OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ

[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 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. The small, cheery city of Heropa is finishing some downtown construction work following an attack some months ago. There are enough construction crews still around and on break to wave and raise a cup of coffee in a salute to the most obvious imPorts. You might even be thanked for playing a role in saving the city from whatever happened.

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, 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 just fine as always. Ask the residents about their opinions on the recent two-block space that burned in a fire or the imPorts mixed up in the incident, and the locals will shrug. They're just not interested in talking 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?

Comments

Hayley Marshall ( the originals )

[increscents]

o1.

[ Unhappy werewolf/vampire hybrids were never really all that pleasant to deal with. Vampires felt things too strongly, and wolves were quick to anger. Combine the two, and Hayley was practically ready to rip someone's throat out.

She had had her. She had been holding her baby in her arms, ready to keep her home and safe with an army of werewolves at her back.

Now where the hell was she? And where was her baby?

Despite her urge to mercilessly kill everyone around her, Hayley kept her temper down. Though not away entirely. She didn't have that good of control. She sharply jerked away from anyone who tried to lay a comforting hand on her, shooting them a look that could kill as she did. She jerked the files out of the woman's hands as it was offered to her.

And stared.

She looked around her. ]

This is all a joke right?

o2.

[ This world was a strange little place. It felt so familiar and so different all at the same time. Sometimes, Hayley wondered if she might be able to somehow reach New Orleans still. Find her home. Find her family. Then a hovercar would pass her on the streets and she'd be reminded that as familiar as this place could be, it was also so very different from any side of Earth she'd ever known.

Earth. It felt weird to even acknowledge there was another Earth.

Hayley walked down the streets of the city. Her mood was a step above murderous, but even on a good day Hayley could be trying to be around. She side-stepped any locals who might try to talk to her. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to be noticed.

Yet she did notice something else. She noticed how most locals tried to be friendly or nice to her, and some pulled away. Some hid their children. She paused, tilting her head as she stared at one who quickly disappeared around the corner. ]

Am I losing my mind or did that guy just run away from us? [ she turned suddenly, spotting the nearest imPort who had hopefully seen what she'd just seen. ]

Wildcard.

[ open to other situations! ]

[glowsferatu]

[ kanaya's a pretty obvious import, all things considered. grey skin, long horns, big fangs, and her outrageous height, there's really no mistaking her for a native. she looks toward the alley the man disappeared down, then raises an eyebrow at hayley, looking her up and down. ]

Of course he did, they're learning. You don't greet a timebomb with open arms, you put distance between it and yourself. That's just common sense.

[increscents]

[ Hayley's getting used to the other imPorts. Not that her life is filled with normal humans on the day-to-day, but the grey skin and horns thing is a new one. Still, she's adjusting fairly well. And she only lingers on the fangs a brief moment.

But her attention goes back to the alley, then her eyes dart over the others. ]

I actually expected more reactions like his... [ She hums to herself, thinking of her own abilities and what they mean. She looks back to Kanaya. ]

So why do the others act like they want me to start kissing babies or something? I'd prefer more like that guy, if I'm honest.

[glowsferatu]

Self delusion, misplaced hope.

[ she cocks an eyebrow at hayley, her lip curling. she's not a fan of it herself, it doesn't feel honest. ]

They want to believe the best of us, despite that we repeatedly prove ourselves unworthy of it. Perhaps it's the only thing justifying to them the expenses put toward hosting us, hoping that most of us will do as we can to live up to it, no matter how visible the failures are.

[ she hums thoughtfully. ] Or perhaps it's to entreat us. Hoping that greeting us open-handed rather than with a fist will incline us against doing them the harm we're known to be capable of.

[increscents]

[ Hope. That's almost a laugh. Hope was not Hayley's thing. She was no one's hope. She could barely keep herself together.

Everything else after sounded more realistic. ]

I guess this place has seen the run of it, then.

[ A thought crosses her mind and her brow furrows slightly. ] So the natives. None of them have any power of their own or something like that?

[glowsferatu]

[ for kanaya, "misplaced hope" is honestly a redundant phrase. she never invokes hope without a touch of disdain, it really isn't her thing. ]

None whatsoever, aside from what their current level of technology provides them. Which is negligible. The most notable thing it provides them is a method to nullify the powers we have, whether granted by Lachesis or not.

1

[whitehotlie]

If it is, I'm not laughing.

[ To be fair, Azula could count on one hand the number of times she'd ever laughed at a joke. Unless the joke was a person, in that case she'd laughed a lot of times. Laughing at people, especially after she'd humiliated them, was a favorite pasttime.

Azula's folder has been interesting. Obviously she could still bend, but there seemed to be... more there. Information she'd yet to explore but was certainly curious. ]

What does it say?

