imeeji_backstage | test drive

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Prompt 1: Amnesia

[ You woke up, all your memories having vacated you. Well, that sucks. But hey, no time like the present to go out and figure out things. Maybe someone in your smartphone contacts knows you or what's going on. You open up your smartphone's lock screen and-- hey, that looks relevant. Profile pages! It has your unit name, member names, but no pictures. . .

Well, the rest varies. This one says Likes: Industrial Strength cleaning products, Breakbeat hardcore, Volleyball shorts and Dislikes: Roombas, Electro-industrial, Maid Outfits. The next has a thrilling tale that concludes with the idol mud-wrestling God, though it doesn't mention if they won or not. The third says that the member became an idol because they want to use the television and media attention to get the notice of their long lost sister, and reunite their family. The fourth just has someone's three sizes. The fifth has a detailed astrological profile.

Since no one remembers their names and there's no pictures to match it to, this is actually less helpful than you hoped. And furthermore, the doors aren't opening until you and the rest of the amnesiacs on this unit tell it who is who. Looks like you and the rest of these people have to discuss which of you is more likely to have mud-wrestled god, and who joined because they really want to find their long-lost sister. Or you can just use the tape-measure that was left sitting on the main table of the center room, that might be a quick way to settle at least one of these things. ]

Prompt 2: Memory Regain

[ You saved up your points, performing in Games or Lives or Vids, something or other until you had enough points to put the order in.

You didn't really know how to expect a memory to look like, but as it turns out there's just an alert on your app. Once you click it, a playback starts-- on the screen, and in your mind. You remember something now.

However, in buying the cheap version, that just broadcasted to several other people's phones in the area as well as all screens in the area. Cool. That was definitely what you were trying to do. ]

Prompt 3: Game Time

[ Welcome to the Game Tower. Today's game is a sort of mad fake phantom thief free-for-all. You arrived, were given top hats and cloaks, and the inside floor of the tower had been remodeled to resemble an art museum, with a giant roulette wheel right by the elevator you exited. Below that was a little slot, where today's hologram host explained the wheel would spit out a slip with a goal just for you.

So you have a little slip of paper with a goal on it, and no way of knowing what anyone else's goals are, though you did see the big roulette wheel being spun at the beginning letting you know the some of the possibilities:
♚Steal a heart
♚Steal a life
♚Steal an object
♚Steal a kiss
♚Steal someone's clothes
♚Steal someone's shoes
♚Steal a secret
♚Steal the giant statue from the center of the museum
♚Steal the portrait that depicts your true love

...well, waiting around isn't going to get you any points. Get to it, temporary phantom thief! ]

Prompts 4: Fanmail

[ Today, trying to take the elevators up from the lobby to access the apartments you and the other units live in just isn't working. Upon the doors being pried open, you found out why quickly: the elevator shaft was jammed up with fan mail, so it couldn't properly descend. Letters cascades out from between the open doors: letters from people who watch you play games, do lives, make vids, and probably all sorts of other things on those omnipresent cameras.

Are you really going to read these? Though right at your feet, a few have spilled from their envelopes. Now you can't help but read those. Here's one in purple glitter pen that says, jesus just come into my home and strangle me with your hair and one that is written with newspaper cut out letters (alarmingly reminiscent of a calling card written by a serial killer) that reads incongruently hello my soft best child ur good and valid and I love you forever plz be ok don't listen 2 the haterz u have done nothing wrong. Oh, and here's one asking if you can wear tighter pants for your next live, they want a better shot of your ass for their shrine. This one just says MARRIED?

Well, it's just as well you have no idea who those were for. Most this fanmail isn't for you. Except for the few that you just read, they're all labeled in envelopes for different people from all the units. Time to read other people's fanmail. Or try and find them and deliver the fanmail. Or just start a big fire in the middle of the lobby, you could do that too. ]

Prompts 5: Wildcard

Feel free to make your own prompt. Here is a link to specific unit information, if you would like to use it as inspiration.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[So many explosions...]

It looks like something you'd see out of a comic book... That's way too much fire for people to just comfortably fight in.

[Wild. Assuming any of these memories are real, anyway. Even without recalling any details of his own life, he's a skeptic at heart.]

Is this your first one?

