THERE WERE THOSE WHO DWELLED IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

[catholicisms]

characters: matt and hopefully other people
location: all over
date/time: septemberish???
content: matt is doing stuff??
warnings: i forgot how bad i am at making open posts. other than that not so far

THE INVINCIBLE. ( if there's one thing Matt has really come to miss, it is access to easy takeout. he's not a cook and never has been, even though he can manage it if he tries to. he just doesn't care to try and has always preferred to pick the easy way out. so he hits up the Invincible once a day, give or take, to scrounge up something to eat. mostly for breakfast, paired with bad coffee, but he'll mix it up and take his dinner or lunch there on occasion. he's quiet, keeps to himself, usually eats and heads back out again. occasionally he'll stop and make small talk. he might even ask someone to read the bulletin for him, because he really hates having his tablet monotone it at him. on other occasions, though, he'll make good on what the sign behind the bar commands and will do the only job he feels suitable to complete. if you sit at the bar, he will make you something, and god bless you for being brave enough to give that a shot. Matt seems oddly amused to pour drinks, so are you going to tell him he can't? ) What are you having? ( he'll ask, and no matter the order, he'll probably just give you a shot of whatever bottle he has. good enough, right? better than when he somehow distinctly avoids giving people what they ask for, it's almost like he's messing with you... but go ahead, order something. maybe the blind guy can help you out. ) HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS. locked to 1 response, please! ( shortly after the arrival of new recruits, Matt is having his breakfast as he usually does, only there's something a bit different. his tablet is with him and let me tell you, that's a rarity. he pretty much only touches the damn thing when he's got nothing better to do, and when he's completely alone. sadly, he's tried and failed to figure this out on his own, and he's forced to concede defeat. whatever is on the thumbdrive left for him, he can't figure it out without help. Matt even gives it a last ditch effort, blindly tapping and even making a mutter of frustration. before he throws the tablet and the thumbdrive both for annoying him, he forces himself to do what he hates the most. whoever makes the mistake of walking past him will just have to suffer the consequences. ) Sorry, can you help me? Do you know anything about how to use this? ( Matt taps on the thumbdrive, to make his question obvious. ) I can't figure out what is on it, I can't get the accessibility features to work. THE GYM. ( Matt has done his fair bit of exploring, yet he hadn't known about the gym until it was mentioned at the meeting. and of course, despite the small crowd of people mentioning their desire to know how to protect themselves, he'd said nothing about it and just creeped off in the dark to check it out on his own. he's intentionally avoided visiting when people are present, though Matt knows there's plenty of opportunity to be walked in on. he's not doing anything remarkable, just wandering the place with his walking stick and feeling the place out. literally, he's touching everything, and occasionally making a face about how dirty it is. the only thing mildly remarkable is the drill he runs on the punching bag. though his form is somewhat lazy and one handed at that, the easy way he does it screams it's not his first set and probably not his last. but what's wrong with that, right? even blind guys should be allowed to exercise! ) THE WOODS. ( Matt likes a routine, and another he's grown into since arrival — especially recently — is wandering the treeline. the insects make the place seem a little less vacant, and while it's not the pleasant noise of his city, it is practically enjoyable. he also figures if anything is approaching, it'll probably come from the woods, and the proximity means he might just hear it. that said, if someone wanders a little too close, Matt will lift a hand in warning. ) Careful, ( he suggests gently. ) Not too noisy. ( the reason might not be readily apparent, but, look around a bit and you can spot the spirit that is probably blending in incredibly well with the foliage. Matt has no idea how to be a plant spirit parent, though he figures communing in nature is a part of the deal. so yes, he brings the baby out here frequently. ) WILDCARD. not feeling any of these? feel free to wildcard me or hit me up via pm or meowed to chat about something else! also, if you haven't, please fill out matt's permissions!!!

