etcelsior | DANCING WITH MY HAPPY FEET

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test drive

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

01. De Chima, Virginia

[ Everything before arriving here has been clouded in a thick fog. There are gaps of lost time in his head; his head swimming in confusion. The first voice he heard upon coming to was a woman's and he'd thought it was Clarke.

The next few hours are blurred together. People talk to him and he just doesn't want to listen, doesn't believe the inane shit that they are trying to get him to believe. Heroes. Part of something bigger. Something about We're the good guys. He had to laugh at that last bit, the good guys. Murphy told them to shove it up their ass. They continued on regardless of how little he was complying, pushed him down the assembly line.

More hours later and he's in De Chima, Virginia.

All he wants to do is navigate himself around this new place, this new planet, without anyone bothering him. The last thing that Murphy wants is for anyone to approach him. But when does Murphy ever get a moment of calm, a god damn moment of peace? Before this he had been accused of murder.

Falsely accused.

It is bizarre when people start walking up to him, curiously asking if he is Murphy. John Murphy. Anxiety surges into his chest and swings at the first person who dared to step into his personal space. Everywhere he went, someone shouted for his attention, holding out their cellphones begging for a selfie. What the hell was a selfie? People who were eager for a picture get their cellphone slapped right out of their hands. Other people take pictures and video. It's starting to become a bigger deal than it ought to have been. Murphy was a nobody, shit on the bottom of your shoe. Why the hell did so many people know who he is?

At the corner of his eye, he sees something, someone and he whips around on the heels of his boots ready for a fight. ]

[ It's an empty threat, of course. Someone else had his knife. Clarke or Bellamy, one of the two. They had it and they aren't here.

What has happened, however, is that now he's hovering. Not too much, Murphy hasn't noticed is just yet. He's only a few inches off the ground. ]

02. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania

[ Murphy finds himself in the middle of something that he can't get out of. People are coming in droves, surrounding him. Everyone is shouting, chanting, "THE END IS NEAR, GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" All he can do is blend in, fist pumped into the air shouting along with the rest of them.

He manages to swim his way through the hordes of people, pushing his way by throwing his elbows. Clumsily, he collides into someone on his way out. ]

03. Network

[ Excuse or not excuse his typos, he's illiterate. ]

[ It took approximately four minutes of Murphy wandering the streets of De Chima before Ronan's various neglected forms of social media began blowing up with notifications. All of these were about John Murphy, but none of them seemed to be from John Murphy, which was perhaps the first hint of something gone amiss.

It took another three minutes for Ronan to get dressed and throw himself into the driver's seat of his BMW. An additional fifteen to race into town and park said BMW. And then under a second for Ronan to flicker away and reappear right at Murphy's side, like some hallucination forming out of the periphery. ]

If you stab me again, Murphy, I swear to fucking Christ.

[ Yes, here he is: a six-foot-two punk wearing the twenty-year-old version of Murphy's face. ]

[ He drops back onto the ground the moment he lays eyes on...himself. His heart has lept up, lodging itself right into his throat. It makes it hard to breathe, chest clenched tight.

Murphy's eyes are wide and wild, ticking around the features of Ronan's face. It looks like him, almost like him. A near copy but something is off, it's minuscule but Murphy notices it. The man in front of him, he looked older. He was looking at an older version of himself.

And a few inches taller. ] I don't know what the hell is going on here or what the hell you are but back the fuck up.

[ That answers that. Murphy definitely doesn't remember him. He'll examine that on an emotional level at a later time, because the priority here is convincing the terrified kid to go home with his identical stranger.

Ronan puts his hands up in a show of peace, though nothing else about him seems to imply he's a pacifistic sort of guy. ]

You don't remember me. That's okay, man. Quit freaking and chill the fuck out for a second.

[ He could absolutely pick Murphy up, sling him over one shoulder, and carry him to the car. But he's not going to do that. ]

We're family. That's why my face looks like this.

[ People were still around them, though they've gotten quieter. Some anyway, there are a good handful that shouts in the background. Oh, this is just too rich for him. Murphy's face screws tight in disgust. He laughs, empty and flat. ]

I don't have a family! [ Murphy may not of had a knife on him but that didn't stop him from spitting in Ronan's face. ] You're screwing with me. This whole fucking place is!

[ Plastered on every social media: Big falling out!!! Attached were pictures and videos of the altercation second-by-second. A lot were doing a live feed, to get their likes and subscription numbers to skyrocket. ]

[ Ronan doesn't give a shit about the crowd or the fact that they're now the top trending topic on bwitter. He didn't care about managing his image even when it was his job. Besides, he's not giving back any of what Murphy's dishing out. When the spit hits his face, all he does is tug up the hem of his shirt and wipe it away. ]

Okay, Murphy. What's more likely: The whole world conspired to screw with you specifically? Or maybe you just don't know everything?

Not to be dramatic but I would not be surprised if the world did conspire to screw me. [ At least this has him talking, stringing thoughts together. ] I was being screwed over before I got here. And - oh! - [ His arms flap from the sides of his body, he twists around at his hips. ] - Look! Being screwed over in this place, too. You're right. I don't know everything. I don't know why you look almost exactly like me. Maybe you're the one getting screwed over, sharing my face.

[ The crowd is becoming white noise, not completely disregarded but most of Murphy's attention is on his older duplicate. ] And I don't know why everyone seems to know who the hell I am.

