Oh how the gentle wind beckons through the leaves!

[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? This month has been a rocky one, and locals are beginning to eye imPorts with renewed scrutiny; if people like them can get superpowers, are imPorts really that special, after all? 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 populated by a whole lot of people who are having awfully bad days. With the emergence of locals with superpowers, many seem to have latched onto their new supercharged identities with an incredible amount of gusto. As your character walks down the street, they may find themselves accosted by a large man in his mid-20s, dressed in an ill-fitting spandex suit of orange and yellow. As he thrusts his finger into an imPort's face, the spandex rides up, turning into more of a crop-top, which he duly tugs back down before shouting, "You're not the special ones anymore, imPorts! Feel the wrath of Heartburn!"

Stupid name aside, he does seem to have superpowers as he breathes a large plume of fire. His aim isn't great, though; it could hit the imPort in question, or be sent in the direction of a nearby local, or even a particularly flammable building.

What will you do, Hero?

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. This fine day, pumpkin spice seems to be in style, to the point at which you happen to be crashing an open pumpkin spice festival. From drinks to sweet treats to some other things that really, really shouldn't be pumpkin spice flavoured (pumpkin spice flavoured vodka, anyone? It tastes like regret!), everyone seems to be in the mood for the upcoming season.

Taste test a few samples and take in the hustle and bustle of the city, everyone! And hey, if just gorging yourself isn't enough, why not try your hand at the pumpkin carving contest going on? The competition is fierce!

Comments

[buttonedup]

( It takes her a moment to recognise him, simply because she hadn't been expecting to see him here at all, but her brows knit in acknowledgement after a moment and a second glance. What in the name of the Maker is he wearing?

That is a less important question that can be left for another time, however, and instead, the corners of Cassandra's lips curve into a soft smile. )

I did not expect to see anyone I knew here.

( She clasps her hands behind her back, straightening up as she looks him over again. Eyebrows knotting just that little bit further into an expression that is more perplexed than anything, she asks, with a tilt of the head: )

You have settled in well, I take it?

( Perhaps, later, he can explain the ubiquitous pumpkins to her. )

[stubble]

[ His own smile grows when it becomes clear that she recognizes him. It isn't effusive by any means, but it no longer looks like he might be trying to hide it either. But then she asks that question and he cannot help but chuckle. It's low and quiet, though genuine, and the amusement reaches his eyes. ]

I am not certain I would say I have done it well.

[ There are scorch marks still in his home from the debacle with the microwave and a variety of machines that he still avoids. And that doesn't even begin to touch on this public transportation nonsense. ]

But I have been making the attempt. In a few months' time—[ He rolls his shoulders in a casual shrug. ]—perhaps I will do better. [ Cullen gestures toward the crowd, the festival, and more broadly, the world itself. ] What do you make of all this?

[buttonedup]

( She regards their immediate vicinity first, her eyes never quite losing that dazed look, even in Cullen's presence. ) I mislike this. What is with the preoccupation with pumpkins, anyway? It is much like any other vegetable.

( But she gets the sense he's not merely referring to the festivities occurring around them, and she shifts her weight from one foot to another as she answers. ) More generally speaking, well. I believe my first answer still stands. All these people walking about with magic-like powers and little to no oversight... Honestly, it amazes me that such a place can even function. ( And not turn into some sort of terrifying reflection of the Tevinter Imperium. The thought is enough to make her frown unhappily. )

Tell me, Commander. What do you make of it all?

[stubble]

Quite frankly, I find the whole place rather baffling. [ He frowns a bit as he says it, partly from the frustration he feels having to deal with everything and partly from a dislike of having to admit that he still doesn't understand most of it. ] They insist is it not magic which fuels this technology but I cannot fathom what else it might be. They have complex machines for task that would be so simple if they only did them themselves and their customs are strange.

[ He nods toward the stall nearest them. It advertises some confection made of pumpkin, just as everything around it does. ]

Why are pumpkins so important to these people? I haven't the faintest idea, yet they celebrate them here like this and they place them all about their homes. Though admittedly that is a recent development.

[ Rubbing at the back of his head, he rakes his fingers upward into his hair, making a disarray of the careful way he'd styled it earlier. He doesn't much care. ]

And there are underlying politics here about who has these special abilities and who does not. I have tried to keep my distance from it, yet I fear I will not always be able to do so. But I have had enough of war in Thedas. I've no desire to be mixed up in this world's conflict.

[buttonedup]

It is a rare occassion when our desires co-incide with our duty. ( Her voice is sharp but her eyes are softer, watching Cullen's face with an expression nearing concern. )

You feel it in the air, do you not? A storm is brewing, and trouble is afoot.

( So many things might be different here, but she could almost be back home in those days just before everything descended into chaos. )

That being said, I do not blame you for wishing to avoid it all.