fingerstripes | IC Inbox + Friendr

[ Up, up, and away.

The city's lights are tiny dots by the time Clark slows down. They're not that high up that Dick can't breathe normally. ]

LexCorp's Lex Luthor?

[ He wastes no time. ]

[lois arrives a little after him, one pm on the dot, looking around briefly before she spots a young man in a duran duran t-shirt. she's in a pencil skirt and blouse, waistcoat buttoned over it, heels clicking on the floor as she makes her way to his table. ]

Dick Grayson? Lois Lane. [ she holds out a hand to him. ]

[ Rolling onto her side, Loki stretches in bed and nuzzles her pillow with the video of Dick in front of her. It's a cute scene to watch and she doesn't regret obviously waking him up, not one bit. ]

An hour? I need to shower, I'm a mess. [ ... she says, with a full face of magically perfect make-up. Or perhaps that's just how Loki looks, Dick will have to see in person at a much closer range. ] I merely wanted to check if you were too busy to hang out today, the idea excited me.

[ It actually helps to not have to fake a lack of real familiarity here. But Lois has always had his respect. He flashes her a bright grin, sitting up a little straighter as he gives her hand a firm shake. ]

Hey. It's good to meet you.

...Unfortunately, yeah. [ That Clark knows the name at all makes his heart sink in a way he's kind of hoping isn't immediately obvious. ]

There's some history there I'm not privy to. But I do know he's... obsessed with Superman. The ideal and the man.

[ There's a lot more he could say, and all of it feels huge. Alarming. Potentially useless, when it definitely seems like this place could bring in any number of infinite Lexes, or no Lex at all. What would it feel like to be so new to the whole deal, to be just now finding out about a multiverse filled with innumerable hostile forces?

He wants to tread carefully. He wants to help Clark. He hesitates. ]

...Are you alright?

...Sure. I think justice can wait another day this time. [ As if it ever could.

But this is his day off, and until 30 seconds ago his plans hadn't extend much farther than eating an entire box of cereal in his underwear and beating his knuckles raw against the nearest punching bag until patrol.

It's been a bad, depressing week. He needs the company more than he should probably let himself admit. That she'd thought of him at all is a nice, welcome surprise. ]

So how've you been? Still taming the heart of the savage beast?

We haven't met.

[ Clark has seen a few websites popping up claiming Superman is the messiah. There're about as many as those proclaiming otherwise. He's not surprised that he'd be a subject of controversy.

He can't imagine someone being obsessed. Luthor is by all accounts brilliant, with a thriving company. Everything that someone could possibly want, Lex Luthor has. If he doesn't, he could acquire it.

The speculation isn't making him feel better. Clark looks away, at the city. He should be forthright. If anyone will understand and help him without question, it's Dick. ]

Dick, there's a little boy here by the name of Jonathan Kent. He's half-Kryptonian, half-human.

[ It takes him a minute. ]

...Wow. So he's your- [ Son? Brother? Another version of Clark himself? ]

He's my son.

[ Dick is quiet for a moment. The idea of suddenly being responsible for a child he hasn't even thought of yet is a daunting one.

And suddenly the conversation makes starts to make sense. ]

...That had to come as a bit of a shock.

[ Clark smiles despite himself. He didn't know he could have children at all with a non-Kryptonian. When he remembers it's possible and this is his legacy, it's everything to him. ]

He's a sweet boy. I'd be proud to have him as my son if we're from the same world.

[ He shows a sliver of fear. Clark doesn't bear powerlessness well, and he's completely at a loss here. ]

That said, Dick, I have no idea what to do. How do I protect him if I don't know what'll hurt us?

Edited (tweaked) 2017-04-13 12:13 (UTC)

Mostly. That and avoiding my housemates, one of whom is despicable and denies me potato wedges on a regular basis. I suffer greatly.

