neosapienooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1

JANUARY TEST DRIVE

1: SPRAWLING WASTELAND, GLOWING IN THE DARK

No sunlight reaches the Underground, but there is rain: grey, oily droplets that slowly trickle down from the city above, seeping through layers of concrete until they drip from broken light fixtures onto the aptly named black markets below. The glow of neon signs keeps the shadows at bay, just barely. What was once a system of utility tunnels and basement bunkers is now a warren of tiny shops offering reprogrammed ID chips and back-alley cybernetic upgrades, where hitmen and slave traders operate with lawless impunity. But someone is always watching... the eyes of Yakashbah, graffitied in bioluminescent paint, stare unblinking from the walls.

People come to this place for only two reasons: they're either looking for something, or they're trying not to be found. Whatever your reason, the Underground welcomes you.

2: A MIND OF DARKNESS, A HEART OF LIGHT

Outside of manicured parks and glass-enclosed vertical farms, green space is rare in New Gate City, so the elites flaunt their wealth in private rooftop gardens. Fragrant, exotic flowers bloom amidst strings of lanterns, and real grass - an extravagant luxury - carpets the ground beneath partygoers' feet as they sip champagne and admire the dark cityscape below. Tonight, one of the Douman Zaibatsu's myriad charity organizations hosts its annual fundraising gala... but this year, the special guests attract even more attention than the celebrities and fashionistas in attendance. Representatives from the Neo Sapien Organization have been invited to speak on the topic of Human/Meta-human relations, and to raise money on behalf of job placement programs for impoverished Metas in the Last Ward. Of course, most within the Douman Zaibatsu would prefer that these "job placement programs" send Metas to the farms far outside New Gate City (or better yet, to the lunar strip mines), but at least for tonight, members of both factions hide behind false smiles and false words.

3: AS FEAR'S REPLICATING, YOUR WORDS RESONATING

Someone gasps, and everyone looks up. Arcadia's central shopping district goes silent, save for the distant sound of pop tunes played over tinny speakers, as a massive black banner unfurls down the side of a building. A crudely drawn eye fills the banner, bisected by a line of white paint... the unofficial symbol of the Meta rights movement. People start to whisper, and somewhere, there's a cheer. Police drones buzz through the air above.

Meta rights protests aren't uncommon in this part of New Gate City, even though they're soon dispersed by local security forces. This banner, too, will be quickly taken down and destroyed, but the photos and videos of the event will be harder to suppress. Already, the bystanders are murmuring to each other, some in support and some in fear. Others keep their heads down, wary of expressing their true feelings about the rising numbers of Meta-humans. And as security forces move to block off the area, others are frantically trying to disappear.

4: A NEW HOPE GLISTENS OFF THE STREETS

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.

5: WITHIN THE CHAOS, I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE

The Last Ward's electrical grid is reliably unreliable, but blackouts on this scale are rare. Half the ward has been dark for the past three days, save for a few emergency generators and dwindling battery backups. As winter winds batter old, drafty concrete apartment blocks, the residents grow restless and frustrated. Police have already put down several riots, but there's no stopping the spike in looting and other petty crimes.

In the Parish, many people have opted to barricade themselves inside their homes until the blackout ends, but others are taking advantage of the chaos. Most, though, have chosen to band together to protect each other throughout the long nights. The people of the Parish may not have much, but at least they have a sense of community.

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[ it's a good thing she's not a mind reader. he's not wrong, but this isn't the time!

Yang's hefty, but easily balances herself on the way on and up. she makes sure to put her hands up and onto her head just so the security personnel don't get any funny ideas about why she's up there above the crowd like that. ]

Just relax, no fires. I don't want to get us shot...

[ Yang clears her throat, takes a deep breath, and lets her voice project outward. she's not really too worried about the various adults hanging around with their shopping trips interrupted. no, she knows the ones who are probably the most jittery right now are the kids and teens. they'd be the ones more like to be afraid of what was happening without the proper context. ]

Hey, kids! Have a look up here, yeah? [ Yang smiles big, seeing at least a few tiny heads turning her way in surprise. a few people around them are either very curious, too, or just very concerned. ] It's gonna be alright. But you've gotta stay calm, now.

I know getting in line's no fun but we could make a game of it anyway. What do you say?

[ has Yang mentioned yet this was a potentially stupid idea? then again, that was implied... ]

Andrei chuckles. 'Gosh dang,' indeed. "Nephenee, my dear, of course I can. What are you planning to do with it? Generators of this style aren't really my area of expertise."

