etcelsior | The power is in your hands

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The power is in your hands

TEST DRIVE MEME

Considering apping into MASK OR MENACE? Want to dip your toes into the setting and get a feel of whether your character will fit into it? Or maybe you're just cruising and want to play around? Then you've come to the right place!

Pick any of the following scenarios below or feel free to make up your own, but don't be afraid to throw yourself at someone else's thread, either!

And remember to have fun!

01. Your memory might be a haze still and you might even feel frustrated or anxious by the sudden news that you are no longer in your own world and that the Porter scientists and military cannot send you back. You don't get a chance to linger long in the underground Porter lab, but something is clearly amiss; light patches on the floor indicate something else used to sit in that spot in the room. Parts of the wall, floor and the tables look as if they have been refurbished in the past few months -- something happened in here some time ago. Something big.

You're ushered out quickly and then suddenly, you're enveloped in a faint blue blue light before you find yourself under the bright Floridian sun. Another soldier steps toward you with a smile, directing your attention to a car near a large gate. She mentions she'll be debriefing you soon, handing out a brown folder and a pamphlet. You don't see the digital tattoo on your wrist, but it's quickly explained on your way over to the car as you realize there are other confused faces nearby, all holding files of their own.

02. The city of Heropa is what one might expect from a small, bright and cheery place. The locals are friendly enough and local shop owners might offer a free drink to help cool you down in this awfully nauseating heat. Some of the locals might thank you for always lending your service to the nation and others might not say anything. In fact, some people might back away from any imPort who quite obviously looks like they aren't from around the neighborhood. Once in a while there's a look of disdain on someone's face and hushed voices. Something about "the outbreak" and "the government's gotta crack down on their medical files". "Some of them can't be right in the head" says another.

03. De Chima, Virginia, is a large city with a healthy economy, and though it's quieter, there are just as many citizens awed at your presence. Heavy winds have people grasping at their newspapers and constantly brushing hair out of their faces, but that doesn't distract them from crowding you in excitement if you're obviously from a different time or world, or just let it slip that you're a newcomer. Children and young teenagers are especially likely to ask for an autograph and a photo.

Some locals seem less enthused to see you. They never make an approach, but they can be overheard scoffing and muttering something about cameras. "Who do they think they are?" or "I don't like it... it reminds me of the government corruption back in the eighties." What could they be talking about?

04. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania, is normally known for being a little more on the apathetic side, but there's been tension in the atmosphere lately. Nobody will outright state what it is that's rustled their jimmies, though you might find a newsstand with articles on recent and aggressive vigilante behavior within the city. "ImPorts: loyal to the cause of their own?" reads one newspaper article.

People are not as friendly in this city and go out of their way to avoid walking down the same sidewalk as the more obvious looking imPorts pass through. Local cops say nothing, but they scowl at those imPorts and utter something about "no badges" and "acting like authority figures".

05. Nonah, North Carolina, is the liveliest of all cities. It's loud, busy and there's some kind of energy in the air that gets everyone buzzing with excitement. Anyone who they come to determine an imPort is bombarded with all sorts of offers; job offers, advertising gigs, spokesperson for advocating children stay in school, etc. Anything and everything! You name it. Shops offer discounts for food and clothing, whatever they need. People flock in droves with questions, but they all say the same thing. Thank you for your service to this country, Hero. You saved a lot of lives. Wow, feels great to be a hero, doesn't it?

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[ Junseo has never been known for his quick processing skills, even to people who don't know him as well as Jinseok does. For people who do know him as well as Jinseok does? It comes as absolutely no surprise that it takes Junseo that long to recognize the very person he's been waiting for for so long. Jinseok would be far more surprised if it took Junseo any less time to do it.

As it is though he's not really surprised, because... well, he's here, of course Junseo would also be here. That's his Junseo, after all.

He ignores the stall owner completely for a moment to wave at Junseo with a waffle in hand, then holds it out towards him, gesturing for him to take it. ]

Let's get matching cellphones. Mine doesn't work anymore.

[ A very casual reunion for someone who very casually did not have time to miss Junseo. ]

[ Junseo isn't sure what's happening right now. That's Jinseok? That's really Jinseok hyung! In the flesh! Right in front of him!! Acting like he never disappeared in the first place?

He whines for a moment in confusion, but it doesn't last long as he steps forward and leans down to bite into the waffle (without once touching it with his bare hands). It tastes great, but for all he really wanted a waffle just two minutes ago? He couldn't care less about it now. He could toss it to the side and never see another waffle again and that feels alright right now.

Really, the only reason he even takes a bite at all is because it's Jinseok offering it to him.

He chews the chunk of waffle in his mouth as quickly as he can, not waiting until his mouth isn't full of food to try to start talking--

Unfortunately whatever he was trying to say comes out as one big mumbled mess, so this technique did not work for him. ]

[ Confusion is one of the main emotions Jinseok has come to see Junseo feel, so it isn't really all that befuddling to him to see Junseo look at him that way and whine about it. He doesn't know what the problem is, but he knows that most of Junseo's problems are fixed by food, so shoving some in his face seems like a good idea.

He also likes that Junseo lets him hold it while he eats. It makes him feel very important, and it makes eating street waffles a group activity. It also makes him the most integral part of waffle eating, and without him? Junseo would not be eating. All very good. He likes this.

