April-May 2024 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

April-May 2024 TDM

Introduction

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This Test Drive meme is open to all.
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.

All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.

Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!


🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.

and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.


🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.

Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

Lost & Found . ★

Content Warnings: Forced Relocation, Forced Sharing, Potential Violence & Harm

New Star Children arrive in Wintermute. Not at the hot springs, the school, or anywhere else near civilization. They arrive in the middle of white, snowy nowhere. The good news is that Wintermute is no longer dark twenty-four seven. There is enough light to avoid crevasses, blocked up wells, and other dangerous features of the landscape. Further, no one is expected to figure out how to get out of there on their own.

Usually Thoth finds the lost travelers in the cold expanse of Wintermute. However, she's busy exploring the multiverse for new and interesting ideas for technology. Not to fret! She hasn't abandoned ye who've entered here. There's a new emergency lost and found network:

The Wandering Dog food carts are now open twenty-four seven! The dogs work in shifts, but the food remains as delicious as ever. When a Star Child gets lost in Wintermute, another Star Child will happen to be buying food from a Wandering Dog somewhere in Folkmore. One such lucky unlucky Star Child gets transported to the School of Thoth. Specifically, to where the mechanical sled dogs hang out. They receive a warm winter coat over whatever they were wearing and another one on hand for whoever they are rescuing. Then it's off across the snow! Don't worry, non-mushing experts, the dogs know what they're doing and lead the sled right to the designated lost Star Child.

The rescuee gets to lay in the sled for the ride back, wrapped up warm and cozy in their new winter coat (it may be spring, but it's always cold in Wintermute). The sled dogs bring Star Children back to the hot springs, so that they can warm up even more. Alternatively, Star Children can explore the Cutting Edge, the School of Thoth, or something else in Wintermute. However, the Star Children cannot part ways or leave Wintermute immediately.

The sled dogs, yes the whole team, will stay with the pair to enforce this. They may surround the pair like a pack, cuddle pile on top of them, or lay around the edges of a hot spring. No matter how long it takes to realize the dogs are doing this and that there's a reason for it, Star Children will eventually find instructions in one of the dogs' collars: Share something that other people have refused to listen to you about. Everyone ought to be listened to.

Only once both Star Children have shared something with each other will the dogs let them part ways and see, perhaps, the rest of Folkmore.

On the walk to Akhlut Station, Star Children will see plain weapons sticking out of the snow: swords, guns, knives. These are simple, non-magical practical weapons. Experienced Star Children may know to suspect such free offerings, but nothing immediately happens upon picking one up. However, once on the train, the train will be attacked by frost spirits. These icy spirits must either be hacked to pieces until they can no longer reform or melted with fire. Innocent passengers who didn't pick up a weapon may be forced to get involved, but the frost spirits will be most focused on those who picked up weapons.

• New Star Children arrive in remote areas of Wintermute.
• Star Children buying food from The Wandering Dog get teleported to the School of Thoth to rescue people with a team of sled dogs.
• Star Children get amazing new winter coats!
• Star Children cannot part ways until they share something others have refused to listen to! The dogs enforce this.
• Simple, non-magical weapons stick out of the snow on the way to the train station.
• Anyone who picks up one of those weapons will see their train get attacked by frost spirits.

No Dumb Ideas . ★

Content Warnings: Potential Forced Participation, Potential Harm

Thoth has been listening to any and all ideas people have had around science in the last few months. Whether they were shower thoughts or a discussion between scientific colleagues or anywhere in between, she's made her list and built every one as an experiment. On a human scale. A human test subject scale. Because every idea has merit. That's right: Thoth believes in you.

Posters saying Thoth Needs You! go up around Folkmore. They offer a reward for participating in an experiment. Simply tear off a piece of paper from the bottom of the poster, and at some point in the future, you're in. Now, there might be a little hiccup here or there. These posters are experimental too! So some Star Children who don't tear off a slip might get pulled into an experiment as well. (Who said Thirteen ought to recruit for her trials? Thoth listened… or she tried.) Oh well, at least it's all in the name of science!

