tushanshu_logs | What Are You Worth, the Things You Love or the People You Hurt?

Hayley wants to open up again. She wants to tell him all about how Bart always treats her like she's going to break, or how she's worried about Kon seeming lonely, or how frustrating it is that Kal's blaming himself after he took no part in her own death. But for as much as she trusts that Jor-El is himself again, the memory of the monster remains too fresh for her to do so. Instead, she gives him another weak smile.

"You can stay for as long as you want to? But you don't have to. We can talk more soon, if you have places to be." She needs time to think and suspects he has other people to talk to.

Releasing the cape with one hand, she slides it around herself with the other and tries to fold it back up once in front of her. Then she offers it out to him, not imagining that he might mean for her to keep it. "Thanks."

He shakes his head, lightly, palm of his hand out, and he gently pushes the folded cape back in her direction. "Keep it."

"It brought you comfort." Safety he cannot return to her so easily, but something that gave her that, she can keep.

There is very little he can currently besides offer her time, and that.

Hayley holds the cape out even as he declines it and for another few seconds beyond that, as if expecting that he'll change his mind. Eventually, finally, she withdraws the item and lightly holds it against herself. It's an unconscious gesture of both affection and protection, wanting to keep the cape safe and to keep it near. "What about your.. uniform.. thing?"

Having just thanked him, she can't bring herself to say it again. It feels inadequate anyway. Some part of her mind curses her for becoming so attached to Jor-El as another part takes solace from the velvet between her fingers.

Watching her hold it close, it helps Jor-El conclude that it was the right choice. "It's no more part of a uniform for me than your jacket is for you." A marker of his relative on Krypton, but not a necessary article of clothing- here, at least. "It's only something that's part of my culture." Even though it's much too long for her to wear- and he doubts that Hayley would wear it as intended in the first place- it's something he's sharing with her.

When he has the time and inclination, replacing it will be simple.

If Hayley had a uniform, her red jacket would definitely be a part of it. She can't imagine giving the item up to anyone at any time for any reason. Whether that makes her a worse person than Jor-El or simply more attached to material goods, she's not entirely certain and has no interest in dwelling on.

"What is it? In your culture, I mean. Does it like, represent something?" She really has no idea.

Simple article of clothing or not, it's one that he associates with her fully, the jacket being just as much a presence as his cape.

"It's one indicator of status. The emblem of my family is another." It's a topic he had not broached before, even when he explained his rise in the science guild. Without context, it would mean little.

Hayley gently drops the cape from her chest, ensuring it stays nicely folded as she lowers it to her lap instead and drops her hands on top of it. Should she be treating it with more respect? Is she being insulting now?

"What does it mean? That you're a scientist?" She adopts a sarcastic grin, one slightly at a disconnect with her current mood. "Are you secretly a big deal?"

He gives her a level eye in return.

"On Krypton, we had a group elite families. Among them was mine, the house of El. My family produced some of the most prominent members of Krypton's various guilds for thousands of years," he explains.

"Every Kryptonian was part of a guild; they are parts of our lives that are nearly as important as our families. As a race, we prided ourselves on our knowledge and prized science above all else. I was the head of the Science Guild." Even in disgrace as he was in the end, cut off from the resources and lack of restrictions he would normally have had available, it was still a position that allowed him audiences with the council.

"So yes, you could say that." There's only a particular look in his eyes to let her know that he found humor to her questions, posed as they were.

In spite of her teasing, Hayley doesn't expect Jor-El to be. It's not that he isn't a commanding presence, that he's lacking in any intelligence or wisdom. But in an entire population, people of significance are pretty rare. She sure as hell isn't one, in the grand scheme of things, and even some of the superheroes are beginning to seem like one of many. To be the head of the most important Guild and part of a respected family name? He really is kind of a big deal. And it's weird.

