thirstology | TEST DRIVE MEME.

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test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME.

A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME

Welcome to the Viridian Sea, a rolling body of water populated by a small number of islands and an even greater number of pirates and merchant ships. Sailing, rum, and high-seas adventure is the name of the game for this mission: after the freshly-recruited volunteers (that's you!) are welcomed into Hathaway, they are sent via controlled interdimensional rift to deal with a certain pirate ship that has been causing a certain amount of trouble.

The crew of Red Scream, a murderous band of Mako pirates, has been reaving a path of destruction through the sea, scuttling ships of merchants, civilians, and other pirate bands alike. They have also kidnapped a governor's daughter, asking an exorbitant ransom to return her at all, let alone alive.

If this wasn't enough of a reason for Hathaway to intervene, Red Scream's current goal is firmly pointed at a legendary treasure buried in a crater somewhere in the Viridian Sea. Hathaway analysts have studied the crater and found that it was definitely caused by a temporal shard cast off from the Merging. And if Red Scream gets its hands on the shard, it'll be bad news.

The crew of Little Squid has reached out to Hathaway for help reaching the treasure. The ship and crew are both small, but they are an optimistic and hardworking bunch, and are willing to equally split the treasure with Hathaway as a reward -- they just have to reach it first.

▸ PROMPTS

Your mission is simple: reach the treasure before the Mako pirates. If you have the time, you can try and save the governor's daughter -- it's not why Hathaway has been hired, but her father will likely be grateful enough to grant a reward.

ONE ▸ GOING ROGUE.
High-seas adventure not your cup of tea? The tropical islands dotting the Viridian Sea are flush with distractions, including pirate havens replete with gambling, food, and liquor. It's a hedonist's paradise -- if you can avoid displeasing the heavily-armed locals.

TWO ▸ LITTLE SQUID.
Ever been on a brig before? The crew of Little Squid are happy to show you the ropes -- literally -- and teach you how to be a master seafarer in no time. The only food on board unfortunately consists of salted meat and hard bread, but there's plenty of rum to go around.

Life on the seas is tough, especially during rough weather; unfortunately, they have no cure for seasickness, so if you're afflicted, you might want to head below decks and wait it out. But the view during calm waters is unlike anything else.

THREE ▸ RED SCREAM.
It was bound to happen: Little Squid runs smack dab into Red Scream on the race to the treasure. Board the enemy ship or wait for them to come to you, but either way, you'd better be ready for some close-quarters combat. The Mako pirates of Red Scream are humanoid sharks with teeth to match, so in addition to their cutlasses and blunderbusses, you'll want to avoid being bitten.

If fighting isn't your specialty, you could always hide below decks of Little Squid and hope you don't get noticed. Or, if you're feeling bold, you can board Red Scream and look for the governor's daughter, who is being kept in the captain's quarters -- she's about six years old and ready to fight, so get ready to have your hands full.

FOUR ▸ THE TREASURE.
Finally, Little Squid reaches the island where the treasure is. There are caves throughout the island where more standard pirate treasure is found -- gold doubloons in rotted old chests and the like -- but there's also a massive crater formed where the temporal shard plummeted to the surface. The crater is a wide hole with sheer walls, so you'd better find someone who can fly or brush up on your spelunking skills.

The further down you go into the crater, the darker it gets, but somewhere on the bottom an eerie blue light is glowing. The source is the temporal shard: make your way through a winding tunnel system to find it and retrieve it. But beware -- the shard has attracted temporal insects, ravenous, time-eating bugs that can slow or hasten the flow of time just due to their appetite. Find yourself in their presence and you'll be moving in slow motion or you'll suddenly be aged 50 years. The only way to stop the effects are to kill the bugs and retrieve the shard.

FIVE ▸ CHIT-CHAT.
It's your standard network option. Maybe you've got a little downtime and you're bored. Or maybe you got lost in the caves and you think you saw a g-g-ghost pirate. Maybe you're just trying to figure out how the hell this magical jewelry thing works! No matter what, you get one username to identify you and one only -- if you don't enter one, it will default to your real name (for example, Voldemort's would be tomriddle.) Choose wisely... or make it assfarts69, if that's your thing. More information on the jewelcomms can be found on the devices guide.

SIX ▸ WILDCARD.
Do whatever the heck you want! Explore the jungles and waterfalls of the islands, have a party on the beach, try to befriend a dolphin. The world is your oyster.

▸ OOC NOTES

Welcome to the first test drive meme of Futurology Season 2! Because the season hasn't started yet, this test drive is meant to be a mini-mission, similar in feel to the missions we have in-game but on a much smaller scale. Since no characters currently have official specializations, we also have no specialized prompts, but plan to in the future. However, feel free to play as if your character is level 1 of whichever specialization you would like to choose. Please be aware this test drive is game canon. Questions about the game can be directed to the FAQ.

