Say Something, Anything

[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? It's been a peaceful month, but memories are long in the Cold War. Some people usher their children away from anyone clearly not 'from around here,' while other natives may be brave enough to directly approach obvious imPorts and ask their thoughts on the war with Russia and what the imPort ambassadors are planning to do about it.

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 you may find yourself cornered by overzealous imPort fans, media wannabes and opportunists alike, shoving cameras in your face.

Their questions are likely to be fairly 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 heat wave. Every bit of shade you can spot seems to be occupied by locals or even wildlife seeking to get out of the sun. You might want to check out some consumerism-inclined shelter from the heat that even the night doesn't seem to relieve, be that a smoky and dart-eyed bar full of grumbling locals, or a grimy and industrial coffee shop (full of grumbling locals). ImPorts aren't being welcomes with a punch to the face today, but you might find your water closer to boiling than refreshingly cool or your beer with a surprise ingredient if you walk into the wrong establishment.

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

aaaaa I played Pennsatucky here a while ago and I missed your Jesse

[devoutish]

[Alfie doesn't even bat an eye at the explanation, though he's definitely listening. And when Jesse turns back to him, he barely looks up from his paper.]

I don't think it mattered to her who she spoke to.

aaaaaaaaaaa welcome back and thank you for bringing Alfie!!!!!!!

[hostage]

Obviously, but why'd you drag me into it? Just tell her to fuck off if you want her to fuck off.

[And a "thanks" would be nice, but Jesse's not holding his breath.]

[devoutish]

It wasn't gonna work on her. She was persistent.

[He nods across the cafe, to where she's already chatting up another imPort.]

Your story was a good enough explanation to send her running off, yeah? But "fuck off" wouldn't've done it.

[hostage]

So tell her your own story. Tell her you shit yourself, for all I care. Great way to get people to leave you alone.

[devoutish]

If I had known you were gonna be such a bother about this, I would've picked someone else.

[But now that he's here...]

You're a healer, are you? How does that work?

[hostage]

[Good. Jesse was hoping to be a bother. He folds his arms across his chest.]

It works like one second you're hurt or sick or whatever, and the next second you're not. Why? Something wrong with you?

[devoutish]

I'm fit as a fiddle.

[He says, even though there's a cane on the ground next to his chair.]

What's the worst injury you can fix?

[hostage]

Anything. Everything. I can bring people back to life, if I feel like it.

[Or rather, if Jesse feels like killing someone else to pay for it.]

[devoutish]

So can the government here. Do you work for them?

[hostage]

I'm Registered, if that's what you're asking. But I work for myself.

[devoutish]

If you're registered, I'm not sure that you do.

You don't bring back all the dead by yourself, do you? There's others like you?

[hostage]

[Always charming when some newcomer rolls in with an opinion about registration. Very cute.]

Ain't met anybody with my power, no. Other healers, but nothing like me. Even the nanites - the thing you're talking about, where the government brings people back - That don't work like my power.

[devoutish]

Yeah? All right. What's the difference? If I find myself on death's door, why should I come to you instead of them?

[hostage]

It's fast, for one. Only takes me a second to fix whatever's wrong. And I don't gotta touch you, which is different from most healers. I got a good range.

And when it comes to the nanites, you don't wanna rely on it. Half the time they don't work and you just stay dead. And even when they do work, you come back sick, weak, without your powers for at least a day. Which is enough time for somebody to find you and kill you again, if it's personal.

But there's no price for getting healed by me. At least, not a price you gotta pay.

[devoutish]

What's the price, and who does pay it?

[hostage]

All that pain and sickness has to go somewhere. Either I take it for myself or I give it to somebody else. If I'm bringing somebody back to life, that means somebody else has to die.

[devoutish]

Mm. Seems like the sort of thing you should mention upfront, eh?

[hostage]

I guess. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Sometimes there ain't a whole lotta time for chatting about it.

[devoutish]

Mm, yeah. I'd imagine not.

But I'd like to hear more about these nanites not working half the time. Because that wasn't mentioned to me up-front either, right, and that is a very big thing to leave out.

[hostage]

[Jesse leans up against the table, getting nice and comfortable now.]

Ain't like I got statistics and scientific studies here. Alls I know is sometimes people die here and that's it. They're just gone. But other times it works like it's supposed to. Far as I can tell, there's no for-sure way to tell how it'll end up.

For me, I was dead about a month here but I ended up back in my world for a year. And when I finally got back, I had the nanite sickness. Almost three days before my powers came back.

[devoutish]

They're gone, they go home. Taken out in a Porter glitch.

[At least, that's what he's been told so far by other people.]

[hostage]

Glitches happen, yeah. People disappear into thin air. But I'm talking about the ones that die and stay dead.

[devoutish]

You went home. You said so yourself, just now. That doesn't sound like you stayed dead to me, mate.

[hostage]

Because I didn't. Try and follow, man. Some people stay dead and I obviously ain't one of 'em. It went kinda fucked with me but it didn't go all the way fucked.

[devoutish]

How do you know they stayed dead? How could you possibly know that? Look, let's say ten people die and disappear, right. Three of 'em eventually come back. Those three report that while they were missing here, they had gone home. Is it not reasonable to assume that the other seven went home as well?