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controlledvariable) wrote2014-02-02 07:59 pm
controlledvariable) wrote2014-02-02 07:59 pm
exsilium; ic inbox
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[She grins at him, offering a shrug before slipping her grapple gun from her belt and firing at a nearby rock, using the line to carefully pull herself out.
As she finally jumps onto a rock, leaping from there up into a tree (he can't change trees)]
You think I didn't have my own tricks up my sleeve.?
As she finally jumps onto a rock, leaping from there up into a tree (he can't change trees)]
You think I didn't have my own tricks up my sleeve.?
( A moment, a breath, and if fire won't work: ice. )
You think I didn't?
( The goop cracks, and he snickers at her grappling gun. Metal, rope. He might have to show her how badly that could go.
He can set the tree on fire. Fire swings from his fist, as if he were swinging a rope around his head, swinging the leaves around her. He doesn't want to be too severe, although fire is crackling along the branches. )
You think I didn't?
( The goop cracks, and he snickers at her grappling gun. Metal, rope. He might have to show her how badly that could go.
He can set the tree on fire. Fire swings from his fist, as if he were swinging a rope around his head, swinging the leaves around her. He doesn't want to be too severe, although fire is crackling along the branches. )
I d-don't-- I dunno how t-to um--
( Do this. To have these conversations, to have someone apologise to him.
Max told him that she was dangerous and he should be careful, Morgana called him wise and a fool, his sisters called him useless, idiot. He feels so raw all the time, and this feels like exposed nerves, but with Max he's trying to try the honesty out of her and make her see she isn't a monster, and she knows he's... she sees him. She was the first one to see him.
Stephanie doesn't see. No one did, really, except for Max, but now Stephanie is apologising, and he can't handle that. )
Atlas is b-better at this.
( At people, and he shrugs, makes a move for the door. )
( Do this. To have these conversations, to have someone apologise to him.
Max told him that she was dangerous and he should be careful, Morgana called him wise and a fool, his sisters called him useless, idiot. He feels so raw all the time, and this feels like exposed nerves, but with Max he's trying to try the honesty out of her and make her see she isn't a monster, and she knows he's... she sees him. She was the first one to see him.
Stephanie doesn't see. No one did, really, except for Max, but now Stephanie is apologising, and he can't handle that. )
Atlas is b-better at this.
( At people, and he shrugs, makes a move for the door. )
[After a slight delay because of reasons:]
as good as i can be. you in the catacombs?
as good as i can be. you in the catacombs?
mostly. i'm more use helping people down here than i can be up top.
are you in any danger from the gas? i can bring you a rebreather if you need?
[She isn't sure because cyborg]
are you in any danger from the gas? i can bring you a rebreather if you need?
[She isn't sure because cyborg]
i think we've gotten most people safe underground by now.
i'm sure the medics could use the extra hands, if you've got the energy for it.
i'm sure the medics could use the extra hands, if you've got the energy for it.
for you? always.
[And she sends him handy co-ordinates to her location; she's going to be in the same area for a while, since it's where a considerable number of the hospital patients have been set up.]
[And she sends him handy co-ordinates to her location; she's going to be in the same area for a while, since it's where a considerable number of the hospital patients have been set up.]
Bat?
( A brief pause, deliberate, but it's amused. There's room for that, with the bombings past. )
Nice work out there.
( A brief pause, deliberate, but it's amused. There's room for that, with the bombings past. )
Nice work out there.
[Open mouth. Close mouth.
Welp.]
Ye-es?
[That wasn't supposed to be a question, but it came out as one anyway.
Smooth, Brown.]
Thanks. You make it through okay?
Welp.]
Ye-es?
[That wasn't supposed to be a question, but it came out as one anyway.
Smooth, Brown.]
Thanks. You make it through okay?
I'll take it as a compliment.
( Teasing, almost. But questions occur to her; would Stephanie even have known she called herself the Bat, or was that like some secret that they never spoke about within the inner sanctum? That Huntress had dared to wear the symbol, had marred their precious mythology with her handiwork. Don't disgrace the name. )
I'm still in once piece. ( A visit to the clinic may be in order. ) You?
( She better have. )
( Teasing, almost. But questions occur to her; would Stephanie even have known she called herself the Bat, or was that like some secret that they never spoke about within the inner sanctum? That Huntress had dared to wear the symbol, had marred their precious mythology with her handiwork. Don't disgrace the name. )
I'm still in once piece. ( A visit to the clinic may be in order. ) You?
( She better have. )
I wasn't trying to - you know, get in on your thing or anything, it was just a spur of the moment sort of... decision. And only with Atlas. It's kind of a long story but I should probably correct him, it's just-- [Stop, breathe.] Sorry.
[She said it was a compliment. Calm down, Stephanie.]
Um. [right.] A little bruised, nothing worth writing home about.
[She said it was a compliment. Calm down, Stephanie.]
Um. [right.] A little bruised, nothing worth writing home about.
"My thing." ( She snorts. ) My thing is being too volatile to count on. I don't care.
( She cares about other things tied up with it, but not Stephanie using that name. It meant something to her, but she was always the interloper.
The sting is always there. )
Good.
