TEST DRIVE MEME 005

[larkers]

> TEST DRIVE MEME #005

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 found dropped off and had 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.

All Meadowlark test drive memes will not be game canon. Please feel free to carry on relationships that make sense, but please keep in mind that the TDM may not reflect current circumstances in game.

NOTE: The PCs have chosen to call themselves "the Displaced," and that's become the common parlance to refer to them. Additionally, the "What Dreams May Come" prompt does not reflect any situation in game, and will change on each TDM.

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 in a van, drugged and restrained, only to be carefully helped out by the unknown guards and nurses and then abandoned in an alleyway. What comes after is relatively straightforward: you're found by others and taken back to a safehouse, hidden under an old hover bike shop. This has happened before. There are others not from this world who have experienced the same, with no recollection of how they came here, bearing signs that they've lost months of their lives, but unfortunately, no more answers on how or why than you do. There are theories, crossed realities, a very real sense of immense violation to one's self. 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 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, their fellow Displaced have found their footing enough to be able to help newcomers. Two Morningstar agents will be around to take care of world integration and IDs – the rest will fall to the Displaced who came 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.

Morningstar's veteran agents will also make their purpose clear if asked: they are a group dedicated to fighting corruption and righting the wrongs of this world, though they're in the process of rebuilding things in New Amsterdam from scratch, and they know that the people in charge of those efforts wouldn't mind a little help. It will be made expressly clear that this entire arrangement to get the Displaced started 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 massive problems.

> 001: EXPLORE THE CHANGES

You have been changed, and unfortunately your fellow Displaced don't have a whole lot of answers for you. They'll give you a rundown of your changes: no powers, empathy bonds and a new ability that'll pop up sooner or later. Still – what that means is specific to you, so it's down to you to figure that out.

Most of the troubling changes will be what's happened to each person's physiology. Every aspect of this situation is already enough to make someone feel scared, stressed, confused, or even angry at what's happened to them - having to navigate a new, crowded and noisy world could easily provide enough stimulation to make it worse . Unfortunately, strong emotion could be just the key to triggering your new power. To get things under wraps, you'll want to duck away to somewhere more private or hidden. Thankfully, there are numerous underpasses, dark corners, and currently-empty shops, but you'll need to be quick to avoid raising any eyebrows – or avoid hurting anyone.

Otherwise, you might prefer to play it safe and avoid striking out before you have more answers. As much as Morningstar has been helpful, you know that the others in your situation may have more information. But be careful that you don't end up sharing more than you intended. 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.

> 002: THE NETWORK

Months before catastrophe hit, Morningstar set up a private network for all of the Displaced to use in order to communicate. This is due to their familiarity with the neural implant. 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 latest weather or nail polish trends in New Amsterdam, or want to play the latest game of hot or not among the displaced.

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, there it's made very clear that the government has a means of tracking these. This definitely isn't a place to be careless about your communication

> 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.

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. Recent circumstances have left New Amsterdam in a constant state of rebuilding, but the festival adds gloss to a lot of the damage – though most of the festival strays away from the most ruined architecture so that it doesn't serve as a constant reminder. 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!

> 003: ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES

Anything you'd think it would be at a festival in the year 2511 is definitely at this festival.

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 – involve a partner or a competitor, so you better hope someone's willing to do you a solid or bring out your competitive side.

If having fun involves less competition and more opportunities to feel emboldened, there are karaoke setups all over the city. Most of the songs will be unfamiliar to anyone who's new to this world, but like any music in any era, they're catchy enough. There are some jingles that have managed to survive several hundred years, and you might stumble across a gaggle of teenagers declaring that "All You Need is Love." To encourage letting loose, most of these karaoke booths have bartenders available to help someone find the courage they need to reach the stage.

Or maybe 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.

> 004: 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 video about the origins of the festival and what, exactly, everyone's celebrating. These videos will play for you and you alone, and you'll soon learn that this is the day, 410 years ago, that humans successfully ended the AI war.

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.

If you're uncomfortable with this information, no one will understand why. AI sympathizers are not present among the native population. Will you risk trying to change their minds?

> 005: USING DISTRACTIONS

There are other opportunities in the city being flooded with festival-goers. For Morningstar, this is a prime opportunity to test new recruits when it comes to charming corporate execs and getting in good with them.

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. Morningstar values discretion – and so does everyone else, for that matter.

> 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 here exploring, completing a task for Morningstar, or working a job in the place you excel. Whatever's brought you here, you may want to watch your step, or else find the city eating you as it has so many others.

> 006: GETTING IN

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.

Maybe you'd like to have a role in such a powerful organization. Or maybe you'd like to use your relative anonymity to burn it all down. One way to get an in is through their numerous clubs and illegal gambling dens, where to get past the door you have to know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy. Don't know a guy? Feel free to try to use brute force or some chicanery to make them believe that you belong among their numbers.