[increscents]

A lot of shit I didn't think anyone knew about. [ Hayley answers. She's still reading it over. There are parts of it that make her tense from months of practice, but she remembers that her baby's survival is going to be public again soon anyway. More and more know. She gets over that part.

The rest....

She tilts it for Azula to look at. ]

The vampire and werewolf part. [ Her eyes glance up at Azula to judge the reaction to that revelation, but she continues normally. ] That's not something I normally tell the whole world. Yet they have it all right here on file. And I'm guessing this isn't the only copy laying around.

[whitehotlie]

"Am I supposed to know what those are?" The didn't even sound like real words.

[increscents]

[ Hayley pauses a moment. She's not used to that reaction. Even humans know about witches and werewolves and vampires. Everyone has their myths. A lot of them are wrong, but they still know to some extent.

She shifts her weight on her feet, glancing down at the file again. It's all there anyway... ]

It means I'm strong and fast. [ She summarized. ] With good senses. All because I drink the blood of people and can turn into a wolf sometimes. [ She glances at Azula. some people don't mind the vampire thing. Some people handle crazy well. Some just tried to kill her. She was pretty used to the spectrum from all kinds of people. ]

[whitehotlie]

I can sprout wings that I use to burrow into the ground. See? I can make things up too.

[ Although there seems to be an earnestness in the girl's expression. She can't be telling the truth, could she? What kind of strange ritual gains you powers from drinking blood? Yuck. ]

yo. Wildcard time

[altitude]

[ it takes about two weeks before Kate finally stops pushing against this place. Nothing she tried resulted in getting out, and her unhampered by colour vision begins to feel normal.

So, understandably, she itches to try her new ability out, properly.

She sits on a park bench, watching people go by from behind sunglasses in the late evening, legs crossed and stretched out, waiting. She needs a good target, and then--

Ah-ha!

Her thoughts aren't detailled enough, a simple light may have made sense in her head, but as a base for an illusion, it could mean anything. Maybe a lamp just appeared at Hayley's feet, perhaps her vision is blinded by light. Who knows? ]

[[ feel free to have the illusion bugger up in any way you can think of. ]]

all good all good

[increscents]

[ Hayley felt restless for too many reasons to count. A lot of them had to do with home. There was too much left behind. Her whole family was back in New Orleans. She wanted to be there. Not in this strange place that reminded her of some weird clash between sci-fi and the 50s.

The other source of her restlessness had to do with hunger.

Hayley hadn't fed yet. She should. She could go decently without needing to feed, in fact she could probably go longer still. She wasn't like a newborn vampire in the need to feed so often, but the desire was always present and the need would eventually come. She wasn't squeamish about it either. She just wasn't exactly sure how to handle those things now that she was on a file somewhere.

She paced through the park with little attention to where she was going until a light appeared under her feet then seemed to dart off. She nearly tripped over herself trying not to stop on whatever it was, then looked about wildly before settling on Kate. ]

Am I crazy, or did I nearly step on a fairy? [ She asked, gesturing in the direction she had last seen the light. It was the best description she had for the bright burst. ]

[altitude]

[ well... something happened. Although not quite what she expected to happen, judging by the sounds of it. She shrugs and glances down at Hayley's feet. ]

It was me. [ she holds up a hand in a semi-apologetic gesture. ] Needed someone to practice on. You were there.

2

[mousquetaire]

[ D'Artagnan glances up. It doesn't really surprise him. In a city this crowded, he doesn't always notice individual reactions.

But it's hard not to notice a runner. His internal response to that is always the same, which is that they've probably got something to hide. The truth of it, though, is that they're actually hiding from imports. That takes some getting used to.

He sighs. ]

Do you blame them? We're not from their world. I'm not sure I'd want to make friends, in their place.

[increscents]

[ That seemed narrow-minded. She was so used to humans, vampires, witches, wolves, and any other sort of creature coming in and out of her life the strange really ceased to be strange. She wasn't Klaus. Paranoia didn't run deep in her blood.

But from the perspective of a human, she would be wary of a vampire too. Especially a hybrid. Even if she wasn't confused by vampires she had been wary of them as a wolf before too. In a sense the explanation made sense and in another sense it seemed to small.

She sighed and nodded at the rest. ]

I don't think they got the message, then.

[mousquetaire]

[ D'Artagnan nods, casting a glance at the rest of the crowd. There's always two responses to imports here, and there's no doubt that he understands one much better than the other. ]

Because they buy into the other message. The one that says we're heroes.

[ He smiles at her, wryly, and keeps walking. ]

I've been here a month, and I still don't think I know what that means. Not completely. I don't know what it is they actually expect us to do.

I Registered, though. Did you?