WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

[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?

Today it's not just imPorts that are making a scene. Given the relatively high approval rating imPorts still pull in here, maybe it shouldn't shock locals and imPorted arrivals alike that new native metahumans are using the city to debute their new spandex and catch phrases while they try and take their own bite out of crime. You know what they say about those darn kids these days though, too much time watching TV instead of say, oh, learning about martial arts or surveillance techniques. Or that the world doesn't actually pause when they start their dramatic entrances like it does on the small screen. There are five teenagers today, each one dressed in elaborate costumes modeled after different birds of paradise (click one of these if you really need examples). And you better believe each one has a dramatic entrance speech concerning truth, Justice, and the American Way, a dramatic pose, and a polysyllabic name to go through before they all strike a team pose and shout 'Birds Of Prey, Uncaged!'

During this time the lone criminal they had swooped down to stop has long since stared running away. Early in the morning, they did this whole production to stop a litterer. Mid-afternoon, a jay walker. Finally, in the evening, they actually try stopping a mugging. Of course the thief and the stolen goods are busy getting away during their intros, a fact the robbed citizen keeps shouting at them through the whole two minute long affair.

It's up to you, dear imPort, to catch these escaping misdemeanors or thief and bring them to actual justice (or, if you're really kind, hand them over to the birds), to stop and tell these kids to get off your darn lawn, to give them hero-ing tips or a real villain to fight against, or to just keep walking and pretend this whole mess never happened. The choice is yours.

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!

These questions are better asked inside, however, as a tornado warning has been released for the county. No, they haven't had one here since the 90s, but you can never be too careful! With the torrential downpour currently hammering the city, some enterprising business people have taken to offering storm themed sales of food, drinks, and appliances. Is there any better way to send the rainy day than on nickle shot night at the local bar, where you cannot only get dangerously intoxicated but also ride the newest in fun and games, the Freudian Mechanical Bull? Come one come all and see how long you can stay clinging on as the bull bucks you physically and emotionally, spitting out catchy psychological phrases like 'do you think this will make your father love you?' or 'riding me for five minutes will never fix what you've done.' The bull will detect which sentences seem to get the best effect and keep barring down on that path. Sensitive about your mother? Better believe the whole bar is about to hear a lot about it.

Or if you're not up for that much fun, you can aid worried citizens in securing their homes and businesses against the possible storms. Help them board up holes in roofs, cast wards on their windows, or just point them towards the nearest insurance agent. Surely you wouldn't take advantage of them and sell them devices they don't need or learn where they keep their valuables and how to reach them at a time like this would you?...would you?

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?

Today is the semi-annual (that no one can quite seem to remember ever happening before) balloon festival. From dawn until well past midnight imPorts and natives alive can pay a small fee to ride in a beautifully colorful hot air balloon solo or in pairs. There is also wonder fried food and face-painting for the whole family. If this seems all a little too innocent and family friendly, don't worry. This being the Falls, there's always a chance for the morally flexible (or horribly naive) to make a little extra money. Some balloons are offering special, 100% totally free in no way catch-possessing deluxe rides to certain 'winners.' Strangely, it appears to 'win' all one has to do is agree to ride the hot air balloon over to another city, drop off one of the 'sand bags' attached to the side at a designated place, pick up a few new 'sand bags' and fly back! Those that can pilot their own balloon rather than needing a guide will be paid extra- they mean, win an extra special prize.

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. Natives may gather around new arrivals and ask both personal and broad questions about life as an imPort, what they are looking forward to, what their favorite article of underwear is. A few night clubs offer free entrance - just this once!

But you'll have to excuse the mess. See, a little while ago the city was a real zoo. Animals running everywhere, smashing store windows, eating aquariums, you know how these things can go. In fact, there are still a few stay old world monkeys jumping around, and maybe a baby gator or two in the sewer or prairie dogs in the parks. A small reward is still being offered for their rounding up.

Comments

heero yuy | gundam wing

[prussianblues]

HEROPA.

[ While everyone else seems mystified and even a little flabbergasted with the costumed crusaders delivering their speeches of truth and justice and whatever else, Heero is standing in front of an ATM machine outside a bank a little ways down the street from all the commotion. He'd been given the spiel of what he was doing here and what had been done to him in a sense and without yet having had a chance to really see if any of this proved to be true, he's decided to test it out for himself... with a little help from this ATM machine.

