OH MY GOD YOU GUYS

[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. The city of Heropa is what one might expect from a small, bright and cheery place, where locals are friendly enough and local shop owners might offer a free drink to welcome you to their fair city. 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. An upset voice wonders aloud: "More of them, when we already know they can't protect us? That's just painting a bigger target on the city's back!" However, they're quickly hushed with a judgmental: "They helped save the cities, and it's the Soviets you should be angry with anyway! The imPorts are here to protect us!"

02. 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. Many people are out and about taking care of their regular business, 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 spies. "How can we trust any of them now?"

03. Maurtia Falls, Pennsylvania, is not as friendly and its citizens tend to 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 mutter under their breaths resentfully about "vigilantes". However, not all locals turn the other way seeing imPorts; some of them will offer a polite enough smile and thank them for their help in overthrowing the trespassers. They don't stop to clarify what they mean, though.

04. Nonah, North Carolina, is the liveliest of all cities; 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. Advertisements are abound for imPorts to make appearances at various, televised celebrations, luring them in with promises of free food, merchandise, and payment.

Comments

[notsheepish]

It definitely is.

[She takes in a deep breath, then shakes her head as she slowly lets it out.]

To be honest, this is the biggest city I've ever been in. Like, in my whole life. Is that embarrassing?

[alsogood]

[ Kitty's brows rise slightly, but then relax again shortly afterward. ]

Not embarrassing, no. A little unusual, maybe. I can imagine that'd have the potential to be rather disorienting.

[ A beat, then she raises a hand and taps her chest. ] Kitty. Kitty Winter.

[notsheepish]

Ruby. But my friends call me Red.

[She's grinning now, one eyebrow cocked teasingly.]

And I saw that. You're totally judging me for my small-town-girl-ness. That's not very nice, you know.

[alsogood]

A pleasure. [ Her smile grows fractionally, more good-natured than not. ]

I'm from London, living in New York. I could easily be judged for just the opposite: big-city-girl-ness, as it were. [ Now her smile has been brightened up a notch, her physical demeanor shifts downward incrementally. Somewhat more relaxed, but still alert. ]

[notsheepish]

[Well, it's enough for Ruby to feel pretty pleased with herself!]

Nice. I always wanted to go there someday. I mean, I've done a bit of travelling, but not as much as I'd hoped, and never to any big cities like that.

[alsogood]

Lucky then, that it's pretty easy to travel here? [ She gestures vaguely with her forefinger, though her hand is still holding onto her bag. The gesture seems to indicate the larger world around them, rather than the immediate boundaries of the city they're currently in. ]

Once you find your feet, might not be a bad thought.

[notsheepish]

[She laughs.]

Yeah, maybe. Might need a guide though if I hit up a big city like New York. Somebody who knows the place pretty well?

[alsogood]

From what I've heard, it's more fun to see the sights with a friend.

[ Her version of sightseeing, as has been somewhat established, may consist more of surveillance than anything else.

Possibly. ]

[notsheepish]

Well, maybe we can test that theory.

[alsogood]

[ Okay, at that she actually does laugh. Not unkindly! ]

I don't know if I'd be a very good tour guide, but if you wanted to see some less-frequented sights...

[notsheepish]

[She perks up at the comment... Or the laugh. Or maybe both? Something like that!]

I'm always up for an adventure.

[alsogood]

Adventure. Sounds ambitious. What do you think of being here in the first place?

[ 'Being here' implies more than 'existing in this physical space, in this specific moment.' ]

[notsheepish]

It's...

[She stops and frowns a little as she really thinks about it.]

I don't appreciate the way I was brought here obviously, and I have a friend I hope I'll hear made the trip with me, but honestly we were in the middle of some of that travelling I was talking about before, so I guess I don't really have anything pressing to get back to.

[alsogood]

[ Kitty listens, nodding intermittently. Her smile slides off her face in favor of a more contemplative expression. ]

Well, that seems fair. I feel much the same. [ Except she does have something pressing to address at home, but never mind that. ] Don't suppose it helps at all to say, 'at least we're all in this together?'

[notsheepish]

Not a whole lot. But the thought's appreciated.

[alsogood]

If I can think of a better aphorism for the situation, I'll let you know.

[ Finally, she drops her hands from the bag, tapping one at the side of her leg. ] How much exploring have you done since you got here?

[notsheepish]

[Ruby shrugs, looking around vaguely.]

Not much yet, honestly. I've mostly just been trying to get my bearings straight.

[alsogood]

Anything we could find for you that'd help with that?

[ She tilts her head a bit, looking at Ruby cautiously. Or is that carefully? ]

[notsheepish]

Besides a drink?

[She smirks, giving the joke a beat before going on.]

I wish I knew.

[Well, there IS one thing, but she's not really interested in scaring off a potential new friend by talking about her big quest to find some werewolves JUST yet.]

[alsogood]

[ Kitty smiles again, more than 'not unkindly.' This expression is kind and gentler too. ]

How about coffee and a walk around the place? I'd bet we can find more than a little something useful. I'm quite good at that. Finding things.

[ She's also holding back a comment that's probably better reserved for a conversation other than the first.

Sherlock Holmes could probably find werewolves... ]

[notsheepish]

You are, huh?

[Hopefully he would be able to find one! Especially if it were standing right in front of him.]

[alsogood]

[ He might have an alternative way to explain things if that were the case. He's pretty adamant that supernatural phenomena have a logical explanation. One wonders what he'd be like with superpowers... ]

I hope so. I'm training to be a detective and my mentor would be disappointed if I weren't.

[ It sounds like she very much doesn't want to disappoint him. ]

[notsheepish]

[Maybe his power would be super skepticism? Disbelieving the supernatural so hard that it doesn't work around him.]

Huh. That's pretty neat.

[alsogood]

[ That could actually be very useful. And a little terrifying. Not that he's not already a little of that... ]

It's not easy work. But it's worth it.

[notsheepish]

[Clearly, he and Ruby's granny should never meet then. Too scary.]

Yeah. I gave it a shot once actually, a while back.