( She cares about other things tied up with it, but not Stephanie using that name. It meant something to her, but she was always the interloper.
The sting is always there. )
Good.
[It sounds like she cares a lot, but Steph is smart enough not to point that out, especially when she knows what it's like to feel bitter about reputation.]
I just meant-- [No, okay, that's enough. Helena isn't going to bite her head off, and this isn't even about the name, it's about everything.] Okay.
[Okay what, exactly, she isn't sure, but it's a start.
After a moment of slightly awkward silence:] Sometimes I miss Spoiler.
I just meant-- [No, okay, that's enough. Helena isn't going to bite her head off, and this isn't even about the name, it's about everything.] Okay.
[Okay what, exactly, she isn't sure, but it's a start.
After a moment of slightly awkward silence:] Sometimes I miss Spoiler.
( There's a long silence on this side, Helena pinching the bridge of her nose as she wrestles those feelings down. She'd rather have kicked something into the wall, but there's nothing to hand. )
Why?
Why?
You know people used to mistake me for a guy? I just-- [What? She sighs, absently picking at the hem of her shirt.] Batgirl is so specific.
[It invokes a specific image, and she's not sure if she's okay with that, anymore.
She misses Robin, too, but that's not something she can say.]
[It invokes a specific image, and she's not sure if she's okay with that, anymore.
She misses Robin, too, but that's not something she can say.]
It is. ( A beat, and she could just leave it at that and hang up, but-- )
I convinced some boys once that the only reason hoods said Batman was because they were too afraid to say a girl beat them. ( There's a smile in her voice, but it's fragile, and she's angry with herself in the next moment. As if those had been glory days. Her voice remains calm, her anger is for herself alone. )
In Gotham the Bat means more than any other symbol could. It's-- primal. It speaks to all of us.
( Going back to Huntress had been hard; she does not think Stephanie would enjoy losing that symbol, not when the Bat has been so much more a part of her life than it has for Helena, so definitive. Spoiler, Robin, Batgirl. She's carried Nightwing's mantle, and Oracle's. They both went on to become something separate, but-- the reasons were different. )
Question is, what do you want to do? Be ambiguous? Be frightening? Do you just want to stop people talking down to you because your name suggests you're a child? What?
I convinced some boys once that the only reason hoods said Batman was because they were too afraid to say a girl beat them. ( There's a smile in her voice, but it's fragile, and she's angry with herself in the next moment. As if those had been glory days. Her voice remains calm, her anger is for herself alone. )
In Gotham the Bat means more than any other symbol could. It's-- primal. It speaks to all of us.
( Going back to Huntress had been hard; she does not think Stephanie would enjoy losing that symbol, not when the Bat has been so much more a part of her life than it has for Helena, so definitive. Spoiler, Robin, Batgirl. She's carried Nightwing's mantle, and Oracle's. They both went on to become something separate, but-- the reasons were different. )
Question is, what do you want to do? Be ambiguous? Be frightening? Do you just want to stop people talking down to you because your name suggests you're a child? What?
Edited 2013-06-21 12:16 (UTC)
Steph? It's me. I know I promised I'd give you a call back in the catacombs, but —
Something came up.
[The world's best liar is suddenly the world's worst.
way 2 go steph
At least he sounds much better, health-wise.]
Something came up.
[The world's best liar is suddenly the world's worst.
way 2 go steph
At least he sounds much better, health-wise.]
voice; i feel like i should count to see if you or bella have more
controlledvariable
2013-06-23 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[She won't pretend like she's not relieved to hear from him, but it turns to worry as soon he actually speaks.]
Something? What something? What happened?
[Way to play it cool, Brown.]
Something? What something? What happened?
[Way to play it cool, Brown.]
Um.
[There's no use in lying, at this point, and there's really no way he can sugarcoat this. But he can sound nonchalant about it, which he does:] I stopped breathing for a minute. [Pause.] A few minutes. I'm not sure.
[There's no use in lying, at this point, and there's really no way he can sugarcoat this. But he can sound nonchalant about it, which he does:] I stopped breathing for a minute. [Pause.] A few minutes. I'm not sure.
[It's stupid, the way she feels like she's stopped breathing, because obvously he's fine, and even if something had happened, hopefully the resurrection tech would have brought him back, she just--
There's really no way to justify it, so she just forces herself to take a breath after realizing she's been silent for too long.]
Okay. [Her voice sounds hollow to her own ears, and she... should say someting more, but it's hard to think.] You-- Are you okay? Now?
[Of course he is, but she has to ask.]
There's really no way to justify it, so she just forces herself to take a breath after realizing she's been silent for too long.]
Okay. [Her voice sounds hollow to her own ears, and she... should say someting more, but it's hard to think.] You-- Are you okay? Now?
[Of course he is, but she has to ask.]
[It's weird, hearing Steph sound like that. It almost makes him feel guilty. No, actually, it does make him feel guilty — he thought he'd exhausted his guilt reserves on Jesse, but the twitch in his chest tells him otherwise.]
Yeah. I just got out of the hospital. Doctors gave me a clean bill of health, so — more than okay. Good as new.
Yeah. I just got out of the hospital. Doctors gave me a clean bill of health, so — more than okay. Good as new.
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