He scoots back to offer her a better view into the bowels of the device, folding the deck together and tucking it back into his pocket. His eyes, behind the fishbowl lenses of his glasses, grow distantly abstracted as he traces the currents inside the machine. It's packed tight with wires around the central motor, dangerous in operation.

"Or," he adds, "you could always turn it off and let me handle keeping the lights on until you've checked for leaks."

[that's. one way to get Levi's mind off things. their eyes follow the line of Yang's hand and their mouth feels a little drier when it lands on her hip. there's a thumping in their chest, and they open their palm; a small bolt arcs from their hand to the railing.]

Miss Xiao Long. [they cannot be this vulnerable to her. they're supposed to be smarter.] You're trying to seduce me. [it's. it would be fun. to play along. that's all they have to do. it doesn't have to be anything except that. their open palm touches their own cocked hip.] Right here in the middle of a fancy party.

In the middle of a boring party. [ Yang's eyes latch on to that glint of light, and follow the line right across to the other hand, all before rising back up to meet Levi's gaze. her expression doesn't shift. she shrugs a shoulder casually. ]

Can you blame me for trying to make it interesting? [ that's basically an admission, but Yang's always been open about expressing her interest in someone. this may not be the right time, or place, or even person for this, but sometimes just playing the game was as enjoyable as anything. in the middle of this uncommon, uncomfortable situation, it was just like Yang to seek out the comfort of something familiar. ]

"Uh, yeah...probably. Might be easier to do more intensive stuff. E'en with drainin' it, don't reckon Ah wanna use a blowtorch for this." Uh, no, that's a bad idea. "If it's a hole in the metal, see if Ah can tug some o'the metal over any holes."

Yeah, that seems a much better idea, to be honest, and her cheeks flush light pink. "Sorry, reckon Ah'm a tad distracted from all this mess. Your idea's a lot better."

"I'm just not good at..." Most things. "...Navigating social instability. So anywhere that wasn't there, I guess."

He has to wonder how much he gave away. Was that a good Sentinel-bad Sentinel routine? Just because someone was a meta too didn't mean they wouldn't sell their kind down the river...

"It's that bad?"

Lena looks genuinely concerned, even empathetic. Not being able to practice your field is a truly horrible fate. It'd be like losing a limb and not cyberizing a replacement.

"...Time to get out of the gardening business."

Well. Okay. That wasn't... correct. Levi tried to hide a blush, but didn't do a fantastic job of it—and the bigger concern was how they'd basically just made their own heart rate jump a little, and that would be. An issue. If it kept up. Okay, just keep cool, hotshot.

"Is that what it came off as? It wouldn't be a date," they said, being honest about it. They doubted Jotako was all that interested anyway. "Just friends going out to karaoke together to unwind. We could invite other people, too."

[keep cool, Levi. nothing about this is right, but all you have to do is play along and fire back a little and it'll be. joking around. teasing. for fun. nothing will come of it. even if it is... comforting. familiar. warm.]

You think all of this is boring? [they take a couple steps closer so the two of them can have some semblance of privacy, and then their own hand starts to work. up towards the buttons of the shirt they're wearing, already with two of them open. with a healthy amount of skin showing. and they undo a third, and they tug the fabric aside and their cleavage is now clearly showing—it's wildly inappropriate, yes, but nobody with cameras should remotely be around to capture it.]

You're going to hurt my feelings, Yang. [listen to how they say it. are they listening to themself? they're almost smooth about it. their heart is beating a little heavier in their ears, under their ribs.]

Nah, it's fine, they don't even register it like that anymore. Everybody has money problems except the people up in the Central Ward. If people are begging, Levi figures, they're going to be a lot more blatant about it. Instead, "ok boomer" just gets an electric laugh out of them.

"God. I heard stories from back then that people thought saying 'ok boomer' was gonna be the end of polite conversation between generations." Levi almost scoffs again at it; that's. So stupid to think about. "You know, instead of the part where they... well." And they gesture around them, like the conditions of the Last Ward should speak everything they need to say.

"I find it makes them more reliable. Less prone to collapse," Lora says. She blinks her eyes a couple of times -- then quickly nods. "I'd like to compare notes! I usually use a sword, a staff, or a whip. I've practiced with switching between the three of them quickly. Ah, it helps that I'm reasonably fire resistant, too."

She still owns a lot of flame-retardant clothing, though.

