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)
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?
no subject
"If you know Barry Allen, you know how hard it is to make that statement truthfully," he points out. "Although when I'm not running, I don't have to eat as much. I sorta went a year without using my powers and could pass."
no subject
Bart's statement gives Iris pause, though. If Barry's metabolism slows down when he's not using his powers, how come Caitlin didn't pick up on that? Maybe his body adjusts two or three years down the line...? Ah, well. It's not like she can ask any of Team Flash right now.
She turns the corner, already fishing for her keys as they approach her home, tucked among various businesses and restaurants downtown.
"So uh, how long have you been on this Earth?"
no subject
"I'm pretty much fresh off the bus. A few days."
no subject
"I bet this world must be an adjustment," she says, feeling her voice grow quiet as she unlocks the door and lets them in. "Or at least, not much like the other Earths I know of."
Her home is quiet, given that both her boyfriend and dog are out for the time being, but Iris ushers him towards the kitchen, already looking for leftovers or snacks that she could feed him with. She did invite him; she might as well give him something for his trouble.
She grabs an empty coffee mug, idly asking, "Do you prefer coffee or tea?"
no subject
"There are parts that bug me, like the whole registration part. But I don't know enough to engage full-on Bat-level paranoia." The last is said with a wry smile. He could be worse off, but he'll accept the government strings long enough to see who or what is pulling on them.
Her question, though. "Not much of a coffee person. Caffeine doesn't really affect me, so I never saw the point. Herbal's fine, whatever you like."
He doesn't want to impose. It's awkward enough. Even his previous multiversal exploits hadn't ever come close to dealing with an alternate version of a direct ancestor who was so different. So he decides to bite the bullet, so to speak.
"So, if you're anything like the Iris West I know, you must be dying to ask questions. I can't say I won't hold back some details, but I have no intention of lying to you."
no subject
Which feels like an eternity, especially considering she's the only one of Team Flash left from their initial arrival. It had been her, Barry, and Cisco at the beginning - and now it's just her. Oliver's here, of course, but his methods are more Bat-like than Flash-like. She can't say she was expecting family, even if Bart's presence is an entirely welcomed one.
It's also weird, hearing how he knows how much she's trying to hold back, but she nods, ignoring the blood rushing to her cheeks. She is a professional. She's handled weirder than relatives from other dimensions in her kitchen.
"Thanks, Bart." She wants to ask so, so many questions, but the most pressing one is - "I just want to know... how are we related?"
She has an inkling. Barry isn't egotistical enough to name children after himself, and Tim Drake had mentioned a grandson when they had briefly crossed paths. Yet she wants to hear it straight from him, rather than make an educated stab in the dark.
no subject
"You had to start with the ones that delve into how you want to treat the nature of the multiverse. I'm the grandson of Barry Allen and his wife, Iris West-Allen. But you're not like her doppelganger or anything," Bart said, finally.
"I mean, if you grew up with your Barry, then your life differs pretty drastically on that fact alone."
no subject
Iris leans on the kitchen counter, giving Bart her full attention as she sets the mugs aside for the time being. If he isn't calling her his grandmother's doppelganger, then he must be from the world where she (and Wally in turn) were whiter than the snow.
"I figured," she says after a moment, her voice filling with warmth. "We were there for each other's major milestones. First dates, prom, college... grad school... Barry getting hired at the CSI department, and a whole slew of things I've yet to experience."
Like their eventual marriage. Should that come to pass in her world, anyway. Iris still doesn't know how to feel about it being so set in stone, like a giant inevitability, no matter how much she loves him.
Still, Bart's unanswered question needs to be answered, so she flashes him a grin, "It's okay. You're still my grandson, even if other-me doesn't look much like... well, me."
no subject
Time gets a little snarled in their family. It's something he got used to, but it's still headache inducing at times.
"Grandma Iris is the family historian, not that she'll ever let me read her books. Spoilers."
no subject
"Of course she wouldn't," Iris shakes her head, still kind of reeling from the whole thousand years thing. Her having grandkids isn't new information, but a whole... thousand years... that was unexpected. "That kind of knowledge is dangerous in a speedster's hands. I would know, even if Barry hasn't been the Flash for that long."
no subject
no subject
After what feels like an eternity, especially to a normal person, Iris just stares at Bart, holds up a couple of fingers, and fills up her mug with coffee. As in, she taps her mug and fills it up with her superpower because she needs that sweet caffeine.
"I'm not going to ask, because if that's in any of my futures, I don't want to know."
no subject
He had a certain degree of control, but nowhere near as precise as he could get with the aid of the Treadmill. And since clearly Grandpa Barry hadn't invented it in Iris's would, he'll leave it at that.
"So you make...coffee? That's an unusual ability. At least, nobody back home brags about powers like that." And he'd seen some odd powers.
no subject
"Yeah, it is," she agrees, taking a sip of her new drink. "But it's what the Porter gave me. As long as a drink has caffeine in it, I can conjure it out from thin air. Coffee, teas, sodas, energy drinks, some really iffy-looking tiramisus.... all are fair game."
no subject
no subject
no subject
It wasn't that he wasn't occasionally jealous of the more powerful heroes, but the downsides seemed a tad more than he personally wanted to handle.
"I'll eat anything as long as there are no chives."