that they are. expectation that became a weight on lara's shoulders to carry without her own consent. she could lose herself in the compromises she made and the intricacies of her public image, much of the latter was out of her own control, marionetted into british aristocracy because she was supposed to. lara's ever grateful for roth and jonah, for her own father, for who she is now, a person that carved her way out of the carnage of fraudulent constructs, and she still continues to drag herself away and shape herself in an image she could face in a mirror. to carve out a new pedestal into the stone of tradition and create a new foundation for the legacy she's supposed to represent, and not lose herself in the process, although she suspects much of her is already lost, and she keeps what's left close to her chest away from the prying eyes and the expectations.

lara's shoulders fall as she laughs, pushing down on her bones to press a little airy sound past her lips and her eyes roll along the ceiling's fixtures, before she turns to bruce and sweeps the fallen strand of her out of her eyes, ❝ a first for us ... it's good thing i'm fond of taking risks then. ❞ she waves a hand around the study, along the displayed artifacts and arsenal mounted on the wall from her travels. her features sober up slowly as they return to the ' terms of their arrangement ' , eyes creasing at the inner corners as a faint squint passes her features, her lids narrow, then relax as he lands on the very same word she'd conjured up herself. ❝ right, of course, it can't seem too rehearsed. ❞ lara points out as she clasps her hands together tightly and presses them to her knee, nearly frowning at how unnatural the sentence she just spoke sounded. it was certainly not how she wanted to refer to well, this. she recoils at her internal perceptions. she's usually better with words than this.

as he leans forward she mirrors him by sitting closer to the edge of her seat, moving her forearms to lay upon the length of her thighs as her hands hang off her knees, folded almost protectively upon herself. his body reverberates in nerves she could sense just from sitting across from, just as she found herself smiling when did, she's now literally and figuratively at the edge of her seat, not as open as she expects to be. ❝ oh. ❞ lara pushes off her knees as her hand releases the other to clasp the back of her neck, gaze averts for a moment as she considers his ask, he didn't really ask , not yet anyways.

when she alludes that he'll likely be alone he nods , and another small smile pulls. understanding and acceptance settle upon features. blue eyes rounding as his brows raise. ' i'm used to moments spent by myself ... you don't need to adjust your schedule for me ' his fingers go to lift and comb through hair , brushing back some blonde strands that fall in face. ' i'd just need my luggage a few other needs ... nothing too complicated all my work can be done remotely '

the most he's doing is looking over prototypes - lucius has taken over the bulk of work , insisting that bruce continue to be the figurehead. in truth , lucius fears that this work would cause bruce to somehow retreat inwards once again. though this line of work so different from his nights spent on gotham streets. there's also another project in the works , one that's more from a personal vantage.

true that FOXARK did indeed provide the perfect cover for bruce's needs - though , the work done for the people of gotham was deemed the first priority.

' bike ? ' the words cause a lift in tonality , and cheeks round as his eyes soften ever so. his first passion , ' are you telling me you have a motorcycle ? ' adjusts self in seat ever so as he leans back , ' i should have brought my own '

we're more alike than i thought , though perhaps reading that file would have prepared me for that realization. there's parts of myself that i think about unveiling - at a later time. is it fair that i allow myself to think seriously about this? i've been alone for so long that i'm not quite sure how to let someone in. i can barely manage to attempt to have some semblance of a relationship with my brother. there's still so much damage that lives inside , and while i'm good at covering that up - i've lost who i am. there is no bruce wayne - it's easier to accept that. instead there are parts that are pulled from another life and strewn together.

there's the slight wavering of features , the eyes that then flicker the darkest blue as something else takes over. he falters for a few moments , footing lost. exhaustion evident as he works through the doubts and fears that have plagued him his whole lifetime. there's a struggle , a pressing of fingers to mouth as he fights his fears and the man he used to be. jaw clenches and he clears throat , instead choosing to accept the fears that have been brought to light. it's easier - or so he tells himself.

❝ so you had a bad day, there’s always tomorrow. ❞

she knows better than to take a 'tomorrow' for granted.    how could she?  it is a thing that has been promised  &&   taken too many times,  untrustworthy regardless of how it always seems to turn up in the end.  (   she has the to mark the tomorrows she missed out on,  where bullet stole far too much time,  and maeve has never been a slow student.  )    ❝ there's no point in waiting for tomorrow to fix things when there's still plenty of today left. ❞

smile,  whilst small,  comes with easy warmth that only seems to harshly clash with the lines beneath large brown eyes.

a small smile is pulled , the slight coloring of cheeks as he nods ever so slightly. the reminder of said fog clearly seem upon windowpanes as the promise of rain isn't far off. ' perhaps , people sort of loose themselves in that smog ' time , there's never enough of it. he's finding that the hours seem like minutes as his work is never finished. in a few more hours whatever sunlight that peeks beneath clouds will go down , and gotham will be lit up with various neon signs.

