Cause the Good Book is a book

[restingstitchface]

WHO: Jonathan Crane, Leonard Snart and Bianca Reyes.
WHERE: De Chima.
WHEN: Early September.
WHAT: BOOKS.
WARNINGS: None currently.

[Despite the effort he'd put into his persona, Crane was denying abstinence from one of the few passions he possessed. There was a catharsis in reading. And if people didn't have the patience to think, to learn and grow, then they were useless. He just wanted to avoid them so he didn't catch their ignorance and die. But as intelligent as he is, he knows he needs them for his work. To understand fear and make a great contribution to science. To read noted works and to see his name listed in black and white. It would be, however, a difficult journey to get there. His methodology was sound; but those fools don't accept it.

There is something bordering frustration under his skin as he walks amongst the bookshelves of a local, independant store. His eyes don't quite focus on the novels. There's a small amount of chatter, as there had been everywhere this morning. He looks as though he wants to tell them to stop it. Their presence, however, is greatly overshadowed when he feels a tap on the shoulder; or when he hears a murmur. Something that draws his attention. He turns around and quirks a brow.

Yes?]

Comments

[catchacold]

[After only a cursory glance at Crane, Len turns his head so he's looking at the books again. They've talked once on the network, he's looked some more into his conversations. Nothing excessive, but enough to get the feeling that there might be something there. Potential.]

You buy a lot of books?

[It's a very Captain Obvious question for someone who's a different kind of Captain, but it works as good as a lead-in as anything.]

[restingstitchface]

[A lot of books would be an understatement. A thought of it brings a small smile to his face. As if there was something amusing in Len being in the dark, without enough to get him out of there. Wonderful.]

Enough to keep me occupied.

[The alternative being, well...

He doesn't say anything else.]

[catchacold]

Idle hands.

[Two remarks in and they are already talking about the devil's playthings. Good going.

Leonard nods in the direction of the counter, but his eyes settle on Crane.]

I was going to sell some. But if you're interested, maybe I'll skip the middleman.

[restingstitchface]

[In contrast to the look Leonard gives the shop assistant, Crane's look always remains on him, and when their eyes meet he blinks - as slowly as he can - about the offer being given under the table. He feels mildly suspicious but, well, the chance of anything bad happening is minimal, isn't it? Leonard himself won't be the problem.]

You'll certainly get interest from me if what you're selling is right. But I'm in the market for literature not novella, Mr. Snart. You will need to tell me what you've acquired and we'll take it from there.

[He glances left, right. To the ceiling even.]

Perhaps we should take this somewhere more private, though?

[catchacold]

Good thinking.

[That said he brushes past Crane, his elbow bumping against his stomach accidentally as he moves to avoid another customer who just walked past.

That or he has timed it that was precisely for the chance to swipe Crane's wallet. Yes, it's the latter one.

Still, he walks out of the door, leaning against a hydrant as he waits for Crane to join him with a little smirk on his face.]

My place or yours?

[restingstitchface]

[Shockingly, Crane's arrogant enough to think that nobody would dare steal from him.

He stares at Snart, watching his body language, his arrogance; telling himself that it's aimed at him, and he'd make the man pay for it. He finds that such an expression has to have a reason. His face isn't as white-hot as his thoughts are, though. He clasps his hands at his back.]

How generous. Your place, then.

[catchacold]

Cool.

[Oh, please, it's just confidence mixed with a good mood. Maybe just a tad of arrogance. Either way, he starts heading down the street, hand in his pockets as he casually explores the contents of Crane's wallet.]

We're going to my workplace. Nosy roommates.

[restingstitchface]

[Contents: a good handful of cash, since he doesn't enjoy leaving an electronic trail, photocopied ID, and receipts for today's purchases. It's also plain brown leather with a pretentious quote about knowledge.]

Inquisitive is the word you're looking for. Perhaps they're too similiar to yourself? [Shrug. Thieves band together, don't they?] Lead on.

[catchacold]

[With his literal decades of experience, Len can quickly tell what he finds there and he leaves most of it in place, simply taking out a few of the bills and tucking them aside, in case he decides to return the wallet. Might as well make at least some profit that might go unnoticed.]

Nah. I don't really go looking for words, I just let them find me.

[Nerd alert. Whatever, hardly surprising and mostly entertaining. He shakes his head as he keeps walking.]

They're mostly just annoying and have too many animals.

[restingstitchface]

[Animals. Crane clasps his hands tighter at his back. He had never been fond of them. Just like he hadn't been fond of taller, stronger men striding ahead of him, making him aware of his physical shortcomings. He doesn't rush, though - and he catches up in his own time.]

Not a fan, then?

[catchacold]

Of animals or my roommates?

[The answer is probably quite similar in either case.]

I don't mind, as long as I don't have to pet them, clean after them or discuss the Communist Manifesto with them before breakfast.

[He slows down a little, not significantly so, but it's not like it's that much further to go.]

[restingstitchface]

[That Len slows himself doesn't stop Crane wanting to see him meet with sudden pain. It jolts his nervous system, the reaction of which he controls with his willpower.]

