etcelsior | 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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ His head, predictably, starts tilting back at 'yellow thing up in the sky', but then the caution kicks in, and Shiro's head snaps back to Dorian. Not that he knows what 'blind' is, but a don't is a don't. ]

Wow, that's so cool! So you can look at the sun a little bit? Can I use those 'sunglasses' and look at the sun a little bit?

Why not, [ Dorian responded, as he took off his sunglasses and handed them to Shiro. ] You can't keep them, but maybe I'll buy you a pair of your own.

[ Dorian's sunglasses are designer. Shiro's getting a pair from the dollar store. ]

[ Shiro hops over and takes the sunglasses carefully, like they're holy or capable of eating him if angered or something. Somehow the thick gloves and manacles he's wearing don't get in the way.

AND THEN HE PUTS SUNGLASSES ON AND LOOKS AT THE SUN, OH GOD THIS IS AMAZING ]

Wow, it's so bright and shiny and warm— [ bright as a lamp, warm as a heater, when I grow up, I'll find a 'sun' for you—is he forgetting something? Oh yeah!

Still wearing Dorian's sunglasses, Shiro looks back at Dorian with a stupidly warm grin on his face. ]

Hey, thanks for that. I'll try to eat it later. You're smart and nice, but are you 'friend' or 'foe'?

[ Oh my gosh, this kid can't be for real, he is entirely too ridiculous and too endearing at the same time and Dorian is trying his hardest not to laugh as he looks at the sun. ]

Would a foe tell you all this information about the sun? [ He reaches over towards Shiro's face, attempting to take his sunglasses back. ]

I'm a friend. My name's Dorian.

[ 'Would a foe tell you all this information about the sun'… 'would a foe'… processing. And then Dorian says 'friend', and it clicks. Shiro takes the sunglasses off and gives them back, then claps a hand to his chest in relief. He is positively beaming, and somehow, the world seems a little brighter for it. ]

Phew! A friend, that's good. I like friends. See, my grampa—and when I say 'grampa' I mean the man who found me and raised me—told me to protect my 'friends' and kill my 'foes', so I'm gonna protect you!

[ This kid is too cute, he really needs better friends. Dorian's new goal, try and find somebody that's a bit more age-appropriate for this kid to be friends with because he knows it'll end badly if this little bundle of energy hangs out with him for too long. ]

The offer's appreciated, but I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself. I'm more hardy than you think.

[ says the man who looks like a twenty-something, has no muscle tone, and also looks like he weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet. Dorian's a beanpole. ]

I can get you food too, when you're hungry! You look like you need to eat!

[ He is so proud of this offer. ]

Uh no, I'm full. I'm perfectly fine. Thanks, though.

But you'll get hungry, right? Everyone gets hungry, especially before bedtime. And you have to eat a lot so you can survive in the snow.

[ Oh, how to break it to the small child... ] Florida doesn't get snow.

What? Why not?

[ BUT I AM AN ESKIMO THIS CANNOT BE ]

Because it's too far South. It might get one inch every few years, but most of the time it doesn't get any snow.

[ CRUSHING YOUR ESKIMO DREAMS ]

Haha, gosh, I don't know what that means. [ 'South'? 'Inch'?? 'Years'??? ] You're, like, really smart!

...wait, what part don't you know what it means? [ because Dorian's a bit confused now. ]

Uhh… [ He counts them off on his fingers. ] 'South', 'inch', and… 'yee-ur'.

[ The proudest smile, like, look I remembered the things I don't know, praise me! ]

The power is in your hands

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