( open-ish ) dedicate and sacrifice my everything

[batsymbol]

Who: Bruce Wayne/Batman batsymbol
What: catch-all for the month, largely time travel and event focused
When: Throughout September
Where: Primarily the past
Content Warnings: TBD but let's just say Bruce being Bruce and Batman being 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

[batsymbol]

( he doesn't want anything to go wrong here and he knows that's asking a lot, especially with there seemingly so much more to all of this than simply chasing down chaos gate through time. he worries they're a little more underprepared than he originally thought they might be, but. it's too late now. they have to make do with what they have here... whatever they can find.

even if that means getting an assist from a god of love. now there's something he can't claim he'd ever thought he'd get. )

Fine.

( and it's not said as flippantly as he might have said before. )

But we deal with Chaos Gate together.

[avatarfortruth]

Together.

[ They'll need to, even if she's concerned about Dick, Roy, and Bruce being anywhere in the potential blast zone. She is invulnerable; they are not, even with Bruce's shadow tricks giving them some semblance of cover.

To that end, she turns around and retrieves the bow and quiver from the bed, to show him. ]

These arrows cannot be stopped by magic, and the quiver will never run empty of them. If we need to fight... at least I'll have a weapon able to harm a god.

[batsymbol]

( he eyes the bow and quiver when she brings them closer for him to see, wondering if she'll be able to take them back with her to the present or if they'll need to stay behind here. )

Sound like it'll come in handy.

( it's said matter of fact and not all that dryly. for once. )

[avatarfortruth]

I hope it won't come to that. Love is Eros' domain, not warfare.

[ Her voice is a little wry. It's not that she misses being Athena's champion, exactly, but she could use the guidance of the goddess of wisdom and warfare, here. ]

Perhaps, with his help, we'll be able to soothe her broken heart and coax her out of her plan. I would prefer outright fighting to be a secondary plan.

[batsymbol]

She might not give us the opportunity to, if all the bodies she's been leaving behind are anything to go by.

( which is why, he doesn't want anything to go wrong. )

[avatarfortruth]

[ She eyes him closely, as she sets down the bow and quiver. They feel made for her hands – in a way, she supposes they were. ]

Bodies?

[batsymbol]

It was a lead Dick and I thought to look into. Seems she's taking her anger out on anyone who gets in her way.

( which is why he's not so sure talking her down will be an easy goal to achieve. )

[avatarfortruth]

People related to what happened, or bystanders?

[ Not that it matters much, aside from to give them an idea of her mental state. A murderer needs to be stopped, regardless of who the victims are. ]

[batsymbol]

Not sure.

( they don't have all the time in the world for this and have to go with the more important leads and avenues after all. )

They led us to where we are currently though.

[avatarfortruth]

I see. So, what now?

[ Before he can answer, she adds, conversationally: ]

And if you suggest again that I need to check with my boss first, I'll throw you through the window.

[ She might open it first. She might not. It remains to be seen. ]

[batsymbol]

( he'd gone and opened his mouth to say something but... decides to close it instead, the faint look of a smile, lazy as it may be, just barely there on those lips. )

That's a little violent of you. For a supposed champion of love now.

[avatarfortruth]

Well, I would do it as lovingly as possible.

[ Her own lips twitch toward a smile. ]

Before I was Love's champion, I was Athena's. Goddess of wisdom, strategy... and war. It may take some time to adjust.

[batsymbol]

( is this flirting? have they gone from almost arguing to somewhat flirting now? )

Might not have much time for that. Especially not with Chaos Gate around.

[avatarfortruth]

Then I recommend you not say anything that might make me want to throw you out the window, so as to save time.

[ This seems perfectly reasonable to her. ]

Just tell me how I can help.

[batsymbol]

I don't know. Might get me into some places a lot quicker if you did.

( words are soft as he says that and, while it doesn't show on his face, a smile can almost be heard within them, even as he looks down some. )

[avatarfortruth]

[ Her hands drop to her hips, where she remembers his own gripping the night before. Her fingers are much looser. ]

Well. If you wish to be flung through a window, I'm happy to accommodate.

You'd also get places more quickly if you let me fly you to them.

[batsymbol]

( that gets him to make a bit of a face at the thought. )

Think I'll stick to the car.

[avatarfortruth]

Yes. What would you do if you found that you enjoyed it? We can't have that. I don't think Batman is allowed to enjoy things.

[ But they seem to have navigated through the earlier tension, so she keeps her teasing mild. ]

When do you expect Dick back?

[batsymbol]

( the question catches him off guard a little— just a little, and he looks to her with a gentle sort of curiosity there in his eyes. )

I... don't know. ( a beat. ) Why?

[avatarfortruth]

Because if it won't be for a while, I'd like to go get lunch.

[ She lifts her eyebrows at him. ]

Does this mean I, too, won't need to be on a timer the next time I go to do something?

[batsymbol]

( not entirely sure what he expected to hear for an answer, eyes squint a little when she goes and asks that and he glances around the room for a moment before letting go of a short laugh there. )

Not for lunch at least, no.

[avatarfortruth]

Well, it's a start.

[ She turns to grab the bow and quiver, then brings them over to her small bag. ]

Perhaps when Dick returns, we can discuss our plans further.

[batsymbol]

( he's quiet as he watches her move about the room — as images from last night gently come back to him, there, on that bed. it's still strange to think that had happened. that he'd let himself indulge like that when they're here on important business and yet... it's not as if he regrets it he just... doesn't know if it should happen again. if it'll complicate things somehow.

realizing he's quiet, he blinks himself out of his thoughts and nods then, clearing his throat as he slips his hands into his pockets. )

Yeah. Something we should do. Not like this is a vacation after all.

[avatarfortruth]

Oh? Is this how you act on vacation?

[ She turns to look at him, the way he's watching her, and wonders if he's remembering what she is. Their voices, soft. Their touches, desperate. How they burned. ]

If so, you might need to rethink your relaxation techniques.

[batsymbol]

( there's just the slightest hint of amusement there on his face — as he looks away and around the room, hands still in his pockets there. )

I don't... really do vacations anyways. No time to.