Noctis is true to his word, navigating his way to the address some forty-six minutes later, and it's with two boxes of food stacked in one hand and two beverage cans held carefully in the other that he decides against bothering to knock. ]
Hey, I'm here if you wanna open up.
[ Honestly? He's a little curious; he hasn't been here before. ]
[ No one has, he doesn't invite people to his place. Usually. Doesn't like them knowing where he lives. But he did just die and people were messed up about it, and he can probably move if need be.
He hops up to let him in.
It's a fairly large space. The furniture is classy and modern, though maybe not the newest. Not much in the way of decorations yet. ]
Thanks-- [ As he steps in, already looking around. ]
Ahh, your place looks better than ours... That sucks. Anyway, take this top one; they're both the same. Vermi-- They're noodles. [ He realized very quickly that he does not know how to say vermicelli. ]
There's some bread too, and the drinks are supposed to be some kind of flavored water or something.
[ Well whatever, he'll dump it on the table as directed, drinks following suit. ] I guess I can let you keep both of them if you wanna' hide out from people longer and have extra food. Doesn't bother me.
[ "Why do you always have to make everything such a big thing" is on the tip of his tongue, but... well, he doesn't believe that Damian is genuinely fine with going through the whole process that he did, so he eases up. ]
I'm not here to baby you. [ He considers the couch before taking a seat on the opposite end, leaning over already to rest elbows on his knees. ] I'd say it normally... I hole up a lot and wanna' avoid people, so if you get like that too then take it. It's whatever.
[ He's saying "Fine" a lot lately. He pops one of the containers open and just gestures for Noctis to eat too, because he thinks this is stupid. If he wants food, he'll make food. ]
[ Well, no point in arguing with those solid two words (that are bullshit in his mind, but he can bide his time here). He takes his box, already inspecting the bread he'd mentioned before. ]
Reports coming back are better than I thought they'd be. We saved a lot of people.
The mobilization was surprisingly efficient. M's people could have picked more strategic places to live in the event of a meltdown like this, but... it is what it is.
[ He takes a bite. Thinks a little miserably about all the parents he couldn't save, the kids who will struggle without them now. ]
Yeah, I thought the same thing. Considering where the weak points were... we got out of it well.
... I've been dealing with the kids a lot, took a break to come here. Doesn't really help with that part of it, but it's important to keep our heads above water, I guess.
[ It's impossible not to notice, but he tries not to let his gaze linger. ]
Working on it. I've been watching them and talking to them more than I've been involved on that side. I can let you know what I hear when I go back if you want.
[ There's a line that's even harder to ignore, but Damian hasn't made his own personal struggles that much of a secret. The details? Maybe in some cases, but he's not bothered to paint a pretty picture of his own childhood. ]
No, it doesn't.
... guess you've been dealing with a lot of visitors after all that.
[ It speaks truer than he realizes. He isn't thinking about himself - and how he'd fixated on Dick's death, or on Alfred's. How he'd revived the latter from the dead because he couldn't deal with it anymore.
He's just thinking of how sad and scared those kids were. ]
[ Right. Allow him to let that sink in for a moment. ]
... are you saying that to make me feel relaxed about it happening to me one day, or because you don't want me worrying about you, or because you're trying to convince yourself? 'Cause...
I'm saying it because it's true. Everybody dies, especially in wartime. I had the fortitude of getting back up, that's it. There's no bigger conversation to have. I accept the possibility every time I go out there, as does everyone else.
"Everybody dies" is just an excuse not to think harder about it. [ But he really doesn't want to go down that road right now, not to where it might lead. ]
I'm just saying if you're feeling more than that, don't avoid it over and over until it comes out at the wrong time.
My mother and grandfather have both died a thousand deaths between them. They've come back, the same was always expected of me. The only reason I didn't die sooner is because Mother would stitch me back together. Not a single organ inside me, save my brain, is one I was born with. Death isn't anything new and hasn't brought me to my knees.
[ He's starting to understand why Jason and Bruce's first instinct, when all is said and done, is to go for a drink. ]
[ It's a reveal that he has no way to process without all the information, something shared so casually that it has him staring for a moment or two. A thousand deaths? How can something like that become mundane or lose its gravitas? What happens when it's the last time? ]
... I don't know what you're going through. Figure I probably won't ever. It's why I said "if", alright? I'm not here to force you to talk about stuff that you don't want to.
