etcelsior | HERE I COME

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HERE I COME

NOTE: This is the final test drive of 2019 as apps will be closed in December.

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?

The recent dimensional anomalies have disrupted people's daily business more than a little, but the latest danger is a herd of zombies shambling towards the annual Mister and Miss Corncob beauty pageant. Right in the middle of the swimsuit competition, too! Of course, who gets the crown is partially based on audience appreciation — are you going to take out some of the undead or cheer your favorite participant on to victory? Either way, you're (probably) a hero!

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!

It's nearly Halloween, and the annual city parade and costume contest are underway! You've got one, right? The locals just love it! If you don't, well, that's okay — just for imPorts, there's a special costume rummage bin at the start of the parade route. Try cobbling something together from costume shop donations and items left behind by ported-out heroes! Then strut your stuff and prepare to be cheered for!

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!

In the middle of the city's biggest park is an autumn tradition — a corn maze! Of course, it's not real corn, since there hasn't been time to grow it. But craft supplies store Mikey's is sponsoring a maze built with genuine imitation corn, and hundreds of locals have already enjoyed getting lost inside! Curiously, few of them have come out the exit, and those who venture inside will discover the maze is twistier and deeper than they ever could have anticipated. Somehow, it's bigger on the inside, thanks (no doubt) to some dastardly villain's powers. Will you try to navigate a way to the exit, forge your way through the stalks, or have a nap?

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.)

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[ Jaime knows that Tadashi is here as soon as he arrives.

Khaji tells him, of course. He's one of the people Jaime has a running tracker on. He tries not to do that sort of thing too much, but there are some people he just hasn't been able to let go of. He doesn't ask after the tracker, really. It's just on in the background, a quiet latent thing that sometimes pulses in his head, saying they're still gone.

When Tadashi comes back, Jaime feels no relief. There's just a quiet feeling of dread. He's not going to remember you anymore, it says, and you're going to have to go through this all over again. Will this one be dead? Will he remember dying? Will he go back to what he did before, trying to comfort Jaime over his loss? All of the above, Jaime supposes, which means he should wait before seeing him.

Waiting doesn't last very long. He paces in his room, scrubbing at his palms, little half-moon indents of his nails dug into them until he sighs, frustrated with himself, and tracks him down. He makes sure that it's done with enough plausible deniability, landing... in a corn maze? Geez. He really did pick the worst spot, didn't he? And he's lost too.

Well, at least Jaime can be slightly vindicated in his choices. ]

Hey, I'm here too! [ He calls out, as though he was in the maze the whole time, turning round the corner. Tadashi's a sight for sore eyes, but Jaime tamps it in (though if Ruka were here, boy, he'd be the most obvious thing in the world, wouldn't he?) and greets him as a stranger. At least as a stranger to anyone who doesn't know him, that easy smile belying the tenseness of his shoulders, the way it doesn't quite meet his eyes, the fact that his hands are tucked behind him, one thumb digging into the flat of his wrist and leaving behind a white marking. ]

I'm pretty sure I know the way out. Here, I'll help you.

[ An introduction, a bit of help, and then - then he can process whatever it is happens next. His eyes flick over Tadashi, looking for any burn scars.

He's not worried about Tadashi noticing him looking him over that carefully. As much as he loves Tadashi, he's a grade-A dumbass who never notices the way anyone looks at him. ]

[Tadashi hears Jaime's voice in the dark and--] Thank god. Jaime! I'm over here--

[And before he knows it, Jaime's already in sight. There's only familiarity and relief in his voice. He's done his best to keep his long sleeves pulled down so only his fingers are visible, but even Tadashi can't do anything about the burn scars up his neck edging just to his face. He may not notice the way someone looks at him, but he does know when his friends aren't themselves.

Something about the way Jaime is talking at him feels... off. Does Jaime not remember him? God, that would be just the icing on the cake. One of his best friends not knowing who he is after all this.

He takes a slow breath and smiles, trying to be as genuine as he can (because he is genuinely glad to see him, is genuinely relieved to not be alone) and reaches a hand to him.]

I'm so glad to see you. Yeah, let's get out of here, Jaime.

[Pointedly using his name. pointedly making the first friendly move for contact. If Jaime doesn't know him he won't go further than offering a hand.]

[ Jaime? Tadashi knows who he is? A little surprise filters through Jaime's expression before it's carefully schooled into one of polite affability, a more obvious mask than it usually is. Whoever this version of Jaime is, he's more guarded than before, harder to read, replaced by something careful and stoic. It's something he'd tried at, all those years ago, but without much success. It doesn't come to him naturally, and never has. It's a skill created not as a shell he'd been born with but as a callous, developed over time and with use, kept up by the necessity of that labour.