Just don't get caught doing anything they don't like – which could be breathing the wrong way, if you're unlucky enough. Best to have an escape plan in place, like perhaps stealing one of the many hover cars or hover bikes parked outside the establishment. 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.

> 007: 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 which have been taken to maintain it.

Maybe you're here 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.

Maybe you'd prefer to just enjoy the show, or take 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.

> WHEN CATASTROPHE HITS

Not everything in New Amsterdam is a festival or invading the local fight club to dig up some details. Sometimes the unexpected hits out of nowhere, unsettling circumstances and causing everyone to react. Depending on what it might be, these situations can be catastrophic on a larger, unnatural scale, or a smaller, more localized event. Many of the previously displaced have already undergone them, but there is always the chance that something like that can happen again.

> 008: A MONSTROUS ATTACK

Late in the night, while many are heading home or safe in their beds, ground-trembling quakes begin to wrack the city. Loud sirens begin to cry, alerting citizens to follow quake protocol and head to the nearest shelter or safe area, of which there are many around the city. Everyone seems to know what to do in response. Earthquakes are nothing new to these people.

However, it quickly becomes apparent that this rhythmic shaking has little to do with an earthquake. News feeds begin to report on a huge creature, standing roughly 400m high, approaching – and then breaking through – New Amsterdam's outer city wall. The reptilian creature has a tough, scaled hide, four legs, and a rather large tail. In contrast to its dark coloring, the creature's eyes, mouth, and many vein-like cracks along its body glow a bright gold.


In response to the attack, the UNA and NAPD attempt to unleash an assault on the creature. Unfortunately all this seems to do is cause it to erupt with yellow colored pustules all over its body. As this happens, three different types of creatures pour from its body, taking on new life as they hit the ground. Some are dog-like, while others are like crabs, filled with a dangerous venom that acts as a numbing agent on anybody that makes contact with them.

There are a lot of options: stand and protect, moving throughout the streets to protect New Amsterdam from yet another monstrous attack. Or take advantage of the opportunity, using the broken storefronts to loot and help pad your pockets in a world where you're most likely without a lot of what you'd like to have on hand.

> 009: WHERE THERE'S SMOKE

Around midday, vents open up throughout New Amsterdam to let smoke rapidly filter up into the foreground of the city. The reason why? A fire sparks in the underground portion of New Amsterdam, spreading quickly between two apartment buildings. The cause is unknown, and while firefighters are on the scene, they could use an extra hand. Numerous people suffer from the effects of smoke inhalation, and there are likely more inside the buildings themselves waiting for an assist.

For anyone who's been here already, this may feel like a familiar sequence of events, but going into the fire puts anyone at risk for being infected by the smoke itself. The infection is far from contagious and doesn't spread from one person to another - but it's highly unpleasant, leaving someone feeling mild nausea and headaches, irritability, vertigo, feverish … and vengeful. As the sickness takes hold and worsens, anyone impacted by this infection will feel the need to take revenge on people around them. This retaliation can take any number of forms from violent to non-violent: pick countless fights, or manipulate your friends into fighting one another for your own satisfaction, just to prove that they will turn on one another.

Thankfully, there is a cure for this righteous anger – unless you're inclined to feel this normally, of course. Any of the player characters who didn't stage a rescue in the burning building will be able to cure others by making skin-to-skin contact and holding on to it for a prolonged period of time. This contact will lead to their chest glowing blue for the entire duration, an increasingly burning sensation for both parties involved which eventually culminates in a sense of peace before giving way to a deep, pervading sense of sadness.

Throughout New Amsterdam, there will be countless people impacted by this infection thanks to their close proximity to the fire itself. It's up to you to help them – or leave them hanging, if that's what you prefer. But the only existing cure appears to be anyone with the strange blue stuff in their chests.

> 010: A VISIT FROM THE UNA

In an effort to get New Amsterdam's chaos under control, the officials in charge of the United Nation's Army send out their soldiers to try and smoke out any individuals who appear to be dissidents within the city. Whether they're Morningstar – or a similar uprising – they want to try to get things under control. They don't know why a monster attacked the city, or why a seeming bout of biological warfare hit many of the citizens and turned them against one another. What they do know is that they want to make a statement: if they can't control these events from happening, they'll ensure that the city is safe from people who want to undermine the government that maintains the world order.

It's futile, but the soldiers in question have no way of knowing this. They're ordered to do what's expected of them, and they act with fierce brutality and certainty as they enter homes and change the lives inside of them. When word gets out – and it does get out – there are only a scant few with the resources and powers to truly undermine these soldiers. They act as if they think in unison, clad in thick black body armor as they move through the halls, their heavy footsteps announcing their arrival. But that announcement may not matter, not for anyone unknowingly awaiting them – or anyone who may hope to stop them.

