[October 12th. 11 PM] [After the hellacious virtual reality world of Dr. Potts-Chambers, a sad evil person with no bearing on this world asked someone else to do the setting brackets. Names shall not be named at this travesty of justice, but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!] [But what is really going on that's important is outside the construction site, where on a dimly lit road side, Christian and Redcoat are going out for a smoke. The moon's high in the sky and the nicotine calls them. It's really the first time they've had to hang outside of an outright mission, so we'll see what comes as a result.] [Mini start!] * TheRedcoat strides outside, cigarette and lighter already in hand. She flicks the lighter open and takes several intense drags. * Christian follows behind her, oddly, walking a bit slower than she is. He's rubbing the back of his neck slightly as he goes along. "I don't know if you're in a rush to get outta there or just in a rush to get your smokes out..." He takes out his own cigarette as he gets to a pole and sticks it in his mouth, speaking out of the side of it. "Borrow a light?" Eh? * TheRedcoat turns around and makes a light for him! "A little of both, really." [The bear similarly offers Christian a light as it puffs on a cigar.] [Okay, not really. But it would've been funny.] * Christian takes a long slow drag after it's lit and blows out the smoke, holding the cigarette aloft. "Know what you mean. Mission was such bullshit." * TheRedcoat nods. "It was...very pointless." Although I suppose as a security measure, if we were enemies, it would have wasted our time." I don't even know if that virtual world or whatever woulda even killed us. I mean what the hell else would it have done? We're fine now, whatever it did. * Christian shrugs slightly and sticks his cigarette back in his mouth. "Whatever. Jackie's our technical genius. I just break shit." * TheRedcoat snorts between drags. "I might have liked it more if there *was* that chance of killing us. At least then there would be a practical part to that farce. Holograms covering up real weapons and such." * TheRedcoat hehs. "At least you break a *lot* of shit. For me, I am neither genius nor powerhouse." * Christian snickers. "Yeah, but I'm hot headed as hell. Even I know this. Least you got *that* crap under control." * TheRedcoat half-shrugs, eyes a little distant. "Sometimes." More cancer. Eh. You notice stuff. Noticing's important. I haven't noticed you lacking control in battle, though. * Christian snorts. "Shoulda seen me when I first got these powers then." * TheRedcoat laughs under her breath. "Well, I wasn't always very observant, either." Least it's somethin' you can train down. Me? I can tone it down a *little* bit but it's hella hard not to go out full force. Don't think I could do it for the long term. It's pretty all or nothin'. * TheRedcoat shrugs again. "It helps...to have help." She finishes her first cigarette and pulls out another one quickly. * Christian looks at her strangely. "The hell does that mean?" It doesn't sound like a menacing tone. Just curious. * TheRedcoat shrugs once more, rather quickly, and tosses her head a little. "You know. Support and such. We are a team, does that not give you additional motivation for control?" * Christian snorts. "Motivation ain't much a part of it. But I guess I see your point." * Christian lets out another puff. He's about halfway through with his. "Damn, you go through those quickly." * TheRedcoat grins a little. "I have practice. And I go through them faster when I haven't had a chance to smoke for a while, as well." * TheRedcoat turns that grin into a slight frown. "Or when I'm very frustrated." Well, I understand *that*. Swear that first test had me goin' fuckin' insane. 'Specially if it'd gone on much longer. * TheRedcoat nods and puffs again. "Tell me about it." Don't have to. That's the beauty 'bout bein' on a team, right? * Christian grins and folds his arms behind his head, leaning back against the pole. * TheRedcoat half-grins a bit. "I hadn't thought of it that way. Truth, I suppose." Whole team thing *does* take some gettin' used to though. * TheRedcoat nods. "No lie. I suppose most of us are...loners at heart, or by habit." * Christian snorts. "Habit on my end. Too hot headed to have people linin' up ta take me, too cocky to think I need anybody else, and too stubborn to give a shit about either." * Christian looks at her. "You, probably by heart though." * TheRedcoat hehs around the cigarette in her mouth. "Maybe something like that." * Christian smirks at that and finishes his first cigarette before sticking another in his mouth and gesturing a bit for the light. "I won't pry. God or whatever knows I've been nosy as hell as is lately." * TheRedcoat