Perhaps Star Children need to sing Baby It's Cold Outside to convince the other to stay (it really will be cold outside). Perhaps they have a choice of spinners, buttons, levers, or other devices to interact with. Perhaps they make their way through a maze. Perhaps they try a new contraption. Perhaps they even recognize their own idea come to life! There's a multitude of new tech to try, and it has not been safety tested.

Nothing will explode. Probably. Maybe. Okay, some experiments are definitely going to have explosions. How about pressing that button anyway and finding out if it's this one?

Once Star Children survive the experiment—and they will, Thoth may be a loose cannon of a scientist, but she's ensured that much—they will emerge from one of the School of Thoth's laboratories. Togo, the grey wolf mascot, waits on the other side with an item for each test subject: an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item.

No one is left to the cold to fend for themselves. One of the nearby classrooms has been set up as a first aid center. Dog spirits of all sizes, from the smallest Maltipoo spirit to the largest Great Dane spirit, staff a healing clinic and will treat any injuries Star Children received in the experiments (or already sported). They offer hot lemonade—lemon juice, molasses, and hot water—to everyone to warm their soul. Injured Star Children can find a corner to rest by themselves or company with which to discuss their experiments.

• Thoth has built experiments to bring Star Children’s ideas to life.
• Pick a paper tab off a Thoth Needs You! poster to participate. Or don’t. A mishap may bring Star Children there regardless.
• Do science! Be a human experiment! Maybe experience explosions!
• Togo, the Thoth mascot, will have an item from home for every Star Child who participates.
• Dog spirits man (dog?) a first aid center in a nearby classroom.

Comments

nero the sable | final fantasy vii (remake ) | legend

[soulerosion]

arrival.

[ a man must be judged by the world that bore him. and in the merciless pit that was deepground - few were more selfless than nero the sable. to hold any sort of care for another was unheard of, as every other living breathing person you deigned to care for became a weapon which could be used against you. but he had long ago decided long ago that the darkness of his world was only bearable if his brother existed as a flickering light within it.

of course to any sane human being, this is nothing short of a terrible match. and know that whatever legend traits nero might have go out the window the moment his brother is no longer there to serve as a living leash.

the wings stretch out behind him, bladed feathers thunking heavily into the frozen land as he pulls himself upright and takes stock of his unfamiliar surroundings. too stunned to properly take note of the fact that the familiar howling of his darkness is missing, more focused on the sharp wind stinging his (now alarming exposed) cheeks.

but sooner has he picked a direction to walk than do his rescuers appear on the barren horizon. nero watches their approach, head cocked to one side and eyes narrowed against the glare of the snow. the sled pulls to a stop, loaded up with all the supplies one would need to survive. the idea of this person being here to rescue him doesn't even cross his mind. ]

Greetings.

[ so sorry, dear rescuer, a deepground hello is not the one you were hoping to receive. no sooner does the sled stop and the rider rise than does nero swiftly kick up a leg, intending to shatter a rib cage and claim this for his own.

we did tell you his legend would not be long. ]

no dumb ideas

[ so this is just another facility.

coersion is nothing new to nero. rewards for participating in experiments is better than punishment for not, and so while clearly unhappy about it, he grudgingly goes to select his weapon of choice...

only these are not weapons. at least not obvious ones.

and no one seems to be, well... dying. ]

Curious. [ he reaches down to pluck a curious looking item (a price scanner) from the table, thumb on the button as he instinctively trains the laser on the skull of the person nearest to him as if this is a completely normal thing to do. ] For your sake, I hope this experiment is intended to be... non-lethal.

[ he thumbs the trigger with a little smile that is far from reassuring. ]

arrival

[coffinturk]

[ Vincent had only just arrived. He had managed to get free after the barest minimum of exchanges about something no one will listen to him about. Ironically it was largely about this; people always seeking him out to do stuff when he wished to be left alone.

But the food from the carts had smelled good and the oddity of dog spirits pretty much accepted, so he had stopped by for a quick meal.

