seven : a scary conversation [AUDIO]

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley sighs a little, then sounds mostly disappointed. Those paying close attention can probably tell it masks a level of anger.]

Seriously? Is no one talking about the whole people getting murdered thing?

[ooc: Action for Superman is in first thread]

[100% Trek encrypted to: Clark]
[There's the longest pause before she speaks, extremely quiet and definitely scared.]

So I, uh.. was dead.

[100% Trek encrypted to: Lois]
[Her voice is mostly level when she messages Lois, but clearly hiding something less neutral.]

I know you and Clark tell each other everything, so whatever. I need some time off from the radio.

[100% Trek encrypted to: Bruce Banner]
You need to see something. Can you come over later?

[100% Trek encrypted to: Dick Grayson (comics)]
You know, you never actually told me who your family members are.

[100% Trek encrypted to: Jason Todd]
Tell me you're not too busy for a drink.

[100% Trek encrypted to: Maxwell Lord]
[There's a pause, then Hayley sounds more pleasant.]
Hey.

[100% Trek encrypted to: Chekov]
Will you help teach me how to encrypt things? I want to learn.

[100% Trek encrypted to: Loki]
What makes a soul any different from just like, memories and neurons and whatever?

[100% Trek encrypted to: Jor-El] - (added a short while later)
You have all the same powers Superman does, right?

[100% Trek encrypted to: Bruce Wayne] - (added a short while later)
I'm sorry, about work. I just need a few more days off and then I'll come back. Please?

[Assume she hasn't shown up the last week or so.]

[100% Trek encrypted to: Sabriel] - (added a short while later)
I want to learn magic.

Comments

still willing to {action} this?

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley arrives back at her apartment only a little intoxicated and mostly angry with the world. Angry for not protecting her, angry for hurting her, angry for both caring and not. It doesn't really matter what it is. Instead, she sets about to cleaning up a little, her place not entirely tidy. Well, more like picking up a shirt here and there while her mind wanders.

She knows Clark should be over soon and is mostly trying to kill time until he arrives. Hayley's torn about her feelings with him right now. Part of her wants to be with him, he and Lois, to revel in that safety and the feeling of family. But another part of her hates that, fears it. The idea of getting too attached to him, of thinking of him at all like a father or even a mentor is both disgusting and terrifying to her, in turn.

The fact that she trusts him as much as she does is as worrying as the fact that she doesn't trust him entirely, that there still seems to be something missing..

Hayley forces her mind blank, trying to focus on the clothes scattered around her room instead of the man being on his way.]

always

[andaway]

[Sometimes Clark wishes he could be Superman all the time, keeping little contact with everyone and with everyone understanding why and not giving it a second though. Without excuses, without half truths that are worse than outright lies, without people not being able to trust him because they can't see his whole self.

It's not a thought he has often, and it's one that he usually regrets the second it's crossed his mind... but it's still there, lurking on the corner of his mind when he least expects it.

This is one of those times.]

Hayley? It's me, it's Clark. [He's knocking on the door (while holding an apple pie on his other hand because that's how he rolls), but after seeing how nervous Hayley was he thinks a simple reassurance of who's there at the door can't hurt.]

{action} ♥

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley freezes at the knock, heart leaping into her throat for a split second until he announced himself. Or maybe it was the other way around. Regardless, her mind takes a moment to catch up and her pulse is still racing when she drops the clothes in her hand and moves slowly forward.

She lifts a hand to set on the door for another second before yanking it open, half expecting the man standing outside of it to be her killer come again. The door opens, she stares, then she pulls back and steps behind the door, allowing him room to enter while eager to close the door behind him. Strong or not, he's no Superman.]

Hey.

[andaway]

[Clark is quick to enter the suite, fully aware of how tense Hayley is. Nothing he can do or say will make her feel better until he can drag whoever did this to them to her feet.

So all he can do is be there, but he doesn't feel like that is helping much.]

Hey, I hope you like pie?

