19 - Closure's for suckers

[ichoosefight]

[ Closed Spam for Bruce Banner ]

[ Life on this barge was immensely different, both from life on the mirror barge and from life at home. It was peaceful in a way that neither her barge nor Gotham was, and she found herself actually relaxing for what felt like the first time in years. Well, it was the first time in years, so that made a certain kind of sense.

The CES especially is nice, and though it is a change of pace to take walks rather than beat up bad guys for kicks it's a nice one. So relaxed is she that she doesn't even recognize Banner until she's practically on top of him. She freezes instinctively when she does recognize him. Her body remembers hatred even better than her mind does. But she makes herself relax. ]

Hey.

Comments

[lastincident]

[ Tony, who is happily getting a ball tossed and rolling around in a grass, while 'off duty', barks and comes running up to Bruce, and dances around his leg, before he settles and flops at his feet in the grass. ]

[ Bruce and dog look at Stephanie; Bruce makes himself as nonthreatening as possible. Relaxed posture, hands and eyes down. ]

Hey yourself.

How's the barge treating you?

[ichoosefight]

Well.

[ She focuses on the dog instead of the man. Why does everyone on this ship have a pet? ]

Really well, actually.

[ And that's. New. ]

[lastincident]

[ Because they're good for the soul. ]

...Good. I'm glad.

You were-- my inmate here. Not that I did much, except occasionally talk to you and suggest you find a therapist. You did the heavy lifting yourself.

[ichoosefight]

[ She grimaces at even the thought of the suggestion. They do have some things in common after all. ]

What exactly did she have to do, anyway? I can't imagine.

[lastincident]

Learn not to use violence as a go-to. Stop hating and blaming herself for things that weren't hers to shoulder.

We had that sort of thing in common.

[ichoosefight]

[ She's so taken aback by the parallel that it takes her a moment to think of anything else to say. As usual, her conclusion is to turn the focus toward someone else. ]

The other Banner never blamed himself for anything.

[lastincident]

The other Banner-- decided that instead of hating his father, he should idolize, become just like him -- surpass him in all things. Including cruelty.

[ He paused, and added, with a faint note of irony: ]

Fuck that guy.

[ichoosefight]

[ Her laugh is bitter. Fuck that guy indeed. ]

He wasn't much use in my graduation either. I couldn't kill him. All I could do was run away.

[lastincident]

I'm sorry for that.

We gave our deal to Dean. Saved his world.

[ichoosefight]

Dean? The demon?

[lastincident]

I think that Dean is the world our Dean was trying to avoid.

[ichoosefight]

Huh. So... we saved a whole world, huh?

[ In another life, anyway. Sometimes it's nice to remember that the girl he knew was just a different version of her. She sure never saved the world. She was struggling to save Gotham back home. She's still struggling to save whomever she can from the barge- the other barge. This one seems kind of okay actually. ]

[lastincident]

Yeah. We sure did.

This place has-- given a lot. Comfort and pain in equal measure. [ Ivy had filled that slot nicely, though it'd been a year an then some since she'd left his life and the barge. ] Worlds saved.

I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't leave it, though. Two years is -- a long time here. But there's still work to be done, and... [ if he's here he's not hurting people at home; his chaos is contained ]

[ichoosefight]

[ She's quiet for a moment, considering. The urge to say something helpful is... strange. Like an echo from a past life. She can't seem to deny it. ]

I thought, even if it was cruel, my barge played an important role. That to be strong you had to fight back. Some people just won't do it unless they're hurt bad enough. [ That was how she justified her own cruelty. Hell, that was how she justified most of her life. ] Things got out of control, but it meant something. That's why I stayed. Because if it was me, it wouldn't get out of control. I could teach people to be strong without breaking them to pieces. I could save people one at a time. You... you saved a whole world by teaching a girl to stop fighting.

I don't know what work you think you have to do, but it seems to me like you've already moved mountains.

[lastincident]

[ Bruce ducks his head a little, glances to the side. Yes, maybe he has. ]

Doesn't mean there won't be another one around the corner, who needs me. But the infirmary is filling up again, and that's something. Maybe it could use some people who aren't me there, manning it on their own.

[ But, but, but. The reasons not to go are large, just as large as the reasons to leave. ]

Besides, I told you: she did most of the heavy lifting. I just... talked to her. Sometimes not even all that well.

[ichoosefight]

If she could have done it on her own she wouldn't have been here.

[lastincident]

She had a lot of friends.

[ Bruce has this problem with taking credit for anything anymore. ]

[ichoosefight]

[ His denial makes her chuckle. ]

Humility's a weird look on you.

[lastincident]

...my arrogance hurt a lot of people.

[ He's more self-aware than the other one. Then again, it's not hard to be more self-aware than an angry rock, really. ]

[ichoosefight]

Pretty sure your big green friend hurt a lot of people too.

[lastincident]

Well, he was... born from my arrogance. Among other things.

[ So there's that. ]

[ichoosefight]

[ She shifts her weight idly, considering bending down to pet the dog. She hasn't quite convinced herself to do it yet. ]

Well, I can't tell you what you should do. I'm not even sure what I should do.

[lastincident]

I think you've got an idea, or you wouldn't be asking.

[ He gives a little shrug ]

I shouldn't leave until the other two are settled. Certainly not until this mirror-barge business is over. [ So he's thinking about it but still has reason to stay. ]

[ichoosefight]

[ Leaving in the middle of all these shenanigans would probably be a bad idea for Bruce. It's a great idea for anyone who suspects they might be dragged to the other barge as an inmate. ]

Who says I was asking?

[lastincident]

Mentioning, then.

[ Claws in, Steph ]

[ichoosefight]

I was being sociable. It's not like I don't have options.

[ Put those claws away. ]

[lastincident]

Suppose that's true. You've always been very popular. Well liked.

[ichoosefight]

[ She looks at him like he's crazy. ]

No, I haven't. Maybe the other Steph was, but not me.

[lastincident]

Well, while you're here-- they're your friends now, too.

[ichoosefight]

[ She eyes him suspiciously. ]

I don't think that's how it works.

[lastincident]

On this barge? That is pretty much how it works.

I'd been here before, but didn't remember it. Might've been another me, another timeline. But i found people who knew him, and were warm to me -- or, in Arthas's case, wanted my power.

[ichoosefight]

They can't be my friends if they don't really know me.

[lastincident]

They will be if you let them know who you are.

[ichoosefight]

That's the opposite of what will happen.

[lastincident]

Try it. You might find out otherwise.

[ichoosefight]

[ She gives him a look a lot like a child being told that broccoli will taste good. ]

You don't know me either, you know. Not really.

[lastincident]

But all the same, I'm willing to know you again.

[ichoosefight]

That so? You didn't seem overly fond of me last time we talked.

[lastincident]

Things were different. Now... [ he tilts his head ] I'm more receptive.

[ichoosefight]

Convenient.

[ There's an unspoken question of "why" in there. She doesn't trust him. ]