PowerSwap: Power Tripping (Jack) {potential M}

[Astley Pyatt]

Astley had changed drastically in the week and a half since her powers had changed. Her confidence had skyrocketed, and she'd grown bold, flirtatious, and she'd become a bit of a tease. The school was rather tumultuous with all of the switched powers, so it wasn't like she'd gotten to try out this new self very much - though a few boys had been treated to a sly comment or two. She hadn't used her new power much, except to travel a few times. She hadn't had another encounter like the one with Jack.

And yet she couldn't stop thinking about it.

It had been so exhilarating, her anger and the sudden surge of power she'd felt over him. It wasn't even a meta ability, it was just her pure unbridled self coming out after years of repression. And it was marvelous. She wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing Jack, it wasn't that she liked him - at all - but she wanted to have that feeling again, that rush of adrenaline she got from getting the prick to shut his stupid mouth.

But they hadn't run into each other.

Still, that wasn't on her mind today. Today she was just going to take advantage of her new power to sneak into a club, and take advantage of her new attitude to tease some cute guys.

She enjoyed the feeling of warm air on her skin - as she had nearly every day since she switched powers (it was addictive, having that feeling back) - as she slipped out of the mirror and paused to recover herself. Another quick recovery (it was getting easier now) and she stashed her coat in a corner, not sure if she'd return to it later, and made her way out into the club.

[Jack McCarthy]

Jack Mccarthy too has gone through some serious changes in personality too…however unlike Astley this changes were less then want you would consider positive in the least. Only a few weeks early, Jack was the life and soul and every single party. But now? Now?! Jack was a hollow paranoid shell of the man he once was.

Ever since Jack was robbed of his luck, he started spending night and day obsessively trying to track down those responsible, almost to the point where he’s become obsessed with this task and has become so paranoid. He sees conspiracies everywhere. The students? Out to get him. Teachers? Out to get him. Random objects?...You get the idea,

He spends his days locked in his room wearing a tin-foil hat. Trying to piece together who was the shadowy dark lord behind this massive conspiracy…and one name just kept coming back to him.

Astley Pyatt.

She was the key to the entire evil plot. After all was he expected to just think it was just chance that she was the first person Jack saw her?! Noo way…she knew what was going on, it was just a matter of drawing the info out of her.

…which is how Jack found himself, standing in the club, after luckily walking into the club and spying Astley from a far.But if Jack was going to pull this off, he needed to avoid using his tried and tasted razzle, dazzle method of seducing women. He needed to play it cool. Jack made his way to the bar and ordered a drink not even looking at the girl. Smooth.

[Astley Pyatt]

Getting drinks whilst underage was shockingly easier than Astley had expected. Apparently, since they carded at the door, her mere presence in the club granted her bar privileges. She didn't exactly know what to order, but she went with one she always heard mentioned: a cosmopolitan. And it was quick. And it didn't taste as bad as she'd feared. In fact, she drank it quite quickly. The warm feeling it gave her made her slightly giddy - warmth! - but she hid that giddiness under the guise of the femme fatale she was going for.

A guise that was tested when the Jack(ass) himself approached the bar. He hadn't noticed her yet, so Astley had a moment to decide on her approach. She'd had such a great time teasing him, but could she really endure his stupidity just for the sake of a power trip? ....Then again, he seemed quieter than usual. Maybe she could endure him if he was less... Jack.

But no, no, she needed to be better than him. She couldn't try to impress him - at least, not in a way that looked intentional. So she pretended not to notice him, and ordered another drink, based purely on the cherry garnish. As she pulled the payment from her bra (yup, she was doing that now), there was a slight smirk on her face. And then came the fun part.

This was not the right way to eat a cherry. It took far too long, and far too much effort, and could be a bit messy if done carelessly. But she took great care, holding the fruit by its stem and dipping it into the drink before licking in clean ...multiple times. It tasted good. So good, in fact, that she popped the cherry in whole after one dip, sucking it clean and then dipping it again.

