capeandcowl | 001

001 | video;

[After a few expertly feigned false-starts, Bruce manages to set the communicator to record and the video feed focused on himself. He's a man in his late thirties; the classic tall, dark and handsome. His hair is playfully mussed and the tie to his visibly expensive executive suit is drawn slack enough to reveal a lipstick smear on his neck. He wears the lazy smile of someone who has never had much difficulty having a good time.

All in all, it's a thoroughly convincing charade.]

I must have overindulged on the bubbly because I don't remember the Big Apple ever having its own border control. Is that a new initiative?

What's more, it would appear that I've mislaid my butler. He has my appointment book, but I fear I'm long past expected at a Community Health Center ribbon-cutting in Gotham.

I'd be loathe to flake on such a worthy cause, so would someone be a dear and call for a car? You can be my plus-one.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Adorable, B.

I fully expect you to express how much you truly missed me in a way that isn't full of banter and/or noncommittal sounds. [And she reaches off camera -- AREN'T YOU LUCKY, SHE IS DRESSED LIKE A NORMAL PERSON -- and grabs a coat.] I'll be there in a moment.

[He'll be waiting. Restlessly, of course.]

[Only because he's afraid of what she'll do to him when she arrives! He's the only person here that would expect her to show up behind him, so she chooses to materialize a few feet away, tripping over her own feet as she rushes him. Barely giving him any chance to react, she pounces, wrapping her arms tight enough that he might just be experiencing discomfort.

--well, if she was stronger and he was weaker, maybe. And finally:] Bruce!

[There is the noise of breath vacating his body as she hits him, before he manages to wrap her into an awkward one-armed hug.]

Easy. Dead man walking.

Edited 2010-11-19 10:27 (UTC)

You're a little less touchy-feely than Boston. [She pulls away (eventually) and even is able to hold back tears, though it's more than obvious that she's on the verge of them. Her eyes are glassy and she can't help but look away for a moment, raising a hand to wipe her eyes before she embarrasses herself.]

...hey.

[He smiles down at her.]

Hey.

I'm just saying, but... I could totally kiss you right now.

C'mon. Let's get out of here. Random street corner #379 isn't the place to talk. [Shamelessly, she grabs his hand and--] Emoh! [Emoh, being something not entirely dissimilar to her place in San Francisco, but she teleported him to the middle of her living room, so.]

I, uh, am pretty sure it's just you and me. Diana and I assume Barry are at work, Tim's at school, and I probably should be at work. [Whoops. She lets go of his hand, finally, with a little shrug.] I let Remus know, though. Someone should be taking over for me.

[He hawkishly surveys the room, pacing casually and catching a peek through the door to the house proper.]

Five months. Not sure if I should be impressed or worried.

[Her home is yours, B.]

Bit of both, I imagine. Has anyone else contacted you? [She sort of tries to make herself comfortable, in hopes that he'll follow.] I know Babs, Dick, Cassandra, Tim, and... both Stephanie -- some younger version of her -- and, ah, ...Jason are here. Booster Gold and both the second and third Blue Beetle are present and Doctor Mid-Nite was here, as well. [She frowns, deeply, as she plops down on the sofa and gives it a pat.] I don't think he's here anymore.

[He's seen them, or will see them, but he doesn't want to talk roll call right now. Just thinking of all those people and the heated tirades some of them would be tripping over themselves to express -- it's exhausting.

Still, she won't get him to settle down that easily.]

I didn't know you and Pieter were so well acquainted.

[She leaves it at that, though she mostly just wanted him to be aware and not shocked when Ted Kord says 'sup.]

Met 'em a few times. He set up a building for imPorts here and Tim and I were staying at the place for a while. [She gives him five minutes of alone time before finding out they were dating. :|] We're also working with Babs on her team together. Were.

[Hands find pockets and he continues to hover.]

Sorry I missed him.

Barbara's team. She has the Birds established here?

Sit down or else I'll say it backwards and then you will get pissy and I'll feel guilty and everything will be ruined.

...uh, yeah. I guess. [Stupidface. Stop knowing everything always.]

Yeah. Ted's on it, too. [lmao booster wasn't invited. :')]

I'd rather stand. [... alright, fine, he'll sit down. But this is only because everyone she has ever cared about keeps disappearing and it's making her magic-grumpy.]

Naturally, Ted's on the team.

[Pause.] You okay?

Turn off the defensive-mode. The place is protected. The only ones that can barge in are the people that live here -- and the Stranger. Who, by the way, was apparently here. [And that's the part that scares her the most about the place.]

He's working for some guy named Tony Stark here. Big player, as far as I can gather.

[Hnngnh, just what she didn't want to hear.] I was starting to think you weren't going to come back, you know? [She smiles, halfheartedly.]

Didn't mean to keep you waiting. [And he hopes she hadn't been waiting at all.]

I've waited longer for lesser men.

You shouldn't be waiting for anyone.

[She shrugs. This is becoming very awkward, very quickly.]

[Bruce used subject change!] You mentioned a job earlier. Back on the stage?

Edited 2010-11-19 16:31 (UTC)

[Any other time, she'd be pissed about it, but... It's Super-Effective!] On the weekends. I teach at the Institute. Elemental Sorcery.

The Institute?

A school for metahumans and capes and the like. I'm honestly surprised we haven't done anything like that back home. Pity I won't remember any of this if I ever leave. [SUCH A DOWNER.] It's still an experience, though. A guy name Remus Lupin runs it. You might have heard of him.

Not yet I haven't. [He has his snooping face on.]

Does Harry Potter ring a bell? [It could only be made better if Tim walked in right this moment.]

[Private; encrypted]

[Action, then]

[Action, I can handle that.]

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