DON'T MESS WITH ME AND MY SQUAD

[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 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. 

ImPorts who have been around for a while might notice something a little different this spring. Suddenly, April Fool's Day is the biggest holiday of the season. What's more, locals are acting as if this has always been the case! Could it be an after-effect of last year's dimensional difficulties? Whatever the case, locals are excitedly sharing ideas for this year's fooling, the Live Time channel is running commercials for its annual movie marathon, and the April Fool's Parade is sure to attract big crowds!

The city of Heropa is debuting a brand-new local mascot for the holiday: Jack Inna Box! For the week leading up to April 1, the costumed character will be wandering around downtown Heropa, taking pictures with locals and inviting them to share their best jokes. As part of his civic duty, he's making a point to meet as many new imPorts as possible — including you!

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! Synthetic wonder! Whatever you might be, those words have meaning here. 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 or recently published PLoS papers. 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. 

Today in De Chima, there's the unveiling of a brand new invention in the convention centre park! With a simple scan, it will print out your Closest Love Match of the other individuals present, along with your percentage of compatibility and a free coupon to get lunch with your new date if you match 90% or higher! 

A little odd that it seems that nearly every couple has 90% or higher, isn't it? What's the probability that the scanner is broken?



03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania has carried a reputation for ups and downs ever since imPorts began reappearing again, just those few years prior. Several imPort heroes have put focused efforts into cleaning up the streets of this somewhat infamous city, while a handful of others had swooped in to help the criminal industry thrive. 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. Everything from the classic bank heist to brutal bloodbaths can happen around the corner. You have to keep your eyes open and your mind sharp when you live in Maurtia Falls, and hostility against imPorts can spike. The emergence of locals with superpowers is hardly helping...

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.

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. 

April Fool's Day is a big holiday in Jeopardy, too, but an extremely solemn one. All congregants at the Church of the Ancient Web Mistress give up all forms of jokes and comedy for a week in recognition of the way fate spins laughter to brighten the world but, like spiderwebs, it can also be fleeting. If you'd like to know more, the locals are glad to share their pamphlets and invite you to coffee hour. It's okay to enjoy it (just don't smile too widely).

 

 

Comments

Toshinori Yagi/All Might | My Hero Academia

[onederfulhero]

De Chima

Today, All Might's powers are in full bloom, and he's taking advantage by going to De Chima in order to help establish himself and make connections in this new world. He may not be the Symbol of Peace here, and One For All might not be functioning correctly, but it couldn't hurt to build up a good reputation here, right?

"Everything is okay... because I am here!" he announces, posing with a flourish in the middle of an awed crowd that's gathered to check out this new hero. It works- he's soon surrounded by curious admirers who want to take pictures, learn about his powers, and just find out who he is.

Unfortunately, this means he's also overwhelmed with love matches... and since All Might isn't inclined to form romantic attachments, he's in a bit of a pickle.

"...Why don't you all line up," he suggests with a flashy grin. "There's plenty of time for all of us, yes? Patience is a virtue, after all."


Nonah

All Might is still getting used to the fact that his powers are still there, but not the same. And unfortunately, the day he chooses to go to Nonah in the hope that he'll be able to assume his hero form completely, make an appearance with the children and give them some cash to help build his good name... he arrives, transforms, and is stuck with gigantic hair antennae, hero-sized feet and ankles, and nothing else.

"What kind of hero are you?" the kids jeer, or "What kind of ridiculous power is that?"

Instead of feeling the power of All Might, he has to settle for being Toshinori, and Toshinori just looks tired as he's swarmed by curious, amused, confused, and angry kids.


Wildcard

Or you could just run into him on the street. As Toshinori, he is an emaciated, sickly man who might cough up blood every now and then. As All Might, he is a muscle-bound, flashy, and extremely hammy hero who mugs for the cameras and enjoys fannish adoration in between saving people. Or, you could catch this unfortunate man in-between, because his powers don't work quite right here, and he sometimes gets stuck in a state where only a few parts of his body become heroic and muscular, and he can't do a damn thing to make it complete one way or another.

