maskormenacelogs | CATCH-ALL FOR JANUARY

[ Technically, Jaime can cook, and he keeps his fridge (or, really, his freezer) stocked up well enough. It mostly crosses his mind when he notices that Yusuke hasn't eaten for a while, but when push comes to shove, he's only very good at making the effort to cook when there's someone else that needs him. It had been Minato, and then it had been Tara, but with just him and Yusuke?

He's busy. He's got better things to do with his time, which means that sometimes he goes the easy route.

Which is why, when Erik crosses his path, the Blue Beetle is sitting cross-legged on a rooftop, eating salad directly out of the bag with a plastic fork. He is a sad, sad representative of the Justice League, but he needs to eat a Whole Vegetable every now and then. ]

[ Erik is just passing by underneath and looks up, waving to a familiar-- mask. He's always on his patrol, it seems, and Erik likes to cordially wish him a good day.

He's about to just say hello or something, and then go on his way, but--

--But then. He sees it. ]

...Do they not feed you?

[ He almost looks offended. ]

[ Beyond exchanging gifts, Jaime hasn't seen a whole lot of Yusuke over the past month or so - which is on him as much as it's on Yusuke. They've both got their own lives to deal with, and even better than that, they're comfortable leaving each other to their own devices. Jaime had liked living with Diablo and Tara and Yusuke, having felt a special kind of kinmanship with each and every one of them, but he had settled into life with just the two of them happily enough. They gave each other their space, and would be there for each other if they needed it, and that was good enough for him.

Until their house suddenly started filling up. It's been an adjustment, to say the least. At some point, he and Yusuke are at home at the same time, and are the only ones home. Jaime greets him with a languid wave of his hand as he returns, glancing around (Khaji tells him, helpfully, that they're the only ones around), then takes a seat at the kitchen table across from him. ]

Hey. It's been busy here lately, huh? I'm not used to it anymore.

Edited 2018-01-11 04:06 (UTC)

[ Occasionally, being a superhero can be a glamorous job, one that earns him gifts and admiration and hugs and flattering write-ups in the paper. On those days, he can come home with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.

On other days, he finds out that the guy he's been hunting down for a month decided to escape into the sewers, and then release some of the zoo's rare and endangered animals there too, just to keep Jaime off his track. He had tracked down all of the animals and caught the criminal too, but he was in the sewer all. Night. Long.

By the time he gets back home, it's early in the morning, around the time when Shinji would be in the kitchen to grab whatever it is he grabs in the morning - Jaime's not entirely sure what that would be.

Regardless, as Shinji gets his whole business set up, he'll see Jaime sliding through the kitchen window (it's a bad habit of his that he'll never grow out of), looking like death and smelling...

Well. What do you expect? He smells like a sewer. He should probably say something civil to Shinji, but instead he looks at him with desperate eyes and says: ] Please tell me you made coffee.

Edited 2018-01-11 04:11 (UTC)

[ Since Jaime joined the Justice League, he's found that he has the resources to go after things that really matter, not just whatever purse snatchers he sees around. And it's good, for the most part, but it doesn't mean that he's going to stop being a good, local, neighbourhood hero too; dealing with the big problems is important, but making sure everyone feels safe is important too.

Luckily (or maybe unluckily), the monotony of his evening patrol doesn't last for long. When Ellie stumbles upon the Blue Beetle this fine evening, it's to the sound of an absolutely bloodcurling shriek from an alley as a particularly vocal, middle-aged woman rightfully responds to a few miscreants, descending upon her as an easy target.

For Ellie, though, it may not be entirely clear that the weird fellow in blue isn't tormenting her too. He doesn't look normal, that's for dang sure. ]

Edited 2018-01-13 09:31 (UTC)

[ Shinjiro's making breakfast as it turns out— steamed rice, miso soup, and onsen tamago. The smells are filling the kitchen, savoury and delicious. His head jerks over to the window when Jaime enters— his eyebrow is raised, but it's not like it's visible through the beanie that he's wearing even at this early hour. ]

Haven't you ever heard of a door?

[ But he jerks his thumb towards the coffee pot. ]

It should be finished brewing by now.

[ At least Shinji had been ~~coerced~~ invited. It's not that Yusuke has anything against either of the new arrivals, he doesn't have anything for them, either. He isn't judging before getting to know them, but the shakeup alters his routine. He starts locking the door to his bedroom again, after coming to trust Jaime enough not to bother. He takes to setting up his easel on the roof, or in the yard, even with the dipping temperatures.

