(no subject)

[the_death_card]

Who: Dylan and Jack
What: On boredom and learning how to settle down


onebehind: *in that case, he's in ur base, killin ur doods*

the_death_card: *don't make him kick your ass again. :p*

onebehind: *oh, you think you could win a second round, do you?*

the_death_card: *of course he does? he hasn't survived this long expecting the other guy to win*

onebehind: *he also hasn't fought someone like him before. or fought him not holding back, period*

the_death_card: *no, he hasn't. and technically, he hasn't done any organized fighting at all. he has fought bigger - and better - people before; he's had his ass kicked as many times as he's kicked someone else's ass. but he can't go into a situation expecting not to come out on top, or he starts freaking out, and that will get you beat. literally, sometimes*

onebehind: *he can't argue the logic there. he also can't say he's here actually looking for a fight, even if some of the mun's restlessness has bled into him, so ... everyone's safe*

the_death_card: *oh good. because he's not actually feeling like a fight right now, despite what he said*

onebehind: *hooray for them not trying to kill each other. but at any rate, backing up and in order to facilitate breaking out of emotes, he wanders into the Horsemen's suite, looking for someone albeit not someone in particular*

the_death_card: *not trying to kill each other, yes. maiming accidentally may be another thing, as a card goes flying past him as he wanders in, joining the others scattered around an ice bucket sitting on the floor. to Jack's credit, there are more actually in the bucket than not* Shit, sorry, man.

onebehind: *he brings up his hands in a loose stance as the card soars past him, his expression darkening, his posture all at once tense. if Merritt were here, he could probably tell that he just went to being himself to being Agent Rhodes and quickly, and that it was probably reflex, based on how fast it happened and how quick he is to drop it. whether or not Jack notices is another story, but either way, he offers him a look that's equal parts sheepish and apologetic* I'm not gonna say you didn't just scare the shit out of me, but it's fine.

the_death_card: *he probably couldn't have told details, but he recognizes the moment of tension. when it fades, though, he can't help but grin faintly as he sits up some from where he's sprawled out on the suite's sofa, setting the rest of the deck aside. and, like he's admitting something, though he's also teasing...* That's kinda good to know.

onebehind: *he grins a little, his eyebrows raised* What, that you can actually get the drop on me? Or that I'm not gonna kick your ass?

the_death_card: The first one. If you were really gonna try and kick my ass over a card, you really have been playing the g-man too long. *still teasing*

onebehind: Most people would say thirty years qualifies as too long. *he's teasing, too, but he takes a moment to look intentionally intense, as if he's debating the flaws and merits of actually kicking his ass*

the_death_card: *nope, not intimidated, sorry* Yeah, but that was the act. You had your real focus on other things.

onebehind: *he'll get himself a You Tried star later* Most of the time, yeah. *he shrugs a little, not feeling the need to explain that, and drifts towards the kitchen to get himself something to drink, picking up one of the cards that didn't quite make it to the ice bucket on the way and on a whim*

the_death_card: *mirrors the shrug, turning his head to watch Dylan until he can't see him anymore - and then faces front again, picking up the deck to start shuffling it idly. and, over his shoulder...* Enjoying the time off? *he knows it's a suspension and all that*

onebehind: *meanders back in with a glass of orange juice and helps himself to one of the loveseats next to Jack's couch. and where Jack takes to shuffling the deck, he starts fidgeting with the card he picked up* Like you wouldn't believe.

the_death_card: Bet I have an idea, though.

onebehind: Probably. *he pauses to take a sip of his juice* You enjoying the time off, too, I take it?

the_death_card: *makes a face, eyes on his cards. "enjoying" isn't really the word he'd use, though it's his own issues getting in the way of it, and he knows that* It's nice to not have Daniel pacing around freaking out over some little detail. *but he doesn't do sitting still for too long*

onebehind: *he frowns slowly, studying him* But it's not really your speed.

the_death_card: *looks back at him, one side of his mouth quirking up in a wry grin* And I thought living with Merritt was bad.

onebehind: *he hums, trying not to look too amused* I promise not to psychoanalyze quite as much as he does.

the_death_card: I don't think he can help it.

onebehind: He's been doing it probably just as long as I've been doing the g-man act. *give or take a few years. so, yeah, he agrees that Merritt probably can't help it*

the_death_card: *makes a little "good point" sort of face. and getting back around to what they were talking about* I'm pretty sure you already know I've never stayed in one place that long.

onebehind: *he nods a little* I do, yeah. *there's a pause, in which he studies him again, and then* You get that you don't have to worry about that here, right? No one's going to come around and tell you to get out.

the_death_card: *and as much as he tries to hide it, there's a flash of doubt in his expression - he's heard that before - and there's a moment where he doesn't say anything before he squares the cards with one hand so he can reach up and rub at his forehead with the other* You get the rug pulled out from under you enough times....

onebehind: You start expecting it. Yeah, I get that. *even if he's never quite been in Jack's shoes, he can at least understand* But the thing is, this is different.

the_death_card: *have another wry laugh* I've heard that, too. *pauses again, making a face before he sets the cards aside and turns sideways, pulling one leg up onto the sofa so he's facing Dylan more* I know we're set. That everything's done and we're in and we just have to let the air clear, but I keep coming back to... where do I go now? Where's the next place I can get to on what I have that has enough people? *that he can rip off or blend in among, either way. and he makes another face a moment later, cringing* Sorry, that's.... *probably way more than Dylan wanted to know, and part of him's not sure why he's telling him*

onebehind: *he shakes his head a little* If it bothered me, I wouldn't have asked in the first place. *or, well, it does bother him, but not in the way that Jack might think -- it bothers him that he's afraid and expecting to have to run eventually, not that he's unloading his insecurities on him*

the_death_card: *and smiles a little again as he settles back again. and because he doesn't really know what else to say...* Old habits, you know?

