089 [voice]

[batmanschmatman]

[Private to the Admiral]

Rorschach needs his full abilities restored to him. I'm... honestly not even really sure why you took them away in the first place since he's not actually a meta, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised by anything you do at this point, should I?

[Filtered to Friends, if you think you're on it, you are.]

How's everyone doing?

[Private to Dean]

When this is all over, we should probably talk. [Someone still wants to know details about what happened. :V]

Comments

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

[It takes him a while to respond, either because he's stuck in Zero and sulking, or because he's sulking because of massive guilt, it's not quite clear when he comes back. His voice is neutral, anyway.]

Yeah, we should. You enjoyin' the view up there?

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

No. [Seriously, to hell with this whole week.]

Usually I'm not confined to sitting on the sidelines and watching this stuff happen.

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

Well, if it's any consolation, if you weren't in the Infirmary watching it happen you'd probably be in Zero watching it happen.

[He says it cheerfully, but that doesn't hide the fact that it's uncharacteristically fatalistic for Dean.

Not that anyone here has any clue what's characteristic for him.]

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

At least it would have been a change in scenery.

[Do you know how boring it is sitting in the infirmary knowing something's going on but not being able to do anything about it? It's boring. Also, frustrating.]

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

[Dean considers this for almost a full minute. Then, deadpan, he comes back with]

I spy, with my little eye... something black.

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

[There's a couple second pause while Dick first tries to figure out if you're being serious and second, debates pointing out this would be easier if he could actually see what was down there - you could be talking about a bear, for all he knows - before answering:]

... Your shirt?

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

[Shut up, Dick, he's trying to be helpful. Probably.]

No, I... well, okay, actually. Yeah. But that's not what I'm looking at. So also something red.

[Which, come to think of it, could still be Dean's shirt. -_-]

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

[Hey he isn't complaining, everyone getting stuck down in Zero means he has literally no means of entertaining himself besides watching Star Wars again.]

If you say it's also white and it's actually a penguin with a sunburn, I am going to be incredibly impressed and maybe a little confused.

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

[He doesn't laugh, but something changes in his voice; it's the small smirk that's started, though Dick won't be able to see that part.]

Damn, you're good. Who knew Zero was actually the Omaha Zoo?

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

[He's good enough with picking up vocal cues that he can tell the difference, and grins himself, but again. Can't see it.]

Is the jackalope still down there too?

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

I haven't seen one, but if I do, it's goin' in the stewpot. I am freaking starving.

[What else is new. Dean is not actually hungry, not yet, but it's always good for a laugh and an eyeroll in his experience. And sometimes it is true. Then, shifting modes to mildly awkward, because he'd want to know if it were him.]

Um. Tim is down here - he looks like he's alright.

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

[Dick honestly kind of figured. Ninjas plus Bats generally equals a smack down, and if he wasn't stuck in bed, he'd 100% be down there too. But all that's still not openly talked about, so while he's a little tempted to joke that if he wasn't okay, he was losing his touch, he holds back.]

I figured. How's everyone else?

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

Annoyed.

[Dean glances around, even though he already knows the answer.] I don't really see anyone too badly hurt. A few bruises, a few bumps, but I guess blood is just too difficult to clean up when you're wearing a mummy suit.

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

It's probably like Iroh said, they're not actually interested in hurting us. Which, believe me, is a lot better than some of the stuff that's happened here.

[The Aztecs were - unsurprisingly - a lot more vicious. :|||]

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

Yeah, I'm pretty much always up for not being hurt. It's a nice change of pace.

[This is more cheerful than it probably should be.]

Man, if I'd known there was gonna be a neighborhood party down here, I would've brought snackmix.

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

[You're talking to the guy who almost died from a poisonous snake bite, he feels you.]

Don't worry, there are plans to get you guys some food. Go for the jackalope before you resort to cannibalism.

[ Private : Audio ]

[surfaceshine]

[Dean can't help it - complaining about being hungry is old hat, routine enough that he doesn't have to actually be hungry anymore to whine.]

Awesome - tell whoever it is, I'm gonna need tacos.

[Beat. Then, more speculative -] Jackalope tacos might not be so bad.

[ Private : Audio ]

[batmanschmatman]

I've heard they taste like chicken.

Private

[gotgreenmagic]

Fine. Why, did something happen?

[Ninja count: ∞. Fucks given: 0.]

Private

[batmanschmatman]

I don't know, it's been kind of a crummy week.

[Someone wants to fight ninjas. :|]

Private

[gotgreenmagic]

Where are you?

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Infirmary. Where are you?

Private

[gotgreenmagic]

My cabin.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Leaving the beating up the hordes of ninjas to some other schmucks?

Private

[gotgreenmagic]

Y'know, I kinda thought I might.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Can Zero even hold everyone he's sending down there?

Private

[gotgreenmagic]

I can see them having to get to know each other a little better.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

And I'm sure after a couple days without showers, that's going to be real fun.

Private

[gotgreenmagic]

Sucks to be them.

[Private]

[peektuttut]

Stalled. [Fuck zero. :|]

[Private]

[batmanschmatman]

So I heard. You okay?

[Private]

[peektuttut]

I managed not to take a header into the floor, so yeah. I'm good.

[Private]

[batmanschmatman]

Do you need someone to play Geography with?

[Private]

[peektuttut]

Are you still drugged?

[Private]

[insolubleriddle]

By current standards, terrific.

By my own standards, I might as well be dead.

[His standards might be a little exaggerated.]

[Private]

[batmanschmatman]

Don't be so dramatic, you know how these things happen. In a couple days, it'll be like none of this ever happened.

[Private]

[insolubleriddle]

A couple of days is too long a wait. I'm going to run out of patience for Shendu's vanity before the end of his reign.

[Private]

[plz_gtfo_dragon]

[From across the room:]

Nygma! I feel a slight ache in my lower calf, you will ease this discomfort for me at once!

[Private]

[insolubleriddle]

[Private]

[batmanschmatman]

... Is he making you massage him?

[Private]

[insolubleriddle]

It puts me in close quarters.

But my urge to maim him may soon overwhelm all reason.

[Private]

[batmanschmatman]

Yeah, maybe try to contain that urge.