[ protesting probably won't help will it? and this is his decision. so kara just... slumps and looks away. she probably should've anticipated this, really. everyone always leaves at some point. he's just. doing it sooner than most. ]
[ He looks sharply over his shoulder, his hands clenched so hard he can feel his nails even through the material of the gloves. ]
The first chance you had, you went for something you saw as a flaw and a weakness.
[ His palms are hot. Itchy. He doesn't notice, too angry, trying too hard not to see how badly he's hurting her with his words, because he's hurt and all he's ever known to do when that happens is to lash out. ]
Because all you actually see Bruce Wayne's difficult son, and I --
[ He doesn't get much further than that, because that's about when the fire eating the palms of his gloves spreads up his arms. ]
[ well. it's a good thing she was turning towards him when she got startled because it means she stumbles onto the roof instead of off it. ]
Damian!
[ instinct has her up and rushing towards him, hands reaching to grab his-- ] Ow! [ right. no more super durability. kara ignores her palms smarting and starts talking fast. ]
I know you're pissed at me, and I'm not going to say you don't have a right to be right now, but I need you to breathe and calm down before you burn off all your clothes.
[ It takes a second to realize why he's burning. He anticipates an enemy attack, something that he didn't feel due to adrenaline, something external.
But it's not. The anger instantly changes to raw panic when she reaches for him, and he yanks his hands back, horrified as he burns her and is instantly back six years, when he was thirteen and too scared to go home without superpowers.
When he nearly killed Alfred in a fit of childish panic. ]
Don't touch me! [ She has a point, but - no, he's not going to let her burn herself. If there's one thing that's apparent, Damian Wayne sucks at hiding his feelings in a crisis. He's horrified. ]
[ she has no idea that he's worried for her. in her mind, everyone sees her as the girl of steel first and foremost. even if she's powerless, a little fire is something she's supposed to be able to handle. ]
Just breathe, Damian. In for four, hold it, out for seven. This is part of you; you can control it.
[ these are things she's had said and taught to her. lessons she never thought she'd be passing on. ]
[ It's panicked. He doesn't mean it - she's not an idiot, there's no venom there, just an impulse shouted in fear.
He takes a few steps back, tries to calm down. To remember how the hell he got a grip on his strength -- but that was different. That wasn't -- that wasn't fire. He rips off the jacket, throws it to the ground and tries to stomp out the fire.
It's not doing anything to put out the fire covering him from fingertip to forearm, but at least his clothes aren't burning anymore. ]
[ there's a moment of stunned silence but then kara jumps right back into it. ]
I'm not! I'm all the way over here. [ she takes a step back to prove her point. ] Now will you listen to me? I know a thing or two about dealing with new powers. Panicking is going to make it worse.
Keep that temper leashed, Damian. He can hear Clark's voice, jovial and good humored. Never minding his blowups and shortcomings. He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to recenter himself. ]
[ He wants to snap that he knows how to do breathing exercises, but that isn't going to help anything. He lets them breath out, keeps his arms off his sides but lets the tense muscles relax. ]
[ good, he's listening and he's trying. time to switch tracks and see if that helps any. despite jason's warning about the implant maybe picking up on it if she speaks it enough, kara slips into kryptonian--something that'll take more of damian's brain power to understand. ]
I was trapped in stasis before I landed on Earth. I'm actually older than Kal and knew him when he was an infant. He used to spit up on me every time I held him.
I wondered, for a while, why she and Uncle Jor didn't build a ship big enough for all of them. But I think they knew that our society ingrained in us a tendency towards superiority and he would have a better chance at life if they didn't go.
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He doesn't immediately know what to say to that. ]
Just leave him out of it. He was making an ass out of himself for my sake, for some incomprehensible reason.
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[ they've already kind of sniped at each other in private anyway so it's more or less a moot point. but she wants to reassure damian. ]
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And don't undermine me like that again.
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[ if she sees him being a little shit again, she's gonna call him out. she'll just. do it more privately next time. ]
Are we... okay?
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Like I said, you made it perfectly clear what you really think of me.
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That's not--!
[ protesting probably won't help will it? and this is his decision. so kara just... slumps and looks away. she probably should've anticipated this, really. everyone always leaves at some point. he's just. doing it sooner than most. ]
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[ He looks sharply over his shoulder, his hands clenched so hard he can feel his nails even through the material of the gloves. ]
The first chance you had, you went for something you saw as a flaw and a weakness.
[ His palms are hot. Itchy. He doesn't notice, too angry, trying too hard not to see how badly he's hurting her with his words, because he's hurt and all he's ever known to do when that happens is to lash out. ]
Because all you actually see Bruce Wayne's difficult son, and I --
[ He doesn't get much further than that, because that's about when the fire eating the palms of his gloves spreads up his arms. ]
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Damian!
[ instinct has her up and rushing towards him, hands reaching to grab his-- ] Ow! [ right. no more super durability. kara ignores her palms smarting and starts talking fast. ]
I know you're pissed at me, and I'm not going to say you don't have a right to be right now, but I need you to breathe and calm down before you burn off all your clothes.
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But it's not. The anger instantly changes to raw panic when she reaches for him, and he yanks his hands back, horrified as he burns her and is instantly back six years, when he was thirteen and too scared to go home without superpowers.
When he nearly killed Alfred in a fit of childish panic. ]
Don't touch me! [ She has a point, but - no, he's not going to let her burn herself. If there's one thing that's apparent, Damian Wayne sucks at hiding his feelings in a crisis. He's horrified. ]
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[ she has no idea that he's worried for her. in her mind, everyone sees her as the girl of steel first and foremost. even if she's powerless, a little fire is something she's supposed to be able to handle. ]
Just breathe, Damian. In for four, hold it, out for seven. This is part of you; you can control it.
[ these are things she's had said and taught to her. lessons she never thought she'd be passing on. ]
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[ It's panicked. He doesn't mean it - she's not an idiot, there's no venom there, just an impulse shouted in fear.
He takes a few steps back, tries to calm down. To remember how the hell he got a grip on his strength -- but that was different. That wasn't -- that wasn't fire. He rips off the jacket, throws it to the ground and tries to stomp out the fire.
It's not doing anything to put out the fire covering him from fingertip to forearm, but at least his clothes aren't burning anymore. ]
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I'm not! I'm all the way over here. [ she takes a step back to prove her point. ] Now will you listen to me? I know a thing or two about dealing with new powers. Panicking is going to make it worse.
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Keep that temper leashed, Damian. He can hear Clark's voice, jovial and good humored. Never minding his blowups and shortcomings. He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to recenter himself. ]
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[ since his eyes are shut, she takes a careful step forward as she talks, making sure to keep her tone even. ]
Exhale and try to relax the muscles in your arms.
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I was trapped in stasis before I landed on Earth. I'm actually older than Kal and knew him when he was an infant. He used to spit up on me every time I held him.
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You... You knew him on Krypton?
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I saw holograms of her.
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[ Well. That low blow aside. The fire disappears, leaving him feeling cold and hollow. ]
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