Test Drive Meme: April/May 2016

[undergroundmods]

"The Jam - Going Underground" (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 and canon 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) GOING UNDERGROUND. For some people, London is an escape. A place to be anonymous. A place to be themselves. Or a place to hide. Steeped in ancient magic, it attracts supernatural types from all over the world. Of course, that doesn't mean its inhabitants are always friendly to newcomers.

2) CHOOSE YOUR LEADERS. The Night Council election campaign is in full swing and on 5th May the supernatural community votes for its leaders. Visit any supernatural haunt and you'll find people arguing about who to vote for – not to mention the volunteers handing out badges and flyers in an effort to win your support. Try to keep it civil, folks.

3) THE PUBLIC WANTS WHAT THE PUBLIC GETS. (29th April) The Night Council candidates gather in a town hall in Westminster to explain why the supernatural community should vote for them. Traditionally a noisy and raucous event, it's your last opportunity to heckle question the candidates before the election. There are four separate Q&As: first up are the candidates for Shapeshifter/Meta Human representative; then candidates for Witch Representative; then Vice President; then finally the candidates for President will take to the stage. They each make a short speech and then take questions from the audience. Or if you want, you could just turn up for a free meal: in the room next door there's a sandwich buffet plus tea, coffee and fruit juice, so it's a good opportunity to mingle.

4) FIRE FESTIVAL. (1st May) The fire festival of Beltane is a time of celebration for witches, marking the beginning of summer. Come along to the bonfire for music, food and drink, flower crowns and fertility rituals.

5) SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. (1st May) Beltane is also a time when the barrier between the human world and the Other Realm is at its thinnest, making it easy to pass from one realm to the other by chance. You might even have an encounter with the mysterious and mischievous fae.

6) WHAT'S DONE CANNOT BE UNDONE. You've gone too far, done something you know you'll regret. Maybe you ran away, broke a promise, even committed a crime. Maybe you've been supernaturally transformed. Either way, there's no going back.

7) WHAT ANGEL WAKES ME FROM MY FLOWERY BED? Oh, sweet mortal. There's an enchantment on you that makes you suddenly, devastatingly attractive. Especially to more magical types.

8) CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. Anything goes.

Comments

Mogget | Old Kingdom | Fae

[bellbound]

[Nb. Mogget is a witch's familiar bound to serve Circle Midnight. But mostly he is a cat who hates you all.]

1) GOING UNDERGROUND
[Mogget always knows. He can sense magic around him, recognize anyone supernatural who might walk by as easily as he can see in the dark. The cat is watchful, patrolling the streets of Circle Midnight's territory and sometimes beyond, taking note of anything or anyone new.

Someone catches his attention, someone who shouldn't be lurking in these parts. The cat stalks along a high wall, calling down to the intruder:]

You don't belong here.

4) FIRE FESTIVAL
[Every year. Every year someone does this. Someone makes Mogget wear a flower crown. It's slipped down his neck and over his collar so now he can't shake it off. Look, he doesn't care that it's Beltane. He's seen it a thousand times before: it's just an excuse for humans to get drunk and cop off with each other in the bushes.

He slinks over to the bonfire and the fire seems to flare up when he approaches. Mogget stares into the flames, green eyes reflecting their brightness. Maybe someone will take pity on him and remove the flower crown. Or maybe they'll leave him alone.]

5) SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES
[It's days like this that Mogget misses his true home in the Other Realm. He can practically smell it, the magic of the fae, cracks in reality that open up all over the city. There's one nearby now, perhaps a door or a window or just a crack in the pavement and he pauses in the middle of the street to sniff the air, whiskers twitching.

He can go right up to it, even look through into the place he once belonged, but he can't step across the threshold. That way is forbidden to him.]

Something Wicked

[acrookedchild]

[The crack between the two realms is easier to see and even easier to feel. For her part, Abigail watches the cat. Or, at least, the being in the form of a cat. She can only imagine what it's like, being so close to home but being unable to cross the threshold.]

Come Yule [she says gently] we'll see if we can't discuss the terms of your contract with the one you're bound to.

[A good time for such things, certainly, and not so long for a fae.]

[bellbound]

[He looks up, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Mogget knows her, the Maiden fair. He serves Circle Midnight and she is its ultimate master.]

Why Yule? Why not now?

[It may be a short time relative to his lifespan, but not so short for a witch. A lot can happen in a few months.]

