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

[ behind her, she can hear him huff in exasperation, muttering to himself loud enough for her to hear. ]

Well, if you're so determined to ruin that bow, getting a second one doesn't really matter.

[ surprise, yukari, he's catching up with his taller strides and holding the umbrella out again for her to take, his expression... well, resigned. he's still so damn soft when it comes to women. ]

Just keep it.

Edited 2016-06-27 07:19 (UTC)

[ oh my god you're so rude, strange crazy person, please leave her alone. she ducks under a canvas overhang so she can gently wipe down her bowstring to keep it as dry as she can. luckily it's no longer pouring, but if she's not out of this fast, she'll have to end up buying a new one.

and that would suck. she likes this bow. :( ]

It's okay! [ holding up a hand, she tries to keep this guy from getting too far into her personal space. ] I can get my own.

But probably not in time for you to keep that string in good condition. [ at least he's stopping well out of her personal space as he shakes the umbrella free of extra water and starts to close it up, wrapping the tie back around it, even as the rain starts to soak him properly. ] I don't really care if you get soaked, but it'd be a waste of a perfectly good equipment otherwise.

[ here, he's holding the handle of the closed up umbrella out towards her. ]

What you've got is... a 32 pound draw weight, isn't it? Cutting and fitting a new string to the right tension you want will take too long for you to be able to use it if you need to. And if you don't even have money for an umbrella, how are you going to afford that?

[ just take the damn thing!!! he doesn't care!!! ]

Edited 2016-06-27 19:40 (UTC)

[ if you don't care, why are you still here!!!

her guarded expression relaxes just a little, and she glances down at her bow, drawing the pad of her thumb delicately over the string to keep herself comfortable. so what if he's right about her equipment, big deal! if anything, that just makes him seem unsettlingly weird.

Weird, with a capital W. ]

The only thing I plan on shooting are targets — [ and when she catches the rather affronted look of a passer-by: ] Bullseyes, not human targets!

[ oh my god what is wrong with everyone today? ]

I have some money, but they don't take yen, and — [ why is she still talking?? ] This isn't any of your business, creep!

[ BECAUSE HE DOESNT CARE THAT HE DOESN'T NOT CARE EITHER!!?? dont question his altruism, jeez. ]

Is that so?

[ well, at least he's having fun with this. kind of. it's refreshingly engaging, this sort of thing, and even if hakuno isn't here — it's much better than the alternatives. ]

You're the one who asked to borrow it in the first place.

[ SHE'S GOING TO QUESTION IT FOREVER, OKAY no one's this helpful without an ulterior motive.

oh my god tho. ]

I wasn't serious about that, ya know. I was making a joke.

[ and also because she was basically up a creek, as the saying goes. ]

[ .......... theres a pause. ]

Ah.

[ so he got soaked for nothing? ]

Edited 2016-06-29 02:46 (UTC)

[ she raises her eyebrows, giving him an amused look. for a weirdo creep, he's not so bad.

maybe.

jury's still out. ]

Betcha feel silly now, huh?

[ oops. ]

It's possible.

In all seriousness — I actually need you to take it now.

[ he hasn't tried dematerializing his shroud — or even dematerializing himself — on his own since he was brought here. and if the umbrella gets dropped and broken by accident, he'll be disappointed. ]

So I can at least try to fix this...

[ well... she supposes she can give him this one moment of trust, taking the umbrella from him (though she never loses that suspicious shade in her eye). he's been almost too willing to help, but.. for now, it's fine. ]

Fix what, exactly?

[ archer shakes some of the water (and he can thank the rain for messing up his hair too) out of his eyes, as he dematerializes and reshape the structure of the conceptual weapon.

okay! he's got his stupid shroud poncho now, and the rains not a problem, but he is entirely aware of how stupid this is.]

Edited 2016-06-29 06:59 (UTC)

[ ... woah. ]

[ curiosity grips her in the pit of her stomach and she leans forward a little, her fingers tightening around the umbrella. ]

Hey, how'dja do that?

[ archer glances down at the red material, and shrugs at yukari, expression measured. really, mages are supposed to keep secrets, but if that file meant anything... ]

I dematerialized and restructured the material into a different shape.

[ explaining things is old news with hakuno, but its still engaging on its own. ]

It should have been done by manipulating a strings of data via a codecast — but here it's only magecraft.

[ "magecraft"? what sort of term is that? ]

You mean magic?

[ well, it might be the same thing, or it might not. no harm in double-checking. ]

[ magical theory is complicated and frankly!! nobody wants to go look at the wiki to figure out how to explain it. ]

It's more complicated than just that but — yes, in layman's terms, it may as well be.

[ a long pause... ]

So, what, are you a wizard or something?

[ he must be, if she's still here talking to him. ]

No, I just belong to one.

[ n_n ]

[ frick on a stick ]

'Kay, you were starting to sound normal, but now you're just crazy again.

[ seriously, she can only process a few things at once, and talking to archer like this is piling more and more Oddness onto her shoulders.

so she's just gonna. pop that umbrella open and try and make her way to the nearest transporter. ]

[ well, at least she kept the umbrella, even with that brisk stage exit.

archer watches her go with a laugh, the bow now safe from the remaining rain and offeres a short wave to her retreating back, before turning and disappearing in another direction. ]

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