sure, jan

[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 anyone's thread, either!

And remember to have fun!

01. Your memory is hazy and you might feel increasingly frustrated or anxious, or maybe you're excited as soldiers march past, barely glimpsing you. One second you're somewhere underground, the next you're enveloped in blue light, and suddenly you find yourself directly under Flordia sun's bright and burning glare. A female soldier steps toward you with a wide smile on her face and directs you to a car, ready to debrief you. You realize you are not the only one, surrounded by equally confused or eager faces... and you're all sporting a digital tattoo on your wrist.

02. Welcome to Cape Canaveral, where the smell of the ocean is in the air and locals are more than pleased to see new imPorts roaming their streets. They wave, they cheer, they ask for pictures as politely as they can. The more inhuman you look, or if you're wearing a costume, the more likely locals are to approach. Hey, enjoy the moment! The popular malt shop is offering you a free drink if you need it.

03. The technology in this world is certainly something. The cars are clearly modeled after popular 50s cars, but they hover several feet above the ground as they drive down the street. There are digital jukeboxes in restaurants, motorcycles also hover through traffic, advertisements can be seen on a digital projector on the taller buildings. Even kids on skateboards appear to drift a safe ten feet off the ground while playing!

04. Wherever you are, you can hear the loud revving of an engine, distance at first before you finally see it: a hovercar bursting around the corner, going beyond the maximum speed limit and just barely making its sharp turn. It doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon, not with two police cars trailing it... and uh oh. Those skateboarding kids don't have much time to get out of the way as the car comes speeding down the road. You've been brought here for a reason Hero — so you better act fast.

Comments

magicman.exe | megaman battle network

[hypnotherapy]

03

[ Hover this, hover that. It's actually pretty impressive; he wonders if, in some place where Wily and Hikari allowed themselves to work together, the future would look something like this.

He didn't expect all the technology to look so boxy, though. What is a 50s aesthetic.

He glances around at the abundance of tech, and decides that he can probably use it to his advantage. He needs practice, after all, with these powers he's not used to yet.

(His body itches. He doesn't like it. It's not really his - too fragile - but it looks enough like his operator that he's attached to keeping it.)

If someone happens to come strolling past on this busy street, they'll see a man in a blue coat and formal clothing sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk, out of the way. He's gathered a crowd, mostly because he's...doing something weird. ]

If you could just hand me your device....

[ A variety of phones is offered. He takes one and examines it for a second, taking in the details, and then twitches his fingers in a 'come here' gesture, like he's beckoning to a dog.

Something jumps out of the device, to applause and 'oohs', to land on his palm. It's about the same size; quite small. ]

There we go.

[ Take a look? Join in? Ask this weird import what he's doing? the choice is yours. ]

04.

[ He's not paying much attention to what's happening on the street; he's busy reading his file.

He looks up when he hears the screeching and sighs, closing it with a snap and staring intently at the hovercar.

He has to estimate the location, but at least the size is something he knows. He makes a flicking gesture with his fingers.

Something slams down in front of the car - did it come from the car? - easily stopping it by crumpling it.

After a moment, something ticks over in what probably passes for a brain in there and it takes a bite out of the hood.

He wanders over, presses a hand to the strange wall thing that materialised out of nowhere, and it disappears to wherever it came.

He just waves a hand and turns away, dismissing anything the kids - or for that matter, the drivers - are trying to say to him. He doesn't like this kind of attention. ]

WILDCARD

[ ANYTHING GOOOESSS ]

04

[ballbutt]

Boooo, why'd you do that? You ruined the fun!

[Magicman's brightly coloured companion, who disappeared earlier (presumably to find or cause chaos in the city) was hanging off of a horizontal section of a lamppost upside down, addressing the blue coated man with a huff and cross of his arms.]

[hypnotherapy]

[ He looks up and just crosses his arms right back.

At least someone's relatively unaffected by their new circumstances. ]

That was you. I should have known.

What did you do to make that happen? [ He sounds more resigned than anything. ]

[ballbutt]

[Well, he had a freak out earlier and then discovered that he could still return to his Netnavi form and cause chaos in the networks of the devices in Cape Canaveral. Which may or may not have been what happened with the hovercar Magicman smashed.]

Oh, just a little touch here and there in its cyberworld... They drive sooooooo fast, it's so fun!! Kyahaha!

[hypnotherapy]

Ah. We share the same powers, then. Some of them.

