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

[beautiful_monster]

[Good timing too. Yuri was starting to look like he might snap at one of them at any moment.

He doesn't miss Viktor having to pay and frowns sharply. Crap... Money wasn't an issue at home—was about to be even less of one than before, in fact—but here? They were all sponsorless nobodies, weren't they? Did either of these lovestruck idiots even know how to cut a deal with a sponsor? Why couldn't Yakov have come along instead? And more importantly—]

What kind of home rink makes you pay to use it?

[fourlevels]

Oh, that. We're still in negotiations with the management here. We're not well known here even if we are imPorts so they've been debating whether to take us on or not.

[ Viktor slipped into more of his coach mode as he explained that, his tone changing from his typical cheerfulness to a more serious chord. ]

There's a local competition in a month or two. Yuuri and I started to train for it, though we hit a snag with that too. Once we make our debut in this world, the sponsors will start to make themselves available to negotiations.

[beautiful_monster]

[That's...actually comforting. It's still all starting from scratch, and Yuri barely even remembers what it was like to be that new to the field anymore, but at least they've been working on it. There's no doubt that a trio of gold and silver medalists will attract a lot of attention, with or without powers.]

We should post practice videos online too. It might get noticed sooner.

[fourlevels]

Ah, good thinking. Once Yuuri and I can actually train, we'll post some of the better sessions we do.

[ He says it flippantly, already moving ahead to show Yuri the actual rink. It's not too bad on the inside at last, obvious signs of care and regular maintenance here and there, but it's still an older rink. ]

They have lockers up here, which they have agreed to let us use rent free, so you can place your equipment up here.

[beautiful_monster]

[He grumbles mildly, frowning in obvious judgement at the state of the rink. It could certainly be much worse, but try telling that to a bratty teenager. At least he sends to be done complaining openly about it.]

Why can't you train right now? [He turns a pointed look on Viktor's arm.] Is it that injury? Or just waiting for the power suppressors?

[fourlevels]

[ Calmly ignoring the pointed look. ]

Mostly waiting for the nullifiers. One of our powers makes it difficult to practice together.

[beautiful_monster]

[His scowl sharpens in the face of that calm look. It hasn't escaped his notice that Viktor's trying to hide the injury; not something he'd do if it'd come from a practice. Yurio is sure of that much.]

How did your arm get hurt?

[fourlevels]

Ah, this? There was an incident a few days ago where the whole city lost power and my arm was cut during some of the chaos, [ he replies smoothly, not wanting to worry Yuri just yet with some fo the shit he'll have to deal with here. ] It was a fairly clean cut, just big. It's healing alright though so it shouldn't be a problem by the time the local competition happens.

[beautiful_monster]

Ah. So the great Viktor Nikiforov tripped and hurt himself in the darkness?

[It sounded plausible, but something about it doesn't sit right with him. Why wouldn't Viktor just admit to it? Why the secrecy? Was he really that embarrassed? No way. The Viktor that Yuri knew would be milking an injury like that for all the attention he could get. There was something else going on here. Something he couldn't force out of Viktor. ]

Tch. If it is a problem I'll just take your place. Someone who just set a new world record will get more attention anyway.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor just smiles at the jab, leaning in a bit. ]

Easy there, котенок. We're in a new world now.

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri grins sharply and leans towards him in turn, challenging and delighted all at once.]

Aa? I'd like to see you outdo me here, старик.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor laughs, delighted as well in a way Yuri probably hasn't seen in a couple years. ]

I'm not the only one you'll have to watch out for either, you know.

[beautiful_monster]

I don't need to worry about your little piggy when I already beat him.

[This is a lie and he knows it, but it feels so good to say.]

[fourlevels]

[ His obvious delight takes on an edge suddenly, the smile he's wearing now more reminiscent to the one he wore that morning during the GPF. He also switches to Russian because some things have more impact in your native tongue. ]

It's not good to lie, Yura

[beautiful_monster]

[There's a split second where it seems like his confidence has wavered, but he recovers quickly and answers back in Russian.]

Tell him he can prove me wrong himself.

[fourlevels]

I don't have to when he already knows it in his bones. I'm his coach, not his keeper.

[beautiful_monster]

[Sure, he could continue with the cool rival banter. It's great motivation for the both of them, but a sudden realization has hit him suddenly.]

Wait— If you're coaching him, then who's coaching me?!

[fourlevels]

Ah ... That's a good point. I can take you on as well.

[beautiful_monster]

Is that really alright if you're going to compete against us?

[fourlevels]

I'll have to look over the rules for this world's skating organization again, but it should be okay.

[beautiful_monster]

[Well...it isn't as if he doesn't trust Viktor to give them both good instruction, but it's still a little...]

Fine, but I want to do my own choreography if we make it to the international competitions here.

[fourlevels]

Oh? You have something in mind already?

[beautiful_monster]

I had some ideas for home, but this is a different world, right? We don't know what will surprise them yet.

[So, no. He doesn't have any solid ideas to put to use here, but he's confident he'll be able to figure something out.]

[fourlevels]

It's about the same generally speaking, though I did notice alack of Russian representation in past years' listings. Probably because of the war going on.

[ He says flippantly. NBD. ]

[beautiful_monster]

The what.

[That is not something you can just casually drop, Viktor!! It's so ridiculous that Yuri can't quite believe he heard him right.]