(Untitled)

[do_great_things]

WHO: Lex Luthor
WHERE: The Nightclub or Building 50
TIME OF DAY: Nightfall
POST SUMMARY: Lex lights up the town. Literally.

Comments

[hungarianheart]

Florence had been idly going through one of the books she'd found in her room in the forlorn hope of finding something legible when the night burst into a cacophony of light and sound.

Swearing under her breath, she changed out of her nightgown back into her suit and headed out to investigate. After several minutes of searching, she zeroed in on the nightclub and entered, wincing at the noise.

She spotted Lex and headed over, somehow not surprised to find him behind all of this. "Well, Mr. Luthor. Dare I ask?"

[do_great_things]

Since he of course couldn't hear her come in, Lex looked up when he saw her out of the corner of his eye as he was taking another drink from the wine bottle. He gave her a charming grin and offered her one of the nearby seats. "I'm just trying to get a little attention Ms. Vassey." He said, only a tiny bit smugly.

[hungarianheart]

"I'd say you've gotten that in spades," Florence said dryly as she sat on the indicated seat. "Should I ask why or will that be just cramping your style?"

She eyed the bottle he was holding. A drink sounded like the perfect thing right now. If she was lucky, it would stave off the headache that was threatening to descend. "I don't suppose there's any more where that came from?"

[do_great_things]

"Not at all! It's a brilliantly simple plan if I do say so myself!" But first thing was first and he reached for a nearby glass to pour her some of the wine. Once that was settled, he gladly began explaining his plan. "While the five of us were lucky enough to arrive where someone could find us, what if someone did not have such good fortunate and thought they were alone in the city? The obvious light and music would let them know someone was here and give them a beacon to follow to the rest of us. Plus, if anyone is watching from over the wall, perhaps they might send in rescue if they knew people were here." Then he sat back with a smug smile, taking another drink of wine as he let her process his words.

[hungarianheart]

As Florence sipped her wine, she was forced to admit that Lex's plan was actually quite reasonable and well thought-out. Such a thing was a novelty in her experience.

"I have to hand it to you, that is rather clever." She saluted him with her glass. "Any luck?"

[do_great_things]

Of course it was clever. Clever was what had allowed him to survive as his father's son. But for Florence he just smiled, then shook his head in response to her question. "None so far, but I've prepared if that changes." He used his bottle-less hand to indicate the lounge turned make shift shelter.

[hungarianheart]

Florence turned her head to survey the shelter and nodded in approval. Blankets, food, clothes - it appeared that Lex had indeed thought of everything. All they could do now was wait and see if anyone else would come.

"Well, I salute you," she said, raising her glass to him. "I'll admit the thought of doing something like this never even crossed my mind."

[do_great_things]

"In modern society, survival is not foremost on everyone's mind." Lex said matter a factly as he took a drink of wine. "I wouldn't have either if not for a recent experience." Not that he was ready to talk about his stay on the island with anyone, but it still held true. At least here, supplies and comforts were easier to find.

[hungarianheart]

"No," Florence agreed after she'd taken a sip of her wine. "I'd say money and sex are are the top two. Depending on who you ask, at least. I know a few people who have different priorities."

She raised an eyebrow at the mention of his recent experience but let it pass. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. She knew all too well the futility of trying to pry information from someone who didn't want to talk.

"All I can say is that right now, this wine is the foremost thought of my mind. I didn't realize how much I needed this until now."

[do_great_things]

Lex couldn't help a small bark of laughter as Florence pointed out society's top two wants. It had certainly applied to him for the longest time. "I can't argue with that."

Taking another sip of said wine, Lex nodded as he agreed. "Yes, I can't imagine dealing with this situation without some sort of alcohol to deal with it." He finished the bottle on his next gulp. He stood and moved to the back of the lounge and return with a fresh bottle, topping off Florence's glass before taking another sip himself. "Thankfully, this club seems to be well stocked. I have a feeling we may need it as time goes by." Since they were to be held here for an indefinite amount of time...

[hungarianheart]

"Mm, thank you," Florence murmured as he filled up her glass. "I should be nice and respectable and not have any more, but by god, I've had enough of that for awhile. I think I deserve it."

She took a deep sip of the wine then carefully leaned over to take a look at the bottle, curious to see what vintage it was, momentarily forgetting that it was a pointless exercise given the unreadability of the alphabet. No matter, it was nice and strong and she was going to keep drinking it.

[do_great_things]

"And who exactly do you have to be nice and respectable for?" Lex asked with a smug smile and another sip of wine. "Certainly not for the vast population of this fair city and certainly not for me, since I don't plan to stop drinking for a good while longer."

He watched her try and read the bottle before saying almost off offhandedly, "It's like no language I've ever seen. As a child, I used to study ancient history. The Battle of Troy. The Rise and Fall of Rome. The Eclectic Egyptians and The Exotic Orient. When I was older, I traveled the world with my father when he went overseas on business. And yet, in all of my experience, I have never seen anything this."

[hungarianheart]

"You know? I suppose I don't have to behave for anyone," Florence said thoughtfully, glancing at Lex. "Not anymore. God, what will I do with myself now? I don't think I even remember who Florence Vassy really is, away from the politics of chess games."

She leaned back against the seat with a sigh. "History, hmm? I've traveled a lot and I've never seen anything like this either. It would be fascinating if it weren't for the fact we seemed to be trapped."

[do_great_things]

"Perhaps now is the perfect time to rediscover her. A blank slate as you will." His tone was light, as was his suggestion. It was the lingering offer behind it to help her that he left in the air between them. And oh, did he have a few ways in mind.

"Though I do have to ask," Lex continued after another sip of wine. "Politics of chess games; do you meant that in a metaphorical sense or literal?" He could easily imagine politics in the terms of a chess game, he often used the reference to describe the politics in dealing with his father. Though if she meant literal...well, he couldn't help being intrigued as to what politics were involved in the sport of chess.

[hungarianheart]

Florence raised an eyebrow at Lex, wondering how much she should read into his tone. It seemed innocent enough on the face of it, but she was far too experienced a negotiator not to recognize shades of meaning in other people's words.

"Perhaps," she merely said with a sly smile, taking a sip of wine. "I certainly have the time for it, at any rate."

At Lex's question, she could only laugh wryly. "Literal sense. You'd be very surprised, or no... perhaps, you wouldn't be, at all that goes on behind the scenes for a match. The arguing, negotiating - there's nothing that hasn't been endlessly discussed when a match starts, from the location to the exact dimension of the chairs used."

[do_great_things]

Realizing he'd been caught, Lex just chuckled and brushed it off. Let her think it a joke or that he was serious, he didn't care either way. "Exactly. It isn't as if there is anything else to do around here, vice raiding other peoples homes and businesses." And then he left it at that.

Of course when she spoke about her profession, he looked on in genuine interest. "I wish I could say I'm surprised, but when I think about it, I suppose I'm not." He said with a small chuckle. "It sounds like any mental battle. I've been in boardrooms with just as much pre-negotiations before the actual business meeting." Especially with his father.