TEST DRIVE MEME #017

[larkers]

> TEST DRIVE MEME #017

Welcome to the Meadowlark test drive meme! After waking up in strange and rather worrisome conditions, characters will need to begin to live their lives in this new world. All TDM threads take place after the arrival process, so please assume that the initial adjustment period has passed – in which the characters were dropped off behind a bar run by previous arrivals who then direct them to live in a safehouse for four days before hitting the streets. Now it's time to see the bright sights and sounds that New Amsterdam – and beyond – has to offer.

Applications open every month on the 1st of the month at midnight UTC (00:00).

NOTE: The PCs have chosen to call themselves "the Displaced," and that's become the common parlance to refer to them.

All applicants can use threads from the TDM for their samples.

> SETTLING IN

There is very little that can smooth over the experience of your arrival in this world. Coming to your senses in a van, drugged and restrained, only to be carefully helped out by the unknown guards and nurses and then abandoned in an alleyway of a local sports bar by the name of Red Wings. What comes next is relatively straightforward: you're found by the employees at the bar, all of whom were once left in a similar situation to this one. You're brought down to a safehouse across town that's hidden underneath a soundproofed garage that's been kitted out for training purposes. You'll learn that you aren't among the first that this has happened to here. There are others not from this world who have experienced the same, with no recollection of how they came here. Like you, they have few answers about what's happened to them. Maybe this knowledge brings you a growing sense of futility, or perhaps it inspires a deeper determination in you. But even as you begin to think on what to do next, life has to go on.

All of the new arrivals will be given a fake ID and a background that will lend them access to entry-level jobs. It may be overwhelming, but their fellow Displaced have found their footing enough to be able to help the newcomers. Two Morningstar agents by the names of Gaby and El will be around to take care of world integration and IDs – the rest will fall to the Displaced who arrived before. It would take at least a month's wages to put down a deposit on even the smallest apartment in the city, so everyone has a grace period before they have to leave the safehouse – and then some, depending on the kindness of who's running the show.

Gaby and El will also make their purpose clear if asked: they are a part of Morningstar, a group dedicated to fighting corruption, tearing the capitalist oligarchy down to nothing, and trying to help make a better world. It will be made expressly clear that this entire arrangement to get the Displaced situated in the world is meant to be kept a secret, and that especially includes Morningstar's assistance. Letting the world know about their involvement could cause big problems.

> EXPLORE THE CHANGES
Despite the lack of answers about why you're here, your fellow Displaced will be able to give you a rundown of the changes they've recognized in each other. Anyone who had powers before will find them gone. Anyone who was once an AI or in a completely artificial body will find that their current body is now fully human. Those with cybernetics will find that they've remained mostly untouched, though any primitive ones may be replaced with temporary ones that are improvements on the previous models.

◉ NEW POWERS. In the place of any powers that were lost, there is now a new power. These abilities are unique to each of the Displaced and seem to update over a certain period of time, with the changes appearing thanks to critical emotional events. One thing that's apparent is that the power seems to be linked to the Displaced individual's personality or life before this one, shaped according to who they happen to be. When this power appears, their chest glows with a blue light that shines from their sternum, and it can be triggered by anything: natural inclination or a moment of great stress. If someone's out in public when this happens, they might want to duck under cover lest the blue glow from their chest and the unusual power's appearance draws unwanted attention.

◉ EMPATHY BOND. No matter the circumstances or the conditions, every skin-to-skin touch of the Displaced triggers this empathy bond. Whether they touch hands, brush cheeks, or knock into one another on accident, they'll be met with the emotions of the person they've touched. Every instance of skin-to-skin contact will trigger an immediate empathic bond, letting you feel the other person's emotions and vise versa. While there's nothing that can be done to completely prevent this, someone can either decide to hold on and continue sharing that level of emotional intimacy, or let go and end the shockingly vulnerable exchange. If someone is particularly tactile but not fond of sharing their emotions, they might want to invest in a fashionable pair of gloves.

◉ MEMORY SHARE. In the past year, the Displaced unlocked the ability to share memories similarly to how they can share emotions. While unknown at first, the Displaced soon learned that they could share a memory with each other the same way they could share emotions. All they need to do is focus on a memory and touch the skin of their fellow Displaced, and then they could pass this experience along. These memories are shared through the eyes of the giver, granting the receiver a unique insight into the thoughts, feelings, and sensations during a specific moment in their life.

◉ DREAM SHARING. Once one, two, or five Displaced fall asleep, they may be able to find each other in their dreams. These dreams lead to the dreamers themselves feeling lucid and somewhat in control of their surroundings—though the control itself is ultimately dependent on the dreamer and how well they come around to understanding what's going on. Dream logic applies with the flow of time, but no one is able to spend their entire lives there. Lost powers are still gone for any of the Displaced, but they can use their dreams to practice any new ability that they've received. Memory shares and empathy bonds are just as possible within these shared dream states—if anyone doubts that another Displaced is really there, they can test the empathy bond to see if it activates.

