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etcelsior2020-05-24 09:21 pm
maskormods) wrote in etcelsior2020-05-24 09:21 pm
Entry tags:
DANCE MAGIC DANCE
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, a company that manufactures tech-based educational toys—"Where Science Meets Fun!"—is running a demo of its latest project, Quincy the QuizBot. Filled with information taken from the curricula of many grade levels, Quincy is whirring through the streets to conduct pop quizzes! Answer a question right, win a prize, ranging from a coupon for a free soda at the local fast food joint to a $100 gift card, based on difficulty!
Except...something's gone wrong with Quincy's programming. An hour or two into the demo session, he starts to approach passersby and demand answers. "WHAT IS THE SQUARE ROOT OF 47284? CAN YOU LIST THE PHARAOHS OF EGYPT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER? ANSWER-ANSWER-ANSWER-ANSWER!"
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!
jumps at u <3
With your quirks, we might have a way outta this.
[Why is she blushing? He doesn't give a shit if she likes some- whatever it is she likes. He narrows his eyes and scowls because he has no idea what she said.] Stop mumbling!!! Whether you like manga or the American shit, have ya ever read a story about multiverses?
gasp ♥
...Nope, there's the usual fire and brimstone she's come to know and love(???). Ochako frowns, puffing up her cheeks and biting her lip before she says something snide in return. It's fun to incite his rage, not his wrath.]
Mmh, I've read a few things like that in manga. [Isekai, especially. Or high fantasy and sci-fi novels.] So...you're saying it's something like that? I don't remember anything changing though...usually there's something that signals a shift - like a warp gate, or a prophecy-like dream, a summoning circle, or...something.
[But there was nothing. One minute she was asleep in the girl's sleeping quarters during the summer training camp, the next she was here in this weird place. Thank god she didn't arrive in her pajamas and hideous bedhead, that would have been a literal nightmare.]
♥♥♥
Maybe it was so dramatic our brains blocked it out. Or maybe the scientists gave us amnesia to try and discourage us from escaping. It doesn't matter how, all that matters is we're here now and that fact pisses me off.
1/2 - i can't stop laughing
She takes it back with a trembling hand, only nodding in thanks as her throat closes up in sheer disbelief. The entire bottle feels warm, and Ochako is filled with a horrific swell of terror as she raises the dismantled bottle to her lips and takes a sip--
And has to fight back a wince, though her shoulders tense and she grabs the edge of the table to steady herself.
He boiled it. It's piping hot and seared her lips and tongue. Not only that, the film she first gulped was like eating glue. If pink was a flavor, Uraraka is sure she tasted it just now, and it's not at all what she has expected. Not sweet, not soft, but sticky.
This isn't strawberry milk anymore. It's fucking cheese, practically.
Only if the split second his attention is off her does Uraraka snap her head to the side and spit out what's in her mouth, turning to her friend with a strangling motion of her hands.
FORGET WAITING, SHE WILL END HIS LIFE RIGHT HERE--]
2/2
Shockingly, Ochako did catch what Bakugo said, frowning as he lists off the possibilities. Her brows knit together, and her mouth opens, but so sound comes out. This time, it's clear there's something on her mind that she's holding back...but she definitely looks agitated.
Deku, Mic-sensei, Momo, All Might....and now her and Bakugo. It's good that she's got people she's familiar with - friends, and her beloved teachers - but if this is really like an isekai...then...
How long will it be until she sees her mother and father again?]
now i'm laughing
Luckily for everyone, he remains blissfully unaware, looking away to scowl at some random tree before turning his attention back to her. Does something smell burnt? It's probably his imagination.
He's so blissfully unaware that he takes a long cold sip of his icy drink before he continues.]
But it's fine. I have an idea. We'll blow it up.
GOOD. ♥
[He barely finishes before Ochako speaks over him, looking at him sternly. She's...super not experienced enough for Baku Sitting Duty, but damned if she's not ready and willing to elbow slam his face into the concrete to stop him from doing something irreparably stupid. Something like what he just suggested (which Ochako is not surprised by in the slightest).
She lets out a long, steadying breath, then softens her expression, hoping she can appease him a little bit. Bakugo isn't stupid, and he'll rise to any challenge, but there is no way she'll let her friend try to destroy even a sandcastle in America. That's too much of a risk when everyone and their grandmother knows the justice and law enforcement are heaving garbage.]
