bakerstreet | The TV Tropes Meme

[ooc: rolled these, or pick your own!

No Saving Throw.
Empowered Badass Normal. (Yes hello Tim with superpowers.)
Spy Catsuit.
Not Himself.

If Bart had ever guessed that those stupid meditation lessons Max had insisted on(and really weren't that stupid) were going to be used for this, he might have been surprised. As it was, he was just trying to stay calm and collected watching Tim hopefully not kill herself with superspeed.

"It's been an hour."

Fun fact: apparently, it is difficult to gauge time when connected to the Speed Force - or at least when you're not used to it. This isn't the first time she's ever experienced life at superhuman speeds (that honor goes to Dava's abuse of aramillo), but this is... definitely different.

She pauses next to him. "It has?"

...Oops?

In response, Bart points to a rather prominent digital clock he brought in when he realized just what had happened. On the plus side, there didn't appear to be any downsides to Tim's transformation.

"It'd be easier if I could actually keep up to explain things, but timing is something you really have to practice. That school bell really did take hours to ring at the end of class."

" - Oh."

She blinks and sits down next to him, on the principle that if she's not moving around much, maybe her perception of time will stabilize a little. Maybe. "Sorry. Any tips on that?"

"Well, you've got an advantage that I didn't in knowing what it feels like to live without any speed," Bart said, hoping she's able to focus on him and stay at his pace. "It's a bit like learning to estimate speed in driving without looking at the dash. Don't tap in unless you have something to do at speed."

Which was always harder to do than it sounded, since the Speed Force was in constant flux, wanting to be used.

She's focusing. It feels a little like the world's running just a touch too slow, but she can understand him. That's the important part.

(The finger tapping against her leg is going a little too fast to be normal, but hey, still progress.)

"Max had you meditate, right? What did he have you do?"

Bart took her hand and placed it against his wrist over the pulse. "He had me focus on stuff outside myself to find the pace it was going at. It's really easy to go faster, but you have to choose when to allow it. Not all of the energy you're burning is coming from the Speed Force."

If she didn't learn to take care of herself, she would have more problems. "It's like learning to eat. You'll be starving all the time, but you need to make sure you get enough protein and electrolytes. Carbs, of course, but that's really only if you know you're going to be at it a while. There's a method behind the pizza."

Focusing on things outside of herself is definitely something she can do. Tim suspects that all her practice in meditation is going to become even more useful.

She sighs. Eating correctly for a normal (albeit heavily athletic) human hasn't been her forte recently. This isn't going to be easy. "Right." Maybe she should be taking notes. It would give her hand something to do aside from rapid-tapping.

"I think Alfred was sharpening his IV needles," Bart said, trying to make a joke. She needs to think about that. "And I found out when I wasn't using my speed at all, I could eat like a normal teenager."

Which he realizes was still a lot of a food. "Carry workout bars or something if it's too hard to get a real meal in. But getting you to be able to stay slow is the first lesson. The one I hated Max for at the time. I almost never saw him use his speed except when he was out with me."

It is easier to focus on what he's saying when she's feeling his pulse. Of course, that's variable. It would probably be easier to just wear a watch.

"At least it worked," she says, with a rueful little twist to her smile. She remembers only too well what it was like to try to herd Bart back in his Impulse days.

"Eventually," Bart agreed. "I didn't really appreciate all he tried to show me until he was gone."

And unless he got his connection back, he'll never be able to see the old fossil again. Which hurt more than he wanted to admit right now.

"I think the big problem is not using the speed, more than using it. You get used to some things pretty quickly, but remember that speed-learning doesn't stick." He's an exception, but he doubts Tim will be.

Tim laces their fingers together and squeezes his hand. She has no desire to keep his connection to the Speed Force; it would feel like stealing from him, for one thing, although the current situation isn't really either of their faults. For another - well. Is she actually even welcome in Gotham like this?

"Why is that?" It doesn't seem like the speed at which you learn something ought to affect your memory of it.