◉ POWER SHARES AND UNIONS. The Displaced can share something of themselves with another Displaced by offering them an object that comes out of their chest. This object is meant to be symbolic of the person it comes from and significant to them in some way. When someone else takes hold of this object, they will get a sense of the owner's essence, along with temporary access to their in-game ability. Only when they give the item back do they give up the power in question. In addition, the Displaced are able to act in unison and create a fusion of their powers, making it so they can fight someone else with them at once. This ability is there from day one, but the power's ability will only ever present at its current stage.

> THE NETWORK
When the Displaced first showed up, Morningstar set up a private network for all of the Displaced to use in order to communicate. Most of the veteran Displaced are old hands at using the implant now, and will be happy to provide any necessary information on how to utilize this new tool and understand its application in daily life.

Early on, every newcomer receives access to the encrypted network, only available to you and the others like you, making contact between you easy and safe. Familiarize yourself with this network and dig in. Perhaps you're hoping to find some bigger answers, ask about the current nail polish trends in New Amsterdam, or want to play a game of "hot or not" among the Displaced.

◉ IDENTIFICATION. Everyone who gets set up with an ID gets access to Morningstar's network. In order to ensure that none of the Displaced stand out like sore thumbs, Morningstar's agents El and Gaby ensure that everyone has a name that makes it so they fit in among society. All usernames are thusly formed as firstname.lastname, with some room for creativity (Ziggy Stardust has now been among the Displaced twice).

◉ PRIVATE COMMUNICATION. There are private, one-on-one modes of communication available as well, though without the security of Morningstar's encryptions, they're much less safe. You can make calls, send texts, make videos, and even interact with others in a VR simulation—however, it's made very clear that the government has a means of tracking this communication. Big brother is always watching.

> RESOLUTION DAY FESTIVAL

The day of April 26th is known to all United Nations citizens: it's Resolution Day. To everyone around the world, it was originally thought of as the day that the burgeoning United Nations finally rescued humanity by eradicating the last known AI lifeforms. This act took place in 2101. However, recent circumstances have revealed that the United Nations had lied about this fact. For over four hundred years, they kept the AI Judas locked away in their military headquarters in New Beijing. During his enslavement, Judas was forced to create technology to serve the UN's purposes, helping turn their soldiers into a hivemind-like group that would always fall into line.

The Displaced know that there are more AI in the world. El, the Morningstar agent who helps create everyone's IDs, is one of them. This is a secret hidden away from the rest of Morningstar due to the massive anti-AI sentiments. The other is Cassius, a space exploration AI who brought chaos to the Displaced before switching sides to become their ally. None of this is known to the world at large.

Of course, El is linked to the war itself. El was formerly known as Elysian, the AI who accidentally kicked off the six-year-long Xelkoven War between humans and AI. Once a security unit, Elysian killed 50 households full of people as ze believed them all to be a threat. The war was ultimately named after the largest artificial intelligence distributor at the time: Xelkov. Ultimately, a billion humans died in the war, and there was the very real risk that the rest of humanity could have followed if they hadn't advised a method to put the AI down for good. Even though humanity lived on, artificial intelligence did not – save for the three aforementioned AI.

With all this coming out, people in this world aren't psyched to celebrate Resolution Day for the reasons they had been taught growing up. But they're still interested in a day to celebrate each other and humanity's survival.

The citywide celebration of Resolution Day starts early and finishes very late, so whether you choose to join in the fun, learn more about the history of the festival, or take advantage of the revelry for other, more nefarious goals, you'll have plenty of time. As the festival sprawls wildly throughout the streets of New Amsterdam, it gives even the most desolate parts of the city new life with bright lights, noise, and plenty of food. Most businesses are closed for the day, but not all of them—if you've gotten yourself a restaurant, street cleaning, or corporate PR job, you might find yourself stuck on a double shift. Better snatch what small moments of enjoyment you can!

> ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES
Anything you'd think would be at a festival in the year 2512 is definitely at this festival. Food, games, dancing, alcohol, free stuff? It's all there for your enjoyment. While the city streets will be full of people, this isn't a bad day to try networking. Want to get a new job or find a way to pry some information out of someone when they're least likely to remember you? Try to butter them up—or use the powers you've been granted to get your way. If anything goes badly, at least you can slip back into the crowd.

◉ GAMES. Care to play a game? All attendees can play for free. Some games —like the hoverblade racing, the augmented reality fightboxes, and the street-wide bouts of laser tag—require a partner or a competitor, so you better hope someone's willing to do you a solid or bring out your competitive side. For anyone who's interested in something a little less hands-on, all of the city's biggest VR arcades will have setups with all the latest games. Hoping to get noticed for your gaming talent? This might not be the day to try to stand out, but anyone's down to try.

