Owner	Pose
Eddie Brock	The squeal of terror is what stops Venom. He's hanging upside down from a street lamp, one giant hand wrapped around the torso of Spider-man, from whence that squeal came. The immense black Klyntar's voice rumbles, "This is far too easy. You aren't even fighting back," he says to Spider-man, his plain white eyes narrowing. "And you haven't even made a single quip." Venom leans closer, his mouth open enough the sharp teeth inside can be seen, resulting in another squeal of terror. "That's because I'm not Spider-man! I'm a cosplayer! I take pictures with people for money!" Spider-man cries in a terrified voice. Venom stares at the costumed figure. He's got the right size and physique. The back flip sure looked like Spider-man just before Venom jumped him.    <<Eddie>> "I think he's telling the truth. Seriously, Spider-man can't go this long without making some wisecrack. Can he?" Venom rumbles and drops to the ground, dropping the man who ends up on his backside, sitting on the pavement. All around them, people have pulled out phones and are snapping pictures or taking video. The man pulls off his mask, which definitely seals it for Venom. He lets out a growl. "Next time," he says in a menacing voice, leaning down towards the man, and letting his wickedly sharp teeth show, "Pick someone worth emulating. Like... Captain America." And with that Venom jumps, leaping onto the side of a building, claws making holes in it as he bounds up and then jumps off into space, swinging off into the night. And leaving one definitely not-Spider-man gasping and thanking his lucky stars.
Andi Benton	Speaking of photo ops, somehow Mania has found herself in one of her own. A group of high schoolers who are used to strange sights had witnessed the street vigilante stopping a robbery and making it look all too easy, binding the would-be thieves in webbing for the police to pick up. They tend to have to be quick about it, since it has a very short 'shelf-life.' Anyhow, the kids all thought this was awesome, and after being assured she was not 'Spider-Girl,' they crammed around Mania in hope of a few pictures. Andi wasn't terribly interested. Mania didn't mind the attention. Two fingers up in a 'V' for Victory, and it was sure to end up on social media before long. Swinging out of the neighborhood, she traversed the rooftops before coming upon the aftermath of the Spider-Man cosplayer accosted by Venom. By now, he'd got his mask back on and was trying to pick up the pieces after being scared almost out of his costume, but he was pretty visibly shaken whether one could see his expression or not. A brief internal conversation followed. <<Mania>> Look, Andi. It's the Spider. <<Andi>> You sure about that? He looks like he's scared of something. <<Mania>> We should go say hello. This leads to a landing a few feet away, a friendly and cheerful wave if body language and the angle of those white-out eyes is any indication...and 'Spider-Man' begins to flip out again just as Mania starts to speak. "Hello, Spi--" "No, no, no!" he frets, waving his hands and immediately pulling off his mask. "I'm not him! I swear! You saw! Why are you coming back again?! And when did you turn into a..a woman?" Mania simply stares at this, hands resting at hips. Spiky protrusions along forearms and shins appear to flex a little, and the response that follows is, "We are Mania. We have always been this way. Are you all right? What's going on?" The poor guy quickly summarizes, before pointing off in the direction Venom had gone. "And you../he/ took off that way!" Here, the eyes narrow. It's Mania who speaks first, again in Andi's head. <<Mania>> It sounds like Venom was here. <<Andi>> Aaaand we're going after him, aren't we? <<Mania>> We have not seen him in a while. Yes. Off they go, seeking to follow the same path, to catch a glimpse.
Eddie Brock	It's pretty easy to get an idea of which way Venom at least departed. Even without the finger having pointed the way, the damage left up the side of the building is quite obvious, up to the point he leaped into space, using his own body's elastic extrusions like webbing to swing. Though up ahead he can be seen, crouching on the corner of a Roxxon office building. Motionless, Venom's immense black body can't seem to decide whether to drink in the light or to reflect it when it hits at just the right angles.    <<Eddie>> "I know. I want to make Spider-man pay too. But, and I shouldn't laugh, you have to admit that was kind of funny." Venom lashes out at the roof's edge beside him, smashing it. "No! It was not funny. I want to rip his limbs off and strip the flesh off him. Then beat him with his bones!" he growls.    <<Eddie>> "Ok. Ok. Sorry. How about we head home and get some tater tots?" Venom gives a quiet rumble. "I would like tater tots," he agrees. He spots another figure moving through the air, though that brief surge that somehow Spider-man heard and came looking for him, is dashed. He stays where he is, crouched there on the roof corner, letting Mania catch up.
