a step closer still, wand at the ready.]

Well, the accent, frankly. Is it London you're from or somewhere else. Hate it to break it to you but, regardless, you're quite a long ways from home now.

[The Arnesian accent is so similar to her English accent that it's never stood out before. He could mean any London, but there's only one England. Her hand tightens on her knife; that sounds like a threat.]

What's the twig for?

[Sophronia had noticed the looking around and her eyes first went to her clothes. They were a rather particle black, the sort you wore when sneaking around and needed to be rather agile. Sophronia was instantly jealous, her own corset and skirts not nearly so mobile. They were, however, much better at concealing the various weapons about her person than the other girl.]

I must say, I am terribly envious of your outfit. It looks absolutely perfect for getting into a great deal of trouble without being caught doing it.

[The girl takes Lila by surprise. She's never met a proper lady who's been interested in getting into trouble. Lila smiles, stopping to twirl her knife.]

That's funny, because I was hiding it underneath one just like yours. Men never suspect a girl in a corset and gossamer.

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Oh? Was the dress designed to conceal your outfit under it? How clever.

[Sophronia made a mental note to see about acquiring such a dress, because it seemed very useful. Lady Linette would not approve but that was alright.]

Men rarely suspect a girl at all, which is often very useful.

Sort of. The full skirt was useful to hide my knives, my mask, and some smoke tapers. They were concealed as the boning.

[Lila pushes her mask up on her brow.]

They don't, and it's their mistake. [She smiles, eyes twinkling with mischief.] What's your name? I'm Lila.

[So openly carrying weapons like that was somewhat gauche but not everyone had been trained like she has. Overall it was a very clever outfit, even if a bit funereal. But it seemed like the sort of thing a finishing school girl would think of. Sophronia wished it was proper to just ask such things.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Lila. I'm Sophronia. Is this your first time to Darrow? I haven't been in some time but it doesn't seem to have changed much.

Kell wonders if this is what it's like for the few people who've seen him walk seemingly through a wall. But Kell uses doors, and the people kidnapped to Darrow appear in the air itself, and he freezes, assessing the sudden person for a threat.

He hasn't always been so suspicious, but Kell's learned not to mourn for the person he was. It's not as if he can ever become him again, and certainly not from Darrow. His eyes travel over the person's form, something snagging at his memory, and when he takes in the great horned mask his eyes widen.

"Kings," Kell breathes. "Lila."

It's been four months, but Kell's never left Lila's thoughts. He's always there, below the surface and sometimes above. He brought her here, and perhaps it's because of him that she's in this place. Wherever it is.

"Magic boy," she says, pushing her mask up on her brow. She knew she would see him again someday, she just hadn't expected it to be in the middle of taking the Copper Thief. "Have you brought me here?"

Kell sucks in a breath, and it's only long practice not laughing at Rhy's antics in Court that prevents him grinning now. It is her. Same sharp mouth, same hard eyes, but different now - just as hungry but strong, wiry, more falcon than starved little bird.

Has he brought her here? If longing could make it so, he'd have seen her long before now, still in Arnes. "Have I ever successfully made you do anything?" Kell counters.

Kell looks different, too. Hardened. Perhaps even more serious than he'd already been. She remembers the way he looked when he bound himself to his brother, and that's surely part of it. Athos and Astrid and Holland and the weight of everything they'd done.

"Point," she says with a smirk, and sheaths her knife. She can't even be angry about being taken from her bounty. Not yet, anyway. "How, then? I was at sea. One moment I was standing on deck, the next, I'm here before you."

Kell watches her knife disappear, wondering which one it is. New or old, stolen in his presence or before, after? So she'd found her way to a ship, then. Kell hadn't doubted her, but he'd hoped so.

"There is magic here beyond my skill," he admits with regret. "I can't leave," he tells her, knowing Lila will understand the weight of what that means.

Lila pulls the mask off her head completely, her hair fluttering a moment in its wake. Her smirk disappears and her hand falls to her side at Kell's reply. She looks him over, as though something about the sight of him will explain what he's saying.

"What do you mean?" she asks slowly. She takes in the pinched quality of his frown, how his eyes look away from hers. "What does it matter if you can't go to Grey or White London?"

Re: A Gathering of Shadows

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Re: A Gathering of Shadows

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[Utena recognizes some things in the other girl. Perhaps that's how she knows she's a girl, though she's slim, androgynous, masked. She recognizes the way she looks around, too. But having a blade doesn't make them friends. And where the figure across from her is taking things in, Utena charges into situations. Like she does now.]

Does that mask mean anything, or does it just hide your face?

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