And found himself abruptly back with the dog sleds. Again. This time to be bundled up on one, given two coats. The one for him he just doesn't bother with (again), adding both to the cargo bed with a grumbled groan.

Sure he might be vaguely irritated; what was the point of having someone listen to his complaint if it wasn't going to be listened to ten minutes later? But Vincent also knows that this sort of cold is deadly to normal people so he's not as irritated about it as he otherwise would have been.

It's not long after arrives at his destination that the former Turk is going to come to consider he might have been selected for a reason. Namely, that new arrivals are just as likely to be violent as confused. A dogsled is made for the driver to stand rather than sit.

But as Vincent steps off and receives a greeting, courtesy of Deepground's finest, the man acts with preternatural swiftness to brace and solidly catch the bottom of Nero's foot in the palm of his left hand. All he will do in retaliation is a quick but forceful shove to reclaim some distance and in an effort to throw the attacker off balance.

The familiar voice, the appearance. Nero the Sable is not someone forgotten soon. And for Vincent, it's only been about two weeks.

It might be too early for Nero to recognize Vincent, but the red-cloaked man certainly seems to recognize him. Enough that his right hand instinctively reaches to the holster strapped at his thigh. Unfortunately it's still as empty as when he arrived. It won't be until later that he earns a replacement. ]

Tch.

[ Frankly that slight tick of frustration is all Nero's going to get in return. Vincent was never one for greetings that weren't pretty curt. ]

[soulerosion]

[ there are few people fast enough to catch a kick like that, let alone reverse the momentum of it back against him. the sable stumbles back, wings flaring to correct his balance, and fully intends to snap one out and pierce the man until he fails to follow up with a counter-attack of his own.

curious. he itches to fight him, to see what else he's capable of, it's been so long since he had this level of freedom that he feels downright giddy at the prospect of getting two worthwhile battles in one day. they're both unarmed and that promises a level playing field the likes of which he's never had.

( excusing the darkness. it may not be as loud as he's used to but it's still there under his skin. alas, that is a move only to be used when he's done playing. )

but they all end in death. and that may not be the most prudent move without gaining a grasp on this situation. ]

And who might you be?

[ there's a difference in the way this nero looks at vincent and the way the one of the future will. three years younger, not yet aware of what fate awaits him when his long-awaited freedom is finally given nor the cost that it has, he isn't staring at the gunslinger as if he's but an irritating means to an end. no. he's looking at him with interest, a hint of excitement. all the liveliness that the nero of the future lost in those three long years trapped in a forgotten hole. ]

[coffinturk]

[ From that moment in time- Nero's present that is- Vincent is certainly no member or target- of Deepground. A member of Deepground would have attacked. Or would have died. Vincent continued to do neither though intense ruby eyes never wavered from the one clearly seen as a potential adversary. There is no excitement. No joy.

This early into his own arrival of Folkmore, the gunman is surprised by the lack of recognition. Nero the Sable had been talkative in his own way. But right now, there was a sense of a surreal shift in manner from the jaded, tired creature who would never stop to 'play' and whatever this is.

Simply put, the animation and excitement cannot be trusted one bit. And is likely more dangerous.]

...Vincent Valentine.

[ Does it inspire recognition? And if so, why not? Would it mean Cloud's story earlier could be confirmed as real?

The mechanical dogs that drew the sled hang out, acting very much like unconcerned canines as the two men size one another up in the freezing chill of Wintermute's wilds. ]

[soulerosion]

Valentine?

[ there is recognition at that, but not for the reason vincent may think. or hope. there's the slightest narrowing of his eyes as a far different connection is drawn, the name familiar in the way only a monster knows its creator.

however unintentional their role may have been.

the man before him surely doesn't look like a scientist, unless he's opted to experiment on himself. most of the ones nero has known are spindley little things with no power of their own, reeking of pride and sin and fear when their creations moved to bite back.

so he files it as not impossible, but unlikely. ]

Are you of any relation to one Grimiore Valentine?

