oo9; before all else, be armed. // VOICE

[fivestepsahead]

[ There's an odd echoing quality to Bruce's voice when he speaks, but it's almost unnoticeable. ]

That almost seems like a vacation.

I'll take it that most ports aren't so benign.

[ A pause. ]

I'm still rather new. What are some of the most interesting ports that you all remember?

Comments

private voice; dick always tries :|

[batmanschmatman]

[So, out of habit probably more then anything else, Dick does actually try to read the strikes. And he's... extremely conflicted.

His first response is "you used to", because he remembers a time where it wasn't always dealing with "The Bat", and there are still moments where that's the case. Fewer and shorter and harder to find in recent years, but still there. But he knows that's not really going to be a productive thing to get into right now or just yet, and it would probably just lead to another fight, which isn't really what he wants. Not after reading stuff like "when I died I thought of all of you all and I didn't want to die even though I deserve it and I still think I deserve it".

It doesn't take away the hurt entirely - mostly because the words had cut deeply and he's still upset that Bruce apparently doesn't realize what he means to no just him, but all of them too - but it's enough to make him bury it for now. Pushing aside his own issues to make sure other people are okay is, after all, what he's best at.

So, after a good ten minutes of reading and rereading and sitting trying to figure out what he wants to do, he clicks on the communicator again.]

Are you okay?

private; voice; i like how we cycled through all three communication methods

[fivestepsahead]

[ He knows he probably should have placed the security tighter, but he thinks that he's a coward, if he does. No take-backs, right? Might as well start living up to his own rule.

He's been a hypocrite for far too much, and it's funny, given how he has to not be one in order to be Batman at all. ]

I'm fine.

[ LOL LIES. ]

private; voice; we're cool like that. 8]

[batmanschmatman]

[To push the issue, or to leave it alone?

...]

Bullshit. How can I help?

private; voice;

[fivestepsahead]

[ A long pause. ]

I think you already did.

[ Also known as: PART OF IT WAS MY FIGHT WITH YOU... and the other parts you can't really help with. ]

private; voice;

[batmanschmatman]

[And there's another pause, slightly shorter. He gets it, he's also just... shutting down and pushing away a little. It's a defense mechanism until he can figure out if Bruce is still angry with him.]

Okay.

private; voice;

[fivestepsahead]

Dick- [ ... Well that's instinctive, as is the sudden raising of his hand- when did he start getting sentimental? ]

I'm not- angry. [ Wait that's not true. ]

Not at you.

private; voice;

[batmanschmatman]

I know. [Mostly.]

You're sure I can't help?

private; voice;

[fivestepsahead]

Unless you have ideas on how to deal with one overpowered, crazed moron and another moron with high IQ and low EQ, not really.

[ Otherwise known as your dad wants to punch Arthas and Eddie a lot. ]

private; voice;

[batmanschmatman]

What happened?

[Otherwise known as your son wants to try and do something productive because he's feeling kind of useless as fuck right now.]

private; voice;

[fivestepsahead]

I can't tell you, Dick.

private; voice;

[batmanschmatman]

Okay.