Mask or Menace | MODERATORS (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maskormods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
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.
no subject
she makes a beeline toward her, and before nico can even think to stand, she's bending to brush a swift, chaste kiss over her mouth. she keeps the contact light and brief, just in case nico still isn't sure about this public affection thing--though karolina's decided to stop hiding herself, at least--then sinks into the seat across from her, curling her hands around her cup with a pleased little smile. ]
Hi. [ her smile takes on a faintly teasing note, fond and warm and happy. ] How'd you find this place? It's cute.
no subject
Hi. [it comes out soft, vaguely embarrassed. her face flushes, clear to see even with her makeup.]
Local version of Yelp. Only real way to find anything when you're new in town. [she shrugs one shoulder, expression practically mirroring karolina's, though less teasing.] Not a bad spot for a first date, right?
no subject
it feels.. nice, being able to do this with the girl she wants to be with, that she cares so much for.
and then nico calls it a date, and suddenly karolina is going a little pink, too. it is their first date, isn't it? she hadn't even realized. ] Yeah, [ she says a little breathlessly, expression full of flustered pleasure. ] Definitely better than anything we could have managed at home. [ considering they're on the run and all.. ]
no subject
nico squeezes her hand, gently, chuckling.]
What, too good for gas station coffee in the back of the van? [okay. maybe a little teasing, and nico takes a sip of her own drink. some trenta iced nightmare with like 8 shots. she looks at her for a long moment, eyes searching.]
God, I'm so glad you're here. I missed you, K.
[it comes like a quiet admission, soft, warm, and she squeezes her hand again. she misses the others too, of course--but it had been her most of all.] I know this isn't the same as things being normal again, but... y'know.
no subject
[ not that she doesn't love old lace as much as the rest of them, but it's nice that it's just the two of them in a cute café for their first date. even if it means that the rest of their friends are trapped at home in apparent limbo. it's troubling, but-- right now, there's nothing that either of them can do about it.
she squeezes the fingers in her grip back, trying to smile as reassuringly as she can. ] I'm sorry I wasn't brought here sooner. I wish you weren't alone so long. But.. I'm here now, and we're together, and I'm not going to leave you again if there's anything I can do about it.
[ she knows that they're all helpless when it comes to the porter, but everything up to that point is at least in her power to some extent. she hates the idea of nico being all by herself again; it had been what she'd struggled the most with after her sister's death.
she rubs her thumb gently over the other girl's knuckles. ] Um, this might sound kind of-- [ she's going pink, flushed and a little flustered. ] --sudden? I guess? I don't know. But how would you feel about moving in together somewhere? I just-- I hate that we're in different cities.
no subject
[nico has taken some measure of solace in the fact time doesn't pass at home while they're here. and their friends were fine--or as fine as they could be--last time she saw them, so.
her expression softens as karolina goes on, and she leans closer, not loosening her hold on the blonde's hand. her thumb--bearing a heavy silver ring, of course--traces over her knuckles in return.]
I-- [god, karolina, stop being so good. it's making nico want to just get to the other side of the table, hug her and not let go. but for now, she just smiles again, cheeks still pinkish.] Thanks. Seriously. I'm gonna hold you to that, just so you know. But I've been...I've been okay, really. And, uh. As for the rest of that--I mean. I...do really like the idea, but--do you--are we...? [what the fuck are words, actually.]