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

[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.]

[fourlevels]

Oh, the war between the America and Russia. The Cold War is still going on here.

[beautiful_monster]

Ehh, that stupid thing from history lessons? [History lessons that he barely even listened to.] But that ended before I was even born!

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor shrugs lightly. ]

And I had only just been born when it ended, but that was in our world. Here it's still going. I understand there was even an incident that Russians invaded and kidnapped some imPorts not too long ago.

[beautiful_monster]

H...uh. [That's a bad thing, right? Or maybe they'd try it again and take him and Viktor home? And that pig... Would that be more of a rescue??]

Is that why people were giving us those weird looks?

[fourlevels]

Ah, you noticed them too?

[beautiful_monster]

They were hard to miss.

[fourlevels]

Well we weren't exactly being subtle. Talking like this in private is probably fine, but we should probably stick to English when we're out in public.

[beautiful_monster]

Wh— Why should we have to? It's not like we asked to get stuck in America!

[fourlevels]

I don't think the local Americans really care how we got here. They just have to deal with us now that we're here.

For now, let's just concentrate on training for the local competition. I've been working with another imPort to get us power nullifiers for training ... should I request one for you too? It'd be a good idea to get used to them before having to wear one for competing.

[beautiful_monster]

[He grumbles irritably and jams his hands violently into his pockets. Stupid nightmare world ruining E V E R Y T H I N G.

Except for ice skating, at least. It's a very important comfort.]

Of course you should. I'm going to compete too.

[fourlevels]

[ He offers another shrug. ]

Yuuri and I need it during training because our powers interfere otherwise. What other powers do you have?

[beautiful_monster]

Weird stuff. They say I can turn into a cat, and there's this stuff they call "make an impact"... Something about yelling and performances? It was tedious trying to read it.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor doesn't look phased at all about the cat thing; it's the other power that has him frowning. ]

Huh. We'll have to look at that one more closely. If it involves performing, it might be something similar to Yuuri's and my Eros power.

[beautiful_monster]

What does an Eros power do?

[fourlevels]

Well, you remember how audience members react to Chris' short program this year? It's like that but more powerful, and it can be directed at a specific person too. Yuuri can turn his off and on at will, though I haven't found a way to control mine yet. It just turns on randomly so far as I can tell.

[beautiful_monster]

[Oh. Oh that sounds awful. It's bad enough dealing with his fangirls off the ice!]

Mine better not be anything like that!

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor just laughs at his perturbed expression. ]

We'll read the papers they gave you. Just to be safe, I'll ask Tadashi for another nullifier. We're having them designed to be worn around the neck, just so you know.

[beautiful_monster]

[He tilts his head curiously.]

Like a necklace?

[fourlevels]

Maybe! Tadashi is still designing it. It could be like a choker too. Either way it's better than being on a wrist or an ankle which could unbalance a spin or jump.

[beautiful_monster]

A choker could work with most of our outfits. It's not a bad idea.

[fourlevels]

It makes the most sense. He'll probably need to take your measurements, just in case. We'll do that once you're settled.

[beautiful_monster]

[He grumbles, a considerably mild sound considering it's coming from him, and nods in agreement. There was still a lot to take care of before he got too wrapped up in worrying about figure skating.]

That's fine.

Where are we staying?

[fourlevels]

Yuuri and I were assigned together not far from here. Where were you assigned?