Test Drive Meme: Feb/March 2016

[undergroundmods]

"Pulp - Common People" (Watch on YouTube)

Welcome to the Underground test drive meme! This is where you can try out the AU version of your character, start some potential CR and get a feel for the world of the game. Choose your character's species, read up on the available factions and you're ready to go. Put your character's name in your subject line when you post, tag out, and have fun!

Note to current players: Activity in this meme counts as game canon! So you can use it for activity check. If you end up playing anything that you can't or don't want to use as game canon, it's fine to ignore it. (In that case you shouldn't submit it for activity check.)

Here are some prompts to inspire you:

1) COMMON PEOPLE. What do normal Londoners do every day anyway? Sometimes you just want to blend in with everyone else. Make friends with humans. Talk about the weather. Go on, try it.

2) PENTHOUSE SUITE. But wait. Maybe you want to see how the other half live. The elite of the elite. You've been lucky enough to be asked to a meeting, or a luncheon, or a date. Find out what the most powerful people in London are really like.

3) GET OUT YOU FILTH. Supernatural prejudice is a regrettable fact of life in London. It doesn't matter what you are, there's someone out there who hates you because of it. They'll shun you, heckle you, even hunt you down and kill you. Of course, you're probably not immune to a few prejudices yourself.

4) SPEED DATING. Oh god. Why did you sign up to this. You should have known it was a bad idea when someone mentioned it was supernatural speed dating. Help.

5) THE REAL UNDERGROUND. Down in the darkest corners of the Tube, there are supernatural vagrants of all kinds, especially vampires. That friendly busker may well be a fae. That girl waiting for the next train is a ghost. Once you've seen it, you can't escape from it.

6) IN THE SUPERMARKET. On the other hand, you never know what you might find just walking around your local supermarket. You haven't forgotten how to do normal things like groceries, right?

7) A CURSED EXISTENCE. Maybe you literally are cursed. Maybe you just feel like it sometimes. There are things you can't do, weaknesses that normal humans aren't subject to, but they make everyday life in London that little bit more difficult. Try not to get too mad about it.

8) CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. Anything goes.

Comments

[catphishing]

[4.30am is a terrible time to make someone remember movies that make them cry. Fact.

Oliver hastily shoves the magazine back on the shelf before it really registers he doesn't need to do that. Even if it hadn't been Connor the damage would have already been done. As it is Connor... that might actually be leaving him more embarrassed. Which is stupid.]

Yeah, well... it's not like you know anything about that either.

[Yeah. That was a good comeback.]

[iustitiae]

[remember hec crying on the roof BECAUSE HES JUST SUCH A GOOD PERSON AND WANTS HIS WIFE TO LIVE HER HAPPINESS OUT god damn it hec youre too good for this world, actual cinnamon roll

anyways a for effort there buddy.]

Yeah but I don't need to know anything about it. Definitely not for, what, £7?

[catphishing]

[YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH. You're a terrible person.]

Neither do I. I wasn't...

[Urgh, why is this happening. Why couldn't Connor be in literally any other supermarket? Or get it delivered. Or even just be somewhere else in the store. He looks back at the cover, then picks it up again. Really, he's not proving anything by leaving it. It was already pretty obvious what his intention was.]

£4. And you know that's not why I'm buying it.

[iustitiae]

It's abs guy, isn't it?

[he leans over oliver's shoulder, maybe getting in his space just a bit to be able to examine the cover a little more closely.]

He's not bad.

[catphishing]

Not bad? You can see him, right?

[He should probably just drop the magazine in his cart. It's not like he's going to read it now. Given Connor's proximity though... he doesn't quite want to go through with it, even if him being this close brings up a lot of conflicting feelings right now.]

[iustitiae]

Yeah, I can see him just fine. Just...after awhile, it starts to seem excessive, doesn't it? Like it's definitely impressive, but I'm not really sure that's all I'm looking for.

[conflicting feelings, yeah. this is definitely a little awkward but he just pushes right on past it, trying to be cool.]

