Test Drive Meme!

[rekindlemods]

Welcome to the Rekindle Test Drive! Trying to see if a character will fit or work in the setting? Need some interaction samples? Well this meme is for you! Make a post, tag around, and most importantly, have fun! Here's the setting page for those who want to learn a little more about the city itself. Then don't forget to go reserve your character, GO GO GO.......

Here's some prompts to help you get started, if you need it:

Option 1

[The mid-summer rays are beginning to subside at last, giving way to a few cooler breezes here and there as the sun begins to set and the moons rise in the sky. So what does that mean? Well, for the locals, it means it's time to begin preparations for the autumnal festival! The reds, oranges, and yellows take on a more rustic tone in the streets as the venders set up their outdoor marketplace stands, selling all kinds of treats and delicacies. From fresh corn and pretzels, to strange fruits that may look like those from home (although different in color, not taste), these vendors seem to have it all! Though in a few stands, it seems as though there are snacks and desserts meant to be split in two or shared with another. They also seem to be very fond of giving discounts to couples... Oh, my...]

Option 2

[Everything on the riverbank seems to be the norm for every other day: Vendors renting out innertubes for two, others selling ice cream and watermelon during the still warm days, and even a few water balloons still being tossed around or kept hidden nearby. At night, however, there seems to be a gathering at the water's edge as some hold little paper lanterns, aglow with small candles inside them as they gleam golden in the moonlight. The locals say that wishing on them as you let them float into the air brings you good luck, and makes that wish come true. But that's just a silly rumor, isn't it? At least it's pretty, along with the small candles floating on the water's surface...]

Option 3

[It doesn't matter where you are or what you were doing. All that matters is you've suddenly been hit with the chills (or did the temperature suddenly skyrocket?) and they don't seem to be going away just yet. Yep. Those wacky scientists seem to be at it again... At least it should pass soon, but whether it be chills or being far too hot, maybe you should...find someone else with this problem. After all, even the face of the medical community says that it will only be fixed by hugging or holding someone's hand.]

Option 4

[Whoops. Looks like you haven't taken the cautionary words of the other NPCs to heart, or maybe you just wanted to take your chances. Either way, the withdrawal symptoms have started and you need to find someone to hug quickly before you get even more sick.]

Option 5

[If there's something else you wanted to play with, that you didn't see here, then have fun with that. You've just arrived in a strange city, after all. There's got to be plenty to explore out and about, not to mention people to meet.]

Comments

Sonmi-451 | Cloud Atlas | Option 1 or 2

[womb2tomb]

Option 1

Pure blood food. Sonmi-451 looked over the different colors and textures, noting the varying smells and being very very curious of what it all tasted like...

She looked around, though. Hae-Joo wasn't here in this... place... She wasn't really sure what had happened, actually. Most importantly, she didn't feel safe anymore. The people didn't seem to know (or care about) what she was, yet the fear of persecution couldn't bring her to try the food...

Option 2

Sonmi sat on the edge of the river back, watching the final rays of the sun set along the water. This was a rare view and it was real. She could smell the water, feel the sand.

She watched the view in silence, feeling as if she may never leave the area.

option 1!

[soldiernoclass]

He's only been around a month or two (and he'd really ought to keep better track), but even so Zack can't count on both hands anymore the number of people he's run across who don't look like they belong. Or, rather, who look like they know they don't belong. The avid (or blank) stares, the cautious glances around - little red flags that most of them don't seem to realize they're planting, harmless signifiers of the confused or overwhelmed. It's totally understandable. Maybe especially, in this crowd.

"Hey, are you all right? You look a little lost." For him, this counts as friendly preamble, accompanied by an artlessly sympathetic expression that comes as naturally as the need to lend a hand.

"...Or hungry. Is it hungry?" In which case, he really can't blame her, either.

juie grigio: option 2

[grigio]

[Julie was seated near the riverbank, back against a tree and her knees drawn up to her chin. Her arms were wrapped around her shins as she watched the lanterns. Nothing was this beautiful back home. It was so surreal to watch and she was content to do just that with a soft smile on her face.]