◉ FOOD TRUCKS. It's time to try the delicacies of New Amsterdam. Hundreds of food trucks have turned out today in droves with high hopes that they'll come away turning a profit. Down for some Mexi-German fusion? Or perhaps you're hoping that pad thai still tastes the same with grasshoppers? Share your food – or give away whatever you don't like. Food trucks are the hub of activity, and the busiest ones might be worth the time, but you'll be standing in line for a while.

◉ NETWORKING. There are other opportunities with the city being flooded with festival-goers. Whether someone is on a mission to try to test the current sentiments toward Morningstar or simply wants to charm some corporate execs, this might be the time to get it done. Whatever your cover story is, make it good. Whether you claim you're hoping to pitch an idea for some new tech or are more interested in seducing – or squeezing – some information out of them, following them into the next bar or karaoke booth may give you the perfect chance. But you might want a lookout to watch your back, a co-conspirator to keep them plied with drinks, or maybe you'll need a voice of reason to stop you from squeezing too hard. Discretion is the name of the game. Everyone can agree upon that.


> HISTORY LESSONS
Aside from your typical booths of free samples, charitable causes, volunteer applications, and white chocolate-covered beetles, you'll find an opportunity to learn about Resolution Day’s history. There are various stands available where—thanks to the augmented reality application of your neural implant—you can view videos about the origins of the festival and the reasons for celebrating. If you haven't done your initial search yourself, you'll be able to buff up on it here. These booths tell the United Nations' version of the history with zero reminders about what came out about Judas.

◉ VR SIMULATIONS. If you'd like to feel like a hero, the UNA are running several virtual reality simulations where you can be taken to the battlefield to fight alongside fellow soldiers, working to bring the outwardly robotic AI to submission. The virtual reality simulation interacts with your neural implant to give you the most realistic experience possible. If you don't ground yourself enough, you'll be certain that the sights, sounds, and smells around you are real as you march in formation toward the brutality waiting up ahead. Feel free to team up with a partner on a side mission, or maybe try to keep someone from plugging in for what could be a traumatic experience. Eerie, heart-wrenching music plays when you die, but is promptly followed by the image of several corporate logos reminding you that they sponsored this day and this event.

◉ SYMPATHIZERS. If you're uncomfortable with the concept of eradicating all AI, no one will understand why. AI sympathizers are not present among the native population. Everyone in this world has been raised with the understanding that AI only wanted to destroy humanity, and that everyone is lucky to be alive in spite of it. They have a deeply ingrained fear, and anyone claiming to formerly be an AI or android won't receive a very friendly response. Even if they know the UN used Judas for centuries, it doesn't mean they're any less afraid of artificial intelligence: they've been raised to believe that all artificial intelligence was out to eradicate humanity.

> CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

Traveling down from the hectic main city streets reveals a different side from the gloss and promise of New Amsterdam. Economic disparity runs rampant throughout the city, and many people are pushed to desperation, looking to find other ways to make ends meet. In the darker shadows, many illegal activities thrive, out of view of the authorities—or perhaps known and supported by corrupt individuals. Maybe you're out exploring, completing a task for Morningstar, or working a job in the place you excel. Whatever brought you to the rougher parts of town, you may want to watch your step, or else find the city eating you as it has so many others.

> ORGANIZED CRIME
Organized crime still has a strong foothold in the world, with gangs and more established families working with drugs, weapons, property, and black market cybernetics, to name a few. These organizations are sprawling units that regularly recruit new members into their ranks, so long as they can prove themselves by passing the intensive hazing. While there are two main mob entities in New Amsterdam—the Riverstone Mob and the Petrov Family—there are a handful of gangs that otherwise roam the streets. Some are loosely sponsored by the mob, while others are fledgling groups trying to gain clout. More than anything, these groups know they don't have the power of the corporations or government, and do everything to seize more power when they can.

◉ JOINING UP. Catching the eye of the mob is difficult, but not impossible. Getting into the larger gangs is less difficult, but they're still wary of anyone who doesn't know the ins and outs of how to duck surveillance, traffic drugs and supplies, and intimidate people without catching flack from the NAPD. The best way to start getting attention is through their clubs, casinos, and illegal gambling dens. Getting inside isn't always easy: it might take a few weeks of legwork to get an invite, but someone could try to strongarm their way inside or use some chicanery to make it a smoother endeavor.

◉ ESCAPE PLAN. Whether you went in to cause trouble or accidentally caused it by breathing the wrong way, it's good to have an escape plan in place. Does that mean fighting all the goons available? Maybe. What about stealing a hover bike and getting away? The good news is that hover bikes can fit where hover cars can't.If you've got the skills, you'll be able to weave through the chaos of the city and make a clean getaway. Just don't let the chase run for too long, or you'll have law enforcement on your ass as well.

> FIGHT CLUB

No matter the occasion outside, New Amsterdam's fight club events are held every evening. The bouncers at the door don't have too many scruples on who they let inside. All they care about is whether someone has the money to pay the cover charge.

