batmanschmatman | 018 [audio]

[This more complicated thought clearly required the notebook, and he quickly scribbled down a question, treating her to another "are you serious" eyebrow raise.]

Holy catastrophe, You're seriously talking a panic Batroom that could hold everyone on the BatBarge? Seems kinda excessive. How do you even build one in, anyway? Just ask the Batadmiral?

[Ariadne's smile took a more serious tone as she saw him using the notebook.]

A room that could grow if more people needed a place to stay.

[It made sense to her, considering what she'd heard about the Barge growing when more people came onboard.]

If the Barge can ---

[She paused, hearing the rattling as she stared at him. Oh great. She carefully got to her feet and glanced around, trying to finish her sentence.]

If the Barge can do it, so could your room.

[She was near a shout, trying to speak over the steady rumble of an approaching train.]

[Dick immediately got up, dropping the pen and notebook again to look around, still not hearing the train, but trying to figure out where it was coming from anyway.]

Holy smokes, Ariadne, it's happening again, isn't it?

[He was concerned enough that it hadn't even really registered that his own new "ability" had manifested itself, still trying to figure out where the train was.]

[Ariadne heard the 'holy smokes' and furrowed her eyebrows but didn't have long to really consider it. She reached for Dick's hand as the train pounded through the kitchen, pulling him toward the door. She really, really didn't like feeling this crazy, that any moment a train could come blazing through during their conversation.]

[He let himself get dragged out of the way, looking around, trying to get some idea of what she was seeing and how bad it was, holding her hand tightly to try and remind her that whatever it was, wasn't real.] Is it gone?

[Ariadne gripped his hand tightly as she stood by the door and the train plowed through her room. It was terrifying to see such a thing and once it passed, she simply nodded, not looking at him but instead staring out at where the living room had just been.]

[He followed her gaze for a moment, wondering what she was seeing exactly - what kind of train, how much damage - since the room still looked fine to him, before turning back to her, squeezing her hand reassuringly.] Hey, it's okay. We're safe.

[The squeeze to her hand alerted her to his presence and she glanced over at him briefly before staring out at the living room as the train finished and the pieces began to knit together. With her other hand, she tried to calm herself by pressing it to her temples. This was just a flood. They were okay.]

[Oh, to hell with it. The vigilante carefully let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug, holding on tight enough to be reassuring without smothering her or being too uncomfortable. She was upset - rightly so, if she was seeing trains rip through walls without warning - and obviously needed the comfort.] Everything's going to be fine. I promise.

[At first, Ariadne was a little startled by the sudden release of her hand. Her anchor had suddenly disappeared and she glanced over at him just as he wrapped his arms around her. The security she felt being so closely and securely held pushed that panic slowly from her mind. She carefully settled a hand on his back, re-anchoring herself in the reality that was the Barge. Or, as close to reality as she could get. She nodded against his chest, regaining her breath much quicker than the last time a train had torn through her walls.]

It's just a flood.

Exactly. [He gently rubbed her back, waiting for her to calm down. He was happy to stand there as long as she needed him to, happy to be doing something to help and definitely not minding the contact. It was sort of reassuring to him too.

After a moment, he risked a question. It was getting easier to figure out what was safe to say and what wasn't.] Do you need anything? Tell me what you need me to do.

[Ariadne was incredibly grateful that Dick had basically volunteered to be an anchor and for a few moments just focused on that. The train wasn't real, despite what she'd seen. It was just a flood. At the question she simply shook her head a little. This was enough, this was just fine. It was the sleeping part that had to come later that she wasn't so sure about. But he was already spending a good part of his day with her.]

I'll... [be okay? How many times had she said that already today?]

[He smiled slightly, still gently rubbing her back. It was just a flood, it'd all be over soon, and then they could get on with their lives as usual. Or, as usual as things ever got on the Barge, anyway. But until then, barring some kind of crisis or if Costigan needed more stuff for the flood induced headache, he was okay with staying here and keeping her company.]

Yeah. You'll be okay.

[Ariadne absolutely appreciated the gentle touch on her back. It was just enough to remind her that this world was real, but not harsh enough to unsettle her further. By this point, the architect was a little ready for the flood to be over. It was disrupting conversations and generally making her feel twelve different levels of crazy. Carefully, she shifted so she could stare better out at the living room. Things were mostly back to normal, the walls cementing shut and the couch knitting whole again.]

Do you... mind staying a little longer?

[Her confidence had been slowly drained by the number of trains that had plowed through her wall.]

[When she shifted to get a better look at the room, he pulled out of the hug a little, still with a hand on her back to make sure she was anchored in the here and now, but enough that she could pull away if she wanted to try and get back to normal.]

