spherememing | March/April TDM

March/April TDM

MARCH/APRIL TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to Sphere's March/April Test Drive meme! This is a great place to get a feel for the game and how your characters might fit in here. Explore the setting, and get your samples and some starting CR all at the same time!

Applications and Reserves are always open!
Threads on the TDM are considered game canon if both parties agree to it!
Threads on the TDM may be considered for Activity Check if need be!

Spring has Sprung

So everything that’s happened, it’s just all water under the bridge right? I mean some people were infected and Annie had spread the rumors about the new people like spores but it’s all good now right? And the best way to get back into that? A good old fashioned party!

Even though the Sphere itself normally wouldn’t have seasons, according to the people here? It’s definitely spring! Spring has sprung and the apple, cherry and almond trees in the agricultural dome have burst into bloom! The blooms together give off a heady fragrance and the colors are only added to by the addition of pink, white, yellow and pastel green ribbons tied around their branches. At night, the blooms are highlighted by fairy lights, and the lights in the dome themselves have been transformed into star systems that the Sphere has dredged up from the files of people’s home worlds. No, it’s not enough to get people home but it’s definitely lovely isn’t it?

Scattered here and there in clearings are performers, each one of a different type. There’s a violinist, a pair of dancers, a storyteller, a magician and a juggler all giving shows as people stumble into their darkened corners of the domes. Each performance is an EVENT to them, and depending on the people involved, it can be intimate and romantic, or just a little bonkers. The shows are lit by fires that spark when people enter, and when they move on past, the lights dim and go out to create a personal atmosphere for people. It’s all about ambiance.

In the center of the trees, either day or night, there’s food going on. It’s a bit like a cross between a garden party and a tea provided by the Mad Hatter. Smaller tables lit with candles are the normal, having seating for two or four at their linen-covered circles. There’s a tea service on each one, filled with food that silent servers are bringing out in spades. The pastel themes from the trees themselves are in evidence here, with nearly every food being white, yellow, pink, pale purple and pastel green. There’s cucumber, egg salad, and cream cheese sandwiches cut into dainty crustless pieces, there’s small cakes and petit fours, decorated flower cookies and scones and other kinds of things covered in fondant. There’s white chocolate trifles and white berries and fruit.

But there’s also weirder things. There’s some kind of mousse that’s on the sandwich level but that definitely is an interesting shade of purple, isn’t it? And there’s something that looks a bit like a chicken pop, but is definitely green. That’s totally fine, I’m sure. It’s not like anything that shade could be absurdly spicy or anything like that. There are other pastel dishes that are difficult to identify so it all comes down to one thing: are you adventurous or not.

As for the tea itself, there’s a variety of it as well. Normal black teas with milk and sugar or honey and lemon, some varieties of green including jasmine, but there are more wild ones as well. There’s definitely one that shifts from blue to purple with the addition of lemon, which the servers take great delight in showing people. There’s also wine in white and rose, and sangria with a variety of spring fruits in it. All of these drinks are in abundance and free-flowing, and there does not seem to be an end in sight.

Oh aren't you a good egg?

Various times during the day during the Spring festival, there’s fun and games happening too. The people throwing the party have also announced an egg hunt that’s not only open to the younger members of the community (though that probably was the first reasons for it, but they’ve opened it up now) but to everyone who wishes to participate. The eggs are scattered high and low in the orchard, hidden in trees and the ground and anywhere else someone can think to hide an egg.

The eggs are in the same pastel shades, but they’re not actually eggs. Having real eggs on this scale might be difficult given how there’s not actually any animals here at all. Instead, the eggs are a shimmering and hollow plastic, and they are filled with things. There’s handmade chocolates, and small toys, there’s string friendship bracelets, and more expensive silver ones too, and charms to go along with them. Some of the eggs have riddles or sayings inside, not quite like a fortune cookie, but intended to make people smile.

