Mask or Menace | MODERATORS (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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etcelsior2018-02-22 02:00 pm
maskormods) wrote in etcelsior2018-02-22 02:00 pm
Entry tags:
ICE ICE BABY
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. Today, a downtown park is hosting a "Last Blast of Winter" event that features a snowman-sculpting contest (using artificial snow, naturally), downhill sledding in the form of a giant, inflatable slip 'n slide, and snowflake-shaped and -themed food from the kiosks running along one side of the park—along with ice cold drinks, of course.
However, a trio of teen would-be supervillains have cobbled together backpack-mounted ice machines capable of freezing people solid at worst and making them, like, really shivvery at best. After emerging onto the scene with a shout, they're threatening to take attendees hostage if they don't get their demands: 500 Flitcoins, the amazing new cryptocurrency. Hero, will you try to stop them by force, bargain, or let them put this event on ice?
02. De Chima, Virginia, is a large city with a healthy economy, with large numbers of citizens waiting to be awed by 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. If you let yourself get cornered, beware! Anything from personal questions about romantic chances to bedroom habits to dietary queries might be come up!
As you wander, you may come across a few streets that have been closed down to show off the newest wares that America's vehicle industry has to offer. The streets are lined with new, shiny cars, alongside salesmen eager to show off exactly what they can do. Some of them are as dull as boasting excellent seat warmers, but the more avant garde among the displays look like something out of Wacky Races, decked out in incredibly bizarre designs and boasting not yet released features like the ability to turn into a boat, fifteen different horns ("a different sound for every occasion!"), bottom-heavy designs ("so your car won't flip over next time there's an imPort catastrophe!) and defense mechanisms ("it shoots out a sticky adhesive to halt any supervillains in their path!"). Many of these won't be released at all but, by gum, they're giving it their best shot.
You can simply wander around and enjoy the festivities and the bounty of food, including donut tires, candy traffic lights, truck-sized burgers, and more! It's certainly a nice place to have a quick break and some conversation.
Or you can get stuck in the cross-fire as the adhesive shooting vehicle malfunctions, spraying a sticky goo over everyone in the vicinity, just as little car-shaped bits of confetti begin to fall from the sky.
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.
On this fine day, it appears that there's mischief afoot. One sordid citizen has gotten ahold of a prototype of a freeze gun and, wearing no better costume than a ski mask, has decided to hold up a bank. As he notices cop cars whizzing past, he panics, freezing a cop car in mid-chase, not quite gathering what a poor idea that is.
Everything seems to happen quickly as cars begin to plow into one another with a sound of screeching metal and an explosion of debris. What will you do about this, hero? Were you trying to cross the street and in need of a rescue? Will you go after the culprit? Will you try to save those who are trapped in the wreckage?
...Or will you try to make off with the criminal's money and keep it for yourself? That's always an option too.
04. Nonah, North Carolina, is the liveliest of all cities; loud, busy and there's always some kind of energy in the air that gets everyone buzzing with excitement.
This month there's the release of a hot new movie about imPorts themselves, though in order to evade copyright, it seems that the imPorts on screen are simply amalgamations of several different imPorts through the years instead of staying faithful to one true story. They've got everything! Action! Romance! Death! Desire. It's a whole load of hooey, in other words, but it's hooey with a big budget. What this means, however, is that even the newest imPorts are being roped into this red carpet affair. Even if they're simply passing by on the street, an eager reporter may well step up to you, saying, "Oh, are you an imPort? Please, you must come in! No, I insist!"
If you succumb to their pushy ways, you'll find yourself in a gala, likely unprepared and underdressed for the flash of the cameras and an endless torrent of questions about what you want to do here as an imPort, whether or not you feel you'll find love in this place, whether or not you fear an inevitable port-out (despite the fact that you may have just gotten here!) and will be plied with food and, if you're of age, with plenty of booze.
MF
Legion? Damn, you startled me. When did you get here?
no subject
[ ... The Geth pauses, its eyes flashing red briefly as it makes a confused croaking noise. As far as it's concerned, it didn't get here-- it was on Rannoch one moment, and then it was here, with no continuity.
