[ The puppy goes trotting after his master, and Diana rises to follow, noting the little dog's loyalty and approving of it. Similarly, she's pleased to see the little dog sticking close to her, nosing at her heels. ]
Do you smell another world on me, little one? Your curiosity will serve you well. It is a sign of an open mind.
[ Lacking a toy, she uncoils a loop of the lasso and flicks it along the floor of the kitchen for the puppy to hunt while Bruce vanishes in his usual way. By the time he comes back, she's praising the small creature for its tenacity and ferocity, the end of the golden lasso shimmering as it dances across the floor for the puppy's amusement. ]
He is a good hunter. Most ferocious.
[ Said fondly as the puppy tangles itself in the lasso and worries at the rope with its small teeth, growling low in its chest. She's still smiling as she looks back at Bruce, leaning against the island, now a shadow in all black. ]
Has someone decided to go back? Is that why you asked if there was a way to contact them?
( because there being two of practically each kid here seems to be a sort of thing. granted, the reasoning for tim's volunteering is somewhat concerning, as the others had more or less dogpiled him for, save for the actual feeling as though someone[s] should head back to assist. )
Possibly Dick, also the older one.
( because any of them going alone is something they all disagree on at least, and despite dick having come to mind for bruce as well, there's some sort of way he seems to feel about that, if even shown for a fleeting second or two there on his face. )
Things of this nature are a little much to wrap your head around.
[ It would be so much easier to discuss all this while playing with the puppy, but easier for her is not what is needed, now. Diana loops the lasso over a chair back and allows the pup to continues playing with the end before turning to Bruce. ]
Nightwing is a good choice to send with Tim. He's well-trained and a formidable warrior.
[ She leans against the kitchen counter and considers him, them, the two of them here in this bare kitchen, watching each other. ]
The last time this happened... it was hard on Kyle. On all of us.
( "the last time this happened" is nothing bruce himself can claim to even begin to relate to. the closest he's had to dealing with the past, were the twisted monstrous versions of his parents who tried to kill him... who left him emotionally and physically paralyzed to the point where jason had to intervene... had to deal with it with a gun in hand. metas, time travel, different versions of yourself and others... none of these things are anything bruce has experience with and, before coming here, hadn't even considered as a possibility in dealing with at some point.
to say it's been an adjustment would be a bit of an understatement.
arms still folded there against his chest, he glances over to the small pup playing with the lasso she'd looped on the back of a chair, letting it fall a moment after. )
I don't want anyone going who doesn't think they can handle it. We'd be doing more harm than good in that case.
( there's a certain way he looks to diana, one which may seem familiar in the sense of how bruce comes off when he's mulling over something rather seriously β when he's overthinking it.
tim claiming he's expendable still there at the forefront of his mind.
arms staying folded there against his chest, he glances off to the side where the pup continues to play and roll around. )
[ Of course he will. Though he's from a different time, potentially a different universe, Bruce himself is a constant. Brave, determined, implacable. Although his expression is serious β as always β her smile in return shines out like the dawn breaking. ]
Very well. We go together.
[ Turning, she looks over at the puppy, now chewing contentedly on a length of the gleaming lasso. ]
He's been around Jason already. He'd probably be fine with him.
( even if he'd barked at him initially when jason had gone and punched bruce in the face for ditching them all for a couple weeks without a single word said, but. that's just how he is. just how this... family is.
cupping a hand over his mouth for a moment, he turns some β still leaning against the edge of the island β and reaches for his phone there on the countertop, soft clicks being heard as he types something out. )
I'll let Kyle know.
( messages sent, he sets the phone down again and sighs, rubbing a knuckle against the inside of an eye before he's lifting his head some as the lights dim suddenly... only to fill again after a moment. )
We need to find ways to keep in touch with the others. Likely to be more easy for us in the past to convey something to them in the future.
Perhaps this time, we should just find a place to leave a note.
[ Her tone is wry, thinking of the battles in long-ago Atlantis, of Kyle alone in the ring, waiting for the day when Bruce's reformed League might find him.