Yeah, okay, it was over the top suggestive. But it was fun. And it had a great finish - that fun little trick (that Astley had spent a summer perfecting) of eating the cherry and then tying the stem into a knot in her mouth. Daintily plucking the knotted stem from her lips, she caught a bartender's eye and asked, sweetly, "Is there any way I could get a few more cherries, please?"

Oh lord, this was fun.

[Jack McCarthy]

Jack’s finger tapped his finger nervously against the bar counter keeping an eye on Astley and to make sure she wasn’t accompanied by evil conspiracy henchmen, preferably in ominous back suits and sunglasses and possibly carrying around a little memory eraser stick thingy.

She had to admit, as a man who specialized in the art of seduction and general man-whoring, she had to admire Astley’s technique, once apon a time only a few weeks ago that would have driven Jack crazy, but not now especially when he was burdened by glorious conspiracy busting purpose. Besides, she knew full well what Astley was trying to do. She was employed by this mysterious puppet master to screw his head. Well you can’t trick Jack like that again!

He was on to you, you evil temptress you!

What Jack and Astley has now entered into what seemed like a chess game. A sexy, sexy chess game, he needed to beat her and his own game and seduce her and make her reveal the conspiracy that has been messing with his shit. But in order to achieve this goal. He needed to be cool, she needed to play things cool, he needed to be a aloof. Nothing drove a woman more crazy then straight up ignoring her.

With this idea firmly planted in his head, he turned to look at Astley with a look completely carved out of stone to send the telepathic message. “Nothing you can do can make me twitch. I’m the ice man!” After less then half a second of this look his eyes turned in the direction of a girl right beside Astly and shot her a much more interested look.

Game on.

[Astley Pyatt]

Astley wasn't exactly shocked when Jack turned to her, but she put on a look of innocent surprise. And then- wait. Wait, was he just looking past her?

...No, that could not be accurate. She was a freakin' sexpot tonight. Why was he looking at someone else?

A flicker of confusion, then anger, flashed in her eyes - but no, no, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She didn't follow his gaze, didn't spare whoever else was there a second look. A determinedly mischievous smile curved her lips ever so slightly, and she pushed her hair behind her ear as she thought.

So this was going to be a game, was it? That was fine with her. She liked games. And she hadn't gotten to play one in a very long time. She was determined to win, and determined to have the same wonderfully sadistic end that she had gotten that first day: him, speechless, wanting more, and her sauntering away. But mostly him speechless. Though... now that she thought of it... he still hadn't said anything. It was so unusual, so intriguing, that it made her curious. Had he possibly... matured? A shocking thought, but maybe losing his power had grounded him a bit. Whatever it was that was keeping him quiet, Astley appreciated it.

Fine, if he was going to attempt to ignore her, she just wouldn't let him.

Unfortunately, that meant engaging him somehow.

"You should go talk to her." Astley verbally nudged him, with a slight smirk, looking directly at him. It was just another power game to her, referring to the woman she hadn't even bothered to look at, telling him to do something he probably would've done anyway. But now that she'd suggested it, maybe he'd have second thoughts, wanting to spite her. She almost wanted to laugh at that thought. Jack, wanting to spite her - how adorably pointless. She wasn't about to start caring what he did or didn't do. She just wanted to fuck with his head a bit, get him confused. This was thrilling, it really was.

[Jack McCarthy]

Ah good, Jack had her attention now. Jack was experienced enough in these kind of endeavours to know there was a fine art to these types of these type of things, it was the world’s most popular game; talking to a potential sexual partner, and in Jack’s mind he just drew first blood by getting Astley to be the one to open the conversation.

Oh, how wrong you could be Astley, Jack losing his powers, most certainly did NOT ground him, it drove him quite mad, but on the positive end of the scale, it actually served to motivate him, before he lost his powers, he was content to breeze through life not putting any effort into anything, but now that his lost power , he had one solitary goal to aim for.

Even though Astly spoke to him, Jack had no real plans on giving her much to go on, Jack knew if he started talking he’ll be compelled to be his old self or even speak “The truth to her” which would more then freak Astley out, and then the operation would need to aborted and game over, and he’ll never get his powers back.

