saveyourbrain | Test Drive Meme

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test drive meme

Test Drive Meme

HEL-LO, EARTH'S NEW HEROES.

Test Drive Meme!

Scenarios:

> Cleanup of downtown Locke City still has a ways to go. It looks like that shop you were planning on another trip to this week is closed for the time being. Or the entire block is trashed and you'll be needing an alternate route to work. Or your workplace is trashed, if not some real estate you had in the area, and you'll be needing a helping hand - or are trying to offer one!
> Help, help, I've been robbed - your bag or wallet's just been snatched, or is in the process of being snatched. Catch the snatcher or rough them up - you may or may not be surprised, if you come to blows or a chase, to find on throwing a punch that they're much quicker and/or sturdier than you'd have expected. Maybe someone will dive in to back you up.
> Monster encounter! The above or you were robbed (or, for all you could tell, misplaced something) a while ago, and one of the objects you lost seems to have come back to you, if not the way you recognize it. Ayup, getting backup might be a good idea.
> Transportation/travel. You're at an airport or train station, whether to escape or take a tour to a strange-events hotspot, or plain go on an innocent vacation. Mix up your bags or timetables, grab a pre-ride snack, chat up those with the same destination, get or give directions, find yourself receiving an ill-timed item Echo in front of security - whatever you can think up!
> Say - is that one of those superhumans you've spied on the street? Yes, I do believe it is - you've seen them on the news/read about them, that or their looks give them away! Go on and ask questions of them, be it for serious answers or an autograph, depending on who you are.
> ...And it looks like you're a superhuman yourself. Looks like that hollowed-out feeling you got was followed by a mutation, or some strange thing in your brain. How're you going to come to grips with it?
> Wildcard/Etc. Make up your own!

Prompts suggested by Alec and Zero.

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[Someone very tall and blue-haired is passing through, handing out smiles and quick words to the crowd around him, moving sort of oddly. The crowd is amurmur around him, some people filming or photographing him with their phones, some backing away. He was always on the short side before... Now there are signs of strain around his mouth and eyes, not entirely evident until they vanish, briefly, as he recognizes her and lights up the way he always has. Julien genuinely loves people.]

Hey! Ariel, suil!

[As he gets closer it's clear why he's got this kind of attention. If he's keeping those long legs straight under his body he's around seven feet tall. Yup, he's one of Locke's most obvious powers-people, not that it was obvious until a few weeks ago.]

[She paused, hearing her name being called. Turning around, she lifted her hand in a greeting recognizing Julien. She does her best not to let her jaw hit the floor as she see just how long his legs are now.]

Hi, Julien, long time no uh- see. [It's taking a lot not to mention the legs. She can see that he is looking a little stressed. What with the city being flooded with gawkers, she can very well guess why.]

Yeah, I uh... I got a haircut, what do you think? It seems it's getting a lot of attention.

[He did not, but the flash of a grin, suddenly more hesitant, seems to say Play along? for him.]

[Julien's keeping his wings folded tightly to his body. At a casual enough glance they, and the tail that nearly reaches the ground, seem like a heavy feathered cloak over his shoulders.]

[She is doing her absolute best to ignore the changes she's noticed in him. Really. She cracks a smile, only slightly nervous and nods, pointedly looking at his hair.]

Lookin' good then Julien. What brings you out and about?

Ah, well - the weather's finally turning. I get sick of being cooped up, you know?

[Julien shifts his weight. His toes like clawed armored fingers flex against the ground.]

And I haven't been back around here since it happened, so... I wanted to see. Glad you were out of it. Ugly as this is it was a lot worse, then. Where'd you go, again? Sorry, I can't remember if you said.

I hear you on that. I was out of town actually at my new job, out at Gateway Recreational Park. It's north of here along the coast.

[She is trying very hard not to look, but the sound of his toes moving against the ground, cause her to look. It's a quick look, but still noticeable, because she can't help the double take.]

I've been out there before! Do you like it?

[He pretends not to notice. Julien knows what he looks like. Fascination is at least better than fear, even if he's getting sick of both.]

I'm kind of looking for new work myself... I was fine doing gruntwork at the health clinic, but, well. [Shrugging one wing, he acknowledges the no-longer-looks-human thing for the first time in the conversation.] This makes things a little more difficult.

I love it out there! [She flashed him a genuine smile, then nodded towards his appearance, mentioning it for the first time.]

You could always be a model or something, especially since you have such a unique look.

Good!

A model? [When he blinks, an inner eyelid is briefly visible, translucent and folding away into the inner corners of each eye.] ...well, I guess I have the height thing down. And I know a couple people who've done it. It's just uh... [he has to smile] What, you really think so?

Sure! Modeling is all about what is new and hot and right now you can't get any newer or hotter. My dad does modeling photography. You'd be perfect for some of his wildlife fusion ideas.

