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etcelsior2017-08-25 07:25 pm
maskormods) wrote in etcelsior2017-08-25 07:25 pm
Entry tags:
KEMOSABE, JUMP ON IT!
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?
No matter how you feel about imPorts, there is one thing the community all must suffer through together: the weather. And time. Two, two things the community must suffer through together. However many things there are, today is celebrating the Dog Days of Summer. Literally. There is an adoption fair for every kind of dog you can imagine, and a few that really take imagination to call them ‘a dog.’ Like cats that have had doggy ear-shaped hats placed on their unwilling heads, or fish with decorative dog art painted on their bowl. Or that baby alligator on a leash with fur (glued? It looks glued) on its back. So while it’s a fine day to come and meet a new friend- or drop one off and run, hoping someone else will take it- it may also be a good day to stop the smaller animals and some wandering children from getting eaten by some of the more carnivorous creatures a few of the local eccentrics have decided to try to pawn off on the public. Or grab a snack from the fried food and ice cream stands and watch the madness. Whatever your choice, welcome to Florida, heroes.
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!
Wasn’t the forgiveness day festival wonderful? What, you weren’t in this world yet to attend? Well, never mind that! There’s still time for those willing to part with a few dollars to show your love for this new world and sympathy for the natives and imPorts alike that have been harmed in it. How? Why with a flower festival, of course! An entire block has been closed off for the seemingly endless sale of flowers of every shape and color. Technically, all the flowers have meanings and a few wandering guides are more than happy to help you pick out the bunch that may speak your true feelings to your intended target. It has all the potential to be a nice, sweet smelling day where you can express your love or eternal hatred or total ambivalence with living flora.
Of course, this is the science city. It can’t be something as simple as only normal, natural flowers. Some of the stands are nice enough to keep their technological wonders neatly labeled and separate from the rest of the foliage. Others aren’t so nice. The best way to get people to try a new thing is to spring it on an unsuspecting public, right? Right! Also for sale are roses that, if you prick your finger on the (oddly able to pierce through even superhuman strong, unbreakable skin) thorns you are compelled to spend the rest of the day with the first person you lay your eyes on. Never seen them before or hate their guts, it doesn’t matter. You simply feel awful when more than three feet away from them. To the point you will pass out if you’re away from them for more than five minutes. Hope you’re good at making quick bathroom runs.
There are also lilies that make birds flock to you and snap dragonsthat offer you supportive messages given in a squeaky voice every time you smell it. For those liking slightly more visibly engineered flowers, a multicolored daisy turns you into a Technicolor wonder, your clothes, hair, eyes, and skin changing rapidly from color to color without any apparent rhyme or reason (or respect for clashing). Putting the flower down will stop the changes, but you’re stuck in whatever random pattern it landed on until an hour passes and the effect wears off. Good luck with the festival!
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?
To say all is not right in the streets of Maurtia Falls is to more or less state the obvious, but this time, the criminal nature of this foe is a little... sillier than usual. One gentleman gifted with the powers of superspeed seems not to have grasped the true potential of his powers and instead of spending his time robbing banks or big businesses, he's decided to be the world's most efficient pickpocket. He zips through the street, pushing people over at superspeed and picking their pockets and snatching their pockets, leaving only a brown blur in his wake, evidently having lost the memo that primary colours are all the rage for costumed heroes and villains.The more heroically minded among you may want to go after this villain or save a grandma or two that have been unintentionally pushed straight into traffic... but the guy has to stop to rest sometime, and he's really begging for a beatdown with this kind of behaviour.
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!
Today the word on everyone’s lips is branding. It’s not enough to slap on some spandex or hand stitch a mask these days. That’s so 80s. Now is the time not only to get your hero/villain costume professionally made, it’s time for sponsorship! Why should natives be limited to just having some registered imPorts actually working at their place of business? A cape is basically a big, open banner just waiting for a logo. Or ten. Now, they can’t really promise money up front for anyone agreeing to wear their logo and work their slogan into a witty quip during an arrest, but they can do one better: free products. Get all the free socks you can wear by only fighting crime in Jane’s Honey of the Earth socks, underwear, and bras. Or negotiate for free dinners for life if you wear the logo and agree to only appear on dates eating at Overweigh burger shack.
