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

01. Heropa

[ With one hand, Ben pulls down the brim of his baseball cap. Force of habit — even in a new world there's that instinctive urge to hide his face in case he looks a little too familiar. In the other hand, he's holding an iced latte, and debating drinking it. Spider-sense doesn't seem be tingling but he's learned the hard way that isn't always proof he isn't about to be poisoned or attacked or worse. There's also the fact that... ]

No way this holds a candle to Shirley's coffee.

[ He smiles to himself, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. When he notices a mother pull her child closer, and walk around him, he assumes it's because he's finally become the weirdo talking to himself in public — well, okay, maybe he always was that guy. Just a little. Then the snippets of conversation start going in one ear and out the other.

He sighs.

Might as well be back home, walloping Sentinels. Why was paranoia against people with powers some sort of universal constant? ]

03. Maurtia Falls

[ Great. Just great. It's pouring and he's... back in that outfit. Spider Ma - or is it Scarlet Spider again? - pulls the hood up over his spandex. As if it's going to do any good. By now, the rain's started to soak into the fabric, leaving him even more damp and annoyed at his luck. It just wasn't fair. A guy stops calling himself "Parker", then logically, he shouldn't have to suffer the infamous Parker Luck.

Right?

If only he could figure out where his real costume had disappeared to. ]

[Normie's late to meet his friend Riku at one of the movie theaters in Heropa. As a result he's walking down the sidewalk a little faster than he probably should be given the crowds of people, but he's mostly oblivious to this as he nimbly slips between the crowds of people. Of course, this foolproof plan of all but running through a crowd of people inevitably goes wrong a he slips between two tourists only to misjudge the distance between them and the guy in the baseball cap behind them. He skids to a halt, and only avoids completely barreling into him with the help of his other's borrowed spider agility... though as it is he still manages to clip the poor guy on his non-latte side.]

Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you all right?

[ What did he just say - er, think - about his spider-sense? The proof of it not being, well, foolproof is all over his shirt now. Ben tried to stop the spillage, truly he did, but it was kind of a shock that the guy managed to spider-sense in the first place. ]

It's fine! No sense crying over spilled coffee. Besides, I always hated this...

[ He looks right at the guy. His friendly smile fades as his jaw drops. His Mouth goes dry. He can't be looking at who he thinks he's looking at. ]

This, um. This. Shirt.

[ To be fair, aside from the bleached locks peeking out under the cap, his own face must be shockingly familiar too. ]

[Normie was too busy fishing for his wallet to actually look at the guy he barreled into. He opens his wallet and pulls out one of his business cards, sticking the wallet back into his back pocket with one hand while holding out the card with the other.]

No, no, that was my fault. Please send your dry cleaning bill... to... my...

[Now he's looking at the person he ran into. Whoa, this guy is the spitting image of Uncle Pete--the younger version, the version he's currently sharing an apartment with. It's almost uncanny, really.

...And someone else. He's distinctly reminding Normie of someone else, but he can't place who.]

...office.

I, uh, insist.

[ "Clone?" It says a lot that this is Ben's first thought, before he remembers that Miles Warren's obsession only included three specific people — none of whom have this kid's hair. ]

Seriously, it's no big. You've just finally given me an excuse to toss this anyway, mister —

[ Oh. Right. The business card. He reaches for it and scans the the text.

And, well, the last name he sees is no surprise. ]

Osborn. Mister –

[ Aaaand then the first name registers. Finally. ]

Norman Harold Osborn?!

Then send me the receipt for your new shirt. Really, I should have been paying more attention.

[Normie finds he can best hold this conversation by not looking directly at the dead ringer for his not!uncle. It's less distracting that way.

Only there it is. The recognition of his name. So this guy was from a world like his and Peter's, and--

...Did that guy just recognize his name and not his grandfather's?]

Norman after my grandfather, Harold after my father. Most people just call me Normie.

Harry's son.

[ Might be best to keep avoiding looking at his face, Normie, because he's trying his best to make sure his expression doesn't look weird. What is the happy medium between "oh cool, my acquaintance's kid" and "oh, awesome, my best friend's son"? A tense, awkward smile. Or so it seems, since that's what happening right now. ]

I, um. I'm Peter's cousin Ben. He, uh — he's told me about you.

[ Hey, it's not a lie! Just not the entire truth. ]

You knew my dad?

[Clearly not a question he had to ask, since the man went and answered it anyway--andohgoditsMaysUncleBen. The one his grandfather...]

...Okay I can't let you go now without at least buying you a new coffee. Can I do that much, at least?

Well, he was closer to Pete–

[ It hurts to say that. He hasn't had time to mourn Harry, not like his little "brother", and the fact that he can't be honest about their friendship makes it that much more painful. ]

Eh, we can hash out the details later. [ Dismissive wave of his hand. ] I warn you, I've gotten a little snobby about java since my last job, but... I'd love to. Norman? Guessing you've grown out of "Normie" now.

Normie's fine. I still go by that for the most part.

[Normally he'd explain why, but telling someone that your murderer used to be here hardly seems like information he needs to know right now.]

I used to visit half the coffee shops in Heropa before I... was president of OsCorp. When I first got here they made me a genealogist.

[He starts heading in one direction, his thoughts of meeting up with Riku completely forgotten. He'll make it up to him later, he'll understand.]

So what kind of coffee do you like?

WAKE UP IN THE MORNING FEELING LIKE

Ben Reilly | Scarlet Spider

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