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?

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[ Ronan scoffs at that self-depreciation. Fucking typical. ]

You’re gonna have to get used to being loved, man. Anyway, the reason he thinks I killed you is because he thinks I made you. On account of our beautiful matching visage. He thinks I made you, then I didn’t want you anymore, so I unmade you.

[ Murphy lives and breath in his self-depreciation. He'll kick himself down before anyone else has a chance to do it. And, even then, they'll kick him when's he's scrabbling to get up again. ]

You made me? How would you have made me [ , Murphy asks incredulously. His eyebrows pull up, perplexed by this. ] So, uh, he's going to flip when he sees me.

[ Ronan honestly has no idea what Kavinsky will do when he sees Murphy. He just knows he needs to be there when it happens. ]

He thinks I made you because that's what I do. I make.

[ Poor Murphy. It only gets weirder from here. But they're nearly at the Meadows, so he really should get around to explaining at least some of what Murphy will encounter there. ]

This car. Our house. Trees. Cows. Stars. People. You used to call me Mom, like as a joke, but I don't think Kavinsky ever knew for sure. Because you could have been mine.

[ As if that would make any sense to Murphy. Although, Murphy is also certain that Ronan will explain the intricacies of how he can just make things. He'll pack that away for now because that doesn't sound like a conversation you'd have during a car ride.

Actually, none of this is, but here they are. ] And why would you just make me? [ Murphy keeps himself together, not wanting to split off from what he perceives as his reality. Murphy is just as real as anything else, right?

Could have been mine. Murphy sneers, bristled by the idea of being someones. ] I guess that would fuck someone up seeing person sharing a face with - [ Murphy pauses, considering his next choice of words. ] - someone you care a lot about? Did he assume I was made specifically for him?

[ The question of Murphy's realness is one that's relatively easy to answer nowadays, though it doesn't matter to Ronan. He adores Murphy the way he adores every other creature in his care. ]

I'd like to think he knows me better than to believe I'd make a whole fucking human just for him. He might wish it went like that, though. The truth is, half the time, this shit doesn't happen on purpose.

[ Thus, Ronan has ended up with at least two accidental children. ]

[ His anxiety spikes and it needles at his skin. ] What do you mean this shit doesn't happen on purpose? You'd know if you made something, right? [ Ronan is chipping away at his reality without hesitation and it's dizzying. ]

[ Mentally, he's scrambling to keep his thoughts from venturing too far. The look on his face gives him away, especially his eyes. ]

What's your plan? How is this all going to work? You tell him that you just found me?

That's what happened, isn't it?

[ Where Kavinsky takes it from there is anyone's guess, but Ronan's determined not to make it Murphy's problem. He glances over, sighing when he catches the look on Murphy's face. ]

Look, before you go spiraling into an existential crisis, we've looked into this already. It's almost guaranteed I didn't actually make you. But even if I did, that wouldn't mean you're fake, or your life wasn't real, or you're not your own person. I know you don't believe in God, but I'm pretty sure you know the story. That's how it works.

You know what I meant. [ The back of his head hits the cushioned headrest. His nostrils flare and draws in a deep inhale, chest swelling up before Murphy exhales audibly. ]

I am going through some kind of crisis right now [ , Murphy grumbles. ] I'm glad you've looked into this but you haven't with me. And I mean this me, the me sitting in your car.

[ In his mind, streaming like a movie, are his last moments of where he had come from. At what point did he blip out of existence in one place and manifest in another. ] No, I don't believe in God. I don't want to believe any of this shit either. And you didn't answer my other question. How are you going to tell him that I'm here? Again, apparently.

Probably something like, "Hey, K, I found Murphy but he forgot all this shit." And maybe he'll believe me or maybe he'll think I had you hidden in a cupboard this whole time.

We'll play it by ear. You're good at that.

[ Now that they've driven well out of the city and into farmland, Ronan turns off the highway and onto a winding tree-lined road, which he mercifully takes at a lower speed. ]

[ What the hell is a cupboard, Murphy thinks to himself. ] Yeah, I'm sure this is going to go stellar.

[ Murphy shoots Ronan a pointed look, eyes squinting. ] Just a few hours ago I was about to get my ass hanged. Sometimes you don't really have the luxury to play it by ear.

[ He twists his body around, focusing on the scenery. They leave the city and it's all trees now. Something that he is more used to, even if he was on the ground for a short while. ]

Yeah, I don't know how many spoilers you want, but you definitely survive that part. You survive so much shit, people end up calling you Cockroach. Which would be cute if they weren't the same people trying to kill you all the time.

[ The trees eventually give way to the sprawling fields that give the Meadows its name. From a distance, it could be any old farm. It's the details that make the place's magical origin apparent.

The BMW rolls to a stop in front of the massive black farmhouse, which Murphy will soon find is even bigger on the inside. ]

What can I say? I'm pretty popular. [ The edges of his lips curl upwards into a smirk. Murphy doesn't know how he'd managed his way from dying. Maybe Bellamy actually came through and stopped them. Murphy was something to Bellamy. Even called him his Lieutenant. ] Cockroach sounds about right.

[ His eyes flick over to the windshield, looking at the large and looming house ahead of them. He leans forward, peeking up to the roof. ] You made this, huh [ , Murphy asks incredulously. ]

Time to check out my room. [ Murphy unbuckles himself with a soft click. If the door is already unlocked for him, he'd step outside. ]

[ It is, and Ronan steps out with him to lead the way. ]

The house is kind of a collaborative effort. We made your room together. Mostly you, using me. What I mean is, it came out of your head, so don't blame me for it.

