(Untitled)

[reactionary]

WHO: Blue Beetle II (oww_myhead), Rorschach (reactionary)
WHERE: Dan's apartment
WHEN: Wednesday morningish
WARNINGS: naaaaah
SUMMARY: Rorschach is in your house eating your food what do you do.
FORMAT: para.

Comments

[oww_myhead]

It's like a bad flashback.

It starts pretty easy. After work, him and Dan had some beers, shared vague stories without much detail because they have kind of too much in common, some laughs because Ted shares bad jokes, and the night was over somewhere along the line.

He'd like to go into detail on some stuff sometime; Ted's not much of a guy for secrets, but some stuff is still sore, particularly when he still occasionally receives migraines and tries to grit through it. He isn't sure if it's because of how he died, or because of his stupid ability.

Now the day really begins, early morning -- about sevenish -- and Ted rises, in his boxers, sleepily heading into the kitchen. Wordlessly, he goes right to the fridge, digging in for the milk--

Stops.

There's some guy in a fedora messing around in the kitchen.

Ted squints at the stranger, sticking out his lower lip in thought.

Sighs.

"Dan. Danny, what did I tell you about keeping pets," he says dryly.

[reactionary]

Rorschach, being Rorschach, was of course immediately on the defensive. He'd heard the footsteps approaching, and assumed it would be his nerdy friend walking around the corner, probably reacting to him pretty calmly - instead, there was some unknown stranger. Suspicious. He started and turned toward Ted sharply, his mask abruptly shifting into some different pattern. Who...

Just then remembered Dan talking about a roommate. This must be him.

But he was scrutinizing.

Eyeing Ted warily, container of finally-found sugarcubes in the midst of being opened, he said nothing.

[oww_myhead]

Of all the things in life, this isn't the most unusual. Sure, it's still pretty strange and all. The mask in particular -- he's assuming that's a mask, who the heck even knows in this place -- is interesting to watch. Inkblots shifting in symmetrical patterns--

Oh. Hey.

This must be Rorschach. Makes sense anyway.

At any rate, this is no weirder than being best friends with a guy from the future, as well as friends with a woman who bursts into green flames and telepathic Martian, as well as just having come back from the dead.

"So hi," Ted greets him, going about to preparing coffee. "You want a mug? I don't mind. I usually make too much anyhow. I'm more of a 'I'll have some coffee with my cream and sugar' than the other way around, know what I'm saying?"

[reactionary]

The stranger seemed friendly enough, not that that had any effect on Rorschach. Not much, at least. What if he wasn't Dan's roommate? What if he was some sort of serial killer attempting to throw him off. Maybe he had the wrong apartment. That, too, was plausible.

... No, he was sure this was Dan's place. Who else would have industrial-strength locks on the door (easily broken anyway), various tools spread out over the floor - his ally must hate the lack of room - and a cupboard with about five containers of individually-wrapped sugarcubes?

Well, he had to make sure.

"Who are you."

[oww_myhead]

Stiff, fedora, lack of face -- oh yeah, he's thinking of Vic hardcore right about now. He hasn't seen the ol' faceless detective for ages, it feels like, but the resemblance is kind of hitting it hard on the nail here. Must be a universe thing. Hell if Ted knows.

He shrugs at the lack of answer, prepares an extra cup anyway just in case. Who knows, Rorschach might come around.

"Ted Kord," he replies, trying to muffle a yawn. "Also known as Blue Beetle. Uh." Ted squints and waves his hand a little. "You know, the second one. With the gadgets. I'm not the one running around with alien tech. He's the third one."

Secret identities, what are those. Honestly, he isn't worried about it as much as he should be; his death has sort of desensitized him about that sort of thing.

When you die, your identity is kind of pointless, he figures.

"Beetle's good, or Ted. You know, whichever. It's interchangeable. You hungry?"

[reactionary]

So maybe Rorschach could let his paranoia decrease just a little. The guy seemed legit. For now. Casually going back to raiding the cubes and storing them in his pocket, he replied in mumbles. "Rorschach. Ehn. About to leave."

Which was only half true. He grabbed the nearest box of some generic Corn Flake-type and tore into it, eating right out of the box. Quickly. Food consumption took up valuable time.

But he is staying for the coffee, at least, which is so generously being shared. That's a plus.