[fixated]

[ Jack hopes he isn't disturbing Julie as he stumbles through the bushes behind her, muttering to himself and squinting. ]

I thought it was...

[ there's another moment of silence and a loud crack before there's a yelp and a thud. It looks like someone cracked there head on a low hanging branch. ]

I shouldn't even be consiering this...

[lovesthecure]

[She's... having fun. That's good. He's glad for her. That's what you're supposed to feel for people who are happy, right? Particularly if you like the....


He should leave.

He turns to leave.

He slips and falls and tumbles down the riverbank instead.]

Lady Kendra Archibald El-Melloi (female AU of Kayneth) | Fate/Zero

[surfacetension]

#2:
[She doesn't care about wishes. In fact, the thought makes her uncomfortable. Wishes don't come true. She stays well away from the revelers and their lanterns.

She sits at the water's edge, by herself. She doesn't feel particularly social at the moment. The little lights floating on the surface of the river are beautiful, she supposes, but she's more concerned with the water itself. Without so much as moving a hand, she concentrates on it, making it rise into the air, then swirling in loops, then firming into elaborate, geometrical patterns. She smiles, for once. It's faint, but undeniable.]

#4:
[Kendra looks tired, as if she hasn't slept in a week. That impression isn't helped by the scowl she's currently wearing as she reprimands the huge construct of mercury that seems to have gone haywire: a giant silver blob that keeps changing shape--from round to angular to zig-zag, rising and falling, splintering and reforming. It jerks and sways across the roadway, seemingly oblivious to Kendra's commands.]

Stop it at once! Behave yourself.

[She speaks to it as one might to a disobedient child, or dog.]

#5:
[When out exploring, Kendra carries herself with dignity and decorum, her hair perfectly coiffed, her dress immaculate. Her behavior and bearing are faultless--however, she can't help but draw near to the closed-off areas of the city, frowning as she does so, her steps slowing. She can't deny that she's curious.]


[[ooc: AU info in profile/journal, in case anyone wants to know.]]

Situation #2

[smallspot]

[After setting his candle afloat and waving good by to Wing, Diarmuid has taken some time to walk along the river. Though he keeps a long way away from the actual water, remembering his father's warnings about how dangerous it can be, it's obvious he likes looking at it.

Of course, he's never seen it do that before.

The boy runs up to the blonde woman sitting along the bank of the river and looks at her with wide excited eyes.]

Did you see that? What do you think caused it? It had to be a fairy, right?

[He doesn't seem to realize that she, not a fairy, is the cause of the dancing water he saw just moments before.]

4 - and this should be interesting~

[guiding_starlight]

Excuse me, miss. Is that yours? [ Nanoha approached cautiously, but her body language was relaxed. Casual, even. It looks as if she had interrupted her own jogging to come over to the pair having their disagreement in the street.

The... being did not seem to be hostile for the moment, just existing as an unpredictable element, and the other woman seemed to be in no danger.

That did not mean that her own magical companion was not at the ready to take action in a split-second's notice. No, Nanoha was ready to act without drawing attention to that fact first. She'll see how the creature and the woman both behave and only act if she sees that it was necessary. ]

Nanako Dojima | Persona 4

[itsjunestime]

Option 2

[Nanako was one of the many people who have gathered near the river bank. The little girl's eyes grow wide as she watched the lanterns float up to the sky, laughing and marveling at how beautiful everything was. She had her own lantern, holding it tight around her arms as she waited for the right time to release hers into the sky. It may have been a rumor, wishing on the lanterns, but Nanako believed it with all of of her heart.

She wanted to wish that her father will be all right back home in Inaba.]

[callmewhateveryuwant]

[And from close by, her big brother will watching the scene. He remembered when he released his candle not too long ago wishing everyone back home would be alright. He walks up to her and kneels down beside her.]