If you've been with us before, you might notice things look a little different around here. Make sure you check out the welcome page for the basic rundown of how your character joined up with Hathaway. For further information about the game, the full navigation has all the links you'll need.

Apps will reopen to the public on 6 January, with early apps for returning characters opening on 4 January. Apps will close when we reach our 60-player cap or on 15 January, whichever happens first. We hope to see you then!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[While Poe is contemplating the alcohol wall, he might notice a bottle of whiskey fly straight from the shelves and into the hand of one Kylo Ren. The locals only hesitate in their reaction because they just witnessed a man move an object with his mind.

Wordlessly, he twists the cap off, and flicks it in Poe's direction. He's done this song and dance before, arriving in a place where he is so outnumbered that even his advanced power-level would not make a difference at the end of a confrontation.

So even though he isn't happy about it, Dameron gets to enjoy breathing for a few more hours.]

As a matter of fact, there is.

[Grab some glasses, buddy.]

[so, poe never saw kylo ren without his mask??? so, for all he knows, this is just some random guy. some random guy who can USE THE FORCE, which makes his expression light up, just because the force is really cool to see in action. if that's what it is. he's vaguely aware that there are all sorts of people with hathaway, who can do different things, but he hasn't actually met that many people yet.]

I — great! Thanks, man. [he moves to get glasses, basically hopping onto the counter and sliding behind the bar to find them.] Can you use the Force, or is that ... something else?

[Kylo Ren raises one bushy eyebrow -- ah. Yes, he had been dressed more warmly the last time they had seen one another. Well, he isn't going to shatter the illusion just yet. Maybe there is something he'll say to a 'complete stranger'.

He stalks over, bootsteps heavy. He doesn't b other to sit, but he does do Poe the favor of pouring the drink once he finds glasses and sets the bottle down out of reach in exchange for a glass.

He was never much of a drinker -- he had enough instability without alcohol's help. But for the sake of conversation, he takes a small sip.]

I can.

[his current mental state is kind of feeling not too great about life and the way things went down back home, so there might've been a reason he was hanging out at the bar looking for fine alcohol. it's been rough. he takes a drink before speaking again.]

That's amazing. I never — well, my parents were really big believers in the Force. [he just starts rambling, like i'm sure kylo ren will find this the most fascinating story on earth but he can't stop his mouth now.] We had a Force-sensitive tree in the yard at our ranch. It looked like any other tree, though. One time I singed it with a pod racer engine, though, and I'd never seen my dad so upset. I had to spend the next year coaxing it back to health.

[Oh yes, this is riveting. Still, there's something gratifying about listening to someone else's childhood. Maybe because he finds himself forgetting more of his own every day.]

There are skeptics in every family.

[Even his own, dead as he is. All at once, he regrets this conversation, and sets the glass down on the counter just a touch harder than he means to]

I suppose it might be difficult to believe, were you not sensitive to it yourself.

[poe doesn't really notice, but he tries to reel himself in a little bit. while ... drinking more alcohol ... so he may not succeed.]

I never really saw it for myself until recently. Not people wielding it like Jedi or anything. But my parents had first-hand experience. They were close with Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa during the war.

That is because there are no Jedi left. The Order is dead.

[And there goes the entire glass of whiskey, down his throat. He flicks the glass away with one finger and twists the cap back on the whiskey.]

Of course. Wasn't everyone?

[Luke and Leia, the ever lovable and inseparable twins -- until he was born, of course. Then suddenly, everyone was incredibly busy with all the wrong things.

At least, that's how he sees it.]

[man, this guy is a real debbie downer huh.] I just meant — [he waves a hand, giving up and letting it go. it wasn't important.]

Er ... I guess so, most of the Rebellion had some kind of contact with them. My mom served directly under her, though. Luke Skywalker gave them the Force tree.

[he's gonna need to pour himself another drink tbh. wtf.]

Did he autograph it for her too?

[Yeah, he's had enough of this conversation. There is nothing in the entire galaxy that he hates more than Luke Skywalker. To hear him be spoke of as a hero is too much for him. This is why special forces exist, and why Kylo Ren doesn't operate stealth missions.

He turns to deposit his glass on the other side of the bar, the hilt of his lightsaber cracking against the side of it on his belt as he does.

His eyes glance at Poe's person, checking for a weapon.]

How long have you been here?

Not long, just a few...

[he trails off as his eyes drift towards the lightsaber. he does have a blaster at his hip, ftr. he doesn't go straight for it ALTHOUGH HE FUCKING SHOULD, he just stares (~~at kylo ren's crotch????? lol no but it probably looks that way~~) for a moment that probably feels like the longest moment to ever exist before saying]

Is that a lightsaber?

