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Post by Tim "Red Robin" Drake on Feb 22, 2013 23:26:56 GMT -5
The young man put his drink down when Barbara spoke to him. He nearly had a heart attack when she asked if his comment was a wheelchair joke. He was ready to defend himself, but once she waved her hand in a gesture that told him she knew that's not what he meant, he felt far more relaxed. It'd been a while since he felt relaxed. "Yeah. Too long," Tim commented, a smile appearing on his own face as he spoke.
She seemed to be a mind reader, or Tim had made it obvious that he wanted to know the reason behind Steph's shiner. His face became more of a grimace when Babs mentioned psychos running about. He knew about them. That was a part of the reason he returned to Gotham in the first place. There was more to it than that, though. Tim was relieved to hear that she answered yet another of his mental questions, although the latter of the answer put a knot in his stomach.
Stephanie.
She was going to ask so many questions. Tim knew it. She may not have liked the answers she got either. Tim folded his hands together, getting comfortable in his seat. He watched Babs flip over the card on the table. He didn't get a good look at it, and something told him now would not be a good time to ask. He could bring it up later.
Wait. Bring it up later? Would he actually get to see Babs again? He could figure out the answer for himself, just in case. Tim stared at the card, mentally putting the pieces of the puzzle together. A card, Babs flipping it over. What kind of card did it have to be? A joker card. The Joker card. He felt a need to bring up a subject to take both of their minds off the card.
"Word on the street is Gotham's not looking too good. Maybe I could help you... Clean up a bit?"
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Post by Barbara Gordon on Feb 22, 2013 23:57:05 GMT -5
"Be my pleasure to let you help us!" she gave an overly charming voice as she let her eyebrows rise, and then fall suggestively. Perhaps comedy applied to a certain extent was just Babs trying to keep things calm, settled.
"You get yourself settled in," she assumed he'd piece together that that meant the Bat-Cave and its' contents were available to him, "I trust you remember your way in. And anyone says otherwise I'll have a chat." and by anyone that likely meant Damian. The kid didn't have much favor for Tim.
"You just get your lines straight so you don't get killed before you can even lift a finger to help us." and then she threw a wink to him. Of course she was talking about how he was going to talk to Stephanie. On another note, Babs had sorted any small business that 'needed' to be dealt with regarding Tim, before allowing Steph her free reign.
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Stephanie Brown "Batgirl"
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
"Relax, Boy Virgin. You're not the guilty party. A couple of make-out sessions do not a baby make."
Posts: 95
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Post by Stephanie Brown "Batgirl" on Feb 23, 2013 2:01:34 GMT -5
Lazy eyes raised to the barista as the girl handed out the two drinks, all smiles. "Cappuccino and an amer...icano." She was staring at the black eye, the mussed hair. She probably looked like she'd just come off a really crazy bender.
"Thanks, I needed it." She tried to pass it off as casual, but the effect was ruined by her turning around to find Babs sitting talking with someone. First instinct was to hit the guy into next month - Joker card meant it was high alert, and damn straight she would kick the ass of anyone who tried to hurt Babs under her watch - even if it meant busting another set of ribs.
But the hair, the face, the voice she'd groggily heard drifting behind her but had passed off as her drifting dangerously close to insanity.
"Tim."
She might had said his name? Had she? She wasn't sure, and it came out in a puff like a breath when someone socked you in the gut. That fit - her brain was short circuiting.
Admittedly, Stephanie had thought almost every time she went out about what it would be like, Tim being back. She'd pictured it hundreds of different ways - a glamours Wayne foundation party, running into him on the street, fighting against an immeasurable amount of enemies and he swoops in to help her, him fighting an immeasurable amount of enemies and she swoops in to save him.
In none of her imaginings had she been dressed in yoga pants, hair unbrushed, and mottled black and blue.
How long had he been there? How long had he been in Gotham? How had things been for him since... Gotham? How the fuck did he get his hair so shiny? Why didn't he come see her? Was he still angry at her? How much did he know about what was going on? If she tried to explain to him that Bruce was really gone... would he believe her?
"Shit!" Stephanie snarled. Somehow in her staring she'd been squeezing her right hand into a fist - steamy hot drink sloshed onto her hand. Well, so much for an elegant reunion. Walking over to the table she placed the cup down next to Barbara. What could she say? It felt like the questions were multiplying in her head faster than she could really think them. She was angry, hurt, upset. But did she really have any right to be? How do you start the conversation you've already had a million times in your head?
Think Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Blanche, Scarlet - anyone. Mysterious, eloquent, not glaringly lonely.
"Well, this is about the best news I've had this week. Oh... Damian took your room."
