maskormenace | Entries tagged with † aoba seragaki

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.

psychup

[The video feed turns on with Athena's face right in the camera. She taps the screen a few times with a gloved hand, glaring, before she pulls away from the camera. The necklace around her neck is glowing bright red.]

Is anyone there?

I have a little more to say to whoever's going around abducting people into your sinister conspiracy. You can't just kidnap people and give them tattoos and tell them to work for you without asking first! What if I had left the stove on?

And another thing! Research librarian? Does this look like a librarian's -

[At this point, punctuating her words, she pokes her lapel where a badge is pinned, but apparently manages to poke herself hard enough to knock herself off balance and drop the communicator.

It's about five minutes later when it turns back on, and she seems to have completely changed her attitude, or at least is no longer glaring into the camera, nor does she seem at all embarrassed about what just happened.]

Right, so, as I was saying! It's really inconsiderate. Anyway...

[She flashes a grin at the camera.]

Who's actually at the other end of this thing? I have to admit, I'm pretty curious. We should meet up and compare notes, and maybe someone could show me around? I've never been in this part of the country before. I also have a few questions about this incredibly ominous situation, but first things first! Those can probably wait until I get settled.

And it's Athena Cykes, by the way. Nice to meet you!

glassinine

[Buckle in, folks. Edgeworth's got a long agenda today, if the paper in front of him is any indication.

A few items of business.

First, the criminal calling himself Lucifer is still at large. If you encounter him, do not approach him. Instead, notify the authorities. He is to be considered extremely dangerous; if you engage him, you do so at your own peril and very likely death. Again, if you see him, report as much to the authorities, but do not engage.

[And with that grim warning out of the way - ]

Second, if anyone has either been given the power to influence thoughts, behaviors, and memories, or had such a power at home, please kindly speak to me. There's a puzzle I could use a bit of help on, and would appreciate it if you would consult.

Now. I also have a bit of a request - and I am perfectly aware of my phenomenal hypocrisy in making this request, since I should be the first one to follow my own advice. Still, please hear me out, and feel free to mock at me heartily afterwards.

As a prosecutor, I see a great many cases in which people have been murdered or injured because of an altercation stemming from an unkind word. I would not at any moment blame those who give insult for their own deaths; no; the fault lies squarely with the person who would take someone else's life. Yet at the same time, a loss of life could have been avoided if both people had just taken the time to be civil.

This is what I want to beg of all of you: be civil. It seems as though every day, people begin arguing viciously on the network. Every day, someone undertakes to be unkind for no reason other than to be unkind. And I truly do understand: all of us here are frightened, and homesick, and angry, and lonely. All of us want to revenge the wrong that's been done to us, and we so often turn to the nearest target to do so, and the nearest target is so often one another.

But it costs nothing to be kind to one another. There is no disadvantage in decency. We're all here in the same circumstances; we're under equal pressure; and none of us, with very few exceptions, want to see suffering or unhappiness amongst those around us. We're all just trying to get along - and we can all get along a bit better if we spare fewer unkind words for one another.

There are few things I can think of that would be worse than seeing your files cross my desk. I don't want to prosecute anyone's murder. And so I beg of you, first: please stay safe and cautious. And I beg of you second: be kind to your fellows, and try to promote harmony, so that there are no tragedies that come when the wrong person loses control.

Thank you all very much for your attention. Remember, if you ever feel unsafe or like you need help, call the authorities or a friend here on the network. We all just want to help one another.

assonant

[ From the perspective, someone's got his communicator propped up on a shelf or a windowsill.

The view encompasses Aoba, his desk, and the remains of four computers, four tablets, three smart phones, three remotes of nebulous origin, and a...toaster oven? From the organized chaos of metal, plastic, casing, wires, tools, and junk food, someone's been working at this a while. ]

Okay, I just have a quick request. If you have any computers or electronic devices that you don't want or that you're going to throw away, can I have them?

