Summary:Mera gets a bit more education about the World Above Log Info:Storyteller: {$storyteller} |
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The last time that Mera was in the markets she rescued some lobsters from an aquarium hell-hole of dirty water and cramped conditions. Tonight she is trying to be more civil. It is hard though, humans are such cruel creatures. Dressed in her standard human outfit of boots, white pants, white shirt, beige long coat, and a satchel bag over one shoulder, she walks confidently between the stalls; almost imperiously. With all the seafood around here, this is as close to home as she gets outside of the water.
Lena Snart wasn't one to be a 'save the animals' type person. It's not that she didn't have a heart, she did, actually, and animals were a soft-spot for her. But here? This was a market, the animals here (at least by way of produce) belong here. Where Mera was white, Snart was a whisper of darker hues-blacks, lace, skirts and boots, a brush of blue and punk-goth she goes. Walking up and stopping by a tank of crabs, the raven-haired youth leans down and eyes the scuddling little creatures. Disappointment is evident on her face.
White sets the red hair off better and Mera has noticed some fascination among the humans with the colour; she plays to her strengths. She notices Lena's look, and disappointment, and nods to herself in agreement before saying, "They are sick. Unhappy. This is not how an animal should die." Those lobsters that Mera saved…she ate them all. The point was that they should be honored in death, not half-killed beforehand. They taste better that way too. "They may be 'fresh' but I would not eat them in this state."
Quirking a brow, the girl stands back and looks toward Mera. Giving her the once over, she returns her attention to the tank and shrugs her shoulders. "I suppose so. I can't tell they're sick or not, but I can see that they're tiny." The commentary is marked toward the stall owner more so than to Mera directly. He heard it all, both speaking, and with a gruff growl in his voice, he moves to shoo the women away. "You don't want this, then piss off!" How New Yorker.
"Oh, that's no way to speak with a customer, my good sir. I suppose my friend and I will be going else where as you'd like. Pity, she has some deep pockets and a palette for the aquatic." Turning, she moves to step away, hopefully with Mera in toe. The man behind the counter looks the red-head over, his expression shifting.
Mera's eyes narrow as she is told to 'piss off'. She's not exactly sure what it means but she can tell it is not good; something in the tone and the spittle sent her way. She would love to crush the stall owner but it seems that she has a new friend in a very perceptive Lena. "Are my pockets deep?" she asks softly of the other woman before wandering off with her. No point introducing herself in front of the stall owner if they're already friends. "I can get you fresher food if you wish."
"No clue. You seem pretty enough for it, though. There's something about you that looks important. Important people in this city usually have the funds to back it up." Smirking, she winks and then tosses a smug look back toward the sad-faced stall owner. "Besides, I just wanted to bullshit him into regretting being an asshole. Attitude fades if you lose a sale." A glance back to Mera, her expression softens. "Oh yeah? What will I owe you for it?"
Pretty? Important? Well, Lena is not wrong so Mera won't correct her. "If people regretting being assholes, they would not do it as much" she points out before looking confused once more. "Owe? You would not owe anything. Why do you think you would owe me for a gift?" They are heading in the general direction of the sea as they roam between loud stalls. "And you are pretty too" she adds.
Lena Snart peerse at Mera now, her brows knitting together. "A gift…Huh." The concept seems foriegn to the dark-haired Ice Queen. She doesn't look said gift, um, merfolk in the mouth, though. She follows, though, her hands resting into the pit of her pockets. Her? Pretty? "Mmm." She answers in kind before murmuring a calm. "Thanks." Pause. "What's your name?"
"Mera" the redhead replies with an imperiousness that suggests she is used to having that name recognised…and honored appropriately. She can be really bad at being 'undercover' when pride is at steak. "And your name? Do you live in this part of the city? The last time I was here, I was almost mugged." A beat. "They lived." She sounds disappointed.
From the south, behind the two casually shopping women, there's a bustle and a sound of people being disturbed. It's the sort of noise that draws attention though those furthest back will have to wait a few moments for it to emerge; like a ripple of action, affecting the people outside of it until the centermost wave reaches out to engulf them.
This particular 'ripple' is in the form of a harassed man of indiscriminate age, anywhere between his 20's to late 40's. He is pushing people to the side as he moves at a clipped pace, half-limping and favoring his leg, calling out, as he half-run-walks, "Stay back," he calls to someone, looking behind him. "Keep away from me!"
