apartment log - 1

[adhuc]

WHO: Anyone in Apt. 1-103 and their visitors.
WHAT: Day to day, visitors, house parties, what have you.
WHERE: Eglaf.
WHEN: January.
WARNINGS: TBD. Open to threadjacking and crashing, as it is a shared space.

This is a catchall open to anyone living in 103, for logs or texts or roommate things, including but not limited to awkward dinners, please do the dishes, where's the laundry hamper, no i'm not a vigilante, etc.

Comments

[adhuc]

He can hear her shuffling about; the hissing of the shower, and then the curtain or door. Pouring himself a cup with some relative ease, he perks up as she enters, as though hearing a stray sound. Matthew's saddled against the countertop, sweats and a hoodie to keep the cold out, mimic the wrap of a blanket that he couldn't really appreciate at the moment.

"Hey." Oof, he sounds rough. "Couldn't sleep." he murmurs, taking a sip. Making a vague gesture to the side of his head, he clears his throat.

"Too quiet, at least for me. It's really unsettling. I'm too used to New York." He immediately looks rather sheepish.

"I didn't wake you up, did I?"

[caseyk]

Casey hums softly and nods, moving into the kitchen to join him. There's no rule that says she can't have her breakfast before she does everything else. She metabolizes everything fast enough that she won't end up with an upset stomach or any stomach cramps, so the routine she normally follows is just that way out of habit, not out of functionality.

"Oh, no. I'm always up at this hour getting ready to do my patrols. Have you tried using an app?" she asks, curious, as she makes her way to the refrigerator and starts to pull out what she'll need to make an omelet. "You know, like a sleep sounds app to mimic the noise of the city?"

It's important to be able to get some sleep, after all, so if there's anything she can think of that'll help Matt get some rest, she wants to try. The first thing that comes to mind, though, is something that simple and it might not even work for him but it's a start if the only thing bothering him is the quiet. She'd feel the same way if the tables were turned and they were in an urban area; she's used to the quiet.

[adhuc]

"No, not uh. They don't really work for me." he replies quite matter of factly. "I'm pretty sensitive, I tend to, ah. Focus in on that." Matthew nudges out of the way so she has the kitchen.
He makes another vague gesture.
"It's the ambiance too, that I miss. Sirens, air conditioning units." He waves it off.

"I'll hopefully get used to it. New places tend to be incredibly difficult for me to adjust to in more ways than one." You know, like the end table.

"Speaking of. I should probably pay for that end table."

[caseyk]

Casey gives him another apologetic look even though he can't see it. "That sucks," she says sympathetically. "What about a loud fan or something to just be white noise? It's not the same, but maybe it'd be easier to adjust to different white noise than nearly none at all," she offers as another suggestion.

As she starts the prep work for her breakfast, she pauses with Matt's comment about the end table. "Why? They can replace it when we all move out." She shrugs, mostly to herself. "I mean, I don't think any of us will miss it too terribly, do you? It's just a table, Matt." Casey pauses again. "...do you want an omelet? Since you're up?" she offers, her tone creeping into almost hopefulness because then at least if he's having breakfast with her, she's not just disturbing his alone time for no good reason.

[adhuc]

"I might try the fan. It'll help with the..." Another vague wave. "Late mornings, I guess. Wouldn't want anyone to tiptoe around my hearing."

He leans against the opposite wall instead, now out of the way.

"If you say so; I don't want to take out any more furniture anyone might need, aha." he remarks, returning to his coffee for a moment.

He seems genuinely surprised at her offer, her tone though makes all the sense. Matt feels bad turning it down.

"I could eat, if you're offering. I'll clean up after, I'm sure you have somewhere to be." A beat passes.

"What do you do on patrols? If you don't mind me asking."

[caseyk]

Casey smiles a little and nods. "Yeah, well, that'll come with time, right? Once you get kind of used to the layout, so long as Ben and I don't move anything or leave crap laying around in common areas?" she asks. She may or may not already have had the talk with Ben about making sure they keep their messes contained so that Matt doesn't have trouble navigating his new home. They won't have any trouble because they're sighted, so the least that she thinks they can do is keep things together so that he doesn't have to struggle any worse than he already will in a new place.

"You don't have to worry about it. I'm not in a rush. I'll skip the gym today, no big deal," she says, waving off the offer easily enough. "I'm just going to throw most of it in the dishwasher anyway."

Casey looks over her shoulder at him so that her voice will carry better. "What do you like in your omelet?" she asks, lifting her eyebrows in question. And, to his question, she answers simply enough. "Just...take an airborne look. Make sure nothing seedy's going on where I can see. It's kind of reflex, at this point. When I was a kid, my dad would do patrols for demons because that was a thing back home back then. It just kind of became a habit because eventually he taught me and I've just been doing it everywhere I end up."

[adhuc]

"Pretty much. It'll get better." he reassures her with a smile and a nod.

