spherememing | (no subject)

JANUARY TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to Sphere's January 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! A note for current players: this will not be the same as the main February plot so if you're feeling this, come on over here and have fun!

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!

blue moon

So the people within the Sphere City miss the moon. At least, that’s what someone can draw from the fact that as January slips into February, large images of the moon are everywhere. The Full moon, to be more specific. There are silver streamers around the merchant dome, and lights have been modified to have a more silver than golden glow in appearance, even at all hours of the day there. Sure it makes things a bit difficult to see, but that’s not really a problem is it?

At night, several domes have large projections of the moon made against the domes. They’re pictures of the moon in varying states of artistic and scientific values. There's a kind of dreamy music that’s played, and a lot of the locals have silver flowers in their hair. Fire pits are common, and older residents are seated around them, telling tales of the moon and its connection to the waters above them. Some stories tell how it glows and shines or is made of green cheese. They also tell how sometimes there were people in the moon, men or women, gods or goddesses, or animals like rabbits. And some stories tell of how the moon would make people mad, and that’s where the term lunacy comes from.

Oh, and there are a few stories about werewolves too. And about how there walking among the people in the Sphere. Even now.

Food at the festival is based around the moon too, or at least the idea of the moon. There’s mooncake of course, but there’s also moon pies, half moon cheese pies, and pierogi, and various cheese and cracker platters, because the moon is made of green cheese after all. There’s moon-based cocktails, that are blue and silver. And some that are shimmering and shining.

People can draw fortunes from the moonwell, but, they’re silly and nonsensical, and people eat the silvery rice paper after they’re finished with them. A few of them however have more ominous sort of fortunes in them. Things like “help me” or “they’re out to get you” or “they’re coming and you can’t stop them.” People shrug those ones off too though. if someone asks about them.

what big eyes you have

So, there are rumors about werewolves that have been circulating around town, and people seem to be given red cloaks at random. Pretty girls and women are offered them the most, but they are open to anyone. If people put them on, which the surrounding locals will cheer and encourage them to do. Then they tell them that their clue is in their pockets and that they will save the town.

In the pockets is another silver disk with a list of names on it. One of those names is a werewolf. You’re given three clues (something like: ‘wearing a blue sweater’ or ‘bald man’ or ‘at the candy stall’) for each one, and then you either accuse them of being a werewolf or clear them. If you accuse them and you’re correct then you’re given a small vial with glowing stones in it and are told that they were actually pieces of the moon before it was lost. Whatever that means. You may want to hold onto them.

If you accuse them and you’re wrong, the game is over for you for the moment and the cloak is taken away. Each cloak has a different list of six names on it, and the names replenish every time someone gets a new cloak. Why yes, the Sphere is playing a game of werewolf with you. How the game goes entirely up to you, and whether or not your character gets invested or what. NPCs are definitely available for this if need be! Please feel free to go a little nuts with this, and player characters can definitely be one of the suspects if they're up for it.

something that was lost can be found.

It’s big news around Sphere City: some old lost and sealed domes have been found along the edges of town. Not only have they been found, but they’re open! Not only are they open but the stuff inside is there on a first come first serve basis. These old domes show no signs of dust, but there are some personal effects within them, pictures and the like. They definitely belonged to someone who had been pulled into the city at some point within the last seven years.

And they’re definitely worth checking out. One never knows one might find in them. Various varieties of clothing are available, as are books, food items (probably shouldn’t eat them), toys and there may or may not be some magical or important historical things hidden here or there if your character is very lucky. Mod note: Nothing world breaky or living can be found, but small things like potions or jewelry or amulets or small weapons (daggers or guns with a very limited amount of bullets.)

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Rudy hadn't the first idea of what was compelling him to keep the pillar and the smaller crystal. He wasn't even thinking about it, just slipping the pillar into his back pocket before spreading the chain apart with the fingers of both hands. It was a necklace.

"Yeah, but you're not takin' anythin'," he reminded her. Not that that was his decision. Really, he thought, she shouldn't be so concerned with the belongings of a person who wasn't coming back.

"Which is a shame, cause I think one of these'd suit ya. You got nice..." He made a circular motion with a pointer finger in the direction of her chest, but despite how it might look, he wasn't actually thinking of her breasts. He was trying to remember what those horizontal bones were called.

"...collarbones." That was it.

Her eyes fluttered and her brow furrowed in confusion. "You think so?" She reached into the little shrine and lightly dragged her index finger down one of the crystal necklaces. She felt it thrum softly with power but she couldn't place what it was. She would have been trained to pick out the resonance but there hadn't been time. All she knew for sure was that there was something about the little crystal that was more than it seemed.

