[Private to Ariadne]

You're right. I don't know how it's happening, but we're dream sharing. Dean and Buffy figured it out too. Did the Admiral give you a PASIV?

[Spam for Tim]

[As soon as he'd finished talking with Dean, he knew he needed to talk to Tim for about a hundred and eight reasons. Partially because this was a potential security breach, because he still didn't love the idea of people having free access to sensitive information he was privy to. But that was really just a formality, the tip of the ice berg, and had it just been that, he might have just told him when he saw him later today. But he officially didn't want to wait until a reasonable hour to do it, not after what had happened and not after what he'd found out.

He hadn't bothered changing, and headed down the hall in the same t-shirt and flannel pants he'd been sleeping in and knocked on Tim's door, loudly. He didn't care at this point if it seemed insane to get this upset about a nightmare - two nightmares - and wake Tim up this early, because he knew what happened now. It wasn't just a dream, Tim had actively interfered and he just-

He banged on his door again, impatient and (irrationally) worried, and maybe wondering how easy it would be to just pick the lock and let himself in.]

[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:]

[Dick switches on the video feed to show he's sitting on a couch in his apartment, which for anyone who's ever been over to visit before probably looks a lot cleaner/well organized than it usually is. Tim is a lot neater than Dick and might have tidied up his mess for him while they were swapped. >>]

Sorry for anyone that was confused about the whole "swapping places with Tim but not exactly" thing. I'm pretty sure we're both back to normal now. [And almost like he's just checking to make sure things are in the right place, he rubs a hand briefly over his face and brushes some hair back from his forehead, smiling sheepishly.] I probably shouldn't think too hard about where we go when we're not here, should I?

Anyway, what languages do you all speak? I know the Barge seems like it translates everything to English - or it does for me, I guess perception could be different for someone who's used to something else - so there isn't a lot of reason for it, necessarily, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in brushing up on their French with me. Or anything, really, I'm pretty fluent in a couple different ones and I'd be interested in learning more. [Basically, Dick is bored and understimulated, and this will help him feel productive. :c]

( Private messages to Jim, Rorschach, Dean & Ariadne, and Steph + a Spam for Tim + Spam for Ivy )

I guess everything that needs to be said about that breach has kind of been said already, but honestly, I kind of prefer those to ones where only half the Barge is confused about where they are and what the hell is going on. It's been my experience it's a little less awful if you get in a fight with someone you're pals with back here when you're both not yourself.

[And he does actually have first hand experience on how bad that sucks when one person's affected and the other's not, thanks Mirrorverse. :|]

Anyway, this something that came up a couple days ago that I figured was worth saying to a wider audience: I know this place is hard on people in general? But for non-vampires, it would probably be a good idea for people to make sure they're heading into the CES for some sunlight every once and a while. I'm not saying it's going to be a magical cure all for depression or anything, but it does actually help.

Of course, as soon as I say this, the CES is only going to be cold and rainy for the next three weeks, but I figured it was worth putting out there anyway.

( Private notes for Rorschach, Parker, Cass, Shego, Steph and Tim, and an extra Tim. )

[Private to Rorschach]

[Dick sounds pretty terrible. His voice is all croaky from coughing all night and he may or may not still be basically curled up in a ball in bed. Damn you, bronchitis, making him miss out on having his organs repossessed a fun port. >C]

Rorschach, go ahead if you want to go into port. I think I'm going to be staying here.

[Private to Tim]

Are you going into port?

Is there a hole people are crawling into to die?

If so, I would like directions.

Or a road map.

Whichever's easier.

[Private to Shego]

I believe I promised you a 'ha ha I told you so'.

[Private to Jim]

So. Sorry about that.

[Private to Rorschach]

I promise I'm not usually a fifteen year old girl about. This kind of stuff. Or you know. Anything.

Is anyone still around who can say if there's an actual set date for when the snow stops falling on deck? I remember when it ended last year, but if it's something actually consistent - not that I'm really expecting it to be, given how this place works - I figured it might be good to know.

Figure we might as well take advantage of it while it's still around, right?

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

So, snowball fight or paintball in the CES? Or both, if that's what people want.

... And, uh, does anyone have any Barge dating advice maybe? [Hnnng embarrassing cutting off the connection now and probably deleting that last part, feel free to have seen it.]

[Private to Buffy]

Hey, uh, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go grab lunch with me? You know, if you're not busy or anything.

