throws thumbtack confetti everywhere

[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 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 Flordia 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.

Comments

[lyingheart]

A tool is a tool. It needed the children, and someone else, to be able to work like it did.

[ Though she says all of this slowly as she sloshes along with him. She lapses into silence, letting her thoughts run and process while they move. The kid who'd taken off toward them rounded the end of the pier, jumping down from the parking lot level to the sands. He stumbled toward them, still waving the toy that looked like an overlarge loudspeaker. ]

Hey! Hey, are you okay? Woah, this is way way way cooler than I thought, it was like bam! And whoosh! And splash! And then um, you know, the... way you didn't swim. Why are you out there if you can't swim?

[ Annie only gives the nine year old a flat look, arms crossing over her chest, damp hoodie pressing against her stomach. ]

[gluestick]

Florida... [The name sounds weird on his lips, and he seems to be trying to place it. Like maybe he knew the name once, but he can't recall. He shakes his head, there's no getting around the blocked memories.]

So you do show up in places like Florida like that often? In that- [what had they called it?] that Porter?

[A brief pause as he considers his next question.] Do you trust them?

[mercyisweakness]

Crematia sneer at the man. "I find my strongest enemy, and then I kill him!" She boasts, wings as large as a ship's sails, blood red tinged with rusted blue at the edges. "And then I find my next strongest enemy and kill him as well!"

Smoke starts to rise from her nostrils, a warning of what will come soon. "Care to volunteer?"

And like a serpent, she strikes, mouth agape, her teeth long and gleaming and sharp, with spittle flying.

[hostage]

Is that it?

[harryingjet]

The first step to understanding you organics--I'm hardly a superhero. [pause and a frown.] What's "Thai spicy?"

[mightiswright]

[ That pun gets a slightly proud smile from him, too. One that turns slightly amused. ]

Ah. Well, I might be a little rusty, but I'll do my best.

[ He'll happily accompany her inside, all of that day's lethargy completely forgotten in the dust now. ]

Got your act together? [ It'd be a ridiculous question to ask at any other time (because of course she would), but some concessions should be made for the 'weird future Florida' part of the equation. ]

[everylittlething]

Well, you've got on a suit jacket. So chin up, Daddy! You'll knock 'em dead in there!

[Her only response to the question of her preparedness is a grin, and with a sudden whoosh of her cloak, a familiar friend makes his appearance.]

"Wood" she ever forget? Ha ha ha ha!

[sacrificusdux]

[While he fully intends to get what information he can out of her eventually, assessing what he can of her demeanor. He's not sure how long she's been here, what she knows of their present situation.]

What will you do now, Annie? [He asks bluntly, his eyes never leaving hers.] This must be disconcerting for you, a world unlike the one we left behind.

[sacrificusdux]

There are no Titans in this time, Eren. [Erwin's choice of words is deliberate but there are still many questions left unanswered about their connection to this world. That is for another time, however.]

As for what protects everyone, that would be us. [he explains, his tone more serious as he frowned, stopping to wait for a light change. He and Levi had learned early on the lights actually served a rather important lesson after nearly being run over.]

[mightiswright]

[ Years and years of experience have made it so his only reaction to Mr. Hat popping out is a chuckle. (He even missed seeing him popping up everywhere, truth be told.) ]

Nah. They'll be too busy watching you to pay attention to little old me. [ Hopefully. ]

[everylittlething]

[He's tucked away quickly after the punchline, so as to avoid spoiling the trick in case anyone from inside is watching.

She smiles and takes Phoenix by the hand, leaning in to speak in a conspiratory whisper.]

Don't worry, Daddy. We'll avoid the piano if at all possible.

[bloodfreak]

[Cy made a noise in response. The humidity was getting to him too, it could be seen in the way his hair was going from straight to wavy and frizzing up. He was used to a much cooler climate, where it didn't get much higher than seventy on most days and it was almost always cloudy. And humidity? That was a thing that practically didn't exist.]

Hey. Cyril. This almost makes me wonder if this is what hell feels like. [Only he's actually been to a hell dimension and it's much worse.]

[mightiswright]

[ Thank god.

He gives her hand a gentle squeeze. ]

That might be best. Although, if you really need background music, my rendition of 'Chopsticks' has actually improved. [ Somewhat. ] I can play it without wearing earplugs now.

[dragoonreborn]

[The young cat-lady is still perplexed, ears flicking in concern. Pel has a wild quality about her to be certain, especially when it comes to the hunt - but in the end she doesn't want legal trouble either.]

