The power is in your hands

[maskormods]

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 as if they have been refurbished in the past few months -- something happened in here some time ago. Something big.

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 and a pamphlet. 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. The city of Heropa is what one might expect from a small, bright and cheery place. The locals are friendly enough and local shop owners might offer a free drink to help cool you down in this awfully nauseating heat. Some of the locals might thank you for always lending your service to the nation and others might not say anything. In fact, some people might back away from any imPort who quite obviously looks like they aren't from around the neighborhood. Once in a while there's a look of disdain on someone's face and hushed voices. Something about "the outbreak" and "the government's gotta crack down on their medical files". "Some of them can't be right in the head" says another.

03. De Chima, Virginia, is a large city with a healthy economy, and though it's quieter, there are just as many citizens awed at your presence. Heavy winds have people grasping at their newspapers and constantly brushing hair out of their faces, but that doesn't distract them from crowding you in excitement if you're obviously from a different time or world, or just let it slip that you're a newcomer. Children and young teenagers are especially likely to ask for an autograph and a photo.

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, is normally known for being a little more on the apathetic side, but there's been tension in the atmosphere lately. Nobody will outright state what it is that's rustled their jimmies, though you might find a newsstand with articles on recent and aggressive vigilante behavior within the city. "ImPorts: loyal to the cause of their own?" reads one newspaper article.

People are not as friendly in this city and go out of their way to avoid walking down the same sidewalk as the more obvious looking imPorts pass through. Local cops say nothing, but they scowl at those imPorts and utter something about "no badges" and "acting like authority figures".

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?

Comments

[caerulea]

Is any place a place for men like you?

[ She questions without looking up from the items that have caught her interest. Does she really ned them, though? Her face is set in deep contemplation that only breaks when she glances up at Porthos. ]

You're tall. [ She clarifies her questioning, being no more than five feet herself. ] Really tall. And dressed in leather.

You do kind of stand out.

[du_vallon]

[It's always lovely hearing compliments like that from pretty women and this is no exception, making Porthos grin like he's borrowed Aramis' ego (never mind that he's got plenty of his own)]

I'm very tall, yeah. Didn't think the leather part was so unique, though. Where I'm from, you can't throw a stone and not hit about ten men in leather.

[Now that he takes a look around, though, he is sort of the odd man out. She's not in the sort of dress one might expect of a Parisian lady, either, and usually women outside the Court of Miracles aren't so quick to come up and discuss his tallness]

I'm sort of used to standing out, unfortunately. It usually comes right before me getting kicked out.

[caerulea]

[ She only happened to be nearby. And never lacking in courage, she couldn't help but speak up. Porthos does draw the eye rather quickly. It's no wonder the crowds around here peg him for imPort.

Sometimes Blue blends in easily. Sometimes her attire stands out more than others. Even in modern Earth, her attire was always made to stand out. She did carefully tear her clothing and piece together other things to try to stand out herself most days. And her current line green dress with torn stockings and loose, old boots wasn't very subtle.

The pair made a very vibrant match already. ]

Well if anyone kicks you out that just proves this place isn't worth any time. [ Outcasts band together. ]

Where are you from? Your accent sounds French... [ but imPorts with similar accents could sometimes be from whole other planets she'd never even dreamed of. ]

[du_vallon]

[Porthos' smile is a touch sad, grateful that he's got an ally, but still sort of bitter about the part where he might be kicked out for nothing more than what he looks like. Things don't change, it seems]

I'm from Paris. My English might not hold up best as it can, but mostly because I haven't had a need to practice it.

[Though, it's a good thing he'd learned for royal affairs, if he'snow meant to be using it to navigate around a strange bar with people who keep staring at him.]

I'm not sure what to even ask about your accent, though.

[caerulea]

You get kicked out of a lot of places in Paris? [ Her mind is still back there a little, even as he questions her own accent.

Her accent makes her feel embarrassed now that he's mentioned it. Only a little. But it's that same sort of feeling she gets when one of the boys draws attention to it. That deep Henrietta accent. The kind a native would have. The kind someone not from money would have. A deeper southern than that of her friends. Except maybe Adam.

Though the embarrassment quickly fades. Porthos' accent only sounds fancy to hear ears because it's different. Porthos himself doesn't seem like the judgemental type. In fact, he seems the opposite. ]

It's southern. [ She informs him finally. ] It's the kind of accent you'll find in Virginia more often.

[du_vallon]

Only the ones that don't like a charming man like me.

[His proud smile fades, a little, when she brings up a place that he's only really heard about in passing, when the new world comes up. And the new world is a topic that's a bit of a touchy one, given what Bonnaire has put in his mind as far as expectations go.]

You live in Virginia?

[What's the not-awkward way to ask this?]

Are there people like me there?

[caerulea]

Mmm... [ She muses on the question. She's not quite certain of it's meaning. So she thinks of potential answers. ]

If you mean tall men? Plenty. [ Nearly everyone is tall for her. ]

If you mean men who only where leather... No. But what they do in their private lives I don't want to know. [ Her eyes go a little big at the idea and quickly she switches her mind off that one. ]

If you mean charming men, fewer than either of the previous. [ She gives a small smile. She means it.

She tilts her head curiously. ] Any of those?

[du_vallon]

[Even though he's smiling for the charm of her answers, there's something hesitant in his eyes, still waiting for her to touch on the part where his skin is darker than most anyone else and that most of the people who travel over to the New World end up indebted, enslaved, and generally in a poor position.]

Well, I know there's few as charming as I am. Same with the tall. So I suppose it's the leather.

[Joking, he's trying to joke, even if it feels a touch flat.]