etcelsior | KEMOSABE, JUMP ON IT!

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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Good. You would be boring if you had already shown your only hand so soon.

[ Said of Chilton's 'threat' about the sedation not being his only power. But as the psychiatrist got up to move, Starr kept his eyes on him. And when he could turn his head no further, he turned his body to face him again. ]

That sounds like the sort of thing I would say to my employees.

[ And it would be a lie because it absolutely was torture and not for anyone's own good but Starr's. Although Starr typically didn't torture and simply went for the kill when his underlings displeased him. ]

An Ahab figure? Is that so? And what is it you believe I want that I will never achieve? I have achieved a great deal in my many years.

Your employees. Oh, you must be a fine overlord, indeed. Dedicated, determined, so organized. [Wryly:] And a bubbling personality, to boot.

[Chilton tapped on the glass, taunting his newest exhibit.]

All you're missing is the peg leg. But the white whale you're hunting for, your messiah? You will never find him in Sam Merlotte. You'll never find him whatsoever. And the logic you have mentally manifested in him, the order you want to be inherent in this world, the something that validates your life with meaning... It is a lie. A false hope.

[Chilton grinned widely, more sharply than before, tilting his head.]

There is only humanity. Your earthly peers. And we are a cruel and monstrous bunch.

Edited 2017-09-21 03:49 (UTC)

[ The words had little effect on Herr Starr. If nothing else, he was extraordinarily stubborn in his beliefs, and Frederick Chilton standing outside of his glass tube wasn't going to shake them. In fact, it almost seemed as though the man was trying very hard to dissuade Starr off of the path. And whether that came from a place of wanting to control his thoughts or fear was something he had yet to tell. So, Starr tried to sniff it out. ]

Tell me. What frightens you more? Sam Merlotte himself? Or the prospect of a modern god stepping into the role in this world? Merlotte's ambassadorial success was but a test run. And the audience very openly welcomed him, arms spread and ladies' crotches open. People are always looking for something higher than themselves to believe in, something to distract them from how shit stained their own lives have become. So I ask you this.

Why not Sam?

Are you psychoanalyzing me?

[If Herr Starr were not the one nearly nude and captured in a straitjacket, pinned behind glass and depowered, then Chilton would have asked that question with less amusement. But as he considered himself to have the upperhand, he took pleasure in the words.]

Oh, no. The prospect of a modern god? You must be highly dissatisfied with the state of your world to carry over that intention. Disenchanted.

[Chilton took a step back to thoroughly look Starr up and down, he wanted his patient to feel the appraisal.]

You know, proclaiming yourself a godmaker... It is megalomania in a most sanctimonious hue. You are pragmatic, yes, decisive. But that comes from... What? A sense of injustice? Anger?

[ Chilton evaded the topic. Of course he would evade the topic. He didn't have a gun pointed to his head and Starr was otherwise contained. So, his shoulders sagged and he sighed. Loudly. ]

Why not boredom?

[ Throwing out a suggestion to Chilton's list of suggestions. ]

Like I am now. Bored.

[ And with that came the first attempt to test the structure that contained him. Starr reared his foot back and gave a mighty kick at the plexiglass. Likely, it resulted in him breaking his foot rather than making any sort of dent. But the pain was only met with a furrow of his brow. ]

There. Now I can sue.

[ Although as soon as he left the power nullified containment, any injuries would swiftly heal. ]

What --! No! [Chilton pressed against the glass tube, his eyes wide with horror. The plexiglass would hold, but Chilton wasn't worried about that -- what he did fear was the implication underlying Starr's statement.

Chilton was legally obligated to protect his patients. Starr was intentional hurting himself.

Injury required intervention.]

How the hell are you not at least wincing?

[It was a bad sign. A bad, neon, psychopathic sign. Just a furrow of his brow to deal with an undoubtedly fracture foot.]

So help me, I will yank you out of that and leave you sedated for the next -- [He looked at his watch.] sixty-five hours. In which I will get you legally committed.

