neosapienooc | TEST DRIVE #2

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TEST DRIVE #2

FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE

1: DREAM OF A LIFE INSIDE WHILE WE ESCAPE JUST TO SURVIVE

Arcadia has been kind of a bummer lately, what with the violent riot awhile back and the feeling of Military Police being around. Thankfully, there's a haven against all of that, a true beacon of all the excess and mind-numbing stimulation one could desire. The holy halls of the Entertainment District beckon to those who can afford its garden of heavenly delights. Well, those who can afford it and those who have the means of scrapping a few creds together through less legal means. No one cares where the money comes from, after all. The neon blessings surrounding you are blast at full scale seemingly constantly, creating a sense of timelessness that resonates along with the pounding synthesized beats of the music pouring out of every pleasure palace lining its streets.

In particular is the club, Kalpa Nigori, is hosting a hell of a party to celebrate its anniversary. No one knows which particular anniversary it is, or cares, but this club is definitely the hot spot of the evening, burning lights and blasting beats, alongside high end beverages and a bit more chemical stimulations if you're willing to pay for it. And while it's known that Metas are not particularly welcome in the Entertainment District for the most part, it's not as if they're doing genetic checks at the door, and any physical mutations will likely be dismissed as fashion trends. Your money still pays the same, after all. Just don't start any trouble.

Not that it's impossible that trouble might find you. Some people did die in those riots in Arcadia, after all. Someone might think a visible Meta is ruining their mood. Best be careful and just try to enjoy yourself.

2: THE FUTURE'S BRIGHTER THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW

If you're not the clubbing sort, it's fine. There's plenty of diversion to be had in Middle Ward, particularly around NSO Headquarters. The blocks surrounding the Neo Sapien Organization's headquarters in the Middle Ward are like an oasis at the center of an otherwise inhospitable city. Old buildings have been renovated into bright and cheerful apartments that accommodate a variety of Meta-human physiologies, Meta schools and Meta-owned businesses are flourishing, and Meta-friendly shops and cafes line the streets.

The best coffee in the Middle Ward can be found at The Mean Bean, just across from the NSO building, where the shop's fire-breathing Meta owner personally roasts every batch. NSO employees and and other patrons of the popular cafe congregate to discuss local news and gossip: a proposed Meta registration and identification law, rumors of vigilante gangs near the border with the Last Ward, and rivalries between NSO university sports teams. Arguments occasionally grow heated (especially when it comes to sports), but overall the atmosphere is friendly and congenial.

3: IN A LITTLE WHILE, I'LL BE OUT OF STYLE, OUT OF GRACE AND REALITY

Which isn't to say there's no fun at all to be had in Arcadia, either. If you don't mind Douman Zaibatsu's MPs hanging about, it's honestly still the same youth-friendly culture hub it's always been, and not nearly as damned intense as the Entertainment District can be at times. The arcades have all rebuilt and re-opened in record time, and while they won't be showing off a lot of Kamo Entertainment's games, which were pretty much obliterated during the attack, they do still have the latest in VR interactive experiences for you to dive into. Sports games, racing games, shooting games, fighting games, puzzle games, you name it, Arcadia's got it in visually dizzying fidelity and highest quality immersive sound. It's a good break to have when you can get it! Don't mind that there may be a lingering smell of sulfer or iron near some of the machines. They swear they cleaned them up thoroughly!

But if that's a little too close to the riots for you, it's not as if Arcadia is just arcades. Alemannian industrial group Wildeslächeln is touring around New Gate, and in light of the recent riot, are offering tickets at a deeply discounted rate, hoping to pack the house with folks ready to just be entertained. Both by the music, and the famously androgynous, patch-eyed lead singer Byrne. They might even stick around and give autographs after the show and hang out with anyone who snagged VIP passes. They seem to be particularly interested in drawing attention to the plight of Metas around the world, a message that gets a mixed response from the crowd, but reaffirm that they intend to build peace with their music, not with the violence shown by the Yakashbah. So that's how it be sometimes.

4: WHY PLANT THE SEED AND NOT DO THE REST?

It's still cold as hell in most places outside of the Central Ward's neatly climate controlled areas, but a little below freezing-ness never stopped anyone in Market Ward. Even off harvest season, the streets are still packed with people buying up as much fresh goods from the out-of-city farms as they can. If you're down to try some food that doesn't feel so fake and processed, this is definitely the place to do it. Every corner has half a dozen venders selling food from all over the planet, cooked using real ingredients and old techniques, the flavor of something beyond the artificial replications of anywhere else. Of course you'll be expected to pay for it, but the vendors tend to give a discount to obvious Metas. Meta labor is the backbone of the Market Ward, after all.