The interior of the fight club reveals the sophistication of a business that's used to uprooting itself regularly. All the fights take place in a large cage in the center, and you remain on your feet while you enjoy the show. There is a special VIP section if you've been lucky enough to receive an invite or bribe your way in – just keep in mind that these invites are scarce, and you will have to have done something spectacular to earn the attention from someone high up the food chain. Regardless of where you end up, there is one rule: what happens in the fight club stays in the fight club. This tenant is law, and everyone's heard stories of the different (and sometimes extreme) lengths that have been taken to maintain it.

◉ FIGHT. It's time to sign up and test your chops against other fighters. Many of the fighters boast illegal cybernetic enhancements, so it would be a really good idea to have someone on hand who knows some first aid. Fights can either happen in duos or in one-on-ones depending on the signups for the evening.

◉ RINGSIDE CHAT. You might just want to enjoy the show, or use the opportunity to grill the bartenders for information. Just be careful not to make a fool of yourself. Asking too many questions might catch the wrong kind of attention – the kind that might find you being thrown into the ring, whether you wanted to be there or not. For all the blood spilled, these fight clubs thrive on discretion, so whatever you do, try to keep it quiet.

> A LIFE OF CHAOS

Life in New Amsterdam was once all festivals and people avoiding association with organized crime. Life in New Amsterdam these days is full of drama, citywide disturbances, and everything else that might be expected of an action film in progress. While there aren't many answers for what's happened to the Displaced, there is enough chaos going around that it seems like it may be connected to their arrivals.

The worst part is that New Amsterdam seems to struggle. Rather than being an anonymous backdrop to those action films, New Amsterdam is a bustling city full of life that never asked to be at the heart of this. When trouble hits, most repairs and restorations focus on helping those with money, while others are left forgotten living in tents and hoping for a helping hand. Recent circumstances have called for improvements in this area—there is more charitable work than ever before in New Amsterdam—but it's still a trying time.

Where the Displaced stand in all of this varies, but it's hard to ignore a city in trouble.

◉ DISPLACED VERSUS DISPLACED. Whether it's by manipulation of an outside force or through inhaling weird monster gas, sometimes the Displaced are at odds with one another. When some of these few heroes are fighting, it means that the city can be left in even greater danger. Other times, the Displaced might not be able to control themselves. Feeling a sudden surge of vengeance and hoping to follow through on it? That monster gas might be the cause. Want to finish out a nasty deal to get something back important? The monster gas won't be an excuse, but maybe someone can pretend it was. Life as a Displaced is wild sometimes.

◉ MONSTERS. As for unconventional threats, there are the monsters. These creatures first turned up in giant form when the first batch of Displaced arrived, stomping all over New Amsterdam. The less unique version of the monsters are around 400m high, have lizard-like features, and tend to show up by tearing down a portion of New Amsterdam's city wall And that's the less unique version. More unique monsters vary in size and make, seeming to be an amalgamation of a number of different creatures. Half-snake, half-dog? Seems odd, but it happens. Hell, we even have a bestiary of some of what can be found. The one consistent feature of all these monsters is they all have golden irises. Suffice to say that running into these creatures could be a problem.

◉ SIMULATION. There aren't many AI left in the world, but the most notorious of them – Judas – definitely has an axe to grind. Once the leader of the AI effort as they sought to destroy humanity after countless AI were wiped out for humanity's "protection," Judas is now well aware that he's only one of three left in the world. Getting a little payback against people is only fair, isn't it? His favorite means was via a simulation, dragging people into a post-apocalyptic hellscape where humanity was forced to live underground and live out repetitive scenarios where they had no choice but to play along or feel like they couldn't survive. This stimulation interacts with the VR technology built into the neural implants, stimulating adrenaline and fear exactly when Judas wants it to do just that. Why? Oh, torture. Why not? Oddly enough, Judas doesn't create any facsimiles of other AI. He takes full ownership of what he puts people through once he takes control. Sure, Judas is a little screwy but after 400 years of captivity, no one can really blame him, can they?

◉ LEAD A REVOLUTION. Just because a world has free health care doesn't mean it's working for all of its citizens. Thanks to a variety of screwed up things over half a millenia ago, this world ended up permanently corrupt. Corporations act as training grounds for political positions, and while nobility is a thing of the past, wealthy families continue on thanks to the oligarchical stronghold that controls the world. Time to change some things up. Either by working with Morningstar or alone because of an urge to create some chaos, this world is ripe for change. Are you going to be the one to bring it about?

> GO NUTS

Feel free to branch out and explore! Visit a doctor about some advanced cybernetics. Sneak through the city checkpoints and set out into the wilderness. Try to hop on a train bound for one of the world's five spaceports to see one of the colonies—though bear in mind the cost and difficulty of one of these joy rides. Experiment with some insect based versions of your favorite recipes. Perhaps you'd prefer to engage in some illegal street racing, spend some time getting used to the technology, or try to become a social media celebrity. Use the SETTING for inspiration and choose your own adventure!

