The Powers That Be ([personal profile] powersthatbe) wrote in [community profile] synodiporia_ooc2015-08-28 06:41 pm
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Test Drive #11.

Welcome to the Synodiporia Test Drive Meme! Below the cuts there are two new prompts, and here are the prompts from previous test-drives, which you’re still welcome to use in this post. When you comment, be sure you specify what prompt you want to play with, and please put up your own threadstarter - it makes for a much more friendly environment that a forest of bare toplevels! OCs are especially welcome! Please take a quick look at our Directory & familiarize yourself with the concept and setting of the game before you jump in.

Our upcoming app round runs September 1st-7th. Our next Jaunt, The Lightning Age, a postcolonial steampunk romp with a hunt for a fugitive disordering a peaceful flying city, will run September 12th-October 19th, and an alternate player-driven setting, or Walkabout, will be available (but the specific setting has yet to be voted upon).

Prompt #33 is set in the sometimes Mad-Max like post-apocalyptic academia of the Ivory Tower jaunt, where an isolated school works to restore civilization decades after a brutal war destroyed it. But off-campus, things can get a little rougher…

Prompt #34 is set in the world of Heartbreak Academy, a shoujo high school world where Social Technology, or S. Tech, allows the physical conjuration of emotions - sparkles, roses, soundtracks, emotes and rainclouds. Heartbreak Academy teaches elite students how to better master their S. Tech - and as you could imagine, this makes practical exams… very interesting...


Prompt #33: Pop Quiz.

There are chlorine bombs in the library, and snipers outside.

To be more specific, the library is an open-air market set up in a suburban French high-rise parking garage, one of the few buildings on this side of the city to survive intact, and a good place for gatherings that might need a quick getaway. Academics from across Europe use it as a trading post - bringing old books, or bringing computer printouts collected in three-ring binders, driving up in dune buggies or armored trucks, landing on the ceiling in helicopters, conducting a rapid swap of the valuables, and leaving.

But this time, the warlords knew they were coming. On each floor, among the parked cars, there’s a truck or van with deflated tires and an empty gas tank, in which an oil-drum and a detonator have been mounted. It’s overkill, but worse is the fact that in half-demolished buildings to either side are snipers. To the west, they only have crossbows, but the raider on the northeast has some sort of pre-War antimateriel rifle, and he’s already scragged a buggy in the exit ramp and shot a chopper pilot on the roof.

So now, it’s up to the academics. Those who study environmental sciences are trying to find ways to neutralize the chemicals. Engineers are working to disarm the detonators or fix the vehicles enough to safely transport the bombs. The history and humanities students are given the job of finding some way to stop the snipers, and stop raiders from getting in to steal any of their texts or other resources.

And some, of course, are caught in the fine traditions of academic debate, and may need Travelers to steer them to more decisive action… but of course, there might be Travelers among the raiders, too.


Prompt #34 Partner Exercise

The exam is simple. Each of you’s been given a spare, teacher-monitored Moe-Meter and left alone in the exam hall. Using S. Tech - not just fancy manifestations, but your words and actions, your persuasive skill and acting ability, all the skills that make you effective with S. Tech - you and your partner for this exam have to bury the needle. The problem is, you have to do it in both directions - positive emotion, maxing things out with cuteness, fondness, or warm feelings - and negative emotion, hitting empty on the meter through sadness, anger, or fear. Any sort of against-the-rules physical contact is an automatic F (if your partner reports it), but apart from that, it’s up to your imagination. You have fifteen minutes - that’s like Seven Minutes In Heaven and Seven in Hell, with one minute of cooldown in between.
urbanwhizkid: (Default)

Yosuke Hanamura | Persona 4

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-08-29 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
26. The Garden of Images
There's a part of Yosuke that is confused. He thought they left all of this behind when they failed. When they ran out of leads and Namatame was under arrest. They ran out of moves and with Teddie gone and the disappearances drawing to a complete halt, well there was no reason to go back into the TV world.

It was too painful and now here he was wandering though something that reminded him intensely of that place and was simultaneously different. Too many extra TVs and there was no fog. His glasses completely useless under the bright lights; even if he'd still been carrying them around at this point.

