MEADOWLARK MODS (
larkers) wrote in
meadowlarking2018-07-06 08:22 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE MEME 001
> TEST DRIVE MEME #001 |
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. Now it's time to see the bright sights and sounds that New Amsterdam – and beyond – has to offer. All Meadowlark test drive memes will not be game canon. Please feel free to carry on relationships that make sense, but if your character is off on a colony researching terraforming or in jail because they vandalized corporation signage with Morningstar's emblem, that will be a little harder to transfer into game. |
![]() |
> RESOLUTION DAY FESTIVAL |
One day a year, everyone the whole system over participates in the annual celebration of Resolution Day. It's not explicitly stated what Resolution Day actually is; there's no reason to declare what everyone already knows, and characters may find themselves experiencing some intense culture shock as they stumble into the festivities. The celebration starts early and finishes late – 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. |
> NEW AMSTERDAM |
The festival sprawls wildly throughout the streets of New Amsterdam, giving even the most desolate parts of the city new life with bright lights, noise, and plenty of food. Most businesses are shut for the day, giving their workers the time to enjoy the celebration, but some might consider this one of their most profitable days of the year – if you've gotten yourself a restaurant, rickshawing or corporate PR job, you might find yourself stuck on a double shift. Better snatch what small moments of enjoyment you can! > 001: ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES Anything you'd think it would be at a festival in the year 2511 is definitely at this festival.> 002: 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 you can view video about the origins of the festival, and what, exactly, everyone's celebrating. Take a moment or two at any of these stands, and you'll soon learn that this is the day that the humans successfully put down the AI uprising.> 003: USING DISTRACTIONS There are other opportunities in the city being flooded with festival-goers. It's a time for everyone to come together, after all, and in all the crowds you may be able to find that one elusive corporate exec you've been wanting some time with for weeks. |
![]() |
> THE LOWER LEVELS |
The festival's reach is wide, spreading through the whole city, but 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 while you won't find any festival streamers or booths in these streets, people still have their own ways to celebrate. Some neighborhoods have spilled out from the doors of their cramped apartments, holding noisy street parties between their homes. Some quieter corners and unused doorways have become temporary shrines commemorating the many lives lost in the war. And from darker shadows, the illegal activities which plague the city respond to the celebration by spreading, taking advantage of the countless distractions available to operate in plain sight. Whether you're here exploring, working a favor for Morningstar, or following up on something for your own piece of mind, you'll find that Resolution Day may be the best time to explore the less glamorous parts of New Amsterdam. > 004: CRIMINAL ACTIVITY Organized crime still has a strong foothold in the world, with gangs and more established families working 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.> 005: 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. |
![]() |
> SPACE |
Humanity isn't limited to only Earth in this new universe. Whether you'd already made your way off planet, or are now looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the megacities – and the truth about Resolution Day – all you need to get out and explore space is the means. You probably don't have them from the start, but you can improvise, right? > 006: STOWAWAY Trips out in space are monitored and regulated, and unless you've signed up on the government's incentive scheme, passenger tickets aren't going cheap. Want to get off planet untracked, or don't give a damn about proper regulation and insurance? Freight flights are many and plentiful, and in all the excitement (and lingering intoxication), it just got a lot easier to slip past one crew or another. Of course, you'll be catching a ride with stacks of water containers, or fermented beans and canned pickles. Better hope that they keep everything secure, or it might get a little smelly – or cramped – in there before long. But most importantly, don't get caught. If you do, you better make sure you have a damn good story, or perhaps just knocking out whoever caught you would be safer than risking a quick flight out of the nearest airlock.> 007: THE COLONIES Coming to space might have seemed like an escape from the mess of society contained in the megacities of Earth, but it turns out the colonies aren't the shining new frontier all the advertisements and billboards made them out to be. Whatever brave new world you'd come out here hoping for, waste management probably wasn't at the top of the list. That's the job of a greenie, though, and it means you won't be getting any time off while everyone else sneaks away to join in on the festival fun. You and your current partner in custodial engineering have to clean up the mess. |
> THE WILDCARDS |
> 008: POWER AND CONTROL For some people, getting a new power is just a day ending in Y. But even if you've had a power before, you haven't had this power. Without a good idea of precisely what's now inside of your body, you might find yourself wishing that you'd been making more of an effort to find out exactly what happened. These powers can either lie dormant or come out at moments of high emotion, and as the Resolution Day festival fills the streets with a crush of bodies, noise and lights, it might be very easy to get stressed, confused, scared, or maybe even angry.> 009: GO NUTS Resolution Day isn't all there is to explore, so feel free to branch out! Visit a doctor about some advanced cybernetics (on a day that isn't a holiday, of course). Get used to the technology. Make a bold declaration to set out into the wilderness and become a llama farmer. Use the SETTING for inspiration and choose your own adventure. |
> NAVIGATION |
history lesson
Yet.
Markus feels a hand snap at his wrist.
