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meta moderators ([personal profile] metamods) wrote in [community profile] metamemes2023-05-04 10:10 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME: MAY EDITION




TEST DRIVE MEME

A Confluence, capitalized, is the converging of one or more supernatural forces. Typically, a Confluence only occurs in one place at any given time. Typically.

These are not typical times.

Most of the Starfallen will arrive in Excelsior, Washington, slipping from the sky one by one, needing to be helped as they come floating down. To many citizens in Excelsior – individuals who are far from fond of metahumans – their arrival is a sign of bad things to come. It’s always a sign of bad things to come. This time, however, the bad things don’t come in the typical sequence. Instead, they’re dealing with a problem when the Starfallen begin to unwittingly arrive. What’s that problem? Plants with a rather problematic taste for flesh.

While Excelsior is hoping for spring to actually stick on the horizon, they’re warding off plants left and right. At least none of the plants seem to be able to spit fire – uh, yet?

In the midwestern part of the country, a huge barrage of rain has begun to settle over the land. Rain like this isn’t normal. Stormfronts usually keep moving forward, but this isn’t. And while rain isn’t a bad thing, this rain … is a deluge. A flood upon floods. Some Starfallen individuals will be showing up in the middle of this, arriving in both Little Love and Central City. Hope they can keep their heads above water!

Making matters worse is that everything seems a bit – planned? No, that’s not the right word. Like it’s all happened before. Or happening again. People all over are definitely noticing a strange uptick in déjà vu. Most worrying is how it seems to be happening everywhere.


EXCELSIOR

Ah, Excelsior – the city that doesn’t ask “why” something should be explored, but how quickly it can be explored. If only someone there had developed a swift measure to deal with a sudden influx of killer plants! The good news is that these plants haven’t killed anyone – not yet, anyway – but there is all the time in the world for that to change.

As the Starfallen arrive, they’re unlikely to notice the plants, and instead will see technological marvels all around them. Although Excelsior isn’t fond of Starfallen, they like the idea of welcoming them and getting them the hell out as quickly as possible. This philosophy results in all of the Starfallen being guided down to the ground, with further instructions awaiting them once they’re on two feet. (Or four. No one’s judging!) But once they land, they’re likely to notice that things aren’t the way they’re meant to be.

After all, someone in Excelsior failed to ask “why it’s bad to create an incredibly unlikely strain of plants that is genetically inspired by snapdragons, the flowers from those plumber games, and piranhas,” and instead went ahead with “how quickly can I do it?” Their experiment proved to be far too successful, aided by cutting-edge bioengineering technology.

Even though all Starfallen are encouraged to depart for the Midwest after they receive their teleportation devices, it’s apparent that the people of Excelsior need help. Right now, their chilly reception can easily be written off as a symptom of what’s happening. Dealing with newcomers at a time like this? Preposterous! People are injured from wild, flesh-eating plants. Obviously!

So, kind Starfallen – whether you’ve just arrived or came by when you heard word of the Confluence of trouble – will you give these dour folk the hand they so desperately need?


THE MIDWEST

Elsewhere, both Little Love and Central City are experiencing a flood of problems. Most of the problems are the result of the flood. While Little Love is known to be the quieter of the cities in this Confluence-ridden world, it finds itself dealing with a torrential downpour that it’s never seen before. Meteorologists quickly note that this is unnatural. All the way from Kansas to Illinois to Michigan there is rain, rain for as far as the eye can see. Flood warnings have no end in sight, and the people in these cities have asked for help from outside. If this rain doesn’t stop, all summer crops will be at risk!

The source of these problems? A Confluence. More specifically: a five-year-old girl who was born in Little Love just got news that her father died in an accident. Combine that with the incoming Confluence and the girl unwittingly unleashed her sadness upon the land.

Anyone investigating would learn that the rain began in Little Love, right before it began to spread upward and outward from the little town. Soon, Kansas, and then the entire Midwest, would feel the impact of her grief. Even when she sleeps, it doesn’t go away – her pain is a constant, after all. Finding her is key. No one can truly prevent a child’s grief, but perhaps they can help her realize her impact on the world and get her newly-arrived power under control.


DIADEM HOTEL
Whether you’ve gone to investigate the rather moist trouble or you’re just looking for some shut-eye, you’ve got a place that’s waiting for you. Need to clean up some plant-induced wounds? It’s time to hit the LUXURY HOTEL to ease any concerns.

The DIADEM HOTEL is usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. Its rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings for just a small taste. But given the circumstances, the Guilds feel its the least they can do to aid your transition into this world. EVERYTHING is complimentary, and everyone gets an ALLIANCE CREDIT CARD to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back... though if they catch you abusing it, their accountant will be coming for your head.

