ICE ICE BABY

[maskormods]

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.

Comments

[motorcycle_noises]

[ Tatsuya expels a long sigh as the reporter finally leaves, tension draining from his shoulders. Although he doesn't exactly smile— grins have never come easy for him, defaulting instead to a more serious frown— the gratitude shining in his eyes is evident. ]

Thank you. They wouldn't take no for an answer.

[ct_7567]

No, they don't tend to, [ he says shortly, still scowling at the space where the reporter used to be, still put off by her nerve, and the nerve of everyone who's attempted to approach him with their inane, nonsensical questions and desire for him to join some sort of party on the basis that he was brought here against his will. He shakes his head, a minute gesture, then turns his attention back to Tatsuya. ]

If you give them any indication that you're willing to listen to them, they won't stop. You have to be firm with them. [ His eyes flick over the kid - civilian, by the looks of it, and should probably be in school instead of plucked from wherever he's from by some machine that a far-off government doesn't wholly understand. ]

I take it that you're a new arrival too.

[motorcycle_noises]

I thought I was being firm.

[ Evidently not. Tatsuya sighs again, then gives his rescuer a proper once-over. He looks pretty no-nonsense— the kind of guy that doesn't take crap from anyone, especially not overly pushy reporters. Something about the way the guy holds himself screams "military" at him, though it was a guess at best. Who could say, especially since the guy was obviously as much an imPort as he is. ]

And yeah, I just arrived yesterday.

[ He's still overwhelmed, if he's being perfectly honest with himself. ]

[ct_7567]

Rule number one of being firm is not to make excuses for yourself - or to say you're flattered.

[ Say exactly what you wish to, exactly what you mean, and no more than that. Then again, it's easier for someone like Rex to do - he's certainly a good deal older than this kid, and his face and demeanor are uniquely made to scare people off with great frequency. There's nothing like yelling at shinies for a few hours straight to carry an air of authority around with you. ]

Not that I genuinely think you were flattered. There's no reason for them to be interested in people they don't know. [ He glances up at the movie's sign, looking dubious. ] It's nonsense.

[ hey rex, why don't you say what you really feel ]

[motorcycle_noises]

[ Tatsuya considers this guy for a moment. ]

Say, you're pretty blunt about what you think, aren't you?

[ He can respect that. ]

[ct_7567]

When I can afford to be. [ When he can't afford to be - well, nobody exactly asks him for his opinion anyway, do they? Whenever there's important diplomatic business to be done that needs a gentler touch than his own, Rex is little more than a faceless statue, tasked with standing in the background, silent and still, as though he doesn't have functioning ears with which to hear the whole classified conversation. ]

Never much saw the use in anything else. It gets the job done.

[motorcycle_noises]

[ Tatsuya shakes his head once, briefly. ]

No, I get that.

[ He respects it, even. There's something admirable about just cutting through all the bullshit. ]

[ct_7567]

It comes easier with experience, [ Rex allows with a small nod of his head. This kid's just that: a kid. It's not as though Rex came out of his tank fully formed and saying exactly what's on his mind - it's something that's come from being around his General far, far too much. ]

And if this is any indication of what we'll be facing in the future, I suspect you'll get better at it quickly enough.

[motorcycle_noises]

[ Tatsuya tries not to look aggrieved by Rex's prediction. He fails miserably, but hey. He tried. ]

I think you're right.

[ He didn't ask for this? But there's no point in complaining about what you can't change. ]

What's your name? I'm Tatsuya Suou.

[ct_7567]

Captain Rex, [ he says crisply, then pauses. It had been more habit than anything else, but here, the Republic holds no meaning, nor does his title. It's been an awful long time since he's just been Rex to more than a select few. ] Just Rex is fine.

[ It's going to take some getting used to. Or, rather, Rex hopes that it's not going to take some getting used to, on account of the fact that he'd like to get off of this godforsaken rock sooner rather than later. He crosses his arms. ]

So, Tatsuya - any idea as to why they would have brought you here?