maskormenace | Entries tagged with † francis urquhart

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.

andaway

[Superman looks honestly just....

Tired. He reaches to rub the bridge of his nose before he speaks, wondering how to even put it into words. Oh, he knows what he wants to say, knows what he wants to do. But it would be unfair to out someone without giving them a chance to work things out in this place, to become a better person.

Except, last time he tried that it ended up with him kidnapped in Crane’s basement.]

If someone from your world appeared here, someone who you knew was capable of really awful things… would you warn people?

Or would you give them a chance to be different in this place?

devoutish

[There's the sound of fumbling and a little bit of unintelligible muttering before any real words are spoken - the communicator isn't hard to figure out, but it still takes some practice to get the hang of.]

-- this button here, and then-- oh, there we go. Have I got it? Hello.

[Alfie's voice is deep and rumbly, and very Cockney. He switches on the video next. It's zoomed in too close on him to give any real clues to his surroundings - there's just the back of a couch and a blank wall visible behind him - but his clothes are clearly old-fashioned.]

Fucking fantastic, these things. Looking at your little images on the screen, it's like you're really there. Yeah, wonderful picture quality. I'm very impressed. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, should I - bigger and bolder seems like something of a trend here. I discovered one of your supermarkets earlier this morning. Fucking hell, the size of that place. Entire aisles set aside for nothing but ketchup; for ice cream. Hats off to the future, eh?

[And since he's actually wearing a top hat, he goes ahead and tips it.

But despite his conversational tone, his eyes are deadly serious. He narrows them a little, as he peers closer at the screen. He seems calm and affable, sure - but if you look behind that front, it's clear that he is very much not happy with how his day is going.]

Right. How many people am I speaking to, right now? Is it just those who've been brought here like me, or do I also have the pleasure of the army's company?

[Because he would like to have words.]

leftarm

[Hello network, here's a new face--an androgynous looking teenaged girl in what's clearly a work uniform. She's standing in front of the lion exhibit at the Heropa Zoo.]

I probably shouldn't be on here at work, but it's almost closing time so there's practically no one around anymore anyway. It was pretty busy earlier though, since my boss asked me to try bringing this with me today.

[Pidge turns the focus of the feed to the robot lion sitting next to her. It's about the size of a regular lion.]

It...definitely got attention. I don't even remember the last time I had to talk to that many people in one day.

Since I've already been stuck socializing all day, I guess I should finally introduce myself. So, uh, hi. I'm Pidge. You might've seen a few of my friends around. Some of them also have lions like mine. I've been trying to study some of the tech around here, so if anyone wants to talk about stuff they have at home, that'd be pretty cool.

annihiliner

Fellow imPorts... It's been some time since I last spoke to all of you like this, so for those who have forgotten or who I haven't yet met, I am Lexa kom Trikru.

[She sits in an almost meditative pose alone in a room dimly lit by some flickering flame off-screen, sounding calm and contemplative but firm. A very deliberate effect meant to convey a certain image. Casualness, quiet confidence, and just a hint of fire for those who might wonder if this is more than idle curiosity.]

I'll try to keep this brief, but I have a question--or short series of them--for you. Particularly those who've been here for some time already. This world is not our own, and the consequences of what happens here are... ultimately limited for us. Much more so than for the natives of this land at least, who are each quite powerless in comparison to almost any one of us.

[She tilts her head slightly, and there is a clear and intentional "thinking it over" pause.]

But what does that mean? Do you believe that we have a duty to these people at all? To this world? ...to each other?

Are we meant to be protectors, or guides perhaps? Or maybe it all means nothing, and the problems of this world aren't our responsibility to fix... What do you believe is the best use of our time here? And is it wrong if we refuse to do it? I'm curious about your thoughts on the subject.

Please. Tell me.

virusbusting

asking things here is easier.

I do't realy like the job the government gave me anymore so I'm gonna quit. i've never quit a job before, isthere something special you need to do?

i feel likr i'll get in trouble if i just dont show up.

mightthinkthat

[ Those who know Francis can see the edges of stress around his eyes, however, he's put on his game face for the video. He takes a deep breath before he speaks. ]

Well, I must apologise for my sudden and complete absence for the last… while. Rest assured, it had not been planned by me.