There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlet shops that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing a film called BARKS OF THE DEAD, a story about a zombified dog who protects a small family during the zombie apocalypse. Despite its taste for other dogs’ brains, this dog is fiercely loyal and will do anything for its owners.


EVERYWHERE: DÉJÀ VU
Less obvious and more innocuous are the strange stints of déjà vu all over. At first, it might seem like it’s a familiar thing you’ve seen before, but then you’re certain that you’ve ordered those chicken tenders before. Wait, you haven’t even been to this city before, much less this restaurant.

The feeling of déjà vu isn’t just that. Whole days will begin to feel like they’re repeating – surely they’ve solved that rain problem? Or the plant problem? Didn’t you hear that it happened?

Anyone keen to take notes might want to – assuming you haven’t just gotten that you did and they’ve been lost to time.



CLIFF NOTES.

➢ New arrivals will be appearing in Excelsior, Little Love, or Central City – with the bulk of them arriving in Excelsior. Their arrival will be expected and handled by a number of odd pieces of technology that help them as they fall from the sky itself. None of the locals will be happy to see the arrivals, but they’ll be so frazzled that they won’t be able to give them their usual chilly welcome. Vicious plants are on the loose and it’s not a meta’s fault. This might be meaningless to newcomers, but anyone who’s old hat at this will know that Excelsior can cause its own problems just fine, thank you.

➢ Arrivals who land in Little Love or Central City will arrive to a lot of rain. This much rainfall can impact the climate, daily life, crops – you name it. Arrivals will also be very, very soggy. If they’d like, they can ignore the trouble in favor of getting answers or heading to the hotel. No one’s obligated to lend a hand.

Current Players are welcome to treat this as a bonus event. These events are canonically happening within the game but can be largely ignored if you'd prefer to use the month for personal plots. You can tag into the TDM, reference these prompts in network posts, or use them in your own logs.

➢ As for the time stuff, feel free to treat it as a wobbly time event! Mess with memories, get a character caught in the same day, or even just make someone feel like they’ve suddenly acquired precognition as a power. The sky’s the limit!


WILDCARD.
Metaheroes takes inspiration from all walks of comics. Take a look at the CITIES to get an idea as to what day to day life is like in the other cities. Perhaps you've encountered a supervillain (or hero) who needs to be thwarted, or a metahuman with unusual powers creating bizarre effects.
hackingyoursensors: (DG • 09)

[personal profile] hackingyoursensors 2023-06-13 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ He has to try really hard not to stare. It's not that he's never seen someone who looks like his dad before, but the resemblance is so strong that it's thrown him off. ]

Yeah. Still getting my feet under me.
hackingyoursensors: (DG • 02)

[personal profile] hackingyoursensors 2023-06-13 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's like a splash of cold water to the face. Dick takes a sharp breath. Damn it.

This just leads to more questions than answers, but Dick is keeping his mouth shut until they get to the safe house.

He's not surprised at the sight of the run-down shopfront and closed food trucks. There's little pockets like this in cities all over the world. And across realities, apparently. ]


You have some weird friends.

[ As if Dick counts himself as normal. ]
reneger: (pic#11802622)

[personal profile] reneger 2023-06-13 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
No one in our field's normal. But Robin--this one-- 's my little brother. ( fingers wrap around the door knob, giving it one firm yank up before he's pulling the door open. for a safehouse, it's shit. there's the broken and boarded window for one, how easily the door opened for another, but there's a couple wires on the inside of the door--one down at ankle height, one at jason's shoulder height. one for him to duck under and another to step over. )

An' being the nice big brother I am, I figure if it helps him feel better an' doesn't get in my way, may as well leave it.
farcry: (130)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ so it's as he expected, this whole falling out of the sky thing is a phenomenon, maybe some sort of hole in the multiverse... but again, nothing concrete. ]

The Starfallen? Poetic.
Thanks for the heads up.
How many of us are there?


[ is this the second him Bruce was talking about? ]

Grayson. Dick Grayson. You too?
farcry: (203)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ realization dawns on him with a furrowed brow. he's quiet for a moment, looking at Bruce, taking it in. right, why wouldn't there be when there's a whole different Bruce? the feeling is uncanny, unsettling.

he loosens it with a wry snort and a shake of his head. ]


It's gotta be weird for you too, huh? Meeting two of me, and we both know so much about you?
farcry: (72)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
[ there's that cadence of speech, the wry snark, the arrogance betraying just how pleased this not-stranger is to keep dick guessing--it's all so familiar, like a name that's right on the tip of his tongue. fine. he will guess. and he'll figure it out eventually--he always does.

for the time being, there's subtle surprise as he's offered another knife, and his eyes lift from the hilt to the stranger's face before he swaps the knife in his hand. ]


Can you take me? At least down the street to the escrimas.
hackingyoursensors: (DG • 07)

[personal profile] hackingyoursensors 2023-06-13 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
So you're a softie deep down?

