Well I think I'm losing my mind, this time [OPEN]

[desmodusdraculae]

WHO: Kirk Langstrom and Open
WHERE: Anywhere
WHEN: Early February
WHAT: Kirk attempts to settle into his new surroundings
WARNINGS: Potential violence, implied small rodent death (sorry random Maurtia Falls rat, Kirk was hungry)


A. Poor Life Choices dressed as a Bat
[Kirk's beginning to wonder if his life is just a series of terrible choices leading him down worse outcomes. It's bad enough he's found himself stranded in a brand new world with no allies--no Bekka, no Hernan--but he was taken from his world at the worst possible time:

He's hungry.

Of course, he's always hungry, but after over a decade of dealing with his... condition, he can usually keep the hunger at bay. This is past his usual hunger, the kind that slowly starts to consume him until he's drawn blood. In these occasions, he had fake plasma on hand to satiate him. Sadly, his supply didn't take the trip with him.

His usual fallback, criminals who deserved it, aren't in short supply, but every time he stalks one from above, Hernan's words begin to echo in the back of his mind: "We need to shake things up a bit. Change the way we do things. No more politics. No more killing." It would be easy to ignore, seeing how Hernan isn't around, but...

How the hell did Hernan of all people become his conscience? His life really is a series of terrible choices.

The sight of a somewhat familiar heat signature streaks past him below in the darkness. Has his life really come to this? With a frustrated growl, he swoops into what he believes is an abandoned alleyway. Sorry, rat, but you'll have to do.

He just hopes his pride survives the hit.]


B. Poor Life Choices during the day
[Attention. That's new to him. He not only can't remember the last time he's what anyone would call the center of attention, he genuinely can't think of a time he's been the center of attention at all. Hernan usually hogged the spotlight, and the public naturally gravitated to Bekka. Kirk could usually be found in the background, or ignored all together.

And that suited him just fine.

Anything but than the position he found himself in currently, really. His unnaturally pale skin and giant red goggles on his face had done a fairly decent job of pegging Kirk as an imPort to the locals around him, and one curious local became two, two soon became four, and before he could fully register what was going on, soon found himself in the center of a small crowd of people, all eager to get to know him for reasons unknown.

Not wanting to be rude, he had answered the questions politely at first, but no matter how quickly he walked or how many questions he seemed to answer, there was no end to them. In a last-ditch effort to try and get the crowd to leave, he had lunged in the direction of some in the crowd, baring his fangs. Unfortunately, rather than disperse the crowd like he hoped, it just led to a whole new topic of questions being lobbed at him.

Someone please help him, or he's most likely going to attack someone to try and get out of there.]


C. Poor Life Choices at night
[Kirk knows he's being followed long before his stalkers make their presence known. They stink of cigarettes, booze, and false bravado. It's almost appealing in its familiarity after all of the pomp and circumstance he's had to deal with since arriving. He never got used to being in the limelight, but he certainly knows how to handle fools.

He allows himself to get cornered by the three goons, keeping his head down and his shoulders hunched to continue to give off the appearance of prey, but the moment his back is against the wall he turns and draws himself up to his full height, his red eyes gleaming and the tips of his fangs stick out from beneath his lips.]

You've made a terrible mistake tonight, boys...

Allow me to show you how terrible.


D. Wildcard!
[Feel free to run into Kirk anywhere, in or out of costume! If you want a specific starter, feel free to reach out on plurk at redconfession]

Comments

A

[drivesadesk]

[He might notice that the heat signature in the individual passing by the alley has a much lower than normal human body temperature. It's higher than the ambient temperature, only because Jonathan's body was still holding the heat from when he'd warmed himself up under a heat lamp earlier, but still very cool. He pauses as he sees the vampire feeding on a rat, watching for a moment before speaking up.]

So...are you aware that there's other food on this planet, or is that just what you prefer?

[desmodusdraculae]

[Please someone kill him and put him out of his misery. He'd really hoped he had been alone in this alley, but it seems the universe had other plans. He quickly hides the drained creature in a nearby dumpster before turning and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.]

What can I say, I've been taught not to skip right to dessert.

[He can maintain some kind of dignity after this... right?]

[drivesadesk]

Right. Well, I can't say my dietary choices are always much better, with all the fried junk I eat.

[Okay, he isn't being honest at all. Eating a rat is way worse than eating fried food, but he isn't going to get all judgey on a guy that just sucked a rat dry.]

And I don't know what kind of diet you have, but I have a friend who has a cafe with a pretty open selection of meal options.

[desmodusdraculae]

I'm usually something of a home chef, unfortunately I didn't have a chance to make something more appetizing.

[Though at the mention of the friend, he arches a brow.]

I wasn't aware restaurants served rat anywhere.

C

[bat_daughter]

[Her night vision picks it out perfectly clear from her rooftop vantage point. What seems like an ordinary mugging... is suddenly turning out to be something else.