But so far this morning, he's inside, eating leftover pirozhkis for breakfast. ]

It was easier to focus, when it was just the two of us. What do you think of them?

Hi, Erik!

[ Jaime, on the other hand, sees nothing wrong with this situation. It's not as though Erik caught him with fast food. It's salad! It's vegetables! It's healthy!

His brow furrows, just a touch (which looks strange in the armour, needless to say), before he pauses in chowing down on limp lettuce and very sad little carrot matchsticks. ] What do you mean, do they not feed me? I feed myself!

[ The way he says it is as though he's proclaiming his adulthood, which doesn't hold nearly as much weight when he's in the position he's in now. ]

Window's easier, [ Jaime grunts before moving towards the coffee pot with his arms outstretched and his eyes alight. ] Oh, thank you God. Coffee.

[ Really, he should be saying oh thank you Shinji, but his manners aren't at their most impeccable right now, especially considering the fact that he doesn't volunteer to immediately shower and get out of Shinji's vicinity. Instead, he pours himself a cup of coffee and goes boneless at the kitchen table, evidently unconcerned with everything but what's right in front of him. He holds onto his mug like it's a gift from the heavens and drinks the deep draught of someone who's been awake for far too long.

He would comment on the kitchen smelling good, but he can't really smell anything anymore. Sorry, Shinji. ]

I dunno yet. I mean, they seem nice, [ Jaime says tentatively, his eternal optimism and belief in other people at work. He knows for a fact that some people get some really, really bad roommates. Like, serial killer vampire you have to kick out of your apartment bad. But that being said, these two don't seem like they fit into that sort of category. ]

We'll get to know them better soon, I guess. It's just... weird. Guess I forgot what it's like to have a bunch of strangers suddenly all up in your space.

...You feed yourself out of--

[ He puts his head in his hands ]

I can't believe this.

--What are you doing up there? Specifically?

[ Yusuke nods, before starting to sketch something on a pad of paper. ]

Did you feel that way when I arrived?

[ That's okay, Shinjiro doesn't need validation for his cooking. He just needs breakfast. ]

I take it that it's a good thing I didn't go for decaf.

[ Decaf is crap, even if it's better for you. Shinjiro often doesn't sleep well, and the coffee is a good way to start the morning without wanting to attack anyone who looked at him funny. ]

Take a shower. You smell like a sewer.

[ By now, it's common knowledge that no matter what city you find yourself in, if it's populated by imPorts, there will be some freaks in capes (or in other, equally as freaky costumes) loitering on rooftops. Some people rightfully complain about them trespassing on their property and occasionally making a mess, but this is one rightful complaint that Jaime happily ignores. He's technically out on patrol, but he's taken the evening more or less off in favour of going for a fly across the city, indulging himself in as many loop-de-loops and obnoxious speed as his heart desires.

Batgirl could have very well noticed him zipping across the sky like a lunatic, or perhaps she's only taking to the skies now - either way, she'll run into Blue Beetle, sitting back on his haunches, wings spread out behind him, and staring up at the sky from the vantage point of a rooftop so high that it's usually only occupied by fliers.

But Bats don't tend to pay any mind to limitations like that. ]

Who drinks decaf? Complete monsters, that's who, [ Jaime mutters into his mug, barely comprehensible, and clearly not willing to put the effort in. He's at least starting to look slightly more alive, but only slightly; caffeine can only help so much after the sleepless night he's had.

He eventually sets down his cup, and takes an experimental sniff. ] Do I? I don't think I can smell anything anymore. But, I mean, it makes sense. I spent all night in the dang thing.

I'll shower soon, [ he assures Shinji, confidently. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he intends to move anytime today if he has his way. Or anytime this month, frankly. ]

[ If Jaime doesn't move at all this month, then at some point Shinjiro will come at him with a hose. That's a promise. ]

I'm not even sure why decaf exists. What's the point of coffee if it doesn't have caffeine?

[ While he's talking, he's casually putting some of the breakfast he's making in front of Jaime, and then plates some for himself. ]

You spent the whole night in a sewer? Huh. No wonder.

A little, yeah. I didn't know you, and all of a sudden we were living together. But... it was less weird 'cause we're closer to the same age than the guys that just moved in. I just don't want them to think that we need to be taken care of, or whatever.