I need them for something.

closetshark

[Pitch is draped over a dusty couch, in what is quite obviously an abandoned building. Cracks line the walls and plaster has crumbled to the floor in more than a few places. He looks... bored.]

What do you people even do? When you aren't scrabbling about for food and shelter to further your existences or causing emotional distress or simply wagging your jaws with things that have already been gone over or enjoying the sound of your own voices.

[Not that he doesn't enjoy the sound of his own voice. Obviously.]

I've been entertaining myself well enough the past few weeks but it gets... repetitive, spooking idiots away from places they shouldn't be.

And before you suggest it I am not getting some slave-wage "day job" or throwing my lot in with the government.

On an unrelated topic, if anyone wishes to get ahold of me for... whatever reason you think you might have, I'm feeling indulgent and willing to field some non-asinine questions.

centurybaby

Alright, that's it.

[ there's the click of a lighter, and a wisp of curling smoke that obscures the camera before her hand waves it away, letting her face (and her cigarette) come into view. ]

Given my very sad fucking lack of a spaceship right now, I'm gonna take the second best option, which is rooftops and couch-surfing. It's better than living with a bunch of strangers I don't give a fuck about.

No offense, zero-zero-three. Enjoy the fucking sausage fest. I'll dunk Eridan's toothbrush in the toilet before I go for old times' sake.

[ another exhale of smoke. ]

So. Anything fun for a seventeen-year-old reality alterer to do around here? And no, door-to-door sales with a fucking manipulative asshole is not my idea of a good time. So don't suggest that pseudo-Girl Scout registration bullshit.

If I get bored, maybe I'll have to try the military takeover of a foreign country again. Or make a big neon sign that says "YOU CAN'T JUST GO BACK" for the people that keep fucking asking.

notsowonderfullife

[A man with longish, light brown hair appears on the screen. He obviously needs a haircut. There are probably a few grey streaks and his eyes say that he's seen a lot of not so nice things. Other than that, he appears to be in his 30s and, for the most part, he seems pretty calm about all of this. At least he's not yelling at the camera phone. Then again that's not really how he does things. Not much can be seen behind him except sky.]

On the off chance Barry shows up sometime in the future and looks back on this I feel like I should make some sort of joke about not being in Kansas anymore.

[He pauses as if he expects someone to laugh or reply. Forgive him, his attempts at humor might be lost. He hasn't had people out side of his circle of Mount survivors in a LOOONG time. He shakes his head, already giving up on that. It sort of confirms that Barry isn't here.]

Except of course for the fact I wasn't in Kansas prior to being here. I still have mixed feelings about whether or not to be grateful to be in Oz actually. There was a lot still to do in L.A....my L.A. anyway. Though I can't figure out why you would need this many heroes for anything. We didn't have this many when the world wasn't being overrun by the undead back home...let alone afterwards. So unless your crisis or whatever reason we were brought here was like that...well...there were probably smarter people you could have picked up.

[None of this bodes well in his opinion. The man sighs. The Mount needs him and he just got out of ONE illusion-based dream world that, for awhile, he had pegged for an alternate dimension. Honestly, he would really like to stop having to world jump, even if this one is supposedly more real. He has responsibilities.]

I suppose complaining over this thing isn't going to change that though. Ranting didn't work back home and I don't think it's going to do much good here either.

[So, he moves on. It's probably about time he said something anyway.]

Hello, my name is George Bailey and yes, that is my real name. I've heard all the jokes, I can assure you. I'm from Los Angeles, California or at least what's left of it. It's been awhile since I've actually met new people so my skills at introducing myself probably leave a lot to be desired.

[George looks into the camera awkwardly for a moment. It's been awhile since he's used something like this too. The fanciest thing they had back at the Mount was probably the radios and walkies. He looks back up and sighs. He'd never been much of a Facebook, video chat, whatever kind of guy. Not his thing.]