In his rush, he trips over another person, lands hard, and curses with a re-ignited pain, and looking straight up at Mera and Lena both, "You gotta help me," he begs them each. "She's crazy. CRAZY. She's going to kill me." The terror on his face is real.
The 'she' in question is a platinum blonde hardbody, walking through the parted sea of people with a very calm, very at-ease air of someone knowing exactly where they are going. Her dress is utterly casual, simple jeans, boots, and a t-shirt. And, an eyepatch that is glaringly obvious. Rose Wilson moves towards the man with a calm purpose.
Maybe Mera will get to see more than a mugging?
"Mera." Lena repeats, but there's no inkling that she knew what that name actually meant. "Lena." She offers in turn before shaking her head? "Here? No, I was just curious about what was for sale. Trying to buy something special and only met, well, disappointment." At the comment of the mugging, the dark haired girl scoffs. "Pity."
Then a man comes begging them for aid. Oh yes, the fear was there, and glancing up and across toward the blonde with the patch, Lena shifts and moves her thick soled boot up. Pressing it on the man's shoulder, she cants her head and studies the man before looking to Mera, then out toward Rose. "He deserve it?" She inquires, her tone apathetic to the situation.
"This is not the place to come for 'special'" Mera smirks to Lena. "This is more the place to come for 'cheap'." She does not like this part of the city. And likes it even less when some hobbling man collapses on the ground before them and pleads for his life. Where is the courage in his actions? He should be ashamed of himself.
Mera looks up at his pursuer an arches an eyebrow in interest. The man is running from a woman with one eye? Lena has a good question and she nods to wanting to hear the answer - does he deserve it?
The man looks absolutely even more horrified when Lena puts her boot on his shoulder, "Get off me, don't you get it! She's going to kill me!"
Rose simply, silently continues to approach the man who is clearly not getting the help, or sympathy he expected. And now the other by-standers, perhaps affected by Lena and Mera's own indifference are also watching, rather than seeking to call law enforcement, enthralled and also caught up in the moment.
Rose approaches closer, her footsteps evenly paced, like a metronome. Perfect timing. 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.
"Look," the man stammers, shoving his hand into one pocket and pulling out a billfold, "I'm sorry. Here. Here!" He throws at Rose, "Take it back! I'm sorry!"
Then, Rose reaches him. She looks to Lena, then to Mera, and finally answers, "This whole day has been a bag of dicks. And this tiny one here just chose the wrong girl to try and pickpocket." She ignores, for the moment, the matter of her billfold and adds, "Thanks," to Lena, before she half leans down to snatch the man's outstreched hands pleading for mercy. She twists. Hard. And there's an uncomfortable sound of snapping that will cause a few bystanders to wince.
"Now. Leave. Before I decide to do something worse," she tells the pickpocket, slamming a foot into his ribs, hard. Only then does she turn to fetch her billfold.
Lena Snart tsks and nods to Rose. Moving her boot away from his shoulder, she allows the man to move after his bones pop under the muffle of flesh. "Never take what you can't keep." She advises to the man and looks between Rose and Mera, and back again. "Cheap," she returns to the topic at hand. "True, but I wasn't exactly looking to get myself saddled with a job just for something to eat. If you're offering, I accept." A glance back, she motions with her head in invitation. "Atomic Blonde, we're going…fishing, I think. Care to join us so someone else doesn't try to play grabby-hands with your stash?"
That seems a good reason to break the man's bones. It's not as if he denied the accusation. Mera's expression as cold as the others as the man screams and stumbles away. "A mugger?" Pickpocket is not enough of a distinction for her. "Again, he gets to live" she smirks before a shake of her head at this world. "Yes, please join us, Atomic. You two know each other then?" A glance between Lena and Rose. "I will do all the fishing required, I promise. Though if you require your food cooked, we shall need to find somewhere to do that."
Rose sounds half-amused. "Rose," she corrects both Lena and Mera, then she watches the guy limp off, still terrified and looking for help. He doesn't seem to be getting it from anyone after he confessed his crimes. "And, sure. Lead the way."
A slight pause, "Cooked is preferrable." But, she seems pleased enough to at least have something to do with two other people who have turned her day around some with their attitudes. There are people Rose feels she can chill with.
