TIME TO GET READYYYYYY

[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?

In the wake of the recent blackout, neighborhoods are coming together to repair damage done by miscreants and share resources. In one of the commercial areas, retailers are taking advantage of the mild weather to hold a sidewalk sale. New arrivals and long-settled imPorts alike will receive a small discount at most stores, and while a few locals give them envious looks, many are just interested in what they might buy. You could set a trend, hero!

02. De Chima, Virginia, is a large city with a healthy economy, and though it's quieter than Heropa, there are still large numbers of citizens to be 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 remains high here, 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, favorite foods, and more!

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania has had its ups and downs since imPorts started reappearing. Several imPort heroes have put focused efforts into cleaning up the streets of this somewhat infamous city, while others have swooped in to help the criminal industry thrive. More so here than the streets of any other imPort city, the battle between good and evil looks more like a war of escalation than a heroic tale. That might make the less than warm welcome imPorts are given in the city a little more understandable. The emergence of locals with superpowers is hardly helping. While some of these individuals have turned to crime, many locals seem more inclined to defend their native powered drug dealer than help the non-native hero bring them to justice. Who are you to tell them how to live?

There's still snow on the ground in Maurtia Falls, and some locals have decided to hold an impromptu snowman-sculpting contest. But...wait. That one looks familiar! Some of the snow people are definitely meant to be imPorts, but they aren't exactly flattering likenesses.

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. To be American is to be part of a melting pot, and that there’s more money to be made by the thriving local industries hardly hurts.

Go wander and get your shopping in, folks. Any imPort willing to be interviewed about how their New Year Resolution is going is instantly surrounded by a small gaggle of people.

Comments

[nightmarist]

[The thugs, of course, figure they've picked a bad target. They'd assumed Ronan had no combative powers, and now they think they're being proven wrong, scattering and fleeing like the ordinary humans they are. They're gone with a chorus of panicked yells, disappearing around the side of the nearest building.

This leaves Ronan thankfully alone to catch his breath. His head's throbbing after more than one blow to the face, blood seeping from his nose and mouth. He runs his tongue over his teeth and spits, then casts a glance around.]

Tell me you're a friendly poltergeist, man. I've had a shitty day already.

[admemoriam]

[There's the slightest shuffle, a tiny hiccup of breath - and then, Noah peers out from around the corner. No Aglionby uniform, no characteristic smudginess. He's swallowed by a too-large sweatshirt, and his cheeks are pink from the cold.

There's fear in his eyes.]

Hi.

[He appraises Ronan from a distance, waiting for some kind of backlash.]

[nightmarist]

[There should be several details that resonate as off, but right now, Ronan's too distracted by the fact that he's looking at Noah. Here, in this weird-ass alternate universe. He breaks into the kind the smile that's reserved for the precious few he loves, his shoulders dropping in relief as he steps forward.]

Holy shit, Noah. Where'd you learn to be so badass?

[admemoriam]

[He goes even pinker at the question. His sneakers scuff against the pavement as he shifts from foot to foot, uncomfortable with this whole scenario.]

That part's new.

[December - over a month ago, just days before Ronan left him all alone again.]

... Are you okay?

[nightmarist]

[Ronan waves dismissively at the air, jogging the last few steps until he's standing right before Noah.]

A street fight's a street fight. I'll live.

[Now that he's closer, it's beginning to dawn on him that something isn't quite right. He can't put his finger on it, though.]

Is it just us here?

[admemoriam]

[He makes a gesture that's between a shrug and a twitch.]

Us and Kavinsky.

[nightmarist]

Oh. Great.

[Pure sarcasm and nothing more. He doesn't seem especially surprised by Kavinsky's existence.]

[admemoriam]

[Noah doesn't look too pleased with it either, despite his limited experience with the guy. Kavinsky is an additional pain that this world didn't need to throw at them. He can't help but be a little bitter.]

Everyone was here, for awhile. All summer. [The words come out in puffs of white. That feels like such a long time ago.] ... I thought I'd never see any of you again.

