WAKE UP IN THE MORNING FEELING LIKE

[maskormods]

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 there's only one rule in Test Drive Meme Club: 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, while others might not say anything -- but if you have something nasty to say, better not say anything at all, right? But on closer inspection of these Silent Stanleys and Stellas, you might notice that some people actually back away from any imPort who quite obviously looks like they aren't "from around the neighborhood". Once in a while, you may hear a voice raised:

"Did you see how visible their elections have become? They're just trying to grab power! Have you seen the homes they live in?

Of course, for every claim, there's a rebuttal; you may well hear a competing voice arguing, "They deserve to have a say in things too! You know it's different for them!"

ImPorts are a divisive issues, even in pretty Heropa.

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 very presence. Look at you! Organic wonder! Science and technology are the lifeblood of this city, so you're likely to come across a good many locals taking your picture with the newest of devices. The imPort craze is at an all-time high, and considering the ambition of many of De Chima's residents, you may find yourself cornered by overzealous imPort fans, media wannabes and opportunists alike, shoving cameras in your face.

Their questions are less politically charged than they are mundane, however; get ready for an interview about your taste in romantic partners, personal underwear choices, favourite foods, and more!

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania, is having a rainy day. The streets seem to be running with water, the sky can't seem to stop crying. You might want to check out some consumerism-inclined shelter, be that a smoky and dart-eyed bar full of grumbling locals, or a grimy and industrial coffee shop (full of grumbling locals). Watch your step, newly minted imPort, because if you let on that you're fresh meat then you're bound to find a few people who decide that the only proper welcome for an imPort is a nice set of knuckles to the face.

One or two more cowardly locals may hesitate before giving you such a greeting, however, with a muttered, "Wonder if the new guy in office is gonna do more than the last one."

Ouch. Look at the political savvy on this guy!

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. You may find yourself in the midst of a few closed-off streets for some occasion or another - whether it be a food cart festival, no-car day, or something else! - and surrounded by the hum of people, the waft of food being served on the street, and plenty of attention

Look there -- someone's demoing a VR roller coaster! Won't you give it a shot?

Comments

Kara Danvers | Supergirl

[mostlysunny]

01: Heropa

It still feels strange, reaching up to adjust her glasses and not finding them. They're in the bag she's got tumbled at her feet under the cafe table, but she doesn't need them here, that's what she'd been told, she doesn't have to hide who she is here. So she's experimenting, blinking at the world without dark frames to fend off the inquisitive looks. It's a warm day in Heropa, but her hair is down anyway, tumbling off her shoulders, catching the sun, extra-gold, extra-shiny. Just Kara, no pretending.

It feels good here. She feels good here, and her iced butterscotch latte had been on the house. The man behind the counter had given her a once-over and a knowing look and waved off payment. "Welcome to Heropa. Good luck, kid." She'd been too surprised and pleased to remark on the kid—she doesn't look that young, she's in her twenties, come on—and the good luck only gave her pause for a few seconds before she'd smiled and thanked him and taken her drink back outside.

But it doesn't take long before she starts catching the edges of whispers, even making the effort not to hear everything going on around her, and her smile starts to shift into a little frown of concern. She's new here, but that doesn't mean she won't lean over to someone at a nearby table and ask, "Is, um. I'm sorry to bother you, but I just got here, is everything…is everything all right? People seem. A little mad."

02: De Chima

There have been times where Supergirl has shown up to press events. Not a lot of them, it gets dangerous when there are too many pictures of her, but she'd stuck around after fending off an attack on a hospital to say hi to the kids there, she'd shown up to the rededication of the firehouse that had adopted her as a mascot. But it was always as Supergirl, no one wanted selfies with Kara Danvers.

Here, people seem to want selfies with Kara Danvers. A lot of them. In fact, once people had figured out that she was a, what is it? An imPort? They'd kept coming, and for the first time she'd realized what it must be like to be swamped with fans. It had been a struggle to politely get out of there without shoving too hard, and now she's managed to evade the crowd and is leaning up against a wall in a much quieter street.

She isn't really speaking to anyone in particular, maybe she's just talking to herself when she says, a little stunned, "Is it always like that here?"

03: Maurtia Falls

Even though the sun is right on the other side of the clouds, she can still feel it there, some rainy days just bring her mood down. She's subdued when she ends up in line in a coffee shop, distracted as she looks at the license plates lining the walls, the grime above the windows up near the high ceiling. It hasn't stopped raining since she arrived, and a place like this…well, it's not much like National City. She's a little homesick already.

