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

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test drive

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

[ Meanwhile, unlike Boyle, Princess Carolyn is having what might be one of her worst days ever. First, she's fired by a dumbass client whose career trajectory would have likely flat-lined if she hadn't busted her own butt for him, and now she's found herself in some sort of Twilight Zone-esque universe where the animals are unusually small and don't talk. (Hey, that would make a great premiere for a rebooted, grittier version of TTZ!) She doesn't remember hitting the bottle that hard, but it's difficult to rein her thoughts in when a group of four-legged, unusual looking dogs are barreling toward her and knocking her off balance. ]

Cat? Cat? Friend! Human? Cat!

[ The dogs appear pleasantly confused, unlike PC who is trying to put distance between slobber and fur, accidentally toppling backwards and right into Boyle. ]

W-whoa! Watch out!

[This is why sitting in the middle of basically anywhere is a bad idea, but the dogs had just been too distracting for Charles to truly worry about getting in the way of anyone, especially cat ladies that are running away.]

Wh-- ow! [He'd complain further but the sight of bright pink fur enough to quickly divert his attention away from his own discomfort and onto whatever the fuck is going on here.] Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Here, let me uh-- [Let him awkwardly try and get to his feet while surrounded by happy dogs and try to somehow aid her in her plight.]

Awesome 'stume, but the way. Like. Next level.

Ugh...

[ At the very least those dogs have decided to let her be for the time being. She manages to sit up properly, getting off of the poor man she had tumbled onto. One hand straightens herself out, the other adjusts the shoe threatening to fall off her foot.

She smiles appreciatively at Boyle, quickly flashing him sharp, pearly whites in her mouth. ]

Thank you. I'm so sorry about that. [ His next comment doesn't fully register, leaving PC staring clueless at Boyle. ] "'stume"?

[ Is that slang for something? He's not a teenager, so it's not youth slang... presumably. ]

Yeah, 'stume! Y'know, costume? 'Stume? It's gonna catch on, believe me. [He sounds very confident about that, holding far too much faith in his ridiculous slang.

He seems keen enough to keep to the topic at hand though, the topic that revolves around pink fur and kitty ears. Not really the best look to have when surrounded by masses of dogs.]

Honestly it's reassuring to know that it doesn't matter what Universe you end up in, there's always gonna be furries. I'm totally cool with that, no judgement here.

Costume?

[ Just as perplexed as she was a minute ago, PC can only stare blankly at Boyle before directing her attention to her clothes. Still the same bright dress with fishes and her yellow cardigan... so what's this guy babbling about?

When Boyle mentions the fact he has no problem with her being furry, her assumption is that he's stating he isn't anti-cat. As odd as it is, that's not a bad thing for her to hear. ]

Uh, good to know. Is that an issue here?

[That sure is one hell of an expressive furry suit, the blinking! The lip sync! The eyebrow movements! Wow, it's almost like she's really a pink cat. Charle's is looking in genuine awe and delight at such a masterpiece.]

Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. Some people think it's weird to walk around in fur suits and have a slightly bizarre array of fetishes, but not me. I think it's wonderful that there's people like you out there who aren't afraid to express themselves! If you ask me, the haters are the real weirdos of this world.

[Charles Boyle is pro-furry, you heard it here first.]

[ As Boyle continues on and on, PC perks up unintentionally at a specific set of words. With cotton pink brows and matching fur, it's near impossible to tell her eyebrows have arched so high when they blend altogether with her fur.

It's an off-putting, ludicrous notion that offends her, but PC attempts to remain as cordial as she can.

... though there may be a slight bite to her tone as she questions him. ]

Why would I be wearing a fur suit? Wait. [ Given Boyle is human and all she's seen are people like him, that must mean... ] Are there really no animals in this place?

[Why is she not pleased at this revelation of his support?

While her brows raise ever higher, Boyle's start to furrow downwards, confused that things still aren't making complete sense. Her reactions aren't that of a furry concerned with acceptance in a new and unusual world.]

Of course there's animals, we're surrounded by dogs right now, but that's different. ... Isn't it?

[Perhaps there's some sort of furry sub-culture he's unaware of, after all he's not exactly well versed on the entire topic. He's sure he's well versed enough in costuming to know that what he sees before him is a little too good to be true though, but then again this is a world of flying cars and super powers.] Unless you're... ... no. That's silly of me to even consider.

Unless what?

[ Her shoulders deflate a little, momentarily disappointed that she may be the only one of her kind in this world. It's a frightening idea, honestly. Sure, she's seen movie scripts with similar ideas brought to the big screen, but nobody ever genuinely assumes the movies they're watching are going to someday be a reflection of their reality. ]

Weeeell, the only other option is you're actually a pink cat?! What I mean is...if that is a costume, it's literally the best thing I have ever seen.

[There's a whole bunch of hesitation behind those words, but the situation isn't exactly an easy one to read. Boyle's new around here and hasn't learnt the full extent of multiple Universes and just how different folk can be from their various worlds, but he's at least trying to understand.]

Wha—

[ Despite how this conversation has lead so far, PC is still floored by Boyle's own conclusion. She drags a hand down her face, trying not to lose all patience with this man. He doesn't know any better. He's not ignorant, he's just... harmlessly clueless. ]

Yes, I'm a pink cat! Like my mother and her mother before her.

[ As if that clears up any of the confusion. ]

Oh. [A dragged out pause as he lets that sink in, waiting for the slight possibility that maybe she truly is just a person in a suit and has been messing with him this entire time. But that admittance never comes.

