LEADERSHIP EVALUATION

[enodiamod]

LEADERSHIP EVALUATION

Exploring the Riftlands can be a dangerous endeavor, even for Liminals, so it's always important that members of the Explorer Division keep their powers honed, their bodies fit, and their minds sharp. It's also important to ensure that those most qualified to be in charge are placed there. To that end, Samuel J. Thornton has called all the members, both primary and supplementary, together for their first Leadership Evaluation.

Thornton holds these evaluations every few months to determine who will be placed in charge when the Division divides into smaller groups to carry out different missions and investigate different areas. The evaluation has three parts: combat practice, an obstacle course, and the (much dreaded) written strategic/leadership assessment. The evaluations tend to take a few hours and moods among the Division members run the gamut. Some take it quite seriously, studying and training ahead of time and giving it their all. Some act as if it's just another requirement from Thornton and treat it like any other training session to be overcome or endured. Some only show up because they know if they don't Thornton will put them on administrative leave (ugh). Regardless, it's a big day for the Division.

During combat practice, each member will face off against a handful of robotic combatants with customized programming based on Thornton's assessment of their skills. This is held in a moderately-sized training room in the middle of the hall. During the obstacle course, each member will be given places to reach and tasks to complete throughout a maze of obstacles that run the gamut from shifting walls to collapsing floors to blasts with a numbing (and gradually paralytic) effect and beyond. The engineers in Operations and Security have really outdone themselves this year! This is held in the enormous training room at the end of the hall. During the written strategic/leadership assessment, each member will take a long, comprehensive exam designed to assess their reasoning, their empathy, their strategic prowess, and their leadership ability. This is held in a moderately-sized training room at the beginning of the hall that has been filled up with desks.

Non-Explorer residents from across the Station are also welcome to participate if they want to test their mettle, though they may find themselves being recruited by Thornton if they do exceptionally well. Otherwise, they are welcome to show up and watch the action through a series of monitors that line the basement hallway. Even the room with the written exam appears on one screen for some unknown reason. It's a bit of an event. [Non-Explorer Character A] even brings refreshments and has printed up some little flags and trinkets featuring the names of some more impressive (at least in their opinion!) contenders. Are they trying to be supportive or psych someone out or just trying to make a buck? It's hard to say.

» THE EVALUATIONS: Complete the form below to have your character's leadership evaluation scored. Only characters that comment here are eligible for leadership roles.

HOW THIS WORKS

Every few months, the Explorer Division will hold Leadership Evaluations. These evaluations will use player forms and RNG to determine which characters are going to be placed in leadership positions during upcoming explorations of the Riftlands. This doesn't translate to any particular power or authority in the game day to day, but is something for players to play off of and will change throughout the course of the game.

IC all characters in the Explorer Division must complete this evaluation. Even if a player doesn't complete this form OOC, it will be assumed that their character competed unless specified elsewhere.

Thornton is notoriously strict and difficult to please, so it isn't uncommon for evaluation scores to be absolutely brutal. But don't take it personally. He's just trying to help you realize your potential!

Fill out the form below to see how your character handles the evaluation!

<b>NAME:</b> <b>EXPLORER DIVISION?:</b> Yes (Primary/Returning), Yes (Supplementary/Returning), Yes (Primary/New), Yes (Supplementary/New), or No <b>EXPLORER LEADERSHIP?:</b> If your character is a returning Explorer, have they ever held a leadership position before? <b>POWER CONTROL:</b> On a scale of 1-10, how proficient is your character with their powers? Can they reliably control them and utilize them? <b>PHYSICAL ABILITY:</b> On a scale of 1-10, how physical fit is your character? Are they particularly strong or agile? Do they get fatigued quickly? <b>MENTAL ABILITY:</b> On a scale of 1-10, how intelligent, analytical, or strategic is your character? <b>EFFORT:</b> High, Medium, or Low. How hard is your character trying really? <b>ANYTHING ELSE?:</b>

» DURING THE EVALUATIONS: For those lingering in the halls waiting on their results, those watching the challenges play out on the monitors, and anyone else that's hanging around.