hands it over companionably, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?" * TheRedcoat then immediately puts her non-handing hand up. "Ah, sorry. You probably don't wish to tell. Private business, no?" * Christian snorts as he lights up and then blows out a little smoke. "Yeah. No, ain't really that big a deal. Jus' got a big mouth is all. Like *that's* a fuckin' surprise." Eh. * TheRedcoat then casts a sidelong glance to Christian. "Excuse me please, if I am being insulting, but you are the youngest one of us all, I believe...how are you, ah, holding up?" * TheRedcoat then takes a couple more puffs, as if to smoke away the awkwardness. * Christian raises an eyebrow at Redcoat slightly at the 'youngest' comment, which was probably more insulting than the rest of it. "Holding up?" I mean, how do you feel about all of this? It seems sometimes as though you and I are the most unaware of...the superhero codes and such. * Christian snorts. "Bout people I don't even know tryin' to fuckin' kill me, an' the streets turnin' to straight shit while the other side tries to get even more fuckin' powerful and waste people whose only crime is bein' powerful enough to keep 'em from doin' whatever the hell they want?" * TheRedcoat tilts her head and thinks that through, with another puff to help her. "...yes?" I say if you're gonna be a prick an' think no one else is gonna stand up an' call you a prick, ya got another thing comin'. * Christian grins at Redcoat and takes another long drag. Goes for supes an' villains alike. * TheRedcoat hehs again. "Sometimes they enjoy that, though." Consider the American Dream. Nah. What *he* enjoys is knowin' that he gets to ya. Exactly. * Christian chuckles slightly. "I got to him though. Shut 'im up *real* quick." * TheRedcoat huffs and puffs but Christian doesn't fall down! "Mm?" * TheRedcoat thinks. "Oh, about his limp? I saw that." What did you say to him? * Christian snorts. "You missed it? Aw, damn." Told 'im that was probably why he needed someone else to finish his fights for him an' let super villains loose to reck havoc on the public. Heh. * Christian pushes himself a bit off the pole. "Apparently that's what "real" super heroes do." Big airquotes on that one. Tried to pull it off as if he'd let that fuckin' robot loose on purpose. * TheRedcoat makes a face. "I see I didn't miss much." * TheRedcoat pulls something out of her sleeve. It's a cute li'l .mp3 player! "I bought this yesterday with some of the money from the stipend. A small gift to myself." * Christian snickers slightly as she pulls it out. "Nice. Never thought you the type." * TheRedcoat smirks. "Everyone needs a little music in their lives. And besides, it kept me from having to listen to that American Dream and what he chooses to pass off as quips." * TheRedcoat turns the tiny thing over in her hands. For the record, it's dark blue, square, with a bitty but readable screen. "The Archos L495. Latest model. I've never owned one before, so...it's nice." * Christian grins slightly at Redcoat. "Well that, and never took you as the type to share your toys. 'Specially not with little boys." His grin widens. It is a nice model though. * TheRedcoat laughs lightly. When she does it like that, it's almost like she's a normal fairly attractive crime fighter who covers her face all the time. "Ah, but you never asked. It's amazing what you can get sometimes if you ask." * TheRedcoat grins. "Thank you." * Christian smirks. "Ya ain't exactly been the most approachable." * TheRedcoat blinks and tilts her head, the grin not entirely disappearing. "I haven't?" * TheRedcoat lights another cigarette while she's at it. I hadn't noticed that one. Force of habit, I suppose. * TheRedcoat takes a long drag. "Plus the ridiculous laws of this state against indoor smoking." Habits are hard to break, yeah. * TheRedcoat blows out a series of smoke rings and laughs. "Certainly." * Christian snorts. "It's to protect people who don't want their lungs filled with smoke. What do they know?" Pfff. A little tar on the lungs is like...insulation. Like drywall. * TheRedcoat smirks. "Or asbestos." * Christian sighs slightly. "Fuck if I know. All I know is it's damned relaxin' after puttin' up with assholes who think throwin' a pie in your face or portin' you repeatedly in the same room is funny." Surprised there were no fuckin' banana peels or slide whistles. * TheRedcoat nods and smokes. "Indubitably." * Christian puts out his second cigarette. "Well, I'm 'bout done hangin' out here. Gonna see if there's anythin' goin' on at the local hangouts. But was good chattin' with ya anyhow." * TheRedcoat nods at Christian and continues smoking, looking back at the port-o-potty curiously for a moment before walking away herself. [Mini End!]