Andi Benton	Unless Spider-Man took on using a black suit and ended up with female proportions, no. This is not the one Venom is hoping to see. It remains to be discovered whether or not Venom or his host will be happy to see Mania, someone they may or may not remember well from minimal past encounters, a couple of them not exactly ending the best. There is no effort made to hide the approach. Surprising a symbiote is a good way to bring about trouble from the start. Andi would know. "Venom?" is called out, the voice a blend of Andi's and the more alien Mania, with a feminine side to it that remains just as rough as Venom's own. In that way, they are naturally similar. In other ways as well. Squinting at the damage made to the side of the roof, Mania finishes web-slinging closer before looping up to land softly atop the same building, though at a safe enough distance. "Been a while. We heard you saw some guy pretending to be Spider-Man. We think he almost pissed himself." As a contrast to Venom's visage, hers is more blank with no mouth currently visible.
Eddie Brock	Venom's eyes follow Mania as she lands on the roof, just watching her silently and closely. Until she mentions the cosplayer. "Good. I should have eaten his spleen just for dressing up like that," he rumbles in his deep bass voice. After a moment's pause, "It was a realistic costume," is added with just a small note of respect for the sewing job. Venom peers at Mania more closely. "Just in the area? Or have you sought me out for something?" the large black Klyntar asks. A pair of birds are flying through the sky nearby, one chasing the other. They bank, their turn taking them towards the roof. One glimpse of those atop it and then turn and wheel away another direction.
Andi Benton	Birds can be smart, especially when they see natural or unnatural predators. Mania rests a hand against a hip again, the other left at her side. With the few bits of spiky 'hair' atop her head, along with the more punkish appearance and his bulky nature compared to her more sleek one, the looks the two give off are considerably different in spite of their basic similarities. "That..could have been messy," Mania points out, one eye lifting as the other narrows briefly. "It was," she agrees on the build of the costume. "We were almost fooled." "You were." It's more Andi's voice than the combined one. Shaking her head, the dual voice returns. "We stopped a robbery and were going through the same place you were. We have..tried not to bother you." Get the sense there's a 'but' left unspoken, especially as a hand crosses her body to grip the elbow of the other arm.
Eddie Brock	Venom perks up just a little bit. "Did the robbers shoot many people? Try to shoot many people? Are any of their brains left?" he asks. His interest, and hunger, is definitely piqued by the news. "We have been trying to-" Venom says.    <<Eddie>> "Rehabilitate" "... Live a different way than we had. As a... a Lethal Protector," Venom says, his maw pulling back in a smile as if he likes that name he came up with on the spot. The Klyntar's grin slides though. "It can be difficult work though. And hungry." The male Klyntar's eyes go back to Mania fully. "You want something," he says, getting right to the point.
Andi Benton	If anyone would know the capabilities of someone with a symbiote, it would be one with a symbiote. Hence the distance apart, which ought to help in case quick action is suddenly needed. "They..did not get to shoot anyone. We did not eat their brains." <<Mania>> Which you should still try sometime. <<Andi>> That's still a no. This is why we have a lot of-- Aloud, Mania seemingly goes off-script. "Chocolate. Yes. We love chocolate. It is an acceptable substitute. Our host does not like the idea of eating brains." This is a bit unusual. Normally, there isn't that much of an outward debate about things. Andi has practiced trying to keep that all inside, but in the presence of another like her, like them, it slips as if the symbiote draws on something to exert a little more influence. Both hands go up to about the level of her head, Mania adding, "We enjoy protecting. But we..learned from the one you sound like you hate. We want to know you more. It is lonely here, even with our bond. We have seen others like us, but it is rare. We do not want to be an enemy."
Eddie Brock	Venom snorts, though it becomes clear it is directed at humans, not at Mania. His deep voice rumbles, "They run from us and see us as an enemy."    <<Eddie>> "Buddy, that's probably because you eat them-" Venom cuts off Eddie, the testy tone of his voice likely letting Mania and Andi know he's replying to his human, "I don't eat ALL of them!" he replies. In a quieter voice, Venom tells Andi, "You should try it. Chocolate only gets us by so far. We have been eating chickens. But they are still not the same as a person." Venom's eyes narrow a little bit then. "You could lead him into a trap for us?" he says, half-scheming and half-asking.
Andi Benton	One of those claw-tipped hands rises to rub at the back of Mania's head, indicative of some awkward body language. They are well-versed in the types of talks that are meant for each other only that sometimes slip out into the open. "We have been told that eating people is bad." It's more Mania's voice there, this time. "That it is wrong. Chocolate /is/ very good, but chocolate-covered brains may be even better. Chickens are good, especially with the proper seasonings." Which is likely not what Venom was getting at, but there it is. But, really, eating people is one of those things you can't just take back once it's happened. Same with killing them. "...why would we do that? He helped us when we were in danger. He helped us find each other." Mania sounds, looks dubious about this.
