now don't be rude

[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

4.

[genoshan]

[ He would have stopped the car himself, but it appears that he's a moment too late. The flashes of pink cause him to pause in his steps, watching the younger woman's work with raised eyebrows and a faint expression of approval. ]

Well done.

[ With the urgency removed from the situation, his posture relaxes, and he gives the other imPort a considering look... and tries to hide his surprise when he feels a pang of familiarity. He doesn't recognize her, exactly, but he can't deny the uncanny resemblance to someone he was convinced he would never see again. ]

[doesthemath]

[No doubt Pietro would be suppressing the urge to comment in a dry tone that he's so glad they have his approval to the stranger on the street. Wanda's half tempted herself except that the man's tone seems genuine and she remembers that she doesn't need to make up for her brother not being there by filling some imaginary quota of sarcasm and at times just general unpleasantness.]

Thank you.

[Blinking, she notes that he seems somewhat familiar, but she can't quite put her finger on why that is. Used to the concept of alternate universe by now, she wonders if perhaps he's simply another version of someone she's run across back home, but the resemblance nags at her.]

You look as if you meant to step in yourself, am I wrong?

[genoshan]

[ He gives a small shrug at that. ]

I certainly would not have stood by as children were run down. But it would seem you have a handle on the situation.

[ He has to put a conscious effort into not staring. He doesn't want to unnerve someone that he just met, after all. ]

[doesthemath]

[She nods, glancing back to the cops as they arrest the driver, then to the children who seem to be talking and staring at her. There's no horror in their faces, however. No disgust at what she is. It's unsettling to be so easily accepted by this population.

Wanda turns back to Erik, expression showing some curiosity.]

I'm Scarlet Witch, by the way.

[She's been hero-ing, which means she gives her mutant name, not her given one. There's an implied "And you are?" in her tone.]

[genoshan]

[ He's not able to hide his surprise. His eyes widen somewhat, and he looks as though he is about to speak but then reconsiders it at the last moment.

Between the time he's spent with Billy and Tommy, and the helpful run-down on an alternate version of himself that Emma provided him with, he definitely recognizes that name. It certainly explains the resemblance. ]

I had not thought I would meet you here.

[doesthemath]

[Now there's a reaction closer to what she's been expecting all this time. Surprise. Recognition. It still lacks the somewhat obvious negative attitude, but it feels like home, almost.

What he says speaks of a different kind of connection, however. Finding him familiar and hearing him refer to her specifically instead of members of her teams gives her pause. She's trying to place his face but it's difficult, almost like having a word on the tip of her tongue that she can't quite remember.]

And I had begun to think that no one here was familiar with any version of me. Are we acquainted in your world?

[genoshan]

[ He pauses for a moment before giving a small shake of his head. For all he knows she has already been born, though he has not had the chance to meet her. ]

No... Not yet. But I was brought here from the year 1962.

[ There's a peculiar degree of emotion that is beginning to seep into his eyes, into his voice, though he is trying to hold it back. ]

[doesthemath]

[1962? She's aware that people are pulled from all manner of universes and times, but she finds it difficult to reconcile the man in front of her with anyone she might know from that long ago.

It occurs to her only after that despite his being from an earlier timeline in which they haven't met yet, he still knows her by name. Which means someone else must have told him about her--but why? Combined with the expression on his face that seems to be growing slightly strained, Wanda can't help but feel apprehensive.]

I see. Perhaps you'll enlighten me then because I confess while you seem somewhat familiar to me, I can't quite place you.

[genoshan]

[ He hesitates for a moment. He hadn't imagined his first encounter with his daughter going like this-- then again, he's not really sure how he had imagined it. ]

I am... your father.

cw: mention of abuse/violence? /)_(\

[doesthemath]

[Wanda hears nothing.

She feels nothing. Smells nothing. She's aware of the way her mouth tastes terrible suddenly, dry, and how she can't see anything beyond this man who can't be more than a decade older than her, telling her he's her father.

And he looks like him, sort of. She can see the resemblance now for what it is, and understands now why she defaulted automatically to caution. She'd known something, known him somehow at the back of her mind.

