[video || 001]

[cowled]

[The image opens on Bruce Wayne at his finest. He's wearing (1) new suit designed by Favrielle, and he's looking pretty swank. Because Bruce Wayne. And Reasons.]

All right, Keeliai, I have a business opportunity to propose. As of right now, I'm relaunching Wayne Enterprises. For those of you who've never heard the name before, it's a multi-national business conglomerate with a focus on humanitarian aid and the like, based out of Gotham City back home.

Anyway. For the duration of my stay here, I'm looking to start in pharmaceuticals - I'm sure you've all noticed the kedan have never even heard of ibuprofen - and work our way up from there. Essentially, I'm looking to better the quality of life for everyone on Tu Vishan, foreigner and local alike.

If anyone's interested in working for me, or if you have experience in a pharmaceutical field, feel free to contact me over the network. We can arrange a meeting in person if you'd prefer. Confidentiality is guaranteed in either case. I'm paying twice the rates the kedan offer, and I've arranged it with the local authorities such that any time you work towards me counts towards your overall work 'obligation' [can you hear the finger quotes falling around that word] here in Keeliai.

Thanks for your time.




[ooc; tags will be sketchy, but I wanted to get this up and get the ball rolling on this plot before I poofed from the internet. <3]

Comments

[cowled]

We've met.

[There is seriously an impressive amount of vitriol crammed into those two words.]

No. Do you have a report on the last few days?

[He adjusts one of the little mirrors he has set up so he can see what he's doing, and begins the somewhat arduous process of stitching the mess back up. His hands are perfectly steady, but he's not as good at this as Alfred is.]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph hears the virtiol and can't decide between being amused or concerned] Let me know if you ever need me to run interference.

[Because Stark has a fancy armour suit, and that might be risky for the whole Bruce/Batman thing, and - well, Steph's young and blonde and she's pretty sure Bruce is smart enough to pick up on the kind of interference she means]

Working on it, I'll have files for you by tomorrow. [God she really doesn't want to talk to him about Jason, not when she's seen Kon's post about "Robin" being gone (she hadn't even know he'd been here).]

[cowled]

[He gives her a sharp look, because let's face it, he can fight his own battles. Not only that but throwing a nineteen year old girl at Stark isn't exactly his style.]

I'll manage.

[And that might be the closest he'll ever come to a paternal warning where Steph's involved. A very clear 'keep away from that guy, he's trouble'.]

Good.

[It's not exactly a dismissal, but it's clear he doesn't expect her to stick around any longer, either.]

[controlledvariable]

[The only response he gets to that sharp look is a slightly challenging one in return. Does he think she can't handle Tony?

But she can't really be bothered to argue with him about it. Not when there's other stuff going on]

I'm sorry about Tim. [She could try to be subtle and gentle about it, but that's really not what she's good at.]

[cowled]

[It's not that he doesn't think she can handle Tony. It's that he's met Tony. Ne'er the twain shall meet.]

Don't be. He's of more use in Gotham.

[He's going to have to talk to Superboy about what he is and is not allowed to divulge on the network.]

[controlledvariable]

You're still allowed to miss him. [Steph is just going to decide Bruce's feelings for him, since he's so bad at doing it himself]

[cowled]

[A slight scowl. She's transparent enough she may as well be a goddamned oxygen molecule.]

I'm aware of that, Stephanie. I didn't say I wouldn't.

[controlledvariable]

[That sort of startles her, and she's suddenly not sure what to say next.

Fuck it, she's just going to get it over with. Like ripping off a bandaid.]

I ran into Jason.

[cowled]

I know.

[He didn't. But he could guess as much, and this only confirms it.]

And?

[controlledvariable]

[She's just going to rub the back of her neck and not look at him]

Didn't go great. [but she's not dead, at least] We got interrupted by a bunch of gangsters.

[cowled]

Stephanie.

[Stop avoiding the subject and tell him whatever it is you're here to say.]

[controlledvariable]

I don't know! [Because she knows what that "Stephanie" meant, and honestly she doesn't even know why she's here. She should've just sent a quick message over the network.

She doesn't want to admit that he scared her, that he managed to hurt her, that he probably would've hurt her even worse if they hadn't been interrupted.]

