trans_9 | Rock Bottom [NOW OPEN]

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Rock Bottom [NOW OPEN]

Julian was still irritated to hell and back. Thankfully someone had pointed him in the direction of the ~~Danger Rooms~~ Sensoriums so he could blow off some steam.

He had to be a little more creative about it, though. Without his powers, the urge to fling himself at danger didn't seem particularly smart. So, instead, he had the room recreate his favorite basketball court. It was located on the SoCal coast, just off the beach.

The sound of the waves nearby was relaxing, and he could even smell the ocean as the breeze crossed the waves and on to shore. Normally, he'd be something close to being at peace here, but he was still bugged and irritated.

He wanted to blame the collar. It was heavy, it itched, it was screwing with his jumper. But, really, it all ran much deeper than that.

To say his life had gone to shit in the last few months would be an understatement. Ever since M-Day, every thing he held dear in his life had been slowly stripped away from him. His family abandoned him, the girl he loved broke his heart, his friends were killed, his home was destroyed, his own sense of idealism was shattered, the X-Men, the other heroes were too busy fighting and ignored him, it was currently up for a public vote as to whether or not he should be allowed to have kids one day or be chemically sterilized forever; and most recently, the person who he trusted most to guide him had helped the Avengers subdue him, lock away his powers, then lock him away in 42.

So, now he really had hit bottom, as he was on Stacy with nothing. No money, no powers, not even the clothes on his back. He really didn't even have much of an idea who he was right now.

Hell, he hugged Chamber. That's how desperate and happy he was to have something around that was at least some shred of what he knew. He even sort of latched on to Captain Picard because the guy looked like Xavier, and he barely knew the Professor to begin with.

He was living in the past. And much like this place, it was just an empty, hollow substitute for the real thing. He had nothing, now.

...Did that mean he was nothing?

"Who are you right now?" he asked himself, tossing off another jumper that clanged off the rim.

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"Who is anybody, really?" Kara asked. If he cared to look, he'd see a pretty blonde girl sitting on a Sensorium-created bench, her legs crossed, watching Julian with particular interest. There was a churro - also Sensorium-created - in her hand, and she seemed to be snacking on it. Or at least she gave the illusion of snacking on it. She grinned at him. "Talking to yourself, or have you snapped and made yourself an imaginary friend?"

He had been so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice her come in. But once he saw her, he recognized her instantly. Kon's cousin.

"Depends. Are you real?" He smirked at her while he chased down the rebound. "Or did I just imagine the hottest girl in the universe?"

Oh, smooth, Julian.

Kara's grin grew wider and she stood up. The attention - and the compliment - felt nice. Better than nice, even. Especially since...she wasn't even going to think about it. She approached him, twirling the churro around in her hand like a tiny baton. Flakes of cinnamon sugar lazily drifted off the churro and disappeared into the air. "I'm very, very real," Kara replied, "no matter how much some people may insist I'm the product of a comic book." She tucked back a lock of her hair. "Though if you're dreaming? I'd say you're pretty damn lucky to be having this dream. Or not, all things considered." After all, meatship in spaaaaaace. Was that really anyone's first choice for a dream.

It wouldn't be his first choice, but Julian did tend to have rather exotic dreams.

He circled Kara, still keeping just a bit of distance between them.

"If you're part of my dream, I'm not sure I want to ever wake up." In addition to being an asshole, he can be one hell of a flirt when he wants to be. "But how do I know you're really real?" he teased.

"Good question," Kara replied. "I mean, with the Sensorium, everything can become physically touchable...so even if I did this," Kara took the basketball away from Julian, making sure that her hand grazed his as she did so, "it could just be that I'm a figment of your unconscious that the Sensorium brought to life." She dribbled the ball and offered him a saucy smile. "Tell me, handsome...how do you intend to figure out of I'm a dream, a hoax, an imaginary girl, or the real deal?" she asked coyly.

Already, he liked this girl. He moved a little closer, making a lazy swipe for the ball, but it was more an excuse to let his hand brush against her thigh for a moment.

"I don't know, gorgeous. I guess I'm going to have to ask you out."

You know. For science.

True. Biology is a science.

"Huh," Kara replied, grinning. "You want to ask me out on a date? Here?" She let Julian take the ball and circled him slowly. "Clearly, you haven't been to the mess hall yet. It takes cafeteria food to a whole new, much lower level." She made a move for the ball. "But then again," she added as she stole the ball back, "I'm tempted to say yes. Regardless." She pivoted then, and her hair gently hit Julian's cheek as she went for the shot. "What is that, like, two points?"

