I PUT THEM TO BED, NOW THEY ARE DREAMS, AND WE GO --

[maskormods]

T E S T D R I V E M E M E

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 ON THE TEST DRIVE MEME!

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. Many of the locals might thank you for always lending your service to the nation and their local troubles, while others might not say anything -- but if you have something nasty to say, better not say anything at all, right? That's just the Heropan way.

But despite the relatively small size and mostly easy-going population, this here is not a city immune to the urbane ways of the world. And Heropa, like the rest of the world, adheres to the calendar of this universe. You, fine imPort, have just happened to land squarely on SING LIKE YOU'RE IN A MUSICAL DAY! Wowee! Locals and tourist natives alike will conspire to cajole you into singing your GREATEST WISHES and CLOSING ACT songs. And, oh, you don't feel like singing? Then BEWARE of anyone spritzing a sweet-smelling yellow perfume at you -- that's a lasting vestige from the crumbled HEAVEN SCENT corporation, still on the market, and it will COMPEL YOU TO SING. Even if it's for a few minutes, you'll be singing a few bars. It's nothing personal, the locals just want you to feel like you belong.

Happy Sing Like You're In A Musical Day!

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! Those words have meaning here. 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 or recently published PLoS papers. 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. Some of them MAY ask if you personally know the De Chima Ambassador, Sam Merlotte. Beware if you answer in the affirmative; anything from personal questions about romantic chances to bedroom habits to dietary queries might come up!

If you wander the clean streets beneath those chrome and glass skyscrapers, you'll come upon the limited greenery clearing that De Chima possesses. You'll see a live demonstration in the middle of small Newton Park. A live demonstration! Of what, you ask! Of the start-up company DeCRYPTO CANINE! You'll find a fenced little area in the park fitted for a low-rise stage. On that stage are lots of dogs -- terriers, labradors, dachshunds, huskies, even a great dane or two. Around the collar of every one of these dogs is a glowing blue band encapsulated in a silver framing. When the demonstration begins (at the push of a big red button on a remote control), the glowing blue changes to yellow, to green, or to red -- all depending on the dog.

"Communication with our good canine buds!" Says the woman on the stage with the microphone and the remote. "DeCRYPTO CANINE translates blood pressure and adrenaline into mood, and mood into limited speech! At long last!"

Who let the dogs out? This woman, because she opened the fencing floodgates and these dogs ran to greet the waiting audience. Wagging tails -- green! And a computerized voice says "YOU ARE NEW HELLO I SMELL YOUR BUTT NOW WE ARE FRIENDS".

Whimpering, lowered tails -- yellow! Concern! "YOUR CROTCH SMELLS BAD. ARE YOU SICK."

Tense shoulders, hunched posture -- red! "BAD MAN BAD MAN BAD MAN!"

What will these dogs reveal about you?

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania has carried a reputation for ups and downs ever since imPorts began reappearing again, just those few years prior. Several imPort heroes have put focused efforts into cleaning up the streets of this somewhat infamous city, while a handful of others had 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 -- but that war waging is taking a turning tide thanks to the order and regulation established by Ambassador Petyr Baelish. Locals know him best for his library and his hardline on containing the criminal element. Trustworthy guy, they'll tell you. But one man's leadership isn't enough to clean up a troubled city in a year's time; everything from the classic bank heist to brutal bloodbaths can happen around the corner. You have to keep your eyes open and your mind sharp when you live in Maurtia Falls.

Case in point: the two cars screeching down the bust, bustling streets of this noir-styled city. A green car and a red car, both sedan styled, dodging and weaving through midday traffic like they had learned to drive at a bumper car rally. Not too far behind is the wail of several police sirens. You know that the police are too far away, that these speeding vehicles might make it to the off-ramp freeway and get home-free -- what do you do about it? Huh, hero? What do you do?

NOTHING
Just go about your business. Crazy day, huh?

CHASE THE GREEN CAR
Going 79 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, that'll be some chase. Careful about the other vehicles, parked cars, pedestrians. But when you catch up to the fleeing vehicle, beware: the lady in the passenger side is armed. The lady in the driver's seat is armed. The guy tied up in the trunk is not armed. These sunglass-wearing bounty hunters will fire at you, they are armed and dangerous. They are mean. They will not humor your shit. And they are hauling tail trying to...

CATCH THE RED CAR
If you pursue the red car first, you will find a very angry Bonnie and Clyde type couple with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of diamonds and jewels in their backseat. They have a bazooka.

04. Nonah, North Carolina, has its own unique rhythm; it is 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. They probably already think they know what Ambassador Miles' favorite article of underwear is -- and it's probably a kinky assumption. Whoops!

If you prefer to dodge the unsavory bustle, take a walk downtown into the heartbeat district. There you can find the throbbing nightclubs and dazzling haute bars. And as a newly arrived imPort, you're invited to the VIP lounge of the hautest bar in town: THE TIPPING POINT. It is a very fancy affair, however, so if you're not dressed to the nines, you WILL be taken care of and given a designer suit or cocktail dress to borrow for the evening. All you have to do in return is smile for the cameras! And there WILL be cameras, along with B-List celebrities hobbing at your elbows. Lucky night for you if you're JUST at the legal drinking age, but not quite there -- this lounge doesn't card. So sit down, take your gin and tonic, and smile.

Comments

3!!

[h2no]

[archie, who is actually in a suit - also rental, he doesn't own any suits are you kidding - had retreated to the sidelines and is now at the point where he's holding a straight up bottle of jack daniels.]

Sure is free.

[he holds his hand up and makes a face for a picture, then lets his expression drop back into mildly disinterested.]

Dunno why I thought this would be different.

