ic contact

[asterbatics]

 

"Your call has been forwarded to an automatic message system.
ROBIN is currently unavailable.
Please leave your message after the beep—"

BEEP!

Comments

[voice]

[superissues]

Monty Python's Flying Circus exists in your reality, right?

[voice]

[asterbatics]

Yes?

[ kon, what ]

[action, backdated to after Caroline's message (blame Al for telling Kon to do this)]

[superissues]

[Knocking at the door of room 2.007, somewhat hesitantly -- really hoping that Robin and Zatanna aren't like making out or something.]

Hey, Robin? Zatanna? You guys in?

((ooc: This just came up in an ongoing thread, but it you'd rather I fill you in oocly, just let me know on plurk!))

[voice]

[superissues]

Yo, Robin! Serious type question here.

What's something nice you can do for someone who is calm, smart, intelligent and probably doesn't even want something nice? You know, like you?

-- it's not you by the way. Just putting that out there so no one gets any expectations.

[voice]

[asterbatics]

[ ... what. ]

Depends on who it is and what it's for. They'll want something personalized to them, for one, and the more effort it looks like you put into it the better. Why?

[voice]

[superissues]

--ying, I mean, even I can see where this is going--

It's working now, isn't it?

Goddamnit.

[voice]

[asterbatics]

Kon?

[ guess who is feeling weird but also is trying very very hard to suppress it? :D ]

[voice]

[backwordscompatible]

Robin?

It's me. When you get this, please let me know you're alright.

[voice]

[asterbatics]

Zee? What's up?

voice; a day after the haunting event... i'm so sorry

[pits]

Okay, Robin Number One! I spent all of ten seconds looking for you the last few days. Okay, that might not sound like a long time to someone who doesn't know me, also known as you right now, but trust me. It is. Guaranteed. Ten seconds is a long time. Especially when the walls are bleeding and people are trying to throw you down stairs.

[ The longer he talks, the faster his voice gets. ]

...Oh, but don't feel bad! It's not like it's your fault that I didn't find you! That sounds terrible... But seriously. For serious. Loooots of moded ghosts made the entire trip highly unsuccessful and plenty flavours of weird. Anyways, main reason I finally managed to send this? Just wanted to check in on your state of being. And to see if you really did get shorter or not.

— Uh. A name would probably help, right? Impulse. Bart Allen. A super helpful dude you get to meet in the future.

voice; literally perfect

[asterbatics]

[ well this is...interesting. there's all sorts of fun things robin could bring up, but part of him just needs to focus on listening to make sure he understood everything.

the ghosts, yes. he got that. bleeding walls too. the whole throwing down the stairs bit is a nice little detail, but he needs to prioritize.

a super helpful dude you get to meet in the future. ]

Is it Impulse or Bart? [ important distinctions to make, really. ] And I'm pretty sure I didn't get shorter. Started off shorter than you might know me to be, but shrinking? Not so much.

[ god, speedsters. how he missed them (and is totally assuming the speedster bit of this, but he's 99% sure he's right about that). ]

voice! | batcrypted, backdated to the first night of adaptability

[birthfight]

[ Sorry, Dick. He's heard that people have been disappearing and they don't always come back alive, so he's been checking in on you. You aren't quite the Grayson he knows, but he also can't let an alternate version just go fuck off and die right under his nose. ]

Grayson ...? If you hear this, answer.

voice! | batcrypted, backdated to the first night back from adaptability

[asterbatics]

[ so in terms of haven events, that one hadn't been too. he died, sure, but that was his own fault. not knowing how to control powers (he'd had powers, for one, which was as interesting as it was dangerous) had been what got him. his fault, his agency, and he'd done his best to save everyone. just as he always does, and while he didn't help everyone, he'd helped someone. he hopes.

coming back took a little time. dick's gotten used to giving himself a day or so before he can comeback, back to normal. on a normal day, after a normal event, he wouldn't have answered this. but there's something about the fact it's damian that makes it hard for him to just. ignore it.

thankfully, it's audio. he doesn't have to worry about his appearance. ]

Hey, yeah. Answering.

(voice)

[foreveraclone]

[okay so he might have been a little worried after the earthquake happened. so it's only natural that he'd touch base with everyone on his team!!!]