[oww_myhead]

"Yeah, you're kinda famous around here, 'Shach," he muses. Even Mary knew Rorschach. Liked him, of course; Mary likes almost everyone, sweetheart that she is.

Good kid, sometimes too good.

"You know, that's usually more enjoyable with milk. Maybe some honey. Less with the handfuls to the mouth, more with a spoon." Least it shows it's a mask and not a face. Somehow that's not entirely relieving.

Ted pours himself a mug. "So, uh. How you like your coffee?"

Socializing with Rorschach. Right. Well, it's kind of strange to think, but he supposes he could be bickering with Eddie, again. By comparison, this is way more tolerable.

[reactionary]

"Famous." Undoubtedly because the majority of the community of supers disliked him and his methods. Or, more frankly, hated him. He didn't mind, until they truly interfered with his pursuit of justice.

... Another nickname. Why did he attract them so often? Rorschach didn't like nicknames. Though they were preferable to "Walter". Most of the time.

He glanced over at Ted before tossing him about three sugarcubes, then headed to the kitchen table with the cereal box still in hand. Sat down and continued to ronch them, dry. With the mask partially pulled up it didn't make as much movement, and the ripples it did create were even more distorted.

[oww_myhead]

To him, it's just that Rorschach's name has been thrown around a lot. It doesn't really make much of a difference to him. Of course, he hasn't read much into rumors, even if they might be true.

He doesn't want to think about it, how odd it is that he's accepting of it. When did he start to care less?

Three cubes are tossed. Nice indication, he thinks dryly, and prepares a mug for the weirdo in the fedora before approaching and offering the cup.

"Ssssso, you a friend of Dan's?" A guess, anyway. Unless Rorschach just breaks into anyone's place for some Corn Flakes.

...Somehow that wouldn't surprise him.

[reactionary]

"Have known him a long time. Was partner. Part of group of vigilantes." Rorschach took the cup and shoved the box aside, wiping away crumbs with a sleeve. Sipped. He didn't get proper caffiene too often, hence the sugarcubes.

He then glanced momentarily at the clock before eyeing Ted once again. It was still incredibly early. Most crimes happened around nightfall. He could afford to find out some more about this guy, find out if he really was what he said.

There was silence before he asked the inevitable - "Staying with Daniel. Why?"

[oww_myhead]

There's the strong urge to make jokes about why he's here. I was adopted! or Oh, I was always here, I live under the bed. or something equally lame, but he remembers pretty well what Rorschach's sense of humor was like.

Which was, suffice to say, none.

"He offered room not long I woke back up in this place," he replies, sipping his coffee. Oh, precious precious caffeine. "He's really nice. Good partner to have."

They haven't gone crimefighting together yet. Honestly, he's not sure if they will; Ted's been a bit skittish about it just yet. He has the right equipment. Right costume for it.

Just hasn't sunk in yet. He knows what's holding him back, too.

[reactionary]

Well, he was infinitely more tolerable than Tank Girl to say the least. She'd been one of the reasons he'd slipped out of contact with his old ally, as much as he hated to admit to himself. The fact that she had superpowers... eh. It was useless trying to fight her.

Plus, Ted reminded him of Dan a little - with more confidence. Or at least a facade of it. Even one as socially inept at Rorschach could pick this up.

He actually chilled a bit. Had a better feeling about this. There was some more silence; Rorschach was hardly a conversationalist. Almost done with the coffee.

[oww_myhead]

Yeah, that reminds him a bit of Vic, too. Only conversation when need be and usually it's cryptic as hell, too. Guy was like Rorschach but different in a load of ways.

At least Vic used a bowl and milk, far as he knew.

"Next time, I'll leave out cookies and milk for you." Hard to tell now if he's joking about that, but the inclination of what he's alluding to isn't hard to miss for most people.

Ted just cracks a genuine smile. "Nice meeting you. I should, uh. Probably actually go get ready for work. Be careful out there, 'Shach."

Coffee finished, he sets down the mug in the sink and stretches before he heads back towards the bathroom.

[reactionary]

Despite an inward flinch at "'Shach", he gave a slight nod to Ted before finishing off the mug and pulling his mask back down. Much better. After he left, Rorschach similarily rose up, dropped his cup in the sink and went for the door. Daniel would need to fix that lock.

The morning was fairly cool, at least compared to the rest of the day - which would get almost unbearably hot in this summer. That was a small thing to be thankful for. And Ted Kord was on his tiny list of tolerable people. For now.