"Nice to meet you, Mirys," Lora says. She did, indeed, forget to give her last name. She doesn't quite think much of Mirys omitting hers, either.

"I'm afraid so," she says. She smiles a little -- a bit rueful. "That obvious, is it?"

"No, no blowtorches!" Andrei yelps, flinching back a few more inches. "Especially not if there's a fuel leak in there! But moving the metal, yes, that might work. Can you seal it together without heating it?"

He leans forward, finding the generator's rusty key, and turns it until the engine inside sputters into silence. Darkness falls like a guillotine. He blinks useless eyes before finding the tickle of currents around him, springing into not-quite-visual clarity without the distraction of sight.

With perfect accuracy, he leans forward and tugs the power cable free of its plug on the generator, tucking the metal leads against his sweaty palm as he sits back again. He leaves his eyes closed as he focuses.

Alternating current is less of a drain than direct, but so much more complicated to generate. After a moment, the faint redness through his eyelids lets him know that the lights are on again, although they flicker and dim unpredictably. Without something else to draw from, the power he can send through them is barely enough to keep LEDs alight.

"How is that?" he murmurs.

It was quite the experience, I assure you. Not one I'm eager to repeat any time soon. [Lora's grateful she doesn't get airsick. And grateful for other, more pressing matters, besides.

She blinks at the state of Yang's now-former table. Her mouth opens, and then she looks up at Yang.]

Ah, it seems I've caused you to lose your table. Care to join me?

"Little bit, yeah." She shrugs.

One thing she will assume, though, is that anyone that hasn't been to the Mean Bean at least once before is either younger than her or actually new here, or at least new to this particular part of New Gate. Having little else she can think of saying at the moment, she may as well ask, "Where are you from?"

At least he doesn't seem too badly hurt. She can't rule out a concussion, though.

"If it happens all the time, you should really be more careful," Elsa admonishes, though her tone stays restrained and her volume soft. "Are you sure you don't need medical attention? I can get you to a doctor."

The commotion's attracted some attention, but mercifully, most partygoers seem to be staying back, wanting to watch but not caring enough to interfere. Elsa's grateful; if they started to press in, she might have an entirely different set of problems on her hands than a cracked ice sculpture and a possibly-concussed stranger.

It's a cautious reply, but of course, that's only to be expected from someone wary of identifying himself. Magnus knows better than to press; like giving scraps to a stray animal, forcing more kindness on someone than they are willing to accept breaks trust rather than builds it.

"Well then," he says, turning his palm face up in a gesture that could be just as much ushering Liir away as offering his hand, "now you're free to go there."

He could, if he chose to, pick through Liir's thoughts to find the answer for himself. But that would be an invasion of privacy, so he doesn't.

[ oh, Yang's listening. having to remind herself that Levi's eyes are up where they are and not where her hand was moving. Yang's brain had already wiped the concept of two undone buttons from short term memory so seeing that third one pop open was the equivalent to going from 0-to-100 at a breakneck speed.

now this? this was more Yang's speed.

it's only inappropriate because of the setting, and that thought only strikes Yang because of how aware they are of both of their clothes and how much she would rather be out of them. how much she'd rather they both be out of them. Yang bites her lower lip. gods. if there's anything she falls hard for every time it's people who look good, know they look good, are confident in their actions, but don't like, spend a whole lot of time just talking about it or showing off. it's all about control. a little teasing.

she takes in a breath, puffing up inside the confines of that dress shirt and tight vest. Yang's sigh leaves her lips in stream of warm breath. which will be readily felt depending on how cold it was up here tonight, and just how close Levi moved. ] Hmm, maybe not everything.

I'd still rather be wearing anything else but all this... [ Yang tucks her finger in under her own belt. shifts it forward and back along between two of the loops of her slacks as if she needed to adjust something. ] If I'm gonna be all stuffy and hot, might as well do it in a way I enjoy, yeah?

What?

[ Yang looked over her shoulder, surprised. a bit indignant. ]

Oh, c'mon buddy. I'm standing right here...

[ she doesn't want to cause a scene. it's just a table. there are others, and there's another offer right there. the other person has their mouth full of a bagel and hands full of other stuff. they obviously need the space and they're not alone either. Yang just raises her hands up. ]

Fine, fine. The lady offered me anyway, so... enjoy the table I guess.

[ she sighs, turns her head back to Lora. ] Thanks. Hang on a sec.