You're not a fan of politics, then?

[catchacold]

[Len is observant, always has been, but the only thing he can really get from Crane for sure is that he's very uptight. Pretentious too, but that went without saying and could work in his favour, given the preposition he had in mind.]

I'm not very politically minded. I prefer more honest crime.

[asoothingvoice]

[Who goes around tapping confirmed supervillains on the shoulder? Bianca, apparently.

She should probably be more cautious, but. What's the worst that can happen? (There's so much, and that's just thinking on anything from Gotham that ends up hitting national news.)

There's a reason certain professions are in dire need in that city.

But still, the expression on his face....]

Dr. Crane?

Are you alright?

[This is off to a promising start.]

[restingstitchface]

Ah. Mrs Reyes.

[He snaps shut the book he's browsing and glances at the shop assistant; who is talking to a woman purchasing chick lit. Of course, his new persona means a cutting comment isn't allowed, so he bites his tongue.]

How are you?

[asoothingvoice]

[She looks in that direction as well, briefly, catching a look at the book's cover. Not one she recognizes. Maybe it's a universe thing? Then again, it's not like she had time to read all the time, back home.]

I'm doing fine.

You wanted to talk in person?

[Something that she really, really probably shouldn't've taken him up on, but honestly, more than a bit of curiosity entered that decision in the end. For being the man who in her universe regularly terrorizes a whole city, he doesn't exactly look... well, scary.]

[restingstitchface]

Yes.

[He wrinkles his nose in the clerk's direction. Pretending to be deeply unmoved by a conversation he has no interest in, he eyeballs the coffee shop at the back of the store. Never has he ever approved of it - but for the moment? It's convenient.]

Come. Let's sit down and talk somewhere more appropriate.

[asoothingvoice]

I was wondering why you decided on a bookstore.

[There's a time and place for when meeting at a bookstore makes sense.

She begins to head for the back, deciding whether or not she's going to get anything.

In the end she orders an iced coffee, just to have something in hand. If she acts like this is just a normal meeting with someone, then she can try and ignore the fact she's meeting with someone her son confirmed was still acting a a supervillain here.]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane just orders water. He's here to focus and learn; coffee is a stimulant like any other, but he's lived without it for years now. He arranges the tray between them into straight lines, and then folds his hands in his lap.]

Gotham, then. I imagine yours is quite different to what I imagine. Though I take it the atmosphere is the same?

[asoothingvoice]

[Bianca tries to ignore the mild rearranging of the tray. She's reading too much into it if she's thinking about it in the first place.

Instead, as she carefully stirs the sugar she had added so it isn't just sitting at the bottom:]

Well, the whole city certainly has a reputation.

[restingstitchface]

Tell me about it.

[A humourous nod and an open invitation at the same time. He crosses his right leg and leans back against his chair.]

Or rather begin with whatever makes you comfortable. Where would you like to start? Or with whom?

[asoothingvoice]

[That's how he's starting this off? Really? ]

Dr Crane, this isn't a psychiatry session. Just a conversation.

[She idly takes a sip of her drink.]

Gotham is just Gotham.

Awhile back, the whole city was wrecked by an earthquake to the point that the government declared it a no man's land but so many people refused to leave anyways up until it was just cut off completely.

Including the supervillains.

Complete chaos. Took over the news for months, between Bruce Wayne trying to get the government to do something, that boy who snuck back into the city, and apparently a city wide gangwar.

Even the superheroes were involved in that on, I think.

[restingstitchface]

[He, too, idly takes a sip of his drink. It's been a long time since he's angry about being chastised by anybody. But he doesn't look dissatisfied with what she's saying; and it's a difficulty not to smile at the situation he'd been in some time ago. A city broken down and on the verge of anarchy? It seemed themes are prevalent throughout universes.]

It's not surprising. Heroes themselves are responsible for hundreds of thousands in property damages. Though I suppose they were not responsible for the earthquake you experienced, at least.

I would like to know about the Batman during this time. If you would.

[asoothingvoice]

[She has to be pushing her luck. There's no way she isn't.

But on the other hand, so is he.]

They might be responsible for property damage, but when the return is preventing the Earth from being conquered or destroyed by aliens for the umpteenth time, I think I'm fine with my taxes going to the occasional rebuilding effort.

[She taps against the side of her cup for a half second, trying to think back to the news] I think he was in Gotham for at least some of it? It's really hard to know for sure. Besides, with everything that goes on in the news, these things happen frequently enough that sometimes it feels like everything jumbles together after awhile.

[restingstitchface]

[He closes his eyes and imagines the devastation. Considers the damage Bane caused to his Gotham; to its bricks and its minds. It's quite fascinating to compare that political earthquake to a literal one!]

It wouldn't surprise me if he seemed to vanish. He's remarkably talented at that. [A private joke later? His eyes are still closed.] Your Batman and mine are both astonighingly similar and dissimilar. It's quite the conundrum. Fascinating, too, don't you think?