He needed to play it cool…

With the world’s best poker face Jack registered Astley for the first time, but his face betrayed no clear emotions, to this revelation, he turned back to the girl seemingly deciding what to do. After a brief pause Jack shook his head no and took out a cigarette and lit it. He gave Astley another blank look and offered the pack to her almost as a afterthought.

[Astley Pyatt]

Maybe it was the drinks, or maybe it was just the thrill of it going to her head, but Astley saw this interaction as though she were starring in a noir film, or maybe a perfume ad. Something smoky and sultry and dark. She had to admit, him being the mysterious silent type was definitely working in his favor. A small smug smile curled her lips as she shifted a bit to face him fully, crossing one leg casually over the other to let her skirt ride up, exposing more of that tantalizing skin between stockings and skirt. It had really been a win-win situation. Either he obeyed her and talked to the other girl, or he disobeyed her and stuck around for more mind games. Delightful.

Her eyebrows raised slightly as he lit up. She was never really a fan of cigarettes, or any smoking in general. She'd never wanted to. But, then again, she couldn't stop thinking of Hollywood - of Rita Hayworth, or Lauren Bacall, or any of those old film sirens - and the thought was enticing. She took another sip of her drink, her eyes never leaving Jack's face, and then set it down and pulled a cigarette from the pack in one fluid move. There was one way she'd always wanted to light a cigarette.

...But she wasn't exactly confident in her smoking skills, given that this would be her first, so she didn't risk it, no matter how much she wanted to. "Thanks," she tried to capture that air of mystery and seduction that she was going for as she smirked and leaned toward him, bringing the cigarette to her lips. "What's a girl gotta do to get a light around here?" Oh yes, it was a cliche line. But she was tipsy, and the tension was equally intoxicating, and she just couldn't resist.

[Jack McCarthy]

Jack was very proud not only by the fact that she somehow managed to maintain eye contact with Miss. Pyatt as she crossed her legs in a attempt to grab Jack’s attention but he didn’t even flinch as if he didn’t even notice her very obvious move to fluster her. Once again if she had made the same move only a few days previously, she would have a completely different respond. But it seemed like Jack didn’t even notice. He might have been staring at a rock the way Jack was looking at her.

For the first time in what felt like years, Jack began to feel some of his own cocky manner run through his system. The Asley Pyatt that Jack knew was as sweet and innocent as can be. There was no way in hell she was a smoker. Jack knew it and most importantly she knew it. This was all apart of the game between the two, So little miss conspiracy, wanted to put on her big girl pants and play with the adults? Well Jack was more then game. Let she how much of femme fatale she was after spending a night with Hammels current reigning king of sleaze and smut.

Still with a blank face, he expertly pulled out his lighter bounced it loosely against his palm before tossing it to Astey and waited expectedly.

[Astley Pyatt]

It took Astley a couple of tries to get the lighter to spark, but once it did she knew how it was supposed to go. She held it to the end and drew a little air through the filter, lighting the cigarette. Oh-oh god. This was- She muffled a cough, but managed to keep some semblance of composure, though her eyes had blinked several times as she sounded like she was clearing her throat. This was... She took the cigarette out of her mouth and handed back the lighter. She could do this. She could totally do this. It always looked so easy. She couldn't mess up now, she just couldn't. She had to try again. On the second attempt, she brought the cigarette to her lips, drew in a deep brea-

She winced slightly, coughing - though at least they were delicate coughs. Oh please no. This was not happening. Ugh, she needed to get ahold on herself. This was not how this was supposed to go. She took a gulp of her drink, trying to quell the coughing. She couldn't get flustered, that just wasn't right. No, no, she was going to stay calm, keep her mask on (though it was definitely blushing now - but that could've been from the coughing or the alcohol), and stay the course. She just had to hold off another moment on attempting to smoke. She'd stick to the drink for now, and try again in a minute or two, if she thought it might go better.

[Jack McCarthy]

Well so much for Femme Fatale…

Jack suddenly felt a kinship with a hungry great white shark who just smelled blood in the water, Jack had her now, The jig was up. Even though Astley tried to conceal it, Jack had enough experience with the art of smoking to know where someone’s smoking cherry being broken.

