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@muertemorbo
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐀 from call of duty: warzone. private, selective, headcanon heavy & multiverse. characterisation is heavily influenced by the mobile comics. 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝙱𝚈 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰. she / her ( 26. ) british. established april 4th, 2023. triggering content present & tagged. you do not need to be familiar with cod to interact.
𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃 / / playlist / / development hub / / sideblog / / pinterest. find ask prompts here.
on hiatus across all my blogs. don't know when i'll be back.
THE HALLWAY SMELLED LIKE RAIN WHEN HE STEPPED IN, plus something else; sharp, metallic, threaded with something hotter. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, the wolf within eager to come out and play.
Pushing down the all-too-familiar sensation and ignoring the pulsing behind his eyes, Bigby approached, and he didn't rush. He took one step over the threshold, causing the warped, aged wood to groan under his weight, and the creature allowed the scene to form before him as snippets of sound, held breaths, rattling metal, and smells, blood and heat, something bitter. Sights came to him last. Two by the counters, one on the floor, Mara above him.
"Funny," he told her dryly, as if the others didn't exist, voice rough from the smoke he hadn't quite finished outside. "Looks like it concerns me."
He didn't lift his hands, didn't reach for anything. The sheriff simply stood, filling the gap between the apartment and the hallway, and in a manner that might've seemed casual to one who didn't know him, his eyes shifted to look at each of the armed men in turn.
"You boys wanna tell me what you're doing, tearin' up the place," he went on, quieter now, "or should I start guessin'?"
mara's grip on her gun tightens. this fucking sheriff, always intervening, always poking his nose where it doesn't belong. " you don't talk to them, " she instructs bigby, a sharpness in her tone. one fable protecting another. these are dangerous people with dangerous intentions. bigby doesn't deserve to get wrapped up with them. " they're here for me. " she won't tell him why. not yet. it's all too intimate, too personal.
does he have a right to know? perhaps. but that's mara choice, and she doesn't feel like sharing. when the agent on the ground twitches in an attempt to free himself, mara twists his arm painfully. " i know who sent you, " she converses with the man through gritted teeth, momentarily ignoring bigby's presence. " tell them to stop trying to find me. " releasing him, she trains her gun on the agent and uses it to guide him to his feet and backwards past the wolf.
he makes the mistake of going for his own gun, however, and mara doesn't hesitate; automatically firing a shot. it hits his leg, non-lethal, and he cries out. she meets bigby's gaze and narrows her eyes. the two remaining agents are reluctant to come out of hiding, looking to the sheriff to ease the tension.
[ closed starter. ] [ @wintersrunt. ] the weather rattles her windows furiously, the rain pouring down outside battering the panes of glass. her television plays away quietly in the background. a sitcom, the comedic, practised laughter barks from the screen. her apartment is dimly lit, one of the lights annoyingly flickering, emitting a soft buzz every time it blinks on and off. it's late, the dark streets outside less busy now. there's a bang. a cry. blood spatters the front door frame, glossy but dirty now a dark crimson. the cia agent grips their bicep tightly, where the bullet had grazed them, signalling for their partner to go while the other distracts the jinn.
it's a waste of time though, because mara is one step ahead as she peeks around the corner with her gun aimed between the two counters. if a head pops up, she'll know. " leave now! " she snarls, purposefully minding the trigger to avoid any accidental deaths. she's precise and calculated, the bicep hit hadn't been a miss. rather, an intentional warning. what she doesn't anticipate is a third agent creeping up on her, having climbed in through one of her windows. arms slip around her throat and she kicks violently in the air, trying to free herself.
mara's caught off-guard but she's not helpless and, in an impressive series of movements, she flips the agent over her head and pins him to the floor. that's when the front door, already kicked half off its hinges, creaks open to reveal bigby wolf standing there. mara's gaze darts between the two agents to bigby's left and right as they peek over the counters, and then at the sheriff, then at the man in her grasp.
