thetube | Test Drive Meme: April/May 2016

"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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Going Underground

This whole "out" supernatural thing is weird. Maybe Toronto had its own supernatural community, but he hadn't known about it, definitely. He certainly hadn't known that the international law enforcement community knwe about him and had its eye on recruiting him. He'd thought he was just going to work with the feds until his first briefing.

That was when the word technomancy had been used.

With all the trouble in London, that was where Spike had been stationed by his very strange branch of NATO. A 'Special Ops' branch that, apparently, was staffed by supernatural beings and oversaw international relations and incidences. And apparently there was trouble enough in London to warrant a small presence.

And, well, he was still in training.

Which, for the most part, meant blending in. And trying to ignore how much he missed his team.

"Oh, c'mon. Not today. Don't do this today."

But, no, the ATM is not working.

And no one looks too closely, so…

Spike acts like he's inputting his PIN again. But, really, his mind is searching the code, finding the error, and--

"Bingo."

Out comes his card and the money he wanted to withdraw. Easy.

"That's a good girl," he says with all due affection to the machine.

Choose Your Leaders

"Thanks, but -- yeah. Not able to vote. Sorry."

Elections.

It's kind of… nice? At the same time that it's really, really weird… to know that the supernatural community is just the same as the mundane one when it comes to that.

Lots of politicians, lots of lying, and lots of promises. Not specifically in that order.

And the supporters are even worse.

Currently, he's trying to dodge a girl giving out 'Support Norrell' buttons.

"Not registered, not a citizen. Sorry!"

Fire Festival

Okay, a party? A party, Spike can handle. Especially when it's pretty damn tame. Nothing illegal so he doesn't even have to call and check in. After all, he's got a pretty long leash with things that might possibly be relative to his surveillance job, which apparently this Beltane celebration is.

Whatever.

All he knows is he's had good drinks, and someone, at some point, put a flower crown on him. Which he doesn't really mind.

"Gotta admit," he offers, laughing, "the only part that makes me nervous about this whole thing," he'd already said it was his first time at Beltane, "is the whole 'fertility ritual' I heard someone mention. What's that about?"

What Angel Wakes Me…

Today? Has been a good day. Ever since that woman on the subway had helped him pick up his bag, things have just been going his way.

The barista gave him a free coffee, the first taxi he hailed stopped for him. It's just been a good day.

And he's ending it out at a club.

Work hard, play hard.

Especially when working hard is sitting at a desk and reading memos all day long. Or doing routine programming without the coding. Definitely not what he's used to or what really feels like making a difference. But booze and music help.

Wildcard

Surprise me.

“Nervous. Are you sure?” Guenièvre leans in close to whisper. “Or maybe, that is excitement you feel, hmm?” Her tone is teasing, no judgment there.

A couple stumble past them, arms entwined, leaning heavily on one another. The look in their eyes isn’t hard to read. They’re clearly searching for some place a bit more secluded to engage in their own take on the “fertility ritual” in question.

Guenièvre watches them go with a wistful smile. “It all seems rather enjoyable to me.”

Test Drive Meme: April/May 2016

Michelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti - Flashpoint - meta human

Fire Festival