Bart shrugged a little, but was glad the contact was helping her stay normal-speed. "It's just one of those things. Drives Iris crazy, because she keeps trying to cram for school."

He considered it, and hazarded a guess. "Maybe it's more that the time the initial connections are made just seems longer, and you can't really reinforce it enough. The brain is pretty weird, and the real difference between normal-speed and us is that we can act at the speed of conduction instead of waiting for every little bit to form the right chains. Maybe."

File that under theories to test before they go back to normal. It wouldn't have to be anything terribly elaborate. Something like reading a book and seeing how long the information is retained would work. (Would sleeping afterwards help? Hm. Something else to consider.)

Anyway.

"How are you feeling?"

"Wishing I at least got some of those mad ninja skills of yours in trade," Bart said, trying to make a joke of it. He would be fine, and he felt it was slightly more important to look after Tim than worry about his own issues.

"I just have to remember that I can't shift into high gear and make time stop. It's not like I use my speed for everything I do these days. Mostly I don't use more than I need."

Telling her it was like having a piece of himself missing was totally not on the agenda. They'd fix things soon enough, regardless.

"I could try teaching you."

After a second, she adds, with a slightly mischievous smirk: "Or I could ask B if he would." For the full experience, of course.

"Don't I have to steal the Robin suit for that?" Bart deadpanned.

"You don't get the Robin suit until after the training."

Obviously.

"Powers or not, I don't think B's going to reconsider his opinion of me any time soon."

"You're still easier to get along with than the current Robin."

Not that it's difficult.

"Yeah, well, apparently blood is more important than any of us thought," Bart said, shrugging a little. "And without my powers, there's not a chance in hell I could get the drop on the little shit."

"It's not trial by combat."

Well.

"Usually."

"I've seen far too many of your injuries, remember?" Bart said, but he was smiling.

"I'm not going out like this, and neither should you. It's compromising all our training."

"Those were from having the job, not getting it. The Demon Child would force it into trial by combat, though."

And did, basically. He's a charming little brother. "I hadn't planned on going out, anyway."

"Didn't Jason do that, too?" Bart had to ask. He did remember that time Tim nearly had her throat slit. "You and Dick are like the only ones who aren't terrifying."

Well, to him. The rest of the world could think whatever they wanted.

She winces. "That was... different." Less trial by combat, more... psychotically crazed vengeance.

And she might be a little too eager to adjust the direction of the conversation there. "I'm not terrifying?"

"Only sometimes. You haven't really been pulling the creepy for years, except when you forget and sneak up without meaning to. Or find the one shadow large enough to hide in." They'd become a team. It wasn't about scaring them anymore.

"You're just...Tim."

"Clearly, I need to work on my image."

Preferably, when she stops getting super-fast jitters.

"I prefer you when you're acting like a human being," Bart said, teasing. "Calm down, though. You need to stay with me."

And she hadn't even noticed. Tim sighs and focuses carefully on a few even breaths, relaxing a little as best she can.

"I'll take that under advisement."

Bart squeezed her hand again, smiling softly. "We need normality, unfortunately, you're all we've got."

Wryly: "Should probably do something like that."

She's not unaware of her... unique personality.

"But now, it's snack time. Think you can stay here without going nuts while I grab stuff?"

"Yes."

Maybe. Ish. She's pretty sure she can do that.

"Keep telling yourself that. And don't stress about the clock." With that, he got up to go about selecting things he knew she'd consider reasonable snacks while still having the right distribution of nutrition for a speedster. Luckily, he had experience there.

Five minutes and twenty-three seconds later, he returned with an overladen tray of mostly finger food.

Without him around to provide a basis for comparison, it's actually a lot harder to stick to something resembling normal time. But she's not a hyperactive toddler, and she has a few tricks up her sleeve. By the time he's back, she's slipped into meditation, focusing on an inner rhythm and letting the rest go for now.

Bart watches her, counting silently the seconds between breaths, and figuring she's probably as close to normal speed as she can be.

So he considers how best to announce his presence, shifting the tray to one side with just the tiniest clink of plates.