in her predicament, she shouts, " nobody move! " and swings the gun's aim between the two agents near the door, with bigby caught in the crossfire. " lobo! " mara calls out to him. " this doesn't concern you. "
probably think i'm dead. ghost's curiosity is further piqued by that response. dead because of what? what did these blokes do to her? he wonders if it's more sinister than a mere disagreement. gauges it from mara's bitterness and secrecy. there's something she's not telling him and it's important. help's rarely free, these days. " reckoned you could use the company, " he shrugs to himself as they ride. he chuckles, shaking his head knowing she's not going to buy that.
but it's true, for the most part. that, and he's interested in her. not just because she's attractive, although he is only a man, but also because she's sharp like a knife. in more ways than one. intellectually, she threatens to be able to keep up with simon and that's more impressive than anything else. rarely can others keep up with him. it's a lonely world, out there. and that's what he supposes it all comes down to. being lonely. " what about you? " ghost broaches. " most people would just accept the help. you've always gotta question it. question everythin'. " he looks over to her. " like you're nev'a satisfied. "
and a boldness arises in him then, his ego like a wave that comes crashing down over him. i could satisfy you. he knows he could, deep in his bones. believes it to his very core. and he won't give up until she makes it apparent she isn't interested. but this little cat and mouse game they currently have going is playful. tedious, but alluring. and from what he can tell, she enjoys it just as much as he does. equally, he sympathises with her. because he too is never satisfied. except she promises it in the way she interacts with him. satisfaction. and who would he be to deprive himself of that?
reckoned you could use the company earns a " tch, " and a roll of her eyes. coming from a loner, that's certainly ironic, but she chooses not to verbalise the observation. doesn't need ghost thinking she's paying any attention to his details. " what about me? " she responds. his words earning a simmering frustration from inside her. " well, i'm not most people. " and mara assumes he probably already knows that. wonders if she could come out with something any more cliché. rolls her eyes at herself. part of her hopes they fall to silence, to save her embarrassing herself any further. she's not used to talking to people, not like this.
" i don't trust easy, okay? " the outlaw huffs. " questioning things has kept me alive. i mean, you're one to talk anyway, here you are - questioning me. maybe you're the one who isn't satisfied. " a defensive streak in her tone. " nothing i say will satisfy you, that's why you keep pressing me. " bitterly, she averts her gaze to the back of max's ears, watching as they twitch and flick.
in many ways, she misses having someone to balance her out. to level with her. it's been a while. maybe, in turn, she provides something for him, too? she'd like to hope so. not that she'd tell ghost that. " i've been underestimated before, " mara decides to tell him. " i don't... want that to happen again. " and for a brief moment, she's painfully vulnerable. figures if it's going to happen it might as well be when they're both on horseback, unable to truly connect and with ghost unable to corner her about it.
@eriidanus said: " i need a weapon. " [ prompt. ]
the two of them sit outside a european café. they're performing recon on the al-qatala members that run this coffee shop, except in mara's mind, it's just her here. just her and the memories. it stings to be this close to the people that'd played a vital role in her betrayal. the ones that'd tied her up and mercilessly tortured her. she can still hear max's death gurgles. still feels his blood heavy on her hands.
unable to help herself, she risks giving away their position by staring thoughtlessly through the café window; laser-like glare set upon the staff inside. their smiles, their laughter. imagines carving those smiles into their throats. see if they're so happy then. someone calls out to her. and again, but she doesn't stir from her dissociation. then, a nudge to her leg.
mara blinks a good few times, turning her gaze to john who sits opposite her. with her attention on him, he complains about her being off. i need a weapon, he says. suggesting he needs something sharper than her. the asset's brows furrow. " i am a weapon, " she hisses back, quietly. " i'm fine. i can do this. " and she isn't sure whether she's reassuring him or herself. perhaps both?
since the betrayal, she hasn't been right. since going into hiding, sleeping on the streets and keeping an eye over her shoulder at all times. since losing max... focus, she internally demands. i am a weapon. i am a weapon. " i'm the best weapon you're going to get. "
#muertemorbo. read rules before following. 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐀 from call of duty: warzone. knowledge of call of duty is not required to interact. private, selective, headcanon heavy & multiverse. 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝙱𝚈 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰. personals do not reblog. 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃.
