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

jinseok jin | original

[dicktate]

05: [ Excessive attention has never been something that bothered Jinseok. There's no discomfort in the way he eats up the praise of every person who reaches out to touch his hands and thank him, and he must stop at least a dozen times to take excessive amounts of photos with anyone who asks. Everyone who hands him a flier or gives him an offer or even shoves half-eaten food into his hands is rewarded with his attention, and good god does it ever look like he's absolutely loving this.

For all the attention he gets, he gives it in return, shaking hands, stroking thumbs, autographing the skin of whoever shoves whatever into his face--he devours it mercilessly, every single second.

Which is why it's so strange to him when someone isn't paying him the same kind of attention? Who in their right mind wouldn't be thanking him for... whatever it was he did? The second he spots someone not fawning all over him, he steps away from his current groupies, waving them off when they try to follow; they've suddenly lost all his interest, and he's far more preoccupied with the person not currently tripping over themselves to get close to him? ]

You want my autograph too?

[ It's fine, he can make the first move for someone who's clearly too shy to throw themselves at him. ]

*

00: [ Best thing after being thrown into a universe that isn't yours against your will, given a life you didn't want, and crammed full of powers you aren't sure how to use? Food. It isn't long after his initial arrival time that Jinseok beelines straight for the nearest street stall that smells sickly sweet and vanilla-y. A waffle place, of course; he looks the type.

But where one person would be satisfied with just one waffle, or maybe two if they were feeling it, Jinseok has one arm lain across the counter, one arm propping his face up, and whatever he's saying to the homely man working the stall is working, because the longer he stands there and talks, the more and more waffles the man piles up in front of him?

Man, sure is convenient when your already incredible negotiating skills breed into powers of forced persuasion. Except if you want a waffle, and the guy in front of you doesn't look like he's going to leave without taking home 500 of them. ]

*

your choice: [ Go for it. ]

05

[vacationer]

No.

[She snaps her answer, giving him a disdainful look.]

I don't even know who you are.

[dicktate]

[ Impossible. Someone, anyone, not knowing Jinseok? Absolutely impossible. It doesn't matter that he hasn't actually done anything to be known for, what kind of faulty logic is that?

Regardless of the emotional turmoil her not knowing him brings, he still looks delighted at the fact that he gets to introduce himself, pointing to his own face just in case she forgets who she's talking to. ]

Jin Jinseok.

[ Obviously. ]

[vacationer]

[Interesting. Maybe he's famous at home, too. Or famous here - maybe he's been here for a while.

So she lifts her eyebrows at him, and copies his tone.]

Lourdes Hidalgo.

[Obviously.]

[dicktate]

[ Infamous, more like.

Infamously stupid, maybe, with the way he either doesn't notice or pretends not to realize she's mocking him. ]

Your name is as beautiful as your face. I think it was fate that brought us together here.

[vacationer]

[She doesn't look surprised by that reaction. She doesn't look flattered either, but at least she doesn't look disgusted.]

Fate. You believe in that stuff?

00

[deadtective]

[Hazel is incapable of eating now, one of the most surprising things about her new 'life' that seriously bothers her. she does, however, enjoy both torturing herself and treating her friends. it's why she'd decided to swing by and pick up a couple waffles to surprise Josuke with when she went over to visit him.

that was like, ten minutes ago.

the longer that Hazel impatiently waits behind this asshole, the more and more convinced she's become that he's an imPort abusing one of his powers. she doesn't care if he was whispering Shakespearean sonnets into this vendor's ear, there was no way anyone just gave away that much food. who the fuck could eat that many in one sitting anyway? fatass.

she could call him out on his shenanigans or take any number of other mature options available to her now. but this is Hazel, which means there's really only ever one path to take: activating her own ability...which just so happens to be power nullification.

there's no outward sign that she's turned it on, a quiet bonus that means it'll be difficult to pinpoint just who's messing with Jinseok. Hazel continues fussing with her phone, peripherals fixed squarely on the people in front of her. this ought to be a show.]

[dicktate]

[ It doesn't hit the vendor right away. What it's like rather than a sudden flood of nullification is a slow drop winding down, where the vendor comes to his senses slowly, and he's still got a short, flirty boy whispering salacious things in his ear in exchange for free food.

And hey, whatever the last thing Jinseok whispered to him must've been a good one, because the vendor goes beet red--though whether it's with anger or embarrassment nobody can say. What is clear is that he's definitely not happy about it, and that becomes even clearer with the way he claps Jinseok over the back of the head, yelling and pointing for him for him to get the hell out of here while he steps out of view into the back of the stall to compose himself.

Which leaves Jinseok free to scoop up all his waffles and rub his head, turning around abruptly to almost walk straight into Hazel, stopping himself before she gets a chest full of syrup and berries. ]

I think he liked me a lot. You want [ A moment to count-- ] seven waffles?

[deadtective]

[as if she's tall enough for them to hit her chest Hazel doesn't take a step back, but she does actually out her phone away which is essentially the same level of consideration. her tone is still pretty flat but watching him get smacked around was satisfying enough that she's not going to be outright antagonistic.]

