004 ◉ audio; dated to the 14th

[imaginate]

[ The audio clicks on and there's a long pause. When Kyle speaks, his tone is calm, perfectly controlled. It's his Business Voice, blank save for the barest hint of anger. ]

This is Kyle Rayner of the Green Lantern Corps. I apologise for the inconvenience, but our clinic at EA-3B is currently undergoing repairs and won't be able to take more patients at this time. We'll be temporarily operating a backup at WA-1A. [ He attaches a map, showing where it is. ]

Any and all hands with medical experience or healing abilities are always welcome.

[ Another long pause. ]

And if someone could come collect Avatar Korra, that would be appreciated.

[ There is a brief pause, as though he's debating what more to say, before the audio clicks off. ]

Comments

[jirk]

[Well, that's. Macabre. But Jim says nothing, just goes along with it, and stretches when he gets out. He cocks his head, tips his head to the door in an 'after you' gesture.]

[imaginate]

[Just this once, he concedes, and walks in first, taking a seat towards the back. He makes an effort to make himself look as small and unimposing as possible, and looks at the menu.]

[jirk]

[Jim gives him a few minutes of silence to go over the menu, and then he flags down his favourite server, all charm and flirtatious teasing. They banter back and forth for a bit - it's obvious they know each other - and Jim makes his order cheerfully, and then deflects her attention to Kyle.]

[imaginate]

[Kyle orders quietly, politely, and directly. He doesn't waste time, he doesn't butter anything up, either. He hums quietly as he waits for the food.]

[jirk]

[Jim leans back in the booth and drapes his arm over the back.]

Nice place, huh?

[imaginate]

Really nice.

[He smiles up at it.]

Good colour scheme.

[jirk]

Man, you are such an artist.

[Jim just laughs, shakes his head.]

[imaginate]

[He shrugs.]

Hey, watch it now. I might repaint your house in a flight of fancy.

[jirk]

Is that a promise or a threat, Angel?

[He is totally okay with this.]

[imaginate]

Try a guarantee.

[He leans back, clearly relaxed.]

[jirk]

Just stay away from the chartreuse, huh?

[He fiddles a little with the fork on the table, turns it over and slides his hand back down.]

[imaginate]

Yellow goes with a few things.

[And it means something different to you.]

[jirk]

[Jim gives him a curious look, head canted slightly.]

Well, yeah. So does puce.

[imaginate]

It's a nice colour!

[jirk]

[ROLLING HIS EYES.]

What did I just say?

[imaginate]

[He falls quiet, and just nods as the food arrives. He says grace, as always, and then looks expectantly at Jim.]]

[jirk]

[... Oookay, so, cautiously,]

Amen.

[imaginate]

[A long pause.]

I'm not religious. Get called a god enough times and it leaves a bad taste. This is for my mother.

[jirk]

[That gets both eyebrows raised faintly.]

[imaginate]

[He stares, and then he just starts eating, quietly.]

[jirk]

[Jim shrugs, digs in. There's three pancakes heaped with a local strawberry-analogue and still no cream, but there's a few slices of something that looks like mango, too, and some sort of jam. He's used to the hustle and bustle of the mess, so the silence is a little... okay, unsettling, but he doesn't actually try to break it. Diplomacy. Someone else's language.

And then he's done and he pushes the plate away.]

[imaginate]

[He plays with his own food, eating very, very slowly.]

[jirk]

I feel like we're playing charades or something.

[It's an idle observation, as he plants both elbows on the table and gives Kyle a wry look.]

[imaginate]

[His expression is completely blank.]

I can't do this.

[Please understand I just want you to understand why can't you see what's right in front of you.]

[jirk]

[What the hell am I doing wrong? He's not used to this. He's not used to meeting people that constantly and consistently beat his self confidence down just by being someone he can't reach. He reaches everyone, it's what he does, it's in everything he does, he moves worlds and it bothers him so much that he can't-- change this, or fix it, or whatever the hell.

It's why he keeps trying, but it's also why he sometimes wants to walk away.

Jim wipes his mouth with a napkin, drops the napkin on his cleaned plate. There are so many things he wants to ask, he wants to go at this from all angles and work it until it's fixed, he's a problem solver at heart. I told you how I beat the Kobayashi-Maru, right?

But he doesn't. He just nods tiredly. Compromise.]

Sure. Let's get you back to your clinic.