[hardboyled]

[An entire bottle of JD? Boyle can certainly appreciate the commitment to booze, even if he's still going for the slightly classier decision of a wine glass.]

I have done literally nothing to deserve this kind of attention. Is this what it's like to be rich and famous? Oh! You think this is how the Kardashians feel?!

[The only small bonus is Charle's newbie status results in slightly less interest around him when far more esteemed and veteran imPorts are near.]

[h2no]

[archie has no idea who the kardashians are.]

Probably. Obviously they like the cut of your jib, bro! Get some pics with me, c'mon!

[hardboyled]

Oh, no, it's fine, I'm not really-- [Protesting or not, there's a photographer who seems eager to pull him into shot because the more imPorts in a single pic, the better!] Oookay then.

[Smiling for the camera like a good boy but soon throwing his new imPort company a perplexed look.]

You seem kinda used to this, been here long?

[h2no]

'Bout seven months now!

[he laughs. it's slightly empty. womp womp.]

You seem used to it already! [he turns to boyle looking him up and down then nodding.] Yeah! You're photogenic!

[hardboyled]

Well. I do appeal to the mass market with this hot bod, but I mean, who can blame them, right?! [Chest puffing out proudly, as this tiny little guy lacking in muscles proves that body image ain't no thang to sweat about. Still, he'd much rather be singing the praises of his new acquaintance than talking about himself, which is why he's quick to go back to:]

Wow! Seven months though. You must be so brave!

[h2no]

[archie laughs, not even for a moment thinking ill of boyle. he's really pleased that there's more (if only one) people who truly understand what body image is. he wishes everyone was as comfortable as boyle.

and flushes a little at the compliment.]

I--I wouldn't say so. There was a lot of crying in that time.

[hardboyled]

[That open confession gets a sigh of relief from Boyle.]

You too, huh? I've only been here like, forty eight hours? And about thirty of those hours has been me crying into an amazing Vacherin.

[h2no]

That's a long time to be doin' that...

[what the fuck is vacherin]

If it helps, people from your world can appear here as well. Despite there being apparently infinite universes sometimes good friends show up!!

...Or enemies.

[but tbh does this sweet good boy even have enemies?? doubtful.]

[hardboyled]

In my defence the sugar from the vacherin kept me awake far longer than anticipated. There wasn't much more I could do but cry all night. [And yet said so cheerfully one can only assume he has zero shame about crying for two days straight.]

Sounds like you speak from experience, though. Got yourself any friends and or enemies floating around?

[h2no]

Two-- ah... do you wanna sit down or anythin'? You ain't gonna pass out on me, are ya?

[archie is usually awake for similar stretches of time, but he's slightly taller than boyle and can only imagine there's only so much energy in his tiny body.]

Uhh... some celebrities from my place I'm friends with now, but no one else, really. Sorry, no fun enemy stories.

[hardboyled]

I'm all good! [A lack of sleep and some crying sure ain't gonna get this lil' guy down.]

But you made friends, right?! New people? There must be tonnes of interesting folks to meet around here if this whole multi-Universe thing is for realsies.

[h2no]

If you're sure... but if I have to kick down a door and carry you to a couch or something I will.

[tbh he just wants to kick down a door]

Yeah! Yeah. There are some really great people here -- one of my best friends here is from, like, a legit fantasy world! With magic an' shit!

[hardboyled]

[Ooh, kicking down doors, how very manly and cool. Boyle kicked down a door once and it was the best feeling of all time.]

Like Gandalf, wizard magic or just magician magic? Important difference.

[h2no]

Wizard magic! I've seen one of them do it!

[he claps his hands together, oh ango you're not even here and you're blowing archie's mind.]

It was-- uh, Angus. The kid. He got covered in dog drool then said something and he was dry! Instantly! I haven't seen what Taako-- uh, the adult wizard can do. Probably like move the planet? I wouldn't doubt it.

[hardboyled]

Woah, that's so cool! [So in awe of this revelation. This world just keeps on surprising.]

There's more than one of them?!

[h2no]

Yeah! There's a bunch'a people here who had powers before they got here!

[archie envies them ALL]

--Ah, wait, what did you get?

[hardboyled]

Huh! [Worlds with powers! How exciting, but also terrifying.]

Me? Oh, just. I dunno. Something about... taste. Y'know how it is. But what about you?! What can you do?!

[h2no]

Oh! Bro, you gotta try some food Tina makes. She has the power to make anything she cooks taste the best it can be.

...Actually, don't. What if, like, your head exploded? That would--

[okay archie shut up.]

I can survive underwater andddd heal animals. Also, I got my Pokémon but I don't really get how they're a power?

[hardboyled]

[He's doing his very best to look politely interested in Archie's powers, but there's one very big distraction running around in his mind now.]

That's cool and all, but can we go back to you mentioning the best food ever? I need that in my life. Right now. And forever. If my head explodes then at least I died doing what I love; eating really great food.

[h2no]

[he can't help but laugh; he gets it. it is an extremely rad power compared to his own.]

Yeah? She's been getting a bunch of gigs, I think. I'm sure she'd be happy to cook for ya, but she is 13. So, uh, I guess keep that in mind? The poor kid's been a bit overwhelmed recently... though she loves cooking, so maybe it'll help! Ah, fuck it, I have no idea.

i was dead with the flu. sorries :c

[hardboyled]

Thirteen and full of such talent and potential? Oh, to be young again! [Happy sigh!]

But you said you could survive underwater?! And heal animals? Both of those sound preeeeetty great.

I ONLY HOPE YOU'RE BETTER

[h2no]

Right? She's got it pretty good. I just hope she doesn't feel under pressure...

[anyway concern about tina aside.]

Yeah, they're pretty fun. Second one makes a bunch of vets hate you, though, turns out.