076 [voice]

[batmanschmatman]

Is it that time of year again already?

You know, talk about needing better warden communication or food or security as much as you want, I'd honestly settle for a more consistent way to contact home and never complain about anything going on here again.

... Maybe.

Comments

[voice]

[buildindreemz]

You guess so? Are you not sure? How do birthdays even work here? How old are you?

[voice]

[batmanschmatman]

Well, it's November 11, and I was twenty three when I first got here, so in theory I'm twenty four, but we don't age here, so I'm still technically twenty three.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

Huh. That's weird.

I'm 23, too, you know. Somehow, you seem older to me. ...and I don't mean that as an insult.

What did you do, in your world?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

I was a cop. Formerly a bartender and a college student. And I'm not offended, don't worry.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

A cop? [She has a tough time picturing him as a cop. And then there's...]

And the other me told you about the... dream sharing? [She's beginning to think that 'other' her actually had been some kind of weird, alternative universe version of herself...]

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

Yep. [That's what Arthur and Dick thought for a while too. :V]

[private]

[buildindreemz]

She must've been on something.

...Not that I don't think you're trustworthy, it's just... [Hm. Yeah.]

What... sort of cop were you?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

Nothing exciting. I was pretty much just a beat cop.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

But a beat cop where? I mean, there's gotta be a pretty big difference between a beat cop in Podunk, Oklahoma and a beat cop in New York City.

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

Bludhaven, New Jersey. In my universe, it was a lot worse than New York.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

So really, it was probably pretty exciting, and you're just downplaying it. Is that what you're saying?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

I wouldn't really call it exciting.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

Scary, then? Dangerous?

Why'd you become a cop, anyway? I've never known a cop personally - in TV and movies, people either become cops because everyone in their family is or because they're damaged.

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

I don't know. I mean, I liked my job, but constantly answering calls about people getting mugged or sexually assaulted or seriously injured by some idiot with a weapon isn't exactly fun.

And I started because Bludhaven needed people on the force who weren't on the payroll of some mob boss. And I thought I could do some good.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

Mister Optimism himself, huh?

How was that working out for you?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

That's what they call me.

It was going alright, until the city was destroyed. That's why I'm here.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

Destroyed? How?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

A nuclear warhead was dropped on the city.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

Jesus, what kind of world do you come from?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

One where that doesn't happen all that often.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

I'm sorry. [She pauses.] Did you have a lot of family there?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

No. I moved there a few years ago, the rest of my family didn't come with.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

But you probably had friends there, right?

[private]

[batmanschmatman]

Yeah, I did.

[private]

[buildindreemz]

Well, I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what that must be like.