[ Wow, Ronan happens to like his face, thanks. ]

Because we used to be on a dumb TV show together. Congratulations, you're fucking famous. Anyway, you obviously forgot you were ever here, but before you decide this place is screwing you over so much, did you stop to consider how no one here's trying to kill you?

[ Listen, it's a very pretty face but Murphy hates himself and hates the fact he is talking and looking at himself. It's just too much.

That tickles him, it has the edges of his lips curling into a contemptuous smile. ] Oh? We were in a dumb TV show together? [ His voice hikes up nearly an octave. ] I bet we were hilarious. [ However, his double is right, no one has outright tried to kill him. Murphy should consider that as some kind of a win, he needs to be considering a lot of things right now. ] Not yet [ , Murphy corrects him. ] Why do you look like me? And don't say that shit about being family.

We are family. Believe it or don't. I don't give a shit.

[ He's not about to go denying it just because Murphy went and forgot all about him. ]

My name's Ronan Lynch. You lived in my house. Your room's exactly how you left it. I'm not gonna force you to come home, but you should at least know you fucking have one.

[ Murphy continues with his scrutinizing gaze, paying particularly close to the expression on Ronan's face. He is quiet for a moment to contemplate what has happened so far. The crowd affords a glance, sidelong. They've quieted down also, waiting for a reaction.

But now Murphy is curious, more so than he was before. They share a face albeit Ronan's looks older, rougher. He could go. Murphy can go see what this room looked like. Maybe Ronan could shed more light when people weren't breathing down their necks.

Murphy can protect himself even without a physical weapon at his disposal anyway. ]

Alright, I'll fold. You cut out the family shit and I'll go with you.

Don't ask a question if you don't want the answer.

[ Ronan Lynch tells no lies, which Murphy will re-learn about him soon enough. Satisfied enough with that reply, however, he turns to address the gathered crowd: ]

Back the fuck up, assholes. Showtime's over. Anybody who follows us is gonna get a broken kneecap for a souvenir.

[ Fans of his, especially, know that Ronan's exactly the sort of person who would throw down and curbstomp a leg, so the crowd parts immediately to allow the twins passage. Ronan turns, beckoning Murphy with a wave of his arm. ]

I'm parked down the block.

If you're worried about hurting my feelings, don't worry because it's a reoccurring theme in my life [ , Murphy mutters loud enough for Ronan to hear. The truth hurts, he knows that and he probably knows it more than anyone else. It doesn't deter him from wanting to know the answers to his questions. ]

Yeah, fuck off. [ He swipes his hand at the nearest cellphone in his face. Luckily, for its owner, Murphy misses. Another reoccurring them in his life, missing. When the crowd allows them breathing room, thanks to Ronan's heavy threat, Murphy follows behind Ronan. He's a step or two behind, close enough to not lose him but far enough to be just out of reach. ]

Right [ , Murphy says, his tone is flat. He doesn't know what to expect, hasn't the faintest clue. He just knows that he's not completely alone and that there is someone here who seems to care about him. ]

If I was here before, why don't I remember?

[ Ronan takes no offense to the distance Murphy's sure to keep between them. He's got the kind of personality that takes up a lot of space, he knows. But though these fists look ready to smash into the face of the next person who steps in front of him, none of that latent fury is directed at Murphy. It's not his fault that he's forgotten. ]

Fuck if I know. I'm the third or fourth me who ever showed up here, and I don't remember the other times. It just happens. A lotta shit just happens here.

[ They come to a stop beside the highly expensive, reverently-maintained BMW that Ronan loves more than his own life. He throws open the passenger door for Murphy, then crosses to the other side to take his place behind the wheel. ]

[ Ronan walks differently than Murphy does. He walks with a purpose, self-assured most likely. Meanwhile, Murphy struggles to keep himself afloat.

He hasn't a lot of trust in anyone, even if Ronan seems nice enough. Bellamy was nice enough at one point, too. Everyone is nice enough until they don't need you anymore. He silently vowed never to trust anyone the moment he felt the heavy weight of a noose around his neck. ]

How long was I here for before, what, I just was gone?

[ Murphy continues to walk when Ronan slowed to a stop in front of his car. It looks too nice, too sleek, Ronan surely wouldn't own that car.

But.

He clicks his tongue on the side of his mouth approvingly. ] Nice car [ , Murphy says, sliding into the passenger's seat. He closes the door, stronger than he probably shoulder have and Murphy winces. ]

[ Ronan himself has slammed too many car doors to cast aspersions, but he does give Murphy a glance. ]

I guess this is your first time riding in one.

[ He starts the engine with a roar that shakes the entire vehicle, followed immediately by the thunderous bass of the stereo before he reaches over to turn it down - not off, but low enough for conversation. ]

You were here for about two years. Disappeared for a while. Came back older. Now you're tiny and adorable again.

[ The car whips out into the street, tires screeching, barely sliding into the gap of oncoming traffic. Ronan handles it with all the ease of a street-racing adrenaline junkie, which he is. ]

john murphy | the 100

De Chima

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de chima

well this is going to be very interesting!

ikr i'm sorry I COULDN'T RESIST

omg idk how i fucked that up

np :*

tyvm uwu

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hey! i turned in an app if you were wondering

YESSS EXCELLENT im still testing out / mulling over raven but will defs throw my other char at you!