He does look a bit guilty though when she mentions skipping the gym. "Please, don't let me keep you." In fact, he looks pensive for a moment. "Actually, I wouldn't mind cleaning as you go. If it's not too much to ask, I'd, uh. Appreciate you showing me where it is." The gym, that is.

Working and studying and being sedentary, even for a few days, has worn on him.

"Uh, anything. I'm not picky; just not plain." he adds, setting his coffee down to sneak back into the kitchen, pulling any residual dishes into the sink to wash.

"Airborne. I forgot you're..." Super. Really super, compared to some. "And demons? That sounds all so surreal."

[caseyk]

She looks a little bit more surprised than she probably should, but at least he can't see it. While Casey is aware that Matt is perfectly capable of getting around and doing what he needs to do when he needs to do it, it never would've occurred to her that he might have the interest and ability to go to the gym like anybody else who wanted to keep in shape. She realizes belatedly how rude that is and feels kind of bad about it.

"Oh, yeah. Sure," she replies. "Well, then you can wash the skillet; I'm honestly just going to put the rest in the dishwasher," she adds, finally relenting. When he's not terribly specific, Casey lists off the things she's pulled out for her own: ham, cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions. "All of the above or...?" she prompts, just to be sure.

A slight blush creeps over her lips as she starts to work on the first omelet. "Oh...yeah. I have a lot of abilities but the flight is my favorite, I have to admit. If you ever want to try sometime, I'm happy to offer up Air Casey as transport once in a while. I like taking people up with me; there's no better feeling," she says proudly. "And yeah...the demons are, well. They were a thing, but I know that's pretty weird to most people. They kind of stopped being much of a bother by the time I was old enough to join patrols officially." She looks over her shoulder at him briefly. "I sometimes forget how strange the idea of powers are a to a lot of people here...I'm so used to it..." She's assuming that Matt's new to whatever powers he might've gotten through the portal, but she doesn't ask about them. The way she figures it, he'll share if he wants her to know.

[adhuc]

"Thanks." he offers flatly. "I try to go twice, three times a week at home. Would hate to drop that routine."

Matthew nods with a knowing smile; alright, he'll take the skillet over not helping at all.

"All of the above sounds fantastic." As stated, not terribly picky. And hey, it'd make the apartment smell like food, he can't really ever complain about that.
He seems incredibly interested when she mentions flight. Flight. One of those Avengers-type superhumans. Matthew was always humble about himself, but every once in a while, he liked to be reminded.
"Thanks, I think I'll keep my feet on the ground though." he remarks with a small chuckle. "Maybe eventually. Even being on planes is a little strange for me." So much going on, the disconnect, the roaring engine, the inability to discern simple vibrations from other people thanks to the engine and the hollow steel. It was like sticking his head into a CRT television, what with the static and electric noises, the keening of instruments---No thanks, not if he could help it.

"They are, but. Sorry, I don't mean to other you." Pursing his lips as he listens to her work, he sighs shortly. "It's not so strange where I'm from, as of late. But superhumans are a bit...exclusive." Save for the Defenders? Matt, are you fibbing?
"They're almost like celebrities. So few and yet, so in demand."

[caseyk]

"That's good. This gym is pretty good, in my opinion," she says with a small smile. It's not the best one she's ever been to, but it's a good one. "Got it," she agrees, figuring Matt can have this first one and she'll take the next one. That way, when he finishes, he can start cleaning the skillet and she can finish her food and then they'll both be ready for the gym at the same time.

His chuckle is followed by one of her own. "Yeah, it's not for everybody, but if you change your mind, give me a shout." She likes to keep the option on the table even when people initially turn her down because, quite honestly, it's always more fun for her when she has someone along.

It doesn't take her too long to finish the first omelet and she plates it, moving to set it at the table with a fork and napkin. "Take the chair closest to you, I put your plate there for you," she says and then moves back to the stove to start her own. "And you're fine. I'm othered by default, I think. Even back home, I'm one of the handful of highest-powered folks. I inherited my dad's powers and he's...like, a lot, so... So don't feel bad. And I think even in places where there are a lot of people with powers, the people with them are fewer and further between, so they're kind of like celebrities where I came from, too." So few and yet, so in demand, if that doesn't sum it up, she doesn't know what does.

Casey's attention turns briefly to the food and a few moments later, her own omelet is finished. Everything except her pate and the skillet go promptly into the dishwasher and she grabs her plate and fork and napkin to join him at the table. "So you have them at home, too? That's cool, at least it's not a total culture shock then?" she asks hopefully as she slips into her chair across the table from him.

[adhuc]

"That's great to hear; I haven't been to very many, I have a small...set up at home, sort of." Sort of. Just an abandoned one with no lease, no owner, and he had the keys.

"Thank you." he says, somewhat incredulous. It's not something he's super jazzed about, being doted on, but she doesn't know, and he's not going to tell her that he finds his way around with the same sensory powers she has. Not yet, at least.

He kindly awaits her to take a seat before he does start eating.