The best anyone can hope for is to mitigate the efforts of these seemingly unstoppable soldiers. Attempt to fight them or slow them down, and try to help the people who never asked for their lives to be changed.

Intervene to save lives – or use the situation to your advantage. These soldiers are heavily armed and armored. In order to help, everyone will have armor and guns of their own, but nothing on the same level or grade as what the UNA soldiers utilize. Try to get what they have on hand, and see if they're carrying around anything new.

It might help in whatever mysterious fight lies ahead.

> 011: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

Fatigue hits when everyone least expects it, making it so that they can't keep their eyes open. No amount of caffeine is going to keep anyone awake. They'll soon find themselves drifting through a blue haze, as if they're drifting deeper and deeper into an ocean that swallows them. Once they find themselves upright, they'll see they're somewhere familiar – New Amsterdam, to be exact.

This version of New Amsterdam is like a nightmare. UNA soldiers march the streets to maintain martial law. There are paper posters on the walls everywhere dictating a specific set of reminders. Don't stay out too past 9PM. Don't participate in vigilantism. And despite the UNA soldiers seeming to act the same as they march in formation, much of the tech that propels them in reality doesn't exist here. Even so – they act in unison, thoroughly trained and as if they're in each other's heads, calculating what should be their next step. They are wordless as they move, one step in front of another.

This version of New Amsterdam isn't real, but instead reflects some fear that likely lies in the heart of all of the Displaced. Morningstar acts as a rebel organization here, with more traction – but there's little they can do, especially since the United Nations appears to have the monsters on their sides. They deploy them with the aid of the UNA, beckoning them forward from the shadows to hunt down any insurrectionists.

Previous experience will tell the Displaced that they can change this reality – or it might be someone's nightmare. Either way, there's no real reason to risk this dream coming true. This version of New Amsterdam doesn't hide its corporate influence, as the governing body is made up of the three CEOs from the city's main corporations: Pulsar, Vyonation and Giles Bell. Corrupt and self-serving, they do little to help people, and numerous individuals are forced out of their homes in order to advance the CEOs' agendas.

The upside? Everyone gets a power up in these dreams. Anyone who had powers before will get them back – except they're likely to glitch. It may be better if you don't rely on them. Their blue-toned power can branch in any direction someone might hope for, granting them the control they lack when they're awake.

If someone wants to enact change, this is the place to do it. And if they just want to see what might happen and stir up a little chaos? Everyone will know they're asleep and experiencing a lucid dream, though people's level of familiarity with what came before will be up to them. What actions they take here may not be reflected directly in the real world – but perhaps that should be motivation enough to keep this dream from becoming reality.

> THE STATUS QUO (THE WILDCARDS)

> 012: SPACE

Whether you're desperate for a reprieve from Earth after getting a taste of some unwanted righteous fury or curious about this century's space exploration, there are a number of opportunities available to let someone blast off. Most people will find that the process of getting into space is tedious, but also one that occurs regularly from day to day. The opportunities are there for anyone seeking a job out in the colonies, but first you'll have to get hired, or have approval for subsidy granted by the government. Journeys to the colonies are long and arduous, and what people find when they show up isn't any better. Most of the facilities are in poor condition, with food and water far more strictly rationed than back on Earth.

If you'd rather just take a trip out to space without having to worry about a job, you have a number of options. Anyone can book a trip to go off planet, if they have the capital, or perhaps you'd prefer to work towards some proper credentials and join a crew. Of course, someone wishing to skip to the front of the line can always just stowaway on the back of a ship – or steal one for themselves. Just be wary of the fact that the hangars these ships are in come with increased security to match their price tags. They're hard to steal, but not impossible. As long as you know to skip the hacking and go with brute force, it should work out fine.

> 013: GO NUTS

This isn't all there is to explore, so feel free to branch out! Visit a doctor about some advanced cybernetics. Sneak through the city checkpoints and set out into the wilderness. 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 make a bold declaration to become a llama farmer. Use the SETTING for inspiration and choose your own adventure.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

raven reyes — the 100, cw: idk high on paint fumes??

