tushanshu | 001. video;

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001. video;

( A sleepy Steph starts up the video, yawning a little before she takes her thumb off the camera to reveal herself. She's not messy or sloppy or anything like that, just yawning. Her voice is very matter-of-fact and she nods occasionally as she speaks to confirm how right her point is. )

Y'know I think this place needs to give newbies a warmer welcome. Hotels give you like coffee and maybe a fruit basket? We need that, waiting in our suite for us. Maybe with a cute message card saying something like, "Welcome to our city, and oh, remember you're stuck here! Have a mocha on us!" It's common courtesy to give folks some kind of compensation.

( She pauses. She's forgetting something, isn't she... Oh, right! )

Oh yeah, I'm Stephanie. Or Steph. Probably not Stephie. ( Bad memories associated with that one. ) Aaaand I really want a mocha. That actually sounds really good right now. Nice to meet you and especially nice to meet you if you know about a Turtlebucks close to the Wood Sector.

( Confirm her secret identity in this place as an ordinary and hilarious college student? Check. She honestly is seriously thinking about her situation, but for now she doesn't want that to show through as Stephanie Brown. Gotta be safe and all. )

I think that's everything? Laters.

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>Tt.<

[... hey, he didn't make THAT comment! And, well. At her own time.]

Why would I be worried about you?

[And suddenly 99% batrcypted.]

Though, depending on when you are coming from, there may be causes for concern, I am aware.

That's the type of question you should be asking yourself, not me.

( She wants to say something more, or ask him more. Make him feel better. But with Damian, it's hard to know just what to say, so she leaves it at that.

And then, batcrypted. )

To my knowledge, I'm fine.

Why? You brought it up.

[Pffft. He's not that bad, honest. But the fact that he sucks an recognizing, let alone dealing with, emotions? Isn't helping.]

[Batcrypted.]

Still unhappy that Cassandra did not look you up when she was last in Gotham?

[Yes, this is a question when she is from. And, yes, he knows about the Night Mercy, even though that hadn't happened for him, yet.]

People come here from different times.

[He looks away. Everybody leaves.]

Cassandra was here, too. When she appeared, she believed you were dead. She believed she was dead, too.

Because I'm worried about you.

( Batcrypted. She doesn't react or respond to his mentions of Cass. It's not the type of thing she'd like to speak to him about, especially when he's not sharing every feeling he's ever felt. But... she wish she could talk to her. She considers looking specifically at old posts of Cass' before tossing the idea away, knowing it would make her miss her more. )

You want to know when I'm from, then?

( Her tone is almost similar to his as she continues. She gets to the point for once, doesn't elaborate, and simply tells him what he needs to hear. )

Had a run-in with Daddy Dearest recently. Ended up in the hospital. I'm fine now.

I have survived much. I will likely survive this, too.

[Because it's all about survival, is it not? That's all that matters?]

[Batcrypted.]

[He was not angling for information about her and Cassandra. He was providing information. Reference points - his, about this place. Information; he knows she can process it.]

[At that answer, he nods.]

Before, you were worried about possible aftereffects. That is... not much later than when I am from, but later. Father is from earlier. Before Batman, Incorporated, but after he returned to our time. Grayson - our version - is from just after he took on the Cowl. Drake is from about the same time as you, I believe; Todd is... younger.

It is a valid question.

There's a difference between surviving and living, Damian.

( Batcrypted. )

Like I said I'm fine. I can't detect anything off about this, other than well the whole situation, but nothing leading me to believe I'm hallucinating.

( Her expression lightens up and she nods, so he knows she's understood and considered everything he's told her. )

Yeah, I see why you'd want to know now. At the very least I'm glad you haven't seen a younger version of me. ( That would be extremely embarrassing. )

So philosophers claim.

[Though that may be a little less argumentative - or dismissive - than he would have said it a year ago.]

[Batcrypted.]

[Curt nod.]

My theory was - is, I suppose, since I have not entirely found evidence to disprove it - is virtual reality.

However, apparently a cloning facility was found and destroyed a while back, so the current theory is that clones is what we all are.

[Beat.]

The other version of Grayson, the one who has been here much longer than ours, is fourteen. Again, I survived the experience.

I'm glad my philosophy class wasn't for nothing then. But...

It's not worth arguing this with you, I guess.

( Batcrypted.

She purses her lips, and sighs. Any sign of shock or fear is hidden by her classic brand of sarcasm. )

Well, that sure is fun to think about. Maybe I shouldn't have thrown out the whole hallucinating thing so quick. It's slightly easier to accept than cloning.

( Upon hearing about the other Dick, her lips turn up just the slightest bit. Better him than her, after all. )

Okay, I have got to see that.

>Tt.<

[Batcrypted.]

Apparently, the Emperor cannot pull matter from the places we come from. So she has it ready for us here, and only - has us animate it. Or something to that effect.

[Eyebrows up.]

What are you talking about?

... Yeah.

( Not sure what to say to that, at all. Kind of hard to talk about and definitely confusing, so Steph decides to talk instead about little Grayson )

Come on, itty bitty Dick when he's still Robin? He's got to be adorable.

[Quietly, firmly.]

He is fourteen and he has been Robin for five years.

[Don't make the mistake to think he is only adorable, in translation. What, Damian protective over Dick Grayson? Never! ]

( Steph rolls her eyes. )

Yeah, but compared to the Dick I'm used to? The one who's older than me and Batman and all that? He'll be like a little brother.

Okay, Damian, imagine if you were to meet a younger me. Maybe me when I had just met Tim, or maybe even a me that was younger than you. Wouldn't you be the tiniest bit amused? Or excited? To see that side of a person? I don't know...

Edited 2013-08-10 06:50 (UTC)

[Damian shakes his head.]

Grayson was too different. And, at the same time, the he's Grayson. I am not sure I like the difference in him, why would I be excited to see the difference in you?

[Yes, Steph, Damian was upset when he first met the younger Dick. Sorry.]

( She sighs. Now, she kinda gets his point. And feels bad about teasing him. )

... Sorry, I didn't think about it that way. I can see how that'd be hard.

Sorry, Damian.

[Damian is quiet for a little while, then nods, very slightly. Accepting the sentiment a little.]

Do not be sorry. I... it has been brought to my attention that my not understanding or approving of something does not make it a bad thing.

Steph smiles.

No, I was the one who didn't understand. But it's good to see that you've been learning more without me.

[... yep, Damian still gets thrown when people admit they were wrong and he was right. Which is why he blurts out without considering it,]

It was not entirely without you.

Oh, right. Duh. ( She smiles and tries to move past that since it's awkward for her and probably upsetting for him. ) Either way, I'm proud.

[Damian... tilts his head to one side, noting her reaction (not upsetting, actually, he's not focused enough on what he feels to be upset by that, only by the fact that she left), before looking away. Proud.]

[It's not like he can fully believe that, yet. Not because of Stephanie, of course. And it takes him a long moment to think of a response.]

Thank... you?

( Hearing him say thank you makes her laugh. But not in the "that's weird or funny" way, but rather in the "I feel calm and strangely happy" way. Her grin is sincere, so there's no way it would seem like she's laughing at him or anything.)

You're welcome.

...

[Yeah, he doesn't like being laughed at and he still doesn't get it when it's not... quite that.]

>Tt.<

( She sighs tiredly. )

And back to square one again.

[Damian's shoulders tense a little more at that. He doesn't like being laughed at, but making her unhappy wasn't his intention, either.]

[... of course, anything as simple as apologizing would not ever occur to him. So he'll... go for what he can think of.]

Maybe not quite that far back.

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