hated for saving the day

muses are anything goes. as i have a lot of characters i have muse for but am too busy and low energy to run separate blogs for them. so i may just play one character for one specific thread and only that thread - it’s not a slight to you, it’s just all i’ve got the time, energy & muse for. 

i don’t tolerate bigotry. although i’m using this blog to be as relaxed an atmosphere as possible, i’m more than happy to call out bigotry when i see it. 

“Batman?!” Jim exclaimed, “So you ARE one of those batpeople i’ve been hearin’ about! Who are you workin’ for?! Psycrow?! The Queen?!” 

Or possibly…somebody else! Could there be a whole planet filled with humanoid, bug-eating batpeople? Why would they come here? Or perhaps this was once a regular man, horribly mutated into a hideous bat-creature. But by who? Jim realized he probably didn’t have too much time to think, this bat guy was kitted out in gear Jim had never seen before, and the bat looked just about ready to use it on him! ..maybe. Jim wasn’t very good at reading people yet.

He could sigh in response, at the assumptions. The other’s exclamation were fair - he supposed - but that doesn’t mean he has to accept that given the fact that he’d made his presence known in his city for long over a decade, let alone the world. 

“you watch too many movies. do you let hollywood tell you how the world works? if vampires were real, what makes you think that’s how creating new vampires would work?” this guy was out of his mind, there was no other explanation. “why would anyone feed from the belly? that’s not even one of the tropes.” well, he didn’t feed with his hand from someone’s abdomen. and he didn’t take blood when he fed that way. “you are certainly a strange one.”

“no. no, i would not. would you please step away from my cabinets? there is nothing in there for you.” he was about to shoo the man away keeping his sword trained on him. “continue to annoy me and you won’t be alive to test anything out with anyone else. what will make you leave? do you want money? i can pay you to get out of my hair for the rest of my life.”

“i actually spend a lot of time on the vampire forums, thank you very much.” he’d responded offendedly with a huff of his breath. quickly amending with, “not those twilight boards.” a shudder of repulsion ran through his body, “oh god, definitely not any of those.” ok, maybe twilight might have been the source of harris’ original venture into vampire fan turned wants-to-be-sired vampire fan but that was short lived once he got into the lore and world of the underworld series and had soon ventured further and further in vast vampire lores from the chinese lore of the jiangshi to pop culture takes and better yet marvel’s blade. how cool could it be to be a dhampir... he’d always hypothesized that if a siring didn’t take properly that perhaps one could easily become a daywalker like him. 

Lois hadn’t known what to expect from this blind date, she knew he was handsome by what she’d been told but to have been set up entirely because of the fact their names happen to be Lois and Clark was utterly annoying. The jokes truly needed to stop and any expectations she’d had of the other sort of went down the drain as she continued to smile, rather painfully as they’d both realized the reason for the match.

Jim’s face fell at the caped man’s blunt dismissal. But he was nothing if not persistent.

“But i’m an expert! I’ve gunned down crows bigger’n yer own head! I’ve been to space!! Tamed giant hamsters!! There’s gotta be somethin’ fer me to do here!”

His brow furrowed in thought, then, he took a few bold steps closer.

“Yer startin’ to sound to me like you might just be in league with these bats and birds! Who are you, anyway? I gave you my name, now spit out yours!”

Batman’s arms crossed as he’d listened to the bug-onaut (astro-bug?) list off his crown achievements. It was interesting that this massive worm was so active in ‘heroics’ when he’d heard nothing of him. He’d made sure to note the nightcrawler and to look him up on the League’s or even Oracle’s network, see if anyone knows anything about him. And should they turn up with no information, he’d ask one of the Lanterns to look into this cosmic worm.

