Metaheroes Inbox

[atypical_echo]

You’ve reached Mark, for some reason. It’s 2022 apparently, last I checked - just text me. Or, you know, leave a message if you must.

Comments

[robintohood]

If you don't mind me asking, what happened?

[atypical_echo]

I think the host may have enchanted some chocolates, and I sorta just started talking too much about myself, way too honestly. If you did anything weird at the party, it might have been chocolate.

[robintohood]

[Oh... God, should he say something? They've gone this far already and Jason does like the guy enough]

Did you talk to someone who had a steampunk-style outfit?

[atypical_echo]

[Mark is, of course, working on his shots of the pool table, except… Except that comment makes him freeze.]

Yes…?

[robintohood]

[Mark had spilled more than enough details about his life last time so Jason offers a personal detail about himself instead]

Hi. Sword-summoning guy here.

[atypical_echo]

[Oh no. Oh no. Mark goes a bit pale for a moment, because wow how can this guy not think a lot less of him now that he knows who Mark is, and knows so much more about him? Fuck.]

Uh, hi. I… Didn’t expect this was you. Guess the magic was pretty strong on those masks. I didn’t recognize your voice. Or jaw.

[robintohood]

[Jason huffs out an awkward laugh]

Yeah, I wasn't expecting this either. At least we're not masked this time around.

[atypical_echo]

Yeah, that’s… well, we’re definitely looking like that. But um, hi, I hope I seem less awkward.

[robintohood]

You're fine. Everything I said before I still mean it.

[Mostly]

[atypical_echo]

[Mostly? One has to wonder what he doesn’t mean.]

Oh. Uh, well, I guess small universe. Wasn’t expecting to run into you ever again.

[robintohood]

The feeling's mutual. Out of all the gigs and out of all the photographers, huh?

[atypical_echo]

Exactly.

[He laughs and then relaxes a little bit. At least he can be more honest here.]

Seriously, this looks like a place me and my friends would hang out back home. I wish I could show them this place.

[robintohood]

At least you got photos now to show them. A lot of my home city still has the old styles of the 1920s so doing a speakeasy wasn't that big of a leap for me.

[atypical_echo]

If photos even get to come back with me. Like, how can you even know if it will or not?

[Still, he’s shocked to hear all of this. Shocked and not so shocked at the same time. Because he’s putting together that Jason isn’t local.]

So is this nostalgia, or are you temporally distant from the 20s?

[robintohood]

Just nostalgia. I'm from the early 21st century.

[atypical_echo]

Same. I mean, from a few years ago compared to here, but still relatively recent. Though I did miss, like, five years. Which as a photographer only means jumps in photo software, not as much in the cameras.

[robintohood]

Was it a big adjustment or easy enough?

[atypical_echo]

It was big because, you know, aforementioned trauma as a barrier. But my sister insisted I should get back to it. She still had my camera, and Sam got me a computer and the software, and the two of them got me to get back into it.

[robintohood]

That's great. Seems like you're really passionate about photography.

[atypical_echo]

I went to school for it. Got a degree. Like, this was the life I wanted to live, before things went stupid.

[robintohood]

[Jason nods]

Right. Even with all the bullshit around us, at least you can still do some work here.

[atypical_echo]

Exactly. And this is the work I’m trying really hard to do.

[Making his life. Just like Jason clearly was.]

Though I guess it will be easier for me soon. I can’t keep living like I am, not with the feelings toward Metas. I’m gonna have to guild-up.

[robintohood]

[Jason furrows his brow]

I hate that that's a way the guilds get people to join. It doesn't feel like real agency.

[atypical_echo]

It doesn't, right? And I'm scared, with how people act. I don't even know which to join or what they'll want from me.

[robintohood]

I guess it'll have to be the alliance. They can't be any worse than a guild full of supervillains.

[Plus, Jason has his own plans to join the Society. Best not to have his Red Hood relationships cross with his civilian relationships]