2013-01-27 She gets to wear the cape

With an exhale, Superman's finished another busy day here at the Justice League. He's made a habit of ending his days by reading reports at the observation deck. With his superspeed, it doesn't take long, but the atmosphere is a nice place to end the evening. But this time, his eyes go a bit wide and a smile comes across his face. "Aspen?"

Aspen doesn't have a 'secret identity' so there's no need to wear her costume, such as it is, whenever she's at the JLA headquarters. Besides, even after years of being a professional swimmer, she feels out of place walking around in what looks like a bathing suit sometimes. Instead she's dressed in yoga pants and a T-shirt, shivering a bit at the cold but not as much as most people. It gets cold in the depths, but she can control the water to offset that a bit. "Superman. Hi." She says, her smile like sunlight on the ocean. "I heard you can be found out here if one is lucky."

Superman chuckles, "I can. And it looks like today I've been the lucky one." He sets down his stack of papers on a nearby table and approaches her, stopping a few feet away. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in quite a while." He pauses, looking at her. "You look cold. Can I get you a blanket or something?"

"I'll survive." Aspen assures him, though she does tuck her hands under her arms. "I'd feel silly wrapped in a blanket. Big, bad superhero and all." Her teasing ends in a small laugh and she nods. "Setting up Blue embassies in Europe and the other underwater nations. Nothing's come up that's needed me so... How have you been?"

Superman nods intently as he listens to her words, "Europe? That sounds like fun. I trust you had a great time." He chuckles sheepishly and shakes his head, "Busy, as per usual. Been making the rounds and doing what I can." He pauses, "Gosh, it's nice to see you."

Aspen can't help the way her eyes dance when he says 'gosh' because really. Who says that anymore? She hitches a shoulder up in a half-shrug as she steps towards the railing, the wind blowing her hair back from her face. "It was... interesting." She admits. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. No earth-shattering kabooms or anything?"

Superman shrugs his shoulders as he joins her side at the railing. "Well, yesterday some of the League and I helped prevent a building from collapsing, so I guess it's the kaboom that didn't happen that's new." He smiles at her, "Look, I hope I'm not being too forward, but I'd really like to take you out to dinner again sometime. I realize you may be seeing someone, and if so, you have my apologies. But if you're not, and if you're willing, I'd like to go to dinner with you again. NOthing serious."

Aspen turns around so that her back is to the railing, which blows her hair forward across her face and she has to tuck it back behind an ear. She watches him make his pitch, trying not to grin as he starts to almost ramble and then ducks her gaze down to the floor. It makes her hair slip free from where she tucked again, hiding her face for a moment before she looks back up. "No, I'm not seeing anyone and yes, I'd still like to go out to dinner. Though you're a little high-profile." She says with that easy, teasing manner of hers.

Superman chuckles as he wraps his hand around the railing. He licks his lips, looking out at the skyline as he smiles. "Yeah, I can be a bit high profile, I guess. I appreciate you dealing with it to do me the honor." He pauses, "What kind of food do you enjoy?"

Aspen tilts her head a bit for another slight shrug. "I'll deal. And when all the fangirls interrupt all night, I won't even give you dirty looks." She promises with a wink. "Seafood, not too surprising I suppose. Uhm, Thai? Sushi... I'm a pretty equal-opportunity foodist. You?" She looks at him and taps a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Steak and potatoes. Corn on the cob." She guesses with her easy smile.

Superman's head swings towards her with a laugh, "How'd you guess?" He nods, "It's settled then. I'll find the best seafood, thai, sushi, steak and potatoes place I can, and we'll go out." He blushes, not really knowing what to say next.

"Surf-n-turf for the win." Aspen agrees. When he blushes, an amused look of surprise touches her features, and she leans over a bit to see even if he turns away. "Are you blushing?" It's asked gently, even if she's somewhat amused. Then her expression softens a bit. "I suppose... you probably don't get a chance to do something as eerily normal as go on a date much, do you?"

Superman nods, "Yes, I suppose I am. That's probably why my face feels so hot." He shakes his head, "No." He considers a minute, "I've gone on dates before. It's not that."

"I'm not even dressed in a manner to provacative for your 1950's sensabilities." Aspen points out with a gesture to her outfit as she exaggerates. Again, the teasing is only there a moment and then it's gone as she reaches out to touch his forearm lightly with her fingertips. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable."

"Don't be sorry. It's just the sort of effect you have on me," Superman's smile has been there since the beginning. "I just really missed you. I know we didn't spend much time together, but I enjoyed whatever it was that we had."

Now it's Aspen's turn to duck her head in a somewhat bashful manner. "I enjoyed it too." She says in a soft murmur. "Even though some of the circumstances weren't ideal..." There was that whole threat of attack on the Blue cities. "But I suppose that's something to get used to."