Did you make your wish?

forgive me for no icons...

[spunkydragon]

Oh! Nanako-chan, there you are!

[A familiar brown-haired teen runs up to the girl, a bright look in her eyes to match the lantern she held in her hands. She certainly seemed happy to see Nanako.]

I was looking for you so we could make our wishes together. I'm glad I found you in time...

Death Emizel | Disgaea 4 [Option 4]

[trademark_skull]

[...This was getting ridiculous. If nobody was going to going to send him off this strange world, he will just have to do something himself. Although how exactly he was going to do that, maybe needs to worked on a bit, still.]

[Well, there was those walls. Breaking them down probably won't do anything though, even if he could. No, he had to do something more than just that.]

[W-wait, he's got it now! If the natives knew they were keeping a dangerous demon captive here they will have to let him go! Although he could still just show his point by hurting a wall. Scaring humans was one of the duties of a demon anyway so wouldn't be that unusual of him.]

[Now all Emizel had to do was make a scene on a street. But just as he tried to call up some fire..something strange happened. Actually, nothing happened.]

....What? [He looked confused, unamused, and tried it again. Still nothing.] What gives?!

[It was like all his magic was sucked out. Though he felt fine. They must have done something to him, didn't they?]

/sits here

[unionjackoff]

[how funny it was that two people from two completely different worlds could have so much in common. England, himself, had not been doing very well in the hug department. he was weak now, and he hated that. he needed to find someone to touch quickly, casually.

he catches sight of the blond-haired boy who looks absolutely flustered. hm]

I say, are you alright?

Xion (Animus!transplant) | Kingdom Hearts [Options 2 and 4]

[attheclocktower]

[2]

[Though Xion wants to be skeptical when she hears about the lights, the stories behind them, there's something about it that draws her in. A childlike hope, one she hasn't been able to quite quash yet.

She's off by herself, holding her lantern in her hands. Eyes closed, she pictures the thing she wants most, the thing she misses most, then lets the lantern go, soaring up until she can't pick it out among all the others being released.

That done, she sits down, curls up into a ball, and lets the waves lap at her feet, blinking back the sudden watering in her eyes as she thinks about her wish. She just wants her family back...]

[4]

[Xion was still wary about all of this. About everything - particularly the NPCs. After a year and a half in Animus she just... can't trust people who can randomly drag people from their worlds to another, even if they weren't saying the Tower had been destroyed.

This of course all assumed that this wasn't some elaborate illusion anyway. Which Xion was still not entirely convinced. Though did the admins even have enough power to generate this level of an illusion anymore?

She didn't know, but she wasn't about to take chances. Not to mention she hadn't found anybody else from the Tower yet, let alone someone she felt like cuddling with.

She didn't know if this... whatever this was... was the "catch" to her not listening, or something else entirely. She had a funny feeling she already knew, but...

She's stumbling down the hallway now, trying to make it to her room and see if she can sleep this off. Whatever it is. The fact that she's dizzy enough to make it difficult to see straight isn't helping though...]

This is going to be heartbreaking, I just know it - 2

[earthshards]

[It's... odd, and strangely unnerving, to be around so many people at once. There hadn't been nearly this many people around when he had first arrived, and without the black coat, Terra felt oddly exposed.

It had come as a pleasant surprise to him when he'd acquired festival garments and he had gotten dressed without any sort of difficulty that evening. The baggy, pleated pants - hakama? - had felt really familiar, too. Like he was used to moving in them.

At most, he's maybe expecting to see Sora wishing for his friends here. What he isn't expecting is seeing a girl curled up on the riverbank, looking like she's about to break down and cry.

Call him nosy, or call him concerned. Either way, he hates seeing anyone sad like this when everyone else seems happy. He quietly makes his way over to her, and crouches down so that he's closer to her level.] Are you all right?

