#voidsubsumedbat

[mistressofmagic-a]

[ phone ] for the SENDER’S MUSE to keep checking their phone and the POSTER’S MUSE calling them out on it.

@voidsubsumed-bat

The darkness suited Batman, it always had. And it had for magic as well, demons and monsters of other realms rarely showed their faces in the daylight — but this was different. The city was entirely dark outside of the lights of cars on the roads trying to navigate their way home or someplace else during the middle of the panic.

But the world was off and something about Batman was off too. In his hand was his phone, and she didn't think she had ever seen him spend so much time looking at that screen in her entire life. Normally, his eyes were firmly on the horizon, looking at the city and grumbling about crime and informing her exactly where they'd be heading.

His head, it seemed, was someplace else.

"Waiting for a call?" Zatanna asked, scanning what parts of his face she could see. (He kept so much covered. His emotions, his identity. A thousand miles away from her at any given time.) "Whoever it is, we can go check on them, if it helps."

[colleenrand]

aren’t you going to invite me?

@voidsubsumed-bat

Danny had always been more social than Colleen. More friendly—easier to connect with—it was probably why she had connected so easily with him as well. There was just something special about him that drew people in. And with that came a lot of friends that Colleen only half knew. It was never their fault, Colleen was always more distant—a shade colder than most people. But she and Danny were getting married and people were excited. And the people who hadn’t met her yet were showing up and introducing themselves.

Bruce Wayne was a surprise though. (He shouldn’t have been. Danny was family with Tony. And they all ran in a similar circle of really rich.) He mentioned an invitation and at first, Colleen just blinked at him—and then realized he meant the formal invite to the wedding. Oh. “Yeah—yeah, it’s, just inside. We haven’t sent any of them out yet.” She stood there a moment longer, “Do you… want to come in?”

[sharcarters]

do i know you?

@voidsubsumed-bat

The tragedy of being related to Tony while not being in the range of visible family meant that she didn't know anyone in his circle on a personal level. Her job, her life, it required anonymity. She knew of Bruce Wayne, knew of many of his connections (part of her job at SHIELD was knowing people — and there was a reason her position within the organization had been so high. Why she, above all other agents, had been trusted to protect Steve Rogers).

But he looked at her with a hint of recognition in his eye, and she didn't know where it was from — but she was going to have to create a persona just for him — a quick history that was believable, and she had an idea. One that would likely work on him where it wouldn't on Tony. (Eidetic memory ruined any chance at that for anyone.)

"Bruce — what? Shall I draw you a picture? Would that be helpful?" She crossed her arms, her voice settling into a British accent. Sharon looked at Bruce like she was hurt — and about to tear his head off. "Maybe you'd recognize me with fewer clothes." She rolled her eyes, "Bloody hell."

[mistressofmagic-a]

you passed out 

@voidsubsumed-bat

Zatanna’s head was spinning. It wasn’t often that she got taken out from the side like that, but when it happened — it happened hard. Her hand was on Batman’s arm, steadying herself as she took his help to get back to standing. “How long was I out?” She asked, her hand coming up to the side of her head. “They had something, I didn’t see what it was, but it set off something — I just remember hearing something in my head and then... nothing.” It was a miracle that they hadn’t killed her when they had a chance. 

“If they can take me out that easily then...” A lot more people were going to be in trouble. She took her hand off his arm, clearing her throat. “Tell me you saw what direction you saw them run in.” Maybe they’d have a chance to stop them before they took out anyone else. (She was alive at least, and they chose to leave her that way. That was a good sign.) 

[ancientwonders]

@voidsubsumed-bat

Bruce in public was very different from the man she knew behind closed doors at the manor, different from the man who put on the cowl every night and took the fight to the streets. Diana had anonymity that was hard to mimic. Most people didn’t look twice at her, they saw a face and a polite smile, and they didn’t consider who she could be in a different outfit. And Kon-El? Glasses. That’s all it took for him to blend in here, but Bruce? He had a reputation. A performance that he had to put on regularly.

Diana approached him from the side, greeting him with Dylan, who was starting to get fussy. Wiggling her arms with a deep frown on her face. (Probably missing her mom.) Diana bounced her gently. “How are you holding up?” Diana asked quietly, shifting so that she was closer to Bruce. “All the kids are here. And behaving.” Which was a shock to her — and probably to him, in equal measure. Most of the family was there. A few people weren’t in attendance, but this was more of them in one room than she had seen in a long time.

[anxietylanterncruz]

@voidsubsumed-bat

Bruce Wayne was here. The last time she had seen him she had run into him. Literally. At least this time she could make a good impression. Probably a better one if she didn’t have a plate of food piled up in her hands. Jessica put the plate down on her table, leaning against the chair and wishing that she had something more intelligent to say but instead, she pointed towards the centerpiece on the tables. “Green hydrangeas,” she started with.

“If you want to get into them, they’re about renewal and rebirth, and weddings are the start of a chapter as much as they are a resolution, you know?” Jessica laughed awkwardly for a moment. She had spent a lot of time since she had gotten here admiring the decorations. Trying to find things to talk about if anyone got close enough — but instead she felt more awkward than she did before. Rehearsing small talk hadn’t helped at all. “Green is also Danny’s favorite color, so it probably has more to do with that than the meaning behind the flowers.”

[colleenrand]

@voidsubsumed-bat

“I never got a chance to thank you properly,” Colleen started, approaching Bruce from the side. “When you came to the house I…” She had been less than welcoming. Not because she didn’t want his help (or need it) but because she was used to people not being sincere in their offer. A lot of people were kind to her to get into the good graces of Danny and his company. But Bruce had shown that he was more than that. Maybe his own money had put him on a different level than other people, not angling himself to get something from Danny — and that was something she rarely saw these days.

“I didn’t say it back then, and I was rude. I know I was rude.” She had grown up keeping the world at a distance. The closest person to her had been Bakuto for most of her life. She had been taught to appreciate one person and one person only, and it was no question that she had placed that relationship she had with Bakuto on Danny. Thankful to him and only him half the time. But Colleen was starting to find herself in a place where she was comfortable letting people in past that first gate. Tony had eased his way in. Jason and Donna too. Maybe there was room for more. “But thank you for the help. I’ve never been big on parties—I would have been happy with a Justice of the Peace type wedding—but this is… this is a lot better.”  

[ancientwonders]

@voidsubsumed-bat

Alfred had reluctantly given up the kitchen to Diana. The last time she had made tea, he had watched her with a careful eye and had micromanaged her the entire way through. Diana understood, just as she did when Peggy watched her make tea. It was a sacred thing for them. Which was why when Diana put the kettle on, she had seen Alfred holding his breath like she was going to ruin the pot and the flavor. And so she (gently) told him that she had it handled for this evening.

(Alfred looked mortified, but he relented.)

"You should give him a raise, you know," Diana said as Bruce's footsteps came to a pause nearby. She had been gone for so long, but some things didn't change. Like the amount of space that Bruce managed to take up in a room, and how he did it silently. His presence only sensed when he wanted to be noticed. He had a way of sneaking up on people - but never Diana. "When was the last time Alfred had a day off?" She asked casually, knowing full well that Alfred would have turned it down. Leaving the house in anyone else's hands... he wouldn't ever do that.

But Diana poured the tea and glanced up at Bruce. "When was the last time you took a day for yourself, Bruce?"