You can't trick me, Dick. You realize that now that I'm older, I'm both stronger and smarter than you... well, I suppose I was always smarter.
[ He's teasing. Teasing. There's a tiny smile fighting its way onto his face. He feels... light, in a way that he hasn't in ages. It isn't that Jason can't convince him to relax, or that he distrusts him it's - all of the guilt that he associates with that one, terrible moment is forgotten when he's with Dick. When Dick is treating him like a kid even though they're the same height now.
He pretends like he doesn't notice that Dick is probably missing the little boy who is still young and desperate enough for an excuse to be a child that he lets himself be fooled. ]
I don't waste my time here. But if you want to go in and do 'recon' then I have nothing better to do.
After the initial instances, I never really thought that I could.
[He always firmly believed that Damian was humouring, whether because Damian was willing to take the first excuse offered to him, or because he wanted to do something nice for Dick and thought that would be the easiest method to do so. But his initial belief, determination, and lack of ability to play properly because of it- had been cute, in it's own way. Sad, too.
He's laughing- because Damian is teasing him and it's both so familiar and not at the same time. Something lighter about it, than he's used to. He tilts his head back to regard him again, grin wider, and fully in place like the momentary lapse had never occurred] Let's not get carried away, Lil'D. There's still plenty I can teach you.
[Whether or not Damian wants to learn it, would view it as worthwhile is another matter entirely. But- one thing at a time. He might not be the Damian Dick remembers, that he misses- but he's Damian all the same. He's still loved, so when he gets the surly agreement he expects, he simply gestures him to follow and pushes open the door]
Good. Because I couldn't have found a better partner.
At least you aren't entirely delusional. We'll see.
[ It's hard to believe how much he missed this. How much he feels like the stubborn thirteen year old again - angry that he's not living up to his father's expectations, but not caring because he has Dick Grayson's trust and love. Something he'd never had before. Talia had viewed him as a tool, only loved so long as he was useful. Ra's had seen him only as a continuation of his legacy, adored only so long as he obeyed without question. And Bruce...
Well, Bruce had never much seemed to want a son. That duty had fallen to his eldest, who hadn't known what to do. Only that this boy was his responsibility now, his to try to tame, and somehow he'd managed it.
He feels light. Freed from guilt, from a lifetime of hardship, from all the loss when Dick smiles. Like this is the second chance he'd begged for and never received. ]
[Mock offence. Excuse me, but what margin for error have you left here? Acknowledging your too intelligent for his small games was supposed to wipe the slate clean. It's clear, however, that he means it in good humour. Dick knows amongst his cohorts, family and otherwise, he lives in a perspective far removed from their own.
It doesn't matter. It hasn't hindered his ability to hold them all together when it counted. To catch them and see them through when they need him to.
The smile doesn't falter, even when it mirrors the comment said to him by someone so much smaller, and he answers in kind, firm]
The best. There's never going to be anyone, quite like us.
[ He wisely chooses not to follow up on that comment. Dick Grayson is not like any of the rest of them. There's levity where there should be misery. A smile in the place of a scowl. There's no doubt in his mind that his life had left him damaged in some way Damian couldn't see, or hadn't been privvy to when he'd been a boy, but it doesn't matter.
He's not going to let anything happen to him. He's not going to let that smile slip from his face. ]
I don't really know. I haven't actually been inside before now. I thought we could just try the first thing that looked interesting.
[He's played video games, of course. It's practically a right of passage- and childhood milestones like that had often been a go to for Bruce, when he hadn't known what else to gift Dick with. He'd much preferred outings or physical games much better.
But that doesn't mean he hadn't played his fair share of racing games. And if he finds a futuristic rainbow road, he's gonna kick the console into little pieces]
[ Time to play some VR mario kart. or whatever dick happens to lay eyes on. he has absolutely no interest or investment in anything - except maybe some of the fighting games, he'd like to prove that he's better than futuristic super fighters.
But it's Dick's day and Dick's call. ]
Tt. Well, whatever it is, I hope you're comfortable coming in second.
[Awfully confident! It's probably more than warranted, especially now that they have VR to contend with- Damian has quick reflexes, and while Dick isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to that either- Damian was always going to surpass him in every category, he'd been determined to try his hand at.
But winning isn't the point, so Dick's hardly fazed by it, outside of gentle brotherly ribbing, and starts to pick his way through the options-
and yes, it's the racing game- because the last thing he wants Damian to see- is his character getting downed, fake or not] This look good?
