maskormenace | Entries tagged with † sherlock holmes

March 2021

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WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE WORLD?

Mask or Menace is a panfandom urban 'superhero' genre DWRP game, where heroes, villains, and everyone in between seek to survive and thrive in a world loosely parallel to our own.

wizzardly

Well, now that all the technomancy's up and running again, I don't suppose anyone ever got that riddle solved, did they? The actual one, mind. Not the one about why we lost lights and things in the first place.

[Rincewind taps a pencil with one hand against the open pages of a book thoughtfully, the other waving his lunch (an egg and cress sandwich) as he intones:]

"We did warn you. All of you have so much power. That comes at a cost. If you can't see in the darkness, then look to the stars.”

...I certainly don't remember any warning, and I've usually a keen memory for those.

Anyway, "power" seems a rather obvious double meaning, but it's the "looking to the stars" bit which has me curious. [a phrase which here means, "debating whether there's still sufficient enough impending threat to flee the country".]

ImPorts could be the stars - we certainly are in their TV and such, that's meaning enough. But if "power" has a double meaning, it stands to reason "stars" would as well. Were we actually supposed to be looking up at the night sky during all of that, do you think?

...I don't suppose anyone did any gazing while they were running about saving people?

[or just running, in Rincewind's case.]

thevictoriandetective

[The usually confident baritone voice sounds a little...unsure. He's not going to identify himself right away, but he's not actively hiding, either.]

Is there anyone out there who can breathe underwater?

blackhat

I’m looking to rob a bank or two.

[ The man in black’s voice is low, rough with age and smoke through whatever farcical discretion ‘anonymity’ provides. ]

Could use a lookout, maybe a driver. 80/20 split. Negotiable, depending on what you have to offer, [ he elaborates, deadly serious and with enough of a drawl to ring distinct to any ears with a mind to pick him out of a lineup, later. ]

Interested parties inquire within.

[ OOC: All replies will be anonymous unless otherwise indicated. ]

musclemothers

[When the video opens, imPorts get a good sight of the top of Rusty's nose before he begins to jog backwards, revealing that the camera was set far enough away from the building to have it have a pretty damn good view of the place.

The place in question is a warehouse with its icon and the words VENTURE INDUSTRIES emblazoned on the front of the building in stylish, metallic silver letters. To be honest, the outside actually looks pretty damn impressive. He worked hard on the place.

The inside is a different story, but nobody's seeing the inside today, now, are they?]

A-hem! Good afternoon, fellow imPorts, because I have got a very big announcement to make today. I'd like to announce the formal opening of Venture Industries, a new, imPort-run R&D company. This baby right here - [he tilts his head, gesturing towards the building] - is where you'll want to go if you need a superscientist attending to your affairs. While we do a general business here, it would be neglectful of me not to mention my specialties. [Which he pronounces, this time, and this time only as spe-see-al-i-ties, because he's trying to sound fancy.] We specialize in engineering work, weaponry, and, of course, the vast field of, ah... DNA studies.

[Which is a nice way of saying that he used to have a cloning facility in his basement, but shh!]

The point being that although I've already got my hands full with government projects, I'd be more than happy to squeeze some fellow imPorts into my busy schedule. Or if any of you youngsters are looking for a truly exciting place to intern at, you have my number.

That's all. Helper, the fireworks!

[ One, solitary firework explodes over the top of the building. It looks pitiful.]

Helper!

[And then a flamethrower begins to shoot incessantly from the roof. From Helper, really, who's currently standing on the roof.]

Goddamn it, this is why I need an intern, because of your incompete--

[Of course, the feed clicks off before the general public can hear any more of Rusty's verbal flagellation of his poor, confused robot.]

[ OOC: On the off-chance that anyone's interested in the offered internship or work being done, Rusty is currently accepting interns and has government contracts for advanced weaponry with additional interests in biological warfare. Feel free to PM me for further plotting or contact me on plurk at wisdombitch! ]

thevictoriandetective

What do you do when you make a mistake and anger someone close to you? How do you make it right? Besides saying 'I'm sorry,' of course.

restingstitchface

This is a world where nobody can be certain what is real. Tabloid scandal and tittle-tattle surround our mad lives. Journalists take shots at clearing the superstition enveloping those who choose to wear a mask, and like most they do it for the money, selfishly exposing the names of heroes and villains alike.

