NOTHING TO SEE HERE

[maskormods]

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 something of a pickle. While Do-It-Yourself cloning kits produced by the all American (and currently under intense investigation) company Heaven Scent may sound like a bit of harmless fun, it turns out there can be some negative side effects when they’re handed out to random members of the public. Who knew? Apparently a kit or two fell into native hands and, long story short, some teens took them to the local petting zoo. And now the sheepening has begun. Masses of poorly cloned, family friendly animals have over taken the Laying of Hands On Zoo therapeutic petting zoo. Worse, these seemingly unending masses of clever charmers have chewed their way out of most pens and taken to the streets. With absolutely no fear of humans, sheep are consuming every bit of vegetation in sight, goats are climbing fire escapes and into dumpsters, tiny horses are clogging the streets and confounding traffic cops, llamas are surrounding people in the street to eat their food, and the capybaras have taken over every body of water they can get access to, from local swimming pools to lawn sprinklers. Given the heat wave is still in full swing, none of this is helping the general mood of a local people that are now wary of going into pools, stuck in traffic jams, and having their ice cream consumed by belligerent alpacas in the street.

These creatures have one weakness, though: tipping. It’s not just for cows anymore. Thanks to the cloning kits being used waaay past their suggested limits, the clone qualities have really just gone downhill. Give a hard enough shove to make them fall onto their side and the animals will start disintegrating. Right there. In front of all those screaming kids. Maybe just herding them away or using some porter given powers will cause less emotional scarring to the local population? It’s up to you how to proceed, hero. But while doing nothing is an option, beware of roving petting zoo animals coming for that free drink in your hand or into the nice air conditioned resting spot you’ve set up in no matter how much you want to avoid getting involved.


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!

School is back in session and the campus of the Technical University here in De Chima is buzzing: they've invited a bunch of imPorts to come give speeches during orientation week celebrations! Only problem is, they forgot to actually send out the invites. So if you happen to be on the streets of De Chima, prepare to get accosted by desperate students begging you to come give a speech on the big stage. Please? Surely you have amazing worldy or other-wordly advice to give?


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.

Despite the lack of gratitude that's in it for you, you may want to step in once you see a very, very sad supervillain wandering Maurtia Falls' streets. Dressed in a cape that appears to be a large swath of fabric purchased from a nearby sewing store, galaxy-themed leggings and no shirt is a man who runs right into your vicinity before striking a pose and yelling, "Everyone, stop before me and my wrath! I am Mister Mars, and provided you give me what I ask for, nobody needs to get hurt!"

At which point Mister Mars snatches an old woman's purse, loudly laughs in her face, and begins to float upwards. By the time he reaches the height of the tallest building in the area, he's beginning to look slightly panicked as he fails to really be able to move anywhere but up. Meanwhile, the old woman has begun shaking her cane at him and screaming quite an assortment of alarming expletives.

Maybe you should help one or the other out? If not, just lean back and enjoy the show.


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. To be American is to be part of a melting pot, and that there’s more money to be made by the thriving local industries hardly hurts.Natives may gather around new arrivals and ask both personal and broad questions about life as an imPort, what they are looking forward to, what their favorite article of underwear is. A few night clubs offer free entrance - just this once!

But you'll have to excuse the mess. See, a little while ago the city was a real zoo. Animals running everywhere, smashing store windows, eating aquariums, you know how these things can go. In fact, there are still a few stay old world monkeys jumping around, and maybe a baby gator or two in the sewer or prairie dogs in the parks. A small reward is still being offered for their rounding up.


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.

Things are quiet in Jeopardy. Weirdly quiet. In fact, way, way too quiet. But if you ask any of the citizens of the city why they won't talk to you, they just raise a finger and make a shhhhing sound and then point down the street towards the church. If you try to shake them, they grit their teeth. WHY WILL NO ONE SPEAK TO YOU?



(The one who is silent the longest wins a new fridge.)

Comments

Mazikeen | Lucifer

[selfworthbitches]

De Chima

[Maze has never been a fan of children, Trixie being the exception, and college students definitely still count as children. She eyes them distastefully until she figures out what they actually want. Then she brightens.]

You want me to teach you?

[And they don't seem to have a specific topic they need her to stick to. A grin slashes across her face like a knife.]