It's a touch difficult to come out of it like this, but she does, after a few seconds, and blinks at him, trying to gauge where she is in relation to normal timeflow.

"I didn't want to startle you," Bart said, with a shy smile. "You've still got those kickass reflexes, and you can act before I can do anything. Hate to waste all that food."

He set it down between them, and picked up a carrot stick for himself. "As long as you have this, uh, problem, you're better off eating more than you might think of. I'm always hungry, but the energy will burn it off."

"You are carrying a dangerous tray of food," she agrees dryly before snagging something more or less at random. Being reminded to eat is going to get old fast, isn't it.

"And how often does the demonspawn try to use your state of distraction to test you?" Bart pointed out. "It could have been more than food."

She snorts slightly. "I'm not sure if 'test' is the right word for it. But believe me, if it was Damian, I'd know."

Her reflexes do get a lot of testing when she's staying at the Manor, it's true.

"Well, you know what I mean," Bart said, shaking his head slightly. "I don't need to accidentally get in the way of something that's going faster than you think. From the way you complain, traction is not how I want to spend my time as a mere mortal."

She winces. "Trust me, I have no desire to repeat the Tbliska incident."

Was that something she ever told him about? She can't remember.

"Uh, the what?" Bart said, mentally going through what he knows and drawing a blank. "I must not have been involved with that one."

He knows he gets to hear almost nothing about her usual work as Red Robin. Especially the things that have her dropping off the face of the world for days or even weeks at a time. Bart was almost used to that. It was par for the course with someone from the Wayne household, always a lot more you didn't know than what you did.

"It was... hmm. A little while after I met you? There was a..."

How can she put this delicately? "...complete mess. I went to Tbliska to inform an acquaintance that Lady Shiva was hunting her and got caught up in her political fight. The acquaintance was using an extremely difficult-to-find drug that slowed down perception and - transferred it to me - " She doesn't really want to say unexpectedly kissed me. "The effects were... not the same, but similar."

((I got a handful that could be fun, but feel free to roll for a new one too!

There Is No Try
Dueling Scar
Mystery Magnet
A Bloody Mess
Being Good Sucks))

House Husband
Painfully Slow Projectile
Atonement Detective
Dramatic Unmask

[feel free to pick something else!]

Suddenly Shouting
Down on the Farm
I Can Explain!
Body Bag Trick

Or choose your own!

Of course he can explain. He's Loki. He's always got an explanation. It's usually an amazing story, too, and yes she has some vague idea how susceptible she is to those.

But can he explain... this?

That was not my fault, I was under a spell, I am totally not guilty --

Where did you get that picture?!

Are you kidding? It's all over YouTube. It's going viral. You are trending on Twitter!

[ There is a distinct 'thunk' as Loki's head hits the table. ]

When I said I wanted to change how people thought of me, this was not the intention.

[Verity watches with her usual sympathy-once-removed.]

Maybe you should be more specific next time.

I'll try to remember that for next time.

[ Dryly. ]

Don't worry. I'll remind you.

What a pal.

That's what friends are for.

Sarcastic mocking, it seems.

... I must be a wonderful friend indeed.

I'm not trying to mock you. Tease a little, but...

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to hurt.

Verity, I was joking.

[ He reaches out and promptly tweaks her nose. ]

Ack! [She makes a face at him.] It's a well-known fact I have no sense of humor.

That it is. Something we must most certainly work on.

I know.

So... can you still turn into a unicorn? Because I've got a grade-school reunion coming up...

Fortunately, my time as a brony's wetdream was short.

Ah well. I'm glad to have you back to yourself.

You better be. I do not know how I would feel if you liked that version of me better.

He was a jerk. I'm sure we can find some glitter if I really want you to sparkle, right?

[Totally Random.]

But I Play One On TV
Enemy Without
Accidental Marriage
Court Mage
Drinking Game

The Disease That Shall Not Be Named
Shoe Slap
Pedestrian Crushes Car
Spotting the Thread

Or pick one!

