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

[rathercommon]

[ Her eyes narrow. Honestly - it's not a nice smile that he's wearing, no, but...Well, she knows that sort of smile, and she's comfortable with it. After all, there are different types of cruelty. There's the cruelty of a boy bigger than you who'll shove you to the ground or trip you when you walk, and there's the cruelty of a boy who'll sabotage you and make you feel small and stupid and powerless. This boy is smiling a common-thug sort of smile, and that almost makes her relax. Boys like this, you can just sneer at and then punch. It's nice. ]

I'm from England. I'm not sure if you've heard of it. It's awfully far away. What's wrong with yours?

[fuckwashington]

My accent's the right one for this fucking country, weirdo. [The raven squawks on his shoulder, and she flaps her wings, taking flight. The bird lands on a stop sign near Kitty, and peers down at her with unblinking and judgmental black eyes.]

Is everybody in England so fucking nosy?

[rathercommon]

Yeah, we're bloody famous for it. [ Kitty's eyes follow that raven for a moment, warily - there are imPorts with familiars, after all, and those familiars can get aggressive. She's making sure that the bird isn't getting in position to attack.

Once she contents herself, she crosses her arms. ]

And Americans are supposed to be famous for their sense of fairness. So what's wrong with you, that you're willing to push around the defenseless?

[fuckwashington]

[Ronan laughs, a singularly harsh and bitter sound like broken glass and anger.] Americans aren't fair. Americans win.

[But he does consider her accusation, even if it doesn't show.] What makes you think they're defenseless? You psychic too?

[rathercommon]

[ She lifts her chin as he laughs, scowling to demonstrate her displeasure. Her answer is sharp. ]

Because if you're anything like the other imPorts, there's no way they can fight you. ImPorts have powers beyond what people like that can dream of. And I bet that's true for you, too. Even if they were bristling with weapons - which, given that they're just going to the grocer's, seems not terribly likely - you could probably strike them down easy as anything. Am I wrong?

[fuckwashington]

[It's very nice of you to think Ronan would actually follow the thread of the conversation you're setting up, Kitty. As for powers, Ronan refuses to confirm or deny that he has them. That's private, motherfucker.]

So you think I couldn't take down those geezers unless I had some kind of fucking magic on my side?

[rathercommon]

They're two middle-aged people out going to the grocer's. Of course you can take them down without the use of your powers. But with powers, it's not even anything approaching a fair fight.

[fuckwashington]

If I had powers, [Emphasis on the if,] I wouldn't fucking use them on those old timers.

[More importantly-- Ronan squares his shoulders, all challenge.] What about you?

[rathercommon]

[ She arches an eyebrow and makes it difficult purely to make it difficult. ]

What about me?

[fuckwashington]

[Ronan's smile is twisted and cruel.] What about your powers?

[He says it like it's an insult.]

[rathercommon]

[ And she tosses her head. ]

Who says I'm an imPort?

[fuckwashington]

[That cruel grin twitches into something that might be genuine, but he shuts it down easily enough.] Because you give a shit. What, did an imPort kill your parents?

[rathercommon]

[ She snorts scornfully. ]

Yeah, because this is some bloody melodrama. I don't like it when people with power hurt people without.

[fuckwashington]

Does anybody. [Ronan scoffs right back.] Are you an imPort or not? Show me your creepy tattoo.

[rathercommon]

[ She scowls, but lifts up her arm and jerks down the sleeve of her leather jacket. It doesn't actually slide down that far, because leather jackets aren't stretchy, but it's far enough to reveal about half the barcode. ]

And I'm not telling you what my power is. You'll just have to wonder - unless you want to find out.

[fuckwashington]

Knew it. [Far be it from Ronan not to gloat.]

[Also, far be it from Ronan not to fight when there's an opportunity to fight. Because that sounds like a challenge, and backing down isn't in his vocabulary.] Is that supposed to scare me? You're a little girl.

[rathercommon]

And you're a little boy.

[ She says, her head craned back, a satisfied little smile on her lips. And then, haughtily: ]

A hint, since you're new. Don't assume you know what anyone can do.

[fuckwashington]

Not from where I'm standing. [Look how tall and manly he is.]

If you wanna stop my assuming, you can fucking show me, tiny.

[rathercommon]

[ And in response, she takes a few steps back.

This is such an incredibly bad idea, Kitty. You can't outfight him. If he's not someone who depends on his powers, there's no way you can topple someone that much bigger than you. ]

Go ahead. Make the first move.