Still, I do hope my absence wasn't too disruptive. Any news and some… patience would be greatly appreciated. And for the uninitiated, my name is Francis Urquhart. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, of course.

Current Mood: aggravated

harrisonwells

[When the screen blinks on, the sender—lanky, black sweater, glasses being slipped off—is already centered and ready for it, clearly very familiar with the technology already, and he starts speaking immediately, quick and terse as if this is already taking up too much of his time.]

Good evening imPorts, my name is Dr. Harrison Wells. It is a...supreme...irony that I'm asking this, but to those of you who left your worlds as ordinary humans and arrived here with new abilities.

[There's a pause, Harrison's fingers tapping lightly against his lips, as he considers the reception he'd experienced on his arrival. Not cold, not remotely, but…knowing. Everyone he's seen in Heropa seems to know what he is, and that's...new. New and unpleasant. And he's reluctantly beginning to understand what the metahumans in Central City had gone through, being watched and whispered about.

He catches sight of the tattoo on his wrist, a very faint glow under the skin, and abruptly twitches his sleeve back down to cover it.

How do you cope?] I'm curious how you mastered them.

[It's a much more dismissive tone than the beginning of that sentence, very clearly not what he'd originally intended to say. The glasses go back on and he moves to switch off the transmission, then taps his finger against the edge of the screen, speculative.]

And as I will apparently be spending my time here making science fun and accessible for kids, I anticipate needing copious amounts of coffee. And I am...taking recommendations. On the best fast food in the area. Also anyone who understands a reference to STAR Labs and/or Central City.

[He looks like he’s going to add something else, then rethinks it. The screen blinks to black without another word.]

causidicus

My name is Kim Wexler, I'm an attorney.

[ The beginning is sort of abrupt, but there you go. Silence follows, until Kim sighs, slowly and loudly. ]

That's- that's pretty much it. That's me, that's what I do. I'm no- not a superhero or even a regular hero, unless you need a lawyer, I guess. Does anyone need a lawyer? Otherwise I have no idea of what I'm doing here, but it's certainly not worrying over the crapload of work I just left back at home.

[ Leave it to Kim to fret about paperwork out of all the things that should be making her worry after finding herself in a different world altogether. ]

Anyway, yes. I'm just- I need to go lie down and probably get a drink before I can even start reading these files and what not. Did someone notice the hover cars. They have hover cars. I- this is a little too much.

[ She doesn't want to talk about the stupid pseudo Cold War thing, please don't mention that to her. ]

So I'm going to- yeah. Kim Wexler. Lawyer... and I have a Beauty Salon? Okay...

Lying down now.

wizzardly

[It's a nice enough afternoon that Rincewind is enjoying his lunch break at the Nonah Public Library in the library's courtyard, sat at a stone picnic table. Having made a concession for work, he is not in his normal robes (although he has his hat, of course he has his hat), but is instead wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt patterned with gold stars.

It is a woman's blouse; he has yet to realize this.

Stacked at his left are an arrangement of books. Most have to do with languages, but a few - Homer's Illiad and The Odyssey, a book on turtles, and The Bible - are incongruent. At Rincewind's right, next to his salad bowl, is a plastic tub. It contains a bit of grass, a single twig, and one box turtle.]

Look, I've got to get this out. For a world that really doesn't resemble the Disc at all, there are a lot of strange parallels. [Rincewind taps at a notebook with one hand, feeding the turtle a bit of lettuce off his fork with the other.] I mean, that's not to say there aren't major differences, of course - this world is round, for one, and as far as I can tell it doesn't seem to rely on magic or Narrativium at all to run.

Only, look, I know about nineteen to twenty languages on the Disc, depending on whether or not you consider orangutan to be a language (I would) and you'd think they wouldn't transfer here, but they do! Or at least - [a glance at his notes] - at least twelve of them do, that I've found. To some extent. Again, not accounting for orangutan.