[coffinturk]

[ Narrowed eyes meet a set all too willing to match them. The man hears the recognition for his last name. And he can tell it isn't because he is Vincent.

A conclusion all too firmly cemented by mention of a particular scientist's name. One he used to be able to say he hasn't had the opportunity to think about in decades.

Until recent events brought it up again.

Vincent keeps his arms at his sides, heedless of the winds picking up and whipping the worn edges of the scarlet cloak. The high collar flutters, giving glimpse to the man's pressed lips. And ever so subtle traces of a clenched jaw. ]

What meaning does that name have to you?

[ Oh, Vincent can guess. He was a Turk. He knew what Shinra did. Whether the scientists thought they were working on beneficial projects or studying the mysteries and wonders of the world, the Company always seemed to find ways to twist almost anything.

And at the end of the day, could he really say he knew everything regarding Dr. Grimoire Valentine? How complicit he could have been? Vincent knew he could not. There would always be those questions. These moments, when confronted with the simple suggestion that Dr. Valentine might have had connections to Deepground, enough that an subject of the project knew the name, would ever be reminders that there's always a chance some dark secret would bubble to the surface and try to catch him unprepared. ]

He died decades ago.

[ So Vincent isn't going to deny knowing of the man at least. He wouldn't. Whatever had been between them, it had been his father after all. ]

[soulerosion]

Hm...

[ nero's head lolls to the side, lazy and cat-like as he studies the man's reaction... and his face.

true, grimiore valentine had died more than thirty years ago. who was the man before him then? a son who was born shortly after their father's death? nero knew the name but not the life the man had lived, only that he was the byproduct of his research into the stagnation of mako.

and a crackpot theory about human weaponry cooked up by someone with far too much time on their head. ]

My birth was a result of his research. [ nero's eyes meet his. ] Which begs the question... are you a son or a fellow sin?

[coffinturk]

[ The answer could easily be as simple as "both", if sins are assigned merely by the name placed on a research paper into a particular phenomenon. Vincent certainly isn't so embittered about scientists that he would go so far as to accuse the first scientists to write about 'gravity' or 'lava' of being responsible for falling into a volcano.

It would be the act of pushing a victim in that would give rise to the sin. And while Nero's words are hauntingly vague as whether it was just the research or Vincent's father's own hand, the timing is... off. He will not deny Nero's right to be bitter about anything connected to the tortures the Shinra Company is fully capable of inflicting on its human victims. But beyond it... ]

That isn't any of your business.

[ The Sable's guess is close on one point though. That he is the man's son, though far older than Nero suspects; Vincent was an adult when his father passed away. Rather than stop with the curt answer, the gunman lifts his left arm and points at the sled. ]

You've arrived here the same way I did. That creature they call a fox here. I was sent with this sled to bring you back to shelter. Your choice to come back or stay out here.

[ It is both more words than he's spoken since his arrival and a very firm suggestion that Vincent isn't interested in regaling his life story to Nero. Enough that whatever recognition he had for the member of the Tsviets is being superseded by the 'job' he was sent out here to do.

Sort of. Nero can always choose to stay here and rot, if he wants to. Not that Vincent has any control over what the mechanical dogs actually do and they are here to bring a new member of the Star Children back safely. ]

[soulerosion]

[ ... hm.

nero is many things, and calculating the most dangerous among them. through the years he has mastered a great many facades, leading a great many powerful people to think that he is safely pinned under their thumb or too stupid to understand their machinations. wanton violence is fun, to be sure, he adores carnage and bloodshed as much as any other deepground born brat... but it is almost always a means to an end.

nero folds his arms, considering his words. ]

And where and what is this 'shelter'?

[coffinturk]

[ Nice try Nero. What will be offered. Where is going to remain ephemeral. ]

Civilization. Not many people live in this region.

[ Most are spirits, not humans like Gaia is filled with but... still people. And then there are the Star Children. Whatever difference that is. ]

There's an academy. Focuses on technology.

