etcelsior | Lies a place that few have seen.

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test drive

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!

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[ Lois is very obviously not anyone's wife yet, being all of sixteen. Quite unfortunately for Clark, though, she has no reaction to his name.

(She notes the faint change in expression, and wonders why.)

She wrinkles her nose in distaste. ] I am getting really tired of that term, really fast. ImPorts. We're kidnap victims, not a commodity for trade.

[Clark is pretty used to alternate worlds by now. He’s known people from very, very different universes and gone though a lot of headaches trying to adapt. He thought he had the hang of it by now, but honestly… having his wife as a teenager who doesn’t recognize him?

Yeah. He definitely wasn’t ready for this.]

You have a point, but it’s just how everyone refers to us. [He shrugs.] You get used to it. You… probably noticed by now that we’re not exactly loved, around here. They respect our powers sometimes, but that’s the best case scenario.

Have you been shown where you’ll be living yet?

[ Lois' arched eyebrow will eventually become a finely honed tool of commentary, but even now, the look she gives him at 'You get used to it' speaks volumes. Sorry, Clark, this Lois is growing up in the age of Internet Discussions of Identity Politics. She's not going to let that term go any time soon. ]

You might be right about that. Respect sounds better than a bunch of people acting like everyone from another universe is One Direction. [ Teenager. ]

First military-provided housing I've been that isn't on base proper in a while. I'm scoping out the landscape. [ Something in her tone says she's not happy with that whole 'military provided' bit. ] Speaking of landscape: This place is weird for the US, at least to me. Are there major cities missing for you, too?

[ New York, sure. Chicago, Boston. But where are Metropolis, Gotham, Central...? ]

[Lois will eventually grow up to be able to have entire conversations with her eyebrows, but Clark's weapon is the honesty in his face. So his face is also very clear when she mentions 'military-provided'.

Someone isn't happy with that, either.]

Ah- yes, I'm missing some major cities. The city where I live, actually.

[And he has avoided Kansas, even after nearly two years in this place. He's not willing to go there and see a huge hole where his parent's farm is supposed to be.]

[ Lois is used to military-provided housing being for her dad's service not... compulsory like this. It is a distinctly unpleasant experience. And she's selfishly kind of glad at least one of the newcomers feels like she does about military housing. ]

Yeah, me too. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm used to moving out soon after moving into a place, but the whole city missing?

[ She shakes her head. ] I think it might be less weird if the maps were totally different, instead of just barely off.

[Clark nods because he knows that feeling. And he chuckles, because the only way he's found to be able to get through this place is taking it with humor.]

Yeah, it's kind of unsettling that the geography is so close but not quite right. You get used to it eventually, but I have been here for nearly two years and I still look for certain cities every time I look at a map.

Have you looked at any history books yet?

A few, but I haven't found a library I want to hit up [ let's just say she doesn't want to use the one too close to the sketchy military base demanding her loyalty ] and I didn't pop over here with my laptop in my bag, unfortunately.

[ For a moment she sounds slightly forlorn beneath the dripping annoyance. ]

Do you know if the New York Public Library still measures up? [ New York's her second choice after Metropolis, after all. ]

[Clark nods as he forces himself not to grin. This may be... well, weird doesn't even begin to cover it. It's even weirder than he had ever imagined things would get, and he has a very active imagination. It's not only an alternate universe Lois, it's one that doesn't even recognize him, recognize his name.

But underneath it all, she's still Lois. And he can at least take that with a little humor.]

I'd say so, yeah. But you may get a weird look or two if you try to take books any books from if you're not registered.

[ She is very much still Lois--and more dangerous than her teenaged appearance, cute little skulls and all, might imply. Even without the years of experience, though, she is obviously game for just about anything.

But not blindly, going by the frown she gives him. ]

All right. You've been here longer than I have. What do they actually ask for in return for being registered?

[Clark has to hold back a snort. Isn't that the million dollar question?]

Technically nothing. You just have to swear your allegiance to them. [Emphasis on 'just'.] You basically become their weapon. Once... there was a bombing. Two bombings, actually, at the exact same time. One here, in Florida. The other one in Bulgaria.

[He sighs, looking away.] We weren't allowed to go help with the second one. Obviously a lot of us ignored those orders, but still. That gives you an idea, I'd say.

[ Sharp look. ] Wait, so swearing allegiance: is that some sort of weird, semi-reserve civilian conscript status, where you have orders sometimes but are basically civilians otherwise, or does it give you active serving member status?

[ And this matters, because Lois is already twitching at the thought of a US government saying civilians were not allowed to provide humanitarian aide. That's bullshit for any US government she knows coming up through 2014 or so. ] How'd they respond when you went to help?

[A so-so movement with his hand.] The later, in a way. If you're registered you're allowed to act as- well.

[She's young, so young. Chances are metahumans aren't a thing in her world yet. At least not a public knowledge kind of thing, anyway. Still, there's no other word for it:]

You can act as a superhero. Otherwise you're seen as a vigilante and against the law. And they responded by giving people a strike. They knew they couldn't do more, not without literally telling us the lives we saved were worthless.