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥. mutuals only. multis specify.
ghost smirks at her words, concealed by his mask, he doesn't feel the need to hide the way he looks at her. fondness seeps into his cold bones. " if you ain't cautious, you're stupid, " he responds bluntly. " you reckon that's what i am? " the intelligent wait and listen before stepping onto the train tracks. some might call that common sense, but common sense equates to intelligence these days because it's so hard to come by. when she agrees with him, his expression softens, but he doesn't have time to savour it as she's on her feet and heading for the saloon's doors.
like a breath, he's quick to follow her, hot on her heels. his gaze falls on her horse, a beautiful specimen. no time to waste, cowboy. knowing she isn't aware of the route to his place, he feels wholly in control of how they progress. exactly where he prefers to be. a whistle and cyn comes trotting over, tail swishing uncomfortably at mara's presence. he soothes the horse with a gentle hand running down her neck and she eases.
" stick togeth'a, " he enforces. " i mean it, mara. " the last thing he needs is her trying to go on ahead and getting into a predicament. besides, his place is heavily trapped. if she gets impatient, she might end up skewed or worse. ghost climbs onto cyn's back and adjusts himself in the saddle, before taking the lead. " these blokes know you're comin' for 'em? "
the first thing mara notes is the horse's discomfort. she tries not to take it personally, tries not to care but something about it irritates her. horses are a good judge of character, she realises, and struggles to make peace with the fact that this horse clearly has good sense. better sense than ghost, perhaps. the outlaw doesn't verbalise how beautiful his horse is, but she quietly admires her. catches herself admiring him, too, sat atop such a graceful animal in all his ghastly glory. her gaze snaps to max's mane as she inwardly scolds herself. " stick together, " she repeats with a roll of her eyes. " i got it. "
she doesn't know the way, regardless, so she's at his mercy this once. there's the haunting reality that the two of them barely know each other, and yet he's the closest anyone's gotten in years. she'll have to keep an eye on that. " i doubt it, " mara answers his question absentmindedly. " probably think i'm dead. " and yet, they should be terrified of her. monster under the bed kind of scared. never knowing when the shadows might move. she yearns to have such a role of importance in the lives of her enemies, except she doesn't. they're probably out there celebrating another murder they're responsible for.
" look, if you're trying to get details outta me... " she begins with an impatient tone. a pause, silence falls between them, her threat dying on the tip of her tongue until she asks, " why are you helping me, really? we barely know each other. " not to mention the last time he'd helped her out. what's his deal? " help's rarely free, these days. "
* 𝐒𝐈𝐗 / 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟐.
feel free to change pronouns / wording!
" do not go outside until we tell you. "
" never use my name. "
" is it not your fault. "
" i can't watch this. "
" what kind of security they got around here? "
" are there other points of entry, doors, windows, places people can get in? "
" careful, there's pieces everywhere. "
" you'll feel better once you kill something. "
" it's gotta change a man, having a child. "
" you ever think what you'd be doing if you weren't doing this? "
" they know where we live. "
" you're overreacting. "
" i know that this isn't what you wanna hear, but trust me - you're looking at it the wrong way. "
" who's there? stay back! "
" i'm risking my life being here with you. "
" this is normally where i put a gun to your head. "
" the things we do for love, huh? "
" you still here? "
" you smoke, don't you? i can smell it on you. "
" i am your only connection to the world. "
" trust is our currency, we earn it by any means, even by lying. "
" i want you to meet my family. "
" you have no more cards to play here, none. "
" i am you. "
" we need to spend some time apart. "
" it's really lonely at the top. "
" i want you to leave me alone, i want you to go away now. "
" i'm only here because you want me here. "
" there's so much blood. "
" i told you not to go back there. "
" please, i'm afraid to be out there right now. "
" i need a gun. "
" so you like to live dangerously, huh? "
" are we gonna have a problem? "
" next time shoot faster. "
" i should kill you where you stand. "