I'm angry, too...but this isn't Japan, Bakugo-kun. We have to play by their rules, their laws. [She rips open the package of cupcakes a little too forcefully, and exhales again, stuffing one into her mouth and talking through it, because you know what? She's tired.] I'd like to talk to the others, find out more.
[Too many factors to consider. Too many unanswered questions. She is frustrated - furious, actually - but Ochako is also scared. And sad. But she's also determined to get everyone home. Safely.
That includes this idiot.]
"Revenge is best served cold" - who was it who said that again? [Yeah, it's underhanded...but it's her best bet to get him to agree with her. Play the long con, and blow the top off this circus tent when the time is just right.]
♥
[To say that he's seething would be an understatement. The situation sucks enough already. It's crap, utter garbage, and to make matters even worse it's American garbage. And now she's saying that he can't even blow something up? He has a plan! He's not just going to rush in there without thinking.]
They broke the law by kidnapping us! Clearly laws don't mean shit.
[He tears his sandwich with his canines, the bland, watery flavoring doing nothing to satiate his appetite or rage.]
Fine. We'll talk and then blow this place up past Neptune.
[It's a begrudging compromise. He hasn't given up or given in to Ochako's argument, he's just...altered the plan a little so they don't go in flying blind.]
ITS ORIGINS AIN'T CLEAR BUT THE ONE YOU MEAN'S BEEN IN SEVERAL MOVIES AND BOOKS AND IT'S A SHITTY PHRASE!!!
[He slams his sandwich down in disgust.]
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Even if he makes a great point. They were kidnapped, technically. He didn't really explain...much of anything, but if this is like an isekai, then they were warped to another place against their will to fulfill some sort of purpose. That didn't excuse or forgive anything - kidnapping is still kidnapping - but at least is justified it a little. Or at least that's what she was desperately clinging to. She wanted to believe there was some underlying purpose...something. SOMETHING they had to do.
Anything...to keep her own frustration at bay. Because she wanted to go home, too. She wanted to tell her mom and dad she was okay. That she was safe.
Ochako's head hurts. She's not built to deal with Bakugo. They're just not close enough friends. Her initial plan backfired and, hah exploded in her face, and now she feels defeated and deflated. She wants to go home. She wants to hug her mom and dad. She wants to eat mochi, and laugh with Mina. She wants to be back at UA.]
...You know, I was really happy to see you, Bakugo-kun. Do you know why that is?
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[Whatever he was going to say dies on his tongue, fizzling into something bitter. He isn't even sure what he had in mind.
People always had a purpose in mind for him. He's learned to stop caring. But it's not Ochako's fault. She's just as stuck as he is. And he can't do a damn thing about it.
Except tap his fingers on the table in irritation and ruin a sandwich.]
Because I'm not one of those American bastards?
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And frankly, the idea of being here with no life-line is more terrifying than anything he can fling at her right now.]
Because I'd like to think you're my friend. [She chances a sheepish glance at him, for a second, then wrings her hands together and looks down again.] So...as your friend, I'm asking that you please don't do anything dangerous, Bakugo-kun, or that will get you in trouble here. And that we work together.
[That's asking a lot, and damn does she know it, but it had to be said. It's a silent cry for help. Ochako really needs a friend right now.]
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She said the f-word. Huh. It's not that he's adverse, it's just weird to hear it said aloud. But it doesn't bristle and sting the same way it would have had it been Izuku, or IcyHot. Finally he snorts and looks back to her.]
Fine. But if you start cryin' on me I won't go easy on you.
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And then he takes a potshot at her, and she can't really even be upset about it. The laughter that bubbles from her mouth is a little higher in pitch than usual, but Ochako snuffs it quickly. If there's anyone in the world that she's not ready to be vulnerable next to, it's Bakugo Katsuki.]
I don't think I can when you're here... [HAH.] B-B-BECAUSE YOU'RE STRONG!! AND RESOURCEFUL! AND PROBABLY GOING TO BE A GREAT HERO!! [S T O P. She stands up very suddenly, woodenly, pumping a fist into the air. Hell yeah, let's change the subject!!]
W-We should regroup with the others!! If you've made contact with them, do you know where they're staying, Bakugo-kun? I don't have much money, but enough for a train ticket...m-maybe...
[Bold of you to assume that America has a reliable public transport system, Ochako.]
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That might not be a good thing though as his blank expression morphs into one of indignation.]
'Probably'?
...I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A GREAT HERO! THE BEST HERO! THERE'S NO PROBABLY INVOLVED!!! THE ONLY THING I'M PROBABLY GOING TO DO IS NOT KICK YOUR ASS FOR SAYIN' THAT!!!
