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"We did." She awkwardly agreed. The problem was, neither of them were in much of a mood for popcorn right then.

Regardless, to go along with the original charade, she crossed the room to he large trunk a the foot of her bed. The kind of trunk that somehow seemed larger on the inside, even without magic. Laying right on top of a pile of blankets was a glass bowl. Full of popcorn.

"Want some?" She held it out in offering. "I forgot the butter, but I promise it's fresh."

His face twists into an angry scowl as he watches magic, he immediately looks away, at something else so she won't catch him, and forces the bitterness down. Zatanna's different from Jack. Zatanna wouldn't force him to do something like have fun on a snow day - she would ask.

Other her mind-wiped the League you really think she wouldn't do it again?

Not without good reason, he argues. She's one of us - she knows that would cost our trust...

When she holds out the popcorn, he's still scowling, but less so. He takes a handful. 'Thanks.'

She missed the scowl; he had already turned away by the time she'd looked back. But that, in itself, was equally worrisome. Kyle wasn't acting like his usual self. His words were curt and his body language, stiff.

"Does this have anything to do with what I said over the network?" An assumption. But it was all she had to go on. "Cause I didn't mean to offend your--um..." Her first instinct would have been to go with 'girlfriend', but somehow, she had a hunch it would just make things even more tense. "...the other Lantern. Really. You know I was never one for secret identities to begin with, anyway. I mean, dad always went by our family name and headlined theaters across the country. Everyone back home knows who he is."

'No, it doesn't.' Some of the tension leaves his shoulders and he eats, slowly, savouring the taste. The popcorn isn't warm, but it's somewhat comforting. 'You didn't offend her, she's just a little abrasive usually. I don't really keep a secret ID anymore, I wasn't really much of a mask to start with, but we got too many messages from those who are.' He looks down at the ground. 'Zee, I've got more in common with Evandau than with them. I'm a cop, just like him. Not a vigilante.'

She frowned at the comparison. "Are you kidding me? You two are nothing alike. What's-his-name is cold and kind of a jerk. And besides, there's nothing wrong with being a cop."

She only knew as much about the Corps as Zatara had told her: very little, like with the rest of the League. What she did know, however, was there were at least two Lanterns as members. That had to count for something, right?

"...unless you're telling me you're going to start arresting all of us. Then, we might have a problem."

'No, I mean, I work within the rules. Not outside them.' He fidgets slightly, remembering that Raylan - who had said something sensible about Evandau - well. They did share something in common: they were both protectors who were failing at their jobs. 'Whether I went public or not, my hands were going to be tied. Especially if more Lanterns show up.'

Edited 2013-03-18 14:13 (UTC)

Okay, she could see how that might be a bit more of a problem. So long as he wasn't coming after her with handcuffs, at least, they could work around it.

"In that case, I promise not to judge you too harshly for it." Some of the humor was returning to her tone as she reached for a handful of popcorn, thinking the worst of it was over. "Now relax a little, will you? If I have to feel like I'm in trouble, at least wait until I've actually done something."

'You might be the only one in that club.' He took more popcorn and relaxed. He was feeling better around her. 'I - I'm tired. It's been hard to adjust to all this secrecy and suspicion. And it's not like the Emperor has a treaty with the Guardians so I have an expected code of conduct. I wish my commanding officer was here.'

He was also still angry about Jack, but that could come later.

"I'd say you get used to it, except I'd be lying."

She could empathize; her mind traveled back to that oh-so-delightful las encounter with Batman. Not the Batman she knew, but one who expected her to accept the fact that he bugged her suite simply because she needed to be watched...and yet still claimed to trust her. It had taken several replays of the whole incident to finally understand that trust meant two very different things to them.

"None of us have a treaty with her, either. I'm not going to pretend I know how half this stuff works, but considering everything, I'm betting it's not going to happen anytime soon, either. You'd probably be better off just doing whatever it is you've been doing until now."

