perfectible | (no subject)

Besides overheated engines and losing control of my car briefly, a few times...? No.

Good. Don't hurt yourself. [ He squeezes her hand a little. ] I don't know if it's because it's Maurtia Falls or something else, but I've been getting a little... attention.

[ She looks at him, her brow furrowing.] What do you mean? What kind of attention?

Just people looking. Maybe it's in my head. [ It wouldn't be surprising. ] ImPorts aren't that well liked in Maurtia Falls and I have to work in short sleeves, so... I don't know. Maybe they spot the tattoo.

[ That now says unsettled, which he kind of hopes will get him in better with the locals. ]

[ She moves to stop their walk, standing in front of him so that he'll look at her. One hand moves to slide over his sleeve where she knows his tattoo is.]

Are you in danger?

No. No, I'm not in danger. Certainly not in as much danger as Archie was when he barged into the Whyte Wyrm. [ He gives her a small smile in an attempt to be reassuring. ]

It's fine, I promise. I've just been thinking a lot about our place here. Actually... I guess Adam got me thinking about it.

[ That isn't all that reassuring, her eyes meeting with his but her face does not behold a smile to match his. Her mind is racing as she tries to think if she feels watched or that any extra attention from the locals had been paid to her. But no, she can't say that it's true, beyond a few regulars at the diner who leer at her a little too long.]

He did?

Edited 2018-03-11 09:53 (UTC)

In a way. [ He pauses, unsure of how much he want to get into this. ] He mentioned how the opportunities here have allowed him to flourish, and I pointed out that not everyone is so lucky.

In that aspect, it's not too different from home. We all arrive here from different worlds, we all have powers but that doesn't put us at any kind of equal footing. Some people here are basically gods- [ Or literally. ] -but not everyone is going to be able to make good use of what they get. So, we're different than the locals. More privileged, because we can do something, but that something might not be enough to make a real difference for us as individuals.

It's a weird situation to be in. Privileged and vulnerable at the same time.

[ She understands where he's coming from, nodding as she moves to take his arm again, so they can keep on their stroll.] But unlike back home, we can't really do anything to change our circumstances. Because our powers aren't exactly upgrade-able.

I don't know if I agree with that. [ He pauses, brows furrowed in thought. There's a lot that isn't fully formulated, but he's working through it as they speak. ]

There's always something that can be done. We could- organise, help each other, help the locals. We're kind of dropped into this without a safety net but I don't think it has to be like that and I don't think the government has to be involved - if they wanted to be, they'd already do more.

[ Community is everything. If the Serpents can do Toys for Tots, they can do something -anything- here. ]

I didn't mean we shouldn't help people, help each other. I only meant that our powers aren't change-able. So not everyone is able to help in the same ways.

[ Of course, Jughead is automatically mistrustful of the government while Betty isn't sure yet. But that didn't stop her from getting registered.] The government is already involved with me, at least.

[ He nods, slowly. It seems like they're more or less on the same page, even if she might not be getting the full scope of what he's saying. That's fine, for now. This isn't really what he wants to spend today talking about, believe it or not - none of this is urgent.

That last bit catches his attention though. ]

You registered? Officially?

[ She nods at his question, knowing full well he won't like it.] I needed to.

Okay. [ He doesn't like it one bit, but that doesn't mean he can't respect it. She has her reasons. It's not her fault the system is the way it is. ]

How do you feel about that?

I didn't really want to, [ She looks away, brow furrowing a bit.] But I can't afford Dr. Chilton otherwise. [ She needs to keep seeing the therapist.] And I couldn't keep going the way I was.

[ She glances at him.] I don't really trust it.

[ He nods again. ]

So... so it's a temporary thing. Until we figure out something else. [ Little squeeze on her hand. ] I might have another job lined up.

It might have its advantages, [ she says, a little hopeful. Maybe her being registered can be useful, open some doors, help them get some truths. Maybe.

She looks a little happier at his words. At the very least, proud.] Oh? Where?

Library. Do you know Annabeth? She said she might be able to fix me up with something. There'd be plenty of downtime, which I like.

[ His favorite part of working the drive-in was how much time he had to do something else. ]

[ She brightens even more at that. The library. What a perfect job for Jughead. And she's spoken to Annabeth a few times, she seems nice and level-headed.]

Juggy, that's amazing. It's perfect. [ She gives his hand a happy squeeze.] I was also thinking that maybe I could... charge to fix people's cars, with my powers. Maybe that can get you some extra money so you can get your own place. Or a motorcycle.

Edited 2018-03-15 18:44 (UTC)

[ Annabeth is pretty awesome. It's kind of weird how easily he's made some pretty good friends in the month he's been here. Speaking of... ]

Actually... I might be moving out of government housing soon. I can't believe I haven't already told you.

[ Blame being distracted by Archie's disappearance. ]

[ Meanwhile, Betty has struggled to make connections.]

You are? [ She looks surprised because it's the first she's heard of it.] Where to?

[ He'd be surprised to hear that, but maybe he has an easier time fitting in because he never fits in. Who knows. ]

We're still in the middle of working things out, but if everything goes well I'll be sharing an apartment in Maurtia Falls with a friend - Tate. We've been hanging out for a while now.

[ Her lips twitch with disappointment. A part of her had hoped he'd be able to move closer to her. The porters made traveling easier and faster but it was still a commute. Still, she can't be unhappy if he's happy.]

Tate? Tate Langdon?

[ If Tate wasn't currently sleeping on rooftops so he could go to work, maybe Jughead would consider De Chima. As it is, it's Maurtia Falls or nothing. ]

Yeah, that's him. You know him?

Yeah, [ Nodding, she feels her cheeks flush, not for good reasons.] He offered to help me... When I first got back here, I was kind of a mess. I posted asking for help, looking for a therapist.