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neosapienooc2019-12-30 12:51 am
neosapienmods) wrote in neosapienooc2019-12-30 12:51 am
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.2: A MIND OF DARKNESS, A HEART OF LIGHT
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.
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.4: A NEW HOPE GLISTENS OFF THE STREETS
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.
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.5: WITHIN THE CHAOS, I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE
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.
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.
no subject
Barriss asks the question quickly, as she's starting to march further into the alley, hand near the hilt of her plasma sword, just in case.
She doesn't know how wide the perimeter is, though. She does have a way out, at least. But letting this stranger start causing a ruckus is not going to help, so her priorities have changed to get this oddball clear.
no subject
"Electrical. It's too much to get into right now," they follow, and they're following this new person just as closely, "But let's just leave it at some mutations suck sometimes." Their heart is still beating faster than it should. "I'm not here to cause problems for you. Let's keep going and I'll just deal with it."
no subject
Quite easily, in fact. Barriss leads the Oddball down the alley towards a manhole cover, just an old service hatch. With a wave of her hand, she pulls it free with strings of telekinetic force, lifting it out of the way.
Poking her head through, she nods with some certainty.
"Down we go. It's all clear."
no subject
Something that might do them well here, though, because they're not sure exactly what to expect. However, they know they're underground, and they know that the odds are it won't be as bright as they'd like it to be, so the electricity sparks to life on their palm again and condenses into a just-barely-hovering ball in their open hand.
no subject
Down Barriss goes, not really wanting to get into the extent of herself, because the Jedi were regarded as crackpots at best most of the time.
"And you are an electrokinetic?"
Just, so they are even.
no subject
They're not going to get too in-depth with themself either, because that's a depressing road to walk when they're already going to be hiding in a glorified sewer.
"This is what I was talking about with the electrical discharge, though. I need to get it out of my body." The ball crackles in their hand. "Lead the way to safety."
no subject
Barriss pushes on ahead through the tunnel, thanking the Force that it isn't wet or anything. It's just a disused service tunnel into the underground, after all.
After passing through one fork in the tunnel, then another, they come to a widened chamber. This one full of old tires.
"Will this due as a discharge sight?"
no subject
"Amendment. Better than anywhere else." They're grinning, and they tilt their head in the direction of the closest pile of tires. After a moment, they walk over and kick one to its side, flat against the ground. "This could get dangerous. I'll stay low; stand on that." As though anybody needs to be told how lightning strikes work.
On their part, they're absolutely staying low, down on their haunches, and one palm goes flat on the ground while the other keeps the ball afloat. They won't do anything until their companion is ready, but they can't pass up the chance to be dramatic. "How close have you ever been to a thundercloud?" they ask, hearing their heart in their head.