          ━━  fade  in  . the  memory  was  so  clear  ,  hidden  within  the  depths  of  her  mind  .  it  was  as  though  the  conversation  had  happened  not  long  ago  .  “  do  you  know  why  i  came  here  ,  warren  ?  "  she  spoke  softly  ,  back  turned  to  him  .  things  were  TENSE  between  the  both  of  them  ,  they  knew  what  was  ahead  of  them  .  "  to  help  me  keep  archangel  in  check  .  "  he  wasn't  wrong  ,  but  that  was  not  the  only  reason  .  yes  ,  she  was  there  to  keep  archangel  in  check  ,  to  keep  warren  SAFE  from  the  angel  ,  but  there  was  so  much  more  to  it  .  "  yes  .  one  reason  .  after  we  lost  kurt  …  i  was  so  ABSOLUTELY  NUMB  .  i  didn't  have  anything  left  to  give  to  it  .  such  deep  hopelessness  .  an  unending  avalanche  and  us  at  the  bottom  of  it  ,  digging  …  forever  .  "  she  took  a  deep  breath  ,  hearing  the  tenderness  in  his  voice  ,  "  it  takes  a  toll  .  "  everything  they  did  took  its  toll  ,  every  death  ,  every  loss  ,  every  battle  .   "  i  sat  for  days  ,  searching  for  the  last  time  i  felt  human  .  the  last  time  i  felt  anything  real  .  only  YOU  came  to  mind  .  "  her  hand  lifted  to  caress  his  cheek  ,  smiling  up  at  him  .           ━━  fade  out  . those  were  different  times  for  the  both  of  them  ,  innocent  times  compared  to  what  they  had  now  both  been  through  .  she  was  a  SHADOW  of  the  woman  he  knew  ,  she  barely  recognized  the  woman  she  saw  in  the  mirror  .  she  couldn't  expect  anyone  else  to  recognize  her  . things  were  DIFFERENT  .  she  was  good  at  hiding  ,  good  at  pretending  .  the  only  reason  warren  had  caught  up  to  her  was  that  she  had  allowed  him  to  .  it  had  been  easy  to  avoid  him  ,  her  mind  constantly  searching  her  surroundings  and  sensing  any  and  all  presence  .  he  had  been  easy  to  avoid  ,  even  as  she  stood  right  in  front  of  him  .  if  she  did  not  want  to  be  found  ,  she  would  not  be  .  she  had  allowed  this  encounter  ,  possibly  due  to  the  guilt  (  was  it  guilt  ?  )  that  she  felt  or  in  some  weak  attempt  to  make  it  seem  as  though  she  was  not  avoiding  him  .  she  crossed  her  arms  over  her  chest  ,  completely  closed  off  to  him  ,  as  she  stood  still  .  she  made  no  effort  to  approach  or  distance  herself  .  she  waited  patiently  for  the  words  she  KNEW  were  coming  ,  the  questions  he  would  ask  .  she  didn't  need  to  be  a  telepath  to  know  . but  his  thoughts  were  so  LOUD  ,  he  was  confused  ,  he  was  …  distressed  ,  perhaps  that  was  the  best  way  to  put  it  .  he  needed  help  ,  he  needed  HER  and  yet  ,  she  refused  him  at  every  corner  .  she  knew  that  it  should  have  hurt  her  ,  she  knew  that  she  should  have  felt  that  ache  in  her  chest  ,  the  one  that  ached  for  HIM  ,  but  there  was  nothing  .  she  wished  she  could  feel  something  ,  she  wanted  to  HURT  and  she  wanted  to  cry  .  she  desperately  searched  for  something  to  alleviate  the  (  lack  of  )  pain  , but  there  was  nothing  .  instead  ,  she  was  left  with  the  notion  of  pain  ,  of  what  she  should  be  feeling  for  a  man  that  she  had  once  loved  more  than  anything  (  she  still  loved  him  ,  she  still  wanted  to  save  him  )  .          "  stop  .  you're  thinking  so  …  loudly  ,  warren  .  breathe  ,  love  .  ” once  upon  a  time  ,  they  had  been  connected  so  intimately  via  their  telepathic  link  .  she  had  known  his  soul  ,  known  him  for  his  every  merit  and  flaw  .  she  had  kept  him  safe  ,  yet  she  had  never  been  intrusive  .  she  had  let  the  lies  slip  by  ,  she  had  disconnected  the  link  when  he  had  needed  it  ,  but  they  had  been  INTIMATE  on  a  level  that  she  had  never  allowed  prior  to  him  and  would  never  allow  again  .  this  felt  awful  ,  it  felt  strange  to  stand  before  him  and  not  know  his  every  thought  ,  his  feelings  .  she  could  only  know  what  was  jumping  out  at  her  .  thoughts  racing  ,  multitudes  of  scenarios  .  he  was  LOST  and  she  was  the  only  who  could  help  …  but  she  did  not  .          "  it  is  better  you  do  not  know  .  “ because  if  he  knew  ,  warren  would  not  have  a  CHANCE  at  being  happy  .  she  knew  that  ,  he  had  to  know  it  .  the  memories  she  had  taken  ,  the  atrocities  that  had  happened  …  warren  was  a  good  man  and  his  self  -  loathing  would  creep  in  ,  she  knew  it  would  (  who  was  she  to  make  THAT  decision  ?  )  she  cleared  her  throat  and  glanced  away  from  him  ,  suddenly  unable  to  meet  his  gaze  .          "  there  is  a  reason  the  mind  makes  you  forget  TRAUMATIC  events  ,  warren  .  i  am  in  no  position  to  give  you  the  answers  you  search  for  .  you  should  appreciate  what  you  do  have  and  live  the  life  you  now  have  …  trust  me  ,  some  memories  are  better  left  forgotten  .  ”

it felt surreal to experience this moment right now. he was well aware that she was letting him see her; that she’d given him this opportunity to talk about his issues yet she continued to play it off. it was once again, disheartening and clear that this ‘traumatic’ event clearly changed her opinion of him overnight.

