glowsferatu: smile (In The Clothes She Chose For Herself)
ᴘsychopomp 💀 ([personal profile] glowsferatu) wrote in [community profile] maskormenacelogs2014-08-10 06:43 pm

we are the jack-o-lanterns in july

WHO: Kanaya Maryam Hobgoblin and you!
WHERE: Around De Chima and Heropa
WHEN: Aug 5-9
WHAT: There's a new Goblin in town. More details here!
WARNINGS: Violence, references to brainwashing, will update as needed

ᴀ. ᴅᴇ ᴄʜɪᴍᴀ, ᴀᴜɢ 5

[ trial run. sure, she'd worn the costume before, but putting it on today still felt inaugural. this is her first time truly being hobgoblin in its entirety. now she just needs to make sure everything works.

she uses her portals to mask her comings and goings, making sure whatever door she enters is nowhere near her destination,so when she leaves norman's lab, she steps out on a rooftop on the other side of town. she can feel the wind blowing at her hood, and there's something almost beautiful about being this high up. this must be part of what inspires rose to do it. but it's only the first step to freedom. she steps out on the ledge.

twenty stories up. something flutters in her stomach, but she knows it isn't rational. she's simply spent more of her life susceptible to heights than immune to them. backing away a few feet, she takes a deep breath before getting a running start and plunging her way into the city.

she doesn't make it to the next roof, but she wasn't aiming for it, instead ending the arc of her jump to hit the opposite wall. too much inertia to land, she kicks off across the gap, flexing her fingers to extend the claws in her gloves and slow her descent. it takes a couple more before the downward pull is light enough that she can break into a run along the wall, then crosses to another building before making her way back up.

she'll need practice, she has to be sure to move in a way that doesn't look like her, maybe use her hands more. she can't depend on the portals at all, not out in the open like this. but she has all night. the city is her playground.
]

ʙ. ʜᴇʀᴏᴘᴀ, ᴀᴜɢ 6-9

[ the tests are over. she's ready for the real thing, and she has her orders to fulfill. heropa doesn't have nearly as many rooftops, at least not tall ones, so she sticks more to alleys and backways, though she does climb on a few houses to avoid dogs kept in the yard. she has to find spider-man, but it somehow isn't proving as simple as she'd hoped. she knows what his thread looks like, but simply can't find it. not in heropa, at least. she'll have to look the old fashioned way.

she's not exactly inconspicuous, despite her slinking and stalking about the town. for being a town called "heropa" there are only so many people running around in costumes, and there are few places to really hide. the ghastlier parts of her costume are covered, but none of that changes that it by no means looks friendly, and while she's not going out of her way to cause trouble, she has her directives. "deal with anyone who gets in your way."

the job will be done, she won't disappoint her conductor. spider-man learns fear. anyone else? they will understand the cost of meddling, taught by one who has paid it numerous times. she pays it now, even if she doesn't realize it.
]

ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴘɪᴅᴇʀ-ᴍᴀɴ, ᴀᴜɢ 11

[ it's been days of combing heropa with no luck. for any encounters she has had, none of them ended in her being any closer to finding spider-man than when she started. the word had apparently not spread that a goblin is out looking for him, or perhaps the job is already done and he's too intimidated to engage. she wouldn't like that, she'd hate for her conductor's nemesis to be a coward. the task must be completed to her own satisfaction, and that means something more hands-on. she'll have to be more assertive in getting his attention.

it's late in the afternoon and commuters are heading home after a long day of work in orlando when hobgoblin walks out onto the overpass. she doesn't get very far before the first car swerves out of the way and right into the railing, the driver leaning out of the window to spout obscenities as she darts past and into the next lane. of course, that just puts her in the way of another car, so she shoots up into the air and lands hard on the hood, slamming the engine down into the axle. it careens to a skidding stop, the occupants screaming as she leaps on top of the one behind it, throwing it off course as it tries to unsuccessfully brake in time not to plow into the car ahead of it. hobgoblin hops down before impact, bashing her shoulder into the side of the next car, toppling it over and sending it toward the concrete divider.

she hops up on the railing and dives down to a car on the interstate, spreading her blockade further. it's weirdly liberating, creating her own chaos when she's so accustomed to cleaning it up, buttoning everything down and restraining, repressing every impulse. in the mask, getting out of herself, cutting loose from all of her self-inflicted bonds is thrilling. she can do this. even if spider-man doesn't come, she can be satisfied enough with this.
]

ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴇᴇɴ ɢᴏʙʟɪɴ, ᴊᴜʟ 18

[ the suit isn't done yet, it still needs some fine-tuning and she hasn't finished weaponizing the gloves or mask, but some things just can't wait. one of the things she was most looking forward to out of this is the chance to keep an eye on rose during those times she hasn't been able to. norman told her to watch the green goblin, and she'll take that opportunity as soon as she can. it will be good to pick up some pointers on how this all works before heading into proper practice.

rose is easy to find. if there's one thread kanaya will ever know, it's hers, and she could pick it out of any multitude, though heropa's hardly dense enough that she has to worry about that. she slinks and stalks from a distance, but her gaze wavers little from the other goblin. she watches the way she moves, what manner of things catch her attention, how she navigates her glider. (and she wonders if norman hadn't shortchanged her by putting her on foot.) it's a side of her girlfriend she's yet to see, perhaps an outlet of her older, more dangerous impulses. kanaya would feel conflicted about that. on one hand, it's better for rose that she's calmed down over the years, grown up. but, on the other, that was one of the things that had initially attracted kanaya. in limited quantities, it could be… but she's getting distracted.