Comments

i think at least half of mine come from it

[ultraviolents]

[ she's looking; she can't help but to. despite death and his reaction to what she'd confessed to him, despite every good reason why she shouldn't, the reason why she'd died for him is still present and thriving. she loves him. she can't tell whether or not he knows.

elektra's mouth drops open slightly in mock shock, then she retaliates by doing another spin kick, landing the hit in the center, a little bit harder and with her opposite leg this time. ]

Oh, you're gonna regret those words. [ but it's playful, maybe a little lighter than he'd be used to coming from her. she reaches out to catch the bag as it swings back towards her, raising her eyebrows at him. ]

No time like the present, unless you've got plans.

my icons are a fuckn MESS but making new ones is proving to be a time sink nightmare

[catholicisms]

( look, it's bad enough that he knows what people ate a few days ago and can tell how attractive people are through sonar bullshit. if he was out here instantly recognizing people loved him, Matt would be even more of a nightmare. and it's just a fact that it's hard to accept that someone might love you when your entire world was build on the broken premise that nobody would or could.

it really doesn't help that the last time he let himself think Elektra loved him, she abandoned him. he almost doesn't want to see what is perhaps obvious in front of him, though there's only so long that can last.

especially when he's already faltering on the distance he tried to convince himself was necessary. it's a little too easy to fall back into things with Elektra, and that means something too, not that he's willing to think about that for very long. instead it's just easier to lean on the pretense of practicality (if they want to stay sharp, they are probably the best match the other has) and familiarity (he doesn't have to hide things Elektra has known for years). the rest he'd rather not think about.

the kick is nice, the power is enough to rattle the chain. it could have decked him if he didn't sidestep the swing. he follows the bag as it lands in her grasp, landing a jab and then a hook like butterfly kisses dead-on the middle of the bag, as if he was playing a game of darts and not practicing his hand to hand. )

I can't say I've got a lot on my dance card. ( death leaves him with more time on his hands than he likes. they'll need to be careful of someone walking in on them, though Matt doesn't seem quite as blind and hopeless when he takes his glasses off. a stranger might not even realize. he's not exactly dressed for the occasion and pulls his sweater over his head to abandon it along with his glasses on a bench. ) C'mon, there are mats over here. ( he's 100% NOT suggesting the ring. )

awwww :( so are mine but tbh i'm too lazy to change reupload and rekeyword

[ultraviolents]

[ practicality and familiarity are also the crutches she's leaning on, even though she'd also initially intended to keep her distance, if only because he'd asked her to. but maybe the fact that it is familiar is what makes this potentially dangerous. it's been easier than she would have suspected to talk with him once they'd gotten past what she'd known that he hadn't, even after confessing that she'd killed in cold blood for him, which had been enough for him to ask her to leave when it had happened.

it's easier here than it had been there, and she doesn't know how to feel about that.

so she doesn't think about it, choosing to focus on actions instead of words. she toes her shoes off as she follows him to the bench, ducking to retrieve them as she goes. ]

Shall we hang a sock on the door? [ it's a joke, said in the easy tone they've been exchanging and there's no change in her heartbeat, but still maybe a step too far. she's not sure. (and yes, she'd noticed how he'd avoided the ring.) ]

MOOD... if I ever finish sorting caps I’ll make you some!

[catholicisms]

( it is easier here. maybe that’s because there’s a required amount of distance between him and things he never lived to see — and that in and of itself is a basket of worms he avoids thinking about. maybe it’s the reality of death wound around them like a shroud, because Matt doesn’t like it in the slightest but it’s over and done with and she knows how he feels and she’d told him anyway.

really, it’s likely the honesty. Matt has always valued that Elektra didn’t lie to him. in the past she accomplished that by avoiding the truth but here she hasn’t shied from it. even the ugliest honesty that they both know he doesn’t want to hear. part of him can’t shake that it’s some new and twisted manipulation and sooner or later the other shoe is going to drop. but that part was getting quieter by the day.

he huffs a laugh, despite himself, at her teasing. she was bound to see through evading the ring, wasn’t she? Matt can sleep easy tonight knowing that Elektra won’t know his heartbeat pounds a little faster at the memory, even if hers doesn’t. ) This has to be the first time you’ve ever worried about someone walking in on us.

