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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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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i'll meet you on your end of the block, give me a bit
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makes it easier for me to find you
unless you want to play hide and seek
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[ He's thirty feet directly overhead of wherever Jason's holed up, hovering mid-air on little puffs of repulsor energy. ]
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jason's found a nice, secluded corner of one of excelsior's skyscrapers to chill in during his visit to the west coast. there a few miscellaneous buildings he's used as safehouses, but none of them are really all that secure and up here--he's got up or down to worry about and a significant amount of visible space he can jump to if needed.
which also makes it easy access for iron man.
there's an old, worn book blocking his view, which jason lowers so he can raise a brow at tony proper. he may recognize that the body suit jason's wearing, half-covered by cargo pants, is stark-made body armor; thin but durable enough to keep bullets from penetrating it. another nod to 'i know you' even if it isn't intentional: jason gets shot at enough to warrant making sure he's always ready for it.
even if it isn't that much of a concern currently. the book gets set down on the rooftop beside him, close to where a modified glock is strapped in against his thigh. just in case, you never know. )
You could've knocked.
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Yeah, but that's so boring.
[ His voice is amplified and modulated by the suit, perhaps a little different to the one Jason knows, a man who has spent more time on the West Coast than in New York.
He drops down through the air a few more feet until he can come to a landing on the rooftop, hopefully not spraying up too much gravel. ]
Hi, sweetheart. Nice view.
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because letting newcomers know you're even mildly comfortable with them is a real shit idea.
the playflirting is newish. but also shit jason's more than happy to lean right into. )
Oh, I know. ( a toothy grin, hand on his hip while he waits for tony to land. ) You're just lucky I'm in a sharing mood.
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I was actually talking to the body armor.
[ The suit isn't quite as graceful when it's touching the ground. Tony walks a couple steps closer and then stops, his HUD lighting up as F.R.I.D.A.Y. calculates how much damage that gun could do (some, not enough), as well as the likelihood that this guy has other weapons hidden somewhere on his body (high). ]
So we were talking about information-comma-trading of.
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jason's a little less armed. there's the grapple gun that sits against the back of his hips, high enough the jacket would cover it if he had been wearing it. more knives hidden in his belt, boots, just below the holster strap for his glock, and a red bracelet on his wrist that decompresses into a domino mask also fitted with stark tech.
the hand that had been close to his gun raises up, presses the pads of his fingers against the center of his chest. )
It's real pretty, ain't it? I'm not usually a tech guy, but damn if his shit isn't handy. ( nothing like having something as thick as dick's stupid nightwing suit that's strong enough jason can get shot, twice, right in the chest, and come out with battered ribs and bruising but not much else. he's had knives thrown at him, super-powered punches, and a lot of other shit that would have left jason fucked over before that hasn't since tony geared him up. the suit compresses down into a bracelet just like the domino mask, too, even if he takes advantage of that less often. easier just to leave it alone, and it fits nicely under clothes. )
You gonna take off the helmet, Mr. Stark? So we can chat face-to-face.
( so jason can get a better read on him. )
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He gives it a beat or two, then the armor starts peeling away like petals opening. Tony does him one better than taking off his helmet, stepping out of the suit as easily as he'd climb out of a car. Underneath, he's in charcoal grey lightweight athleisurewear, tailored to compress against his skin once inside.
Tony pulls a pair of foldable eyeglasses out of a pocket in his sleeve and tips his chin up, eyeing Jason thoughtfully without the barrier of technology between them. He's older than his counterpart, beard gone mostly grey, lines forming around his eyes. Still mostly in good shape, but definitely not as spry as he used to be. ]
Tony Stark. Pleased to meet you. [ He sticks out his free hand for a shake. ]
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not that he's planning on exploiting it. but it's useful to know.
tony holds out a hand, and jason looks down at it. for a moment it almost looks like he's not going to take it, but he reaches out to give tony's a firm shake. )
Jason Todd. Usually I'd stick with aliases at this point, but given who you're associated with--don't really see a point to keeping up appearances.
( because the younger stark knows more of jason's bullshit than he'd ever want anyone to know, but jason knows damn well stark will keep his mouth shut. bucky knows, bucky also keeps his mouth shut. they all do, but there isn't a person among them who knows how to keep a secret id secret for longer than six seconds flat. so.
and given he has a mini-me running around wearing his name and his face, just with slightly less bulk to him--well. stark isn't stupid. )
Anything in particular you're dyin' to dig into? Or do you just want me to open my mouth and yammer on 'til I hit something useful?