Our better is different
Hero stole my bike
Kick them while they're down
Kiss of distraction
Heroic Willpower

[Or pick something else!]

[Would Eas like to steal Rakka's bike for evil reasons?]

[It wasn't Eas' first idea to use a bike as a Nakewameke, however, she was in a hurry and had to get to the other en of town. That and the girl riding the bike seemed to be enjoying herself far too much for Eas' liking.

And thus, Eas stepped out with crimson card in hand tossed it at the passing biker.]

Nakewameke, unleash your evil!

[The connects with the bike and releases smoke as it starts to transform the bike.

What do Rakka?]

[A bike was just what Rakka needed when she had to get somewhere fast. It was nice, and even ecological, so the Haibane wasn't that depressed that she didn't have a car yet.

The world sped past her and she smiled because everything felt pretty awesome at the moment. Until she found the ground coming up to meet her as she was suddenly flung from her bike.]

Waaaaah! Ugh!

[Face down, Rakka picks herself up and spits out dirt. And that's when she sees Eas.]

...H-hey! What are you...?!

Edited 2015-06-05 18:47 (UTC)

[Watching Rakka fall flat on her face brought a smile to Eas's lips. It was the little bits of pain and despair that made job worthwhile. She confidently strode up to Rakka as the other girl started to pull herself up.]

Your bike has been commandeered to fulfil my masters wishes.

[It's around then that The smoke will clear as reveal That Rakka's bike has undergone a transformation into a monster. It's at least four times the size it was originally with spiked almost monster truck wheels and a giant snake like eye where the light was. It has two arm like appendages with wheels spinning on the end instead of hands.

Needless to say, it doesn't look very friendly.]

[Rakka was slow to get to her feet, looking up to see Eas strolling towards her like she didn't even care. A wince flashed across her face. Just a scrapped knee, but it would bother her for a while.]

What are you talking about? Master's wishes...?

[And then the smoke clears. Rakka gives what used to be her bike a long look before she staggers back, a fearful look on her face.]

Uh, what is that?!

[If Eas looked like she didn't care, it was because she didn't. This was her job and she took a lot of pride in that.]

My master requires the misfortune of others to get what he wants. I am here to give them that.

[She comes to a stop beside Rakka. She gives her hand a wave to signal the monster to begin it's attack. The bike monster makes a headlong charge at some people passing by, the wheels it has instead of hands start to spin furiously as it takes swings the fleeing people, just missing them by inches.]

[Rakka watched helplessly as her bike began to rampage, crying out in alarm as people were nearly crushed by the spinning wheels.

what could she do at a time like this?! ....Complain? She turns to Eas, a pleading look on her face.]

Please! You have to stop this!

[Oh, Eas looks all too pleased to see that look Rakka's face.]

Do you really think I'd stop just because you said "please"?

This despair will become the energy to fulfill my masters' wishes.

I refuse to stop.

[Well, that didn't work. Time for plan B!

Breathing in, Rakak charges Eas, trying to slam into her which will help... somehow??]

[To be fair, Eas did not see this coming. Rakka looked far too defenseless to actually do something about her reign of terror. She takes the hit and stumbles to the ground. She'll try and grab Rakka and pull her along with her.

...The monster on the other hand, starts to act much more erratic than it had been before. It's still chasing people but along the way it might crash and take out a tree before it continues on.]

[It was true, Rakka was small and generally nonthreatening. Which made this only so effective if she threw all of her small girl weight into tackling Eas. She's pulled down, of course, flopping ungracefully onto Eas.]

[Well... This is a little awkward. Still Eas is going to try and roll over in an attempt to get on top of instead.

That last statement was a little more awkward.]

[And Rakka will be trying to struggle to keep on top of Eas. Which is... more awkward sounding then Rakka realized at the moment.

She could hear people screaming in the distance. That was not good.]

Make my bike stop!

[Alright, this girl is making things difficult. Eas is just going to try and get a hold of her of her and push her off.

That should be easy, right?]

I refuse!