He's assuming the surveillance camera installed in the machine has already "malfunctioned" in a sense, given the little blip he felt initially when he seemed to want it to scramble. But it's when he places his hand atop the keypad on the machine that will really tell him if this is, in fact, not some bizarre joke and he stares to the machine for a good long moment before it finally dispenses bill after bill after bill to him... in exactly the amount he had (silently) asked for. ]

So it does work.

[ He mumbles the words to himself, seeming a little impressed as he rolls up the wad of bills and stuffs it inside his jacket pocket. At least, that's what he had planned to do before turning and bumping into someone, causing the wad to drop to the ground. Even as he grabs the cash off the ground, he's going to be giving whoever he bumped into a rather displeased look, stuffing the bills back inside his pocket. ]


from MAURTIA FALLS to DE CHIMA.

[ Much to the dismay of the one who let Heero operate a hot air balloon by himself, Heero is not headed in the direction given to deliver this "sand bag" attached to the side of the hot air balloon. Instead? He's off surveying everything below, looking in particular for a computer factory or something with a rather large mainframe that he can maybe access through these little perks that he's been given.

Does this mean he just stole a hot air balloon for himself? Well... it might. It depends on how you differentiate stole from borrowed.

But he doesn't even get to see if he can find what he's looking for because, Heero being Heero, he's flown himself right into the torrential downpours happening in De Chima currently and with those strong gusts of wind coming out of nowhere, well, this has now become one rather bumpy ride for the pilot. A bumpy ride that ends with him crash landing the hot air balloon right in the middle of the street, the fabric of the balloon itself getting tangled up in a couple overhead telephone wires and maybe a street lamp or two. Either way, there's a hot air balloon now laying in the middle of the street with one Heero Yuy crawling his way out from the basket in the pouring rain.

Well... that certainly didn't go as planned. ]


NONAH.

[ Heero's managed to seclude himself away from anyone and everyone badgering others with their mundane questions and is currently in the process of bandaging up his knee from a minor incident from earlier that he thought he could just walk off but looks like it might be better to actually tend to it finally. He's parked on a bench as he does all this, his communicator set out beside him and currently running through every app that the thing has for a particular one that he's asked it to search for while he fixes himself up but it seems like... he's not alone after all.

It's out of the corner of his eye that he catches a furry little hand reaching up to grab his communicator and just as he lunges for it, it's swiped off the bench... and in the hand of a monkey. This... was not what he had in mind for dealing with today and he just stares to the monkey who, you guessed it, stares right back. ]

Give that back.

[ He says this as if the monkey will actually listen to him (he's not an 'animal whisperer' unfortunately) and stares a little more when the monkey decides to pat the phone on its head... and then proceed to chew it a little. ...great. Nobody around would happen to have a banana on them, would they? ]


WILDCARD.

( Or find Heero somewhere else! )

HEROPA possibly another reply forthcoming

[hellrisen02]

Five second rule! [Duo's voice calls out from behind, the former pilot suddenly becoming visible as quick fingers plucked a stray bill up from the ground and slipped it into his pocket. He beams... down at Heero. He's taller. And older. And missing a significant couple feet of hair.]

Sucks for you, 01. That's a nifty trick you've learned, though- how much you experiment with it? Figure it all out yet?

[He may be older, maybe a little more laid-back, but he's the same chatty Duo.]

[prussianblues]

[ Even with the added height and aged appearance and loss of hair on that thick head of his, Heero would recognize Duo no matter how he looked. It's just... a little strange to see him so... ]

You're old.

[ Yeah, that. Ignoring the babble that's come concerning his 'nifty little trick', Heero stares a little puzzled to Duo for a moment as he gently tucks his wad of bills inside that pocket, poking them down with the tip of his finger. ]

What happened?

[hellrisen02]

...You don't gotta rub it in. [Duo pouts, putting on an injured voice. Some of us didn't shove ourselves into a freezer for thirty years, Heero.]

[...But of course, it was Heero, so he was going to get right down to business. Artless, as usual. With a long sigh, Duo thinks about how much he doesn't want to have this conversation. No use dwelling on it.]