[His right hand hoists up a headline, framed at the bottom with his left palm. The accompanying photograph is of a blonde propping up a bar, split with a shot of her professionally dressed in a skirt and doctor's jacket. Hair up, round glasses. A girl so neat you can take her home to meet the family.]

Party Girl Harley Quinn Goes Profesh: Can It Last?

What trenchant contempt. Such grubby hands, tearing off flesh to show the bones beneath! Masks contain a definite meaning, an intellectual formula, are expressions of human feeling for the surrounding world. They are creations of the human mind and, as such, deserve respect. No matter whether they're an identity behind which one reconstructs their self or a shield that protects loved ones.

We understand how dangerous they can be. Do they think they can hide before facing the consequences of this drivel?

[Blech! He lays down the page.]

Guess it all boils down to one question for me, anyway. One more important than Harleen Quinzel's metamorphosis.

[He refuses to call her a doctor.]

What's Batman's deal?

thevictoriandetective

Can you get me an arm or a leg or something to experiment on? I haven't made any friends with morgue personnel yet.

Eyeballs would be fantastic too. The best I could do lately was a severed finger I found in a gutter.

-SH

dun_moch

What would you do if you could control the Porter?

[The deep, rich voice that asks this question pauses to let it sink in before continuing.]

I ask you that consider this topic carefully. The Porter does far more than govern who comes to this world and who departs. It can both grant special powers, and remove them. It can alter bodies and memories. It can even affect the passage of time itself.

The Porter is the reason we are here, and the reason that we leave. It dominates our lives, while we have so very little influence over it. Yet we all hope that this will one day change, do we not? That some revelation will unlock the secrets of the great machine, so that we can come and go as we please from this world.

It is said that this was how it once was with the imPorts who were here before us: that the government controlled the Porter then, and was able to simply send them home. Perhaps those days shall come again. Maybe it will be through the whims of the Porter itself, or the policies of the government, or even through our own actions.

Regardless of how and when it happens, I believe we should consider what we will do if the Porter is ever brought under control. One thing is for certain: it would be a great change in the lives of all imPorts.

[Just an innocent conversational inquiry from your resident Sith Lord. If this post is your first time tagging the Count, you may want to take a look at his permissions post!]

onhold

hi everyone! i'm karina and i'm pretty new here won't take up too much of your time, sooo... quick question! if you could design your own superhero costume, what would it like? function over form or a combination of both? what matters most to you when you're out and about and helping people out? or what DOES your costume look like, if you've already made one and you're in a position to tell thanks in advance everyone ♥

thevictoriandetective

[There's some fumbling and muttered rude words, a flash of blue and gray. Finally it comes into focus, a tall, thin man--not as tall as he looks--gazing intensely into the screen. There's a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead that his dark curls are sticking to. His eyes dart back and forth rapidly, and his pallor suggests he's ill or at least feels ill. He's wearing a fitted white shirt under a tailored suit jacket. More likely the latter, though he looked like he didn't belong in Florida weather. He's in an alleyway, someplace quiet.]

Hello. My name is Sherlock Holmes.

[He's expecting some recognition or something. That arrogant tilt of his chin hides the utter bewilderment and flabbergastation that's whirling around in that mind. Oh yeah, he's dead confused and completely out of his element, figuratively and literally.]

Clearly this is some massive practical joke, no doubt financed by someone who hates me. Since that's a lot of people, I figured I would address as many as possible with this device. You can't expect me to believe I haven't just been kidnapped and dropped in this disgusting swamp and that some stupid newspaper has-been in search of his last chance at a proper story is waiting behind curtain number three to snap a picture of me making a fool of myself. Or a mad little experiment from our old friends at Baskerville. I really don't care, though admittedly, you've done an excellent job with the special effects, the cars...the science fiction. Theatrical. I applaud the spectacle.

However, it grows tiresome. This ruse is stupid, so you can stop this now, you can give up.

I also will need plane tickets back to London immediately, return my actual phone, and someone to remove this idiotic tattoo.