[ There's a short pause. Something that goes artfully missing from the description of the school by the way Vincent continues. ]

...A warehouse. Food carts, a couple of homes. The train station.

[ And still a missing direction. Presuming one can't just follow the sled tracks back; which might be true. Winds are often and the clouds suggest snowfall is constant and regular. It would depend on how far out they are. ]

[soulerosion]

[ the idea of an 'academy' that 'focuses on technology' only seems to narrow nero's eyes further. if that doesn't have all of the makings of a remote shinra lab, he doesn't know what does.

but really, an escape like this wasn't in his plan. what he intended to do was sow the seed of their eventual escape. absently he brings a hand up to scratch an itch on his neck, not at all bothered by how numb the cold has made them. he supposes in the very worst case he could go, massacre the town, and allow himself to be recaptured by whoever he deigns to leave alive.

... but something about the way vincent looks at him bothers him. it's different than the way the scientists do. moreover, he's not made a move to capture him. it feels as though the man is more than content to leave him here to freeze to death and die, and that is somehow refreshing. the idea that the man before him sees a threat too dangerous to live, rather than an asset too valuable to deal with once and for all.

his wings flare to shake off the snow, then fold against his back, the blades turning inward. it doesn't matter, of course, the bladed wings are a red herring from his real danger, but this is as much of a sign a truce as any deepgrounder can muster. sheathing a blade to signal something more important ahs presented itself. something he feels they both understand all too well. ]

Very well.

[coffinturk]

[ Technology begets science. Science goes hand in hand with the presence scientists. Vincent was avoiding the word not out of any sense of compassion, but to stop Nero from running off or coming to think of the dogs as a means to home in on the location.

It would have been worse to chase him down. Vincent may rightly give Nero more credit for intelligence and cunning than most but he is not going to incite impulsive action. Keeping him here is more important right now.

Though Vincent's eyes stay narrowed, he accepts the gesture for what it's meant to be. He had not moved far from the sled so it takes only a brief few steps- oddly lacking any true mark in the snow- and takes the driver's position; standing at the back of the long sled.

There is a stretch of the sled meant for cargo and passenger and it's really the only place to go to if a ride is wanted. The two winter coats are there. There is even some basic food, a thermos. What Vincent will not be doing is making any move to help Nero make use of these items. Not in the slightest.

Vincent is waiting and watching. And oh yes, there is a trap involved. One that will prey on how the Sable is used to having himself viewed by others; even this particular man who seems different.

Should Nero take the open 'offer' for a ride back, that trap will be sprung the moment he steps onto the sled's bed. Vincent's left hand snaps out, its cold, metal-clad fingers attempting to close with unforgiving strength around the Tsviet's arm.

It is not an attack, though it might be seen or even addressed as one. Vincent has something to say and the first things 'spoken' are the knowledge that he holds no fear to make contact, for all he seems to not be ignorant of whom he's addressing. ]

[soulerosion]

[ there's a move to shift away the section he sees vincent's posture change, preparing to dodge away from a blow before it's struck. he's not stupid, after all, his guard hasn't been completely lowered. and as those fingers close around his arm there's no reaction, no lashing out with a fist of his own or using the momentum to yank vincent forward onto the blade of a waiting feather, he simply stops short.

the only indication of how he feels is the widening of those expressive, animal eyes. shocked that vincent is able to move quickly enough to catch him. the fact that he's bold enough to touch him, hand enclosed around his wrist like a shackle.

and how the shadows around his feet begin to coil and writhe like the tail of an agitated cat. ]

And what do we think we are doing? [ there's a warning in his voice, playful and cold though it may be. it's the first prolonged touch he's felt in years. and they both there's good reason for that. ]

[coffinturk]

[ Vincent knows the shadows roil but does not react. It may offer the illusion of someone wholly unaware of the danger he's truly in. The warning, the 'playful' question, they only prompt an even tighter grip.

Without the raw power of Chaos backing him, Vincent may not have the outright physical brute strength of SOLDIER; or someone like Azul the Cerulean. But this is clearly beyond a normal human's. ]

Giving you a warning.

