Lies a place that few have seen.

[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!

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!

Comments

[dendarii]

[ With no further warning than that, Miles loops his power around Bel. They're not going far - Bel to Miles' current size, Miles proportionally smaller - but certainly a distinct drop. He pulls his hand back once he feels stable, sitting up as straight in his chair as he can. ]

Well? Still fond of it?

[shipmaster]

[That wasn't just weird, it's wild. Everything is strange and almost bizarrely unfamiliar from this new angle. The only thing that was similar was ... well... Miles being proportional. Gregor was well above BOTH of them.]

Admiral! [The tone is, if nothing else, gratifyingly startled.]

[dendarii]

[ That was more or less the reaction he was hoping for. Congrats, Bel, you're the first person Miles has actively trolled with this power. It's ... kind of fun. He might actually use it more often.

In other news, that grin is positively shit-eating. ]

Hmm? Is something wrong?

1/2

[shipmaster]

Warn a person first! [They huff, it's almost like you can see the fur hackle and the tail bush up... and then..]

[shipmaster]

I don't see what you're complaining about. [It wasn't that they had any interest. It's that they had a WEAK SPOT in Naismith's armor.] I mean it's a wonderful angle to view your boyfriend's ass.

[dendarii]

[ Miles goes from grinning to sputtering in a split second. Just in case Bel had any doubts about having hit Miles exactly in the right spot. Meanwhile, Gregor gets impressive surge of possessiveness over the link. ]

Excuse you. There are plenty of other people here you can throw yourself at. Including actual aliens.

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor coughs, his shy enjoyment of that possessiveness only evident via telepathy.

Pointedly, he turns so his ass is not visible anymore. ] If you're done with demonstrations, perhaps we should bring Captain Thorne up to speed on the state of the Dendarii here.

[ Please let's talk about this and not his ass. ]

[dendarii]

Fine, fine ...

[ With no small amount of effort, Miles carefully undoes the loop around both Bel and himself. It's alarmingly stuttery, but he gets them back up to normal after a moment. ]

[shipmaster]

[OH MY GOD. BOTH OF YOU ARE SO EASY. Bel is practically vibrating with glee even with the odd, stuttering return to normal height. Bel watches that with no small amount of fascination (and a little well hid unease)]

Yes, I believe I've been promised stories as well.

[dendarii]

[ He knows that particular look. He and Gregor sure are in for it now ... But other concerns first. ]

We're a security company here. Bodyguarding and odd jobs, like I said before. No definite base of operations, but we frequently meet here when we've something specific to talk about.

[ He gestures up at the café. ]

Most of our trouble thus far has been a bit more personal. This place is wildly unpredictable, even leaving out things like Lucifer and Persephone.

[shipmaster]

I'm sure it is. You either have steadfast allies or mortal enemies anywhere you go.

[There's a shift, almost the difference between changing uniforms as Bel shifts to a far more professional mode.]

Can I get physical ID and a run down on those two? And anything else that might get hot fast.

[dendarii]

[ Ah, that's a good idea. Miles takes out his comm and scrolls through the network. Lucifer is gone, of course, but it's not hard pulling up one of his posts. And Persephone is on social media perpetually, so he quickly finds a picture of her too. ]

These two. Lucifer's since left, but there's obviously the possibility of returning. He's wildly powerful. I managed to stop him from going on a killing spree during that Russian submarine adventure, and he decided that he had to have me. Marked my sternum, tried to convince me to join him. It got violent when I refused.

[ He flinches instinctively towards the still weak spot in the middle of his chest. ]

[shipmaster]

Sternum. On the bone itself or are we talking approximate areas?

[dendarii]

The actual, physical bone. Wildly painful, as you might imagine. [ A beat. ] The mark is long gone, but that spot is still much weaker than everything around it.

[ And Miles' upper bones are still made of spun glass to begin with. Lucifer's legacy is still a blade aimed directly at Miles' heart. ]

I'm trying to find a way to fix it, but progress is slow.

[shipmaster]

Right. [Bel is grim, feeling a little cold staring right at Miles' deadly frail chest.] So bodyguard is even stronger term than usual. Damn... what I wouldn't give for Sergeant Taura. [Bel is good, but doesn't have anything on her reflexes. None of them do.]

[dendarii]

[ A very fond sigh at that. ]

Same ... though Tex is an excellent armswoman. You should certainly touch base with her as well. She's been nothing short of incredible.

[shipmaster]

Oh good, you DID build a personal security force. [As Naismith has an alarming habit of thinking himself invincible at times.] Yes, I'd quite like to.

[Still, they take another long look at the Lucifer fellow, and then nod to Miles.] And the other one?

[dendarii]

[ If nothing else, living somewhere as unpredictable as this place has made him take a few extra steps. As minor as they may be. He flips through the comm again until he pulls up a picture of Persephone. ]

Here. Our feud is far less active, but you will have to be very careful. She can broadcast her powers via recordings. And her songs come with very, very unpleasant compulsions. The first gave me a panic attack. The second ... I had to shut off before I found something to harm myself with.

[shipmaster]

[Less active. After that, LESS ACTIVE. Bel outright stares at Miles, the urge to just go cut her right now themselves versus really useless attempts to get assurance that their Admiral was all right. They don't even know what they'd DO if Miles got himself killed... much less at his own hand.]

Do you want her gone?

[dendarii]

[ A moment's hesitation, but - no, Miles, doesn't really want her dead. She's on a completely different level from Lucifer, after all. Miles still doesn't think the girl intends him true harm, given her last reaction. No matter how much they may fight ... ]

No. Our arguments are ultimately petty ones, and half my fault to begin with. She just has sharper weapons to lash out with.

[ A beat. ]

And the latter incident was not an intentional assassination attempt, as far as I can tell.

[shipmaster]

Sir. [That was unhappy, but ultimately an obedient answer.] So, just be careful as hell?

[dendarii]

[ Miles nods sharply, relaxing at Bel accepting his orders. ]

Just so. We do not want another conflict on Lucifer's scale.

[shipmaster]

[They did get it. Personal fights didn't have any profit at all. Just loses.]

Yeah. I'll keep an eye out and my head down. Anything else to mind?

[dendarii]

Well ... there is the overall unpredictability of this place. It can strike at any time, and there's seemingly no warning.

[ A pause. ]

I spent a week as an eight year old. And then I've also spent a week as a Betan version of myself.

[shipmaster]

That... is impressive.

[They stare, speculatively.] Though, as far as I know, I usually know the 'Betan' version of you. It's rather good. [In fact, the weird accent Miles keeps slipping back into.. a word or phrase here or there... that slows and changes his speech patterns was more unsettling than not.] I can't imagine that being a surprise.