ichoosefight | 43 - Video - Don't you dare say you're sorry.

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43 - Video - Don't you dare say you're sorry.

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[ Steph has an epic bruise on her face, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her. The angle is a little odd, mostly because she set the communicator up on her dresser so she could examine the damage to her shirt. Of course, you can't see what she's looking at. The video cuts her off at the chin. She's frowning at the shirt in her right hand before she glances up at the screen, obviously distracted. ]

Has anyone I know died? Not to be blunt, but I wasn't exactly looking for friendly faces in the infirmary.

[ Private to Hoffman ]

[ Now she's put the shirt down on her bed and picked up the communicator so that she might join the shirt, lounging against the pillows with a very concerned look on her face. ]

Are you okay? Are you... you know, you again?

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[The feed switches on to reveal a man staring blankly at the camera. There's no shock in his eyes. Inwardly he's reeling. She'd been nice to him and he'd fucked her over and...and nothing.]

Yes to both.

[There is a long pause. He sounds genuinely curious now.]

....Why do you care?

I told you you shouldn't have gone alone.

Because I care about people. [ And you. But shush. ]

Are they going to let you out of Zero, or are you stuck for a while?

And I told you I could get backup. You might have notice how not dead I am.

Other people aren't dead that still got killed. I'm not convinced.

[Hoffman looks at his lap for a moment. He has to compose himself, the idea of someone caring about him...it's been forever. When he looks at the camera again he's cocky, arrogant.

There is a tiredness there however, that was not there previously. His eyes look weary.]

I honestly don't know.

[His laugh is bitter and grim.] I had a sentence to do in zero before all of this shit went down remember? Me. The bad guy.

[ Steph still just... looks concerned. She's not convinced he's alright, though... he's not acting any more crazed than he usually does. ]

I don't remember actually. Might've been when I was unconscious. What happened?

Correction: I have never been dead.

[His hand clenches into a fist. If the nanomites did one good thing, he's at least healed.]

I killed Amanda. She...she pissed me off.

[There is another long pause]

How are you feeling?

[ Dryly, ] Hmm, I can't imagine somebody getting mad enough to kill Amanda.

[ After that pause, and rather flippantly, ]

I'm okay. Six weeks in a cast, but that's no big deal.

[Hoffman laughs at that. He runs a hand through his hair before grinning like an idiot. The grin dies when she says "six weeks in a cast."]

[It's out before he can stop himself] I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you.

[ Yeah, this was what she was worried about. ]

You didn't. The nanomites did.

Could have been much worse. Risk mitigation and heroism aren't mutually exclusive, you know.

[Hoffman smirks] I bet there are a lot of apologies that are going to be going around for the next few days. Barge will dissolve into a giant love fest again before people start killing each other.

[ She sighs her amusement. ]

God, I hope so. I could use a decent love-fest before the next murder.

Oh, I know. [ Private ] I happen to have a lot of experience in that area, by now.

[Hoffman laughs aloud] Oh god. Warm and fuzzy. Fan-fucking-tastic. I can't stand it. Don't know how a guy from such a grim and gritty world like mine would handle it!

[His looks amused himself] ...These past two months have been the strangest of my life.

Then why do you keep doing it?

[ She grins deviously before wincing. That jaw still smarts. ]

Don't make me come hug you when I get the chance.

Most the guys I know from Gotham aren't into it either. [ Except Dick, but Dick is a special happy butterfly. ]

I like to be useful.

Do you like to be dead?

[Hoffman sounds happy. What is this.] Hard to do that with a wrist. [His smile turns sour but brightens again quickly] Sorry.

Where'd you learn to fight like that? How many karate lessons? Jeez.

It'll be an awkward, uncomfortable hug.

I, uh... took some self-defense classes. [ Okay, she doesn't really expect that to work. ]

I actually really like being almost dead, and then going on an adventure to escape the infirmary and getting back to every day life mere days later.

Eh, these things usually work themselves out. [he nods to himself] Trust me on this.

[...he's too tired not to fall for it.] You had a great teacher. They don't go into self defense at the academy. I mean you learn basics but it's mostly about control and corral.

Probably [he manages to say it lightly] Why I end up breaking a lot of wrists and hands.

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43 - Video - Don't you dare say you're sorry.

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Public :| because stubborn

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Public - Well fine, you get a half truth then :|

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