[feasible]

> 001. explore the changes

( she’s been changed? what does that even mean? what else is she going to have to learn to live with? she can’t help feeling violated by the concept ( at a higher intensity than what’s expected ); first her leg, then finn, sinclair, the whole mess with A.L.I.E. where she not only nearly lost her mind but also her life, and now this? what happens when she runs out of things to lose? pity festival, party of one. she has to get away from people at that point to stop wallowing and that is a huge enough distraction for raven.

the world. the whole world.

this must be what the planet looked like before—just before.

that split second where she's grinning as radiant as the sun is wiped away because she's not paying attention to trivial things like traffic when she steps off of a curb ( and that means she's probably going to get hit by a bus ), and someone grabs her wrist to save her. stop her from doing something dumb and accidental. she's not really thinking straight with everything she's trying to keep under wraps. it's just a whirlwind of anger and confusion, and a layer of constant ( occasionally dull ) pain. she's out of the street, rescued from being pancaked but she is not grateful. she wrenches her arm back harder than she means to, putting an unintentional amount of force behind it — strength that's unbelievable for a person of her size ( or anyone's ) to have. )

Don't touch me! ( she snaps and watches it all unfold in a blink. a shocking, disturbing blink. and raven can't run, not well, not with her leg brace but she sure is getting the hell out of there with a quick: ) I'm sorry.

>002. network

@raven.reyes

First things first: bravo on the protein bites. You have to admire the resourcefulness. And the hot sauce. Did I mention the hot sauce?

( oh, what? she can’t make light of the situation now? screw that. if she’s going to eat crickets or grasshoppers ( and she’s probably consumed worse ), she’s not about to throw a hissy fit about it. )

I want to talk to an engineer. A mechanic. Whatever. I want to help. Just point me in the right direction.

> 003. safehouse

( after that unsettling realization, raven sequesters herself away. it doesn't last more than a few hours before she gets restless. back home she'd never had a lot of moments devoted to sitting and reflecting. in some ways, that was nice. not having to deal with anything, being able to bottle, always having something to do and in others it had probably been detrimental to recovery. raven doesn't see it that way, though. she teeters perpetually between it is what it is, suck it up and i'm freaking awesome, let me at it. there's practically another computer program in her head and she doesn't know what she's supposed to do with that. what she's supposed to feel.

so she doesn't.

she asks someone for some paint, promises them a favor ( nothing weird, that's a dealbreaker ), and goes to town on the room she's apparently staying in. and no, she doesn't run it by the "big guys" first. if they have a problem with it, they can come fix it. she doesn't specify a color because she doesn't care as long as it's not grey — the go-sci-ring was dull and plain and void of color, not that she'd come up for air the three months she was up there, up to her eyeballs in wires and alarms, but. whatever.

the paint's green, actually. she smiles for monty and goes to town on a random corner closest to her cot, most likely speckled with it by the time someone finds her. ) I wouldn't come in if I were you. Not unless you want your brain like you like your stars. ( get it? get it? she points with the roller, smile present but wavering as she tacks on: ) High.

( that joke is in no way, shape, or form funny but raven laughs regardless. she might need a break from the fumes. )

003: safehouse

[heliophilous]

I didn't even know we were allowed to do this.

[ marcos hears the warning but he doesn't actually heed it because now he's curious especially after a line like that. he steps in and there's paint everywhere. on the walls, on the bed, on her and one corner of his mouth wants to lift in a half smile. ]

Hell, I didn't even know there was paint available.

[ he'd stayed in the safehouse awhile before finally moving out and he'd just kept everything dull and grey. might have helped his mood if he'd gone for something like this.

being high might have helped too but you snooze, you lose or however that goes. ]

[feasible]

We’re not. ( her shoulders lift and drop in a shrug. ) I mean, probably not. I don’t know. I didn’t ask.

( what are they going to do, lock her up? put something in her head? mess with her genetics? check, check, check. raven knows she shouldn’t jinx something, shouldn’t ask for trouble but a part of her is kind of hoping to be told that she can’t do this. she doesn’t even know that the people that dropped her off are the same as morningstar but she also isn’t sure she’s been here long enough to care. it’s a dumb plan, bellamy wouldn’t approve of her strategy but you know what? bellamy’s not here and he can save some of that unstoppable force versus immovable object for the rest of them. )

I asked someone if they could go out and get it for me. It’s different than stuff I’ve gotten my hands on or made from scratch but it seems like it’s having the desired effect. ( green! it’s green! her mouth does pinch at one corner as she sweeps her gaze around—she probably should have asked for some old, torn sheets to put down. oh well. she sets the roller down in her little makeshift pan and holds out her opposing (cleanish?) hand for him. ) Raven, and you are?

[heliophilous]

Marcos.

[ he doesn't step further into the room so he doesn't get in her way. he's got a fine view from right where he is of the green paint that's getting everywhere. maybe it's not something they're supposed to do but it does give the place a little more life than usual. he's not going to run off and tell on her, at least. ]

I stayed in a room down the hall for awhile before I finally saved enough to get out of here. It's not so bad. [ not that she was asking or anything. ] Why green?

