maskormenacelogs | [Open] September Catch-All

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[Open] September Catch-All

WHO: Barnaby Brooks Jr. and YOU!
WHERE: Various cities
WHEN: Throughout September
WHAT: Commercial auditions, bike shenanigans, volunteerism, you name it!
WARNINGS: None atm!

1) That's Show Business [Heropa]

[Maybe your company wants its imPort employees to gain more exposure. Maybe you want to further your own career. Or maybe your friend decided it would be a hilarous joke.

Regardless of why, you've been scheduled for an interview and audition with the current spokesman for the energy drink Powerthirst, Barnaby Brooks Jr.]

Hello. [His greeting is professional and polite, and he reaches out to shake hands with the next candidate.] Ready to get started?

2) Hot Wheels [Any of the main imPort cities]

[Who is this flashy asshole who keeps leaving a streak of pink behind them while zipping around town on their sleek, stylish bike? Barnaby, of course. Don't you see his name written on the front?

On most mornings, he can be seen commuting to work through Heropa. On several nights throughout the month, he can be seen patrolling through one of the main imPort cities while wearing his matching powersuit. In the latter case, there may be times when his partner Wild Tiger is sitting comfortably in an attached sidecar while Barnaby handles the driving.

The aforementioned asshole is actually a pretty polite driver, though...unless he's doggedly pursuing some criminal during a high-speed chase, in which case he will zigzag through traffic, make tight corners, run through stop signs, and still somehow manage to not wreck the thing.

In any case, he can occasionally been seen leaning against his bike at one of the parks in any of the main imPort cities, sipping on some water and checking his phone.

Need a lift? Or perhaps you'd like to take a closer look. Barnaby doesn't seem to be going anywhere for the time being, so now's as good a time as any to ask.]

3) Volunteering at the Children's Home [Maurtia Falls]

[One day while volunteering at a children's home in Maurtia Falls, you might come across Barnaby doing much of the same.

Considering the fact he's someone who has no problem plastering his face all over magazines and television screens if it suits him, Barnaby wouldn't fault someone for assuming he'd be quick to turn this into some sort of publicity stunt. That's not true in this case, though, and today he's quietly stacking some boxes in the back with an uncharacteristically relaxed smile.

...That is, until one of the boxes unexpectedly topples onto the floor with a loud whump! The noise nearly sends Barnaby jumping out of his skin. If anyone else witnessed that, he hasn't noticed them yet. Instead, the mishap freezes him in place for just a moment, arms full with one box, and another half-opened one at his feet.

Help a nerd out?]

4) Training at the Gym [Heropa]

[As someone who prefers a training regimen that includes daily 4-hour workout, it's not so surprising to see Barnaby spend some at the gym. Flawlessly pivoting and pointing his toes, Barnaby strikes at the punching bag in front of him with a deadly combo of kicks and punches. Every strike is confident and precise, a clear indicator that he's a professional fighter.

After a point, though, even he has to take a small breather, and he pauses to take a sip of water. Regardless of whether you're looking for a skilled training partner, a someone to give pointers, or even someone to pester for small talk, now is probably the best time to approach him.]

5) Wildcard. [Have another idea? Hit me up on plurk at

jackets!]

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[They're drinking a bottle of champagne Kotetsu seemed particularly keen on trying together, and Barnaby can't complain about getting a chance to put his flutes to good use. Standing on the balcony of Barnaby's apartment, he takes in a quiet breath and stares out over the trees and parking lot beneath them. The view doesn't hold a candle to his flat back in Sternbild. It's too bad, if only because it makes a nice backdrop whenever they're together.

Barnaby leans against the rail and lightly swirls his glass, staring out at nothing in particular.]

Fall will be here soon... [It's an idle comment on the surface, but his words hold a fair amount of meaning. He and Kotetsu first met during September. His birthday is in October. And then after that comes the winter. Just like it always does.]

It's hard to believe we've both been here over two years now.

[It's no Gold Stage, that's for sure, but Kotetsu's come to hold a sentimental attachment to it, all the same. Somehow, the less expansive, more residential view makes Barnaby's spartan accommodations seem just a bit cozier, maybe.

