An Experiment in the Wild

[callmesuperboy]

Who: Superboy (aka Kon, aka Conner Kent)
Where: Everywhere
When: One Day, One Hour, Everywhere but loose
What: A catchall, with a couple of open prompts and a few closed ones.
Rating: TBD, some psychological wondering about the craziness of being a superhero and this world.



Superboy was out today with a lot of errands to run. He had to meet his best friend, Bart, to look at houses, and to meet Jane to talk over ramen, and he wanted to check out a few nice schools. Along the way, he wanted to find a few spaces to have to himself. Something to just breathe in and have peace. Sometimes, he really needed it.

But first, he was at a cafe, drinking coffee, and inhaling croissants. If he did not have his super metabolism, he would totally not be able to, but as it was, he needed to give himself carbs. He had noticed that since he had arrived, he had felt more... mortal. Less like he was unstoppable, less like he was living without pausing. Now he slept a little more and ate a little more. And while it was weird, he was trying to not think about it.

He didn't want to deal with whatever fuckery this place was doing to him. He had been through that before. It was not fun.

***

Flying was fun, and one of the times he was most at peace, but when he flew between places, he rarely took his time. There was always something going on. A bank robbery in Cleveland, a tsunami off of India, a boat in danger in the Bermuda triangle, a man falling from a construction platform in Beijing, and a woman and her fellow protestors in danger from a runaway car in Montreal. There was always something, and so often, he spent most of his time moving at high speed, cross-crossing the globe. He took time to himself, but always felt guilty when he did, because he could hear and see it all. he always knew exactly how many people died or were hurt while he was being himself, while he was not saving them.

And he did his best to not think about it.

***

Today he was scouting out places to hole up, now and then. Places to catch up on peace and breathe. He needed, on occasion, to just inhale the quiet, and the peace, and the lack of noise and movement. He needed something to renew himself. And so he was, as he did his errands, keeping his eyes out for such places. he found a few along the way, such as a small stretch of desert outside jeopardy, painted red by the sunlight hitting recent rain, and a mountain top a ways north of Heropa, where the clouds swooped low enough to touch from the ground at the peak, not to mention a forest glade far from Maurtia Falls, where some seeds carried by wind and storm had sprouted and strawberries in abundance grew, and a cave, far from where people actually went, where a river had carved through it and created a glistening cascade of rock, water, and wind.

***

Closed to Bart:

Kon was always looking forward to the time he got to spend with Bart. When they had first met, the other had annoyed him, and it had taken some time for Kon to really come to grips with the way the other man thought and acted. But somehow, through wars, crimes, time travel, and through death and life, they had become best friends. They were just missing one of their trinity now, and sometimes Kon wondered if Tim was just lurking somewhere, waiting to pop out. It would be like him.

Today, the duo was all about house hunting. they were trying to find a good place for themselves, a place with room to grow, and with less crime then Maurtia Falls. Heropa seemed their best option, and so they were in the city, checking out several houses on the market. The latest one had fallen through because of a very loud set of neighbors around the house, and now they were headed to a house near one of the local universities, but in a supposedly quiet neighborhood.

***

Closed to Jane Foster:

Out to eat, again, Superboy smiled as he darted downward, settling to the ground outside the ramen place that Jane had told him about. it seemed nice, and the smells coming from it were making him feel very, very hungry. He grinned as he stepped into the restaurant, looking around for Jane. She seemed like a nice person, and one he was very glad to talk to. His brief conversations with her had made him think she might be someone good to talk to about science, and he was trying to wake that side of his brain up more. If his brain would stop hurting, maybe it would wake up even more.

Sometimes, it was odd, knowing that he had knowledge in his mind that was locked away, that he had not yet managed to tap. Much like the telepathic abilities that he had been told were hidden somewhere in his mind, he wanted to know, really, if he could unlock those things, and how. So he was here to meet with Jane, and hope that she could help him. And also just to talk. She seemed nice, and new here, and that was not a bad thing at all. She was also kind of cute.

***

Closed to Jean Grey:

Superboy wandered into the coffee shop, stepping out of the unseasonable rain, and into the calm that was therein. It was a quiet spot, an internet cafe and coffee shop that also sold some small food items. But somehow, it appeared,. it had stayed off of most peoples radar. It was sparsely populated, and at least one other person was in there waiting out the rain. It was across from a university he had been scoping out, and he was amazed, really, that it was not very populated. Surely the local students would have occupied it. But, for whatever reason, they had not, at least today.