[ He wrinkles his nose. It's not that he doesn't get along with people older than himself - half of his friends tend to be adults - but these guys are unknown quantities, and where Jaime had once been entirely dependent on his family, he's now fiercely protective of his own independence. He's not some kid anymore. ]

Plus, knowing about your Persona at least gave me a clue about the kind of person you are.

...Dinner? [ Okay, not, like, a hundred percent dinner. He's probably going to grab something with a few more carbs at home. Possibly out of the box, because he'll be tired, but it's still food. ] I mean, specifically I was doing some work at HQ and on the way home I got hungry.

[ He waggles the bag of salad at Erik. ] I don't know what the big deal is! It's not like I'm eating McDonalds. These are vegetables. It's healthy.

[Ellie generally prefers to keep to the main streets. They're always broad and well-lit, with plenty of places to hide if someone tried to mess with her, but sometimes the crowds are too much. Sometimes she has to take a shortcut through an alley just to give herself space to breathe, even though she can hear Joel's voice in the back of her mind telling her it's dangerous and she should stick to the main roads, especially at night.

Today, as it turns out, her inner Joel voice was correct. The thugs that show up haven't noticed her yet, but it's clear that they will the moment she moves, and even with all she's been through, she's not quite prepared to let some other person get fucking stabbed just to save her own neck. (Joel would probably disapprove of that, too.)

Fetching her pistol out from her waistband, she's about to charge into the conflict when the .... blue....person(?) shows up into the mix.]

Motherfucker--

[it's hissed under her breath, having been unprepared for this development, before she steels herself and makes herself known, gun aimed ... directly at Blue Beetle, currently the most intimidating-looking of the lot. Whoops.]

Put your hands up and maybe I won't blow your brains out. The rest of you fuckers too.

Oh, man. You're a saint. [ Food! Glorious food! He doesn't quite tear his eyes away from it, but he's definitely truly grateful for it, considering he's sitting here stinking up the whole kitchen, and Shinji's still feeding him. The familiarity of it niggles at him a bit - if he was less exhausted, he'd feel taken aback by how like old times this is, him and Shinji shooting the shit while Shinji cooks for him - but his own exhaustion makes him regard it with the easy acceptance it deserves. ] Seriously, thank you - this looks amazing.

[ Granted, cereal would also look amazing, but Shinji doesn't need to know that. ]

I had to chase some dick through there, [ he says, covering up a jaw-creaking yawn with the back of his hand. ] I don't know why. He was gonna get caught anyway, and instead of just being caught, he got caught covered in crap.

[ Criminals, Jaime thinks, can be really, really dumb sometimes. ]

Yeah, there's no need for all that.

[ The compliment feels nice but it also embarrasses him, and he can't quite look at Jaime as he says it. Of course he was going to give Jaime some, after all— he's right there, it would be rude not to. Even if he takes pride in his cooking, though, he still doesn't know how to handle praise for it. ]

Maybe he was dumb enough to think the sewer would deter you.

Edited (whoops only just noticed slight coding error) 2018-01-16 05:28 (UTC)

I am not getting a paternal impression.

[ Which is absolutely for the best, Yusuke has a hard enough time allowing people he knows and loves to take care of him. ]

Did it? It was months until you actually saw it.

You're eating lettuce.

Out of a plastic bag.

With your hands.

[ THERE ARE JUST SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS JAIME HOW ARE YOU NOT SEEING THIS ]

I'll be back in ten minutes, don't leave this spot.

Deal?

Oh, for the love of --

[ For one, a kid this age should not have a gun, and should absolutely not be bandying it about at people before she even knows whether or not they're worth shooting. That's, like, step one of gun safety. ]

I'm not the one you want to be aiming that thing at. In fact, you shouldn't be aiming it at anyone!

[ One thief takes the opportunity to scarper, but Jaime thrusts one hand out, and a blue forcefield blocks his way. He runs into it nose-first and bounces off with a howl of pain, but somehow, Jaime can't muster up too much sympathy for a dude who sees a big ol' blue wall and thinks: yeah, I'm gonna run into that. ]

Put the gun down. We don't gotta escalate this.

Just knowing you had it told me enough.

[ That Yusuke wasn't all that he seemed - that he was confident in himself, knew himself well enough to get a Persona in the first place. And, of course, it told Jaime that Yusuke was used to oddities, and used to danger. In a place like this, that means an awful lot. ]

Besides, I learned a lot about you pretty quick, remember? Our meeting wasn't exactly, like... standard.

CATCH-ALL FOR JANUARY

FOR ERIK

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ELLIE

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