The Huntress tenses, ready to leap into action at a moment's notice. Clearly the would-be mugging victim is more that meets the eye...

Better if she breaks this up before it escalates too far.

She jumps from the building, using her gliding power to slow her fall so that she lands gracefully behind the muggers.]

This a private party or can anyone join?

[desmodusdraculae]

[The new voice causes him to temporarily take his eyes off his would-be attackers, and her outfit makes him pause all together. That's certainly a fashion choice. He thought Bekka had a weird choice of costume, but that could be chalked up to New Genesis fashion... or so he'd always thought.

In his distraction one of the thugs punches him in the jaw. Rather than stumble, it just appears to piss him off.]

I dunno. Depends on whether or not you're willing to dance.

[He dodges the second blow, then grabs one of the men by the throat, lifting him into the air with ease.]

[bat_daughter]

Good Lord!

[She hadn't expected him to be that strong... and something about him was deeply unsettling. But muggers first, super-human potential victim second. Get this sorted out...]

Depends. Too many people on the dance floor right now.

[She went for one of the other muggers, pulling her crossbow and firing one of her blunted bolts. Hard enough to hurt, not dangerous enough to piece.]

[desmodusdraculae]

[Kirk feels the beat of the man's pulse through his hand. It would be so damn easy to snap his neck...

He tosses him into a nearby wall instead. Hard enough to hurt for a long time, but not permanently.]

I wouldn't have invited so many people, but then again it wasn't my party.

[Crossbow. Interesting weapon. He turns his attention from the mugger the unknown woman had well in hand to the final man.]

You really need to rethink your life choices right now.

[Why was he giving this guy a chance to run again?]

B

[topmeup]

[Max can spot someone who does not handle the imPort Popularity Bump from a mile away. It's not like it's surprising considering that he's seen the Theta Squad in action back home and knows how to play the room himself when needed. Besides, he likes people. This guy? Definitely does to seem like he likes people.

It's his first day back in town in over a week that involves more than hitting up Aegis HQ for his patrol rotation. He hasn't even been home yet thanks to all the work doing his other job. Who would have thought people were more obsessed with energy drinks in the winter?

So Max makes his way through the people, adding a bit of static shock to the clothes of the people near him to make them move away easier. Of course a few people recognize him, between Aegis Force and his face on posters all over the cities, but not like Max takes the time to do more than flash a smile at them.]

Oh hey, hi! I've been looking everywhere for you, bruh. We got to go now, they're waiting for us. Sorry peeps, but duty calls. You don't want some building to burn down just because we were late right? Right.

[desmodusdraculae]

[While Kirk has absolutely no idea who this strange teenager is, he knows a line when he hears one. Hernan was the master of lines.

Only Hernan's lines weren't always so helpful.]

Uh... Right. Lead the way.

[That's a start. He'll figure out the rest later.]

[topmeup]

Yeah, right this way. Have a good day, everyone, and do stay safe. No playing with explosive chemicals in hazardous conditions. [The people don't seem as interested in dispersing initially, but the thought of their being a crisis that needs handling seems to do the trick and there is enough room for them to move out and make their getaway. A get away which can lead down and around the corner toward the less busy parking area.]

You good, bruh? People get kind of excited for new faces sometimes around here.

[desmodusdraculae]

[Once freed from the crowd, Kirk rubs at his temples. He'd really like to rub his eyes, but he doesn't feel like blinding himself today.]

I'm not used to that kind of attention.

I can't say I like it all that much either.

Thank you.

A

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Kirk isn't the only one with special vision, even if Jacob's night vision relies on the visor of his helmet. There's a soft whoosh overhead as he brings his foot glider down into the alley to check out the sudden, strange flash of movement he just spotted while on patrol.]

Hello? Anyone here?

[desmodusdraculae]

[Shit. Kirk presses himself up against the closest wall, hoping that whoever it is will just go away, all the while holding onto the rat like it was a Sunny-D pouch.

Why must people try and witness his shame?]

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[In this case, because it's their duty to investigate strange phenomena in the Porter cities, and Kirk certainly qualifies! Folding his glider onto his back, Jacob steps further into the alley, relying on his night vision to reveal its contents to him. He can just make out Kirk's silhouette, but not what he's doing with whatever he is holding.]

Hey. You okay there?

[desmodusdraculae]

I'll be better after you leave.

[He doesn't mean to be so curt, but damn it...

In a last ditch effort to maintain his dignity, he chucks the rat as far as his strength allows. It might not land in the next county, but it will be a surprise for someone several blocks over, that's for sure.]

For Apollo

[desmodusdraculae]

[By now it must be a somewhat familiar sight to the citizens of Maurtia Falls--a dark-clad figure with pointed ears is standing at the top of a building, a hapless criminal dangling over the edge. But unlike the other people who have held the mantle of Batman, this one is torn.

Torn at whether or not he should pull his victim back to the safety of the blacktop.

