Mask or Menace | MODERATORS (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maskormods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
etcelsior2014-04-25 05:34 pm
maskormods) wrote in etcelsior2014-04-25 05:34 pm
Entry tags:
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.
Connie Springer || Attack on Titan -now in the right meme
But hey, what's that about free food? He doesn't know what a malt shop is, but he just woke up in the freakiest dream ever. Free food sounds great!
He follows the beckons of strangers and arrives at the promised land. A dish full of something called banana split, whatever that means. He eagerly chats with the stranger who buys it for him, but as soon as he takes a bite something unexpected and painful happens. His head suddenly feels pressurized. Connie yelps, spits the ice cream back out into its dish, and drops his spoon. Connie groans and holds his head, squeezing his eyes closed. Food hasn't ever betrayed him like this before. What gives?]
slides on in here
Of course, she didn't want to trust her eyes from one glance, moving closer through the crowd of people going through the daily motion of their lives here on Earth. He's not dressed like she might have expected him to be, but that young man holding his head and groaning is unfortunately, a face she does recognize.
She's mortally offended Luck somewhere along the way. It's the most surefire explanation for this! ]
Connie?
[ She tries to make his name a statement and still ends up with a question. Hey, she could be wrong. It's not like it'd be the first time! ]
haay
How?
[That's not the best question to ask, but it's the first to tumble over his tongue in his surprise.]
no subject
She holds his gaze for a few seconds, then shifts her focus elsewhere, keeping him in peripheral vision and watching for any sign of attack. It's not the best question, but it's one she can't say she fully understands the how either - being pulled out of the state she assumes she's been in, not knowing anything happening in the world around her, being very aware there's more going on that she should know about but can't outside of what Reiner and the Recon Corps members will say to a traitor.
It's a hard knock life for us. ]
Same as you and everyone else.
no subject
[He pushes the weird food aside and turns to face her. He'll eat that thing later, it's not going anywhere.]
This town's for heroes. Heroes don't kidnap my friends.
[Actually everyone kidnaps Eren. The list of people who don't want him dead is way shorter. But that's not exactly the point he's going for here. The point is, Annie screwed up. She did something rotten. He's not going to banter with her like it's all okay...but he doesn't want to walk away, either. They used to be a team. What the heck happened to that?]
no subject
So while she agrees with Connie - she isn't a hero, not by anyone's standard - his logic is almost laughably funny to her. Heroes don't kidnap his friends. How right he is. ]
Which may be why the military here isn't referred to as heroic. [ She turns away, pausing as she gives Connie a sideways glance. ] It's preferable if you don't make a scene.
[ As if she herself isn't already walking away. ]
no subject
Wait...she's talking about something else. And totally dissing him. Walking away mid conversation is a jerky thing to do, especially in this case. Connie jumps to his feet and jogs after her, not ready to let her just go like that. He's also not sure what he can really do to detain her here. Who's going to help?
Not like she and her buddies can bust through any walls here, either. If she goes on a people eating rampage, there's a whole city full of people who can help take her down. Even Connie can do that math.]
That's it? You're just brushing me off?
no subject
Am I responsible for doing more?
[ Here, that is, since the question of responsibility for actions back home is something else entirely. ]
We're under surveillance. If at all possible, I don't want them to have anything worth reporting back to whoever it is pulling on their strings. Now did you need me to contact Jean or Armin for you?
[ Not... Levi or Erwin; she's not striking up any conversation with either of them, not without good reason. Connie arriving is of more immediate importance to his fellows than to the people who've been working within the military for years. ]
you caught up? trying not to spoil you?
[It's easiest to retort to the surveillance quip because actually yeah she does owe him more than that. There's no difference between there and here to Connie yet, since he just got here and he's not tactical minded. The retort is a lie anyway, and the idea if being watched makes him nervous. It probably shows. Connie is an outlaw too, now. No one specifically wants his head on a pike like Annie's, but he's got to keep it down anyway. At least until he knows what the hell is going on around here and how much they care about...that stuff that's been going down.
Talking to Jean and Armin is a great start if they're here. Connie looks up sharply when she suggests it.]
Those guys are here? Where?
fully caught up! go ahead!
[ She... does know, or suspects she knows, but it's not something to advertise. Moving to Nonah doesn't protect her from being found, and she's not so ignorant as to presume she can hide within the military's grace. However long it lasts. ]
Armin works at the library after school. You might find him there.
no subject
[Does she mean like a room full of books? Only rich people have those. They'd never let someone like Armin touch their stuff. Maybe the heat is getting to Annie. Connie glances down at his weird cold food item. He's almost tempted to offer it to her and see if it hurts her too but he realizes with some dismay that it's doing something weird. It's becoming a gooey, gross looking soup. Connie stares at it like their little argument isn't even happening. That's gross...]
no subject
[ It is mind boggling, and she's having to accept it alongside all the other mindboggling occurrences stacking up on Earth.
It takes her a second to figure out what it is that's claimed Connie's attention after. She looks down at the mess on his hands, breathing out through her nose. ]
Most the cold things they sell streetside melt if you don't eat them fast enough. It's too hot here.
[ Annie avoids them on the principle that she should be slow trying new things. Too much of what she's running into is over rich for her system, and she's not fond of the complications that arise out of that. ]
hello hello
More accurately, she's only just entering the shop and pauses by the doorway amazed at how much cooler the temperature is in here. Walking around in a long sleeve blouse, skirt, with her 3DMG is surprisingly exhausting in this ungodly heat. It feels like she can't breathe on the outside.