'Still, a guy can hope.' He smiles at that, and stretches himself out a little before eating some more popcorn. 'Anyway, I'm sure you have questions. I'll try to answer them - no guarantees.'

The kind of questions he expected, naturally, were more along the lines of the original one she'd posed: what had brought it on? Not anything else.

"Alright, then." He offered. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity. "What's with the Torchbearer nickname?"

At first, she assumed it was some sort of term of affection. Like from a girlfriend, or crush, or something along those lines. There had been that one comment Soranik had made in another conversation before the feed had been cut. Or encrypted. Personally, Zatanna was hoping for the juicy stuff. (Less depressing.)

He sits up on the bed and looks at her intently. 'It's a - my - title. A term of respect, usually, when the Guardians or other Lanterns use it. Derision, when my enemies do.'

So that was a 'no' on the juicy. Still, she smiled. To earn a title of respect among schb a rule-abiding people meant he must've done something pretty amazing.

"Impressive." And she meant it. "Do I have to start calling you that now too, or can I stick with Kyle?"

'I'd rather just Kyle.' His smile fades a little. 'I won't stop you if you want to use Torchbearer, but I want to make sure I've earned your respect before you do.'

Which meant, naturally, that she was amongst one of the few people whose opinion he actually cared about. Whose trust he wanted, not just demanded or expected not to have.

Edited 2013-03-18 15:09 (UTC)

"What makes you think you haven't already?"

'Never hurts to check first.' He chuckles, a little half-heartedly. He'd had to fight so hard for even a shred of it, to have it given so freely, and so quickly, was... gratifying. Still new, in a way, especially from someone who wasn't from the Corps.

"Well, why shouldn't I?" That was the difference; she trusted him because he had yet to give her a reason not to. It had been earned, sure, but no harder than the Team. Or other members of the League here. "You've been more honest with me than almost anyone. Not to mention, you even talked me out of wanting to turn Ollie into a toad for what he did to Jack."

A playful exaggeration, of course. She didn't do toads. Too cliche.

At this, his smile was shy, grateful. This is was why he's taken to her almost immediately. She didn't force any expectations on him, and she'd taken him into her confidence as well without him feeling like he had to prove himself. That was something the League itself hasn't even done.

'Thought you'd do something less cliche than toads?' he teases, although his stomach had twisted at mention of Jack.

Edited 2013-03-18 20:56 (UTC)

"That's true. I must be slipping." She teased right back. "Any suggestions? I'm flexible."

'Hmmm... call me old school, but I've always wanted to see him as a rabbit. And then you can pull a hat out of him.'

It was almost impossible not to laugh at the mental image of a blonde rabbit wearing a green hood and carrying a tiny bow and arrow set. Glaring at everything and everyone.

"So much for avoiding the cliche. Though, isn't it usually the other way around?"

'And that, young lady, is why it's an excellent idea,' he laughs finally, and then munches some popcorn, feeling cheered even if he's talking about using magic on someone like this - what the hell was he doing?

'On second thought, ixnay on the turning him into anything-ay. Don't think he'd appreciate it very much.'

"That's kind of the point." She countered lightly, reaching for another handful. A moment passed in which she chewed before adding: "But you're right. Not unless he does something to actually deserve it." Again.

'Even then.' Kyle's reply is terse again, and sudden, and he knows she's going to notice and ask. He's always been an open book like that. Sometimes he wishes he wasn't. 'Okay, I have a confession. I... met. Jack. Before coming here, and I found out there's some kind of magic in the snow that made everyone... want to play in it.' He bites his lip.

She had noticed, in fact. What had meant to be an obvious light-hearted jab at a mutual acquaintance had turned...actually, she wasn't sure exactly what had Kyle so tense until he mentioned Jack. Jack and magic.

Even then, she was still partially in the dark.

"What are you talking about?" Her expression was genuine; thinking back, there had been nothing out of the ordinary about that day. Well, aside from the sudden appearance of snow. Oh, and the Easter Bunny showing up. "I thought it was obvious Jack was behind the snow. I mean, since when has it even felt like Winter around here?"

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