She lifts her head as the lights dim and flicker. The power here is still unsteady, unpredictable. ]
Perhaps some of the others would be willing to come to Excelsior while you're away.
( he says that while watching the pup make his way over to his food bowl where he plops himself down to have a snack, the crunching of the dry food filling the silence that seems to hang between them for a moment.
another brief flicker of the lights, he looks over to diana. )
I'm going to bring as much as I can with me. You should probably do the same.
( by as much as he can, he of course means weaponry and the like. )
( hence, his going to make sure his suit is fully stocked before he slips into the past... which is not exactly a thing he ever thought he'd be doing, never mind prepping for.
the planning part, at least β the overthinking strategy that comes with it all is something he's used to and something he can effortlessly slip into. so he does that. he lets himself be batman. )
We should decide on a meeting up point. Some sort of monument or place that would have existed back then. In case we get lost or separated when stepping through.
[ Grief such as the kind she felt in her dream can be destructive. She knows it; Bruce knows it even better. And, in her sorrow, Chaos Gate desires to break the world.
That sort of grief is familiar to her. But there's still a chance it can be soothed.
With an effort of will, she shifts her thoughts away from wondering if Themyscira even exists in this world, if she could go home if it did. ]
Well. I think we have our choice of those, depending on where we land. The Statue of Liberty, perhaps?
( a hum on his lips, he agrees with that thought. depending on where they land. he hasn't the first clue how this is going to work or what's going to happen. stepping through portals that take one to the past isn't anything he can claim to have crossed off on his vigilante bingo card thus far, but. here he is. about to do just that and he doesn't have a damn clue what to expect.
a nod, he looks over to the pup who's finished having a snack and is now licking his lips while looking up to the both of them. bruce silent. )
There's a chance this could be a one way trip, you know.
[ Teasing him with a straight face and smiling eyes before she relents. ]
More so for you than for me, I think. [ There's a moment as she studies him, how he watches the puppy, how there had been that flicker when he mentioned Tim. Dick. ]
( he thinks back to alfred β to the way he lies so still and lifeless in the hospital bed through the glass window that divides them. how there isn't anything he can do β not bruce wayne with all his money or batman with all his strength and determination. to be put in that position again as he had been with his parents... to be and feel utterly powerless...
gaze drifting away from the pup, he looks to her, licks over his lips, then grips the edge of the island counter behind him. )
I've already lost enough people in my life. I don't want to lose anymore.
[ Loss is inevitable. But she's never seen anyone fight harder against the inevitable β and, sometimes, win β than Bruce. ]
I understand.
[ Better than he knows, perhaps. With Themyscira lost to her, the gods absent and unreachable, her mother alone, the Amazons scattered... yes, she, too, would prefer to lose nothing and no one else. ]
Then we will work together to ensure you do not. But first β
[ She pushes off the edge of the counter and comes toward him β toward the island, reaching past him for the bag she'd brought and lifting it with a small smile. ]
You should probably put these in the refrigerator.
( there's a touch of something there in his eyes when she comes in towards him β when she goes and reaches past him and he finds himself blinking some. as if she herself were a warm light penetrating the shadows that continuously surround him β part of him β and bring to him a warmth he doesn't often feel. doesn't often let himself feel.
looking down to the bag, lips part and he sighs, slight tilt of his head to come as he looks to her there in front of him them. )
Think they're gonna last what with the upcoming road trip about to happen?
[ She lifts the bag easily in one crooked finger, smiling still. The slight flicker in his glance doesn't dissuade her; she notes it, tucks it away with everything else she knows about Bruce β the one she knows and this one she's learning about. ]
You could always eat them ahead of time. I hear vegetables are good for you.
[ Either that, or she'll make sure they go to someone in need before they leave. ]
( there's a huff there on his lips and a brow raised as she goes and says that and bruce twists some as he watches her, leaning there against the kitchen island as he does. )
Not about to suggest we cook, are you?