she has to keep perspective here, keep her thoughts on the task. rose doesn't know it's her under this mask, and she can't either. keeping it secret from rose is very important, though she still has trouble connecting reasons for why the information would make her so upset. for that reason, it's probably best she keep her distance for now, but she will need to engage eventually. she does have the message to pass along. she just has to work herself up to it.
]

ᴄ. ᴋᴀɴᴀʏᴀ, ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ's ɴᴇsᴛ, ᴀɴʏᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴀᴜɢᴜsᴛ

[ since the tavern reopened at the start of the month, business has been heavy, which greed has minding his other dealings in the back. that means it's up to kanaya to tend the bar. she's taken pretty well to it over the last few months, though her experience before was limited. she learns quickly, and isn't going to skimp on anything difficult when it comes to her work. about the only real issue is about what you might expect a young woman running a dive bar with poorly mannered patrons would encounter, but she grins and bears it. she has a particularly sharp grin, after all. no employee of the nest is to be trifled with, really. they're all monsters here.

but most of the patrons know to behave, and her nights go without too much trouble. she likes her job, when it comes down to it, and it pays well. so she mixes the drinks as they come, service with a smile, and every now and then even offers a bit of conversation, or just a patient ear.
]

ᴅ. ᴋᴀɴᴀʏᴀ, ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ, sᴘᴇᴄɪғʏ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ

[ kanaya likes to be out as often as the sun's up, usually in heropa or maurtia falls. she can be found shopping, studying at the library, reading in cafes, sometimes sunbathing out on the beach or on her roof. she's also available at her office in heropa residence #001 by appointment for a sewing job. so feel free to come up with something of your own, or if there's something specific you'd like to plot then by all means i'd be happy to discuss it! just drop a note on the ooc post or send me a pm. ]
khajidont: (Beetle - officially done with your bulls)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-08-19 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
Come on, come on...

[It takes Jaime a little while to track her down. He's not actually used to anyone he's got his eye on actually managing to escape in any mundane way, so technically, this is decent practice for him too, even if he has the distinct advantage of speed and the Scarab mumbling in his ear on his side.

He actually ends up going ahead of her, then has to double back to confront her, hovering in the air with some difficulty, the jetpack making him sporadically bob up and down.]


Okay, that was just rude, [he huffs, arms crossed.] What the heck's your deal?
khajidont: (Beetle - Calling Bruce Waye)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-08-19 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
[When the masked woman speaks, Jaime's eyes widen in surprise before his eyes flick over her, as if reassessing what she may be. She must have one heck of a voice modifier - which he really ought to get on himself, and soon - or she's entirely inhuman. Who knows? For now, he has business to take care of.]

I want to know what your deal is. You could have seriously hurt me back there, you know, [he says, tone almost aggressively reasonable. He has the room to, considering the fact that there had been no way that such a small fall would do anything but cause him temporary discomfort.]
Edited 2014-08-19 07:51 (UTC)
khajidont: (Beetle - officially done with your bulls)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-08-22 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
Not my point. [Jaime shifts his weight backwards, crossing his arms. Jaime doesn't look all that intimidating no matter what, but now that he's got height on her, the stare he casts down upon her looks more imperious than usual.]

And last time I checked? You're not an animal. I'm not looking to mess with you, man, but normal people don't run away for no reason.

[And clearly, that's what the two of them are: just two perfectly normal guys.]
khajidont: (Beetle - stinkeye)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-08-30 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, whatever you say, Spooky.

[Congratulations, Kanaya. That's now your name until further notice. He can get that she's trying to be menacing right now, and while it may work on some people, Jaime's faced down enough truly menacing people by now to take it in stride... even if her claws do worry him.]

But okay, point taken. Chasing after you was a faux pas even if it's totally weird that you just booked it after I said hello. But! [And that's a big but.] You did attack me. Which was rude. Use your words.
khajidont: (Beetle - Sideeyes)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-08-31 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
Well, yes. If I waved hello and you said, oh, hey, can't talk right now, still practicing or maybe I don't feel like talking then I would have just... eaten my sandwich.

[Which is on the ground now. Thanks a lot, Kanaya.]

Seriously, that's all you've gotta do. If someone hounds you down after that, then they're just a jerk. Only now you clawed the heck out of my wings, which is, y'know, not an ideal way of dealing with things.

[Especially against people with jetpacks.]
khajidont: (Beetle - please let there be a big red s)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-09-01 08:24 am (UTC)(link)
No, I'm expecting, like, baseline social interaction. Normal people don't just bounce down a building if they don't feel like saying hello.

[He's not actually using words to make her sound as inelegant as possible on purpose - it's just how it comes out. In all fairness, she's actually quite impressively agile for what he assumes to be a non-powered human underneath the suit.

He also ignores the fact that he's discussing what normal people do while in a bugsuit, talking to what he assumes to be a masked man. Normal is a definition that has shifted wildly for him over the course of the past year.]
khajidont: (Beetle - Not sure if it should be doing)

[personal profile] khajidont 2014-09-04 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Jaime follows her gaze down to the ground below and sucks on the inside of his cheek as he contemplates what she's saying. He has to concede to her that point - nothing about this situation, and nothing about the two of them seems to be particularly normal, but no amount of superpowers is an excuse for forgetting to use your manners. His mother would be appalled if he were to try that one on her. She would have words for him.]

Nothing saying people can't be as polite in the air as they are on the ground, [he says firmly, because that, at least, is true.] We don't stop being people once we put on masks. For all I knew, you had just robbed a bank or something.