' i take it as it comes ... positivity ' bruce clarifies ; tone generous in it's wording as humor gently accents. of course there a moments in which he finds that this mask that now sits is a necessary , and this is one of those moments. quite a feat to meld into whatever one wants from him , - he's getting better at knowing just how to comfort a person so.

while violence and cruelty ruled gotham there was of course a need for compassion , kindness - he digs deep to get there. it's exhausting as is everything he does. will there ever come a day when he can truly be who he wants to be ?

my eyes are rimmed with the slightest exhaustion , makeup covers the bruises that frame my jawline , and there's a cut to my chest that needs a change of bandaging. i change the subject , and distract myself from another life.

rose chewed on her lip contemplatively, her mind running rampant with possibilities- she takes a sharp breath , closing her eyes to hone her focus into the weapon it was. she looked to bruce now , eyes hard and glittering with brilliance, ❛ lets start with what we know first , people have been disappearin’ right? an’ that don’t stand out too much ‘round here alone but, you think there’s somethin’ else goin’ on here- somethin’ more than say two-face or joker. . . yeah? ❞ her voice trails off , she looks up and holds bruces gaze for a brief, intense second . ❛ in my experience when things start goin' a bit mental, aliens are involved, lucky for us, I’ve got a little somethin’ to help us along. ❞ rose pulled a slim, leather thing from inside her jacket and flipped it open to @batfall . ❛ slightly psychic paper, shows who ya show it to whatever they want or expect to see. handy for gettin’ into places we shouldn’t . 's no torchwood cover story , couldn't half do with that brilliant toshiko sato right 'bout now . . . ❞

there's the careful arch of brow , baited breath as he listens. ' this joker isn't an issue - copycats in gotham aren't anything new ... this guy thinks that by getting to me that he'll finish what edward nashton started - the message of the true joker getting scrambled in the process ... ' bruce careful with words , for there have been nights in which he runs into these clown-heads , men who have misconstrued arthur's message (his brother, the eldest wayne heir) , and now seek revenge upon the youngest wayne heir.

corruption so muddled that as she brings harvey dent into the equation he then inhales , ' two face ? - ' bruce doesn't yet know how to feel about that one - nights faced with a different perspective , he then decides to just let that sentence settle between them.

' there's always been more to gotham than just corruption ... people working against one another to live ' when he then clears throat and his fingers go to comb through hair. ' are you talking about hosts ? ' timbre drops , what they talk about isn't exactly improbable. long ago he had accepted the notion that the universe was infinite. that earth was just one of many planets to inhabit life.

religion had an interesting tie to gotham , starting with the founding families , and quickly resulted in a panic that spread. the burning of witches as religion fed campaigns on various persons and slaughter swamp.

so much i hide , my features do their best to mirror her own ; my own movements orchestrated with a type of innocence and nothing is betrayed. the truth about who the joker is , the tie to my own namesake. though , i'll admit those doppelgängers have been an annoyance. alas proving to be only that. my eyes widen , as blue replaces the grey and my lenses continue to record this meeting. this mask is nothing but that , and i have no true tie to the man before her.

there's a moment of silence, you sigh, & pick up the phone once more... taking it off speaker to prevent the echo throughout. " i got three bottles of wine, each worth over three hundred dollars... i don't even drink. then y'know... random jewelry that i wouldn't ever wear. i really don't need anything more. " you go to ascend your staircase but pause instead... eyes fall shut & you pay close attention to his cadence: if you focus hard enough, it feels like he's in the room with you ( this isn't the first time you've learned such focus... it's a requirement, one may say, of your situation to keep grounded ). " sounds like you're having just as much fun as me. "

you laugh, quietly, & head up now to your bedroom: a key is pulled from your bag, the doors themselves always locked as secondary precaution. " i definitely feel different that's for sure. " phone is placed between your ear & shoulder, it nearly slips as you chuckle at his next comment. " there's a post scheduled for tomorrow ––– to be precise. " the door swings open & you toss your bag onto the chair in the corner of your room. it's dark & yet you move around it with such ease. " you know me too well. "

you say that like it's a bad thing, but you hope he knows: you wouldn't have it any other way.