Anyway, they all have different names here - you lot call Klatchian Arabic, and Quirmian French, for example - and some of the vocabulary is a bit different or extended, but otherwise it's mostly the same. Odd, isn't it? Like, the fact that I'm speaking to you right now and you understand me - I know this language as Morporkian where I'm from, but it's English here, isn't it?

And some other things, too. The man in this one - [he taps the The Odyssey and stabs at a bit of cucumber, which the turtle eyes hungrily.] - Odysseus? He's someone who really existed on the Disc. We know him as Lavaeolus, and it was the Ephebians and the Tsorts who fought and did the bit with the wooden horse, there was nothing to do with these "Trojans", but otherwise it's word for word.

[Rincewind straightens proudly, and his fork strays just close enough for the turtle to snag the wizard's cucumber with deft precision.]

He's an ancestor of mine, you know, Lavaeolus. [smugly.] Not everyone can say they've got an ancestor.

Anyway, I'm droning on, but you get the idea, right? Has anyone else noticed strange parallels like that? Things that are sort of the same but not quite? I can't be the only one.

[Rincewind's teeth clack down on empty metal instead of crisp vegetable, and he shoots the turtle an astonished, accusing look.]

Oh, you cheeky git.

[the weight of this insult seems lost on the reptile.]

baetiful

[ The video begins with a man dressed in a fancy black and gold trimmed tunic, a mockingbird pin adorning his collar and a Narnia hunting pin in bird form adorning his sleeve. ]

Greetings to my fellow imPorts.

[ Petyr Baelish inclines his head in a completely formally informal greeting. It's strange to him, after all, to address people at large through something as tiny as this communicator. And he does seem a bit awkward using the device. ]

My name is Petyr Baelish -- once Lord now turned imPort. As you can probably tell, I am not from a world that is anything like the one we currently reside within. I have been here for approximately two months by your calendar, and have used that time to learn the land, its systems, the customs, the technology -- all the things that may have made for irritating or repetitive questions had I chosen to address the network immediately.

So given this passage of time, I feel I can come to you with better questions. Or rather, I am curious about your opinions on matters I do not see so often discussed. People often ask for the factual information, but rarely the opinions of others. So allow me this moment to pick your minds in what I hope will be a fine discussion. What are your thoughts on this war we have found ourselves in? Do you think it pointless? Do you wish it were over? How would you end it, if you could?

[ A beat. ]

I also find myself curious about how you perceive our ambassadors? This is the only position offered to imPorts currently that puts them in close contact with this country's government. Do you feel as though they are doing all they can to make a difference? What positive things can you attribute to them? And subsequently, are there things you believe they can improve? Perhaps most importantly of all, do you believe we have the right men for the task at hand?

I believe all of these topics are fair to discuss, given the nature of this world's democracy. We would not run the risk of any unwarranted beheadings for saying something someone dislikes. [ He flashes the briefest of smiles. He's joking. Totally. Such things are so archaic and can totally be laughed about, right? ] But I also believe discussion to be the key toward improvement, toward seeing change. Something as simple as one single thought or idea can be planted and grow exponentially. Like seed to a field of crops or perhaps ash to a wildfire.

Should there be any questions you wish to ask of me as well, please by all means, I am open to discussion. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

reginaprocacis

[The feed clicks on, revealing the face of Regina; a woman with dark, impeccably styled hair, red lips and a deeply unimpressed expression. The voice she speaks with is deep, the kind of voice that fills throne rooms and city halls.]

Well, well, well, all you... heroes. [Her tongue is unkind to the word, clearly showing her scorn.] How does it feel to be told by the world where you belong? Are you happy? Do you feel confident? I do hear there are places in this world where they fawn over your kind.

[No, Regina does not consider herself among the group, even though she too has been branded a "registered hero". The label is an ill fit, redemption be damned; too long has she been wearing the mantle of the villain and acted the part. She's rebelling against a label forced on her and rejecting a title she doesn't feel she deserves at the same time.]