Or maybe it's the fact that they've made a lot of memories in this apartment that they didn't, back in the one in Sternbild. Barnaby's first Christmas, after Maverick, and then his second one, where Kotetsu'd surprised him with opera tickets. Barnaby's birthday. Kotetsu's birthday, when Barnaby had surprised him, in turn, with those Disneyland plans.

Yeah, Barnaby's comment has Kotetsu elbow-deep in nostalgia before he even really knows it. He leans against the railing, tipping back his flute for a sip of his champagne, and looks out across the way, mentally mapping the route here he's had utterly memorized, by now.]

Heh, right? It's kinda funny, but next May...we're gonna have known each other longer here than we did back home.

[Which is especially odd, when he thinks about it, because when he doesn't, it often feels like he's known his partner his entire life, and not just the most recent piece of it.]

[Upon hearing those words, Barnaby slightly lowers his glass, eyebrows raising as realization suddenly dawns on him.]

...You're right. [He can barely believe it himself. Should he be happy that fate has generously granted him a little more time as Kotetsu's partner even if it means keeping him deprived from his family? No one can answer that for him, least of all Kotetsu, who does everything in his power to reassure Barnaby when the opportunity arises, so he simply adds:] At this rate, you might even get to see me turn thirty, and then I'll never hear the end of it from you.

[Barnaby probably shouldn't have put that idea in his head, because now he's grinning like a buffoon.]

Oh my god, you're gonna be an old man too.

[8D

8DD

8DDDDD]

Not that you don't already act like one, but. [are u ready for ur regrets yet] We oughta make you like, a list of stupid stuff you oughta do while you're still in your twenties.

[how bout now]

Oh, please. [Barnaby resists the urge to roll his eyes.] Thirty is hardly old, Kotetsu. And in any case, anything I could do in my twenties, I could easily do when I'm thirty.

Says the guy who was calling me old at thirty-five.

[EMBRACE YOUR OLDNESS, BUNNY, it's not like you don't act like you're fifty anyway.]

And sure you can, but it's easier to do stupid things when you're younger. [Your body doesn't complain as much.]

That's right. I'll be in the prime of my manhood at thirty-five. You, on the other hand, were very much an old man at that age.

[Although he's saying all this with a perfectly straight face, there's still an amused glint in Barnaby's eye.]

That's the thing. I tend to avoid stupid things, no matter my age. They're usually called stupid for a reason.

[o m f g]

Oi, oi, that's totally unfair! We can't be different degrees of old at the same age, that doesn't even make sense!!

[Huff. Puff.]

And everyone does stupid stuff. It's like, practically in our genes or something to make a complete ass of ourselves at some point so we can laugh about it twenty years later.

[He sounds so confident about this.]

You gotta have at least one ridiculous story to tell your grandkids, right?

Since you're so old-fashioned, it makes perfect sense.

[He's not budging on that one, sorry.]

I have plenty of ridiculous stories just from being your partner. [Seriously, the way they got tangled together their first day together would have been impossible for even the most skilled circus performers to replicate.] Besides, I doubt I'll ever have children, much less any grandchildren, so that won't really be an issue.

No way. Old-fashioned and "old" are totally different things.

[He's about to say something about their partner stories being great and all, but how he still needed to have Barnaby Stories anyway, when that last bit distracts him.]

Really? You don't want kids?

I can't say I've thought about it much one way or the other, to be honest. [He hasn't exactly thought a lot about what he wants out of life.] If I stay on my current life trajectory, though, it doesn't seem very likely to happen.

[On the plus side, Kotetsu doesn't immediately go into a BUT YOU GOTTA spiel like he did with Disney and other such things. Mostly because, for as much as he'd huff and puff about how important and vital it was that he had them to check off his metaphorical bucket list, they really don't Matter, in the scheme of things. Finding love, having a family....those were the sort of things that lasted forever, and he's not going to be flippant about them.]

When you say it like that, you make it sound like you're running a business.

[Current life trajectory, bani, really.....]

It's true, though. Starting a family requires planning and effort, not to mention someone to start it with.

Okay, you got me on the first two, but the third part'd just happen when it happens, you know? Trajectories and stuff don't work for figuring that out ahead of time.

[And with utmost sincerity, he claps a hand on his partner's shoulder, beaming at him.]

I know you'll find someone amazing, Bunny.

[All aboard the Clueless Express, choo choo.]

[Barnaby bristles a little.]

What makes you think I'm even looking for someone?