Should probably head to this house they set me up with and meet my new house mates. I'll talk more later.

[George closes the camera function and ends the post, for now.]

pomerenian

[The video clicks on to a full grown man sticking his tongue out at the camera. After a few moments, he seems to notice the fact that he's doing it and snaps his mouth shut, clearing his throat awkwardly.]

My name is Ren. I'm looking for a man named Aoba Seragaki. Any information you can provide me with is appreciated.

[He looks ready to end the broadcast there, but he hesitates.]

... [He practically deflates from any confidence he'd had when he first started and looks at a loss for what to say. He stares at the screen, looking puzzled, but eventually he speaks up again.]

Ah... I have another inquiry, if it is not too much of an inconvenience. Is it unusual to arrive here in a human vessel if you do not usually have one?

Thank you for your time. [There's an awkward head bow before he turns the feed off.]

pyms

[ Timestamp: 4:22 AM.

When the video turns on, it's the face of a blond man, artificial light and the odd backdrop of two awkward looking trees, dirt and one giant worker ant, who took a moment to tilt its head curiously at the man before moving on. ]

I know we're all busy with our own lives so I'll try to make this short.

When we were brought into this world, some of us were given new sets of powers. Others may have had powers that they had from their own world, powers that they were already used to. I was one of the latter case. My powers involve size changing, from the 25 feet tall to being small enough to be able to interact with subatomic particles. It's a power that I've come to know, inside out. It wasn't an easy progress, I had a myriad of molecular instability that affected my life in a very personal way.

So I can understand what some of you who are dealing with these new powers are going through. You don't know the limits to what you can do, and we don't know either. That makes for a potentially dangerous situation, to both yourself and everyone else.

What I'm proposing is a training centre. I know we have government facilities here that are equally suitable for that but there are those of us who are uncomfortable with the idea of any government involvement. This will be a facility that's imPort funded, established and operated, so that we have a building of our own, outside of the government's eye. It won't matter if you're registered or not, the main priority of this is to make this place available to all imPorts.

I don't exactly have any concrete plans right now, a few blueprints and ideas off the top of my head. I'd like to hear what everyone's input on this before anything is done about it, especially those with new powers and those outside the law, so to speak. But all input is welcomed.

Thank you all for your time.

[ A quick smile and the camera turns off. ]

yourpiecenow

[hey you guys like videos right? How about some good old-fashioned pictures?

they’re all of a girl dressed something like this but with a domino mask—even though it’s obvious to everyone ever that it’s Madison, because those masks are literally useless at hiding your identity—taking selfies, with your normal peace signs and duck lips… except…

they’re all taken next to men in varying states of “shit kicked out of.” blood, bruises, black eyes, several are just straight-up unconscious, being held up by their collars and a bloody gloved fist. in one, an old woman holds up her purse and smiles along. clearly, these were all nefarious criminals of some kind.

Madison Montgomery: ~~Movie Star~~ Super Hero.

a bit later on, Madison picks up her communicator and smiles, though she’s now dressed in ~~(equally as gaudy lbr)~~ “street clothes.”]

That was fun! And now I’ve done my good deed for the year. You're all welcome.

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.

chiefdefense

[After spending most of the end of the previous week in her new house nursing a concussion and coming to terms with the fact that she happens to be, in fact, alive but with no real explanation as to 'how' that could be possible, Mia has managed to get herself composed, assured herself that she is indeed in her own body and quite, quite alive, and is now ready for action having just left the doctor's office after a check up.

So now she turns her attention to introducing herself and social networking, now that she can trust herself not to get dizzy or overtired. She calmly tucks her hair behind her ear after checking that the feed is on, and tilts her head slightly to one side. On the whole she looks friendly and approachable, a slightly coquettish smile tugs at the corner of her lips as she begins to speak.]

