tushanshu | i ✪ video

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( diana is seated at one of the consoles in a café when the video feed begins. it seems she’s already gone a bit native—there’s a kedan-style cloak draped around her shoulders, apparently all she needs to keep warm. still, the glint of gold from her armor is perfectly visible, as is the tiara set amongst her dark curls. she’s making no pretense of who she is, should anyone be able to recognize her.

she lifts a hand in simple greeting, smiling. she’s perfectly calm, though anyone who knows her well can probably sense just a bit of tension in the set of her shoulders, the way her eyes are focused. )

There’s many of you here that I know. And many more that I do not.

My name is Diana, and while I’m newly arrived I believe I’ve gotten most of the basics of the situation. It seems you’ve all been busy, recently.

( there’s nothing mocking about her words, and her smile is genuine and honest. she pauses, for a moment, as though to give her audience a breather. then, she continues— )

I’m sure there’s a lot to be done, and I’m willing to offer my assistance to anyone who should need it. But first, I would like to be better acquainted with all of you. If we’ve met before, I’m sure you’ll come and say hello. And if we haven’t, it’s never too soon for introductions.

( both before and after this broadcast and subsequent conversations, diana will be flying over the same café. in effect, she’s using herself as a beacon. feel free to run into her in person if you’d prefer. )

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Bruce. _{( that may or may not be familiar. diana addresses nearly everyone by first name, including the illustrious mr. wayne. still, there's a smile on her face as she steps back, giving him a critical once-over. )}

I didn't realize your tastes ran to sentient islands.

But I only just arrived-- so you're not too behind.

Edited 2014-01-29 03:00 (UTC)

My taste runs to anything exotic, Diana, you should know that by now. It's a little lacking in the Swedish ski team - for which I am perennially disappointed, alas - but it's been home now for nearly eighteen months.

[Which should tell her everything she needs to know as to whether or not this place can be escaped. The only one Bruce might anticipate having a better shot at getting out of here is Scott Free.]

_{( diana just lifts a brow, because while she's used to "bruce" she's not always particularly fond of him. but knowing bruce is around in any capacity is both reassuring and worrying, given the fact that he's, well, still around. )}

I'm not sure how you've survived. _{( she says, dryly. )}

But I am glad for the company.

With a little help from my friends.

[He tips that half-empty (of course it's half-empty, it's Batman) cup in a bit of a salute, and decides to ignore the damage to his tie.]

Speaking of company, would you like to accompany me back to my apartment suite?

Edited (tried to do two quotes at once, failed miserably) 2014-02-01 19:47 (UTC)

_{( she crosses her arms over her chest and looks stern. )}

That's very forward of you, Bruce.

But lead the way.

Ah, well, you know. Forward is my middle name.

[He offers her an arm, all gallantry.]

I'd have guessed something else.

_{( but she lets him escort her, because she's a lady. although no one could mistake the way she walks beside him as following. )}

[It's one of the things he likes about her, truth be told. Bruce has always had a soft spot for women who don't put up with his shit (not one he'd ever admit to, or examine too closely on a psychological level) and Diana has always been somewhere near the top of that status quo. It's caused problems between them more than once, the friction as considerable as their friendship, but they manage in their own ways to set things to rights.

He may never forgive her for Maxwell Lord, but he's come to realize she neither requires nor requests it. And he's had time enough to think on the matter since being here.]

So. How are things with the Amazons? If I'm allowed to ask. Always a curiosity, that island of yours. The tabloids in Gotham run riot with it. You know, they suspect I've actually visited?

They fail to realize that you wouldn't have made it back.

_{( hippolyta is hardly anyone's fan, and though she may take more kindly to bruce and kal now, they're still men. but even as diana makes the joke, her eyes grow a little sad. the amazons are scattered, right now; her home is an empty island.

but it always is that way-- she can abandon man's world to look after themyscira, only to have something happen to the former, and if she chooses differently the reverse is sure to happen. it's a balancing act that she usually manages well, but it still weighs on her, especially at times like these. )}

But you could quite those rumors. If you chose.

No? I can be quite persuasive.

[As if your Amazons could keep him locked up, Diana. Pride goes before destruction, ahem. Despite his flippancy, he's attentive to the slight shift in her expression. It narrows down his estimate of when precisely she's from, though he supposes there's always the possibility of her being from after a point he's aware of.]

Are you telling me to resort to bribery? I know the media in Gotham is corrupt, Diana, but I don't think even my considerable fortune could quell that sort of rumour mill.

They're all jackals, as far as I'm concerned. _{( they don't need tabloids on themyscira, alright! and certainly not gossip. )} And you know the best way to deal with a jackal? Distract it with a different carcass.

_{( the conversation may be headed one way, but diana's looking for subtle clues of anything else. how bruce might be feeling, for having been stuck here. what's actually on his mind now.

he's always hard to read, though, and she finds the process frustrating at best. )}

I'm not sure I have the stomach to throw my peers under the metaphorical bus. It's never good for business.

[She's not pressing him, but she's curious. 'Concerned' may be a better word, given Diana's nature. She and Clark have that in common. There is more humanity to them than there is to most humans, and Bruce's mouth quirks humourlessly. They have the powers of gods, and yet they're still some of the only people he knows worth emulating. Still. It's never been in his nature to be an open book.