[ It didn't stop Starr. He full force bashed his face into the glass. It would hold, which meant it had enough strength to potentially break one of those bindings. The muzzle. He aimed for what he perceived to be a weak spot and with one rough blow, it split -- cracking and fragmenting. A bit of drool and blood now smeared the side of that glass, but his mouth was free and he could breathe air that wasn't stale.

Not to mention, the horror on Chilton's face made it worth it. Starr fell back against the opposite end of the cell, his breath ragged, his head pounding, his face bleeding, his foot throbbing. And yet, he grinned. A break in his stoic expression and perhaps all the more unsettling because of that. ]

I do doubt your legalities will hold. And in the event that they somehow do, you will slip. There will be an opportunity for escape. And then it will be you who finds himself sodomized.

[ A beat. ]

Figuratively.

[Stunned, Chilton could only stare for the next passing moment; it had been an incredible feat to witness. An display of limited self-liberation enacted entirely without powers. Decisive action. Brutal results.]

You cannot do anything to me.

[But his statement lacked the confidence he wielded minutes before. In the back of his mind, he considered Starr's fixation with sodomy -- something to explore in session, of course. If there was to be any session.]

While you are in these walls, I am your god. And if you are... Released back into society, then you will conform with societal rule of law. There is... There is nothing you can do about that. And I will help you see as much.

[He reached out to touch where the smear of blood and saliva stained the inside of the glass.]

I think you really need the help.

The very way you conform to societal rule of law -- abducting innocent people and forcing your help onto them? I will be certain to take note. Do as I see you do. You are my model for absolute normal behavior.

[ Starr sniffed up a bit of blood, flexing his arms within the straitjacket in order to test it -- see if he could get it to tear. Unfortunately, that seemed to be beyond his capabilities to escape. ]

It seems you are good at bondage. Do you often tie up men in this way? For recreation.

[ It wouldn't surprise him if the answer was yes. Chilton seemed like the type. ]

Do I secure dangerous patients often? Only when most necessary. I assure you, Herr Starr, you are nothing if not a unique case.

[Starr was, admittedly, quite impressive. Chilton had to work to swallow his interest -- the appearance of an aloof demeanor was more valuable in the long run.]

Would you prefer to be released from the straitjacket? I can arrange for that. But it would be only conditionally.

[A good behavior treat. This was assuming that Starr was capable of obedience, of course, which in of itself was a grand assumption to make.]

[ There was a small but pleased quirk of his lips when Chilton called him a unique case. It was appreciative of the compliment, even if getting a compliment from Chilton was questionable because he was a rather questionable man. ]

Define your conditions and I will decide if they are agreeable. Not that I believe you can be trusted at your word. This does not, after all, look like a poncho shop.

[ He might have been painfully sedated, but he still fully recalled the events that happened right up until the moment Chilton unleashed his sedative. He still recalled Chilton's lie. ]

I release you from your jacket. You remain in the containment center. You do not physically harm yourself while in the containment center. You do not physically harm any other human being in this hospital.

[Fulfilling terms, he thought. Harm was Herr Starr's currency.]

... And you must remain kneeling as I unstrap your jacket. I will have the orderlies bring you a fresh set of clothing.

[Starr had been stripped before jacketed, while unconscious. It was a safety measure, in case he was concealing any weapon.]

Edited 2017-09-23 04:09 (UTC)

[ He mulled over Chilton's words, lips pursing in thought. He could lie. He could absolutely agree to not harm anyone. Any other human being as Chilton had termed it because imPorts weren't technically human beings, were they? So it wouldn't be a lie if he happened to harm one. But Starr also wanted a little something more than release from his bonds. ]

I will do as you ask so long as I can attend my job interview in the morning. When I make appointments I stick to them. I am never late. Not unless I decide it is not a worthwhile venture. Allow this and I shall return to this...