Superboy didn't mind the rain so much as he was looking for a place to sit, and think, and to stop being around the noise. His head hurt, a little, and he felt tired, and so he did what he always did when he felt out of sorts; he found a place to just stop.

Normally, those places were far from civilization but today, this coffee shop had almost called him, and he found himself settling into one of the booths that had a menu already there, and a plug in for if he had computer to use there. He rubbed his forehead, waving one hand for the waiter who was moving around, and found himself glad for the quiet. It was nice to be around just a lack of the constant go, and move and madness of the streets and cities outside.

He could look at the pamphlets from the university, and consider if he really wanted to go there.

Comments

flying!

[thecacophony]

There isn't much in life, in Sal's less than humble opinion, that ranks as high as flying. That yearning for freedom burrows down deep in her bones, and while she should spend time being responsible, or trying to learn more about this new and wildly foreign world, mostly she just wants to fly. Grasping for that renewed ability is immediate and perhaps even necessary. Unfortunately, that means she's also unaware of how many others are also eager to take up this particular pastime.

Flying high up in the air as to be not much more than a peculiar passing dot to most on the ground, she's taking an aimless path between cities when she notices someone else approaching. Reeling back, the woman floats in place and watches as the other person's flight path comes closer to her own.

She adjusts the bright red scarf around her neck and wonders if she should say something. Mages in her world, after all, had a whole host of strange social quirks. But imPorts? Well, who the hell could say?

"Where are you going in such a damn rush anyway, buddy?" She says it mostly to herself, unaware that anyone could possibly hear it.

Re: flying!

[callmesuperboy]

Kon is a little busy for a moment as he scoops two people out of a fire and blows it out, but then he shoots back toward where the person talked to him, smiling, slowing down to normal speed as he comes close to them.

"Sorry. I was answering a 9-1-1." he nods to the woman and cants his head curiously. "I fly a lot, but mostly," he waves a hand, "to and from helping people."

It's what a Superboy does, really. "What brings you up here?"

Re: flying!

[thecacophony]

The sheer striking speed of the boy in that moment, and Sal has seen great feats of magic in her time, is honestly enough to take away her speech for a second. Somewhere between impressive and terrifying is where she's tempted to place her opinion of him.

"Helping people?" It's an effort to keep up, sure, but also a lingering unfamiliarity with these terms and customs can't help either.

"Shit, I've just been trying to get my bearings around these new places, but," don't mind her, she's still catching up, "are you...with law enforcement or something?"

Re: flying!

[callmesuperboy]

"I like to help people."

Superboy smiled at the woman and nodded. Hovering in front of her, he cocked his head as he listened.

"Not at all. But in my world, a group of us who believed in justice and in helping others banded together to protect those in need. And I see no reason not to do that here."

[thecacophony]

"Oh." A weak response, but she remembers too much of what's left behind her when he says it. Cavric, that once pure-hearted soldier boy of the Revolution who trailed her along the city streets. Who thanked her for a heroic deed well done, for the lives she helped to avenge. (And everything that went so wrong for him soon after.)

Sal tries to meet the eyes of this good Samaritan flying around with her, and she finds it surprisingly difficult. "So who are you going to save next, huh?"

She looks around instead, trying to spot some obvious calamity down on the land below them. "How do you tell who needs rescuing around here?"

Househunting

[kid_flash_found]

Bart had been a little disappointed that the first place was a total no-go, but this one seemed to have a bit more promise. The generally one and two story architecture is a little reminiscent of California, but the lack of basements seemed weird at first.

"So, this looks slightly more promising," Bart said, looking from the walk to the house. It might need some repairs, but hopefully nothing serious. A momentary blur, and he circles the lot, getting a feel for the outside.

"We can totally do some kind of gardening if you want." He wouldn't mind a kitchen garden, as long as there are no chives.

Re: Househunting

[callmesuperboy]

Kon nodded as he peered at the house, and then follows Bart, going high while his friend goes around, then sinking back to meet him.

"Yeah? I think that would be fun. We could find and raise random weird plants we like, and a few good herbs or fruits we want, too." he knew a little about it, and liked it.

The house seemed like it just might work, as long as it was as good inside as out. And his x-ray vision was also verifying that.