[Hit me up on Plurk at shurimon or PM this journal if you have any questions!]

Nie Mingjue | Mo Dao Zu Shi/Untamed

[unrelenting_sword]

Heropa
The address he'd been given had taken him time to find but the lodgings were adequate enough, even if the bed felt far too soft for his tastes. The floor would do if he had no other options, and he did examine the rest of the furniture before he ventured back outside.

Buildings aside, the city itself seemed not too different from one of the cities at home, his footsteps carrying him along streets near his residence as he eyed each shop in turn pausing outside what seemed to be some sort of restaurant, even if the name made no sense to him.



Maurtia Falls

He's not unused to the bustle of cities but everything about this world has him on edge, the people, the clothing, the fact he's here instead of where he should be and the concern over everything left behind.

Specifically Huaisang and how he's managing without Mingjue there to at least try to guide him on the right path. The stranger who stops in front of him, though has him just staring for a long moment, fingers reaching for his saber before he shakes his head.

The idiot doesn't seem to have much in the way of powers after giving him a moment, head cocked to one side. And then Mingjue moves, fist slamming into his jaw because he's not wasting his saber on an idiot.


Wildcard

Feel free to ask/suggest an alternate scenario, or just run into him somewhere.

Hyacinth Sun | OC

[greektragedy]

HEROPA

Florida was humid any time of year, she's starting to realize. Hyacinth moves through the throngs of people, fiddling with her hair nervously as she tries to piece together why everyone is flooding the streets. What kind of holiday was it? Were the holidays different? For the first time in her ridiculously short life, she's actually wishing she was able to use her divine powers at will. Prophecy or divination would be extremely helpful right now! 

Unfortunately, the veil was much different here and she's not entirely certain how it was going to work.

"Excuse me." She taps someone on the shoulder. "Can you tell me what's going--"

That's when it happens. The mascot rounding the corner and standing FAR too close for comfort, bells dangling in her face as he goes to try to introduce himself.

Her eyes go wide, her jaw drops, and she screams.

Someone save her from the mascot.

DE CHIMA

Hyacinth doesn't remember when she got shoved to the front of the line, but here she was, right up front with the device that was apparently supposed to predict her true love. She nearly rolls her eyes at the idea of having a compatible match this early on of being here but-- who knows! Maybe they had government ties of some sort where they knew her history on top of her love life.

(And if she did, they'd know she's had terrible luck in love, and her last major love ended in tragedy... for her.)

When the match prints with the coupon, she has no idea who it is.

"Hey, can you tell me who this might be? I don't really... know anyone here."

Maybe you're the lucky person! Want to go on a date?

NETWORK

What is the point in having precognition if it doesn't work when you need it to? Coffee hour was embarrassing and I don't know if I can show my face in Jeopardy ever. Again.

Please tell me this gets easier? I'm not sure how to handle everyone asking about the "newbie" imPort and trying to pry into my life.

Maurtia Falls

[softheartedshizun]

"What are you doing!?" he cried out in shock. "That's way too much force for someone like that.

Why!? Who does that? Who does that as a reasonable response to someone so low on the spectrum as to be obvious cannon fodder! What kind of fucking maniac just punches a guy, probably breaking his jaw, over such a petty crime!? At the rate things were going Shen Qingqiu was starting to think he should just ditch his cultivator robes and go full-on modern clothing. Maybe he could have a cultivator secret identity? Or, just, not care! It wasn't like he got to do cool cultivator things or anything! He spent his days reading books and reviewing them. He might as well be back in his old life!

And as much as he ranted in his head, and did not want to deal with this situation, he understood that someone had to help that poor bastard on the ground. Even if they had done something wrong this was a moment for teaching. It was obviously some dumb kid who hadn't put a lot of thought into this and could be taught a lesson. Not in such an extreme way though! And, as a cultivator, it was his job to deal with other cultivators. He was a peak lord after all, he had a role to play.