I think they live in different cities and shit. Don't worry about money, we'll just take the porters.
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I'm sure you'll be amazing. [And while there's a hint of exasperation there, Ochako means it earnestly. She's just on the last pools of her energy right now, and stress is winning out. You are an exhausting person to deal with sometimes, my guy.]
...The what? [She's...trying to remember just how much information she was given when coming here. It all seems fragmented past her initial shock. Or maybe she just blocked it all out? She was desperate to think this was all a bad dream a little while ago.]
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[He continues explosively, not reading her exasperation or lack of excitement or aggression. He's too caught up in his own goals, his own anger to notice unless she argues.]
The porters? Newbie. [He scoffs. Like he can talk.] I can show you when we're done eating.
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It...also tastes terrible to her, but IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER.]
Hmm? I thought you just arrived too, Bakugo-kun. [She takes another sip, looking him dead in the eye as she does. How can he drink this...it's so bad....like chalk.] But I'd be happy to walk with you and take in the sights.
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Did she fucking just-
And when he does understand, when he does recognize that yes, Ochako did just have the audacity to take his kind of hard earned drink from him and chug it like a frat boy trying to impress everyone, his eye starts twitching and he reaches for her drink, brings it to his lips-
What the fuck is this?
And he fights back the urge to gag, chugging it until the bottle is empty, blowing up the cursed drink as soon as he's done and slamming the ashes on the tabletop.]
I'd be happy to show you around, Newbie.
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The softest of eeee-s escapes Ochako as Bakugo rips the can from her hands - like air escaping a deflating balloon - and she flinches, putting her hands up in defense. She's very aware he wouldn't hold back against anyone - age, gender, social status...none of that mattered to her so-called friend here. She peeks one eye open, just in time to see him blow up the can and shakes her head. This guy is unbelievable...
Unlike her barbaric companion, Ochako finishes and neatly deposits her trash in a bin close by, dusting off her clothes of crumbs. The other snacks she has left over she'll carry in her pockets, but she does hold out a Snickers to Bakugo.]
Payment for your generous offer, senpai.
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WHAT THE HELL?! THEY DON'T HAVE RECYCLING?! What's their fucking problem...
[- he finishes throwing away his trash, and takes the offered Snickers bar. It's...acceptable.]
You can't afford me, kouhai.
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Ochako has to clamp her mouth shut to not utter that hellish thought aloud, though she does snort quietly and tries to hold back the tiny giggles shaking her shoulders imagining how furious he would be if she actually did say that to his face. It makes her cheeks rounded as she holds back the laughter.
The staredown is painful, and she's going to crack at any minute.
Without uttering a word, Ochako bows her head and motions for him to lead the way. Carry on, o' fearless leader.]
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[His scowl lingers for a moment longer, but then he's opening the candy bar and taking a bite as he leads her to the porter outpost.]
So fucking weird.
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She's never been to America, probably never will go ever unless by some miracle, so she's quick to take it all in. It's not terribly different, but Ochako does gawk at the towering palm trees often use for decoration, and the colorful architecture of some of the buildings. However, the most interesting of everything is...the people. As she observes, her expression drops from awestruck and fascinated to solemn, and thoughtful...brows knit together.]
Hey, Bakugo-kun? Um...I just noticed something... [She chews her lip, then hurries her pace to walk alongside him, lowering her voice a bit and leaning in.] Maybe it's not my place to judge, but...isn't it weird? Everyone looks...normal. I-I mean, I don't see any outward quirks on anybody.
[Which isn't impossible, but just highly improbable. Which is why it's so bizarre that no one looks even a little similar to, say...Mina, or Tokoyami, or hell...even Ejiro with his tail.]
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[He just rolls his eyes, looking to the heavens for some kind of reprieve, yet nothing comes. As he walks around, he notes his surroundings, looking at them in great depth too, but with a more judgmental sneer. It's ugly, ain't it?
He's about to comment on it when Ochako speaks up.]
It's fucking bizarre is what it is. Like stepping back in time. How the hell does a world develop quirks with some kind of visible features?
[It's disconcerting, and he doesn't know enough about this world to guess as to why just yet. But it's worth looking into.]
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She grips his arm very suddenly, looking a bit panicked as she steers them away from the crowd and somewhere they can have a more private chat, just for a moment.]
B-Bakugo-kun, you don't....y-you don't think we went back in time to before quirks ever manifested, do you? [Because that would be bad. Very, very bad.]
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CW: blood
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