Not that food is the only thing you can get in Market Ward. It's also where you can get some work. The fish market, in particular, constantly needs people, asks no questions, and pays well for the hours put in. If you're here, you may as well earn some credits and help out. Or what, are you too good to do manual labor? Oh quit being a ninny and start tossing fish!

5: SALVATION BLOCKING OUT THE SUN

Peace is a dream for those that can afford it. The less fortunate, those within The Parish, have a wide scale crackdown to deal with. Most of the worst have been driven back into the Underground, but that isn't keeping Douman Zaibatsu's Military Police from making certain the iron boot is felt on the backs of those whom they're well convinced deserve it. Every block is a stop and frisk, and even the slightest bit of paraphernalia is reason for an arrest at best, or a beating at worst. And you'd best not be caught with anything even close to resembling Yakashbah's iconography on your person, or you're for sure getting electrified batons cracked across your back. The MPs have zero tolerance and a hair trigger, even looking at them funny will earn you trouble from them. It makes the entire environment in the usually lively Parish feel dark and, frankly, hopeless.

Do you interfere in the police's actions, dare raise your own hand against obvious abuses of power? Do you feel like it's none of your business and just want to get along with your day? Do you feel this is the natural result of Yakashbah's violent actions, and that while it's unfortunate, terrorism can't be tolerated? Or, perhaps the worst scenario, are you the one facing the MP's wrath? What an unfortunate lot you've fallen into...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The atmosphere here is loud, to say the least. Between the pulsing lights and thudding music, someone could set off a bomb and Rin would only be half-sure it wasn't a pyrotechnics stunt. It's enough to leave her mood tense and jumpy — but a job's a job, and it's a small point of confidence that her employer is smart enough to not want to be seen with her. She crosses her arms and keeps her back plastered to the wall, foot tapping with every extra second her contact is late.

Five minutes becomes ten, and then ten becomes twenty, and, seriously? Her eyes give the crowd another scan, looking toward the agreed upon meeting spot, and—

Aha. ]

There you are. Were you trying to stand me up or something?

[ You're probably minding your own business, in the wrong place at the wrong time, when a hand on your shoulder spins you around. The shove is a bit stronger than you might expect from the person you're left looking at: a young woman in an too-large bomber jacket, the details of her figure largely hidden by her shabby chic fashion. ]

[ Rin wanders into the Mean Bean looking like she hasn't slept — or, at the very least, hasn't slept in a bed. After one very curt order for a cup of plain boiling water, she crawls into a booth in the back corner and decides to make herself at home. Like, really at home. Cup noodles come out of her bag (apparently that's what the hot water was for), and then she unzips her backpack the rest of the way, upending it to dump the rest of its contents onto the table with far less care. A hairbrush skitters to the table's edge. There's a bottle of hot sauce that she quickly snatches up and sets next to her cup noodles. Odds and ends of little relation lay scattered, including a necklace that looks like it's worth more than everything else she owns combined.

Good morning, Middle Ward. ]

[ or wildcard me! ]

Edited 2020-02-06 01:52 (UTC)

Hey! [ normally Yang would not have taken too kindly to a spin like that. (also it's liable to take someone's eye out.) exceptions can be made for her vibing hard with the overall mood on the dancefloor tonight. and also for the immediate recognition of one of Yang's semi-regular clients at her garage.

still, them meeting outside of that is rare and so it takes Yang a second to just remember where they are first and then who she's checking out comes second. at which point recognition melts the confusion right out of her tone, smoothing it out. she smirks. ]

Ohh hey! Sorry, I — did we have a date tonight? [ did she focus so much on the euphoria of partying that she forgot plans existed? it's not unlikely. even though she doesn't much in her system at all, it's all too easy for her to get lost in reverie when trying to ignore the stress. ]

[ Yang isn't alone in her confusion. When the person she turns to face her is familiar, Rin blinks, her sour expression quickly wiped away by her surprise. For one brief, shining moment of blissful ignorance, she thinks huh, what a funny coincidence — but then she realizes her mistake, and as the reality of it slowly sets in, blood rushes to her cheeks.

Come on, quick, think fast—! ]

S-sorry! It was a case of mistaken identity, please forget that you ever saw me here!

[ ...Maybe that was a little too fast. It certainly doesn't make her sound any less suspicious, Rin taking a big step backward and waving her hands in front of herself. ]

[ the stammer, the blush. it all brings a bright laugh bubbling out of Yang's mouth before she can think about whether it was rude to laugh in the first place. she's the sort to give friends a playful ribbing now and then but not openly mock them. she figures this was something of the same. a bit.

because, honestly, even from behind - especially from behind? - who could mistake Yang Xiao Long for anyone else? ]

What, just like that? That's cold, Rin!

[ She realizes that Yang is joking, but at the same time, she kind of... isn't wrong. ]

I... I mean... [ ahem ] I'm on a blind date. Or I'm supposed to be. They haven't shown up, obviously.