[Nope. With all of Rakka's strength, she holds onto Eas, putting her arms around her.

So it's basically a hug. She is hugging Eas and refusing to let go.]

Do it! You're so mean!

[That's not cool! That's not cool at all!

...Eas is going to try and drive an elbow or something into Rakka, something to force her to let go.]

This is what I was ordered to do, I wont fail my master simply because you want me to!

[Rakka gasps in pain as Eas's elbow finds something to hit - namely, her chest.

Ow. That hurt, a lot, and would likely leave behind a bruise. Rakka is still holding on, though.]

I ...don't want you... to hurt people with my bike!

It's a little late for that.

[Oh, she hit something. Don't mind her as she does it again, only harder this time.]

[Alright, you win that round, Eas. With a pained groan, Rakka lets go and curls up on the ground next to her enemy. As brave as Rakka was, she was still pretty squishy.]

[That's better. Eas is just going to use one hand to push Rakka's face into the dirt and the other to painfully twist one of her arms behind her back.]

That wasn't the smartest move you could have made.

[While Rakka had slowly tried to push herself to her feet, that attempt was immediately stopped as she felt Eas push her into the dirt again. A cry of pain escaped her lips as her arm was twisted up into an uncomfortable angle, keeping her pinned to the ground.]

I... I had to try and stop you! You're acting so mean!

[Sadly, Rakka was not particularly good at getting angry, or planning things out. This was kind of inevitable.]

[Eas's fingers will tighten around a patch of Rakka's hair and she'll pull the girls head up so she can watch as the monster continues to terrorize anyone in it's in path.]

And look where that's gotten you, a front row seat to watch their suffering.

Congratulations.

Ow, ow, ow! [Needle pricks of pain in her scalp forced Rakka to look up. The sight she saw made tense up, an icy feeling in the pit of her stomach suddenly appeared. As fruitless as it was, she continued to struggle, this time more frantically.]

Stop it! Stop it please! You can't just let this happen!

[Eas will twist on Rakka's captive arm, trying the quell the other girls struggles. All the while her other hand turns the other girls head to follow the monster along.]

Your cries. Their cries. All of this suffering will become the energy that fills the misfortune gauge.

[Eas paused and considered something for a moment.]

I doubt you are willing to the pay the price I'd demand to stop this.

Augh!

[Resistance only leading to more failure and pain, Rakka lessened her struggling. But only by a little bit. She couldn't.... give up, not now...

But then she stopped, listening to Eas's words.]

...Wh-what is it? Tell me!

[Eas kept her grip firm on Rakka but didn't go out of her way to hurt the girl any further. She was listening, that was good.]

You can join Labyrinth, swear yourself to my Lord Moebius and obey his every command and I'll call off my attack.

[Rakka's heart sank as she heard the command. She had even stopped struggling, frozen in disbelief. Join... Labyrinth? Just like that?]

What?! I... I...

Edited 2015-06-11 03:30 (UTC)

[It's really not all that special. Odds are she'll just get to wear a gray jumpsuit and perform menial tasks all day.

...Oh and there's the whole mind controlling her to make her do those things, but that's not too important.]

You can either bow to my master now, or when he conquers this world in due time. You'd best make up your mind now, are there not people you're concerned for?

[Not that Rakka really knew that. If it was anything like what Eas did, Rakka didn't want any part of it.

But... she could still hear the screams of people in the distance.]

... [She couldn't look at it, or Eas. Or anything.] ..........Okay.

[Awwww, the sound of utter defeat. That's the kind of thing that makes waking up in the morning worthwhile to Eas. She hauls Rakka up to her feet, her arm still twisted behind her back. She'll raise a hand and gesture to the Nakewameke, ordering it to stop now. Rakka's bike will revert to normal and the card will return to Eas.

She'll then glance toward Rakka and smirk.]

You made the right choice.

[At least the monster was gone, Rakka thought to herself as she was pulled to her feet. She honestly wanted to look on the bright side of things, but... that was going to be hard.

