thetube | Test Drive Meme: April/May 2016

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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.

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"Oh, definitely," he confirmed, white teeth flashing as he flashed a larger smile. "Even more so now that I have some company."

After all, this sort of thing was always better when spent with other people, was it not? He had to admit, though, the weather helped. Warm weather always helped create a more festive atmosphere, and the night had brought just enough cool air to make the bonfire enjoyable.

"I agree. It would have been much more difficult pulling off a fire festival in the rain. Do you come to these things often?"

"Aren't you sweet." She smiled fondly at him, moving a step over. Not a bad looking guy, to be sure.

"I do- I'm a local witch." They're at Beltane, she's pretty sure she can be open about the fact that she is, indeed, a witch. And her accent was a dead-giveaway that she was at least from this country. "Do they have these where you're from?"

Seeing her moving a bit closer, Thomas took that as an invitation to edge closer to her as well.

"Local witches or fire festivals?" He asked, even though he was fairly certain it was the latter. "I don't actually know if they had festivals like these. I didn't get the invitation if there was, but then, that wouldn't exactly be surprising. I'm not exactly a witch myself."

Not that he was going to outright tell her he was a vampire openly. He had no idea if witches could tell a vampire from a human or not, but he didn't want to risk spoiling the conversation in case she couldn't.

"Really? And how'd you get invited to this one, then?" She tilts her head to the side just slightly, smiling at him. "Or, rather, how'd you hear about it?" She likes that they're open to the public. Or the public that really knows what's going on. If humans walk among them, they've got no idea what they're actually witnessing.

Witches could tell, to a degree, being able to sense magic, but Nancy didn't bring it up. There wasn't really a reason to, just yet, and he hadn't brought it up when he could have. Maybe it just wasn't something he was comfortable admitting to. If that was the case, she didn't blame him.

"I heard some others back at the n--back where I'm staying mention it." Something he was fairly certain the witches where he'd come from would likely have avoided being general vampire knowledge. "I have to admit, the witches here are a lot more open with that sort of thing than they were back home."

"I love it- I try not to judge others." She had friends from nearly every faction in London. Perhaps not Daybreak, but others, sure.

"And where exactly is back home?"

"Try not to judge others?" he asked, head cocking curiously. Something about that made him wonder if she already knew what he was. "Is that in reference to anything in particular, or just the openness of the witches here? Because I don't think it's judgement so much as paranoia back home. Fear of who might hear the wrong thing, or might do something if they let their guard down."

Which was a form of judgement, he supposed, assuming some vampires might be a threat, but then it was a true judgement at that. Sure, some of them weren't, but let your guard down all the time and you'll find those who were. Which is why he didn't really hold it against any witches if they were concerned about vampires,though he'd really rather be their ally.

"And I'm from Chicago."

"Not really." He wasn't a witch, and she had her thoughts. You didn't work so closely with vampires and not learn how to pick them out of a crowd. She could sense magic, at any rate.

"I try to keep an open mind in general. Sweeping generalizations never helped anyone." She pauses, and gives him a once-over. "I like to look at people on a case-by-case basis." That's how she wound up with friends from all walks of life, too. She was street trash, but she rubbed elbows with some of the most powerful people in their community.

"But some people won't look at you twice over your circle or what you are. Daybreak witches more so, I find."

Nancy mentally draws up a map of the United States and realizes she has no idea where the hell Chicago actually is. But she can pretend. "Yeah? What's it like?"

"Always a good idea, keeping an open mind. People are so rarely what you'd expect." For better or worse. Thomas knew not to trust another vampire solely because they were a member of his nest, just as he knew that just because someone was a member of a faction that wasn't always fond of vampires, it didn't mean they couldn't be a potential ally.

"Though of course, having an open mind doesn't mean you should drop your guard. In my personal experience, doing that can come back to bite you."

Pun fully intended, and his smirk made it clear that he was completely aware that he'd made one.

"Chicago? It's windy and the pot holes are ridiculous, but it has a great nightlife."

Well then, that confirmed her suspicions right then and there.

"Oh, it wouldn't be the first time," she said, echoing his smirk. She was no stranger to being fed off of, glamours and makeup keeping her neck from looking nearly as scarred as it really was. "So don't worry. I'm careful."

In her life, you knew better than to trust easily. And if you didn't, well, you soon learned the hard way.

