Post by Kaija on Feb 10, 2022 20:20:58 GMT
Kore was silent for a time. She chose to take a few bites of her pasta as she listened. One more after he finished. God only know what machinations were forming in her mind, but one thing was certain. A familiar look that always followed deep contemplation.
The devil had an idea.
What a curious inflection in her words. What an odd tone. As though she'd suddenly decided to play a part that fit a corporate casual outfit more than the revealing violet that she'd been wearing.
She smiled and raised a visual aid to help out her little impromptu presentation.
Not an illusion or anything so complex and mystical. Just a right hand closed into a fist.
Up goes the index finger.
Then comes the middle finger.
Finally, the ring finger rises. The last piece of "advice". The big one.
She sighed and turned her attention back to her food; slowly spooling noodles onto her fork.
She paused for a moment, then nodded to herself before she continued.
Kore was going to be real blunt about the way she saw things. About what she wanted out of life and for them.
She paused for a moment, pulling on words that she'd already said to herself a many times before. This was just... the first time David was hearing it. Really hearing it.
She took another bite, watching David with playful eyes as she left him on that little cliffhanger for a moment. To give him a moment to just... consider that possibility.
It was always better to hold your ground and let the people you loved know what you wanted out of life than to say nothing at all.
No regrets.
The devil had an idea.
"Mr. Leiter."
What a curious inflection in her words. What an odd tone. As though she'd suddenly decided to play a part that fit a corporate casual outfit more than the revealing violet that she'd been wearing.
"We can talk about the bastard who walked into my office and berated me over nothing later. For the moment, I'd like to do my duty as your voice of reason and give you some advice that you won't regret. Three things"
She smiled and raised a visual aid to help out her little impromptu presentation.
Not an illusion or anything so complex and mystical. Just a right hand closed into a fist.
"First."
Up goes the index finger.
"Don't expect me to start calling you a supervillain. The public might. Your employees might. You might even use that word to describe yourself. I'm not going to. I've put too many actual supervillains into graves to want to start associating you with them. Second."
Then comes the middle finger.
"I know that you were already planning to do this, but I'm putting it into words that you can rely on when you need them. No matter what, you hold onto those rules you've set in place and never let yourself slip. Don't kill civilians. Don't kill cops. Don't kill heroes. And don't target civilians. You can piss off law enforcement all you want, but as soon as you're deemed a danger to the general public. As soon as you've done something that puts you on the same level as the things you've promised to protect people from, you've lost your point. So you hold onto those values and never let go."
Finally, the ring finger rises. The last piece of "advice". The big one.
"Don't ask me to join the SOS. Not gonna happen. And don't ask me to help you with whatever it is that you've got going on behind closed doors. I don't know and I don't want to know. And I'm not just saying that for ethical reasons even if, yes, they definitely do play a part in it. I'm looking out for you here."
She sighed and turned her attention back to her food; slowly spooling noodles onto her fork.
"I'm not going to lie, David. Hearing you refer to yourself as a supervillain puts a terrible feeling in my gut. I can't be the only one who has that reaction. So I'm choosing to be realistic about things. If this doesn't go well, you're going to want the support of someone who's on the right-"
She paused for a moment, then nodded to herself before she continued.
"-the other side of the law to look out for you if you don't want to spend the rest of your life locked up. Someone who people will actually listen to. Someone who might actually be able to get you on parole. Someone who doesn't actually think that you're a fucking supervillain and who gives enough of a damn to fight for you at your lowest point to try to get you to a better place. I won't be able to do that if I'm right next to you in that cell. And yeah, I know that it wouldn't be that fucking hard to evade the cops or break out of a jail cell. But, life on the run? Hated and feared by everyone around you? Constantly fighting and never seeing a smile on anyone's face when they catch sight of you?"
Kore was going to be real blunt about the way she saw things. About what she wanted out of life and for them.
"Surviving is super fucking easy, David. I've got an organic forcefield that never runs out of batteries and a pocket dimension that I have complete control over. You're practically invincible and you're only eating and breathing right now to humor me while I handle my metabolic needs. Granted, I appreciate you doing that, but still. That's easy. That's the easy part. That's the trivial part. But I don't want us to just fucking survive in the end. I want us to live. You and me. I want us to get up in the morning and have happy things to look forward to. Okay? So, here's my long term plan."
She paused for a moment, pulling on words that she'd already said to herself a many times before. This was just... the first time David was hearing it. Really hearing it.
"Keep doing what you're doing. I know I can't convince you to stop. I'll do the same and keep doing what I do. I've got my own quest to finish, after all. My own demons to deal with. And one of two things will happen in the end. Either you keep every the promise you made to me, get that island and change the world..." She paused, her eyes drifting away from him for a moment, "Or you fall, I help you get back on your feet, and we do things my way the second time around. You can even think of it as a challenge. If you were right all along, then you're free to tell me that I'd been worrying this whole time for no reason. And I guess I'll just laugh and admit that I'd been acting really silly while we sip finely aged wine on the beach... I guess. And, If it turns out in the end that I'd been worried for good reason?"
She took another bite, watching David with playful eyes as she left him on that little cliffhanger for a moment. To give him a moment to just... consider that possibility.
"Then, at least... you'll still have some things to look forward to, even then. I'm not so petty as to throw 'I told you so's at people. Even if I might end up wanting to, she smirked, "In the meantime, we can just keep looking out for each other like we always have. Both when the monsters come out and... on peaceful nights like this. Does that uh..."
It was always better to hold your ground and let the people you loved know what you wanted out of life than to say nothing at all.
No regrets.
"Does that sound like a good plan to you?"