Her head hangs low, Rakka adverting her gaze from Eas. She didn't want to see that face, and she didn't want Eas to see the tears stinging in the corners of her eyes.]

...I hate you.

[Honestly, Eas was perfectly fine with Rakka looking away. She didn't need to see the girls face to know that she had the girl utterly beat. The tone of her voice was satisfaction enough.

Eas will release her grip on Rakka's arm, but just long enough to turn the girl around and hoist Rakka up over her shoulder. The girl would soon belong to Lord Moebius, it was only fitting that Eas treat her like property.]

Hate me all you want, it wont help your situation.

Whaa! [Very suddenly, Rakka felt herself be pulled up and over Eas's shoulder. There was a moment's struggle, but it was all useless anyways.]

...Why do you do this? [She asked, fruitlessly, staring blankly down at the ground beneath them.] What good can all of this negativity do?!

[Rakka's struggles don't really bother Eas that much, she's strong enough to take anything the Haibane can dish out.]

I'm simply doing what my lord requests. [She's said it once she'll say it however many times she has to.]

This misery will allow us to locate Infinity so that he may rule over all worlds like he does Labyrinth.

But... [She sounds tired, like she has almost give up tying to understand.] Misery like this... it will just destroy you....

[Eas stops and gives Rakka a rough shake from her shoulder.]

You'll sing a different tune once we're finished with you.

[And she says nothing. There's nothing left that she can do.]

UnnecessaryCombatRoll
Magic Is A Monster Magnet
Mistaken for Murderer
Almost Flight

Or pick something else!

[It's canon that Ollie and Arthur worked together in the New 52 at some point in the past. Wanna try and work something with Orm and Ollie using maybe Magic or Misaken?]

[ I would love to! Just please forgive my limited DC knowledge; I am only really familiar with Aquaman so far.

Orm could definitely bring the magic. He could accidentally cause a monster to be summoned while he is playing house/being a fugitive on land after the Belle Reve prison break? And Oliver could become involved trying to stop it? Orm might be convinced to feel mildly guilty about that. Maybe. A little.

Or if you have any other ideas, please feel free!]

[Or pick your own!]

Temporary Love Interest
One True Threesome
Test Kiss
Formerly Fit

[Or pick your own!]

Live-Action Escort Mission
On the Rebound
Crack Pairing
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits

Success Symbiosis
Parents For A Day
Mutants
Soul Power
Genie In A Bottle

[ bring your own ♥ 3x1 spoilers welcome ]

[ bring your own ]

We've Got Company
Vilain Teleportation
Classical Music is Boring [yeah, tell the 4th movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony that]
Guest Star Party Member [o hai Yasha]
You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With
In Love With Your Carnage

[or roll your own]

Edited 2015-06-05 04:22 (UTC)

The Unmasqued World
Guilt-Based Gaming
Caught in the Rain

(Or roll your own; please link if you do.)

(I made it out of TV Tropes alive!)

Anonymous Benefactor (is likely to be that)
Restart The World (is likely to try to stop that)
MRS Degree
Can't Drop the Hero
Armored Coffins
Faux Death (What superhero would be complete without this?)
Staged Shooting

Or bring your own, just link please.

[would you care to do Staged Shooting where superheroes get all mixed up in trying to be helpful?]

Abandoned Playground
Terrifying Rescuer
Carpet Rolled Corpse
Amazon Chaser

Well, three out of four fitting a theme is good running. Or bring your own.

Edited 2015-06-05 11:17 (UTC)

sugar and ice personality | big fancy castle | windows to the soul | or choose your own

( ooc; much love for Bedelia. Would you care to try something with these two? I tend to play him as modern. )

[ absolutely! perhaps some AU-verse? I can do some kind of blurry crossover if you'd like. ]

( ooc; fantastic! I'm absolutely a-okay with that. :) As for scenario, do you have a particular preference? )

[ not at all! she's in Europe now so that could make for an interesting encounter if we want to handwave the Hannibal shenanigans and just say she's traveling on her own, or has managed to escape him only to land in the clutches of another. ]