And in the line of duty, do you conveniently never find yourself in a situation where you might have to kill your opponent?

[A mirthless smirk.]

Fair warning, as your newly appointed family counselor: this might be a good time to tell your children to go play outside. Do have that conversation with them at some point, though. Else they might end up calling you a liar.

Enlist my help only if you must.

assays

Even though I am certain that it wasn't April for me back home before I arrived, it is here and I have checked the calendar to confirm the date.

Today is my birthday.

[Her lips quirk a little.]

Now a lady shouldn't have to reveal her age but I am old enough to drink. The strange thing is, the year is 1946 for me back home and it's 2016 here so technically I would be far older than what I am.

[A pause.]

Rather than getting caught up in technicalities, I'd like to invite people to a gathering at the training place I run. Those of you who are already students of mine will know where it is, but for those who don't, the address is [Peggy states it.]

Feel free to bring your own drink and food. There will be some light refreshments and music, as well as a cake. The celebration starts at seven o'clock tonight and will run on for a few hours or until I need to go home and sleep. [A laugh.]

I look forward to seeing people there.

pawdonnemoi

[Prior to making this post, Adrien spent some time trying to decide how to go about making a post to this network. Carefully rehearsing what he wanted to say before he ensures that Plagg is going to remain out of frame for the duration of the recording. Luckily the Kwami is happy enough to stay busy stuffing himself with cheese as opposed to bothering Adrien while he makes a post.

In the end, however, he decides to simply post with text. It feels easier than forcing a smile while he talks to a bunch of strangers.]

Hello, my name is Adrien Agreste. I'm new to this world, to this whole situation, and unsure of where to go from here. I've read over the pamphlet but it's only the tiniest bit helpful.

I expect you, the general imPort populace, get a lot of new people with similar questions and I'm just going to be adding to the heap. For that, I apologize. But I'm curious and if there's anyone who doesn't mind responding I'd be grateful.

1. What do you do if you come from a world in which superpowers are limited to comic books and you really have no interest in being a hero? Not that being a hero is a bad thing, or anything, it could be kind of cool, it's simply a skill set I do not possess.

2. Is registering worth it in the end? Why do you think it is or isn't depending on your stance?

3. Would it be better to attend this Xavier school rather than the school for the general populace?

4. Does anyone fence? Or does anyone know of any good fencing schools/instructors?

I suppose that's enough for now. Thank you in advance for your responses.

heart_wrenching

[ Even after the video starts, the image is mostly obscured, the figure still way too close and fiddling with her device. ]

Is this really broadcasting now? Amaaaaazing. I can't even see the microphone or camera! It's almost unbelievable.

[ When she finally sits back the area around her is a mess. The tables are strewn with tools and machine parts, knobs, springs, coils, piping. If one looks carefully, one may be able to spot a number of control panels suggesting she has possibly dismantled every major appliance in the home. Like ya do. ]

Well, hello! I'm a new imPort, my name's Winry. Winry Rockbell. And . . . does anyone out there know how to build a "microwave"? Well, rebuild, technically. The locks and turntables are pretty straightforward, but then there's all these wires . . . who knew electricity was going to be such a big deal, anyway?

annihiliner

[The screen is blank when the video starts, as if the camera has turned on in someone's pocket or against some sort of opaque surface, with only the soft sounds of nearby movement for a few seconds before someone speaks up in a quiet but serious voice.]

Taim yu sen disha in en yu get ai sleng in, taim yu get ridiyo-de klin. Komgeda kru, Heda don komba raun. Nau bilaik taim yu chich op.

[And for another several seconds, more silence is all that follows what is surely nonsense to most, if not all, ears. Then suddenly the screen shifts as the camera is turned around to face a young woman with her hair tied back in intricate braids and a slightly bored expression on her face. After a moment, she gives a small, slow nod.]

Apologies. Let me try this in English.

My name is Lexa... kom Trikru. I am new to this place, and while I have received some explanation of the situation I've found myself in, I still feel there is much I do not know. Perhaps some of you can help me with this, though I'm doubtful there's much I could give you in return.