" you never let things get to you. "
" so all these people, these alive people, you know i just see them dead. "
" i could never kill anyone. "
" this is it, this is the last conversation you'll ever have. "
" i needed to see how far you're willing to go for the cause. "
" your enemies are now my enemies, your family - my family. "
" remember what happens to those who betray me. "
" try to negotiate with me again, and i will have your tongue cut out. "
" we've been through a lot, you can trust me. "
" with every round, pieces of him just... fell off, one by one. "
" silence is golden. "
" it worked for me. "
" i was just happy to see you alive. "
" we don't have time for careful. "
" i'm glad you told me. "
" i'm alone in this world, but you don't have to be. "
" i don't like this anymore than you do. "
" we might be walking straight into a trap. "
" one misstep, and i can put a bullet through your fucking head. "
" you're damn convincing. "
" convince him to keep you alive. "
" last thing you'll see before you die is my face. "
" we're all on our own paths. "
" keep your weapons out of sight. "
" all you believe in is fear. "
" all you know how to do is kill. "
" it's dangerous for women up here. "
" projectiles into tissue and bone is not my thing. "
" anything else that could've happened, would've happened. "
" we take risks and we follow orders. "
" this place gives me the heebies. "
" act normal, no more guns please. "
" waiting is the hardest, the mind? it imagines too much. "
" you want some advice? bury it, just bury all of it. "
" i just realised i have never thanked you, for anything. "
" this is not about you. "
" they came for me, they knew my name. "
" it's what the cia does. "
" everyone breaks. "
" the only thing you can do is give them as little as possible. "
" was she alone? "
" should i hang up? "
" i haven't been psychologically fit since i slid down the birth canal. "
" make yourself at home. "
" does it bother you? killing people? "
" the thing i noticed is that everyone is surprised at the moment of their death. everyone. you can see it in their eyes, thinking that this has to be a mistake, that they're special, to the very end. "
" you guys are all the same, you think you're special to the very last moment. "
" they think you're a cia plant. "
" i want you to trust me. "
" we need to leave. "
" i'm not negotiating. "
" you're more trouble than you're worth. "
" i gotta believe you got more to life than making your body a fucking scoreboard. "
" sit down opposite me where i can see you. "
" he's playing you. "
" it's a dead end. "
" i need to know for sure. "
" i did not betray you. "
" nobody betrayed you. "
" you ran away. "
" what the fuck was it all for? "
" thank you for the good and the bad. "
" we can't always fix things, we can't always make them right. "
" you thought you could kill me. "
" i am so ready to start over. "
" it's me, it's okay. "
" we're gonna make it. "
* 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋: 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐏. 𝟕-𝟗.
feel free to change pronouns / wording! spoilers ahead!
— " when you look out this window, what do you see? " — " you didn't get those bruises at work. " — " i went for a walk, i'm having trouble sleeping. " — " i'm just dealing with some things, and obviously not very well. " — " you have been tamping down trauma for so long, you can't even see when it's bubbling up inside of you and threatens to ruin everything good you have. " — " you give me your word and then you pull this shit? " — " cops ain't gonna do nothing about it. " — " you've been causing a lot of chaos. " — " if you're looking for attention, there are other ways. " — " are you asking for my permission, or my help? " — " no one knows i'm there. " — " all i ever wanted to be was an artist. " — " you've unlocked something in me. " — " you're not listening to me. " — " becoming your true self can be scary. " — " we can't hide from ourselves. " — " it's only when we embrace who we are, we can truly be free. " — " now there are no more secrets between us. " — " there's only one question on your mind right now. 