( ooc; well, ironically he's currently settled in Italy in his modern incarnation. So... yes, possibly they meet at one of the functions she and Hannibal are attending? He's one of those fixtures I daresay, practically part of the furniture, despite no one really remembering how he came to be that way. )

[ perfect! care to start or shall I? ]

( ooc; would you mind terribly starting? I'm currently phonebound. Vlad uses Basarab as a last name, btw. )

[ Italy is lovely at night, rain-slicked streets illuminated by the glow from lamps that are only lit after the daylight begins to fade. She could have taken a car from the hotel but instead she chooses to walk to the party; it's not a terribly long distance, after all, and her shoes aren't putting her in an excruciating amount of pain for once. She's not alone; there's still a fair amount of people out, at least until she crosses the piazza and disappears down a side street, taking a shortcut the way she often does in the daytime.

It's dark, suddenly, with a chilling sense of foreboding and a pair of eyes on her back; her steps quicken over the cobblestones until she finally gets to the end of the street and back into the lamplight again - long after she makes it inside and starts making an introductory round about the room, she can still feel those eyes upon her.

Her remedy for her discomfort is to enjoy a glass of wine when it's offered to her, taking slow sips as she assumes a place at the edge and watches everyone else mill about. To the rest of the world she is Mrs. Fell, wife of Roman, though her husband's absence will certainly be noticed before long. She takes another sip of wine and then turns, very nearly spilling it on herself as well as the man she's collided with. ]

Oh, mi scusi - signore Basarab, my apologies. I didn't see you there.

[ She's met him before, at a previous function, but their conversation had been brief and perfunctory thanks to an interruption from Hannibal. With the third party conspicuously absent, she wonders how this interaction will go. ]

[ His hands snap up immediately to steady her, gloved fingers curling lightly on her shoulder. ]

On the contrary, signora Fell [ -- his accent is impeccable despite his name marking him as a foreigner, something that is still occasionally remarked upon despite having been a fixture at these gatherings for the better part of a decade.

Satisfied that any crisis has been averted, he removes his hands, his expression one of earnest apology. ] it is I who should apologize. I should not have been standing so close.

[ He is generally more aware of his surroundings, if nothing else. However, something had caught him off-guard. A niggling sense that something was off and he'd hoped to sneak away long enough to at least allay his fears. Mrs. Fell's dress had narrowly avoided being an unfortunate casualty of his paranoia. ] I do apologize.

[ He might be more aware but she had been lost in her own thoughts, which had left her in danger of committing a complete faux pas. In this particular circle, that could certainly be an offense that one does not walk away easily from.

The first time she had met him, she had not noticed anything out of the ordinary per se - her own attempts at Italian are passable, and most of what she knows she learned from thumbing through a dictionary in a libreria a small distance away. It was there she'd gotten lost in the stacks and wondered how long it would take Hannibal to realize she was gone if she just merely... disappeared. That was a foolish thought on her part, she soon realized, but it was one that had taken root nonetheless.

She glances down at her dress momentarily - this one a midnight blue, only accented by a pair of earrings - and then her gaze sweeps back up to his face as she shakes her head slowly. ] Please, the fault was mine. Perhaps I can offer you a drink in recompense?

[ It is fortunate then that between the pair of them they managed to avoid causing a scene – for his part he tends to view the wariness (no longer quite disdain, he's survived that particular trial by fire and has come out relatively unscathed) of his peers with amusement, however, what remains of his chivalrous nature won't allow him to see another dragged down with him.

Particularly when that person seems to be having enough trouble simply adjusting. ]

A glass of the Barolo, then. [ He offers her a smile then, the kind that reaches all the way to the eyes, and then his arm because he is nothing if not a gentleman in all matters that count. ] That is a truly lovely shade of blue, if I may say so. Very flattering.

[ Thankfully, most of the other attendees are distracted by individual conversations and hardly paying them any mind. She and Hannibal admittedly had caused quite a stir during their first introduction into society as Doctore and Mrs. Fell, though now they are settled enough that their appearance at any function is typically met with no more than a casual appraisal.