In his ear, both shoulder angel and devil, was Hernan. As the angel reminded him yet again that they were supposed to be "shaking things up" now and not kill. As the devil reminded him, killing the scumbags that deserved it is how they got to where they were.

Not for the first time recently, he wonders what the old him would think, back when others would occasionally remark about his humanity. He used to be ashamed of this side of him; something like this would only have been done out of desperation. That was a long time ago.

Not factoring in the slightest to his decisions were the loud, desperate pleas from the man he was holding firmly in his grip. He could keep that up for hours before finally getting tired, so the man better start enjoying the view.]

[solarcharged]

[ Another day, another night flight over Maurtia Falls. Apollo must be predisposed to picking out the dramatic crimefighters dressed in black. He knows it's not Midnighter - any Midnighter - thanks to those distinctive ears (weird) and the different build (leaner, pointier) but it's still enough to make Apollo catch his breath in surprise.

He stops, hanging in perfect stillness in the air, faintly glowing against the city skyline, and watches some more. And watches. And waits for something to happen.

After a few long moments of waiting for the man in black to either drop his victim or save him, Apollo clears his throat.]

Penny for your thoughts.

[ Said to rhyme with 'what the fuck are you doing'. ]

[desmodusdraculae]

[10 years of Superman suddenly appearing wherever you are has certainly all but decimated Kirk's surprise reflex, so the masked figure doesn't even so much as flinch when the figure shows himself, but seeing what could only be described as the polar opposite of Hernan floating the is certainly... interesting.

He quirks an eyebrow beneath his cowl as he examines the newcomer in front of him.]

I thought it would be obvious-- I'm debating whether or not I should let go.

[Why lie?

His victim starts to squirm more and protest louder. Kirk's grip remains strong.]

c

[cassassin]

[ it's a slow night in de chima, and there are other heroes. so on seeing the man cornered, she decides it's a good time to step in. the night's still young.

a small disc-shaped canister slides along the ground before letting out a heavy cloud of white smoke. a dark shape--almost like a bat--glides down, knocking two of the goons' heads together while it lands. one of them quickly gets grabbed by the arm and bowled at the third dude, knocking him over and leaving him groaning, trying to get his unconscious buddy off of him.

batman turns her head, expression impossible to read behind her mask. ]

Going to be a problem? [ yeah, she sees that. vampirey. stuff. going on. ]

[desmodusdraculae]

[Kirk had heard talk that he wasn't the only one here who called themselves Batman, mostly from the attractive heat lamp that called himself Apollo. But there's one thing to hear about it, and it's another thing entirely to actually see it. This person, whoever they really were, certainly didn't leave any room for doubt as to who they were, thanks to that over-sized bat on their chest.

Kirk bears his fangs at the question. Dealing with the question was easier than trying to figure out how he felt at this moment, meeting someone who shared his name.]

Only if you're going to make it one.

[You've already ruined his fun by taking out perfectly good prey, other Batman. He won't exactly turn down a different kind of fight.]

[cassassin]

Wasn't planning to. Won't if you don't.

[ batman raises both hands, briefly, in a mollifying gesture, but her stance is still like a coiled spring. vampires aren't news to her, especially with how long she's been here. ]

A

[batburgers]

[That alley might be abandoned by the warehouse it's next to sure isn't. He might be hearing noises coming from inside, some of that noise might even be cries of pain. If he were to look into one of the skylight windows he might even see crates and crates full of unknown products. People--likely gang members or some other group of suspect legality--scattered on the ground, bleeding and injured, but not dead.

Who could have caused this? Probably the guy in the biker jacket and red helmet using a crowbar to rip open one of the crates to check out what's inside.]

[desmodusdraculae]

[The scent of blood hits his nostrils the moment he bites into the rodent. It's so perfectly timed, in fact, that it takes him a moment to realize that it isn't rat blood he smells... it's human blood. It catches him off guard and causes him to bite harder into his dinner than he intended. He hastily drains the creature dry, catching as much of the excess blood caused by his too-deep bite as he can before rising to his feet to investigate.

He didn't want to think about what might do if he were still on an empty stomach.

As it was his body almost physically ached for the superior food source and it was an effort to concentrate on just entering the nearby building through the open skylight. Spotting the red helmet, he forces himself to ignore everything else as he leaps down on to a nearby crate.]

Need help looking for something?

[His tone is light, probably poorly offset by the streaks of blood still dripping from his chin. He'd wiped most of it clean, but not completely.]

[batburgers]

[Jason looks up and sees--someone who may as well be a Talon without the creepy owl helmet. Like a weird Bat/Talon lovechild. Pale skin, special glasses, silent movement... Great. Just great. Now his helmet isn't so good it will tell him everything, but he can get a good look.]

Oh no, I enjoy taking my time perusing the merchandise and seeing what I want to get. My old man always told me to never buy without seeing what you're getting.