Don't make me call my brother.

dreamcatcher

( guess who's back, back again? here she is, the grumpy savior, and... unbelievably, she's doing kind of okay. not, you know, great... but kind of okay.

she comes as a woman on a mission, though... however embarrassing it is. )

easy to pick up hobbies that you do with your hands, and go

sidebar: does anyone want a dreamcatcher? because I've got a lot of dreamcatchers.

( no seriously. a lot of dreamcatchers. she can get about an hour of sleep a night on a good night, so far, and the rest of her nights are spent failing at crafting and making dreamcatchers. )

witchplease

[ The alias attached to the entry reads only Scarlet Witch, no name given. The alias is a relic, a token from the old days when she and Pietro shouted revolution from the rooftops. After HYDRA, Wanda didn't think she had anything to fear anymore. No cell could hold her, no bullets could touch her. Together, she and Pietro were invincible. No one could hurt them again.

Then, she came here. ]

today i have learned that in america, a hero is someone who grows fat and lazy off the praises that are given to him, but he has not earned. for this, a hero will give away his freedom.

[ Though she does not fear as she once did, Wanda doesn't accept the tattoo on her wrist easily. Rather than being gunned down in the streets, the masses of "imPorts" allow themselves to be cataloged and controlled -- even those that profess to be unhappy with their enslavement. They say things like, "it could be worse," using that to justify their own slothfulness.

It could always be worse. That doesn't make it right. ]

where i am from, the avengers are so high in their tower that humans appear to them only as little ants. the complacency i see here is worse, i think.

where do i find a true hero?

infomodder

[The video flips onto Will, situated at an older, well-worn desk in front of a window that seems to have come standard with the building itself. Right outside the window, right behind Will, is one of those ads featuring Chrollo. It all looks very cramped, though Will has managed to take the time to actually shave and get a haircut and put in the basic effort to look socially presentable. He's even wearing a plain white shirt and dark blue tie, nothing plaid in sight. Like it's normal! Tiny space, business dress, a totally shirtless dude in a cologne ad if he looks over his shoulder, everything is fine.]

Good afternoon, imPorts. Two things. [Will's eyes occasionally lift from the camera, as though there's someone giving him cues.] My name is Will Graham, and I've just taken on the position of working as a liaison between the police and our imPort population. Ideally, there would be a clearer line of communication between the two. If anything happens and you're uncomfortable going to the police yourself, for any reason, that's what I'm here for. [Eyes flick up. Well.] And to encourage you to go to the police when the need for it arises—they can't help if we keep them in the dark and doing everything on our own without giving them any notice serves to only add onto later headaches.

[So basically don't be Miles Edgeworth with the whole Yuri Petrov is Lunatic thing. Be him in the way that he was right, don't be him going to the Network for vigilante justice without doing anything else first. Okay? Okay. Good. Not that Will's incapable of just telling them about by looking at his own communicator, but he's not sure that's the best thing to share. Not immediately. The eyes shifting stops as Will takes a breath. Too much talking, goodness.]

For the second, since she was always quite good at stirring the pot, I'd like to add that Freddie Lounds, the journalist behind Tattlecrime: Heropa, seems to have been Ported out as of the end of February. [Casually leaving out what happened to her before that, delivery matter-of-fact, void of any and all emotion towards her.] I assume the site will be left as is, but there won't be any further updates. ["Updates" being a loose word for it; the way he emphasizes it is the first slip in the neutral mask, Will sounding irritated above all else. Got a bad taste in his mouth about it all.] If you have any questions, let me know.

[No "thank you for listening," no "goodbye," Will leaves it at that, flicks the camera off. That's all, folks.]

could_be_dangerous

In light of recent events it seems apt that I make an advertisement offering my services to the general public. I am Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, amply acquainted with the solution of murders, thefts, arsons, and the generally unsavoury, etc. Inquiries of a general nature may be directed to me at any time, though I take cases at my own discretion, and will generally request an interview to establish both the particulars and the legitimacy of the case. The suspicious may refer to Dr. John Watson for a no-doubt superfluously effusive list of my general accomplishments, and when he proves unconvincing I should be delighted to provide a demonstration of my capabilities. In what will no doubt be vastly more appealing than any of the previous to some of you, I shall add that all services will be rendered entirely gratis.

