[CLOSED]

[the_caped_crusader]

WHO: Bruce & The Batfam
WHERE: Wayne Manor
WHEN: Sometime in September
WHAT: You know how family gatherings are...
WARNINGS: Will adjust as needed



[Wayne Manor, this Earth's version of Wayne Manor was nearly as stately as the one in West End back home. Roman arches and triple arched windows decorated the spacious ivory colored stone of the mansion as he approached the porte-cochère, reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian columned temple. From within, the room opened into columns, pilasters, valuable porcelain and other ornaments. Fully paneled wood spread throughout wide, open, fine chambers.

It was, however, missing the memories he had from his childhood home. While it matched the bravado and luxuriousness of a playboy billionaire, his ancestors did not build it, and his parents had never lived here. He had never fallen into the extensive subterranean cave outside that would eventually lead him to inspiration later in life. It was, essentially, only a means to an end. Still, however, it would afford him the opportunity to spend time with the people who mattered to him and who had brought light into the darkness of his previous home. He didn't know what he had to offer them besides his company, and he only knew that he had wanted to see all of them.

Bruce sighed, and stood, perhaps with some anxiousness, in the grand foyer awaiting their arrival.]

(OOC: Add as many additional sections as you guys want!)

Comments

INSIDE THE BATCAVE

[the_caped_crusader]

[Bruce approached the illuminated glass case-- inside, a suit both familiar and alien to him at the same time. He ran his fingers along the edge until he found a lip that would unlock the suit to him. He ran his hands along the symbol along the breastplate, examining it critically.]

Kevlar on titanium-dipped fiber... concealed cape... lighter for mobility. It's... [He pauses as he tries to find a word for it.]

...certainly interesting.

[ichoosefight]

It's so muscley.

[ You wanted Steph's fashion commentary, right? ]

[the_caped_crusader]

[Bruce turns to her with his brow furrowed in what can only really be described as confused offense.]

It's defensive plating.

[He says defensively. This isn't his suit. He's not that Bruce. So why is he so offended then?



...It does look muscley.]

[ichoosefight]

Yeah, sure. It's also kind of a muscle suit.

[the_caped_crusader]

I guess it is... [He says under a low, begrudging grumble.]

It's not a complete waste, though.

[Bruce slips off his jacket and hangs it on the edge of the glass case, and after removing his cuff link, rolls up the sleeve of his shirt to the elbow. Old scars peek out around the subtle hint of the glow of his tattoo.

He manages to detach a scalloped gauntlet from the "muscle suit" and slips it over his own forearm. He turns his arm back and forth to both get a feel for it and examine it visually, then takes a walk over to a worm grappling dummy a few feet away.

With what appears to be a simple activation of the muscle along his forearm, almost as though he'd done it before with the suit, the three scallops eject and maim a portion of the dummy.]

Not bad. [He turns his head to Stephanie.]

Anything else you can tell me about it so I don't have to spend a day reverse engineering it?

[ichoosefight]

Nope.

[ She shrugs. ]

I don't know anything about it. Sorry.

1/2

[the_caped_crusader]

[He sighs and tosses the gauntlet onto a workbench nearby, at the same time pinching between his eyes.]

Alright.

[The suit itself seems slimmer to him, but he removes the cowl from its base and slips it on. It's not uncomfortable, but it doesn't entirely seem like it fits. He turns around and his mouth is open slightly like maybe it's too tight on his trachea or something...?]

It's a little stra--

2/2

[the_caped_crusader]

[His voice sounds different. Kind of like he's got strep throat all of a sudden.]

What.

[Bruce feels around at the neck. No... no voice changer...]

[ichoosefight]

[ Steph jumps a little, and her hands hover around the cowl like maybe she can get it off of him. ]

Are... you choking? You kinda sound like you're choking.

[the_caped_crusader]

[Bruce shakes his head away from her hands and yanks the mask off. His hair is a little mussed, but otherwise he seems fine. Confused, maybe.]

I'm fine.

[A little frustrated, he stares at the cowl and tosses it to the side. This time he doesn't even aim for the workbench.]

Let's not do that again, though.

[ichoosefight]

[ She holds her hands away, but still looks worried. Or, not worried - perturbed. ]

I'm with you on that one. Yikes. You have your own suit, right? I got ported in with mine.

[the_caped_crusader]

[He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to force out the frustration creeping behind them.]

No.

[He came in here with the wrong suit. Bruce had wanted this to be a chance to see all of them again, but it was quickly turning into something else. Stephanie might be able to see the not-so-subtle slipping of Bruce into Batman as he plants his hands on his hips and begins making a mental checklist of all the things he's going to have to do or change.]

This is going to take weeks...

[Which would maybe be impressive, if you didn't consider the restless nights he was going to spend on too little sleep.]

[ichoosefight]

[ Such is Batman for you. But Steph is nothing if not a problem solver. ]

I'll help. Nobody will mind if I take a couple days off work.

[the_caped_crusader]

[His first instinct is to say, "No, I'll be fine.". That he can take care of this himself. And he can, that's true, but here he is making an attempt not to push them away from him, to remember the ideal he set for Batman Inc., so he forces himself out of his comfort zone.

God help her if she sasses him while he's in work mode, though...]

Alright. [Bruce remains in stiff posture, but turns his head to her, eyebrow raised.]

Where are you working?

[ichoosefight]

[ It wasn't an offer, it was a statement of fact! And she will totally sass him, and he will like it, dammit. ]

TV Studio. They gave me a show - No Spoilers Media Review. Very subtle.

[the_caped_crusader]

[He just kind of... stares at her. Incredulously. He doesn't want to say that sounds terrible, but...]

[ichoosefight]

[ She just shrugs. ]

I enjoy the challenge. And the free movies and video games.

COOKING WITH BATMAN

[the_caped_crusader]

[Bruce had been staring intently at it for the past ten minutes, as though if he stared at it for long enough he would be able to ascertain all of it's secrets by force of will. He crossed his arms defiantly over his chest.]

We can figure this out.

MOVIE KNIGHT

[the_caped_crusader]

[It's later in the evening now. Dinner is... over, for whatever it ended up being. They had spent most of the day together and now the sun was beginning to set through the home's Palladian windows. The smell of buttered popcorn filled the kitchen, something that all of them could easily make-- there was a button labelled "popcorn" directly on the microwave.

From the collection of movies aligned along the built-in cabinet, Bruce pulled a disc and turned with his suggestion. It was, of course, Zorro. If anybody is going to object, now is the time.]