...that's one way to describe it. I suppose you wouldn't be able to feel it, but I am entirely within my comfort zone in that fight. The fire... speaks to me.

[He pauses. That felt like a strange, personal thing to say, so he changes the subject.]

But yes, that was my first one. Not the most informative memory to receive.

Speaks to you?

[He notices the pause, but he doesn't know this guy well enough to tell the reason for it.]

If the system's totally random, it could take a long time to remember enough to figure out who you were... [Hmm. Sounds kind of crappy.]

[He stonewalls the question and entirely disregards it without an answer.]

Yes, it could potentially take a very long time. And based on how I felt during this one, I would say this kind of chaotic battle was not uncommon for me.

How much do you know of yourself, then?

[Alas. Well, it's also the guy's first memory, so he can't really blame him for not necessarily wanting to go into detail, whether it's because it's personal or he simply doesn't know enough to talk about it.]

Pretty much zero! I haven't gotten a memory back yet.

[But he's all smiles anyway. He's earned enough to get something back publicly, but he'd rather not go that route until he's got a better idea of what to expect from his own past.]

[He's pretty taken aback by that. Having no memories frustrated him immensely, so to see someone this happy despite it is... odd.]

Really...? You're very cheerful for someone who has no idea who he is. Do you even know your name?

I go by Blade here, but unless that's my real name, I've got no clue.

[He gives a mild shrug. He doesn't appear too concerned about any of this.]

There's a few things I can figure out - I was probably the type of person who reads comics, since I keep seeing crazy things here and thinking, "it's like I'm in a comic book!" even though I can't remember reading any. I can tell which foods I like and which ones I don't. And there's certain skills I'm better at than others.

I can't remember where I came from, but I'm still myself, whoever that turns out to be. So... I guess I'm trying not to worry about it until I have something solid to worry about.

[He does have concerns, naturally - it's hard not to when something that should be so intrinsic to one's self is just missing. But whether he remembers it or not, he's remarkably good at appearing calm.]

...that doesn't sound like a very typical name.

[He's actually... pretty impressed, however, as Blade explains his thought process. As straightforward and frustrated by all of this as he is, it had never occurred to him to try and understand his feelings and the subtle nuances of his self that he can actually recall.]

That's a clever way of looking at a very annoying problem. Maybe I misjudged you.

Right? So I'll probably just have to wait until I remember something to get my name back.

[But hey, Blade's not such a bad thing to be called either. It sounds cool!]

[...]

Wait, you misjudged me? Does that mean you thought I was some kind of annoying idiot?

[HUFF.]

...

...well, no. I didn't think you were annoying.

[...

This is technically a step up, but somehow, he still can't be happy about it.]

What part made you think idiot, anyway?

[Admittedly, he feels a little bit bad. But not that bad.]

The part where you were disturbingly happy despite not knowing anything. Isn't that the definition of an idiot?

You're mistaking optimism for idiocy. Isn't that a pretty constrained way of thinking?

An idiot can give up too easily and turn out all serious, just like a smart person can realize it's not worth getting worked up over things that can't be dealt with immediately, so it's better to just try to stay light-hearted in the meantime.

[Gosh!!]

And what part of trying to be cheerful is disturbing, anyway?!

Being overly optimistic is often the sign of an idealistic idiot. Things rarely ever work out for the best.

[He breathes out a long, exasperated sigh.]

I found your good cheer disturbing since it seemed to imply you weren't taking this as seriously as it needs to be. You've already proved that not to be the case. But admittedly I find it difficult myself to remain light-hearted when there's a task at hand....

[Not that he ever finds himself to be light-hearted about anything, but that much is probably obvious from his very serious demeanor.]

[He blinks a couple of times at that, tilting his head curiously.]

You think so? Have you met a lot of idealistic idiots like that here, then?

[...has he? Where did that thought come from?]

No. No one here, but I'm sure they exist.

[Oh, that's an interesting reaction. Blade just smiles again.]

All opinions are based on something or another, so if you feel really strongly about that, maybe you were surrounded by idealistic idiots in the past.

[Even if he can't remember it.]

That makes me almost not want to get my memories back, anymore. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

If it's that bad, you might really have a whole army of them to deal with.

[Are u ok man.]

...an entire army of idiots....

[he's definitely not okay]

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