[Ugh, his life. Why.]

You don't have to be looking for it to find you, y'know.

[Kotetsu is here 2 rain on ur practicality parade & he did not provide umbrellas.]

I didn't think I was gonna find the person I'd marry someday in high school, but it happened anyway.

That's different, though. In high school, you don't exactly need to be looking anyway.

But that's the point. It'll hit you when you least expect it.

And my point is that you're regularly surrounded by a smaller pool of people as you grow older. Once you're an adult, you either date within your group of acquaintances or you make a conscious effort to go find someone. If no one in your existing group is interested in you, then you have to make it a priority to find someone who is, provided that settling down is actually important to you.

Edited 2016-10-23 08:45 (UTC)

Or you could run into someone totally by accident and end up having feelings for 'em.

[~~Or they could literally fall into your arms and then proceed to grow on you like moss on a stone. You know, just hypothetically.~~]

I'm just saying, you never know what's gonna happen in life.

That still involves cultivating some sort of relationship with them beforehand, you know. This might shock you, but I'm not the type of person who falls in love with someone at first sight.

[quelle surprise...! say it ain't so banichan]

Well--you might like 'em enough to hang out again, at least.

[He's...probably just arguing for the sake of being stubborn at this point, tbh.]

[True to his word, Barnaby arrives to meet Daryl at the appointed time and place. It's the parking for an abandoned restaurant that's slated to be demolished sometime within the next month or so, empty and quiet just like Dixon requested.

As usual, Barnaby arrives several minutes early. The sweat running down his back from the heat prompts him to slip out of his jacket before checking his phone for any new messages.]

Edited 2016-09-04 00:17 (UTC)

[Daryl arrived on his own motorcycle. It was used, but new to him. Still needed work he'd be putting in himself in the days and weeks to come. Just like he'd put in work on the one in De Chima. Hell, at this rate, he'd probably end up with a bike in every city.

Wasn't nearly as pretty as Barnaby's, though.

He wasn't that late, maybe a couple minutes. It had taken him a little time to find the place and check the perimeter before he pulled into the parking lot and stopped next to the other bike.]

How heavy is that thing?

[The golden rule of motorcycles he'd had drilled into his head was never to ride one you couldn't lift off yourself. That one looked like it'd be pretty damn heavy. But that could just have been all the extra flashy bits.]

[As soon as he heard Daryl approach, Barnaby slipped his communicator into his pocket. The bike he was riding was clearly vintage, which made sense, considering the man had come all the way out here just to get a look at Barnaby's vehicle. A man who cuts the small talk wouldn't do something like that unless he had a keen interest in the matter at hand.

The lack of greeting wasn't lost on him, but Barnaby didn't mind.]

If we're talking wet weight, it's about 590 pounds.

[Daryl's brows shot up noticeably. No way he could lift something like that. Maybe four hundred if he was trying, but almost six?]

You got super strength?

[He asked as he swung his leg over his seat and got himself standing. The kickstand went down on his bike before he moved over to start a short circuit around the machine. Checking to see if it was gas or electric. The presence or lack-thereof of a gas tank was a sure indicator. With all the other high-tech shit the bike had, he really wouldn't be surprised if it was electric.]

I do. My powers amplify my physical abilities 100 fold, and that includes strength.

[Daryl's guess was correct, as witnessed by the lack of gas tank. Aside from the advanced technology, forgoing gas also meant less of a safety hazard in the event of a crash. The fact it was environmentally friendly didn't hurt, either.]

[Well, shit. That was damn useful. How come Daryl couldn't have been given something like that? He didn't particularly mind the powers he did get (now), but it would be nice to have something that would let him hold his own against those that could break him with their pinkie.

He crouched down to get a look at the engine. Aside from the lack of a gas tank and the extra batteries in it's place, it was a familiar sight. Everything mostly well cared for. Though from the looks of a couple of the wires it was in need of a decent tune up. Could probably be ridden for another month without incident, but that was assuming nothing super-powered happened to it.]

You ain't never done your own maintenance? Never learned?

[There was a note a disapproval in Daryl's tone he didn't try to hide. Guy didn't need to be a mechanic, but learning the day to day basics was important. At least in his opinion. Even Merle, who left his maintenance to Daryl most of the time, knew how to break an engine down.]

