etcelsior | what are we here for again?

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, Florida 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. Heropa isn't right on the beach, but who cares? A local community center and pool complex is hosting a sand sculpture contest with loads of shipped-in sand, water and all the sculpting tools any beach artiste could want. Are you interested in winning a free season pass and a gift certificate for dinner for two at a top nearby restaurant? Then step right up and build your best beach castle!

Of course, with many imPorts nearby as inspiration, entries include sandy versions of many of them, new or old. Do you recognize your face, or that of a friend? Take a selfie with it, and maybe sign an autograph for the star-struck sculptor. Food and drink kiosks are scattered around for those who just want to tour the sculptures, making this a lovely day out for anyone who comes by.

...at least, at first. About halfway through the day, a would-be supervillain named The Shrinker bursts onto the scene out of nowhere, blasting people left and right with his powerful shrink ray. His aim isn't so great, so only about half the attendees are struck, but if you're one of them, those small-but-fancy sand castles now look like mighty fortresses. If you're not, then you better watch out—accidentally stomping on another imPort is a terrible way to make friends.

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. 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!

On this crisp Spring day, crowds are out in droves as researchers, inventors and musicians are out showing off what's new and great in music technology innovation. Out on the tables displaying their wares, imPorts and natives alike are welcome to test out what's in store for what they swear up and down is the future of America's music industry. From warbling guitars plugged into synths meant to recreate the approximate sound of every other instrument they can think of (who needs an electric piano when you can do it on a guitar?) to rows of theremins to bagpipe-accordion amalgamations to electric dulcimers, it seems as though some of these won't necessarily be catching on anytime soon.

Up on the provided stage, any intrepid musicians are welcome to go up and take these instruments (and perfectly ordinary instruments) for a whirl, though do take care to keep an eye out for any side effects - the people developing this are natural showmen who really want to create the next big thing, whether that's through extravagant light shows, guitars that spit sparks out of their necks, horns that shoot bubbles and flowers and so much more.

Once evening falls and everyone's had their fill of the various musical themed food items for sale (boy, this world really loves their puns, don't they?), the tables and food trucks are cleared and mats are put out for a swing dancing competition! A blessedly professional band begins to play, a far cry from the chaos of unpracticed musicians trying their hand at experimental instruments this afternoon, and dancers trot onto the dance floor to strut their stuff. Why not go out there and show them what you can do?

And hey - enough of this swing dancing stuff, right? Why not see if you can scandalize a soul or two?

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania has had its ups and downs since imPorts started reappearing. Several imPort heroes have put focused efforts into cleaning up the streets of this somewhat infamous city, while others have 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. That might make the less than warm welcome imPorts are given in the city a little more understandable. The emergence of locals with superpowers is hardly helping. While some of these individuals have turned to crime, many locals seem more inclined to defend their native powered drug dealer than help the non-native hero bring them to justice. Who are you to tell them how to live?

It's not quite spring yet, but already flowers are popping up—in the form of seven-foot sentient musclebound daisies! A local criminal known as Flower Power has set them on the city, and they're going on a rampage, but a number of citizens have taken advantage. Do you go after the bushwhacking blossoms or the local looters?

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.

Baseball season is now open! And what's more American than America's favorite pastime? For new imPorts and registered imPorts, you can get in to watch the game for free! (If you aren't registered, sorry bucko, no freebies for you.) Take a seat, order some peanuts or a hot dog, and enjoy the game! Or, ask the citizen next to you what the heck is going on, if you have no idea what baseball is.

Midway through the game, the umpire might take note of you new imPorts -- assuming you're standing out in the crowd. He'll welcome you to throw a pitch if you'd like! Of course, the opposing team isn't too keen on the idea.

05. Jeopardy, Nevada by all rights shouldn't exist. A glowing neon city smack in the middle of the desert, the only reason it's still here is that the central nuclear power plant has tapped half a mile down into a subterranean lake for its water supply. So though the desert around it may be barren, the occupants of this small city are happily self sufficient. Those weird figures you see out of the corner of your eyes? Don't worry too much. Probably just weird radiation after effects. Jeopardy has a lot of those.

Today, the annual Jeopardy Pet Show has locals in fine spirits. Whether they own a cat, dog, lizard or ant farm, resident pet owners are encouraged to groom their pet pals to look their best and show how great they are in a blocked-off section of main street. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. with the pet parade, which is followed by a pet fashion show (how did the ant farm owners manage to sew such tiny outfits?) and a talent contest. Attending imPorts are encouraged to evaluate each pet and share their thoughts as guest celebrity judges.

