neosapienooc | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh man, this guy may have looked big and cool and red like some sort of behemoth superhero, but he certainly sounded like almost every other boring adult who had ever happened to look at his report card. He almost couldn't help but instinctively tune half of what Magnus was saying simply because of the topic that was being broached.]

I dunno, homeschooling sounds pretty cool to me. You don't have to worry about waking up at butt-all in the morning. And I'm sure the lessons were more catered to your needs and 'personal development'. I mean, I think that's what adults call it. When you get to focus more on your own needs and talents and stuff.

Public school is kind of broad and it doesn't really feel like many teachers really actually care? Thet they're just doing their job, you know? It makes it kind of hard for me as a student to want to care too much either.

[That and his afterschool clubs and interests sounded like a way more productive use of his free time than the history of 'New Gate Cities unification'.]

[ That's right, John. He's a nerd!! ]

There's probably some truth in that. [ He inclines his head, considering. ] Though, I'm not so sure the curriculum was much different. I decided early on that I would let no one say they were my better in any subject, and it was all in service of sending me to the same place, regardless.

[ There's a small laugh that makes its way into those words, and again, his smile takes on an almost sheepish quality. As if he were confessing to some embarrassing childhood foible, or his desire to learn had been tainted by some impurity of motive. ]

Very well, then. What subjects do you care about, in school or otherwise?

[Hey, hey, hey, can he really judge? Not like he was the purest representation of cool-bro energy over here. Still, did this guy really just say he wanted to be the best at absolutely everything?

Sounded kind of conceited actually...

Was that even possible?]

What I care about? Hm, well, I really like messing around with computers! Things like coding and programming. I have started a small club with some friends after school around it. I also really love movies, and magic, and games, and comics, and pranks, and jokes-- Oh and I know how to play the piano!

[This is a boy with way too many hobbies.]

[ On the contrary; that's just the right amount of hobbies, so far as Magnus sees it. John's enthusiasm is obvious, and that's enough to make Magnus enthusiastic as well, listening with close attention as the boy rattles off that list. His passion for learning has always extended past the borders of traditional academia, after all, even if he is a big nerd who asks random kids how much they care about school. ]

I haven't had the opportunity to be acquainted with many who list magic among their interests. I would ask you to teach me about it — but I've heard that a magician is never meant to reveal his secrets. Isn't that right?

How is it that you came by that interest?

TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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