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.

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[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?]

[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[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?

Edited (edited to correct tense.) 2016-05-14 21:30 (UTC)

[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.]

[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.]

[It's a wise choice not to pity him; Mogget would not appreciate such a response. Silence is golden and he's content to lie beside his strange companion... until they're interrupted.

He can move very quickly when he wants to. Mogget leaps up, backing away with his hackles raised. He is not wearing that flower crown again. No. Not happening. Rather than waste his energy giving the witch a piece of his mind (much as he'd like to), he hisses and runs for it, a white flash of fur that soon disappears beyond the firelight and into the field beyond. That leaves the startled witch alone with Guenièvre, whom she promptly blames for scaring the poor kitty off.

As for Mogget, he's tucked himself away in a long patch of grass just outside of the firelight's reach. He won't return to Guenièvre but if she wants to she could find him.]

[Mogget’s hasty escape leaves Guenièvre both stunned—and alone with a very displeased witch.]

I will take care of this.

[The words come out in a rush as she not-so-delicately snatches the flower crown from Beatrice’s fingers and heads off. A loud burst of indignant witch-bitching erupts behind her, but quickly grows faint the deeper she moves into the crowd. Apparently, she isn’t worth pursuing.

It isn’t difficult to track down the secluded spot where Mogget has ensconced himself. This witch’s festival is not exactly overflowing with fae. Guenièvre approaches with a smile, and then continues right on past him, biding Mogget adieu with a discreet wave of her fingers and taking the offending crown with her as she leaves the grounds. It won’t be troubling him again.

She never learned his name, but she’d recognize him should they meet again. And she does know a few personal details. Perhaps, when she gets back to Faery, she’ll ask around about him, try to find out if anyone has ever tried to help (and if not, why). Though, given the extreme length of his enslavement, she doesn’t expect any easy answers.]

Test Drive Meme: April/May 2016

Fire Festival

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