» AFTER THE EVALUATIONS: After the evaluations have wrapped up for the day.

» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

(CODE)

Comments

Lou & Rhodes

[loudon]

Lou looks rough. While he's gotten his physical injuries patched up (it's just a sprained ankle and a broken wrist! it's fiiiiiine!), the embarrassment and anxiety over his very public humiliation is still fresh and it stings.

Rhodes coming over to gloat just feels like rubbing salt in the wound.

"I'm fine. Congrats on your great success, or whatever," he says bitterly, clutching his sore, definitely-not-fine-yet arm to his chest.

Lou & Rhodes

[quickpickled]

There's a singular thrill of victory over Lou as a concept, and then a following guiltier thrill for thinking that at all, when he sees the actual hurting person in front of him. So then he pretends to be insulted. Just as a little gift to the injured. "What are you talking about. You had a perfect test score."

Lou & Rhodes

[loudon]

"Yeah, so now everyone can keep thinking I'm just some old nerd who doesn't belong here, right? And maybe they're right! Maybe I should quit! You'd love that, wouldn't you?" Lou mutters quietly before he can stop himself, knowing that he's making this worse for himself yet doing it anyway. Injured limbs won't last long for Lou, but his inferiority complex lives on forever.

Lou & Rhodes

[quickpickled]

The guilt-knife digs in a little deeper. Even he can't quite feel victory or any kind of joy at this defeat, which is annoying. Rhodes looks quite put out as he sighs in protest. "No. Actually. I wouldn't." It's sharp and obnoxious, the tone of their final arguments, "I think that would be an exquisite waste of talent."

Lou & Rhodes

[loudon]

"I don't believe you," Lou says, unable to conceal the hurt in his voice, as that familiar tone reminds him of those final arguments. "You beat me at almost everything. You're more talented than me. You've proven it. Enjoy." He looks defeated.

Lou & Rhodes

[quickpickled]

All right. This isn't going well. He does another heavy sigh. "We scored the same on the obstacle course, actually. 82. We're purely just above average." This would be fun in another place and time, but Rhodes doesn't let himself think about that.

Lou & Rhodes

[loudon]

"Hmm," Lou replies. Much as he hates to admit it, Rhodes has a point there. Unfortunately, Lou is already on an anxiety spiral and he doesn't really feel that much better.

"You didn't eat shit in front of the entire station like I did," he says instead. Then, he allows himself to feel the guilt nagging at him for a moment and he relents, "You don't have to try to make me feel better, you know. You can just gloat if you want. I'd deserve it."

Lou & Rhodes

[quickpickled]

"I don't get any great pleasure, believe it or not, from gloating after your misfortune. I genuinely..." But he does not think, for once, that he really can solve anything with his words so he just shakes his head. "I'm glad you're okay. Do you need anything." When in doubt, offer a pie, or something, as his grandparents had taught him well.

Lou & Rhodes

[loudon]

Lou feels a familiar sinking feeling in his stomach when he realizes that Rhodes was being genuine, and he—yet again—had been too quick to get defensive; he was the one being a prick here.

"I'm glad you're okay, too. And that you did well. I'm fine, I'm probably just going to go sit under a sun lamp until everything stops hurting, or pack my bags, or something," he says gloomily. He briefly considers offering Rhodes a hug, but thinks better of it, and gives him a, "Thanks, and I'm sorry." instead.

Re: Lou & Rhodes

[quickpickled]

This feels like winning enough that Rhodes does in fact feel a little smug, but there's some concern tied up in there as well, enough to shake his head. "Say sorry by proving me wrong. Don't leave. Just try to beat me next time. Maybe you can't."

Spite is the best gift that keeps on giving, so Rhodes leaves it there, and whistles away.