maskormenace | ★ 002

[Since her hotel hostage adventure had gone south, Lourdes has been laying low - not out of a desire to look repentant (she isn't, and she sees no reason why she should pretend that she is), but because she's been sulking. Her powers are gone, which is both horrible and a relief, and she's on probation, which she considers a joke.

But what she's most upset about is that it hadn't worked. She's not at all surprised that she'd been caught, and she'd always figured that it would happen eventually - but before that, when she'd been in the hotel with everybody, it hadn't done anything to make her happy, which had been her main goal in the first place. It hadn't been like Hearst Castle, or even the Horizon. It had been meaningless, just like everything else in the world.

She waits a while before turning to the network. She hasn't actually been planning to address this in any way - not to explain herself, and certainly not to apologize. But one evening when she's sitting around in her apartment, angrily glaring at the tattoo on her wrist, she fires it up and says something on a whim.]

It was for their own good.

[She has no idea how far news of the takeover has spread, or if most of the people who hear this will even know what she's talking about. That's okay. She doesn't care.]

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Same as you, naturally. To do good.

[Sharply:]

That's not what I want.

Then why pretend? [ He's dropped the mocking tone, for the most part, enough so that it's clear that he's actually asking, not just to amuse himself. ]

I'm not. I--

Doing something that's for somebody's own good isn't the same as doing good. I'm not interested in being the government's hero.

And you believe being the government's hero is synonymous with doing good? Because, I'm afraid, it's rather more the former than the latter.

Not that the two don't dovetail occasionally. But, as you say, they're not quite the same.

It's a big deal here. I figured that's what you were talking about.

But even if you weren't, I'm not a hero or a do-gooder for anyone.

I'm aware. I was talking about the statement that you felt so necessary as to announce to us all.

So, you're saying you're utterly useless? [ He's testing her rather than simply putting her down, because this has shades of being a sulky teen and honestly, who has time for hormone-fuelled tantrums? ]

I'm the opposite of useless.

[She's just used for terrible things.]

You don't really think do-gooder and useless are the only options, do you?

[ He snorts. ]

What I think is that you're all talk and no back up. I think you're terrified, lonely and have absolutely no clue what you want.

I think you've decided that because of all of the above, you decided to put on a show and throw a party in some semblance of actual popularity because that's all you know how to do.

I think you're trying to frame your refusal of the government's offer as some grand gesture when you're just rebelling like you did against your teachers. I say teachers, because it's terribly unlikely that your parents actually gave a damn about you.

Now, you can go off in a huff, pretend that I'm not absolutely right. Or prove me wrong. That you're made of something. That latter is a little more complicated, of course, but I can guide you, if you like.

[He's not right about everything, but he's right about some - more than she would have expected. It unsettles her, but she keeps her face blank as she slow-claps.]

You must be a psychologist.

Must I, indeed? Given the behaviour of our resident psychologists, I'll take that as an insult.

[ He's back to being amused. ]

Take it how you want. You act like one.

I act like a man who doesn't have to worry about who likes me. And I take you for someone who'd rather be that kind of woman.

If only you could get over your pride.

You can analyze my dreams next, Dr. Freud.

And you can throw another party and this time no one will come.

They will in two months.

[He laughs.]

Because throwing a party everyone knows your guests are unwilling to be at, despite this time having two months to make actual friends, is somehow less pathetic?

I'm not out to make friends.

You're not out to do anything.

I'm out to have fun.

You look like you're having loads of fun. My envy is overwhelming.

You didn't see me in the hotel.

Hardly anybody did.

Except for the people with me.

The ones that had to be dragged out, you mean?

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