Lena Snart chuckles. "Ah, I don't know here, actually. She reminds me of someone." A finger up, black-nailed and directive, she motions it in Rose's direction. "I also like your style." To Mera, she follows after, not seeming to see the need to correct the name calling of 'Atomic Blonde', or the reference.
"I'll take fresh for me. Need to take it home and I'll have the brute cook it up." Staring out and ahead of them, she hears that rumbling hidden behind the folds of her top. "Might need something to eat soon, though." Pause, "Nice to meet you, Rose. I'm Lena. This is Mera."
"Nice to meet you, Rose" Mera nods to the blonde before offering a curious look to Lena. "Brute? What brute is that?" She's a nosey one. "So, Rose would like cooked seafood, Lena declines to eat with us. No matter, I shall fish whatever you desire…that is available. The waters around here are not very clean. I might have to go a little out to sea." A beat. "It will not take me long. What are your preferences? Fish? Lobster? Crab? Something else?"
Now Rose is curious as to just how Mera is going to accomplish this. So, she says, "Fish," for her choice. She watches Mera thoughtfully for a few long moments before looking back to Lena, "Remind you of someone? Someone fun, I hope." She chuckles, low.
"Hey now, I didn't say I didn't want to eat now, I'll just need something to take home for dinner. I promised Mick something good that wouldn't rot his gut." Rolling her eyes, she muses to herself. "I then promised him donuts from a side-walk stand. Compromise." Shrugging, she, too, quirks a bow in Mera's direction. "Uh, crab, thank you. Water here is shit, I agree…so you're going to your…boat?" That's how she'd fish, right?
To Rose, she smiles and nods smoothly. "Fun enough. Terrifying, too. My type of person."
"No boat, I feel like a swim" Mera replies nonchalantly. They reach a concrete wall overlooking the dirty ocean and the redhead growls a little at the state of it. "I should only be a few minutes. Can you look after my clothes?" She starts to strip down - which involves taking off her human clothes to reveal a skin tight, scaled, green bodysuit beneath. "Fish and crabs. I will be right back." She dives into the water, disappearing from sight into the depths.
"Well," says Rose after Mera dives into the ocean, "That's a new one." She looks half-impressed, and half-amused. She looks over to Lena, "Didn't catch your name." She adds, "Terrifying. I can deal with terrifying."
Lena Snart blinks. "Huh." She reacts, too. She didn't see that coming either. The suit or the dive. A glance at the clothing, the punk-goth leans over and gathers it up, taking care of the garments as was requested of them. "Lena." She repeats, turning to Rose and offering a nod. "Glad you can. So, idiot back there trying to steal your stuff," she looks Rose over before shaking her head. "Amatuer. You're not someone to lift from on their best day. Pitiful marking."
"Don't know what he was thinking. Whatever it was, it wasn't clearly. He won't be lifting anything for a long, long time," Rose says mildly. "He's just lucky it happened in public. He got off easy." A year ago, Rose might've outright killed him.
"Mmm, another mistake. Picking off someone in public and not knowing how to get away with it?" Another tsk, there's something about the fumble that makes Snart seem disgusted with the whole ordeal. "So, I'm horrible at small talk. I should ask what you're doing out this way? Shopping for disappointment, too?"
An eruption of water and Mera is back…riding a column of water that then lowers her to the ground next to the women. With a wave of her hand, she dispels it back into the ocean. "Fish and crabs" she smiles, "Fresh." And large too as they wriggle in her hands. "Did anything exciting happen?" She doesn't seem to be in any hurry to dry off.
Rose chuckles at Lena. "Something like that," she agrees, wryly. A pause, "Meeting a contact. Nothing major, unfortunately. This has been far more interesting." Proven so when Mera erupts out of the water, and Rose is left with a positive impression of the woman. "Huh. Well. That's convienent." She chuckles, and inclines her head at Mera.
Lena Snart smiles. "Contact. Sounds fun." Then Mera returns. She blinks and blinks again, reaching out to accept her score, she eyes the creatures and stares at Mera. "So…Alright, I'll bite. Are you a mutant or something?" It wasn't a question laced with malice but more so wonderf, in a calm manner of course. Looking at the creatures, she hums at the though of how to transport them back. Reaching under the fluff of her skirt, she pulls a gun off her thigh and fires it up. A brilliant light shines, white-blue, and sprays over the animals. Soon, they're incased in a solid bundle of ice. That would do for now. Slipping the gun away, she looks back toward Mera. "The outfit's nice."