it also made it clearly wasn’t traumatic if his entire memory’s been erased yet she’s intact and is fully aware of what he’d done. she’d probably sacrificed his memories for another chance for him - it’s possibly the guilt of doing something for someone who’s done some severely terrible acts that caused this significant rift between them. he knows, he’s more than well aware, that he has it better than most. the man looks like the european christian iconography of an angel, so he certainly was aware that he was more privileged than just about everyone else. so, here he was, on top of the world with no one he knows, truly knows any more... and the one person that knows all tells him it’s something he shouldn’t dare dwell on. which only drive his thoughts to be louder, more vulnerable.

how is he supposed to be a good man if he can’t fix his wrongs. he doesn’t know much beyond what he’d been told about his previous self, about what he’s read about his previous self on the gossip blogs, the business news, and wikipedia. he’s damn well aware that whatever that could cause what feels like a planet of distance between them is more than a mere traumatic event. he’s sure it’s an event caused by him that betsy had somehow kept from getting out. that the storm he was ‘born’ in cleaned away it’s evidence perhaps, he wasn’t sure but he couldn’t deny the urging in his mind to find out more about it, to find out the truth about it all. 

so he’d responded bluntly as there was no need for subtleties, as she can hear his loud thoughts already. “if it were so traumatic, why would my entire mind be blank? i had to relearn my name, i didn’t know anything when i’d walked stepped out of eye of the storm. not my name, not my identity. i came out of there with no knowledge or recollection of the last three decades of my life. all i was, all i knew was that i had seen the most beautiful woman in that storm and she’s been avoiding me since. everything i know now ━everything you can hear from my mind right now is what i’ve learned through osmosis. i know nothing besides what wikipedia’s said about me yet here you are with full recollection to the fact you’re going through extreme lengths to avoid me of this ‘traumatic’ occurrence.”

he was lonely, here he was on top of the world with a fresh start yet there was an emptiness, a void, that he couldn’t fill because he was unaware of what had even been in that void. was it love? was their love so strong that even the erasure of their life together has made him empty? or was his actions so heinous, so aggressive, so violent that he’ll be unable to recover after learning about them?

he was aware how risky, the signs were all there, whatever had happened was unforgivable and therefore he needs to know.

this was starting to irritate him. this… vampire groupie was intent on fanboying over him, and it was all thanks to raphael’s malfested appearance manifesting out of habit because his sanctuary was breached. the only thing keeping this fool alive right now was raphael’s curiosity and even that was starting to wane. how bizarre a situation indeed. the man had laughed at him and looked like he was about to celebrate the fact that he stood before a powerful immortal.

the response was abnormal at best.

“servant? dear god, no.” he could barely stand being in the room with him now. oh, what the hell, maybe he could humor him for awhile, toy with him. he’d finished what he wanted to do for the night and this man seemed like he was no longer a threat (if he’d even been a threat to begin with). “what makes you think, that if i was a vampire, i’d want to sire a man who broke into my home? what would keep me from draining you dry where you stand right now?”

“good point, i mean you could try.” he shrugged casually. “i may just die, or i may just end up turning because you hadn’t fully drained me. win / win situation either way tbh. dead i don’t owe on my student loans, alive i’m a vampire, a living leech like the loans interests have been on me.” he’d cautiously raised his hand to his chin and tapped. “truly a win / win, so let’s have at it, huh? you prefer the wrist or neck? or maybe belly?”

raphael’s blade followed the younger man’s chin as he moved, staying in step with him the entire time until he had him backed against the window. red eyes burned through the dissipating smoke narrowing at his intended target. he could kill him right here and it wouldn’t be but a minor inconvenience on his night. what was one life in a vast see of people? what was one more stain when he had killed so many over nearly five centuries of existence. a life lived on both sides, flitting between evil and good and then evil again, only to settle in a state of general neutrality.

he was about to utter another threat when the man spoke, causing raphael to instantly react, a look of confusion washing over his face. “excuse me?” vampire lord? did this moron really think he was face to face with a vampire? no, he faced something much worse than that, one of the last malfested left alive. though… close enough to a vampire that this moron wouldn’t understand the nuanced differences. “sire you? vampire lord? my, that smoke has gone to your head, you poor, wretched thing.”