> NAVIGATION

Comments

ava reid . original

[scifis]

THE NETWORK

@ anonymous

Well this is a bloody nightmare.

Best wines on the market? And if anybody wants to pick me up a bottle in the meantime, I wouldn't turn it down.


RED WINGS

[ Whatever else it is, this isn't any 26th century Earth she's ever encountered. Either she's pissed all over the timeline some-bloody-how or she isn't in Kansas anymore, but for as much as all signs point to the latter there's still a certain inescapable dread to be found in the visibility of a small patch of skin at the base of her right ring finger.

Sitting in a Red Wings booth, gaze unfocused and thumb idly rubbing at that empty patch of skin as she flits through reams of information on her implant, Ava lifts a loose hand to summon a server.

She may or may not know that's not how it works here, but there's somebody walking by and she needs a top up, so. ]

[ Alternatively, if the flagging hand isn't enough and she's passed by, she'll follow it up with an - ] Excuse me.



THE STREETS

[ Later, she can be found strolling the city, paying particular attention to detail. Sometimes she stops by to run her thumb over the material of a bench or a wall, or pauses by a parked hovercar to walk steady circles around it, inspecting from every angle.

She may well stop dead in the street with little to no awareness of the people around her, tilting her head this way and that as she stares off at some broken building or gaggle of people, taking slow steps back for the perfect frame.

If nothing else, the city is new territory. New technology to play with. May as well see what there is to see and find out what it can do. ]


( ooc: hello it's Gee doing a little oc testing. there's some badly organised info about her here! )

@will.graham

[cognitivus]

do you prefer red or white?

travis touchdown | no more heroes

[strikesagain]

(OOC NOTE: travis is a fourth wall breaker and a nerd familiar with a big chunk of pop culture! please let me know if you'd like me to avoid this in threads.)

network;

@ travis.touchdown
im bored. we got games on these things? wifi?

resolution day;
food trucks

[Wall-flowering on a nearby curb is none other than Travis Touchdown, wolfing down his food like he hasn't eaten in a week. (With that kind of line at the ramen truck, it certainly feels like it's been that long.)]

Oh, man-- [He slurps up a thick mouthful of noodles.] Damn, this shit's good.

[Good enough that he couldn't wait for a proper table to open up at the festival, apparently. His shades are fogged up completely by steam as he hunches closely over a piping-hot bowl of tonkotsu with all the trimmings; the soup is held precariously in his lap while an ice-cold, unopened beer waits enticingly beside him, droplets condensing all over the bottle.]

Ten outta ten... [Hey, you: quit staring at him. Can't a guy enjoy his food? Travis frowns around a slice of pork.] Get your own, dude.

criminal activity;
fight club

[Seven years ago, Travis was another man. Probably with enough of a death wish to dive right into the cage, ready and willing to get his ass totally handed to him for the thrill of it all. At thirty-seven, older and wiser (?), he's smart enough to know that no amount of wrestling know-how is gonna save him in that kind of competition. He hasn't got a shot in hell without a sword in his hand: not when there's fucking cyborgs or whatever in the fray.

So here he is, sullenly looking over the selection at the bar. Every so often, Travis casts a stare that looks like longing at the raucous coming from center stage.]

If I just had my damn katana. ['Sure, buddy,' says the bartender, refilling his glass with another shot of liquor.]

Where's everybody getting their toys from, huh?

choose your own;
[im pretty open to most stuff, lmk whatchu want or hit me with a starter :9]

@kyna.medina

[evocation]

let's play two truths and a lie

criminal activity

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade, on the other hand, hasn't quite outgrown that thrill. He may be older than Travis, but he's definitely not wiser, and getting his ass handed to him still remains one of his favorite past-times even without the healing factor as a bolster. It helps when one has several decades of mixed martial arts training under one's belt, after all.

Though he's sporting a fair amount of cuts and bruises, it's a triumphant Wade Wilson who swaggers up to the bar, leaning against it with a special smile for the bartender.]

Hey, can I get a Tart Side of the Moon, Ros?

As the bartender turns away to get his drink, Wade takes a moment to look over his fellow patron.]

Haven't seen you up there yet, hoss. You just here to watch?

fight club

[unkindled_madness]

[The opportunity to blow off some steam by beating another man senseless? Tempting. It was what drew Sephiroth here. But he's since thought better of it, and remained on the sidelines. He's uncertain if those cybernetics will be enough for these fighters to match his strength, and he's meant to be laying low.

Katana? He glances at the man nearby. After all, fistfighting isn't really his style either.]

Presumably with money and connections those like us don't have just yet.

[If he didn't recognize the man from the safehouse, the matching haircuts would have been a tip-off.]

((Preferably no fourth-walling!))

sephiroth | final fantasy vii

[unkindled_madness]

resolution day > food truck

[Sephiroth has never been one for crowds, but he likes being cooped up with nothing to do even less. Besides, there is one thing this city can afford him that he's never really experienced before: anonymity. He isn't famous here. He doesn't stand out (much). When he walks through a crowd, he's just one more face in it. There's something fascinating about that.