The gloom and her short sleeves do nothing to hide the tattoo on her wrist, and she's staring at it again, wondering how they'd done it. It's a scary thought anyway, falling asleep and waking up like that, but especially her, she couldn't get a tattoo if she wanted one, the needles would snap, and she's too focused on that to notice the first waves of angry muttering as they rise up around her. Someone might want to snap her out of it before a punch is thrown and a hand is broken. That wouldn't be a great welcome.

04: Nonah

Kara Danvers considers herself something of an expert on food trucks, okay. It's not like it's a challenge to make the food-truck-festival rounds, no matter where they are, and she does, so when she finds out that her first weekend in Nonah is going to be a food cart festival, that's pretty much the best news. Nonah has found an appetite and she's going to try everything.

After making the rounds once, she's perched on a bench with a stack of empty trays next to her and a toffee apple clutched carefully in her teeth as she ties her hair back in a tight ponytail. There's no way to eat a toffee apple and have her hair down at the same time, which is a shame, she's been enjoying letting it flow free, and not having to wear her glasses, and just being Kara here. It's muffled at first, since she's trying to talk through an apple ("Myou fhoud go—") but then she remembers herself and maybe turns a little red before she takes a bite and swallows and starts again. "You should go get the mini-doughnuts before they're gone, they're so good."

2

[annihiliner]

Lexa smiles, very slightly, and raises an eyebrow. She'd been watching all of that with amusement, though most might not pick up on it immediately, and decided to approach when the poor woman stopped for breath not too far from her.

"Not always," she answers, whether or not the question was meant for her. "But often enough. You get used to it, or learn to avoid it."

[mostlysunny]

She hadn't needed rescuing, thank goodness, that would have been embarrassing, but it's still a relief to find a friendly face that doesn't look like it wants an autograph, or to ask her questions about who she is, who she really is, and stuff that was everything from way too personal to just bizarre, why would anyone want to know things like her shoe size?

"One of them asked what I have for breakfast," she says, a little bewildered as she edges a little closer. Strength in numbers, is that a thing here? "I haven't been here for breakfast yet. I haven't even been here long enough to find out where the best bear claws are."

[annihiliner]

"Maybe you should offer to reach out to her again tomorrow then," she manages to suggest with a straight face. She's quite good at it, to be honest. It's very possible that's Lexa's real superpower. "I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

[mostlysunny]

"...should I? Is that...do people do that here? If she's really interested, I suppose I could try and find her again..." It's a really good straight face okay, and Kara doesn't want to start off on the wrong foot.

"But first I need to figure it out. Okay, if you had to choose, what's the best bakery in town? Oh, I'm, um, I'm Kara, by the way," she adds a few seconds late, holding out a hand with a beaming smile. They still shake hands here, right?

[annihiliner]

Well, they don't shake hands like that where she comes from, but she's seen it done enough here that she can copy it. "Lexa," she answers, with a small return smile. "And I believe my housemates are fond of a place called 'Do or Donut.'"

The tagline of course: 'There is no try.'

[mostlysunny]

Gasp. "That's hilarious." She is delighted now, all the weirdness of the crowd in the street behind her totally gone in the wake of discovering a pun-tastic new bakery she needs to visit. "And that sounds like they know what they're doing. Hi Lexa, nice to meet you."

[annihiliner]

Her knowledge of pop culture is still pretty lacking, but this one at least had been explained to her, and apparently with good reason if this reaction is anything to go by. She gives a small nod. "And you as well, Kara."

[mostlysunny]

Yay, introductions navigated successfully once again, she doesn't even have to think about the differences between Earth and Krypton anymore, and now she's looking up Do or Donut on the comm this place had given her, and oh look, it's close. "Ooh, it's only a few blocks away, okay let's go." You're coming, right Lexa?

[annihiliner]

Well, she hadn't intended to, so there's a moment of surprise and consideration before Lexa nods. "If you like."

3!

[khajidont]

Jaime isn't in Maurtia Falls too often, honestly, and this is a big reason why: it's a harsh city, and one that seems unswayed by the good imPorts have done, their perceptions too coloured by all the ill that's been done. When he sees angry muttering rising up around what seems to be a very new imPort, Jaime assesses his options.

He could go in there fists a-swinging, or tell them off for their willingness to hassle perfectly innocent citizens for no other reason but their existence, but that seems a little too direct for his liking. He prefers not to fight, if at all possible, and while he could confront them... why not just help her instead?

She may notice someone heading her way, but with his hand stuffed into his pockets, shoulders slumped in a slouch and earbuds in, he looks like another passing college student born and raised in Maurtia Falls.

