(no subject)

[beknight]

Who: bruce wayne (beknight) & various others.
What: quest log + misc.
When: throughout feb.
Where: everywhere
Warning(s): none yet, will add if needed.

Comments

BUCKY.

[beknight]

[ ooc: continued from here ]

[ It leads to a small attic, in a high place, abandoned, with a clear view of all approaching sides. It's nearer to evening, so the shadows offer them more cover. Unlike his usual habit of arriving after the other party, Bruce is there first, tucked just beside the window. He's visible, a concession he makes for Bucky. ]

[rzhavyy]

[Given how uncomfortable Bucky expects this conversation to be, he appreciates the concession. It does a little to ease his nerves, even if it's Bruce. He hasn't even talked with Steve about Tony yet, but here he is. He finds Bruce is usually easier, somehow. He waves faintly, a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement as he arrives. He's dressed as casual as usual, layers so he blends in, and the gloves Bruce gave him to disguise his metal hand.]

I thought it might be easier this way.

[For him, anyway.]

[beknight]

[ There's little they can do to make each other feel truly safe. They're not those people. But what Bruce has made an effort towards is making the circling comfortable and familiar, with no bared jaws, no hollow-eyed, hungry stares. ]

[ He nods briskly, skirts away from the window. ]

Where did you want to start?

[ Some things have to be drawn out, like poison from a wound. Bruce'd manage to be incisive without cruelty, if it was necessary. But he studies Bucky in the poor light, judging what he requires. ]

[rzhavyy]

[Bucky isn't really bothering to hide the fact that there are uncomfortable subjects here. He's accepted that these are things potentially worth sharing, and there's enough space, enough choice for him to be able to breathe around those decisions (they do not strangle him).

At the question, he considers. Tries to decide how best to unravel all of it.]

Did Stark tell you he used to be part of the Avengers with Steve?

[It's safe, but also connects to the idea of where his personal ties come in.]

ANA.

[beknight]

[ He doesn't want to stick around too long. The point is to let Ana see Tim, and she'll decide whether to approach him on her own terms. She doesn't need Bruce's approval or encouragement — nor he hers — but they recognise it's better when present. ]

[ He does warn her, watch him too long and the boy will pick up. Bruce trained him — some other man, in another life — but he recognises his own methodology, and there were predecessors. He knows what to expect. ]

[ But he does invite her back for tea, water already prepared beforehand. Handing her a cup, ]

What do you think?

[nanamari]

[ It's a courtesy. Ana takes it as such, and minds Alan's cautionary words.

She isn't noticed, she sees enough.

She takes the tea from him with a small smile to express her gratitude. ]

Definitely one of yours. He seems so young - he must have been training for a long time.

[beknight]

They're all young.

[ Lost, abandoned, isolated — orphans, all of them. ]

But it suits him.

[nanamari]

It does. [ It's strange for her to admit. She's had a hard time - being objective. Seeing what her daughter needed, and not what Ana wanted for her. She sees it more, now. ]

Have you made contact with him?

let me know if this is okay

[illuminescent]

[Lucy did not come looking for Bruce, but she finds herself doing that anyway. He is someone special to her, because after her brother disappeared, he was truly one of the people who consoled her, who reminded her how much of her brothers cared for her, and knew, because he knew Edmund.

And who treated her like she was a fully capable warrior, no less.

So today she's not coming to find him but that's where her feet take her anyway. She's sitting nearby, where she knows he'll pass, and her heart is heavy.]

perfect! ty for posting I would have only managed to write anything up today orz

[beknight]

[ She's nearby — a heavy heart draws him like a moth to flame. The station is a cold place — he likes it, but its corridors afford neither shadow nor much comfort. ]

[ Lucy might feel someone there before she hears footsteps — Bruce is quiet, all things told. His concern is deep on his face. ]

May I sit down?

[illuminescent]

Ah-

Alan.