She's too well schooled to back up, to show fear or weakness in front of this man who would no doubt berate her for it. But it's hard to push the teleportation spell out of her mind when it would take her away from here, take her anywhere. It's hard not to think about the last time she saw her father, the fear that had been so intense it was palpable. His words had rang louder and longer than the sounds of the shots as he'd used S.H.I.E.L.D. guns to cut Pietro down at the knees.

"Oh, but your punishment is quite straightforward, my little Wanda. You get to watch."
He's from before all that, before everything went badly, but Wanda pales all the same despite her efforts to not give this man any reaction at all. She speaks before she knows what to say, words that come easily to her lips to stall as she tries to think of something of substance.]

I see.

[Her mind races as she tries to make sense of this.]

That explains...why you seem familiar. [She takes a slow, quiet breath, and fights to avert her eyes.] What do you know about me so far?

[genoshan]

[ Emma has given him the run-down on the version of himself that she is familiar with in her own universe. She doesn't know everything about his life there, but she's known him for years and has been in his mind there, so she knows more than most.

He knows that he has not been an ideal father, but would never imagine committing such crimes as he was responsible for in Wanda's universe. In fact, he would be appalled to hear of them.

He wants to be a good father. He likes to hope that he would be, if given the chance, though he has his doubts-- he knows that he has a tendency to become too preoccupied with his other goals. ]

Only what Ms. Frost has told me. And... I know your sons. I have been... getting to know them, that is. They're good boys.

[doesthemath]

[Ms. Frost? Xavier's Ms. Frost is here? Wanda lifts an eyebrow at that, but the second soon follows after the moment he mentions her sons.

Her sons.

If she'd had time to come up for air, so to speak, she might have thought that there was nothing more that could surprise her in this meeting. But oh, she was wrong. She has children, apparently. And they're here and this time Wanda's carefully held neutral expression cracks entirely.]

I have sons. And you have been getting to know them.

[The thought chills her. She doesn't even know these sons of hers and already she fears for them. What has been happening here in this other universe? Has this man started to turn into the monster she's come to know, yet?]

[genoshan]

[ He had guessed that she might not be aware of them, yet-- he could only guess at how old she was when she had them, after all. And Billy and Tommy have purposefully chosen not to attempt to explain the part where they were the reincarnation of children who Wanda created through magic. ]

Yes. This has all been... a lot to take in for me as well. I did not even know that I have... [ he pauses, deciding to forgo the word "living" ] children, let alone grandchildren.

[doesthemath]

[It starts to seep through very, very slowly, in little bits and drops, that he isn't quite acting like her father. He doesn't act as if he has all the answers, hasn't spoken once about the mutant race. There's no disdain in his tone, no biting remarks, nothing of the harder side she knows all too well in her father.

The fact that he seems to find the situation as awkward and be as much at a loss about it as her keeps her from lashing out to cover her fear. Instead she takes a few steps away, almost stalking to the sidewalk as if the sudden movement will help jog her thoughts better and allow them to fall into place better. It's the best way she can think of to hide the fact that she is putting some distance between them, before turning to face him again.]

And no one saw fit to tell me that you or they were also here. You haven't told me what Ms. Frost told you, however. You know my mutant name, but what else do you know about me? Or our...[She can't say the world relationship]...history?

[genoshan]

I imagine you haven't been here for long.

[ He's certain that someone would have told him. At least, he likes to think that they would.

He takes a moment to try to organize his thoughts. ]

I have been told that your name is Wanda Maximoff, that you have a twin brother named Pietro. I... remember your mother, but she... left me before you were born.

[doesthemath]

[There are some things that don't quite add up with Wanda's timeline that he mentions. It means at the very least that Emma Frost doesn't share the same reality as Wanda. Erik is still somewhat up in the air. And her children? Wanda doesn't even know if she can handle thinking about them in depth quite yet.]

Our father left our mother. When we were children, he packed us up and left the Balkans for America. Uncle Charles left his wife as well and when things didn't work out in San Francisco we settled in the Savage Lands.

And we were raised as Lehnsherrs. Not Maximoffs.