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no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 01:15 am (UTC)Noctis is true to his word, navigating his way to the address some forty-six minutes later, and it's with two boxes of food stacked in one hand and two beverage cans held carefully in the other that he decides against bothering to knock. ]
Hey, I'm here if you wanna open up.
[ Honestly? He's a little curious; he hasn't been here before. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 01:23 am (UTC)He hops up to let him in.
It's a fairly large space. The furniture is classy and modern, though maybe not the newest. Not much in the way of decorations yet. ]
Come in.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 01:30 am (UTC)Ahh, your place looks better than ours... That sucks. Anyway, take this top one; they're both the same. Vermi-- They're noodles. [ He realized very quickly that he does not know how to say vermicelli. ]
There's some bread too, and the drinks are supposed to be some kind of flavored water or something.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 01:38 am (UTC)I've been saving since I arrived, and Kara makes decent money. [ he gestures to the table. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 01:48 am (UTC)[ Well whatever, he'll dump it on the table as directed, drinks following suit. ] I guess I can let you keep both of them if you wanna' hide out from people longer and have extra food. Doesn't bother me.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 02:00 am (UTC)[ "Flatmate" sounds better than "roommate" which sounds cleaner than "it's complicated". He drops into his seat. ]
I don't need to be babied. I meant it when I said I was fine.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 02:30 am (UTC)I'm not here to baby you. [ He considers the couch before taking a seat on the opposite end, leaning over already to rest elbows on his knees. ] I'd say it normally... I hole up a lot and wanna' avoid people, so if you get like that too then take it. It's whatever.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 03:24 am (UTC)[ He's saying "Fine" a lot lately. He pops one of the containers open and just gestures for Noctis to eat too, because he thinks this is stupid. If he wants food, he'll make food. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 03:57 am (UTC)Reports coming back are better than I thought they'd be. We saved a lot of people.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 03:59 am (UTC)The mobilization was surprisingly efficient. M's people could have picked more strategic places to live in the event of a meltdown like this, but... it is what it is.
[ He takes a bite. Thinks a little miserably about all the parents he couldn't save, the kids who will struggle without them now. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 04:06 am (UTC)... I've been dealing with the kids a lot, took a break to come here. Doesn't really help with that part of it, but it's important to keep our heads above water, I guess.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 04:10 am (UTC)Kids have always been a soft spot for him. Maybe it's all the innocence he never got to have, not wanting to see their lives ruined the way his was. ]
Have they found them somewhere for them to go?
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 04:16 am (UTC)Working on it. I've been watching them and talking to them more than I've been involved on that side. I can let you know what I hear when I go back if you want.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 04:22 am (UTC)[ Just... go back to eating. Ignoring any looks. ]
It'll be rough on them. Trauma like this doesn't go away overnight.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-29 01:16 pm (UTC)No, it doesn't.
... guess you've been dealing with a lot of visitors after all that.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-03 08:11 am (UTC)He's just thinking of how sad and scared those kids were. ]
Yeah. [ ... ] It isn't that big of a deal.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-03 03:48 pm (UTC)[ Okay, he's not super tactful but this isn't the time to be. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-02-04 11:57 pm (UTC)[ his plans for the record are mostly just staring at the ceiling and having an existential crisis. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-02-07 03:09 am (UTC)... are you saying that to make me feel relaxed about it happening to me one day, or because you don't want me worrying about you, or because you're trying to convince yourself? 'Cause...
no matter what, it feels like a lie.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-08 01:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-02-09 03:45 pm (UTC)I'm just saying if you're feeling more than that, don't avoid it over and over until it comes out at the wrong time.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-15 11:39 pm (UTC)[ He rubs his forehead. ]
My mother and grandfather have both died a thousand deaths between them. They've come back, the same was always expected of me. The only reason I didn't die sooner is because Mother would stitch me back together. Not a single organ inside me, save my brain, is one I was born with. Death isn't anything new and hasn't brought me to my knees.
[ He's starting to understand why Jason and Bruce's first instinct, when all is said and done, is to go for a drink. ]
I'm. Fine. Death is just another test.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-18 03:08 pm (UTC)... I don't know what you're going through. Figure I probably won't ever. It's why I said "if", alright? I'm not here to force you to talk about stuff that you don't want to.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-18 03:22 pm (UTC)[ He gives up. He gives up. Damian shoves a hand through his hair and sighs. ]
Malone and Grayson are the ones who need the support.