Save for the fact that once he approaches her, he's quick to tap her on the shoulder, offering her a quick smile. "Hi, Miss. Sorry to bug you, but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions? Over there, out of the rain?" He nods towards a nearby awning, nice and out of the way. People are much more liable not to bug people in pairs, after all.

:D

[mostlysunny]

The tap is enough to shake her out of her mood, and she blinks in confusion for a moment, about to answer, but then the atmosphere of rising aggression seems to penetrate and she moves...between the newcomer and the aggressors? It's automatic. But she nods, ventures a smile that's only a little brittle.

"Sure, of course. I didn't order yet, we can go if you need something." She follows him to the awning and no one goes after them, that's a good sign, but it's worrying that they'd gotten so close without her realizing. What if one of them had thrown a punch she hadn't expected and didn't roll with?

Once they've ducked out of the rain, she glances over her shoulder again before focusing on him again, and asking in a low voice, "Are you in trouble? Were they hassling you?"

I was delighted to see Kara on here!! I ADORE HER c:

[khajidont]

Okay, her stepping in front of him? That's odd. And maybe by accident, he thinks, because even if he's kind of small and scrawny, it'd make no sense for a newbie to try and cover him instead. Then again, it's just as odd that she just listens to him and follows him away, without him even having said anything to her.

"What? No, no at all -- they don't even know I'm an imPort!" He flashes his own tattoo at her briefly, a sheepish smile on his face before he slips his hand back into his pocket. "I was worried they were gonna try something on you. They, uh... weren't looking at you like they just wanted to be friends. You gotta be careful, 'round here."

YAY SO GLAD \o/

[mostlysunny]

"I, oh. Oh. Really?" She looks back at the group, now breaking up since apparently two imPorts aren't as much of a target as one, and her face falls a little. Homesickness bites down hard when it's raining like this and ordinary citizens are ready to pick a fight just because you exist. It's like the anti-alien sentiments at home, but even those have mostly faded now.

"This place is not much like National City," she mutters with a sigh, then musters another smile, a real one. "Thanks, thank you. I'm not sure I've ever been rescued like that before, it's usually me doing—um. Never mind. I'm Kara."

[khajidont]

"I'm Jaime. It's nice to meet you!" He offers his hand for her to shake, smiling at her. For once, one city doesn't cross the bounds of multiple universes; National City certainly doesn't ring a bell for him. "I've been here a while and... don't take this as the norm, okay? You gotta be careful, but there's a lot of good here too, I promise."

It's what he tells everyone, and through everything that's happened, all the attacks and threats of hate, all of the conflict, he still genuinely believes it. Everyone's got to believe in something, right?

"You, uh... had to do a lot of saving people in National City? Is it dangerous there too?"

[mostlysunny]

The real smile grows a little and it's clear Kara doesn't stay down long. Or that it takes more than that to keep her down. Either way, she's cheering up already just meeting a friendly face, and a fellow imPort friendly face at that. "Okay, I believe you. I'm usually more, um. Observant. About things like that."

And she tucks her hair behind her ear, and maybe she should just start wearing her glasses again, she hadn't realized until they were gone how often she reaches for them to fiddle with them when she's feeling awkward. "It's not, I mean, dangerous is a little...there are some people there that I've had to fight off, I defend it. Like m—" My cousin, Superman. "—many other heroes," she finishes instead.

[khajidont]

"Oh!"

That's enough to get Jaime's interest, of course. Not that he can straight up tell any old stranger that he's a superhero to, but he's always glad to have more around here, more people who understand what the title really means instead of some silly thing out of stories, irrational and illogical. Being a superhero may be irrational and illogical, true, but it's more than that too. It just takes a certain perspective to see that.

"So you don't -- no secret IDs or anything for you? You can just out and out say it? It's just that, where I'm from, most heroes are pretty gung ho about that sort of thing." He flashes a grin at her. "I can see why you'd wanna tell people, though. That's pretty awesome."

[mostlysunny]

"I, um. Well. ...no, I do still need to keep it a secret at home. You know, I have a, a day job, and everything. But here, it seems like everyone already knows anyway, and when I first..." She sighs a little, rubbing at the tattoo on her wrist. "I tried to be ordinary? For a long time. My foster family wanted me to stay safe and not let anyone know what I could do, but then I started saving people and it was..."

She smiles, the brilliant beam of someone who's found their calling. "It was so worth it. And I wish I could tell people at home, I wish that a lot, but I guess the important people already know. And sometimes it's hard to be the hero all the time, so being able to be just Kara is...helpful...I'm sorry, I'm talking way too much again."