Mera offers Rose a bow of goodbye as the blonde makes her excuses. It's nice to meet a woman unafraid of standing up for herself. "I hope you enjoy the fish" she calls after her before Lena is pulling out a…gun? At least Mera doesn't punch first. She is quite intrigued by what the gun does. No projectiles. Ice. "Did you invent that weapon?" she asks, having never seen such a thing before. Though there is a smile at yeat another compliment from the dark haired woman. "Thank you. It is armor." Of course it is, all armor shows off cleavage. "A mutant? There are some of my people who would call me that. Half-breed. Worse. I am from…the ocean."
"Hmm? Yeah, I did. This is Jadis 1.0. I'm looking to update her, but that's for another time." She smiles, showing some amount of pride as far as the weapon is concerned. "Armor, huh? I can't say mine looks like that." Glancing down at herself and her rather modest physique, she chews at the inside of her cheek. "Then again, /I/ don't look like that, either." A pause, she listens. "From the Ocean? You don't say…and your people are?"
Mera may be undercover but, damn it, pride is at stake here. Why should be ashamed of her people? Where she is from? "Atlanteans. I am from Atlantis" Mera explains, head held high and chest puffed out with pride. At least Lena looks like she understands pride with that fondness for her weapon. "What is a Jadis?" There is some confusion at Lena's insecurity about her looks. "I do not understand. You are a beautiful woman. What does your armor look like?"
"Atlantis? The lost city?" At least that's what stories said, anyway. The idea of it, however, and Mera's armor causes her fingers to reach up and tap at her chin in consideration. "Huh. Might have to put 'visit mythical city and see what I can lift' on my bucket list." Smirking, she glances toward her covered weapon and then explains. "Jadis is the name of a character from a story. She's a queen of ice. I…found it fitting."
The comment about her beauty causes her to wave it off. "My armor is functional. Well, I guess yours is, too. I'm not wearing it now, though. It's more full body. Bullet proof. Fits nicely under my parka."
Lena Snart blinks and cants her head. "Wait. Rewind a touch…why are you called half-breed? Or worse?"
"I am not a myth so neither is Atlantis" Mera replies - logic! Her brow furrows. "Lift? We do not need anything lifted." The origin of Jadis is lost on her. "I do not know that queen. My armor is bulletproof too. Though so am I." She takes her clothes and starts to put them back on and they become immediately damp.
Now Lena wants to talk about Mera's shame. She frowns a moment, considering her words, before deciding to answer. "My mother was a human" she finally manages to get out. It's not an easy thing to say. "Most of my race are blue so it is obvious I am different."
"Lift, no I…" Rubbing her eyes, she actually chuckles. For once, the sound is warm, genuine. "Lift means to steal. I can only think of what goodies would be in a place like Atlantis." Handing the clothing back, she allows the woman some space and replaces her hands into her pockets. "Mmm, and what's wrong with us humans?" A pause, "Wait, don't answer that. We're rather shit…And for blue, do you mean blue blooded? High Society? Or are they literally blue?"
"The last. Literally blue" Mera replies. She doesn't reply about what is wrong with humans…Lena did it for her. "Are you a mutant? Do you suffer from the cold at all? It would be strange to love it if it hurt you." As she ties back her wet hair she looks rather hurt. "Why would you want to steal from Atlantis? I do not wish to steal from you." Humans and greed. Again. "Did you wish to eat with me or shall you be going to see the brute?"
"Me? No, I'm just a crook. And I do get cold now and then. See, my weapon…" before getting into what the object actually does, she shakes her head. "I'll explain it later. It just fits for me. My partner, the brute? He's fire, so…" The hurt expression phases Lena only momentarily. "It's always on the mind. Never anything personal, mind you. I'm just…good at what I do." Claiming her frozen foods and slipping them into a side bag, she nods and walks closer to Mera. "Sure, I could eat. Mick's probably sleeping off a hang-over anyway.
