etcelsior | WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

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.

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[ that voice is familiar, and though diana has been here long enough to understand that the porter can bring similar people from alternate worlds and realities, it still makes her heart leap into her throat. it's been a century, and she can still remember every detail of his face, the last look he'd given her, his gloved hands caressing her fingers.

she knows that it probably isn't him, but that phrase--'another mystical island'--is it really that likely that there's another man with his voice that's had a similar experience?

she drops the napkin she'd been using to hold her ice cream cone in a trash barrel, easing her way through the crowd toward him. she just.. wants to take a look, that's all. she's not getting her hopes up, because miracles of that kind simply don't happen and she knows that. one look can't hurt, though. --and then someone steps out of the way and..

it's him.

everything in her freezes up, all rational thought fleeing, white noise filling her ears. it's steve, exactly the way he'd looked the last time she'd seen him, and suddenly, her eyes are filling with tears. he's here and he's alive, and she'd never in a thousand years expected this. she takes a shaky step forward, then another, a hand reaching for him-- grabbing him, spinning him, and pulling him into a kiss that tastes of salt and vanilla. ]

[ He's even wearing the same clothes as the last time she saw him. Burned and tattered, the overcoat hanging off him in shreds, but still unique in this sea of modern fashion. Now he's the fish out of water, stranded in a world just a little too far beyond his comprehension.

But the most telling part would of course be his reaction to her. He brightens instantly as he recognizes her, calling out even before she's quite reached him. ]

Diana? Diana, is that -

[ You, he would have said, before she spins him about and silences him with a kiss. He has never been more grateful to be manhandled in his life. To think he'd get the chance to see her again after all this, when he'd been expecting nothing at all - he gladly puts his arms around her, returning the kiss passionately. ]

[ gods, she can't believe it. it's him; he feels the same, he tastes the same, he holds her the same way, and she was so sure she'd never have this again. she takes a shuddering breath as they part, her fingers curling at his nape, stroking the skin there tenderly. ]

I can't believe you're here. [ she rests her brow against his, her other hand brushing his cheek, his jaw, as if she can't quite stop touching him. ] I heard your voice and I thought-- I had to know.

[ her eyes lift, searching his for any sign of pain or discomfort. ] Are you well? You have burns-- [ she touches one of the healing marks gently, almost reverently. ] You should rest. We should.. Do you want to come with me?

[ He gladly rests his forehead against hers in turn, glad to just breathe her in for a moment. He regretted very few things when he climbed into that plane, but the thought of never seeing her again was the worst. Every gentle touch of hers he leans into, holding still so that she has all the access she likes. Just her physicality is enough for him. ]

Trust me, I don't believe it either. [ The mark she touches itches a bit, but otherwise he doesn't hurt; it fades even as her fingers skate across the skin, leaving only a red ripple in its wake. ] Let's go somewhere a little more quiet before we lose our heads.

[ He hasn't realized she's been here longer than him. Or that she's lived a century without him. ]

[ she has so much to tell him, so much to explain, and she scarcely knows where to begin. how can she tell him how long she's lived without him, with just his memory and the gifts he'd given her? he must think that it's been a few days, at best, and how will he react knowing otherwise?

she can't worry about it now, though. she just wants to get them both away from this crowd and these staring americans; she wants her american, and all to herself. she pulls back enough to reach for his hand, lacing their fingers together. (another thing he'd taught her, the ways that a man and a woman can touch in public like this.)

she takes a step, then, leading him away from the crowd, out toward the street. she's going to take him-- home. what serves as home here. ]

I didn't tell you back then. [ she hesitates only a moment before gently leaning her head against his shoulder as they walk. ] I love you, as well. [ she'd never stopped, after all this time. she'd just boxed that love up and put it away, as all immortals must at some time when they live with mortals. ]

[ He does think it's only been a few days. Maybe a few months, at most, if he was out for a while, and he wouldn't be surprised by that. A century though... that would be different.

Startled by both the gesture and her words, Steve's smile goes from his usual cynicism to something honestly bright. He laces his own fingers with hers in turn and lets her lead him through the crowd. Fair play to have her her leading him, after all, and since when has he ever been able to stop Diana from doing precisely what she wants at all times? ]

You sound like you've been waiting to say that. Was I gone that long?

[ Phrased like a joke, meant like one too. He doesn't know. ]

Yes, [ she breathes, unable to bring herself to lie to him, even for his own benefit. she knows this is going to be hard for him to hear, but hear it he must-- he'll have to know eventually. it's not in her to keep something this important from someone she loves.

she squeezes his hand, careful not to let it hurt. ] For me, it's been a century since I saw you last. [ one thing at a time. keep them moving, let him absorb that. she's not sure it ever occurred to him that she's immortal-- like her mother. like her father was. ]

I've waited.. all this time.

[ A century. A century. His legs keep moving, but his mind screeches to a halt as he looks over at her, mentally comparing her to his last memory of her face. She looks the same, doesn't she? Not a day older than when he saw her last. But ... a century ... ]

You don't just mean the year here? You actually lived a century back home?

[ A hopeless clarification and he knows it. He's just too stunned to process it properly. ]

[ it's strange, how the tables have turned. she knows more about his world now than he does. she's lived a hundred years among his people; she's fought in their wars, she's watched them grow and change.. not always for the best, but there are those among them that always, always strive for better. people like steve. ]

I did, [ she admits, uncertainty twisting in her chest. will he look at her differently, knowing that? they'd had such a short time together, and now this. ] I'm still.. me. You know that, I hope. [ she lifts her head, glancing toward him again, brows knitting together as she takes in the emotions crossing his features. ]

[ Surprise, first. A thread of disbelief, but one glance at her face is enough to dispel it. Diana wouldn't lie to him, nor mislead him in the name of some joke. Which leaves ... god, he doesn't even know. White noise, mostly, as he's too dumbfounded to process the concept properly. And uncertainty. If it's been that long, does she still love him? Should she? Can he even ask her to? It had been such an ephemeral thing to begin with.

He grips her hand a little more tightly as they go. ]

Of course it's still you. Hell, I wouldn't have known if you hadn't said anything. You're - just the same.

[ It's finally beginning to sink in that she's immortal. ]

[ despite herself, she feels her shoulders sagging faintly in relief. he's taking it well. well enough, at least, and after everything he'd seen and experienced in their time together, she supposes this shouldn't be that shocking. it's one more impossible thing to add to the list of impossible things that she is and that she's capable of.

she turns them down the street her current accommodations are on, smiling faintly. he's really here. they're really.. here. together. they have time now, time to be together and get to know one another properly. time to be lovers and friends.

she lifts their joined hands, brushing a kiss over the back of his. ]

I am the same. Except now I get to tell you about all the new things here.

[ One more impossible thing is right. In this, the setting is helping her as well; the utter foreignness of it makes one more shock from her that much less impactful. He's already having to dodge flying cars and stare out at a city that looks completely different from anything he's ever seen. At that point, what choice does he have? Accept it or freak out. And he really doesn't enjoy freaking out.

Besides, Diana is still Diana. He could watch her all day and blot out all the rest of the world if he had to. He grins as she lifts his hand to kiss it, those electric blue eyes bright and warm. ]

Gonna get revenge for everything I had to explain? Plus I bet women rule the world by now.

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

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