a laugh falls as juliette mentions her mother , light in formation as it's generous in it's give (he hides the pain, wants to give a good ending to her night). a shared memory between them both. ' i think your mother does it more for herself ' bruce softly utters , though even with those words he already knows that they don't truly need to dwell on the subject. ' jewelry huh ? ' nose slightly crinkles , and he already wonders if it had been jewelry that had somehow been gifted in hopes that she wear it on instagram. ' wine ? ' he reaches for a clementine in bowl as he goes to peel it with fingertips. the phone shifted once more , ' well ... that can always be regifted '

the last of skin pieces palmed in hand , as he makes his way to the compost bin , and throws them in. ' i think both our parents did that ... - wine has never been something the two of us ever needed ' a slight raise to wording as his true sentiments be heard through carefully structured sentence. ' i've never liked parties but ? i would have liked to see you ... that's what always made it special ' a smile works it's way upon melancholic features that have the faint tinge of light bruising. ' big celebrations were never for us '

us said with a weight , a knowledge that reached far back into their history with one another. in previous years he had indeed attended - sitting at the edge of the table , and panic stricken when asked a question. he could manage a few hours before he came to her side and kissed her cheek with a quick ' happy birthday '

i feel less lonely on nights when she calls or when i call her. the nights dwindling as the months go on , and the two of us knowing the risk of being intertwined with one another. her mother the driving force behind my protective nature , the reason for pulling away. we both know that there are other factors , and i'm aware that the scrambling technology will only last another thirty minutes. i start the trek upstairs , climbing marble steps as phone is pressed against ear and clementine is held in the other.

THE OTHER is temporary rendered UNCONSCIOUS - it’s easier this way. the streets run grey as the buildings seem rather concave. GOTHAM HERSELF leaning forward as the batman teams up with a criminal. though , the bat did believe in change , that one still had goodness within their heart. anger has no place in his heart for the time being. it could easily throw his mission off or cloud judgement. doesn’t deem JA DAE-HYUN  as worthless or worthy of death ; it’s not his place to pass judgement. a lesson that was difficult to learn but necessary.

the ride to one of his lesser known batcaves is done within FIFTEEN MINUTES. the cave under ARKHAM ASYLUM herself ‘dead man’s point’ a name for a place where few ventured. the cave a maze as it paid homage to the winchester house. the bat-mobile silent in her approach as he lowers gears , and silences motor.

’ you’ve been out for two days ’ the batman offers , cowl still overing face as he looks at the equipment which monitors the others condition. ’ looks like you needed the rest ’ before then moving to a monitor. gloved fingers flit across touchscreen , and he then looks back at ja-dae hyun.

adrenaline numbs the wounds, blanketing the pain for him to focus on the anger, the revenge, the grand comeback … oh, the ideas that rushed into his mind like dreams. nightmares for some but twisted fantasies for him. new ways to inflict pain without having to hurt someone physically. a game of sorts. the ideas dance around while putting faces to each game. each trial. he knew his enemies … or well most of them.

the mind was much more fun to break than bones, but then again he’d be a hypocrite if he were to say he didn’t enjoy that part too. so many ways to be a villain. so many ways to be unique from the rest and yet so little time with heroes trying to save the world and everyone in it. what did the world do for this man that he needed to protect the city. of all cities why gotham ? she was quite the bitch of a city.

eyes slowly open to the noise. “ two days ? ” he sighs before trying to sit up properly. abdomen stings from the movement. “ who doesn’t need rest from an ambush like that … did you at least get any information or were you just standing in shadows and glaring around the city ? ”

“ that sounds like a challenge, ” he laughs but stops after a bit. hand coming to aid the pain from his side. “ i only offer a service i don’t actually know or remember these faces. it’s just another tuesday. ” another sigh escapes him. tired and bored of the hunt. @batfall

he pulls up a file , what the batman has gathered since the other's unfortunate spell while unconscious. ' i'm usually one to make a move rather than just loiter ' the screen turned with gloved hands as he has downloaded encrypted messages from ja dae-hyun's cell phone , all neatly projected. ' though the shadows have always helped ' he then moves from screen and steps closer to hospital bed.

' one person asked for your services ... seemed to think that you hadn't been put out of commission ' his tone flat , careful with wording. ' i've seen this name before they work for sofia falcone '

death , it wafts upon the shoreline and seeps into the air that threatens to burn lungs. how many secrets does gotham have ? how many will taken advantage of such a corrupted and gutted city ... she's eating herself , and greedy with her needs.