"Your boyfriend like fire?" Mera has learned what 'partner' means. "He is fire and you are ice so when you get together it is like…luke warm water?" It doesn't sound very exciting to the redhead but it is not her life and Lena is probably happy. "You like to steal things." A slow nodding at understanding this. Maybe not approving…but understanding. "Does this mean there are a lot of people trying to catch you? We need to find heat to cook your meal. Are there places where we can cook our own food?"
"He likes fire very, very much." She answers, starting to walk with Mera. The comment of their temperature causes her to laugh again. "Ah, not quite. That's funny, though. I'll have to tell him that." Beat. "I'm good at it. It's like a game. And only certain things. It has to be worth it." And it possibly came from something else entirely. "Catch me? I suppose. Then again, this city is ripe with people trying to catch other people. If you're good at what you do, it's not something you fear. It's part of the excitement; the chase." Then comes a question of heat. "Well, besides my house…only place I can think of is a park. They have little cook sets out there for families." A beat. "Do you clean the fish you eat or just…go at it?"
"The fish I eat are not dirty" Mera replies with a little confusion in her face. "Why must I clean them? Oh…are you asking if I eat them all as they are? Yes, I do that. Why waste any? If it has given its life for you, why insult it by tossing it away?" They walk slowly, Mera turning towards the park at Lena's suggestion. "I do not wish to wake up your boyfriend" she explains. "I have met some of the residents of this city who wish to catch people. I am glad you enjoy it. I have noted here that they rarely kill those they catch. You must be pleased about that."
"No I meant, scales and…" But then Mera clarifies. "To us, it's not tossing it out for the hell of it. Well, I'm sure it is to some, but to us, it's because we cannot eat it. It can be used in something else, though. Feed and bait and the like." A scoff, she smirks. "No one can wake up Mick if he doesn't want to wake up. He's dead weight when he's like that."
"Pleased? If someone wanted me dead, that'd be something. I'd have to really piss them off for something like that."
Mera stops and looks at her companion. "If you wish to eat at your abode, then that is fine by me." She certainly doesn't seem the kind who is afraid to hang out with complete strangers. Even those who admit to being criminals. "Yes, different parts of an animal can be used for non-sustenance purposes. Though, judging by the trash that ends up in my home, most humans do not go to that effort. Would you want someone wanting you dead? I think that would be a waste."
Lena Snart stalls out at the idea of death. There was something on the front of her mind and tip of her tongue about it. Without thought, she reaches up and makes sure the decoration around her throat is still in place. "Sure, my place it is." She decides at length.
A glance toward the waters, she turns and moves away from them, leading Mera now down a stretch of sidewalk. "I can't apologize for humanity. Like I said, we're a shit show most of the time. At least some of us are starting to care. Sorry it's a bit late."
"There are a lot of you to convince" Mera smirks. "Let us all hope it is not too late. It is the kind of thing that could cause conflict." She strides along with her now hostess towards wherever she may live. "What is that around your throat?" She is not shy when wanting to know answers to things that interst her. "Your boyfriend is also a criminal?"
"Just a choker." She doesn't ask about what conflict might rise from it. Now that she knew more than just animals live in the waters, it's a different concern all together. The question about Mick causes her head to nod. "Yeah, he is. We're a good team, have been for a long time. Who knows, you might meet him." Taking a turn, she heads up the side steps of a building, using the fire-escape instead of the front door. Opening a window, she slips inside, allowing Mera to join her.
Should she, she'll find a modest setting. Spartan with the essentials and not much else. "Kitchen. Fire. Lets cook." She decides, running warm water into a sink and setting in the coating of ice that held the crabs in sleep. "Do you drink?"
Mera wasn't aware that humans used windows to enter their homes. They seemed to be hung up on doors. She happily uses the entrance designated by the home owner, looking around the room with some curiosity though she makes sure not to touch anything. Not that there's much to touch. "I drink water" she nods. "I do not like that coffee that many of you drink. It tastes like burning oil. Alcohol is acceptable though it does not have much of an effect on me. Certainly not the effect I have seen on humans."
"Water, sure. As for coffee? If it tastes that way, you've had th wrong type of coffee." Smirking, she removes her jacket and tosses it over toward a ratty sofa. Giving a small tug of her sleeves, she moves to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. It was reusable, it seems. Handing it out, she waits for Mera to accept it before digging around for a pot to boil water in. "We have booze. Maybe. I'd have to ask Mick." A glance, she thinks. "Do you want new clothes? I'm sure water doesn't bother you, but if you're trying to hide that armor, you're doing a bad job of it."