Even if they weren't from his world, he still should hold himself properly.

"You can't just... hit people like that," he was ready to stand between the individuals if he had to. "Though this person has done wrong, the response is too extreme."

Re: Maurtia Falls

[unrelenting_sword]

"Handling the problem." He eyed the figure on the ground before turning his attention to the stranger, although at least he was dressed properly.

"He's still alive, isn't he?" Clearly not to extreme if he could get up and walk away.

[softheartedshizun]

That was the bar we were using to measure!? Still alive!? That was way too high! Sure that sort of nonsense was fine in Wuxia and Xianxia, but you can't do that in a modern city. You're not above the law! You are not the law!!

He could feel his internal frustration skyrocket and everything in his being say to turn around and not bother. This was too much. He should not engage!

But... someone really needed to be a mediator. Might as well be him. After all, no one else in this place even knew what a cultivator was!

"Where that is true, excessive force, even if not lethal, is too much. This is not the world you came from, the rules are different. If you are having trouble... this master can help you in that regard," he did not want to! But he had to. He was scared to think about what would happen with cultivators running around being fools. There were already enough foolish ones here. At least they were all too busy being caught up in their day time drama problems to be much of an issue outside that.

de chima

[cinnamon_apple]

Okay, so this place? Close enough to home that there's not much culture shock. But there's enough that he feels out of place. People don't know about UA or any of the heroes he knows, but they seem to be familiar with the idea in general and know a lot of other heroes. He's gotten stopped a few times (which he's still getting used to, he's only had one big moment so far!) but he stops himself when he hears it.

Finally. Familiarity.

Kirishima waits patiently in the crowd, but waves one hand once he's about three people away.

"Oi, All-Might! You made it here too?"

NETWORK

[softheartedshizun]

Simple. Lock your door, don't look yourself up, and engage in activities that require little interaction with the public.

[unrelenting_sword]

"...If he can't take a punch, that's not my fault." It's flat, Mingjue just staring at the other man for a long moment before he shakes his head, moving to walk past the stranger.

"If you're so concerned, you take care of him then." And he's brushing past you, Shizun, continuing on his way. The last thing he needs is a lecture and if this person thinks he can dictate what another sect leader does, that's his mistake.

[softheartedshizun]

His fault? This man's fault? HOW WAS IT THEIR FAULT!? This was excessive force!

Wait... what? What!? Don't just walk by like it doesn't concern you! Don't walk by like nothing matters!

"Wait. Really... this sort of thing is... too much for this world. If you carry on like that..." he does not want to reach out and grab him, that's too much. He doesn't want to get in his way again either because... that was also too much. He was a scholar, he didn't want to get into a fight. This person was definitely a violent meathead! Where was Liu Shidi when you could really use him!?

[unrelenting_sword]

"I doubt this world is that weak."

It's flat, his expression darkening slightly as his gaze drifts back to the other man.

"Maybe it's you who it's too much for and not the world."

[softheartedshizun]

What... what the fuck was that supposed to mean!?

Ug! He hated this!

He opened his fan and fanned himself with it trying to keep a cold and aloof manner in place.

"It is not about whether this world is weak or not. It is about laws and what is socially acceptable. The rules you know and govern by are not the same rules here. I would not wish you to make a fool of yourself simply because you were unaware of these facts," even as he spoke them he could not help but think maybe they were a bit too antagonistic? He didn't want to challenge! He just... he just didn't want some sort of mess to end up happening that would cause trouble for him later!

