un | eggplantavenger

[notreallyrobin]

hey uh
i bet you all get this a lot, but, uh, am i dead? like, straight up dead? is this purgatory?
because i really messed up and think i died and then i woke up in the hospital here and its all really
uh
a lot

and im kind of freaking out

ok yeah i guess i was about to die. and they explained all that but does that mean like, the me back home is dead??? or does that me just not exist anymore??????

(lowkey i still think this might be purgatory. if it was heaven i would have my own room.)

[ Gee. Stream-of-consciousness sure is easy when you're speaking to the void. But hey. It's better than staying in her bunk and going nuts alone. ]

ugh ok anyway someone distract me from existential bullshit
whats your favorite animal and why. best answer becomes my purgatory bff

Comments

>>Action

[timmers]

[Well no, but.]

Don't worry about it. Turned out to be the new trend.

[Ah, the community housing. Makes sense.] Heading over.

[It takes a bit, then Tim knocks on her window. Just seemed traditional.]

[notreallyrobin]

[ She can't help but chuckle when she sees Tim at the window, and rushes over. Steph looks young; and despite the fact that all of her wounds were healed by Riverview's seemingly magic hospitals, she still has dark circles under her eyes. It's hard to be well-rested when you can remember getting tortured to death every time you close your eyes.

Seeing Tim is, well, weird. He looks--different, maybe. A little older?And he really doesn't look mad at her.

Steph opens the window. ]

Uh, hey. God, I - didn't think I would see you again.

[ Is this weird? Is she being weird? This is weird. ]

[timmers]

[Tim settles on the windowsill, not quite out or in. It takes a bit for him to really see her, but whoa. Steph has possibly never looked worse. Before she'd come back, the figure of her lying on that hospital bed had haunted him. But seeing her now wasn't much better.] Steph...

[Is there a delicate way to say 'you look like shit'?] It's... well, I'd say it's great seeing you again, but it doesn't seem like you're doing so great.

[He gets down from the window. Man, she was the same age as him now, if he was doing his math right. In a way it was weirder thinking about that than it was with Cass.] Are you still hurt anywhere?

[notreallyrobin]

[ She tucks her hair behind her ear self-consciously. She knows she looks like shit, really, especially compared to Tim - he got tall. And he filled out, even. Weird. ]

Nah. I got fixed up pretty good, I mean.

[ She shrugs, forcing a laugh. It's pretty easy to paste on a grin. ]

Just, uh. A lil freaked. But hey, no scars! I don't even have one from the drill! I mean, I still have old scars, it's just...

[timmers]

[Tim smiles a bit at the gesture. He hadn't grown that much, but she also wasn't noticeably taller than him anymore, a definite plus. Still, she's clearly distressed. The expression quickly falls from his face at the 'drill' comment, however. Black Mask... damn him he had a lot to answer for, too. He should really make a list.]

[He reaches out for her, then gives up and goes in for a hug slowly, mindful of what had happened with Cass.] Hey, it's okay to tell me how it is. I know you signed up for the unhealthy repression club, but B isn't here. No judgement.

[notreallyrobin]

[ Even if it wasn't that much, it still seems much taller than the Tim she's used to. She'll accept the hug, though, returning it tightly. He feels different. ]

It's not that bad, honest. Just - weird. My last memories are, you know, Bruce promising that everything's gonna be okay, and that he'll make sure my daughter is all right. And you and Cass being mad at me, probably, because I'm a dumbass. And so many people died, all over Gotham. It was all my fault, you know?

[ She sighs heavily, willing herself not to cry. Because she can't handle much more emotion than this - it's been nearly all she's been able to think about over these past few days. ]

It's all dumb. And I don't even know - how long have I been dead, to you?

[timmers]

[It wasn't a small thing, by any means. But guilt was never fully absorbed by one person. Bruce's plan and careful prepping had made it possible. Black Mask had added fuel to the fire.] That's why we have the Wayne Foundation back home. To do more good to make up for the bad. I'm sure she's fine. Your mom, too. He takes care of family.

[He pets her back gently, squeezing back.] It's been about a year. Then, you came back. I was... a little uh, angry about people lying about you dying.

[notreallyrobin]

I'm glad he would take care of my mom, but - what?

[ 'Lying about you dying.' Lying about her dying? That can't be right. It doesn't make any sense. Steph was right there, Steph felt herself slip away, and she doesn't understand. She backs away, after a second, and her voice cracks. ]

What do you mean, lying about me dying? I'm dead. I died, Tim.