[ His speech is more stilted, more clipped. He moves awkwardly, too. It will take him more time to acclimatise than Colorman, who is already hanging upside down from a pole...how did he do that, anyway.

He glances over at the ruined car. ] Maybe I should have let it get eaten. Would have been funny.

[ Something else occurs to him, then. ]

...Your file. Where is it? [ He's interested to know if his teammate got any other powers. ]

[ballbutt]

[Colorman had a bit of trouble with his limbs earlier, but you learn fast when you want to do things, and do them now. Plus he's used to exercising his arms and legs' flexibility on a regular basis.

Nah. It's actually 'cause he's a youthful energetic kid and Magicman's just an old, old man.]

You look sooo out of your element! Like a fish out of water, a monkey underground, or maybe like a Navi in real space! Hehehehehehe!!

[At Magicman's question, he shrugs.]

I dunno. I had files?

[hypnotherapy]

[ Magicman will be the first to admit he doesn't enjoy sudden change. Man being in a human body is weird.

He's hardly old. Though by the standards of net technology...maybe. ]

Good observation. Any more? [ He just kind of stares at Colorman. Even with an actual face to make expressions with, he still manages to be...more or less totally expressionless. ] I will get used to it. There is a lot...going on.

[ As if to prove his point, a car zooms past at around the same time a bunch of people hoverboard past, chattering incessantly. One has a boombox. The music is quite loud.

He shuts his eyes and raises his hands to cover his ears until it passes, before gingerly lowering his hands again. ]

...I'll take that as a no. Could have been useful to see if you had anything else. Maybe I can ask later.

You're adjusting well.

[ballbutt]

There's too much going on, and it's wonderful! It's all so exciting!!!

[Of course Colorman would be happy in a situation like this. He doesn't even flinch when the car passes by them, rumbling loudly with music. The cacophony of the city appeals to him, actually, and it's pretty apparent in his more-than-usual energetic behaviour.

Yeah, he lost his files the second he obtained them. Did Magicman really expect anything else?]

Everything's so weird! My arms have joints, and so do my legs. And, and, and!!! I have five fingers!!

[He's going to drop down from his upside down position on the lamp post, land rather gracefully for a Navi who's just getting used to a human body, and shove his hands into Magicman's face.]

Five fingers!

[hypnotherapy]

Of course you'd find it fun.

[ Magicman didn't expect anything else, no. But hope springs eternal, if foolishly.

He expects Colorman to drop and invade his personal space, because he knows Colorman, but even he has to step back when the other navi shoves his hands in his face. Geez, Colorman.

He swats instinctively at the other navi with something like a frown. ]

You're very excited about five fingers, aren't you. [ Like that wasn't obvious already. ]

You have glasses. Does that mean your eyesight is compromised?

[ballbutt]

[He lets himself be swatted aside, having accomplished his mission of invading Magicman's personal space and bothering him enough to produce a reaction.

He just laughs at Magicman's remark and wiggles his fingers again.]

They're so small and thin too! [It was just amusing to him.]

Nope! [He puts his hands on his glasses, where the lenses should be and.... well, there's actually nothing there. Empty frames. His 'glasses' were purely cosmetic and didn't serve any other function.]

[hypnotherapy]

You focus on the oddest things. [ Then again, it's Colorman, so what was he expecting. ]

Oh, so they serve no purpose.

Good. [ Good because his teammate didn't get anything else on top of being in a strange body.

Buuuut also good because he can do this.

And without saying anything else he just kind of reaches forward and delicately flicks the frames into Colorman's face. It stings just a little, probably.

Ha. ]

[ballbutt]

Ow!

[Of course, he reacts by clutching his face where Magicman flicked the frames. It stung a little, yes, but it hurt more than he would have expected from a tiny action like that. And he didn't like that one bit. So of course, he reacts by shoving Magicman at full force, which would be more than enough to send the other toppling over.]

Timber!!

[hypnotherapy]

[ He has enough presence of mind to at least somewhat get out of the way, but he still ends up falling over. He's off-balance as it is. He goes sprawling.

He's laughing, though. It's thin and it's somewhat strained, but it's there. This is probably a bigger range of emotions than Colorman has seen Magicman outwardly show in all the time he's known him. ]

You're such a child. You didn't have to push me over. [ He doesn't sound unhappy at all, though. ]

04

[bindsthedead]

[Another Import. The power didn't feel, like magic, exactly, but Sabriel wasn't sure what it was. Conjuring and dismissing creatures?

