milliways_bar | (no subject)

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It's been a few days since Rorschach's first experience in the bar, and he pauses in the doorway this time, one arm extended to hold the door open.

Behind him, if anyone cares to notice, lies an eerily quiet and somewhat shadier-looking bar than Milliways.

It only takes him a moment to make up his mind, though, and he lets the door swing shut behind him and heads for the Observation Window.

Apparently the bar isn't a dream, and doesn't just exist in Dreiberg's apartment. This means the next logical step is figuring out where it does exist. Hence the solemn window study.

Long story short: There's a short masked man sitting on a table, making the 'thinker' pose at the Observation Window.

He's relatively botherable.

[tiny investigative tags: Rorschach, Ellen (Vault 101 Dweller), Charlie Monroe, Michael, Tommy Shepherd]

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"Not a chance.

"You ever hear of mutations? Evolution?"

"In animals."

Not humans. Apparently, one Dr. Manhattan is enough for the world.

"Humans are animals too, dude." Tommy grins, and points at his chest with a thumb. "Muuu-taaaant."

"You're not glowing."

What, that isn't how the mutant thing works?

"No?

"Nope, definitely not glowing," he says, checking quickly.

"Despite being exposed to radiation?"

If Tommy's never actually been exposed to radiation, this line of questioning might serve to make him a little nervous.

"Wasn't exposed to radiation," Tommy says, banking on the fact that Rorschach will - EVENTUALLY - figure it out.

"Not a mutant, then."

He'll figure something out, at least!

"Yes, a mutant!" Deep breaths. "Repeat after me: mu-tANt."

A pause.

"E-veh-LUU-shun."

Rorschach does not repeat after him.

He also does not appreciate being treated like he's slow. ~~no matter how he's acting~~

It generally takes people a while to get used to reading any kind of emotion in the movement of his mask, so we'll excuse Tommy if he can't tell that Rorschach is glaring at him. Of course, the tense body language might be a good tell.

Yeaaaah.

"What?! You're, like... telling me I'm irradiated or something? I'm a little offended by that!"

"You weren't offended before."

You know, Tommy, when you were calling yourself a mutant.

"Yeah, because you didn't suggest that I'd been fried by, like, gamma rays.

"I was just... born like this, okay? It was in my DNA, and it randomly turned itself on one day. Happens to kids in my world all the time, even before... nukes and shit."

Not mentioning crazy magic mommy, kthnx.

Hrmph.

"You live in a world with...powers, then."

See, he's catching on to this bar thing.

"YES!" Tommy nearly faints from relief.

Well, not really. But Rorschach got it! Thirty points to... whatever... house... he's in. The mask makes it hard to tell!

It would be Hufflepuff. No, seriously. Silent but deadly.

In other news, teenagers are so needlessly dramatic.

"So you're suffering from a government crackdown."

He spoke to Billy of such matters.

(Blame the hormones. And then the speedster portion, while you're at it. Just not the Jews?)

Tommy deflates a little; it's something he's been doing some thinking about, but he doesn't like it any more. "Yeah."

(but it's always the Jews!)

"Hurm."

Rorschach is unsurprised, and perhaps a little sympathetic, but not pitying.

"You too or something?" Tommy offers.

"Or something."

He certainly doesn't have any powers.

"What'd the feds do on your world?" Tommy leans casually back against the wall.

"Took masks off the street. Two options: work for the government or quit."

Unless your name is Rorschach, in which case you take neither option.

"We don't... exactly have the quit option, in my world," Tommy says. "'Cuz they're dicks."

"Quit and endure government questioning and suspicion," Rorschach amends.

"Of course, there's only one powered mask in my world."

Edited 2009-03-24 20:26 (UTC)

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