metamemes | TEST DRIVE MEME #02

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!test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME #02

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to

metaheroes! As the game is invite-only, please bear in mind that new players must have an invitation from a current player to apply. Interested players who do not know anyone in the game can reach out to the mod team HERE to request an invite for the March app round. These invitations will be processed the day before reserves open. However, no invitation is necessary to play on the this test drive.

Threads from this post can be made game canon if players agree upon it. To facilitate this, this log has no new arrival prompt. Please see the PREVIOUS CONFLUENCES for general ideas as to how characters may have arrived. New characters will be arriving with the March 27th arrival log.

For players who do not want to thread out an arrival, they may backdate their characters' arrival to a previous Confluence. These characters were not picked up by the transportation spell used by the Alliance. These characters will have been living on their own for the last few months, so please address this in the 'Brainstorming' section of the application.

01. METASTRAVAGANZA — everywhere.

Things haven't been the same since Confluences started again. The last two months have been more exciting than the last twenty years! The skies are full of new heroes, the day is saved and threatened by unfamiliar faces, the media is having a field day trying to report on every single new face while companies try to snag them for brand deals.

But not everything in this world centers around costumed combat. Today is a perfectly normal day and you're tasked with the most dangerous mission of all - leading an every day life. Maybe you go to a perfectly normal job to maintain your secret identity - or maybe you've already abandoned that, living full time as your metahuman self.

The sun is shining, and even in the early hours of the morning, parties in the DOWNTOWN STREETS of those CITIES STRUCK BY THE RECENT CONFLUENCES are disrupting the reconstruction efforts that have gotten well underway. These parties celebrate meta efforts to save the day! The streets are full of booths selling food and hastily made knock-off toys of the newest heroes who haven't yet put a copyright on their costume.

But not everyone looks so thrilled about this celebration. Many people look disgusted at this celebration of metahumans interrupting their commute to work, muttering under their breath about what a pain in the ass metahumans are and how much destruction they've wrought in these few short months.

Meanwhile, school-aged metas board the bus to LOFTY HEIGHTS META SCHOOL, hidden somewhere in the sky. There, in-between learning about grammar and punctuation, they are trained to use their new abilities ... Notably, when powers training arrives, the new arrivals outshine the metas native to this world. Very few seem to have any powers on par with the new comers.

Later in the day, the Student Council holds an assembly dedicated to the responsible use of powers. They award any students who have helped save the day with accolades — as well as detention for skipping class to help out as an unlicensed hero. Whoops!

Maybe you should just skip today.

02. SEEDY UNDERBELLY — central city.

Central City is a hard place to live. The city is in almost constant peril, with constant power vacuums in organized crime and city government being filled by worse and worse people. Despite having the Guardian Alliance stationed at its center and doing their best to uplift the people and their citizens, the city suffers from a corruption so deep that it seems to be baked into the very concrete.

The Alliance does what it can to make the city a better place but it's a bandaid over a bigger wound. Because the nigh constant metahuman-centered destruction is the source of so many of Central City's problems - meta organizations are often the last resort for its people. Still, the Alliance makes sure to keep heroes on hand to punch muggers as well as run soup kitchens. Their healers provide healing free of charge, and many of their psychics are trained therapists who use their powers to soothe the citizens' many traumas.

But the real power in the city is held by people like FRANK KAFKA, a crime lord with a finger in every pie. Both guilds leave Kafka to his own devices because he officially possesses no metahuman abilities and he avoids any dealings with them. Tonight, his goons are running their favorite extortion scheme with a twist. A group of them marches through a run-down street, shaking down vulnerable families and businesses for protection money. If an individual resists, the gang threatens to bring the spectre of newly created metahumans down upon their head. Though Kafka himself is not present, his goons will give up his location under enough pressure.

03. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM — excelsior.