[ He looked around at the horridly bright lights and variety of cells. ]

...prison. For the promised 72 hours. I will even be a Good. Boy.

[ The last two words staccato and punctuated. Being 'good' was not necessarily something Starr subscribed to. But being good was not the same as being right, and you didn't have to do good things to do the right things. ]

[Thinking over the request, Chilton pursued his lips -- a mirror expression, however unintentional, to Starr's own. The legality in his corner was untested; if he kept Starr beyond reasonable bounds, it could come back to bite him in the ass. There was a risk inherent to releasing him to attend his interview, yes... But Chilton was also curious to see if Starr would keep to his promise made.

Like he claimed, when he made appointments he stuck to them.]

Will you require access to the inpatient showers? For preparation of your morning interview?

[It was a leading question, as if Chilton had already agreed to the terms. Which wasn't to say that he had not, only that he intentionally leashed along anticipation.]

Yes. And a change of underwear. As well as a new shirt. Mine was tattered in a minor scuffle.

[ Said as though he was removing Chilton of the charges, as though Chilton was not even there when it happened. All part of being a good boy, after all. Blaming his captor was less likely to see him get what he wanted. He knew the game. ]

Perhaps some medical attention. For my broken foot.

[ And it most certainly was broken by the way it was bruised and discolored. Yet, Starr remained standing. In part because he knew if he sank to the floor, he wouldn't be able to get up again without use of his hands. But also because he had an incredibly high threshold for pain ]

Right. [An uneasy glance at that foot.] Why don't you kneel down? Get a little pressure off of that.

[He called up his staff medic, a native who had ER experience. Chilton was antsy to get that foot examined, the bone settled -- surgically, if necessary. Which might take up the remainder of the evening, depending on the medic's analysis.]

Stay down.

[He moved to unlock the cylinder's hatch -- a fingerprint encoded lock. With his fingerprint as the sole access code. Chilton watched Starr all the while, knowing damn well that he was observing all these details.]

All right, the medic should be here shortly. Foot first, then clothing.

[He said, stepping inside and leaving the hatch door wide open.]

[ Herr Starr gave Chilton a suspicious glance when he was told to essentially get on his knees. Mostly, he was waiting for Chilton to unzip his pants and take advantage of this precarious situation. But there was little else he could actually do, so he obeyed like a good boy as part of his true -- settling onto the floor, the muzzle still dangling from his face.

And of course his eyes were on what Chilton was doing as he opened up the door. ]

Your fingerprint being the sole dictating factor to the release of a patient does not bode well for your patients. What if you were to fall prey to the porter's whims? How would these people escape?

[ What's the backup plan? An obvious ploy at getting Chilton to talk about it. ]

What if I were to be murdered? What if I were to have my hand cut off? We live in an unusual world, Herr Starr.

[Chilton knelt to one knee himself, unstrapping the patient at the back.

We all have curious methods on how to defend ourselves. Some of us can heal ourselves from mortal, or permanent, wounds. Some of us can heal others.

[Chilton did neither, but he wouldn't outright confess as much. He knew how to play this game.]

Are you afraid that you risk rotting in here? Probably the most boring death you could think of.

[Powers didn't work within the cylinder, but they would outside of it. It would take only a thrashing from a hyper powered Jack. Chilton smiled, still unwilling to clarify. Perhaps, he thought, he ought to reinforce the material again...

His orderly came. Chilton directed the man to assist Starr -- roughly.]

Perhaps I am merely taking in the details so that I may assume your form seamlessly. Like a chameleon or a Sam Merlotte at a dog show.

[ He looked Chilton up and down, a line of displeasure furrowing on his brow. It would be a boring death. And more so a waste of precious time. He would have to come up with inventive ways to kill himself in hopes to revive elsewhere outside of his cell. ]

But I will not rot here.

[ His head was held high with a certain dignity. ]

You find me too fascinating to keep me locked away.