Of course, there’s nothing like an unlikely team up to really get the media spotlight on an imPort (and the brand they now represent). If you fall for the hype or even just get herded over to an audition station (if you are walking down the road today, chances are you’re going to get unwillingly pulled in at least once), get ready to meet your new partner: this random stranger! The company will give you 10 minutes to get to know each other, then it’s time to grin, bear it, and think of the free merchandise as they ask you to perform at least one heroic feat as a team for their cameras. What that is, exactly, is up to you.
Odin | Fire Emblem: Fates
[ Odin's been in America for all of two or three hours, and he's already made a bit of a name for himself. He's taken to his new surroundings with all the elegence and grace of a frenetic, dying horse, rampaging through the streets with boundless excitement, downing free drinks and screaming in shock and delight at whatever new thing captures his interests. It's all pretty normal for him, but it gets ramped up to eleven as soon as he stumbles across the adoption fair. The second Odin lays eyes on those puppies, a tidal wave of joy just crashes over him. His arm is shaking as he points at the scene in front of him, and he all but jumps over natives and other imports to get a closer look. There are tears in his eyes. He's so happy. ]
BEASTS! [ Wow, that's loud. Odin throws his hands up at the sky, crying out. A few dogs are startled. ] The most loyal beasts of all! A man's best friend - a hero's finest companion! Truly, the Gods collaborated on their finest piece of work the day they created you... the noble hound! [ He grasps a puppy's paws, and it just sort of tilts its head at him. Odin's causing a scene, but he doesn't care. HE'S SO HAPPY
Or - he was. He sees that baby alligator, covered in faux fur, one of the cardboard ears stickytaped to its head starting to come loose. He screams. Louder than before, somehow. ]
An imposter! [ He reels back, raising his hands, preparing to fight. He grabs his wrist with his free hand at the last minute, dragging his arm back to his side. ] No - be calm, Odin! This fiend will receive justice - but not through death!
[ I guess he wants to kill the alligator? Well. ]
DE CHIMA.
[ Flowers! Sweet-smelling scents, the purest form of natural beauty! Ah, the wonders of the earth. Odin's more than happy to interrogate the guides about what feeling each flower represents, though he responds to each bit of information he's fed with a long spiel about how plants are often used by villainous warlocks to ensnare the senses and that he'll do his best to protect the world from such evildoers.
His attention is drawn to the roses, though, the ones that compel those pricked by their thorns to spend the day with another import. They're beautiful. Romantic. Just like him, Odin Dark, tragic heroic figure of the people. He grabs them about twenty at once, immediately accidentally pricks himself about a dozen times, and wobbles on his feet. And then he sees you. Oh dear. ]
Y... you...
You, there! Angel! You-- you divine being, descended from the Heavens themselves! [ He throws the roses in the air, letting them cascade down on him like a waterfall. He swoops to your side, grabs you by the waist and dips you in a very, very intimate dance. ] How-- how could I have been so blind? To foolishly believe the life I led until now was anything short of heartbreaking! You-- you are my muse, my faith, my future! Bare to me your naked soul, and allow me to cradle you in my unwavering, loyal embrace! Finally... I've found you, my beloved soulmate!
[ well. ]
NONAH.
[ So, Odin's already basically half naked. There really isn't a lot of room for advertising on his costume, seeing as it's about 90% black mesh. When he's told he can make a lot of money by just wearing socks and a bra or whatever, he privately decides it wouldn't really be much of a costume change, so sure, he's game. He nods along with the saleswoman like it's a brilliant idea. Sure, the garment of a hero should be sacred and immovable or whatever, but he also likes people knowing the name Odin Dark, and if he had it emblazened on his chest somewhere while wearing some sweet rainbow boxers that maybed glowed in the dark or something, that'd be pretty dope.
But, well. It turns out just wearing underwear and socks while fighting crime is a more embarrassing concept than he thought? He's been roped into wearing white boxers with red hearts on them, fluffy pink socks and a very long pink scarf, and now he's being trained to yell "C-Comfort at a reasonable price!" to passersby, and "Th-there's nothing quite as satisfying as solving crime, except for solving crime while moving with complete freedom down there!" to interested natives. He's pulling in some customers for whoever the hell he's advertising for, which, great, cool, awesome, but he also sort of wants to run away and hide. He bit off more than he can chew, here. He's only good at doing and saying stupid embarrassing things when it's on HIS terms.