[She moves over a little, and lets him sit next to her. Exactly who she was looking for, and yet.]

You do not have any place to be?

[beknight]

Not at the moment.

[ He drapes his jacket around her carefully, sitting cross-legged. ]

What about you?

[ He's certain she didn't want to be in this dark corner, but if there's an appointment later, somewhere else she absolutely must be, he can start thinking of an excuse. ]

[dianano]

[ Having found out Bruce's birthday from the Institute, he and Diana had conspired together to give Bruce a birthday surprise. After all, he was always surprising them with gifts. From the moment Steve had met Bruce, he seemed to appreciate his cooking, so he suggested to Diana cooking Bruce dinner, with her help. He made spaghetti and meatballs, which Diana found amusing because it reminded her of some movie about cartoon dogs in love.

They'd let themselves into Bruce's home while he was out because he'd done it enough times at their place, now it was their turn. Steve had studied (read: stalked) Bruce's schedule to know when he'd roughly be home, with the food almost ready whenever he decided to grace them with his presence.

(If Bruce decided today all days, he was going to be unpredictably late, then Steve was going to kill him. But Steve also knew he probably had a sneaking suspicion something was going on and would stroll through the door on time.)

The mood of the room was a lot more... romantic than Steve had planned it out to be. Dim lighting and candles lit. Steve wondered what Bruce's reaction would be. ]

[wondie]

( she does find it at least a little humorous that Steve wants to make Bruce the quintessential Lady and the Tramp date dinner. Diana wonders, mildly, which would be the lady and which the tramp in this particular situation. she had offered to make something, and while her cooking repertoire had improved from braised meats and a selection of greens of an Amazon Princess, apparently her tastes weren't quite down home American enough for a birthday dinner.

so she is more of a sous chef than the orchestrator, content chopping things when Steve requests her to, and she is the responsible party for a lovely salad that both the boys will probably barely touch.

the mood is a bit romantic, though Steve is unfortunately not with someone that won't tease him about it. ) Did you want me to leave? Third wheels are never a charm. ( Steve had mentioned the dinner accommodations Bruce had sent him, so at this point a lot of romantic dinners were being exchanged. )

[beknight]

[ They're lucky Bruce doesn't believe in booby traps. The apartment doesn't look all that personalised. Only Bruce's clothes, some extra mugs, tea, and coffee. It's kept clean — Alfred would question if this was truly Bruce at all if he wasn't leaving his socks everywhere — but it's because it's so empty. Steve and Diana are the most lively it's ever been. ]

[ Which means, of course, he Knows. There are friendly people who keep watch on his quarters to report anyone coming and going — one of them calls him over to offer a gift for the lovely lady she saw entering. Diana is known to the people on this street, they have nothing but affection for her. ]

[ Bruce strolls through the door exactly on time, smug as anything. ]

No, not without dessert. [ He holds up the bag he has with him, recently purchased. His expression softens briefly before turning critical, taking in the entire mood. ] Princess. [ a beat. ] Captain.

If I didn't know better, I'd say I was being ambushed.

[dianano]

[ Diana had asked Steve why they weren't making dessert as well - Steve had told her it would be covered. Somehow he knew Bruce would suspect what was going on and bring dessert with him. ]

Bruce. [ Resting his hands against the top a chair at the dinner table, Steve smiles at him from across the room. ] I think you actually have to be surprised to be ambushed. [ The only thing Bruce seems surprised by is the atmosphere of the room.

He put Diana in charge of setting the table earlier... and suddenly Steve notices there's one placemat, set of cutlery and wine glass missing. He shakes his head at her with a fond smile. ] Diana. Three settings, remember? [ He sees what she's trying to do here and he's having one of it. ]

JUSTICE.

