metalogs | ( open-ish ) dedicate and sacrifice my everything

Fine.

( as if he'd ever give any other answer.

taking his cap off his head for a moment, he cards a set of fingers through his hair before he's slipping it back on, adjusting in some. a glance down to the wallet he'd fished out of his duffel bag, he looks through it to see the amount of cash he has on him. )

A little out of sorts, but. I imagine we all are.

( looking over to diana, he pockets the wallet then. )

I can grab something to eat. Bring it back. If you wanted to... rest.

No. I'll come with you. I've never been good with idleness... and we should stick together.

[ Their group, she means. But, also, them. But, first: she reaches into her bag and pulls out the golden lasso, then threads it through the loops at the waist of her jeans to wear it like a belt.

She never has liked being away from it. ]

There was... across the street, a place that looked like it was still open, I think.

( he watches the way she loops the lasso around her waist out of the corner of his eye, feeling around in his jacket pocket for the key to their room. )

Yeah. I saw it, too.

( the diner, he means.

breath on his lips, he tilts his head back some before he nods and makes his way for the door. right. they're going out. to get some food. and then figure out what their next move will be. he'd go and check in on dick and roy, but. given how roy seems to feel about the bruce he knows, he decides to just leave it. plus, the whole roy being orchard and bruce being paul thing.

getting the door, he looks back to her. )

You ready?

Yes.

[ She ties off the lasso and comes to join him, stepping out into the hall so he can lock the door behind them. It's been a very long time since she's stayed in a place like this; the long row of rooms, the cars parked out front, the no vacancy sign buzzing with neon in the gathering dusk. Down the way, a small family is leaving their rooms, apparently also headed out for dinner.

The diner is open, its signs glowing and welcoming. Everything looks very normal, and not at all as if a grieving goddess might at any moment wreak havoc on all their lives.

She hopes it won't be tonight, anyway. They need some time to plan.

The scent of coffee and fried food hits her nose before they've even crossed the street, and she can feel her stomach growling in anticipation. ]

( a glance back over his shoulder as they go, hands end up stuffed in the pockets of his jacket as he walks alongside diana towards the diner. it doesn't look too crowded as they come up to it, but isn't as if they'll be the only ones in there either. something he's fine with, as it means they can simply blend in — disappear among the other patrons. )

Guess food was the right call to make.

( he says that in regards to her grumbling stomach, casting a glance over to her out of the corner of his eye as he does.

getting the door for her again, he waits for her to go inside first, following in after her. a glance around the place — noting all possible exits and entrances if needed — he nods to a booth that's a little off to the side, figuring that one will work for them in the way of having a bit more privacy for themselves. )

The Amazonian metabolism is not to be taken lightly.

[ Teasing, as he opens the door for her with the silvery sound of jingling bells. She smiles at the waitress behind the counter as they make their way through the tables and chairs, then slides into the booth he'd selected. After a second, she picks up the tiny facsimile of a jukebox sitting at the end of the table with the salt and pepper shakers and a small ceramic container of sweeteners, studying it with an inquisitive frown. ]

What a whimsical invention.

[ A waitress bustles over, holding a pair of white mugs in one hand, and beams at them. Diana smiles back, happy to take on the burden of returning any and all expressions of goodwill, as it seems unlikely Bruce will take up that particular challenge. "Evenin', hon," the woman says, brisk. "Start you off with something? Coffee, water?" ]

Water, please, [ is Diana's request. ] And some herbal tea, if you have any.

( bruce busies himself with looking at a brochure to something that's been tucked off to the side, scanning it for anything that might be of use, but. also to just see what it is. it's only when diana speaks up, that he glances over to the waitress for a moment, face scrunched up some in genuine thought. )

Uh... coffee. Black.

( an awkward smile, he looks back to the brochure in his hands, flipping it around before he goes and tucks it back where he'd plucked it from, tapping it down with the tip of a finger.

hands coming to fold there on the table, he leans over some to take a look outside the window — particularly their motel, before he's slowly easing back into his seat, looking over to diana then. )

What?

[ Peacefully: ]

I said nothing.

[ But she had been watching him. She leans an elbow onto the table top and rests her chin on the palm of her hand, studying him with interest. Here in the diner, under the fluorescent lights, it's all the more evident how little sunlight he gets. He needs some warmth and light in his face, the sort of warmth one can only get from occasionally going out in the daytime. ]

But I was thinking... tomorrow, I might take a trip up to Sunset Falls. I'd be back before the end of the day, but there's someone there I'd like to speak to, if I can.

( she may not have said anything, but he certainly felt the way she was looking at him.

a look of curiosity there on his face, he refrains from saying anything as his coffee and her water plus herbal tea are brought, asking for another minute to order before he pulls his mug closer to himself, hand wrapping around it.

when it's just the two of them again, he looks to her. voice soft. )

Going off by yourself.

( it's not a question, seeing how she hadn't phrased it as that, or as something she'd been considering. the look on his face shows a touch of uncertainty. )

Who?

Not for long. And I will return. You have my word as an Amazon.

[ The way she says it, it's clear a promise of hers is as unbreakable as her lasso. ]

You are free to join me, if you like, but this person – this... entity – is a god. And they can be difficult to speak with, even when one has experience.

[ She reaches for her tea, then opens a small packet of honey and pours it in, stirring slowly. ]

Back where we came from, I learned that the god Eros was living outside of Sunset Falls. If he is here, now, he may have observed some things that could help lead us to Chaos Gate. Barring that, he might at least have some god-made armor or weaponry at hand, or know where I could find some.

( beneath the table, bruce's leg bounces a little as he listens — fingers tapping the sugar packet he'd taken hold of against the table's surface. )

Or he could tell you to take a hike. Or worse.

