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WHO: James and Zee.
WHERE: James' place.
WHEN: Sometime after departing from Shade's company and not hearing back from James.
WARNINGS: Always.
SUMMARY: James Bond can't even reach his alcohol. :'|
FORMAT: No.

[She wasn't exactly sure how to deal with this. Perhaps she should have avoided seeing James now, even if he were also affected. She felt herself saying and doing things without a second thought now, things she had learned to stop with the self-restraint that (semi) responsible adults possessed. But she'd just said what was wrong, said she was coming over. That it was weird, but she needed to see him.

By now it felt natural to come to James with her problems. Though, as she stands outside his door, she decides to put off knocking on it by removing the bobby pins in her hair and pulling her hair back all over again. She usually acted on instinct, but this was beyond compulsive. It was the sort of thing she'd do at this age, as she could very easily recall. Her dad wasn't here. She had a make-shift family and seeking out comfort was natural.

She finishes meticulously pinning her hair to the side and raises her fist to the door, hesitating for a few seconds before knocking twice and entering. Her voice is more youthful, perhaps even sweeter.] James? It's Zee. You're here, aren't you?

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[He pauses for a moment, silent and thoughtful. This girl is good looking and totally nice, but... she's older than him. Probably doesn't have any interest in a squirt like him. She'd be missing out though, and it's that old Bond confidence that finally makes him chip in;]

I think you're pretty.

[If someone hadn't compulsively lied, his wooing attempts would probably be going more smoothly and taken a little more seriously.]

That's very sweet of you to say. [And because she just thinks he's some guy James knew de-aged or, perhaps a kid he knows or... well, something. Anything but what he really is. She turns toward him and holds out a hand to help him jump down from the counter, although he can probably do it himself.] Have you eaten?

[Sweet? Sweet. Oh God. She thinks he's sweet. That's almost worse than not being liked at all. He can't be taken seriously as a studly manmuffin if the girly he's try to charm thinks he's sweet. Sigh.]

No. [Said a little glumly as he ignores the hand and hops down on his own. He don't need no help from a girl.]

[With Zatanna, the Friend Zone is simply a myth. Of course, he's twelve and she's currently fifteen so it certainly doesn't even cross her mind at the moment.]

Why am I not shocked? [She slides the hand back to her hip, trying not to look dorky.] There's probably not much in the fridge, knowing him. [Or, just a bunch of things he shouldn't have left in a house alone with a kid.] I can leave a note for him and we can go out and get something, if you want.

[There is pretty much nothing in the fridge, just like she guessed, except maybe some milk. It's not like James ever really plans his food in advance. Eating out or buying fresh on the day tends to be his usual approach. There might be some dried noodles and tins of stuff in the cupboards for emergencies, but that's about it. What a loser.]

Uh. Okay. I got some money! [Because he has magically got hold of his own wallet. His adult self is loaded, man. He even withdraws it from a pocket to shot her how awesome it is to have a wallet full of notes and cards.]

[It's a good thing that he has such a thoughtful girlfriend! Zatanna usually plans ahead a little, if only because she enjoys cooking and more complicated meals. The whole living with a group of people and cooking for them thing also factors into it.]

You do? [She gives it a quick look-over, and notices who happens to be the card holder. She might also recognize the wallet, but she doesn't want to say that. It's such a silly little detail that it's embarrassing that she's so familiar with it.] That's James' wallet, as are those cards. I can't imagine him leaving that with you.

[No matter who he was. Zee's thinking the kid swiped it, but he did seem almost surprised that he had it. What is going on here... :|a]

[Having girlfriends like Zee who cook and stuff is pretty awesome, but little James can't be quite as appreciative of it considering he doesn't remember the finer points.]

I guess he's just a really generous sort of guy. [Hah, he totally knows that's bullshit, but it amuses him. As does rifling through the cards, especially the ID cards. Wow, older self looks like a total dork. Or actually kind of cool he supposes. And... kind of like a serial killer in this driving licence. Uh. Well he guesses photo IDs are never flattering.]

I could totally drive us. I know how. [Still vaguely distracted by the shiny plastic stuff.]

[Even with a foggy memory, even at fifteen, Zee makes a face. She ducks her head and narrows an eyebrow. James can be generous, but. It's a very specific sort, the kind that has plans in mind. Give and take, not give without receiving.]

I'm pretty sure we'd get pulled over. And teleporting, walking, and the subway will get us around faster. [Again, she holds out her hand.] Come on. I'll take us to... wherever. Maybe. I guess it depends on where you want to go.

