098 [voice]

[batmanschmatman]

[Extremely Broad Friends Filter - if you've had a single positive conversation with him over the past year and a couple months, you're on it.]

So, has anyone noticed anything different about themselves?

[Private to Tim]

How do you feel about sparring later today? [This is totally not code for I'm checking up on you and if you choose to read that into it well. Dammit Tim. Why would you ever think that? It's not like that's something he would do. >>]

[Private to Buffy]

So. [This is a little awkward. :c] Should we maybe talk about what happened?

[Private to Jim, added later]

Can I come over?

[ooc: Dick's totally unaffected. Come bother him though. c:]

Comments

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

Far as I can tell, there's nothing different with me.

Lots of people seem to have had a personality transplant, though. [Yep, also unaffected.]

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

You've noticed that too, huh? [Which in this case is a much more lowkey way of saying OH THANK GOD because seriously what is wrong with everyone else.]

No crazy desires to get up on a soapbox and tell us how terrible we all are?

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

[She's glad she's not the only one, too.] Hah, no. And you? No sudden desire to commit crime?

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

Nope. I'd say I'm pretty comfortable with my current moral alignment of "Annoyingly Good".

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

You're only annoying some of the time!

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

Some of the time? [Mock offense, HDU ARIADNE, YOU WOUND HIS FRAGILE SOUL.]

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

[Puh-lease. You're not fragile!]

If it makes you feel better, I think everyone is annoying sometimes. Including myself.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

[It's true I tease.]

I guess we all have our moments. How've you been?

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

That last port was kind of crazy.

...and also kind of fun.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

You thought so, too? I mean, I guess I'd be singing a different tune if I screwed up and got caught in one of the death traps, but I kind of had a good time.

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

Yeah, I mean, it was dangerous, but - I've always been good at puzzles.

It was way more productive than being chased around by monsters or what-have-you.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

Definitely. Where did you end up?

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

Right back where I started, as usual.

Isn't that the point of a maze?

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

Depends on the maze.

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

Maybe. Though I think when it comes to the Barge, most mazes are the sort that just bring us right back to the beginning.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

Works for me. I'd rather get back on the Barge than get stuck somewhere for who knows how long.

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

That's true. There are definitely worse things that could happen. As freaky as some of the ports are, at least we know we'll end up back here in the end.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

So, did you just run into puzzles on the station?

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

Pretty much, yeah. Puzzles, and Barge folks. It seems like we kept getting forcibly paired off.

It does make you wonder to what extent some of these things are planned, even when they don't appear to be.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

You know, Sara said the same thing, and Rorschach and I were talking about floods the same way a while ago. It is weird how some of them seem to force confronting stuff you wouldn't usually otherwise.

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

I mean, even if the Admiral himself doesn't plan the specific events, maybe he's bringing us to places that have... advertised themselves for certain purposes? It kinda makes sense.

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

I think that's a little concerning when you think about some of the places we've been to. "Come to our abandoned ultra zoo which is home to a posse of angry, hungry dinosaurs, what could possibly go wrong" seems like a horrifying marketing slogan to go gee, I really want to send my employees there for a weekend.

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

But what if it was more like "come to our zoo where we will have your employees and inmates participate in team-building exercises"?

[Friends filter]

[batmanschmatman]

I guess running from deinonychus and trying to avoid getting eaten does kind of bring people closer together.

[Friends filter]

[buildindreemz]

It requires teamwork!