"You're serious," she clarifies, just in case. But his look of humor extends only to her words and not his own. As if he ever jokes like that anyway. Although worth of an 'ohmygod' response, Hayley remains too uncomfortable to dip into such amicable territory. Instead, she looks down to the cape and allows her fingers to travel over the material again.

"So the cape shows what guild you're in? Or the leadership? If it's an El thing, I don't really think I should have it." Not with Kal-El around.

A position of importance that matters little, here. Something that he's come to enjoy; what expectations there are here stem not from his reputation on Krypton but instead come completely incidental to that- they're related instead to being Kal-El's father. Something that not all of those present here are aware of.

"Neither of those, directly. It's only an indicator of status," he answers, which should be enough to let her know that yes, he's serious. It's not something she seems to actually be doubting either way. "And even if it was directly due to my family, giving it to you would still be my decision to make."

"Only important people wear capes?" It sounds ridiculous when she says it like that, but it's an honest question. Hayley wants to understand more about Jor-El, about the place he comes from and what it must have been like for him. It's not the same as wanting to know Clark, who grew up on Earth. This is only about the father.

To the latter, she shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah, but I'm not sure I'd want to be the one to answer where it came from and why you gave it to me if he asked."

She doubts there's a question as to who 'he' refers to.

"If that happened, Kal-El would have to answer to me in turn." It isn't a choice for Kal-El to question, even if he would.

"A person of status isn't necessarily the same as someone of importance," he explains. "Kryptonian society, its social classes, were heavily regimented." Each guild bearing its own different level of importance to society as a whole and what status was ascribed to its members and each house- particularly the oldest ones, such as his own- beqeathing some kind of social standing to its members.

It was strange to her, how easily Jor-El could separate their relationship from Kal-El. To her, it was as intertwined as trying to deal with Bart and Kon. To him, they were clearly separate entities, with the other in mind but never catered to. She gave a small smile, one that didn't quite seem genuine, as she thought about the matter. It was easier to reply to the other issue.

"Okay, but you were both, right?" Because it was hard to imagine someone like Jor-El not being important if he had such status. He was certainly the type to earn it.

While it was something he would not forget, it was not something he would hold against her or in Kal-El's favor. Logic and reason had too strong a grasp on him to do so, even where emotions were involved.

"Yes, I was."

Hayley smiled as she looked down to the cape again, her fingers never ceasing to feel the material beneath them. It wasn't the most extravagant thing she had ever laid her hands on, but it meant more than any of the rest. She suddenly grimaced and looked up at him again.

"You know I don't owe you anything for this, right? I don't mean money. Obviously you don't expect me to pay you, but.. this is just a nice thing and not in return for some favor you're going to call in later?"

"I don't expect any favors from you, Hayley," he says, meeting her eyes, with a slight shake of his head.

He has no need of any, or interest in one from her.

Her muscles tensed as he replied, watching the look in his eyes. Had it been Clark or Tony or any number of other people, she would have felt afraid in that moment. Instead, she slowly relaxed and tried again to forget the monster he was a couple weeks before. He wasn't her father and he never would be in any way, which was a good thing for Hayley.

"I'm going to remember that," she replied with a small smile, trying to make the commentary more lighthearted to hide how deeply it affected her.

He can't- shouldn't- react to her tensing. It will only exacerbate it further on her part. With this level of physical proximity, it's all but impossible for his senses to not pick up on it, as strong as they are here.

"You should. Sometimes nice things are just that."

Hayley smiles at him, that kind of knowing smile that's really an excuse for arrogance. "Rarely. And the few times they are? It's from people that don't know any better. I don't think you're that kind of guy."

"No, I'm not." He knows that kind of smile, if in a much more subdued way, common enough as it was on Krypton. "Hospitality and generosity are still elements to keep in mind for any civilized race."

Including Kryptonians.

"So it's like.. strategic kindness?" She questions. That is something Hayley understands all too well. He might not be expecting something later, but he definitely has his own agenda and his own reasons for helping her, the same as she has with him.

What Are You Worth, the Things You Love or the People You Hurt?

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