TEST DRIVE MEME: Good weather?

[theearth]

IT'S SPRING
I almost literally can't believe it isn't snowing right now just to piss me off.

How it Works
Due to the nature of Save the Earth, it's a more complicated process to play in than most other games. With this in mind, it can't hurt to experiment a little.

Post your character and in the comment share a few details regarding their reincarnation. Repeat if you have multiple ideas you want to try out, as many as you like. It's also suggested that you set a scene and there's a few prompts below to help there, but think outside the box if you like. Then tag around to other threads and help your fellow prospective players to test out their characters and the variations on them. Don't be afraid to presume a little CR to make a scene flow more freely, or to assume an Echo or two. If you have an app, complete or in progress, you might want to link it.

Current players may also use these meme to test out specific future Echoes, or as a general meme. Certain scenarios may even be transferred to game canon if both parties agree and it does not conflict with in game events.

Prompt 1: Location

The Park
The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip whatever go to the park.
Ice Cream Parlour
Don't lie, this is the first place you want to go the moment the sun even half appears.
The Pool
That, or here.
At Home
Because naturally when it's a nice day you want to cower inside.
Barbecue Party
Abandoning all paranoia, everyone has turned up at a barbecue. It's the wildest party imaginable.
Beach
Apparently Locke City has one. I bet it's nice.
Country Hike
All that nature out there can be visited too.
The Street
Oh man, this is the worst location prompt ever. I apologise.

Prompt 2: Event
Suddenly, Rain
And here's you in just a white shirt and short shorts.
A Public Echo
One of those places up there triggers an inexplicable Echo. Are you going to have to grab a hat to hide those new horns? Maybe it's even your first.
A Date
I hear nice weather gets people in the mood for romance. I'm against it, personally.
Here on Business
Mysterious goings on have been detected in the area and it's your job to check them out. Some suggested shenanigans could include plants that try to eat people, a red herring new statue or maybe this thing popping out from behind a bush to play a saxophone in an irritating manner. Go nuts.
Getting Used to a New Echo
Maybe this one is a pain in the butt, either if because it's noticeable or hard to control. Or maybe you just like to practice.
Everything is Normal
Things aren't bizarre 24/7, you know.
Alien Invasion
The Martians* are attacking! They want our brains/world/women/hot dogs. Take these freaks out... or cower in terror.

*Martians are not actual Save the Earth villains.

Comments

[hopeungovernable]

In her last life she was known as the Disciple, a huntress troll with a passion for a troll called Signless. It didn't end well. He died. She died eventually. Generally there were tears. In this life, she's Leola, an English teacher who hasn't really found her calling in life.

PROMPT ONE: Ice Cream Parlor

Strawberry ice cream with whipped cream had to be Leola's favorite thing to eat. There were few things on Earth that could compare to the experience and she was going to savor it. Even with standing room only, she stayed inside to keep her ice cream from melting prematurely.

It's unfortunate that the crowd keeps jostling though. She moves closer to the door--and promptly gets a shove that spill her ice cream. All over your shoes. She makes the best effort to not look crestfallen as she holds out napkins.

"I'm really sorry, it's a madhouse in here."

PROMPT TWO: Public Echo

The weird dreams everyone talks about. The terrible things that have happened. Sometimes she can forget them all, lay in the shade in the park and close her eyes. It's finally summer, her free time, and she plans to enjoy what she can. No weird network, nothing to bother her. Just her and a book, tucked up under a tree.

Across the way is a group around a grill. A man, his older mother--she thinks, a younger girl. Another man. They're grilling and when they catch her eye, she smiles and waves. Then the man comes over with a plate full of food. He's handing it to her despite all her insistence that she's already ate. The woman behind him gently insists. They brought too much, honestly, is she going to take it or should they give it to the gulls? It's not familiar except it is--

In another life, he held out a plate of food to her, all their things, none of hers, and Dolorosa gently insists that she take it. She should take it. She promises herself that those two will never have to hunt their own meat again as she digs into the delicious meal, half starved--

And as the two turn away, she suddenly realizes something is wrong. Her body feels strange. And in patches, there's grey spreading over her skin. Grey--WHY GREY? She jumps to her feet, suddenly aware of how little clothing she's actually wearing. Shorts and a t-shirt. In a park. What is wrong with her, she was just going to eat the meal they gave her...