[ Dick steps over the wire and barely has to duck to get under the other. The safehouse isn't anything impressive, but the broken window and flimsy lock mean he can ditch pretty easily if he needs to.

Pieces are starting to fit together but it's still not quite there. The guy knows his name, knows about his line of work, and knows about his gear. But he doesn't seem to know that he's Robin. Though, perhaps his little brother goes by Robin here. He doesn't think it's a coincidence but nothing is quite lining up. ]
hackingyoursensors: (DG • 09)

[personal profile] hackingyoursensors 2023-06-13 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
Not sure, but I think we're a very small sliver of the population. I've also heard that Starfallen sometimes get superpowers from the Confluence.

[ Again, he has theories. But he also is trying to be Very Normal.

Except now things have just taken a turn for the even weirder. ]


Yep.

Do we have to duel it out or something to see who keeps the name or...?
reneger: (you know you got me to help out.)

[personal profile] reneger 2023-06-13 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
( jason knows he'll get it. dick's clever, and if he knows jason at all, he'll land on the answer eventually. the provided knife isn't one of jason's favorites, but it's still a good one. great for stabbing and slicing. see? he can share. there's plenty more where that came from. )

I look like a tour guide to you?

( it's said playfully, but he's nodding his head back behind him anyway before turning around and--starting off towards the exit to the diadem. may as well, they're both here already. )
reneger: (uh excuse you.)

[personal profile] reneger 2023-06-13 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not an idiot. Easier to keep 'em after I find 'em so they're easy to take off if I need to, rather than need to spend time feeling up my shit for new ones.

( except he's pretty sure tim knows he knows where they are and plans accordingly. because it's tim. but they can dig into that later, because jason's making sure the door shuts behind dick before he's reaching up and pulling the domino mask off of his own face. it doesn't do jack shit for him anyway; jason hasn't had much of a secret id since he was fifteen, and he doesn't hang out with the bats often enough out of their gear to make it really matter.

if this dick grayson was under someone else not bats, it wouldn't matter too much if he knew jason's face. discounting second jason. who's similar enough but not identical.

when he gives a flick of his wrist, the domino mask compresses into a thin red bracelet, which jason throws around his wrist. )


I was the second Robin. The one with the hoard of trackers--was the third.
overlyprecocious: (515)

[personal profile] overlyprecocious 2023-06-13 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, for plant-cutting you're going to want a garden center. One that's not frequented by a botanist with a penchant for eco-terrorism, probably.

[I will subtly pepper in hints that I, too, am from Gotham.]
overlyprecocious: (512)

[personal profile] overlyprecocious 2023-06-13 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
So if I said I like places with tabletop gaming, you wouldn't think I'm the wrong kind of nerd and shun me?

[Does Dick like tabletop gaming?? They actually haven't explored this. He's gonna be low-key disappointed if Dick says yes and it turns out he's been missing out.]
farcry: (017)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ confluence, starfallen, now superpowers. his working theory of some sort of multiversal rip pales in complexity. magic, powers, strange realities, it's nothing he hasn't dealt with before but a whole second him...]

Confluence, as in some sort of merging? [ it's an apt name for what he's seen so far. ]
So something's scrambling the order and this place is receiving its effects? What do you think is causing it?


[ he shouldn't right? be so transparent and believe whatever this other grayson is saying to him--but it feels strange to be suspicious of himself.
but the quip does make him smile, and he wishes his heart weren't pounding in his chest as he asks: ]


Well, depends. Do you have any other names you go by?
farcry: (017)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
You look like you're not from around here. [ it's almost eerie, and not only because even this snarky treatment feels friendly compared to what he's been getting, but that the way this man turns and simply expects him to follow feels familiar, as if he does the same thing himself, as if they're--

related.

he's already met a version of Bruce, so that wouldn't be far fetched. he frowns and follows, slipping the sheathed knife into the inside pocket of his leather jacket. he appreciates it. a lot. ]


So I take it knives are your style, then? [ someone who knows his weapon of choice. ] Were you on my team?
farcry: (29)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ there's no chance he won't smile at that, not only because of the wit, but because of the familiarity of it all. ]

Right--and what if I wanted more striking action, instead of slicing? Like with a long stick? [ his hands come to hold an invisible bo-staff in front of him. if this were really tim, he'd know. say it--say bo-staff! ]
reneger: (all these things that i've done.)

