Peace and Quiet - a_carrion_crow

[heaven_helps]

Bernard and Monica Emory hosted a September party every year. In their younger days, it celebrated the return of their five children to boarding school. Now, with those children grown, it was merely held out of tradition. There was dinner and toasting and some dancing. While the separation was much more unofficial than at other parties Gotham's

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[a_carrion_crow]

Joshua Crane sulked in the upstairs hallway of the Emory house, caught between the different sets of partygoers. The younger people were insipid and boring and the older - well, they were much the same.

He wasn't sure why his mother had insisted they go. His father, bowing to her wishes as always, was there, downstairs, saying nothing and pretending not to notice the stares. Joshua enjoyed the attention; when they looked at Jonathan Crane some of them - most of them, actually - reacted with a surge of panic. Their faces rarely showed it, but Joshua could feel it. He'd had enough of those small jolts of fear to satisfy him for the evening. If he could leave now, he'd be able to enjoy the effects of it - but no, his parents were still milling about.

Even people as dimwitted as the Emorys ought to have books somewhere, he reasoned. All he needed to do was find a room to himself where he could relax with a book after his "meal."

With that in mind, he found a door with no noise or light coming from the room behind it, and slipped inside

[heaven_helps]

The lamp on the desk offered little light, but it made the room easy to navigate. The walls muted most of the sounds of both parties. All in all, Helena thought it a nice little hideaway, especially as the talking and music and cigar smoke made her feel almost overloaded. She didn't want absolute darkness, but... the quiet and the dim light helped her head pound a little less.

She didn't hear the door open, meaning she didn't rise from her reclined position on the couch. She knew she couldn't stay here for the rest of the night, but it would do for now. Just a few more minutes to collect herself, then she'd go back to trying to convince those stuffed shirts that they ought to part with some of their money to help the youth they always said should straighten up.

[a_carrion_crow]

The desk light lit up the walls of books, and there, in the corner seemed to be a couch. Joshua walked over to examine the books, intending to select one and settle himself in while he digested his snack.

[heaven_helps]

Someone upstairs decided to do something to the stereo system at that point, and the feedback could be heard even in the study. That made Helena react, still thinking she was alone.

It wasn't loud, not to most people, but she sat up, saying to herself, "Fuck."

[a_carrion_crow]

At that, he laughed. "I think they have bigger worries now. Didn't you know there was an actual super-villain downstairs?"

[heaven_helps]

Helena tilted her head, smiling even more. "Is there now? Who?"

[a_carrion_crow]

"Should I tell you?" He seemed to think it was quite amusing. "You don't want to guess? The person in question is just milling around, sipping a glass of wine, and acting as though it's normal to be stared at."

[heaven_helps]

"I'm sure I could guess if I poked around down there," she said, chuckling. "Is it a Gotham-grown 'super villain' or a non-native?"