A Coffee Shop, New Amsterdam, Jack's World, Wednesday, May 28

[bitten_notshy]

Jack was still looking into his options for law school. He was about 75 percent certain he'd end up staying in Maryland one way or another -- but it never hurt to have an up-to-date-exit strategy, did it?

He wasn't sure he could see himself in New Amsterdam. (New York, to almost any other universe, but Jack's world clung to the Dutch name still.) Oh, he liked the city well enough -- but the schools he'd toured all seemed impersonal to him and far too expensive, and the idea of trying to establish himself in a community as crowded with were-things as New Amsterdam made him tired.

Still, there would be fringe benefits to being in Manhattan. One of them, as it happened, was only a portal away. Jack sipped a cafe au lait and prodded at the remnants of his third muffin as he waited for Emma.

[OOC: Open to calls and suchlike, or if you happen to be in Jack's world!]

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[icecoldfrost]

Incredibly Stylishly late, Emma slid into the seat across from Jack, dropping bags of her purchases at her feet. Of course she'd been shopping. Jack's New Amsterdam still followed the fine tradition of fabulous shoes, and therefore must be patronized. Plus, they had bookstores that she did not have access to.

"Sorry for the delay, darling. My portal was ridiculously early for once, so I decided to play tourist."

[bitten_notshy]

"It's all right, I was busy people-watching," Jack said, smiling over at her. (He'd picked the specific cafe in part because the location suggested it would be excellent for that purpose.) "Find anything amazing? I'm not sure how many of the designers carry over."

[icecoldfrost]

"Ah, but that's the fun part," Emma sighed happily, leaning back in her seat. "All new designers that no one else is wearing. I'll be a sensation."

She took off her sunglasses and looked around. "So, anyone interesting? How did school-shopping go?"

[bitten_notshy]

Jack subtly nodded his head to a rather spotty young man with ginger hair parked in a corner table, laptop open to some internet forum in front of him. "Baby vamp pretending to be human," he said, sotto voce. "He keeps ordering tea and then carrying it into the loo to dump it out. It's almost cute."

"And," he added in a more normal tone, "the schools were fine, but I'm not sure I can see myself at either of them. Everyone seemed very focused on money and real estate and corporate law. I'd stick out."

[icecoldfrost]

"Awwww!" What? It was cute! "Has he figured you out yet? Or too oblivious in his desire to be human?"

[bitten_notshy]

"I think he's noticed something odd but isn't sure what I am," Jack said. "His eyes keep sliding this way when he doesn't think I'm looking. Though he may just realize I'm the best-looking person in the place."

What? It was true!

[icecoldfrost]

"Best looking male, anyway," Emma retorted airily. "Best looking supernatural? Definitely."

Emma? Flirt shamelessly? Never.

:"

[bitten_notshy]

It was a good thing Jack had a taste for shameless flirting.

"True, but not best-looking person with powers," he said, eyes dancing with pleasure. "Let alone best-looking female."

[icecoldfrost]

"Well, you can't be perfect I suppose," Emma sighed in faux disappointment. "Since that's my tertiary power."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack mock-sighed at her. "And is the arrogance your quarternary power, or is that something you were born with?"

Not that he minded it: It had been a while since they were together and both in the kind of good mood that lent itself to arrogant banter. He'd missed it.

[icecoldfrost]

Arrogant banter and outrageous flirting were the best ways to show affection! Right?

"Would you prefer false humility?" she asked, fluttering her lashes at him as she slipped one foot out of her heels under the table. "I mean, I could try," she mused, keeping an utterly straight face as she gently bumped Jack's ankle with her foot. "-but what fun would that be?"

[bitten_notshy]

Arrogant banter and outrageous flirting were absolutely the best ways to show affection with all of your clothes on.

Or -- as the case currently was -- all your clothes minus one shoe. Jack started slightly when the foot made contact with his ankle. Men's shoes weren't as easy to slip off as heels, so he did his bit for the flirting by reaching down with one hand to trail his fingers over Emma's toes.

"It'd be boring," he admitted. "And while you are many things, that's one thing you've never been."

[OOC: NIGHT.]

[icecoldfrost]

Emma smirked. "Neither of us have ever been boring," she agreed, sliding her foot up the inside of his leg so it would be easier to reach. "Which is why I forbid you from going into corporate law. While I'd love to have you on retainer--" DIRTY "--You're much more interesting when doing something you're passionate about."

[bitten_notshy]

"I couldn't do it anyhow," Jack told her, fingers keeping up with the path of her foot. "Figuring out how to make rich people more money isn't for me. I'd either get fired or go into industrial espionage, and neither seems like a lasting career path."

He smiled over at her as he added, "What about you? How goes the quest for a dozen degrees?"

[icecoldfrost]

Emma broke into a wide grin. "Done with my undergraduates!" she answered, unashamedly doing a victory dance in her chair. "One year to go on the MBA program, and I'm considering picking up courses for a PhD in psychology. Might as well, if I'm at the school anyway."