[It probably helps that he had the same power back home. Still, it does have its drawbacks, namely the one-hour cool-down period that comes attached to it.

Barnaby picks up on Daryl's tone, although it doesn't offend him. He can understand where he's coming from. It's sort of like how he feels when he runs into young hero types who don't know anything about first aid or don't bother exercising just because they have a power that does the heavy lifting for them.]

I know how to run a diagnostic on the built-in systems and identify basic problems when they arise. Our engineer back home wasn't too thrilled with the idea of anyone else tampering with his work, though, so I generally left things in his capable hands.

Yeah, but he ain't here.

[Daryl sounded a little less surly, now. At least Barnaby knew how to check for problems enough to keep it running decent. And if he had a guy who built it and did the maintenance, then he understood that man's desire not to have his work messed up. But he was still mildly disapproving Barnaby hadn't learned more so he could deal with the bike without his normal mechanic present.

He stood and walked around to the back, lightly kicked the tire to check it's inflation as well as how stead the thing was just sitting there. It was basically a toe tap. Things seemed solid enough.]

So how's the wheel thing work? Can you show me that without the other bike being here?

That's true. The person most qualified to teach me isn't here now, so the best I can do now is to move forward.

["Leave it to the professionals" tends to be Barnaby's motto, especially when it comes to a highly-specialized field like engineering. Just as he wouldn't trust a bank heist to some untrained upstart who might know a few karate moves, he doesn't necessarily trust himself to be able to pull his Chaser apart while keeping all of the bike's parts intact either.

While he generally prides himself on anticipating and preparing for potential problems before they arise, he can't exactly fault himself for not adding "might wake up in an alternative universe with special bike-summoning powers" to his list of possible hiccups.]

For safety reasons, it won't trigger unless the other bike is present. There wouldn't be anything to keep it upright, otherwise.

[Yeah. That made sense. Annoying, though.

Daryl gestured at the bike.]

Where's it swing around at, then? Show me that.

[I.e. Daryl speak for 'Tell me all about this since I can't see it. Let me geek out over your sick ass bike.' But in a chill, level-headed, totally-not-a-nerdy way.]

[It's okay, as a fellow nerd who similarly keeps it dialed back most of the time, Barnaby can read between the lines.]

Sure. [He wears a quiet smile as he steps back and kneels down beside the rear wheel.]

Like I mentioned in our last conversation, the bike's body is capable of changing shape. When it enters into Double Chaser mode, the front wheel disconnects and re-positions itself...[While gesturing with one hand, he points toward the back wheel with the other]...while the back wheel shifts to the side in order to accommodate the front one.

At the same time, the second bike is programmed to maintain its form while attaching itself to the now-sidecar. Once that happens, the driver of the second bike has total control.

It attaches before the shift? They gotta be right up next to each other, right?

[Daryl's already kneeling down to follow the indicated lines, trying to see if he could find any obvious tracks for the wheels to move along.]

It don't mess with the power or drive shaft? Doin' that?

[Thankfully, Barnaby had already scouted out the garage before he arrived at the appointed time for a consultation with Tetsuo, or else he might have been underwhelmed with the shop's exterior.

Appearances can be deceiving, though, as Barnaby is very much aware, and so he lets himself inside once he shoots off a text over to Tetsuo, informing him of his arrival.]

[Tetsuo himself is a strange first impression. While the garage exterior is definitely not much to look at - largely blank with a logo written in both English and stylized kanji reading Neo Tokyo - the interior looks a lot more noteworthy.

One half of the garage is lined with paint cans and paint splatters on the walls and shelves, welding tools and longer pieces of metal and plastic. It has a juke box, a bench, a dog bed under the bench... that would be the side for repaints, casing, and general maintenance, from the look of things.

The other side is full of tools and scrap metal, wires and pieces of machinery draped haphazardly enough that cables spill from the shelves to the floor, leaving a few half-finished pieces of something scattered along the wall. Cardboard boxes of random supplies are hastily shoved against the length of that wall.

Otherwise it looks like any other garage; from the front to the back there's two jacks set into the floor capable of lifting and sustaining cars. A few cables and hooks dangle from the ceiling. There's a blue-green bike with an eye painted over the gas tank leaning against the wall; a half disassembled sports car on one of the jacks.