Mera glances down at her clothes before nodding to Lena's wisdom. But rather than changing, she holds her hands in front of her and the water starts to leave what she wears and congeal into a sphere in front of her. "Do you have any plants that need watering?" she asks while building up a fair amount of water that needs to go somewhere. One hand takes the bottle of water and she places it on a surface nearby before resuming the extraction of the liquid. It's certainly a way to get dry.
"Ah, can't say we do. Just use the sink." She points in its direction, returning to digging through the fridge for extra bobbles for their pending food. Butter, garlic…that's about it. It seems only meat is on the menu for the evening. There's a glance down the hall from Lena and then a look back toward Mera. "So, why are you here?" She asks. "I mean on the surface. Did your people send you?"
Mera floats the ball of water over to the sink and carefully lets it down the drain. "I am here because you invited me to eat with you" she points out, still standing as she hasn't been invited to sit and she's polite like that. "Oh, there was an attack on New York some weeks ago that involved mutated sea creatures. I am investigating the cause. Not that anyone remembers it very well. It must be quite the city that can ignore giant squids in the harbor."
"I know why you're here, I meant…" Then the woman continues. Filling a pot with water, Lena sets it atop the stove and sets it to properly boil. "It's something…" She mutters with a roll of her eyes. This city was something else what with all its going-ons and the like. Crossing her arms casually under her chest, the dark haired girl leans against the counter and crosses her legs at the ankles. "Giant Squids, huh? I'm not one to usually give a damn about such things, but I do live here. Do you have any news on the why yet?"
The noise from the next room might sound like something heavy hitting the ground…in a way that's kind of what it was. A few more noises and the door opens, revealing the large and impossing figure in the doorway of a sleepy-eyed Mick. Sleepy-eyed and shirtless, but he was still carrying his own gun in his hand. There was a pause, clearly he'd caught sight of Lena so it wasn't someone jumping them or busting them, but he does pause for a moment before looking towards Mera and giving a grumbling 'huh' of amusement.
"Bringing home strays Lena?" he questions, making his way towards the fridge with a glance towards the Atlantean redhead. "Nice."
"I have not been able to find out a single thing" Mera frowns about the monsters, with some venom in her tone about how unhelpful humans can be. "I have discovered an infection of plant growth in the region nearby. A mutagen that is consuming life but my investigations into it are at an initial stage." She peers over at the appearance of Mick and offers him the slightest nod of acknowledgement. "Your boyfriend?" she asks Lena before quirking a brow at being designated a stray.
"Wish I could help you out. Could maybe pay for some intel if you need that." The idea of helping, however, comes to a close once she hears that 'thump' from down the hall. Watching after Mick, she smirks and shakes her head. "Hey, she caught our dinner for us. Surprise, fresh crab." She offers with a wiggling of her fingers. To Mera, she nods. "Mera, this is Mick. Mick, Mera. She's Atlantean."
"Caught…crabs?" he repeats, clearly pausing with what appears to be a moment of tired humor before shaking his head. By the time he's being introduced? The man retrieves the bottle of juice from within and swigs directly from the bottle. A little waggle of his fingers in a wave, it's practically a chug before he lowers it, twists the lid and then puts it back. "Thanks for the grub."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mick" Mera announces before offering Lena a curious look. "This is not your boyfriend? I thought his name was 'Brute'." She glances around, looking to see if there is someone else around. "Perhaps Brute is still asleep?" A dismissive wave of her hand to the thanks. "It is quite alright. I often catch crabs. Do you not catch crabs, Mick? It is a wonderful thing to have crabs. Payment for Intel? Why would they not tell me for the good of humanity?"
"No, you're right. It's Mick. I call him a brute because, well, look at the thug." She smirks, reaching out and brushing the man's back before digging out the juice bottle from the fridge. It was empty now, of course. Setting it aside to throw out later, she eyes the boiling pot and waits for it to heat up. The string of asking about crabs just causes the ice-queen to rub at the bridge of her nose. "Hmm?" She asks at the end of it all. "Well, because some people just don't work that way. To hell with humanity unless you can make something out of it for yourself."