[With the distance closed between them, something about her looks... very familiar. But with her face hidden like that, he couldn't even begin to pinpoint it.]

Isa (AU) | Kingdom Hearts | Option 2 (Other options available on request)

[afterthemoon]

[What's there for Isa to wish for anymore? He has the thing he wants the most. Besides, it's not like the lanterns could really grant the wish anyway, right? It was just a local fairy tale, or something.

But, he'll be a good sport and participate anyway. He's not completly cynical.]

[earthshards]

[There's always something to local folklore, however silly it might seem. At least, that's what this festival-goer is telling himself as he looks at the lanterns floating over the water, a lit lantern in his hands.

He probably cuts a vaguely familiar, if rather different silhouette in his green and brown colored festival garb and his still long hair tied back to keep it out of the way. But his face should be somewhat familiar, even if the colors are wrong there, too.

Whoever this is, his heart's a fractured mess - but parts of that light possibly feel familiar, along with pieces of that darkness.

He's apparently contemplating a wish, if the thoughtful look on his face is any indication.] What should I...?

[He makes a 'hmmm' sound, and releases the lantern. He watches it drift away for a moment before he turns -

And stops in place when he spots a somewhat familiar head of blue hair. The shock is rather plain to see on his face, along with apprehension.] Saïx?

[A seeming stranger knows your name; what do?]

Kangai | Jisei [options 2 and 4]

[dyingmoments]

[2]

[From a distance, you might notice that one of the lantern lights is a lot father away from the rest of them. If you check it out, there's a broody male absentmindedly staring at the flickering flame of the candle in his hand.

He isn't the kind of guy that would bother with stuff like wishes, but what the heck. He's already here and someone shoved a lantern at him, so he might as well. He gently pushes the lantern up... and watches it float away into the night sky.]

[4]

[Kangai is NOT going to touch people just because a letter told him to. It was ridiculous to claim that energy was generated through hugging, and even if it was, he's not going to become a touchy-feely person because of it. Who does that?

This isn't the first time he's been forced to live under someone's rules, such as when he got placed under police custody, or when he got shoved into Aki's merry band of investogators. But he didn't do anything to deserve it this time, so he can't help but rebel. In the end he has a feeling he'll have to quietly accept whatever's going on like everywhere else, but for now he's just going to be irritated and try to walk off this pounding headache.]

Sealand | Hetalia

[bydefacto]

[Option 2]

[ Sealand watches in awe at the beautiful lights that fill up the night sky and the water below. He can't help but grin at the scene. ]

Woah! Pretty...

[ Something that interests him the most about this, however, is the rumours of wishes coming true. Like throwing a coin into a wishing well, right? He always likes those! He clings to his lantern and goes over to the water's edge. ]

I'm gonna try! I'm gonna try!

[Option 3]

[ Sealand is just exploring the city when the cold hits. He's looking at the vendors nearby, considering getting himself an ice cream, when a sudden chill overcomes him. He shivers, beginning to seriously regret the fact that he's wearing shorts and a t-shirt. This came on quick! ]

Wh-Why is it so cold suddenly?!

[ He's sure not in the mood for ice cream anymore. Maybe he should head home or something... Get warm... ]

[option 2]

[unionjackoff]

Try what?

[suddenly there is a recognizable voice behind Sealand. yes, and a body leaning over him disapprovingly. or maybe just because whoever is there is worried about him. who knows]

Ienzo (AU) || Kingdom Hearts Option #2

[bittyschemes]

Ienzo probably should be in bed by now, but that didn't stop him from creeping down to the water's edge to see what was causing the light. He's been down here for a while already and has managed to overhear people talk about the general idea of it.

He tells himself he doesn't believe in wishes coming true--that only little kids believe in that--but he kind of does want to try releasing one all the same.

/Tosses all the RG headcanon at you :D?

[self_replication]

[Yes, yes he should be in bed, but Vexen will overlook that- mostly because the candles remind him of home and a similar - but wholly land-bound- procession on the Longest Night. Not for luck of course, but to case away the darkness and give hope.

