(Untitled)

[capable_of]

There were afternoons on the island where Lex liked nothing better then to sit and play with piano in the rec room. It was relaxing in a way nothing else was and best of all, it reminded him of times with his mother, sitting beside her on the bench as she practiced with him.

Today his fingers were picking out An American in Paris. It was a bright

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[denounces_evil]

"I preferred your playing to the other song," James replied. He'd been ... well he'd been pretending to look at the bookshelf despite having no intention of reading a book. It was a cover for snooping about the island, today the compound rec room, trying to find something of value to the Boss. Thus far, his search hadn't revealed anything of interest.

"It has a catchy tune, but it won't stand the test of time." Even though James was more partial to rock than classical, there were just some things that he knew.

"Oh! I know you from the club," James exclaimed suddenly, inappropriately.

[capable_of]

At the new voice, Lex lifted his head and gave the young man a small, sardonic smile. "Thank you. I'd like to think Gershwin would always trump drivel like that." He still was both angry and upset at the jukebox's choice but he easily hid it away behind his Luthor facade.

"Your Helen's new doorman." Lex stated with a small nod at the recognition. "I know she's very thankful for new help." After a small glare at the jukebox, he began playing again, lightly and without the energy as before, more distracted then anything else. "I'm not sure if I introduced myself yet. Lex Luthor."

[denounces_evil]

"Hello Lex," he replied. He already knew the name. He had a list of people who worked at the club and people who were allowed into the club without having to sign up for hours. "I'm James since we're giving introductions."

It was moments like these that really made him miss Jessie and Meowth and the motto. They would have made a dramatic entrance and everyone would know who they were. Or perhaps not. Whatever suited their cover story maybe.

"Do you sing or play anything else?"

[capable_of]

They had that in common then. Lex had asked Helen who the new doorman was the day he'd come to work the downstairs bar and hadn't seen Harris at the door. Joey had kept him busy the rest of the night. He often wondered how the man functioned in normal society. But it still didn't hurt being polite.

"No, I'm afraid it's just the piano. It was my mother's retort to my father teaching me fencing. Yourself?"

[denounces_evil]

Sometimes it did hurt being polite. Especially if you followed a twerp trio or were partners with Jessie. Some days, Jessie was unstable at best. And other days, she cooked dinner.

"I play several instruments and I sing," James replied. "Fencing? You too. My parents had me in all sorts of activities. Fencing, piano, acting. I was even in a tea society."

[capable_of]

Lex ducked his head and chuckled to himself, bitter not beginning to cut it. "Another son of the rich and powerful I see. Born and trained in all the useless things supposedly needed to rule the world." Except Lionel's version of a tea society had been making Lex study the art of war.

[denounces_evil]

"Did yours try to marry you off to some controlling woman?" James asked, sadly nodding to everything Lex had to say. He didn't even know why they'd liked Jessiebelle in the first place or why they'd insisted that he marry her.

[capable_of]

The bark of laughter hat erupted at that caused Lex to pause in his playing for a moment. Somehow, he didn't think controlling and murderers were synonymous but it amused him all the same. "Not really no. My father preferred women he could control to keep me in line."

[denounces_evil]

This gave James pause for a moment. He hadn't considered that his parents might have chosen Jessiebelle because they could control her and thus James, himself. "Maybe that was it," James concedes after a thoughtful moment.

"I'm glad to have avoided it. Marrying that woman would have been the worst mistake of my life." James was certain of very few things in his life. Some lyrics just did not make a lasting song. His life was unpredictable. And marrying Jessiebelle would have been the worst mistake. Which was saying a lot given his subsequent life of crime after running away.

[capable_of]

Lex chuckled and shook his head as his fingers began to play again. "Oh I know the feeling. I married two women within a year, both of which tried to kill me. So no, I'm not a fan of marriage myself." And thankfully, it would never be an issue again, not if he could help it. It's part of why he loved Anatoly so very much, that they could exist in this deep relationship without the confirmation of a wedding.

"I'm guessing the woman you were to marry wasn't your type?" He asked to change the subject.

[denounces_evil]

"She sounds exactly like your women. I think she would have killed me eventually. She was always talking about how she was going to 'make you a real gentleman, James'."

"My life would have been more of the same. Boring. Or miserable. Or both," he bemoaned. "Luckily I escaped all of that. What about you, Lex?"

[capable_of]

"A real gentleman. I'm almost afraid to think of what that would require." Lex shook his head, far to amused with this conversation then was probably healthy. "You could say I escaped. I arrived here, on this island, by a plane crash through which my second wife hoped to kill me."

[denounces_evil]

"Me too," James agreed wholeheartedly.

"Well that was rude of her. At least you have your freedom now. You can be your own man instead of what mommy and daddy always wanted."

[capable_of]

Lex's smile was only strained to someone with the trained eye to see it. He didn't have it in him to tell James that he didn't have the heart to believe in freedom anymore, not after his father had gotten to him here on the island. "One of the island few good qualities I suppose."

[denounces_evil]

"You don't like the island?" James was surprised by this piece of news, exaggerated as he'd made it. That anyone might not like a tropical island, apart from perhaps missing friends, was beyond his comprehension. Then again, he was still quite new and hadn't been introduced to any of its moods. Such as the jukebox.

[capable_of]

"Oh I do like the island and I'd much rather be here then home." Lex clarified as his smile turned dark. "I just have learned never to assume I'm completely free either." Then the darkness was gone. "I'm taking you are liking the island?"