Eddie Brock	Venom bellows angrily, one of his clawed hands slamming into the roof beside him, scoring it deeply. That's definitely going to leak when it rains now. "He ruins the lives of others!" Venom shouts. "And he protects the worst human being there is, J. Jonah Jameson!" The big Klyntar pops upright to stand from where he was crouched. It is likely to cause some alarm, though he doesn't move towards Mania. Instead he moves across across the roof, smashing an antennae and destroying some HVAC system up there that was just starting to hum to life. It sputters and dies, a few sparks crackling which Venom ignore as he utterly rends it. Apparently he doesn't much like Spider-Man or JJJ.
Andi Benton	There is surely some doubt that registers in Mania's minimal expression, the eyes doing a better job of showing it with other features currently lacking. Can't you just sense her frowning inside? There's a half-step back, the chunky, punky footwear adding a couple inches of height to her as she is silent in order to figure out how to respond to this. The noise and wreckage of the things on the rooftop will surely draw attention sooner or later. "Look, uh..can we maybe talk about this before we bring SHIELD down on us or something?" Mania asks, crossing her arms in the process. There's a balance of an instinct to draw back going at odds with staying to press matters in some way, and it's hard to tell what part of that is coming from which side of the bond. Clearing her throat, the smaller of the two adds, "That's not the Spider-Man we know. Doctor Octopus kidnapped our father to get to us, because he saw we noticed..our host. Spider-Man helped free us, and we became Mania. Jameson..he always writes bad stuff about Spider-Man."
Eddie Brock	A piece of the HVAC unit heavy enough that a grown man would struggle with it gets grabbed in one a large hand hurled to fly a full block away before it starts its inevitable plunge towards the ground. Unless someone does something to stop it. As he throws it, Venom is bellowing as if he won't consider another view on the subject, "HE DESTROYS LIVES! BOTH OF THEM!" Whether or not the thrown chunk of metal was chased down, Venom's chest rises and falls noticeably. Less to do with air and more to do with panting with anger. He kicks at some of the remains of the air conditioning and heating unit, sending it sliding across the roof and leaving more damage that will need to be repaired else it will leak. He stalks away from Mania, crossing his arms as he looks out at the city. There might be the appearance there is talk going on in his head.
Andi Benton	After an audible sigh, Mania springs into action. Whether Venom is paying attention to it or not, she leaps out in pursuit of the HVAC unit, watching it fly in the direction of a few people below. People, and a couple cars. The jump out into the open air past the side of the building sees her legs bend at the knees and tuck in closer as she gains momentum for a yank forward with dual lines of webbing, which gets her close enough to both secure more webbing around the trashed metal, grab hold with a hand that suddenly enlarges, and then swing herself up with another line of webbing to an adjacent rooftop where the thing is dumped harmlessly away from others. From there, she peers back in his direction over a shoulder and turns to face him, hopping across a couple gaps toward alleys below until she's across the street from him, facing the other one. "We are going to take that to mean you don't want to talk," is called across toward him. "Fine. There are things we do not like talking about either. We would probably act the same way about Doc Ock."
Eddie Brock	Venom stalks back over to the side nearest to where Mania is on the distant rooftop. The angry debate raging in his head did not end satisfactorily for either Eddie or Venom. For Eddie feels much of the same anger Venom does, and the two seem to feed off each other on that particular topic. Definitely Eddie is at worst then, something he is going to castigate himself about later that they could have hurt someone. "You... you did good," Venom calls to Mania, turning his head and looking towards where the debris he hurled might have landed. He looks back, and then away from her like not wanting to meet her eye. He runs across his rooftop in the other direction and jumps off, swinging away.
Andi Benton	There are many things Mania would like to ask, things Mania would like to do. Questions are still being figured out about the origins of the symbiotes, as Andi's has not been able to explain much - or has been unwilling to. At the same time, both symbiote and host can see that Venom is in a situation where anger leads the way more than it does for Mania, at least most of the time. There must be things going on there that are feeding into it and making it more prevalent. Loss, hurt of some kind, being wronged. Perhaps Spider-Man will be able to fill in a blank or two. "Yeah.." follows from the more diminutive of the pair, but only after Venom has gone out of sight. "So why doesn't it feel like it?" With the danger past, at least around here, a brief glance is had toward the damage that was done, then she shakes her head and takes off. Trying to explain it to someone just isn't a thing she's in the mood for right now. Maintenance will figure it out, or a resident. Fresh lines of webbing carry her out of the neighborhood, back toward Happy Harbor.