With how often the city is destroyed, one wouldn't expect the MUSEUM OF EXCELSIOR to get much in the way of priceless artifacts, but the museum's basement vault is one of the most well guarded facilities in all the country. Practically impenetrable, it stores every conceivable relic of value. But today, thanks to some villainous meddling, there's a lapse in their security that aligns perfectly with the planned time for the changeover of an art exhibit, affording some enterprising thieves a chance at millions of dollars in priceless artwork.

Heroes affiliated with the Guardian Alliance are asked to patrol and keep these relics safe, while the members of the Society of Villainous Reformation are called upon to pay favors forward by getting in their way. As the untested new kids on the block, player characters draw the short straw and are sent in pairs to complete their task, regardless of whether it's to steal these artifacts or guard them.

Villains, now's the chance to get rich quick! Heroes, protect these treasures from falling into the wrong hands!

04. DINOTOPIA — excelsior.

Confluences are back.

And that means new unaffiliated supervillains are running rampant in the streets, causing the kind of directionless, clumsy chaos that the Guild typically frowns at. A little mischief is good if it serves as distraction for a heist, but this is...

Well...

This a very large velociraptor with human arms standing in the middle of Excelsior. If anyone asks, he calls himself DINO DAN. But why would you ask when he's busy transforming people into dinosaurs - or partially into dinosaurs - using his aptly named Dino-Ray? The people of Excelsior are used to a lot of chaotic shenanigans, but this is a little much even for them. The newly transformed dinosaur-people are losing themselves to their instincts and charging at bystanders. Of those that retain (or regain) their senses, some appear strangely delighted to have this new experience, while others wail in horror at their lost humanity.

As heroes line up to stop him, he'll tell anyone who listens about his displaced rage and the revenge he seeks on an unfair world that let him turn himself into a dinosaur. Not surprising, out of an Excelsior local. However, confronted by metas who can stop him, Dino Dan hooks the Dino-Ray on his belt and grabs a second ray-gun. Anyone he shoots with this one disappears with a comical POP!

Those unfortunate enough to be hit by this ray will find themselves standing in a land before time, right beside a research station. Those clever enough to pull out their cell phones will notice that they still have reception, and rule out time travel.

In addition to clippings of ancient and extinct plants, characters who venture inside will find a half dozen prehistoric humans have apparently been displaced through time and held captive in Dino Dan's remote island research station. If that wasn't obvious enough, his research notes suggest the use of time travel — though like all other dimensional travel, it stopped working in January.

Characters may trigger a trap in the research station and find themselves also temporarily transformed into reptiles, or they may take it upon themselves to rescue the poor folks this mesozoic maniac has been holding hostage! Whatever the plan: if he's causing havoc in the city, that has to mean there's there's a teleporter in his lab to get back. But there's no shortage of Guard T-Rexes blocking the path.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Okay, so maybe Tim asked because he wanted a better look at that fabric. He doesn’t know fabric, but he knows what is and isn’t possible under his Earth’s normal rules. That shawl shouldn’t be here.

Whether it’s tech or magic remains to be seen - Tim’s much more interested if it’s tech. He doesn’t know what he’d do with it, but there are probably interesting applications. ]

Yeah, I know. My old one went AWOL, so… I’m sort of stuck right now until it warms up.

[ More like Tim went AWOL and left his jacket on his other universe, but just because the other guy has a fancy cloak doesn’t mean he’s Skyfallen - and that wouldn’t mean he got to know Tim was either. ]

Change it how? Are you a sewist or tailor?

[ Start with the obvious. The friendly guy with the cool clothes is making a sales pitch for his booth.

Tim pays quickly, palming his debit card for the tap so it’s never seen. ]

[ billy either doesn't notice tim's vaguely sketchy motion (probable) or doesn't care (also probable) as he pays for his own purchase. unlike tim, he doesn't bother to hide the alliance card they were all given, smiling and exchanging a few words with the vendor before accepting the little bag the necklace is given in. he drops it into a second, larger bag he was already carrying, then turns back to tim with an apologetic glance. ]

No, I'm a witch. [ it's the term he's settled on in recent years, and it fits as well as anything else does. ] And a reality-warper. You can call me Billy.