4

[ex_elfblooded446]

Alistair would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed by Kara's skill at putting food away - it certainly rivaled his own (clearly, it surpassed his, but he needed to have some point to pride himself on). The foods that were on sale were certainly strange to his palate, but tantalizing; he had something called a corn dog in hand. He prayed to the Maker that there were actually no dogs in there, no matter how much he'd jested about stewing the party's mabari.

"I'll certainly put them on my list, my lady." Alistair had an almost-sly smile plastered across his lips. Again, he was impressed. "Would you have any more suggestions?"

[mostlysunny]

At home, she had to be a little more careful, but food trucks had a tendency to make her forget that she shouldn't be able to eat full meals from all of them in just under an hour. And everything here is so good. She's not even homesick right now—

Oh wow, did this guy just call her my lady? That was going to earn a little bit of a stuttering blush, and tucking her hair behind her ears, and trying to fidget with glasses that aren't there, but the question is more important, right? Right. Focusing on the question.

"Um, only all of them," she said immediately, hopping up and taking another bite of apple and then pointing it at the corn dog. "That's a good one, do you like spicy things? There's a place selling what I think is pepper-jack cheese curds with this kind of spicy dressing," she's walking now as she's describing it, waving the toffee apple around to emphasize things, "so good, you should definitely try it, do not eat the ramen tacos, they're..." Nose scrunch, politely casting about for something nice to say. "...not exactly...great."

[ex_elfblooded446]

Alistair admired the enthusiasm she had when it came to food - most ladies he knew tried to be so delicate about the matter. It made him feel a little bit better about his tendency to stuff his face (he still liked to blame it on being a Grey Warden). He perked up as he realized she'd mentioned something with cheese, though.

"If I might impose, would you mind playing my guide for a little while? I'm curious about the cheese curds and I must admit- these cities are still a little overwhelming." Alistair wasn't just putting on an act there, hopefully evinced by the slightly bashful tinge of pink to his cheeks. Denerim might have been a grand city of Ferelden, but these cities felt almost as much of a maze as the Deep Roads.

"Hopefully we won't get lost and end up on more of an adventure than we already are." He paused for a second, realizing he'd failed in the most basic of manners the Chantry sisters had taught him. "My name's Alistair."

[mostlysunny]

It was hard to be delicate about food when you could eat so much of it and not be affected even a little bit. She'd tried, as a kid, but right now there was just too much freedom in being herself.

"A guide, oh jeez, I mean. I can try? I'm pretty new here too, but I definitely know where the cheese curds are."

Right, introductions. She hopped up and offered a hand to shake, that was what people did here too, right? "I'm Kara, Kara Danvers. It's nice to meet you, Alistair. That is a cool name, where are you from?"

▸ 4

[aojona]

While he's no expert on food trucks himself, Paolo does at least have extensive experience eating from them; they're inexpensive and convenient, which is the perfect combination for someone on a budget and that sometimes forgets to eat until 2 AM or so. He looks over at Kara when she starts speaking, not convinced she's talking to him at first -- he just happened to be walking by, a frozen yogurt cup in hand -- then tips his sunglasses down so he can see her past without the brown filter of the lenses.

"Really?" It almost sounds skeptical the way he deadpans that question and then surveys the empty trays around her. "Just how mini are they?"

Re: ▸ 4

[mostlysunny]

Look, mini-doughnuts are important, she doesn't need to know someone first, isn't that the point of a food festival like this? People try things and then go around and tell other people what's good and what's worth skipping?

"They're like this," she says happily, holding up her thumb and index finger about an inch apart. "Like doughnut hole sized, but actual doughnuts. They're so cute. They're so good, they're crispy. And they're fresh. ...okay, now I want more of them." So she hops up, and scoops up that whole stack of trays to throw them in the nearest trash can. "Coming?"

[aojona]

Entire food festivals and food festival culture are definitely a little new to him, but that might also be because Paolo tends to keep to himself rather than really get involved, more often than not. Not that actually getting involved has to be a bad thing, especially with so many people around and so many different kinds of food to choose from.

"Sure, all right. I don't actually remember the last time I had a donut," he says with the edge of a smile, which gives his otherwise still dry and level tone more of an implied agreeableness. "I mean, I like cinnamon and sugar as much as the next person, but frosting and filling are usually kind of... I don't know... repulsive. But it's probably different, if they're fresh and mini."

He takes a contemplative spoonful of frozen yogurt into his mouth as he follows her, debating if he should say anything else, but introducing himself seems too -- what, presumptuous? Something like that. So, for now, he stays cautiously quiet.