I can't say that waking up in a military bunker last week was entirely what I had in mind for spring break, but considering the circumstances I won't say it's an unwelcome change of scenery. Even so, I might not be intimately familiar with the legal system in Florida and there may have been some amendments since I practiced, but I'm fairly sure that abduction and imprisonment are still very much considered to be illegal in most societies. Believe me, I would know. I’m a lawyer.

[There's a brief huff of laughter- more bemused than anything else.]

Or at least, I was a lawyer, it seems our generous hosts are offering me something of a career change. My name is Mia Fey, I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to help me find out a little more about what I seem to have landed myself in here.

[A beat.]

And I would love to hear what anyone has to say on the subject of resurrection while we're at it. That, and recommendations for a good place to get lunch.

fingerbang

So we've weathered our first publicly broadcast display of violence. In this world, that is.

[ A woman is speaking. She sounds pleasant enough at first blush, soft and modulated and distinctly feminine, but beneath that there's the unmistakable tone of someone who very much enjoys listening to the sound of her own voice. ]

Honestly -- I knew our communal memory was short, but this kind of nostalgia has never been worth repeating. I'm sure you all think you're terribly special, subjected to this indignity and being called "hero" on top of it. That must be such an insult. It had better be, for you to react like such children.

You're not the first, you know, and what happened this week won't be the last incident of its kind. That's the tragedy of random selection, right? There's no telling what kind of people will come out. In the last place, let's see... there was the old military commander who unleashed vampires on the City and almost detonated a bomb in this country's capital. There was the scientist who experimented on children and made her own army of feral monsters. The psychiatrist who caused mass hallucinations at a parade. The one who summoned an immense baby to wreak havoc on New Year's Eve.

[ There's no trace of humor in her voice, even at that last one. ImPorts, man. They've seen some shit. ]

I could go on, if you'd like, but I think you understand by now. Do you know what those people all had in common? Not one is still here today. Some of them were killed [ one by her personally, whoops ] and some were imprisoned -- others lingered on to vanish into thin air, like so many before them. But none of them managed to see their work borne out in a lasting way. That was all under Lachesis, who had much less interest vested in making sure we cooperated than our current monitors. Her greatest concerns were always for herself. After all, with the power she had to command, we could all of us be replaced, and our lives renewed at her discretion. Her entertainment was a much more fragile matter. Whether that still holds true, I couldn't say -- as far as I know, none of us can, as none of us have died. But the heroes made up for her apathy, just as they'll do now. That's just how it goes, and this time around the deck is stacked in heroism's favor.

Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say -- if you're going to make a spectacle of yourselves, I don't particularly care what happens to you. But every action has a consequence, no matter how untouchable you'd like to believe yourself. If you have any questions, of course, I'd be happy to answer. The only trait less attractive than ignorance is hubris. Let's not mix the two any further.

assonant

[ Pick up the mic-- ]

I thought this was going to be a joke. This is stuff from kid's shows. Books. Comics. It doesn't happen, not unless you're some obsessed weirdo guy in a costume. Maybe a girl's costume. Who can even tell with those kinds of people.

Gross.

[ Drop the sass-- ]

But I guess it's not.

[ --and then, in a different tone of voice, after a minute or so of contemplative silence: ] I thought, maybe a dream...

[ It's quickly followed by a sigh and the anger and irritation he'd been stewing in deflates abruptly as Aoba realizes he was a couple sentences away from making a complete idiot of himself. He dials it back, posture and expression changing to a worried, tired-looking young man that takes a breath and tries again.

Off camera, he's rubbing his wrist with his thumb, over and over. ]

Sorry. I'm having a hard time, uh -

[ Finding his house, for one. ]

...I'm new.

MASK OR MENACE

NETWORK COMMUNITY

Entries tagged with † aoba seragaki | sly blue

March 2021

Links

WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE WORLD?

☾ 01 | video

[video, in which edgeworth is a hippie]

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II : [video]

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Chapter 1 - Video

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002 | video

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one ( voice )

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