(no subject)

[allucinator]

[Jack appears on the network. It looks as if he isn't aware he's being filmed at first; he glances around him nervously, his eyes darting from place to place.]

So-- right. You guys don't got no newsies, yeah? But I'm grown outta that business anyway, so I figure, I'll do somethin' else anyway.

[And now he focuses on the camera. His eyes are a little sunken in; his cheekbones jut out sharply from his face. The entire effect is unpleasant; he looks like he hasn't slept or eaten in quite some time. Carefully, each movement deliberate, he takes a cigarette out of his pocket; his gaze focuses on that as he speaks.]

I draw pictures. Real good, if I do say so myself. Do paints, too. You want your picture done? You want your wall painted? Maybe you're in theater, you want some sets done, or maybe you want somebody to put a, a, a mural on your wall. If it's somethin' to do with art, I can do it. I don't give a damn what it is. I'll paint you and your stupid girlfriend if you want, 's long as you pay me. Name's Jack Kelly.

[He nods sharply, once, and lights up the cigarette.]

An' in personal business, a couple thin's: this gun's good an' all, but I'm in the knives business, meself. Anybody sellin' any good blades? I don't mean no stores, all right, I ain't lookin' for no directions to no weapons shops. I'm talkin' about the good stuff, the stuff you get on the streets. I don't got much money yet, but like I said, I got a few skills I can exchange.

An' speakin' o' them: I hear I got some roommates. Miss, uh, Galadriel and some guy named Guy? Well, I ain't gonna be in at all. Not for sleepin', anyway. So don't trouble yourself with that, when you don't see me come in.

[A deliberate pause. He exhales a lungful of smoke and watches it drift upwards before adding:]

Asano Rin. I got a bone to pick with you, and I think you know why.

Comments

[video]

[allucinator]

Yeah, but I'm different than you.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

[Oh, do go on.]

Because you're a newsie? A boy? Five Points instead of Bronx?

Re: [video]

[allucinator]

Course it's cuz I'm a boy. Girls cry and shit.

[He's not even committed to the misogyny, not really.]

[video]

[legal_eagle]

[That makes her laugh loudly. She was expecting something better than that.]

Oh, Jack, you must not know any lawyers.

[She shakes her head and keeps smiling at him. She looks uncannily sweet.]

You are going to fill a fucking ocean before you see a single tear from my eye. I can promise you that.

[video]

[allucinator]

That's really creepy, you know that? You lookin' like that when you talk like that. You might wanna dial that down.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

[And she laughs again - looking at least a little more sincere.]

What if that's the effect I'm going for?

[video]

[allucinator]

You're lookin' to look deranged?

[video]

[legal_eagle]

I might well be.

[video]

[allucinator]

Really.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

Absolutely. I mean, have you seen anyone ever fuck with a deranged person?

[video]

[allucinator]

Course I have. They usually end up dead or with their nose bitten off. An' as far as I know, they don't end up lawyers.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

You should see my coworkers' faces. I keep plastic surgeons in business. And no one can do anything about it, because I'm a lawyer.

[She smiles and leans back.]

I mean it, though. I don't cry. Lawyers don't. You think we're crying, we're lying.

[video]

[allucinator]

You're still human. You wanna pretend you ain't, miss, that's fine, I get you got a reputation an' all, but you still are.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

Human enough. I'm not going to pretend otherwise.

[She gives a little dismissive wave of her hand.]

But - look. If you're awake, you're working. That's just how it goes for a lawyer. So if you're crying, you're crying because of something at work. And if you're crying because of something at work, you're in the wrong business. And, for the record? That goes double for us misses.

[video]

[allucinator]

What, you want I should call you Mrs?

[He leans back-- a French exhale this time, and doesn't he look cool while doing it.]

So when you startin' your practice?

[video]

[legal_eagle]

Call women Ms. whatever. I know that's ahead of your time, but trust me, you're going to ruffle fewer feathers that way.

And I'm not planning on setting up a practice. At least not anything full-time.

[video]

[allucinator]

So what're you gonna do?

[video]

[legal_eagle]

[Lightly:]

I'm going to prosecute. It's what I do. Find someone incompetent. Set them up as defense. Win every case. Go home and brag.

[video]

[allucinator]

[He snorts.]

So, what, whether they're guilty or not don't matter?

[video]

[legal_eagle]

Oh, sure it does. To them.

[video]

[allucinator]

And to you. Or it should, anyway, if you're worth anythin'.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

[An ambiguous little laugh.]

What, don't you know anyone who's just in it for their career?

[video]

[allucinator]

Not anybody who ever got anywhere. Or who didn't act guilty for it later.

[video]

[legal_eagle]

Well, eighteen. You're still a kid. And who knows - maybe things are different where you're from. In my world, there are plenty who hack and slash their way to the top and never see a day in jail. Plenty more who swindle their way to millions. There are more than a few bad people out there, and half of them don't know to feel bad and half of them don't care.

[video]

[allucinator]

[Coldly:]

I'm not a kid.