to tie up loose ends to make amends

[skort]

WHO: supertorso & battothefuture
WHERE: Terry's apartment.
WHEN: Sometime around today-ish? Today being Thursday.
WARNINGS: ... Possibility of some violence.
SUMMARY: Kara and Terry were gonna try again after their failed notadate. But then he got exPorted and never called, so she stops by. SHIT HAPPENS.
FORMAT: Quick to start, can do whatever after.

[ It starts like this: Terry and Kara parted ways and agreed to try again for coffee. But there was never a 'Hey, how does tomorrow sound' from his end and Kara was just this side of shy and worried about this whole friendship with a civilian thing that she wasn't sure she could call him about coffee.

But when she'd seen neither hide nor hair of him on the Network for a while, she got a little worried. She wasn't sure picking up the phone and going 'You're not dead, right?' was the kind of thing one did, so she didn't act on it, instead keeping eyes and ears out should he show up anywhere.

On the other hand, though, if she was just patrolling and happened to be in the area, she could stop by and knock on his door, right? Just... checking in. She could say she lost his number, wanted to make sure he and the dog were okay. And wanted to see the dog again. Yeah, that would work.

Which is how she ends up standing in front of his door, wishing terribly her x-ray vision could penetrate lead. One hand raises and knocks gently, so as not to... accidentally break anything. Because that would be bad. And she'd have to buy him a new door. ]

Terry? You home?

[ Wait a little bit, then knock again, a little harder this time. Maybe it was too soft of a knock. Just because she had superhearing... ] Terry?

[ More knocking. She pauses again and then knocks just a little too hard, knocking the door off its... surprisingly sturdy hinges. ]

Oh, crap! Ohcrapohcrap! Terry! If you're home, I'm sorry I broke your door. ... if you're not, I'm sorry for breaking and entering to fix your door...

[ She moves the broken door aside so she can step into the apartment and... freezes. Because that— that stuff can't be what she thinks it is. It just can't be. ]

Comments

[battothefuture]

[Terry finally sighs and relaxes a little, shifts his weight, and then winces. His hand goes up to his ribs.]

Ow. Remind me to stop pissing off your family.

[skort]

So what'd you do to piss Kon off?

[ The x-ray vision gets flipped on for a second as she talks and then Kara winces herself. ]

I am so sorry, Terry. I didn't actually mean to do anything other than scare you. Just... freaked out for a minute.

[battothefuture]

[Terry looks at her in slight surprise, then laughs a little.]

Slag, I guess I do still have that to look forward to. I was talking about Superman though.

Look, if I go get some tape, are you gonna try to kill me again as soon a my back is turned?

[skort]

Kal? What did— [ she cuts herself off and wipes the worried expression off her face. ]

No, I'm not going to try to kill you. That was just a... giant misunderstanding. Which I am really, really sorry about.

[battothefuture]

[He grinned at her -- though the question had only been half a joke, but there was no reason he couldn't try to make her believe that's all it had been.]

Just checkin.

[But when he goes to get the tape for his ribs, he is slightly more on alert than he normally is. He does a creditable job of disguising it though.]

[skort]

[ And while he's doing that, she skirts around back to the door to take a look and see if there's anything to do. And she can do a little, but... eventually he's probably going to need to get a new door.

And since she's feeling awkward enough already, she can't help but try and start a conversation, even if it's by calling across the apartment. ]

So you mind if I ask how you got the suit? Whichever suit it is you have, I think there's like fifty different Batpeople back home, which cold make it hard to guess. Though I'm about ninety-nine percent sure you wouldn't be part of the Batgirl legacy.

[battothefuture]

[He wanted to laugh, but stopped himself from doing so, because excessive breathing and anything related was not particularly fun with cracked ribs. He's had worse. That doesn't mean he cares for the experience. He didn't really feel like projecting either, so when she starts projecting, he grabs the tape and comes back towards her.]

Yeah, we already had the miniskirt talk. I'm gonna say that applies to any form of female costume. And... well, originally, I stole it.

[skort]

[ Her eyes close for a moment as she facepalms. ] I was trying to block the miniskirt talk out of my head. Thanks, Terry.

— Wait, seriously? How'd you even get into the Cave? [ And then she notices the tape and frowns a little. ]

Need some help?