[ The answer doesn't have an ounce of humor. ]

Shinra isn't here. Not in the way you know. This... is something else. What I am taking you to is not a cage; you're already in it. This isn't Deepground. The rules will be different.

[ Vincent then lets go of the young man's wrist. ]

Keep in mind, Nero the Sable. I know exactly who you are and I will kill you if I have to.

[ It won't stick, which is an annoying fact that Vincent does not yet know. But given Nero has just arrived, it's likely a safe bet he doesn't either. This was not a threat; it was a statement. The red-cloaked stranger sought to draw the line as to where exactly the Tsviet was in the pecking between Vincent and himself. ]

[soulerosion]

Will you now? Wouldn't that be a feat.

[ it doesn't sound like the arrogant bragging of a man certain he would win any fight. there's something else there, a certainty that though he may be killed he surely will not die.

for a man as co-dependant as nero would not have willingly elected to continue existing in his world with his only source of light snuffed out. nor would he have gone to such extremes to bring him back if death itself were not the barrier.

nero has no fear of death. and truthfully, if vincent could make good on that promise, he would be doing the world and nero himself a sorely needed favor. ]

How is it you know me? [ a thought strikes him, and rather than lean away, nero leans in. a quick up and down. the connection to grimoire sounds again and nero considers the possibility that is his grandson. ] Are you an up and coming Restrictor, then? So eager to keep the monsters in line?

[ or, considering the prior discomfort and the fact he reeks of experimentation himself... ]

Or perhaps a remnant of Ragnarok?

[coffinturk]

[ Yes, he will. Or so Vincent seems confident there is nothing Nero can bring to bear that would prevent him having the opportunity to snuff that life.

This isn't the place to wonder about whether Nero's just as immortal as he. Can either of them truly die even if they are killed? That's a doubt he can't afford to let this adversary see. After all, they fought before and there is no doubt either would have struck the killing blow the moment the opportunity presented itself.

There was... so much Vincent never had a chance to uncover. Under what circumstances had Weiss died? The details of Deepground beyond a few scrap memos from investigative reports and partial files. Some of Shelke's recounting as they all hastily scrambled to put a stop to the Tsviets. Surely the WRO had uncovered more in the two weeks after Omega was defeated.

Yet he had not had the opportunity to seek more answers even if he had decided he wanted to. Plucked from the path down to meet his friends after they'd finally caught up to him again and only a few hours later placed in the middle of climate as unforgiving as any in the Northern Continent, he did not have much context. Ragnarok was unknown. Restrictors... possibly in passing and at least defined by the context Nero gives.

Vincent's answer needs none of this however. ]

Hrmph. More like a monster that knows another.

[ Not a Restrictor, nor a survivor of an ill-fated unit. Vincent's gaze stares unflinchingly at Nero and without so much as a whisper of a hint at body movement while the Tsviet leans less than an inch away from touching him.

Why hide what's obvious? Whatever his familial connection, the association with the Shinra Company or merely their shared world of origin, Vincent is no less a product of cruel experiments than Nero himself. ]

[soulerosion]

Self-loathing, aren't we?

[ it's mocking, but there's a terrible truth to it. while nero would protest most vehemently that all of shinra's experiments were monsters (his brother is surely not, that word should never be uttered in his direction) there is no denying that whatever he is inspires nothing but primordial fear.

that the man could reach out and touch him so easily - when others recoiled at his mere presence - was something of a wonder.

enough so that nero opts to step onto the sled regardless of warning, signalling an agreement... it's a farce, of course. the moment they get close enough to town, he fully intends to throw the man before him into the void and do as he pleases. while there was once a world where he may have been subdued, the years of binding and restriction have made him nothing if not spiteful.

but for now he'll be good. ]

[coffinturk]

[ It'd be a lie to say Vincent doesn't still struggle with it sometimes. Decades of habits do not fade as swiftly as mere weeks... moments in some ways even. But Nero's mocking words no longer sting the way they once could have.