He's all set to chuck them into the vast wilderness of cable or and screen beyond, when he eyes catch on familiar faces. The glowing screens drawing his attention enough that he tucks the orange frames back in his pocket and wanders closer, curious to what he's seeing.

34. Investigating
This whole thing is making Yosuke uncomfortable. He can positive emotion with the best of them, but the negative end of the scale....It makes him nervous, a little jittery on the inside. He doesn't do well putting words to things like anger or jealousy.

Which begs the question of how the heck is going to fake it enough to pass? Sorry partner this probably isn't going to end well at all for you if you're expecting to pass.
Edited 2015-08-29 04:33 (UTC)
shiroganeheir: (serious hat tip)

34 - Investigating

[personal profile] shiroganeheir 2015-08-29 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
Emotion is not something that Naoto is any good at. Ever. So with this assignment of all things, she's not looking forward to whoever she gets stuck with.

When she realizes it's Yosuke of all people, a small grumble cloud appears over her head for a moment. Great. This is going to be an utter disaster. Walking over, she raises a hand to her hat in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Yosuke-senpai."
urbanwhizkid: (down_confused_sad)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-08-29 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
"Uh hey Naoto-kun." Oh this was going to be really bad. He could just feel it. Of everyone Naoto has the highest instance of him sticking his foot so far in his mouth that it's amazing he ever gets it out, well after Kanji anyway.

That grumble cloud over her head is almost immediately answered by a curlicue over his own. He hadn't even said anything but hi yet.
shiroganeheir: (grumpy)

[personal profile] shiroganeheir 2015-08-29 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
Naoto takes a breath, composing herself, and thinking for a moment.

"We have a couple options. Either we go through with this and know that nothing's real, or we refuse to play along and tank our grades." It's not as if grades matter, although Alcuin-kun might be a bit miffed if his rising-star Host failed an assignment that badly.
urbanwhizkid: (please_praying_give a guy abreak)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-08-29 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
"Honestly, tanking doesn't sound too bad right now." There's a slight tremor to his voice as he speaks and he won't meet her gaze. Choosing to look just over her shoulder than directly at her when Naoto inevitably explained in exact detail how bad an idea tanking was.

"Does it really matter anyway? You know I'm terrible with academics."
shiroganeheir: (small smile)

[personal profile] shiroganeheir 2015-08-29 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
"You're not as terrible as you believe yourself to be, Senpai." Naoto's tone is level, but there's an inherent kindness to it. "When you actually sit down to study, you do know much more than you think."
urbanwhizkid: (sheepish grin | i didn't do anything hon)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-02 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
That gets a grin out of him. She's right of course, he's okay if he actually bothers to study. It's just easier to let Yu do all the hard work and impress the teachers with his good grades than do it himself. At least he usually scores better than Chie? "Alright I guess you're right."

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leftbehindagain: (what the)

26

[personal profile] leftbehindagain 2015-08-29 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
This Liminal Space is enough to set Naoki's teeth on edge, for so many reasons. For one thing, this many TVs in one place can't possibly be a good sign. For another...

Well, for another, that definitely looks like Kanji in a bath towel with a backdrop that screams 'TV world,' and it's not something he remembers happening at all. If that's what they missed in exchange for Kanji running the investigation, he thinks he's glad. The bigger question is why it's on.

...ah. That'd probably do it. "Hanamura."

(It's not as icy a delivery as it could be. Naoki's had time to get over himself a little; a year of seeing other people's neuroses on full display will do that, and he did catch some of Kanji's interactions with Hanamura, enough to know he's not that bad. Just... overeager when it came to Saki.)
urbanwhizkid: (down_confused_sad)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-08-29 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
Blinking, Yosuke looks away from a screen where he'd been rewatching the face off with Nametame in the hospital. His gaze skirting around the replay of Kanji's other self in the bathhouse. There are some memories he doesn't want to revist ever.

"Konishi-san, what are you doing here?" Now he's just really confused. What was senpai's little brother doing in a place like this? And why didn't he sound like he was trying to kill him with just the sound of his voice? Last time Naoki spoke to him, he was pretty admit about hating Yosuke and everything about him. And there was that whole tone where Naoki implied it was his fault Saki-senpai was dead.
leftbehindagain: (chopped liver)

[personal profile] leftbehindagain 2015-08-29 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
Wait, that one is showing something different, isn't it? Naoki eyes it for a moment, frowning.