((ooc: Permissions post/opt-out here, for anything you'd rather Sherlock not pick up on. Additionally, there may be some threadjacking here and there by the aforementioned Dr. Watson since it is his lot in life to babysit this gigantic infant, and if anyone would like to address him instead of Sherlock they can note as much in their subject lines.))

herrin

We're the good guys.

( for her first address to the network, irene mimicks what she was told upon first arriving, no matter how hazy the circumstances surrounding her arrival might be. she certainly doesn't waste time; her address to the group at large is barely fifteen minutes after she is dropped off at her new home. as much as she hates to add to the general confusion that seems to be going around, she wants answers. immediately.

her appearance is as it always is: calm. put together. her tone is nonchalant, mocking even, and less than distressed. lipstick immaculate, hair pinned neatly. she doesn't look inconvenienced in the least. )

Good is so subjective, isn't it? I'm quite certain anyone would say they were 'good' if given the chance, regardless of what their actions prove. All this talk of justice, heroics, saving people....

( the way her sentence trails off is very intentional. )

Well, you can forgive a girl for being a bit skeptical.

( her gaze on the camera is pointed, and her smirk dares, prove me wrong. she's information gathering. surely there has to be at least one person out there who likes to overshare. after all, there always is. )

( ooc: i have an opt out and a permission post for anyone who is interested. )

eastdetective

[A network, huh? Before doing anything, Conan had spent some time observing it. He couldn't help but find anything as convenient as this suspicious.

But even with all the information he had gathered so far, he was still stuck with far more questions than answers. There was no help for it. He was still suspicious, but using the network would be faster than tracking people down individually. And could possibly have the very useful side effect of establishing his reputation here as nothing more than a curious kid.

He opens up the communicator and deliberately fumbles around with it for a bit, before opening the connection and scowling childishly at the camera.]

The people who brought us here are really mean, aren't they? I didn't ask to go on vacation at all!

[Conan smiles, and proceeds to dig for information.]

Ne! So can anyone tell me more about this place! It looks a little like America, right? But it doesn't look familiar at all. And it seems like there are some strange things going on here. Are there really superheroes? But those are just in stories, right? Is it just people in costumes playing tricks?

[Sometimes Conan still couldn't believe that people bought this kind of act.]

glassinine

[BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS IT'S GONNA BE A BUMPY RIDE
by which I mean no, Edgeworth just has a quiet, calm, thoughtful little tirade for you all]

Good day. I'm acquainted with some of you already; for those whom I do not yet know, my name is Miles Edgeworth, and I work as a prosecutor here. I hope that you will indulge me in listening to a bit of a speech.

I understand that here, as in the previous city - and as in the homes of many of you - there is a tradition of vigilantism. I do not come today to decry vigilantes as criminals; I know that those of you who engaged in such practices almost certainly did so out of a desire to protect your homes, to fight crime that could not otherwise be fought, and the like.

But anyone who is considering returning to such practices here - who is considering becoming a vigilante and acting outside of the law - I beg you all to take a step back for just a moment and examine your actions with a critical eye.

I know that it is easy to resent the law. We like to think of the government as some meddling busybody keeping us from doing what is fun. But laws are never written out of spite. They're written for protection: of you, of your neighbors. At times, they're written to protect people from one another; at times, they're written to protect citizens from the government itself.

Laws are in place to protect people. So if you choose to act as a vigilante, to break the law, what are you doing? You're trespassing against others. You're resisting things that were put in place for the protection of yourself and your neighbor. Police cannot act as freely as vigilantes, but for good reason: they're held in check so that they are answerable to the people and to they cannot do harm to the people.

So I beg of you, any who would turn to vigilantism: consider instead working with the police. Particularly given recent events, the police force here needs those who have remarkable powers to help keep the citizenry safe. You will not be able to act as freely, perhaps, but you will be helping the city - and helping it in a way where you will not run the risk of overstepping your bounds and causing hurt.

Thank you very much for your attention. I welcome any disagreement or debate, and will freely and gladly engage any who wish to speak about this.

deduce

_{[ Giving his identity away so early in the game seems like a mistake. Isn't that something comic book heroes like to hide away? He's not sure, he's never really been the type to invest in that sort of thing, but they wear masks and why wear a mask if they didn't want their identities kept a secret? Trusting the government here isn't an option, so Sherlock isn't going to give everyone his real name. No, he's going to use a persona on the network, at least until he can justify being himself, at least until he knows more about the situation he's found himself in.

