capeandcowllogs | this is the place you end up when you lose the chase

WHO: [Bad username or site: blondevigilante title= @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: sibyllant title= @ livejournal.com]
WHERE: the control tower
WHEN: after Cass asks if Steph can stay
WARNINGS: none :3
SUMMARY: Babs has some things to talk about with Steph now that she's moving in. DUN DUN DUNNN.
FORMAT: para to start, whatever to follow

There was, in the main room of the control tower, what appeared to be a wide floor-to-ceiling single paned window, through which one could view the sunny sky and the stretch of the city. In fact, it was a high quality projection showing the view of a camera outside, and could be switched to other views quite easily. Barbara liked to keep it to the window ruse, however, and often stretched in front of it on a mat, watching the sun rise over the buildings. Today she was doing the same, except she was also waiting for Stephanie. Despite her disability, she knew how the sight of her waiting in her wheelchair could be intimidating to Charlie, and possibly it was the same for Stephanie at this age, who hardly knew her. So something more informal seemed to be the answer.

Babs patiently shifted her limbs around by hand, going through a number of stretching exercises designed to keep her limbs limber, even if they were unable to move by themselves. She could feel all the building's sensors, and knew they would alert her when Stephanie arrived.

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Stephanie arrived at the tower feeling only slightly better after having spoken to Dick. She still missed whatever it was she had with Tim back home, but this wasn't home. It was time for her to fly without him.

Walking up she felt weird talking to Oracle in private. Charlie had said Oracle tried to use Stephanie's death to scare her away. What would Oracle use to try and scare Steph away? Whatever it was Steph knew she could handle it. This, being Spoiler, was who she was.

The door opened as Stephanie approached it, and inside the lobby, the elevator doors parted invitingly as well with a cheery chime. If she set foot in the elevator, it would whisk her to the third floor (regardless of any button she pushed), were the doors would open on a hallway full of doors. One door would be open, however, which would lead to the large room of computers that Barbara was currently situated in. It might be hard to see the redheaded woman at first, as she was still seated on the floor on a mat, wearing a tank top and yoga pants.

"Come in," she said, pushing her legs into a cross-legged position as she gestured at Stephanie, smiling slightly. It hurt to see her so young again, but she kept that out of her voice. "Come sit with me."

The wheelchair sat idly nearby, parked in a sort of hand rail structure that was clearly meant to help Babs get back into the chair when she was done.

Okay this was just like a bad slasher movie and here she was the dumb blonde heading into the dark. It was probably wrong to think like that. After all, Barbara was allowing her to live with them, but with everything so mechanical how could she not?

Seeing the redhead sitting on the floor so casually nearly threw Stephanie off. Wasn't the woman in a wheelchair? Looking over she saw it to the side and Steph relaxed just a bit.

Sitting down she leaned back a bit, casual as ever even though inside she was still nervous. "You wanted to talk."

She nodded, resting her hands on her knees and gravely looking at Stephanie. Young, as had been mentioned. And probably, she had been talked to death already.

"By now, I assume you've spoken to Tim." Actually, she already knew, thanks to well placed cameras, but there was no need to creep Stephanie out so early in their relationship. "I don't know what he told you, but I can guess. I know it's not any of my business, but I don't want you to feel unwelcome, or... pressured due to mistakes you may make in the future. I do want you to know that these mistakes make you stronger. I'm not saying it's worth the cost of what happened, but when I'm from, Stephanie, you've come a long, long way, and it's because of your determination and your strength. Tim doesn't know this part of the story. He only knows how hurt he was when you went away. It really did change him, when he lost you, and his father, and his best friend within a matter of weeks. That's why he is as he is today."

She paused. She hadn't meant to say so much in one go.

"Dick and I talked about that." It had been kind of refreshing to talk to a male that wasn't a complete jerk.

Stephanie had to admit that a large part of her life for the past year had been dependent on Tim even if she didn't actually know who he was at the time, and now...she felt a little lost. Arriving her had been a head turner, but then Tim had talked to her and for a brief moment she figured they could just pick things up again.

Yeah, her talk with Tim had shattered that little illusion.

"So, I know about Tim and I know I make a really stupid mistake in my future, but I'm thinking that maybe this is a good thing because maybe I can fix it. Train better, learn more, and whatever mistake I make won't happen."

"Unfortunately, what we do here rarely stays with us when we return. And your mistake wasn't one that training can fix — it was one of judgment."

Unfolding her legs and scooting over to the arm rails, Barbara moved herself back into her chair with the ease of long practice, resettling her legs properly before continuing. She wasn't sure she was getting through, but it was understandable to have a bit of tunnel vision in Stephanie's position.

"We could tell you everything about what happened, and it wouldn't matter. You'd forget it as soon as you returned." Babs combed out a bit of her hair with her fingers, looking at Stephanie sympathetically. "That doesn't mean you won't train, though. I assume you intend to patrol with Cassandra and Charlie, and in that case, you do need to step up your game. This City is just as dangerous as Gotham — more so in certain ways..."

She paused again, collecting her thoughts. "What I want you to understand is that though you can't do anything about your mistake, you can accept that it makes you who you are, in the future. Without it... maybe we won't have you when we need you the most."

That sounded stupid. Why bring them here and then not allow them to remember? Stephanie became determined not to allow that to happen. She would train, she would become something more, and then she would go home and fix everything!

"So, what can you tell me about this city? I know I'm starting five steps behind and then some with, well, I assume you know why I was absent for a year back home."

this is the place you end up when you lose the chase

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