(Really, that's the plan they almost went with? Good going, guys, way to almost kill the wrong guy. Suppose it never occurred to you to, oh, I don't know, ask the victims' families... It's just as well he's not in a mood to talk about that.)

"Same thing as you, probably." His attention goes back to the TV with what has to be Kanji's Shadow on it. "If that's what we would've been stuck with, I think I'm glad we missed out..."
urbanwhizkid: (so pretty | in awe)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-02 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
It wasn't the best plan, but they were all sort of really emotional right then. Honestly, Yosuke doesn't consider that to be one of his finer moments. But Nanako-chan was really dear to him and at that point she'd been...it wasn't a moment he really wanted to remember too clearly. It was bad enough Saki-senpai's death was burned into his memory like it was.

"Sure okay," What is he supposed to be doing exactly? There was a serious lack of shadows and fog for this to be a normal rescue mission. "Huh?" He turns his attention back to the TV and cringes a little Shadow Kanji and his two minions. It was bad enough to live did that rescue need to be immortalized on the silver screen. "What? Missed out?"

There's a picture forming but he's not sure he likes the sound of it. If nothing else it doesn't sound like Naoki is all that surprised by shadow versions of people and having to fight them. "You know what's happening there Konishi-san?"
leftbehindagain: (special headquarters)

[personal profile] leftbehindagain 2015-09-02 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Of course I do. The fact that Kanji never had a Shadow of his own was one of the first red flags we had - God knows he has enough issues to merit one." Even if it would be distinctly less fabulous now, and probably more focused on how he's a sneeze away from a nervous breakdown if he keeps trying to be everyone's rock and not letting someone be his rock.

"So unless your Wild Card of choice got the full Shadow treatment..."
urbanwhizkid: (someone stole the rug out from under him)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-02 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
It would be wrong to find that funny wouldn't it? Sure Kanji isn't the most rock solid as far as the team goes but he was dependable enough once he joined them. At the very least he's got a point, Yu never had to face his shadow, he had said as much about that when asked.

Wait Wild Card of choice? "Wait a minute Yu isn't your leader?" He glances between the screen and Naoki (of course he had to time it perfectly to catch a recap of one of minions copping a feel). "So Kanji-kun..." Wow that is not something he expected in a million years.

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creativefool: (.02.)

34, infiltrator, I am so sorry. ...pf.

[personal profile] creativefool 2015-08-29 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
His partner today, then?

Six foot of bunny-eared youth. Someone who looks like he's taken the fact that Audiocaudal Syndrome's stuck him with a manifestation of outright cuteness and is making the very best of it in his life. The handicrafts club's vice president and most active member...

"Hey," he says with a warm smile. "You ready to do this?"
Edited 2015-08-29 10:56 (UTC)
urbanwhizkid: (down_confused_sad)

don't apologize this is great

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-01 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
Uh...Well he looks like Kanji, talks like him too. Except there's bunny ears that definitely shouldn't be there and they totally draw the eye. Actually, Yosuke is openly staring at the ears for a moment before catching himself. Shaking his head, Yosuke shrugs as if to say he lost himself for a moment.

"Uh hi." Is he ready to do this? Yosuke isn't sure and scratches the back of his head. "Yeah I guess I am, doesn't seem like I have much other choice than to be ready."
wantedittobeagame: (Default)

26

[personal profile] wantedittobeagame 2015-08-29 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Adachi let out a faint noise, not really that surprised to find himself back in this place, or that someone else that someone new ended up here too. The kid seemed kind of... familiar, too; where had he seen him before? He couldn't quite put his finger on it...

"Hey, kid. You all right?" he asked, trying to make himself look as friendly as possible.
urbanwhizkid: (down_confused_sad)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-01 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
Turning at the waist Yosuke takes one look at who must have spoken and raises an eyebrow, confusion showing all over his face. What was Dojima-san's partner doing in a place like this? He shouldn't even be able to end up in the TV world.

"Ah, yeah I'm alright Adachi-san. What are you doing here?"
wantedittobeagame: (W-well then...)

[personal profile] wantedittobeagame 2015-09-01 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hunh...?"