Wait, are you saying hunting it in the first place is illegal? I did wonder how the animal population could flourish so near a city with so many, but I assumed it was because hyur prefer their food from farms, and to not have it staring back at them when they can.

[dragoonreborn]

[Pel tsks, shaking her head a little. This one is so adorably awkward. It does make her want to tease him a bit.]

I said a drink, not a relationship. I am not looking for one of those either. But I do like handsome men. And drinks.

So perhaps some time we might be at the same tavern, simply by coincidence, and I might buy you a drink and we might speak for some time, about your brother and my sister, or Halloween, or anything at all, really. I hope we might.

[dragoonreborn]

[Pel blinks. Surely there's something she's missing here...]

I come from a very far away place. As you may have guessed, [she gently tugs her ear] being as I've yet to meet another mi'qote here.

We don't have OBGYNs where I am from. We don't have - what is the word? - doctors. There are healers, who use spells, and yes, midwives, or elders, or just people with various knowledge of good plants and medicine. Villages and tribes may rise and fall by the skills of such folk.

In any case, I am touched for your concern for the health of your sisters. [A smile.] Your professions sounds like a noble one.

[blondtactician]

[There's a certain satisfied shiver at the base of Armin's spine when Erwin speaks his name. He knows he's answered correctly.

He has many questions - like where exactly their loyalties will lie - but this is hardly a secure location to get these things answered. So he settles with the expected response.]

Yes sir.

[sacrificusdux]

Very well then.

[Erwin nods, satisfied with the answer. He will answer further questions once they are done here but for now, he's pleased that Armin seems to be in agreement.

He would caution Armin against the malt, the dairy isn't something that has been a good idea to consume in such a way but he figures that experience is the best lesson, they all have to learn the hard way.]

u better love me X(!!!!

[earnedmystripes]

[He blinks as he's addressed, having not apparently expected anyone to comment on what had just happened. He shrugs easily, though he looks cheerful enough. This sort of thing was his everyday--at least, before he came here. It's harder to keep up with heroing without the call bands, and some days he misses Agnes ordering him around all the time.]

Or something. Speed's part of it, anyway.

[earnedmystripes]

I won't come any closer.

[His tone stays even, though he doesn't move back, either, and there's no sign of fear from him, either.]

Breathe, okay? Count to five, then let it out. It's scary, but it's your power. You can control it, I promise you can.

I had trouble with mine too, when I was a kid. But now it's like second nature to me.

[He fires it up, glowing bright blue from head to foot, and picks up a piece of metal on the ground that hasn't iced over, holding it up--then crushing it in his hand easily as if it were soft and pliable. He then swings the thing around in his hand, and despite his obvious superhuman strength, it doesn't get damaged any further.]

See?

You'll master yours too, with enough practice.

[yatagarasu]

...Nope. All I have is a heart that thirsts for the truth!

[BIG EXCITED GRIN.]

omg

[blondtactician]

[Armin's life is just full of funny coincidences. Get beat up by some bullies, there's Eren Yeager. About to be swallowed by a titan, there's Eren Yeager. Need a way to resupply in a city full of titans, there's an aberrant titan who happens to be Eren Yeager,.

Get recruited to a strange city and feeling miserable about how unfamiliar it all is?

There's Eren Yeager.]

Eren!

[How many times has he yelled that name until he's hoarse? It's going to be one more time as Armin pushes his way through the crowd, calling his friend. Without a moment's thought he grabs his friend's hand in both of his, knowing his eyes are filling with tears and hoping against hope they don't fall in front of all of these people.]

Thank goodness...

[bloodfreak]

[Cyril can practically smell the unease coming off this guy as he nears him. One of the perks to being a vampire, if you could call smelling fear and anxiety (and like emotions) a perk. Cy certainly doesn't.

He pauses near Wakka, hands in his pocketed as he eyes him from behind his dark sunglasses. After a moment he decides to say something if he's not noticed first.]

Flying cars are something else, huh?

[loveordeath]

Isn't that enough?

[lyingheart]

[ No more or less disconcerting than it is to him, though she hadn't expected to be awakened like this. His question is blunt, much like the ones who'd recieved them on arrival had been blunt in making their requests. Annie lets her breathing calm further before she responds. ]

Live. Until I'm called to act on registration.

[ Not that she needs to wait. Annie recognized when a deal had been offered that she didn't have the means to turn down for now, and that had been the case here. Like Erwin says, this world is unlie the one they left behind. She needs time to adapt to the dramatic shift in circumstances. ]