[open] Space is Cold

[catchacold]

Who: Leonard and YOU
Where: The Citadel
When: all through the event
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Len does all right in space, mostly by doing wrong
The Story:

1. Space Bar

A bar is a bar is a bar. Leonard doesn't find anything drastically different about this place, except for the aliens and the ice seemingly not melting, which has his attention more than the actual drink. He stands a bit apart from most of what's going on, leaning against the wall by a table and watching no one in particular.

Although, if someone comes in at the right - or wrong - time, they may find him sending cold looks edging on outright glares in the direction of his partner, who's probably having a bit too good a time, at least in Leonard's opinion.

2. Space Museum

What came first, the stealing or the art appreciation? In Leonard's case - having been born into a criminal family - it was the stealing. These days, however? It's genuine appreciating for its own sake too. He looks at the building from the outside first, appreciating the architecture but, of course, also casing the joint. Force of habit or actually leading up to something, it's anyone's guess.

Later he can be found inside, both appreciating the exhibition and inspecting the alarm system and other safety measures, a connoisseur of both art and art theft. He's subtle enough about the latter, but someone in a similar business or otherwise experienced may be able to pick up on it.

Space Wild Card

[Come at me with whatever you want! Contact via PM or at reineke, in case you want to plot.

NOTE: I'll be on hiatus from the 5th to the 20th of April, so tags will be slow to non-existent during that time.]

Comments

meet & greet

[catchacold]

...got something stuck in your throat, Raymond?

[Seemed like an opportune question. Leonard looks at Ray with amusement mixed with bemusement. Is that the Raymond that had decided to be Mick's partner going forth?

Damn.]

Play it cool.

[shrinkage]

[ he frowns in thought before executing a series of very purposeful steps. his shoulders round down, rolling his neck so that his chin juts out to the side a little. he looks around their surroundings for something to lean against and sidles up to the crate, perching at the edge and stretching his legs out before him, crossed at the ankles. ]

You worry too much.

[ after another moment of obvious contemplation, he quickly crosses his arms. he nods to himself, satisfied with this first recipe, and adds a dash of rory: ]

I don't need no nurse maid.

[catchacold]

...do you know what a nurse maid is?

[What is happening? Why is it happening? How does he stop it? Leonard looks at him, then slowly walks closer, raising his hand.]

Are you having an aneurysm?

[That question really requires no answer and Leonard simply gives Ray's shoulder a shove, just to see how off-balance he actually is right now.

He guesses very.]

[shrinkage]

[ he weebles. he wobbles. he does not fall down! but he does shake off the bad cosplay to stand up straight again. and try as he might, he's unable to keep himself from grinning. ]

Maybe. You know, a lot of people have them and never even know.

[ isn't that terrifying? no matter how clean you eat or how much you work out-- boom. aneurysm can take you down. he leans in, voice lowered conspiratorially: ]

So ... how do you know these guys? Is there like, some kind of criminal Craig's List or something?

[catchacold]

Sure. You list your preferences and hard limits, agree on a safe word and take it from there.

[He says it in the same conspiratorial tone, his voice lowered, leaning against the wall while somehow impossibly having a much more stable stance than Ray did.]

[shrinkage]

[ that gets a chuckle from ray. his comment comes off-handed-- ]

And then include a couple of riders and loop holes? These guys don't look like the fine-tooth comb types when it comes to a contract.

[catchacold]

I don't do loop holes when I work with people. They stick to the plan, respect the rules or they're out. And when they're out, they're out.

[Maybe it's a coincidence that his hand closes around the cold gun here, maybe it's not.]

But this is low stakes. Just an event, no consequences.

Bit boring. Better than nothing.

[His new and very frustrating mantra.]

[shrinkage]

[ no loop holes. an honest crook. this is still so confusing to ray. ]

Wait, you're bored?

[ seems like maybe that's not something ray paid attention to before. he tries to watch snart without directly staring at him-- eye contact always lead to snart's comments ray can't ever figure out. ]

[catchacold]

On and off. A lot back in Central, before the Flash appeared.