"Highest powered? So there's...tiers then. Of just a couple of powers to near god like, right?" Sounded somewhat familiar to home.

"Yeah, we do. Just a handful though, a few more in New York than in other places." A beat, he takes a bite.
"A couple in California, a couple in space, apparently. The news hasn't been terribly thorough about it, but I can't blame them. I'm sure most if not all of it is under massive amounts of security clearances I can't even dream of numbering."

"Similar to yours, however. Some are godlike, others? Pretty average joe types." Like Jessica, Luke. Danny, kind of. Him. He'd hardly cop to being super-powered though. Maybe just a little insane, with just really good hearing.

[caseyk]

"Mmm, yeah. That's a good way of putting it, actually," she agrees. Tiers of power. She'd never really thought of it that way, but yeah. That's pretty accurate. Demons weren't as powerful as people with the Force, those people weren't as powerful as she, her dad, and Uncle Kon, and the Kents weren't as powerful as James and his father. ...actually, James might even be more powerful than his father since they're both angels but James also possesses the Force. Another thing she never really put much thought into.

Clearing her throat as she settles into her chair, Casey lifts her eyebrows. "Pretty average Joe as in not necessarily powered but still kicking ass and taking names or pretty average Joe like low-level or single superhuman powers?" she wonders casually before taking a bite. "Oh, also," she says, hiding her mouth behind her hand by reflex because it's full, "let me know if you want like salt or pepper or hot sauce or anything," she adds suddenly so that she doesn't forget to let him know that she won't be offended if he wants to spice his omelet up a little. She's not a great cook or anything. She just kind of gets by.

After chewing and swallowing, Casey's hand falls away from her mouth again. "Did the portal give you powers when you came in here? I got the impression from the guys that briefed me that that might be a thing. I guess it decided I was plenty powered enough because I haven't noticed anything new," she says with a little shrug.

[adhuc]

He waves off her offer on condiments with a small smile. "No, thanks, this smells delicious." he remarks, starting to eat while he listens, nods, contemplates her questions and answers.

"Pretty average Joe by ways of both, actually." he gesticulates slightly, between bites. "Average people that don't...I don't know. Couldn't make it against an alien invasion I guess, but could stand to stop a mugging, or a small time gang or mafia." Another bite, and he mirror's the same motion she does, as his mouth is full but he doesn't want to lose the thought. "I think being able to 'kick ass' is a pretty broad range, but. I'd personally consider that a superpower." he finishes, along with that bite with a small smile.

But then she asks that, and he gives pause. He recalls from when they first talked, her first welcoming him and others, she mentioned she'd be able to hear anything in a ten mile radius, something that stood out to him specifically, something that didn't really worry him.

Not until now.

He really does try and play it cool, Matthew-the-master-of-poker-face-Murdock, but as he clears his throat and decides now would be a great time not to answer because his mouth is full of breakfast, he waves off the answer. Lies of omission were easier to sell than outright ones.

"Not, uh. Not exactly." Not technically a lie, but his pulse betrays him instantly and he knows it. No hiding it now. It felt weird to sort of be able to be open about this stuff, he did so much better when he didn't volunteer the information---as he thinks of what can be done with it in that moment, like Nobu's sensory control.

He swallows his bite, clearly uncomfortable. But, he wouldn't disqualify her; she seemed to be trustworthy so far, given how helpful, how kind she'd been.

"I'm like you. I had them, uh. I had them before."

[caseyk]

Nodding, Casey takes another bite as Matt explains the range of powers where he comes from. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty broad," she agrees with a little laugh once she's swallowed her mouthful. "I knew what I meant," she adds as an excuse for the kind of dumb option for him to reference.

Casey's hearing is incredibly sensitive, but she's been trained to listen for sounds of distress; if anything is going to jump out at her, it's going to be someone screaming or calling for help. She could probably hear a lie in progress if she knew what to listen for, but she doesn't. It hadn't ever really been of interest to the other Kryptonians, so she'd never learned how. The only thing that actually betrays Matt is that he suddenly looks uncomfortable and Casey almost walks her question back. She would, except that she's still rapidly chewing and trying to swallow to give herself a chance to speak when he goes on.

Then, when he finishes, she looks a little confused at what the big to-do is. "Oh, cool," she says with a small smile. Practically everyone she knows is either powered or related to someone powered. Most of her family is powered, just her twin brothers and her mom excluded, and most of her friends, too, back home. To Casey, it's almost more weird when someone isn't super-powered. "Anything cool?" she asks, curious, but then she remembers how uncomfortable he just looked and she walks that one back before he can answer.

"Sorry, you don't have to answer that. Reflex. This sort of conversation is pretty normal for me back home. I can imagine some people are probably more used to keeping it a secret. My dad, like, has a secret identity and everything. The other Seal people know who he is, but the locals only know if they Google him. I have one, too, but I don't use it as much." They sort of went by way of the dinosaur back in Lawrence.