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[gidge]

PICK YOUR POISON
PIC PROMPTS / TFLN / RANDOM SCENARIO
HAN SOLO velocities	BETTY MCRAE bombsheller	RIVER TAM subsulcus	RIVER TAM (AU) comprehender
SIMON TAM vest	BRIA THAREN exulted	NADINE CROSS bridaled	GU JUN-PYO toddler
available on special request: veronica sawyer, benjamin linus, imani, maria deluca, mushu, poseidon, niccolò machiavelli, malik al-sayf, chloe

Comments

[antecede]

"Sure," he says, exasperated, "but I wasn't even on a planet before just now. Any planet, not just this one."

Whichever it is. It doesn't occur to him that the comment might sound strange to her, that she might be unfamiliar with the concept of space travel in the way he knows it.

[steerclear]

Okay, there is still a chance this is just a normal NYC crazy person.

"And what other planet would you be on? Mars?"

[antecede]

He makes a face. Mars? Where's that supposed to be, anyway?

"What? No, I was in space."

[steerclear]

Jessica just... Sighs. That heavy, resigned sigh of someone that does not want to do this thing she is about to do, but feels she must. God only knows what would happen if he wandered around out here much longer. Weird fanboys, maybe, ready to start a cult. Definitely news vans. Probably fucking Tony Stark.

For one moment, she lets her head fall back to look at the sky and wonder why she always ends up with this shit. Then the moment is over and she looks at this guy and sighs again.

"Come with me, before you end up starting a riot," and motions for him to follow her back into the building.

[antecede]

If there's anything he knows for sure right now, it's that this woman is being honest -- as much in her heavy resignation and irritation as her assessment about getting him off the street. She's trying to do the right thing. So he follows her inside without complaint, though he does raise his eyebrows.

"A riot?"

[steerclear]

"Yeah, uh," and she presses the button for the elevator, "you're kinda famous here? Pretty sure."

It doesn't take long for the elevator to open, empty thank fuck, and she ushers him in. "Might wanna brace yourself for shit being real weird."

[antecede]

There are things he notices, even as she slowly tries to explain the situation. The talk of trains (not uncommon, but still), coupled with land transportation everywhere, with a hoverlift that seems just as low-tech as everything else. Doors of real wood. And yet, even here, they've heard of him. He guesses he isn't surprised.

"I'm used to it," he sighs. "Let me guess: holofilms?"

At least this isn't an Imperial-aligned planet, probably. Strange fans are easier to deal with than stormtroopers.

Though, truth be told, he'd prefer the stormtroopers.

[steerclear]

She looks at him sideways for a moment, then back to the elevator doors.

"Just... Regular films."

Goddamn, she's gonna have to call Peter about this, isn't she? He's a nerd, he knows all about this shit. Poor kid is gonna explode if he finds out, though.

"Han, right? Wait, shit, no, that's the other one." Jessica wracks her brain for a second before coming up with a very unsure, "Luke?"

[antecede]

Not even Tatooine had been this low-tech. He at least stops himself from saying so, though.

She calls him Han, and his eyebrows lift high enough to vanish underneath his fringe. He has the good grace not to say anything about it, though.

"I take it you aren't a fan," he says dryly. (Not to say much about it, then.) "It's Luke."

[steerclear]

Jessica gives him a skeptical look and says, "Do I look like a nerd?"

It's rhetorical. He is not meant to answer it, which means it's good that the doors open and she can start walking toward her door now.

"I'm Jessica Jones," said over her shoulder as she fishes her keys back out of her pocket.

[antecede]

He would've answered anyway if not for the doors, and for her continuing -- probably something like I wouldn't know. Because, well, that's not a descriptor he's ever heard for people who like things like Luke Skywalker and the Dragons of Tatooine.

What he says instead is:

"I appreciate the help, Jessica."

[steerclear]

The door opens easy enough, and she doesn't respond to his gratitude. There's nothing for him to thank her for, yet. Not really. Jessica ushers him into the office/apartment and gestures to the couch.

"Might wanna sit down for this."

[antecede]

He frowns, eyebrows furrowing, and his feet come to a stop just inside the doorway.

"I'll stand, thanks. What is it?"

How bad could her news possibly be? Is this place Imperial-aligned after all? Is she?

(No, he doesn't think so. But what then?)

[steerclear]

Another sigh, another flash of regret that she's getting involved at all. Jessica leans against her desk, arms crossed defensively in front of her.

"Just to start off, I don't have answers for what the hell is going on. Sci-fi space alien bullshit is not my thing. And I don't know a lot about," and she uncrosses one arm to gesture at him, head to toe, before crossing it again, "your whole situation. Like you said, not a fan."

[antecede]

He almost opens his mouth to ask something like why that's such bad news -- why she'd ask him to sit, why she seems so uncomfortable saying this -- when the answer seems to hit him.

"And you don't know how to get me back to my friends, either."

[steerclear]

The look she gives him at that is sympathetic. She won't mention, at least for now, that a majority of the problem here might be because he's a character in a movie pop culture phenomenon. No need to break the guy.

"Not a goddamn clue. Like I said, it's not my thing." Jessica gestures to the couch again, inviting him to sit if he's changed his mind by now. "Might know someone that can figure it out, though."

[antecede]

He hasn't changed his mind, but what he does do is -- take a deep breath, then, slowly, let it free. Release any anxieties with the exhale, reach deep inside for that still, peaceful place where he can hear the music of the universe.

The Force is still with him. And so, he is calm.

"A friend of yours?"

[steerclear]

She watches him take his breath, and is reminded a little of Danny and his stupid chi crap. First instinct is to be annoyed by it, make a snide comment, but she lets it pass. If she's remembering this right, he has a laser beam sword, and provoking him would probably be a bad idea.

"Yeah," and she settles back against the edge of her desk. "At least I hope they can figure it out."

[antecede]

"It's better than nothing."

If she'd said she had no idea how anyone could help him, that'd be worse than this. Though there's a part of him that thinks: if the Force did this, then how could anything but the Force take him back?

And why did it bring him here in the first place?

(There is no why.)

"How soon can you ask them?"

[steerclear]

"A few hours."

At least, that's when Peter won't be in class and she can call him without him complaining to her for a month about getting him in detention. When that's done they'll... Probably have to call in Stark. Ugh.

"Stand the whole time if you want. I'm gonna--," shit, he's still in day-glo orange sci-fi explosion. Just looking at him like that is starting to hurt her brain. "I'm gonna go get you a change of clothes. Try not to freak out or anything while I'm gone."

With that, Jessica makes her way back out and up to Oscar's. She really, really hopes Space Dude is wearing underwear, because she's not comfortable raiding that drawer today.