etcelsior | [kill bill sirens]

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[kill bill sirens]

TEST DRIVE MEME

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 to have fun!

01. Your memory might be a haze still and you might even feel frustrated or anxious by the sudden news that you are no longer in your own world and that the Porter scientists and military cannot send you back. You don't get a chance to linger long in the underground Porter lab, but something is clearly amiss; light patches on the floor indicate something else used to sit in that spot in the room. Parts of the wall, floor and the tables look recently refurbished -- something happened in here not too long ago.

You're ushered out quickly and then suddenly, you're enveloped in a faint blue blue light before you find yourself under the bright Floridian sun. Another soldier steps toward you with a smile, directing your attention to a car near a large gate. She mentions she'll be debriefing you soon, handing out a brown folder. You don't see the digital tattoo on your wrist, but it's quickly explained on your way over to the car as you realize there are other confused faces nearby, all holding files of their own.

02. According to the soldiers, a domestic terrorist attack is the reason why the cheery and small city of Heropa is still under some major reconstruction. For a small city, the amount of outside help called in for reconstruction and repairs has made it livelier than it normally is. Construction workers on coffee breaks wave to the most obvious looking imPorts, some will even salute you. "We couldn'a done away with those bastards if it weren't for good folk like you," they say.

Wherever you go, locals are pleasant and courteous enough, sometimes stepping forward to ask for a quick photo or autograph. Every now and then, however, anyone who is so obviously an imPort will find a local backing away from them nervously, pulling their child back with them before closing a door.

03. De Chima, Virginia, while it suffered some damage to its downtown area, never slowed down for a second. For a large city with a bustling population and booming economy, it's quieter than one would expect for it to be, too. If you're trying to avoid the awestruck crowds, you might be able to thanks to everyone ducking under umbrellas and buildings due to heavy rainfall today, provided you aren't letting it slip you're a newcomer to this world. If you're not exactly human-looking or wearing clothes that very much scream medieval ages (or distant future), sorry. There's a high chance the kids are going to crowd you in excitement.

Some locals seem less enthused to see you. They never make an approach, but they can be overheard scoffing and muttering something about cameras. "Who do they think they are?" or "I don't like it... it reminds me of the government corruption back in the eighties." What could they be talking about?

04. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania, has, as always, avoided any major or minor damages. Ask about the Hornets or the recent fights between imPorts and the locals will shrug. Don't get them wrong; they're glad those damn Hornets have been dealt with, but they don't want to discuss politics. Try asking the local imPort Ambassador. What's his name? Ryan? Revan? They don't offer any more information. Naturally for a big city, the people are somewhat aloof in nature. You might even notice the police are just the same, turning their heads the other way when two shady figures exchange fat wads of cash at the street corner. Did the police just drive away in their hovervehicle without bothering to observe what those two were up to? They sure did.

05. Nonah, North Carolina, is the liveliest of all cities. It's loud, busy and there's some kind of energy in the air that gets everyone buzzing with excitement. Anyone who they come to determine an imPort is bombarded with all sorts of offers; job offers, advertising gigs, spokesperson for advocating children stay in school, etc. Anything and everything! You name it. Shops offer discounts for food and clothing, whatever they need. People flock in droves with questions, but they all say the same thing. Thank you for your service to this country, Hero. You saved a lot of lives. Wow, feels great to be a hero, doesn't it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A sudden wall of sand thrusts up around En in a cylinder, circling like a storm before expanding and (gently) pushing the reporters back and away. A hole opens in the walls and sand makes a tunnel back over to the sidewalk, away from the reporters now freaking out about sand all in their equipment.

There's a boy standing nearby with his arms crossed and the sand swirls around him before retreating back into the large gourd strapped to his back as he stares at her. All contained, he presses a cork into the opening and gives her a nod.] I don't like it either.

[The attention is overwhelming, even if he's used to it to a degree. He doesn't particularly like strangers trying to touch him either.]

[Well, if you think she looked startled before! The impromptu sandstorm freaks her out, as she's never seen anything like this before. She shelters her face and makes a noise of surprise, but as she peers out from behind her hands, she realizes this tornado is working in her favour.

When she can see this boy and he addresses her, she turns her head at him curiously, her expression falling back to a doe-eyed stare. She approaches cautiously, glances back at the reporters who are trying to recover their equipment, and then towards him.]

Thank you?

[Her eyes narrow a bit. She puts a hand on her own chest as she asks:]

You are speaking to us?

...yes? [Part question because who else would he be speaking to. Also, is that the royal we? Is that a thing that gets used here?] There's no one else here. [well there's like a ton of people here but nobody else in this discussion so like]

[She doesn't exactly smile, but her eyes light up and she looks excited.]

Well! That... That's very exciting! Do you normally communicate with Ghosts? We meet so few of you. Oh! We should ask your name. What is it?

[uh]

You don't...look dead. [Because that's what you meant by ghosts, right? Heck, is it insensitive to tell a dead person they don't look dead? Is that like dismissing their inability to be alive?]

I'm not dead! [She smiles.] You don't recognize us at all, do you? This truly is another universe. We weren't sure whether to believe it.

[Okay, so Ghost is a term to refer to a person. A title, or a group identifier. Good to know.]

Yes. It really is. [Because apparently there's no ninjas here. Which is really freaking him out, absolutely normal people with those 'gun' thing comprise their military power, there's no ninjutsu, and the countries all have long names completely unrelated to their major geographical features.] Alternatively, we could all be hallucinating.