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He gives Jason's hand a squeeze and a shake, then drops it. No point overstaying his welcome. But it's nice to know that his other self has the kind of reputation he feels they both deserve. ]
I need to know whatever you think is useful.
[ He slips the glasses on, letting F.R.I.D.A.Y. boot up and play out a feed of everything going on within three blocks of their current location. A feed of local news unwinds down one side of his vision. ]
I've had the 4-1-1 from the guys in charge. But there's only so much you can get without boots on the ground. Something tells me you're someone who knows what's really happening. So, gimme.
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( jason's newer, but he's been debriefed by the other robins running rampant. he's done the speech--well, pieces of it--a few times already. if tony's reaching for information from multiple sources, jason doesn't mind sharing if it does get him that iou. tony stark is useful to have around, and even more handy to be able to hold a favor over. never know when something's going to all go to shit, after all.
tony slips on his glasses, and jason turns around to walk over to where he'd left his jacket. slips it on easily, before he's bending down to pick up his book, too, and slip it into a pocket. )
History books'll be useful for information on Godfall. Strange has some background details there, too, that I'm sure you'll be able to get out of him. There's a cult called the Battlements of the Shining God. Story there is they want us, the 'Starfallen', undone. They follow a god called Belenus, and like to burn shit down. Relevant, 'cause they seem to be getting into some shit up top and causing problems for us down on the floor.
The guilds're shit. Alliance had been great, back in it's day. But since we'd first touched down over a year ago, everything has started breaking apart. People hate us. The Alliance has changed hands, an' no one knows why. Guy who left was a goody two-shoes who knew what he was doing, new guy's a frat boy with an over-inflated ego. And he's not smart enough to pull all the bullshit going on. It doesn't look like a lot of people in the Alliance approve of what's happening. Someone's pulling strings, and everything points to it being specifically to fuck us over.
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Being resented by the general public isn't new, but being hated -- in general, as a group -- might be. And he doesn't like the sound of the guilds at all, no matter who's running it. As much as he's a team player, he's developed a healthy disinterest in playing someone else's ball game just because they tell him to. ]
They want to blame us for the chaos.
[ Tony doesn't like the sound of that. ]
We're being set up.
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( it's easy to see the mistakes because jason wasn't around during it. well. he's generally alright with admitting to his own bullshit, but jason knows damn well how he gets in the heat of the moment. but he wasn't around for any of the shit that caused strife between them and everyone else. he just arrived into it. )
There's a system in place here, and I don't trust any of it worth shit. Anything where you've gotta sign your name on a dotted line is just asking for trouble. But I also know other Starfallen haven't made it easy to trust us either. The people from around here know a lot of us outrank their strongest, and a lot of us have made big messes while sticking up their noses and calling everything here crap. We're something to be afraid of, outsiders.
( he's run the angles. personally, jason prefers to stay something to be afraid of. it works better for him, it makes everything cleaner. but it doesn't help their case any either, especially given the heavy hitters he knows damn well are still around, and the publicity they've gotten in the past. )
Cards were already stacked against us as it was. If we let this get too out of hand--it's gonna turn into a war.
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Yeah, I'm kind of done with those.
[ Wars, that is. Pointless fights that just end up hurting people. He'd been hoping he could leave that part of his life behind, but apparently the universe has had other plans.
He tilts his head thoughtfully as he studies Jason. ]
So what are we going to do about it?
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( he has ideas, but jason generally saves the. . . saving bit to everyone else. it's not his field of expertise. and it's certainly not his field when, he imagines, the fix for this is to both take out the cult and make themselves better than they have been. to not be a group to be feared, but one to be trusted. )
I can give you a few names to follow up with, but it's not my department.
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[ It's not Tony's job to make sure everyone trusts the -- whatever they're supposed to be, Starfallen? Superhero initiative? But he's never met a problem he didn't want to solve, and he's starting to think he might need to solve this one or things will get even more annoying. So he can help. As much as he decides he needs to.
He turns to head back to his suit. ]
You need a lift anywhere? One time only freebie.
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( idly, counting them off on his fingers as jason makes his way towards the edge of the rooftop. )
Red Hood's got his fingers in the underbelly of Central City, one of the bigger metahuman cities. Rook's been around a while; he's got plenty of theories and they're usually right. Lantern's--well. You'll figure it out when you track 'em down, he's not subtle.
( waving that same hand, as jason steps up onto the edge of the roof. )
If I needed a lift, I'd just call Strange.
( it'd taken a bit to get used to, considering he had known strange when he was near-powerless--but those portals are handy, and strange hasn't told him no. yet. he doesn't give tony time to follow up, just takes another step forward and lets himself right off the edge of the building. )