[battothefuture]

Hey, you were the one who brought up Batgirl. Not that she exists any more by my time, not really. The... woman who used to be Batgirl is still alive, but that's....

The costume got retired.

[And then he laughs a little, and winces very slightly.]

Not that I guess that matters, mine was too. And I got in, first time anyway, by accident.

[He pauses and looks at her.]

You ever done anything like this before?

[skort]

They retired? Everyone? That... seems wrong. Unless Gotham was suddenly a paragon of justice and light.

[ She can't really imagine any of the Bats she knows retiring from the good fight, and she really can't imagine Bruce leaving Gotham without anyone to watch over her. ]

And, yeah, I have. Probably not as often as some people, but it's a good skill to have, especially in our line of work.

[battothefuture]

[Terry doesn't meet her eyes.]

Nope, same old Gotham. But sometimes things... happen. And... all right. I guess it would be nice to not have to do this myself. Thanks.

[skort]

Things always happen. But I guess, if we're actually from the same universe, I'll find out what it is for myself. I mean, I'm going to be pretty pissed if I don't outlive Kal.

[ She moves a little closer and flips her x-ray vision back on so she can focus on his ribs and not his well. Shirtlessness. ]

You're, ah, gonna need to put your arms up.

[battothefuture]

Not like this. This was... bad.

[Terry doesn't mention that thing where he's never seen her, except in really old footage, and that she mysteriously disappeared one day. Bruce probably had a file detailing what had happened to her, but he hadn't seen it. Of course, he hadn't really gone looking. But he smiles a little at her request.]

Yeah, done this a few times.

[But things are rather awkward when he complies.]

[skort]

When is it ever not bad?

[ She takes the tape and carefully starts wrapping his ribs, eyes still having that faint blue glow since she's pretty sure if she was actually looking at him right now, her face would start doing a tomato impression. ]

[battothefuture]

... this time, the Joker got Robin.

[He's staring off to the side, and can't help considering for a moment that this is a strange situation. Standing there, only half dressed, talking about torture with a pretty girl who just broke his ribs and is now helping him tape them up.]

[skort]

[ That makes her pause in the wrapping for a moment and her x-ray vision turns off as she absorbs that. Then she's doing the same thing she was before, minus the powers, her face oddly blank. When she finally says something, her voice sounds a little different than normal. ]

Damian's a tough kid, I'm sure he must've gone out fighting.

[ ... yeah, she's totally getting the wrong idea from that statement. ]

[battothefuture]

[Terry breathed out in a sound that might have been a laugh if it had any humor in it.]

It wasn't Damian, it was Tim, and he didn't die. He's still around. He just... Joker hurt him, before he died. Tim killed him.

[skort]

Tim isn't Robin. Hasn't been for a while, now.

[ But, damn. If there was anything she could see breaking the Batfam beyond repair, it would be something happening to Tim. ]

[battothefuture]

Yeah, well there hasn't been a Robin for a while either.

[skort]

[ She's quiet as she finishes wrapping his ribs, not really sure what else she can say. The air feels heavy and she's not exactly sure how to break the tension.

Her fingers smooth over the last bit of tape when she's done and that's when she seems to realize just how close she's standing. Kara backs up a step, feeling her face heat up a little. ]

Well... there you go.

[battothefuture]

[Terry tests her job a little, experimentally, and then smiles.]

Thanks.

[THEN NOTICING THE BLUSHING.]

... I, uh, guess I'd better go get a shirt, huh? And look, I'm... sorry.

[TUUURNING TO GO]

[skort]

Wait, what? What are you sorry for?

[ If it's the Kryptonite thing, it's not like he could've known she was coming over. Not that he should just leave it out in the open, either, but. ]

[battothefuture]

Things got kinda....

He ended up okay in the end. He and Bruce are even talking again.

[He has reasons for the kryptonite thing 8| You want an advantage when you've potentially got a super out to get you, and this is all he's got.]

[skort]

[ Kara smiles at him a little at his response. It's not what she was expecting at all. ]

Good to know Bruce gets over himself eventually.

And you don't need to apologize for the conversation getting heavy. I was the one who was asking questions and letting my curiosity get the better of me again.

[battothefuture]

[He laughs a little again, almost silently.]

It took doing.

[But he stiiiilll doesn't have a shirt, and is sorta edging to go get one.]