[greektragedy]

I don't think that'll help. Well okay it will but not in the way I was thinking about.
I'm not going to isolate myself just because I can't predict when I'll spill coffee on someone but boy it would be nice :(

Rye "JUPITER" Kalibash | Original Character

[jup1t3r]

01. HEROPA

There's something about clowns. Something that makes the hairs on Rye's arms stand up, a cold prickle uncomfortable at the back of his neck. He's an at the peripheries kind of guy on a good day, but today he's staying as far out of the way as possible, skulking anonymously to avoid attention. Attention which comes his way anyway, the mascot in all its terrifying glory making a beeline for him.

For anybody watching the scene unfold, one second Rye is standing next to an utility pole and the next he isn't.

The eagle-eyed might notice that he's reappeared inside a coffee shop across the other side of the street, behind the counter. Without so much as an explanation to the confused baristas and waiting customers, he puts in an order for the biggest caramel latte they serve. Staking his claim to a comfortable chair in the corner, he shoots unwelcoming glares at anybody who looks like they might ask him what just happened.


░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

02. DE CHIMA

It's not that Rye is obsessed with disruption, exactly. He just likes it a lot and entertainment comes cheaply when he's got the necessary skills to cause it when he pleases. The tech fair at the Convention Centre Park proves something he can't resist. The idea of a Love Match scanner leaves him feeling nauseated, the premise stupid enough that he thinks somebody should fix it. Somebody like him.

With his beaten up laptop resting in his lap, he diligently sets to work. The system is bordering on primitive and it's a few short minutes before the scanner starts malfunctioning. Or, according to Rye, starts working better than ever before.

Now, instead of printing out a high percentage love match every time, the scanner perkily reports 100% MORTAL ENEMIES in a random pattern. Rye spares no thought for the bemused expressions on couples' faces as they start to complain at the Love Match staff, some even going as far as arguing with each other. Snapping the lid of his laptop shut, he relaxes back into the chair he's watching from, smugly enjoying the fruits of his labour.

Yenh Quryoja (Warrior of Light) | Final Fantasy XIV

[eightfoldlight]

a. De Chima

Shortly after leaving the military base, Yenh accumulated a tiny entourage of imPort fans. These she had actively encouraged to walk along with her, figuring she can learn more from eager locals than from maps. ... even if half of what she learns is a confused mash of accounts of their favorite imPorts, and they do end up drawing attention by sheer numbers and volume. Yenh, as prone to excitement as she is, laughs along heartily despite having also lost track of the plot somewhere five minutes ago.

Her feline ears catch the sounds of people gathering deeper in the park. Yenh cranes her head to try and see what is going on. No luck. She tells the group that she's going to go see what's happening, and they all follow along, setting the tale aside for now.

What she does not anticipate was that it was some kind of matchmaking device. She looks at the signs, she looks at the crowd gathered to try it out, she looks at her nerdy entourage. Yenh turns on heel to leave without another word.


b. Maurtia Falls

As she watches the self-proclaimed Mister Mars float upward and realizes he's having some trouble, her expression of extreme pity turned into one of alarm. "Alright, hold on! Don't panic! I shall try to get you down, Mister! —madam, please, I shall return you your purse, but what if he casts himself into the void? —no, I will not. I have to rescue that poor man, and I've no idea where your walking stick has been."

Yenh may not be able to pluck him from the air with her magic, but maybe with a little extra weight, they'll sink downward? She shoots out a magical grappling line to 'Mister Mars' and launches herself up to join him in the air. After a confused mass of yelling, flailing, and reassuring gestures, Yenh settles herself on his back. ... and realizes they have only sunk downward a few meters at best.

Below them, the old woman becomes even more furious, and begins calling both of them extremely rancid names. "... well, plan B. We'll protect each other's egos from her abuse while we wait for someone to arrive. Don't be tempted to ascend, I doubt she can do much.

"A little more assistance, please!" She calls down to the crowd. As she does, she pulls out her device and begins taking selfies with Mister Mars.

c. WILDCARD

Give me a poke if you want to thread something out specifically, or surprise me!