[ his smile brightens again, a little amused in the quirk of his lips, and he nods toward the rest of the booths. ] Should we see if we can find a shirt or something? I'm also dying for boba tea, so hopefully one of these places has it.

[ He doesn’t miss the card and is a little concerned, honestly. Tim’s tried so hard to not be noticed. He turned up as Robin, so he left the hotel as Robin and changed elsewhere to be just Tim at the market, buying safe “Tim” things as discretely as he could.

And now, a reality-warping Alliance metahuman is right here, and he wants to ask so many questions (leading with “did you do this?”) but he can’t. Even if he didn’t give his name yet, he’s in civvies. ]

Hi Billy.

[ Tim’s a little dumbstruck by the offer and open smile. ]

Do you normally just offer to magic people coats out of shirts?

[ He takes a step in the direction of the nod - he will go if Billy goes. ]

I saw someone carrying what looked suspiciously like Vietnamese coffee with tapioca a few minutes ago.

I mean.. sure? [ he shrugs, swinging the bag a little as he wanders slowly through the crowded street, keeping only half his attention on their quest for a shirt or boba tea. ] My abilities are a part of my daily life. It would be pretty selfish to just use them for myself, don't you think?

[ maybe he's done the superhero thing too long, but honestly, it doesn't hurt him to do a little magic for a stranger now and then. and.. well, little distractions like this help with the daily lonely longing he feels for his husband and family. he really, really wants to go home.

after a quiet moment, he turns a glance on tim again, brows arching, expression a little teasing. ] So do you have a name, or should I guess?

I don’t know enough about you or what you can do to say.

[ The decision on whether or not it would make Billy selfish seems entirely too big for someone who’s known him for 2 minutes. ]

It might take you six hours to reweave the shirt. It wouldn’t be selfish if you didn’t have that kind of time.

[ Billy’s already more interesting than the stalls, but Tim is somewhat steering them towards a stall in the distance that has quite a bit of black and loud 8-pack Crayola colours, just pure primary and secondary colours. ]

Well, now you have to guess. Consult some kau chum, maybe toss a few runes. Are you a witch, or not?

[ He grins. ]

Here’s a head start: it’s not Rumplestiltskein.

Probably closer to six seconds. It depends on how indecisive you are about what you want it to look like.

[ the saucy response makes him laugh, and he lets himself be steered toward the display in question. there's enough black and red there that he might do a little poking around of his own, but yikes, that bright yellow.. hideous. ]

Well.. I could probably divine your name if you really want me to, but that's probably not the kind of thing I'd want to do in the middle of the street. [ he scoffs, mock-offended. ] And it wouldn't involve any runes. Please, I'm not Asgardian. [ he's not actually sure if asgardians use runes in their magic, come to think of it. loki never seems to need to. ]

Why would it matter what I want it to look like?

[ He may have some competition for the red and black, from the way Tim keeps looking at a Henley that’s been customized with black and red patches in a very punk style. No, he’s here for boring clothes. Where are the polos?

He stops, holding a black tee with red trim. ]

And does it matter what the shirt looks like? And hold on, why are you willing to change a shirt into a coat, but divining my name would cause too much of a scene?

[ Tim is now thinking of how Zatanna’s magic works, with loud backwards incantations. But she’d have to do the same for the shirt as the name.

PS. Yellow is a good colour. ]

Because I'd like for you to like your coat? Is this a trick question? [ he's very concerned, does no one ever ask your opinion about these things or..

also: weird, he gravitates toward the same colors. or maybe that's just the sign of a budding friendship, although billy does tend to lean toward soft goth and witchy vibes rather than punk. (you should've seen his nails a couple of comic runs back.) ]

Doesn't matter about the shirt, though obviously more fabric is better, and it's different because it uses two different abilities. [ he holds up a palm, and blue energy coalesces into a tiny series of tarot cards over his palm. not that he uses tarot, generally speaking, but it's an example, so don't get lost in the weeds, tim. ] Divination and related arts are magic, and my magic can be kind of flashy.

