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etcelsior2020-04-24 06:52 pm
maskormods) wrote in etcelsior2020-04-24 06:52 pm
Entry tags:
WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN
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.
Unfortunately, tragedy has struck today. It seems like the entire Heropa PD is parked out of a local, popular grocery chain. A huge crowd is amassed in the parking lot despite the best efforts of officers to get them to leave. They whisper about excitement and shame, and you don't have to ask if you just listen in a bit...
"What do you think he'll do to the employees? He sounded so serious..." "He really wants that pussy, huh?" "If I left my man for cheating on me, I'd take the damn cat, too!" "How does he think taking her and her coworkers hostage is gonna make her change her mind about him being a bad boyfriend?" "My wife is pregnant, please - if I don't get her favorite deli sub I might as well not go home!"
Domestic disputes! Tragic. The police aren't too sure how to handle this hostage situation, claiming the man only has a box cutter and isn't actually waving it around at the moment, but...are you an imPort? They'd really appreciate the help, okay. Get in there and counsel the unhappy couple. Or not!
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. 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.
Despite the weird constant hum and the creepy cultish bingo, Jeopardy is usually a pretty calm place. A safe place. But not today. Today, someone has released a couple hundred tiny praying-mantis-like robots into the city, and the place is in chaos. Shops are closed up early because though these little destructive creatures don't have bullets, they do have some weird arm appendages that like to just crunch everything in existence. Like a locus swarm of cockatoos, anything made of wood or plastic is being crunched up and left for scrap. But at less than six inches high apiece, rounding them up is proving extremely difficult. Luckily, the mayor in her wisdom is giving out titanium nets to any imPort who wants to help round up the trouble makers. And, in the spirit of the city, she's offering the imPort that catches the most robots a free meal for two in the swanky Radiation Galley - Jeopardy's top tier, five star restaurant.
Get catchin', imPorts!
Nonah
Almost.
Ish.
He nibbles on some of the cookies he'd bought as he wanders until he hears a familiar voice straight from some of his horrible dreams. And familiar robes that go right along with such dreams. Of a man, falling, eyes wide with disbelief and desperation to get one last thing conveyed.
Pain grips his heart and he rubs absently at his chest before taking a breath and doing his best to calm down. Here is no place to fall apart and...the crying finally has him pick up the pace, tucking the sweets away in his qiankun pouch for later.
"Aiyaa...what did you make her cry for?!" He pitches his voice to a teasing, playful tone as he scoops the child up to distract her. He can't look at this man though. Not full on.
Not right now. Not if he's going to soothe the hurt the little girl feels. He makes silly faces at her until soon she's giggling at him, earning her a warm smile as he sets her back on her feet and urges her back to her fellows. With a more appropriate form of coin, of course.
Wuxian absently brushes his hands together, braces himself, then glances over at Jin Zixuan.
"I know...I'm probably one of the last people you want to see here." He doesn't apologize, though it's hinted in his voice, in the lack of a smile.
"But there are a few things we should talk about. Will you come with me?"
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But, if there is something he must know, then it's better to learn it from a rake like Wei Wuxian than not to learn it at all. He nods, moving to follow wherever Wei Wuxian wants to lead.
no subject
He barely manages not to roll his eyes at the other man - for Shijie...and for Jin Ling. "Yes yes but you saw what she thought of that. They don't pay for things the same way as back home. I'll show you where you can get it changed over to the local currency."
But Jin Zixuan...follows. It's enough for now, and he leads the way away, taking him to the Porter and on through to de Chima. He doesn't take him to his house, but instead to one of the parks. Only when relatively sure they won't be interrupted does he turn back to the other cultivator.
"What is the last thing you remember before being brought here?"
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He follows, unsure where Wei Wuxian is leading him, but as this is the only familiar face he's seen so far, he isn't sure where else to go. Once they're alone in a park, Zixuan looks around to ensure they weren't followed by anyone, before answering Wei Wuxian's question (still not making eye contact).
"I was in Carp Tower, awaiting Lady Jiang's return... from Yiling."
Where you're supposed to be, goes unsaid.
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"Mm," he agrees lamely. "Lan Zhan figured it out, why did you have -" he cuts himself off with a frustrated sound. Shakes his head. "Never mind. It's not important. Now you know." Short and sharp, dragging his temper in.
Wuxian plops himself down on the grass with a quiet little grumble. Talking to this man has never been easy. But he has to try. And then Zixuan just had to imply that. He finally tosses a glare at the other man. Breathe and...
Out. Huff.
"So. Second lesson. Not everyone here from our world is from the same time. From my perspective, that was a couple years ago. From Lan Zhan's and almost everyone else, add on another sixteen years."
no subject
So he listens, instead. Refusing to flop down unceremoniously on the grass like an imbecile, he carefully sweeps his sleeves out of the way (there it is), and folds into a seated position all demure and proper. Though, the look of incredulity on his face belies his inner shock at hearing those words.
"Sixteen years? Hanguang Jin has been missing for sixteen years?" No, that would be impossible. Think, think again. "...He was taken sixteen years in the future, and brought here?" It seems impossible. But then, a lot of impossible things have happened in the past day or so.
He whirls an accusatory glance at Wei Wuxian, having pieced together the rest of what he said. "'Everyone else.' Who else is here?"
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...Ok he gets the scoff anyway, with how primly he sits. Wuxian makes a point to slouch, sticking a leg out irreverently in front of him with arms behind to support him. Two people could get him to behave. Yanli, and Lan Zhan. Neither are here, so he doesn't care.