( wondering now if that was part of the reason why she brought these over. )
( rare as it seems to be, there's a soft breath of laughter there on his lips as he looks down, leaning there on his elbow, head tilted some. taking out numerous criminals throughout the streets of gotham β going head-to-head with the joker. he can do that easy, no problem. firing up the stove and attempting to make anything that could be considered edible? that's where he fails and he knows it, too. )
So you're either trying to have me end up with possible food poisoning or have me starve surrounded by things neither of us can cook.
( the words are light β playful even as he looks over to her with just a barely raised brow there. )
[ That ghost of a smile on his lips, the breath of laughter, the faintest lightness to his eyes β she'll take it as the victory it is. Her own smile brightens, widens, and her laugh ripples through her voice. ]
Ah, you've found me out. Yes. I came here to ensure you fell victim to the most nefarious and subtle of dangers.
[ Reaching into the bag, she pulls out a head of β ]
( now he's just poking fun at himself. billionaire prince of gotham not knowing a thing about food that isn't already prepped and cooked on a silver platter before him. )
[ She sets the lettuce down, then retrieves a few mangos from the bag as well. It turns out, even without living with the gorilla knights, her craving for tropical fruit continues unabated. ]
Even we should be able to find a way to eat these.
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Do you smell another world on me, little one? Your curiosity will serve you well. It is a sign of an open mind.
[ Lacking a toy, she uncoils a loop of the lasso and flicks it along the floor of the kitchen for the puppy to hunt while Bruce vanishes in his usual way. By the time he comes back, she's praising the small creature for its tenacity and ferocity, the end of the golden lasso shimmering as it dances across the floor for the puppy's amusement. ]
He is a good hunter. Most ferocious.
[ Said fondly as the puppy tangles itself in the lasso and worries at the rope with its small teeth, growling low in its chest. She's still smiling as she looks back at Bruce, leaning against the island, now a shadow in all black. ]
Has someone decided to go back? Is that why you asked if there was a way to contact them?
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( because there being two of practically each kid here seems to be a sort of thing. granted, the reasoning for tim's volunteering is somewhat concerning, as the others had more or less dogpiled him for, save for the actual feeling as though someone[s] should head back to assist. )
Possibly Dick, also the older one.
( because any of them going alone is something they all disagree on at least, and despite dick having come to mind for bruce as well, there's some sort of way he seems to feel about that, if even shown for a fleeting second or two there on his face. )
Things of this nature are a little much to wrap your head around.
( for him to wrap his head around. )
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[ It would be so much easier to discuss all this while playing with the puppy, but easier for her is not what is needed, now. Diana loops the lasso over a chair back and allows the pup to continues playing with the end before turning to Bruce. ]
Nightwing is a good choice to send with Tim. He's well-trained and a formidable warrior.
[ She leans against the kitchen counter and considers him, them, the two of them here in this bare kitchen, watching each other. ]
The last time this happened... it was hard on Kyle. On all of us.
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to say it's been an adjustment would be a bit of an understatement.
arms still folded there against his chest, he glances over to the small pup playing with the lasso she'd looped on the back of a chair, letting it fall a moment after. )
I don't want anyone going who doesn't think they can handle it. We'd be doing more harm than good in that case.
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[ She still remembers the pain in her shoulder, the scent of blood and war all around them, and Bruce saying I trust him... crazy, but I do.
The rest... well. She meets this Bruce's gaze before any more of that memory drifts up into the light. Even without it, the offer is easy to make: ]
If you're concerned about Tim and Dick, I'll go.
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tim claiming he's expendable still there at the forefront of his mind.
arms staying folded there against his chest, he glances off to the side where the pup continues to play and roll around. )
Not alone.
( he says then, looking back to her. )
I'll go with you.
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Very well. We go together.
[ Turning, she looks over at the puppy, now chewing contentedly on a length of the gleaming lasso. ]
Who will watch your small friend?
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( even if he'd barked at him initially when jason had gone and punched bruce in the face for ditching them all for a couple weeks without a single word said, but. that's just how he is. just how this... family is.
cupping a hand over his mouth for a moment, he turns some β still leaning against the edge of the island β and reaches for his phone there on the countertop, soft clicks being heard as he types something out. )
I'll let Kyle know.