Have you recently eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms? Hm, but no, we don't have the capacity to hallucinate. Maybe you are hallucinating, and we don't really exist besides in your delirious imagination!

[She smiles wide. Is she joking?]

That's very possible. [IS HE JOKING?!?! what is happening in this conversation

Either way, his good deed is done and those reporters seem to have discovered that they're still hanging out and also that their equipment is okay, if a little gritty, and with two imPorts nearby the interviewing opportunity is too great. They have a hungry look in their eyes.

Gaara flicks his fingers and his sand extends over the edge of the boardwalk to the sandy beach below, making a slide. He climbs up and skids down on his feet because he apparently feels the need to be cool about it, but looks back up at the girl still on the boardwalk. Slide's still there if you want to use it to escape.] Are you coming?

[She doesn't seem to notice the reporters, despite what happened earlier. But the slide is exciting. She carefully gets onto it, but she isn't going to surf it like Mr Show Off here, instead sliding down on her butt and getting a bunch of sand uh. Everywhere. Sitting on the end of the slide, she looks out at the beach, and then back up at the boy. Time for her thoughts to trip over each other.

How do you do that? It's amazing! Are you organic? You never told me your name!

Edited 2015-04-25 20:36 (UTC)

[Gonna go with the easiest to answer first,] Gaara. [He'd follow that up with "of the Sand" or "of the Desert" but he hasn't used those titles in years and besides, they won't mean shit to anybody who's not from home.

He crooks a finger and the sand (that belongs to him, anyway) unsticks from her legs and clothes and comes to join the rest pouring back into the gourd. The leftover sand he used to make the slide collapses in a mount next to the boardwalk supports as the reporters shout questions at them both and snap photos.

Gaara ignores them and half-turns in an invitation to walk from there.] And I'm...organic. Human. You aren't?

[She follows eagerly, but not with great purpose. The way she moves could almost be described as lazy - floaty.]

We've never met an Organic who could bend reality like this! It's amazing, Gaara. We aren't human, no, although this projection does have human physiology. [She looks down at her own body to illustrate the point, then looks back up at him. Cheerfully,] We are a virus of artificial intelligence! Where I'm from, we are called Ghosts.

[To illustrate, there's this nearly inaudible woosh sound, sand blows around them a little, and suddenly she is semi-transparent. And still smiling. She reaches out at him and her arm goes right through him, feeling like nothing at all, except a sensation of cold.]

[Gaara jerks back when her hand presses in but continues through like he's made of nothing. But no- she's the one incorporeal, and while he's really sure that he's misunderstanding the meanings of all the terms she's using, he thinks he's grasping the basic explanation here.]

I see.

'Ghost' is appropriate. [He passes his hand through hers, and while he's heard of some techniques and jutsu that can create illusions like this, and even some that seem like they can't be touched, this is really the real thing.

He withdraws his hand from inside hers.] ...what's your name?

[He'll feel a breeze as she displaces the air, becoming whole and solid again. She laughs a little.] It is, isn't it! And everyone acts like they can't see us. Which is why we didn't think you were speaking with us. Usually, Organics are very afraid!

We are N-Strain. I am called N-12. You can just call us En.

[Acts like they can't see us.

Gaara's expression tightens a little.

Usually, Organics are very afraid!]

You don't frighten me, En. [Maybe he sounds a little too sincere with that, but he can't help that his heart just went out to her a little bit. He understands you.]

[She looks at him with a surprised expression, but then the smile she gives him is huge and practically sparkling. She touches his hand with hers, very lightly.]

Thank you, Gaara, that really means a lot to us. You are the first Organic to ever say so.

[Gaara shifts his weight a little, unsure but not uncomfortable, before casting his gaze out over the beach.]

Many of the people in this world don't know anything about us. I think you'll have better luck here.

Are people in your world afraid of you, too?

[Perceptive.]

They were, once. [Maybe some still are. But they're in the minority now.] But for me it was a situation that could be changed.

Here, it's different. It's a lack of prior knowledge and stigmas that gives you the freedom to start over. You aren't an unlikable person; I think you could lead an entirely different existence, here.

If that's what you wanted.

You like us?

[Was she even listening to the rest? She sounds like she's about to burst with delight.]

An Organic has never liked us before. Are we friends?

[lord, child.]

Yes. [Gaara generally doesn't stroll up to people and make pals; that's Naruto's gig. He's still sometimes not even sure enough of himself to say loud and proud that he loves his friends and family, but in this case he's sure this is the right thing to say.]

[Her lips purse into a happy but subdued expression.]

Excellent. What an excellent day. Now, what stigmas did you have to face? Was it your unusual manner of dress? We know Organics can, at times, be judgmental of males who apply beauty products or facial tattoos.

[what]

No. [He looks out over the beach, and up at the reporters still milling around at the edge of the boardwalk before his eyes narrow.] This isn't a discussion to have here. [or now honestly]

Why are you asking? [Because it's not like he could level any advice at you regarding that stuff. Probably. Considering he's got no idea what you are beyond a vague concept.]

[Like she's teaching him:] Friends tell each other their concerns so that they might comfort and assist one another! But if you require more time to feel comfortable, we will instead be quietly supportive.

[She just looks at him then, with a smile. Quietly supporting.]

[Gaara closes his eyes and sighs through his nose. Think of your family. Your people. Think of Naruto. WWND.]

...do you need to eat in that form? [yes food is what naruto would do]

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