[ooc: Dick is affected, currently crushing on Buffy and yes. Have at. :U]

[Warden Filter]

Alright, as we're all very well aware at this point, people seem to get kidnapped here a lot. And obviously we can't prepare for everything - believe me, if you'd have told me I was going to get bit by a rattlesnake on board the ship a couple weeks ago, I would have said you were nuts - but it never hurts to know a couple things just in case you get pounced in the gym and end up being held hostage for a couple hours.

So, that said, I'm going to be holding self defense classes, either in the gym or the CES, every day of the week, floods, ports and other natural disasters permitting. Mostly basic stuff, like how to get out of a choke hold and how to incapacitate someone quickly if they come up from behind you, and if people are interested in going a step farther and covering some more complicated stuff, I'd be up for that, too.

For the record, I'm not teaching you how to kill people, just how to hold your own in a fight and incapacitate anyone with plans to make off with your unconscious body. And if you have an inmate you want to get training too, let me know and they're more than welcome to come. I just figured this shouldn't be a totally open invite if anyone's concerned someone's going to use this stuff on them the next time someone cooks up a 'I want to take over the Barge' scheme.

Somewhat relatedly, if anyone just wants to go spar and/or brush up on some technique, I'm always up for that. I've got a background in just about everything, weapon based or not, although if anyone's got a basis in something like eskrima or whatever kind of stick fighting is normal where you're from, I have to admit I'm partial to it.

[Warden Cop Filter - George, Carla, Angua, did I forget anyone?]

So, back when Howie was here - you remember, George - he said he and the other warden cops used to have "Friday night pints". I don't really drink, but it might be kind of fun to start that up again, swap some stories... Would you all be interested in giving it a shot after dinner tonight? Or next week, if someone's got plans?

[Private to Rorschach]

Do you want to go up to the CES with me? [No ulterior motive here at all. Why would you ever suggest that. >>]

[Private to Jim]

So Tim got me a paintball set for Christmas. Want to go try it out? [This seems safer than you shooting a phaser at him and trying to dodge it. :x]

[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]

[Warden Filter]

[Dick clicks on the communicator and immediately, it's apparent that he's in distress and in a hell of a lot of pain. As it turns out, rattlesnake bites are not things to be messing around with He's panting, and when he speaks, he sounds like he's trying not to be sick.]

David, Riddick and Alex Mercer jumped me in the gym a few hours ago. I'm not sure where they are now, but they were keeping me in Dean's room. David... David bit me.

[He pauses, leaning heavily against the wall, shifting to take the weight off his bad ankle.] I don't think he thought it'd be this bad. He bought me some time to get out.

[He thinks, and he's not really sure how he feels about that sort of, so time for the next thing.]

Tim - [This should have probably be private, but he's lucky to be standing up on his own right now let alone switching filters and thinking totally coherently.] I'm fine, but you need to get him to stop. His back's up against the wall and he's desperate, he wanted- [He swallows thickly.] He wanted to know about the bridge.

... Someone should go check on Capa and Jim.

[And the feed clicks off.]

[Open Spam]

( Here there is spam. Multiples welcome. :D )

[Private to Rorschach]

So, what have you been up to?

I've been thinking about that flood we had a while back, where we turned into people from history, I guess? And whoever I was, it wasn't like he was anyone important, but it still made me think about a few things.

Now, I'm not saying everyone turned into some direct ancestor or something, but it kind of made me realize I really don't know that much about my family history. For all I know, that kid was some distant relative of mine. I know basically nothing about my mom's side of the family except that she was a dental assistant before she married my dad and her dad died when I was five or six, and anything I have about my dad's is kind of spotty.

When you're a kid, you don't usually ask too many questions about where your great-great whatever grandfather came from, or why he decided to move somewhere or enlist in the army, and if they did say anything about it, I don't remember. And if I have any living relatives, they either didn't know I exist or didn't have an interest in taking me in after my parents died, so it's not like I can just call them up and ask questions. But it would be kind of interesting to know something beyond a really vague Dad's side was Romany, Mom's was probably something from western European.

[Private to Rorschach]

You been keeping out of trouble?

So, I know everything's been more or less said and done about that flood, but honestly? I'm still just kind of shocked that for once, I was a kid and came out of it pretty trauma free. [Hell, even if he had actually been mentally fourteen again, things would have been fine. He might have had a weird childhood, but there were good parts of it, and fourteen had definitely been before shit had really hit the fan.

A pause, and then:]

[Somewhat reluctant generous Friends Filter. If you think you're on it, you are.]