Tadashi knows his name? He knows? But - no, he's met Tadashi before, and he has no way of knowing which one this is. Not that Jaime distinguishes between the versions he's met. The others aren't separate in his mind. They're either his Tadashi, or they're not. It's not fair of him to think about it that way, but how could he think about it any other way?

His answering smile doesn't reach his eyes, and body language quiet and reserved, not reaching out the way he normally would. Unseen, his hands curl into fists in his pockets, pretending like that familiar smile doesn't get to him the way it does. ]

I --

[ He clears his throat. ]

You... know me?

[ Don't hope. Establish your boundaries now, and you'll survive the rest. That's how it always goes, right? ]

[That one question answers it. Tadashi's entire expression reaching his eyes all scream a big fat resounding Oh. There's a brief flash of hurt there; Jaime was one of his closest friends, and... now it's like this.

Naturally he'd be suspicious of some stranger that knows his name. Especially around Halloween in this place, especially in the middle of a corn maze. It was really too much to hope for. He carefully, slowly pulls his hand back and looks at its scarred skin a second, then smiles with that sadness that reaches his eyes before he closes them. If he thinks too much about it, he might break right here. When he saw Jaime's name still on the contact list, he'd hoped.]

Sorry- I. Guess it's been too long. I... sort of knew you the last time I was here. But people forget sometimes. I didn't mean to assume.

[The squarer jaw, the longer hair. Some other Jaime from his friend's future no doubt. It's only natural he'd forget him. So it looks like, so far, the only one around who still remembers him is Ruka.

God, does Ruka know Jaime doesn't remember them? How had she handled this? Maybe he can draw some inspiration.

No, probably not. He knows her instinct is to withdraw, pretend ignorance, and close off. That isn't Tadashi. He was friends with Jaime before, he can be friends again.

He takes a deep breath and smiles bigger, trying to be friendlier than he really feels right now.]

I'm Tadashi. I've... been here before, but it looks like it's been a long while.

No, I --

[ It hurts, having Tadashi introduce himself like a stranger. But it would hurt a lot worse if Jaime were to accept that this was his Tadashi now, only to be bowled over by the reality that it's actually one of the others. He stays where he is, frozen, like a spooked animal who isn't sure whether he's going to stay or bolt. He won't bolt, of course, won't leave Tadashi here, but it's tempting. He swallows past the lump in his throat. ]

I've known you, [ he says instead, carefully. Don't give yourself away, Jaime. If this is one of the new ones, you don't need to out yourself as the complete basketcase that you really are just yet. You're here to help, not hinder.

Don't screw it up. ]

You've been here before. A couple of times. So which, um... which one are you?

[Which one are you?

Tadashi's eyes go a little wide and there isn't anything he can really do to hide that. There were other versions of him, after him? Statistically, of course it was possible. He'd run into it at least once when he was here before. But somehow, finding out it happened to you, that there was some other version of you here that you don't remember... It more than shocks him.

He swallows past his dry throat and realizes he's staring. He's fine, it'll be fine. He'll... figure this out. He clears his throat, looking away thinking.

What's something only Jaime would know about from this version of him?

He fixes on something, a memory, and looks Jaime square in the eyes and steps a little closer.]

I remember you got to see me cry my eyes out at Disney. And I know for a fact you really hate Journey, especially when every door in your house plays a different song of theirs. I know one of Wally's pranks made you pee blue for a while.

[He steps until he's about a foot in front of Jaime, hands in his pockets now just smiling. It's fond. He adores Jaime and he's genuinely glad to be back here.]

And I know Khaji's listening and assessing. [A tilt of his head.] Hope you've been doing okay, Khaji.

Oh, [ Jaime says. It's all he says for a moment, and his voice is very, very small. This shouldn't be how it goes. This wasn't what he was expecting. And it's stupid to feel like he'd suddenly been punched in the gut when this is something that's good, that should be exciting, that his Tadashi is here in front of him, alive again, that he remembers, but for a second, he seems to forget how to breathe. Jaime's always been in tune with his emotions - or so he says, anyway - but it's almost too much to comprehend in the moment, and certainly more than he'd ever hoped for. This is something he'd wanted for so long, for years, setting up those memorials and that little space that's just for Tadashi, and now -- he's here? Just like that?

It's funny that you can want something for so long and have no idea what to say when it finally comes true. Something similar had happened with Yusuke, but Yusuke wasn't gone for as long, Yusuke wasn't replaced by a stranger, Yusuke wasn't dead. And more than that, everything Tadashi's saying is bringing up memories of what seems to belong to another life, people he had loved and lost, the times that they've had that he's had to repress just so he can continue on without them in his life anymore. ]

I didn't think - it was gonna be you, I --

[ There's nothing to be said. So he goes in for the hug, of course, wrapping his arms around Tadashi's broad shoulders even if he has to stand a little on his tippy toes to do it - tall jerk - and heck, it's a lot easier than anything else he could say as long as he doesn't start leaking all over his shoulder. ]

[Jaime being quiet and small isn't entirely what he expected. But Tadashi is patient, as he always ever was, and waits for whatever comes.

