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

[handwringing]

[Thank goodness, the people are leaving. Elsa breathes a sigh of relief, only to realize that her savior is not leaving either.

She has to peer through the alley gloom at him a moment - he looks familiar - and then realization dawns, and she straightens up a bit.]

You were with Anna. [Not that she'd bothered to get his name.] Why are you here?

[malodorous]

[ He scowls just a bit at the question before willing the sour expression down. Elsa's... She scared, skittish like a trapped hare. The best thing to do is to try and illustrate that he's not a threat. Everything's okay.

So he shrugs instead. It's a dumb question, but okay. Sure. He can try. ]

Why are any of us here? [ A beat. ] That's hypothetical. Nobody actually knows.

[handwringing]

How can nobody know? Those people, didn't they bring us here?

[The ice stops growing, but it doesn't stop changing, thickening in places until it looks black against the brick wall. The snowflakes stop, though, only a few dropping here and there.]

[malodorous]

Uh. Yes and no? [ Kristoff isn't staring her down or anything. He walks along the wall for a quiet moment, reaching a hand out to run it across the ice. It's rough, not uniform, cloudy... not anything like the ice of her palace. A shame. ]

There's a machine, and that's apparently what does it, but they aren't completely sure how it works.

[handwringing]

[She's not particularly worried about aesthetics right now. Maybe someday, Kristoff.]

They aren't sure how it works? But that's... [Impossible, irresponsible, ridiculous... She lets the sentence die in the air, then shakes her head.]

Never mind. You're not the one to ask about this.

[She'll have to get one of those soldiers to tell her what's going on. And there's something he maybe can answer, better than that.]

Anna was with you last time I saw her. Is she here, too?

[malodorous]

[ He's about to frown again and tell sarcastically apologize for not magically understanding this stuff, but... Anna. That's kind of important. ]

Yeah. She ought to be in Heropa. [ He actually hasn't seen her for a bit, which is kind of okay, but also somehow kind of not. It's weird. Anyway, it's probably for the best, because he does have to add, after a pause: ] Uh. Her fiancé is here, too. Hans.

[handwringing]

[So Anna is here. Elsa's not sure if that's better or worse.

Worse. Definitely worse. Anna should be back in Arendelle, where she can live her life... well, if Elsa hadn't frozen it.

And that word. Her fiancé. Elsa's eyebrows furrow a little, but then relax. Even if she still disapproves of their engagement, it's unfair to judge him when she barely knows him.]

She should be back in Arendelle, but at least she has someone to take care of her.

[She looks at Kristoff curiously, thinking about how he had been with her at the palace, and wondered if he'd been taking care of her too, but didn't ask.

And now she knows that Heropa is not where she wants to go.]

[malodorous]

Yeah.

[ Short and quiet, because it's good that Anna has somebody looking out for her, but it still makes him feel bad in a selfish way, and he hasn't been able to shake it. Usually, it's okay. Nobody knows them, nobody brings it up, and it's almost like it doesn't exist, but...

Anyway. It doesn't matter. It doesn't. ]

Uh. Anyway, yeah. She seems fine. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just-- There's something weird going on, with the timing of this place, so...

What do you remember? I mean, what's the last thing you did before you came here?

[handwringing]

[That's a weird question. But everything about this place is strange and unbelievable, so what's one more strange thing?]

...I threw you and Anna out of my palace. That's what I remember.

[She's not proud of it, but it was necessary.]

[malodorous]

Mm. [ Just a little hum of acknowledgement. Kristoff presses his mouth into a little line and tries to pick his words. What should he say? What shouldn't he? When he speaks, his voice is low and level.]

We fell from a cliff running away from that thing. That's as far and Anna's been. [ And that's kind of a problem, but more on that later. ] We went to the Valley after that, but... [ He shakes his head dismissively. Never mind. ] I took her back to Arendelle. That's the last thing I did before I got here.

[handwringing]

[They fell from a cliff? Elsa looks shocked, looking him over quickly, but he seems unharmed. Hopefully that means Anna was fine, too.

And it seems this man had been looking after her.]

Thank you, for taking her back. Were you hurt in the fall?

[She feels really bad about that now. Maybe she shouldn't have sent a giant snowman monster after them.]

[malodorous]

Don't mention it. [ Please and thanks.

At the question, he snorts lightly, as if it was a silly question to ask, but... It's not, really. Falling off of a cliff will usually kill you. ]

Nah. There was enough powder at the bottom to cushion our fall. It was fine.

[ So... Thanks for that, Elsa. At least there was that. He pauses, looking over at her a little doubtfully, trying to gauge whether he should mention Anna's heart issue, whether he should advise her one way or another on her interactions with her sister. Anna seemed fine now, but what if something like that happened again? ]

She... You should be careful, when you see her again.

[handwringing]

[What does that mean?

Dread fills Elsa's heart, and suddenly she knows that something happened, even if she doesn't know what. She remembers that night, all those years ago, when she accidentally hit Anna in the head, and she feels like everything's about to spin out of control, all over again.

The snowflakes are back, but Elsa looks resolute.]

It's alright. I won't see her. [A pause. She rubs her hands together.] It would be best if she didn't know I was here.

[malodorous]

[ Kristoff looks up when the snow starts to fall, because it's still strange, even if he knows where it's coming from. An expression of sympathy is plainly on his face, because, again, she just looks so small and nervous. That's the problem, though. ]

Yeah, because avoiding her worked so well the first time.

[ He tries to balance himself between being firm and gentle, here. Sure, she's afraid. She doesn't seem to understand the extent of what she's done, but he's sure she'd be sorry. Beyond sorry. Still... She hurt Anna. Beyond freezing her heart, even, by shutting herself away. That hurt Anna, too. ]

You need to find a new way. Family is important. You shouldn't keep yourself from her.

[handwringing]

[She winces, because she knows it's true, but she doesn't want to believe it. She loves Anna, and she knows it hurts her, but isn't it better that she's safe? That she doesn't have to worry about being hurt just by being around her?

She shakes her head.]

Anna will find her family. She's... [She smiles wistfully.] She's beautiful, and full of life. She'll do fine.

[Her smile falls.] We're better apart. Just believe me.

[And because the flurries are getting worse, and because she doesn't want to have this conversation anymore, she starts to move forward, trying to pass Kristoff to get to the opening of the alley.]

Now, if you'll excuse me, I should... find somewhere to go.

[malodorous]

Fine. Okay.

[ Kristoff's certainly not going to impede her path out. He steps aside, brow furrowed and a small frown in place. He wishes that he could explain where she's right and where she's wrong, that he could somehow smooth all of this over. Anna is easy to love, and she does have a new beginning thing going on, but... She's also stubborn. It's not like she'll let Elsa go that easily. She wouldn't have gone into the mountain otherwise.

But he probably can't convince the queen of that. He probably can't do anything, because that's just how things have been shaping up lately. ]

Just... Uh. I'm Kristoff. If you need anything, you can come and find me.

[handwringing]

[She pauses for a moment.]

Kristoff. Thank you.

[But that's not going to stop her from getting out of here now, a thin layer of ice trailing her steps, unbidden.

Time to find somewhere else to hide.]