John's voice echoed softly in her head and she smiled wistfully. "You remind me of a man I know. He stole things for me once. I remember because I got so mad at him." Even though she's smiling as she told Rudy the story. "But I kept it because it was a gift. It's probably different here. These people are gone but you remind me of him."

Even if it was only in this thieving ways.

"Yeah?" He reminded her of someone — someone she liked. Rudy slipped the chain he was holding around his own neck, then looked down at her with an attempt at a suave smile. She was very pretty.

"I'm Rudy."

She smiled as she took one of the small crystal necklaces from the hook. It felt weird to her but she'd return it if she found its owner and in her own weird way, this felt like borrowing.

"It's nice to meet you Rudy." She didn't have a name or she would have introduced herself.

She carefully clasped the small necklace around her neck and let it rest on her clavicle. "What do you think?"

She wanted to play coy? All right, then.

"That's very nice. Look at us - crystal buds." He waved his index finger between the two of them. "Like the Wonder Twins." That same hand curled up and offered her a fist bump.

She wasn't sure what to do but that isn't going to stop her from trying. She lightly pressed her palm to his fist like it was some sort of specialized high-five before looking over at Rudy with an embarrassed smiled.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do." She made a fist then and lightly tapped her knuckles against his. "Like this?"

"Yeah, there, you've got it." He smiled down at her when she lowered her hand, and started to uncurl his — then changed his mind and offered his fist again. "Let's do another one — fistbump — and this time, blow it up."

When they bumped knuckles a second time, Rudy pulled back his hand and spread his fingers, letting out a sound like an explosion.

"Crystal dildo powers, activate."

"Okay."

She nodded her head and slowly curled her fingers into a fist. There were rarely reasons or excuses to make a fist and the position felt awkward but she was determined to do this right. Her knuckles lightly bumped against his. There was more assurity in the gesture this time but while his hand spread out like an explosion, hers wiggled out like an electrocuted jelly fish.

"Oh." Light gray blue eyes looked up at him. "I don't know what that is." Obviously a crystal was a colorful rock formation but she'd never encountered the word dildo before...

She didn't know how to fistbump and she didn't know what a dildo was. Rudy gave her a sympathetic frown.

"Sheltered upbringin'?" he guessed. "Seems like ya might be one of them homeschool kids. Parents kept ya on a tight leash so ya wouldn't mingle with the exact sort of people who'd teach you about lockpickin' and dildos?"

He wasn't trying to make fun of her. In fact, he was in her corner.

"It never works out the way they think it will. Fuckin' parents, right? They don't really understand... but then their parents didn't either. It is... a sad cycle. It's just — it's fuckin' tragic."

"Oh. Well." Her teeth gently sink into her lower lip as she shyly smiles. "Not exactly homeschooled but I didn't get out until recently." She slipped a hand into her pocket and fingered the lock picking tools. "A friend of mine was a thief. He taught me how to open simple locks. For escape more than theft. I'm not comfortable stealing."

This felt more like borrowing.

"I have actually never met my parents." She had been loved by the community but labels weren't strictly adhered too. "It's complicated and a little hard to explain."

She glanced up and met Rudy's gaze. "Will you teach me? What a dildo is?"

Rudy opened his mouth. Closed it. Frowned. Thought for a second.

"Maybe let's just have a coupla drinks first." He straightened up and swung the cabinet door closed, looked down at the crystal pendant around his neck and moved to tuck it under his shirt.

"But sure, I could... pass along some of my, uh, considerable wisdom." He tried another smile, there, to see if she might return it.

Her mouth curved into a warm smile. "Alright."

There was a lot that she didn't understand about her conversation with Rudy. To start, she has yet to pick up on the fact that a dildo is a sexual object. Her current understanding has lead her to believe that it's something to do with crystals or necklaces.

"I'm not sure where we can find a couple of drinks here. I'm sit learning my way around."

"There's gotta be alcohol somewhere." It hadn't ever occurred to him that there might not be. Until just now. If there wasn't... oh God, he didn't want to think about it.

"If there isn't, we'd have to... make some." How did you even make alcohol? "Out of some... old grape juice. And yeast." That sounded approximately right, but if it was that easy, surely someone would've done it already. So someone must have. "Someone's got some. We'll find it."

Her smile widened. "I'm sure we'll figure it out." She had faith though her faith rarely extended to finding alcohol. She'd had a few drinks in her time but never in excess. Rudy's friendship was going to be filled with new experiences.

"I don't think making alcohol is that easy but we could give it a try." It would have... interesting results.

(no subject)

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