Okay, kids. Who wants to learn how to disable and kill a man within thirty seconds using nothing but common household items?

[This can't possibly go wrong.]

Maurtia Falls

[Mazikeen wanders over to the old lady and looks up, smirking.]

Wow. That is funny.

[The lady doesn't agree, and wastes no time in informing Mazikeen of that fact. Maze shrugs.]

Oh, come on, what, did you actually have cash in there? You can just cancel your cards and shit. This guy's thinking small.

[She pulls out one of her wickedly curved blades and looks upwards, squinting thoughtfully.]

Hmm. I bet I could kill him from here. Think he'd fall if he died?

Wildcard

[Choose your own adventure!]

[hisfavoriteson]

[He spends most of his free time in De Chima since he lives there, so he tends to be aware of what's going on there, at least generally. Hordes of people, for instance, although he doesn't often try and avoid them.

It doesn't take him long to notice that at the center of this horde of people is a familiar face. Which means this demonstration promises to be entertaining, so for now he's just going to stand at the edge of the horde and watch.]

[selfworthbitches]

[It doesn't take Maze long to notice him. She's been hyperaware of him for millennia. Even now that she doesn't work for him, those instincts don't go away. Her eyes meet his, and she smiles wickedly.]

Oh, look, a volunteer.

[hisfavoriteson]

[What? Oh no. He's not messing up his suit with that.]

That is not what I said.

[selfworthbitches]

What, afraid you can't measure up?

[Maze cocks her head, one hand on her hip.]

Don't worry, old man. I'll go easy on you.

maurtia falls

[sathan]

( it seems that this place is becoming a little more interesting with who it brings in. whilst the majority of imports are still mortals there have been a slight number of additional witches, celestials. demons. and she knows when she walks by her, pausing to listen to the question )

Unless something else stopped him.

( though she's rather more interested in seeing if this woman could hit him with her blade even at this distance )

[selfworthbitches]

Or he'd splat onto the street and make a mess, then people would complain again.

[Reluctantly, she puts away her knives.]

This place sucks.

[sathan]

It may not be home--

( and lilith does mean hell, though whatever this woman makes of it is her choice )

But there's certainly more to it than meets the eye.

( though the majority of it is spectacularly tedius or terrible. mortals )

[selfworthbitches]

Why, cause people have superpowers? [Maze scoffs.] Big deal. They're still just people.

maurita falls

[bookshopped]

[So here is an angel, duly horrified by this whole exchange. And because he has no concept of how to have a poker face, he looks horrified. First at dismissing the poor old lady's worries and second why are we killing the purse thief. Surely just turning him in would be better.

Wouldn't it?]

I think murder might be a little extreme.

[And well, with a conveniently timed miracle, the strap of the stolen purse snaps and breaks, leaving the robber holding a strip of leather and the rest of the purse falling down into the angel's outstretched hand.] There. One problem down.

[selfworthbitches]

[Maze scowls because wow, way to take away all her fun. Then she pauses, tilting her head.]

I smell holiness. Ugh, let me guess. Angel?

[bookshopped]

[The angel is handing the old woman back her purse with a smile before turning back to the young woman--

Ah well. Not a young woman at all. Interesting. He offers her a smile too.]

Yes that's right. [And then hazarding a guess of his own.] Demon?

[selfworthbitches]

[She grins back, all teeth and ferocity, though as far as Angels go, he's being shockingly cordial. She nods.]

Mazikeen of the Lilim.

De Chima

[thetrueeve]

[Eve just sort of finds herself at these things, honestly, letting herself be whisked away without much question when people realize she's an imPort and ask her questions. She laughs and goes along with it. She's thinking pretty hard about what she's going to say, because while she does want to talk about how strict rules are really bad ideas and everyone should try to enjoy their very short lives before the end, it might not be the best influence for these young and bright faces. She should think of something inspirational!

She's stewing over that when she hears a familiar voice nearby and whirls around, curls flying in the air when she does. Her smile is instant and sincere and she starts to shout out, but then she remembers the last time they spoke and ... oh dear. That sweet smile fades a little, but she can't ignore Maze either.]

How do I look? [She whispers hastily to one of the girls who invited her.] Do I look pretty but also like I've really considered the weight of my bad decisions and I'm becoming a new and improved me? [The girl simply stares at her, confused, and Eve pats her hand soothingly.] Oh sorry. I'll be right back.

