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thirstology2018-04-01 12:05 am
futurologists) wrote in thirstology2018-04-01 12:05 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME
FANTASTIC MR. FOX  Welcome to Azeria, a small single-biome planet covered almost entirely by deep, mossy forests. The natives of Azeria, a sapient foxlike species called Vulphytes, have reached out to Hathaway for help in repelling a planetary invasion. Other Vulphyte tribes have sent word of dangerous aliens descending in silver machines and laying waste to the forest, killing and capturing Vulphytes and animals in their wake. Hathaway analysts have calculated that the Merging is to blame for this sudden invasion; before, these two nearly identical universes didn't see each other, but now that they are one, these strangers are suddenly planetary neighbors. The aliens, seeing a new planet, must be searching for colonization prospects, while the Vulphytes are helpless against their spacefaring weaponry. ▸ FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS.On greeting the Hathaway agents, the Vulphytes will initially be very awkward and surprised, or as awkward and surprised as sapient foxes can appear. The Vulphytes speak telepathically, and eventually a spokesfox explains the cause of their discomfort: the invading aliens are humans, just like most of you. ▸ PROMPTS Your mission is simple: protect the Vulphytes, forests, and native animals from the invading humans. It's not necessary to kill all the invaders (unless you want to), simply keep them from taking the planet for their own and do a good enough job to persuade them never to come back. Of course, the invaders are a bit... forceful in their methods, so it's up to you.   The Vulphytes live in a cluster of burrows which are unfortunately not large enough for anything human-sized to visit, but the presence of non-aggressive aliens (that's you!) is enough to get the majority of them to pop out and curiously observe. The Vulphytes are variably black, grey, or red, with fur transitioning to moss along their backs; animals you might see in the forest, including deer, rabbits, and owls, have a similarly moss-covered look. The Vulphytes will take awhile to warm up to anyone who is human (or those who visibly look human), their telepathic tones suspicious as they ask questions about their loyalties, where they're from, and what their homeworlds are like. Those who are clearly not human will receive a much warmer reception, the Vulphytes asking curious questions and the Vulphyte kits trailing behind in fuzzy little rows. When the invaders' silver machines -- spaceships -- become visible in the sky, through breaks in the tree canopy, the Vulphytes look skyward and begin to howl. It's a pre-battle ritual, one of them explains, and characters are invited to join in: howl to the sky, to your enemies, and get ready to fight. TWO ▸ THE INVASION. The silver spaceships of the invaders crash down through the trees, sending animals fleeing in all directions. The Vulphytes stay put, snarling in the direction of the noise and waiting for the invaders to come to them. If you'd like, you can rush forward and head them off -- or stay and fight alongside the foxes. Just as the Vulphytes claimed, the invaders are human. They are dressed in armored space suits, the visors on their helmets obscuring their faces and reflecting the forest all around. Their weapons are various types of laser guns, though a few are holding axes that have laser blades, which they use to start chopping down trees as their compatriots march toward the Vulphyte dens. The invaders are surprised to see people here, but they're not interested in talking: they open fire on anyone they see, not recognizing any of the recruits as their people and thus pegging them immediately as enemies. Though they're aggressive, they're not suicidal; if a single invader encounters too much violence or are outnumbered, they'll run back to their compatriots for reinforcements, so it's best to dispatch them quickly (or prevent them for running for help in some other way). Once the invaders reach the Vulphyte dens, the foxes fight viciously, swarming individuals in a flurry of claws and snarling teeth. Kill the invaders or simply give them enough trouble to make them retreat for good, it's up to you. But either way, look after your furry/mossy hosts; despite their telepathic way of communication, the Vulphytes don't possess any magical abilities, so they'll need to be looked after in the face of laser weapons. THREE ▸ BABYSITTER'S CLUB. The baby Vulphytes are in the greatest amount of danger from the invading humans, being entirely unable to defend themselves and uncertain of what's actually going on. Hathaway has been tasked with rescuing them from their dens and whisking them away to safer areas away from the fighting where they can be cared for until the fighting is over. The only problem is that baby Vulphytes are... well, babies. They're quite upset by all the ruckus, yowling in a way that resembles crying, and aren't exactly happy to be taken away by strangers they don't know. In fact, some of them might try to make a great escape, so you'd better be quick! Those who make it to a safe area will need consoling and, once that's done, entertainment. They'll also need their caretakers to make sure no invaders sneak up on them -- since some are hidden in the woods. It's a big job, but you can handle it, right? FOUR ▸ VICTORY CELEBRATIONS. Once the invaders are finally chased off, everyone gathers together to celebrate. The Vulphytes bow (as well as a fox can) as the team enters and apologize for their uncertainty before; they see now that many of you are nothing like the aliens who threatened them, despite your similar looks. They'd like you all to stay and celebrate, if you have time. The celebrations are... a bit different than most might be used to; it's definitely not a human party. There are games with handmade balls of packed moss, which the Vulphytes seem to love. In fact, they go crazy for Fetch, a game they were never introduced to before due to their tragic lack of opposable thumbs. They "sing" for the team in howls, a rare example of adults not communicating telepathically. As for the team, they receive a congratulatory message from Imogen on their magitek suggesting they take the rest of the celebration to meet and greet with the unfamiliar faces. There won't be much time to do so back at Headquarters, I'm afraid, she adds. Drakstaden awaits, darlings! FIVE ▸ CHIT-CHAT. It's your standard network option. Make battle plans, chat about how cute the foxes are, or share good hiding places. 