If only he'd considered the drastic option of shaving off all his godsdamned hair, maybe he could have experienced this back in Midgar.

He misses his hair.

Also, one of the apparent downsides of being a nobody? Waiting in line. He normally has more patience, but his arrival here has been... trying, and he'd just as soon obtain whatever the hell a taco is and find somewhere more private to eat it.]


history lessons > vr simulations

[Sephiroth isn't aiming to try it--he's familiar with VR, and he's been to war, so there's nothing new here--but he can't help noticing the displays inviting him to participate. The familiarity of it actually gets a short laugh out of him.]

Might as well be Shinra...

((OOC: Two things of note, I guess! 1 - he's pre-Nibelheim. 2 - I haven't RPed in like 4 years so please excuse me as I try to shake the dust off.))

food truck

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade's been lucky enough to run into a few customers who weren't exactly keen on eating bugs for lunch. It didn't take much to convince them to give up their spoils-- after all, if it was going to go into a garbage can anyway it might as well be one with legs-- which in turn gave him the opportunity to focus on people watching while he idly munched away. Tex-Mex was Tex-Mex, after all.

His eyes roam over the various people still in line with little interest, catching sight of a rather tall drink of water with a shaved head of platinum hair somewhere near the middle of the queue. Big hoss. Pretty interesting colored eyes too-- a striking shade of emerald green, almost like they were glowing. Most people would shy away at the idea of approaching such an intimidating-looking character, but Wade has an almost suicidal lack of impulse control, and he kinda wants to know this guy's story.

Wade attempts to catch Sephiroth's attention with a shrill whistle.]

'Ey! Roy Batty!

steve rogers | mcu

[shield]

1. History Lessons

[ Moving through a world that advanced beyond anyone's wildest imagination while he was asleep doesn't bring the sense of déjà vu that Steve Rogers might have expected. The first time around, he woke up in a city that, while unrecognizable to him in the most meaningful ways, still had the same overall geography as the New York he remembered. There was still enough of the past left to haunt a man.

This time around, anything he might have considered current has now been forgotten by all but the most niche historians. The futuristic displays of a devastating war are set long after the 20th century. Some things, however, don't feel entirely unfamiliar. As Steve walks away from the video booths, rubbing the afterimage of the virtual display from his eyes, he mutters dryly: ] Good to know the art of propaganda remains alive and well.

2. Safehouse

[ Late into the night, long after Steve has given up chasing sleep, he decides to get some fresh air. When he made that decision and how long it's been since are fuzzy, unformed details in his mind. Something else demands his attention— something high up in the sky, if the angle of his neck is any indication.

He can't seem to pull his eyes away, even when footsteps alert him to someone's approach. Another insomniac, presumably.

While they're both out here, Steve might as well get a second opinion on something he's been pondering. Without looking away, he asks: ]

Hey, you notice anything weird about the moon lately? Especially these last few days.

[ The moon, not yet full but well into waxing gibbous phase, probably doesn't seem out of the ordinary to anyone else. Maybe this is just the seed form of Steve's power starting to manifest... ]

3. CHOOSE YOUR OWN

( Choose a different prompt/scenario or hit me with a network/inbox tag. )

safehouse

[unkindled_madness]

[Insomnia is a choice for this one. Sephiroth's been on his guard since he first regained control of his faculties, and he's sleeping as little as possible. He doesn't trust anyone here. A shame he couldn't be alone for a moment on stepping out.

His eyes do a sweep of his surroundings before settling on the other man. It's less noticeable in daylight, but now there's a definite glow to them, almost like a cat's.

For a moment, he debates even bothering to respond. Who cares about the fucking moon right now?]

You're asking the wrong person. It's an entirely different moon from the one I know.

[Not that it looks all that different, as far as he can tell, but studying the night sky would make for a disappointing pasttime in Midgar.]

2

[righteously]

( Crap Dean Winchester is very much not going to say: oh hey, welcome back Cap. How was Red Sea Diving Resort? Having been bounced to an alternate universe where his life was a television show and he was apparently a former soap opera actor, he is Very Aware springing that on somebody's bound to give them a really bad week. Stephen Strange took it in a stride, but everybody knows that dude's a universe hopping meta weirdo.

He's learning to filter. It only took forty years.

Instead, he's just gonna hold out one unopened beer in a silent offering and affix his slightly skeptical gaze on the moon. )

Well...

( Started with the weary grunt of somebody Too Old For This Shit. )

There's a sociopathic nerd with a friggin' moon base colonizing it now, so, yeah. I guess you could say there's something weird about the moon.

1

[laserbeams]

Some things never change.

[ Says the guy who practically personifies propaganda. You couldn't throw a rock back in his world without hitting a Homelander poster.