There was a slow blink, a deep bass rumble of a chuckle at Mera's words before Mick makes his way over towards the battered couch in the corner and dropping down onto it, his gun dropped on the cushion beside him. The question of intel and the comment of humanity has another noise of amusement and a nod at Lean's comment before he grins. "Perhaps it really is friendlier 'under the sea'?" he muses before pausing and glancing at Lena. "What…I liked that movie."
"That makes no sense. Their greed could cause a war and destroy everything that they hold dear. Money would mean nothing if there is no world." Mera shakes her head at how crazy these humans are. "I assume that you have a gun that does not make ice since you like fire so much" she nods to the weapon on the couch. "Are you immune to fire, Mick the Brute?" Her gaze turns back to the juice bottle; she will see that floating past her window some day soon. "Of course it is friendlier under the sea."
"Wars are money, doll. There's an industry behind it and most people don't give a damn about anything else besides brass tax. Doesn't matter if the world is over, at least they can be the ashes on the tallest stack of funds." She doesn't comment about Mick's taste in movies, nor does she deny her enjoyment of said flick, either. At the question of fire, she eyes Mick now and then turns to tend to the dinner to be made. "We'd visit, I'm sure. If we could breathe underwater."
'Mick the Brute?' He'd been called worse. Tilting his head to the side at the questions and glancing down to the burns that mark his arms and a section of his chest, the man gives a little dry chuckle and shakes his head. "Where's the fun in that?" he answers with a shrug of his shoulders. "Never robbed a mermaid bank before Lena…think they have gold from pirate ships…or just pearls from those big clam…things."
"That is insane" Mera informs Lena with the the authority of a noble who knows she is right. "How can dying over ash ever be a win? We have underwater vessels for airbreathers." Though she is soon frowning at Mick. Why do they both want to rob her home? "You find it fun to be burned by your own weapons? And I am not a mermaid. I have legs in the water too. Why does everyone want to meet a tailed Atlantean? Clams are called clams."
"I didn't say it was smart, it's just the way it is." Lena shrugs, now popping the crabs into their hot bath to start cooking. Covering the pot, she lets it go and moves toward the door, digging at the zipper of her chunky boots. Smirking toward Mick's question, she gives a wink. It's not until she asks about the fire that she looks up and over. "He didn't do that to himself with his weapon." There's a touch of defensiveness there now, the first she's shown toward Mera. A breath later, she waves it off. "It's just a joke. Our stories of Atlantis and mythical water creatures are usually mermaid in nature." Walking over to Mick, she points at her watch and then to the stove. "Give it a few minutes and check it out. Shouldn't take long. I need a shower." A salute to Mera, she shifts down the hall. "Stay for dinner, Mera. I'll be back shortly. If not, start without me."
He noticed it, he even noticed Lena's little twitch, but the man just looks to the redhead and chuckles, leaning forward where he rested. "I generally find it far more fun to burn other people with it. Enemies, people who annoy me…people who cause us problems…" he trails off with a shrug and then glances towards the stove again. "The occasional building and such."
"It would not work very well in Atlantis" Mera notes about the fire weapon. The defensiveness is recognised as lovers protecting each other so the redhead is not concerned. She offers a wave to the disappearing Lena before frowning at Mick. "Your girlfriend does not think she is beautiful. You should tell her she is. You would hardly be lying. She should not feel sad about how she looks."
"You might be suprised." Mick shrugs, standing up and walking towards the stove itself to check in on their meal. It was cooking slow, but not so slow as to tempt him to use his gun. Her words of lecture however have him frowning, looking over his shoulder. "I do, plenty." He growls back. "Before we rob a place, before we steal a car or some diamond, before I burn some schmuck alive fore pointing a gun at her."
He turns his imposing frame around, but all that strength paled to an Atlantean. "She's the smartest person I know. And you haven't seen how she looks cracking a safe or someone's head?" A grin, one as sweet perhaps as it was feral. "-That-'s beauty right there."
"Then why does she not think she is beautiful?" Mera asks, still standing since no one has offered her a seat. "Why don't you tell her when it is not part of something else?" There is no emotion or judgement in her tone. Just the facts as she sees them…which, ergo, must be correct. "How long have you been together?"
-TBC-