[ Rin folds her arms again, but it's more uncomfortable than annoyed, this time. Hopefully Yang thinks a good enough explanation for her embarrassment. ]

[ Yang doesn't suspect a thing. she has no reason to question the legitimacy of that excuse. her mood immediately shifts from teasing to comforting because, yeah, she's been there. being left in the cold waiting on someone who didn't reach out to cancel? total bummer. ]

Oh, geez, I'm sorry. That really sucks! [ and of course being concerned means suddenly putting aside the fact she was having a pretty good time on her own and finding some way to pass on some of those good vibes to a friend(?) in need. ] You... want some company 'til she shows up? Or would it be weird to be caught dancing with someone who's not your date?

[ like, Yang would get it, and be chill about it, and would have no problems making it clear they're not here Together-together but at the same time she's met some people who will blow up with jealousy over the smallest thing. ]

If she didn't want me dancing with someone else, she should have shown up on time! [ She probably should have taken the out Yang has so graciously given her, given that she is here on business, but the reply comes to her naturally. She would like to say she's just too good of an actor, but that would be a lie. ] I'm not being paid to stand around and do nothing, so the whole night will be a wash if I don't get something out of it.

[ She glances away from Yang, toward the bar and back, her tongue darting nervously across her lips. ]

Buy me a drink?

Good point...

[ ah, that's right. Rin was always so professional in her dealings. the kind of person who puts actual monetary value on her free time. at least from what Yang's gleaned through their interactions. she can appreciate not wanting her own time wasted, but putting it like that...

well. she's not going to take her offer back on account of that. Yang is here alone so she doesn't have to excuse herself from anyone before slipping up to and past Rin on the way toward the bar. ]

Sure thing. What'll it be?

[ Truth be told, Rin isn't much of a drinker, and she almost abdicates the decision to the person buying. Paranoia stops her at the last second — not out of concern for any ill intentions on Yang's part, but because the thought of being inhibited always puts her on edge, and she can't say what alcohol content Yang is used to packing away. ]

Wine spritzer? I'm trying to keep it classy.

[ You know. In case her mystery "date" does decide to show up after all. ]

I can do classy. [ mostly. Yang almost never goes for the hard stuff herself, and she's glad to be in good company on that front. once they're present she flags down the 'tender to make the orders. a peach white wine spritzer (with a hint of schnapps), and a strawberry sunrise for herself. fruit's a big hit with her in general, but there needs to be so much sugar, and just enough zing to them, that she forgets where the ingredients all come from.

the glasses are dropped off with a quick "sir" in Yang's direction, and she turns with hers to Rin with a smile. holds out the glass for a toast. ]

Here we go. Let's drink to your night ending better than it started.

Good to know. I think they've already got enough sloppy drunks on the dance floor.

[ But, of course, she expected nothing less from the venue. When the drinks come, she lifts her glass to meet Yang's toast. ]

If I'm lucky. [ Honestly, the whole night will be a wash no matter what she does if her contact doesn't show up, but... Maybe this is better than fruitlessly waiting around. Her tense expression finally eases, though her fingertip still taps against the edge of her glass with a nervous energy, not quite in time with the music. ] So is this the kind of place you usually go for fun?

Yeah, more or less? I mean, I don't even know what they're celebrating here tonight, but I know that when a club makes a big deal it means pulling out all the stops.

[ she is quite pleased with her own drink, licking her lips that are likely going to take on that strawberry color before too long. she can't help but grin. ] You could say your luck's already turning around, bumping into me on a night like this.

[ look, when Yang's in a mood, she's in a mood, and her mouth just sort of says whatever it wants to say. she can't reasonably say that she doesn't mix business and pleasure, but if someone ever told her not to be a dumb flirt all the time it would only take the one time to make it clear to tone it down to just suggestive banter.

the playfulness will continue until morale improves. ]

[ Immediately, Rin ducks her head, hiding her mouth behind the rim of her glass. It only does so much to hide her embarrassed expression, her brow furrowed where she stares at her drink more than she actually sips it. ]

...To be honest, it's a little loud for me. [ Even if she keeps the reason why to herself. It feels backwards, how she's the strange one if she says she doesn't like how unsafe this is, being crammed into a building where she can't hear or see or move in time to respond to a threat. ] So I guess you're right. I definitely wouldn't stick around without company.

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burndownforwhat - 2020-02-10 01:25 (UTC) - Expand

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mouflon - 2020-02-11 03:42 (UTC) - Expand

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burndownforwhat - 2020-02-11 21:36 (UTC) - Expand

[Liir, who's just trying to find a relatively quiet place to read and fuel up while he gets ready for his next shift, is astonished to see a very familiar whirlwind in a dress (what is it with him and those?) storm in and immediately begin occupying a table with a clatter.

Oh fuck, it's her.

