etcelsior | OH MY GOD YOU GUYS

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. 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. 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. An upset voice wonders aloud: "More of them, when we already know they can't protect us? That's just painting a bigger target on the city's back!" However, they're quickly hushed with a judgmental: "They helped save the cities, and it's the Soviets you should be angry with anyway! The imPorts are here to protect us!"

02. 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. Many people are out and about taking care of their regular business, 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 spies. "How can we trust any of them now?"

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania, is not as friendly and its citizens tend to 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 mutter under their breaths resentfully about "vigilantes". However, not all locals turn the other way seeing imPorts; some of them will offer a polite enough smile and thank them for their help in overthrowing the trespassers. They don't stop to clarify what they mean, though.

04. Nonah, North Carolina, is the liveliest of all cities; 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. Advertisements are abound for imPorts to make appearances at various, televised celebrations, luring them in with promises of free food, merchandise, and payment.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[At a little past 3 PM, Paprika happens to be happening by and finds... you get the picture. Strange place to take a nap, though. She'll come over and gently lay a hand on his back, leaning over to try and get a proper look at him.]

Hey - are you okay?

Ah...ah?

[ Not so much, no. If he had been, maybe he wouldn't be so surprised by - ]

--what?! No! I don't want any!

[ - just a simple touch on the back, because he's lurching back in his seat and recoiling, as if assaulted by every salesman in the world. ]

[Paprika jumps back, startled.] Whoa! It's okay, it's okay! I didn't mean to scare you, sorry.

[ Give him five seconds to cling to the table, tense, ears back and tail up.

Okay. Now he'll relax, and slowly settle back into his seat. ]

...

You didn't scare me.

[Wow bro how convincing, she is totally convinced :| Also oh wow are those real cat parts? Well now she's actually interested. She smiles, but at least doesn't laugh.]

Whatever you say. Are you okay, though? You picked a funny place for a nap.

[ He never tells lies! Only un-truths. ]

I'm fine.

[ That's an un-truth. He's actually looking very wilted and sounds parched, even behind the mask. But hey, you don't need to be feeling well to get defensive! ]

Where else is there? I haven't seen an Inn anywhere in this godsdamned town.

An inn? [Odd wording, a little anachronistic.] You mean a hotel? They don't usually call them "inns" these days.

Why would they do that?

[ His posture adds: that's stupid. ]

[Shrug! A linguist she ain't. Anyway-]

Do you want some water? You sound kind of...

[ Yes.

...but let him hem and haw for a second. ] You have some?

Oh, uh - not on me.

[Paprika glances around for a sec. Is there a vending machine, or a drinking fountain, or... oh, that looks like a restaurant across the street. That'll work! She points over at it.] Let's try over there, though.

[ Uuugh, in there? With all the people?

...hell, but it'd be out of the sun, wouldn't it? And if she knows what she's doing, he doesn't have to do anything other than cross his arms and follow her. ]

Alright.

[ Up he goes, wobbling only slightly. ]

Lead the way.

[Then doop de do, across the street they go! Paprika waits a few seconds for no cars to be coming, then jaywalks directly over there. It's a place that serves hero sandwiches, because of course it is. As she's about to open the door, she turns back to him, as if just remembering something.]

Oh, right - you should probably take off the bandana before we go in. Just so they don't think we're trying to rob them or anything.

[ His silence implies a bitch face of some type being made.

But experience so far has proven that she's not wrong. Unlike back in Eorzea, where armored soldiers and adventurers are a common site, even something as meager as this has been getting stares.

So off it goes, stuffed inside his jacket and leaving his - gray, tattooed, sweat-stained face - out in the open. ]

Better?

[Ooh. Between the ears and everything, she was half expecting him to have a cat's face, but unusual coloration aside, he looks more or less human - and not a bad-looking one, she might add. She smiles and shoots him a thumbs-up.] Perfect!

[So she pulls open the door and heads inside. Best thing about inside? Air conditioning. While Six's appearance quickly starts to turn people's heads, Paprika just heads to the counter, pretending not to notice, and asks for a couple cups of ice water. With those obtained, she'll grab them a two-seater table toward the back. Not exactly privacy, but it's an attempt.

As she's taking a seat, she adds:] You know, I completely forgot to ask what your name was.

[ Again. Just like everywhere else. The staring, of a kind he's rarely experienced before. Male Miqo'te, especially Keepers, were an uncommon sight in cities, but after the Calamity, there had been--

Oh, gods, what is this?

This...this chill. This wintery breeze. This icy whisper. This caress of snow-capped peaks, right against his skin.

It's heaven.

Six very distractedly follows after her and very distractedly oozes into his seat and sprawls over the back of it, arms hanging down, his face turned up, unknowingly, toward the nearest vent. ] Eh...ah?

Oh, my name.

Six. Call me that.

Six? What happened to the other five?

[That's clearly a joke, though, she isn't actually asking for an answer. She takes a seat and slides the other plastic cup across the table to him.]

Anyway, I'm Paprika. [She takes a sip of her own water, but keeps a curious eye on him.]

Hell if I know.

[ Which sounds like he's joking, mainly. With some reluctance, he drags himself out of the line of cool air and makes for the cup instead, not quite able to suppress his sigh of relief when he takes a sip, then a swallow, then a long gulp.

Needless to say, it's gone before he answers her. ]

Paprika? Like the spice?

Bingo~

[She sets the cup down and pokes absently at the ice cubes for a sec. Apparently she's nowhere near as thirsty as he is. Subject change no justu:]

I like the tattoos. Do they mean something?

[ ...he starts to eye her glass. ]

War paint, but with less maintenance.

[ Because who has time for that? Nevermind about the mask. ]

And it looks good.

[Laughs softly] Well, I can't argue with that. It's like... a black tiger. Very fierce.

[She notices the covetous eye on her water, though, and slides it across the table as well.]

You get in a lot of fights?

Edited 2016-04-04 04:00 (UTC)

[ Heh.

Well. ] I get in some scrapes sometimes.

[ Let him just lean back and knocked back that glass like nobody's business. ] I know how to handle myself.

[continued here!]

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS

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