(Untitled)

[newgothamoracle]

[her words are slightly breathless, punctuated by the heavy thumps of steel striking leather]

Say the people you love keep leaving. When do you stop? When do you give up?

((Barbara is currently beating the shit out of the gym's punching bags. Action or over the journal!))

Comments

[newgothamoracle]

Why not? [slam] Especially when you have work to do, and grief just [slam] gets in the way?

[possiblycantdie]

The less we feel the less human we are. It's not quite so easy to stop.

[newgothamoracle]

[the strike stop abruptly; softly, she says] I told someone that once. Few times, actually.

[old fondness breaks the sheen of dull anger] The first time she told me exactly what humanity could do to itself.

[matchmaker]

[Actually considering this. Oh hey again, Babs. He's suddenly standing next to you]

I guess you look at it this way--if you were the one to leave, when would you want those you care about to give up?

[newgothamoracle]

[the surprise stills her blows, and she lowers her Eskrima sticks as she looks up at him] I don't know. It would spare them this.

[matchmaker]

[Interesting weapon choice there. He eyes said stick, and then looks back to Barbara]

Why?

[newgothamoracle]

[follows his gaze, before arching an eyebrow] Why spare them grief or why Eskrima?

[_fredless]

That's a question I've asked myself more than once.

[And one that currently sits particularly close to home. Fred pauses to listen to the sounds of exertion over the journal]

I still haven't settled on an answer yet.

[newgothamoracle]

[the sounds cease, and then] Think we ever will?

[_fredless]

I think we'll never stop thinking about it. I think...we'll never stop asking the question.

That's about as far as I've gotten.

[That doesn't even touch on the rest, of course. If that's how she would have answered the same questions before coming here. If being in this place has changed her that much. And just which version of herself does she prefer]

[newgothamoracle]

That's a pretty good hypothesis, I'd say.

this lady

[thatsmy_niche]

Guess it depends how much of a masochist you are.

[bitter Hacker is bitter lately, sorry Barbara]

this guy

[newgothamoracle]

[snort]

Guess it does.

[oh she knows from bitter]

this lady

[thatsmy_niche]

Easy solution. Don't get attached to people here you don't know, and expect anyone from home to go home any day.

this guy

[newgothamoracle]

All well and good for this place, but I've lost more people at home.

[cricketycricket]

Oh, Barbara, I'm sorry. ...

[he's quiet for a moment, then] I know this may be of little help, but ... I've lost several companions to time and tide, even before I got here, and ... I suppose the thing to remember is the difference they made, and what they meant to you while they were part of your life... so that you can give someone else the chance to do the same, and be just as marvellous.

[newgothamoracle]

[the strikes slow as she listens before stopping altogether, and then, softly] It's good advice, Doctor.

Just don't know if I can do it anymore.

[cricketycricket]

Oh, come now. [half-jokingly] If I can have been at it for hundreds of years yet, I think you can survive another month's worth of trying. You've got it in you, somewhere. Anyone who can make it here does.

[newgothamoracle]

...Just how old are you? ...Rude question?