The locals are living for this, so there’s actually a fair amount of competition for the eggs, and people hem and haw and fight over them but in a good natured sort of way. People will climb trees or dart in to steal eggs right under the nose of other people. If called on it, people will point that it’s in good fun and hand them over. Especially if the person appears angry at them.

A good old fashioned barn (school) raising!

So, the (remaining) members of the Council have decided that one of the best things that they could do in order to foster the Community spirit is to have a school raising in the rec dome. The school formerly had been occupied in one of the rooms in the community center, but given that there are enough both children and adults who have interest in it, they’ve decided to give it it’s own generous space. But there’s a catch: the people need to build it themselves.

The school house isn’t quite a one room building, but it’s small and will be sectioned off into five classrooms, a generalized sort of gym/cafeteria/auditorium sort of thing, and several offices and a larger breakroom for the teacher. All of the materials for both the school house and everything inside of it are provided by the council, and the wood is in large piles just over there. Unfortunately no one seems to be jumping in to be in charge quite yet (did you really think Max would do it?) but maybe that’s your character’s jam. Go nuts.

Like every good building raising, there's a pot luck with foods from all over the multiverse, as well as plenty of water, lemonade and beer. People who aren't helping with the actual building labor will be pressed into service, delivering drinks and food to folks who are. No matter how unwillingly. Max is good at that.

wildcard

This is a good place to test out something like the network or an idea of your own! Remember upon waking in The Sphere, each character is fitted with a small golden circle behind their right ear. This is how they are connected to the network through a neural link. Touch and hold the button to create a broadcast of one of three types:

Audio. Your character thinks audible words onto the network.
Writing: Your character thinks text into the network.
Video. Your character projects a broadcast of a video of themselves onto the network.

Replies are determined by the player. The network needs to be accessed by choice, so character broadcasts are not automatically beamed directly into people’s heads. The Sphere isn’t that rude.

Private messages are allowed by pressing and holding and pressing and holding again as you picture the person in your mind. This can be an image or a name, err more on the side of things being more accessible than less.

photo inspiration

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The Dodger Ivar knew would never have been this casual with Ivar. Their relationship had been much more complicated then that by the end of his time there. The behavior and the fact he's missing any signs of damage, namely the amount that should have been present from the skinning Ivar and Ragnar gave him, tell Ivar this is most definitely not the same version of the man he knew.

Such a pity.

But also an opportunity for more fun if Ivar can use what he knows about Dodger against him. He takes a cigarette. He'd smoked them a few times, but the only two people he'd known who smoked on a daily basis had been Dodger and Spike. "I was looking at your scars. They're the sign of a warrior where I'm from."

Dodger narrows his eyes just a bit; he's not dumb, his scars are a conversation starter but not a reason to look shocked. Not for someone who comes from a warrior culture.

"What are you, a Viking?" He scans Ivar's form with a judging look, before snapping his fingers to light his cigarette and gesturing at the one in Ivar's hand, "Do you know how to use that?"

"You're a good guesser." He doesn't bat an eye at the flame appearing in Dodger's fingers, but considering all the weird shit he's seen over the past couple years, it's as much to do with inoculation as it does to the fact he's seen Dodger do it plenty of times. "Yes, yes. Breathe in, exhale smoke. Not that difficult." Another puzzling clue in the blase way he talks to Dodger, almost the exact opposite of his first reaction.

He gives out his introduction in a self-important manner. Why not? With all he's accomplished, he's earned the right to feel important. "King Ivar Ragnarsson. Ivar The Boneless to friends and foe alike." He's a tough little shit and no mistaking it. Any cripple who made it in Norse society had earned their stripes.

"Didn't ask." Although he does file the name away for later, along with the observation that he's pretty young for a king. Which means he's cocky, and inexperienced, but not necessarily harmless.

He pauses before a moment, before deciding he should reciprocate the introduction. "Dodger." He offers his hand, not to shake, but to snap his fingers and offer the flame. He's still watching Ivar very carefully, curious about the lack of reaction to his mutation. There's something here he's missing, and it's going to keep itching until he figures it out.

