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

[snipers]

[ sorry, koro-chan! you'll get your affection in a moment, yukari just has to ... quietly... look through her phone's contact list to see if she can get a hold of senpai.

... she should probably let her best friend know that she's here. if junpei's reaction was anything to go by, who knows how long mitsuru-senpai's been here? the very least yukari can do is make sure everyone's on the same page. but for the moment, she doesn't look very hard, not wanting to be rude to ken-kun.

her head shakes a little and her eyes close, an uneasy laugh bubbling in her throat. ]

Hah, a year, huh? How's that even possible?

[ she believes it — she has no choice, what with the evidence right in front of her, but it's still A Lot to absorb. ]

[amadaman]

A lot of stuff is here. And I mean, it wasn't much stranger than the Dark Hour...

[Actually, it was. The Porter brought back dead people. It's definitely warm out, but Ken tucks the Gekkoukan blazer closer around his body and grasps the fabric to cover the pin at the label. This jacket isn't hit, but Minato's, and if Yukari noticed there would be a lot to explain that he doesn't want to dump on her just yet.]

We get pulled from almost any point in time, and if we get sent back it's right back to the time that we got taken from, so nobody would notice. It's kind of like the Dark Hour -- unless you're in it, you don't know it's even there.

[snipers]

[ that ... makes a lot of sense, actually, and it definitely makes what's happened a little easier to digest. kind of. yukari still has bad associations with the dark hour, so she has to wonder what sort of fishy thing is going on here.

— speaking of.

pocketing her phone, yukari reaches for koro-chan, gently drawing her fingers down over his spine if he'll let her. ]

So, if you've been here for a while, maybe you can tell me what everyone's gossipping about in — Heropa? Is that the name of the city you're in when you get here?

[amadaman]

It's the closest. Um... right now? It's probably the elections. They call us imPorts, and we have ambassadors to represent us. One in each city. I think we need a couple seats filled, so there's an election going on but it's been gaining attention, and a lot of native people are split between liking or hating us.

[Koromaru is more than happy for pets from her. In fact, he jumps onto the bench they're on and has Ken take off his backpack so he can cuddle with Yukari freely.]

There's been some trouble.

[snipers]

[ she hums in thought... ]

I take it they didn't want us here in the first place, huh? [ there's not much of a pause before she continues: ] That place I showed up at — with all the portal stuff? That looked government-run.

[amadaman]

Oh, no, they wanted us. We get celebrated as heroes or complained about as dangerous and everything in between. We're supposed to help out with this war.

[snipers]

[ WELL IT'S A GOOD THING YUKARI WAS SITTING DOWN ]

... Of course there's a war goin' on.

[ 'murrica, tbh ]

[amadaman]

There didn't used to be, but...

It won't affect you every day. Sometimes, bad things happen, but you won't be alone. You've got us.

[snipers]

[ there's a moment of surprise on yukari's features, but they melt away into a warm smile. on koromaru's brow, her hand pauses, and she tips her head toward ken. ]

You're growing up well, Ken-kun.

[ as much as she'd like to agree 100% to what ken has to say, yukari knows there's still parts of her she'd like to keep away from s.e.e.s, things she only shared with their leader. ikutsuki doctoring the footage of her father still stings even now, even though she's made her peace with her father's choices and his death. there's a lot she won't share with s.e.e.s just yet because she's still learning to trust more people with her personal self, but... the sentiment means a lot to her, and she does appreciate it. ]

[amadaman]

[Theres nothing concrete that he can point his finger at, but Yukari's smile and that reserved response tells him what he needed to know, and Ken's expression grows a little sad, and he looks a little older in that moment. Aged, like he sometimes did when he was thinking about something painful. Except this Ken, instead of looking away and hiding, gives her a soft smile.

Yukari is from his past. He can tell. Her demeanor and words let him know that, and he tucks away this little secret again.]

I've been through a lot, [he answers] and I've met a lot of people. I'm a little different from who I used to be. It might be weird for you...

[snipers]

[ there's no stopping the giggle that leaves her, and yukari slides her hand up koro-chan's ears, just to let him know that he's not forgotten. ]

Then I'll just have to get to know the new you! I might mess up sometimes, so don't be too harsh on me, okay?

[ wink. ]

[amadaman]

Not any harder than I've been on Junpei-san.

[which, compared to at home, is simultaneously not hard at all and savage]