'cause you'll never break

[taraincognita]

WHO: Tara Markov and anyone interested!
WHERE: Heropa
WHEN: Early March; the week prior to swear-in
WHAT: Opportunities for new CR around the city!
WARNINGS: Language and homelessness. Potentially a lil bit of suicidal ideation.

[so, there are a few possibilities. okay, admittedly, the most likely one is that all of this alternate reality bullshit is the truth; that she really is in a world other than her own, pulled here by this america's government. with no regard to the fact that she'd just put a life together in jump, that she'd been going to school, that she had finally been normal.

honestly, how fucking rude.

not to mention that they'd implanted things in her body, hoped to use her powers for their own gain, and basically were being giant dicks about it. free housing? nah. a money stipend? cool, but not necessary. tara can take care of herself, and she isn't about to let anyone have control of her body or her powers anymore. fuck that.

but, it's not like she has a way back to her world. so, she might as well do some exploring.]
---

a. Heropa High

[so maybe going to the high school is an obvious choice. but they're definitely tracking her, and if she can reclaim any sort of normalcy, so be it. except teachers keep calling her by her real name, which is weird, and the cold war is definitely still a thing here. what's even worse is that she can't find markovia on a map during history class, meaning that either she hallucinated, like, her entire life up until now, or this is definitely some fucked up alternate universe.

anyone interested in trying to befriend a new student might find tara staring angrily at a map in the back of an empty classroom, or being completely disengaged in literally any class she's supposed to be in. remember, kids, these are the best years of your lives! don't waste them.]

b. Mother Mirth's Garden Center

[tara has never had a job, before, unless being apprentice to a one-eyed mercenary counts. and she'd prefer to think that it doesn't--not just because of the gnawing guilt ever-present in her stomach, but also because that would be one hell of a thing to have on her resume.

the job the government has assigned her isn't so bad. she has to work the cash register, and re-pot plants, and do all kinds of things that are mundane and physical. it's almost too calming; she can barely keep still behind the cash register, gloved fingers drumming against the counter restlessly. yeah, okay, she's sure earning money and paychecks are nice. but not nice enough to endure this much boredom, and certainly not nice enough to stay where the government can definitely get to her. if anyone tries to talk to her, her customer service face will definitely seem...forced.]

c. Heropa at Night

[at least it's warm here.

her decision to eschew government housing may seem rash to some. but tara has been homeless almost as often as she's had a place to stay, and no way in hell was she going to take anything from the people who branded her. maybe she'll starve to death on the streets, or something.

ha. that would show them.

she's feeling a little too paranoid to sleep, right now, so she's going to be out walking for a while. don't startle her, though. it might not end too well for either of you.]

d. Your choice!

Interested in writing your own prompt? Feel free, and also feel free to plot with me via plurk or PM!

Comments

garden center!

[helpline]

[ Yeah the Doctor's got no fucking clue what the hell he's looking for. The fact that he's just been staring at various plants but not actually getting anything is obvious enough. It's after fifteen minutes of staring at plants that he admits defeat and goes out to find someone to help him.

Obviously the person with the forced customer service face is the one to bother. Because really, he doesn't want to deal with people who are a little too over-enthusiastic about their commission or people who'll give him a complete run-down of said plants to begin with.

So, walking up to Tara, the Doctor just kind of bluntly and confusedly asks, ]

Do you have any idea what an air plant is?

[taraincognita]

[the old dude staring at plants doesn't look too creepy, which is why tara isn't panicking. she's found herself adverse to old men, recently, particularly those with eyepatches. huh. strange. maybe she needs therapy, or something.

(ha. as if.)

tara drums her fingers on the counter to the rhythm of some song that she can't remember and doesn't care for, waiting a minute before answering his question. she makes her voice as chirpy as possible, but given how exceedingly Done with this universe she is, it's kind of difficult to be cheery. even for a gifted liar like tara.]

Not a clue, dude. Sir.

[you can't say she isn't trying. well, she really isn't, but. at the very least, she'll do the bare minimum so you can't say it.

she picks up an empty pot, already full of dirt, and removes a glove. she touches the soil with one finger, and waits. after a minute, a plant sprouts. it's a power that this weird-ass government seems to have given her, and one of the least useful abilities she's ever heard of. but she'll be damned if she isn't going to use it while she's here, at least. also, it's nice to touch dirt. sometimes. that's not weird when you're geokinetic. shut up.]

Can I interest you in a succulent.

[helpline]

[ Succulents...those are the cactusy ones that don't need much water. Really, that would probably be good for the house if not for the intended purpose that the air plants would be for.

The Doctor looks over the succulent, as if staring at it will somehow get him the answers he needs. It is a pretty cute plant, though. ]

Sure, why not. We need a bit more green in the house anyway.

[ And then, 100% seriously, as if Tara would somehow know this answer, the Doctor asks, ]

Can the succulents be placed in hermit crab crabitats?