[She approaches Maze, trying to look as casual as possible.] Sure, where do I sign up?

[selfworthbitches]

[Maze can't ignore Eve either, even if a part of her wishes she could. Actually caring about people really sucks sometimes. It makes her vulnerable and no matter how many times Linda tells her it makes her strong, she can't quite bring herself to believe.

But she can't help the flutter in her chest and the lightness that crosses her face when she sees Eve. She unceremoniously shoves the person she's currently giving a demonstration away and offers Eve a hand.]

You know you don't have to sign up for anything with me.

[thetrueeve]

[Eve's smile is instant and warm. Despite all the ways things went wrong - because of her, around her, to her - she really has a hard time staying away from the people who make her feel seen. There's a small number of those, and she looks in the mirror every day hoping to see it on her own face. But Maze. Maze is a beacon. Her friend, her first real friend. Not to mention the strongest, proudest, and most adaptable woman she's ever met in all her thousands of years.

Eve said she had to go and find out who she was on her own, and she meant that, but she didn't expect this to happen. All plans are off. She takes Maze's hand and immediately feels safe. All the confusion and fear of being here is a little less scary.] I wasn't going to deprive everyone else of your teaching. At least you have something important you can teach!

[selfworthbitches]

Eh, they can learn it from the internet if they care that much.

[The internet definitely doesn't know as much about murder and torture as Maze does, but it's less likely to maim people as part of the lesson. She looks Eve over, which isn't unusual for her around a beautiful woman, but weirdly, she's not just checking Eve out. She's also checking for injuries, making sure she's okay. Maze cares if Eve is okay.

It's nice and disturbing all at once, and as so often happens around Eve, it makes Maze feel off-balance.]

How long have you been here?

De Chima

[thevulnerability]

"Nope."

Has Chloe been keeping a close eye on Maze from afar? Maybe. Has she been kind of following her around to make sure she isn't wreaking havoc over the entirety of the United States? Probably. Has she slipped a tracker into all of her outfits so she knows where she is at any given moment? Not yet, but that's probably coming.

The horde of excited college students is pretty big but Chloe manages to worm her way through them, grabbing Maze by the arm and gently pulling her out of the center.

"Okay, that's enough, nothing to see here," she announces, weaving Maze and herself through the group of people until they are on a sidewalk and the group is starting to move on to find a new, unwitting imPort. "We really need to find you a hobby."

[selfworthbitches]

Chloe is absolutely no fun. If there's a constant in life, that's it. Death, taxes, and Chloe being no fun. Considering Maze is immortal and only started paying taxes recently when she got a real job, that's saying something.

"Hey, self defense is important! There are a lot of creeps on college campuses."

Which is true, even if it wasn't actually her motivation.

[thevulnerability]

"Yes, but you don't need to teach the co-eds how to kill them."

A good kick to the nuts sure, but Maze isn't really great at pulling back. At all. And Chloe would prefer not to have to follow a trail of dead bodies back to her.

"Maybe we can find something more appropriate for you to do. Have you thought about going back to bounty hunting?"

[selfworthbitches]

"Agree to disagree." She's just saying, some of them were wearing fedoras. She crosses her arms and sulks at Chloe. "I don't see why I can't do both."

De Chima

[deadlycurves]

[Diego isn't often in De Chima, but damn if he didn't pick A Day for it. He just happens to be in ear-shot of the woman with the wicked-looking blade. Oh... he likes that. He needs one of those.]

Probably. [He answers her question, looking up at the guy. Then, he looks back at the woman with the impressive knives, eyebrow arched a bit.] Don't think murder's overkill for a purse thief?

[selfworthbitches]

[Maze shrugs.]

It's just speeding up the inevitable.

[Mortal lifespans are so short.]

[deadlycurves]

I guess.... still seems steep. [He may not be perfect at the hero job thing? But he does have a few standards and all. Punishment should fit the crime, and death for a purse theft just seems out there, lady.] I like your knives, though. [He has priorities.]

[selfworthbitches]

[They line up well with Maze's priorities, so the thief gets to live. And also gets away with the purse unless someone else intervenes. Maze turns towards Diego, letting him admire the blades.]

They're hell-forged. No Earth weapon could match it.