Of course not. Didn't really have anything else planned.

[The second part was almost purely teasing, while the first was sincere, if a little flippant. He didn't want to be making too big a deal out of it.]

[Ariadne didn't pull away, still staring at the living room as things became whole again. She was trying to get used to it, really, but the architect had put up a boundary between reality and dreaming and these sort of things disrupted it quite deeply.]

I can make some tea.

[But she's not moving anywhere, gaze still fixed on the room and mind focused on Dick's hand on her back.]

[Dick didn't move, still sensing her discomfort about the situation the flood was causing. He squeezed her shoulder gently.]

I can do it, if you want to take it easy.

[He nodded towards the couch, trying to suggest she sit down and get comfortable without accidentally calling the couch the Batcouch or something equally embarrassing and incriminating.]

[Ariadne hesitated before nodding, momentarily forgetting that she'd closed that kitchen door for a reason. However, once she did, she shook her head.]

I can do it.

[She carefully pulled away from him, stepping over the last remaining open tract in the floor.]

[Dick nodded, but shadowed her carefully, not wanting to wander too far or leave her alone in case she freaked out again. There was still a couple feet in between them, but he didn't sit down or wait for her to come back from the kitchen.]

[Ariadne felt Dick's presence behind her and hesitated briefly before opening the door to the kitchen. Inside was a paisley suitcase and a plain, corderoy shoulder sling bag. She felt almost positive that he could see it.]

[Dick did, in fact, notice. One of the many gifts/curses he'd picked up from Bruce was being annoyingly aware of just about anything in a room, so in case something happened or they were walking into a trap, he would be ready and prepared for just about anything. He eyed the suitcases, not exactly sure what they were doing just sitting around in the kitchen.]

Going somewhere?

[Ariadne moved over toward the stove, pulling out her kettle from underneath. She quietly filled it with water and set it on the burner as she spoke:] I packed this morning.

[The implication was that she'd packed after she heard of Hayley's involvement in a murder. She pulled out her small, small box of tea and two mugs.]

I haven't had an inmate yet last more than a few hours and I'm making a lot of mistakes already.

[Normally, she would chalk it up to a learning experience, but the murder had changed that.]

So, you're quitting.

[It was just a statement, flat and very unimpressed.

Okay, so Hayley had killed someone. So what? That wasn't her fault and to give up because you couldn't control someone else's actions was stupid. This was even different from his own crisis of purpose several months ago. He was there, he could have physically stopped Catalina from shooting Blockbuster. But he didn't. Ariadne hadn't been there when Hayley had killed Franklin, and he doubted she'd known about it in advance. There was nothing she could have done.

Besides, she was here because she'd made a deal, and the fact that she was willing to walk out on that bothered him. Sure, life here maybe wasn't what most people wanted, and he definitely sort of missed home, but he wasn't leaving. Not until his deal was finished. The fact that she was willing to walk away was practically unfathomable to the vigilante. Maybe he didn't know her that well after all.]

What about Cobb?

If I was truly convinced I wanted to quit I would have left already.

[Ariadne was very serious and somber, keeping her gaze on him as she leaned a little against the counter rather than the bags sitting next to the fridge. She was definitely here for Cobb, there was no doubt about it, but Arthur and Eames were here too and they had their work count out for them. She couldn't just abandon them when there were such crazy things going on. None of them were immune to the Barge or the things it could do to them and she meant what she said: she knew what she could and couldn't handle, she knew herself well enough to make that kind of decision. The fact that she hadn't walked out yet, to her, was a testament to her will to remain for those she was loyal to.]

I haven't had a chance to unpack them with... trains and everything.

[But he was right to ask, he was right to wonder. He didn't know that Arthur and she had basically made the same deal. She opened the box of tea and pulled out two bags, setting one in each mug.]

But it would be a lie if I said I didn't consider it very strongly.

[As she became a little more agitated, she began to speak with her hands:] It's just... there's so much.

Edited 2011-02-09 20:31 (UTC)

Is this because of what happened? That wasn't your - You couldn't have done anything about it.

[The frustration in his voice was a mixture of being annoyed with her for even considering it and annoyance that he still couldn't speak correctly without sounding ridiculous and possibly blowing his cover. Dropping Holy whatevers and tacking Bat onto the beginning of certain nouns wasn't exactly appropriate for the tone of this conversation or the subject matter.]

And you'll get assigned. Yours disappearing doesn't mean you're a - it doesn't mean anything. It happens. Pretty frequently.

Edited 2011-02-09 20:42 (UTC)

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