etcelsior | OH MY GOD YOU GUYS

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. The city of Heropa is what one might expect from a small, bright and cheery place, where locals are friendly enough and local shop owners might offer a free drink to welcome you to their fair city. 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. An upset voice wonders aloud: "More of them, when we already know they can't protect us? That's just painting a bigger target on the city's back!" However, they're quickly hushed with a judgmental: "They helped save the cities, and it's the Soviets you should be angry with anyway! The imPorts are here to protect us!"

02. 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. Many people are out and about taking care of their regular business, 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 spies. "How can we trust any of them now?"

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania, is not as friendly and its citizens tend to 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 mutter under their breaths resentfully about "vigilantes". However, not all locals turn the other way seeing imPorts; some of them will offer a polite enough smile and thank them for their help in overthrowing the trespassers. They don't stop to clarify what they mean, though.

04. Nonah, North Carolina, is the liveliest of all cities; 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. Advertisements are abound for imPorts to make appearances at various, televised celebrations, luring them in with promises of free food, merchandise, and payment.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I just got here.

[He can't read if it says hero or not, but the kid comes up to his hip; he's pretty sure he's safe no matter what.]

What about you? You've got powers too, right?

[He can think of a few shady reasons someone might not want to be seen, although that's less worrying when a ton of them apparently have powers.]

Welcome, I guess. [Better not to mention stuff like the Soviet invasion and the kidnapping and all that.]

Uh, yeah. All imPorts have powers. They're different for everyone, though.

And . . .?

[Spill the beans, kiddo.]

And what!

[Gettin' squeaky there. Tupaws, meanwhile, is trying to climb Mulder's leg.]

What's yours?

[Yeah, no thank you, Tupaws. Without taking his eyes off Dipper, Mulder leans down and takes hold of the cat, pulling him off his leg. He's gentle enough about it-- he doesn't want to hurt the cat-- but yeah, no. No thank you.]

That's pretty personal, man! You can't just ask people that!

[No, it isn't and yes, you can. Someone doesn't have to be skilled at reading body language to see that Dipper is obviously uncomfortable.]

[Okay, so-- on the one hand, Mulder makes it a policy not to be a jerk to kids. Because he's a nice guy. But on the other hand, it feels like he's in a friggin comic book, and he's talking to people with superpowers, and life is getting a little too strange for his liking.

So yeah, the kid looks uncomfortable, but not so uncomfortable Mulder is going to let up yet.]

Do you talk to animals, is that it?

[Is that why you have a cat on a leash, is the message here.]

[Dipper freezes almost comically. It's too close to the truth.]

I-- No! What kind of power is that, anyways?!

[Tupaws yowls in agreement.]

I don't know, I don't know what kind of powers people have!

[It's definitely something close to that.]

Look, I'll tell you mine, how about that?

...Fine. Fine. But you can't be all... judgey.

[Why does Dipper care about this strange man's opinion? A mystery!]

I won't.

[He won't, actually, but now he's biting back a grin, because really, how bad can it be?]

So... what are your powers?

[There is no way Dipper's going first.]

I don't . . . know. Yet.

[It's immortality, for the record.]

You know, you didn't actually tell me what your powers were. So I'm not going to tell you mine.

[SO THERE.]

[OH MY GOD]

I told you everything I know about my powers!

[Which is nothing. Which is what he told him.]

You didn't even read your file, did you! That's dangerous!

[What if this guy has explodey powers and doesn't know it? Why do only the irresponsible adults seem to find the Pines?]

I just got here, I've had a lot to do!

Like try to get personal details from complete strangers!?

You talked to me first!

So you wouldn't go chasing after a vigilante! Excuse me for being polite!

Look, I don't--

[HUFF.]

Can you at least tell me someone's power? I just want to get used to this place.

My sister summons magical, shapeshifting pigs. And my best friend has a guardian monster that comes out of his head.

[All said completely nonchalantly.]

. . . okay.

[So, like . . . that's . . . wow. That's something, there. Mulder blinks for a few seconds, trying to digest that.]

. . . what can the pigs shapeshift into? Can she control it, or is it up to them?

[Important distinctions.]

The pigs can be pretty much anything. Once she made a pig submarine and captured a warship or something? [That is not how it went, but that's how Mabel described it.]

Mabel usually controls what they turn into. When they're left alone, usually they just stay as pigs.

[That doesn't align at all with any kind of knowledge he has on mass conversion-- but then again, he saw someone flying, so obviously he's just going to have to accept things.

So he does, with a little nod.]

How many does she have?

(no subject)

ursawhiner - 2016-03-28 04:07 (UTC) - Expand