[OOC] MASKS- A New Generation

[Raijinslayer]

@Tengri". . .This is about the shipart, isn't it?"

[Tengri]

@Raijinslayer

[Tengri]

@Joshie

We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How’d we keep in contact?

"I am honestly not sure. I was a bit pessimistic of this idea at first, and I still am.

I was on my patrol, when the message about the attack spread. It took me by surprise. I never expected that something like this could possibly happen in the middle of a day. It was a rookie’s mistake. I reacted as quickly as I could, but by the time I reached the destination, the battle had already started.

Dragoon. I have never seen her in person, but her records were speaking for her. I frankly was scared - not of her, but what she represented. If somebody so powerful can turn rogue, then… It doesn’t matter. And besides, it’s not like she is going to roam the streets any time soon.

I wanted to lend a hand and provide some assistance, but I was too late to help. I only saw fire, and not the normal kind either. I could only watch the inevitable. I suppose you’ve already seen the whole fight at this point, so this part can be skipped as well.
It’s funny how you prepare for all kinds of emergencies, but when the chips are down, you panic like an ordinary human. I saw the charred body of - I’m not sure. I think she was with the Guardians. I helped with the relief work, too. It was in that moment I realized that the things would turn different. It was the starting point.

After the whole attack, when all things were said and done, everything went to hell. It in the news: a bunch of gifted youngsters managed to succeed where pro-hero failed. I usually don’t pay much attention to the mass media since most of it is rubbish, but that time, it was like watching a train wreck - you know how this ends, but can’t stop looking.

After the dust has finally settled, I had my hands full. Lodestar may be the prime hero and all, but the grunt work of finding people for her was my forte. It was easy to find - Luxurius and Faust had no need to be contacted in the first place, same story for Ursae Minoris (who now sported a blonde wig for some reason). Also, that alien girl. Yeah.

I am starting to get nostalgic when everything I did was beating up mobsters and thugs. So, there was the last person on the list. Swarm. Civilian identity unknown. And here, time to show my detective training finally came. I started collecting reports about her appearances - God bless Nucleus’ authority badges - trying to pinpoint her area of work. If my guess was correct, she was only a student with limited resources. In short, I had to find where her home possibly was.

I tried to meet her manually, too. It wasn’t easy. Between my regular patrols, outings with Nucleus and other things, meeting an elusive, bug-controlling vigilante wasn’t easy. I found a solution, though. A sign. A billboard, to be precise. I contacted city authorities and placed a gigantic billboard. It was stark white to an outsider, but I applied some of pheromones to the whole thing - only insects could understand this message, or someone capable of controlling them.

I organized this meeting and volunteered my personal hideout as the team’s base of operations. I had my agenda, though. Nucleus asked me to keep on an eye on the wildcard, Swarm. Since her actual motives were unknown, coupled with her secret identity, this altogether made my mentor suspicious. I was her spy of sorts inside the team. Also, the battle with Dragoon turned a few alarms in my brain: such tremendous power without proper control spelled nothing short of trouble.

I am not sure for the others’ reason to be on the team, but I have my responsibilities. And besides, this does count as social activity, right?"

[Ermine]

@Raijinslayer "I have the books, too. But no, you can't have them. We've got enough trouble without tearing the universe apart."

Also, what does Swarm's costume look like? I imagine homemade, low quality, cheap fabric, etc. Trying to keep low-key and all...maybe a mishmash of mixed fabrics, as sections are replaced when she can afford newer, better quality stuff? And it's not even the original suit anymore; she had to replace too much of it after the battle.

[Tengri]

@Ermine

"No, you don't have those books. You forgot that you lost them long time ago. Right?"

Also, do Robert and Andrea know each other? Like, without masks. They seem to go to the same school, at least.

[Ermine]

Only if he made an attempt to meet her.
"No, I really do have them. That doesn't mean he can get them. Unlike you, I keep the location of my sanctuary a secret. Only blood and d- Oh. Right. Well, they can only come in the other direction. And it's heavily warded. I think. That's what I've been led to believe, anyway..."

Changed it. Going to assume some form of blood magic to get in. Seems fitting.