[acrookedchild]

Yule is the best time to break bonds. In case theyou prove resistant.

[Any creature bound against its will has her sympathy, even if she isn't always the greatest proponent of the fae.]

We could certainly try now.

[bellbound]

[How wonderfully naive she is. Mogget's eyes gleam and the cat is suddenly the picture of friendliness, trotting over to Abigail to wind his way around her legs.]

No need to wait. You are Maiden of Witches; you can break my bonds. All you have to do is remove my collar.

[The collar he wears is made of red leather and set with a small bell. It looks entirely ordinary, but it contains a binding spell of immense force. One created to hold an extremely old and powerful fae.]

Going Underground

[chosetofight]

And cats aren't supposed to speak.

[The accent is obvious to anyone with half a brain. However, what isn't overtly obvious to all is what she is. Asked, she'd say she's a meta-human -- and she believes it fully. But the scent around her? Is undeniably fae.]

I'm looking for someone.

[bellbound]

[He recognizes her as fae though he doesn't know that the girl herself is ignorant, and therefore regards her with great suspicion. The cat sniffs haughtily.]

And who might that be?

[chosetofight]

A vampire who's preferred prey is children.

[Killing them instead of turning them, which is a small mercy, but it's still unforgivable.]

His trail led me here.

[bellbound]

[His ears flatten in disgust. Mogget doesn't like vampires at the best of times, and this one sounds particularly reprehensible.]

I saw a vampire pass by not an hour ago. Large, stocky, long-haired, late forties I would say though who knows how many years he has lived beyond a mortal life. There was blood on his lips. If I had known it was a child...

[Well, he might have reported it at once rather than let the vampire pass through.]

[chosetofight]

That sounds like who I'm looking for.

Is he still going east? Or was he when you saw him?

[bellbound]

[He gives a feline shrug, stretching out his legs.]

That I cannot tell you. He disappeared into Arnos Grove tube station. I expect he would have taken the southbound train.

[Since that would take him towards central London and vampire territory.]

Fire Festival

[fatallyflawed]

[Guenièvre weaves her way through the throng of revelers, her passage going unnoticed…or at least no mind is paid to her. Without seeking an invitation, she carefully lowers herself into a kneeling position beside Mogget, close enough to pet him but not so foolish as to do so. Like her, he is fae and quite possibly a good deal more powerful than she. So, she sits for a while, wordlessly studying the flames along with him, before finally deciding to speak.]

Would you like some help with that? [By way of an explanation, she adds:] You seem to be having trouble with your… [Guenièvre inclines her head, gesturing towards her own flower crown. She could put his right, if he would like. Or perhaps remove it altogether?]

[bellbound]

[The eyes that turn to the girl wearing the flower crown see through the glamour that has allowed her to pass through the crowd unchallenged. Invited or not? If not, she must be bold indeed to gatecrash a party of witches. He considers her, wondering whether to be suspicious. But there's no reason not to accept her offer.]

I would be grateful if you could rid me of it. But be careful. I would not touch my collar if I were you.

[The flower crown has slipped over his collar, partly obscuring it. To the unassuming eye, it looks like a normal cat collar but it holds a binding spell of immense power. Any fae that touches it would be badly burned.]

[fatallyflawed]

[Bold. Reckless. Naïve. Entitled. All words the could (and perhaps do) describe Guenièvre at this moment. Things in France are not so tense between witches and fae as they are in England. And few back home would risk harassing the Seelie King’s daughter. However, here she is a stranger, vulnerable as the rest. She knows this, and yet still she came. Why? Because she wanted to. Simple (and foolhardy) as that.

Luckily, the night’s celebrations have dulled a lot of senses.

Guenièvre frowns at Mogget’s warning, while at the same time nodding in appreciation of it. Her fingers delicately pluck at the edges of the flower crown in an effort to avoid touching the collar. It’s slow going because of the caution involved. Still, soon enough her work is done, and the offending crown lies discarded on the grass. ]

Is the one who bound you nearby?

[The purpose of a collar that held such power is easy enough to surmise. It is not something that would be inflicted upon a willing partner. Guenièvre has good reason to be concerned about the one who could (and would) do such a thing.]

[bellbound]

[Mogget holds still while she takes off the flower crown, shaking his head in relief when he's finally rid of it. He looks up at her. If she has any ideas about punishing those who created the collar, she'll be sadly disappointed.]