He stares for a few seconds, in astonished paralysis at her lack of circumspection and survival skills (hot sauce? that's what she devotes space in the backpack she's clearly living out of to?) before trying to bury his head in a book.]

[ She's barely awake at this ungodly hour*, but as if sensing his judgement, she looks up as she reaches for her hairbrush. For a moment, it seems like he might be in luck, and no immediate recognition is forthcoming. There's nothing more than the bleary, somewhat sour squinting of someone who really doesn't want to be awake...

Then, she stops, brush pausing in mid-stroke through her hair. ]

Hey, wait a minute! Why are you looking at me like that!

[ Just so there's no misunderstanding, she wields her hairbrush in his direction like a pointer.

*EDITOR'S NOTE: May or may not be ungodly. In her ideal world, no one would ever have to get up before noon. ]

[Oh no. Now she's talking to him. Or more like yelling at him, really. He can see her brushing her damn hair in the middle of the place too, heedless of people not wanting hairs in their coffee, or her own noodles for that matter.]

Nothing. I was just...startled. That's all. Good day, ma'am.

[He starts to get up to leave, fervently hoping she'll buy it.]

That isn't what I asked, and you know it.

[ She jams the hair brush back into her bag as he starts to rise, and by the time he's on his feet, most of her more valued possessions are there along with it. (This includes the bottle of hot sauce.) She isn't going to go chasing him down if he makes a break for it, but... but...

But she's paranoid. She doesn't like people she met in another country just turning up. And especially not when, the last time she checked, they were military. ]

What, you just happen to come here often?

[He sighs. Fleeing now would mean permanently ceding his break spot to her. Anyway if anyone would be sympathetic to his problems, she probably would.]

Alright fine. Sit down and try to be a little discreet.

[He slides back into the booth.]

If you must know, this actually is my regular break spot. It's a good place to get coffee if you're our kind.

...No offense, but I think we've already crossed that bridge.

[ Rin can have little a self-awareness, as a treat

She tosses her bag back into the booth at his word, though, and flops into her seat after it without a lot of grace. It's almost like she's trying to stress just how comfortable she definitely is. ]

Is that so. [ Her tone still carries a faint edge of incredulity. The truth is, she doesn't usually stray this far from her Last Ward hole in the wall, so she wouldn't know. Maybe she'll say as much, if something he tells her makes her a little less uneasy. ] And how long have you been... You know, here?

[He looks around. Noone's watching them, or if they are then they're very circumspect about it.]

A few months. The NSO helped me...sort out the immigration issues.

[Read: Falsify things. He remembers something.]

I'm not in the military anymore.

[Duh.]

Hm, I see.

[ Rin leans an elbow on the table, and her cheek against her fist. Her caution is still plain on her face, Rin eying him warily and nibbling at her lower lip, but the fact that she isn't pressed flat back against the booth with her arms crossed is a good sign in and of itself. ]

I don't usually come this way, so it's no surprise I haven't run into you on break before. But, I mean... Couldn't find a safe way back to my place last night. Do you live around here, or...

[ She makes a vague gesture, which is maybe in the direction of the quickest route back to Last Ward. ]

[His posture is a little stiff and uncomfortable looking, but then he usually is. Rin, it seems, is even more lost than he is, and that puts him a little at ease.]

The shortcuts are...usually not worth it.

[He remembers getting caught up in the fight at that video game premier and almost getting his head melted by people who were ostensibly on his side.]

I'm in Last Ward. You'll find that's where most of us end up.

Obviously. I'm not stupid. But... What, the NSO couldn't put you up somewhere nicer? Are you up to something they can't dirty their hands with, or was getting you in just a rea~lly big favor?

[ She's genuinely curious, but she also knows that the more she needles, the more revealing her assumptions will inadvertently be. ]

Well, whatever. That wasn't the point I was getting at. All I meant was... You know how bad it's getting. [ Her mouth twists in a faint grimace. ] Take the wrong shortcut, and you're lucky if the worst thing a cop'll do to you is steal something out of your bag. I wasn't in the mood for it.

I don't want to be somewhere nicer. I'm...

[He looks around again to make sure noone's listening.]

...I'm done serving in flatscan armies and living in their neighborhoods. So I live in ours. Which I can take you to on a relatively cop-free route, if you're lost.

[Wrong thing to say to a tsundere. She's not lost, she just happened to be here in this middle class neighborhood!]

[ She's about to say something a little snide—how pointlessly altruistic of him—but then he keeps going, and, yeah, her volume picks up more than it really should for this kind of conversation. ]

I'm not lost, [ her fist slams down on the table with the word ] I just have really bad luck!

[ Which, honestly, is worse. At least being lost can be fixed. ]

TEST DRIVE #2

Rin Tohsaka | Fate/EXTRA

1. because in the end I'm predictable

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