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The night was about as clear as it would get in any kind of major city, with a few of the brightest stars up in the sky shining through smog and light pollution. It was a little cool, but not too much to make it overly uncomfortable as Jo relaxed in the baby blue beanbag chair squeezed onto the fire escape platform Long legs stretched out with knees hooked on the railing, stocking covered toes wiggling in the air. Their hums mixing with the sounds of the city as well as the sounds of their mobile game.
Jo didn’t look up as the window next to them slid open, instead focusing on the storyline of their game and attempting to seduce a whole ass group of demon brothers.
A form leans out of the window, tattooed arms crossed on the sill. “So, going to explain why the fuck a pastel fairy sans glitter-fied wings is sitting on a beanbag on my fire escape?” came the gruff voice.
“Well obviously I wouldn’t have my wings out, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get comfy. And they’re not glitter-fied, I’m just naturally sparkly because of my dazzling personality,” Jo said before flashing the I’m-obviously-a-bouncer-with-issues minion of Morgan, a D Tier Villain, a big ass smile with fluttering lashes included.
Dylan, the biker gang reject, gave a snort of a laugh and lit up a cigarette. “You’re an annoying little shit.”
“Love you too, Dyl. And I’m here because the base got blown sky high so…” Jo made an absent little wave with a hand before getting to a good pause point and looking up. “Alex decided to use it as an excuse to crash with Morgan.”
For a long moment Dylan stared without blinking, allowing Jo enough time to figure out that yes, there are bits of blue in those gray eyes. Not that he cared.
“You’re kidding, right? Superpowered, neigh invincible and stronger than any hero on Earth Alex is… crashing on the couch of a slum lord…” Dylan winced and pulled back inside. “I need a beer… want one?”
“Ew, yuck. No. But I’ll take a wine cooler if you have one! Since I don’t think you’d have any good wine…” Jo said with a little smirk and stretched but…. Made no move to get up. Eventually, Dylan returned and tossed a can of coke at him.
“I don’t stock fruity drinks. That’s the best you’ll get. So, ok, I get that my new neighbor is the world’s most wanted… but why does that leave you on my fire escape… and where did the bean bag come from?” Dylan was now sitting out the window with their back against the railing and their legs dangling back into the apartment.
Honestly, it was a decent question. A pastel blue… anything was highly unlikely to come from the doom and gloom of the apartment behind them. Dylan had one color to their wardrobe, and that was black. Or plaid things with black a part of the plaid.
“I brought it, and I’m here because you are tolerable and a fellow minion, so will not question nearly as much as others in this building. Also because I can easily listen into the weirdly sweet drama unfolding next door while ensuring that Alex does not get caught or form a crater in the middle of a densely populated city. You know, bad for PR and all.”
“… Jo… they’re a villain… what do you mean bad for PR? That is, literally, par for the course.” Dylan said, shaking their head.
“Ah, but that is par for the course for other lesser villains. Alex does not need the death tolls of the many civilians to strike fear into the hearts of the world. He has a carefully cultivated villainous presence. Which I have worked very hard to help him accomplish.” Jo said with the fingers of one hand resting against their collarbone.
“Fucking hell… a Villain PR Manager… What, do you write up their daily schedule? Like… ‘Wake up, death death, breakfast, death, death, death, lunch, death death, death, afternoon tea…’”
Jo reached over to swat at Dylan, but had a small smile on their face. “Sure, something like that. What about you? What is it exactly that you do for Morgan around here?”
“Whatever he needs me to do. I’m mostly just muscle. Yanno, super strength, extra durable… high pain tolerance…”
Jo was quiet a moment, looking up at the washed-out night sky. “You know… you could easily be a C or B Tier Villain all on your own. Why are you the minion for a D Tier?”
“Ha, too much fucking work. Nah, I like it here. Pretty much live here for free, Morgan doesn’t mind I pad my pockets playing bouncer around town. Got money to stock the fridge and get new ink.”
Except, Jo knew that look in those stormy blue eyes and crooked smile. Loyalty. Dylan owed Morgan a debt or something. Something that bought the kind of loyalty money alone couldn’t. That was a look that Jo could recognize as he felt similarly toward Alex.
“So, Jo, you moving into the building now… or just coming to perch on my fire escape on occasion,” Dylan asked after leaning back to look up at the sky.
“Ha, sleep around here instead of the condo I got in the city? Nope, I’ll just be spending my time on duty here. I look too harmless to be much of an indication I’m acting like some kind of early warning system, unlike the other two idiots. So I can spend my shift annoying you.” Jo sent Dylan a bright, toothy smile.
“Great, my evenings will be spent putting up with an annoying tooth fairy,” Dylan said as they slid back into their apartment, Jo sticking their tongue out at them. “I’m ordering Chinese, what do you want?”