etcelsior | throws thumbtack confetti everywhere

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throws thumbtack confetti everywhere

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.

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[ She looks in the direction of the kids too. When Reiner looks back to her, she's still watching the kids. ]

Yes, but as long as people are going to be idiots, I'll be pointing it out when I can be bothered.

[ The one kindness behind that is she either doesn't bother as often as she could, or that she might actually care to some degree if she bothers to point it out at all in the first place. Annie turns her attention back on Reiner, walking closer, craning her head back as she does. People should stop being inconveniently tall one day. ]

Have you figured out the pattern to how those things move on the roads yet?

[ She nods her head toward one of the more sedate, slow moving cars that isn't being chased by any other car or attempting to mow down children who aren't paying enough attention. They're all noisy, and noxious, and unsettling, and far less predictable than horsedrawn anything. ]

[ He keeps a space of a couple feet between them, perhaps an unconscious motion of his own to keep conversation on neutral grounds, or simply because this whole situation is strange and unusual and a little bit of distance seems smarter.

Not that Reiner's ever been known for being strategic, evidenced best by the fact it took him so long to move out of the road. He's more aware of the sounds and the smells now that he isn't moving on simple instinct, and he likes none of it -- even if the cars are much more minor annoyances compared to titans. Kids who'd play recklessly in the street with things like cars around obviously would have no idea. ]

In a place like this, making friends should probably be higher in your priorities. If we're all alone here... [ He considers that thought for a moment, but doesn't dwell on it. He's only halfway serious, anyway -- Annie and "friendly" don't go together well in Reiner's head, even if that actually mattered much.

Instead he shakes his head, looking back out into the street. ] Just that they don't usually move as fast as that other one was going -- why do they need to hurry, anyway? I don't see anything here to get away from.

[ Annie gave him a look for the comment on making friends. Courting alliances was important, much like not putting herself in a weak position. Friends? Like she even really understands what those are in the long run. Comrades and companions, yes. Friends were a more tenuous dream. ]

We're not alone.

[ She starts to walk, not wanting to linger around the scene or invite the people still recovering from what they saw to heap praise on Reiner when she's anywhere closeby. If he wants to know more, he can walk with her. Otherwise she'll leave him on a noted observation about the vehicle that'd come speeding through. ]

The one was being chased. That's reason enough for them.

[ Some people look in their direction as if they might approach soon, although Reiner doesn't even notice that they're being watched -- he is too focused on Annie, so he does follow her. Their height difference makes it easy keeping up. ]

Alone in some ways. [ Unless Bertholdt is around and Reiner hasn't seen him yet, which is possible. He won't assume anything unless Annie corrects him. ] I wouldn't take chances with making enemies too soon.

[ But Reiner wears that "charming hero" role a little more easily. ]

Unless you know something about this place that I don't.

It's probably ill advised to be seen with me.

[ Definitely alone in some ways. But so far, no one's asked her about Reiner, and she won't invite suspicion on him (or Bertholt, should Bertholt arrive). There's no reason, and no gain. For those from their world, she's been prepared to be the fallen one for years. Coming into that reality while fully awake is a price she'd have paid one day anyway. Here she has the chance of something more with anyone not tied up in the spiraling events of their home. ]

Erwin subscribes to the idea of keeping your friends close, and your enemies closer.

[ Without his directive, Reiner will either need to claim ignorance and an earlier timeframe than Annie's capture in Stohess, or wait for superiors to give him directives on how to act with regards to her. All games, and all fairly pointless - she won't be talking, they can't torture her into confessions they can't take home with them, and the world will be more inclined to side with her as long as she doesn't turn in to the very thing she is at home: a traitor to humanity.

Reiner's safe as long as circumstances, and his own mentality, keep him that way. After that... well, he'll still be safe. Erwin can no more afford to pull out of Reiner by force what he can't have from Annie.

It's a thought that brings her dangerously close to laughing at the absurdities of it all. ]

[ It's a good point, and nothing Reiner's really planned for yet -- he really isn't the strategic one of their group, he hasn't thought that far yet in advance. If questioned (when, really) what will he say? Or do? The idea of time discrepancy is already confusing enough.

The way he sees it, the two of them can either stick together or they can try to survive in this world on their own. The mission from before doesn't seem like it can mean anything now. ]

That's Commander Erwin's way, not mine. Anyone that doesn't know-- [ His gaze drops slightly as he walks, and he crosses his arms. ] Might think it's strange that I'd avoid you when I shouldn't know anything about who you really are.