onebehind: Yeah. *that one, he does know all too well. but at any rate, he takes another drink of his orange juice, before:* Give it time. The ... *a beat as he tries to find a good word for it* ... the doubt fades after awhile.

the_death_card: Yeah. *a pause, and, still wryly* Might help if I didn't keep tripping over my bag, too. *yes, he's still living out of a duffle bag. go ahead. judge him.*

onebehind: *he's silent for a long moment, and then, casually* You know, I think I might know a trick that'd help with that. *a beat* It's called unpacking.

the_death_card: *barks out a laugh, at that, grinning outright, now* That's one I've always had trouble learning.

onebehind: *he grins a little, too* I could teach you.

the_death_card: I think I can work it out. *though - and he goes more serious again, though not as much, and it's more curious, now* Are we staying here? *in this specific suite, he means* Or...?

onebehind: *he shrugs, sobering a little himself* That's up to the four of you. The Eye has places all over the world, reserved for members.

the_death_card: *and lets out a faint breath of a laugh as one corner of his mouth quirks up again, and this time, it's likely involuntary. considering what they just talked about, though, it's probably understandable. he's never really had anywhere to settle, and knowing he has multiple places to go now is.... yeah. it's gonna take some getting used to* Daniel's got another show in mind, I think. Or what he was sketching looks like he does.

onebehind: What kind of show? *not that he disapproves, he's just curious*

the_death_card: *pops one shoulder in a shrug* I didn't ask. He gets all *hunches forward, pretending to cover something in his lap for an instant before he sits up again* when it's "not ready yet". *and doesn't exactly copy Daniel when he says that, but his tone definitely drifts toward the other man's. he may have heard Daniel talk a lot over the last year*

onebehind: *he makes a small, amused noise* Don't cheat off my scantron. Nice. *also not surprising, but ... *

the_death_card: *chuckles, too, nodding*

onebehind: I'll have to ask him about it. *a beat and then semi-relatedly* That's impressive, by the way. The ... *and he makes a vague gesture meant to indicate Jack's talent for mimicry, even if he didn't go full out on the voice there*

the_death_card: *blinks at him for a moment before he realizes what he meant -- apparently Merritt's not the only one who can't help it, sometimes and grins* Thanks. It used to come in handy getting me out of class.

onebehind: I can imagine. *he grins a little, too, albeit briefly, his train of thought already moving on. again with the part where his mind's working faster than he can really keep up tonight and, see also: his fidgeting with the card, the part where it's making him a little restless*

the_death_card: *tilts his head a little to watch him* You okay, dude?

onebehind: *he stops fidgeting with the card abruptly, his expression slowly turning to a frown as he debates whether or not he should give him an honest answer. being straight with Merritt is one thing, since he's likely to pick up on it anyway and never mind the fact that he'd had a couple of drinks in him when they'd had that conversation. being that open with Jack -- or any of the others, really -- is ... a little different, somehow. thankfully, perhaps, it occurs to him that, if he wants them to get to know him, he's going to need to be somewhat transparent, and so, that in mind* ... you're not the only one who doesn't really do well sitting still.

the_death_card: *they're all probably gonna have to work on it, really, considering his attempt at backtracking earlier. offers him a sympathetic wince* I'm pretty sure none of us do. Or none of us know how to be not busy.

onebehind: Hence why Daniel's planning a show. *he pauses, glancing towards the stairs that lead up to sleeping spaces -- really, this place might as well be an apartment rather than a hotel room* Or why Henley's spent the last two days trying to keep herself from Googling me.

the_death_card: *chuckles, again* Yeah, you kinda threw the gauntlet out there.

onebehind: That was kinda the point.

the_death_card: It's making them all crazy. *and there's something "and really funny to watch" in his expression*

onebehind: *he grins* But not you. What, you're not curious?

the_death_card: *shrugs, though he's grinning* We're gonna figure it out. *he sounds sure of that, too*

onebehind: *he laughs and then sets his drink down long enough to make a 'come at me, bro' hand gesture*

the_death_card: *laughs at that and then picks his deck up again to resume fiddling* Did you ever perform? *that's not fishing, since they've all sworn not to do any Googling or use old papers; he's honestly curious*

onebehind: *he shakes his head* I'd be lying if I said I don't regret not being able to, to a certain degree, but ... I've been planning what we did to Bradley for a long time, and if I had, that might have blown the whole thing to shit.

onebehind: I thought about it, though. I thought about just ... giving it up and going into the business properly, like my father.

the_death_card: *nods* Yeah, I... *shakes his head a little* I started just for fun, but now. *he's hooked, in case that wasn't obvious a long time ago*

onebehind: But now you can't imagine giving it up. *he nods a little* I know the feeling. I might not have gotten to perform, but that doesn't mean I don't know a few tricks. Or how to build things.

the_death_card: Yeah, I think we got that. *grins, again as he looks away from his cards again, and there's some of that starry-eyed-ness Merritt was talking about*

onebehind: *he smiles at him, warmly. Jack's still starry-eyed; he's still proud of them all* I figured that might be a little hard to miss.

the_death_card: A little. *seriously, he was enthralled as soon as he found the card, even if he didn't really know what it meant at the time. and then Daniel had been there, and yeah.*