One might be a little more cautious approaching a mutant with scars all over his face and who had a myriad of powers, but there's a marked lack of any fear within Ivar. Part of it is that he just doesn't have any naturally. The other part is that he knows exactly what makes this dog tick, so he knows he can take him on if need be.

He hovers the cigarette over the flame coming from Dodger's fingers to light it. He takes a slow drag off of it before exhaling. "So tell me, what was the last thing that happened to you before you arrived here?" He's trying to get a feel for when Dodger is from in his personal timeline.

He considers humoring him. Hmm, what was the last thing that happened to him.. Well, he'd gotten shot. And then dragged to the hospital by the woman who shot him. And then lectured by his PCP about his life choices. It was a fun day.

"None of your business." He replies casually, as if that's a real answer. "Seems like I caught your interest, though."

Which makes sense, given that he must have... uh. There was a spark of a connection there, some thought that didn't belong and gets swept back into the abyss that is Dodger's head. For a moment he looks totally lost, and then blinks and returns to reality with a slightly bemused expression.

His nose is bleeding, just a bit.

"What can I say? You look interesting." More than Dodger could possible know. He glances down to Dodger's arms. He can't resist poking the dog a little bit. "So what's under the wraps?" He already knows, but he wants to see what the answer will be.

Then suddenly Dodger seems to space out for a moment and his nose starts to bleed. "You alright there?" He's got a suspicion in the back of his mind like he tends to when people use their powers, but that's all it is, just a suspicion. He's not been around enough of those with mental powers to recognize the signs of psychic stress.

He's silent for a moment, before wiping his nose with the back of his hand and looking down on it. Damn... it's happening again. He hesitates, before pulling a pill bottle from his pocket and dry-swallowing a glowing blue tablet. There. That should get rid of the problem. Still... he watches Ivar with a higher level of caution. He doesn't get episodes around everyone, and that makes this man stand out.

"Ditch the foreplay, yeah?" He answers gruffly. "You know something about me." It's part guess, part paranoia... but either he's insanely impolite or he knows where he's aiming. Otherwise, why would he think it's acceptable to point out Dodger's wraps?

He could keep this going longer, but why when Dodger seems to sense something's up anyway. Ivar flicks the ash off his cigarette as he speaks.

"Oh, I know all about you, Dodger." More then the other man had ever wanted him to know, that was for sure. But over the months they had known each other, they'd slowly learned bits and pieces about each other. He'd never put the whole picture together about what happened to Dodger, but there was enough there for him to figure most of the story out. "How you got those scars on your face and that you killed the man who gave them to you. The ones under your wraps you don't let anyone see. And what happened to your mother."

That last one for sure was guaranteed to get a reaction out of him. The rest could have been educated guesses or random bits of knowledge picked up, but they would have had to be close to know what happened in Dodger's childhood.

There's a slight flicker in his eyes, but otherwise he remains stoic while listening to this. More than anything, it strikes him that this kid talks a lot. He wonders if he's always like this, or if it's just because he thinks he has the upper hand... chances are it's both.

"And you decided to pretend not to know me... because?"

He can worry about what this kid knows later. He's run into mind-readers before, people who can tell the future or just have supernaturally good intuition. With one exception, they tend to wind up dead soon after meeting him, and he doesn't really care if that trail of ashes follows him here.

Ivar's overconfidence will be the death of him one day. This a Dodger that he can't control the way he could before. But Ivar's upgraded his arsenal of tools as well. If Dodger gets too out of hand, he'll flatten him in no time.

He shrugs at the question. "It was more fun that way. I wanted to see if you still knew me at all."

"Uh-huh."

Well, that answers that. An alternate version of him... that explains why his head acted up. He drops his cigarette and crushes it underfoot, pulling out and lighting a new one in the same motion.