And then it slowly dawns on Boyle just what this revelation means for the entire conversation, eyes widening as he reflects for a moment.]

Oh! Then I am truly, deeply sorry. Believe me, I never meant to cause offence, it's just. Well. This isn't something I'm used to seeing-- But that's no excuse! Ignorance is never an excuse.

Oh! Well...

[ That's a relief... and it's sweet of this complete stranger to apologize with such sincerity. PC rarely has the luck of meeting a man like that.

She offers him a small smile to convey her appreciation, then finally holds out her hand for a shake. ]

It's alright. This is a little weird for me, too. [ An awkward laugh follows. ] Princess Carolyn. And you are?

[There's just confusion on top of confusion at this point, but he's just going to roll with it. Is she a real Princess? Doesn't matter, just keep smiling, just push through this without asking a question about every single aspect of her life, even if he really, really wants to know everything.]

Charles Boyle! It's great to meet you, Princess Carolyn. [Taking that hand in a friendly shake, eyes flicking only briefly down to the pink fur and-] You have very soft hands. [Would it be weird if he stroked them?-- yes, he thinks, it would be weird so don't do it, just let go and give the poor woman her hand back.

Beat.]

You really would be a hit with the furries though. Maybe too much. In fact, maybe just avoid them.

[ On PC's end she's just as confused. There's still some contemplation in the back of her mind that this is all some kind of intense daydream or nightmare (day-mare even?) after hitting one too many glasses of wine. ]

Thanks. You have very human hands? [ She's not sure how to respond to that, so she can only grin back awkwardly. ] What's a furry, exactly?

[ There's something she's not quite getting here. ]

Oh, thank you! [Having human hands as a human is a very fine compliment indeed, he imagines! Either way, her compliment (?) pleases him very much!

But then there's questions of furries and he has no more time to feel complimented because there's teaching to be done.] Boy, are you in for a treat! Here, I'll show you...

[He fumbles to pull out his ~~dick~~ communicator, dragging up an image search that quickly fills with images of furry images! All sort's of animals and suits, bright colours and the occasional questionable choice of 'uniforms'.] The many fursonas of this world.

[ PC thinks about taking out her own communicator she's received when Boyle retrieves his, for no other reason than it's out now, but she's immediately distracted by the images he shows her.

And she gawks in stunned silence as this visual assault continues. People (humans?) in animal appropriating costumes, with exaggerated features. The wolf with a collar on, the dog with a leash in its mouth, what looks like a bear with handcuffs? ]

Turn it off.

[ She's repulsed by what she sees, turning her face away and trying with difficulty not to gag. ]

What sort of specist nonsense is this?

[He's not exactly sure what reaction he was expecting, but pure disgust isn't entirely unusual when dealing with sub-cultures like furries.

The comm is stuffed back into his pocket on request, while he puzzles over the entire thing. Anthropomorphic animals isn't exactly something he's ever had to deal with before, and from what he can understand it's not normal in this world either, but then she's mentioning specism and suddenly it clicks for him.]

Oh my God. I did it again. Princess, let me apologize on behalf of all fursuits everywhere, it's just... animals around here don't normally... talk. [Or wear clothes, or walk like people. Or do anything like people. He gestures vaguely towards a dog that's still eagerly looking between them both and wagging it's tail.] Maybe just hit me anytime I sound like I'm going to say anything inappropriate?! Oh, but that'd hurt... ...

Princess Carolyn.

[ It's an important distinction! ]

I'm beginning to see that. It's just... [ A heavy sigh follows. What does a cat say to that? No cats in hats, dogs in clogs... not a single one of them that speaks English. ] This is way too The Last Manatee on Earth.

Mm, don't think I've seen that one. [Or ever heard of it, who even makes movies about manatees?]

But hey! I get it, this is a weird and vexing place with flying cars, weird fashion, and actual real life super powers. It's lonely out there, especially when there's no one from home, I can only imagine how much more difficult it is to be a different species too. Imports stick together though, or so I hear, so no matter what, you're one of us! I guess you could say we're a species of our own-- is that too speciest?

[ PC remains slightly convinced she's had too much to drink following a slight professional hiccup back home, so that is all a grandiose figment of her imagination. Maybe some kind of midlife crisis where she decides she wants to write movies and this impossible reality is her big office hit in the making.

But the longer she dwells on the idea, the more insane that sounds. ]

I don't even know anymore. Ugh, I need a drink.

[Not exactly any more insane than multi-dimensional travel where super powers are issue to random people from all kinds of universes. Boyle's briefly considering the chance of this being a dream too, but all of this is a little too sane by his dreams standard, even if he is standing before a pink cat lady.]

Oh boy, I am right there with you on that. I'm fairly sure there's a bar just outside the park. I'm buying, if y'wanna? [Phrased just carefully enough that she's got an opt out if she needs it, but it sounds like he'll be going no matter what the answer.]

[ A touch hesitant at first, PC mulls over the idea of having a drink with a complete stranger. He seems harmless... and kind of earnest, to be honest. ]

Sure, why not? We're going through this crazy world together.

[Meanwhile Charles is debating whether to steal all these talking dogs, but he decides against it the moment she agrees on joining him. Better to not try dragging several dogs with him while in the company of a pink cat, might draw some attention.]

Unwilling too! At least I never got an invite, I feel like I'd remember a Harry Potter style letter to a whimsical new Universe. Maybe it got lost in the mail.

[It's a sad time, having to leave talking doggos behind as he steps away with the intention of heading to the bar, but talking catto appears to be good company anyway.]

de chima

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1/2

i'm so sorry about the delayed tag! 2/2

it's all good!

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