Just Another City to Swindle [Open]

[Trickster]

Okay, okay, so Gotham Heights was pretty awesome. James managed to procure a rather nice home on a hill that overlooked the city line. Four bedrooms, three baths, a pool, a...workshop. And standing on the back balcony, he breathed a mixed sigh of relief and expectation.

It was certainly a shift from the Twin Cities. Not as nice as LA, but it had it's perks. The nightlife was fantastic, in the right areas, and most of the city was relatively easy to con. Yeah. It was a good choice, but there were some downsides.

Most of the villains in Gotham were second-class hacks. But there were some real dangers here. He, himself, had gone face-to-face with the Joker, and he could see why they all told horror stories about the guy. There were some more favorable people here, as well. Like Catwoman. He crossed one leg over the other and rested his chin on his hand. That woman had captured his heart almost at first sight. Who knows if something would ever come of it...Nevertheless, he was here to stay. At least for a little while.

[Ice]

If it was easy to score a job as a model in the city, then it was even easier to buy a meager establishment one cold call home. She liked the place she had picked, it was far enough from Gotham to be comfortable, but close enough that she didn't have far to travel. Maybe ten minutes at the most if she kept up a steady, strong run. She'd just moved in the other day, and today she was transferring her packed boxes into the house from the moving truck.

By mid-day, she was through, and completely bushed. She walked outside to her balcony, looping a leg over it and gazing out at the view she had purchased. This was the part that she loved the most about her house. Though she shared the view with a few other places, she enjoyed what little look over the city she got. Views like this made her go back, back to memories of JLI and of her homeland. Man, sometimes did she miss the icy cold her old home provided.

She sipped on her coffee pot (she hadn't bothered to unpack any coffee cups), and turned her gaze to spot one of her new neighbors. She gave him a wave with a bright smile, almost knocking herself off of her perilous perch with a laugh. "Nice to see you stranger! Lovely day isn't it?" she called out as she walked over to the edge of her balcony closest to his, extending a pale hand to shake. "The name is Tora. Been here long?" she inquired calmly, a bright smile adorning her face as the wind from below blew her white hair into a wild tangled mess.

[Trickster]

Ah. A flaw. Neighbors were a little close, huh? It stopped mattering when James turned to see exactly who the voice and, more interestingly the laughter, was coming from. Hm...well, well, well...What a view, indeed. Instead of reaching across, he hopped over his own balcony and walked over the air to hers, taking her hand in mid-bow, and delicately pressing his lips to the top of it. "I can't say that I have. Not long enough to notice a pretty girl next door, anyway." His words dripped honey, and that suave, debonaire charm rivaled any James Bond movie.

He did notice, however, that she was as cold as ice. In this city, you never knew what that meant. Especially with it being the middle of summer. At the same time, Jesse was as curious as a cat, with just as many lives, so he certainly had one to spare in question, right? "I couldn't help but notice your arctic touch. I don't have to be to worried about my neighbors now, do I?" He offered a charming smile and sat on the railing of his own balcony.

[Ice]

Her smiled almost faded as she watched hop over his own balcony and walk over the air to hers. Automatically, she began searching her mind for tell-tale features that she might recognize from her days with JLI. She was completely flattered by the kiss he pressed to her hand, and blushed a soft rose as she tried to figure out exactly who this eloquent man might be.

Then of course, he had to go and mention something about her being so cold. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she did take this as an opportunity to set some things straight between her and him. "As long as I have nothing to worry about when it comes to you dear sir." she stated calmly, almost icyly as she took a drink from her coffee pot and leaned onto her railing. "So, do I get your name?" she inquired shyly, trying to change the mood and keep conversation going. Personally, she didn't care if he might be one of her new enemies, just as long as he was someone to talk to and give her a little bit of sanity.

[Trickster]

"Worry about me?! My dear, I'm hurt!" His feigned dramatics dropped him off of the ledge, only to appear on the other side of her balcony. He grinned and waited to catch her attention before continuing. "James Jesse's the name. And don't worry. People say I'm not too much trouble." He winked at her and crossed the balcony, only to hop back over to his own.

"So what brings a Snow White beauty to a place as dark and depressing as Gotham, anyhow?" He leaned back against the side of the house and pulled a knee up to his chest. The wind caught his blonde hair and turned it into a magnificent golden wave. The man was gorgeous and he knew it. He also often used it to his advantage, though he preferred a good laugh or an interesting heist to getting a girl for the night, it could still be entertaining.

[Ice]

She smiled and watched him calmly, still leaning slightly over the edge of her balcony. Then she hopped up and looped a long bare leg over the edge, causing her shorts to ride up on her best feature. Then she leaned back and downed the rest of the coffee pot, her shoulders stretching the thin fabric of her blouse. "Well, James, I'm here for a model gig I scored. Underwear to be exact... Not exactly my favorite thing in the world to do, but you do whatever pays the bills, am I right?"

She sighed, staring down at her empty coffee pot as her stomach growled fiercely at her for actual food. "Hey, not trying to be the needy neighbor, but I kinda just moved and have literally nothing to eat. Heck, my fridge isn't even hooked up.." she rambled nervously as she continued to stare at her coffee pot with sad eyes. "Well, what I'm trying to say is, do you mind if I borrow a pack of ramen or something? I mean, anything will do, if you don't mind." she stuttered, looking up and giving him a shy grin. The shy face always worked, it just had to work! Then of course her stomach had to growl again and she frowned, shy face gone.

Operation Food Swindling: Possible Epic Fail.

[Trickster]

He took in an eyeful. A very generous, though mildly hidden one. Really. He got a place with a great view...