[kid_flash_found]

"Just remember if you get any alien plants to make sure they won't eat me," Bart said, since he wasn't the invulnerable one.

"And check the water-table while you're looking," he added in an undertone that the real estate agent might not hear. "It'd be nice to know if we are going have flood issues before the first hurricane hits."

He definitely liked the idea of having some hobby activities, and tending plants was sort of zen when you got into it. "We'll probably want to beef up the electrical to handle gaming parties. But I was pulling up internet reviews and the ping times shouldn't be horrendous. Maybe some solar panels on the roof to offset the draw?"

As they went inside, Bart was having a hard time not imagining this place as theirs. Without grown-ups looking over their shoulders, but also without the bottomless bank accounts Batman tended to throw at things. So they'd have to go a little at a time.

"Although getting the money probably means doing some licensing deals or other celebrity crud."

[callmesuperboy]

"Of course. Alien plants go in a dome or a shield or something." Or maybe in the phantom zone. Hey, could he build a projector here? That could be fun!

As he thought about it, he grinned and nodded to Bart, listening, mostly. His x-ray vision shot downward into the foundation and the water table below, and he checked the area to make sure they were not getting in over their heads. A quick shot of very thin, invisible heat vision drained a possible issue in one area, and then he nodded.

"Looks good. I know nothing about houses," he said out loud, as he intoned lower to Bart, "but it looks good, and I took care of any issues, quicklike."

He nodded. "We can boost the electrical, and the internet reception with a little work that only we can do. Not a bad thing, to do our own improvements." He grinned.

Looking around, now with just vision, he found himself liking it, a lot.

"Is it just me, or is this place really nice?"

Kon nodded, chuckling. "But what can you do?" he was sure this place was worth it, and that they could make it even better.

[kid_flash_found]

"Yeah, I think we could turn this place into a good crash pad. I mean, we don't need a freaking mansion," Bart said, agreeing with all of Kon's points.

He'd done some reading about remodeling and flipping and what was popular in the current real estate market to see why some people would consider the place a lemon. The "master" bath was huge, but not actually connecting to the largest bedroom, having apparently started as a smaller bath and expanded at some point. A second tiny poweder room was definitely a plus, but it was barely enough room to be convenient. And the main living spaces hadn't been opened up to form something the articles called "flow."

But that was stuff they could either decide to change, or live with. The equal bathroom access was a plus, and they could put in all the elbow grease needed.

"It's really nice, but from what I saw, it's not what people want in a layout, so they pass it over unless they really want to gut the place," he said, grinning. "But their loss and all. I think we have a good contender, at the very least."

Ramen!

[bifroster]

Ramen was the kind of food that one should be hungry for. Jane herself could eat two bowls of ramen by herself and even more if she allowed it. The broth alone, if one found the right spot, could be perfection. Company while having ramen was even better. Conner seemed like a really nice person as well and she would more than happily pick his brain and let him pick hers.

Even though she didn’t know that his brain wasn’t fully awake, and that it sometimes hurt, maybe their conversation would help.

“Hey!” she called when she spotted him. “Over here!”

The restaurant had regular booths instead of low traditional tables. Probably better for someone who was so tall. If Jane didn’t feel like a dwarf, she certainly did now!

Re: Ramen!

[callmesuperboy]

"Jane! Hi!" And he headed over to her, smiling, glad he can see her and meet with her here today.

Sliding in across from her, he grinned wider.

"How are you?" He relaxed as he sat. She was an interesting person.

[bifroster]

"Hey!" she replied, grinning as he sat down. "Doing alright. You?"

She was interested in him as well. She had always wished to know what the future was like, even though she knew that the way he gained this knowledge had its hangups. But, he seemed to be taking it in stride or he had a long time to cope with the changes and losses.

[callmesuperboy]

"I'm doing good. It's good to see you." She seemed in good spirits And he was glad. He liked it when his people were happy.

He grabbed a menu and started looking for things to fill up on. It had already been a long day. He wanted to fill up as he spoke to her. Even as he did, he reached up to rub his forehead. He was getting a major headache today and it sucked.

"What've you been up to?"

[bifroster]

“Grading papers, answering questions, looking over midterm projects,” she replied, also taking her menu. She noticed him rubbing his head and frowned. “Long day?”

She had days like that as well, but hopefully food would help the headache.