[ Clark is on the receiving end of a small, sardonic smile now. ] If you can get away with that much, it's more like civilian reserves. Active service members can't participate in any form of activism while they're in. There'd be a hell of a lot more than just a strike in a record.

[ Trust the Army brat on this, Kent.

And then... and then there's that tone in her voice. Eager, almost wistful. ] Yeah, I'd kind of gotten that part. About the heroes thing. I don't have a list of who's who yet, though. Real powers though, huh? Flying and such?

[ Just because she knows, academically, that anyone who flies here isn't the flying man her father is hunting and who she and SmallvilleGuy did their best to protect... well. It's still a strong possibility. Maybe she can learn something for when she goes home. ]

It's hard to understand until you've lived here for a while, I'm afraid. [Kal shrugs. Registered imPorts have a complicated relationship with the government, but Lois is painting a fairly accurate picture.]

But yes, we all get powers when we appear here. [A smile as he tilts his head.] You seem pretty interested in that.

I'm sure. [ The general's daughter understands having a complicated relationship with the military... especially when you both respect and love it and know it is an adversary. ]

So I was told. [ Ah, crap. Right. People who wouldn't get it. ] I've seen some pretty weird stuff, serious Thought That Was Sci-Fi stuff, but... it's still pretty cool to think about--and that someone could do it openly. Even if some places are kind of creepy with the fan-over-reaction.

[ Hmm. She hadn't thought of that. She wouldn't want to come off as a creepy stalker to the flying man. She resolves to try not to if she meets similar types here. ]

[She's 'seen stuff'. Okay then, maybe a Lois who always suspected and followed his trail until he went public? But she's so young, her Superman must still be Superboy- if he's even anything. He wishes he could ask her directly without making her wonder, but he has to be really careful with Lois. She'll always ask the right questions if he gives her the slightest hint of what those questions are.]

They are kind of creepy, yes. Any extreme is different- we should be seen as people, but it's kind of hard to do when the government keeps seeing us as assets. Some people have been here for years, it's not going to be an easy thing to normalize.

[ Poor Clark has no idea just how much Lois does and doesn't know--but at least he knows her well enough to know she's already incredibly dangerous. Lois always finds the right questions, sooner or later.

She rolls her eyes expressively. ] Because there's nothing like that before in what I assume is typical US history. [ At least, she hopes her world isn't too much of an outlier. Lois, the crusader. ] Anyway, you never did answer my first question.

[ Expectant, pointed look. Did Clark really think she'd forget a question in an interview? ]

[The thing is: Clark has been answering most of her questions, but he has been... more vague with some than with others. He's been kind of cherry picking, answering what he wanted to answer. What felt safe to answer.

So he gives her the most innocent look he has.]

Sorry. What question?

[ The pseudo-patient look may be way more immature than on the face of Clark's wife, but that 'your innocent face does not work' expression is close enough. Still, he's been nice and helpful, so she just repeats her original question. ]

How's your story start?

[It starts light-years away, in a planet that no longer exists.]

It starts in Kansas. That's where I was raised- in the family farm. Pretty boring start, I'd say.

[ Lois sends him a brief, startled look. ]

I don't know. I mean, I couldn't live on one, but I've seen pictures of baby cows. They're freaking adorable. And farms will have other animals too? Dogs or something? I don't think anything that cute is boring. And things could get pretty stressful if one of the animals got sick. Definitely not boring.

[ At least, that's the impression she gets from her boyfriend. ]

We drove through Kansas once. Parts of it, anyway. [ She gives him a little whimsical smile. ] Dunno if your farm's in my world, but maybe even past it. I remember the route. [ Because never in all her life will Lois forget that drive through Kansas--and it's all Clark's fault, too. ]

[...Interesting. Not that weird or impossible, all things considered. Sam basically brought Lois and Lucy wherever his job dragged him to without much of a second thought. Or that's the way Clark has always seen it, anyway. But it's still curious that she would end up going through Kansas in particular.]

Cows are very, very cute but you get very tired of them when you have to take animal husbandry to make your father happy.

[A chuckle.] Don't get me wrong, I love the farm. But I could never be a farmer.

I live in Metropolis now, though.

[This is Lois' bright, beaming smile. She loves her new home.]

Me, too. For good, this time. [And Lois doesn't know that Clark knows her well enough to know how much it means to her that Metropolis is home--and to hear in her voice that she really misses it. And to think, it's only been a few weeks.]

What do you do now that you're in the big city, anyway? Home or here?

[But even if Lois doesn't know it, Clark does know how much it means to her. And it warms his heart, to be able to witness this moment's of Lois's life. It's hard to avoid showing it in his face, but he's a good actor.]

Home, I'm a reporter. I am one in here as well but- [A shrug.] Only freelance, it's hard to find job as a journalist in a newspaper when you're an unregistered imPort.

[Excellent, she has information now--which makes her grimace a little.] I'll remember that. [Because Lois is already pretty sure she's not going to register. It's way too sketchy, and she isn't even at her dad's beck and call, let alone strange, unknown military.

But never mind that, there is more interesting discussion to be had. Namely:] Where do you work? Back home, I mean. [Beat.] Have you ever heard of the Daily Scoop?

[Just, you know. Checking.]

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andaway - 2016-11-17 20:55 (UTC) - Expand

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