academyooc | test drive meme (#2)

Test Drive Meme The Pan Pacific Defense Corps was usually offered any of a variety of local buildings to set up their testing centers. For reasons of access and availability, most testing clinics were set up in central areas for any given community. Those of the PPDC staff on hand vary in their personal intensity. Some of the men and women wearing Strike Group insignia seemed overly serious, to the point of frowning with intensity at some of the youngest checking in for this testing round. Those from the K-Science division are tight with nervous energy as they direct prospective cadets through various activities. Everything was meant to measure potential, looking for that spark that meant they had somebody who was Drift Compatible. The majority of people were turned away after the first series of seemingly random tests, officials looking in eyes, placing odd looking contraptions over heads, asking for people to play a series of short games, one even in a virtual reality set-up.

	( SCENARIO ONE ) If you are still here now, you've made it past the first cut. You'll be sat down in a room with the rest who have made it this far, then systematically led into smaller interview rooms as pairs. If you came with a partner, they're your first interview candidate. If you came on your own, all your interviews are random assignment. All who have been asked to stay are required to sit through and conduct a series of short peer to peer interviews. The questions are straightforward. What kind of pets would you like to own? What game do you gravitate toward first in an arcade? What does the fox say? Where do you squeeze your toothpaste tube to get toothpaste on your toothbrush? What do you believe the Drift is like? Peer to peer interviews last for half an hour to an hour, and each person is asked to participate in at least three peer-to-peer interviews. There is no punishment for going off script. There is a one-way mirror looking into each interview area, and one door leading into the room with a small panel of glass located on the door. There is a clock on the wall in each room. The time they report is odd when examined. These are not digital clocks, but timers, counting up time since the last Kaiju attack.

	( SCENARIO TWO ) You've been accepted into the Jaeger Academy. You've been assigned to your barracks, issued your uniform and necessities, shown the overall layout of the Shatterdome, and told the wake up call is at 0530. You're settling in to the Academy schedule, and for many, it may be brutal indeed. When you're brought into the indoor swimming pool, it's to an overwhelming stench of chlorine. Your swimsuits are all the same for the men, simple swim-trunks, one uniform blue. Women wear a blue and white racer style swimsuit, in the same cut across the board. Uniformity doesn't disappear for swimming lessons. Lessons start out basic, teaching each Cadet to rely on themselves and each other to keep them afloat. From there, maneuvers get more complicated. Learning safe diving techniques, practicing proper holds to keep an unconscious or panicked partner afloat. Speed, agility, and endurance: all will be in demand. Then you start hearing rumors about full uniform swims coming up the next session.

Please set up your own scenarios as you like. The above two scenarios are suggestions. Anything goes! If you want to stop by and see about doing some communal AU Worldbuilding, check out the new AU Worldbuilding Meme!

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"I am." She smiles. "What I'm observing however, shouldn't weight too heavily on your mind." After all, she's not the one that'll be writing down his grades. She's just the one who observes the cadets. Which cadets seem like they'd be drift compatible, that sort of thing.

He slumps a little into the water, clearly relieved. So it's probably nothing like grades. Though, he wonders what it could be then... "Whew. That's good. I thought for sure you were gonna take off for my, ah, concerns. What is it then?"

She just laughs, bringing her clipboard up to hide her mouth. "I'm sure you know curiosity killed the cat. It's nothing you should be too concerned about."

Is she lying? It's hard to tell, she certainly seems sincere.

"Ah, but you forget, miss, that satisfaction brought it back. I think I can take my chances in the pursuit of knowledge." Hilbert's entirely too hopeful and pleased that she seems to be more kind and fun than she'd initially seemed, and he'll totally push his luck this one time.

She's certainly a different lady than her outward appearance makes her seem. It's a skill she's cultivated for many years and is always attempting to perfect. "You can certainly try, cadet," as amused as she seems, she still doesn't answer the question.

Shoot. Hm... What could she be looking for? If not grading, then... Hilbert's got it! He lets go of the edge to plop his fist into his open palm and doesn't hang back on. "Are you looking for the best swimmers to be rescue agents for people like me?"

"Just keep guessing." Honestly his curiosity amuses her, and he's finally let go of the edge. Seems like the more they talk, the less worried he is. It does make sense, he's distracted from his fears.

"You haven't started drowning yet." Thank goodness, there's no way she's going to have these clothes get soaked in pool water.

He--

He's not drowning! In fact, he's kind of floating, isn't he?! Hilbert looks nervously at the water, but slowly relaxes as he realizes he's not gonna be pulled under by some kraken like foe. Wow. That's magical. Maybe swimming wouldn't be so bad. He grins widely. Even if the harder, swimming part comes next. "Thanks for the help, ma'am, you're like a wizard. And about your observation thing... Does have to do with the Drift?"

"People have said I'm magic," not people who are here, but it's been said by more than just this cadet.

She smiles, "Oh, you might be onto something there." She starts walking along the pool's edge. If he wants to keep talking to her, he'll have to follow.

Hilbert doesn't even realize what she's doing, wanting to know more about the topic and therefore following the best he can. It's hard at first, trying to figure out a way to get himself moving, but he figures out that kicking his feet works pretty well.

"Really? Hey, um, can anyone Drift? I mean, I know it's like, a mental thing and all... but if you're looking for something for that, then there's gotta be people who work it better than others, right?" His inquiry's a little on the rambling side, but he hopes that he's inching closer to questions that'll give him a straight answer. This is actually something he should learn as a would be engineer, he guesses. It's part of the Jaegers and all.

Perfect, his curiosity outweighs his fear of drowning. LeBlanc is pleased with the results, even if his swimming lacks a certain amount of finesse. Well, it's not like this part of his training is her responsibility. At least he's willing.

"Not everyone can. And certain people are unwilling to do it on principle." Like her, for example. As if she's the type to welcome anyone into her mind.

He almost asks her why someone wouldn't, but it dawns on him that some people might have something they didn't want to share. Or something they didn't want to revisit? Hilbert keeps up the best he can, and when he's able to he decides to go with another question.

"Why can't some people do it? I can get why they wouldn't, but... What kinda thing prevents someone from doing it in the first place?"

So many questions what will she do with him. "What exactly do you want to do after you graduate?" Was he planning on doing what she did? She doubts it, he would know the answers to these questions. Or at least, he should.

Hilbert frowns, though not because she didn't answer. A little slower in 'swimming' because he's kind of unsure of himself now. "Um, engineering stuff. I want to work on the Jaegers."

test drive meme (#2)

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