It was firm, assertive and with a hushed voice — ]
You don't want all eyes on you, do you?
[ Meet mystery girl with ashen hair and a gnarly ass scar on her face. ]
ay gurl
(Indignation, anger, dread, that cold feeling of standing in a reality where the worst has come to pass, and the fire of a rebellious spirit decrying all of it.)
But there’s something more controlled from Ciri’s end — her emotions are more kindly shared, and quells his own spirit enough to where tension drains from his features, his shoulders, and he spares her a glance that loses its harshness.]
This isn’t something that I can just slink away from.
[Though there is a measuring of the actual reality of the situation; that he is in no position to do more than just spout unpopular opinions, which is frustrating unto itself.]
no subject
She knows they are, but there's a discriminatory aura to this all. Ciri's forced to feel the need to prove them wrong.
Markus feels something less ambitious, more cautionary like a person who desperately wants to blend in. To slip under the radar. Ciri's emotions were seasoned — controlled, surprisingly because she knows through experience that garnering attention can be a downfall.
Her hand pulls away suddenly, looking away as a hand comes up to rub at her eyes. As if she had some sort of frustration bubbling over. ]
What isn't? Some recreation of history you can't change?
[ She says in a childish huff. ]
You're causing a scene and unless you're bloody pleased with that notion, you should stop.
no subject
His eyes flick to the small group nearby, but he says nothing else. And when his focus once more settles on the young woman before him, they seem to believe that some strange offense has faded, and continue their chatter amongst themselves.
Markus speaks tightly, but plainly.]
I didn't intend to thoughtlessly cause a scene. But this holiday isn't something that should be celebrated at all. Can't you see that?
[Could she? Or did she not care, and only wished to stop a ruckus from inconveniently unfolding in her general area? It wouldn't surprise him terribly.]
no subject
Whether I can or not, this is normal here.
[ History was always written in favor of those who won. And given the way she reacted — how her emotions washed away in favor of his? She can surmise he's one of them. ]
This isn't your battle. Bite your tongue before they cut it out for speaking blasphemy.
[ A word to the wise! ]
no subject
But there’s no mistaking Ciri’s good intentions. Markus may have more to say on the matter, but he has no desire to linger here. All curiosity regarding the festivities of this holiday have wilted and lay dead at his feet.]
Walk with me?
[He begins a half turn, still looking at her — an invite, if she wants to accept.]
no subject
It's definitely time to go. ]
There's a few novelty shops I think you'll find fascinating.
[ It was enough of an excuse. ]
Straight ahead and to the left.
no subject
He looks at her, briefly, taking in the lines of her profile -- considering how much to say. Ciri's a stranger, but a good-natured stranger. Markus parses his words from a bevy of things to say, and settles on something generalized enough, if not a little wry.]
Do you always swoop in to save someone from their own indignant anger?
no subject
Wild. ]
Only when they're painfully obvious with sticking out like a sore thumb.
[ Her voice is hushed. ]
You've got to work better on your blending. My friend Dandelion once told me "wearing a mask is the same as a badge of honor, do it well and you'll fool even your own intentions".
no subject
Well, then your friend sounds like either a man of wisdom, or someone who has something to hide.
[Nothing judgmental in that last statement, maybe only the slightest attempt at something wry; Markus only keeps steady at her side as they pass by a vendor declaring that they should try a free sample of this-and-that.]
But sometimes there’s a time for hiding in the shadows, and a time to speak up.
no subject
A little of both, I think.
[ A half-laugh, as the face of Dandelion is definitely.... questionable. ]
What would you have gained there? Their history... it's something forged long before we were even born. [ She thinks? ] They do like to pin the righteous to crosses, you know.
[ No, not Jesus but... that definitely is a universal statement. :/ ]
May I ask a question: what does it matter to you?
no subject
He looks at her evenly, then, presented with a question like that. Why does it matter to him, indeed. It’s almost laughable, how he barely knows where to begin.
Simply, he supposes. Markus’ voice is already low by nature, and so he doesn’t have to worry terribly about his intonations being overheard by others around him. But there’s still a thread of caution weaving through his brow, his explanation bringing something more serious in his features.]
Because that history is indicative of a path my own world might take, if ruled instead by ignorance and fear. A reality that should disturb anyone, not just me.
[But it does seem to disturb him the most, doesn’t it? Affected at his core. He owes an explanation that isn’t horribly vague.]
...I wasn’t human before I was brought to this place.
no subject
[ She wants to prod him — to keep insisting that the past can't be rewritten, to know why he seems so ... keen on this entire ordeal. It falls on deaf ears. Ciri had seen war raged her entire life, seen common folks killed for so much as seeing the wrong soldier pass through the village. ...Good people killed for helping her. There's some bitterness to think that even with her powers before being brought here... she can't change that. The past, anyway.
Ciri stops in front of a food vendor, one that was grilling steak skewers. The thought alone was perfect for someone who hadn't eaten all day, but... at his admittance of not being human she pays the vendor and looks to him. ]
...Were you one of them? [ The oppressed, she asks bluntly. Taking two skewers, she offers one piece to him. ] I would sound foolish if I suggested a sorcerer or some such.
no subject
No. Not a sorcerer.