Actually, as long as I'm being honest? It helped me realize some things.

I've realized I've spent most of my time here kind of terrified of what was waiting for me back home, and I won't lie, I'm still kind of scared about some of it. I know it all works out okay, now, but there's really no guarantee if I ever leave here I'll remember what I've been told here - [His money is going on that he won't remember, honestly, otherwise things would have gone veryyyy differently. :|] - And I've already lost two parents. I don't need to go through losing another, even if it's going to turn out he was fine. Just... time displaced, or something, so we all just thought he was dead for months.

[A pause. Because, really comic book logic?]

I'm still really not sure how that happened.

But it's going to happen whether or not I want it to, because as much as I might want to? I'm not drastically altering the futures of people I love who say they're happy with how everything worked out in the end, and sitting here pretending like it isn't going to happen is really ridiculous. And something about that flood made me realize maybe this really isn't so bad. There are a lot worse things that could have happened, and I can't hide here forever. And I don't want to anymore.

This isn't a I've had enough, I'm leaving announcement or anything. I've still got a lot of stuff I need to get done here before I seriously think about shipping out for good. But it's nice to not be afraid anymore. Or, to be afraid, but accept that and move forward instead of worrying about it, because everything is going to be okay.

... Kind of embarrassing that it took me a year to figure this out, but, I guess that's better than nothing.

[ooc: And again, comment over on DW here.]

[Dick clicks on the camera, and he, too, is proudly wearing a new red and green Christmas sweater. He's also considerably shorter and younger looking than usual, but does not seem all that confused or bothered by what's going on.]

Tim, this is so cool, you have to come see this! [He holds up two Batman action figures, complete with awesome grappling hook accessories and things to play fight with because action figures are excellent like that. One is of Bruce as Batman and the other - little does Dick actually know - is the uniform he'll be wearing as Batman, which is subtly different from what he's used to Bruce wearing.]

I didn't even know they made stuff like this! [Or if they did, it wasn't really accurate, since the Gotham vigilantes tend to stay out of the limelight and therefore usually any "Batman" stuff produced was kind of majorly lacking compared to this stuff.]

I don't know why there are two Batmans, though. I mean, the costume's a little different on this one, but it doesn't look like what he wears. [Added quickly:] I think. [Since he's never seen Batman before right. :V]

... Hey, Rorschach are you okay? Let me know where you are. [And if you're affected. :c

AND OH MY GOD BEST IDEA EVER:] Jim, do you still have your action figures? [Don't judge me I might kind of want to play with them. :c]

And for anyone who's not sure where you are, everything's going to be fine. If you need anything, let someone know and one of us will help you, I promise.

[ooc: Dick is going to be basically acting like his fourteen year old self, but remembers the Barge and knows there's a flood going on and he's affected. Despite the icons, he is not dressed in the Robin suit, I just love the art from Year One and had to use them instead of pb icons. :c]

[Private to Carla]

We should talk. Are you still in the infirmary?

[Private to Tim]

So. Some familiar faces are back. [How are you doing. :V]

[The feed clicks on just as the communicator clatters to the floor, quickly followed by loud, very excited dog barking, so have a nice shot of the ceiling of Dick's room. Aristotle is busy jumping all over Dick's flood counterpart, who you can probably hear trying to get him to calm down, in English and Romanian, both of which sound pretty good accent wise, although from the continued barking, it's pretty clear it's not working.

So it's a few minutes before he finds the communicator and thinks to pick it up. He fumbles with it a little before you get a pretty decent shot of a dark haired kid, who looks about fourteen and is dressed pretty simply, but a little classically, in a white collared shirt and dark pants.]

Hello? [He taps the screen.] What is this, some kind of radio?

[Aristotle shoves himself next to him, sniffing the communicator, and Dick is carefully pushing him aside before he starts licking it or something gross like that.]

I don't know where I am, but... I have your dog?

[ooc: So Dick has swapped places with a Romanian American kid living in Gotham from around 1940ish who for the sake of my sanity is still being called Richard, because I like being quasi self referential like that. The first super heroes of the DCU have started popping up over the last two years or so and the US has entered WWII like usual.]

So, it's officially a year since I first signed on to this place. I kind of wish I could come up with something insightful to say, but considering people's reactions to that sort of stuff, maybe it's safer just to pass.

[Private to Tim]

How easy would it be to talk you into a snowball fight?

[Private to Shego]

What's your schedule look like for today, out of curiosity?