'can i make it to the door in time?' " — " we're a team here, and hiding things from one another isn't gonna get us anywhere. " — " don't fucking call me that! " — " you understand who i am. " — " please don't hurt me. " — " don't you care about all the people you killed? " — " do you feel nothing? " — " anybody who needs a mask is a coward. " — " are you actually threatening me? " — " it wasn't a nightmare? " — " i killed him. " — " you didn't have a choice. " — " i'm not supposed to be here. " — " you deserve to be happy. " — " i killed him, do you have any idea what that felt like? " — " they're just these underdeveloped boys, hiding behind masks, trying to make it look like something more sophisticated. " — " i saved me. " — " i promised you i wouldn't kill him. " — " why would you keep all this from me? " — " if i cannot be with you, i cannot be. " — " i won't say anything. " — " i promise i won't ever leave you again. " — " excessive methods work. " — " i should be seen. " — " my voice should be heard. " — " this whole thing is not my fault. " — " i'm not here to judge you. " — " i barely recognise you, what is going on? " — " we're not serving justice here, we're babysitting chaos. " — " may you always remember to forget the things that make you sad, but never forget to remember the things that make you glad. " — " i didn't think you'd show. " — " i don't want your respect. " — " that's what good men do, right? defend their worst enemies. " — " i don't trust you for a second. " — " you know we're not exactly cool right now? " — " did you come alone? " — " turns out you're not the only one wearing chanel number five. " — " oh my god, you're not even listening to me, are you? " — " we should speak truth to power. " — " try not to draw too much attention. " — " it's been said that keeping secrets can make us sick. " — " you will pay for what you did. " — " you are the very best at this type of thing. " — " i think it's better i come back once you've had some rest. " — " you watch your back. " — " you're pretty much the last person i expected to find here. " — " power goes out, you got nothing to make a goddamn pot of coffee in this house. " — " is that a new costume? what do they call you now, nightgown man? " — " aftershave and a haircut, that all for me? " — " thought this wasn't your fight. " — " i'm not sure i want that kind of help. " — " do what you gotta do. " — " you can't help yourself, can you? " — " you're a goddamn liability every time. " — " nothing in this world a good cup of coffee can't fix. " — " i don't believe you don't care. " — " you sound like you're jealous. " — " i'm glad you're back. " — " just trying to survive. " — " it's an honour to meet you. " — " i'm a big admirer of your work. " — " you think you know my pain? " — " you will not survive. is that what you want? " — " my mistake was thinking i was immune to the darkness. " — " i let the dark power me. " — " i wanted to kill him. "
bringing my gal back
@tealias said: " you said you didn't want to waste time. " from gaz / prompt.
they're in paris, investigating a konni-related disturbance. ghost had been tied up elsewhere, so she is stuck with the sergeant as her bodyguard. they stop by a water fountain and garrick tells her he'll be right back, disappearing inside one of those overpriced tourist stores. brits, she thinks. is sure he'll come out with a mug that has the eiffel tower printed on it. or, god forbid, a hat. they're supposed to be blending in, not sticking out like a sore thumb. she even considers ditching him, disappearing like a cat in a busy crowd.
" i don't want to waste time, " she'd told him, regarding getting across from their current location, where their safehouse had been, to the other half of paris, where their target is. garrick had told her to wait there, prior to departing.
just then, gaz reappears and he looks exceptionally pleased with himself. " que mierda... " she exhales, rolling her eyes. " what is that? " mara asks, and he opens his palm to reveal a helicopter on a key chain. it's painted with the colours of the french flag. jesus, she thinks, they sell anything these days. you said you didn't want to waste time. the joke being that they could fly this tiny helicopter to where they need to be.
mara stares at him, unamused. she snatches the chopper from his grasp and throws it behind her, into the water. " great. now we've wasted time and money. " hopping from her seat, she flicks her hair over her shoulder and grunts. " a terrible joke, by the way. "
@scornpions asked: " i wanted to see you. " / from mara.
booted heels dig into the sand, stock-still — the spectre sits with his knees pulled up to his chest. here, he's in public. this is an open beach, but with how early it is there's practically no one here; save for the odd dog walker and jogger. but he's not here for them. simon watches as serpent glides through the waters ahead of him, ripples splashing over loose hair that flows over her shoulders and down bare back. he draws in a deep breath when she meets his gaze, holding the contact.