What, did this kid know him? Come to think of it, he kind of sounded familiar too... He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he was reminded of a certain blue haired pain in the ass that liked to bean him in the head with a heavy book. But this kid looked nothing like Michael, even if he sounded like him. So where had he heard and seen him before...?

Ugh, he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Uh, this might sound weird, but have we met?"
urbanwhizkid: (you say somehting?)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-02 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
Weird is sort of an understatement. This was the guy that tailed them on a stakeout for Rise Kujikawa. The guy who always seemed to show up and drop useful little bits of information from the police in their laps when they were stumped and help the connect the dots a little better without really meaning too.

"Yeah, I'm Yu-kun's friend. You asked us about Yukiko-san's disappearance after Dojima-san got us out of trouble about having weapons in the Junes food court." Don't tell him you don't remember that. That was like the longest conversation they had before the group sort of exploded with members.
wantedittobeagame: (If you say so...)

[personal profile] wantedittobeagame 2015-09-02 01:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yu-kun? Uh, do you mean Yua?"

He wasn't going to object to the honorific; after all, Naoto-kun would always be Naoto-kun in his book, no matter what her gender was or how girly she wanted to be. But... he knew he was too preoccupied with going after Yukiko when she disappeared to have talked to anyone other than Saki about it.

"Ahh... I think we're from different timelines," he finally explained. "Things must have happened differently, so... you probably met me, but I don't remember you."

Hopefully that was a good explanation. He was getting tired of giving them, especially since they usually ended with him being the bad guy.
urbanwhizkid: (thinking | i posit | logical conclusion)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-05 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Now he's confused. Yua. "Who?" He definitely means Yu as in Dojima-san's nephew. As in boy with the silver bowl cut and a strange love for unbuttoning his clothes when fighting shadows and had an uncanny ability to woo every girl they knew.

Wait hold on timelines? Plural? Oh geesh come on he doesn't need this, sure it could make tons of sense given that he goes jumping into TVs and stuff, but isn't timelines stretching the bizarre factor just a little bit? On a logical level Teddie growing a body was bordering on impossible, but in context of where he was from and what Teddie and the rest of the team were doing because the police weren't exactly well-equipped to deal with the case...

"Okay, I guess that kind of makes sense," There's at least some grounding in actual scientific theory anyway. He still doesn't look like he fully believes it but he doesn't have a way of refuting Adachi's claim if he was really going to hold to the idea of being from a timeline where they never met.

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fridgeninja: (Default)

34

[personal profile] fridgeninja 2015-08-31 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
Souji eyes Yosuke patiently, waiting for his partner to be ready to begin. While he's still himself, he's 'gone native' at the school with surprising ease, Social Links and S. Tech integrating without a hitch. As the clock ticks and the silence stretches on, he tilts his head and one corner of his mouth turns up, offering encouragement - and, maybe better, understanding. He gets why this is a problem, and he would even if he didn't remember his best friend's label of 'Captain Ressentiment.'
urbanwhizkid: (please_praying_give a guy abreak)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-01 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Yosuke is trying not to fidget, which is great except all he really manages to do is to tap out stilted rhythms on his thigh. A faint sound of nails on a chalkboard echoing in the room only amplifying his discomfort. The patience and understanding Souji is displaying only really making it worse. He might like attention every bit as the next person but this was bordering on creepy. "You mind with the staring?"

He blinks, takes a deep breath and finally his fingers still. "Sorry about that. So you ready?"
fridgeninja: (bwuh?)

[personal profile] fridgeninja 2015-09-02 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Souji's moe-meter dips a little at the first remark. "Sorry," he says, and it begins recovery, promptly. Souji's never been that good at having negative emotions in the first place.

"If you're uncomfortable, we can work with that," he suggests. "If we go negative first, it shouldn't take us too long to go positive after..."
urbanwhizkid: (determination | we got this)

[personal profile] urbanwhizkid 2015-09-04 01:49 am (UTC)(link)
Ah dude no stop that, now you're making him feel bad. And it really only serves to fluster him a bit more. This whole thing is like the worst assignment ever. Can't they just punch it out and give each other bloody noses again?

"Yeah," he runs his hand though his hair and sighs. "Let's do this."