So, when he finds an opening, he sneaks away, still completely undressed, though he's covered himself with his cape and he's clutching the rest of his clothes to his chest. Chances are, you'll find him here, awkwardly snaking through the streets of Nonah, avoiding the people looking for him because this spicy spicy lingerie absolutely weren't his to just walk away with. When he sees you - assuming you find him here, and not when he's making a fool of himself by advertising this nonsense in the first place - he, uh. Stares. ]
... Hi. I'm having a big day. This has been a big day for me. [ Despite the anxiety in his voice, he sounds more natural, like he's actually a normal person instead of a weird overdramatic garbageboy. ] This place is pretty crazy, huh?
wildcard.
[ or anything else. plurk is
Nonah
You've no idea. And you can just tell them 'no'- you might need to repeat it a few times though.
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[ Odin pauses. Wait, wait. Odin Dark's a villain, or at the very least, some kind of antihero. Sometimes he forgets he's not just playing good guy tragic hero anymore. He coughs into his fist and then smooths his hand through his hair, adopting a tone of just totally fake malice. ]
I mean-- of course. Of course. You're right, of course. I'm the bringer of the Darkest Darkness, the... Nightiest Night. The last thing a man like me must do is buckle under the requests of some dumb jerks that are just gonna make me all embarrassed and stuff.
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What if... [ he drops his clothes, just right on the ground. He puts his hand over his face, dramatically, then shrouds himself in his cape. It would look kind of cool, if it wasn't, you know. Stupid. And not kind of cool. Even a little. ]
What if this is all part of my secret plan? I accrue funds for those hungry merchants, only to swoop in and steal their funds for myself the second their back is turned, thereby doubling the profits of my planned heist and presenting myself as an innocent victim? It's hard to predict just what limits Odin Dark will break in his destined fate of... like, striking fear into the hearts of men.
Heropa (sorry not sorry)
Is this guy serious?
Woden, who looks out of place as a whole in the summer heat -- complete with the Daft Punkian helmet, full biker leathers, and neon lights, definitely doesn't look his namesake. He knows this. He styled himself as something different because of this.
He also isn't going around making...proclamations about puppies. Nor is he lacking in calm.
So why is someone using his name? A different version of his name, but still his name. ]
Excuse me? I am calm. [ A beat. ] And it's not Odin, it's Woden. Old English pronunciation.
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Wh-what? No, no. It's definitely Odin. Trust me. I've heard that name whispered by a great, elder dragon. Breath of flames as fearsome as his will. Very spooky stuff. He totally said "Odin", not "Woden". It was a big deal. I was there, so. Kind of got that on my side.
[ Wait, wait. He doesn't know what's going on, but this is another opportunity to be stupid, so he grabs it. ]
W-Wait! Are you... daring to suggest... that you're the unknowable terror of the night, Odin Dark? Ha! I thought I was unlucky to be accosted by one imposter today, but - two?! [ he slowly, dramatically, rises to his feet. ] Prepare yourself, imbecile! I, Odin Dark, shall guide you to your eternal slumber!
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[ He asked, his head tipped, but he just shifted slightly, and leaned against a nearby wall. There's no expression -- thanks to the helmet -- but instead he only tips the reflective helmet, as if he's considering something. ]
Like I said, it's Woden. I've been reborn enough times that I'm pretty sure I know what my name is. Odin's cute and all, but he's not nearly as exciting as I am.
Original flavor, and all that nonsense. Now, I don't know why your mom named you after a Norse god, but... we can't both go around like this, so one of us has to change.
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[ Odin nods. It's a good plan, if he may say so himself. But he's getting distracted! He tries to roll up his sleeves, but his clothes don't have any, just these stupid unruly gloves, so. He just weirdly runs his hands over his arms instead? Weird. ]
My mom didn't give me this name. A dragon did. I already said that, you fool. And I've gotten pretty attached to it! Do you know how rad it is to have a dragon give you your name? Probably not. But he did. Sent me through time and space on a mission and everything. It was amazing. You wouldn't understand.
... I could rename you. [ he's thrilled, suddenly. ] Do you want me to give you a name? You could be my arch-nemesis. Maybe my loyal sidekick, but you don't really look like a sidekick.