[maybe ... it's nothing ... ]

That is probably for the best.

[Not that ALASTAIR had been particularly troublesome to work for, back when he'd done it. Hell, Resistance scum would have a fucking ball causing trouble in the timelines.]

If it is?

[Kylo Ren turns and looks him dead in the face when he asks it. And were it not for the noticeable twitch in his brow spasming from the praising of Luke Skywalker, maybe he might have been able to bluff it. But he wasn't really trying to bluff it.]

[he has a suspicion, but he doesn't want to be right. PLAY IT COOL DAMERON. don't get into a fight right here in this bar in front of jesus and everyone. he thinks of all his surrogate moms who would want him to not be a reckless idiot.]

Who are you? Don't lie.

You know me.

[He isn't blinking, because blinking shows weakness. Or something. The truth is, he's waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for Poe to do something stupid enough to justify Kylo Ren's retaliation.]

Go on. Say it.

[he's SO ANGRY but mostly just mad at himself for being friendly and trusting towards his least favorite person ever in the galaxy. he had a drink with him!!! he told him stuff about his life!! and kylo was ... well, he was an asshole. that part wasn't really that surprising. BUT HE LET POE GO ON AND ON.]

Kylo Ren, right? Kylo Ren.

You were prettier with the mask on.

And you look better strapped to a chair, hemorrhaging blood.

[We can't all have what we want. But he doesn't say that part.]

But here we are. Under the same banner.

[Better him than Leia, honestly.]

[ughhhh he wants to just shoot him in the face. it would be so nice. but he knows he'd just get force-choked or something worse. he knows kylo probably wants him to do exactly that just so he can force-choke him and play the victim. so he won't.]

Hathaway made you an offer you couldn't refuse?

[Come on, throw him a bone here. His hand is clenched into a fist right next to his lightsaber. He very badly wants a reason to use it.]

I could have refused.

[But the Dark side was all about taking the path of least resistance.]

I suppose you came here looking to save the Resistance. That was smart of you. It is the only chance you have.

[YOUR MOM RAISED HIM BETTER THAN THAT. and his own mom. and sort of holdo. all his moms. also his dad.]

You can't get rid of the Resistance that easily.

[and he can't get rid of kylo ren that easily. what would leia do??? probably the mature responsible thing. which is not his favorite thing by any stretch, but he'll make an attempt.]

Well, this is going great, clearly there's some real chemistry going between us here. How about we spend the rest of our time here not interacting or trying to kill each other? It's going to get old real fast. So, a truce.

I am not in the business of parlaying with rebel scum.

[Cut, dry, and to the point. Though, effectively, a truce is what it is. Kylo Ren knows better than to think he can kill Poe out in the open, but that doesn't mean he won't take the chance when nobody is looking.

Maybe. But something interests him:]

You think you could kill me?

[Its not really cockiness, just genuine curiosity. What's his plan to go up against a Force-user, much less the grandson of Darth Vader? Planting a bomb while he sleeps? Hiding behind the Scavenger?

Do tell.]

[he shrugs, but it easily reads more like a come at me bro motion. he knows he shouldn't but he just

really

wants to

damn it.

HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PLAN. it was all hypothetical. but now he guesses he'll plot out a murder just in case of emergency jfc.]

Everybody's gotta die sometime.

[That makes him smile, a flicker, brief and fleeting. His eyes drop to Poe's blaster, and then move back up to his face.

He can sense Poe's urge to act.]

Yes. They do.

[his head tilts curiously. he doesn't need to be force-sensitive to see what's going on here. the smile, the glance at his blaster.]

You're messing with me. You want me to make the first move. Well, guess what? Ain't gonna happen.

Edited (redundant writing at 8 am) 2017-12-18 13:27 (UTC)

I doubt that.

[Maybe not today, or even tomorrow, but he knows Dameron’s sort. Impulsive, righteous. Qualities that didn’t lend well to holding one’s tongue, or tempering their fists.

The blood of a pilot.]

Whiskey, was it?

[He reaches for the bottle to check.]

[he's not wrong. but poe is trying his damndest not to let his temper get the best of him. there's too much at stake. if he ruins his shot here, or gets killed, then what? the resistance really has no chance.

BUT. BUT.]

What, you think we're gonna have another round? Not a chance.

[Yeah, he was thinking basically the same thing, but--]

No? I thought you wanted a truce.

[He reaches into a pocket to grab currency -- enough to buy the bottle, so Poe can't have anymore without asking him.]

one (hi i'm bringing the spoiler train probably)

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