This propaganda, however, wasn't his propaganda, so he has very little patience for it. ]

I suggest skipping the virtual reality simulations. They're a little invasive, in my opinion. [ He's not technically military, but being mentally transported to a war you weren't part of still rubs him wrong. ]

[sweatervested]

[ Daniel smiles wryly. ]

Some things don't change, no matter how much you want 'em to.

[ He recognizes Steve, of course. Who wouldn't recognize Captain America?

(Sousa wonders, briefly, if he's as easily recognized among the members of SHIELD. He rather hopes not. Coulson painted him as a legend, but Coulson is also a SHIELD history buff. ]

Doesn't hurt to hope they will, though.

poison ivy | harley quinn animated series

[philodendron]

1. Safe House

[ While not overcrowded, the safe house is still too busy for Ivy's taste, especially now that she has discovered that every accidental brush of skin leads to a truly nauseating experience colloquially referred to as an empathy bond. Ivy prefers to think of it as literal touchy-feely bullshit, and she wants no part of it.

So much so that she guards her space aggressively, lashing out at anyone who comes within a few feet's radius. ]

Hey, watch it! Ever hear of personal space?

[ Others could be forgiven for thinking her paranoid. She's really not into feelings. ]

2. Network

[ Living with other people is something that Ivy only does under extreme duress, like dorming at college or getting locked up in an asylum for the criminally insane. The sooner she can afford her own place, the better, and since she's never really been the "honest job" type, that leaves her a criminal in need of a mark.

Which leads Ivy to research, i.e. posing this completely innocuous question to the other Displaced: ]

Just out of curiosity, who are the biggest polluters out there? Global or local offenders, I'm not picky.

3. Choose Your Own

( BYO prompt/setting/etc. )

2

[strikesagain]

is this gonna be on the final cause i didnt study

1

[revvedup]

[ nauseating is about the word for it. fortunately, max already has plenty of experience avoiding accidental touch, and she shows ivy her (gloved) hands as she tries to walk by her, making sure to keep a healthy amount of distance between them. ]

Sorry. Just trying to get to my own bed.

abby anderson, tlou part ii

[armd]

𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭—

(takes a long time for abby to shake herself out of the thick fog in her brain. it's such a foreign, unpleasant feeling, how she tries to make herself stand and finds that she can't. her feet slip and slide against the floor of the van and she knocks into the window with a grunt, her eyes half-open, a film across her vision. for a horrible, heaving moment she thinks that her arms are just– gone, some how. she only realises they're bound up behind her when the van door opens and sucking down a gulp of fresh air makes her lungs ache.

she brushes up against somebody else in the van while they're getting her out, and her mind explodes with the rush of feeling: dull, cloying panic, whatsgoingon and wherearewe, slurred, indistinct motion filled with bitter, sharp confusion. she winces away and thankfully that makes it stop and then she's on the ground, and her arms are back, and the van is gone.

and everything after that is like a blur. people keep moving her, keep touching her, and abby tries to fight them off a couple times but she's out of it and they all know. she can't land any hits, it's like trying to punch underwater. too slow, too heavy. they just wait for her to stop, and then they keep leading her on.

by the time they're at the storehouse she feels the most alert she has so far, but there's nobody left for her to fight. everybody here is just trying to help, or is in the same boat as her, and none of the explanations make sense. she's tired and haunted, and unwilling to check what she knows has to be true judging by the state of the other new displaced. her hair is gone, again, shaved too close to her scalp. it had just been starting to really grow back. what she'd had would have covered the nape of her neck, would have hid the surgical looking scar she must be sporting, too.

but she has much bigger things to worry about. she's asking the first person she comes across, voice hoarse. mouth dry.)

Seen a kid around here at all? With scars?

𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘺–

(with how different and strange everything has been out here, abby's longing for something familiar. the burrito she's scabbed off of a food truck is– so much better than anything she ever ate at the stadium though, and in fact, she's going to rejoin the line for the truck while she eats because she knows she's going to want another one. maybe two more. it's greasy, and delicious, and full of cheese. it might just be the best thing she's ever tasted.

and so the person waiting in front of her is absolutely getting a tip off, what the fuck.)

You gotta try this. (yeah, her mouth is full. yeah she's speaking anyway,) It's– the one with all the beans.

(abby. they all have beans)

𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬–

(she'd given her name up without really thinking about it, but it doesn't seem to have processed through yet when she boots up the network for the first time. honestly, it's a relief.)

anonymous: Has the possibility of us all being dead and this being hell been explored yet

𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥–

(feel free to toss a starter at me! open for fighting, game cooperation, power exploration, information sharing.)

Network - @ellie.miller

[notathreat]

I mean if so this is a super posh version of hell
With space travel

@joseph.kavinsky

[dreamkillers]

nah this place isn't shit enough to be hell
tho i am spose to be dead so lol

i. arrival

[incelligent]

[Simon has no intention of speaking to anyone. The newbies are not his responsibility as far as he is concerned, and they haven't even taken to establishing themselves amongst the Displaced. She may or not be able to tell from the freshly grown out crop of blond hair atop his head that he, too, has not been here for very long. He remains cold, devoid of emotion until she mentions something interesting-]

No, actually.