The first part was said sarcastically - a defense mechanism. With Tim came a whole world of hurt. Physical hurt she could deal with - emotions... well, you don't fake your own death if you know how to deal with emotional damage. She moved around Babs and sat down, trying her best not to wince against as her side lit up. She really hoped she'd put deodorant on this morning. She honestly couldn't remember.
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Post by Tim "Red Robin" Drake on Feb 23, 2013 12:11:08 GMT -5
A smile reappeared on his face when Babs had told him that he could get himself settled in. He wasn't sure if it was her comedic attitude that got him to smile or the fact that she told him he was pretty much good to go. It was possible that he just missed talking to Babs. Sure, back in Jump City he had the Titans, but this was different. He had not seen the slightly older woman for a long time as opposed to seeing his new team a few days ago. Besides, Raven was running around the streets of Gotham. He could meet up with her eventually.
"I think I'll remember how to get there just fine," he said, his tone lighthearted. "Don't worry, I'll get my lines straight." His heart pounded just after he said that. Another voice made its way to his ears. Another feminine voice. Another familiar voice. He almost didn't dare look to where the owner of the voice was. The key word is almost. He quickly turned his head to see her.
Stephanie.
Despite the appearance she had, Tim knew it was her. She didn't look like she was ready to take on the day. Then again, Tim wasn't really quite ready to take on the day either, so he wasn't one to talk. He didn't think that reuniting with Steph would be like this. Not in a café. Not with either of them looking so casual and so tired. He didn't know what he thought it would be like, he just knew he thought it might be different. Regardless, he had mixed feelings when she came over and sat down. His smile dissolved into a straight line.
How do you talk to someone you once cared for so much, only to sever the relationship and leave? How are you supposed to talk to one another again? Get angry, cry, laugh it off? Tim's mind went blank as to how he should act suddenly. He stared at Stephanie, glad that she spoke first. If she waited on him to talk, he probably would have taken another half-hour before he spoke up.
"Nice to see you too, Steph," Tim said, voice containing a hint of sarcasm. "That's not too surprising either, about Damian." Suddenly, Tim was rather awkward. Unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do. It didn't help that he was extremely tired.
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Post by Barbara Gordon on Feb 23, 2013 16:40:41 GMT -5
And the mood that Babs had worked so hard to kindle has been destroyed. She tapped the tips of her fingers together, holding her ground with an oddly pleasant smile despite the circumstances.
"Thank you Steph." she said, again, surprisingly pleasant. Perhaps it was a tinge of sarcasm of her own, but more likely a lack of anything better to say. Again, she tried to keep the mood light for their coffee shop meeting.
"I would recommend you not trying to win your bedroom back, or Damian will likely take your left arm for trying." Babs warned, a touch of humor in her voice as she took a stab at the ten year old's fiery temper. She seemed to reconsider just how hostile the kid could be, and then added, "If the mansion proves too dangerous, there's always my couch." and then a perplexed nod.
Damian was a child, but she wouldn't put trying to stab Tim in his sleep past him. He had a streak of not fighting fair.
She took the Joker card, still face down and placed it on the keyboard of her laptop. Just touching it put an odd tingling in the tips of her fingers, fear, so she shut the laptop before it could spread, and dropped it in her side pocket.
"Well if one of you will be so inclined to push, I'll provide the witty repartee." she proposed cheerfully.
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Stephanie Brown "Batgirl"
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
"Relax, Boy Virgin. You're not the guilty party. A couple of make-out sessions do not a baby make."
Posts: 95
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Post by Stephanie Brown "Batgirl" on Feb 23, 2013 18:37:57 GMT -5
She'd managed to talk, so that was something. But somehow Stephanie didn't feel any better. Was she glad Tim was back? Hell yeah - she'd never wanted him to leave. But it hurt more than she was even remotely willing to admit that he had left.
The one question she'd been avoiding in her brain came forward in a painful glare. Was he seeing someone else?
"You can take the room I was shacking up in." It was the biggest offer she could make at the moment. "I need to start sleeping at home again before my Mom files a missing persons. Alfred threw an extra couple locks on in case Damian wanted to try and rip the kevlar off my suit."
The touch of humor - she was trying as hard as she could not to seem hurt. But she still couldn't look him in the eye. She took a sip of her drink, grimaced, and gulped more back, wincing at the heat searing down her throat. "I'll push - we need to get out of here and back to the manor."
Stephanie stood, hesitating. She could swoop down on the man who broke Bruce, break into the bat cave, dive-bomb Arkham inmates...
Manning up, she tried to catch Tim's eye. "You should... come. John will want to know your back."