So after checking to make sure that both the children and the drivers are unharmed, Sabriel chased after the other Import.]

Excuse me, but what was that? And how did you make it vanish?

oh my gosh a sabriel *o*

[hypnotherapy]

[ It's not magic. Looked at another way, it is magic, if you follow the 'all sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, et cetera, et cetera' school of thought.

He gets a little way down the street before he realises he's actually being pursued. Hopefully not by one of the drivers. He doesn't need to deal with that.

He turns around and sees that it's not; the tension in his shoulders eases off a little bit. ]

What was...? [ It takes him a little while to process Sabriel's inquiries. ] A virus. In physical form.

I can call them into being here. I can dismiss them again. [ That seems to be all there is to it.

He looks her up and down. It's more of a scan, really. His mannerisms might remind Sabriel of something inhuman. ]

Your technology is...less advanced than here? [ His voice is curious, not judging. It's oddly stilted. ]

[bindsthedead]

Aren't viruses supposed to be incredibly small? [Computers might mystify Sabriel, but viruses were at least somewhat understood by the 1920's.] So they're... constructs that you create and unmake.

And- less advanced than here, but Ancelstierre's technology is more advanced than the Old Kingdom. They have cars, even if they don't float in the air.

[The man is odd. He's too stiff, even if he seems human to her senses.]

[hypnotherapy]

In the world they exist in normally, they are smaller. Something like that. I can give them physical form here. By summoning them.

[ He nods. ] That is also a valid explanation. Not strictly correct. But good enough.

Ancelstierre. [ He says each syllable thoughtfully, like he's committing it to memory. He declines to comment on anything else, though. ]

If I had to guess. Do you come from the Old Kingdom, back in your own home?

[ He is odd, and the more he's observed the odder he gets. He's completely 100% human, but he breathes like it's a constant surprise and he's far too still in his movements. He makes little movements, sharp and jerky, when things that are too loud pass him by. ]

[bindsthedead]

Yes- I was born in the Old Kingdom, and it's where I was when I was brought here. But I spent most of my life in Ancelstierre.

I take it you're also new to this world? [And possibly to that body, as well.]

[hypnotherapy]

I see.

Yes. I arrived recently. It's--taken some getting used to. [ Anyone could guess that - or see that. It doesn't help that he doesn't really view it as his body. His real body belongs in a network; his real body is data. ] The level of technology is...similar. In some ways. So it helps. I don't know why things are so blocky, though.

[bindsthedead]

You had a different form before, didn't you?

And the technology... I assume because it's more efficient? [The technology she's used to is from the 1920s, this is all pretty impressive to her]

It's... interesting. Do you know how they make things fly through the air?

[hypnotherapy]

Yes. Not hard to figure out, is it. [ His tone is rueful. ] This body...is full of new things.

I was pure data before. Just energy. Streamlined.

In my own world things are sleeker. But things are no less efficient here. A strange path.

How they fly? Depends on what flies. Planes have engines to keep them up. The hoverboards and the cars...have something else as well. Hover technology of some kind. But that isn't my expertise.

[bindsthedead]

Like a spirit? [It's really the closest thing she can think of.] I have some experience with those. And with airplanes- I was more interested in the cars.

Being in a fixed form must be strange.

[hypnotherapy]

Something like that. Bound to technology. Not graves or remains. [ It's a simple enough explanation, though it's fundamentally inaccurate. It aids in understanding, and that's enough. ]

The cars...There might be workshops around. Imports have status here. You could ask.

Being human is strange. Yes. I didn't change in my other form, but there is more to take in. More to keep track of here. [ Heartbeats, breathing, the constant sense of being alive. It's almost painfully overwhelming. He's not afraid to admit that, even to a stranger. ] Many more senses.

[bindsthedead]

Definitely not like spirits in my world. Their very presence makes technology stop working.

[When he mentions that it's strange, Sabriel frowns.] Do you need help with it? I assume you didn't need to eat before.

And I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself- my name is Sabriel.

[hypnotherapy]

That sounds irritating. [ Something that's completely anathema to technology? Ugh. ]

I will need to eat. And drink. And rest. But not all at once, and not right now. This world is just...loud. Cramped.

No heartbeat or breathing to deal with when I was myself, either. [ He sounds slightly miffed. He's okay with programs running themselves in the background and everything, but being able to hear his heartbeat when he stresses is Not Cool. ]

Sabriel.

My name is Magicman. [ Obviously not a human name. ]