[There's something of a challenge in her eye as she lifts a brow in question.]

So... do you have answers for me?

prepairing

[The attached ID reads Barnaby Brooks Jr. As a spokesman for a prominent energy drink brand, his name and face are splashed on all sorts of magazines and advertisements, and anyone who's been here for even a short amount of time might know him as a hero who's very public about his crime-fighting activities.

Generally speaking, it's rare for him to use text over the network. Of course, the message that follows doesn't exactly mesh with his usual image, either.]

I've got three questions. If you've got an answer for any of these, I want to hear from you.

#1: What do you know about this symbol?

#2: Who the hell is this?

#3: Do your numbers reflect the market's ACTUAL demand for heroes, or are you all just calling yourselves heroes because it's become the popular thing to do? At this rate, your characters are just going to overlap. Unless you've got a good hook, your odds of standing out or building a solid fanbase are pretty abysmal.

[You shouldn't need a 15-year-old kid telling you this, he irritably thinks to himself. And yet here we are.]

akas

[ The sound of glasses being passed around and chat in the background offers an uniform, muffled hum. It's not a busy night. ]

Okay, help a girl out here. I've been reading but yeah... it hasn't helped much. Also, it's confusing as fuck.

[ Jessica doesn't do small talk. She's less salty about the whole being kidnapped thing, but she's far from fine. ]

The Cold War... is still happening? Didn't happen? It's what, the fucking Hot War now?

[ It's like someone only read the titles of a history book while drunk and high. ]

And why do they need us exactly? They seem to be waging wars just fine without us. Because I'm sure as hell not buying the whole story about them not being able to control their little interdimensional kidnap robot.

...and did the Russians seriously invaded us?

[ You can hear her shake her head. So much. ]

Anyway, I'm Jessica. Jessica Jones. I do detective work, if someone needs that. Spread the word, I don't know. Also, I own a bar. Kinda. First drink on me if you're stuck here, whatever.

[ Heavy sigh, barely audible curse. That's all, folks. ]

homerunning

Okay, weird question. Completely important, guys. Like...Priority #1

Baseball★ or Cricket☆.

[Yes, he speaks in stars. What of it. You may hear the essence of a home run after 'Baseball', and a umpire in the background of 'Cricket'. Yeah. that happens.]

I'm not saying it's to prove a point but it's DEFINITELY to prove a point.

Baseball's totally better.

mightthinkthat

[ Francis seems pretty serious but calm. Leave the city for a couple of days and this happens. Not... that he's ungrateful that he demurred the opportunity to be a parade marshall, considering.

But if Calendar Man is hoping for a namecheck by the city's ambassador... he's going to be disappointed.

While he is indeed the prompter of this appearance on the network (showing up every month would be very tedious for all concerned), Francis is going to talk about something else entirely. ]

As there is a new batch of imPorts coming in, I'd thought I'd introduce myself. My name is Francis Urquhart and I'm the imPort Ambassador for Nonah. That means I'm at your disposal for any concerns you might have at any time. I do hope anyone with any kind of issue or problem can feel free to talk to me. [ Rather than disrupt perfectly good parades. ] Or ideas about how we might improve ImPort relationships with our generous hosts. [ Which disrupting perfectly good parades tends not to do. ]

We're all part of a community who have faced great challenges together and defeated them. I trust that with everyone's input, we can continue to do so with the challenges yet to come.

Current Mood: disappointed

morethan084

[Once ~~Skye~~ Daisy is back in her room in Heropa she immediately opens up her communicator and sets it to video. The biggest thing anyone watching will notice is her new, short hair cut. Which is slightly matted from blood and there is a nasty bruise forming on the side of her face. All thanks to a car accident she got into right before being zapped back here. ]

So. Anyone want to tell me how long I was gone for?

[Spoiler alert: It was only a day. Although, clearly, by the looks of her it had not been that short for her back home.]

MASK OR MENACE

NETWORK COMMUNITY

Entries tagged with † francis urquhart | n/a

March 2021

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WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE WORLD?

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