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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He takes a look and though he's more used to seeing machines with his powers than with his eyes, he can almost feel it. ]

It's beautiful.

[ He's not even paying lip service, he's studying it and finding an elegance in it that he hasn't begun to appreciate about this world yet. All the technology is so sleek here. ]

Really, it's so... Fluid.

[ People have thought he looks creepy when admiring things... ]

[Intense, maybe, but she gets it. These designs are her security in a chaotic headspace. She's got so many design sheets of parts and different styles that the chance of her building even a quarter of them are slim.]

Thank you. It's a bit of a passion of mine.

I'm not from this time.

[ Since, you know, no one else is really around and he has a distinct feeling she's not from these parts either. ]

I could never have dreamed this.

[Another import, then. He didn't much look it, but then sometimes it was hard to tell. She nods, rolling up one shoulder in a half shrug.]

I come from about seventeen years ahead and some of the tech here is still unusual. The magnets are mine, but the rest of it is fashioned from what I've found here.

Did you just arrive?

Yes.

Three days ago. It's been interesting.

[ Must be weird to go into the past. Though certainly if he went back seventeen years, he knows exactly what he would do. ]

[Her lips thin a little at that. 'Interesting'. He has no idea. None of the new imports know what just happened last month. Should she tell him? Properly inform him of the dangers of being here? It won't be able to stop him from having to live here, but knowing about the people so willing to hurt others could only help, right?

Her hands are shaking and she tucks them under the table. She can't lose it here. She's only had her power back for a little while, if she has a panic attack...]

Yeah. It's...it's been tough. I've been here for months and it...it hasn't gotten much easier.

[A month ago she hadn't wanted to leave. But after the disaster she didn't know anymore.]

You don't have to talk about it.

[ She looks traumatized. Like seriously. He remembers that feeling, of complete fear. Powerlessness. He vowed to never be in that position again, and yet. ]

Will you tell me your name?

Sorry, [She lets out a short laugh that sound more bitter than anything else, but pulls her shoulders back and holds out a hand. She told herself she wouldn't be afraid anymore.]

I'm Gogo. I'm a resident here in De Chima.

Gogo. I'm Erik. It's nice to meet you.

[ His handshake is firm, warm, and not too long-lasting. ]

Do you have a garage here?

No, but I know someone who works at one.

I TA for a professor in Heropa. They fund my research. I haven't been here long enough to start something of my own.

[It's a thought, but the science is more fascinating to her at the moment than the practical application. The tech's not even close to consumer ready yet anyway. So many bugs.]

Tell me about it. I know I might not understand all the concepts, but I find it intriguing.

[She smiles, enjoying the opportunity to talk about her work.]

I like to race. Something about the freedom of the wind pulling at you while you give yourself to the turn of the earth. It's always appealed to me. So I started building bikes. But I could never be fast enough.

The magnets erase that problem. I created wheels for an electromagnetic suspension. The theory being if I can remove the friction made from the bike chain, then I have a faster bike. It works, but still not as fast as I would like it.

Speed aside the technology could do so much for transportation. Reduce accidents, reduce traffic, reduce the necessary wear and tear on vehicles from the road. Cut fuel prices.

It's a little different here, because most people don't believe in wheels anymore, [She gestures out to the hovercars on the road.] But if you ask me there's only so far you can go with just that tech. Precision is terrible.

[ This is slightly above his paygrade, he's not sure he could be of any assistance, but since he doesn't know about her power set... ]

If you need help testing them out, I might be able to assist you.

[She tilts her head curiously, folding her hands on top of the papers. A slight shift of the scientist in her being open to new possibilities.]

I usually test the gear myself but...I can't deny that help would be nice. [Probably less dangerous. Probably.] What did you have in mind?

I don't know much of the science, but if you need more than two hands, I have plenty.

[ Some minor levitation of pens and salt shakers is happening. It's kind of sad how low-level it is, but listen, he hasn't let the superhero memo sink in yet, so this is like hella impressive regularly. ]

[Her mind blanks. There's no other word for it. She stares at the pens and shakers with a stunned, almost distant expression

someone is grabbing at her, instead of running with the rest of the terrified crowd, and then they're not; a metal display reaching out and grabbing them and pulling them in

She shakily exhales, remembering to breathe.]

T-telekinesis?

[She's never seen anyone else with her specific power before. It can't be...]

[ He shakes his head but then frowns, thinking that maybe she disapproves of Import powers or something. After all, no one said ALL imports have powers. ]

Just metal, unfortunately.

[ He probably could have explained that with more science... but Fox is really bad at science... ]

Oh... [Her voice is too small, thin, and she clears her throat, fidgeting with sudden movement as she tries to figure out what to do with hands that have resumes shaking.

Dammit, woman up, Gogo. You promised you'd get over this. There's nothing to be afraid of.]

I... never thought...someone else...

Someone else?

[ Oh, now his interest is piqued... ]

[She glances around the still empty cafe and hunches her shoulders a little. Forcing a deep breath, she focuses on the buzz of her power ever waiting just under her skin, the weight of magnetism in the air, and holds up her hand towards the shakers at their table.

It's hard without a rush of emotion. Hard to concentrate on the one thing and her entire arm trembles with the effort of reaching out with that power.

She misses the shaker, but the chair on the opposite side quite dramatically topples over and she jerks back, trying and failing to smother the fear in her expression.]

Edited 2015-08-30 01:21 (UTC)

[ Erik looks behind him and then looks at her and--

--Smiles. A huge, big grin. ]

That's amazing!

[ He's never met anyone else with his powers either. And, well, he has no idea how rare they are but certainly they're not common. And to think, two seconds ago he thought she might be scared of him, as the humans were. ]

I didn't know there were more of us.

[It's clear the compliment was the last thing she expected to hear, and it distracts her neatly before her mind could get lost in flashbacks.]

Is it? [Doubtful. A pause.]

More of us? You mean imports?

No. I mean... with magnetic powers.

[ That's so incredible. He looks so excited. Maybe scary, his excited face is a little scary. ]

Are there others?

I don't know. Most people don't really advertise their abilities. I know someone with similar electricity, but not magnekinesis.

[What is even going on? Why is he excited? It's not that great. Well, okay, finding someone else who knows, who understands what it's like...

Maybe that she can see.

She looks a bit dumbstruck, but less afraid.]

Do the locals resent us?

[ Not in the subtle way, or the way they try to downplay it. He means for real. The kind of thing he spends his whole life fighting. The kind of thing he thinks that she probably understands, as someone who's been here long enough and had these powers long enough to know exactly what he means. ]

omgoshhhh

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