Heropa
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[ Odin shakes his head sadly, reaching one hand out and just. Gently touching Jonathan on the cheek. Like a dear friend saying goodbye to a dying loved one. His voice is almost cloyingly full of pity, like he can't imagine how someone so pure and naive could have survived this long. ]
Have you not heard tale of the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? Hark, my friend, gather 'round! For this strange, foreign idiom warns of the dangers of two-faced predators like our wetlands-loving friend here! A true villain hides his face behind a cleverly crafted guise of innocence, and then, at the last moment - snap! A strike! Blood, as far as the eye can see! No. No, this cannot stand. Something must be done.
[ he, uh, pauses. ]
... Um, though, actually, I guess an idiom isn't really a tale? And it's kind of weird to talk about how this guy is a wolf when he's pretending to be a dog? So maybe my point isn't coming across very... clearly.
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It's...really obvious that it's an alligator. It's not exactly a good disguise. No one's going to think it's not going to try and bite them.
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The-- the dogs! They don't know! Precious, loving animals, fooled into believing this monster is one of their kin! Have you no sympathy for them? Innocent lives, so easily hoodwinked!
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[He was going to have to try harder than that if he wanted to convince Jonathan that this alligator was deceiving anyone in any way.]
Heropa
Niles approached just as quiet as ever, not really feeling a need to alert Odin to his presence as he checked out what the hell he was screaming about this time. Fiends and justice, that was pretty par for the course with him, so it wasn't terribly new, but still. Lord Leo would be pretty upset if he knew his retainer was making a scene, right? Sure. That's the excuse Niles will use.
Sneaking up behind him, Niles drew a dagger from his cloak, then swiftly pounced on Odin from behind, grabbing his arm and sticking his blade against his throat. A friendly greeting!]
I dunno, I kinda like it. It looks like it can bite hard.
[That clearly makes it superior to regular puppies. Also with that crap stuck to it, it was ugly as hell, and Niles was a little endeared. Ah well. He digs the blade in a little.]
Boy, it'd be really easy to assassinate you.
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He's used to this kind of greeting from Niles, though, so it doesn't take long for him to connect the dots and realize he's not actually in any danger. That doesn't stop him from yelling, though. He just yells a little quieter - just for the fun of it, really - while he tries to wriggle his arm out of Niles's grip. It doesn't work. He can't get free. He stops yelling and sighs, frustrated, then drops his voice to a very loud stage whisper. ]
You think you have me at your mercy, swine!? You fool! All you've managed to do is provoke the slumbering beast that dwells within these sacred veins! O, aching blood - I embrace the rage that thrives within you! Now is the time... TO AWAKEN!
[ he flops around like a fish some more, squirms away from Niles, poses dramatically as if he's about to strike, but then a puppy barks and he gets distracted. ]
... We should get a puppy. Do you think Lord Leo would let us adopt one if we promised to take care of it?
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It's too late for you, Odin Dark. I'm about to split you open to see the brilliant cherry red of your insides.
[Really, nothing to worry about here. Eventually, he can't hold on to him anymore, Odin being just a little too slippery and Niles not wanting to risk ACTUALLY stabbing him in the throat. For only a moment, Niles brandishes his dagger as if they were about to really fight, but of course he's distracted easily by talk of getting a puppy.]
I'd say... if Lord Leo were here right now and we asked him, he would absolutely not let us get one.
[He twirl his dagger in his hand, looking over the pups. No, he really actually did like that toothy one...]
...... But.
If we were to just have one. And he discovered it later. He probably would not make us get rid of it.
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-- he might not let us keep a puppy if, when he finds out about it, he's feeling particularly overwhelmed by the dark, eldritch arts that chain him. Or if he's all embarrassed 'cause he didn't get dressed the right way. There are any number of obstacles to navigate, here. We'll have to make sure he's in a good mood before we introduce them. Maybe we can make a whole day of it? We can spend all day playing together and eating tasty food and then we'll take him home and show him the puppy and he'll be too happy to be anything but in love with it. Yeah?
So, okay. Which one are we getting? [ Lots of puppies to choose from. He picks up a fluffy brown motherfuzzer. Cute little angel. Odin just stands there beaming at Niles while this dog in his arms tries to climb all over him and eat his face. daw ]
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Eugh. This is beginning to sound like work. You know how I feel about work.
[He was a very diligent retainer! And he stalked people very well. He just also really liked his cat naps, which were actually fairly possible as of right now.
Still... he'd never had a pet. A puppy wasn't his first choice, but he could force Odin into doing the hard work, probably.]