[ The front door is already unlocked, as Ronan left it that way earlier, and now he ushers Murphy inside, making his way immediately for the stairs. Murphy can't be blamed if he wants to take a moment to look around, though. There's... a lot to take in. ]

I guess we'll see if we have the same taste.

[ Murphy rounds the car with steep and sharp strides, keeping himself two steps behind Ronan. When they near the door, Murphy ducks inside to the foyer. For a house, it was large and open on the inside. He has never seen anything like this, any of this. ]

What year is this? [ Murphy looks over his shoulder to Ronan who was about to head up the stairs. ] Is this before the bombs go off?

[ Ronan pauses when he realizes Murphy's stopped, glancing back over to him. ]

2019. But it's not your Earth, either. Our apocalypse is almost guaranteed to be different than the one in your history books.

[ He's not even going to get into the fact that this world already ended like seven times. Murphy's already dealing with so much. ]

[ Murphy doesn't wander too far away, his tether to Ronan will stop him eventually. ]

But your world ends, too. I guess we're shit at saving humanity in ever universe [ , Murphy says flippantly. Murphy turns when he has enough of this room and heads up the stairs after Ronan. ]

And I wouldn't know, anyway. I didn't read any history books.

[ Resuming his ascent, Ronan turns his eyes forward. ]

Every world ends eventually.

[ But he, personally, has saved this one at least once. An act possibly balanced by also nearly ending it. ]

The important thing to know is that this world's future won't be the exact same as yours. So whatever bombs you're expecting probably won't show up. Not the same way they did before, anyway.

[ They've reached Murphy's room. Ronan takes a glance inside to be sure Kavinsky isn't currently occupying it, then steps aside to allow Murphy entry. It's an ordinary bedroom, in most ways, except that an entire wall appears to be dedicated to an actual real-time view of space. It's a window that belongs somewhere on the Ark, not in a Virginian farmhouse, yet here it is. ]

[ The soles of his boots thud softly as Murphy climbs up the stairs. His hands dive into the pockets of his jacket. The one he had come with, all ragged and patchworked. It was the only thing he'd kept, the only thing he considers his. The rest of his attire is new and appropriate for this era. ]

Yeah, yeah. Different universe, different world, different bombs.

[ He gives pause, a slight hesitation when Ronan gives him the space to enter his room once they reached the top landing. Murphy already assumes what the room is going to look like, chaotic and in disarray but when he steps in, it's anything but.

Murphy catches his breath into his lungs. He's stepped in far enough and stands at the right angle to take in the room. Which is a lot to take in, truthfully.

He wanders to the outlook window and beyond that he is looking out into space. It's a familiar view, almost. ] How the hell did you do that? [ He says to the window, not bothering to look back at Ronan. ]

[ Ronan merely leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, allowing Murphy some distance and privacy for the moment. He knows what this feels like, to walk into what had allegedly once been your home, remembering none of it. For months after his arrival in this world, Ronan had felt like a ghost in his own life. ]

The short and stupid answer is "magic". I turn dreams into reality. You slept and I went into your head and we pulled all this out of it.

Magic. [ He steps back so he could venture to other parts of his room. When he's close to the desk, he fiddles around with the knick-knacks. Everything was neat, untouched. ] Is that your super-power? Apparently we all of 'em here. You'd think I'm be done with space. [ On the heels of his boots, he swivels around to look at Ronan.

This was supposed to be his room but it felt like someone else's. That this other Murphy was different than him, somehow. A better Murphy, Murphy knows this. ]

I was born like this.

[ To dream. As a dream. From a dream. ]

If you're sick of space, we can change it up. Make it feel like yours.

[ Murphy is still, his eyes rove around the features of Ronan's face. The defined nose, full pink lips, his eyes. ] Can you change how you look? Like - [ Murphy pauses, considers the words he wants to say. ] You said you can pull things from people's dreams. Have you ever had a dream where you looked different? or just wanted to look different?

[ Murphy was sick of space. He was sick of the ground, too. Neither were kind to him. He thought being on the ground would give him a sense of freedom, belonging. Instead he's treated like shit on the bottom of everyone's boot. A dirty cockroach that no one wants to deal with. ] I don't know what I'd change it to.

[ There will be no easy way, Ronan knows, to make this feel like Murphy's home. He's seen Murphy's history, what he's been through and the nightmares that continue to chase him from those days. All Ronan can do is be here, honest and true, waiting to catch him when he falls. ]

I've never wanted to look different.

[ Even when it meant looking in the mirror and seeing his father's face staring back at him. It took ages for his reflection to stop conjuring up flashes of Niall Lynch's corpse, head caved like a cracked eggshell. But he's honored to have been made in his father's image. ]

Do you?

Do you think people from different universes, worlds, whatever, just happen to share the same face sometimes? [ Annoying at it is, Murphy answers a question with another question. It's always a good safeguard between him and that something he just doesn't want to deal with. In this case, he doesn't want to answer Ronan's question. Murphy knows that Ronan knows the answer. Ronan already knows plenty, more than Murphy. What's the use in talking about this all over again?

He turns around, back facing Ronan. ] Maybe more skulls or something? [ Murphy's talking about his room now. Just anything else.

It wasn't about wanting to change how he looked. Murphy wanted to be an entirely different person. Someone who is worth being saved. Loved. Wanted. And dare he think someone who needed him? Maybe in another life, just not this one. ]

[ Ronan hums in approval. One can never decorate with too many skulls, in his opinion. It's a miracle he hasn't turned this house into an ossuary himself. ]

It happens more often than you think. The face thing. But I've always looked like my dad, same as my brothers, so I guess it never seemed that weird to me. Even before this place.

[ Without even getting into the number of dream copies of himself he's happened to run into, inside the dreams of others and in his own nightmares. ]

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