[personal profile] reneger 2023-06-13 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
More of a guns guy.

( but considering what he's currently wearing--well. he's a little low on toys. this is why jason hates going outside without his gear on: too exposed, too low on things he can use to fuck people up. hoodies are only good for so much, and while he's got a few knives, it doesn't match his usual arsenal. )

Never been on your team. But I've been on teams with a few of yours.
chewiedout: (whistle)

Carol Danvers | Marvel Comics

[personal profile] chewiedout 2023-06-13 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
.: Excelsior :.

[Somehow it's the gently floating down from the sky that really grates on Carol's nerves, not the fact that she's once again found herself in some other new world or universe. As a frequent flyer, there's something about the gentle slow fall that has her giving a metaphorical side eye to the universe.

She lights up her fist the tiniest amount to make sure this wasn't some weird manifestation of a powerless world and relaxes a bit as she slowly descends taking in the city. It looked, somewhat closer to Earth then many of the other alien planets she'd been to but it wasn't really like anywhere on her birth planet she'd been to either.

Yeah so maybe those communicators that Tony had been suggesting at the last meeting might have come in handy after all.
]

Oh, come on... Plants?

[Her feet have barely hit the ground when the large plants with teeth are snapping at some passers-by or at least who she assumed to be so. She starts to charge up a blast before remembering she has no idea where she is or who anyone is and glances around to see if there's anyone else who might be dealing with this.]

.: Diadem Hotel :.

[Getting cleaned up from the mess of the plants was the top priority at the hotel to start out with. Who would have thought that those plants exploded green ooze, it was strange but at least it wasn't going to stain her costume given the quick amount of time she'd gotten back to clean up.

The hotel was nice, fancier then anywhere she was used to staying anyways after being on a military salary for way too long. Hell, the last time she'd stayed somewhere so nice it had involved an intergalactic wedding so the simplicity of this, with an unlimited charge card, well, that was nice. She didn't want to think too much about what sort of catch might be involved in all this and instead decides to take herself downstairs for a bit of time, picking out some clothing that will surely come in handy.

Then she sees it, and knows exactly what she's going to go for. Taco Bell. Her secret weakness and first thing she'd order whenever she gets back from space. Maybe this world would be okay after all, until...
]

No nacho fries? Man where I came from it was nacho fry season... I hope I don't have to wait a year for them.

.: OURPOWERS | un: spaceface :.

So what gives is it not nacho fries season here? Can someone clue me in as to when nacho fry season may be here? Do I have to wait a long time?

Also you know, if someone could let me know where here is, that would also be some welcome information.

xo Carol
Edited (formatting) 2023-06-13 02:39 (UTC)
overlyprecocious: (517)

[personal profile] overlyprecocious 2023-06-13 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
A long stick? For cutting plants? At the very least, I’d use some kind of shuriken for that.

[please, Dick. How do you plan to cut plants with a bo?]
farcry: (107)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ all that's a dead giveaway, and dick has to stare for a beat while taking in this Jason. ] Where I'm from, you were on my team, at least for a little while. [ as short a while as it was. his smile is bittersweet. ]

Good to see you, Jason.
farcry: (125)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
[ he lifts his brows, hands falling away. and not cutting, dammit. whacking!! ] Alright. Say one of one of those plants came charging toward you, [ a thumb over his shoulder, ] would you throw some kind of shuriken at it?
overlyprecocious: (508)

[personal profile] overlyprecocious 2023-06-13 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
Why would a plant come charging at me? How did I piss it off, Dick?

[Innocent blinking.]
mostdangerousbird: (035 coupla fools run wild aren’t we?)

Wildcard; OurPowers anon DM AFTER the Double Dick reveal

[personal profile] mostdangerousbird 2023-06-13 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
Subtle.

🦜🦤🦆🦩🐣
Edited 2023-06-13 03:18 (UTC)
farcry: (79)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
It wants to eat you, Tim.

[ he'll just smile. ]
overlyprecocious: (519)

[personal profile] overlyprecocious 2023-06-13 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
[He is in phased, given that he assumed Dick knew who he is by now anyway.] With what mouth and digestive system?
farcry: (125)

[personal profile] farcry 2023-06-13 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ oh how handy, anon dms. ]

'Cus emojis are so subtle?
Which one are you?