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with underwear. It takes a special type of person to be comfortable enough to pose in their panties." He gave her a wink and another charming smile. "I can't say I've ever had a problem with them, anyway."

He laughed at her request for food. "Babe, I'm Italian. I can do far better than ramen." He stood up and offered her a hand. "Come on, I'll catch you." He was used to hoisting people over bars, fences, balconies, what have you. And she certainly wouldn't be any trouble to have over.

[Ice]

Her silver blue eyes examined the distance between them cautiously, and the distance down. Immediately, she felt herself become sick. If only she knew exactly who he was, then she could just slide across on one of her ice ramps. However, the fact of the matter was is that she didn't, she only knew his name and that he had a gorgeous smile.

And also that she starving, and any starving norse woman always followed her stomach. Her stomach said he was fine, and so she swung her other leg over the side of the balcony, reaching out and taking his hand. She locked eyes with him, gripping his hand tightly within her own. "Please, don't let me fall." she stated, then with a deep breath, she jumped the gap between them.

She made it, thankfully, and crawled over the edge of his balcony, gripping his hand still. She looked him over, and immediately decided that the view was much better up close. "Now about that food.. " she began with a smile, letting her hand hand loose, but still allowing him to hold it if he liked. "I absolutely love anything with cheese in it, if that helps you decide."

[Trickster]

A hand shot out to catch around the back of her waist to prevent her from tumbling backwards, and pulled her the rest of the way up into his arms. He didn't linger, though, and backed away enough to give her some space. He motioned towards the door. "Oh, believe me, I can do cheese." He offered a soft smile and lead the way into the house.

The Trickster had certainly made himself at home. The walls were relatively plain, except for the occasional accent wall of pastel blue and yellow stripes. There were novelty and antique toys on top of shelves and mantlepieces, but the house as a whole was relatively clean. The kitchen was pretty expansive with a nice island in the middle. It was mostly a waste of space, as James hardly cooked for himself, choosing instead to live off of take-out. Why deal with dishes for one person?

Company was nice every once in a while, though, and it was certainly easy on the eyes.

He pulled out a few pots and pans and some olive oil, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. "I'll warn you, if you like mac and cheese, you may not be able to eat the stuff out of a box again." With the water boiling, he got to work grating a few different types of cheeses. After about a half hour, a big bowl of four cheese penne was deposited onto the counter and two plates were filled up. "Eat as much as you want. I'll send the leftovers with you." He smiled and dug into his own plate. Truly, there were times when he impressed himself.

Okay...That was most of the time...

[Ice]

She smiled and followed him in, slightly cautious as she entered, but was happy with the 'lived-in' appearance everything gave off. She followed him into the kitchen, admiring the small touches here and there to the place. She frowned as she thought of her own plain house, with its horrid pale pink walls. The last owner had been an older lady who was tired of living too close to excitement since now she was old and couldn't interact with it. Sometimes she wondered if there were any sane people left in the world.

She curled her legs around herself as she situated herself in a chair, watching James from behind, admiring his strong frame and the cute butt that begged for her to squeeze. She blushed a violent fushia at that thought, sitting on her hands lest she actually reach out and do it. She watched him cook, and admired his skill. She'd have to cook him some kind of dessert of sorts in return. It was the only thing she could ever conjure up in the kitchen, anything else she just lost interest in. Probably why she had so many cavities when she was young.

As he passed by and placed a plate in front of her, she smiled down at her food and released her hands to take a bite of the hot, cheesy penne. She groaned and set her fork down, savoring the flavor and texture of the food in her mouth. "Almost orgasmic..." she praised after she swallowed her food. Man, if only some other specific someone could cook like this... She frowned as she thought of her shortcomings, but brightened as she thought up a plan.

After finishing her penne and washing her dishes in the sink, she plundered his cabinets, giving him a mischievous grin as she began to whip up a dessert for the both of them. With the delicate touch of a lover, she set the delicate dough, wrapping the various berries and sugar mix up inside. Then, after gently pressing down all the sides, she set it in the oven to cook for a few minutes. "I'll re-inverse you for your lost supplies, but I wanted to cook you something in return. I'm not much when it comes to an actual meal, but desserts are my definite forte." she stated calmly, explaining herself as she leaned against the countertop, bending one leg and resting on her arms.

Then came the question. "So, what can we do while we wait, James?" she inquired, smile mischievous again. She wasn't sure where this sly attitude was coming from, but she knew she liked it. It gave her a feeling of power she had never had before, however in the back of her head was a feeling that everything might just come crashing back down on her in a few moments.

[Trickster]

An eyebrow cocked at the groans coming out of the woman. Yeah, his food could have that effect on people. He was surprised when she cleared her own dishes and started pulling things out of the cupboards.

James sat back and watched her. It was almost like being domestic for a moment. He had to suppress a laugh at that thought, but then, it wasn't like it were impossible. He and Mindy had planned to marry before he left, but the call of the circus, and the following...illicit activities...He didn't want to burden her with that. Had he known about Billy, had she told him she were pregnant, he just might've stayed. Then there would be no Trickster. And what kind of world would that be?

"Don't worry about the ingredients. It's payment enough to have a cute girl cooking for me." He gave her a sexy, charming smile. She was certainly pretty, but she didn't quite seem to have the depth that James was usually attracted to. Looks are looks, though, and he couldn't really complain.

The blonde stood up and motioned to the living room. "How 'bout a movie? I've got a load of comedies, come pick something out." He smiled and walked into the other room, plopping down into the sofa. He had a load of DVDs on shelves around the television. James wasn't really big into movies outside of comedies, but there were a few old ones and action movies. He had to have some interest outside of humor, right?