[feed01: video]

[redripoff]

Is this on?

[It is, and giving a nice shot of a wide-eyed little guy bundled up and sitting outside by the fountain. He watches the camera, but occasionally (just occasionally) takes a skittery look out to the side.] Hey, I--uh, hello.

Has anyone started catalogueing the wildlife around here? I mean--beyond robot bears. Natural wildlife: deer, rabbits, regular bears--uh, birds? Owls, maybe?

Comments

[redripoff]

[He sees it before it hits the wall, even bends to pick it up quickly before turning to enter the room where Veronica's settle. He grins, stretching the band experimentally.] Do you greet all your guests so violently? You should really leave these things to the professionals.

[shesamarshmallow]

Professional whats? Professional scientists? Because, for some reason, I'd rather hit the scientists with the rubber bands.

[She grins and stretches another rubber band between her fingers in case he's aiming for some retaliation.]

But I didn't hit you. Didn't want to. You're new and possibly fragile.

Maybe I'm wrong, though. You're welcome to tell me so, since I'm trying to give my psychic powers a break.

[redripoff]

[Ah, alright, alright: he lets the band fall loosely, just hanging over his index finger, and raises his hand. Ceasefire!] Not too new, and not too fragile.

[Speaking of fragile...] What happened to your foot?

[shesamarshmallow]

[She twists her head to look at it.] Oh. Right. I fell through a hole in the ceiling. Temporary blindness. Worst cold ever.

Don't worry. I totally put that floor through its paces. Won't catch gravity getting the better of Veronica Mars!

Ish.

[redripoff]

Sounds like a bad virus. Did you get it in a box?

[shesamarshmallow]

Why, Tim.

However did you know.

[redripoff]

I'm a little bit psychic myself. [But not rude, so look how politely he asks:] Mind if I sit down?

[shesamarshmallow]

Oh. Sure. Sorry.

[She looks at him oddly for a moment.]

Manners. Nice.

[And weird. But she can get used to it.]

So tell me about yourself, Tim.

[redripoff]

Well, uh. [Excuse, he'll just take up a seat next to her, a reasonable foot or so away.] Okay, but what if we do a little quid pro quo? You ask a question, I ask a question--I'm all about symmetry.

[shesamarshmallow]

[Maybe it's because she hasn't been mingling much lately, but if she isn't mistaken, she likes this guy.]

Okay. Sounds good.

First, what did you do back home?

[And can she use it if she has to?]

[redripoff]

I work for my dad's company, kind of directing like...charity work. Setting up scholarship funds, working with orphanages and free clinics and dealing with the press. That kind of thing.

Same question back at you: what do you do?

[shesamarshmallow]

Uh... I was a high school student. Turned eighteen. School was just about to start, and I ended up here.

So do you have any superpowers?

And I should warn you. My dad's a private investigator. I'll know if you lie.

[Or not. He doesn't need to know that she's done some private investigating on her own, nor that people have managed to lie to her face before and she hasn't known. She's mostly hoping it'll throw him off enough for her to know. If he's another Hulk, she wants to know, damn it.]

[redripoff]

[Well, here's a free and honest answer!] Nope. But I met Superman once. I don't know if...you probably don't know who that is, huh?

[shesamarshmallow]

[So he's caught on to the parallel universe theory already, has he? Either that, or he can tell by her face that no, she's never heard of that.]

Curiosity. Does he wear underwear on the outside, too?

[redripoff]

It's...not underwear. [Ah, defensive!] But yeah.

What--too? Who are you holding up for comparison?

[shesamarshmallow]

Other superheroes?

[Obviously?]

Do you not have comics where you're from?

[redripoff]

[He scowls and slouches a bit in the seat.] We have comics, yeah. Do you not have superheroes where you're from?

[shesamarshmallow]

Nope! It's all new to me.

[She frowns over at him for a couple seconds.]

I take it you have them where you're from, though.

[redripoff]

Did you think I was joking about Superman? We've--we've got superheroes in scads. [Shakes his head, half-smiling because while he's always entertained the idea of such a world existing--well geez, why would you ever want a world like that?

[Maybe he's bragging a little bit. But just a little.] My city even have its own, in a way. The Batman.

[shesamarshmallow]

Superman and Batman. [Her eyes are wide. She's torn between thinking he's teasing her and thinking he's crazy.] Are they best friends, too?

Are those seriously their names?

Do I want to know- [She sighs. Aw, hell. Yes, she does. That's the terrible thing for her. She always wants to know, even when she doesn't want to know. She has to know.] What does Batman wear?