After ruffling up his hair and unbuttoning his dress shirt down and past his chest, he turns his expression into one of bemused intrigue and then the camera's on him, recording his every movement as he shifts on the balls of his feet. When he speaks, his accent is cockney; central London through and through, it's a lovely 'oliday with Mary style, and he doesn't look too pleased with where he's found himself. ]}

Cor blimey, it's hot, ain't it? You lot should do something about that, or we'll end up melting if we ain't careful. Take me back to rainy old England any day, at least there we know how to handle weather like this: complain and then complain some more, am I right? S'pose it's not all bad though - air conditionings a hell of a thing, but it wouldn't catch on back home. Doesn't get hot enough for it, I guess. It's getting hotter with that global warming though, or so they say.

Oh, right, my name's Tony, by the way. Yeah, Tony Kane; I'm from Poplar, London, if it weren't obvious.

_{[ He smiles a crooked little smile and offers a little wink down the lens. Ladies. ]}

So this is normal, then. They're not having me on with all of this power lark. I didn't have a pot to piss in at home and what, now I've got the ability to speak to animals, or something?

_{[ He laughs in disbelief, the camera shaking as he moves aside. It's not long before he pulls it back, though, and when his smile fades a frown starts to take its place. ]}

Look, mates, I'm gonna level with you: this is all bullshit, innit? And I'm mostly talking to the Brits here, because we don't have any of this patriotic shit, we're all about depreciative humour and a pint of larger down the local pub. And I don't mean no offence by that, it's just - we're of a different culture, ain't we? They can't really be expecting us to join in with their lot, can they? Swearing in and all that, I mean. I didn't fight for Queen and country to come over here and give my allegiance to a bunch of yanks.

_{[ He shifts his gaze beyond the camera at that, side-eyeing at the people passing him in the street. He's getting a few odd looks. ]}

I don't mean anything bad by it, it's just a lot to take in, and... yeah. I'll take this opportunity to shut my big fat gob, I think. So, uh, yeah. Thanks.

glestrade

[ Greg's set up at a table, elbows propped up around the evidence of his breakfast - a crumpled napkin, a plate with silverware deposited on top, finished - somewhere outside with a view of a street: a sidewalk café. He looks tired and not all that well put-together, but the largeish celery garnish jutting out of his glass is a good sign he's on his way to repairing the night's damage.

It's enough that he's smiling, anyway, and looking sufficiently loose, if a little pensive. He doesn't like eating alone. ]

I was thinking last night - there's so many differences in police work between here and back home, London. Some of it's just language, jargon, you know, and some of it's just a matter of degree I guess. Guns, everyone talks about that one. We do have them, you know. I mean - I don't, hardy ever touched one, but it's not like they aren't …

[ Realizing he knows extremely little about gun regulation in this country, he decides to abandon that train of thought - not the point, anyway. ]

Well. There's lots of stuff that's different. But most of it's the same, there's different words and standards for things, but it's all pointed at the same goal, right? All over the world, or most of it. Even moreso when you used to be the same country, or have the same laws, or whatever. You find out whodunnit, and you work on making sure they can't do it again. I don't really understand how anyone can do any other kind of work, but this kid Fred I knew in school said the same thing to me about playing the piano, so it's just each to his own.

[ He takes a drink, and sets his chin in his hand. ]

I do miss my team, though. Not that I'm complaining, being a consultant's fantastic, the hours are unbeatable, you get to - you know, focus a bit more, I guess, because your job's … smaller. That's really nice. But being part of the office, the - something bigger, even if half the time it's cursing over how long it takes to get a requisition or politics or something like that, the people.

[ With a bit of a laugh and a self-deprecating half-smile, he pushes his hand through his hair and glances to one side. ]

That's a bit stupid, though, isn't it. There's people everywhere.

[ He just doesn't have any to talk to in person first thing in the morning, and for him, an hour or two is too long to go without. Feeling a little silly for this makeshift replacement, he just flashes a quick smile before shutting off the camera. ]

MASK OR MENACE

NETWORK COMMUNITY

Entries tagged with † sherlock holmes | n/a

March 2021

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WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE WORLD?

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