Ahh, you gotta be a little more specific than that. [He leans casually on the brick at the side of the ATM, prodding at it casually in a manner that suggests he had his own ideas about hijacking it.] Been a long time. What's the date, for you?

[prussianblues]

[ It's a slightly bizarre question to ask and Heero only stares to Duo for a long while before he glances off to the side. ]

The war is over.

[ Is all that he gives him... for now, before he starts to walk past him. Now that he's had a little taste of what it is he's capable of with these so-called perks, well, he's curious to see just what else he can maybe access... including possible mainframes. ]

Are the others here?

[ Trowa, Quatre, Wufei he means... the other pilots. ]

[hellrisen02]

That so. [Duo scoffs with the kind of glancing fatalism that came out when he was feeling entirely too honest about life. He shakes his head though, and runs his fingers through his still-overlong bangs before following after Heero.]

No, no one else. Just me, and now you. Though, in my past experience, they'll show up eventually. That's how it usually goes.

[He's not explaining that one yet.] By the way, only you can see and hear me, right now. That's my little "trick". I've learned you can never be too careful who hears or sees what, around this place. Just act natural-- [He sideglances at Heero] --for you, I guess.

[...Where to start.] ...How much do you know about the Mars terraformation project that Wind and Fire went off to keep tabs on? Oujousama was just getting involved in it as a point of policy, right?

[prussianblues]

[ Eyes shift their gaze over towards Duo when the other former Gundam pilot explains his little trick to him. So he's the invisible man around here? He can't help but wonder if he asked for that specifically.

But, act natural? For him? Sure. Guess that means Duo's not going to get much out of him in the way of talking then, right? Not that that's anything the other isn't all too familiar with save for their little conversations when Heero feels like talking.

So, he listens to what Duo has to say-- what he asks of him and glances over to the other again before he looks ahead, seeming to go over just what exactly it is he's asking him. ]

Sure. [ He mutters, maneuvering his way around a couple people coming up alongside him. ] That explain why you're past your prime?

[hellrisen02]

Yeah, and I'm gonna beat you with my cane if you keep harping on it. [Duo grinned dangerously, easily bypassing the other people on the street around them- evidently, he'd had some time to get used to this.] The Noinheim Konzern. Fire's family practically built that project from the ground-up. They started up a whole load of trouble again, and...

[He passes a glance towards Heero, expression unreadable.] ...Certain measures became necessary. They activated an old weapon, and we weren't able to stop it.

[All that part of it had been a long time ago, but Operation Mythos... Heero didn't really need to know about that yet, but he should probably... Man, this was way easier when Heero was a popsicle and they could just reupload the memories into him.]

[prussianblues]

[ There's something about the way Duo pauses every now and then-- is careful with what words he seems to be choosing that has Heero glancing to him every now and then but not really saying much on it. Even with being older now, he still knows the other Gundam pilot and he can tell that there are things that he's either not wanting to tell him or going to tell him... as soon as he can find the best way to phrase it.

It's the mention of an old weapon being activated that causes Heero's gaze to drop as they walk. Here he thought peace might be something attainable for everyone after the war and yet... he can't say he's surprised, even if he liked to believe that one day there wouldn't be a need for soldiers like them anymore. ]

How many deaths?

[ Of course it's something Heero would ask because... considering the way Duo is phrasing all of this, from the sounds of it, he's not exactly coming from the same sort of timeline as him. ]

[hellrisen02]

[He knows Heero will be able to read the situation like a book- the way Duo is dancing around the topic, obviously uncomfortable. But, perhaps a little selfishly, he finds himself delaying the inevitable. Half-truths and misdirections were kinda his thing.]

So far? Averted, at least if we're talkin' direct causation. That's... "certain measures", at least initially.

[Duo's mouth twists, and he knows he can't really half-ass telling Heero what he needs to know the most.] It'll only have to be one.

...When you were in training, J ever tell you about the "PPP"?

[prussianblues]

[ Heero doesn't decide to push too much on what it is that Duo is willing to tell him and remains silent as they continue to walk, eyes ahead, thoughts jumping from this to that, wondering to himself just what it is that the other former pilot has seen to make him seem so... not damaged exactly but weary maybe. ]

Only one.

[ He repeats that part out of everything else said, seeming to focus on that with mild curiosity and a sidelong glance to the other before he turns a corner and stops as he tries to get his bearings. ]

No. It sounds like you're making that up.