No.

[He pauses, seemingly about to say more, but reverts instead to cleaning his fur, removing a stray leaf still caught in it.]

[fatallyflawed]

[Punishment? No, Guenièvre intends no such action at this moment. Personal feelings aside, she isn’t reckless in all things. She knows full well that she lacks the kind of personal power or political backing to attempt something like that, whether at this gathering or even anywhere in this country.]

I see…

[It’s a relief for her, if not him. How long is his leash? And how powerful is the one who holds it, such that they could be so confident letting their prize roam about freely? But then, he isn’t free, is he? Especially not amongst a gathering of mostly witches, who are paying him little attention. His presence no longer warrants comment or raises eyebrows; it is accepted, if not expected.]

How long has it been?

[bellbound]

[Mogget appears deeply occupied with licking his shoulder but he considers the question, answering between mouthfuls of fur.]

Two millennia, give or take. So you see, the witch who originally bound me is long since dead.

[Though perhaps not the fae who lent their power. He gets up to pad around his strange companion, settling down in her shadow away from the glare of the fire so that he can better concentrate on grooming.]

[fatallyflawed]

[Such a long time to be bound here with little hope of reprieve. What can one say to that? Guenièvre is certain pity would not be appreciated. For the moment, she decides to say nothing, letting pensive silence be her response.

Unfortunately, this silence is quickly shattered by the angry voice of a stranger.]

Hey! You there! What do you think you’re doing?

[The young fae turns her head to see a middle-aged, frumpily-attired witch marching towards them with a rather cross look on her face. If one could be said to move fussily, then that is exactly how she would be described.]

I am sorry. I do not know what you… [Guenièvre doesn’t get the chance to finish before the angry newcomer interrupts.]

How dare you steal this! [The witch stoops down to retrieve the discarded flower crown.] Don’t you worry, little one. Beatrice is here now. [She gently attempts to place the crown back on the sweet kitty’s head.] Come on. That’s it. There’s a good girl.

[Watching the scene, Guenièvre finds herself in the strange position of cringing backwards while also trying not to laugh. This likely will not end well.]

1 - trying her out as a seelie fae instead, if you don't mind tagging w/ me again?

[archisorte]

[Reines has found that people watching has become one of her favourite activities in London. Find a nice park bench, take advantage of the warm weather, and let them do the rest.

It's underwhelming today thanks to gray skies, and the only people she's seen in the little park are joggers, people walking to work, and a number of individuals glued with their noses to their phone screens. A pity that none of them manage to walk into each other and create some kind of scene.

She's about ready to go when a voice comes from behind her. Reines shifts, and she gives the cat a cursory evaluation before replying.]

Neither do you.

np!

[bellbound]

Not so. [He sits perched on the wall above her, tail curled around his paws.] You are the stranger here. What business do you have in these parts?

[Fae are not forbidden from Circle Midnight territory, but that doesn't mean he isn't suspicious of her. She could easily be up to no good.]

thanks very much

[archisorte]

No business in particular.

[Reines leans back and spreads her arms so that they rest on the bench's back. Her head is angled just so to keep eye contact, and really, the whole thing probably looks ridiculous to any passer by.]

An idle curiosity to see what's going to happen with some of the witch politics, perhaps.

[bellbound]

You won't achieve that by sitting here.

[He counts that as highly suspicious. As if on cue, a family of five passes by, one of the children excitedly looking over and cooing at the "kitty". Mogget falls silent, glaring at the offending child. Thankfully the park bench is taken so they move on, allowing Mogget to resume the conversation.]

Unless you're waiting for someone?

[Perhaps he has interrupted a secret meeting.]

[archisorte]

[Reines tries not to snicker at Mogget's reaction, and the temptation to scratch behind his ears for effect takes genuine effort to fight off.]

I'm taking a break. And you know, you could go with a less cuddly form if you don't like gaining the attention of small human children.

[bellbound]

[Excuse you, the cat form is an excellent disguise. No one takes any notice of a cat. Except perhaps small human children.]

A break from what?

[Yes, he's just going to ignore the part about being cuddly.]

[archisorte]

Eavesdropping, mostly.

[Reines does note that curious little walk around what she thinks is a clear compliment, and she laughs at it.]

I suppose at least you're not fluffy in addition to cuddly. Then you'd really be in danger.