( open ) and what's the worst you take

[batsymbol]

Who: Bruce Wayne/Batman batsymbol
What: July Catch-all, Bruce assimilating to things, Batman being Batman
When: Throughout July, some August things too
Where: Primarily Central City, will mention otherwise
Content Warnings: TBD but let's just say Bruce being Bruce and Batman being Batman.



BRUCE or BATMAN

open to both [brackets] and prose, i'll follow your lead if you have a preference. if you want something else with bruce or bats, shoot me a PM or PP at telekinetics to discuss. otherwise things we've planned/discussed can be dropped in here as well. starters in comments.

Comments

[robintohood]

[Jason had planted a tracker on Bruce during their fight. How could he not? Jason knows this younger version of his adoptive father is going to keep being Batman and eventually he's going to cross paths with the Joker, assuming the psycho is still around. Bruce is obsessed. The whole family is to some degree.

Plus, Jason wants to keep pushing Bruce's boundaries and keep testing him. The man is younger and not as experienced as the Bruce Wayne Jason knows back home. There are weaknesses he hasn't worked out yet. Flaws in the metaphorical and literal armor. Jason wants to know.

Jason's been tailing Bruce for a while today and waiting to see if he'll be noticed. Closer and closer he gets and he keeps observing. Older Dick wasn't kidding that this is Bruce in an emo phase, even without the greasepaint around the eyes.

Soon enough Jason's within earshot of Bruce and he hears the man's comments]

Yeah. He's a real piece of work.

[Jason doesn't hide his Gothamite accent. It's not posh like one would have if they were raised rich. Instead, it's an accent that suggests he has a rougher livelihood. He waits to see how much information Bruce has already picked up and his opinion of the guilds]

[batsymbol]

( he'd found the tracker some time after and had been a little annoyed in it being placed on him. that was a first for him. he'd figured it'd been one of the kids he'd ran into. who else could it be after all? so rather than smash the thing or toss it somewhere else, he'd kept it on him, knowing that whoever had planted it would come by.

that was the point after all.

a slow turn of his head, he regards jason carefully when he goes and offers his own opinion of this fantastic fellow and bruce takes in everything about him. accent, features, body language. all of it put to memory while looking for things in typical batman fashion.

glancing back to the television, he listens in a little more. )

Seems like it.

[robintohood]

[Jason's also taking in as many details as he can, including what Bruce has been shopping for. He's clearly ready to set up shop somewhere. Has the man found a new Batcave already?]

Maybe it's just me but the speeches are all starting to sound the same. Pretty boy looks but maybe not enough substance.

[batsymbol]

Making up for what he lacks.

( the words are soft — an observation of his own. there's still a lot about the guilds and their players he needs to look into. there's so much he needs to look into, it's a wonder he manages any amount of sleep. even if it's an hour or two. )

[robintohood]

[Jason softly scoffs]

Yeah. That's what it sounds like. It's a wonder how he wound up as leader.

[batsymbol]

The corrupt usually do.

( not that he's saying this fantastic fellow is corrupt, but. he's not not saying that either. bruce just has a history of dealing with the corrupt— in seeing them get away with too much— take too much from the people, all while standing on their backs. )

[robintohood]

Speaking from personal experience?

[The question is asked in a neutral tone but Jason's assuming the answer is "yes." Was Gotham ever truly clean from corruption?]

[batsymbol]

( a slow glance towards him, he looks back to the television. )

You'd know, wouldn't you?

[robintohood]

[Jason's lips curl so slightly to make a small smirk]

What makes you say that?

[batsymbol]

You're from Gotham.

( the accent. )

[robintohood]

[Jason's smirk doesn't leave]

Sounds like you are too.

[batsymbol]

( what are the odds of those being from gotham who somehow aren't related to him in some capacity? his expression says it all: unimpressed with the smirk. )

You like keeping tabs on people from Gotham?

[robintohood]

Try to. It's useful when you gotta consider the multiverse here.

[Jason gestures at Bruce's haul]

Got a big project to do?

[batsymbol]

Just keeping busy.

( which isn't a lie. he needs to keep himself busy and he also needs to set up shop for himself around here, especially with needing to start from scratch here. )

You know the feeling?

[robintohood]

Yep. Don't have a choice when you're alone.

[A funny statement to say given how many family members Jason's gotten since the Confluence dropped him off]

You just got here?

[batsymbol]

Why are you asking?

( this is where bruce evades questions and asks his own. naturally. )

[robintohood]

[Oh Jason senses that and isn't surprised]

We're fellow Gothamites. Maybe we know of the same people or some versions of them.

[batsymbol]

I doubt that.

( because unless alfred or jim gordon... selina... show themselves here, that really does it for any sort of pool of people he has. )

[robintohood]

[In a lower volume]

Not even Alfred?

[Because everyone in the family knows Alfred has been with Bruce the longest]

[batsymbol]

( alfred is a touchy subject for bruce and it shows in the way he stares to jason. )

Which one are you?

[robintohood]

You can figure it out.

[Jason suspects that Bruce already found the tracker and he's purposely keeping it on]

Nice to see you're hard at work already, Bruce.

[batsymbol]

( a heavy rumbling there in the back of his throat that could be equated to a sigh of sorts is all he gives to jason initially before he looks away, jaw slowly growing tight.

rather than say anything, of course, he simply starts to walk away from jason, tossing another thing into his basket on the way as he does. )

[robintohood]

[Jason just keeps following while still trying to keep his temper in check. It's getting a little more tempting to take another swing at him though]

What're you gonna do if you find him?

[Jason knows there's only one person Bruce is really only caring about while he's stuck on this version of Earth]

[batsymbol]

( he feels they both know why they're talking about here. this is jason— not the one who told him what the joker had done to him — to them? — but still jason, much as he's still bruce.

still moving down the aisle, he doesn't let himself look back to jason. )

How long are you planning to tail me?

[robintohood]

However long I feel like it. And you still haven't answered the question.

[Because if they're all going to be stuck together for awhile, Jason needs to prepare if this Bruce will interfere with his own clown hunt]