[ favorite color? ]

[feasible]

I've never met anyone named Marcos before. Should be easy to remember. ( it'll stand out in her mind because it's unique ( at least when she's from. ) she lowers her hand without being miffed. no skin off her back if he stays put. they won't have green shoeprints tracked around the hall that way — not that she's flinging paint around. there are splatters here and there ( mostly on her hands and arms, her face ), the floor closest to the wall is what's suffering the most. there are some sloppy drops from where she'd picked up the paint can and poured it into the pan. whoops?

despite not having asked, she's intrigued. money to buy things with, imagine that. no bartering or alliances, or the good, old-fashioned kicking a door in and claiming the place. )

What do you do for cash? ( he must have a job. ) I wasn't specific about a color. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

i missed the handshake, my apologies!!!

[heliophilous]

I've never met anyone named Raven before so feeling's mutual. [ he watches her lower her hand and thinks about explaining, asking if she knows about the whole empathy bond thing but doesn't. most people who do don't readily offer their hands and he doesn't want to show her what he's talking about.

he still can't really control what people pick up from him even if he tries. and he doesn't know her at all so better to keep some distance for the moment. ]

I have a job. [ she probably assumes that which is why he elaborates: ] Courier. Take things from one place to another. It means I don't have to sit behind a desk all day, which is what I wanted.

[ and this place hadn't really been looking for rebel faction leaders anywhere. ] But, there's plenty of jobs out there. Maybe even for a painter.

no worries. i assumed it was intentional.

[feasible]

( she does. some random told her about the empathy bond and she had stared at him blankly, asked him if he thought if she was born yesterday, and then she'd flat-out walked away. she's probably going to need to apologize for that now? now that she's learned it's true and she was kind of a jerk about the info dump. her eyebrow hitches up at marcos when he tells her he has a job, expression bordering on expectant before he fills in the blanks. )

Anything? ( he doesn't look like a delivery guy, not that there's an exact image in her head of what that's supposed to look like anyway. ) What's the strangest thing someone's asked you to pick up for them? ( there's already a smile beginning to bloom in amusement. who doesn't like harmless gossip? ) I'm not a painter. I can see where that might get confusing. I've got a roller, I've got paint, and the walls are painted...ish.

( she frowns minimally, criticizing herself on how that sentence came together. )

I'm a mechanic.

no, i'm just a dumbass lmfao

[heliophilous]

Strangest thing? [ he hasn't been doing the job for that long but he does take a moment to think about, arms crossed over his chest and shoulder pressed against the door frame. ] Breast milk.

[ yeah, yeah, he knows how that sounds. ] Don't ask. I still don't really know how and why. I got paid, that's what I was hoping for.

[ that was the most unusual but there'd been other, less than top of the shelf things that he'd had to fetch for people too. he's gonna keep those to himself for the moment.

interest crosses his face at her answer, though. ]

Mechanic? Anything in particular you fix? [ that had been a thing of his back home. he hadn't really gotten into it here but he figures he could if he wanted to. ]

@james.holden

[hoss]

I know a mechanic. You good with cars, or...?

@james.holden

[feasible]

I’m good with everything. ( eat your heart out, new amsterdam. ) Cars, space stations, rocket ships, radios. You point me at something and I’ll fix it.

[hoss]

That'll get you a job somewhere around here. Who're you trying to help? The people who live here, or the people like us?

[feasible]

Depends. ( does it have to be us versus them? she’s tired. ) Does anyone have proof that the majority of the people on this planet brought us here? Messed with us? I’m talking hard numbers. 90% or more sure.

We’ve all got to live here.

[hoss]

Hey, I don't disagree.

I was asking because I'd bet there's a difference in what people who live here are going to need from you and what people like us and our gracious hosts are going to need.

[feasible]

If we're going to rank it by preference, then nine times out of ten: helping us get answers and/or get back to our real lives > fixing an engine. Sometimes, we might really need that engine more.

So both, I guess, with the former taking precedence.

What do you do?

001 | also !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[strove]

[If there's anything that Clarke recognizes, it's Raven's dazed look and smile as she almost traverses into a street where a bus is about to come down from the sky and park nearby, allowing passengers to get off. Of course, it helps that she recognizes Raven herself—one of her friends, one of the people that she simultaneously painfully misses and desperately hoped would never turn up (because of what may have happened to all of them before their freedom, even if this world is many times better than their own ... maybe it'll balance out. It has for her).

She recalls her first night here. Ironically, that involved a bus, too. An accident. A crash. Shuffling off in a haze and eventually ending up in an enclosure between two buildings talking to Tony Stark. Once she noticed the city, looking up at the overwhelming expanse of it all—she had been overwhelmed. And since? Since—she's learned that some of the gloss of this world hides some deeply messed up things.

But it's still alive. It still has people. It can do better.