A silly superstition, but one he remembers nonetheless.] It is rather fasinating, is it not?

[And guess what? for once he's out of the coat and in prim and proper sweaters, shirts with collars and slacks.]

Blurr | Transformers: Animated

[stillbeatingspark]

[2]
[Blurr was never too find of the idea of wishing rituals, personally. Why waste time on something that might not even happen? He can certainly appreciate the look and morale boosting sentiment, though, pacing up and down and up and down the riverside to watch the candles drift off. So many brightly shining pieces of hope.

With so many kinds of life here...what do they hope for, he wonders?]

[3]
[Cold, cold, cold, why is it so cold all of the sudden!? The weather had been perfectly comfortable--not to mention there didn't appear to be any immediately apparent changes to it--but now it felt like he was going to be frozen solid any moment!

Motion. Motion should make him warmer. So he's zooming around anywhere he can, going in circles if he has to, to move as much as possible.

Why isn't he getting warmer?]

3

[stillshinigami]

Hooolly...

[Okay, not every day you see a robot that looked that cool. It was moving around quite a bit, and his first instinct was that maybe it was a mobile armor for human use of some kind? Maybe? Animatronic?

He maneuvered around to the front to get a look at it.]

Hey? Anybody in there?

Shadow //OC

[ex_shadowstep567]

[3]

[A low rumble reverberates from his chest and throat as this young black lion curls into himself, shivering and--Mostly that really.

He hated the cold. Hate, hate hated it. He was built for the savanna temperatures in theory, but then again his black fur prevented him from being even remotely comfortable in that heat.

At the moment? He was just miserable, so he flopped onto his belly to bask in the sun, only to somehow feel a bit colder. This results in a very pitiful groan.]

Rrrrmm...

Re: Shadow //OC

[bittyschemes]

[Is that a lion? That's a lion, right?

Ienzo glances around to see if anyone else is nearby. Then his eyes go right back to the lion. Just checking to see it's really still there and not some kind of hallucination.

He doesn't approach, hanging back and watching it from around a corner. He's curious, but he's not stupid or brave enough to creep closer for a better look.]

Draco Malfoy | Harry Potter

[substandard]

option 1

[Draco's honestly found all the sun quite irritating—in general, the climate is a lot warmer than he'd like. the air is tolerable enough at night, but little else about this little shit pot is terribly grating.

having just arrived, Draco's inspecting some of the wares. he's certainly scoffed and rolled his eyes at the praising of couples, and not without any sort of bitter envy towards pairs of no one in particular, but the treats do look tasty. especially considering that he's not eaten in some time, even prior to his arrival.

truthfully, his nerves are still bad. they were bad before he came here, and they're still bad. it's a reprieve from the stress that home brings, but away from his family, this is stressful by itself.

but, still, Draco's decided he's hungry enough to eat. of course, having arrived with nary a knut to his name, and having been kidnapped, Draco hasn't thought about anything like paying. and so, chewing a nice mouthful of delicate, sweet tart, Draco dead eyes his vendor mid-chew.]

Pay?

[Draco scowls in obvious disgust. not that he isn't entitled anyway, but at home, paying for things was fair and easy. but here, it's absurd and unfair. insulting, even.]

You must be joking. How would I have any money to give you? I've been kidnapped, you insolent codger. The nerve of you!

[the vendor understandably responds with some hostile defensiveness, and Draco looks unimpressed.]

[severaty]

How daft are you? Gawds.

[The shouting has attracted the notice of a redhead nearby, clad in rather medieval-looking armor, a sword leaned against the table beside her. She rolls her eyes, looking incredibly imposed-upon, and makes a dismissive little motion in Draco's direction. Normally, she'd leave someone like that to deal with things on their own, but the yelling is interrupting her own dessert, and she's none too happy about it.]