Sorry, not even my friends are big enough fatassess to need that many at once.

[she thinks. how many waffles could a teenage boy of Josuke's size eat in one go?]

[dicktate]

[ Like he'd be tall enough to hit any higher. Now that she's stopped playing around with her phone and has actually looked up at him, Jinseok's interest wanes quite visibly. Ah, he thought she was going to be really pretty, but her face is all ruined with scars.

He clutches his armful of waffles in closer to himself, gesturing to her with one, then shoving a bite of it into his mouth. ]

Then I'll help you out by not giving them to you.

[ A real saint, that petty, shallow, passive-aggressive Jin Jinseok. She's already ugly, at least this way he can save her from being fat, too. ]

[deadtective]

That's awfully thoughtful of you.

[ah, there's that dry tone again. good job on making her nominal goodwill evaporate even without voicing all those unkind thoughts about her appearance, dude. even if she can kind of figure it out through his expression - and it still stings, even if it's understandable. Hazel can barely look at herself most days.

she considers once again just letting this drop, but she's never been mature enough for that. instead Hazel immediately goes for the highest form of escalation and gives him a good sharp kick in the shin, hoping that he'll be startled enough to drop most of those stupid waffles.]

(05) Alright let's see how long it takes for him to get punched

[hunterrabbit]

[Touka, on the other hand, is completely okay with not drawing any sort of attention to herself whatsoever. Not exactly good to have a high profile when you literally steal bodies out of morgues on a monthly basis. Or, you know. The whole "being a ghoul" thing too. Which is why she avoids this damned place like the plague.

But every once in a while, she'll have to visit for some reason or another. And when she does- avoiding eye contact and ignoring anyone who tries to stop her usually sends the message of "don't bother me". And it USUALLY works. Except on the occasional guy who doesn't get the hint.

She's already annoyed that someone's following her, but his question actually draws out a short, scoffing laugh. An autograph? Is this guy serious?]

Will you quit following me if I say yes? [She's not going to say yes. She doesn't want it.]

[dicktate]

[ The "don't bother me" vibe has never meant so much to Jinseok. He's found from experience that the "don't bother me" girls are just girls who have been bothered one too many times by the wrong skeezy guy, but that guy is definitely not Jinseok.

He is definitely skeezy, but he prefers to use the words "charming", and "irresistible". ]

No, you will just have my autograph while I do it.

[hunterrabbit]

[Oh, what a surprise. The guy wandering around offering his autograph out to strangers doesn't want to leave. How big of an ego do you have to have to act like that?

It's not like she needed an excuse to say no before, but at least this makes things simpler.]

Or you could not give it to me, and I could get on with my life.

[The "don't bother me" vibe is escalating to "go the hell away" with the glare she throws him. Coupled by the fact that she turns away pretty brusquely, and continues on down the street without a second look.

Can't get any more blatant than that, can you?]

[dicktate]

[ Blatant? No, this is all subtext. She's so pretty Jinseok can't bear to leave her alone, and he's so handsome that she must just be playing hard to get. That's fine with him; he likes that game.

He quickly follows after her, and starts walking backwards when he catches up, just so he can keep watching her face while she tries to flee from him. ]

How about we both get on with your life together?

[hunterrabbit]

[Oh god, if there's one thing Touka can't stand (there're a lot of things), it's guys who won't take no for an answer. Scenes like this've happened to her more or less since the dawn of time, almost word for word. And she already lost any little patience she MIGHT'VE had for dealing with them a long time ago.

The dumb pickup line makes her roll her eyes, but she stops in her tracks once he's in front of her.

IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? TO MAKE HER CRANKIER? FINE.]

Let me spell it out for you. Nice and slow, okay? [Folding her arms, she leans over- the glare intensifying now.]

No. [In case that wasn't already obvious??] That word in your vocabulary? [Probably not.]

06

[dumbfound]

[ He did kind of want a waffle. He kind of really wanted a waffle, and after watching a good four people in front of him give up on the line with an annoyed, frustrated sigh, Junseo finally finds himself right behind the guy sweet talking his way into a mountain of waffles.

For a good few minutes he says nothing, just stares in envy at all the waffles he wishes he could be eating right now. It honestly takes about that long for things to click into place, for something about the tone and pitch of the voice ahead of him to ring some bells.

It's been about two months, but after a full year with someone you wouldn't think you'd forget a voice you'd heard almost every day. Then again, Junseo's ability to forget things is phenomenal, especially when it's something important he should be remembering.

He cants his head to the side, staring at the back of Jinseok's head while the cogs in his head slowly start to move, disrupting the cobwebs forming between them. ]

... Hyung?

[dicktate]

[ Junseo has never been known for his quick processing skills, even to people who don't know him as well as Jinseok does. For people who do know him as well as Jinseok does? It comes as absolutely no surprise that it takes Junseo that long to recognize the very person he's been waiting for for so long. Jinseok would be far more surprised if it took Junseo any less time to do it.

