[ rob is not sure how he expects damian to respond, but he knows that this sense of calm was not it. braced for a fight, for angry words or maybe even fists, he feels awkwardly tense in the following moments that damian just looks at him. there's a tension, a something, and he waits for it to come to fruition.
nothing happens.
damian crosses his arms and rob feels a bit silly. like he was scared for something he should have known better for worrying about. but then damian continues, says batman, and after a moment's pause his eyes go wide. because for him? bruce is batman, will always be batman, but his first interaction with damian had been marked by a very simple fact. a statement of the progression of the mantle. ]
You mean me.
[ and sure, it's not really him. or most likely isn't really him. he's figured his way through enough copies and alternate universes to know that the other him is probably the one who steps up into those shoes, but the thought remains.
damian promised dick grayson, and for all his personal opinions, he is trying to hold true to that. it shouldn't surprise him as much as it does - the nuances from his time with the other damian tugging at the back of his mind - but to hear it said is something else.
he lets out a breath, then, as some kind of final acceptance of it all - like he'd been worried about this interaction the whole time rather than just realizing it was happening as it happened, and gives damian a smile. it's small, but still a little playful, before he ends up shaking his head. ]
You know, I don't doubt you can do that. I'm about as undoubtful as possible. [ best way to lighten the mood, right? ]
[action]
nothing happens.
damian crosses his arms and rob feels a bit silly. like he was scared for something he should have known better for worrying about. but then damian continues, says batman, and after a moment's pause his eyes go wide. because for him? bruce is batman, will always be batman, but his first interaction with damian had been marked by a very simple fact. a statement of the progression of the mantle. ]
You mean me.
[ and sure, it's not really him. or most likely isn't really him. he's figured his way through enough copies and alternate universes to know that the other him is probably the one who steps up into those shoes, but the thought remains.
damian promised dick grayson, and for all his personal opinions, he is trying to hold true to that. it shouldn't surprise him as much as it does - the nuances from his time with the other damian tugging at the back of his mind - but to hear it said is something else.
he lets out a breath, then, as some kind of final acceptance of it all - like he'd been worried about this interaction the whole time rather than just realizing it was happening as it happened, and gives damian a smile. it's small, but still a little playful, before he ends up shaking his head. ]
You know, I don't doubt you can do that. I'm about as undoubtful as possible. [ best way to lighten the mood, right? ]