[ he is the best hermit crab dad, okay ]

[taraincognita]

[sir, this succulent is god damn adorable. you will not regret this purchase.]

Uh. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think hermit crabs would live in an environment that's...kinda wet. These guys're from the desert.

[protectively, she touches the pot of the succulent. okay, so maybe she doesn't hate this lame-ass power. it's cute, and she's lonely.]

Were you looking for an air plant to, like, keep your hermit crab company? Or something?

[helpline]

Actually, they prefer environments that are a bit more sunny than wet. They're different from crab crabs that way—a bit smaller and less pinchy as well.

[ He makes a pinching motion with his hand as if Tara somehow needed the Doctor to define 'pinchy.' ]

I've got three of them, actually, and I was looking for air plants because someone on the hermit crab forum said that air plants were good plants for the crabitat. Something about it bringing some greenery and life in a way that the fake plants just can't really do.

[taraincognita]

Oh, that's interest--

[wait up.]

Hold on, dude. Did you just say. crabitat?

[she sounds incredulous, but the corner of her mouth is twitching. after a moment, she bursts out laughing, nearly doubling over. holy shit. crabitat.]

That's hilarious!! Crabitat!

[she quiets down after a minute, but despite tara's intense mistrust of adults, there's something endearing about this man. maybe it's the mention of a 'hermit crab forum.' there's just something about that phrase that denies any kind of maliciousness. it's not like she's gonna trust him, but she can at least help a guy out.]

Okay, so, what are air plants supposed to be? You have any idea?

[helpline]

I know! It's what they're actually called. I'm not normally one for puns but that one's stellar.

[ It's such a terrible pun that the Doctor is secretly 100% here for. Because as much as he tries to be all 'I'm the Doctor and I'm grumpy, blah blah blah' he's secretly a big ol'sweetie who likes puns more than he wants to admit. ]

I think air plants are supposed to be plants like bromeliads that don't need a lot of water to grow.

garden center

[deadtective]

[as the daughter of a florist, Hazel is (perhaps unfairly) picky about the places she purchases her gardening supplies from. when it comes to plants, she very rarely strays from the shops that she's deemed adequate; however, with a big move and a new garden to plot at looming at the end of March, she's found herself in sudden need of a large amount of basics. and for those, well...honestly, whatever place sells her preferred brand the cheapest is where she's going to throw her cash.

that doesn't mean her eye isn't any less critical as she wanders through Mother Mirth to do some price comparison. she can't help but judge things, even when her intent was just to look at mulch. it's that sharp gaze that eventually leads to her downfall when it lands on a particularly bored cashier - and she's so shocked at recognizing her that she doesn't look away quickly enough for it to have even remotely been an accident.

god dammit. there was hardly any chance that someone as amenably annoying as Tara would return to this world and not reach out to former acquaintances, which means that she hadn't retained her memory. which means that gaping at what amounted to a total stranger was totally awkward and pretty much unexplainable without making it weird.

well, there was only one thing to do. as soon as Hazel realizes the significance of locking eyes she drops without warning behind the giant stack of mulch bags, down on her hands and knees without a hint of shame. she firmly intends to remain out of sight and army crawl her way to the exit if that's what it takes to avoid this conversation. it's a small price to pay for...talking.]

[taraincognita]

[okay, what the fuck.

tara has a knack for knowing when she's being watched. it's called a healthy dose of paranoia, and she's damn sure gonna use it. and when that girl makes eye contact, tara can recognize that she was staring at her, and she leaves the cash register without a second thought.

(earlier, her boss had told her never to leave the cash register unattended. oh no, what if they got robbed in a city full of superheroes. the horror.)

instantly, she moves to block hazel's exit, crossing her arms. of course, she can use rocks to block all of the ways out, but that seems a little extra. that, and she hasn't actually used her powers since they killed her that one time. whoops.

tara crosses her arms, staring down at the girl on the ground, and making her face as neutral as humanly possible. there is a chance that this person isn't spying on her, after all, but hey. better safe than sorry.]

Can I help you with anything?

[deadtective]

Yeah. Spread your legs a little wider.

[this is less of a request and more of a warning, because Hazel is making the attempt to crawl between her legs to freedom whether she heeds it or not. it just so happens that she's thoughtful enough that she's trying to make this as painless for Tara as possible.

the idea of just giving up the ghost and accepting this conversation hasn't even crossed her mind. no way is she just going to let go like a normal person.]

[taraincognita]

Don't make me crush you.

[the way hazel phrased that may not have been the best. color rises in tara's cheeks, and she raises a hand menacingly, before controlling herself. if the government can track her, smashing people is probably a no. at least, for now.]

Who are you, and why were you watching me?

[deadtective]

[she snorts, finding enough time in this whole debacle to roll her eyes snarkily. truly a gifted multitasker, this one.]

You've got a couple more years of squats before I take that one seriously.