One contestant of note is Paul the African Grey parrot, owned by an engineer at the power plant. Not only is Paul a chatty fellow, he's liable to provide unsolicited advice and criticism to any person who happens to pass by his table at the show. On the plus side? He's right about his fashion advice--Paul has impeccable taste.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh god.

Oh god.

She's not even turning to look at him yet, but just the sound of him saying ~~her~~ that name is enough to lock her jaw, and water her eyes. There was a lot in this world she wasn't looking forward to facing, but Nico D'Angelo had a place of honor right at the top of that list. Once, she'd thought they were family. She'd told him they were family. What will they be, once he knows the truth?

There's a long beat of silence while she just breathes. She's always spent the better part of the past two weeks crying about this. It seems like she should run out of tears sooner or later, but for now she'll just have to shove the lump back down out of her throat. She owes him that much, at least.

"Nico..."

When she turns to look at him, the change is unmistakable. Her warpaint is gone, along with the glittering platinum of her jewelry, and the preternaturally bright green of her eyes, all of her hair. Instead it's just a simple pair of cheap hoops, and plane hazel eyes. The girl looking back at him is far more mundane than the Destroyer could have ever looked. She looks tired, and sad, and mortal.

"No." She almost chokes on the words, but manages to croak out, "I'm sorry."

"...for what?"

Something has changed. The fire was gone, the anger, the rebellion -- everything that made her Persephone seemed to have disappeared from her. He knits his brows in confusion, trying to think of the right words to say to her. Why was she sorry? What had happened since she left? He has so many questions but right now? That wasn't what she needed.

He was bad at this, at comforting people, but the least he could do was not hound her with questions.

"Never mind. Do you want company? You don't have to talk." He shuffles awkwardly, trying to avoid the elephant in the room.

She could push him away now. It would be easy. Just say something cryptic about lies and a firm rejection, and he'd stay away, and she could stay a little further away from that particular elephant. And him, he'd probably obey her, no matter how much it hurt him. Which is would.

A small, terrible voice in her tries to convince her that would be for the best- just rip the bandaid off and let him go back to his real family. But she knows better than that, now. Running away would just hurt them both, and she owes him much better than that.

She takes another slow breath, glancing around. "Uhm, yeah. Let's get out of here."

"Come on. I know a quiet place."

He motions for her to follow him, leaving the pet show behind. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket, taking his time to walk down the street once he hits it.

Thankfully he's not wrong. It's off the path, quiet little cafe where no one cares, and the most they'll ask is a coffee order. He picks a booth in the back, away from the door, from the windows, from anyone else who could recognize her.

"You want a coffee?"

Small mercies, she doesn't seem to be attracting much attention, even if she is the only person with her hood up in the middle of the desert spring. She slides into the booth across from him, but isn't quite meeting his eyes.

"Thanks, yeah. Mocha?"

"Sure." A small pause. "Don't worry. I won't be long."

He takes time with the cashier, making small talk (which he hates) to give her some time to collect her thoughts. He needed to collect his anyway. It doesn't take long before he's back at the booth, sliding in and offering her the mocha.

"It's nice to see you again." He takes a deep breath. "You..okay?"

She smiles ruefully at the coffee, her unadorned fingers playing at the plastic lid while it's still too hot to drink. Her lips twist as she tries to figure out how to answer that. She's been worse, but she's been better. The last six months were a whole different beast from the dramatics she'd faced here. Finally, she huffs just a bit and drops the tilt of her lips.

"Kinda, I guess. You?"

"Kinda. It's been... up and down. This place is new - the dead don't sleep and it's unnerving. They won't talk to me either."

Or they will, but they're not helpful.

"Magnus is gone. Annabeth and Clarisse too." He taps his fingers against his cup. "Inanna, Baal -- I think it's just Cassandra and Woden left."

Woden isn't ideal.

"I mean there are others. New friends, same old bullshit but-" He gives her a bit of a smile. "It's nice to see you."

He's focusing on this place, this universe, and not whatever crap she's likely been through recently. She doesn't look like she wants to explain, but he has a feeling it's not an easy explanation.

She's not a God, but gods did it give him pause to see her like this.

"Is that what they are?" For all that she'd thought of herself as the Betrothed of Darkness, she never really had much experience with the dead. Or any, for that matter. 'The dead don't talk back, stupid.' Her heart sinks a little with every departed friend he named. There's not much she wouldn't give right about now for the warm serenity of Fauxhalla, or even a chance to actually talk things through with Baal or Inanna without constantly staring down the barrel of their fates.

"Yeah kid, you too." Her voice is quiet and rough, but she does mean it. For all the lies between them, she's still fond of him beyond measure. Her tongue runs across her lips. She might not want to explain, but she knows she owes him at least a bit of one. But then another idea occurs. "Wait, what about Will?

what are we here for again?

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