He'll hear the man's low voice respond as the offer of the sled ride is taken. ]

Not really. Just stating a fact.

[ Yeah... not so much anymore. And it's a subtle part of his tone that he's being honest. Without all this, he'd be a dead man. Someone had been horrible to him. But... someone else had wanted him to live. He knows... and he can appreciate that now. ]

Hey, we're ready.

[ That's a little louder and obviously meant for the dogs who, while they act very much like real canines, are very mechanical and also able to act on their own. There will be no commands from Vincent that inspire them to start moving, making a wide turn and getting the sled back into position to return to civilization.

...If nothing more, it seems clear that Vincent is not needed for the return trip. Probably. And if it bothers Nero that he seems so disgustingly at peace (even if just a little) over what he is... ]

[soulerosion]

[ doubtful. either you hate yourself or you hate the world, and nero himself has mastered the art of both.

the sable is disturbingly docile for most of the trip. watching the landscape pass by with something perhaps bordering on interest. he's never been this far north. when shinra sent him on missions it was to whichever country they decided to war on in the warmer climates, too brief to take in the scenery and too much of a one-sided massacre to be memorable.

... but there is something to say about the endless white landscape, untouched by man or beast. so different from the dark hole he knows.

when that landscape starts to change and something resembling civilization appears on the horizon, nero sits up and takes attention. for a moment all he does is admire the tiny dot as it grows closer.

and then, deeming that his guide is no longer needed (if he ever was) the darkness howls into existence and swallows vincent whole.

( unfortunately the dogs do not seem pleased by this turn of events as the sled coasts to a stop. ) ]

[coffinturk]

[ The dogs are definitely confused at the sudden change in weight and the way the sled skidded in a manner to suggest that it was the 'driver' himself. Did someone fall off? So clearly they are going to stop. As clever as any true sled team, it would be instinct to bring the sled to a halt, though granted they're likely to have done so more swiftly than their flesh and blood, run-driven counterparts might have. This anecdotal interlude truly defies the gravity of what just happened.

Vincent showed no reaction, slipping down as if inertia could no longer affect his forward trajectory; only gravity itself, down and unaware of what actually just happened.

But that can't possibly be, can it? Something terrible, something odd that it comes from a man so capable of reacting to defend against Nero's attacks, to grab the Sable in a vice-like grip before. And now taken by surprise? One might have expected a futile struggle.

Vincent doesn't have to move, though as if it'd become habit- a good one to have around one such as the Tsviet- he cants his head to one side as if trying to discern that anything might need to be retrieved before departing. Unlikely; the middle of a field with no signs of others who had briefly abided before the misfortune of Nero the Sable was not the place to find victims. And the Fox did not seem to let anything other than what she brought in enter her realm.

Still, it was best to be sure.

And in a way, it's a new experience. Chaos no longer pulsed at the back of his mind, matching his heartbeat; held in check by will alone and later, only through the boon of the ancient materia still housed in his body. There was peace in the howling vortex of this darkness he'd not known before.

He shook his head, casting aside the moment's absurd conflict. Vincent doesn't have to move, but he does, searching for... something. Lifting an arm, he swept through the void before him as if it were a curtain to be pushed aside, walking back into the bitter chill of reality.

the Sable may feel the darkness stir at another's will and Vincent simply walks out again, looking no worse for wear. Despite the fact that the sled traveled several dozens of feet onward Vincent is still right next him. That's why he moved. ]

...Was wondering what was taking so long. You're more patient than I expected.

[ More patient than he last remembered. Vincent will make note of that. ]

...Going to behave?

[ Or is Nero going to try again. Or is Vincent going to have to do more than words here?]

