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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dogs, huh. I think I like that.

[ And he gladly tries the ear scratching, much to this particular dog's delight. Jacen can't help a delighted sound of his own as the critter just about flops onto him. So cute. So adorable. So ...

Wait. He knows that voice, doesn't he? And that presence, warm and bright and clearly -- ]

-- Mom?

[ She's delighted by the sound he makes, carefully moving closer to get herself seated with him amidst all of the clambering furballs.

About to answer, he throws her off. Mom? What?

Leia looks at him, blinking. That can't be-- but that floppy brown hair, how it falls over his brow. Just like-- ]

I'm sorry?

[ He's got the Solo nose, Leia. There's not much better evidence than that.

Jacen stares in turn, recognizing his mother but also startled by how she looks. Where's her gray hair? Why does she look so young? ]

I - um - I mean you look a lot like -

[ He runs a hand through his hair, nervous. ]

[ She's not strong yet in the Force, but she can sense the nerves. ]

I look a lot like your mother. [ Gently finishing for him. She's momentarily distracted by one of the dogs climbing into her lap. ] What is your name?

[ Good dog. Despite everything, Jacen just can't get enough of exotic animals. So he leans in just a little closer to pat that dog too. ]

Yeah. Uh - I'm Jacen. Jacen Solo.

[ She masks her sound of surprise with a small cough. ]

Jacen Solo.

[ Aw geez, he leans in and she sees the resemblance now. That nose, those eyes, the face structure. Now she's curious. ]

There aren't many Solos here. [ Just the one. ]

[ Definitely Han's kid. He even has that same lopsided grin when she says his name. But - he brightens when she implies that any Solos are here. ]

Yeah? Anyone named Han?

Definitely someone named Han.

[ She gives him a look. A knowing look. Oh yes, there's definitely someone here named Han. ]

Well, I'd take Jaina or Anakin too.

[ But he's pretty damn pleased at the thought of his dad being here. ]

[ Anakin... The name sends a small shock through her and her hand presses to the small dog until it tries to wriggle free. ]

...There is someone with that name as well.

[ And Leia refuses to say it, expression almost closing off until she releases the pup and attempts to soothe herself by smoothing her hands over her lap. ]

[ Oh. He can feel that shock rippling through her; it makes him wince a bit in turn. Jacen was always the most sensitive of the Solo children. Combined with her comment, that can only mean ... ]

He's here?

He is.

[ She pauses, looking at him again. ]

You know him?

[ What exactly does he know? What could he know, outside of stories? ]

[ It's not a visceral sort of shock on Jacen's part, more a severe sort of dread. Anakin Skywalker is the shadow hanging over all the Solo children. ]

Not directly. He's just ... powerful. And terrifying.

[ As of right now, Anakin Skywalker is the shadow hanging over Leia and Luke. ]

Misguided. [ A good description of her biological father, in her mind. ] But I don't know this man known as Anakin. I only know the threat he becomes-- Vader.

[ Jacen nods at that, reaching out to pet that dog again. For his own comfort more than anything else. ]

Yeah. I've heard stories. But he was dead before I was born.

[ The dog moves to his lap instead to curl up, encouraged by the petting. ]

It's probably for the best.

[ Another small nod. As curious as he is about the possibility of meeting him ... He tries to refocus on something positive. ]

So - um, what's your name?

Leia. Leia Organa.

[ Her smile is warm. She reaches to brush her hand down the animal's back, stopping herself from giving in to the urge to brush some of that soft brown hair off the boy's brow to get it out of his face. ]

There's more than just dogs, you know. They have cats here. Hamsters. Ferrets.

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

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