milliways_bar | (no subject)

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A young Jim Moriarty enters the bar looking thoughtful today. He's dressed like a student, carrying a bookbag and with (fake) glasses on his nose. He takes a coffee from Bar and goes to sit by the Observation Window, but he doesn't look out of it. He empties the bag of its contents, and sits there looking at that instead.

It's money. A thick stack of fifty pound notes, easily making the tens of thousands. Jim...doesn't look happy about it, or dismissive, or much of anything really. Faintly quizzical, perhaps. After a while he draws his knees up to his chest and puts his chin on them, still watching the pile like it might stand up and do something interesting.

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‘In cash, yes. I’ve had other stuff worth more.’

But there’s something different about seeing it in front of you, isn’t there? Especially when it’s earned.

"It's not going to go away unless you spend it."

She offers.

"How did you get it?"

He shoots her a vaguely amused look, but it’s not unkind.

‘I’m aware. And I’m not afraid of losing it, I just thought it would feel different.’

He uncurls far enough to take a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket - and these look expensive, hand-rolled, not just bought from any old shop - and lights one before answering.

‘I was abroad doing some other stuff. A guy started mouthing off about a thing he wanted - I told him I could put him in touch with someone who could help.’

A light shrug.

‘People will obviously pay stupid money for ten minutes’ work if they don’t think it’s a kid doing it for them.’

It’s not news, but it’s still funny. And annoying.

She nods,

"That's usually how it starts. People use you to get what they want and eventually, you'll use them to get what you want."

A small smile.

"Can't argue the benefits of cash in the meantime."

Jim is pretty sure he doesn’t want much of anything, but just shrugs.

‘From what I’ve seen, I make a pretty lucrative career out of getting people what they want. Cash...I suppose I’d better find a way to launder it.’

He was making forays into that anyway, but this was an unexpected windfall that’ll need him to bring his plans forward.

"But that's not what you want. To work for other people."

That much she knows.

"You're going to want to do your own thing soon enough and this cash will make it an easier start for you."

‘I’m already doing my own thing. But you’re not wrong. I expect even a normal person could tell that about me.’

He takes a long drag. Then, on an afterthought, offers the cigarette over to her.

‘I was thinking of blowing it all on clothes, actually.’

She wrinkles her nose and just gives him a look. No, she does not want a puff.

"As they say, clothes make the man."

Jim looks amused again.

‘Do you think that’s true about me?’

"No."

Another smile.

"Your mind makes you. It just happens to also have good taste."

‘You’re in a good mood today. I was expecting something more cutting.’

He smiles back - he is also in a good mood - and shrugs one shoulder.

‘But you’re right. Exceptional taste.’

"The kids are away for a few days. I finally have my place all to myself again."

And she's revelling in it, obviously.

His eyebrows quirk upwards.

‘Did you breed?’

Ew.

"No. Oh, no. No."

The horror.

"Conner and his super friends lost their mentor and guess who had the biggest place for them to stay at?"

‘I don’t know who you’re talking about, but all right.’

Other people, blah blah.

‘Why don’t you just kick them out if you don’t like it?’

Oh.

"Conner's my brother, sort of nephew person? And he's in with a group of super kids we've found over the years."

Which should explain everything.

"I can't kick them out. They have nowhere else to go."

‘Do I want to know how he’s your brother and nephew at the same time? But I suppose you are from Louisiana.’

It was right there to be said, so he said it. And her final remark gets exactly what she might expect, which is another shrug and an expression that clearly says, so?

"It's Lex's fault."

That really should explain everything.

"I can't throw them out. The last thing I need is seven teenagers with super powers running amok on my planet."

Jim thinks he would really rather like to meet Lex. His older self has had the same thought more than once.

‘How do you know they’d run amok? It might make them grow up.’

"Most of them have a history of doing it. It's usually been how we've found them."

She sighs softly.

"They had a mentor who was helping them grow up as a team, but he's dead now."

‘Did they kill him?’

Maybe he’d like to meet these kids too. He’s the last person who’s going to suggest teenagers shouldn’t be allow to run free.

"No!"

These are the good kind of teenagers, not like her group of bad teenagers who met unfortunate ends.

"He was old. His heart gave out."

‘Then find them another one, if it means that much to you.’

They can’t be that hard to find, can they?

"Yes, because are just so many legendary heroes willing to train and parent seven strange children walking around."

Jay had been hard enough to convince.

‘Then they’re not really legendary heroes, are they?’

Jim waves a hand, dismissive.

‘Mentors are overrated anyway. They’ll be fine.’