"And you knew me for a long time, and we didn't get along. That accurate?"

It isn't much of a shot in the dark, it's the most common relationship he tends to have. But it does make him wonder why a kid with... polio...? ....is so eager to piss him off.

"It started off that way. It got a lot more complicated as time went on." A game of cat and mouse as Ivar plotted to kill Dodger even as he grew grudgingly more fond of him and with Dodger learning to respect the Viking at the cost of quite a few body parts. Plus there's the part where they slept with each other, though Ivar is sure this Dodger wouldn't be surprised to hear that at all.

If he has to go through all that to teach the mutant not to mess with him, he's gonna be so pissed. It had taken a long time to train this dog to Ivar's satisfaction, close to a full year. He can be that patient again, but he will not be looking forward to it. Maybe he'll just skin him alive again. That had been a good lesson to enforce.

"Ooh, how romantic." Are those jazz hands? They're jazz hands. Jazz hands dripping with sarcasm.

He gets it, though. He can't help but respect the people he tries and fails to kill. So many people talk a big game and can't back it up, that the few who can stand out. And if this kid can hold his own against Dodger, then.. sure. He respects that.

He disappears in that familiar burst of sparks, and reappears inches away from Ivar, gripping the boy's jaw in his hand and tipping it to the side to inspect him. Given that Ivar is taller than him, it isn't as intimidating as he'd like, but he isn't trying to make a show. He's just seeing what he's up against.

"Does your mom know you're out here talking to strange, foreign men?"

Ivar doesn't bat an eye when Dodger disappears, just wondering with a dulled sense of curiosity where he'll appear next. He never told the mutant that he's quite predictable with his teleportation, so he's not surprised at all when he appears right up in Ivar's personal space.

Ivar's ice blue eyes with their faint blue sclera blaze with fury when he's suddenly inspected like a potential goat being used for sacrifice. There's hard, biting words next. "Were she alive, I think she'd be more concerned about what trash can you crawled out of."

He suddenly swipes at the hand on his jaw with a knife that seems to appear out of nowhere in his left hand. It's his off-hand, but the speed and accuracy are still there. He gets a little testy about being touched without his permission even with people he knows well. This version of Dodger doesn't fall into that category. "Paws off, dog."

Edited (more words) 2019-04-12 09:04 (UTC)

His hand whips back away from him, but even then a shallow line opens up just below his pinky. For a second he's silent, and then a smile appears on his face as he lets out a quiet laugh.

"That's cute."

He leans back to inspect Ivar's clothing... he guesses there are a lot of spots to hide knives in all of that. Kids like this always seem to go for that sort of thing. He does file the 'were she alive' comment away, curious that he's so open about that.

"That all, or are you gonna come at me?"

He bristles at Dodger's mention of his attack being 'cute.' Godsdammit, he's back to square one again with this dog. He wonders how cute he'd think it if Ivar drove a knife through one of his eyes again or cut off an ear. Really, losing body parts was the only way Dodger ever seemed learned anything.

He taps the knife thoughtfully on his knuckles as he shifts it from his left to right hand. It seems he's giving the challenge some serious thought. "Not yet. You'll give me a reason soon enough." Dodger can never keep his mouth shut long enough to keep from pissing Ivar off.

"Sure."

To Dodger, that translates as a hesitation to fight him, and that could be for a variety of reasons. But none of them matter, because the important thing here is gathering intel. And so far he's learned that Ivar is violent, but not a hothead. A dangerous combination, but one he's familiar enough with.

"If we're done here, I have other people to watch." He tips his head, "You're clearly not anyone worth bothering with. I'll see you around, Boneless."

He disappears again, this time apparently for good - but not without one last jab. One of the bolts on Ivar's leg braces is suddenly red-hot, and the metal around it is partly welded in an awkward position. He can't use his abilities very efficiently while teleporting, but a quick burst of focus was all he needed for a bit of mischief.

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March/April TDM

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