[ And then that orderly came, which left Starr at his mercy -- gritting his teeth as the broken bone was jostled and forcefully set. Starr spared a glance toward Chilton in the meanwhile. Oh, he was definitely going to break Chilton's fingers as payback for this at some point. ]

Mm. [Chilton inclined his head at Starr's last statement -- well, he wasn't wrong. Chilton had been hooked, intrigued, and he was loathe to think that he would have to release Starr sooner rather than later. It was highly improbably that Starr would make the same mistake twice and end up captive again. Such a pity, a waste of ideal observation and psychiatric data collection. What could have been months, reduced now to days. Hours.

Unless.

Chilton slowly turned his head to face Starr entirely, watching the bone setting and subsequent medical wrapping.

Unless.]

Taking that like a champ, aren't you?

[Not a single whimper.]

Impressive, actually. Stanford, thank you. If you'd please leave patient Starr's uniform next to him so that he may dress himself, yes. Dismissed.

[All orderlies had medical training. Some more thoroughly than... Others. Chilton, once they were alone again, smiled at his patient.

Unless...]

How would you like a job here?

[ His stare remained unblinking. If it weren't for the fact that he was still breathing, one might have sworn he was dead in that moment. But no. He was just dead inside. As this Stanford fellow left them be, Starr casually turned his head to watch him go -- adding that man to the list of people he would definitely kill.

What Chilton said next was a bit of a surprise, though. A job? Here? ]

Is this a trick question? Are you going to be hiring me on as a test tube inspector where I will have to remain in various cells to ensure they function properly? If that is the offered job, the answer is a hard no. As hard as my dick is right now.

[ TMI with Herr Starr. Get used to it, Chilton. ]

Ah. [He glanced down, at Herr Starr's groin. He didn't mean to, but when a sentence like that is spoken, well -- it's like telling someone not to look behind them. They are going to look behind.] That -- [Slight flush.]

-- I meant more in a security department way. Patient retrieval. Enforcement. But -- never mind.

[He looked away. Finally.]

[ Starr perked up at Chilton's suggestion. Now that? That was something far more suitable to his talents. Something more suitable than his given job. Something more suitable than his interview at the company Puppies for Pornstars in the morning. ]

No. Not never mind. Does this 72 hours count as the job interview for said position?

[ He fidgeted a bit as though attempting to remind Chilton he had promised to remove him from the straitjacket after treatment and he was still waiting to be removed. ]

Or have I already passed?

I would prefer to fill the position as quickly as possible. My former head of security, he... Has exported. Again.

[Unfortunate and untimely. But Chilton had an instinct informing him that it was for good this time; rare was it for anyone to export, import, and export again so quickly and then ever return. Chilton swallowed, shrugged, and moved to finish unstrapping Starr's straitjacket.]

Not to be prejudiced, but it's probably better than I employ humans for awhile... My prior head of security was something more. Biblical.

[Literally Cain.]

Not my field of study.

[He pulled the jacket forward, releasing Starr from it, and tried to keep his eyes off the nude form by keeping them up towards the ceiling.]

Clothes to your left.

[ It was liberating to be removed from the straitjacket, and as soon as his arms were free, he reached up to peel the remainder of the muzzle from his head -- letting it fall to the floor. His attention moved toward Chilton with mild interest. Something Biblical. Chilton housed those things and still was a nonbeliever.

Interesting.

Starr didn't seem to care about his nudity. He didn't bother to cover up in embarrassment and stood tall, body exposed as he reached down for his clothing in order to dress himself once more. It was a bit of a struggle with the wrapping, but he still managed. ]

Not your field of study, but something you seem to surround yourself with -- whether unintentionally or not.

[ His hand swiped along the cut on his face, collecting whatever damp blood was left from it. ]

Do you see yourself as a god in this domain of yours? And the way to keep that image in check is to surround yourself by apparently Biblical or Biblical affiliated people? It may be what I put down on paper to obtain my job at Grail Industries, but I do not consider myself to be a Christian.

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