' how many men have you killed ? ' the batman inquires as he looks down at the other , his shoulders pulled back as his stance puts him at 6'8 - the shadows no longer pull around his very being. here , they are safe. ' do you show any mercy or have any morals when it comes to just who you're asked to kill ? '

ah,  love  -  that  is  what  she  runs  towards.  what  she  escaped  her  previous  life  in  search  of,  and  what  she  looks  for  (and  finds)  in  every  corner  of  the  earth,  every  soul  she  touches  ...  her  current  company  is  no  exception.

the  corners  of  her  lips  upturn  into  an  honest,  unstoppable  smile  as  the  word  'love'  leaves  his  lips;  as  he  dotes  verbally  on  his  brother,  there's  a  flame  of  envy  that  curls  &  licks  at  her  lungs  -  that  loyalty  doesn't  exist  within  her  forgotten  family.  (that's  why  she's  with  him,  not  them.)  she  pops  a  berry  or  two  into  her  mouth  as  she  listens,  intent  in  focus  -  swiping  off  her  empty  palms  onto  her  skirt  with  a  steady  inhale  of  breath  through  her  nose;  "anyone  who  would  have  you  banished  is  a  fool  -  look  at  you.  you're  a  hero."  her  index  finger  prods  tenderly  at  his  sternum,  thumb  tracing  over  where  his  heartbeat  is  sourced,  "you're  a  mere  man  with  a  lionheart  -  that  counts  for  everything."

her  words  are  gospel,  sealed  with  the  kindest  eyes.  she  rescinds  her  hands  to  herself,  some  sordid  nature  in  unwanted  nostalgia;  "the  world  itself  is  perfect  -  we're  the  ones  that  need  some  clarity."  the  sun,  moon  &  stars  are  hardly  those  at  fault.  "if  everyone  was  a  bit  kinder,  maybe  we'd  get  a  bit  farther  in  our  lives."      @batfall.

her words a gift , and they fall upon ears and remain tucked away - kindhearted in her nature as if sunlight poured through her very fingertips. the sun pales in comparison , and he the better for being in her very presence. there was the faint thrum of unrest , one could feel it within the earth. if he were to meet his death tomorrow he would know that he had in fact been loved.

' a lionheart ? ' brows raise ever so and his words are laced with gentle affection. ' you think too highly of me ' disbelief and awe mix as his hand goes to then reach for her fingertips and he then guides her hand to his beating heart. ' you always have ' his grey eyes gaze to capture her own gaze , and there's a coloring to cheeks that assures her of her unique hold over his very being.

his eyes fall upon her lance , and the right side of lips pulls upward ever so. a slow sort of smile as he sheathes his sword - had he truly thought there was harm he would've never done such a thing. there is power in kindness , a sort of honor that he lives his life by.

for too long he had been swathed in cruelty , his homeland made rotten as a king under the influence of a greater evil had made sure that compassion and kindness was wiped from his particular reign. he steps forward , eyes never leaving her own , very mindful about the weapon that lays dormant for the time being. ' my men find it too ... ' he looks for a word , taking his time as eyes widen ever so. ' stirring ' he lands upon a word that does not quite convey his men's sentiments.

' i think they believe that ghosts have only the power to haunt ' that smile tugs ever so slightly , and the words roll off tongue with a gentle sort of humor. ' while i have not yet made them patrol it at night , i don't think i will ... i have no wish to disturb '

his eyes then avert to the town below them , ' the people think that we angered whomever stalks these woods ' his head falls to the right as deeply inhales. ' it has not been easy ' the words vague and somewhat distant as he is the constant champion for his eldest brother and true heir. ' perhaps they fear something so divergent , something so unknown '

’ jersey ? ’ tongue hitting the roof of mouth , ’ sounds terrible ’ a humor to it all. after all , gotham sat smack dab in southern jersey. a stones throw away from atlantic city , and all the shore points.

a place where the humidity wafted - stuck to your skin , and the appearance of grey clouds in the morning accompanied the salty smell from the neighboring sea.

’ well now i trust you a bit more when it comes to new york and it’s boroughs since you’re from jersey , … like me ’ the words are kept light , and he knows that he’s coming across -exactly- the way he needs to be seen. lucious would be proud , and to that end he goes to smile once more. this smile warm and inviting as he leans back in chair and fingers go to rub jawline.