Which one bites the hardest?
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You really are incorrigible. We're getting a puppy! This is a big deal, I need you to put some stamina into this.
[ Odin hasn't even brought up naming the poor thing yet, and that's obviously going to be a trial. Still, hmm. Sexy biting euphemism aside, Leo would probably like a tough dog, too. Odin reluctantly puts the fuzzy puppy down and looks for a dog with sharp teeth. ]
Well, we can't get the imposter. I've already established a narrative saying he's evil, so.
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[Niles shrugs. He's not really as excited about things as Odin but that's just saying water is wet. No one is as excited about things as Odin.
And oh god once naming was a question. They were definitely going to have to argue about it for a solid half hour AT LEAST, that was just how it had to be.]
Also I definitely wouldn't know how to take care of it, I think. Which is a shame. It's just so terrible, I have to kind of love it.
[Time to look over the other ones, then. Niles scrutinizes each one, mostly thinking about how Leo would react to them. No doubt some part of the little princeling's heart would want one of these little beasts. Unconditional love and all that.]
I feel like a puppy is probably just going to be fuzzy and cute for awhile and you need to raise it to be more intimidating. Which I suppose is a decent payout...
I'll just have to be the one doing the biting until then.
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[ The imposter is certainly equal parts horrible and lovable, though, that's for sure. Very Niles. Odin feels kind of guilty turning his back on it. Maybe he'll sneak back and adopt the alligator when they're done here? You know, so he can give it to Niles as a present. Odin'll figure out how to take care of an alligator and teach Niles how to do it and everything'll work out! EXCELLENT PLAN ]
Yeah... maybe we shouldn't raise it to be intimidating after all, though? I'm starting to think it might be a bit mean to adopt a fluffy-wuffy puppy and turn it into a spooky scary hellhound. We've gotta be good dads to our kid and protect it from the dark cynicism of existence. Not, like, smother them in it.
[ Hmm. Hmmmm. ]
As long as you don't bite Prince Leo, we'll be okay. We still need him on our side to pull this off.
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[That was a joke but also 100% Niles' actual personality. He just wouldn't be Niles if he wasn't the absolute most terrible.
He grimaced a little, crossing his arms over his chest.]
That might be pretty impossible, if it's us adopting it. Well, maybe you can manage to not be a walking mass of 'the dark cynicism of existence', but that's kind of my whole... thing.
[Innuendos and extreme cynicism. And Niles isn't going to smother a dog in innuendos. Despite what prior may think(what he definitely encourages people to think), even he has his limits.]
Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of biting Lord Leo! Unless he asked me to, then of course I'd do it.
I'll just be biting you for the time being.
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Pffshhh. C'mon. I'm twice as dark and cynical as you. You've heard more tales about me than anyone! Odin Dark. Tragic Scion of the damned, cradled forlornly by the night. Lauded by victims and rivals and followers alike as the Bringer of Endless Shadows, Master of the Ruined Fates. If I can't quell the screams that roar through my regal blood, I'll corrupt the poor little angel and turn it into my apocalyptic familiar. So. We've both gotta be on our guards here! No talking about death and famine and stuff in front of the pupper.
[ Odin just picks up a dog, hugs it, puts it back down. Maybe he can just adopt all of them? He'll have to ask Niles what he thinks about that idea when he's not just openly and unashamedly hitting on him. ]
And-- h-honestly. Jeez. Odin Dark has no time for affairs of the physical! He's never even had a date, so. He's not going to offer his infernal flesh to the venomous fangs of his silver-tongued compatriot any time soon. (You're his silver-tongued compatriot, if that wasn't clear.)
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[Which is frankly still super weird. You'd think someone like Odin would leave some kind of trail wherever he went. Niles wasn't really investigating that anymore though, seeing as they weren't really in Nohr now.]
But I'm not interested in getting into any kind of cynicism contest with you. There's no point. [Niles snickered a little at that, smirking the whole time. You'd think by now Odin would have gotten used to the way Niles spoke, and the way he very often said suggestive things out of the blue. But of course not. He's taking this at face value.
Good, that was the most fun thing to play with.]
Silver-tongued? Oh, my tongue has been called many things, but rarely silver. Do you really think so highly of it? [His smirk is just impish now. Nothing good ever came from that look on Niles' face.]
(no subject)