[beknight]

[ He won't admit how long it took to get used to, nor will he talk about how it's sometimes a nice surprise to feel the spirit's presence around in the apartment. It's still a place of little character: Bruce is Spartan in his furnishings. He has acquired some extra tea mugs and a coffee machine, and that's the extent of the personalisation. There's no booby traps: nothing in here is worth taking. ]

[ Taking a night off still feels strange — he gets around it by doing some parkour, followed by a shower, then some reading in bed in the early hours of the morning. It's quite the last time he expects to see Justice, but as always, it never seems to perturb him. ]

Making yourself comfortable?

[whatisright]

[Justice doesn't sleep, and he's not unfamiliar with 'Alan's strange schedule. It doesn't seem weird to him to come visit in the wee hours of the morning when even criminals are beginning to nod off.]

Yes. [Justice's answer is simple and honest as always. 'Alan' is in bed, and it doesn't occur to Justice how mortals may find it awkward for someone to visit them while in bed. Justice sits on the edge of the bed, fingering the edge of the duvet to find the memories that linger on it almost on instinct.]

I wished to visit. I was already in the area diffusing some conflicts before they became conflicts.

[beknight]

[ Most mortals. But Bruce is used to him by now, and he always rolled with the proverbial punches. If he didn't want the spirit here he could simply request some privacy. ]

[ But he's better at making friends. ]

Then, by all means. Mi casa es su casa.

CLARKE | safe haven.

[beknight]

[ They can smell conflict coming. It's not here yet, but it's close. Like circling vultures, everything seems to wait. He's been helping Reinhardt with his honourable mission, but he's one man. Without the support of an authority, without shelter and patronage, in the long run it can't do very much. He'd come here intending to convince someone to help him, and ended up being convinced. ]

[ Standing at the Temple gates, ]

I'd like the purple.

[ If it malfunctions — well, he's a quiet man, it would only augment his natural talents, not undermine him. The other reeks too much of unknown magic. ]

[romancekiller]

[it's been a while since clarke has opted to participate in this given she had been trying to avoid getting too involved with things happening but she can't help it in this case because voss seemed to want to help and protect those caught in the crossfire of this situation so needless to say it was enough motivation for her to help out and convince someone to team up with her on this.

she has the crystals in her hand and though she knows what they do from the explanation they were provided with, she still feels a bit uncertain given the magic behind it since it's still so foreign to her] Why not the other one?

[what if she wanted the purple one? but seriously though she is just curious about his preference for one over the other like if there was something wrong with the peach crystal or something]

[beknight]

It suits me.

[ With a wry smile — a man of his size doesn't look like he could be very stealthy at all. ]

In all honesty, I prefer not to rely on these.

jim kirk | to kill a mockingbird.

[beknight]

[ It niggles at him, why Cree would be particularly interested in missing birds. The kind of thing that would've shown up on a webring or a tabloid back home, the places Bruce used to scour for information others might not think remarkable, or easily dismissed as some rando. ]

[ A few pointed questions lead him to the market square. Or rather — a few blocks away, there's a momentary lapse when he thinks it might be Steve on the opposite side of the road, no, it's just the other guy. ]

[ This is getting annoying quickly. He offers a brief nod of acknowledgement but keeps heading on his path, no time for pleasantries, certainly no time to indulge whatever conversation is following him when he senses he hasn't seen the last of Kirk today. ]

[willrevile]

[ Well hello, it's tall dark and cranky. (Jim has a type for all sorts of things. Let him live.) No immediate hello; eye contact, little more. Permitting the man a few minutes to think he's made a successful escape.

Alas. Jim ends up alongside of him, through no ninja training but experience in navigating crowded bars and alien streets. ]

Hey, Birdman.

[ Easy as can be. ] You've got the look of someone set to tasks.

[beknight]

[ — Dick would like him. This revelation, although abrupt and precise, does not do anything to improve Bruce's mood, and distinctly sends one of his trains of thoughts into just how many places there are on the street for a proper disappearance. ]

Weren't you going somewhere?

[ He has a type too, we're not letting him live. ]