etcelsior | ICE ICE BABY

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test drive

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The Persona bursts forth and crackles above him as Eikichi takes a confident step towards them.]

We're gonna put you on ice--

Edited (numbers) 2018-02-23 06:47 (UTC)

-eeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaa?!

[Maybe he should watch where he is going. Like exhibit a - a pile of ice at his feet. The pun is enhanced by him falling right on his butt.]

Dammit!

[Cool hero intro: RUINED.]

Edited 2018-02-23 06:49 (UTC)

[ For a moment, all Tatsuya can do is stare in shock. ]

—Eikichi?

[ There's a lot to unpack in this moment. Tatsuya hasn't seen Eikichi since right before he last faced off with Nyarlathotep— and thought it was the last time he'd ever see the other teen. A wellspring of emotions floods through him, fast and furious. There's a deep, aching loneliness— there's happiness, no, joy— there's confusion, there's hope, there's... there's... ]

[ —There's a trio of laughing teenagers with a freeze ray, preparing to aim at the pair. ]

Crap!

[ Tatsuya frantically dodges, barely missing a patch of ice himself as he tries to keep out of harm's way. ]

Edited 2018-02-23 06:58 (UTC)

[The ice ray fires, but it's Hades that moves in to cover Apollo, the freezing effect suddenly sending a burst of freezing pain to Eikichi. His breath appears out of thin air, but unlike the other teen, and despite the faux-pas which got their laughter, he doesn't look too worse for wear.

Just really, really angry.]

Come on Taa-chan! Give em hell and what's for!

You got it. Apollo!

[ Taking careful aim, Tatsuya— and consequentially, Apollo— sends a burst of fire right towards the ice machine the teens are wearing. Their aim is true, and it hits the machine while missing the teens entirely. Tatsuya grins. ]

Hah!

Got em!

[Eikichi has managed to get up by this time...sure he almost slips a second time, but no one else noticed, right?

Of course not...

Now the situation a little more like he wants it, Eikichi knows how to deal with punks. He cracks his knuckles and looks like he's ready to just teach them a little lesson in PAIN.]

Let's see how you like having something under your feet...

[He moves his hand as Hades does the same, and a torrent of water bursts from the ground and sends all three of the teens briefly into the air before they fall right back to the ground.]

HAPPY WINTER BLAST TO THE GROUND!

[ It's clear the teens have bitten off more than they can chew— and they seem to realize it too, because one of them has cleared out one he lands. The other two are a bit more stubborn though, and the leader snarls before she aims another blast of ice at Eikichi.

But where's Tatsuya, you might ask? Well, while the teens have been focusing on Eikichi (and yes he saw that second almost-fall, but now's not the time to bring it up), Tatsuya has circled around behind them.Now in the perfect position to attack unimpeded, he lets out a wordless cry as another blast of fire heads straight towards the leader's ice machine pack. ]

[It was satisfying to watch the machine get damaged even more and sputter out as the surprised teens attempted to shield themselves from SURPRISE TATSUYA.

Sadly, Eikichi was not so lucky. The beam hit him one final time and he gritted his teeth in pain as the ice hit him full-force and caused pain in all his joints.

He would need a hot bath after this.]

And take this!

[Annoyed and angry, the raised hand moves Hades from its original position to above the machine as it sends out a Zandyne attach. The almighty move shatters what little of it was left at this point.]

[ The remaining teens let out a horrified cry as their precious machines are utterly destroyed. Defeated, they scramble to run away before police can show up to arrest them, leaving the broken pieces of machine behind. It briefly occurs to Tatsuya that it might be a good idea to catch them, but...

...instead, he's left to stare at Eikichi in helpless, wordless shock. There's no more fighting to distract him from seeing his friend.... standing right there.

(Is it shock? Or is it something else...? What is he even going to say after all this time?) ]

[Just in time for Eikichi to sliiiide right next to him.]

That wasn't bad at all!

Wait...why are you looking at me like that Taa-chan?

[...]

[He lets out the most undignified scream and pulls out his emergency mirror from his pockets and stares into it.]

Oh no, oh no, oh no did they damage my makeup?! Is it something on my face?!?!

[oh god oh man]

Your makeup's fine. [ The words come out automatically. Then: ] You don't—

[ Tatsuya cuts himself off, then decides to try again. He's got to be careful what he says. ]

What... do you remember?

Oh thank the gods, I just got here, I gotta leave a good impression!

[... ahh yeah uh...haha. He looks at him, ruffling his hand in his hair giving it one final adjustment.]

Do it...really matter here?

[ THAT ANSWERS NOTHING, EIKICHI!!! ]

No... I guess not.

[ Time to bring up NOTHING AT ALL EVER. ]

[A small, awkward laugh.]

Y-yeah! It's not like I just remembered we're from another world and--

--G-gOTTA GO!!!

[OFF HE RUNS.]

[And right into a puddle of ice. So by running, we mean falling flat on his face.]

[ Did you know it's possible to feel indescribably joy and soul-crushing misery at the same time? Yeah, neither did Tatsuya until right at this moment. Oh god he remembers oh god he remembers,— ]

Eikichi!

[ Please don't have a concussion, Tatsuya doesn't have any dia spells. ]

I'm okay, I'm okay!

[He stands up again (nearly falling for what the fourth time) before moving next to it and loudly cracking his back and looking back at Tatsuya.]

S-sooo anyway....I have...s-sushi to chop and all...h-haha...

Don't go!

[ Tatsuya blurts the words out before he can stop himself. ]

[He stops of course, biting his lip.

When he appeared here, he assumed he'd be the only one. Thought that...if he could be here, he could at least repay a little of what Tatsuya had done. It had hurt to know what had happened, and the possibility that any of them could have done it. He could understand Tatsuya's feelings so much it burned a hole inside of him.

So when he saw him there against the miscreants he wanted to be a Tatsuya before that. Heck, for all he knew this was happening right now. How do you tell someone 'by the way, you may have messed up?' but looking back at Tatsuya saying those words...

He knew Somehow, his heart knew that the other was away. And it hurt him so deeply inside he had to turn away again, a hand already hovering over his eyes.]

I-I'm sorry, Tastuya. [He very rarely used the other's name.] I just...was hoping...i-it's not anyone's fault okay?! It's just that asshole who used us!

[ There's a heavy weight in Tatsuya's heart, and his gaze slips away. ]

Shouldn't I be the one apologizing? I'm the one who...

[ The one who created the whole mess, who screwed everything up. Because of his sin, the sin of remembering, everyone's simple and happy lives were complicated. ]

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