Mask or Menace | MODERATORS (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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etcelsior2019-07-25 03:27 pm
maskormods) wrote in etcelsior2019-07-25 03:27 pm
Entry tags:
DANCING WITH MY HAPPY FEET
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. Some of the locals might thank you for always lending your service to the nation, while others might not say anything -- but if you have something nasty to say, better not say anything at all, right?
They are, however, in the middle of some awfully hot weather, so some good samaritans have gained the approval of the government to close off a few of the streets for some good old-fashioned fun. They've equipped everyone who steps in with water guns of varying quality, and there's also access to water balloons, a slip n' slide, and more! Why don't you grab an ice cream cone, watch the festivities, and cool off? But you'd better be careful - there's always a munchkin or two here to spray any unsuspecting onlookers they may find.
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! 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. Their questions are likely to be fairly mundane, however; get ready for an interview about your taste in romantic partners, personal underwear choices, favorite foods, and more!
On this lazy summer day, the biggest buzz comes from a group of teens and tweens who are all taking part in a massive scavenger hunt spread via social media! What are they gathering? You! ImPorts are likely to be targeted and asked to pose for pictures in which they demonstrate their powers, video clips in which they share fun facts and secrets about their home worlds, and much more! If you're not interested, you better hurry home -- they're persistent!
03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania has had its ups and downs since imPorts started disappearing. The city's political core now gutted with its mayor and supreme ambassador exported out, the streets have returned to the hands of the local people -- and incidental, the local criminal element. 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.
As your character walks down the street, they may find themselves thrust within what appears to be an organized protest and a smaller counter-protest. There's shouting, there are chants. You pick up rhythmic beats of THE END IS NEAR, GET THEM OUT OF HERE clashing against the clumsier counter-chants of IMPORTS ARE PART OF US. You probably don't know why, but there are sects of people who believe your kind is bringing about the end of the universe. You'll probably learn why, in due time. But given the scorching tension of the situation you have found yourself in, it's probably a good idea NOT to use your powers.
But even keeping your powers on the down low, you're of keen eye, or at least today you are, as fate would have it. You see a boring looking man, perhaps in his mid-20s, with a cluster of boring looking companions (three or four at most) wearing backpacks as they all uniformly step back and don black masks. The protests are crossing the street ahead of First National Bank. These men beeline towards the bank.
They are going to rob it, and people are going to get hurt, you're sure of that. They're probably armed, given their backpacks. What do you do?
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. You may find yourself in the midst of a few closed-off streets for some occasion or another - whether it be a food cart festival, no-car day, or something else! - and surrounded by the hum of people, the waft of food being served on the street, and plenty of attention
Today there's a big lemonade stand on one busy sidewalk, staffed by a group of industrious kids. Aww, isn't it sweet? Wait...is that a cookie stand a little ways down, also run by elementary-to-middle schoolers? Heck, the entire block is full of kid-run mini-businesses — a gathering of pint-sized entrepreneurs! And they have their eyes on you, hero, because as a celebrity imPort, your pockets are full of $$$, right?
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.
What's that sound? Why, the Church of the Ancient Web Mistress's choir is putting on a performance! A sizable contingent of the congregation's musically-minded members has gathered downtown, attempting to forge a spiritual connection through the power of song. Sure, these hymns sound a little spooky to your ears, but the sincerity is what matters, right? And the churchgoers, who are also handing out lyric sheets to interested participants, are sincerely interested in getting some imPorts to join in as temporary members of the choir. Never hurts to get a little more press and tithes, right?
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[ It's ridiculous even to him. Hell, he's saddled with the name Lester, and girls are swooning over someone in this pathetic, feeble mortal body? They need better eyesight. And maybe a good hearing test to go along with it. ]
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Really? So it's everyone? Do heroes even have secret identities here?
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[ Lester is his own secret identity, if he's being truly honest. The fangirls think he's actually seventeen, rather than four thousand and seventeen. His own son even calls him by his true name, rather than the mortal identity he's chosen.
But if that's what the kid's asking and/or cares about, he must be from one of those bigger worlds where superheroes are common. Lester can't help relaxing a little, even if it's just in the company of this kid - ]
I don't think you have to be an imPort to be a superhero, and vice-versa. Most of us aren't even from worlds where heroes are a thing.
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Superheroes are a definitely a thing back home. New York got invaded when I was, like, nine? And there was stuff happening even before that. Like, I was already a huge fan even before my dad took me to the Stark Expo.
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Maybe even be ahead of us - like uh, my world? We mostly dealt with mythological heroes. The Greek myth, demigod-type.
[ Though honestly, there's a good argument that Percy Jackson is a superhero in his own right. Or he would be, if the hero actually liked being a Hero. ]
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Also, Peter brightens. Intrigued but not surprised. ]
What, like Thor and Loki?
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[ of course he's name-dropping Apollo above all the other gods. Who cares about the rest of the Pantheon when Apollo's front and center stage? ]
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Seriously? Are they aliens too or is this more a legitimate magic thing?
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[ aliens?! Now that's gotta be a first. ]
No, absolutely not - [ why is Lester, a mere mortal, this offended, ] they're native to my world. Always have been. Just uh, hidden.
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What, like, not interfering or whatever? How'd you find out about 'em then?
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In lieu of talking to Thor the alien (apparently), the short version will have to do. ]
Because my dad's one of them. [ he shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets, ] Not that it's an accomplishment when said dad happens to be Zeus.
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So - wait, that means you're a demigod? For real? In, like, actual modern day wherever?
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[ He can't remember any details, but like hell a New York kid like Peter wouldn't be all over Rick Riordan's stuff. ]
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[ wait, no, maybe he shouldn't assume the author's a guy? ]
But yeah, demigods. They exist, and there's a couple of others in this world with me.
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[ Anyway. He can't help but beam with excitement. ]
Who else? Anyone cool? Like, a child of Athena or something?
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[ a chance to brag about his son Will? Don't mind if he takes this opportunity, because when else can he brag like this? Out in the open??
all the time, that's when.]no subject
Which one's Apollo again?
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What do you mean, which one? He's the best of the lot! God of music, and poetry, and art, and - medicine, and the plague, and the sun, and a whole lot of other things!
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Miscellaneous...?
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Well yeah. None of that stuff actually goes together.
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[ wait, why is he defending himself? Everyone loves him. ]
Come on! He's still pretty awesome.