[The wallet gets awkwardly stuffed back into a pocket, thankfully a small size wallet despite the nice amount of money it contains. Then he's eyeing up that hand with some hesitation while his brain thinks it all through.

Good and bad points to taking that hand. Cooties are a risk, sure, but then girls are actually kind of okay... Ugh, okay fine, grasping for that hand even if it's only for a short time. He's still got to try and work out the whole thing of house keys and whatever else.]

Hey, so. What if you couldn't seem James for a while...

[Relatively cootie-free, it would seem! She laces her fingers with his and gives his arm a lengthy swing back and forth. Playful, but not patronizing. She'd do this were she older, as well. It just seems awkward like this. Awkward and dorky.]

I'm... not surprised he's avoiding me. [That isn't an answer to his question and she's so very aware of it.] I just wish that he would have told me. That's just... how he operates, though. [She sounds far-off and a little sad, but fond.] I don't even know if I'll be able to go back to the way I'm meant to be. I can't blame him.

I don't think he's avoiding you. Maybe he's just got problems of his own. [He doesn't want her to be sad. :c That's a pretty lame ~~date~~ meal out if she's going to be sad about being avoided by a guy who actually isn't avoiding her.]

Maybe. [And she musters a smile. Maybe he does. He wouldn't just leave a kid here, alone, after all. He wasn't really a kid person (which still left her wondering who he was and why James left him here and why he had James' wallet; her mind can't connect it like it should right now...).] Anyway, what are you in the mood for?

[Well, at least that's kind of got her smiling again. Sort of. He will make her happy!]

I dunno. You pick! I don't really know what American restaurants are like.

What kind of foods do you like? We could just go get sandwiches?

Yeah! Okay, sandwiches. My treat. [He has money. Did he mention that already?!]

Yeah, we'll see about that. [A race to who pays first? You bet.] Alright. You might feel a little sick to start, but it'll pass. Promise.

S'tel teg tuo fo ereh. [And they in fact do get out of there.]

But-- [Oh. Oh they're teleporting. That would be SO COOL if he didn't just feel an intense need to barf all over the place. Thankfully he doesn't, and instead just clings manfully onto her hand while he lets the dizziness subside.]

... Cool.

Thanks. I think. [She places her other hand on his shoulder, gently steadying him although he doesn't really seem to need it. Just a mix of concern and habit.]

You think you're okay to keep moving or do you need to stop for a moment? I can get you some water.

Ugh. No. I'm fine.

[If he barfs, he'll try and turn away. But letting a girl dote on him is totally unmanly. Later in life, he'll realise women caring for him and getting him things is the best thing ever, but he's still young yet.

For now he's just straightening up and trying to act like he's totally unphased.]

Hey, so. Do you really think we-- I mean, you might be stuck like this?

[She lets go of him and raises her hands a little.] Alright, alright.

[She catches that. And after a half-second of mulling it over, decides to address it now rather than hope it all falls together later on.] I'm not sure what will happen to us. We might be stuck, yeah. [Unsubtle, but whatever.]

That'll suck.

[He never enjoyed childhood as much as some do. Especially not after his parents were gone. After that it was boarding schools and fighting and little else. At least as an adult he was confident and comfortable in life.]

I don't think I want that.

It would. But I'll find a way out of this.

[Her childhood memories were good. Just her, her father, magic, and not a care in the world. There were some setbacks (mostly involving Thomas Elliot) and she didn't really... have friends, but she was happy. It's those memories mixed with the knowledge of the future -- a future that sometimes feels like a bad dream -- that makes it really hard. She's lived a childhood once. She doesn't need to again.

Zatanna isn't very tall, so she doesn't have to kneel so much as lean forward. And she stares at him. Realization, worry. Fear.] James?

[There's a sigh as she leans in, dropping his gaze and pouting towards the ground like a sullen teen. All of this makes him feel just a little bit like a failure, and he can't even grasp why.

Maybe that's why he's so reluctant to finally give his quiet acceptance of the name.] Hey.

[She cycles quickly through several emotions: angry, annoyed, ecstatic, pleased, hurt, worried, sad, relieved, happy, annoyed.

And she settles on leaning in and sliding her arms over and around his shoulders, pressing her face against his neck. She makes a tiny, huffy, slightly squeaky sound.] Jerk.

Edited 2012-10-13 12:07 (UTC)

[Well at least she didn't abandon him. Everyone else in his life does, wah wah. But then she's hugging him instead and getting close and...]

Ugh, gross. [Half instinctual, half joking.]