[He doesn't want to be weak, but the sadness is so much. He's been utterly alone for weeks, haunting the farmhouse like a shade.]

[nightmarist]

[That is... some time anomaly bullshit Ronan isn't really qualified to speculate on, though it's mildly disturbing to hear. He was just with everyone. During the summer. In Henrietta.

More disturbing is Noah's distress over it.]

Of course you would, man. None of us would leave you anywhere.

[He reaches out to lay a hand on Noah's shoulder.]

[admemoriam]

[For a millisecond, it looks like Noah is going to pull away. The last time Ronan touched him, it was to drag him out of the house for a shouting match. But he stays still, and Ronan's hand will find solid warmth beneath the fabric.]

... It's okay. It wasn't anyone's fault.

[He's still upset, and confused, and empty, but the friendly gesture - the first in so many months - is enough to sooth him for the moment.]

[nightmarist]

Sure, but...

[Sorry. Hold on a minute. He just realized there's warmth coming off of Noah. Ronan starts to pull his hand away, then apparently changes his mind and grips harder. Not too hard. Just testing something, and registering the absolute overall wholeness of Noah. More than even back when they all thought he was alive.]

[admemoriam]

[This close, the details are tremendously apparent. His eyes are ringed by a lack of exhaustion, not shadowed by death. His nose is freckled. His skinny chest rises and falls under oversized clothing.

He blinks at Ronan.]

You aren't imagining it.

[nightmarist]

[Ronan swallows, containing whatever emotion he can feel beginning to well up in his chest. Noah. Living. Warm. Breathing. Solid. Noah.]

Now how am I gonna toss you out of windows? We can't be friends anymore.

[admemoriam]

[Noah sniffs, forcing back the stinging tears behind his eyes. He knows it's a joke, a kindness, but hearing the words still makes his heart stutter a bit.]

Maybe just a first floor one.

[nightmarist]

[Ah, shit. He said the wrong thing. Ronan stoops down a bit so that he's eye-level with Noah, his free hand landing on Noah's other shoulder.]

That works. Okay, listen, I have a very important question to ask. As a friend. You ready?

[admemoriam]

[His eyes shift, but he nods.]

Yeah.

[nightmarist]

[Straight-faced:]

What the fuck do you eat on your pizza?

[admemoriam]

[Noah's eyes widen, and his nose goes a little pink.]

Peppers and mushrooms.

[nightmarist]

[Nodding thoughtfully, as if Noah just said something profound.]

That's a very respectable pizza.

[And then a little smile.]

You hungry?

[admemoriam]

Yeah.

[Generally always, after getting fired from his job. The furniture wouldn't stop stacking itself whenever he got stressed.]

I don't know this city, though. Just De Chima.

[nightmarist]

Hell, we might as well go to your favorite place. How the fuck do we get there from here?

[At this point, Ronan's not even sure how to make his way back to government housing.]

[admemoriam]

The Porter.

[A beat.]

Or the car, but I'm out of gas.

[Another beat.]

And money.

[nightmarist]

[Ronan tries not to let it show, just how much that news bothers him. For a brief moment, he pictures Noah in this place for months and months with no one else. Alive finally only to live a shitty, lonely, impoverished life. Then Ronan moves, draping one arm across Noah's shoulders to lead him down the street. Even though he has no idea if he's going the right direction.]

Lucky for you, your walking ATM is here.

[admemoriam]

[Noah sees two pretty clear choices in front of him right now, and they tangle in his throat, clouding his eyes for a moment. He could accept this change, go back to being friends with Ronan and never question it. Forgive their fights and their months of silence, and start back where they should have left off.

On the other hand, he could follow his anxiety and run, giving up any chance at reconciliation.]

... Does that make you my sugar daddy?

[It's blunt, delivered straight - a distinctly Noah brand of humor. He's made his choice.]

[nightmarist]

[Ronan tosses his head back with a laugh. The rare kind of laugh that only Noah tends to draw out of him.]

Is this it? Am I finally fulfilling my destiny as an Aglionby shithead? I guess it was either politician or sugar daddy, in which case... Lesser of two evils.