[everylittlegirl]

Uh.. [She looks confused for a split second, not certain why he's asking. Then her eyes find the pie in his hand and she forces a smile.] Yeah, of course.

Um. Come on in. [With the door safely locked behind him, she moves deeper into her apartment and sort of leads him into the direction of the kitchen. Hayley's still not all that hungry, but she figures maybe eating will help hide how unkempt she looks and the fact that she's mildly intoxicated.] How.. are you?

[andaway]

I'm fine. [He leaves the pie on the nearest table, wondering if he should have brought something else. Apple pie is Kansas-esque for 'I want to make you feel better' and the simple smell of it always seem to make Clark's problems vanish if only for a second... but Hayley is definitely not from Kansas.]

But I should be the one asking that question.

[everylittlegirl]

[She shrugs, throwing on the kind of default smile most people use to get through the day. It's actually slightly strange on her lips, given how artificially plain it is, but she maintains it all the same.]

Oh, you know. I've been better. [Hayley flashes a grin for just a second. As someone who grew up primarily needing to take care of herself, her emotions are almost reversed in some situations. The worse she feels, the less likely she is to show it to the people she feels a little too close to.]

Thanks for the pie.

[She doesn't really care much for pie, but she recognizes the gesture. Retrieving two forks from the kitchen, she returns to the dining area, where the pie sits and Clark stands, to try to eat something as promised.]

[andaway]

You're welcome.

[Clark has moved a chair and sat down by the time she get back with the forks. Her answer makes him frown- he'd expected her to be reluctant, to avoid the subject and not talk about it... but still the direct dismissal makes him worry.]

So you're telling me you just came back from the death after being murdered, and 'you have been better'?

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley moves with the same nonchalance to take the seat across from him, belying her stress. She sits on one leg with the other dangling, as if ready to flee at a moment's notice, and begins to offer him the fork when his words come. Her neutral expression falters for a moment first to reveal a glimpse of sadness and then a brief flash of darkness before she reclaims her features.

When she finishes extending the fork towards him, it's more stiff and less amicable than a moment before. Still, her gaze meets his, a passive form of rebellion in a tense situation with a powerful authoritative figure.]

Well, I haven't really been worse. [Her tone is more sarcastic and bitter this time, no longer flippant and instead biting in direct response to his harsh breach of the topic.]

[andaway]

[He takes the fork, all his attention focused on watching her expression shift. With people like Hayley, so used to keeping things to themselves and showing only what they need to show he has to be careful- he knows he can't just trust her words, just like she doesn't just take what he says at a face value.

So the little shifts on her body language are all he has.]

Would you rather have me ignore the elephant in the room and pretend nothing had happened?

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley is exhausted as much emotionally as physically and controlling her emotions is much harder, but it's easier to mask the pain with a sarcastic grin when he gives her such an easy opening. She points the fork at him in a vague gesture. To someone that knows her as well as Clark does, the obviously exaggerated nonchalance is a sign of just how deeply felt her pain is.]

If I said yes, would you actually do it?

[andaway]

I would try.

[He knows saying simply 'yes' would be a) a blatant lie b) not something Hayley would buy for him, so he gives her the next best thing. He's really good at pretending people's flaws aren't there when he doesn't want to see them, but he is not as good at ignoring people's problems even when they want him to.

He takes a bite of the pie, not because he's hungry (he never really is), but to do something with his hands.]

Do you want me to?

[everylittlegirl]

[Unexpected. Hayley's eyes narrow on him for a moment, very clearly judging his answer, before she gives a shrug and drops her gaze to the pie before them. She follows his lead. Or tries, idly poking at the pie without actually eating it. Then she's looking up to him again, still creating a small pile of carnage on her end of the dessert.]

I don't care. [A pause. She sighs and sets her fork down.]

Someone murdered me, I was upset, I spent some time alone, now I'm trying to make sure someone does something about it, and.. life goes on, you know? If you want to help me find them, great. If not, then.. no, I don't really want to talk about it.

[andaway]

[He keeps on taking little bites of his portions of the pie. Hayley might have lost her appetite, but Clark tends to eat when he's feeling anxious.