The hug like this is much better than Jaime climbing down his house at 2 in the morning barefoot. Soon as he's there, Tadashi's got arms around him to pull him into the tightest hug he can manage. As much as it worries him that he doesn't remember being here some other time, it bothers him more that Jaime was so unsure. That Jaime had to deal with it at all, seeing a familiar face that didn't know him. He can't imagine what it's like (but can't he? Hadn't it happened to him at least once? He'll have to go back and think, remember a bit more clearly his acquaintances when he doesn't have his friend in his arms).]

Better than a Halloween text, right?

[Hey wait- Why does he keep being pulled here at Halloween?]

Sorry I was gone so long.

[ At least Tadashi hugging him back feels good - feels right, not like someone who looks at him like a stranger. Tadashi always gave good hugs and this is no exception. And Jaime hates this, that he feels so vulnerable right now (Tadashi is the one who's dead, Tadashi is the one who came back to a world he can no longer recognize, Tadashi is the one who has to deal with all this crap and all Jaime's dealing with is an old friend coming home), but he needs the firmness of Tadashi's hug, the pressure grounding him when he feels light-headed with it all. Jaime always takes pride in responding to things the right way, the way he's supposed to. At times like this, he doesn't know what that way is. ]

You should be, [ Jaime says, voice thick, shoulders shaking. Stupid Jaime. When are you gonna stop crying all the time, huh? It's like he saved it all up and it all came out over the past year. ] And here I thought you were better at showing up at places on time.

[ Ugh. This sucks. Jaime should have prepared himself for this? Why didn't he? Because he wanted to prepare for another stranger to see him, of course, but you'd think he'd know by now that getting what you want can hurt just as much, if only because it reminds you of how much you missed someone in the first place. The older the wound, the worse it is, huh?

Reluctantly, he pulls away, scrubbing at one eye with the back of his hand. ]

Sorry. Just gimme a sec. I - I'm happy to see you again.

[ God, he's a mess. ]

[Once Jaime's pulling away, Tadashi gives him one last squeeze with a little of his fire warmth and smiles at him. Tears, snot, whatever. They're friends and that's what Tadashi's happy to see him for. And he'd be a hypocrite if he didn't have a couple wet corners in his eyes; he reaches to wipe at his own eyes.]

I'm happy to be back.

[ONE BIG SNIFFLE and he's just. Watching his friend because if nothing else, it's proof that he exists.]

At least it's where no one'll see, right? Better than your street.

Ugh. [ Jaime wipes again at his eyes with the heel of his hands. ] I don't think it matters anymore, honestly. They've all seen me cry before by now.

[ They've seen a lot more than that too. Okay, he'd still rather do so in private, but his privacy's been shot to hell by now - and boy, he's done a lot of public crying. Ugh. Okay, stop thinking about that, that'll do you no good.

He reaches out to grab at Tadashi's shoulder - reaches up to grab at Tadashi's shoulder; stupid tall Tadashi - as though unwilling to forgo physical contact for too long. This still feels surreal. Unreal. ]

Come on. Let's get you out of here.

Yeah, you did say you know the way out.

[There are a lot of key things Tadashi still doesn't know about Jaime, but he does know to trust him. If he says he knows the way, then Jaime knows the way. He doesn't take the shoulder touch for what it is, just that Jaime's feeling familiar and reaches to match the motion, hand on shoulder.]

I'll follow you.

...right.

[ Jaime gives Tadashi's shoulder one last squeeze before gesturing at him with his head to lead the way. ]

Here, follow me. [ He doesn't know the way, per se, but Khaji does. ] So how long have you been here, anyway? And where do they have you staying? And doing? A lot of things have changed since -- well, you know.

[ Jaime would have known if Tadashi was his neighbour again. It feels wrong that he might not be his neighbour anymore. That he won't be in Heropa. Everything changes, whether Jaime likes it or not. ]

[Welp, Jaime's backing away so he'll put a foot or two of distance there. They both know the other is real, things are fine. But he does start following Jaime.]

They've got me in Nonah now, as a youth counselor. [He sounds... almost relieved at that. He knows Tony's gone and that job's a no-go now. He can work on projects on his own without restrictions or stipulations.... but now he also has less access to supplies.]

I got here this morning. [And then got himself lost in a supernatural corn maze. Who else, right?]

Nonah? That's so far away...

[ At least he can fly there. Even though Tadashi's put some distance between them, Jaime keeps on glancing behind him at Tadashi, making sure he's there and keeping up and -- and mostly there, honestly. ]

But, um, as long as you're here, right? And I've got a lot of your stuff! I mean, I kept a lot of it. I'll take you to my storage unit and we'll --

[ Jaime, watch where you're going!