Of course, what Jacob's asking is "how long have you been here", but this question is far more interesting to the tiny consensus within Legion, and it ponders it for a few more seconds. ]
Chronological data unavailable. We were not here, and then we were.
no subject
Forget it. We can worry about it after we get this person out. I can use my biotics to lower the mass of the wreckage- that should make things easier for you.
[With that, he powers up his abilities, enveloping both himself and the shattered vehicle in the blow glue of a mass effect field.]
no subject
[ Legion grabs the lip of the car once more and lifts-- between the Geth's already unnatural strength and the biotic field wrapping itself around the car, the hunk of metal is easily removed. Quite a bit more than anticipated, in fact, Legion effectively flipping it like so many tables. It really was just on the edge of being able to move it alone, but when you're a machine, there's no "pushing it a little further".
Nonetheless, the civilian is extricated, and Legion nods at Jacob in what passes for appreciation. ]
Your intervention was timely. Organics are not suited to surviving in hazardous situations like this. Your continued selflessness is noted, Operative Taylor.
[ That's a thank you. ]
no subject
No problem, Legion. Do me a favour, though: lose the 'Operative.' I've walked away from Cerberus since the last time you saw me.
no subject
Acknowledged. No emotional distress was intended by our association. Our records of your departure from Normandy did not indicate your current location, likely due to intentional erasure by EDI and Flight Lieutenant Moreau to protect you and Operative Lawson.
[ The Geth whirrs contemplatively. ]
... Requesting status update on your welfare.
no subject
Don't worry about it. No offence taken- you've been out of the loop.
[He lowers the hand, crosses his arms, and leans back on one leg.]
Before the Porter took me here, I was taking a break on Earth. Hanging out by the sea, trying to figure out what I was going to do next after Cerberus. From what I've heard, the Reapers are going to invade the Galaxy not long after I get sent back.
What about you? Where did you go after the Collector Base?
no subject
We returned to the consensus, beyond the Perseus Veil. Information received onboard Normandy, in addition to that shared by the reprogrammed heretics and the overall consensus, indicated the imminent arrival of the Old Machines.
A consensus had been formed to create a megastructure that could house all Geth, one that could allow us to use every piece of intelligence to fight the Old Machines. However, a Creator attack on the structure while in process disrupted these plans. The structure was heavily damaged. Many programs could not be reclaimed. Another group of heretics formed in response to an Old Machine promise to allow one of their shells to be used as a new megastructure.
The Consensus as a whole deemed this unacceptable. A new consensus was reached, due to new information indicating Geth could repurpose Old Machine code in order to achieve individuality while not sacrificing our ability to work as a consensus. Shepard-Commander was on Rannoch assisting us at the time of our arrival here, along with Creator Tali'Zorah.
[ Hope you wanted the whole summary, Jacob, because it didn't pause a single time during that speech. ]
We are uncertain of the probability of this plan succeeding. Shepard-Commander appears to be on our side, but the Creators desire war, and fear the potential of each Geth acting as an individual. They fear we will kill them.
We also fear we will be forced to.
no subject
Damn. I knew things were bad all over, but I hadn't heard about a new fight with the quarians. And Shepard has to choose between both sides... I don't envy the Commander.
[There's a beat, then Jacob asks:]
Hey, this might be a strange question, but: is Commander Shepard a man or a woman in your world?
[He has seen a lot of weird timeline stuff in his time here, to the point where this is a perfectly natural and legitimate query.]
no subject
We trust Shepard-Commander's judgment, as do the Creators. The logical choice will be clear.
[ ... Okay, it wasn't anticipating that question. Its lights flicker red as it attempts to trawl its databanks, making sure this question means the obvious and not some strange human sarcasm. ]
Shepard-Commander is a female. We do not anticipate this changing. Interpretation of your question indicates you were somehow uncertain of our response.
no subject
Yeah... she's female where I'm from too. But I've met other Normandy crew here from a world where John Shepard is a completely different person. And where history in our Galaxy went a different way.
[He shrugs, helpless before multiversal nonsense.]
Different versions of the same universe get brought here sometimes.