So, that's the status update. Right now, Clarke is sitting on the ground because Raven shoved her back and is about to bolt off. Clarke musters her voice up and calls out,] Hey! Raven, wait. It's me. I can help.

[Of course, depending on numerous circumstances, Raven may not be keen to have Clarke's help. Time. Place. All of that. That won't keep her from trying.]

😘

[feasible]

( get out of the danger zone. that’s her one priority. she can’t explain how she did that because she doesn’t truly know herself. she can speculate, form a working theory. that’s just guessing and wildly grasping at straws is not a solution to any problem, frightening or otherwise. she barely looks said person in the eyes and it wouldn’t make a difference if she did because she’s not anticipating finding— )

Clarke? ( she stops dead, then flips around. the death wave should have killed her. the fire should have. if she somehow survived either one of those things, the conditions of the earth would have been completely unsurvivable. it’s impossible but it’s clarke; she just has a knack for doing what others can’t. raven had hoped but needing something to keep going is extremely different than certainty. and you know what else? raven really doesn’t give a damn. screw logic! clarke’s alive. her universe is twisting sideways, making her dizzy from the hurricane of contrasting emotions but there’s apparently a silver lining.

( and who would have ever thought that raven would consider clarke in that light? )

she closes the last few feet between them and doesn’t ask. sorry, griffin but you’re getting a python-style embrace, period. no argument. eventually, she has to pull away because a) they should probably still get off the main street and b) she has a thousand questions. )

How? We thought you were— ( gone. a small shake of her head. ) It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re okay.

💖

[strove]

["We thought you were—"

Yeah, Clarke thought she was, too. But after Bellamy and Murphy, it's not like she can open up with the assumption that someone knows she's alive. They both had no idea. They didn't even know the City of Light had been destroyed, which also meant they didn't know about the world's impending collapse (for the second time). If anything, Clarke is flooded with relief in knowing that Raven even knows all of that.

And in having Raven here. The hug itself makes her chest glow a bright blue, and she feels a little guilty, knowing precisely what lies underneath that relief. At least—out of anyone who's touched Clarke, aside from Bellamy and Murphy before their absence—Raven would get it. Would understand it.

When Raven finally pulls away, Clarke looks temporarily dazed, but utterly pleased. Her eyebrows furrow, forehead scrunching up in that little way it does when she's both thoughtful and trying to direct a situation. Like she knows she needs to be the one to handle it.]

The Nightblood solution worked. [A little too late for anyone to know that. Clarke clearly didn't expect to know that.] Why don't we go somewhere? [Her expression softens, aside with her super serious forehead, and she smiles. It's a slight one, just a little twist of Clarke's mouth upward.]

Away from busy traffic. Which ... is a thing. [There are so many people.]

You can tell me how things worked out in getting up to the ring while we walk. [Read: she wants to hear Raven brag about how awesome she was in getting them up there.]

lmsfoa! "later, raven would toss and turn wondering why clarke's forehead was so crispy."

[feasible]

( seeing clarke and feeling her as a real, tangible person and not a figment of her imagination is refreshing. there aren’t any actual curative properties but raven lets herself think maybe everything will work out because they’re together. she’s not sweeping clarke’s horrendous decisions under the rug but she’s not about to ignore her good deeds, so. it’s complicated basically. their people need clarke's courage and steel, and her unfailing ability to somehow build alliances wherever she goes. she brings something else to the table. what raven feels in the moment is a mixed bag but the strongest resonating emotion is that she’s happy, for however long it lasts.

she’s not freaked by the glowing blue chest ( someone told her and she hadn’t believed them until now ), although she does sort of want to stop what they’re doing, rip her shirt off and examine herself. hello, for science! but right, right, right. focus. the second passes and while she’s dissecting what that was, how it happened, what’s hers and what’s clarke’s, she’s unfortunately staring like a fixated weirdo.

raven breaks it with a nod, sniffing, and not exactly pretending like her eyes aren’t wet but not full-on crying either. it's a lot, okay, and she already wears her heart on her sleeve without someone else being able to leech that. )

Lead the way. ( whichever direction she picks, raven joins her on her right. when she finds the nerve to speak, it's softly at first. ) You seriously want to hear about that? ( not judgy, just. her confidence is muted temporarily. it's probably a good thing they're not touching anymore. ) Everything we worked for, everything I planned, it never would have worked without you. You saved us, Clarke.