For just a moment, her art was shattered, but he knew not for long. Jack more then anyone knew how deadly Astley truly was and he knew Astley wouldn’t be allow herself to be on the back foot for long and that this might be Jack’s only real opportunity to press the advantage and discover the nature of the mass conspiracy that undermined him at every possible turn.

He was suddenly struck by inspiration; Back where he grow up, there lived a football manager would often spend a drunken night with Jack’s father. In the small town he was infamous for being a con artist, that took every possible shortcut to achieve his ends. One of his most effective tactics when he wanted to buy a player cheaply, was to invite the player’s manager for a friendly drink at a local bar. He would always come a few minutes before his new “Friend” and tell the bar tender, that they would be drinking gin and tonics, however he gave instructions that his gin and tonic would contain no gin, and that everything drunk by his rival would be doubles.

…Unsurprisingly he found it very easy to get his way…

The moral of the story was simple: Alcohol was the great tongue loosener.

With this in mind Jack took back his lighter and without looking at Astley he causally pointed at her glass as spoke his first lows in a low conversational measured tone.

“You’re running dry”

Jack turned away from Astley to the bartender.

“Two double vodka’s, shots. keep ‘em coming”

The order came quickly and Jack pushed her shotglass across the counter which landed right in front of astley. While Jack took his own glass, gave astley a half-hearted nonchalant cheer’s gesture and quite convincing pretended to down his glass in one glass, but in reality dumped it over his shoulder. He grimaced for a moment before turning towards astley looking for her to do the same

[Astley Pyatt]

Astley was about to attempt some sort of something (the words were coming to her, they just hadn't arrived yet), when Jack pointed out her glass. She was glad to not have to attempt another drag, her facade slowly being rebuilt around her as she raised a skeptical eyebrow at his order to the bartender. She was not a drinker. She really wasn't. She'd only been able to stand these drinks because they were sweet and went down easy - she couldn't see herself doing a double shot of vodka.

Watching Jack drink his only made her more wary. If he was wincing, she'd probably choke. So, instead of shooting it back like she was supposed to (fat chance - that was a disaster in the making), she raised it to her lips and took a small sip. It was hard not to pull a face. It was not her drink of choice, straight vodka.

"As kind as you are," her voice was light, but the sarcasm was evident, "I don't think I'll be drinking that." She pointed to the shot with a slightly haughty air. Putting on more of a smirk, she added, "If you'd like to buy me a drink, I'd suggest it be something I'll actually like the taste of." She gestured to her almost empty glass as she finished it - not a shot, but something pink and fruity. A girly drink. Vodka based, but tasting of pink lemonade.

[Jack McCarthy]

Well so much for best laid plans…

With out showing any form of the irritation that he now felt in spades. Astley just accidentally wrench in his plans for the evenings events. It would have been so easy for get Astly rip roaring drunk which would make her so very agreeable to Jack ever so innocent inquiries about her role in the massive evil and quite dickious conspiracy against him. But fortunately Jack had a most elegant solution..

Jack shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t really care. “Well fine, if you don’t think you can handle it”

Ahhh, yes the tired and tested browbeating/peer pressure, nothing forced youths to drink quite like knowing all the cool kids were and the desire to prove yourself to be grown-up

[Astley Pyatt]

Astley batted her eyes at his attempt to force her hand. "Oh, I could handle it," She assured him, her eyes flicking over him in a quick once over, implying that maybe she meant something entirely different. "I just choose not to."

But she wasn't weak.

She caught the bartender's attention - "Another one of these, please - he'll be paying." She nodded her head towards Jack. Once the drink was in front of her, she turned to face him again. "Cheers." She said it with a smirk, and then downed the drink in one sitting. Strong, yes. But not nearly as disgusting as straight-up vodka. The effects of the alcohol weren't hitting her immediately, though she felt was starting to feel rather warm. And she was getting curious about just how far she could push this.

Adjusting in her seat, Astley tossed her hair over her shoulder as she rested her foot against his ankle, leaning toward him. "How have you been, Jack? Turned into any little rodents lately?" Her voice was a quiet purr, meant for just him under the sound of the club, but there was a patronizing quality to it.