For as tumultuous as her private situation may be, she has never wanted for anything when it comes to what she is dressed in. Hannibal has seen to that - and she suspects that he has even had a hand in picking out several gowns personally. Even as she takes Basarab's arm, a part of her has to resist the impulse to glance around the room for any sign of her wayward 'husband'. Still, one cannot neglect manners when a situation presents itself. ]

Thank you. You're too kind. [ To her surprise, she feels a warmth on her cheeks, the faint hint of a blush beginning in response to the compliment on an otherwise fair complexion. ] I do hope I'm not keeping you from anything important.

Nothing that cannot wait. [ The faint flush only adds to the picture, he thinks, fingers curling lightly around her arm as they move through the crowd toward the bar.

He is curious, however, as they are all curious in fact but this is the first opportunity that anyone has had a chance to speak with her without the silent spectre of her husband looming over her shoulder. ]

If nothing else we can always rest-assured that the bar is well-stocked. [ There is a definite note of amusement in his voice. ] To ensure that a tedious evening passes quickly, I imagine.

[ While she is often left to carry on her own conversations, it is always with her in his line of sight. For the first time in several weeks, she finds she is breathing somewhat more easily - and when her smile comes, it is relaxed and genuine.

She puts her glass down on a passing tray, though her fingers are still somewhat sticky with the champagne. ]

Is that your method of getting through the evening as disengaged - or unscathed - as possible? [ They're circumnavigating the groups of people clustered in the center of the room, effectively bypassing the need for mandatory small talk; it's something she notes with a small, appreciative quirk of her mouth. ]

[ That startles a laugh out of him, his head shaking softly. ] I'd be lying if I said that it didn't become harder to feign interest after awhile. There is very little in the way of new conversation to be had at these sorts of gatherings, you'll find.

Here --[ He pulls a handkerchief out of the top pocket of his jacket, offering it to her. ]

Oh. Thank you.

[ She takes the handkerchief between two fingers, pinching it until she has the opportunity to subtly dab at her hands. ]

I give you full permission to abandon the conversation if at any point you find it harder to feign your interest.

I shall be sure to keep that in mind. [ He waits for her to finish before offering his arm once again. ]

So, to the pressing matter at hand: how are you finding our fair city?

[ There is much she has had to lie about - her reasons for being here (my husband's recent appointment as curator), why she has found herself more inclined to adopt a diet consisting of seafood and acorns (I'm trying not to eat anything with a central nervous system).

Here in this moment, on the other hand, is one of the first and perhaps only times she will allow a flicker of honesty to shine through, taking his arm without pause. ]

It truly is spectacular. How long have you called it home, signore?

Oh, it must be the better part of a decade now.

[ In Florence, at least. His stay in Italy at large has been far longer, of course, very nearly a century and a half all told. ] I lived in London before, but the climate didn't agree with me as I'd hoped.

[ He waves a hand, fingers spread. ] Too loud. Though not without its charms.

Edited 2015-06-08 05:11 (UTC)

A decade? Then you must be very familiar with Italy's charms as well.

[ His age was somewhat more difficult to determine, but based on appearances she suspected he was slightly younger than she. ]

Well, the weather in London does tend to be much less agreeable.

vinyl shatters | confess to a lesser crime | malicious slander | choose your own

The TV Tropes Meme

Tim Drake | 63!DC Preboot | ota

Power reassignment.

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Nux | Mad Max Fury Road | OTA

Clark Kent | MoS / DC | OTA

Loki Laufeyson | Marvel-616 | OTA

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PFFT

It had to be done!

It is beautiful.

At least he'll have the Brony vote?

There is some chaos even Loki doesn't want to be a part of

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Oliver Queen | DC | OTA

Tommy Shepherd | Marvel-616 | OTA

Eas | Fresh Pretty Cure

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She would love to.

Oh splendid, just let her get off and-oh boy

Oh boy indeed

Welp

Re: Welp

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