"Good to hear- can't imagine getting along well in a city without it."

"Oh, well, that's good to hear," he said, smirk widening enough to reveal a partially extended fang. While he wasn't planning on biting her right then and there, thinking about it was enough to get his fangs to show themselves.

Of course, he was also glad to hear she was careful. While admittedly he was imagining biting her neck and drinking her blood, he'd hate for something bad to happen to such an amicable woman.

Ah, there were those fangs. "I'd like to think so, too."

Glancing around, Nancy makes sure no one is paying any sort of attention before she tells him: "20 pounds for a drink." A simple, base rate. He wanted more, it'd go up from there.

Thomas froze. And blinked. It wasn't that he didn't have the money, if there was one thing he had, it was plenty of money. He'd just never encountered anything like this. Oh, he'd seen the vampire groupies who tagged along with vampire nests, offering their blood for free, and some people who could be convinced to give up a bit of blood with coaxing, and of course in Thomas's case, people who gladly went to bed with him, never any the wiser that he'd fed a little in the night. He supposed it made sense, though. Whenever there was demand for something, someone would always find a way to sell it.

While he supposed in some ways it was technically just buying a meal, Thomas wasn't sure if he was comfortable with the idea.

"I...don't know," he said, tone low so others around them couldn't overhear. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to offer something like that just because...I mean, if you need money..."

There were some aspects of being an evil creature of the night that Thomas really didn't seem to get.

Nancy shakes her head. "That's not it." Yes, she did need money. But it was more complicated than this. "This is my job." She'd been offering her blood to vampires for money for a long time, at this point.

"I'm a blood worker." She clarifies with the term generally used, especially when it went hand-in-hand with the sex work she did as well. Blood and sex did happen to go so closely hand in hand, after all. Something they could all recognize.

The link between 'blood worker' and 'sex worker' was not lost on Thomas. He could try to deny it, of course. Blood was, after all, sustenance for him, and it was only a little over a decade ago that buying food could be a casual and neutral act. He could not, however, deny the implications considering how he fed now. After all, how often did he first sleep with those he intended to feed on? Or at the very least, romantically seduce them, showing more than a fair bit of physical affection before the bite itself?

He also had to admit that he felt a discomfort when she mentioned payment. Like he'd be taking advantage of financial desperation, like it was something he should be able to get on his own without paying.

"I apologize. It's very brave of you to work in a field like that, considering the inherent risks, but I don't think I should. Besides," he said, smiling at her again, this time in a more reassuring, less flirtatious way, "That's not what I came here for. I just wanted to see what it was about. I've never seen a fire festival before."

Nancy tried hard not to roll her eyes. "It's not really bravery. But thanks, I guess...?" She wasn't disappointed, but she wasn't relieved, either. "Just know the offer's on the table, if you get hungry."

So many vampires seemed to be turning her down lately. Odd. But, perhaps for the best. She hadn't had great luck keeping her blood inside her body without their help.

"But fair enough. Can't fault you for that." She smiles the same as before at him.

It seemed like bravery, namely because he knew how little it took for some vampires to decide they'd just drain their whole victim. Then again, it could be a number of other things, as well. Necessity, foolishness, trust that the vampires who fed from her would rather not risk ruining the system that was working well for them.

"I'll keep that in mind." He glanced around at all the others celebrating in the crowd. "So do you go to many of these things? I admit, I don't have much experience with fertility festivals, but the idea sounds like something I could definitely enjoy."

Nancy gives him an affectionate nod. Alright, fair enough.

"More and more recently- though there's only one of these types a year." She looks over the crowd. "Most of our festivals aren't all sex-and-fire-related, I hate to break it to you."

"Hm...disappointing," he said. "I rather like this theme."

It was, after all, a perfect combination, and did include one of Thomas's favorite pastimes.

"Still, one amazing festival a year will be one more than I had in Chicago. I just wonder about one thing. Is it true they have orgies at the Fire Festival?"

"Don't worry, there will be other festivals open to the public, I promise. Just have to wait another year for this one again." Sorry about that. "Pretty much every major holiday, we've got a festival of sorts." Usually, Nancy took her brothers during the day, and they pick-pocketed nearly the entire crowd. But this wasn't exactly a kid-friendly festival, and she wasn't in any hurry to talk with Fagin.

"I'm sure some do- I've never participated in one."

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Test Drive Meme: April/May 2016

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