TEST DRIVE 001b

[pyracy]

Try on those ridiculous clothes, sample the catering, and run through your lines. It's time for the Long 18th Test Drive.

ARRIVAL: Characters come to in a dark, tropical forest in a huddle. There are the sounds of strange birds, animals, and insects all around, some of them perhaps worryingly close. With a closer inspection, arrivals realize they're on an incline: Going up will prove fruitless, no matter who they are. The ground there starts to grow rocky the further they climb, and they may find themselves slipping back down to their arrival point, even if they're expert mountain climbers. The ground sloping downward will eventually level out leading toward light, music, and noise. But for the moment, they're simply a group of lost people (or monsters/bipedal animals/robots/etc) with no idea where they are or how they got here. Now's probably a good time to ask, "Who the hell are you? Where am I?" Time to use the buddy system.

TORTUGA: There's a town off the coast of Hispaniola that never sleeps, and that town is Tortuga. It's swapped hands more times than anyone can count, but for now, the French have it. And they do like the extra money the pirates that frequent it bring in; they like it so much that they imported over 1600 prostitutes from Europe to keep them happy. So you might as well relax while you're here, as much as you can with random gunshots and fist fights, anyway. Drop in for a drink at the Faithful Bride, check out the wares for sale (provided to you tax-free thanks to piracy) near the dock front. Visit the warehouse where those ill-gotten goods are stored and distributed. Maybe you're looking for work on a ship? The captains can usually be found - frazzled and busy - in the taverns and at the shipwrights and everywhere in between (just look for the hats), and if they're in a good mood, they might be willing. But the key point of Tortuga is this: Have fun. Some examples might include: A barfight! Wandering into a brothel (maybe by mistake)! Getting duped into joining a crew! There's no end of trouble to get into.

MIRROR POST: When they arrived, every person found, in a pocket or a bag or tucked away somewhere on their person, a little compact mirror. It's nothing fancy: Square, with hinges and a latch that keep it closed, the outer casing carved from seashell, the inner mirror a little spotted with age. But if it's played around with enough, it quickly becomes apparent it works as a communication device. Here you have access to all of the marked folks, no matter how far and wide they might spread. Need to have a heart to heart with a buddy in Singapore? Want to send out a general ad to everyone at large? Looking for answers to questions? This is the quickest way to get all of that.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: The world is open, and it's full of pearls that are just waiting for you to take them. Maybe you want to have some quiet time to scrub clean in a bathhouse in Singapore. Perhaps you're visiting the fabled pirate city of Libertalia in Madagascar. Maybe you've found yourself lost in Mayan ruins or stranded on an island. Or you were shipwrecked in a hurricane. Or you've decided to relocate to Port Royal or one of the American colonies for a quieter sort of life. Either way, this is your story, might as well make it a good one.

Comments

[golden_glider]

[If everyone thinks they've had an eye on you it's that much easier to take advantage when a back is turned. Not that she's been doing more than lightening a pocket here and there. The weight of money in this era makes it a little difficult to swipe an entire "wallet."

Lisa's pretty sure that's not meant to be a 100% a compliment, but it sure sounds like one to her. At least her instincts still seemed to be on point about this woman.

She shrugs, replies a little too honestly.]

Do what you know. Drunk men are the same everywhere.

[hiddenandpatient]

I haven't much experience with drunk men.

[Not that she can complain. Her mother always sought to keep them safe- she was always to be the next Queen of England. Even the men of court, when she was young, were never that drunk around her. Even the men of Henry's court weren't, nor Henry himself. She frowned a little into her mead, mentally taking her options into consideration. Though there was nothing outright making her believe she could trust this woman- it was far easier to trust a woman that had already helped you than it was to trust any man you did not know.

She needed someone to trust- if not just a little- here. She looks back up at the other woman, eyes wide as she watches her a moment longer before continuing:]

I'm afraid I haven't caught your name?

[golden_glider]

Lucky you.

[The sarcasm returns, but more out of habit than actual spite.

There is a lot to distrust about Lisa, she wouldn't take it personally. Usually she doesn't need people to trust her for very long. Long cons weren't really her repertoire. She's been doing some adjusting herself, as much as it appears she's fitting in. She couldn't let her guard down here. Not yet. Maybe not ever. And she needed a new crew.

She holds out her hand, habit.]

Lisa. Snart. And you are?

[hiddenandpatient]

[That gets a confused look, but not for long. Lizzie's back to her carefully neutral, if not wide eyed, gaze before she glances down at the hand offered. She hesitates, but accepts it- not so much shaking it as giving it a squeeze.]

I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Lady Snart. [... She hadn't heard of them, but there was quite a bit here that was unfamiliar.] Elizabeth of York.