De Chima

[hellufacade]

[Emet-Selch is quite enjoying his nap when his phone alerts begin to go off one after another. The locals were at least an excellent intelligence network. And there she was, Yenh Quryoja, name spelled a myriad of ways, but enough of them matched his Gloogle Alerts. No rest for the wicked, he supposed. He considers getting dressed, but he’s not in the mood for a fistfight with a rabid animal. So instead, he simply calls her. ]

Oh my, look who has shown up! It took you long enough, hero.

Shadowbringers spoilers, if it needs saying

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh stares at the phone. That voice. The same voice who berated and praised and lectured her and her friends. Who continuously offered and then pushed peace and cooperation further and further away. Who only stopped when she put an axe through his torso. ]

[ Yenh scowls at the phone. ]

Very funny. Tell The Kremlin that he is extremely creative.

[ She hangs up. ]

[hellufacade]

[He hasn’t thought she would hang up on him, not this soon into the conversation. He rushes to put on a shirt, but not pants, and video calls her. ]

The Kremlin?! Pulled unwittingly by the ankles into the stupid affairs of even stupider men, I see.

[A beat. ]

What did they tell you about the Kremlin?

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh is still staring at her phone, frowning, when he calls her back again. She reels backward at the sight of him. Knowing that proclamations of fact like "you're supposed to be dead" are lost on this jerk, she flounders to find another anything to say to the fact that this is Emet-Selch and not someone prank calling her. ]

The Kremlin is the leader of the Communists. [ There, answering that question buys her some time, even if she answered it with unnecessary sharpness. She breathes and adds: ] Hades.

[hellufacade]

We'll speak about what you understand about this world's politics later.

[Oh Gods-fucking-dammit, she knows his name. This could make things complicated. And he so didn't need that getting into his shit.]

Let's take this conversation off the network. Stay where you are, I'll be there soon. [As he moves his camera around, revealing that he isn't wearing pants for a half second.]

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh's guttural laughing-horror noise is paired with a very forced smile. This is completely absurd. She swivels the screen away from her face so that only other people have to deal with a dead man who didn't even have the decency to wear pants when berating her. ]

No need, for you have already slain me. [ The screen is all chaos for a moment. Then it stares up into a sky outlined with tree boughs. ]

[hellufacade]

I'm not going to kill you! [He sets his phone on a counter as he pulls on some slacks and a jacket. He clearly.]

You're staying where you are, right? [He gets his shoes on, snags his phone and dashes out the door.]

You're in De Chima, right? Do you even know where you are?

[eightfoldlight]

Yes, I am in De Chima. In a park. And I am not going anywhere. It's irresponsible enough that they let you walk around freely like this. [ There was no hesitation in answering him, at least, but her phone is still where she dropped it on the ground. Someone barely audible supplies a location to her. Yenh repeats it. ]

The convention centre park.

[ At least Yenh trusts that Emet-Selch isn't planning on murdering her on sight. He may be many things, but a man of his word is one of them. ]

[hellufacade]

Pardon you, I happen to be a registered Hero here!

[He also can't believe that he's jogging to the teleporter. He runs out of breath halfway up the stairs. But he presses on and moves through the teleporter. Thankfully, he knows exactly where the convention center is as he is such a nerd.]

[He strides up, trying to tamp down the menace and trying to collect himself. He needs to at least not be breathing heavily as he approaches. After all, they now had witnesses. He hangs up the phone as he sees her.]

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh turns the phone upside down with the toe of her shoe. ]

[ By the time Emet-Selch arrives, she is chatting amicably in the shade with some other nerds. They are explaining selfie filters. ]

[ Her ears pivot a fraction before her head does. Yenh locks eyes with him and starts to open her mouth. Then closes it, as her good eye then swivels down to what he is wearing. Simple, breezy. The Warrior of Light—dressed in multiple layers, the outer of which are thickly padded and flamboyant in that specific 'HELLO I AM A WIZARD LOOK AT MY CRYSTALS' kind of way—finishes her overall assessment of him. ]

Well, that looks cozy.