[genoshan]

[ He gives a slight shake of his head. If their mother is who he thinks she is-- which seems rather likely, given Wanda's resemblance to Magda-- then they must have already been born, albeit unbeknownst to him. That seemed the most logical explanation, as it was entirely possible that she was pregnant when he last saw her. And he's never heard of the Savage Lands.

At least he doesn't seem remotely surprised to hear her refer to Charles as her uncle. ]

I have been told... that there are many different universes. Ones quite similar to the ones we know, populated by the same people but with significant differences...

[doesthemath]

There are, I've seen one other before coming here.

[Slowly, some of the tension eases from her shoulders. He looks somewhat like her father but even that is enough of a difference to make her think that it's more likely he's not the man who will turn into the tyrant that raised her. Though the question now becomes, what on earth is she supposed to do about him?]

It seems safe to assume for the time being that you and I are not from the same timeline.

[Which means, technically speaking, she isn't his daughter.]

What about...the others. You said there were sons?

[genoshan]

[ He had noted her tense state, and noticed now that she appeared to relax just a bit. It is enough to make him start wondering what he may be responsible for in whatever universe she's from-- He is aware of his crimes in Emma's universe, though it would also seem that his relationship with his daughters was almost amicable there, even if they had their rough spots in the past.

At least his grandsons were fond enough of him. ]

Yes, Billy and Tommy. They are... not much younger than yourself, it would seem.

Charles is here as well. There are a handful of other mutants who appear to know us, though barely a dozen.

[doesthemath]

[Billy and Tommy. Charles. Emma Frost. Her father. All kinds of mutants. At the very least she isn't the only one here. It's a small comfort if one can find silver linings in kidnapping situations.

The idea of having teenage sons, however, is a concept that Wanda's not certain she wishes to wrestle with, however. She's barely out of her teens herself and while she's been through a great deal in her life already, she's not in a rush to embrace motherhood. Of course, on the other side of things, they're her sons, or sons of another Wanda, and they've been here on their own by all accounts, with no family in this world but for each other and a version of her father. At the very least, were positions reversed and say, Pietro were there without her, she'd want another version of herself at the very least checking in on him.]

So few, and yet it seems that someone has a taste for members of our families, from any reality.

[She purses her lips together a moment. There are things she could ask him about the boys. If they're mutants. What powers they might have. Which timeline they happen to be from, but those are all things she'd rather learn from them directly.]

Will you tell me more about your particular timeline? It appears I have some catching up to do.

[genoshan]

[ He nods in agreement. He had certainly considered that, even before Wanda's arrival. There were other individuals from whatever world it was that Emma and the twins had originated from as well, which seemed to indicate that the Porter was rather partial to that universe. ]

We could continue this conversation over coffee, if you would prefer.

[ He doesn't object to the question, but they've been standing on this street corner for quite a while now, and somewhere air-conditioned would be a nice alternative. ]

[doesthemath]

[The idea of relocating and sitting down like civilized people to speak seems odd to Wanda. It's almost as if it's some sort of bonding activity, or at least what might pass for one with most people, and her reluctance is obvious.

It's only after wrestling with the idea for a moment, one in which she weighs the potential risks against his behavior thus far (which through this entire interaction has been surprisingly even and non-threatening) that she nods.]

Someplace that serves a decent cup of tea as well would be perfect if you have a recommendation.

[genoshan]

[ He gives a nod at the request, finding himself glad that she has agreed. ]

There is a cafe that Charles is fond of that isn't far from here.

[ He usually sticks with coffee unless he is trying to relax, so he has to trust the other man's judgement on this subject. ]

[doesthemath]

Of course. By all means, lead the way.

[It's one of the few instances in which she feels willing to follow him, perhaps because this man isn't the father she knows and it doesn't feel as if she's giving something up in the process.]

How long have you all been here?

[genoshan]

[ He turns on the sidewalk to do just that. It's not a long walk, thankfully, only a matter of several residential blocks that eventually give way to antique shops, boutiques, and little cafes. ]

Two months. Others have been here longer; I spoke to an individual who said he has been here since February.