[ he closes his hand into a fist and the energy winks out. then he takes the end of his shawl and flicks it at tim. ] On the other hand, changing clothes into other clothes, or making new ones, is something I do pretty often and leans toward reality-warping, which I can do without any fuss.

[ Tim has been having a lot of trouble lately, identifying and articulating what he wants rather than trying to performatively be what he thinks other people want him to be. It’s getting better, but the concept of being able to want something and act on it without ripping it to shreds in his head first… that’s a fledgling concept.

The clothes are somewhat related to that. He used to dress with much more character and has lost that to present as something inoffensively upper crust. He’s a teenager who willingly wears ties and button-downs. ]

I don’t know how real clothes or warped clothes are constructed. I want it to look like a pea coat, I guess. Black or grey or navy. Anything’s fine.

[ Something neutral that doesn’t scream teenager as loudly as a hoodie.

And too late, tarot boy, it’s been noted that you can make cards appear out of thin air and are an entire planetarium light show. ]

You can manipulate reality without any fuss. As in, it’s less complicated than and distinct from the magic.

[ Oh, he has so many questions he might implode, because they’re all the sort of questions that a normal person wouldn’t ask, about multiverses and omniverses and the Fifth dimension and the definition of the reality and context of the warping.

But then he’s not just someone at the market. Then he’s memorable.

So Tim can only just quirk an eyebrow. ]

A pea coat? [ he gives him a thoughtful once-over, taking in his extremely neutral outfit, then quirks his own brow. well.. if that's really what he likes..

not that he's sure he believes that. at least, not if the lingering glance at that henley is any indication. which.. could make for a good example, actually. ]

Reality-warping is more instinctive. [ lips quirking up a little mischievously, he reaches out, flicking the collar of tim's shirt-- and with a slither of fabric over skin, suddenly it's a double for the one on display. there's no fanfare to it, no blue energy.. one second it's the shirt tim was wearing, the next it's something else. ] Magic is something studied, learned, for the most part. And I make rules for myself because otherwise I-- I don't like knowing what I'm capable of.

[ which is a little too vulnerable for a stranger in the market whose name he doesn't even know, so he clears his throat and moves on. ]

Anyway, a lot of magic is ritual. I mostly use words, and not particularly formally, but different disciplines use different methods.

[ He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but the difference in weight, warmth, and texture hits like a comet. It’s suddenly changed as a complete before and after with no morphing montage.

The hoodie is now a henley, and there’s suddenly a lot less to hide in (and keep warm with), as underneath is just a white tank. Tim has to work to sell the slouchy teenager appearance without the thick, droopy material to obscure his posture. ]

Hey! You can’t just do that - they’re going to think I stole it!

[ Tim gestures towards the employee, who has their back turned at the moment.

That was some of the most casual powers usage Tim’s seen. They’re in the middle of a crowded area, and a speedster couldn’t have changed faster. ]

I don’t like not knowing what you’re capable of.

[ How?!? Tim doesn’t mind metahumans, but it seems irresponsible to not have a robust understanding of the limits. Is. It is irresponsible. ]

Is that why you won’t divine my name? Because you don’t know what will happen?