PROMPT THREE: Network?

[Panicking in a private bathroom, she writes the number on the mirror with lipstick. She is noticeably grey and not at all her usual shade of brown. It makes a startling contrast. Her hands keep running through her braids and she almost appears to talking to herself more than the mirror as she paces back and forth]

I don't know how to hide this. It's this non-human color and--[She flings her arms to her side and takes a deep breath] I could try spray tans? Foundation wears off. Do spray tans cover up your skin color or just make it deeper? Shit, I can't quit my job, I can't afford my apartment otherwise.

Do any of you know any way to help? I don't know what to do.

PROMPT ONE

[oldhippy]

The man Leola ran into is about twice her age, short but solidly built, with a shitty beard and an even shittier greying pony-tail. "Hey," he says, "it's cool. Shit happens."

He holds out his own dish which is miraculously saved. It's brown--caramel colored, really--with fudge and oreos on top. "You want to share mine?"

[hopeungovernable]

Leola just laughs, "As tempting as it is, It's simply not strawberry. Besides I wouldn't want to steal half your ice cream. A treat is meant to be savored." She digs in her pocket for some more money. She's not sure she brought enough money for two servings but she doesn't want to bring that up in front of a complete stranger.

"And I was the one who spilled on your shoes."

[oldhippy]

"They were crappy shoes anyway," the man says. He's dressed pretty casually: black Grateful Dead tee shirt, blue jeans, battered hiking boots. "Really, it's cool. Besides, I was the dumbass who ran into you. Let me at least cover half your new one."

[hopeungovernable]

"I will admit, I think they've seen better days." She laughs and shrugs, "Honestly you don't have to. I'll get a small scoop and some more napkins and we shall be exactly as we were."

[oldhippy]

"Okay," says the man. "Sure. I can go for that." He looks around. "Man, I don't think this place was here last time I spent much time in Locke City."

[hopeungovernable]

She settles herself back in line and nods over her shoulder, "It only opened up last year. You should have seen the line the first day it opened. I waited for half a hour but it's quite simply the best ice cream on this side of the city. Or at least they have the best strawberry."

She waves her hand at him, "So what brings you here?"

[oldhippy]

"My ma," he says. "She's getting kind of old--well, I'm no spring chicken myself. Anyway, I got a call last week--I was up in New York helping with Occupy Sandy--from the hospital here saying she broke her hip when she tripped on the steps to her building. So I came to take care of her."

[hopeungovernable]

"Oh I'm sorry. That's a terrible reason to have to go anywhere." Her sympathetic noise might have been lost in the commotion around the register as she finally got a new cup of ice cream. A quick bite to confirm it's deliciousness and she stepped back out of the way.

"Where does she live? I have some family south of the Dead District that would more than willing to help you out." It's outing her as from a poor family but at some point she had to stop caring about her background and just let it be.

i finally figured out his last name

[oldhippy]

The man names a building inside Locke City's Japantown area--odd, he doesn't look Japanese, though he doesn't look white either, perhaps Indian if anything--which is known if anything for being rather solidly middle class. He doesn't seem perturbed by Leola's poor roots, though.

"Oh hey," he says. "I never gave you my name. It's Nemo. Nemo Vargas."

Hurrah

[hopeungovernable]

"Ah, a little outside my range." She feels a little guilty now, honestly. It's defintely not close to home and she just met this man, she really doesn't owe him anything besides the apology she's already given. Yet, it's hard to just ignore things.

"Oh, nice to meet you Nemo. Hah I always forget to ask names, I just get caught up in conversation. Leola Davis. I teach at a nearby school. Well not right now of course."