( time and place for truth bombs—what's that? she levels clarke with a determined look. try fighting her on that. and while she isn't changing the subject, she doesn't know what levee may break with that discussion or if clarke's just going to blink owlishly at her and cover, pretend it doesn't matter and that she's above things like receiving gratitude. she's throwing levity into the dire conversation and giving her options on how to progress is all. )

But I was pretty freaking awesome up there. I flew a rocket ship. Me. I finally got a repeat on that spacewalk. ( a beat, smile giving way to regret. ) You should have been there. You would have been proud of us. I guess all those 'united fronts' lectures paid off. Even Murphy helped keep us all alive until we got the life support up and running.

[strove]

[In another timeline—another lifetime—Clarke would struggle to recognize the good that she did. That she's failed to do the same here should come as no surprise. She speaks of the atrocities she's had to undertake for the good of her people, rarely offering specifics. They were necessary so that her people could survive, and she would do it again if she came to thoroughly see the Displaced as hers. Having Raven here is like a shock to her system—and a reminder as to why she couldn't bring herself to cross that line. Not yet.

So, when Raven tells her she saved them, she looks distant. Much like Raven, Clarke is a crier—she's not as boisterously emotional as Raven or Bellamy, but her eyes are glossy with the recognition that her friends lived. She knows it was hard for them to leave her behind. Earlier on, Bellamy couldn't do that when it came to getting the hydro-generator, but Clarke was proud of the fact that he made that decision. He did what he needed to, just like she did.

(Clarke had resigned herself to dying there, so the fact that she didn't still feels like something was left unfulfilled. Not in a good or bad way, just—unfinished. Like she had set herself up for an outcome that was never meant to be.)

She inhales deeply, inaudibly, picturing Murphy being the one who saved the day. Not surprising given that he pumped a heart to keep her alive, but she offers Raven a wry smile.] That's because Murphy knows he wouldn't survive two days up there without the rest of you.

[The first remark, and not the only one. Is it obvious she didn't say anything about being the one to save them? Probably. Clarke still doesn't know what to say. She did what she could, and feeling resigned to where that would end felt—well, it felt like she was the only one who could.

She reaches out to take Raven's hand while they walk. Okay, so they're glowing, and it's muddled, and Clarke's mixed up emotions are going to come into play here and make things messier. And okay, she knows this is a grand way of exposing herself, but the clear amount of affection shooting through the link? That's important here. She tugs Raven to a stop and pulls her closer, looking across at her. While Clarke is tactile with most people, she and Raven don't usually get up to handholding. That's reserved for other people in Clarke's life—but Raven is who's here, so it comes naturally. Plus, while they're going somewhere, she can't wait. She's driven by the need to say this.]

I want you to know that I am proud, Raven. I needed you to get them up there, and you did. And I know—I know that it isn't about me—[as being here has constantly reminded her, even if she can't really lose that Clarke Griffin Self-Importance]—I'm still ... relieved. I'm glad they're there. Thank you. [Glad. Proud. Grateful. Appreciative in every way.

But still guilty—this time because she doesn't want them to feel bad about leaving her behind. They did what they should have done.]

[feasible]

( more baffling than murphy pitching in was emori and echo, likely for the sake of survival too. it had been a team effort and call it instinct or whatever, but so many things could have gone wrong beyond timing and clarke getting the satellite aligned that for awhile there, raven couldn’t believe it had actually worked. clarke got the lights on and the door open, raven got the ship docked, monty gave the instructions, bellamy was the hands, and harper, murphy, emori, and echo kept everyone else alive while their oxygen dwindled away. )

Don’t give him all the credit. It took every single one of us to get on board and get the oxygen going. ( and maybe some night soon ( when they’re not in broad daylight in public ), raven can sit on the floor in clarke’s room and lean up against her bed and hash out the details from start to finish, leaving nothing to the imagination. she intentionally doesn’t label him as a cockroach in the moment, though she does take notice of the inflection in clarke’s voice and how she states her deduction. she’s right but she also doesn’t know that murphy is the one that tried to keep her from losing her mind down in becca’s lab and that he’d been the last one to leave her behind.

she turns her face to study clarke; she can’t help it. that and to look at their hands. raven doesn’t resist her. she’s not one to recoil from the touchy-feely unless she’s trying to work or it’s someone that has no right to put hands on her. neither of those things are applicable here. it’s. what is it? raven bites the inside of her lip, not worrying it totally, but like she’s stretching her arm to grab something that teeters just out of reach. clarke’s fondness is met with raven’s — she may not always be on board but she respects her, stands beside her, and believes in clarke unfailingly.

raven feels concern and relief, parsing through those easily. she’s perceptive enough on her own merits without a handy empathy link to confirm her suspicions. on her side, from the second clarke takes her hand, there’s a plain curiosity that she tries to suppress. a warm rush of pride at being acknowledged, intertwined with survivor’s guilt, and then a brief sadness. don’t worry, she squashes it with a tiny spike of mild irritation at the end. she nods once, hearing it ( hoping it doesn't go in one ear and out the other ) while she attempts to absorb it. coming from clarke, the gratitude packs a heavy punch. she hasn't heard a ton of thank yous in her life, despite all the seemingly impossible tasks she's accomplished in record time.

it isn't being underappreciated so much as it's the fact that there is always something more pressing going on. her mom chose alcohol, finn chose clarke, clarke left all of them ( and has been trying to atone ever since ), and sinclair's just gone — so yeah, raven feels vulnerable. )

You don't have to thank me. ( but thanks for saying it anyway. ) They're my friends, too. I wasn't about to let them die if I could do something to stop it.