( messages sent, he sets the phone down again and sighs, rubbing a knuckle against the inside of an eye before he's lifting his head some as the lights dim suddenly... only to fill again after a moment. )
We need to find ways to keep in touch with the others. Likely to be more easy for us in the past to convey something to them in the future.
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[ Her tone is wry, thinking of the battles in long-ago Atlantis, of Kyle alone in the ring, waiting for the day when Bruce's reformed League might find him.
She lifts her head as the lights dim and flicker. The power here is still unsteady, unpredictable. ]
Perhaps some of the others would be willing to come to Excelsior while you're away.
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( he says that while watching the pup make his way over to his food bowl where he plops himself down to have a snack, the crunching of the dry food filling the silence that seems to hang between them for a moment.
another brief flicker of the lights, he looks over to diana. )
I'm going to bring as much as I can with me. You should probably do the same.
( by as much as he can, he of course means weaponry and the like. )
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[ The lasso at her hip. Bruce at her side. She might wish for Donna, or Kal, but she has done more with much less. ]
There may still be a way to fix this without doing battle.
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( hence, his going to make sure his suit is fully stocked before he slips into the past... which is not exactly a thing he ever thought he'd be doing, never mind prepping for.
the planning part, at least β the overthinking strategy that comes with it all is something he's used to and something he can effortlessly slip into. so he does that. he lets himself be batman. )
We should decide on a meeting up point. Some sort of monument or place that would have existed back then. In case we get lost or separated when stepping through.
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That sort of grief is familiar to her. But there's still a chance it can be soothed.
With an effort of will, she shifts her thoughts away from wondering if Themyscira even exists in this world, if she could go home if it did. ]
Well. I think we have our choice of those, depending on where we land. The Statue of Liberty, perhaps?
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a nod, he looks over to the pup who's finished having a snack and is now licking his lips while looking up to the both of them. bruce silent. )
There's a chance this could be a one way trip, you know.
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[ Teasing him with a straight face and smiling eyes before she relents. ]
More so for you than for me, I think. [ There's a moment as she studies him, how he watches the puppy, how there had been that flicker when he mentioned Tim. Dick. ]
If you wanted to stay, I would understand.
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gaze drifting away from the pup, he looks to her, licks over his lips, then grips the edge of the island counter behind him. )
I've already lost enough people in my life. I don't want to lose anymore.
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I understand.
[ Better than he knows, perhaps. With Themyscira lost to her, the gods absent and unreachable, her mother alone, the Amazons scattered... yes, she, too, would prefer to lose nothing and no one else. ]
Then we will work together to ensure you do not. But first β
[ She pushes off the edge of the counter and comes toward him β toward the island, reaching past him for the bag she'd brought and lifting it with a small smile. ]
You should probably put these in the refrigerator.
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looking down to the bag, lips part and he sighs, slight tilt of his head to come as he looks to her there in front of him them. )
Think they're gonna last what with the upcoming road trip about to happen?
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You could always eat them ahead of time. I hear vegetables are good for you.
[ Either that, or she'll make sure they go to someone in need before they leave. ]
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Not about to suggest we cook, are you?
( wondering now if that was part of the reason why she brought these over. )
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I'm not very adept at cooking, although I suppose we could attempt it.
[ How hard is it to chop everything up into a salad? ]
I'm afraid I was spoiled by having a private chef, and others did the cooking back on Themyscira. I never did bother to learn.
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So you're either trying to have me end up with possible food poisoning or have me starve surrounded by things neither of us can cook.
( the words are light β playful even as he looks over to her with just a barely raised brow there. )
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Ah, you've found me out. Yes. I came here to ensure you fell victim to the most nefarious and subtle of dangers.
[ Reaching into the bag, she pulls out a head of β ]
Fresh lettuce.
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( now he's just poking fun at himself. billionaire prince of gotham not knowing a thing about food that isn't already prepped and cooked on a silver platter before him. )
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[ She sets the lettuce down, then retrieves a few mangos from the bag as well. It turns out, even without living with the gorilla knights, her craving for tropical fruit continues unabated. ]
Even we should be able to find a way to eat these.
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cw: blood and injury ig
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