’ brookyln ’ bruce says as he then continues , ’ i like coney isalnd ’ a shrug accompanies words as fingers fall. ’ boardwalk is cheesy but ? - … we’re from jersey ’

while this interview is better than i expected , i’m still expecting the question that’s ALWAYS asked. usually formed around my parents , the loss of WE , and what my father would think. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE’D THINK. my fingers fidget as these intrusive thoughts threaten my performance. i’m a movement away from allowing myself to loose control. i pick a hangnail , and with that pull of skin i’m brought back to the right now.

pink lips fall apart to form – an admittedly put-on look of being affronted. she hasn’t always been a big fan of where she comes from – she used to LOOK DOWN on it, avoid it all at costs. but now? she’s always happy to go home. she tries to remember that even if she’s meant for more than her small town could offer, it’s still 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜. before she can actually put together some kind of [ cute ] little comeback, bruce continues and jenna really can’t help but smile. “just a couple of jersey kids then, huh?” how she forgot that gotham was right there in jersey makes her feel a bit stupid – figures she can just blame that HANDSOME SMILE for … throwing her a little.

the editor leans over her desk a little, arms folded in front of herself, “– okay, that’s a pretty great answer. "𝚒'𝚖 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚏𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚜𝚢,” maybe a little flirtier than she should be or means to be, “– do people not love the boardwalk?? man, they must just hate FUN …” jenna looks serious for a moment – brows pulled together – but it’s not long before her face relaxes and a smile spreads across her face.

yup! that charm is really working! i guess we’re just going to kiss the attempt at professionalism good-bye, huh, jenna? seriously, it’s like you’ve never been around good-looking people before … 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕!

“oh -right, questions!” it probably shouldn’t take the person she’s supposed t o be interviewing to pull the INTERVIEW back on track, but here they are – and she’s grateful! jenna sits up straight again in her chair, “but i don’t know, mr. wayne, 𝚒'𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚒𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍,” she laughs along with him, shaking her head and reaching up to tuck a rogue piece of hair back behind her ear. “but i guess for this interview, they might be more interested in learning more about bruce wayne,” there’s a cute little roll of her eyes, head tilting slightly.

“why don’t you tell me more about what you’re working on now? FOXARC? it just seems like you’re really trying to do … more for your community – 𝚒 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚊𝚍𝚖𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎.”

he allows for another laugh , leaving chest as it fills room. it's lighter in new york , he's noticed. his brother is adored and ? he's virtually unknown - OR if he is known it's that he's the brooding younger brother who has that company to his name. no , it's not wayne enterprises but instead FOXARK. a company that's innovative in it's expanse. a company that is also the forefront in technology while leading the charge on bringing down pharmaceutical companies.

in truth it had been easier for the latter because he wasn't greedy, - he didn't need for anything and he felt the need to help a city. ' i think it's difficult for people to trust me ' blunt as he then inhales and allows the moment to settle for just a moment more , ' i wish i could say that i was always this way but , i was less than what people needed ' he adjusts himself in chair as fingers (out of nerves) run through golden brown tresses.

' i don't know i was so wrapped in my own guilt ' bruce's eyes then fixated upon carpet and not on jenna , ' i believed what people wrote ' his eyes flickering upwards as he found a home within her gaze once more , ' that doesn't excuse away my absence from my family name ' bruce struggles.

FAMILY , i think about it and it also brings the slightest smile. here arthur is accepted no , he's a celebrity as is his family. i know that without that acceptance i'd be even far worse off. i'll have to call him tonight , let him know that it's always been appreciated. while i have FOXARK , i wonder what would have happened if we would've both been brought up in different circumstances. yet i'm always dreaming , and that dream is always disturbed.

there's the slight remembrance of who they once were , and the reality of who they are now. it settles upon the air and lingers ever so. he allows a small smile to pull , the rounding of grey eyes as she continues.

yes , he remembers their days - the ones that made his youth a bit brighter. the two of them knowing so early on what it meant like to grieve. zatanna seeing her friend pull away as she so desperately wished to pull him back. magic , it had gone out too early , and he hadn't quite made it to one of her shows. an admittance that brings the faintest tinge of red to cheeks , and he then inhales.

' would you think me so terrible if i were to say that i hadn't seen you perform ... i know , something that i shouldn't admit ' the words cause the slight furrowing of brow as he then licks lips , and teeth pull slightly on lower lip. he's still in deep thought for a moment before continuing. the words hang upon air as they gently blow with the wind.

' i just - everything became so serious '

the words heavy , and gotham almost bends to his very ear as she hears those words. in truth , she had always meant to break his spirit - to crush his very soul until there was nothing left. yet there was something soft amid the scar tissue that traveled upon back , and gently sprawled like ivy upon his very skin.

she reminds me too much of another life , a life in which isolation didn't have a place. where i was surrounded by if not love , than the idea that it was an attainable notion. my parents weren't perfect , no one's are. though i knew the simple fact that my mother loved my father to a fault ; this love , the kind of love that devoured and turned the heart bloody. on good days i'm no longer angered , and today ? it seems to be one of those days.