OPEN | Days Getting Hotter

[atypical_echo]

Who: Mark Bryant atypical_echo, Sleeper solo_sleeper, Bucky Barnes sinistral, Open
What: A Mugging, Photography Experiences, and Life In The Heat
When: August Catch All
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: Active Mugging in closed starter

[OOC: Mark Bryant is a power mimic, and comes with an opt-in post for him mimicking powers. Interacting with him without opting-in is totally welcome, he'd be relieved to have friends he can't get powers from.]

I - Hot Evening Action | A Central City Alley | Closed to Bucky Barnes

It was too damn hot. Which, of course, made today different from any other day by, you know, not really that different from the rest this month. And most of last month. Fucking hell he was so tired of this. At least he still had some more time on the guild dime, and other than the tools to build his little business, he didn't have much to spend things on. So tonight he'd been big on the idea of just getting himself a ton of take out Chinese to get him through a really serious photo editing spree for the latest job he'd worked.

What he wasn't expecting, with his hands filled with bags of take out, was to be shoved into an alley. Shoved into an alley by a dude with a knife.

"Give me your phone and your wallet or else."

"Dude, my hands are literally full," Mark protested. "Can I put my food down first?"

II - An Uncooperative Model | Central City Rooftops | Closed to Sleeper

There weren't many days that weren't miserably hot, so getting good outdoor shots were miserable. So that took out most of the day. But in the early hours he could manage at least this much. Before the extreme heat built back up Mark enjoyed the morning as much as he could. Which meant getting himself onto a rooftop, like he often did. From here he could get some great pictures. And then there it was. The right subject for the day.

A feline. A nice looking feline.

"Psspsspss," he called, trying to get the attention of the cat. "Come on, pretty kitty. Just wanna take your picture."

III - Beat The Heat | The Diadem | Open to All

There was a lot to be said for spending his summer at the Diadem. Sure, he needed to get out of this place and he had a few apartment tours lined up, but for today there was one thing worth doing. The pool. There was a lot to be said for just pulling on a pair of trunks and letting himself flop into the water. Not a proper bellyflop of course. Just, you know, diving in and starting to float.

"What if I just lived in a pool for the rest of my life?"

IV - A Photo Shoot Gone Wrong | Outside of a Banquet Hall | Open to All

People were so crazy when things got too hot. This was something Mark was certain of just from, you know, the way life worked. Heat made people testy. And testy people got into fights. They would throw around sharp words. They would throw around their tense history to everyone who would listen. And, of course, when all else failed, they threw things. Like handfuls of wedding cake. Richly green frosted wedding cakes. Well, not actual cakes. Apparently this couple had been the sort to get one of those dummy cakes that only have a section for cutting and the rest was just extravagantly frosted foam.

Extravagantly frosted foam that the mother-of-the-bride had basically tried to throw at the uncle-of-the-groom. And missed. Hitting Mark. The conflict had only grown from there, and concerned over his gear, Mark had done the only logical thing he could. Stepped out of the reception and just try and wipe green frosting off of his camera. That it was smeared all over him was a lot less upsetting actually. He could shower. His camera... Not so much.

"Gotta admit, no one is ever going to forget this wedding, even without pictures."

Damn but he was glad that the contracts he made the weddings he worked sign included a 'in the event of a fight or other manifest danger to life or equipment, I have the right to seek shelter'. Sure, he'd meant it for 'safety from Meta bullshit', but he was going to argue this covered it too.

Still, something told him he was going to have to get help getting his pay from the work he HAD done.

V - Wildcard

[OOC: If you have any ideas, let's go for it! I can do custom starters, will accept starters you throw at me too, even outside of Central. While he's currently in Central City he's still able to move around thanks to Guild stuff through August, and will frequent art galleries, photo galleries, and public places for inspiration as he builds up his photography portfolio. One can also handwave having reached out to him on Twitter to pay him to photograph something for you. Either message me to talk ides, or just throw something out there. I'm happy either way.]

Comments

II

[definecat]

Sleeper didn't really mind the hotel. The room service had been easy enough to manage and it wasn't like they were planning to shed all over the furniture or scratch it up, but outside was nice. The heat had the symbiote feeling lazy and pleasant, and they'd found a nice parapet to stretch out on and fully absorb the sun's rays.

At least, they had until some human with a camera had come up here and started making silly noises. They tried to ignore him at first, but after a while, it just got annoying. Putting their ears back, Sleeper turned to give the human a meaning-filled glare.

"Do you mind? Some of us are trying to relax."

[atypical_echo]

The pretty kitty was... Talking to him? Had four eyes? What the hell?

"Okay Mark, you probably need to wrap up these shots because you're starting to hallucinate. Just picture the pretty kitty, head inside, and rest. And then you'll see it's just a lovely little tabby."

[definecat]

Okay, that was a little amusing, and they can't help a tail-flick of intrigue at this, yawning and showing teeth that might be a little too big for the average tabby.

"You're not hallucinating me, at least. Mark, is it? Well, Mark, why don't you sit and take a moment to relax before you do anything stupid."

[atypical_echo]

Those are big chompers. That can bite people. Painfully. Huh.

"Awww hallucination kitty, so kind of you to worry. But I would think coming up here even in the early morning heat, was already stupid," he noted as he shifted to snap a picture. No flash of course. None needed in this lovely morning sun.

[definecat]

They turn, going into the classic meatloaf pose as Sleeper carefully observes them.

"Well, if that is true, maybe we both were stupid," they concede. "But I wasn't the one making silly noises earlier. Do those actually work?"

[atypical_echo]

"Made you look, didn't it?" Mark asked.

Don't worry, against this backdrop, with that parapet, even loaf cat is super cool. So a few more shots of Sleeper.