[It seems like another lifetime, looking back. How much of that boredom has been wanting to make more of his life? Hard to say. How much has he really ended up making of his life?

Perhaps a question best not answered.]

Nothing we do here matters. Curbs the entertainment factor.

[shrinkage]

[ mention of barry sparks ray's interest. he can't help musing on it: ]

I'm not sure I'd keep up my lifestyle if the Flash intervened...

[catchacold]

I changed my lifestyle when the Flash came running.

[Leonard smiles as he looks to the side, his mind mentally keeping a checklist of their current plan. He can multitask.]

He made the game fun again.

[shrinkage]

[ he'd been about to ask why, and when his answer comes unbidden, ray rolls his eyes. but he's grinning, still. ]

Mere mortals were no match for Captain Cold? You needed a speedster to make it a challenge?

[catchacold]

Guess they weren't. And maybe I did.

[Leonard's not really cocky in his reply there, he's just going by evidence. He's always looked for challenges and he's always beaten them. Circle of crime or whatever, King of Central City whenever he felt like it.

But the Flash has given him new direction. Barry even more so.]

Then the Flash told me there's good in me. Cute kid. Wrong, but a cute kid.

[shrinkage]

I dunno...

[ barry's opinion counts way more than most, in ray's eyes. he's an actual literal force for good, and that's even without the mask. his face when ray had told him about snart's death had told him a lot. ]

Maybe it's intimidating? For someone like the Flash to put their faith in you.

[catchacold]

[Leonard coughs, then finally ends up chuckling, quickly forcing himself to quiet down. Look, he hadn't expected to hear something this funny.]

The Flash and intimidating, eh? Good one.

[Still.]

It was interesting. I'll say that.

[shrinkage]

[ he tries to be careful, tries to make it sound like a natural progression. ray stares at his feet. ]

You don't find speedsters intimidating?

[catchacold]

I'm Cold, aren't I? Speed's the opposite of that.

The Flash was more worried about me than I ever worried about him. He just pissed me off when he didn't show up for our dates.

[In all honesty, he adores fifty percent of the speedsters he knows. Less sure about Eobard.

Speaking of...]

Who scared you, haircut?

[shrinkage]

[ he's trying to lean into this. snart already always makes him feel like all his nerves are exposed. ray sighs, and gives it a shot. ]

I met Thawne. Back home, I mean.

[ he stares at snart's feet. ]

[catchacold]

[Leonard looks down at his own feet, then just back at Ray. Oh.

With a frown he pulls one leg up to raise his foot and lean it against the wall, his eyes on Ray.]

What happened?

[shrinkage]

Stranded together.

[ it wasn't the physical danger, ray realizes. not until they got back to the waverider, anyway. ]

When Savage baited me, it was-- untrue.

[ thawne, however. he'd hit the nail on the head. ]

[catchacold]

But Thawne got you down to a t, eh? [Not so surprising, even just based on the short experience he's had with the man so far. Besides, he's from the future. An ultimate cheat sheet.

Not that he's found Ray so hard to figure out.]

What did he say?

[shrinkage]

Nothing new, really.

[ leaning in is getting harder, and ray pulls the atom suit from his pocket to give him something to focus on. to roll back and forth between his hands, and concentrate on the cool feel of the metal.

to remind him he's not helpless. not since the siege. ]

Just hearing it from some that despicable-- I know I'm not a hero.

[ he can't tell what it means that he might agree. ]

But I'm not like him. I'm not.

[catchacold]

Look, Raymond. I got you figured out in under a minute, you ain't that much of an enigma.

[Maybe not what he wants to hear, but Leonard's never been one to sugarcoat things.]

But there's one thing that surprises me about you. You know what it is?

[shrinkage]

[ he can't help the joke. but his voice stays quiet; relatively somber: ]

My velvety singing voice?

[catchacold]

Nah. Haven't heard you sing.

[Not a request. Definitely not.]

You think about stuff like this. You're doubting yourself. You want to figure yourself out. You're not just a self-righteous bastard. You could change things up. That's more than Thawne's expecting, trust me.