throws thumbtack confetti everywhere

[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 anyone's thread, either!

And remember to have fun!

01. Your memory is hazy and you might feel increasingly frustrated or anxious, or maybe you're excited as soldiers march past, barely glimpsing you. One second you're somewhere underground, the next you're enveloped in blue light, and suddenly you find yourself directly under Flordia sun's bright and burning glare. A female soldier steps toward you with a wide smile on her face and directs you to a car, ready to debrief you. You realize you are not the only one, surrounded by equally confused or eager faces... and you're all sporting a digital tattoo on your wrist.

02. Welcome to Cape Canaveral, where the smell of the ocean is in the air and locals are more than pleased to see new imPorts roaming their streets. They wave, they cheer, they ask for pictures as politely as they can. The more inhuman you look, or if you're wearing a costume, the more likely locals are to approach. Hey, enjoy the moment! The popular malt shop is offering you a free drink if you need it.

03. The technology in this world is certainly something. The cars are clearly modeled after popular 50s cars, but they hover several feet above the ground as they drive down the street. There are digital jukeboxes in restaurants, motorcycles also hover through traffic, advertisements can be seen on a digital projector on the taller buildings. Even kids on skateboards appear to drift a safe ten feet off the ground while playing!

04. Wherever you are, you can hear the loud revving of an engine, distance at first before you finally see it: a hovercar bursting around the corner, going beyond the maximum speed limit and just barely making its sharp turn. It doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon, not with two police cars trailing it... and uh oh. Those skateboarding kids don't have much time to get out of the way as the car comes speeding down the road. You've been brought here for a reason Hero — so you better act fast.

Comments

[gottaswing]

[Chad knows some crazy rich people, but he's never been one himself and it's a concept that's a bit difficult to wrap his mind around. He nods at her words though.]

Fair enough. Hey, it's the same with me, really, so for all I know everyone owning really cool cars here looks just like me. I'm Chad, by the way, and I've no idea what to make of this place.

[dualcitizen]

Julie, and same here. [She holds out a hand to shake.]

Did they tell you that they brought you here to be one of their government heroes? [She's not sure how she feels about that, and it shows. Helping people is one thing, but helping the powers that be without a clear reason? Not usually so great in her book.]

[gottaswing]

Nice to meetcha. [He shakes her hand before nodding again, lifting his shoulders in a shrug at the same time.]

Yeah. I played superhero as a kid, guess everyone did that, but the heroes in my comic books had more of a say in it.

[He's pretty much on her page there.]

[dualcitizen]

That's the part that creeps me out the most. They didn't seem to be the kind of people who'd be too happy if someone rejected their offer. [They probably wouldn't kidnap and torture people if they didn't go along with their plans, but she can't help but worry.]

--anyway. Do you have hovercars where you're from? Even if you don't own one, I mean. [Time to try to lighten the mood.]

[gottaswing]

Didn't really ask our opinion, huh? [But, yeah, he definitely follows her reasoning there and he's seen enough movies to think in a similar line, but that's the point. That kind of stuff happened in movies, not in real life and not to him.]

We don't, no. Just the significantly less cool type that drives on the road. How about your place? Everything here seems like... something out of a comic book, really.

[dualcitizen]

The ones I've seen at home drive on the roads, too, and there aren't really that many. Or... any, in Deluxe. Guess that's why I don't know many people who know something about cars.

[She hasn't read any comic books, but she's hung around with the guys and seen enough of Dutch's art to know what Chad's getting at.] You're right about this place, though. If it wasn't so real it would feel like a set up or something.

[gottaswing]

Deluxe is your city? I'm from Albuquerque. [Even as he talks, he's looking around, lifting a hand to rub his neck. She's right, this place looks like a film set or something, like this is all an elaborate prank.]

Yeah. I'm kinda waiting for the green screen effect to fail. But then there's the powers thing... Hard to deny it when you can actually do it, right?

[dualcitizen]

[When he says Albuquerque she's visibly surprised. Even though she's apparently in Florida, the idea that anything outside of Detroit is livable is still a shock she's not used to.] Detroit Deluxe. You're really from Albuquerque?

[She shakes her head slightly, focusing.] I wouldn't know-- I haven't exactly tried mine. Have you?

[gottaswing]

Yeah, born and bred. Have you ever been there? [He sees the surprise on her face, but he has no idea what to make of it, really.]

And, yeah. I tried a bit, supposed to have superspeed and apparently I do. Not sure what the other thing even means though.

[dualcitizen]

No. [She debates whether or not to add "because your city's a wasteland where I'm from," but decides against it. A little too much for a first meeting.] I don't get out of Deluxe much.

[She looks suitably impressed.] Wow, superspeed! That's cool. But what's the other thing?

[gottaswing]

Not really much to write home about anyway, unless you really like the desert.

[Although despite those words, he kind of loves it, so, yes. Definitely a better choice to wait for a later conversation with that kind of reveal.]

Energy manipulation? I mean, don't get me wrong, I can kinda guess what it's supposed to do, I just don't really know how to. What about you?

[dualcitizen]

Psychic projections. [She puts her hands up in an exaggerated ta-da gesture. She still thinks it's a little ridiculous.] I think it's just making holograms, but with my mind? Or something. They didn't hand out a really detailed manual. That might have been too helpful.

[gottaswing]

That sounds kinda neat though. Once you figure out how it works. [He looks back at the car with a slight shrug.] Meanwhile I guess I at least have a quick way to get to places without needing one of those. Though what I'd really want is one of those flying skateboards, y'know?