[catphishing]

[He was already tense, but his expression closes up at that as well, his eyes staying resolutely on the cover model.]

Could have fooled me.

[iustitiae]

[connor pulls away from him, his attention definitely on oliver now. he frowns. he knows he's fucked up, but.]

Hey, no, I -- I mean, I think you're hot. Like, way more than that guy.

[catphishing]

[Connor confuses him. So much. So much of what he says feels like empty compliments, yet he sticks around. He keeps coming back even though he knows there are tons of guys out there who'd snap him up in an instant. Connor knows that too, which really is part of the problem.

He puts the magazine back on the shelf, suddenly not quite as appreciative of Abs Guy as he had been, risking an uncertain glance at Connor as he turns back to push the cart to a different aisle.]

You don't have to say that.

[iustitiae]

I'm not just saying it.

[if he needed more proof that it's not just an empty compliment, he now has obtained connor following him like a lost puppy. whatever groceries he really came for can apparently wait.]

You shouldn't be so hard on yourself.

[catphishing]

[He makes an unconvinced sound, peering intently at the shelves without really seeing anything on them.

There's a lot of things he could say to that, but none of them are things he feels comfortable getting into in the middle of a crowded store.]

Are you coming over later? I'm out of those cookies you like, so I need to know if I should be stocking up now or if I can save it for later.

[It might be a less obvious subject change if they weren't currently in kitchenware... which in fairness he didn't really mean to firm into.]

[iustitiae]

[he looks way more happy at the suggestion than he intends to. but considering how awkward things have been, he wasn't sure he still had a standing invitation.

so, yeah, he totally doesn't care that thteyre in kitchenware.]

Oh, well, you don't have to have them for me to come over.

[catphishing]

No, but at least then you might stop eating the kind I like.

[Teasing about the things that don't matter is easier than discussing their bigger issues so it's a relief he takes the topic even if his heart isn't fully in it.

He's less sure how he feels about having pretty much invited him over. He liked (likes, if he's being honest) Connor a lot, but there are reasons he hasn't been encouraging his presence so much as tolerating it lately. He doesn't want to open himself up to that kind of hurt from him again, but Connor has a way of making that difficult to stick to.]

[iustitiae]

I could promise not to eat yours.

[how well will he stick to it though who knows.]

[catphishing]

Or since I'm already here I could just get some to deter you.

[You know, when he stops pretending he's looking at price tags on tupperware.]

[iustitiae]

Or, I could buy some and bring them over.

[he reaches over to take the Tupperware from Oliver's hand.]

Do you want this, too?

[hes joking but he will buy the Tupperware if called out on it]

[catphishing]

[Oliver lets him take it, embarrassed at being called out on looking at something he doesn't want, but not quite sure what do without something to look at.]

No, that's okay. I was just looking.

[iustitiae]

[he sets the tupperware back on the shelf]

So tonight? Do you want me to bring food?

[catphishing]

[He makes himself actually look at him then. He's nervous, but he tentatively wants to hope that maybe they'll have a nice night tonight.]

Thai? Or pizza. We could have pizza if you feel more like having pizza. I could rent a movie and we could eat with that?

[He kind of hates himself a little for how many times he's said pizza in the last five seconds. He has to bite back on suggesting yet another option or offering to cook. He looks ridiculous already.]

[iustitiae]

You said pizza a lot of times, so I'm going to assume you want that.

[totally pointing it out anyway]

[catphishing]

I don't mind. You can choose. There's actually a new Indian place that's supposed to be pretty good nearby.

[He shrugs, trying to act like he isn't embarrassed.]

Just get whatever you feel like.

[iustitiae]

You're all over the place with these dinner suggestions.

[catphishing]

Well, they're suggestions. It's not like there's a rule that says they have to be limited.

[iustitiae]

[connor's laughing, but he means it well. mostly.]

Just relax. We can do whatever we want.

[catphishing]

I know.

[He wishes he could laugh. He makes it sound so easy. He does manage a faint smile for him, though being uncertain exactly what Connor thinks this is relaxing isn't the easiest thing to do.]

You know this isn't...