( Elektra was a bit of a voyeur, she had never cared about the possibility of being discovered. he never could decide if she genuinely didn’t care or if she just figured he’d warn her if he heard something. usually he avoids bringing up their past, especially the more intimate parts of it. first he’s nearly flirting and then he’s talking about their sexual history, will wonders never cease??? )

I’ll risk it. ( and it is a risk, when he’s still hiding what he can do and his senses are quite dampened in Beacon. Matt still figures they’re relatively safe, and if they have to, they’re both too good at lying for their own good. sweater off, glasses off, shoes off — is it odd he feels most himself like this, feet on the mat and body primed for whatever comes next?he’s missed this, and a month of being dead hasn’t changed his thrill for a fight. for a challenge he’s been sorely lacking, even the few times he’s trained on his own. ) I’m ready when you are.

you're too good to me <333

[ultraviolents]

[ it was said for his benefit, mostly. she had never cared about someone witnessing her, even when she had actually been demonstrating what she was capable of, even if she'd been warned against it. she had reveled in the awe and fear she invoked in others when she'd been able to show what she could really do. but it's different for him, she knows, and she's been trying to respect that here, in a way she hadn't always in life. ]

I think we've got more reason to be embarrassed if people catch on to what we can really do. [ they might even be expected to contribute to teaching those self-defense classes. she removes her own sweater and sets it beside his, now clad in her leggings, sports bra, and bare feet, and goes to the center of the mat, waiting for him to follow. ] What do you want to start with?

[catholicisms]

( Matt has never been embarrassed, per se, of what he can do. it's not why he hides it, it's not a matter of shame. at home it was simply easier to not talk about it, and there'd been at least a little fear of what might happen if the wrong people realized what radioactive waste had done to him. he's read enough about supers to know that it doesn't always go well, and while his abilities aren't as amazing as some from his world, they're enough that they might want to be researched at best and copied at worst.

and once he started his vigilantism, Matt learned the hard way multiple times that connecting the life he lead at night to the one he kept for himself resulted in the people he cared about being put in danger. he'd kept the two separate trying to hold onto a sliver of normalcy, though it had only ended up being the death of him. it's hard not to wonder if his secrets were the right choice, if they just ended up with him dying in his sleep, alone.

that doesn't mean he's willing to fold on them now. it's still easier to keep his senses a secret, and nothing has provoked him into changing that. at least for now. Matt likes not needing to hide with Elektra but being honest with everyone? that's asking a lot. it's better to be safe than sorry and nothing about being in Beacon makes him feel particularly safe. )

Sparring, ( he suggests, and with just that suggestion he readies his stance. he knows how Elektra fights, there's no bell before the blows start coming. she's never been that careful with him, and he has never really wanted her to be. )

[ultraviolents]

[ one of their biggest differences, besides the obvious 'no kill' rule, was their reasons for secrecy. elektra had only ever kept secrets to cover her own ass, but he had always had people to protect. maybe that had had something to do with why she'd always been a little reckless, always pushed him to the edges of what he would do. she'd envied it, both him for having people he cared enough to protect from himself and the people who needed to be protected from the truth. his secrets are hers, although there's no one left to protect. she'll keep it as long as he wants to. nothing about this place makes her feel all that safe, either.

so better to stay sharp, like he said.

she faces him, knees dropping into a slight crouch and raising her hands into a blocking position, eyebrow raised. ]

You want to take the first shot?

[catholicisms]

( he can sense her body shifting, heartbeat changing, her posture ready for the first blow. funny, he’s pretty used to her throwing the first hit, not asking if he wanted it or even warning him it was coming. Matt is surprised — he teased her about getting soft but honestly this reads different. not soft, but ... careful? of him, or that she’s learned to control her fire, he’s not sure. )

Isn’t it ladies first? ( he teases her, for half a second, but if chivalry was at play then he’s incredibly unchivalrous, because he tries to sweep her before she can respond. nobody ever said they had to spar fair, right?? )

[ultraviolents]

[ well, that was unexpected. elektra yelps as her legs are swept from underneath her, but she catches herself, twisting to the side and bearing the weight of the fall on her palms. it smarts her wrists a bit, but gives her leverage to land a kick to his midsection before her legs hit the ground. ]

What can I say, I'm feeling generous.

[ and then she springs back up, the heel of her hand aiming for his shoulder. ]

wraps!!

[catholicisms]

( it was a low blow, but what can he say? he definitely, definitely learned it from her. he takes the kick instead of avoiding it, Matt's fighting style seems based in taking a hits where he has to and making sure to take them as gracefully as he can.

the push to his shoulder he knocks away to glance off his skin, trying to follow her momentum to get behind her. they didn't bother to establish the rules to this game, though Matt figures they'll find a stopping point when they reach it. it isn't like either of them to worry too much about limits or safeties.

it's a little too easy to fall back into things with Elektra. something he'll worry about later, when she's not doing her damnedest to knock him off his feet by any means necessary. )