Superman nods, "It's sort of the line of work that we signed up for, I'm afraid. I don't know that I stressed that during your recruitment, and for that, I'm sorry. Mostly."

Aspen shakes her head. "I don't think that anyone that hasn't done it before could really appreciate the stressing of it anyhow. And anyone that does, well... Hopefully they know how important it is." She points out.

"Sometimes when you're in the middle of everything, though. it's sort of difficult to keep everything in perspective," Superman responds. "How do you like the underground entrance to the barracks? I made it some time ago, but I don't believe I ever asked you if it worked alright. I realize it's a decent distance from the ocean."

"It is, but it's still a direct connection. I might not swim as fast as you fly but I can still close the distance pretty quickly." Aspen says with an easy smile. "I have some vehicles that'll be stationed there as well. They'll probably arrive this week."

Superman nods, "Fantastic. If you find that you need more space, just let me know. I'd be happy to hollow out more area if you need it." He adds in a moment later, "How has your adaptation been going? When we first met you were returning to the surface for a new life. I regret that I haven't been able to keep up with you more during your journey."

Aspen shakes her head. "No, no, you've got so much on your plate already. I don't expect you to follow *me*. I'm... I don't know if I'm really settling in better." She admits. "I've been so busy with dealing with things for the Blue.." She trails off. Her sigh brings a brief frown. "I should probably just accept it's not likely I'm going to get much of that life back." The one where she's a normal human. Since really, she never was.

Superman nods, "You know, I don't really know what it is you're going through. Not exactly, anyways, but I've been in a somewhat similar position. It can be really lonely. If you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate. You know where you can find me. And if you can't find me, just shout real loud. I'll probably be able to hear you."

For a moment, that amuses her. That all she has to do is call. And then Aspen's expression slips down into one of quiet sadness. "You hear that much? All the time?"

Superman chuckles, "Well, it's directional. I've had to teach myself to sort of block it out." He goes wide eyed, "I don't spy on people, if that's what you're worried about."

Aspen blinks once, and then her eyes go wide in a mirror to his. "Oh! Nonono! I was just thinking that's a lot to try to keep track of!" She hides a bit of a giggle. "Though I suppose that could be a valid concern..."

Superman nods soberly, "It might sound like a fun idea, but it was really sort of traumatic as a child. One day, the power just came to me. I thought I'd gone crazy."

"I bet." Aspen says with real sympathy. "Was that how it happened? You were 'normal' one day, and not the next?" She wraps her arms a little tighter around herself as she tries to stave off another shiver. Air! Bah.

Superman considers, "Yes and no. Some of them came together. Others, came at different points. Sometime I'll tell you about the heat vision. It's a bit embarassing and we're not there, yet." Superman reaches up to remove his cape and sets it up on Aspen's shoulders, rubbing his hands against her arms for a moment, "I really should have gotten you a blanket. Here."

Aspen's brows go up, because he's just admitted there's a story there but she's not going to push given what he said. Still, it's clearly he's gotten her curiosity aroused. She looks a bit guilty as he drapes his cape over her shoulders. "Some hero I am hmm? Defeated by a chill. Now I'm Superfish." A self-depreciating chuckle and then she looks at him thoughtfully. "It's amazing how different you look without it." She murmurs, fingers curling in the red fabric.

"Funny story," Superman begins. "When I was setting out to do this, I couldn't decide whether or not I would include it. Finally, it came down to my mother who liked it. It was more true to the heritage of my people. And ever since, it's become one of my calling cards." Superman reaches up to put a hand on her shoulder, "You're one of the strongest beings in 3 quarters of the planet. So you get cold. So what?"

Aspen's eyes dance with quiet amusement. "Your mom liked it. That is... so very you." She places her hand over his on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Most of my memories are being on that one quarter where I'm most vulnerable." She points out.

"Look," Superman begins. "You've been through more adversity than almost anyone on this planet. Your character's been questioned. Your home has been attacked. You're strong. You belong here."

"I know... I know." Aspen says, nodding a bit, though she still smiles at him in thanks. "It's still a little funny. Also, I've spent a lot of time underwater recently. I... kinda forgot what it's like to be cold. Down there..." She shakes her head.

Superman nods, "Well it's winter also. That's probably part of it." He chuckles, "I tell you what. The next time we meet up after months without seeing each other, I'll make sure it happens underwater so that you'll be more at home and I'll be the one who's slightly uncomfortable." Wait. "More uncomfortable. Than normal."

"You do wear really tight clothing." Aspen points out with a quick, teasing wink about him being uncomfortable. "And you don't have to meet me underwater." She adds, chuckling and shaking her head. "Thought I appreicate the offer."