[ Missing from the freak out: change it back. He actually does like the shirt and would’ve said thank you if he wasn’t so shocked. ]

You'll be fine, [ he assures him cheerfully. ] I'll change it back if he starts looking suspicious. [ he probably should anyway, since he hadn't asked first, but.. he has questions to answer first, and a pea coat to make.

he steps around tim, keeping him behind him as he gets the employee's attention. the card comes back out a moment later, this time for a shirt that looks like it would swallow tim and leave room for another person. once it's paid for and back in billy's hands, and the employee's turned back to what he was doing before, billy shakes the shirt out. ]

No. I mean.. kind of, I guess? [ he frowns down at the shirt, and then it's a navy coat. the fabric looks off, though, and it's definitely too long. ] I've done divination, but it's not really a specialty of mine. [ the coat's changed again, shorter, and the fabric looks like wool, but he holds it up to tim and his frown deepens. ] I think I got the color wrong. It seems a little greenish, doesn't it? [ a beat, eyes lifting to the teen's. ] But I guess mostly I feel like if you wanted me to know your name, you'd tell me.

[ finally, the coat's a nice shade of navy, and his expression relaxes again. ] That's better. Try it on?

Because that won’t make it doubly suspicious?

[ Questions or mot, Tim doesn’t tell him he has to turn it back. He likes the shirt, and he can get another plain hoodie easily enough. They never go out of season.

And in the meantime, he’s being treated to a first class show. Even if the final product takes some fine-tuning, to turn a shirt into a wool coat that quickly is a feat. ]

It’s Tim. I was angling for a demonstration, but I think a magic coat counts.

[ He’s aware that pushing the namelessness too hard will make him Odd, and Tim wants to get a better look at that coat. He reaches to take it, lets it hang on his hand to feel the weight of it while he runs a thumb over the fabric. ]

It’s not going to turn me into a newt?

[ he laughs at the question, and shifts to tuck his hands into his back pockets, watching as tim examines the coat. ] I'm not that kind of witch. I could probably, you know, give it really deep pockets or make it fireproof or something, though, if you want it to actually be magic.

[ he doesn't usually enchant his clothes, but he's sure it can't be that difficult to add a protective spell to it or something. it could be an interesting mini project, making something like doctor strange's cloak, or seven-league boots or something else impractical.

he pulls his hands back out of his pockets, leaning in closer to brush fingers over the lapels, then lifting his eyes to meet tim's with a smile. ] I think it's going to look nice on you. Though red really is more your color.

So then you don’t weigh the same as a duck either.

[ Tim grins at his own joke that he doesn’t expect Billy to catch. ]

Sorry, I have really old material. This is great as it is; you don’t have to make it anything special.

[ Suddenly eager to demonstrate his appreciation, Tim slips into the coat and buttons it up. It fits nicely, and he automatically tucks his hands in the pockets. If this were a real quick change, he’d do more to sell it. Fix his hair, make a face like the entire lacrosse team. ]

I do like red, I think it’s the hair. Red and black just work. You would know.

[ They do have remarkably similar colouring. ]

[ he startles into more laughter. ] I'm not made of wood, either. [ yes, tim, he is the exact same kind of nerd.

when tim slips into the coat and buttons it up, billy looks pleased by how well it fits. he'd sort of just let his powers figure it out, and it seems it worked out fine.

he smooths tim's shoulders, then tweaks at the lapels, mouth tilting up crookedly. ] I would, I guess. My uniform has a big red cloak. Of course, when I first started wearing it, it was because I was imitating Thor, which is hugely embarrassing, but.. I was fifteen, you know? [ he realizes that none of this may mean anything at all to tim, so he waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. ] Anyway, I'm glad you like it.

[… okay, Billy’s cool. He’s entirely too open about his being a superhero, but Tim thinks he wants to leave this conversation knowing how to get in touch with Billy the Witch.

So he’s just going to circle back to their original intentions. ]

Thanks. Let’s go find you that boba. On me, since you bought me the shirt that made the coat and the coat. You can tell me all about how you used to be Thor’s sidekick.

[ No judgment at all on the word sidekick, and no need to hide the curiosity given how big the cape fandom is. Tim can’t believe how casual Billy is about everything, but warping reality probably buys a lot of personal security. ]

I promise I won’t geek out too hard.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME #02

Hi lazy I’m Marie

omg get out

No I’m trying to get IN

ok we'll table getting out for now

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