Hidden with have_no_mercy.

[darkseidofmoon]

As Darkseid's taxi pulls up to the specified motel, he can't help but smile a little. Tess has really done an excellent job in selecting her hiding place, as no one would possibly think to look for her here. Except for him, of course

Comments

[have_no_mercy]

"Mmm," she noises thoughtfully, looking him over curiously. "Almost enough to upgrade your status from 'secret admirer' to 'stalker'."

[darkseidofmoon]

Now it's his turn to laugh softly as he considers that. "I suppose that's an understandable conclusion. But 'stalker' sounds so...obsessive. As if all my thoughts and efforts are bent on you alone. I've already told you that's not the case."

He leans back in his chair and pauses to regard her with a smile once more. "Though I do, of course, very much enjoy seeing your decidedly pretty face."

[have_no_mercy]

"Lucky for me I believe you. Besides, there are far more interesting people for any potential stalkers to be obsessed with."

Then she just shakes her head, amused. "See, now that I know these are all just facts, I can't even say thank you."

[darkseidofmoon]

"Mmm. Well, as far as interesting people go, you are fairly high on the list. In a completely non-obsessive way, of course."

Then he'll give another shrug. "I did say I was capable of both complimentary facts and genuine flattery. Telling which is which is left entirely up to you."

[have_no_mercy]

"Ah, but I'm not at the top of the list, so I'm right."

Tess sighs and rests a hand beside her on the bed, leaning slightly to one side. "And I said I wasn't in the mood for games."

[darkseidofmoon]

Darkseid can do no games. However, it isn't typically an overly pleasant experience.

"If not games, then what are you in the mood for?"

[have_no_mercy]

"Well, I wasn't expecting company, so I can't say I had anything terribly exciting planned." She looks at him, almost expectantly. "You're the one who made the trip of his own accord."

[darkseidofmoon]

He fails to suppress another small smile as he meets her gaze. "True. But you haven't thrown me out yet."

[have_no_mercy]

"No," she replies, a slight smile of her own. "But there was talk of shooting you, which is a far more exiting idea than anything I'd been thinking of."

[darkseidofmoon]

"That would certainly make things exciting," he agrees with amusement. "Though you did mention something about it making too much of a mess. Plus, the noise of the gun may arouse the suspicion of this place's other half-dead residents."

[have_no_mercy]

"I have a silencer." Tess is nothing if not prepared in arms. "But it would be too messy and I never was good at tourniquets."

She glances toward the one window in the room, despite the curtains being drawn. "How easy was it for you to find me?"

[darkseidofmoon]

"Whatever will you do for entertainment instead?"

Then he raises an eyebrow in response to her question. "About as easy as it was for me to discern everything else."

[have_no_mercy]

"I thought that's what we were deciding."

His reply gets a slight nod. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me how you do any of it, are you." It's not really a question. She hardly expects him to offer up such information.

[darkseidofmoon]

"I suppose it is."

He pauses to study her for a moment before responding. "To be honest, I don't see why it really matters." Then a hint of his smile returns as he continues. "And it's always somewhat disappointing when a trick is explained. You have to guess how it's done--it's in your nature--but when at last you get there, you miss the intrigue of not knowing precisely how it's done."

[have_no_mercy]

She looks back at him, almost surprised. "With everything you do know you really can't figure out why it would matter to me to know how?"

[darkseidofmoon]

"Oh, I understand your desire to know how," he says thoughtfully, meeting her gaze. "When it comes down to it, though, I don't think that piece of information is extremely important at the moment. There are better things to be concerned with."