mara's behaving as she does when she's up to no good. teasing, playful, her nature — her upbringing doesn't allow for them to be typical traits. ghost knows them to be solely manipulative, when it comes to the asset. " why am i here, mara? " a pause, he watches as she dives beneath the shallow water, a few seconds passing before she rises back into view. droplets roll down her exposed flesh, nothing but a strappy, black swimsuit covering skin. it's designed to be revealing in all the right ways, with curves peeking out... yet, simon's eyes keep to her own, lest he risk being turned to stone. medusa's curse works differently, for her. men who admire pretty flesh are doomed to her ultimate objective. but her eyes, in simon's opinion, give her away.
i wanted to see you. the lieutenant huffs with a smirk. " that so? " a head tilt. " seems more like you wanted me t' see you. " chin lifts as he addresses her. sat upon the shore, he can barely hear what she's saying. mara's towel is grasped and held out in her direction. " why don't you come out? can't imagine you can see much'a me from there. " / meme.
seems more like you wanted me to see you. mara smirks at that, her lips curving teasingly as she coyly ducks her head and wet strands of hair drop to conceal her expression. simon isn't wrong. she wants him to see her. wants him to feel something. yearns for desire to burn and flesh to meet but she can't ask for it. no. mara's never been one to outright admit a need for human contact. for intimacy. for companionship. it's rare that she expresses an interest, and even then it's done in a manipulative fashion. toying, luring, tempting...
why don't you come out? she bats her eyelids. because then she'd have to face the reality of the situation. to tell him she's lonely. " why don't you come in? " she suggests, kicking a leg out to launch water droplets across the distance between them. they come nowhere near to hitting him, but it's the show that's important.
they've slept together countless times. kissed. touched one another. their bodies are no secret. and yet, she wants to feel him beneath the waves, hidden for her eyes only. like a siren, she sings. however, it eventually becomes apparent he has no intention of joining her and she treads the line back to his position, sulking, and snatches the towel from his grasp with force.
@gloryvain said: " i'm just dealing with some things, and obviously not very well. " from: gus / prompt.
it's important that he folds, because mara won't. bulging eyes and bared teeth, she'll go down kicking and screaming even if she's in the wrong. childish, she's never quite learned the importance of compromise. i'm just dealing with some things, and obviously not very well, gus says, and mara hesitates. he's not meeting fire with fire, like she expects. he's pulling away from the fight and she's at a loss.
blinking, the asset flexes her fingers a few times and wiggles her jaw, willing it to relax. " obviously, " is shot back, still bitter, always bitter. she'd grown tired of gus's impromptu tour guiding and had ditched him, making her way through los angeles without a second thought. gus thinks he knows about aq and konni but the truth is, he has no idea. at least that's what mara believes. and she finds it hard to associate with anyone who isn't on the same wavelength as her.
what'd started off as a heated argument, with gus scolding her, for leaving him and seemingly abandoning the mission, cools to a reconsideration of intentions. it's likely gus could see arguing with mara would get him nowhere. still, mara's on edge at the abrupt reunion. folding her arms over her chest, she glares at him. " deal with your shit. it's not my problem. got it, pendejo? "
i like this way. grim had certainly been hoping for time alone. he's had a busy day scouring fabletown due to the ongoing murders cropping up and spending time with bigby has depleted his energy. then again, he supposes mara demands nothing but his attention in her company. and he's never opposed to her presence. " i expect you 'ave been too, " he concludes. very busy indeed. he suspects mara's been infiltrating the cracks in walls and concrete in order to spy for secrets and truths. what's she hoping to gain by being here? has a long day of hiding merely drawn her out into the light. his light. not that there's much to spare.
he blinks, having trained himself to do so — he doesn't need to in his natural form. " the dead don't rest, " grim tells her bluntly. her closeness is undeniably intoxicating, though he resists it well, it still gets to him. desires to feel her coldness wrap around him. he swallows, something else habitual. mara wouldn't be here if she didn't have something of use for him. not because she likes to be helpful, but she favours his praise. grim knows this well.
" what do you 'ave f' me? " he departs from her intimacy and approaches his seat, lowering himself into it. not one to usually sit, it admittedly feels good to take the weight off his feet. " cut t' the chase, " he tells her. no beating around the bush. she wouldn't be here if she thought it wasn't worth his time.
