Return of the Blind Ninja

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

Ordering clothes and equipment from the internet is all well and good, but after Matt's entanglement with the FBI several years ago, the idea of completely untraceable gear has been a tempting prospect. Today, he's browsing the shopping district, rubbing fabrics between his fingers to test its properties, in search of something that might deflect bullets or knives.

It's the Nexus, you never know.

Unfortunately, despite his enhanced senses, there is at least one important factor in purchasing clothes that he cannot overcome on his own. Footsteps mark the approach of someone else, and though Matt keeps his white cane tucked close to his feet to be out of the walkway, it's visible enough to be obvious if you know what you're looking at.

"Excuse me, what color is this?"



[ooc: usual disclaimer - Matt is blind but his other senses are enhanced to superhuman extremes. Feel free to add nonvisual sensory details in your tags that might help him get a better idea of who your character is or what they've been doing recently.]

Comments

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

A gas mask is an... interesting accessory. Matt can't tell if it's a medical necessity, of course, and it takes him a moment to understand what he's hearing - not just the hiss but the echoes he gets that trace out the shape, making the wearer's expression that much more obscured to his senses.

He doesn't recoil from the closeness, just tilting his head slightly, paying more attention to what he's hearing and smelling. "I think I remember what that looks like. Dark reds would be all right, but I'm really looking for black, too. Something durable."

[ginger_firebird]

Interesting indeed. Enough that just the sound is unnatural enough to get through some rudimentary mental shields, which is why Mantis prefers wearing one. He's more focused on the shirt, not really picking up much of anything he'd consider too out of the ordinary from mere observation.

"Then I'm sorry for the loss of your vision. I've meet a few people in my time who went to the dark through injuries and cataracts." He walks around the rack and flicks a few hangers aside. "There's black over here. Cotton and polyester blend. It won't breathe as easily as pure cotton, but the fabric is solid enough."

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

"Thank you." Matt typically doesn't volunteer information about the accident when he's first met a person, unless it's relevant. A little here seems appropriate, given what his question was in the first place. "I haven't seen any color since I was nine, but I still remember what some of them look like."

He makes a contemplative noise in his throat, considering that. "Synthetic blends can be tricky." Matt sweeps the tip of his cane out a little, tracing the edge of the rack's floor supports as he navigates around to the other side, reaching out to rub the material between his fingers. "I'm around open flames on a regular basis, and it tends to burn easier than pure cotton."

[ginger_firebird]

"If it's any consolation, I was injured severely around that age too. A fire ripped through my village and I was 'lucky' to have survived it." A bitterness comes into his voice when he gets to the word 'lucky', but he quickly takes an almost silent breath to calm himself. "Masks are very helpful to keep away the questions you don't want to answer."

Mantis lets out a huff of breathy laughter. He tries to see into Matt's thoughts this time, just on the surface. "I can't think of any kind of career or hobby where flames would be safe, let alone for someone who can't see them. But if it's pure cotton..." There's the slightest clicking sound from behind the mask as he looks around. "I can see some other black shirts scattered across the way. What kind of style do you need them to be?"

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

"That they are," Matt agrees. Sure, his own mask had not been as eerie and otherworldly as a gas mask, but Daredevil's horned visage had done its job to strike fear into the hearts of those who'd deserved it. Maybe it will again, some day.

The side of his mouth quirks up in a small smile. "I'm Catholic. It's not really avoidable when I go to Mass. I haven't run into any candles since I was a boy, but you never know." And it's a decent enough excuse for why fire should be a concern, beyond the bounds of his nighttime activities. "Long sleeves is a must, warm but not restrictive to movement. Preferably something a little tight-fitting, as opposed to a sweatshirt. No hood."

[ginger_firebird]

"I'm sure you can guess what kind I wear. It has an entirely practical purpose besides hiding old injuries." Plus, it adds to the image of him being just slightly inhuman enough that he can unnerve people even harder before reaching in deep into their thoughts.

"Ohh. I was raised Eastern Orthadox, but I've seen what those Sunday sermons are like. Your stamina must be incomparable." He walks with more deliberate steps than his usual, just shy of stomping as he goes around the racks. "Button down, collar..." His voice trails off as he picks up a couple of shirts. They go sailing gently back towards Matt and land on top of him. "You seem like a tie for work and special occasions type."

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

Matt's awareness is such that he can hear the flutter of fabric being tossed his way, and intercepts the shirts before they can hit him in the face, dropping his cane to clatter on the floor near his feet. He doesn't look annoyed, exactly, but a little heads up would have been appreciated.

Still, he squeezes the fabric between his hands, investigating each one with questing fingers. "Mostly, yeah. I'm a defense attorney, so ties are part of the job." Cotton can range from horribly scratchy to soft enough to tolerate wearing during the day, and finding the right thread count can be tricky at times. They all have that new clothes smell, with traces of other scents from strangers handling them or trying them on, and that's something he knows from experience will fade with time and laundering.

One of the shirts is too rough, and Matt discards it almost immediately. But the other one holds his attention, especially when he feels a raised woven design in thread around the cuffs and collar. "Is this embroidery?"