He runs directly into one of the walls of corn. ]

Oof. Yes. Yes, I know I should look where I'm going, just -- give me a break, okay?

In your defense, you're a little distracted.

[Just. Yknow. Tadashi back from the dead after 3 years and all, give Jaime a break, Khaji. Tadashi takes a breath and rests a hand on Jaime's shoulder, just. Don't mind him, testing out his healing again and taking care of whatever little scrape Jaime just got; he doesn't know Khaji has it covered.]

Anyway, I think that's what teleporters are for. I think I'll have an easier schedule than when I worked for Tony so I can come and go.

I think all things considered, I should come to you. It'll be faster. I mean, since I got -- uh --

[ ...oh. Oh no. Tadashi doesn't know. He's never known. He never got around to telling Tadashi. He doesn't know why - it's not as though he never trusted the guy. Heck, he knew about Khaji, which most people who knew about Blue Beetle didn't know about. Still don't, half the time. He deserved to know.

Maybe it's just that around Tadashi, he didn't feel like the Blue Beetle. For once, he just felt like Jaime. It wasn't enough for most people. But it was always enough for Tadashi.

Kind of a lame excuse for keeping secrets, huh? ]

Um, a lot's gone down since you got ported out. We'll need to catch up on a bunch, but, um. There's something you should know about. Do you remember the Blue Beetle?

[Tadashi glances at him out the corner of his eye before looking around the corner of this part of the maze's path.]

It seems like a lot of things happened while I was gone. Your hair's so long!

[He doesn't mean it in a bad way! He's proud of Jaime just from what he's seen. Though Tadashi's forgetting that Jaime's supposed to be leading the first few steps so he stops and waits.]

But sure, what's up? Tell me everything.

Heh. I'm just too lazy to cut it.

[ Or, rather, too reluctant to go to a hairdresser to get it done properly, so it just grows and grows and grows. Despite all appearances, Jaime's vain enough to want to get a professional to do it so he doesn't look like more of a mess than he thinks he already does. But that's besides the point. He's changed so much, but the thing he has to tell Tadashi hasn't changed since he arrived.

He points at himself. ]

I asked you if you remembered Blue Beetle 'cause, um, that's me? I mean, that's me. And I'd rather you hear it from me than someone else, so, um...

[ He can't be that nervous over the grand reveal. Tadashi has no reason to dislike Blue Beetle.

He has reason to be mad about being kept in the dark for so long, but keeping him in the dark longer sure as heck isn't going to help. ]

Yeah. That's the big one.

[Tadashi's watching him since Jaime seems a little nervous about this, whatever 'it' is.

Okay. Okay, Jaime is the Blue Beetle. And he'd rather Tadashi hear it from him than someone else which means other people knew and Tadashi didn't, and wasn't Jaime upset at one point that he was the only one who didn't know about Tadashi's Big Horrible Demise out of their group and his thoughts are getting ahead of themselves.

Likely what Jaime sees on the outside is Tadashi just watching him blankly, almost expectantly.]

Okay. Okay, so you're the Blue Beetle.

[Oooooh shit that explains a lot.]

Yep.

[ Jaime waits. He's bracing himself, though he doesn't know for what. He knows Tadashi well, but it's been so long and Jaime's so different now, and -- and he'd been effectively lying to him for months. Years. A long time. Too long, even. He gnaws at the inside of his lip - it's going to be sore and bloodied by the time this day is over, he knows it - looking straight ahead of him as though that makes any of this easier, his emotions doing painful yo-yos between Tadashi being here and this being one of the first, awkward conversations they get to have. ]

That's, um -- that. That was it. That was kind of the end of that sentence.

[ Is that... okay? ]

[Oh that was the end of it. Tadashi smiles, rubbing the back of his neck.]

I feel kinda dumb not guessing that sooner. [Tadashi! Feeling dumb!] But it makes sense. I probably should've figured that out before.

[His tone is all easy and good natured; he does feel like he should've figured it out before, but he didn't and that's that. Everyone has their own secrets, and Jaime just... revealed one of his biggest, shit.]

Thank you. For telling me, Jaime.

I should've told you before. I don't know why I didn't, I was...

[ He shakes his head. He doesn't know how to complete that sentence. He didn't tell a lot of people he probably should have told. There were a lot of reasons, but not many of them make sense.

Maybe he was just afraid of more change, in this place that continued to thrust it upon him. It's the same thing that made him reluctant to make moves that were good for him too, the idea that he would take a good thing and ruin it instead of make it better. ]

But I'm glad you know now and that you're, um, not mad about it.

[ At least he doesn't sound mad. ]

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HERE I COME

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AND HERE COME THE WATERWORKS LMAO

BAAAAW JAIME

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