" i'm always busy, " mara states with a smirk. whether it's people to spy on, secrets to collect or conversations to listen in on, her trained ears and gaze are always on the go. the dead don't rest. " sounds exhausting, " she says. " maybe you can tonight. just this once. " the jinn watches as he departs from her presence and approaches the seat. even the way he sits is calculated, controlled. there's nothing relaxed about ghost. on edge, instinctually. mara decides to test the waters. what do you have for me?
a coy smile, she closes the distance and gestures to his lap. when he tips his head in a nod, she clambers into it, straddling his thighs comfortably. fingers trace his chest as she speaks. " the chase... is that your killer has been spotted wearing a mask. a jaw painted on it. " enthusiastic eyes glow in the dark as she studies his expression. eyelids narrow, expression becoming unreadable. she's implying something, given his balaclava and painted jaw. it's playful though, not accusatory. " i didn't have to think hard about who else wears something like that... " she tells him. bats her lashes. smirks. " not taking any late night strolls are we, grim? " another jest, she pats at his solid chest.
" i'm fucking with you, " mara tells him, in case he misses it. " but what i said about the mask was true. thought you might like to know. " she could tell bigby but the pay out won't be as praise-heavy. besides, she does so enjoy teasing grim where possible. " you must be overwhelmed with all this death... " the jinn places her elbows on his chest and perches her chin in her hands. " why don't you relax for a little? "
i understand what you are. " then, what am i, mara? " the moth's piercing red eyes stare at the jinn, searching for a tell, a hint, a glance into her thoughts from just analyzing her facial features and the expression they come together to form. " i'm just as human as you are, you know. " a casual, offhand comment serves as a gentle reminder. regardless of whether or not they choose to abide by crane's (in mothman's opinion) bullshit laws to glamour themselves in the images of humans to blend into their society (which he intentionally ignores), they are one in the same. appearance means little in the grand scheme of things, at least to him.
don't pretend we're anything but a smudge. his head tilts upward, as if pondering her statement. a stain you can't get rid of. " sounds like you're selling yourself short. " he concludes, his gaze shifting back to eye mara (he ignores the implication of not including himself in that statement), as she puts up the latest intel she gathered onto the undecipherable wall of information. it's purposely organized in such a way where only the two of them are able to read and understand the leads and links in between each "clue", so to speak, to prevent any outsiders, fables or otherwise, from getting the idea of trying to steal the intel. luckily, fables are smart enough to not test the mothman's or the jinn's patience, and mundies are stupid enough to not be aware of their presence, and therefore, mind their own business.
what? i think it's endearing. " i'm not judging. i personally like being a stain no one can get rid of. " the mothman states plainly as if he's not being serious, while being completely serious. " just makes bothering the wolf and the reaper all the more fun that way. " he snickers, coming to stand beside mara as he observes the wall. " anything new stand out to you? i'm trying to see if there's any patterns to be found in all this. "
she chuckles. " being a stain isn't a bad thing. you survive, when everyone else rubs away. what's important remains. you serve your purpose, just as anyone else does. " with more profound things in her back pocket, she's perhaps more philosophically inclined than people think her to be. and she supposes that comes from the mindfulness required to overcome, as well as carry out, torture. her senses are alert when mothman closes the distance. hands ball into fists subconsciously and she flexes her fingers to loosen them up. if she hasn't initiated closeness, she doesn't want it. though, mara bites her tongue — doesn't tell him to back off.
his question draws her attention back to the board. eyes narrow as details are absorbed. she has a chance to impress, here. " the government aren't doing anything about the murders. " mara gestures to one of the newspaper articles pinned up. " the papers have picked up on it. a lack of police presence. like someone's being paid to step back. i've seen it before. " she doesn't disclose where she'd seen it. " also overheard talk about suspicious behaviour. multiple people involved. no idea whether they're fable or mundy. either a collective or one person — with some damn cheap glamours. "
tongue sweeps across her lower lip as she side eyes mothman, waiting for an acknowledgement. praise. a pat on the back. something. if he doesn't, she's going to stew in bitterness for the rest of the evening. " thoughts? "
