14; voice;

[slingshots]

You'd think you'd get used to being jerked around universes, but it just never sets in right.

[ why, what a cool and laid-back sounding newcomer this is! well, she doesn't sound all that new, but the NV signal is definitely a different one than last time. ]

We're still on 2012, right? I'm hoping not. Music doesn't start sounding good 'til at least 2025.

[ encrypted to Sherlock Holmes: ]

You talked to the last me, right? 'Cuz that so wasn't me.

[ awkward... pause... ]

And... um, hi. Busy?

Comments

[deductives]

[At first he's fairly certain he's hallucinating. After Sylar's constant posting and Shulkie's return, he'd been thinking about Carrie more often lately. The painkillers John gave him for his lip might be taking advantage of that. But no, it's not fuzzy enough; he can see it quite clearly. This was a trick. That or the Core had a nasty present on the way. It always evened things out. Always.

Right now, though, he doesn't care. His only ally in the Port for the longest time, someone he'd thought to even call his protege-- she was here again. And from the stories she told about home, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.]

Yes it was. Just older.

[She sounded a little older, though, but not like she was trying to emulate Bruce as hard as before.]

No. People are as obvious about their misdeeds as always around here.

encrypted of course!

[slingshots]

[ And there he is, right on cue. The guy she'd forgotten all about for almost two years. Even know she's remembering him like it was all some kind of fever dream... one that's getting more vivid rather than less, as she spends more time here.

...what does she even say? ]

right the texting sorry
well you got uh
5 min?
to make sure you're decent
i think it's 5 maybe it's 10 from here
guess we'll see

[ oh god she's text-babbling. that's worse than talk-babbling, because she can look up at the screen and wonder why she felt the need to type all that. ]

IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE USED THEM sob (also action now)

[deductives]

I'm always decent.

[A horrid lie, but no matter. She's nervous-- guilty, even. But when he went home, he'd forgotten her, too. Things came back in brief snatches that had little meaning, like his getting more bristled than usual when the papers called he and John 'Hat-man and Robin.'

He sheds his dressing robe and puts on a fresh shirt before returning to the old routine as if neither of them ever left. It's dark out, so he doesn't open the window, but he does quickly set to making tea.]

voice; batcryptions

[kal_el]

Is that a little bird I hear singing?

[ Hope against hope. But she's back, and Bruce is gone, and how can he even begin to explain that? ]

voice; batcryptions

[slingshots]

Could be.

[ oh there's totally a grin in that. ]

I was gonna call. Thought maybe you'd be [ misremembered? never actually here at all? a stranger? ] —busy.

voice; batcryptions

[kal_el]

Maybe not so little. [ He can almost hear how her voice has matured, but it's still not set in stone. ] And you know I'm never too busy for family.

permavideo

[gammas]

[ she doesn't like

look shocked. just sort of wearily surprised like she's not sure if she should believe it. ]

Hey there...

permavoice

[slingshots]

[ WHOA THERE. long pause!! she really missed that green face... it's been like a million years... ]

Whoa. Hi. [ a beat. ] D'you remember?

[gammas]

[ she takes a second before ]

Yeah, I remember. Glad you're back, kid.

voice;

[acclimatized]

Yeah, we're still on 2012. Hello again, Robin.

[ he can't tell you how relieved he is to hear from you again. ]

voice;

[slingshots]

Knew it was too much to hope for.

[ a beat ]

Redbird. ...And hi.

voice; all the batcryptions

[presspasskey]

[ Lois remembers that voice slightly--and catching the non-encrypted parts of John's conversation with her clinches it.

Robin, and an obsession with birds and red? Those kids need lessons in creativity. ]

Hey, glad to see one of the family back. Don't think we ever met properly--have Clark bring you over some time. I can promise free microwaved take-out.

[ Because Lois does not do cooking. ]

permavoice; perma-all the batcryptions!

[slingshots]

Don't figure we did, no.

[ except that in the manner of all stalkery bats, she knows exactly who she's talking to. ]

Gee, really? All that for me?

[voice]

[ergomaniac]

You...

[There's a bit of a pause.]

...You recall having been here before?

[voice]

[slingshots]

[ whoa. hey. this reply takes a few seconds, but then there's totally a smile in it when it comes ]

Welcome back, Edge.

Voice;

[returntodarkness]

Well. If it isn't the little bird I once met.

[Ansem's almost amused that you're back.]

permavoice

[slingshots]

[ LONG PAUSE man is it ever strange coming back to the people she'd sideeyed forever ago... ]

Nice of you to remember me.

[text; batcryption]

[theshortestbird]

Welcome back, Robin. Are you going by Robin, still?

[text; batcryption]

[slingshots]

thanks
[ whhooooaaa deja vu THE FIRST TIME OF MANY, THANKS TIM ]

no, now it's Redbird

voice;

[dawnward]

[That's a voice he didn't expect to hear again.]

Welcome back.

permavoice

[slingshots]

[ it takes her a second, but when she answers there's a smile in it ]

Riku. Thanks. Good to have some silver hair back in my life.

voice; also I am the latest oh god

[thanxforthetoys]

If it were the future, I think we'd know by now.

Welcome back, I guess.

permavoice and no problem!!

[slingshots]

Well, you're in the past, and no one ever seems to notice that.

Thanks.

voice; so belated!!

[sharp]

[ she's pretty sure she recognizes the voice, considering it came from a girl who escorted her home a few times. ]

Funny how that happens. Actually think I miss being jerked around sometimes. It'd be a nice change, to be honest.

[ a chuckle that's almost a sigh. ]

But welcome back anyway.

permavoice AND IT'S ALL GOOD

[slingshots]

[ it takes her a second, BUT SHE PLACES IT EVENTUALLY. fellow redheads, aww yeah. ]

You miss it? I dunno about that one. Maybe all the being-jerked-around broke something.