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! Go pick wildflowers. Climb a tree. Hunt animals. Loot innocent fox dens, you monster. The world is your oyster. ▸ OOC NOTES Welcome to the second test drive meme of Futurology Season 2! This test drive will function as an optional mini-mission for both new and current characters, similar in feel to the missions we have in-game but on a much smaller scale. Threads on this test drive are game canon by default unless one of the participants would like to retcon it. Current characters may use TDM threads for non-!plot AC proofs. Both test drivers and current characters are welcome to top level! While current characters are allowed to tag other current characters, we ask that you please make an effort to be welcoming to test drivers as well! Since incoming characters currently don't have official specializations, we have no specialized prompts. However, feel free to play as if your character is level 1 of whichever specialization you would like to choose. Questions about the game in general 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. ▸ Upcoming Events (Futurology runs on timezone UTC): |
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But don't feel bad or guilty about riding him into battle or anything! Zero has already sent him on multiple missions in which many dozens/hundreds of people had been killed, so it's not like he's new to it or anything. He's not fond of it, but, well... Zero does most of the killing anyway. He's just the taxi service (which occasionally provides aerial support).
Now, Mikhail isn't used to positive reinforcement. Zero's treatment of him is, in a word, Spartan (in another word: cruel).
So he blinks a little confusedly at the pink-haired woman and her encouraging worlds, unsure of how to react at first, evident by a lowly-intoned:] uhhh. [He blinks, eyes suddenly bright.] Yeah, yeah!! You look really strong too! So we will!
[Zarya climbing up onto his back is definitely markedly different than Zero doing so, but... he thinks this is doable. He just might not have as much stamina as usual, but hopefully they'll repel this invasion long before that becomes a problem! The harness and saddle are fairly simple, lacking in straps and belts but having the single horn on the front to hold onto. (All of the equipment is also, well, spattered with blood. Again: Zero.)
His head swings around to face her at her introduction, and you could almost see the gears grinding in his head. He looks very relieved when she offers a nickname much more on his level.] Okay, Miss Zarya! My name is Mikhail. Just hold on tight, okay? I'll try to fly real easy so you can get used to it.
[He swings his head back around, his hind end rocking back and forth a little bit as he settles onto his hind legs, ready to push off into the sky.] Here we go! [He pushes off from the ground with his hind legs, huge wings gathering up the wind beneath them and lifting them up into the air. He winds carefully through the trees and their branches, eyes keen for the silvery forms of the descending spaceships.]
Hey, Miss Zarya? [He calls over his shoulder as he breaks to the top of the canopy.] How do you feel about killing?
[Sorry if you're not ready for morality hour with Mikhail, but it's happening.]
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This is nothing like a drop ship, but she's pretty sure she can work with it. ]
A regrettable necessity in battle. [ Regrettable when it's battle against humans, anyway. Killing robots is another story completely. Her eyes scan the trees around and below them as they rise, ready to lift the cannon properly the instant she spots a target. ] Do you agree?
[ Bring on that morality talk, she's game. As long as he does agree, anyway. This might not be the place for a debate. ]
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He sees the glint of silver: a spacecraft nearing the trees a moderate distance away. The dragon beats his wings and begins to soar after it, rumbling in his chest as he considers what Zarya had said.]
Mmm... I don't know. [He's having to flap his wings a little more often to keep them aloft... it's a little tiring, but nothing he can't handle for now.] Maybe. Especially when they're already shooting at you. But I dunno, I don't really like it. I keep telling Zero she doesn't have to kill all the people she does, but she just does it anyway.
[He doesn't really have a lot of control in their relationship, mostly only doing what she tells him to. For the most part killing bothers him quite a bit, but... it's what they do. The only times he's totally okay with it is when it's wyverns. You know how Zarya feels about robots? That's how Mikhail feels about those dirty dragon wannabes.]
I was just wondering. Do you think we can scare these bad, bad guys away? Liiike, flap our wings and roar real loud and try to get them to run away?
[A beat.
And in a smaller voice:] I also really don't want to set the forest on fire.