( being so difficult to speak with as she says. there's a sigh on his lips that doesn't fall, but it's felt in the way he looks to her, much as the uncertainty with this can be as well.

a hand rubbing over his face, he looks up when the waitress returns to see if they're ready. )

I'll have a Reuben sandwich with fries.

( placing his order, he looks to diana, letting her order what she wants. )

The vegetable omelette, please.

[ After the waitress bustless off, she looks back at Bruce, taking in the way he taps the sugar packet, fidgets, as though there's something he wants to say, something he wants to do. ]

He could. It's best not to assume a god's motivations or reactions. And if he is not the Eros from my world, he may not know me.

[ She curls her fingers around her mug of tea, enjoying its warmth, the fragrant scent lifting from its surface. It's been... a long time, since she worked with someone other than Tom. And Tom still knows so little about her. ]

Would you like to come with me?

I don't know if we have time for this.

( he sets the sugar packet down flat against the tabletop — spins it around some with the tip of his finger. )

We're already chasing one god as it is. To go after another seems like it cuts into whatever time we have here.

That is not what I asked.

[ She watches him spin the sugar packet. ]

Perhaps it will be a waste of time. Or perhaps I will learn something useful, which we need to know. We don't know where Chaos Gate is, or how she's disguised herself. So.

[ Diana uncurls a hand from the mug and reaches to put her finger on top of the packet, keeping it from spinning. ]

You are the detective. What would you do?

( his gaze falls down to the sugar packet where their fingers gently touch and he stares. thoughtful. genuinely considering her inquiry. )

Find a weakness that can be used to our advantage. Physical. Emotional. Something that can give us an edge. Given everything that happened at the hands of the Shining God, finding her is just as important as finding Chaos Gate. Find her, we'll certainly find Chaos Gate.

All very sensible. Now here is what I know: when you want to find a god, it's a good practice to begin by asking another god if they know anything. They tend to be... territorial. It's possible Eros has his eye on her, or on the Shining God, already.

But I agree. There's no time to waste.

[ She breathes in, arches her eyebrows, prepared to negotiate. ]

Three hours. I can go there and be back again in three hours. Although traveling that quickly would be harmful to anyone accompanying me.

( there's a look there on bruce's face which, unbeknownst to him, diana has probably seen a number of times from her own bruce. that look of begrudgingly considering the words — the suggestion of another where, his kneejerk reaction is to just not.

a couple slow taps of his finger there to the sugar packet they both lay claim to, he lets his gaze drift off for just a second or two. )

Three hours. You're even a minute over—

( words end up interrupted with the arrival of their food and bruce pulls his hand away from the sugar packet and diana's finger, licking over his lips, their plates set down before them. )

[ She thanks the waitress and waves off a top-off for her tea, then draws her hand back from the sugar packet to reach instead for her fork, content with the compromise. That expression on his face, all too familiar to her from tense meetings with the League and arguments with Kal, leaves a quirking half-smile on her own lips. ]

I assume if I am, you'll take whatever you've managed to cobble into a Bat-plane and come to find me.

[ There's a mischievous glint in her eyes as she calmly cuts a bite of her omelette. ]

Why don't I just go early in the morning? None of you will be awake until I'm back, anyway.

( leaving his food untouched for a moment, he still regards her with that same look — still genuinely frustrated on the inside before he reaches out for a fry. pauses. then brings it up to his mouth. taking a moment to chew. )

I'll be up. In case anything happens.

( and to make sure she keeps to the three hour agreement here. )

If no useful information comes of it, you are free to tell me that you told me so.

[ She meets his frustration serenely with the ease of long practice... and no small amount of sympathy. After all, he'd said it himself: he won't lose anyone else. It's why he'd come back to this time to begin with. ]

And if there's any sign of either Chaos Gate or the Shining God in Sunset Falls, I'll bring information back.

( eyeing her for a moment longer, he lets out a sigh under his breath and reaches for the bottle of ketchup there, pouring some out on his plate for his fries. none of this is how he thought this endeavor would go and with every little thing that makes him feel frustrated, he makes a mental note to not work with others again after this. )

Fine.

( dipping a fry into the ketchup, he shoves it in his mouth, looking around them for a moment before he helps himself to another one. )

[ He isn't yet the man who helped found the League, who knows everyone's abilities almost as well as they do themselves. He'd already been under stress in the other time, and there's the potential for far greater strain here. ]

It will be alright, Bruce.

[ Saying it would jinx it, but she very seriously doubts there's anything in this world capable of keeping her from returning. ]

Three hours. And I'm sure you'll have work of your own to do in that time. Will you go to find Starstruck?

I don't know yet.

( they all need to be on the same page with what they intend to do here — what the best course of action is.

reaching for his sandwich, he helps himself to a bite of his sandwich then, taking a moment to mull over his thoughts while chewing. )

I'll figure something out.

[ She cuts another bite of her omelette and takes a sip of her tea to wash it down. ]

What do you know about Chaos Gate and the Shining God, so far? What was Chaos Gate like, before all of this?

Not much. What I do have is from searching various databases and articles online. Dick probably knows more from personal experience. He’s been here longer than me.

( what he does have, as mentioned, is located on his laptop amidst plenty of other files and findings of things pertaining to this place.

taking another bite, he allows himself a moment to chew and swallow, glancing to diana as he does. )

This is all because of what happened to Fantastic. The meta Chaos Gate seemed to have a thing with and what the Shining God ended up doing to him. ( looking down to his sandwich, he pauses for a moment. ) It’s vengeance she wants. But at the cost of everyone else.

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