[hellrisen02]

[Duo laughs dryly.] I only wish. [He flexes his hand a little reflexively, eyes drawn to the nanite tattoo on his wrist. He had no idea if the nanomachines this place had injected into him had interacted with or overwritten the PPP, but he didn't really want to find out.] The "Perfect Peace Program". A medical nanomachine that remains dormant until triggered, upon which time it causes immediate heart failure in its host.

The trigger is... [He casts another sidelong, wary glance] attempting to harm a particular, programmed target.

...When Mars started to attract more workers and their families, complications arose with illnesses. Sorta like the early days of Lagrange colonization. Weird viruses caused by the environment and the bacteria that had populated during terraformation. In order to combat the spread, government-approved vaccines became a requirement of Martian immigration.

[prussianblues]

[ It's the way in which Duo is rather careful with his words- careful with what he does and doesn't say to Heero that has the Gundam pilot on a sort of... alert. He knows Duo, knows him well enough by now to know when he's dancing around something and sort of trying to feel everything out before he drops whatever it is that he's trying to say and that alone causes Heero to wonder just what exactly it is that he's getting at, though he does his best to not make it so obvious with being well-aware what it is that his... friend is doing.

His much older friend all of a sudden. ]

Am I dead?

[ He asks point blank then, turning to look to the other and completely ignoring the fact that others can't currently see the older Duo as he can. ]

2: this is why I need to make the facepalm/sarcasm icons ASAP

[hellrisen02]

[As Duo watched this magnificent display of superior piloting ability, his face wore a mask of schooled indifference. But on the inside, oh, on the inside he was screaming in that high-strung way only Heero could induce in him.]

[How do you always manage to get into these messes!?]

[He ran casually strolled up to the wreck in the middle of the street and knelt down next to the torn mass of fabric just as Heero wriggled out of it- of course, barely a scratch on him. Mr. Impossible strikes again. Duo sighs wearily, chin in one hand.] If I gotta start scraping your carcass outta wrecks again, I'm gonna go into retirement for real before I go crazy.

[prussianblues]

[ Crawling his way out of these messes never seems to end too badly for him... save for self-destruct mode but even then, he's survived those, even with a little aftercare needed in the form of sleeping for a very very long time. But, that's not the case here and he straightens himself up then and begins to look himself over in the rain.

He's got a hole in his pants at one of his knees... and that's the extent of the damage taken. ]

What do you mean before?

[ He mutters that without even really looking to Duo, trying to get a sense of where he is before he brushes some of his hair out of his face. ]

Are you following me now?

[hellrisen02]

[Of course he was fine, which meant the split second of mortal panic Duo had been in when he saw the balloon go down had long since been replaced with long-suffering sarcasm.] Nah, nah, let me explain this to you real clear. Y'see-- [He raises his hand up, flat, palm-down beside him.] Right now I'm here. Low-key crazy. Like Trowa!

Right now, buddy? You're puttin' me HERE-- [His voice raises into another high-strung shout as he raises his hand in the air, before dropping again, grin easily back in place--] And that's not good for my health. Hypertension becomes an issue with age, y'see.

...You're not even listening to me. [And with that, Duo heaves a heavy sigh, dusting his knees off as he stands.] Yeah, well, I figured once I saw you floatin' off to Oz in your little balloon there, you must've had some kinda plan going. Emphasis on had.

[prussianblues]

[ While his age and appearance might have changed, his penchant for being on the dramatic side of things at times hasn't and Heero does exactly what he claimed... he wasn't listening. ]

I was looking for something but then I ran into this storm.

[ As if that wasn't obvious enough. But, he begins to move then, feeling that getting out of the pouring rain might be better than standing around in it and with a few of the establishments seeming to be open to the public, well, that's a start, even if he's soaking wet. ]

Don't you have a place nearby?

[hellrisen02]

Whatcha looking for, your common sense? Pretty sure you left that back in the Earth's atmosphere somewhere... [Duo casually drawls, still assuming Heero wouldn't be listening as he grumbles and moans. He watched Heero start to go on the move already, glancing back to the wreckage and shrugging. Hey, not his problem.]