[She really means it. Really. She sin't taking the piss out of you for being half bird. But now at least it's giving her a chance to gawk at him in a constructive way, because wow he is something else.]

Do those wings actually work?

Oh, God. [That's horrifying and hilarious at the same time. Julien would rather show the second reaction than the first, even if his heart's sinking.] Wow, uh... should I let you send him a picture or something? I'd rather this kind of thing happened with someone I know about.

I really think these are from something domesticated - pure white, see? [He opens one. It's huge and wide and people around stop what they're doing to stare. Julien pretends he hasn't noticed. Something of his arm is visible in the wing, a few scaly clawed fingers.] And they saved me from dying when I fell off a roof. If I try them out I'd rather it wasn't crowded, though.

Yeah you could. his business is Askell Studios. Since it's on the edge of the business district, it wasn't damaged. By the way its no big deal if you don't want to model either. It's just a suggestion. After all people are going to look, so might as well make the most of it right?

[She looks a this wing in thought for a moment, trying to wrack her brain if she could remember any birds that were naturally white and not domesticated.]

Maybe some sort of crane perhaps? If you want to give them a test, you should come to the park I work at. It's got plenty of wide open space for you to test them out and some places you can use as a launching pad if you feel more confident gliding...

I don't want to sound rude, but you realize just how amazing you are?

I know, I know... It'd be nice to control the attention a little. And get paid, I hope. [He snorts.] I'm only human.

I could do that... As long as there's not a crowd of witnesses. I'd be so embarrassed if too many people saw me thrash this stuff out.

[Julien pulls his head back. Some of his feathers flick. That tail - four feet long, almost touching the pavement despite how long his legs are - fans part way.]

Me? C'mon.

Modeling is a lucrative business. And if you're worried abut witnesses, come to the park in the morning before official opening hours and you could get some alone time in with hardly anyone around to watch.

[She gives him that, look. The one where is says: You're kidding right?]

I don't see many other people rocking wings the way you are.

I can try getting in early, sure. And... Guess I've got a better chance of uh... breaking in, I guess? To the... scene. It's just not something I've ever thought of before.

There's a few! Always on their backs, and they can actually hide them. [He smiles faintly. The other people with wings all still have separate hands. Their wings are accessories. Except for the sentient parrot they also have no tails, and can wear shoes.] Mine are a lot bigger, I guess.

I haven't been here all that long. Plus most of the people have been incognito about anything different about them. As for breaking into the scene, food for thought!

[After all she just could shoot arrows really well. That seemed to be her superpower. It wasn't something she had an easy time bring up in casual conversations... but then it was a lot more mild to what Julien was dealing with.]

I was incognito for a long time! Things started with me last April, actually. But, well. I'm not meant to stay in hiding, and that's what I'd have to do to keep these secret.

[He tried it. It sucked.]

It's not like I'm not already in the public eye. ...yeah, sure. I'll see if I can make your dad happy, at least.

Edited 2014-03-31 13:25 (UTC)

That's no way to live. Glad you've come out into the open. At least right now is a good time for it. People's opinions are still being informed, so you can make a difference and make them see you in a positive light.

[Julien nods and, tired of looming, tries sort of shifting his stance, bending his legs more and inclining his body. This does bring his eye level lower down, even though it makes him look like a dinosaur.]

Yeah, the cat's pretty well out of the bag by now. My picture's been spread out everywhere already, guess I might as well cement it. [He tried escaping Locke and returning to normal life, but Julien is too recognizable.] I figure the best I can do for PR is... try to be normal, I guess. Or, well. Harmless.

Or you could try acting as a superhero. You know, going around saving people. [She grins at that, letting him know she was only half joking.]

I bet it's hard having people mob you all the time.

[He smirks.] Do I get a cape? Or do the feathers already - nah, they don't, I want something with a hood. For the mystery, you know.

[A shrug, and he makes as if something that seriously bothers him is just slightly disquieting.]

It's worse when they're afraid of me.

[She grins and nods when he mentions a hood.] I could see you wearing one.

[The smile fades when she hears about people being afraid of him and sighs softly.]

The only thing you can do is show people that you're a good person. Beyond that, they have to make up their own minds. After all the most dangerous people are more often than not the ones who look the least dangerous.

I know. Something to work for, I guess! People are getting used to me, you can see no one's calling 911.

You know, I think it helps if I'm seen from a distance first.
[He gives her a tight-lipped smile.] That way it's not such a surprise.

Modeling. It will help, I swear. You'll be on billboards and in ads and people will be used to seeing you.

[She sounds really confident about this.]

[It is flattering. Julien ducks his head. For a moment he wonders if Ariel's hitting on him.]

Hah. You think I could actually get that far?

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sylvanguard - 2014-04-03 16:02 (UTC) - Expand

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espigeonage - 2014-04-03 16:25 (UTC) - Expand

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