Come to think of it... I haven't really seen any kids 'round here. Hadn't even noticed 'til you said that.

[There's an age limit? God, who are the people who brought them here, and just what are they planning-]

Just hopped off the welcome wagon, huh?

[His voice softens. Upon first glance, he doesn't look too much like a threat. Just a lanky, wiry young man with a sharp nose and a somewhat nasally Midwestern lilt.]

What a trip.

[She looks strong, fit.

Another survivor, possibly around the same age range. A useful ally.

Potentially.]

How you feelin'?

[He sounds remarkably sincere. Caring, concerned, even.

Thankfully, he's well-versed in being a two-faced piece of shit.]

arrival;

[braveoff]

[ It's time for new Displaced again, and they arrive right on schedule. Drake's taken to getting some stuff ahead of time -- basics for the kitchen, mostly -- and going to drop it off once the newbies are at the Safehouse. So that's what he's doing right now, unpacking some groceries while the new people sort through their clothes and toiletries, pick their beds. He remembers what it was like, so once they've settled a little he's going to go ask them if there's anything they'd like him to bring in.

Drake doesn't expect anyone to approach him first, but when he hears the question something tightens in his chest. It's the same kind of question he was asking desperately of everyone when he first arrived, and the answer he has to give her is the same as well. Unfortunately. ]

I've actually never seen a kid brought in, sorry. I'll keep an eye out.

[ And any kid would stand out just for their age, but it'd be better to have a description, right? ]

What kind of scars?

resolution day

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth turns with a look of vague irritation. He doesn't care that she's talking with her mouth full, Zack does that, too, but why is she addressing him as though they're friends? Just because they're both newly Displaced, in the same situation? That's nothing.

Although this might answer at least one question he has.]

...

Is that what a taco is?

resolution day

[monomachy]

[At this point in her life, Diana basically lives off the food trucks in New Amsterdam. She had hardly been able to cook when the food was made with familiar ingredients, so trying to adjust to what was available in this world (little dairy, hardly any protein aside from insects, no chocolate) had been a nonstarter, to say the least.

This particular truck is new to her, and she can't deny that she's excited to try it. When the suggestion comes from behind her, Diana turns to see who's speaking, and offers a smile.]

It certainly looks good. The one with all the beans, hm? This is my first time at this truck, so I'll take your word for it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Eponine Thenardier - Les Miserables

[gardienne]

the network

@ eponine.thenardier

a war is a war I suppose. a fight is a fight. neither are mine and yet here I am. at least here there is food. will someone tell me the best to find gin?

The Food Trucks

[Still completely mistrusting the idea that the money she'd been handed to get herself started wasn't going to be snatched away again, Eponine hangs around the food trucks, unwilling to part with her coins. She watches and waits, largely unnoticed, until she spots someone dropping their unwanted food. She darts forward, snatches it up and begins to eat hungrily.
Sensing someone staring at her, she looks up and scowls.]

What is it to you what I eat?

Organised crime

[It's a whole new world but nothing has changed. That dark stain that seeps through the streets below the glittering surface of the city is still there, and Eponine, uncomfortable in the light, finds herself drawn there.
Here, she knows how to fit in. She knows how to get the attention of a gang. For a while, she's simply watched, picking out characters and places, following them to know their routine. It's only when she's sure that her target is someone of interest, and that there are gang members in the bar that she strikes.
She goes behind them as they relax somewhat in a bar, and quickly picks her mark's pockets. She doesn't try to hide most of her spoils, and instead turns with a triumphant grin to the patrons in the bar and holds up her spoils before she pockets them.
With that, she retreats to a corner table, pockets bulging now. Wait for them to come to her. That's how this works. And if they don't want her, at least she's got some treasures for her troubles.]

Choose your own!

[I'm open to anything!]

bitterblue | graceling realm

[monsean]

food trucks

[ so much about this world is still overwhelming. bitterblue wonders if it'll always stay that way or if she will grow used to it, if she will be able to turn the advances and novelties into something smaller, something manageable, something she can make sense of eventually.

(she wishes she was not here. she hopes her people will not suffer for her absence and knows, at the same time, that they will. they still need her —they need her so much and she wishes they were more able to stand on their own, but too many years of her father's reign have made it impossible.

no, they need her and she is not there.)

it is overwhelming and horrible and she can sit and breathe through it and do math problems in her head, but she's also found that food generally helps and so she is peering at the offerings at one of the food trucks, a small, young woman with dark hair, shorter now than she has ever worn it, dressed in something non-descript. easily overlooked. ]

Is there anything with bacon?

[ bacon tends to drastically improve any situation. ]

network (un: sparks.monsea)

What happens to our homes while we are here? Does time move on, are we missed? Or is it that if we return, is seems as though we had never left?