[ With a melodramatic sigh that lifts her out of bed, Loki mooches her way out of the communal bedroom with a tilt of the camera to show Dick how full it is. People are missing but each bedside table is occupied. ]

Shall we have some for breakfast? With meats, of course, and mayo. Loads of mayo!

[ Sure is the large shower room she's entering. ]

...That's not an easy question to answer.

[ It hadn't been for Bruce, as much as he hadn't understood that at the time. How deeply he'd been caring in his own way, protecting him in all the moments that felt so much like the opposite of that. Bruce would know what to say now. ]

But hey. Clark-

...This is- it's a lot. It would be a lot to handle no matter who you are.

...But if I've learned anything from Batman, it's that the way to lose sight of what's right in front of you is getting lost in the what-ifs. All the dozens of ways Condiment King could be one step ahead of you. [ He reaches out to put a hand on Clark's shoulder, a little awkwardly mid-flight. ]

Whatever comes next, you're not gonna be facing it alone.

Edited 2017-04-13 17:30 (UTC)

You, too.

[ her smile is genuine, even if she doesn't have any familiarity with him at all. the name doesn't ring a bell, seeing him doesn't stir any memories; she's never met dick grayson in her life. that doesn't mean much here, apparently. ]

Clark's only told me a little about you. [ right down to business: ] How do you know him? In your universe, that is. [ she's assuming different universes. it could be different times, too, but given where they are, the universe theory is not unlikely. ]

Thank you.

[ It wouldn't be so much if he knew what he was doing. Clark's new at being a superhero and a father. It's harder to live a normal life like this. Jon deserves one.

He wasn't expecting reassurance, but looking at Dick, Clark's not sure why he expected otherwise. Dick has a lot of secrets but he's willing to extend trust and faith. He's the second person besides Lois.

Clark holds on to it. ]

If I do get lost, I have a friend.

[ He smiles warmly at Dick. ]

Lay it on me.

[ He can respect that at least. ]

He's a good friend. We, uh- met when I was a kid.

...Now I've gotta ask, what did he tell you about me? [ He doesn't intend to lie to Lois; his promise to Clark is bond. But alarming her with the wrong kind of talk at the wrong time is probably a bad way to establish two-way trust.

It's important now. Even more than it was at home. ]

[ So Dick tells him.

He starts with the Metropolis villains, the ones who live to make Superman's life hell. He runs through a few of Lex's recent misdeeds as president, his orchestration of the catastrophic mishandling of the No Man's Land crisis, his abuses of power and his leveraging of innocent lives to hurt and manipulate Superman, Batman, and others. He moves onto Intergang and Matello and brushes past Toyman, describing the balloons and toy soldiers of their last adventure in detail, if only because he doesn't really want Clark to have the impression that the regular grind of knocking down bad guys is never any fun.

He moves on to the Joker, mentioning that he'd shot and paralyzed a dear friend of his while studiously leaving out the murder of a child Robin. He runs through the rest of the bat villains quickly - most of them are a lot less dangerous to Clark and his family, and all of them would target Nightwing first anyway. Dick will never let them get past him.

But no one is really safe from Two-Face. Mr. Freeze. Blockbuster. Clark deserves to know what the danger looks like. ]

...can't forget Killer Moth, which- you don't want to underestimate anyone with that big of a god complex, but as long you remember that he's really after attention you're golden. The downside is that I've been hauling his ass off to jail since I was nine, so you can imagine he's pretty immune to humiliation at this point.

[ And he's gonna pause for breath there. He glances at Clark, trying to gauge exactly how... well he's taking all of this. ]

...Yeah. That's... a lot, huh?

[ ooc: if there's anything in there you'd rather Clark not know about just let me know me and I'll edit it out! Also if you need more deets on specific things Dick would have shared in relation to individual people, etc. Otherwise you can assume he kept most of the details pretty vague and run with it as much as you want to! ]

[ He... raises an eyebrow a little at that, but- eh. He's friends with too many aliens to really assume too much about anyone's intentions. ]

Sounds like a winner. [ He says, with genuine sympathy. ]

Hey, if you need mayo I've got about... ten jars I can donate to the cause. [ Its probably more like three. ] My roommate just shipped out, and I don't really see how I'm gonna finish it all on my own.