[Tengri]

"And unlike me, you were wise enough not to let a bunch of teenagers into your home. Also, good to know we have something in the case of sabotage. If you don't mind, that is."

Probably. Most likely not. If her identity isn't a secret, he will only meet her with the mask on. And about this curse, he doesn't know. If somebody tells me, he will offer his help, though. He can empathize with the whole "being a monster" thing. Just don't expect him to be a social butterfly.

[Tengri]

@Raijinslayer
Since you're our meme-master.

Here

[Hyper Harlequin]

@Tengri
*While Network is getting super serious with the Doktor, Riley just comes up from the side and pokes him in the nose* "Boop!"

[Tengri]

*stares at Riley and turns his head back to Faust after a short pause* "Case in point"

[Grey]

@Raijinslayer "I have the books, too. But no, you can't have them. We've got enough trouble without tearing the universe apart."

Also, what does Swarm's costume look like? I imagine homemade, low quality, cheap fabric, etc. Trying to keep low-key and all...maybe a mishmash of mixed fabrics, as sections are replaced when she can afford newer, better quality stuff? And it's not even the original suit anymore; she had to replace too much of it after the battle.

@Ermine

I had a drawing of my image of it somewhere, I'll see about finding that/redrawing after class.

But basically I imagined her costume as being made of spider silk (since no paper trail + accessibility + toughness) and looking vaguely like Spiderverse Gwen Stacy's costume in the sense it's form fitting with a hood. Color's on the darker, so she can blend in with the swarm.

The mask was based off a painball mask I saw on the internet, but with mandibles. Basically her head would look like a bug because yeah. Wouldn't cover her hair because her hair can store bugs for her.

Was also playing with the idea of giving her a mantle and an asscape for more bug holding surface area. Maybe as a "let's be srs" outfit, maybe.

Her emergency costume would be wreathing herself in this humanoid mass of insects.

Side note: had it that Swarm would pretend to be mute, because she's afraid people will recognize her voice without a modulator. She still speaks though, but it's probably wrong to say that she speaks...

[Hyper Harlequin]

@Grey
"You guys have painball on Earth too??"

[Raijinslayer]

@Hyper Harlequin"They mewant Paint, Riley. Painball sounds uncomfortable. "

[Ermine]

@Raijinslayer@Hyper Harlequin Painball needs to be a thing on Earth.
@Grey I guess. At least I know what you mean, and it's also along the same lines in terms of "cheap and untraceable".

[Hyper Harlequin]

@Ermine
"I concur. It's like bloodsport but without the messy blood!"

[Raijinslayer]

@Hyper Harlequin"You know, the more I learn about your home, the moree conflicted I feel about wanting to go there. Still do, but I'm just not sure what to expect."

[Liliya]

@TengriThis is how I picture interactions between Alex and Malcolm right before a mission.

@Ermine What have you done? I've watched like thirty minutes of these in a row now. :o

[Hyper Harlequin]

@Raijinslayer
Too lazy and bogged down to properly roleplay the character atm ;~;
Her people live entirely underwater, huddling around volcanic hotspots at the ocean floor so they don't freeze to death in the frigid waters closer to the miles thick barrier of ice that is their planet's surface. And her people speak purely through controlled pheromones and bodily linguistics (hence bug-shark) so the translation process would be hellish. Even with their technological advancements, it wouldn't be a very relaxing vacation, all things considered.

EDIT: I just realized that of the total amount of visual media on Earth that Riley could learn from, porn is probably a huge percentage. Either you people need to keep her off the internet or her perception of human culture is going to get real weird, real fast.

That or keep the V-card on her 'Earth learning tablet'.

[Liliya]

Well, I mean, at some point any intelligent species is going to have to wonder about how these weird, terrestrial beings reproduce. I mean, bugs lay eggs, right? I guess sharks have live birth (I think?) but unless her people have a different way of doing things than Earth lifeforms, she's certainly going to wonder at some point.

[Hyper Harlequin]

@Liliya
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF RILEY TRIES TO FUCK THE PIZZA DELIVERY MAN???