I trust a little earthquake wasn't enough to overwhelm you.

(voice)

[asterbatics]

[ only a little? ]

Totally whelmed. One hundred percent.

video; because he needs to see your face

[chemistryinmotion]

Dude. Where are you?

[ if he sounds urgent it's because he's trying not to freak out. normally he's fine if he hasn't seen rob in a few days, but after a big fucking earthquake, he's a little more than concerned. ]

video; aw cutie

[asterbatics]

Around. With Zee.

[ mostly meaning he's just about anywhere, and everywhere. he hasn't sat still except to watch over zee, and even then it hasn't been for long. ]

The tunnels are collapsed, dude. We're stuck here, like, really stuck.

voice

[backwordscompatible]

Hey, Robin. It's me. I'm with Conner at the clinic, and....

[Suddenly, there's a shuffling on the other end, and a moment later, Conner's voice comes on the line:]

And nothing, everything's fine. Goodbye.

Hey!

[*click*]

[voice]

[superissues]

Hey. Um.

So I need to know what Luthor did to Conner in your reality and what you did to counter that. I mean, Zee mentioned that you guys teamed up to take Luthor out, but -- can you tell me about that?

It's kind of important.

((ooc: if you don't have time for this thread, please him me up on plurk so we can plot out where this went? Thanks!))

[superissues]

[There is a moment of silence, and then--]

So! Robin.

Just FYI I am hiding out to give you and the Zee the chance to talk without me there making things weird.

Uh. Weirder.

But you got to know that I am terrible at hiding, and my hiding place may have been compromised so you'd better do it sooner rather than later. Seriously, I--

[Muffled sounds, like that of movement, then a voice. It's impossible to recognise the voice, muffled by distance and barriers, but one thing is clear. This voice is irritated.]

TTFN!

[CLICK]

[asterbatics]

[ well, the sentiment is appreciated, but guess who also happens to be out and about and totally not going back to their bedroom area thing.

but hey he's had some time to calm down and ran into a few robins and a version of himself in panties so i mean, the day could have been worse. it's almost enough to distract him from...yeah. ]

Dude, pretty sure Haven's idea of weird involves a little more mass hysteria and blood. It's fine. [ he was also about to comment on said hiding place and all of that, but hey, kon's gotten faster on that. ]

You...okay?

Voice

[backwordscompatible]

[She went back and forth in her mind. Weighing the pros and cons as she stared at his picture in the phone. Days had passed since they last spoke and...well...]

[She pressed send.]

Hey.

I know...I'm probably not your favorite person right now, but I have something for you. Something I've been holding onto for a while. If you want it back...I'll be in the room. Just me.

Voice

[asterbatics]

[ he knew there would be a point that this needed to happen. avoiding his friends wasn't exactly something like rob liked to do- especially zee. but with the recent bat-family chaos, added on with how he still doesn't feel like he has the energy to try and move past his own chaotic inner state, has all just added up to a few days of near-silence.

rob feels bad for it, really. he should have gotten past this already and just gone back to normal. they're not dating, that's fine. they've not dated before. he can go back to that.

he just needs a second to catch up. ]

Hey. [ oh ouch this is not as easy as he thought it would be. he almost starts in on joking about that 'favorite person' comment but gets caught up in the curiosity of what follows. ] What is it? [ and then, when he realizes she's saying that because she wants him to come by and he huffs a quiet laugh. ] Sure, I can be there in a few minutes.

[voice; backdated to IC day March 21st]

[pixieboots]

So I'm guessing I'm probably the last guy you want to hear from today, but, uh...

[ He has to try. ]

Happy birthday?

[voice; backdated to IC day March 21st]

[asterbatics]

[ oh my god i'm crying because his birthday was one of the things that they changed in this universe....


to say that he's surprised by this would be an understatement. not only because it meant that the other him is reaching out, but also the topic at hand.

it should be....what, march 21st? getting the actual date from zee and conner had been helpful, but it just makes this message confusing. birthday? dick should know his birthday.

and despite how most of him really doesn't want to reach back out, he can't let the situation leave him. not when it's already got his attention like that. ]

Thanks, but- [ whoops? ] You're about three months too late. I appreciate the effort, though.