You got the same package as the rest of us, right? They gave you keys and a card, and some placating letter.

[She flicks a pigtail over her shoulder and scoffs.]

I hope you kept that card- it's got money on it, and you can use it to pay for things- like that tart, for starters.

Madoka Kaname | Puella Magi | feel free to add your own prompt

[ribbow]

    [OPTION 1]
[ Festivals have always been a lot of fun to attend for someone as young as Madoka. It isn't until high school when students are tasked with the responsibility of organizing their own and with loving parents who were fairly well-off (but not rich), this middle-schooler never had to worry about all the work that went on behind the scenes. Still, she remains mindful of those who operate the stands and respectful of the space around her even in her excitement.

Save for one thing. ]

Y-You want me to do what? [ Apparently she's just been asked to pose as someone's date to fetch a discount. How embarrassing. ]

    [OPTION 3]
[ If there's one thing she's known to be true in her life, hugs do make everything better. Every time she scored poorly on an exam or had a rough day in PE, papa was always there for a hug (as well as a nice hot cup to sip from). Right now, that's what she's got a hankering for above all else. While she's been told by a nice doctor (that's what the guys in white were, correct?) that she needs to hold someone's hand to warm up, Madoka doesn't necessarily believe that. Wouldn't it only warm her hand and not the rest of her body? Besides, what happens if she runs into someone who's just as cold-blooded as herself?

Regardless of how she feels about it, she's hunting down the nearest person who looks as if they wouldn't harm her. ]

Excuse me! Hello there, mister? Misses? [ Oh no, she used both, she's done for now. ] Um, really sorry to be of trouble, but I was wondering if you can h-help me please!

Option 3

[goldenflint]

[Fortunately for Madoka, Mami was feeling the opposite ailment. She had taken to wearing a tank top and a pair of short, but it did nothing to alleviate the heat she was feeling. Her eyes widen when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.]

... Kaname-san?

[She turned around on her heel, and sure enough, she was face to face with one of her juniors.]

It is you...

If I join, I'm making a new account with a better username lol

[selfmadespeedster]

OPTION 3

When one was cold there was a natural solution; eat or drink something hot to warm up. Wally bundled up in as many layers and jackets as he could manage to wear. Upon seeing himself in the mirror he groaned and pulled the hat on his head down over his face more. Hopefully nobody he knew would see him walking around dressed like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. It was hard to resist running full speed to the nearest coffee shop to get this over with, and he settled for a jog that was closer to the average man's sprint.

When he arrived there was a little line at the shop. He kept his head down and tapped his foot impatiently as the line crept forward person by person.

OPTION 4

"Oh man! Seriously?!" Wally nearly shouted when he read his stats on the thermometer. It had been a long time since he had felt under the weather like this. Generally ever since he gained super speed his body was able to fight off infections before he actually became sick. This definitely wasn't a normal flu or cold. "The hugging thing is true?" he shuddered from a mix of disturbance and the small fever building in him.

There was one thing to do then. He'd have to hug someone and see if it really helped. He wasted no time; Wally left his apartment and headed in the direction of a certain friend's. "Oh M'gann!"

OR HIT ME WITH OPTION 5 IDEK

OPTION 4

[staystraught]

Don't look now, Wally, but you left your window open and someone climbed in to sit on the windowsill while you did the aforementioned not-looking.

Dick didn't say a world. He smirked a little, but that could be attributed to anything; not actually hearing Wally yell. It was entirely possible he'd read a funny book and was remembering it, or that he'd just beaten up a bank robber.

There was nothing to suggest he was waiting for a reason to laugh at Wally.

Nothing whatsoever.

Option 2

[stillshinigami]

[He'd roamed about for a while, checking out the villagers, mostly just getting his land legs again. He'd been in space for quite a while and now being back on Earth, or whatever this place was, it was jarring to say nothing about the shock it was to see clear skies.

