(no subject)

[tobeclosetohim]

Metropolis isn't Jo's scene (it's too metropolitan) but she still hasn't left.




She just breathes in and out, head not falling, copper eyes alert, hips swinging with each steps as she helps with the early evening clean up of a hole in the wall bar n' club she's spent far too many days in.

Comments

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

Jack wouldn't have come here if he wasn't looking for her. True, he has no excuse that's not 'looking for her' to be here, but then, he has no obvious reason to look for her, either.

He's leaning in the doorframe, watching her.

[tobeclosetohim]

She makes trips back and forth without looking at him first--hands full of beer cases and trays of empty glasses. Stella, the owner of Margaret's Blind Eye, loves her.

(At least when she isn't pulling a gun on or punching a customer.)

A medium can in her hands when she comes up, her eyes flick to him finally. The smirk says she's know he was there a while now. "Going to help or just ogle the establishment?"

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

Oh, Jack knows she knew he was there. (We'll stop who knows what at that.)

She looks, and he grins.

"Have I a choice?"

[tobeclosetohim]

"There's always a choice."

She looks rather serious, before the smirk claims and she shrugs.

"One of them involves free drinks for the night and the other just waiting."

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

"I can always find someone to buy me drinks."

But now he's in, heading towards Jo and willing to take the cloth from her hand.

"Waiting I only do when I need to."

[tobeclosetohim]

It gets tossed toward him.

"When's it a need?

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

The cloth is caught and picks up exactly where Jo left off. It's possible this is within the usual boundaries of Jo's personal space.

"When nothing else will get me to my prize."

[tobeclosetohim]

It's noticed, but almost as much as noticed its disregarded.

Given things not discussed, because Jo neither discussing nor mentioning nor thinking about those things, Jack's the only person in Metropolis who having in her space doesn't evoke the instant reaction to partly want to throttle them.

Jo nudges his shoulder, making a mock face at the invasion, and started unscrewing her jar to pour peanuts.

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

Jack snorts in amusement at the shoulder check; dodges too late and rpetneds to be hurt at the violence.

"You're faring well?"

She's ignoring well, Jack can usually handle that. But he checks on account of actually wanting a glimpse under the veil. And because he thinks the rest has done her good.

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo's expression was teasingly superior as though she'd won for it.

She moved on to another table, pouring peanuts into a small bowl as she spoke.

"My back's sore from teaching another Neanderthal about the word no this morning, but aside from that I'm about as right as ever happens in a city."

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

"They learn."

That could have had more Jack-humour in it. Wait a second.

"With you to teach?"

There it is.

"They learn. It's a worthy lesson to teach."

[tobeclosetohim]

It gets a smirk.

(And them off track. Which is perhaps on purpose, too.)

"I rather like it. Taking out the trash is rarely so fun, nor happening so often elsewhere."

[ineveryport.livejournal.com]

He likes the metaphor, and grins for it. Jack follows her to the table now, to clean that.

And to steal a peanut, which he offers her.

"There's plenty of trash elsewhere."

[theresnodoor]

Rachel isn't a bar sort of girl. Nor is she the sort of girl that does clean-up voluntarily.

But she's apparently just fine with coming in for a bottled water and smirking at Jo from a booth while she cleans up.

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo doesn't mind that part. She played clean up for far more years than bar tender. Pesky age laws.

Once she's down, towel thrown over a shoulder and bottle of beer acquired, she meanders back toward that way.

"Good day in crazy world?"

[theresnodoor]

Rachel shrugs, jacket adjusted subtly. Her hair is pulled back in a tight braid, which really only happens when she's been training and wants it out of her way. "No better than usual," she replies, but looks pleased enough for Jo's company.

She's bored out of her mind - again. But Metropolis is better than Smallville.

"Though I'm loving the shopping here. Way better than Topeka."

[tobeclosetohim]

The shopping talk gets a bit of a smile, not because its shop talk but because of how much it brightens Rachel up.

"Golden buy of the day?"

[theresnodoor]

The jacket is adjusted less subtly.

Rachel grins.

"And that I don't need to use money to pay for it? Even better." She's still grinning, before and after taking a gulp from her water bottle. "What about you? Sick of town yet?"

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo snorted at the adjustment, but gave it an appraising look and nod.

"Sure, but there's hardly a day in my life that isn't true."

[theresnodoor]

"Point." The next lift of the water bottle ends in Rachel looking toward the exit - idle, more than a suggestion. "Are you and Jack planning on heading out?"

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo smirked a little at the combination of names.

(As as much as it deserves a smirk there's a comfort there she's not focusing on, but it's there all the same.)

"Not as I know. He might be itchin' to return to the farm or traveling by now. Didn't ask. He's all breeze in and out like normal."

[theresnodoor]

Rachel's eyes dart back toward his, a hint of irritation at the downturn of her mouth.

"You are so confusing, you know that?"

[tobeclosetohim]

"Yeah."

Actually she relatively simple. More so not than ever before.

It would be even more simple if she could stop remembering.

"We we're just in it for the fighting, not sure he's all hip conjoined."

Except when maybe she was.

[theresnodoor]

Rachel makes a face - a mixture of irritation and fondness.

"Not about Jack." She takes another drink, glancing over at the bar Jo had just rubbed down, the glasses waiting to be washed. "You've been aching to go out and do things since I met you. What keeps holding you back?"

She keeps expecting Jo to be comfortable, happy in the places she finds her, for all the time she spends there.

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo looked if anything more amused by the explanation.

"Could say the same of you. You're still here in the city."