tushanshu | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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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