etcelsior | Lies a place that few have seen.

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!

Also, as the Halloween craze is reaching a fevered pitched, more and more children are running around in costumes of their favorite imPorts! Do you recognize any of these masks? Perhaps one of these costumes mimics YOU!?

...

Isn't that kinda creepy?

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 still 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ HE IS ALMOST FREE WHEN YOU COME BACK, but look, there are a lot of these fucking vines, okay. Also, once you show up he has to stop sawing to pick up his gun, because fuck the whole fuck right out of this. ]

What, you get lost or something?

[He doesn't react except to make sure he keeps his eyes on that gun. And to frown again. There are a lot of things to frown about now.]

I have more questions to ask, but I thought I should make sure she was being taken care of first.

[ He's not pointing it at you for now, but he's definitely ready. ]

How sweet. But you know, you should probably get your friend's side of the story first, right? So why don't I give you my card, and you fuck off and we can talk about this later, when I'm not busy.

Unfortunately I can't ask her anything while she's unconscious. You, however, are perfectly able to talk.

So let's talk. Why did you shoot her?

Tell you what. You tell me why she's collecting dead bodies, I'll tell you why I shot her.

...I don't know the answer to that.

Yeah? Well I'm assuming it was pretty fucking bad, since she wouldn't tell me either. So maybe go find out and then talk to me.

Is that the way it is? Then I suppose I should assume the reason you shot her was "pretty fucking bad" too since you keep avoiding that.

I want to hear what happened. [His eyes burn a little more brightly.] Now.

[He didn't really expect a complete story from him, but he wasn't sure he expected a complete story from Laura either. None of this made any sense to him. Why was she looking for corpses? What did she need blood for? What goddess was she???? At least Jason was somewhere he could start with—assuming he ever decides to talk.]

[ Alright well. He actually laughs at that. It is not a sound of amusement or happiness or anything like it. This is purely pissed-off laughter. Just because fuck today and fuck everything, and fuck this conversation in particular. ]

Well, you know how it is. These things are relative. You're what, her boyfriend? So probably you don't give a shit that she's JV serial killer or whatever the fuck. Love makes you do crazy things, I get it. But just to be clear, I don't give a shit. I shot her because I told her if she didn't answer some simple questions I would, and she didn't answer them. I am a man who keeps my promises. So you should believe me when I tell you that I have had a long day, and if you pick a fight with me, I will put a bullet in you, and it will not be somewhere nice. Okay?

[If the threat bothers him, he certainly doesn't show it. He keeps a flat, tight-lipped look fixed on Jason.]

I'm her friend, and she's anything but a serial killer. I don't know why she wants bodies, but I know she's not the kind of person who'd actually kill anyone. [Probably. Maybe once and then she'd have a breakdown, but this didn't really sound like that...]

So you...held an illegal interrogation and then shot her when she didn't want to play along with you?

[ Dryly: ]

Sure did. Go ahead, call the cops, we can talk all about your friend's organ farm, and I'm sure they'll be fascinated to hear about how she would definitely never do such a thing, scout's honor or whatever.

Edited 2016-10-28 05:41 (UTC)

I think you mean we'll talk about what you, the strange man who threatened and then shot her, claims she said.

I'm wired to shit even in my sleep, pal, I can prove she said it. But hey, like you said, she's as innocent as a spring lamb, so I'm sure she can clear it up. Or, alternatively, you can fuck off and call this one a wash. If she's as innocent as you say, she doesn't have anything to worry about from me.

[Okay. Okay, he can handle this. What would Ananke do?

...

Who the fuck CARES what Ananke would do. (He still does. A little.)]

...I'm afraid I can't just walk away from this so simply. I'll need to take your gun from you. I don't think I'd be able to sleep at night knowing a gun-wielding maniac was free on the streets.

[ Okay, this is an amused laugh. ]

Listen, not that I wouldn't be absolutely crushed to lose what is definitely the only piece I own, really I promise, but I would love to give you this gun. The only thing is, since I'm currently tied up here, how exactly am I to ensure you won't use your bullshit powers to turn me into a stain on the carpet, exactly?

Don't you think I could have done that several dozen times by now if I wanted to? I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want you to hurt anyone either.

Of course, if you keep refusing to cooperate... [Maybe Inanna can just dump him in a drunk tank somewhere. The cops might be confused enough to hold him for a few hours while he moves Persephone somewhere safer.]

[ Welp. The bad news is that he is not putting the gun down. He is in fact lifting it up to aim it at you. Back to business, now. ]

Maybe you could have. Or maybe you, like your friend, are not bulletproof, and are concerned about the fact that if you so much as twitch in a way that seems like snapping your fingers or any shit like that, I will put one between your eyes.

You want the piece, you can have it once my legs are free and do whatever the hell you want with it. Keep it on your fucking mantlepiece and have a story for the grandkids for all I care. But no fucking way are you getting it before that. I don't care who you are. Understand?

[Inanna looks at the gun the same way one might look at a child shouting "You're dead now!"]

Hm. Well, alright. Have it your way.

[He's dissolving into glitter again. Have fun trying to shoot that.]

Lies a place that few have seen.

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