As it is though he's not really surprised, because... well, he's here, of course Junseo would also be here. That's his Junseo, after all.

He ignores the stall owner completely for a moment to wave at Junseo with a waffle in hand, then holds it out towards him, gesturing for him to take it. ]

Let's get matching cellphones. Mine doesn't work anymore.

[ A very casual reunion for someone who very casually did not have time to miss Junseo. ]

[dumbfound]

[ Junseo isn't sure what's happening right now. That's Jinseok? That's really Jinseok hyung! In the flesh! Right in front of him!! Acting like he never disappeared in the first place?

He whines for a moment in confusion, but it doesn't last long as he steps forward and leans down to bite into the waffle (without once touching it with his bare hands). It tastes great, but for all he really wanted a waffle just two minutes ago? He couldn't care less about it now. He could toss it to the side and never see another waffle again and that feels alright right now.

Really, the only reason he even takes a bite at all is because it's Jinseok offering it to him.

He chews the chunk of waffle in his mouth as quickly as he can, not waiting until his mouth isn't full of food to try to start talking--

Unfortunately whatever he was trying to say comes out as one big mumbled mess, so this technique did not work for him. ]

[dicktate]

[ Confusion is one of the main emotions Jinseok has come to see Junseo feel, so it isn't really all that befuddling to him to see Junseo look at him that way and whine about it. He doesn't know what the problem is, but he knows that most of Junseo's problems are fixed by food, so shoving some in his face seems like a good idea.

He also likes that Junseo lets him hold it while he eats. It makes him feel very important, and it makes eating street waffles a group activity. It also makes him the most integral part of waffle eating, and without him? Junseo would not be eating. All very good. He likes this.

He pinches Junseo's cheek, making a face at him. ]

My handsome Junseo, even handsome when he can't speak. What am I supposed to do when you're like this?

[dumbfound]

[ Not most of them! Just half... only half his problems are solved by food. At least 50% of the time though Junseo's problem is that he's hungry at the time, and doesn't have food immediately in front of him to eat. He's a simple boy, and simple boys often have simple solutions to their simple problems.

Unfortunately food doesn't solve his problem this time, even though he's not about to stop eating the free waffle he's cramming into his face.

He crinkles his nose when Jinseok pinches his cheek, but takes another bite of waffle, trying hard to decide where to start with his (for once) endless list of questions, before deciding to just stick them all together into one simple question. ]

Hyung, why?

[ Only his mouth is full of waffle so it's more of a "Hwuhnn eeh" than anything. ]

00

[lifepreserver]

[Who doesn't like waffles? Marty McFly likes waffles, and he was drawn to them by their smell wafting down the street. He settles in line behind someone, digs around in his pockets to make sure he has enough cash on him to cover one or two, and then satisfied, he waits.

And waits.

And waits.

Growing more curious and a little impatient, Marty casually leans to the side and stands on his toes a little to get a view of what's taking so long. And by god, those are a helluva lot of waffles. Does the guy in front of him really need that many? Is he paying for all of those? And if not, how is he getting away with it?

ImPort, maybe?]

So... [He finally speaks up, clearing his throat, and doesn't bother hiding his skepticism.] Is there a deal going on? Buy two get five million free?

[dicktate]

[ The idea that he has been holding up the line for god only knows how long is something that hasn't really been bothering Jinseok. In fact, he's pretty much not thought about it all? When the voice behind him speaks up is the first time he even notices that there's other people in the world besides him and this man who keeps shoving food at him, and he turns around with his elbow resting against the waffle-laden countertop, pointing a short finger towards his own face. ]

When you are as handsome as me, you get a lot of things free.

[ Or when you are testing out your new "powers" which, if you're being honest with yourself, you were pretty sure you had all along? He's always been very, very good at persuading people to do what he wants, even before the universe decided to go ahead and make it official.

The stall owner forgotten for now, he looks a little befuddled as to why he just gave some man so many free waffles... but also why it seemed like such a great idea at the time? ]

Besides, they taste better when they are gifts.

[lifepreserver]

[The first thing that goes through Marty's mind is, Is this guy for real? His expression says as much, and his tone remains skeptical.]

You sure it's the face, or does it have anything to do with, you know, superpowers and all that?

[Because he's an imPort too, and he knows of your wily ways -- or at least, he knows there are plenty here who don't mind taking advantage of their own abilities. He's willing to bet that this guy was no exception to that rule, if the stall owner's growing confusion is any indication.]

'Sides, you really gonna eat that many?

[dicktate]

It has nothing to do with powers.

[ It has everything to do with powers. He's talked a lot of people into a lot of things, but talking one man into giving him 80 waffles isn't one of them.

But who cares about power abuse? It's a skill he was granted and he's going to use it, of course. Not using it would be a waste.

He spares a sideways glance to his small mountain of waffles. ]

I wasn't gonna eat any of them.

[ He has a figure to maintain. ]