In De Chima? Not really, though I've been here a few times. [Not that he planned to tell Heero any of that unless it was necessary. He points back at a nearby cafe, then shoves his hands in his pockets.] Dive in, warm up? It's not me that'll be wanted for this mess. [Duo beams a cheerfully schadenfreude grin at Heero.] My treat!

[prussianblues]

[ And Duo would be assuming right in the whole no, he's not listening to that.

The mention of the apparent mess being left behind by him doesn't even cause Heero to look back at the hot air balloon that's tangled up in the telephone wires and sprawled out all over the middle of the street. He's... left things in worse condition... much much worse and so this is really nothing compared to what could have happened... you know, if they had their Gundams here and all.

The offer to 'treat him' to something that might just warm him up in the cafe pointed out has Heero consider it for a moment before he starts to head off in that direction, not even bothering to hurry since he's already soaked to the bone. ]

What are you doing here now then?

[hellrisen02]

Oh, that part? ....Uhhh, yep, I'm following you. [He answers guilelessly, and follow he continues to do as Heero heads for the cafe. The both of them were soaked, but hey, they'd survived worse. Pneumonia wasn't gonna be their downfall.]

Seriously, what were you looking for? If you wanted a good vantage point, there's less obvious ways. Drones, hacking satellites, that sort of thing. You know they have this thing in this era, Google Earth, real nifty...

[Pushing into the cafe, he orders himself a nice hot coffee.] And for you, Mr. Around The World In 90 Minutes?

[prussianblues]

Maybe I just wanted to go for a ride.

[ In regards to his hot air balloon ride... which, no, he hadn't wanted to simply go for a ride but he can't exactly say he had been against being so high up like that again.

Heero stands there and takes a look at all the offerings scribbled on the board before he settles on a hot chocolate, not even bothering to look to Duo as he says that before he's wandering off to sit somewhere... soaked, yes, leaving Duo to foot the bill as he had said he would. ]

[hellrisen02]

[...Okay, Duo just doubles over in laughter.]

[Sorry, give him a minute, Heero.]

Hoo boy, haha, oh man, I haven't laughed like that in ages! [Duo wheezes, reaching to pull a bill from his pocket for the cashier. Still giggling quietly to himself, he meanders along after Heero with his coffee in hand, grin still beaming, and flops himself into the opposite seat.]

Okay, but seriously seriously.

[prussianblues]

[ Who says Heero doesn't have a sense of humor?

When his hot chocolate is ready for him, it joins him at the table that he's chosen for them which is a little ways off from the other tables. It's more out of habit than anything else, Heero quietly taking a sip of his hot chocolate then with some small hope that it might just warm him up, if even a little.

Duo's question has those blue eyes of his flick their gaze up towards him before they drift their way off to the side, staring out the window at the rain that continues to pour down outside. ]

I can communicate with artificial intelligence. [ He murmurs, lips pressed at the brim of his cup. ] Depends on the make of it and how self-aware it is. [ There's another pause as he blows a little on his drink before taking a sip. ] I wanted to know some things about this place.

[hellrisen02]

[Duo does! >8|]

[The priest looks thoughtful as he sips at his coffee slowly, then hisses and blows on it.] Technopathy? You're sure? Well... That's a new one. [Now what could that mean?] But not really surprising, considering... [He waves his hand vaguely in Heero's direction--] You know.

[He didn't really like talking about the ZERO System, these days. Too many bad memories.] Preventer developed it further while you were asleep. That's what we used to wake you up, since it's a requirement to restore the consciousness and memories. And the files can be viewed without having to directly connect the System through VR glasses. That's all top level clearance stuff, of course.

--I'm not officially with Preventer. But I still do them the odd favor now and then. Gotta keep Wufei on his toes. [He grins at Heero knowingly before hiding it behind his coffee cup.]

[prussianblues]

It's different.

[ From the ZERO system he means. It's... similar in some regards-- from what he's seen and felt at least but it's not the same, not from what he can tell at least. ]

It's like talking with you right now. [ He pauses, a slow sip taken from his hot chocolate before he licks over his lips. ] But less loud.

[ A pointed look given to Duo, Heero glances around the cafe, looking to the different sorts of people sitting and minding their business, wondering idly which ones happen to be Imports like themselves. ]

I have to physically touch the computer or else I can't communicate with it.

[ Never mind the whole manipulating electronics and all, he's talking more about communicating for now. ]