[ a pause, and then- ]

You do know what day it is, right?

video.

[chemistryinmotion]

[ robin. it's the first face he sees in his mind when he wakes up — the last face he saw before everything went black. except he's not in smallville anymore, he's not in any kind of hospital — there's no way he should have survived that explosion, neither of them could have — and this ... this definitely isn't the afterlife. it's worse than that; it's worse than anything that could ever happen to anyone, worse than dying in that explosion and feeling the heat rip him apart until he couldn't feel anything anymore, until he just became consumed by a familiar nothingness that he never wanted to be familiar — ]

[ he remembers waking up in haven the last time — he knows it must have been a last time because the room is different now, the house is different, and even though it doesn't feel like any time has passed, he knows it must have, because it always does — he remembers how disconnected from his own body he felt, and it's no different now. he doesn't feel like he should even be here. he should be dead, and no matter how many times haven brings him back, he's still going to feel like he should be dead, like he's somehow been cut off from the land of the living, like part of him will be forever trapped in some kind of limbo in between life and death. ]

[ he can't even be sure robin is still here the way people come and go from haven all the time, but he's the first person wally thinks to check for in the phone (he always will be). they were in that mothership together at the very end — they died together — and it's the only thing that keeps replaying itself in wally's head, the ticking of the timer countdown, the inevitability that the last things they would ever see were each other and the bright hot colors of the explosions that consumed them. ]

[ he can barely keep himself from pacing in his room as he searches through the phone's pictures, desperately hoping the next picture will be his best friend — his best friend that he needs to know is alive, even if it's in the one place he never wanted to see or remember or ever be part of again. but it's better to be here and together than to be alone in the dark, black void of death. he can feel his heart jump in his chest when he finally sees that familiar face, and it's almost like he can't breathe, his heart racing so fast out of fear and desperation and an overwhelming sense of excitement, almost — and he could almost cry just seeing that face and knowing robin is here and alive and probably close enough that he could just run and find him — ]

[ but he shouldn't. he knows how his powers affect him in haven, and the last thing he wants is to pass out on robin before they even have a chance to properly reunite. so it's a video call, for now, until he gets a location, because he needs to see robin just as much as hear his voice, to see he's all in one piece and okay ... and he'll really try his hardest not to cry, but no promises. ]

[ his throat feels tight while he waits for the call to connect, anxiety building up in his stomach like he might just puke from anticipation. and then the feed finally opens and wally is smiling, desperate and relieved all at the same time. ] Rob, hey — it's me. It's me. Where are you? I can't — [ be alone right now, he doesn't say. he swallows hard, desperate to keep his tears at bay. ] I need to see you, dude. In person. [ video just doesn't cut it. ]

video.

[asterbatics]

[ it hadn't taken all that long for robin to get back into the routine that is haven. food, drink, patrol, sleep. he checks in with the people he checks in with and he sees where and what the few he's stayed connected with are into - for him, it feels a lot like going through the motions, because the people he had once taken comfort in are now all different. zee looks at him with pity - a tired, sad sort of happiness. he's thankful that they're back to being friends, despite how it's still too difficult to breathe when he's around her, and he does everything he can to make sure it stays that way. they can be friends, they can go back to being friends, because he is a bat and shouldn't have been relying on anyone in the first place. he'll get back to that point, he knows, but it's like not realizing there's a step down every time he tries to take a step forward - he can catch himself, sure, keep upright and moving, but the fall is enough to stop his heart.

it gets easier, because it always gets easier, the constant state of it familiar enough in itself to keep rob moving, to keep him on edge.

having various states of the bat family around him keeps him occupied, finding the time and scenarios to learn as much about them as he can. conner helps a lot too, sticking closer to rob that he probably would have before. rob knows it's because he thinks he might disappear again, knows it's because his first disappearance did enough to everyone he left behind. and it helps, it does, but it doesn't take long before rob is finding himself alone (conner has a girlfriend, after all - the entire team now pairing up and leaving rob back, still trying to figure out why, how, where, when...). and when rob ends up alone, he ends up missing kf even more. he left his best friend here, left him behind, and the fact that he's not here sits heavier and heavier on rob's chest as the days go on.