Tetsuo himself perches like a vulture amidst the scrap heap waterfalls, a vivid red blanket wrapped around his neck and cascading down his right side like a sideways cape, obscuring his arm. He looks somewhat young but a bit strange, with white hair and baleful eyes.

What appears to be half of a motorcycle engine hangs suspended in the air in front of him, watching gears slot into place on the gearbox. Ignition rotor is next...

His power lets him work far more quickly than most would, as the engine doesn't seem to be assembled slowly as much as it seems to all fall back together from parts he wants already arrayed in a circle around him. That'd be why he pays no attention whatsoever to the text itself, and doesn't even look up until he's able to set the finished piece back to the floor. He rubs at his head briefly with his left hand, then lets it drape onto his knee.]

Yeah?

[If Tetsuo's appearance or powers surprise Barnaby, he doesn't show it. Considering he had to learn how to lip-read in order to communicate with his last engineer, other people's eccentricities hardly phase him now. Besides, the young man's obvious skill and interest in mechanics is quite promising (and impressive).]

I'm here for our scheduled consultation. The name is Barnaby Brooks Jr.

[ Business has been much better than Kanaya has expected it would be, after New York. She's been inundated with orders, and between hiring a new production line and finding better studio space in Nonah, her hands are plenty full, but the mechanisms are on the way to take some of the stress off of her. It may not be there quite yet, but soon she'll be able to focus mostly on administration and design, two of her specialties, and she has to keep an eye on what comes next for their brand.

Getting a call from Barnaby is a little serendipitous then, both to give her a new project, and another launching point to follow up on the last. If she can present something new with an imPort celebrity attached while all eyes on her already, maybe she can keep that momentum going.

So, she finds herself in a Heropa cafe, waiting to meet with him. She might have prepared a few sketches already, but didn't want to go overboard without hearing his ideas first. Rather undermines the point of a collaboration, otherwise. Nonetheless, she'll be penciling out something in her sketchbook when he finds her anyway. Never hurts to keep a backlog of anything he doesn't like. ]

[By the time Barnaby reaches the cafe, he's not surprised to find Kanaya has already arrived. She's professional and organized, and very much the type Barnaby can appreciate working with.

He greets her with a polite smile as he approaches the table with a small cup of coffee.]

Hello, Kanaya. Thank you for coming out here to speak with me today. It's certainly a pleasure to meet you under more favorable circumstances this time.

[Naturally, he's learned not to take such a luxury for granted.]

[ She lets out a sigh as he says it, then follows it with a light laugh as she closes her sketchbook to turn her attention fully to him. ]

Small favors. We should take the time while we can, in case some crisis rears its head as soon as we leave.

[ She's joking, but really it's not like it's implausible. ]

Needless to say, given that we're meeting now, your proposition interests me. So, let's talk fashion.

Excellent.

[He sets his coffee down and takes a seat across from her.]

From what I understand, your brand isn't confined to the same societal or cultural norms underlying most collections in this world. The designs you create provide people a truly unique way to express themselves, something that they won't find anywhere else, while also letting them feel great about what they're wearing. That's something I appreciate about your work.

Absolutely! I think we all feel a little thrill when we really enjoy the way we look, and I think that thrill is what fashion is all about. I want to make as many people find that as I can.

[ he takes a sip of her coffee, looking him in the eyes the whole time. ]

And you, Mr. Brooks, have always been a very keen and savvy person. You know how to handle the public, and I've noticed the way you've marketed yourself over the years. Putting you at the face of something can do wonders for it, whether Archangel then, or RISE now.

[ Whatever her feelings for RISE may be, she can't fault them that choice, and she tries to keep any venom out of mentioning it. Besides, if it gives him a little authority in the organization, that certainly would be to their benefit. People trust Barnaby because he's worth trusting, that's something RISE needs. At least, it's something someone like her needs from RISE. ]

It certainly can't be a bad thing to have my own brand associated with you. What sort of style gives you that sort of thrill, Barnaby?

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[Open] September Catch-All

Kotetsu

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Daryl

Daryl

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Sorry for the delay! Also, Daryl is rly cute ;w;

Not a problem. I've been slow this last week myself. And Thank you <3

Tetsuo

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let's say tuesday the 27th

sounds good!

jesus, sorry this is late

no worries! I've been pretty slow this week myself

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