[ For all the times Victor had shoved the controller at him, he'd never once taken it. But he'd curled up on the couch and read a book while he hammered through whatever stupid game he was playing. ]
[Oh, Damian, never change. He takes a moment to scroll through his options- for terrain, length of time, how many ai components vs real players, what kind of character he wants to play- the car. He spends some time customizing a ridiculous car with wing backed features, shimmering blue paint, because he has to be on brand, and then locks it in]
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no subject
Date: 2018-11-28 05:18 am (UTC)[ He's teasing. Teasing. There's a tiny smile fighting its way onto his face. He feels... light, in a way that he hasn't in ages. It isn't that Jason can't convince him to relax, or that he distrusts him it's - all of the guilt that he associates with that one, terrible moment is forgotten when he's with Dick. When Dick is treating him like a kid even though they're the same height now.
He pretends like he doesn't notice that Dick is probably missing the little boy who is still young and desperate enough for an excuse to be a child that he lets himself be fooled. ]
I don't waste my time here. But if you want to go in and do 'recon' then I have nothing better to do.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-28 05:30 am (UTC)[He always firmly believed that Damian was humouring, whether because Damian was willing to take the first excuse offered to him, or because he wanted to do something nice for Dick and thought that would be the easiest method to do so. But his initial belief, determination, and lack of ability to play properly because of it- had been cute, in it's own way. Sad, too.
He's laughing- because Damian is teasing him and it's both so familiar and not at the same time. Something lighter about it, than he's used to. He tilts his head back to regard him again, grin wider, and fully in place like the momentary lapse had never occurred] Let's not get carried away, Lil'D. There's still plenty I can teach you.
[Whether or not Damian wants to learn it, would view it as worthwhile is another matter entirely. But- one thing at a time. He might not be the Damian Dick remembers, that he misses- but he's Damian all the same. He's still loved, so when he gets the surly agreement he expects, he simply gestures him to follow and pushes open the door]
Good. Because I couldn't have found a better partner.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-28 05:38 am (UTC)[ It's hard to believe how much he missed this. How much he feels like the stubborn thirteen year old again - angry that he's not living up to his father's expectations, but not caring because he has Dick Grayson's trust and love. Something he'd never had before. Talia had viewed him as a tool, only loved so long as he was useful. Ra's had seen him only as a continuation of his legacy, adored only so long as he obeyed without question. And Bruce...
Well, Bruce had never much seemed to want a son. That duty had fallen to his eldest, who hadn't known what to do. Only that this boy was his responsibility now, his to try to tame, and somehow he'd managed it.
He feels light. Freed from guilt, from a lifetime of hardship, from all the loss when Dick smiles. Like this is the second chance he'd begged for and never received. ]
We are the greatest.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-30 11:31 pm (UTC)[Mock offence. Excuse me, but what margin for error have you left here? Acknowledging your too intelligent for his small games was supposed to wipe the slate clean. It's clear, however, that he means it in good humour. Dick knows amongst his cohorts, family and otherwise, he lives in a perspective far removed from their own.
It doesn't matter. It hasn't hindered his ability to hold them all together when it counted. To catch them and see them through when they need him to.
The smile doesn't falter, even when it mirrors the comment said to him by someone so much smaller, and he answers in kind, firm]
The best. There's never going to be anyone, quite like us.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-01 12:24 am (UTC)He's not going to let anything happen to him. He's not going to let that smile slip from his face. ]
What do you want to play?
haunted by past experiences, sup
Date: 2018-12-01 01:25 am (UTC)[He's played video games, of course. It's practically a right of passage- and childhood milestones like that had often been a go to for Bruce, when he hadn't known what else to gift Dick with. He'd much preferred outings or physical games much better.
But that doesn't mean he hadn't played his fair share of racing games. And if he finds a futuristic rainbow road, he's gonna kick the console into little pieces]
this one got lost in my inbox apparently
Date: 2018-12-07 11:22 pm (UTC)But it's Dick's day and Dick's call. ]
Tt. Well, whatever it is, I hope you're comfortable coming in second.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-09 06:27 am (UTC)[Awfully confident! It's probably more than warranted, especially now that they have VR to contend with- Damian has quick reflexes, and while Dick isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to that either- Damian was always going to surpass him in every category, he'd been determined to try his hand at.
But winning isn't the point, so Dick's hardly fazed by it, outside of gentle brotherly ribbing, and starts to pick his way through the options-
and yes, it's the racing game- because the last thing he wants Damian to see- is his character getting downed, fake or not] This look good?
no subject
Date: 2018-12-11 06:20 am (UTC)[ For all the times Victor had shoved the controller at him, he'd never once taken it. But he'd curled up on the couch and read a book while he hammered through whatever stupid game he was playing. ]
Sure.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-16 11:26 pm (UTC)[Oh, Damian, never change. He takes a moment to scroll through his options- for terrain, length of time, how many ai components vs real players, what kind of character he wants to play- the car. He spends some time customizing a ridiculous car with wing backed features, shimmering blue paint, because he has to be on brand, and then locks it in]
You're turn.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-16 11:43 pm (UTC)Hope you're ready to eat my dust.