[fuckwashington]

[Ronan does not, strictly speaking, have a problem with hitting girls. Ronan does have a problem with hitting someone without provocation, though. For all he talks big, he doesn't know that this girl can really defend herself, and she hasn't done anything bad enough to make crushing her into the pavement satisfying for the few moments he has before his conscience catches up to him.]

[It would hurt him as much as it would hurt her, except it wouldn't at all, and that's precisely the point.]

[He hides it in scoffing disdain.] You're not even a challenge. [Not even worth his time, right, that's the problem.]

[rathercommon]

[ That is exactly the answer that Kitty was hoping for, because: one; he really does look tough, and when it comes to fighting Kitty is really good at either murdering the other person or running away and only mediocre with the middle ground of just-fighting-nonlethally; two; it speaks to a little bit of softness under that ridiculously aggressive exterior. And Kitty wants him to be soft. She wants everyone in the world to be soft and get along. Squishy interiors and hearts of gold are really lovely to find, even if they're not so common as fiction would have you believe.

Of course, she's maybe a little bit too aggressive in pointing out said heart of gold. ]

Meaning you don't want to hurt me.

[fuckwashington]

[Ronan's heart is only gold insofar as acknowledging how very very soft gold truly is. But as far as he's concerned, it's as worthless as pyrite. He uncrosses his arms, brings his hands together to crack his knuckles. Now he has to fight her. She asked for a fight. She seems to want one.]

[That doesn't make it any less bad, but he's used to being bad. He's terrible. That's just the kind of things he does. Everyone can be ashamed of him later, and he can privately agree.]

Never said that. [He's sizing her up. He knows he's stronger than her. Maybe if he just gave a good wallop to her shoulder, it'd knock her down and wind her enough without really doing any serious crippling damage. He has a friend who was on the wrong side of a punch, once; he knows what fists are capable of.]

[All these thoughts are fever-quick and immediate; Ronan's been in enough fights for them both.] I just like things to be interesting. You gonna make it interesting?

[rathercommon]

[ Okay, so...Not a good decision on her part. Well, okay. She has a few options. First option: make it a little too interesting for him and pull out the gun that's in her purse. Way too much escalation; not something she's going to do. Second option: run away or apologize. Not discarded quite as quickly, but...discarded. She has her own pride too. Third option: fight clean and see how much damage he's actually willing to do. Not actually all that bad an option, all things considered; it'll give her a measure of him, and Kitty can certainly take punishment: she's had her nose broken once, when she got into a nasty fight on the schoolyard over the patriotism of the Czechs, so this isn't something that'd be that hard to endure.

Fourth option: fight to win as she's best able.

So she straightens, looks at the stand of trees behind him. And she frowns, lowers her fists, and then walks a few steps forwards, her brows furrowed with concern. ]

Hold on, there -

[ And then, if he falls for the third or fourth-oldest trick in the book, and turns to follow her gaze, she'll take her pointy little elbow and drive it hard into his middle. ]

[fuckwashington]

Oof-!

[Ronan does, actually, fall for it, but it's not due to stupidity so much as not taking her seriously as a threat. Ronan fights with raw strength and power, no tricks or underhanded tactics. He didn't consider that, but he's a good enough fighter to catch it before it gets him in the rough.]

[He catches her elbow in his hands, which are strong and solid like a vice-grip. She still manages to get him pretty good, knocking some if not all of the wind out of him, but not enough to really fuck him up too badly. Which means he's got her elbow, and he's kind of pissed off now. Well, moreso than the usual baseline. Pissed off enough to do something with it.]

[He sees an open dumpster not a few yards away from them.]

[He begins walking toward it, pulling her along with him.] That's your- [He lets out a little choked gasp. She really got him good.] That's your power?

[rathercommon]

[ Oh - Oh, she sees where he's dragging her, and she is having none of that. She yanks hard. She's stronger than she looks, but unfortunately he's exactly as strong as he looks, so it gets her nowhere - she needs something better to avoid that particular humiliation. Because as it stands, he's pulling her along way too easily. So she digs in her heels and growls up at him: ]

My power is incredible accuracy when I punch idiots right in the fucking cock. Which -

[ She demonstrates the trajectory her free hand would take. ]

You holding onto my elbow like that really gives me a lot of leverage, so you might want to brace yourself -