For the moment, he couldn't really stomach icecream or anything sweet. He just sorta wanted to sit for a while, so he picked a place under a tree and sat by the river, feeling comfortable enough to slip his shoes off, roll up his pants and dip his feet into the river.]

Heh. The way these people act, this whole hugging business must be doing somethin' right.

Homura Akemi || Madoka Magica || EVERYTHING

[erasponsible]

[2]

[Gatherings are easier for Homura to attend when they are at night. She isn't much of a conversationalist, and her long black hair keeps her from being noticed by too many of the locals. She is noticeably standing off to the side, watching the lanterns float with a completely unreadable expression.

Its a silly and foolish ceremony, she thinks, but one rooted in tradition no doubt. After all, one could not expect normal and simple people to understand the balance system of wishes and miracles.

Still, better on one of these paper lanterns than in the face of a fuzzy long-eared white alien. She will not be participating. But it would be interesting to see who might need some reeducation, were they to befriend anyone she may have known in the past.]



[ooc: feel free to add your own prompt!]

The Sacred Gardens

[spicyworkaholic]

Emotions. Pepper Potts had always had them under complete control, always maintained a firm grip on them. From resisting the urge to kiss her former boss (when he was still her boss) to keeping herself from punching said former boss for numerous annoyances (infractions, inconveniences, and intentional oogling), the former PA turned CEO had always been able to maintain a level of calm that was downright miraculous if not completely angelic.

That mask was beginning to slip, no, not slip, slough off completely as her body sought to cope with the roiling chemical something that was trying to change her DNA against its will. She seemed to always feel angry, and had never before been this angry, not even after Tony had gone and gotten himself shot up in Afghanistan. Not even after the 127th time he had gone and done so. As the beautiful and relaxing visage of the gardens filled her view, Pepper decided that there was nothing rational or reasonable about the rage that filled her, it was simply a symptom of her condition - a condition she couldn't let anyone, much less Tony, know about.

That had been an unexpected blessing in disguise, when she had realized that while Tony was here, he didn't seem to know about her kidnapping or what had been done to her until she had suddenly appeared in this crazy city. It was lucky right? Whatever strange amnesia or...time travel, had blotted out the worst of what Pepper had already experienced; it was better that Tony didn't know, right? Better to figure this thing out alone, to try and control it, or else end like so many of the other test subjects had, a fiery inferno, only alone. Pepper would at least make sure she didn't take anyone else with her.

And that was why she had come here, to this relaxing place. Here, maybe, she could find solitude and control, find a way to quell the ebb and flow of the unpredictable rage that burned within her. Maybe- but there was a sound on the path behind her, and Pepper turned, trying to extinguish the flare of inner fire that began to build with the moment of surprise.

"Who's there?" Blue eyes flamed red with momentary emotion until she managed to swallow and contain the flood that sought freedom.

[immoralsupport]

Since the opening of the newest district, Loki had taken to spending a portion of each day at the small temple and its garden. The solitude it afforded was incomparable anywhere else in the city. Having been provided private rooms, he had hoped to be able to find the quiet he needed there, but he had learned that to have been too great an expectation.

The rooms were tiny, nearly unlivable, little better than servant's quarters in truth. The walls were thin, doing little and less to prevent noise contamination from the hall and the other rooms. It was far from an environment conducive to his purposes.

In his explorations of the city, he had come upon this building, a haven from the crowds elsewhere. Only rarely did it draw other visitors, and those also appearing to seek the serenity offered. It was very nearly a perfect place to concentrate on seeking out the magic of Saeng Seong.

Today he arrived to find another come before him. Unlike the other occasional patrons of the garden, however, this woman turned at his tread, confrontational, and addressed him, breaking the silence that always held sway upon this place.

Pausing on the path yet some distance from her, Loki replied, "I'm sorry, it appears I have disturbed you." She should be apologizing to him, of course. She should be grovelling at his feet, professing her shame for disrespecting this, his sanctuary. There was so much he need put up with here.