etcelsior | KEEP THE MUSIC DOWN

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 Florida 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I asked for your name. If you'd be willing to tell me it.

[Although his tone is more on the aloof side, he at least seems polite about it.

Her outfit seems... unusual. Bare feet usually means poor, but the gold bangles say the opposite. So it's a matter of choice, in this case...? Seems that way.]

[Very much choice in her case. Although if she had her way she'd go naked.

She tilts the head and regards him in silence for a moment. He appears human which is boring on one hand but on the other the humans brought here, like her, can be quite interesting.]

Ysvali. Why do you need my name?

[Going naked is very much a valid thing in his world, so...]

Curiosity. I've assumed by now, I won't be returning 'home' for a while. In that case, I've decided to make this place feel more like home. So I'm going to find out all I can about this world. The people who are here with me included.

[It is in her's as well, at least her realm of her world. But it seems everyone else frowns on that.

His explanation brings a large grin to the young ifrit's face.]

Ah, knowledge! Yes, that is a most worthy cause. I wish to know more of this strange world and the people here as well.

[A pause as she takes a bite from her corndog.] I have given my name, what of yours?

[Unfortunately for Ysvali's hopes about Inumuta, he's not exactly the kind of guy to seek knowledge for entirely pure reasons... If a profit can be gained from information, that's more what he's into.]

Inumuta.

I'm still getting used to the technology here. Cars don't exactly fly like that, where I'm from.

[Ysvali might not understand the idea of profit, at least not in the monetary sense, but she does understand gaining other things from information or services. So while her thirst for knowledge is to help her understand the world better it also might prove useful in other ways and she knows that.

She quietly mouths his name before nodding and offering a smile, although the smile fades when he mentions the cars. Her gaze flickers to one as it passes.]

Cars? So that is what they're called. We do not have such things where I'm from. In fact, all this, um, technology you said? We do not have such things.

...

You don't have 'such things.'

[wat do you mean you don't have tech.

you're boggling his mind a little here.]

[She blinks at him before offering a little smile.] We do not have the things this world does. The strange projections that are not magic, as I was told, we do not have things like that. Well, we do but it is magic not this technology. The devices that play music, we do not have. We do not have anything like the device we were given.

Simply put, we do not have technology. We have no need for it. The mortal realm does though, although I know not to what extent.

A world based more in fantasy lore and magic rather than scientific, then. Yes?

Fantasy? [The word is unfamiliar to her aside from referring to one's imagination. How could her world be fantasy when it's reality to her?]

If that's how you see it then I guess it's so. [She shrugs.]

That is how my world would classify yours. The reason things happen in your world, are they explained in defined terms with numbers? That's how things work in mine. Most things can be explained with numbers or biology.

I see. [Not really.]

I know not of biology but numbers I know! Magic might have some basis in calculations in the likes but it's so natural to me that I don't even have to think about it.

So there is math involved in your magic? ...Fascinating. Can you tell me more about it? Is it possible for someone who otherwise wasn't magically inclined to perform it using just math? Or does there have to be some natural inclination towards it first?

[Ysvali simply smiles and shrugs.] I'm not human so it all comes naturally to me. I just think 'fire' and I have fire. [To demonstrate she holds a hand out and suddenly it's ablaze.]

I do know that humans need to have a natural connection to the magic to learn but it might be possible, I just wouldn't know how.

[You shouldn't have told him that, Ysvali. Now this dumbass is going to want to learn how to set things on fire. HIS NAME MEANS ARSON, WHY DID YOU TELL HIM THIS.]

I see.

And if you aren't human, then what?

[How was she supposed to know that?

She grins and wags a flaming finger at him before putting her fire out.] To tell would ruin the fun!

...

[WOW YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO HIM!!]

That isn't fair.

[Oh, but she just did. What now science boy?

She laughs.] Perhaps not but it's fun!

KEEP THE MUSIC DOWN

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject