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.

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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.]

[ PC is glad to steer away from the dogs. She does give them a quick stink eye as they move away, but as one barks she's unable to help the sharp hiss from the back of her throat. ]

Ahem.

[ Her demeanor is friendly and attentive once more, curious about her newfound acquaintance. ]

Aren't you a little... mature for Harry Potter? [ She chuckles, amused. ] Those soldiers made it sound like this is all one giant mix-up, which is semi-believable because this is still America.

[There's no judgement about that hissing, in fact Boyle's just finding it strangely... alluring? Endearing? Appealing? He's not sure which, but she get's a small smile and a lift of his eyebrows anyway.]

No one is too mature for Harry Potter. [And he truly means that. But this is the same guy who reads Twilight so probably best not to take anything he says too seriously.]

Y'know, maybe they're right though. I was doubting the truth of it all, but considering how random everything is and how no one can predict who comes and goes, maybe it is all a big mistake. A not entirely bad one.

[ Something about Boyle reminds PC of someone she already knows. Not necessarily someone she shares a kinship with, but he's so... calm and optimistic about this strange scenario when the average person or animal would be panicking. It's as if he sees a silver lining in every cloud. ]

So where are you from then? Aren't you worried about your friends and family back there?

New York! I don't really worry about my friends because I know they'll do just fine without me, they're all so strong!

[She's not entirely wrong with that assessment, there's a whole lot of silver linings here, even if it is all backed with a slight uncertainty.]

Besides, from what I've been told, it's kinda like we never really left? I think. When I eventually go back home, it'll be like no time has passed, so I guess I miss my family and friends, but I'm not worried for them.

How about you? Any family and friends for you to worry about?

[ Still attempting to figure out who Boyle could be from her home, when he redirects the question back to her PC hesitates, unsure how to respond initially.

Who does she have at this point? Her job? Judah, maybe? She isn't particularly close to anyone despite her attempts to find and settle down with someone. No children, no husband, she's probably going to lose VIM at this rate. ]

Uh...

[ She's not ashamed, not exactly. But how do you tell a stranger that you, a young-ish single lady bordering on old-ish, don't have anyone to go home to at night? ]

Yeah! [ Simple: you don't. ] Lots of friends. Mostly employees and clients, but we're pretty close.

[The cover up is believed, if only because he has no reason to suspect she's lying and Charles is all too trusting.]

Oh, I bet! [She's so pretty and nice, he's not even surprised she has a billion friends. Him, on the other hand...] I guess I'm kind of glad we got roommates here, it's nice to have someone when you get back home at the end of the day. Y'know, until recently, I'd been living in the basement of my ex-wife's new husband, so anything is an improvement from that.

[Zero shame.]

Clients though?! Are you a lawyer or something?

[ There's a small, quick sigh of relief that Boyle doesn't suspect her of being dishonest. It takes an unsettling weight off her shoulders and PC can focus on other things besides the harrowing fact her life is void of meaning right now. ]

You live with your ex-wife and her new husband?

[ PC cringes at the image; actually, her friendless, single life sounds much more appealing than that. ]

I'm a Hollywoo agent. All my clients are A-listers and B-listers. And even Z-listers! I don't discriminate too much.

Not anymore! [He moved out, finally, and he seems super proud of that fact. Which he definitely should be considering there is nothing to celebrate about basement dwelling.]

Oh man, that's awesome though! An actual agent for famouses! You must know so many cool people! Do you know Dianne Wiest?! She's so gorgeous.

[Excuse him if he gets a little sidetracked by the concept of older, famous women.]

[ And here she was, anticipating a "no" from Boyle. She was really about to start wondering what kind of person stays in their ex-wife's new husband's basement.

Her smile widens, proud and confident. ]

I've never worked with her, but I've heard she's great. Real sweet and oh so professional. [ PC actually has zero idea what Dianne Wiest is like, but Boyle doesn't need to know. ] You know Lenny Turtletaub? Goose Van Sant, Jon Hamm, Naomi Watts, Cameron Crowe? I've got 'em all on speed dial. Even Cate Blanchett.

The best yet? J. D. Salinger! Son of a gun wasn't dead at all.

[The mentioning of Dianne is getting so much interested gasping from Boyle, excited as he is by the concept of talking to someone who knows people who know her! That's almost as good as meeting Wiest herself!]

I know some of these names! And I know they're famous! God, you must have so many interesting stories about all these celebs you know, what an interesting job. No wonder you're so glamorous. [Which is mostly just a compliment than any attempts at flirting. Poor Charles isn't one for the usual type of flirting anyway, he's just a dude who loves to tell people (and animals) how great they are.]

[ Having stepped out of a shitty night in one universe into a less shittier, but still aggravating and puzzling situation in this world, PC is practically starved for positivity. Boyle's friendly, good-natured self is almost contagious and she begins to feel a lot better about herself the more he compliments her. It's nice to be recognized, even by strangers, for the work you do. ]

Are you part snake? Because you've got quite the tongue on you, oho!

[ However, she doesn't quite realize Boyle isn't flirting. ]

So many stories I'd lose count, honestly. What about New York? That's exciting. The Big Apple! Broadway, Times Square... it's the place where the impossible is possible. Like Adam Sandler's career, am I right? Or it might have been Boston that kick-started that.

[I mean.

Normally he wouldn't think being half snake would be a compliment, but in this instance he's grinning proudly. Look at him, saying the right things and making people happy. If that makes him a snake, then he shall wear that badge with honour.]

That's where I'm from! [Eager as anything at the mention of something he understands after talk of animal people and rich celebrities.]

Born and bred, and one of New York's finest working out of Brooklyn! In fact, my best buddy met Adam Sandler.

[ He knows someone who knows Adam Sandler? Maybe she should grab that guy's number given how she desperately needs to save her business. Besides, Sandler is bankable. ]

Would love to meet this friend of yours. And did you say New York's finest? [ She pauses, needing a moment to translate. ] Are you a cop?

[Look just pretend I wasn't half asleep during the last tag and actually realised New York was already mentioned before. Paying attention, always.]

He's not here yet. [Charles says with a very sudden dip in happiness, gaze dropping to the ground sadly. The "yet" in that sentence is the only thing that keeps him from breaking down, honestly, but thanks to a certainty that Jake would never ever abandon him, Boyle's certain his best friend will show up soon!

And it's that optimism that spurs him on, allowing him to converse like a normal human being.]

I was. Back home I was a detective. Solved allllll sorts of crimes, but more importantly; worked with some amazing people.

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purrttyinpink - 2017-10-27 04:51 (UTC) - Expand

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hardboyled - 2017-10-29 01:04 (UTC) - Expand

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

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1/2

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

it's all good!

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ngl i kinda ship it now

omg me too tbh

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