say that you're grateful for the time alone, two years away and i don't miss home;

[xuffasch]

WHO: xuffasch & YOU;
WHERE: Various places throughout the city;
WHEN: All day Friday;
WARNINGS: n/a
SUMMARY: A day in the life of Damian Wayne, with interruptions from YOU.
FORMAT: Reply as you like and I will follow; specify time, too!



↬ MID-MORNING;

If you were to ask Damian about things he never did, one of the first he’d list would be sulking. However, Damian is a terrible liar, because sulking is exactly what he’d been doing for the past few days, though he would never admit it. Watching events unfolding and having no control over them is enough to chafe his already irritable nature, but the fact that Grayson isn’t around is what makes it all the worse. Robin is a formidable force, but without Batman he can be a purposeless one.

Which is why he found himself where he was now, lying on his back on the rooftop of the apartment building he and Grayson had been living in for the past few months. The kitten he’d adopted is there, as well, laying across his stomach as he stares up at the sky. Damian’s legs are hanging out over the edge of the building, and though his body is relaxed his expression is fierce and he is hardly off-guard.

Occasionally he’ll shift his position or mutter something under his breath, but for the most part he just lays there, impassive. Unless, of course, someone sees fit to interrupt.

↬ AFTERNOON;

For someone who prides himself on his ability to adapt, Damian tends to be very habitual. Even after arriving in the City, it had taken him no more than a few weeks to set up a few haunts, and one of those was the corner bakery. Famous for their frivolously-decorated cupcakes, the bakers now know Damian by face, and his order of tall black coffee which he paired with different sweets—they swear he was steadily eating his way through the entire menu.

Today, he sits at his usual corner table. There is a single cupcake wrapper left empty one on side, surrounded by five empty cups that once held coffee. Sprawled across the table are various papers—maps, handwritten notes, print-outs and blueprints. Curious about Damian’s scrawl is its mirrored quality, nearly impossible to read without first reflecting it. Also curious is the different scripts and languages he uses. Every so often, he lifts his pen to his mouth and knocks it thoughtfully against his chin. His expression is one of utmost concentration, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t watching everyone else in the place, coming and going.

↬ MIDNIGHT;

Robin sits on the edge of a building—or perhaps “crouches” is more the right term for it. In any case, he surveys the city with a mixed expression of distaste and resignation, until he catches something out of the corner of his eye. It’s at this point that he swoops down into an alleyway, breaking up a robbery before it can occur. He knocks one man over as he touches down, shoving his elbow up under another’s chin. If he’s even more violent than normal, the people he’s attacking certainly aren’t in a position to complain. But someone else might be.

Comments

[xuffasch]

_{( He saw her when she walked in--honestly, it was a bit hard to miss her--and made his way over in the next few instants. It probably seemed like he was just appearing at her side, since Damian is a creep like that. )}

Nill.

[culver]

[She had just been given her muffin when he said her name. Nill started, her wings flaring behind her as she turned to the side. But seeing Damian, a smile made its way to her lips, and her wings fluttered happily.]

[xuffasch]

_{( Damian didn't smile, exactly, but his expression was much lighter than it had been. )}

You could come sit over there, if you want. With me.

[culver]

[She counted that expression as a smile, even if it wasn't exactly one. Heine had kind of the same expression sometimes, especially when other people were around. Her wings perked and she nodded, smiling. She didn't have much more to do today, anyway.]

[xuffasch]

_{( He nodded back, curtly, before making his way back towards his corner. He brushed aside piles of his paperwork and took his seat, waiting for her to follow. )}

So. You've been...ok, right.

[culver]

[Nill followed close behind, setting her muffin down on the table before scooting into the seat across from him. A nod at the question, and then she tilted her head at him, eyes curious. Had he?]

[xuffasch]

_{( He sits back, and shrugs. )}

I've been...busy.

[culver]

[Nill breaks the top off of her muffin and offers it to him with an encouraging look: Go on.]

[xuffasch]

_{( This leads to an awkward moment of Damian reaching for the muffin and then eating it slowly and mechanically, his face impassive. He swallows behind pursed lips. )}

Now you have to eat the rest.

[culver]

[Nill, of course, thinks that maybe he doesn't like the flavor of the muffin. He didn't have to take it, and she wishes she could tell him so. Her wings droop a little, but she starts to nibble on her part.]

[xuffasch]

_{( Damian simply meant to imply that he thinks she doesn't eat enough. So when she is, he nods, satisfied. )}

[culver]

[That does make her feel better. She gives a small smile, and takes a slightly larger bite. It doesn't take her long to finish, and she gives her stomach a little pat.]

[xuffasch]

This establishment is remotely better than most.

_{( This is his way of saying he likes it. )}

[culver]

[Nill nodded in agreement. She had never been there before, but that muffin had been tasty. She glances at the empty cups on the table and picks one up, tilting her head. She isn't quite sure what was in it, but it smells like the stuff Danny and Luke used to drink.]

[xuffasch]

_{( Damian glances at the empty cups and coughs a bit sheepishly. He must have been sitting here longer than he'd thought, if he'd gone through that many. )}

You've never had coffee?

[culver]

[Coffee, that was what it was called. Luke and Danny used to always argue about who would make it in the morning; Nill had always been willing to learn, but they'd never taught her. She shakes her head at his question, gently setting the cup down.]

[xuffasch]

_{( Damian shrugs in return. )}

Fifty percent of people in this country drink it. The figures are higher in other parts of the world. You can tell a lot about a place based on how people there drink their coffee.

[culver]

[Nill glances at all the empty cups on the table, and gives him a little grin. She wonders what drinking a lot of coffee means. She knew she enjoyed the smell of coffee, but wasn't at all sure of the taste.]

[xuffasch]

You might...not like it. It's bitter.

[culver]

[Her nose wrinkles at that. She doesn't like many bitter things, except perhaps dark chocolate. Nill wonders why he'd drink it if it's so bitter.]

[xuffasch]

_{( As though sensing that question, Damian just shrugs. )}

It's still good, though. If it's made correctly.

[culver]

[She wondered what made correctly meant. Part of her wished that Danny and Luke had taught her how to make their coffee, now. Maybe Damian would teach her--there was no harm in asking.]

[xuffasch]

_{( Damian is just sort of rambling now because he has lots of feelings about coffee. He finishes with; )}

Essentially it's all about how you roast the beans.

[culver]

[His rambling was something she really didn't mind listening to. She blinked at that, surprised. She hadn't known that coffee came from beans. Nill had thought that it was just a regular drink, like water or soda.]

[xuffasch]

_{( After a moment Damian rises to his feed, motioning for Nill to stay seated. A few minutes later he's back, with a white, frothy drink that he sets down in front of her. )}

This has coffee in it, but it's still sweet.