Superman tilts his head towards her, mocking as if incredulous, "I'll have you know my suit is classic dress for Kryptonians. I honor my family with...these tight clothes." He gives her shoulder a soft squeeze, "Least I wear clothes."

Aspen's mouth drops open in a sort of 'oh no you didn't!' manner, and now *she's* the one blushing. "I'll have you know that... that's perfectly normal dress for Blue and... I'm... yeah, I don't know if I can manage 'honor my family with my lack of clothing' with a straight face." She's trying very hard not to giggle now. "But seriously, you haven't gotten to see some of the Blue in their cities, have you?" Just the Council and the guards, who wear considerably more. Mostly to have somewhere to put their weapons.

"I haven't," Superman says as the smile is still on his face from his joke. "Maybe if things go well when we go out for dinner, you'll invite me down there sometime."

"So we can do dinner there?" Aspen asks, looking thoughtful. "I have to admit... I'm curious as to how much Mr. Steak and Potatoes might actually eat. Of course... you might get distracted by what people don't wear..."

"Not all people," Superman responds. "Just you." He nods, "You mean dinner the first time, or dinner the next time? I'm losing track of all these dates. I mean dinners. I mean meetings.

"The potential second time." Aspen says, grinning as Superman tries to correct himself. And then again. "I'm sorry. I'm probably getting ahead of things here."

"No, no," Superman says as he shakes his head. "Keep going. I like where this is headed."

"We haven't even set a date for the first date. Dinner. Meeting." Aspen parrots his earlier corrections. "As it is, I'm going to be waiting for some world crisis to happen as soon as the first course arrives."

"It wouldn't be as exciting if there wasn't a threat it might get interrupted, would it?" Superman asks, looking down at her.

"I can't say as I'ver ever thought of it as adding excitement." Aspen says, trying not to look too amused. "Have you managed many in the past?"

"Meetings?" Superman shakes his head, "Not with beautiful women from the Blue, no. Have you? With a Kryptonian, I mean."

Aspen chuckles. "Nice save." She commends him. "And no. I don't think I've met any other Kryptonians. I think there are a lot less of you than there are Blue."

Superman nods, "Sadly there aren't. I've been lucky though." He grows a bit more serious. "For much of my life I thought there weren't any of us. Over the past year, though, I've found more."

Aspen's manner turns a bit more serious then and she nods, face upturned to watch the play of emotion across his. "It's nice... to know you're not alone."

Superman nods and looks down at her, "You're not alone either, Aspen. You're friends from home...your friends up here. You're not alone."

Aspen smiles then, even though it's kind of soft and quiet in comparison to some of her earlier ones. She reaches out to place a hand over the S emblazoned on his chest, patting it lightly. "Neither are you, Superman. Neither are you."

Superman's smile fades as he cups the rigt side of Aspen's face in his hand. He purses his lips before he licks at his bottom one. It looks like he's about to move toward her, but just as he is, an officer comes through th entrance. "Superman! Have you an opinion on the Harris Report?"

Aspen almost jumps at the sudden interruption, turning towards the sound of the officer. It was so easy, too easy to forget that the observation deck is a fairly trafficed area. She ducks her head a bit as she takes a step away from Superman so they're not standing quite so close.

"I..." Superman looks awkwardly at Aspen as she pulls away from him before he turns to regard the officer. "I have not, no, Lieutenant Tagg. I'll finish up with it and have my analysis in the morning."

Aspen also belately realizes that she's still holding his cape about her shoulders and then the tilt of her hair is to hide the blush that stains her cheeks. Well. This is a little awkward.

For his part, the Lieutenant either doesn't seem to notice, care, or want to make a scene. "Thanks, Superman." Superman nods to him and the officer leaves. "Well...I...I should get going on this work." He reaches up to scratch at the back of his head. "You can hold onto the cape as long as you want. I've got spares."

Aspen looks up at Superman through the fall of her hair and shakes her head. "I'm sorry about that. I..." She's not sure what she's apologizing *for*, but she's feeling a little guilty and that means she should apologize, right? She's struck with a bit of indecision at Superman's offer, "I uh, I'll get it cleaned." She offers.

Superman laughs, "I'm sure you won't need to clean it, Aspen. The Blue are a pretty clean creature from what I understand." He grins at her and wraps his hands around her arms. "Good night. It was really nice to see you again." He gives her a faint smile and goes to grab the work he needs to look over for the evening.

As he moves to collect his paperwork, she draws the cape around her more tightly, fingers curled into the material and she offers a smile in return. "It was nice to see you again, too." She catches her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before she also ends with, "Good night. I'll see you soon."