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video; 001.
[The video flickers on without any trouble. The console's familiar enough that Lex doesn't have to fumble with it to get it working the way he wants. Behind him is the large space of a luxurious room that obviously originates from the Metal Sector. He couldn't see the harm in letting the, uh, 'citizens' of this In-Between see where he stands on trivial matters like his choice of interior decoration and he'd even gone and tidied up some before the broadcast, or at least that's what it looks like with two small cuts above his right eyebrow nothing but thin red lines now as opposed to the angry marks of earlier.]
[And the young man himself is seated comfortably, leaning to one side, legs crossed somewhere off-screen, left arm propped up on the table where the communicating device rests. A finger twitches and, right, he doesn't have anything around to grab a hold of at the moment. And so he begins to speak.] 'Tu Vishan. An In-Between of life, death, and dreaming.'
[And he has a sort of hushed voice despite the obvious intention to project to, well, the audience. And there's some light in his eyes that signals amusement-- or something resembling it. Excitement is either good or bad, never both. There's no upturn of his lips, no creased brow. He shifts, sitting straighter, peering closer into the camera, damn well expecting someone out there to listen.]
I'm supposed to believe this?
[He expects someone to listen, not to answer, because he just goes on.] The Kedan were generous enough to offer the explanation that I might not be dead, and to be frank, I appreciate any attempt of reassurance on the matter. I'd put more faith in it if I hadn't also heard the turtle had been in danger of dying. Spending the rest of my years aboard an ailing reptile wasn't exactly the life I envisioned. [He can believe abduction and drugs, but no deep sleep of his will ever revolve around an animal so stupid and slow. His voice turns wry. He knows he's not dead. He knows he can't be fully alive. The... Kedan were nothing from his waking world. That could only mean one thing left to figure out.]
[He's still seemingly calm. He's still only just sitting, just talking like he can see the company across the screen already. Like it's only a conference call he's taking from his desk. But now he sighs and he wants to smirk, but he doesn't. And now he'll be waiting for an answer.]
So who's the big dreamer?
[Show yourself, mastermind. A clear challenge, but after a second he tacks on a detail with clear concern and some well meaning urgency.] I also heard something about a clinic in trouble. Is there anything I can do to help?
[And the young man himself is seated comfortably, leaning to one side, legs crossed somewhere off-screen, left arm propped up on the table where the communicating device rests. A finger twitches and, right, he doesn't have anything around to grab a hold of at the moment. And so he begins to speak.] 'Tu Vishan. An In-Between of life, death, and dreaming.'
[And he has a sort of hushed voice despite the obvious intention to project to, well, the audience. And there's some light in his eyes that signals amusement-- or something resembling it. Excitement is either good or bad, never both. There's no upturn of his lips, no creased brow. He shifts, sitting straighter, peering closer into the camera, damn well expecting someone out there to listen.]
I'm supposed to believe this?
[He expects someone to listen, not to answer, because he just goes on.] The Kedan were generous enough to offer the explanation that I might not be dead, and to be frank, I appreciate any attempt of reassurance on the matter. I'd put more faith in it if I hadn't also heard the turtle had been in danger of dying. Spending the rest of my years aboard an ailing reptile wasn't exactly the life I envisioned. [He can believe abduction and drugs, but no deep sleep of his will ever revolve around an animal so stupid and slow. His voice turns wry. He knows he's not dead. He knows he can't be fully alive. The... Kedan were nothing from his waking world. That could only mean one thing left to figure out.]
[He's still seemingly calm. He's still only just sitting, just talking like he can see the company across the screen already. Like it's only a conference call he's taking from his desk. But now he sighs and he wants to smirk, but he doesn't. And now he'll be waiting for an answer.]
So who's the big dreamer?
[Show yourself, mastermind. A clear challenge, but after a second he tacks on a detail with clear concern and some well meaning urgency.] I also heard something about a clinic in trouble. Is there anything I can do to help?
video;
[And those moments of silence are what show the trust Lex Luthor deposits in Clark Kent. That's it, really.]
[The wry smile creeps in, and Lex is above showing any weariness.] Between you and me, I've had enough of cold-blooded reptiles for the day. [That's someone on his mind, not so much the gargantuan turtle.] Besides, I'm already meeting someone tomorrow to talk it over. I'd like to be surprised.
video;
['Nothing to do with this'? Well, that's a new one. Luthor is always twisting everything, turning it around so it's his fault and the world finally sees Superman the way Luthor sees him. Sometimes it even work, like the time with the Kryptonite meteorite and what he did to Hope. Most of the time it doesn't.
It doesn't make it any less annoying, though.]
'Someone'? [He asks to change the subject, curious. Or at least he hopes it came off as curious and not the terrified 'what if it's someone I know' that he's really feeling inside. He will have to check the network later, see who Lex has been talking to and he hates it. He hates that Lex turns him in such a paranoid, he hates that the man who always gives a second chances has almost given up on this man.
Not this man, he chastises himself inwardly. This is not the man he knows, he tells himself, just like he isn't the... best friend Lex seems to be taking him for. But what is he supposed to do but tag along? And it's not like- he had been Lex's friend, Lex's only friend once.
Maybe it won't backfire on him this time?]
video;
A young girl named Traci. [Yes, he did his research after she hung up on him. Next time he'll ask before that happens again- he'd hate to have someone snoop through his replies and learn he had to dig up a name himself. Oh well, he figures. No harm. Everything here's innocent. It isn't as if he can't pull off an encryption.] To kill two birds with one stone, we'll meet at a tea shop. [And he hopes they serve strong coffee and he hopes he wakes up before then. Two days atop of an honest man's word may be a little much. As it is, he knows he'll hardly relax enough to rest tonight. And he had so been looking forward to that back home.]
[No use pining over what you can't have. He shrugs. He thinks Clark's question was trivial.]
We'll just chat.