[ Annie agrees about the mission (the missions, knowing where hers has split off from what they could know) being pointless here. It's the most freeing realization when walking on truly foreign soil, that there is no expectation to carry out any of the duties from home. There's this new concept of a dubious hero construct that they're to fit into, but Reiner seems to take to the everyday aspect of it without thinking. Annie treats it more like an assigned mission, only one that comes up as relevant and active when called upon. It's why she choose Registered over the rest, knowing for a version of fact she'll need time to adapt to the new situation, and rushing off on her own is suicidal.

Besides, much as she might say otherwise, Annie doesn't inherently enjoy being alone. ]

Have it your way.

[ She won't police him, or his choice in dynamics with herself and the rest of those from home. It's his decision to make. Choices like these... they're nice. They're not really available back home, with them all operating under different directives. ]

What do you know about this place so far?

[ For Reiner, "freeing" isn't on his mind particularly, or "peace," or anything that might constitute a chance at normal living -- it hasn't quite occurred to him, the full implications of their situation. He doesn't know what to do or where to go, so staying by Annie seems like the best solution for right now. When they're done, he'll figure something else out.

And if he forgets himself again, he doesn't want to be alone, either. ]

Only what they told us back there, and this thing-- [ He holds his wrist up to indicate the tattoo on it, even if it's not visible in such bright daylight. ] What the hell do we protect people from when there's no titans?

[ Annie doesn't answer immediately. She comes to a stop at a crosswalk, reaching out to press on a protrusion from the pole after some consideration. It's imitation of what she's seen the rest of those using such walkways from one side of the road to the other. There's a box with a red symbol, something handlike. When it turns into a bright clean light, in a different symbol, it will be safe to go. ]

What were people protected from before there were Titans?

[ She poses the question to Reiner without answering.

What were people protected from before there were Titans? The same damn thing they're protected from while there's Titans.

Ambition. Greed. Corruption. Conflicting ideals and ideas.

What were people protected from before there were Titans? From people. ]

[ Reiner almost walks right into the street without stopping, but when Annie does he follows suit right before he ends up stepping off the curb. These cars aren't moving as fast, and he figures he could probably pass through them pretty easily, but -- protocol is protocol, and Annie seems to know better.

(Also, he wasn't really paying attention.) ]

Not a thing we can be expected to fix, no matter how many of us they bring over. Some things are just inevitable when humanity is as predictable as it is.

[ Stick with Annie for now, Reiner, and learn the fine art of attracting minimal attention at all times where one isn't expected to perform! As much as... a six foot tall man walking around in funny outfits as far as this world's concerned stays on the minimal attention side of things. With the symbol change, Annie steps off the sidewalk, crossing to the other side. People in the vehicles peer over an interior wheel to look at them, but thankfully, no one honks. ]

I don't think heroes are called heroes for fighting easy battles.

[ They're probably more fond of hopeless causes. If that's her being pessimistic, it's also realistic. Heroes were the ones who died young, or fast, because surviving and clinging to life isn't generally considered heroic. No, throwing it away was.

It can even be admirable, but it didn't make certain individuals any less suicidal. Eren Yaeger. She'd hate to see him, of all people, taken to this place. ]

You'll want to find yourself something less out of place to wear. Did they assign you to school?

[ This shit baffles the everloving hell out of Annie. Why do they expect adults to attend school, but not all adults equally? It hasn't occurred to her yet that the concept of "adult" in this culture if vastly different than in their own, or at least not to the extent that it does differ. ]

[ That he will! Without Bertholdt around, it's probably the smartest course of action; god knows otherwise he might get himself into all sorts of stupid situations. He follows more or less without question, nodding a little the more she speaks. ]

They never have before as far as I've known. It's easier to just be a soldier.

[ He looks down at his clothing, plucking a bit at the white shirt he's got on. The outfit would at least be relatively nondescript if not for his 3D gear, but it's not the most comfortable in this heat. He undoes a button or two. ]

Yeah. You too? The whole thing is weird... I don't know why they think we need more school.

There's a better chance of surviving that way.

[ It's a long walk back to where they're all meant to live on initial arrival. Annie heads that direction, out of a lack of desire to head anywhere else. ]

They keep everyone in school until they're 18, which is when you're allowed to join the military.

[ She allows some sense of absurd amusement to creep into her voice. Annie doesn't smile, but her eyes aren't so withdrawn or condescending as they can be. ]

We're too young.

[ And that's hilarious. ]

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