Re: Hurrah

[oldhippy]

"Oh? What grade?" Nemo's almost done with his own ice cream by now, despite it having been a large one to begin with. "And don't worry, some of the neighbors have been helping too."

Re: Hurrah

[hopeungovernable]

"Middle School so mostly 7th and 8th. Beautiful kids, if a challenge. I teach English." She laughs and waves a spoonful of ice cream before popping it in her mouth, then mumbles around the spoon, "And s'metimes Creative w'iting."

Re: Hurrah

[oldhippy]

"Groovy," Nemo says without any irony whatsoever, thereby dating himself horribly. "Do you write yourself, or just teach it?"

prompt two

[dorkytracksuit]

He sees her freeze, and the patches as they start to spread. He reaches out towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"There's some bushes over there." he says, voice urgent.

[hopeungovernable]

Leola doesn't have time to question as she quietly panics to herself. The bushes would work better than just standing here looking more and more inhuman.

"Thank you--I don't..." She trails off in her confusion. There has to be something she can say besides thank you but she just wants to scrub the gray from her body. Her nails scratch at the evergrowing patches. She'll rub them raw at this rate.

[dorkytracksuit]

He grabs at her hands, stopping the scratching as he tries to catch her gaze.

"Don't panic. You're fine." His voice is calm, even if he doesn't believe the words himself. He looks her over, cursing for not having any foundation that would match her skin tone. She looked so familiar? Had he seen her somewhere before? Heard her on the network perhaps?

"I have a car, we can go to the store and get some cover up. I'm not going to hurt you."

[hopeungovernable]

At least he stops her, catching her attention enough for her to look up at him. He's only vaguely familiar. Maybe she's seen him before but...He's not freaking out or threatening to call the police. He must know.

"I don't know what could cover this up--" Her breath catches at the utter panic she can feel rising up again and she takes a deep breath, "Anything else I could hide..."

[dorkytracksuit]

He sighs, letting her go, hoping she does not start the scratching again. He reaches into his pocket, getting out a tissue from his pocket, hesitatingly only a moment before spitting onto the tissue, his expression showing his distaste.

He runs the tissue across the back of his own hand, the makeup he uses to hide his own abnormal skin tone rubbing off to show the yellowed skin underneath.

"We have, at least one thing in common. You can hide it."

[hopeungovernable]

She looks down at his skin, yellow and strange. Not quite as distinctly alien as her own, but definitely not natural. At least someone else can understand.

"I guess I can...Wow it's going to take hours in the morning." Her laugh is stilted but she's not panicking quite so badly. At least it might be possible.

[dorkytracksuit]

He shrugs, smiling a bit himself.

"Long sleeves help, if you don't mind looking like a goth."

He extends his own hand awkwardly towards her, not sure how to act now that her panic has abated.

"Davin."

[hopeungovernable]

She laughed and shook her head, "I'm a teacher. At least I don't have to go out everyday." She ran a hand through her hair nervously and then noticed his outstretched hand belatedly.

"Sorry, I'm Leola." She squeezed his hand and shook once, "So I take it you...as well?"

[dorkytracksuit]

He gives a stilted smile at the statement. None of them should have to change their lives because of this. He withdraws his hand, looking sheepish. He still isn't used to admitting this stuff aloud.

"Yes. Have you gotten any.. Weird memories yet?"

He does a quick look around to make sure no one is watching.

[hopeungovernable]

She shakes her head, "Just...things." She doesn't want to admit more aloud. Here in relative public. Still she was curious. So far she had gotten the raw end, no memories to speak of. Though everyone seemed sure they would come.

"Have you?"

[dorkytracksuit]

"Yeah." He'd had more 'dreams' than he'd like to recount of grey monsters with orange eyes. The grey, he'd gotten hopeful for a second that she might know something he didn't, but. He gives her another weak smile.

"Well, do you think you can make it out of here on your own?"