Cafe

[helpdesk_hero]

The guy catches David's attention the second he enters the cafe. Mostly because he's gotten used to picking out people with enhanced metabolisms out of a crowd. Known too many speedsters, super soldiers and people along those spectrums to not notice someone with a bit more food than your average growing teen. So once he has his coffee and a pair of bran muffins on a plate, he moves to the teen and sets the plate down.

"Fiber is good too, even for a growing imPort."

Re: Cafe

[callmesuperboy]

"It is, which is why some of these are wheat croissants." Kon does try, after Ma Kent drilled it into his head so much.

He grins. "How are you doing, David?" Excuse him, please, as he inhales food around talking. He is thinking and knowing he has a long day planned.

[helpdesk_hero]

"I've been doing well, Kon. More or less," he says, but he does pass a brain muffin over and sits down with his own and his drink. "Refueling before work or a flight or something?"

[callmesuperboy]

"Good! Glad to hear it." Kon laughs and took a muffin, and nods.

"Yeah. Got some errands to do, and a shoot tonight, and in between, like usual, I'll be patrolling Earth."

He wasn't trying to brag, or make it sound like a lot, but it was just truth. Kon didn't stop at borders, and so far, he had not had to enter countries that would change the label on his tattoo, but he wondered what would happen when he did. because he would not stop saving lives, not at a border.

But for now, he grins at David. "I try to make sure I have plenty of calories, in case my powers stop working, or something." That happens a lot in his life.

cafe

[femalething]

There was a lot about this place that chafed Maureen. The whole vibe of Jeopardy, her job as a vocal coach, the lack of her friends here...

And her inability to determine what exactly the whole social issues were here. She was itching to hold a protest, to take her place in the spotlight again- do something other than the boring monotony this place seemed to be forcing her into. Yeah, a world full of superheroes: boring.

She holed up in the corner of a cafe with a large chai latte and a notebook- people watching more than anything. And people watching today had her noticing the cute guy she met at the club.

Not one to want to appear desperate, she waited first to see if he'd notice her- not that she cared, but if he happened to glance over her way, she'd just so happen to meet his gaze and smile brightly.

Re: cafe

[callmesuperboy]

Spotting her was not hard and when he did, he grinned. "Maureen! Hey!" he slid over to her, and plopped down opposite her, grinning.

"How the heck are you, beautiful?" He had nice memories of the dance night, and he felt honest warmth toward her.

"Its good to see you." He was glad she looked like life was not being bad to her.

[heartofthedream]

Jean doesn't mind the rain. It could be so much worse, after all. If there was an edge to it, that made her a little thoughtful. Holding up a hand and letting the raindrops grace her pale palm, before she rubbed her moistened finger together, glancing up at the clouds. Even as the raindrops lighted on her face, too, she knew what she was looking for wouldn't be up there. A soft memory, if a little sad. Still, she let her hand fall and looked at the shop to her side.

Coffee wasn't a terrible idea. Something to warm her (that wasn't reaching for the fire flickering through her veins).

She stepped in and wandered through the mostly empty room toward the registers, and considered the menu board above it.

[callmesuperboy]

Looking up, he spotted her, a new face, and yet, by the tattoo on her wrist, an import. He watched her for a moment, and smiled, because even when he needed quiet, even when his head was splitting, he still felt a call to people. Whether to help, or to heal, or to give something. He felt the call in his veins.

Glancing down at his menu, he rose, knowing what he wanted, and traced his way to her as he headed for the counter.

"I recommend the London fog, miss. It's really nice on a day like this." On any day, really. he was a fan of it. Most days.

[heartofthedream]

Earl Grey always reminds her of The Professor. Of her childhood. Steaming mugs of tea in the morning making his office fragment with the bergamot and black tea. There's a quiet pang in her heart, conflict with all the knowledge of the things that happened before she came back, again, this time, but it doesn't show much.

"Is it good here?" She asks, looking at the young man. "I haven't been here before. I stumbled on this place entirely without meaning to, and thought I might wait out a little of the rain."

[callmesuperboy]

He nods, smiling to her. "Yes, ma'am. I think so, anyway. I used to get it from all over back home in my world, and this is one of only two places where I can get the really good kind, here."

"This place makes good everything, frankly." He is still very surprised at the way it was not busy. He winces as a stab of pain slides through his head, and rubs his forehead.