eight; video

[kingofrooks]

[ The video comes on to a close-up to Bruce's cheek. He's surprisingly clean-shaven, though the skin looks pretty pale. Then, there's a finger, scratching at the skin... then the camera pans back, back. Bruce is peering at it. ]

... Okay, that's just rude, Core. No candy for you. [ He sighs quietly. ]

So. I'm back. [ Pause. He rubs at the back of

Comments

[Video]

[gaveherwings]

Halloween. Among other nightmarish ordeals. Corporal Mayer was recently injured, in pursuit of the Red Hood. I'm sure you'll hear the details of that around the office. [And there's a certain severity in that, contrasted with the almost delicate delivery of his next article of news.]

The career choices of the likes of Batman and Superman appear to be coming under fire?

[Stated deliberately casual, conversational, as if the searing mark on Wayne's chest was something he'd never taken notice of.

And here he gives the man a curious eye.]

Has...Gotham been holding together?

voice for all eternity

[kingofrooks]

[ Oh, Daedalus. The more casual you try to deliver those lines, the more obvious you are. You can't see it, but Bruce's eyes narrow.

He knows you suspect. ]

I would never understand why people would put Batman and Superman in the same category. [ Grumbling, a little under his breath. ] They are completely different from each other.

And Gotham's fine. Do I want to know about those nightmarish ordeals?

voice for all eternity

[gaveherwings]

Oh? [Innocuous interest.] Are they? Last I heard, they were rescuing trick or treaters from their peers in tandem?

But I know you can't put much stock in press, for understanding these things.

Your probably don't want to know about those. Most of us lost sleep.

[kingofrooks]

It must've been Superman taking pity on that jerk. [ ... Oh his pride. His pride... ]

Anyway, was it lost sleep in the sense of stock markets crashing... or in the sense of horrific nightmares? [ PAUSE. ]

Please tell me the stock market crashed.

[gaveherwings]

As a citizen, what a way to speak of Gotham's sentinel! [A laugh- and while it's posed as the small-talk, mingling sort of laugh, the swanning kind that Franz uses at parties while politely criticisms to someone's face, there may be the barest hint that he is wondering at his own daring.] Though I imagine public opinion must vary, of course, if it is anything like the criminal politics here.

And I'm sorry to say it's the latter. Though you shouldn't wish for waking horrors, as if this city hasn't enough to sort out.

The stock market's only seen some falling out in the wake of SERO's limited shipping. And AGI's taken their holdings in liquor control to their own upcoming embarrassment in court, if I can keep Prosecutor Armando on his feet.

...I don't really know why I'm telling you this, you really could just peruse the business section yourself.

[kingofrooks]

You're saving me time from digging out the business section. [ Almost humourous. ] Armando told me about the latest crazy thing he's doing, so I know about that at least. But what do you mean about SERO's limited shipping?

[ Pause, then a verbal shrug. ]

Batman's a polarizing figure. I just really don't like him. But more importantly- when did we have criminal politics here, and why didn't I notice?

[gaveherwings]

You were still here, when the docks were damaged by that dragon attack, weren't you?

If you haven't noticed, that certainly isn't something I can answer for you.

[kingofrooks]

... Right. I was wondering if that was a bad dream, actually. [ A little dry, then- ]

What I mostly notice are the weapons the police have. Not much else, to be honest.

[gaveherwings]

A humble cog.

[kingofrooks]

Amongst many. [ :| :| WHAT ARE YOU DOING DAEDALUS ]

[gaveherwings]

[Challenging. Trying to fit the pieces up.] Is that what all CEOs of multibillion dollar companies are trained to say in a lowly position?

[kingofrooks]

I don't know many CEOs of multibillion dollar companies here, Doctor. [ He's chinhanding right now, even if you can't say it. ] But I've had some time to get used to that.

[gaveherwings]

Though you've...been home and back in the past few weeks, that's correct?

A disorienting change of pace, it must be, to slide from one position back into another.

Newcomers are disadvantaged here, even in the best of positions.

[kingofrooks]

It's like riding a bicycle, honestly. Really hard to forget, and really easy to slip back into, even though I wish the Core had dragged me here when I actually had cash.

[gaveherwings]

What inconvenience.

[kingofrooks]

Incredibly so.