[soulerosion]

[ there is no hiding the shock on nero's face. not that nero seems to be good at masking his genuine emotions, they hit him strong, fast, and usually involve the void at his fingertips killing several people.

in the future he'll have months to unwind the mystery, pulling apart the thread that connects him with chaos and thus vincent valentine himself. in the present, all nero is that he was the only survivor of an experiment designed to imbue the human soul with the very rot of the planet itself.

this is nothing short of a miracle. this has never happened before. even the restrictors resorted to threatening weiss' life to reign nero in once he'd calmed from whatever dramatic escape attempt he'd pulled. no one was immune. no one.

not even weiss. ]

... Most impressive. Let's see you do it again. [ but whether that is mockery or genuine interest is hard to gauge. again the darkness surges, aiming to disappear him once more. ]

[coffinturk]

[ In he goes again. The expression on the man's face is not serene; it is resigned.

And out he steps. This time a little further away and walking to Nero and the sled. It's not just an immunity Vincent possesses; it's that he can move around and even find his way back. Could it be possible that he is able to mimic what the younger man is capable of?

In all honesty Vincent doesn't know the answer to that, nor if that would have left him with the departure of Chaos. He would be hard pressed to name anyone or anything to inflict that horror upon; not even Hojo. It is enough that he can at least still affect it enough to escape. Vincent doesn't need to find out if it's in his skill set.

Besides, Nero is just as immune as he. What would even be the point of trying if he could? ]

Satisfied?

[soulerosion]

[ there are no memories coming to him from this man and that is truly the most frustrating part. he sees all the memories of those who fall into the darkness, and there is nothing here. no good, no bad. just another well of darkness as infinite as his own.

but when vincent emerges, it's clear that nero's not entirely done with this game.

truthfully, nero is stronger now than he will be. be it the three long years cut off from the surface, or the fracturing of his already unstable mind from the grief of losing his brother - but his skillset dwindles between the moment of their freedom and final escape.

his fingers twist and rather than just absorbing vincent in the dark, it congeals and becomes a physical thing. winding around vincent's feet and arms like rope, yanking him up toward the sky. just to see if this, too, is something that he can break.

but there's oddly no malice in those eyes. his head inclines to the side and it's apparently at this point, nero is only curious. testing boundaries like a cat batting a mouse before it decides whether it's prey or plaything. ]

[coffinturk]

[ This affords Nero the pleasure of seeing Vincent react with sharp attention as the inky black takes on corporeal shape and wraps around his limbs. This... is new to him.

The same resource, but an unknown factor. Vincent finds this no tedious parlor trick and only his swiftness allows him any chance at a last minute effort to escape the bindings. He truly seems to dance although one by one his arms and legs become ensnared by the persistent tendrils.

The gunman is swiftly hoisted in the midst of testing these bonds, ruby eyes assessing tension and what leverage he still possesses. Even in this concentrated state, he feels no undue effects from the dark. In the end he need only to force his arms to cross, grab and pull.

It shatters, snaps like common vines to free his hands to reach and perform the same task for his legs. The upward momentum of Nero's efforts seems to be fighting against an opposing force, slowing everything visibly while the red cloak flares and seems to intentionally obstruct what's truly happening.

Suddenly it collapses again and Vincent is falling swiftly to the ground head first. His body twists and flips upright and completely slows to gently settle in absent denial of some of the most basic laws of gravity and physics.

Vincent's eyes open, staring at Nero. Just as swiftly as ever, the dark-haired man rushes at Nero, for the first time on the offensive. The rush and intent- not murderous, not deadly or malicious- just intent itself- suggests Nero better try something new.

Valentine learns too quickly. And currently he's seeking to catch the Sable by the throat. ]

[soulerosion]

[ the hover does not escape his notice. this man possesses that same ability? again the question comes to mind as to whether the man before him is a son or a sprout born of the same sinful seed.

it isn't often anyone would say the brothers look alike. weiss is the pinnacle of perfection, and nero his demented shadow. but the expression on his face is all too familiar, a near perfect mirror of the feral joy that had been written across weiss' during that final encounter. the joy any deepgrounder feels when finding an enemy worthy of a fight.

as vincent rushes forward, nero's wings burst into existence once more, grabbing at the hands reaching for his throat as a leg snaps up to try to kick the other man in the face. ]