he did this before, he could do this again, but somehow this time it's different because rob knows what it means to survive haven alone and to survive it with others, and he feels - somehow, he's not sure why - more alone now than he ever really has. he pushes that away, down and out like everything else he was trained to do. surviving haven isn't about little bursts of emotion, isn't about feeling lonely when you wake up in the morning and when you get back in at night. surviving haven is about being prepared and proactive and efficient. he's a bat and bats survive, have to survive (and he pushes what he knows about the future away, doesn't care to think about what damian has told him, what he knows happens) and have to make sure everyone survives with him.

that's what gets him up in the morning, and keeps him going through the day and night. that's what has him out, and about, patrolling and checking and getting to know, becoming familiar. when his device goes off he assumes it's someone else - anyone, honestly - and doesn't even check the image. just sets it up (looking off in the distance) and turns it on, mouth opening to respond- ]

Rob here, how- [ but then he freezes, because he hears that voice, eyes going wide at the sound of it. he looks, seeing red and yellow, seeing wally, and almost drops his device then and there. he notices the tone heavy in wally's voice, can tell something is wrong, and he's moving before he really even knows why or where. ]

Stay there, I'll come to you. [ off the side of the building he goes. his voice is weirdly clinical, a clue as to how rob has been going about things here in haven since his re-arrival. he's freaking out, which means he's sliding further and further down the line of 'bat-like'. but he'll ease back out of it once he sees kf, once he knows this isn't some kind of joke. ] Where are you?

voice.

[foreveraclone]

Hey, just calling to check in on you. How are things?

voice.

[asterbatics]

I'm fine, mom.

[ he's been locked up with wally for days, how do you think he is? ]

What about you?

[Video with the feed covered]

[littlestguano]

Robin. I wish to meet with you in person. [He doesn't clarify who he is, but he doesn't make any efforts to disguise his voice. If he's lucky, that will be enough.]

Are you available? [He's already put this situation off for far longer than he should have.]

[Video with the feed covered]

[asterbatics]

[ you're so sneaky, damian. so sneaky. but rob recognizes the voice, so there's not even a pause before he's responding. ]

Time and place, dude, and I'll be there.

[ though he's a little wary - if only because the 'business' part of this tone is giving him that feeling that he's not going to like where this goes, whether it's more on the side of things he didn't know happened, or something worse.

it's always something worse in haven. ]

crashes in (backdated to 12/25?)

[braavado]

[Though she's used to waking up in the mornings to practice and spar nowadays, it doesn't mean she's grown to like it. She gives herself a few minutes to huddle under the warm covers before she regretfully extracts herself from Conner's embrace, careful not to wake him.

It's in the living room area, where she's pulling her hair up into her usual tails that she hears someone else leave the room after her. Without looking up just yet, Korra says: ]

Just heading out to train. You didn't have to-- oh. [Korra cuts herself off when she sees who's standing there. It's Robin, not Conner like she'd thought at first.] Sorry. Did I wake you?

holds open arms (backdated to 12/25?)

[asterbatics]

[ whereas robin, on the other hand, has been hardwired to about three or four hours of sleep. that, with a nap or two during the day, keeps him up and agile and ready. in haven, it's a nice little habit to have - considering how things tend to work in the direct opposite direction of what is normal and easy. seeing as most normal people about twice as much sleep...you can see where he's going.

it gives him time to go on patrol before wally or anyone else wakes up. enough time to get his bearings and his work-out without having to worry about his schedule conflicting. usually, though, he's gone a couple hours earlier than today - something having kept him up the night before which led to the interaction.

he tenses when he realizes there's someone else in the room - his hands up to rub at his eyes through his mask - before he recognizes the voice and relaxes. korra...he met her when he first got here, found out she was connected to everyone else. found out later that she and conner were dating and....oh. right.

sorry korra, it's early.

he gives her a tired smile when his hand drops, shaking his head. ]

Nah, don't worry. I don't...really sleep. [ it's a bat thing. ] You're up early.

[audio]

[superissues]

Robin. Hey.

[Deep breath.] There's -- something Zatanna and I have to tell you. Wally, too. I -- can you guys meet us back at the room? Our room, I mean.

That's it.

((ooc: if you are interested in playing this out, let us know! log post is up here, plurk discussion here.)