Bruce cuts across the street, gesturing for Diana to follow him, and stops briefly at a food vendor to barter for an order of tempura vegetables. He leaves a generous tip and comes away with a little folded paper packet of battered carrots, which he offers to Diana to share. They aren't terribly far away from his place, and he has every intention of thanking her for the escort and for her to 'leave'. His roof is well-equipped to handle visitors, and his suite is soundproofed.]

( diana grabs for the tempura readily; different cuisines are still some of her favorite indulgences. the food here is vaguely familiar to ones from back home, but still different enough to be interesting.

she dusts off her hands and manages to follow bruce while still taking in everything around her. from her earlier flight she's got a basic lay of the land, but now she's filling in the details. )

You've certainly adapted to this place, Bruce.

It's the nature of business, Diana. Surely you don't think all I have to offer is a pretty face?

[He tosses her a cavalier smile as he points out the suite in which he lives. It looks like it could have walked straight out of Gotham's downtown core, all metal and glass, sheer and sleek. Elegant, in a word, although it isn't and will never be home to him.

But Bruce has lived a variety of places, some better or worse than others. This is no Parisian slum, nor is it the No Man's Land his city was reduced to after the quake. Keeliai is a place to live as much as it's a prison. Something that prevents him from returning to Gotham and his purpose there. He endures, badly at times. No one that's here can do any less. He hmms thoughtfully as he offers her the little bag of tempura so he can fumble through his clothing for his keys. He knows exactly where they are, of course, but this is all part of his carefully maintained act.

He checks the same pockets twice over before he finally 'finds' them, and opens the door to gesture her inside. If she's in an observant mood, she might notice that the walls seem to be somewhat thicker than the architecture of the building would suggest. Soundproofing at its finest, and as soon as they're inside he locks the door behind her and there's a shift in his entire demeanour. From Bruce Wayne to simply Bruce, among friends.]

You've spoken with some of the others.

( she certainly does notice. as she steps inside her own demeanor changes, but more subtly-- there's less of a distinction between how she'd been acting and how she is. so now she just seems more irritated, less inclined to smile and go along with the flow. she crosses her arms over her chest and leans against a wall upon entering. )

Kal, Hal. Arthur. I didn't realize we were having a reunion.

But I'd think I'd rather hear the whole story from you.

[He hnns, and heads into the kitchen to begin a pot of tea. Somehow, it's become a habit. Alfred would have fits if he knew how badly Bruce mangled his old recipe. He begins to talk as he prepares it, his movements precise and exacting. He's never been a fan of wasted motion, or breath. He has nearly eighteen months of Keelai's history to go through, including the dangers it's faced and the friends and foes both who've come and gone.

Selfishly, he excludes Maxwell Lord. He doesn't want that hanging over them now, although he supposes she'll find out eventually.

He tells her about Malicant, without ever saying its name, and about what he knows of Keeliai's history and its past attempts at fighting the creature. Diana is a diplomat, but she's a warrior first, and he spares her none of the gory details. When he's finished, he holds out a cup of tea, prepared in the style she prefers.]

The Emperor that brought us here, Eshai, was killed approximately a month ago by a man named Hannibal Lector. That's the last event of any significance to have occurred.

( she takes a seat in the kitchen and listens to everything with her hands folded in front of her. she interjects, occasionally, to ask a question or clarify. but for the most part she just listens, knowing that bruce's version is going to be the clearest, the least biased. at least, in the ways that matter at the moment.

eventually she just nods, and then shakes her head a moment later. )

I hate to think that you've all been here, dealing with this on your own. I'm sorry I'm late.

( that last bit is said with more levity than when she continues-- )

I trust you're already working on things, Bruce, but we can't leave this world to its fate. We fix things here, then we go home.

[Bruce tilts his head to one side. It's half a lecture, and it rankles to hear it just enough to make his tone a touch dry when he replies,]

I had no intention of doing otherwise. If the circumstances of this world are to be believed, this creature is planning on a repeat performance in our respective universes. We've fought and stopped worse.

[One corner of his mouth turns up into something very nearly a deprecating quirk.]

And recent events have proven that Gotham can survive without me for a time, when I'm needed elsewhere.

( she inclines her head. she trust him, of course, knows that nine times out of ten they'll have the same aims and likely also the same means to get there. but certain things have to be said aloud, for her own sake as much as anyone else's. )

You're irreplaceable, Bruce. Donna has a lot of theories about our uniqueness in the universe, despite all we've seen that might seem contrary to that.

We'll all get home, because we have to.

[Diana, you are so quick to consider his feelings, and try to assuage them appropriately. It actually comes dangerously close to making him smile.]

I didn't say I was replaceable. I said Gotham can survive without me, which is true.

[He exhales, and glances at his tea, watching the steam curl upwards.]

We will go home, however. I'm certain of that much.

Oh, I'm sure the entire world would survive without any of us. But how well is another matter entirely.

( she waves a hand, shooting him a biting grin. )

And yes, we will. Our work is never done, is it?

The world always needs heroes.

[It's a quiet statement, more speculation than assertion, and then he lifts his tea and takes a sip.]

No. But I don't think you'd have it any other way.

What about you, then? How would you have it, Bruce?

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