[ Yang picks up her tray and drink, moves them over. then she snatches up her tablet and rests it down again. finally, she retrieves her leather jacket off of the back of her old chair and moves it to the new one. it's old, worn, bears a few patches on it. band names, corporate logos. there's a few enamel pins punched through the thick collar; a rainbow flag, striped flag of faded purple and orange, and an NSO emblem too.

she quickly settles into the new chair and offers an awkward smile. ] Sorry for the bother. The only downside to picking the best coffee shop in the neighborhood is that everyone else knows it's the best, too.

[if Levi is exerting any control over the situation, it would be news to them. but they're playing along with confidence, and the things that Yang is suggesting are making them think that they would much rather not just be playing. coming back to the ward that raised them was already a mistake. one more wouldn't ruin them, would it?]

If I didn't know you any better. [they start carefully, and their face is warmed by Yang's breath, and they feel almost like they're blushing even though that's just got to be the residual heat coming from Yang. their hand reaches out and gingerly touches the back of Yang's left hand. their skin is warm, too.] I'd almost say you wanted me to get you out of those clothes. But that can't be what you mean, can it?

[ the touch doesn't have to be literally electrified to feel that way to her. Yang stretches her fingers back but can't make any better contact despite the effort. she slips her other hand along the railing with a dull scrape. uses that as an anchor point to pull her just a bit closer. ]

You know me better than anyone else here. [ if not in terms of time spent together, then certainly what happened during that time. ] Can't do much of what I want with it on. Wouldn't want to damage a rental.

[then maybe they shouldn't go through with this, if Yang is so worried about damaging things she'll have to give up by the end of the night. but that thought doesn't get voiced. instead, Levi lets their body get pulled, and the warmth between them feels like it's growing, but that might only be in temperature after what Levi says next.]

You know it would be a really bad idea. [it's the opposite of earlier; it's something that should be spoken seriously, but the look on their face is still playful. like they aren't worried, even though they should be.] You still want to try it?

[ objectively speaking, this was not the worst way the night could end. even if the idea is not the brightest from other perspectives, at least she's allowed to be honest in this? no more playing the silly games to the tune of those who set this whole fundraiser up in the first place. they've both played their parts. Yang's tired. itching in this suit, in her skin. she needs out.

and don't ever threaten Yang Xiao Long with a good time. ]

I brought my bike in tonight. [ Yang reaches both her hands up, oh so carefully reaching with the intent to do up that third button, eyes on the task. ] I figure it'll take me about ten minutes to get down to the garage, check out through security, and park myself in front of the lobby doors.

[ her eyes flick up to meet Levi's. ] If you want a ride out of here, I've always got a spare helmet for you. That can be to your room, or my place. Your call on all counts. [ the ball, so to speak, was now in Levi's court. Yang had her intent there but also gave options. three. either nothing happens at all, they share a quick ride back to the NSO where Levi's roommate will probably be waiting, or... well. anything could happen with the last item. things that can't be discussed in polite company. ]

[when Yang reaches up to button Levi's shirt, they immediately feel like their heartbeat is giving them away. whether they like the physical contact so much or they're getting so anxious about the options that it's got their heartbeat running away, not even they're sure. but. it's fine. they are smarter. and they're still human, aren't they? both of them are. they both have needs. wants.]

[Levi is going to regret this.]

I'll see you in ten. [they're certain in their words, and their eyes meet Yang's and even if their skin is warm and their heart is loud and they know they're going to have to burn out a lot of electricity to get back to normal in these ten minutes, they're not backing down.] Don't worry about my shirt unless you like making more work for yourself later.

[ Yang bites her lip. door number 3, huh. excellent. not at all planned but then again Yang's never been known for keeping the cleanest of apartments. surely they'll be too busy to rib her for it.

when she's done with the button she grins and pulls her hands away. ] Just keeping them safe for the ride.

[ you know. saying stuff like that as if there's not still an opening for Levi to second-guess their decision.

Yang takes a step back. ] If you'll excuse me, I've got a seat to warm up.

[ and, well, she'll need to go and tell someone that she's leaving or else they're going to wonder what the heck happened. it's not unfair to just say she's feeling that she's done her part here. no more interviews, no more empty smiles and vapid promises and insincere handshakes.

she also has some champagne to burn off so there's zero risk of an accident. Yang's reckless sometimes, sure, but not on something like this. even if the bike does mostly drive itself she always insists on being fully aware in case of having to react to the unexpected. ]

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Page 43 of 46

TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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So retcon anything about her grounding and enhancing abilities and such that's not a thing oops

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yessss nerd buttons!

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