etcelsior | WAKE UP IN THE MORNING FEELING LIKE

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[of any of this behavior strikes Lapis as particularly odd, it makes absolutely no appearance on her face. she does at least lean on the back of the bench during her next reply, although it isn't much of an improvement since it doesn't seem to be in concern.]

They have these little candy birds, or something like that. I think they're just all sugar.

[she's talking about Peeps. and good lord were they tasty.]

[In all fairness, Allura isn't too concerned with Lapis' own socially awkward behavior. This is a different planet, after all, and as a dignitary, Allura has learned to not pass judgement when it is possible that customs are simply different.

The headache passes as quickly as it came. Both the way this young woman looks and the way she talks about the food makes it obvious she's as much an outsider to this planet as Allura is, but one who's been here for awhile.]

They're all sugar? [Allura's expression kind of falters, halfway between intrigue and...disgust, admittedly.] Is that...part of their normal cuisine?

It must be, I bought them at one of the supply depots.

[...grocery store. she's talking about a grocery store, but as with many other things the word has been warped to fit a gem's understanding of the general concept. at least Lapis seems pretty conversational today, a feat which she doesn't always manage.]

And when I gave it to my friend he seemed pretty excited about it - maybe they can metabolize it faster?

[LUCKY FOR LAPIS she is talking to a fellow alien, so supply depot sounds entirely plausible.

And at this newfound knowledge of Earthling cuisine, Allura decides her expression is that of disgust. Sure, Alteans enjoyed sweet things, but the sweetness of juniberries is different and far more natural in flavour than whatever this 'strawberry' flavour was, as vaguely familiar as it is.

And the fact that there are things that are even sweeter...

.......still, she takes another polite sip of her malt.]

That seems reasonable. Humans do seem to eat a lot in quite a short amount of time. I would not be surprised if they have faster metabolisms.

It's disgusting.

[speaking of looks of total revulsion, Lapis is pulling a pretty impressive one right now. she can accept organic beings needing to eat in order to fuel themselves, but after watching someone like Josuke shovel down almost literally half of a fridge's contents...there had to be a limit here somewhere.]

It probably doesn't even taste the same to them.

[she hopes. prays. please don't let them taste things the way she can and still chow down that much.]

[It's a very impressive look of disgust, and Allura chuckles in amusement, hand at her mouth like the proper and polite princess that she is!!]

I have had my suspicions that humans have a different palate. The ones that I know have seemed to develop a...grudging taste for Altean dishes.

[Hunk's take on traditional Altean cuisine with an Earthly twist to it was appetizing, to say the least, but her and Coran still don't really understand why the paladins don't find the green goo they know and love appetizing.]

[it's probably very interesting, but something else entirely has caught Lapis' attention. she cocks her head to the side, openly curious for the first time in the conversation.]

What system is that in?

[she asks like she expects to recognize whatever answer she receives.]

Altea?

[She can't fault Lapis for not knowing, but...it's still a rather sensitive subject for the princess, and it's legible in her expression. She frowns, looking away for a moment before collecting herself.

Thinking about her home planet, her father...it's like picking at a still healing wound.]

The...system no longer exists. It was destroyed a long time ago.

[it's subtle. Lapis' posture doesn't change, but there's a way that her eyelids fall to half-mast and her mouth tightens imperceptibly that makes it clear she understands Allura's pain.

in a way she's jealous. to completely lose something was better than returning to find the one thing that had kept you from breaking no longer had a place for you - might have never been that way at all. but even Lapis knows better than to say that aloud.]

...yeah. It happens sometimes.

[there's no 'I'm sorry'. apologies didn't change anything, especially from people who never possessed any power to alter the outcome. all that can be given is empathy, a quiet bond forged in kindred suffering.

it didn't mean much, but it was at least something.]

[Allura is perceptive enough to notice subtleties, and as she looks back at Lapis, she can read the sympathy in the small change in her expression and the cadence in her response. It sounds like this young woman had gone through something similar, or at the very least, Allura gets the impression that it's familiar to her.]

It will not be a loss that was in vain. There are other worlds to be saved.

[She offers a small smile, as though to alleviate the weight in her chest and to keep the mood from draining when she didn't even know this stranger's name. So she'll change the subject, not wanting to be one to ruminate. Especially not when first impressions are concerned.]

I don't believe I properly introduced myself. I am Princess Allura.

[thankfully, abrupt subject changes are just her style. it's more fitting than touching on the fact that for Lapis there was very little left for her to save, especially here; even thinking of it was enough to pull her downwards, and she never needed that.]

My name is Lapis Lazuli. [...] I'm a gem.

[the additional information is volunteered only after a brief, albeit thoughtful, pause. clearly this is a follow-up question that she's fielded more than a few times by now.]

[Allura has encountered many different types of aliens to not find it as strange as someone else may have, from furry bat-like people to subterranean rock people who have a symbiotic relationship with the dormant creature they live on.

It's why she didn't question the blue...everything.

But she has never encountered anyone who was a gem, and at that, Allura raises her eyebrows, looking at Lapis with newfound intrigue.]

A gem? As in...an actual crystal? [she knows there are crystals that have their own signature energy they can tap into, they used one to power the castle, after all, but one that was a sentient being without needing to register its energy through another source...?

Well, it would be fascinating if that wqw what Lapis is.]

That's right.

[she turns slightly, just enough that Allura can see the teardrop-shaped gem embedded between her shoulder blades. the whole thing is a familiar song and dance to Lapis now, stripped almost entirely of the frustration at having to do this again and again. she's used to it now - and she suspects this girl will have a great deal less to ask about the obvious.]

It's not that unusual at home, but I don't think we exist in this universe.

[which is something both relieving and sorrowful wrapped into one. humans constantly staring were almost a negligible result of that.]

WAKE UP IN THE MORNING FEELING LIKE

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