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

[picksthenames]

Huh? [ Cisco looks up from where he's holding the t-shirt against himself to judge the fit. ] This? Song of Storms, Legend of Zelda. Classic video game aesthetic right here.

[beautiful_monster]

Oh. [Yuri stares at the shirt for another moment as if it might spark some recognition. It doesn't, of course.] I don't really have time for video games.

[picksthenames]

Too bad. This one's a real classic.

[ Cisco you already said that. Well anyway, he's buying the shirt. He heads for the cashier and digs out his wallet. ]

If you don't play games, what do you do?

[beautiful_monster]

[He huffs dismissively, but there's a curious look in his eyes for a moment.]

I'm a figure skater—professional. I just won the Grand Prix Finals at home. [And then he'd been dragged all the way here to become a nobody. Awesome.]

[picksthenames]

Oh snap, for real?

[ That's actually impressive. The kid's what, like, fourteen? And already a Grand Whatever Champion. ]

So you're like Kristi Yamaguchi. But tiny and white. And a dude.

[beautiful_monster]

For real. [The complement sure has perked him up! He's practically preening at the comparison.]

I want to be even better than her, but it takes a lot of time and effort to get that good. That's why I don't play many games.

[picksthenames]

Yeah, I bet. You gonna skate here? I mean, it may be a different universe and all, but I'm sure they've still got a pro circuit.

[beautiful_monster]

[He shrugs in a way he wants to be casual, but is really a little uneasy. He'd much rather go home, but...]

Probably. It'll be the best way to make sure I don't let my skills slip.

[picksthenames]

[ Cisco finishes paying for his t-shirt and turns to the kid with a smile. ]

Good thinking. So. Buy you a milkshake, you tell me what it's like to win the Grand Pizazz Finals?

[beautiful_monster]

[His face twitches; just for a moment. Thankfully the offer of a milkshake is enough to keep him from snapping angrily. He was a simple boy in some regards.]

Fine, but it's the Grand Prix Finals.

[picksthenames]

Right. Sorry. Grand Prix. [ He'd been kidding. Mostly.

He inclines his head toward the closest malt shop and starts heading down the sidewalk. ]

[beautiful_monster]

[Unfortunately he picked some short-tempered brat to joke with. Yuri seems mollified now though, following Cisco towards the shop.]

I want extra fudge sauce.

[A demanding brat too.]

[picksthenames]

You got it, Yamaguchi.

[ And off they go for ice cream! ]

[beautiful_monster]

[What a good nickname. Yuri approves.]

So what should I call you? Zelda?

[picksthenames]

[ Cisco chuckles. Nice attempt, kid, but leave the nicknaming to him. ]

Not quite. Zelda's the name of the princess in the game. You can call me Cisco. Seeing as that's my name.

[beautiful_monster]

[There's another frown. Yuri doesn't think there's anything wrong with his naming sense.]

Fine. Cisco, then.

[picksthenames]

[ Coming up with nicknames and codenames is kind of Cisco's thing. He gets protective. ]

So. How long have you been skating for, like, your whole life?

[beautiful_monster]

For almost as long as I can remember. So, yeah, basically my whole life.

[picksthenames]

How old are you now, like... sixteen?