[rock powers or not, Hazel is hardly afraid of a paltry threat like that. she knows that she could be torn asunder and come out no worse than mildly inconvenienced, and it's why she has the chutzpah to start shoving at Tara's knees to try and create the opening that the other girl won't give her.

those questions of hers? might as well not exist. she doesn't even give them the dignity of an acknowledgement.]

i cant believe terras fighting already. bless

[taraincognita]

Excuse me?!

[as soon as the first shove lands, tara lashes out, aiming to kick the other girl. there's enough dirt in here for her to use her powers, definitely, but she isn't so sure she wants to use those this quickly.

the possibilities of what this girl is doing here, and what she could want with tara, fly through her mind, each more terrifying than the last. she grits her teeth.]

Who are you?! Are you working for the government, or--for Slade?!

a

[h2no]

[so sometime after class, tara might happen upon a tall-ish, lost looking man in the corridor, squinting at one of the maps of the school. he looks quite put out.]

Why haven't they marked the fuc-- yo!

[he turns away from the map and attempts to flag the closest kid he sees. IS IT TARA??? THE SUSPENSE...]

D'ya know where the teacher's lounge is? I'm supposed to be there for lunch but they ain't told me where it is!

this is the cr dreams are made of

[taraincognita]

[and happen, she does. tara raises an eyebrow at the man's clothing--he hardly looks like the kind of guy who should be a teacher.]

Uh. I'm pretty sure you're the kind of guy they don't want to let in schools.

[she shrugs, glancing back at the classrooms, before adding.]

Also, I'm new, so I have literally no idea where you want to be going.

👀

[h2no]

They employed me, kid. Eat it.

[a small pout along with the insult. why doesn't he look like the kind of guy to be let in a school? he's a great teacher!]

Yeah? I guess that makes two of us. You one of them port thingers?

👀👀👀 hi water dad

[taraincognita]

What are you supposed to be teaching? How to oil a chest or perfect a look with a plunging outline?

[she cocks her head and offers a smile. she really needs to reign herself in better--she was able to, back in jump city, because she needed to do it to survive. but her experiences have left her a little bit bitter. just a bit.]

Yeah. Guess you could call me that. How about you?

hello horrible earth daughter

[h2no]

That's exactly what I'm teachin'. You got me. No, kid, they wanted me to be a swimming instructor.

[pouting continues, intensifies.]

Yyyyep. Snatched right up in the prime of me life. I'm starting t'figure that everyone who says they're new is in the same situation.

can tara even swim? jurys out.

[taraincognita]

Swimming, huh? That's not really super useful. I bet half of this school can like, fly.

[she smirks, tucking her hair back behind her ear.]

So, where're you from? I'm definitely getting a pirate vibe.

C

[heliophilic]

[A gloved pair of hands seem to appear under a nearby streetlamp, followed very quickly by a crescent moon logo against a dark grey chest plate. After another moment, the rest of the man appears under the lamp, dressed in mostly black leather (other than the dark grey of his chest plate) and a long black leather coat. There's a few specks of blood on said coat, but despite that his body language all but screams "I'm not trying to scare you, and I'm not going to try anything." When someone is dressed in all black and surrounded by shadows, popping out is a thing that happens. It's not always meant to startle.]

I feel like I should be telling you it's dangerous to be walking alone this time of night, yet at the same time I feel like you know that already.

[taraincognita]

[when the man suddenly appears, tara jumps back, staring anxiously at the new figure. automatically, her body drops into a fighting stance; and though hand-to-hand isn't her preferred style, she's been trained in it. it's best not to show her hand right away, at least.]

It's none of your business whether I'm in danger or not.

[she stays in-stance, alert, ready to fight if need be. it doesn't matter that he's trying to appear non-threatening; anyone is a potential danger.]

Who are you, anyway?

[heliophilic]

[At the gesture, M simply smiles and leans against the lamp post.]

You're right, it's not. Yet I've been told politeness dictate I do it anyway.

[A shrug. To the demand of his name or his response on politness, it isn't clear.]

Name's Midnighter. Both in and out of the work clothes.

[taraincognita]

Bullshit, that's not your real name.

[she doesn't relax her stance, not at all; her eyes dart around, keeping track of potential ways to escape. she doesn't trust this, not one bit.]

It's not very nice to approach random girls late at night. You might get yourself maced.

[heliophilic]

[M slowly reaches up and pulls the cowl off his head. tucking it under his arm.]

It's the name the mad scientists who created me named me. I also go by M.

[A small shrug of the shoulders. Eh, believe him or not, not his problem.]

I hate to break your feelings of teenage specialness, but our paths just happened to cross. I'd have thought popping out without some form of warning would be the appropriate response if you want to get acquainted with capsaicin to the face.

[taraincognita]

Can't tell if you're joking or not, M.

[she shrugs back, but maintains her fighting stance and takes a step back. she grits her teeth at his statement, but doesn't move to hit him.]

Screw you, man. I have every right to be paranoid. It's not like I'm self-obsessed.