(no subject)

[have_no_mercy]

The door opens directly into the study at Luthor mansion. Technically, it's a castle, but that tidbit is usually kept for people she's trying to impress in some way. Jim is not one of those people.

It's rather sparsely decorated for a room it's size; A fireplace that is always roaring, a couch off to the side, a large desk behind which is a comparatively small bookcase. It's dark, which the artwork helps convey. A large pair of heavy wooden doors adorn the far wall, presumably leading to the rest of the house.

The only real points of interest are the stained glass windows just behind the desk. Decorative "L"s are at the centre of each, one in green with a few extra symbols around it and the other plain in purple.

Tess strides and waves a hand around the immediate area.

"Make yourself comfortable, if you want. Drink?"

Comments

[have_no_mercy]

Tess rolls her eyes.

"You're not generally concerned with the well being of others."

[just_cant_lose]

'I've counselled you to get laid many times.'

Admittedly it's mainly to loosen her up so she'll be more fun to hang around with.

'With people other than me, even.'

[have_no_mercy]

"He's, like, barely twenty."

Her brother's age. Not that she remembers a whole lot about him.

"Is that all you think about?"

She knows it's not. She stops briefly to inspect what appears to be a plant.

[just_cant_lose]

'What, shagging you?'

He knows she knows it's not.

'And hey, he'll have stamina on his side. You did say you were looking to integrate back into normal life.'

He watches her with the plant, idly wondering if it'll turn out to be flesh eating. That'd be a funny surprise.

[have_no_mercy]

"Shagging in general."

The plant winds a trail around her wrist and she has a bit of trouble getting loose. Not so much fun.

"Apparently lack of a social life is my normal life."

[just_cant_lose]

'It's what people are welcome to believe I spend my time thinking about.'

He does not, of course, make any attempt to help her get loose. He stands with his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to sort it out and come along.

'And you know it doesn't have to be that way if you don't want it.'

[have_no_mercy]

"Mmm. I'm sure you don't care."

Of course he doesn't help. She doesn't expect him to. Really, she's impressed her anger didn't get hold of her and end up with a torn plant.

"I don't know what I want, yet."

[just_cant_lose]

'You're just not honest about what you want. Or you weren't, before. Who knows now?'

Torture can change a person. He knows this. He almost envies those who let it.

'Are you finished playing with the fauna? I want to find a library.'

[have_no_mercy]

"I'm a lot more honest than I was."

Which may not be saying much, but there it is.

"I thought you wanted a pod."

She nods as they reach a street.

[just_cant_lose]

'I do. It doesn't mean I don't want a library as well. I don't mind in which order.'

He looks up and down the street, a tiny smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. He does love something new.

'What are you more honest about now?'

[have_no_mercy]

"For one thing I wouldn't have told you about the boom tube, nor would I have brought you here."

That much should be obvious.

"Pods appear to be more abundant at the moment. Library is likely closer to the centre."

[just_cant_lose]

'And yet, the results could easily be the same.'

He wanders to the nearest pod, and looks into it. He's not about to steal anything in broad daylight, without knowing the first thing about the police presence on this world. Besides, there are more fun ways to get a ride.

'Before I do anything rash, I don't suppose you have a key on you?'

He'll be so disappointed if she says yes.

[have_no_mercy]

"I told you, I've never been before. I wouldn't know what a key looks like here if it smacked me in the face."

Well. Perhaps she's a bit smarter than that. Maybe.

[just_cant_lose]

'Yes, but there's all these lies you tell me, darling.'

He is not judging.

'Okay, well, I'm going to find an owner of one of these and get a lift. Are you going to come with me, or shall we race?'

[have_no_mercy]

"Let's race."

But she'll watch him try to talk someone into giving him a ride.

[just_cant_lose]

'Okay. First one to the centre of town wins...something.'

He makes a vague gesture, already pulling off his autumnal sweater and messing his hair up with one hand. He doesn't care if he wins or not, he just wants something to do. Plus, neither of them know where the centre of town even is, so.

The jumper gets tied around his waist. He takes his shades off, and snaps one of the arms off. Tess gets one flash of a grin, and a wink, and then his face crumbles down into something stressed and verging on tearful. He disappears into the nearest store without another word. It looks like this world's version of a department store, but it doesn't really matter what sort of place it is. It has people in it, that's the thing.

[have_no_mercy]

Oh, he wants to start now.

Her eyes start to glow a light blue, her hair whipping in the growing wind.

This is hardly even fair.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim, being inside the store, does not see this. He's gone up to the first floor and has chosen a mark already; an older woman who is definitely about to want to look after the nice young man who desperately needs to get into the city, but can't because his pod has malfunctioned. And if he'd known it was going to do that, he would definitely have brought some money for a cab, but he's been caught short and now there's an emergency, life is the worst, et cetera...

He's half hoping people here will be different, and not be taken in by this most basic bullshit. It might mean humanity has the chance of evolving past it's usual boringness, if this world is one possibility of a future-Earth.

But, no. It works. She offers him a ride; he offers to carry her stuff. Blah blah blah. People never change.

[have_no_mercy]

The winds continue to gather around her until she's airborne, rising higher and higher with each second. The city centre isn't so hard to see from up here.

Nevermind the small commotion she's causing.

Finally, she heads in the direction of the end of the line, trailing a small area of destruction behind her.

[just_cant_lose]

He does notice the commotion from the first-floor window. Or rather, he pretends not to and lets the woman notice it, which gives him an excuse to stand next to her and watch.

That's cheating, Tess. You were supposed to catch a ride as well. But whatever; a demonstration of supries!powers is always appreciated.

'What do you suppose that's about?' the woman says.

Jim replies, with complete honesty, that he's never seen a woman do that before. It gives them something to chat about anyway, as he carries her stuff down to her pod and opens the door for her.

[have_no_mercy]

Cheating schmeating. He never ruled out super powers.

Tess lands a block away from the centre square, running the rest of the way.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim, meanwhile, is having a lovely chat with Rhonda about her grandchildren. And very much enjoying the smooth pod ride, which is much quicker and less boring than normal driving. He's itching to pull the console apart and have a look, but it's probably not a good idea while the thing's actually moving. Besides, he has to contribute the appropriate noises about a tearaway prepubescent granddaughter, who is apparently turning her father prematurely grey.

He considers shoving her out of the pod and making off with it when they approach the square, but she's a harmless old thing and he has no idea what the police are like around here. So he just thanks her profusely as they draw to silent halt, and takes her details so he can send her something for her kindness. She zips off with a beaming smile on her face, while Jim slips her magnetic ID card into his pocket. And pulls a face at his broken sunglasses before slipping them back on.

'You're boring,' he tells Tess, as he saunters over, taking his time.

[have_no_mercy]

"You lost."

She's not looking terribly smug anymore, her interest caught by the towering buildings and pods zipping by silently above them.

"Do you think they'll arrest me for my little show?"

[just_cant_lose]

'I don't know. Is it illegal?'

He doesn't sound concerned either way.

'But if the police show up, give me the tube so I can get back before you're hauled off.'

[have_no_mercy]

"I'd think property damage is punishable in some way."

Not that she knows, either. Nor is she in a mood to take a guess.

"Yeah, you're not getting it in any case."