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

[ For an older looking guy, the Doctor's pretty spry (and stupidly stubborn). He breaks out into a jog as well, matching her pace. ]

[When they're close to the door, she reaches out for the handle, absolutely determined to get through it first.]

[ And get the handle she does. ]

I let you win. [ still, he seems weirdly happy about just running to the coffee shop, and he's grinning a little bit. This was kind of fun. ]

[She gives him a disdainful look, and goes into the shop. She doesn't hold the door open for him.]

[ Well, the Doctor just pushes in, seemingly paying no attention to the fact that the door wasn't held open. ]

Get the one with all the whipped cream, [ he offers, as a suggestion, as he walks up to the counter. ]

I'll get whatever the hell I want.

[She walks up to the register next to the Doctor and orders an iced latte. The barista makes it right away and hands it over; she walks away without paying.]

[ Wow. Rude. Thankfully, the Doctor's got enough cash on hand to pay for both of their coffees, though he's giving Lourdes a look that's pure "really???" He orders a simple black coffee for himself, no whipped cream, before heading back over to where she is. ]

You're getting the next one. [ It's a statement of fact: he is going to make sure that she buys him a coffee at some point or another during their time here. ]

[She gives him a flat look.]

I didn't ask you to pay for me. Why did you if you were just going to complain about it?

I'm not complaining, I'm just stating a fact. We'll get coffee again at some point, you'll pay for it then. [ you are never getting rid of him, Lourdes. ]

I don't plan on paying for a single thing here.

Let me guess, your world doesn't have a concept of currency? Well, at least on this world, money is used to exchange for goods and services.

I told you I'm from Earth, didn't I? I know about money. I'm just choosing not to use it.

They would have let me. Look, I'll show you.

[She walks back up to the counter. This time, she doesn't even say anything. The barista (a different one from the one she'd gotten her drink from) immediately fetches her a blueberry scone, which she brings back to the table - again without paying.]

[ He watches, frowning as she does...something, and gets that scone from the barista. The Doctor's expression almost instantly swaps from mildly interested to pretty much frowning. ]

Ohhh, you shouldn't have done that, [ he said, as he sighed. ] It's a pity, you had potential.

You don't even know what I did.

No, but I do know that the barista's going to get a talking-to from his boss, he'll truthfully state that he has no clue what came over him, the boss won't believe him, and he'll probably have his pay docked or have an infraction written or something ridiculous like that.

And he's just a barista. If you're going to try and get something from someone else, which I don't recommend you do unless the circumstances are a bit more dire than a scone, never go for the small fish.

I have a gift.

[She slouches in her chair.]

It would be a crime not to use it.

[Except she'd been trying to keep that gift from him, hadn't she?

Oh, well.]

Use it in a better way, then.

Give me one good reason why it matters.

The power is in your hands

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