But he lets the other work his way through the usual shock, amused at the conjectures that spill from peacock lips. "Technically this is the future, or a similar enough world to have an advanced version of China." So nyah!
Another breath in, then out and he shifts, leg not stretched out before him coming to bend and drapes an arm across it. "Lan Zhan. Lan Xichen. Lan Sizhui. Lan Jingyi. Jiang Cheng, my Shijie - do not hurt her" he hisses, but knows it to be fairly useless. Another breath and he huffs it back out before continuing, somewhat calmer. "Meng Yao - stay away from him, he uhm..." his eyes drop. "Just be careful." Shakes his head. "Xue Yang and Song Zichen just arrived, too. And now you."
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"That is more than I would have thought..." And yet no one from the Jin clan. Except Lady Chiang, but she was not his bride yet. And Jin Guangyao, but he was... His own set of problems. But, at the same time, there is the Jin clan pride to think about.
"What has Jin Guangyao done to earn this warning?" (This time.)
no subject
Wuxian can see the other listening, even if full belief isn't there it's more than many would have given him before. Even Lan Zhan had doubted him in the past, though that's been flipped on it's head now.
Sitting still and proper is difficult, especially with the subject. But Jin Zixuan needs to know. "I'll give you the brief story as I was told. For the full one...ask Lan Zhan or Zewu-Jun to read one of the testimonies we've collected and written between us, since we figured out we don't all have the same memories."
He waits a beat. For a nod. For some indication from the damn peacock to continue. He doesn't know and in the end continues anyway.
"He killed you, using Wen Ning and I. He caused my Shijie's death. Eventually your father's, too. Just so he could take over as leader of the sects." Simple. Brutal. Straight to the heart and he feels like he's bleeding again and Lan Zhan will be pissed for him doing this alone.
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"What? No. That cannot be. Yanl-- Lady Jiang is alive. She is here, you said it yourself. I am alive!"
Yes, it occurs to him that what he's hearing has taken place-- will take place in his future, but he cannot allow himself to believe it. He'll just have to... What? Kill his own half brother, then return to the past and live out a life free from the fear of Yao's machinations? It's a horrific thought, but yes. That is what he will have to do. To protect his father. To protect his betrothed. To protect himself, yes, too, but mostly Lady Jiang and the future of the Jin clan.
All of these thoughts go on silently in his head, his face wartorn with various unconcealed emotions. He does not want to be having this (still rather tame) outburst in front of Wei Wuxian of all people, but then that's where they are.
"Where is he? He is here, yes? We shall face him, and make him pay for his crimes."
no subject
To...
Hell. He doesn't even know what. Stop the idiot peacock from going after his half brother?
"I'm dead too," he bursts out. Then winces. Damn. "He made me - everyone - believe it was my fault you two died.
"Jin Zixuan." Purposely using the man's full name. "You can't kill him here. Not unless he does something stupid here. You'd only get locked away. That's the only reason Lan Zhan hasn't killed him already."
For Yanli's sake, he'll try to keep this idiot out of jail. "Also death isn't permanent here, so you'd get locked away for no reason."
no subject
But the use of his full name, and the use of Yanli's name get through to him, calming him enough to keep listening.
What he hears, however, shocks him even more.
"Death... Isn't permanent? Explain."
Pretend WWX also mentioned Xingchen is here too, I just forgot to add that name ><
The almost mad, almost desperate edge to make this man understand settles. If he can just keep his temper in check...maybe...
No. He has to. For Yanli.
Wuxian's eyes flit around as if looking for someone, his fingers twitch at his sides. But he doesn't pull either Suibian or Chenqing from his qiankun pouch. He won't attack this man. Not again.
"A couple months ago...a bunch of us were attacked and changed by some strange creatures. At the end of it, we all died. When we came back, we were back to normal. Other people have died here too, and came back."
He sighs forcefully. "I don't know why. I don't understand how things work here. Only that what I've told you is the truth as far as I know it."
gotcha gotcha
"And there is no demonic influence that you can find, in these resurrections?"
There is a pointed look thrown Wei Wuxian's way. If anyone could see a demonic link, it would be him, the practicer of wicked tricks.
<3
"I've been looking, but so far haven't found any link."
...Oh. Right.
"The only city easily accessible that has ghosts of any kind is Jeopardy. It's where most of us are living. But I haven't seen any evidence of those spirits being responsible for anyone being here."
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"What is responsible for us being here? And from such different times, as well."
That may be the hardest thing to adjust to. Not knowing what everyone else surrounding him knows.
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damn peacockman."We're thinking the Porter has something to do with it - the uh...thing we passed through to get here. We're in another city." Congratulations!
"Also you might be able to do something different here. Powers, that is." Abruptly he grins, because he can't help it and for this won't even try. "Maybe you'll turn into an actual peacock!" Then tilts his head as if studying Zixuan. "No, you wouldn't look any different. Wasted power."
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"I will be doing no such thing."
And there he goes again, sweeping aside the sleeves of his robe and he folds an arm behind his back. He doesn't like the way this conversation has ended up, and is beginning to regret ever following Wei Wuxian anywhere.
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And it's better than fighting each other again.
Containing himself after a moment, he straightens, still grinning. "You never know. Whoever brought us have a strange sense of humor, sometimes warped." And coming from him, that says something.
"Have you looked at the file they gave you before sending you off? Where are you assigned to stay?"
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Just why... Why does it have to be Wei Wuxian of all people?
"I have been given an apartment in Heropa. I have not been to see it yet, to judge its worthiness." But he's sure it will come up wanting. Everything else here has.