[ Video post; encrypted from the Joker ]

[iamnotthemom]

[ There's a tv on somewhere offscreen, tuned into coverage of the volcano eruption. Kon is seated in front of the camera, in a white t-shirt and glasses, trying to ignore it. He only turned it on to find out what day it was

Comments

[action]

[123youreit]

[Tim had been in Italy, fighting off his angst by helping out, but he was paying enough attention to the network broadcasts that it's only a few seconds before he's back at the Tower. He recognised that room in the background, just about, and he knows that Kon would head back to the Tower as soon as he came back from being killed by the Joker anyway. There's an almost cartoonish rush of red and black and a trail of soot and dust, and then Tim is standing in front of Kon, just. Staring at him with an unreadable expression as he drags off his cowl.

Thank god for superspeed, or this reunion wouldn't be happening for a few hours.]

[action]

[iamnotthemom]

[ Kon had known as soon as he saw what had happened in Italy that Tim - and most likely, everyone else that he knew - was there. He wasn't expecting a response at all, let alone someone just suddenly being in the room. He jumps a bit, when Tim blurs to a stop. ]

Hey.

[ The silence was really uncomfortable, ok. But he doesn't know what else to say, rubs his palm against his cheek to stall. That ate up a whole five seconds. ]

You didn't have to come back.

[action]

[123youreit]

Of course I did.

[Doofus. Tim has been kind of tense, but after Kon actually speaks, it grounds the whole situation somehow, and the tension flows out of him, leaving him... tired, mostly. He sits on the couch next to Kon so that it's less awkward to pull him into a hug.]

I was starting to worry you weren't going to.

[action]

[iamnotthemom]

[ Kon twists on the couch until the hug slides into a more natural position and just. Holds Tim close. He didn't realize how much he needed a hug until he was in the middle of one. Everything's been overwhelmingly fast lately. ]

I'm like a bad penny. I'll always turn up.

[action]

[123youreit]

Dork.

[Tim huffs out a quiet breath in what might have been a laugh at that choice of cliche phrases, but there were too many other emotions running through him right now for that weak level of amusment to win though. Mostly, he was just so relieved to have Kon back that everything else could wait.]

You're not allowed to do that ever again.

[action]

[iamnotthemom]

I won't.

[ Sighing, Kon gives a slight nod. 'That' is something that he's trying very hard not to think about. He wants to try and laugh it off, but can't figure out how to do so safely. All jokes related to the third time being the proverbial charm aren't particularly funny at the moment. ]

I'm sorry. [ He means it, too, and it's evident in the tone of his voice. It's a heartfelt apology for the trouble he caused. ]

[action]

[123youreit]

[Tim leans in to bump his head against Kon's neck and shoulder.]

It's not your fault. The only one to blame is that stupid clown -

[He cuts himself off before he ends up ranting, when Kon really doesn't need to hear it. He subsides into a quiet grumble against Kon's chest.]

[action]

[iamnotthemom]

[ Kon doesn't answer this verbally, just rubs Tim's back. He'd like to see the Joker in prison. Part of him would like to make faces at him from the outside of the cell, but he doesn't want Tim to get in over his head and wind up dead or worse. The Joker, he thinks, might be over Tim's head.

This does, at least, answer one of the questions that's been popping up in his head for everyone. Namely, Tim knew that it was the Joker, which meant that he'd known that Kon had died and hadn't been merely ported out. That's not comforting, but it is something of a relief. It means there's less to explain.

And Kon doesn't feel like explaining any of it. ]

How's the cleanup in Italy going?

[action]

[123youreit]

[These days, the Joker isn't as over Tim's head as he used to be, but it's still not a good match-up. Really, the Joker has the potential to be over anyone's head, with his unpredictability and tendency to put innocent lives at risk just to level out the playing field in his favour.

And if it hadn't been for Nightwing, Tim might have ended up going up against him anyway, and blowing himself up to save everyone, just like the police officers had. It wasn't a nice thought.

Tim sighs, relaxing a little more and leaning on Kon. He's missed the warm feeling of having Kon just there, close enough to touch and rely on.]

Tiring, and even with a lot of the hero teams and independents pitching in, it's going to take time. But I think it would be a lot worse if no-one'd shown up at all.

[action]

[iamnotthemom]

Do you need to get back?

[ The question is quiet - almost hesitant. When he felt Tim slump against him a little more, Kon had leaned back until he was half-laying on the couch, drawing Tim down along with him. It's comfortable. He doesn't want to be alone right now, but there's no way that he'd ask Tim to stay. ]

[action]

[123youreit]

[Tim's first instinct is to say no, that the other Titans and heroes can handle it. But, as Kon is already more than aware of, he's far too responsible to just leave a situation like that, unless there was some bigger crisis happening. And even then, he'd feel guilty about it.

Still... he doesn't want to leave Kon alone right now. And it is comfortable, like this.]

Eventually. I think they can spare me for an hour or two, under the circumstances.

[And that does bring up the question of why Kon is sitting this one out. Usually he'd be eager to get started, to give himself something to do other than think about dying what had happened. Tim thinks back to a few of the more recent posts by people who had died in the City - Shego, Jan Valentine and Riful. Hm.]

Did you lose your powers?

Re: [action]

[iamnotthemom]

[ Kon jumps on the longer of the times offered, of course, but he knows that he can't really hold Tim to it. ]

Two hours sounds good.

[ He flinches a little at the question, but nods. Why does Tim have to be so damn observant all the time? Couldn't he have a brain fart just once? ]

I think I did. I didn't go throwing myself in front of a car to test it, but I had to walk here.

[action]

[123youreit]

[He might just about manage to keep Tim there for all of it, but no promises. Tim just makes a non-committal noise.]

Right, that's a pretty good sign. It seems like that's the new thing that happens when - when you have to be brought back, but I don't know if you've still forgotten something, too. I'll have to do some tests.

Re: [action]

[iamnotthemom]

I didn't forget anything.

[ He's defensive about that - he hates that Porter is messing around with his powers and always has, but Kon's pretty sensitive about things mucking about with his head. It doesn't go well. ]

You can. Whatever you want, as long as the results stay here.

[action]

[123youreit]

[Tim raises his eyebrows, but he understands getting touchy over the sanctity of memories and mental privacy. It's one of those particular Bat sore points, after all. He'll leave testing whether Kon has forgotten anything or not for later, when it's less of a raw wound.]

I'm hardly going to publish a scientific journal about it, Kon. Don't worry, I'll do the tests and then delete the results once I'm sure you're okay.

Re: [action]

[iamnotthemom]

[ He misinterprets the look and thinks that Tim is accusing him of over-reacting with all of this. He's not. Kon's sure that this is a normal reaction. No one would want to know that they're missing huge gaps of time that they lived. It's bad enough missing huge gaps of time that you died. ]

I don't need a whole Q&A session or to play Conner Kent, this is your life. That's all. I'd know if I'd forgotten anything. And I know that you wouldn't go around posting the blood tests up on the Network or anything like that, but maybe you'd show Dr. Mid-Nite or Blue Beetle.