Hayley isn't the kind of interactions with little girls he's used to- where he would usually simply make things better by the simple act of appearing with a smile and generally listening to them talk would make things better. Instead it looks like he's managed to do the opposite.

So he tries something else.]

Not only do I want to help you find them, Hayley- I won't rest until we've found them. It make take some time, we don't really have a trail to follow, but don't think for a single moment I'm not going to make them pay for what they did.

What they did to you.

I'M SORRY. I JUST WANT TO TAG YOU ALL THE TIME.

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley finally pulls a small piece of apple onto her fork and then shoves it in her mouth. It's barely a bite, but at least it's something. A step in the right direction; the story of her life. His words again surprise her slightly and so she takes another small bite to bide her time, watching him.]

Everyone's so eager to do everything for me.. Help me find them, Clark, but then let me figure out what to do with them. The other guy who died and me. [She shifts in her chair and returns to stabbing idly at the pie.] I have people to keep an eye on me and protect me and do whatever I want to do for me when we find him. Maybe you could just.. help out and.. be here or whatever.

what are you apologizing for silly goose xD

[andaway]

[To let her figure out what to do with them. For some reason the choice o wording strikes him as a little odd, but he isn't really sure why. As a writer he sometimes latches onto little things like that a bit too much.]

I'm here. And I will help out in any way I can.

[everylittlegirl]

[It's a small slip on Hayley's part. Murder has made her sloppier than she would like to be and it doesn't get any better just because Clark's here. If anything, it makes her worse, because she's so aware of how badly she needs someone else right now.]

..Thanks.

[She gives him a faint smile and then drops her gaze to the pie, taking a forkful into her mouth.]

[andaway]

[The smile he gives her is genuine, glad she's at least forcing herself to eat. He completely understands losing her appetite about this, but her ody still needs nourishing. And that might be the Martha Kent upbringing talking.]

No one gets away with something like that, Hayley. It make take time, but a murderer always gets caught.

[everylittlegirl]

Not always.

[She says it too naturally. It could be a reference to herself, sure, but it could as easily be a nostalgic throwback to her own world and people she knew before arriving here. Because in her world, in her mind, evil people rarely get caught and punished as they should.

After another bite, she looks up at him.] Promise me, if you find him, you'll tell me before you tell anyone else. That you'll give me a chance to look him in the eye before you arrest him or whatever.

[andaway]

[He hesitates, both at her quick dismissal and her request. A lot of things can happen between now and the time they arrest the person, and he's aware of that.

But she was killed.]

I will try, yes. I promise. [Probably not the answer she was expecting and he knows that. It's still the best he can give her right now.]

[everylittlegirl]

[She looks at him, smiles, and then goes back to poking at the pie.

It's about as much as she'd expect from Clark, one so eager to talk about always being there for her while simultaneously offering no trust or commitment. It might bother her more if she wasn't confident that Tony, Sharon, or herself will find him first. And she's hoping Tony will actually tell her. The last thing their killer deserves is jail.]

[andaway]

[Clark knows something he just did was a mistake. He just can't quite figure out what it was. Or rather, he does... but he doesn't like the implications. If someone so young as her has that kind of views on criminals and murder it's no surprise that everyone who isn't from his world doesn't understand his morals. He doesn't know what to do about it.]

Do you have a lead on the murderer you haven't told me about?

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley looks up and then shakes her head, frowning. At this point, she can't remember much of anything about the murders, try as she might. It's all a dark blur.]

No. I'm hoping the other person killed does.

[andaway]

[A hum as he nods. He wonders if her blurry memory is because of the shock or the attacker knew how to stop her short term memory. Bruce has done it plenty of times. []

You don't remember a pinch of some sort on your shoulder by chance , do you?

[everylittlegirl]

[Her brow immediately furrows with clear confusion. It's the kind of question she would ask, so very pointed yet with almost no explanation. Clark isn't supposed to be like that.]

I don't really remember anything right now. Why?