the insult lead to harris laughing, through it all as the smoke began to die out. his fist also found it’s way upwards into the air before he’d ‘yes’d’ by pulling it down really fast in a sort of victory shrug like movement. he couldn’t believe it, he’d done his homework and picked this house due to the worth of the items within knowing damn well it could help his neighbors for a few weeks if he’d sold a few items from the home, but he’d ended up finding something even better immortality by getting sired by this old vampire knight, or whatever he was.

how thoroughly unimpressive, the immortal thought, watching the man’s surprise and then his feeble attempt to act like this was no big deal. raphael had no problem losing his more common possessions, they could easily be bought again, but the fact that someone got into his home in the first place was unforgiveable. the instant the smoke bomb was dropped, the malfested’s eyes turned from that almost inhuman ice blue to glowing red embers, his vision sharp and cutting more clearly through the smoke. he pulled his collar up around his nose and mouth, trying his best not to breathe the fumes (though some of it still penetrated through causing a spasm or two in his chest and a deep cough). 

he shrugged it off as best he could, advancing on the young fool, sword still stretched out in front of him. “do you really expect to steal from someone like me and live? who sent you?” he asked, lowering his sword until it was level with the man’s chin. something about the man seemed off, his scent… he wasn’t like other humans… something about it seemed familiar. interesting, he may have to let this one live, at least for now, at least until his curiosity was sated.

‘like me’... like me? harris attempted to search into his cough focused brain try to figure out if there’s a local superhero, or better yet super villain giving the other’s flair with a flourish for the drama, who’s known for being good with swords and/or fencing. but he couldn’t think of anything, not when the fumes were now burning his eyes and his eyes were naturally tearing up to combat the intrusion. he did however flinch when he’d seen the red eyes and struggled to take his wandering hand towards the smoke bomb to throw it out into the city beyond the window.

he usually spent the first few hours of sundown in his private room, a room guests were never privy to the existence of. everything that was truly of value to him was kept there, away from prying eyes and those who may question. artifacts of his past, things best kept away from public knowledge. it was where he went to reflect and where he went to monitor for any signs of the swords. his past obsessions with the blades had changed from desiring them to preventing their catastrophic return. why not use the eternity he had ahead of him to keep things that way.

a noise, faint enough a human couldn’t hear it but not faint enough to avoid his detection, caught his attention. someone was in his home. with a flick of his wrist, he summoned Flambert from the pocket dimension he kept the blade in and listened through the unseen panel to get a gauge on where the threat was. the living room. it gave him a chance to slip out of the private room unseen and get a drop on the intruder… or at least let him know what a grave mistake he had made. stepping into the faint light that shone in from the city, he raised his blade at the man and spoke: “I believe you have the wrong home…”

harris had just climbed into the room when he’d turned around to see the blade pointed right at him. right. of course. just his luck when everything else in the plan was going absolutely perfectly that this one time he’d have decided and spent time on deciding to break into a freaking sword weeb’s home. absolutely blood fantastic! not. but he made sure he was slow, careful, he’d made sure that there wouldn’t be a sound so unless this guy had a genuinely impressive security system that he should look into or perhaps he ought to just cut the loss and back out of there stat. however, a thing you need to keep in mind is that despite harris being book smart, he wasn’t exactly street smart.

harris had scoped out the place he was going to rob tonight more than a few times over the last month, it seemed like an ideal place to hit and tonight seemed to be an ideal night based on the patterns he’d observed. the owner, handsome as he may be, was a rich prick and rich pricks deserved to get robbed. that’s that and so he began his night by rappelling down the roof towards what he assumed is a vacant bedroom window. it was, fortunately, and just as luckily, the window had been unlocked. so all it took was some patient and cautious strength to pull it open quietly.

“And yet, you still want to do this.” Bruce mumbled against her lips as she shifted on top of him, fingertips brushing across her back. “I’m a bad bat for trying to seduce you, what a villain.” A chuckle before he heard a noise coming from outside. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the door.

“I really need to go.” Bruce sighed, looking frustrated. A man outside called for him. “Son of Bats, Ra’s al Ghul wishes to see you.”

“oh hush now,” she began playfully but then had been interrupted by the entourage her ever cockblocking father had sent for him. with a disappointing huff of breath she frustratingly blew out air sending her bangs flying and uncovering her eye. after a quick roll of her eyes she’d looked down on bruce and pressed a few kisses to his face in succession ever so swiftly.