[If this were a less serious situation, he might’ve laughed at that. The thought of himself with magic at his fingertips, flinging it about to and fro like it were nothing — like something read about in books.
The truth won’t leave his lips so thoughtlessly though. Uttering “I’m an android” seems like a terrible idea in the midst of this festival... Hell, in the midst of this city.]
But I was one of those like what you’ve seen of the history here. And where I come from, we’re still fighting for our freedoms — our right to be recognized as alive.
no subject
She chews, listening to his reaction. ]
"Was"? What's changed? [ Ciri's only had her powers stripped — she hasn't changed form or function. She swallows her bite quickly: ] Then what battle were lost here... aren't yours to fight.
no subject
Everything.
[This isn't the sort of response spoken for the sake of dramatics, a declaration of the wrongs done to him. He means it sincerely -- it feels like everything has changed, when your insides that had once been mechanical are now made of flesh and bone and sinew. Warmth and sensitive nerve endings and the thrum of a heartbeat in the cage of his chest; a much different sort of steadiness compared to what used to be a Thirium pump.]
Those battles might have happened a long time ago, but that doesn't invalidate their relevancy to someone like myself. Just because my body has changed doesn't mean the core of who I am is any different.
no subject
You were metal?
[ THAT'S THE FIRST THING SHE ASKS, SORRY. ]
no subject
[ciri pls
To be fair, he can hardly discount the question. She’s like him, obviously, from a world different than this one, maybe even from a time so far detached that her query isn’t unreasonable. He wishes to clarify, but he’s also wary of saying too much in a place where they’re quite literally celebrating the downfall of an AI uprising.
His brow lifts, ever so slightly.]
A little more complicated than that, but you have the right idea. [A beat.] Is that going to be a problem?
no subject
His question catches her off guard and there's a lighthearted shrug as she takes another bite. ]
It matters not to me. The company I keep is always a bit questionable.
[ She herself is an oddity. ]
So long as you do your best to blend in, there's more pressing matters to tend to.
no subject
You're very concerned with blending in, aren't you?
[Not that Markus has been doing much else since his arrival, but he wonders how long that'll last. How long until one must take action to delve for answers, and sometimes slipping out of shadow was the only way to do so -- to take risks, when risks were needed.
But to ease the sense of judgment from his tone, he offers her back his skewer. She looks... hungry.]
Here. I don't need this.
no subject
[ If anything, a child of the Elderblood can appreciate the lack of people hunting her down for her powers. It's the little things. There's a skeptical look when he offers the skewer back. ]
Are you for certain? You say that until your stomach grows weak.
[ Ciri has two meat skewers in hand and it's just... a funny sight. ]
no subject
If I’m hungry later, then that’s not an issue. I can manage.
[Hunger is such a debilitatingly human thing, and Markus has learned to not let it reach the point where it gnaws at one’s insides, where it threatens to take over thought and focus. Biology is hard-wired to revolve around survival, which isn’t surprising. But indefinitely inconvenient when it comes to eating three square meals a day.]
Let me ask you something. Are you interested at all in finding out just what’s… happened to us?
[To everyone brought to this world. The how’s and why’s.]
no subject
Fine. I know when to revoke my charity. [ Her tone indicates that she's teasing, but at the very least — she has her meal and then some for the evening. Markus may be adjusting to basic human needs that wittle down over time, but Ciri is oblivious to that notion.
Ciri's ready to leave this district entirely, but she stops mid-turn. Looking back, she almost seems offended. ]
Of course I am. It's not every day someone can hop between worlds, but it's even rarer someone forced the lot of us to do it against our wills. How we arrived here, how we awoken with our bodies changed — it's more than curious. It's disrespectful. [ There's a bitterness in her mouth. ] But, we can't do anything unless we move in the shadows, hide in plain sight, and blend in.
[ Her voice grows a bit cold. ]
No matter the world, people fear what they don't understand. I don't plan on being hunted down.
no subject
I’m not ungrateful. Your charity wouldn’t normally be wasted if it were any other day.
[But as for the rest of it? He listens, because there are parts that resonate with him in ways that she might not realize. No matter the world, people fear what they don't understand. I don't plan on being hunted down.]
You can’t always hide in shadow. [But there’s that sticking point, that tiny bit of not-quite-contention that is at least a disagreement.] Sometimes the attention is good, if applied in the right way. Though I understand that’s a hard sell when we’re so... lacking in answers. And therefore, no real clear path on how to proceed.
no subject
The shadows are safe. There's millions of people in this city. We can be whoever we need to be to use our time wisely. Someone who entices a riot doesn't look too lucky to get answers.
[ A tease, but whatever? Eats?? ]
I'd love nothing more than to interrogate someone, but until I make the right friends, that won't seem to happen easily.
(no subject)