[definecat]

"They're annoying. Do you like random people coming up and making nonsense sounds at you? I was enjoying the sunlight. The photochemical smog this morning has an interesting effect on the quality of it."

[atypical_echo]

The... what?

Mark lowered his camera to look at the feline. Those aren't words he would hallucinate. Could hallucinations make up that much?

"People are prone to nonsense sounds. They call it small talk. And you wanna run that smog thing by me again?"

[definecat]

Okay, that has the cat standing in a liquid motion and hopping down to walk closer, looking for a good place to be roughly on the same eye-level, but roofs don't offer many options. Maybe the AC housing to one side.

"The photochemical smog. Heavy particles of pollution. These smell of hydrocarbons, probably oil, low on the sulphur. The effect on the light is interesting. More visible at sunset to most people, but pretty if you can catch it." A leap and a slight scramble to make the new perch, and they tuck their tail around their feet in a classic cat pose.

"There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with your ears, but if you're already thinking you're seeing things, even when you actually are, I do have to question the brains behind them."

[atypical_echo]

Okay, Mark looks a lot more distressed now. Because yeah, that... that doesn't sound like he's seeing things. No. It seems like there is a real, alien talking cat here. Shit man.

"I have plenty of brains but there's no way I was going to assume a talking alien cat!"

[definecat]

"To be fair, I could be a magical talking cat," they suggest.

[atypical_echo]

"Yes, but wouldn't a magical talking cat look more like a fluffy, furry kitty?" Mark counters. This is just so silly.

[definecat]

"I wouldn't know, I've never actually met one." But it was worth mentioning.

[atypical_echo]

Ha! Then it was an alien cat! That spoke. Intelligently.

"Yeah, there is either too much heat or Metas here are just getting weirder and weirder. I mean, I know about talking dog-like things. Everyone knows Baron Von Borzoi."

Mark had, in fact, done research on major guild members, so he could trot out names like a local.

[definecat]

"Because dogs get better PR. Not as many people truly appreciate cats for what they are. I mean, I could do a dog, too. I've done a wolf."

But they couldn't be bothered, most of the time. Sleeper considers the man, and gives a shrug again.

"Honestly, I wouldn't really know. Still getting my bearings about this place."

[atypical_echo]

"I mean, Borzoi is Society and I think that means he's evil or something?" Mark pointed out. Was that really better PR? So much for Man's best friend.

"So you're a shape-shifting alien cat that talks. Okay, keeps getting stranger. And yeah, Central can be confusing."

[definecat]

"Alien, yes, shapeshifter, definitely, although there are limits. Although technically I was spawned on Earth. Rather unexpectedly for my parent, too," they say.

"I have had some people argue the cat part. It's a semblance more than the reality. My native state is largely protoplasmic. Humans are unnerved by it, in my experience. The city, though? I really haven't seen many reasons to go out, not when it seems that everything can be done via phone."

[atypical_echo]

Spawned on Earth? Wow, he didn't know what that meant at all. But okay?

"But you prefer being a cat? It's what you choose? Your default?"

Dude, self-identity matters. He can identify as a cat. Why would that be a problem?

[definecat]

"Without a host body to share, holding a humanoid form is much more detail-specific. That 'Uncanny Valley' thing. I would have to create an entire perfect image, and retain all the details. People usually don't notice a cat or a dog, even an unusual one."

In other words, Sleeper's just lazy. And maybe enjoys playing cat.

[atypical_echo]

Oh. Mark frowns.

"I was going to say that you have a right to, you know, choose who you are. That's just part of being alive. Choosing who you are and who you want to be."

1;

[sinistral]

Central City was miserable in the summer. Most cities were miserable in the summer, but Central certainly had the heated pavement, stale garbage, overcrowded closeness of big cities with little care for anything that didn't glitter. It made life in long sleeves a pain but on the other hand, no one looked twice at the homeless, and no one asked too many questions of someone willing to do manual labor at odd hours for cash under the table. Still the days held too much heat and irritability; they led to nights with short tempers and too much in false pride.

Muggings weren't exactly uncommon. Muggings fueled by false pride weren't uncommon. Muggings of people with their hands full weren't uncommon. But this particular mugger decided to act right in front of the alley whose fire escape Bucky had been about to climb.

Why this?

"Why don't you," he began, stepping out of the deep shadows and into the slightly brighter shadows, "just let this poor dude get home with his dinner?"

It wouldn't work; it never did. But all Bucky needed was for the assailant pause long enough for Bucky to get closer.

[atypical_echo]

Well, Mark wasn't expecting another voice joining in. He doesn't dare look up to seek it out, though. There's still a dude close to him with a knife. Even if the dude does look oddly slow to move in reaction to Bucky. Huh, strange that. Very strange.

But the thief, for now, is looking toward Bucky. The attention is definitely on the menacing dude.

"Ain't your fucking business. If you were wise, you'd fucking scram," the mugger called.

"Anyone care about my opinion in this?" Mark asked, still very still with his bags in his hands. Must be the adrenaline, because they feel lighter.

[sinistral]

"Way I see it," Bucky drawled, putting a fair amount of Brooklyn into his voice, "be smarter for you to scram, 'fore I get over there." Another step forward, easing his way closer.

His eyes flickered towards the victim, noting posture and (lack of) movement. Good, if the guy maintained enough self control to stay still. Probably helped that he had his hands full. "Don't worry, I got you," he tried to reassure the guy.

[atypical_echo]

Brooklyn. Wow, Mark knows that accent. Strange, he was under the impression that New Yorkers just didn't care to get involved in shit. Mostly, though, he keeps watching this stranger, because all he knows, the guy is just going to turn around and mug him after.

AS for the mugger, well, he hardly sees Mark as a threat. But this stranger was definitely a lot more annoying. He moves to slash toward Bucky with his knife.