Some of the patrons look up at her and she sinks back a little. Everywhere she's gone it's been like this... ]
Hello there... [ And before she can say anything more, she registers a familiar voice from ahead. Although she's baffled at the same time, her spirits lift just a bit seeing who it is. ] Huh? Connie!
manly squeal
Sasha! Hey, Sasha! Over here.
girly squeal i apologize as she's a completely new character for me!
So you're here, too! Did those soldiers send you here?
[ But before she can inquire any further, a wafting scent catches her attention and she sniffs the air like a curious animal before her eyes lock onto the banana split. ]
What... is that? [ She lets go of Connie and takes a seat, her mouth watering. ] It smells very good...
same! I'm still finishing up his icons
It's a bah nah nah split and it's mine!
[Connie drops back into the seat across from Sasha and grabs his spoon before she can get any wise ideas. He needs to show this food who's boss anyway. He takes a big scoop of the gooey stuff (is it getting gooier? That's weird) and shovels it into his mouth.
...Ow! That frickin hurts. Connie drops the spoon again and squeezes his eyes closed the same as before, but this time he swallows the food instead of spitting it back out.
Oh! It's cold the whole way down his throat. Painfully cold. Connie makes a gagging noise in his surprise, and foolishly leaves the creamy treat unguarded while he chokes and glances around. How is everyone else in this shop just casually downing these things like it's no big deal? His throat is on fire! Ice fire!]
and same here! the manga is such a pain to icon so i'm cheating with anime art for now
[ Sasha pouts as he snatches the spoon first. Her jaw drops open when Connie continues eating this mysterious bah nah nah split, worried he's going to devour the rest of it without leaving a single drop for her. ]
You should share with your friends, Connie! Traitor!
[ She should probably be more sympathetic to the pain he's in, but it's also an opening and if she doesn't go for it now, she might not have a chance. She grabs both spoon and bowl and turns away so she can start scooping the mystery treat into her mouth.
It's cold. Very cold. She doesn't spit it out and swallows, but when there's a sharp pain in her temple she stops everything. ]
W-What is this?! It's so cold!!
me too...whups
The food tastes good, though. Sweeter than anything he's ever had before, and creamy.]
It's ice and cream.
[He replies with all the authority of someone who didn't ask for details when maybe he should've. It had just been the most appealing picture on the menu. The stuff besides the ice and cream was less identifiable. Some kind of produce, probably fruit. Nothing he'd ever seen or heard of. Chopped nuts, though he wasn't familiar with that type. Something sticky and colorful in brown and red and yellow. Then some air and cream, maybe? And cherries that didn't look or taste like cherries. They seemed to be pickled. All of that and crumbs of sweet bread too. It had to be the most decadent thing ever invented, and it was all theirs.
His. She's not going to just steal it, no way. Connie reaches over to try and snag the spoon away from her again.]
And other things. It's a local speciality!
if you need, duicons just posted a bunch of connie icons on its comm!
Ice cream? [ She looks at the bowl, unable to identify its contents. She's familiar enough with nuts, but as for the type, she's just as lost as Connie. ] How can ice be made into a cream?
[ Where are they getting ice in this weather? ]
Hey, Connie! [ She whines as he snatches the spoon. So it had been painful, but it was delicious and she was starving. Though as he explains it's a local specialty, she calms down long enough to ask: ] Connie... where are we? Did you find yourself in that military base, too?
[ She's asked locals, the soldiers at the base told her. She's committed the name of this land to memory and yet she still needs to ask. With someone she knows around, she feels some unease lift off her back. ]
are you psychic? that's open in the other tab haa
When the worst of the headache passes he props his chin on his arms and glances back up at Sasha, still squinting a little at the bright lights.]
Yeah they got me too. And they marked me.
[He frowns when he admits that. He's not sure what to make of being marked like a slave or a criminal, but they gave him one that said HERO at least. That's gotta count for something, right?]
This place is called Flo Rida. It's gotta be an inner district here. They have everything!
[Even ice in May. See? He's not making it up.]
no subject
However, she's noticed nobody regarded her with suspicion as she meandered her way throughout the town. There are no wanted posters with Captain Levi's face or information about the Survey Corps.
That's not possible in an inner district, is it? She bites down on her lip, pensive. ]
It's so peaceful. [ It reminds her a little of home, before the fall of Maria. ] I wonder where the others are.
[ Then one of the shop's waiters approaches her with the friendliest smile he has to offer. Sasha freezes up initially, but as soon as he's told her she gets a free malt her jaw drops open. ]
Free?! [ What sort of district gave food away for free? Incredible! It's truly heaven they've found! Who cares if she has no idea what a malt is, she's having one or two or three. ] I would like one, please!
no subject
Still cold!]
You think they keep the ice in the back?
[But Sasha asked a question, kind of. Connie thinks it over for a while. When he picks the spoon up again and tries to scoop out the fruit he finds it gives way easily under the spoon. It has a soft texture, almost like thick, soggy bread.]
I haven't seen anyone else. They're probably keeping a low profile.
[He sets the strange fruit free off his spoon and tips his hat a little for Sasha, innocuously calling attention to his disguise. Maybe he can make her laugh. That goes a long way to feeling better when you're lost and confused. At least they're lost together.]
no subject
When we find them we definitely have to bring them around to this shop. Even Mikasa and Jean have to appreciate free food!
[ And it will be just the thing to pick up their spirits, she thinks. ]
If they keep ice in the back, I want to see. Do you think they bring it down from the mountains somewhere? I only saw that huge lake.
[ She looks up; no one's paying them much attention anymore. She nods toward the doors leading to the back of the shop. It must be their kitchen. ]