He pinches Junseo's cheek, making a face at him. ]

My handsome Junseo, even handsome when he can't speak. What am I supposed to do when you're like this?

[ Not most of them! Just half... only half his problems are solved by food. At least 50% of the time though Junseo's problem is that he's hungry at the time, and doesn't have food immediately in front of him to eat. He's a simple boy, and simple boys often have simple solutions to their simple problems.

Unfortunately food doesn't solve his problem this time, even though he's not about to stop eating the free waffle he's cramming into his face.

He crinkles his nose when Jinseok pinches his cheek, but takes another bite of waffle, trying hard to decide where to start with his (for once) endless list of questions, before deciding to just stick them all together into one simple question. ]

Hyung, why?

[ Only his mouth is full of waffle so it's more of a "Hwuhnn eeh" than anything. ]

[ The other 50% of Junseo's problems that aren't food related are very easily solved by Jinseok anyway, one way or another. He's always been a good people person, and Junseo isn't a person who is hard to people--a person who's difficult to work out.

Except for now, like this, because Jinseok has no idea what Junseo is trying to say to him. He tilts his head a little, looking blank and confused, then looks down at the waffle he's feeding Junseo, rotating it a little bit. ]

It's strawberry?

[ Junseo looks back at him just as blankly. It's not like most people are good enough at reading others to always know what's going on in that mostly vacant head of it, but he spent most of the past year of his life around Jinseok so he's used to him understanding what he means without actually having to say it.

Then again, there's no real way for Jinseok to understand what Junseo means here, because there's no way for him to realize that he hasn't been in Junseo's life for almost two months now. Just like there's really no way for Junseo to know that Jinseok is from his "past". A past of just a few months back, sure, but the past none-the-less.

Junseo stands up and finishes the bite, trying to talk again now that his mouth isn't blocked. ]

You were gone.

[ Oh yes, that clarifies well. ]

[ It isn't clarification at all, and Jinseok still isn't following what all the fuss is about. Yeah, he was gone, for like five hours tops. He wanted to explore a little bit before heading back to his apartment and trying to call Junseo--is that so wrong? ]

Yeah, to get waffles for my Junseo.

[ That's a lie, he just wanted to flirt with the waffle man and score some free food, might have gotten a little carried away... But Junseo is here now, and conveniently waffles are also here? Soo... waffles for Junseo, obviously. He holds one up enticingly, waving it in front of Junseo's face. ]

Did you miss your hyung too much while I was gone? It was too much for you? I like that.

[ He shakes his head, and actually leans away from the waffles (Junseo? Leaning away from food?!). He hasn't seemed to learn his lesson yet that disagreeing with Jinseok will be taken as a direct disagreement with the question. He did miss Jinseok a lot, and should probably be agreeing with that statement.

Instead he's giving a contradictory answer because he hasn't thought out how that reaction looks to those questions.

He'll keep talking though, maybe that'll clear things up. ]

No, hyung! Not the waffles.

[ He's dumb, but he's not so dumb he honestly believes it takes a month to get waffles. ]

[ Tch. Whatever, Jinseok didn't want Junseo to miss him anyway. Look how much he doesn't care, with the way his face clouds over suddenly, and there's no sign of the grin that went all the way to his eyes. He looks cold now, and gives Junseo a flat, disinterested look.

What does he need Junseo's attention for anyway? He's famous here. People love him. He doesn't need this kind of disrespect. ]

Good, because I didn't get you any.

[ He shoves the one Junseo was eating from into his mouth to prove his point. He isn't really in a waffle mood, but he'll eat every single one of them if it means Junseo doesn't get one. ]

[ Junseo's expression falls immediately. He doesn't know what he did wrong to make Jinseok suddenly turn cold on him, which means he doesn't know how to fix it. Not that he usually knows how to fix it when Jinseok is upset, but he goes to his default that usually seems to (sort of) work.

Junseo immediately latches onto Jinseok's wrist, holding it, but not pulling on it (pulling on it would just make the mood worse). ]

Jinseok hyung, I'm sorry!

[ Sorry for what? He doesn't have the foggiest, but he's apparently supposed to be sorry about something, because Jinseok looks pissed off. ]

[ That's the kind of reaction Jinseok likes to see in someone who has personally wronged him. He doesn't want Junseo to carry on not realizing what he'd done; there's no fun in passive aggression when the guy you're trying to teach a lesson isn't paying enough attention to catch it. ]

Are you sorry?

[ He doesn't extract his wrist from Junseo's hand, but he doesn't look as pleased as he usually would with Junseo being handsy to him. ]

You missed your hyung?

[ Junseo literally has no idea what he did wrong, he just knows by Jinseok's standards something he said was bad, so clearly he's got to apologize now, right? Jinseok doesn't make a lot of sense to him, and Junseo won't really learn a lesson from this. Unless you count "apologize immediately when Jinseok is upset" as a lesson? In which case he's got that one down!

He nods, not sure why Jinseok's asking that. He thought it was pretty obvious he did? Because he was the one that said something about him being gone in the first place. ]

I missed you a lot, hyung. You've been gone for a really long time, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do? My rent was almost up, and I couldn't find you, and none of your friends were picking up your calls either.

[ Friends mostly meaning business partners, but it all amounted to the same thing in Junseo's eyes. ]

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