He wasn't playing much defense, but he might start. If only for the excuse to bump up against her.

"Nice shot."

He went to retrieve the ball, and dribbled it as he made his way back to her.

"Well, I heard the media library had something akin to a movie theater." Yes, a nice, private, cozy space. "Maybe you could join me there instead, and we can see if you're real." Preferably by making out with her. Lots.

"You, me, a dark room, and a movie?" Kara asked. She makes her way towards him, making sure not to use her superspeed, and tries unsuccessfully to take the ball from him. Her hand grazes his again though. "Tell me, will it be something that'll scare me so I'll have to bury my head in your shoulder, something romantic so I can see you have a sensitive side, or will you appeal to me by making me laugh through a comedy?"

"Let's see." He dribbled around her, looking thoughtful as he did.

"You don't strike me as being a girl who scares easily. And I don't think my sensitive side is the part of me you want to see the most." He let that statement hang in the air for a moment. "But you do like to have fun. So I'm thinking maybe something more of an action comedy. Something we can laugh at and enjoy... or not pay a whole lot of attention to." Just in case they wanted to pay far more attention to each other.

She chuckled.

And then she wasn't standing there.

Suddenly, the ball disappeared from Julian's hand.

The next moment, Kara's hovering above the basket and she drops the ball in. Gravity brings the ball down faster than Kara.

Granted, Kara's not exactly following the rules of gravity.

She dives down and grabs the ball, though, her cape fluttering behind her. She lands in front of Julian and tosses it to him. "It's a date, handsome. Though I should warn you - don't choose anything with Chris Tucker. His voice distracts me in exactly the way you don't want it to."

Ok, she was impressive. He actually was speechless for a moment, then chuckled a bit.

"Not a problem, gorgeous. I'm Julian, by the way. You're... Linda, right?"

"I'm...who?!" Kara's eyes glowed red as Julian asked the question. Her nostrils flared and her mouth dropped open in an "o" of surprise.

Wrong question, hot stuff. Wrong question.

"I'm who?!" She asked again, much more forcefully.

Ok, that clearly did not go as planned. So, he went to plan B, as in Blame his source for giving him bad information.

"You're Kon's cousin, right? He told me your name was Linda, and you go by the name of... of..." What was it? Strong-girl? Mightygirl?

Oh, yeah! "Powergirl... I think."

Her eyes flared brighter. "Supergirl." Julian could likely feel the arctic breath as she said the word. "I'm Supergirl. My name is Kara. Power Girl is my alternate universal counterpart. Linda...was my predecessor." The bright flare of her eyes faded. "Kon told you this?"

Yes, let's deflect the blame about this.

"Yeah. I was talking to him when I first got out of the slime. When I spotted you, I asked him about you and he said your name was Lin-- oh that little cockblocking son of a---"

Wait...

"You don't happen to have a twin sister on board, do you? Cause I don't think I'd forget a ~~rack~~ face like yours."

"If one had, I'm fairly certain I would have found out about it," she pointed out. "I'm sure Kon wouldn't have hesitated to track me down and tell me, considering he's so into telling people things." She set her mouth in a grim line. "Speaking of which, Linda didn't look anything like me. I've seen pictures. And Power Girl's at least a decade older." She closed her eyes for a minute. "Rao...I'm sorry, Julian. I didn't mean to. It's just..." she shook her head. "It's a long story for another time." She opened her eyes and tilted her head. "You know...if there still is another time?"

Ok, he seemed to have gotten past that speedbump. And she was still interested, so it was time to get things back on track.

"Well, Kara-- that's a pretty name by the way." Less fighting, more flirting. "Look, it's alright. If you're still on for that movie..."

"Oh," Kara smiled and took a step closer to Julian. "I'm still very, very on for that movie. Just tell me when you want me I'm all yours." She let that hang for a moment.

He actually had to stop himself from saying 'right now'.

"Tonight, then, gorgeous. Just you and me."

"We don't actually have a night here, handsome, but I'll be sure to see you in a couple," she grinned. "Right after I've killed my cousin." And then - wait, was that a kiss on his cheek? - she was gone.

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Rock Bottom [NOW OPEN]

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