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Post by Tim "Red Robin" Drake on Feb 23, 2013 21:16:25 GMT -5
"Got it," Tim responded to Babs when she mentioned Damian. Even though they were technically brothers, obviously not by blood, they weren't exactly fond of each other. Tim wasn't going to tempt fate by trying to steal back his old bedroom. He might end up with a knife in his back, in his chest, something along those lines. He wasn't up for going to the hospital, if he could even make it there on time. Nope. Damian could keep his room. Tim wasn't going to attempt to object to that.
His focus flipped over to Stephanie once more when she offered her room. He had to rekindle some form of a friendship, didn't he? If he was going to team up with the Bat Family again, that might be a good idea to at least be on good terms with her. "I might just do that, Steph," Tim said, doing his best to seem friendly. It was so odd to talk to her again, and it didn't help that Tim wasn't sure if that was a good weird or a bad weird. He took another sip of his own hot beverage when Steph volunteered to push.
He had taken notice that she avoided eye contact. Tim couldn't exactly blame her. It was probably extremely awkward for both parties to meet up with one another. He made eye contact with her once she finally tried to catch his eye. She requested that he come along, though there was something about what she said that perplexed him. "Wait. John? John Blake?"
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Post by Barbara Gordon on Feb 23, 2013 21:47:37 GMT -5
There were many things that were down right crappy about being in a wheelchair. Right now the only thing she could think of, was how she was stuck in the middle of a tense reunion of two teenagers who'd previously been romantically interested. The circle of fun between a Batgirl, and a Robin. It had always been an amusing one, but things were so much more intense now, and Babs happened to be dropped right smack in the middle.
"Dick." Babs provided, and cleared her throat as an explanation. He insisted upon being referred to as John these days, though Barbara couldn't quite figure why. She preferred his real name, though obliged to his requests.
"Be a dear and grab the door for the ladies, wheels and all?" she smiled kindly to Tim, after Stephanie had taken the handles of the back of her chair. "Maybe it's best if we all pay a visit," she was no doubt talking about the Wayne Mansion. "Might make your return a little easier." Barbara suggested nodding meaningfully to Tim.
A little back up never hurt, especially when that back up was the Oracle. Though she hardly expected John would object to more allies.
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Post by Tim "Red Robin" Drake on Feb 23, 2013 22:45:56 GMT -5
Initially, Tim had thought that Babs had meant to direct the name "Dick" at him. That wasn't the case when he figured that she meant John's real name was Dick. Dick, John, whatever he went by, must have joined up with the Bat Family. Tim probably left before John had been associated with the bats and birds, because the last time Tim checked, John Blake had been a police officer. Was he losing his mind due to returning to Gotham? It sounded like a pretty good possibility to Tim.
"Oh, yeah, not a problem," Tim responded, snapping out of his sea of thoughts when the redhead asked that he open the door. Tim was quick on his feet, giving Babs a nod in return. It might be a good plan to meet up with John, or whatever his name was now, alongside Barbara and Steph.
He got ahead of the two females, opening up the door. He abandoned his coffee. It was a good idea to stop drinking it if he was feeling so nervous he was getting himself sick. Coffee was not going to help much.
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Stephanie Brown "Batgirl"
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
"Relax, Boy Virgin. You're not the guilty party. A couple of make-out sessions do not a baby make."
Posts: 95
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Post by Stephanie Brown "Batgirl" on Feb 23, 2013 23:20:27 GMT -5
She left behind her drink to - her hands weren't very steady, and last thing she needed was the spill it on Babs' head. How much more awkward would that be?
When Tim went for the door Stephanie snatched up her sweater, yanking it on. Putting up the hood seemed antisocial, but the longing for it made her realize just how dependent she was becoming on the cowl.
This night time world had become her only one. She went to school before, but she didn't talk to anyone there. She doubted anyone even noticed her absence, and she hadn't gone since the asylum went to shits. All she had in her world was fighting, and even that she did alone. Blake was pissed all the time, Damian was... Damian. She had Oracle for commentary, but Babs was just a voice that was often quiet most of the night, whatever it was she was cooking up back at the cave. Tim just looked so... put together. Like everyone else he seemed to have a handle on, well, everything. It made her feel more left behind than the realization he was really gone.
Yep. Just what she needed this week.
Memo to self. Take up a hobby. Make a friend. Find arm candy and drag him through the Wayne manor. Loudly.
Hey, at least now she might not be the only person John was mad at?
"O, if you knew he was here," Stephanie said so only Barbara could hear as Tim held open the door ahead. "You are the worst matchmaker ever."
[To the Wayne Manor board?]
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