I just thought I should tell you that it happened.

[cowled]

[He looks at her. It's one of those long, patented Batman looks, the sort that takes in everything about her appearance and files it away for later analysis. Then he glances back to the wound he's stitching up, cuts away the thread and proceeds with the bandaging. When he speaks his tone has that forcibly neutral cant that means Bruce is trying, in his own way, to be gentle about it.]

Do you want to talk about it?

[controlledvariable]

[She hates those looks, for the record, but she forces herself not to fidget under his gaze. At least it gives her a chance to get her thoughts in order.

The fact that he's trying to be gentle isn't lost on her.]

No. [Not just for her pride, but because she's realized this isn't fair to Bruce. Whatever issues she has with Jason are hers now, and she can't just dump them on Bruce and expect him to deal with it.] It'll be in my report, I just wanted to tell you in person, first.

[cowled]

[He regards her a moment longer, and then glances away. He finishes with the bandages and the tape and tugs his shirt back down over the wound.]

All right.

[controlledvariable]

[Right, okay, that was easier than expected. Now she can move on to the less terrifying thing she wanted to say.]

Let me know if you need me for anything with Wayne Enterprises, I'll fit it into my schedule.

[She's already got three jobs, although working for Clark is more like an extra curricular activity, but if Bruce needs her for something, she'll do it.]

[cowled]

No. We need to maintain our distance, inasmuch as these identities are concerned.

[... his eyes narrow, briefly.]

Who broke your door, Stephanie?

[controlledvariable]

[She gives an easy shrug, accepting that answer.] Can I make a suggestion, though? [a little bit hesitant, there, but it'd come to mind when she'd realized it was going to be a pharmaceuticals company. She misses the pill.

The question has her looking sheepish] Captain America. [Steve your name] There was a misunderstanding, he's very apologetic about it. But, uh, he knows. Now. [It's not hard to guess what she means by "he knows"]

[cowled]

[He nods to her question, and then--

Hm.

The Captain isn't stupid. He'll be able to work out that a 'Batgirl' is likely affiliated with a 'Batman'. He and Steph haven't had any dealings over the network as Stephanie Brown and Bruce Wayne, but Devin Craig...

There's almost no way around that identity being compromised. Oh, he is frowning.]

I don't think I need to explain to you that with a much smaller pool of potential vigilantes, the risks inherent in exposing our identities are much higher. I don't believe Rogers will pose a threat, but show more discretion in the future.

[controlledvariable]

[The petulant part of her wants to point out that he broke her door down, what exactly was she supposed to do about that?

But there are plenty of things - she should have kept her calm at first, could've gotten changed before she was in her suite, or as soon as she came in, could've disappeared as soon as she first heard the door splinter. There are things she could have done, so she holds her tongue on any snappy remark.]

Sorry, I'll be more careful. [She doesn't think Steve is a threat, either, but she can understand why Bruce is annoyed.]

[cowled]

[He leafs through some paperwork on his table, and then glances up at her. She still has a question to ask.]

[controlledvariable]

[She got distracted, okay?]

Right. [She refuses to feel awkward asking him about this.] Ibuprofen is great and all, but you'd make quite a lot of us "Foreigners" extremely happy if you could develop some form of birth control.

[cowled]

[... and just like her he also refuses to be awkward about it. more out of stubbornness than anything else, though.]

I'll work on it. Creating synthetic estrogen and progestin will be -- interesting with limited resources, but I can probably manage it. I'll need blood and saliva samples.

[Because as if Bruce wouldn't know how to make something like birth control off the top of his head.]

Stop by the lab later, I'll see what I can do. Be discrete, please.

[aka: sneak into the lab.]

[controlledvariable]

[She'd been a little worried he'd dismiss it as unimportant, which is probably not fair to him, since Bruce isn't that sort of man, but still, she smiles.] Thank you.

I will.

[She's pretty sure that's about the extent of things they have to say to each other right now, so she's just going to, head out through a window.] See you. [because unlike Bruce, she has enough manners to say goodbye before disappearing.]

[cowled]

[And before he's even realized he's done it, he has a hand half-lifted in a gesture of farewell.

It doesn't particularly matter, because she's already out the window, but he flexes his fingers slightly in surprise before he picks up his papers once more.]