[ Which- much as he appreciates the newfound space and privacy kind of sucks too in it's own way. He'd been fond of Ray. ]

Your roomie had good taste. Who were they?

[ Setting the phone to hover outside the spray of the water, the screen never dips below Loki's shoulders once she strips and gamely starts having a shower. Saves time on pausing their chat and flashes just enough skin to hopefully give Dick a strong hint. ]

I was hoping to move out soon, I miss having my own space.

[ Dick is an immovable object. He dated Barbara Gordon. Helena Bertinelli. Starfire.

Except. Well.

Loki is stunning. Beautiful in her own way, and more than that, she's charming. He likes her.

But Alfred raised a proper (™) gentleman, and it definitely seems like this is kind of... probably the done thing wherever she's from. Asgard. Leering doesn't feel right, while she's placing even that much trust in him. It's not a good precedent, if he really wants to know her better. If he wants to be friends.

But it also doesn't feel right to totally avert his eyes there either, as if she's doing something wrong or shameful. So instead he tries gamely to strike the awkward balance between looking and... not looking. The blush on his cheeks is telling, but for the most part he pulls it off well. ]

Ray Palmer. A good man. [ There, a sad thought to fixate on. He runs a awkward hand through his mussed hair. ]

Yeah? Housing getting a little cramped? [ It does kind of look it from down here in two-bedroom town. ]

I can't believe they just gave you a bed and called it a day while Ray and I got a suite to ourselves.

[ Whatever game or test goes unspoken in Loki's antics, Dick passes with flying colours. No gawping, albeit clearly exerting some self-control judging by that blush ... He's cute. She likes him more for trying. ]

Ray was the scientist, the one who worked with Stark when the monsters infiltrated the underground. I remember him.

[ Briefly, having been angrier at Tony at the time. She lathers up her hair into a frothy ball and briefly disappears under the showerhead to rinse off. That may have something to do with the subject matter as she goes on, ]

They, um, put me up with ... former enemies. It's been tense.

[ lois makes a mental note to ask him if he knows jason todd, if there's any similarities. that can wait until later on in the conversation. ]

Only that you know about who he is, that I might like to talk to you myself, and that you help people.

[ not in those exact words, but they are in public. ]

Oh yeah? [ He doesn't know if he should be surprised or not. But it brings a small smile to his face, which he's quick to hide behind his cup of coffee. ]

...I- well, I kinda sprung the whole "hey, we know each other in an alternate universe" thing on him early on. But I thought he, uh- should know.

[ He fidgets, suddenly aware of how that probably sounds.

It means more to him than he can say, that Clark took it in stride. That he'd been willing to be Dick's friend despite decades-an entire universe-of separation. That he'd been willing to even entertain the possibility of trust, when Dick knows firsthand just how difficult and terrifying the hard work of trusting can be. ]

It meant a lot that he didn't just run screaming into the night after that.

[ As if Clark ever would, from anything. ]

[ Former enemies could mean almost anything. Now he's watching the spot her back had occupied moments ago, considering. ]

...I can imagine. [ She doesn't appear to be frightened or in danger. Logic says she would have gotten out a lot faster if the situation was that dire.

Still, you never really know. He leans forward, concern in his face. ]

Anything I can do to help?

You can beat up every single one to earn my favour, how's that?

[ A smirk widens ruby red lips as she flashes him a grin. If he's going to be chivalrous, she's going to lap it up. ]

You're an officer of some laws or others, they'd get in trouble for throwing a punch your way. Couldn't you goad them, Grayson? Just a bit.

[ Winking, she reaches for a towel. ]

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