[bitten_notshy]

"That's fantastic!" Jack laughed and clapped for her. "Is there a graduation I should go to? I'd be nice to Candy and everything. Just let me know when and where."

[icecoldfrost]

"You're always nice to Candy," Emma pointed out, laughing. "Especially when she's flirting shamelessly."

"I'll see what I can whip up. Since I can't fit people in my tiny apartment, I'll need to find a suitable venue."

[bitten_notshy]

"Are you still visiting that Hellfire place when you have the chance?" Jack mused aloud. "Not that I'm sure it's the place for a party, but if they'd let you..."

[icecoldfrost]

"I..." Emma managed to look sheepish. "I might not be a junior member anymore?"

She reached for her purse and took a moment to fish for her wallet and pull out a white card. On one side, embossed in gold, was her name. The other side simply said "Hellfire, New York."

"Apparently I'm not a 'future' leader of the world anymore?" she said, offering it to Jack. "I mean, I can't hold down a 9-5 job while in the MBA program, so when they had an opening for a part-time accountant, I applied."

Emma made a face. "They ended up going with someone who has more experience, which I can understand, but they offered me a position basically doing my Devil's Nest hostess duties for big events. Check ID, direct people to the coat room, name tags, mingle, that sort of thing."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack took the card, inspecting it closely, and clucked his tongue. "You're moving up in the world," he said. "And you'll get to know all the best gossip -- not that you don't already, but this'll be even better. Congratulations."

He was genuinely pleased for her (not to mention curious about what her newfound level of access to the powerful might mean for him). He hadn't gotten the impression hellfire people were especially nice, but so what? Many of the best people weren't, and he'd hardly be among the lambs at law school.

[icecoldfrost]

"There's no such thing as a 'nice' lawyer, Jack," Emma teased. Yes, totally reading his brain. "Predators, all of you."

Coming from Emma, that was a compliment.

"The only difference is which prey you're after."

[bitten_notshy]

"True, but I'm a good wolf, not a bad one," Jack deadpanned, and sipped his coffee. "Rummaging in my head, Ems?"

[icecoldfrost]

"Oh, I don't know. You could be the Big Bad Wolf if you set your mind to it," she replied, giving him a sultry glance from under her lashes. "And rummaging is such a vulgar word... more like 'overheard.'"

Emma gave a half-shrug, her eyes sliding to the babyvamp Jack had pointed out earlier. "Just paying attention to what people are thinking... in case anyone tries to give someone a hard time."

[bitten_notshy]

"So rummaging with a purpose." Jack smiled at her with something hard and worried behind it. "Spot any potential threats?"

He still felt his world was better about that kind of thing than hers, but there were always religious fanatics and occultophobics to contend with.

[icecoldfrost]

"Just a habit from home. If I do 'hear' anything, you'll be the second person to know," she promised. "Really, it's one of the only ways I get to 'practice' lately. Being discreet is boooooooooring."

[bitten_notshy]

"But you learn the best things that way," Jack said, only halfway teasing. "Not that I always enjoy lying by omission, but it does make things easier."

[icecoldfrost]

"Mmm... you much prefer clever truths much more," Emma teased back. "And ferreting out secrets."

[bitten_notshy]

"It's almost as though you've known me for a bit, Miss Frost," Jack said, a sparkle in his eyes. "Five years. You'd think we'd be tired of each other by now."

[icecoldfrost]

"Being around you is rarely boring," Emma pointed out. "And since I hate to be bored, I shall simply have to keep you for a bit. Only until I get bored, of course."

Liar.

[bitten_notshy]

"Of course," Jack said airily. "Though you have to understand I'm only with you as long as you keep your looks."

[icecoldfrost]

"Considering how much I paid for that portrait that keeps me young and beautiful forever, I should hope they last," Emma huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I shall have to demand a refund if it's not working."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack smiled behind his fingertips. "So far so good, but you are only 21," he said. "In ten years you'll have a fairer test."

Because 30-year-olds were ancient. Clearly.

[icecoldfrost]

If the next ten years were each like a Fandom-year, thirty would be WAY OLD. Assuming they survived the next end-of-the-world.

"In ten years, I'll have found a magic mirror," Emma decided, wriggling her fingers at him. "'Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?' Then I can go smite him or her."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack laughed. "That's not at all an overreaction," he decided.

[icecoldfrost]

"I'm vain," Emma reminded him cheerfully. "Terribly so. Smiting potential threats is, like, on the low-end of 'overreaction.'"

"And what will be your test in ten years? If you're still on the side of Good and Right, or have bowed to the corporate overlords?"

[bitten_notshy]

"Oh, god, ten years," Jack said, forehead wrinkling. He had plans for everything, but that still sounded like a long time for him. "I suppose whether I still fight for and not against supernaturals, yes."