I pushed them. ( made them all strap-in, except for bellamy, until the last possible second. ) Bellamy. He wanted to wait. ( and no, that's not right. it's true, just not the whole truth. softer, not because it's a secret, ) I wanted to.

( she squeezes clarke's hand to emphasize; it should be weird but it's a contact they both need. )

I would have if I thought you wouldn't kick our asses on the other side. ( she laughs, a sudden and ruptured sound because if she doesn't, she might start crying. )

001.

[ex_dictator317]

Cut it out.

[ With all of the authority of a woman familiar with issuing commands and expecting obedience, Octavia bites it out, hot on the heels of Raven's retreating form. Impatient, first and foremost, and more desperate than she would ever be willing to admit.

Raven is the first known entity she's come across, after all; Octavia isn't willing to let that go, isn't willing to surrender a source of information when she has little. Even the whiplash speed of transport around them can't change that, no matter the same childlike wonder that rises in her — something that belongs to the Octavia Blake of the past, weaker and more prone to breaking.

In the end, there's strength in numbers. ]

Unless you're trying to get yourself killed. [ For whatever wonders this city holds, she can't trust there isn't danger lurking at each corner — speeding cars or otherwise. Her fingers tighten but release, slackening, in a show of compromise. ] It's me, Raven.

[ Not just me, as if she were to be underestimated. They all know the truth of what she is now, and Octavia has no intention to pretend she is anything but as abominable as they believe she is. ]

[feasible]

( she doesn’t recognize octavia at first. she doesn’t see anything because she isn’t looking for anything aside from an exit route. when she turns away, she sees more than a bus lowering from the sky to park where she’d almost been, she sees more vehicles in the sky, hoverbikes in the street. she sees a world that neither one of them could have dreamed up because it isn’t what they received when their feet touched the ground for the first time.

the grip on her inspires the need to fight back harder. she’s already whirling when octavia’s hand relents, releasing her from a perceived trap.

raven doesn’t believe she’s anything other than her friend; a girl that felt she never belonged, that fought to find a place for herself, that saved their people, and that had to endure losses along the way. she stops struggling and really looks at her. octavia looks different — not worse, just different. older? does that even make sense? is that possible? surviving has taken a toll on all of them and if it's worn them down, forced them to age beyond their years, then so be it. )

Octavia? ( agitation subsiding, fear doused by calm, she tries to will her breathing back to normal. ) You're alive?

( she won the bunker, shared it; she knows that much from bellamy and clarke but not being able to run tests on said bunker, not seeing it. well, she's paranoid after everything. )

Bellamy never gave up. ( not on his sister, not on clarke, not on them. ) He's going to be so happy to know for sure that you're alright. ( you know, when they're all reunited. )

Forget Bellamy. I'm relieved. ( and if she doesn't move, like now, raven is coming in for an embrace. )

[ex_dictator317]

I'm breathing, aren't I?

[ I survived, she thinks. Like I always do.

Surprise blunts the bite of her sarcasm — dismissive, reaching for it as a defensive mechanism and nothing else, to grapple with Raven's sincerity. Her compassion, more than that; it's been so long since anyone has shown her human warmth — anything beyond contempt or compliance — that she struggles to reconcile what's bound to happen when Raven steps in.

Octavia's joints lock, freezing, as if preparing for the attack to come — no matter how at odds it would be to Raven's behavior. Violence she knows; bloodshed, she knows. This is something altogether, forgotten to Octavia, when Raven embraces her. Octavia's eyebrows draw together, arms stiff at her sides. ]

I doubt that. [ He left me there, she doesn't say. Looked at her like a monster that needed a lesson in taming itself. His happiness at the sight of her seems unlikely, but admitting as much feels too exposing. She settles a hand on Raven's shoulder, instead, one arm curling halfway around her in a poor reciprocation. When she speaks next, it's hoarse, strained with an emotion she won't put a name to. ] My brother. He's here?

@bellamy.blake

[deployed]

We've eaten worse.

You getting a lot of bites with those demands?

[feasible]

Oh, without a question.

One and counting. ( you don't get to lecture her on her people skills. ) Give it an hour and I'll be fighting them off.