objects in the rear view mirror

[bossymarmalade]

“—one of my favourite coffee places in Star City, which is saying something, because there’s a helluva lot of coffee places in Star City.” Ollie grinned and gestured grandly at the front window of a renovated heritage building on the waterfront boardwalk. “Carolina’s Café con Libros. Figured you might like a bookstore-slash-coffee shop, huh? If you get bored with me you can go check out her huge section on Latin American authors!”

Guy grinned at Ollie’s enthusiasm. It was almost enough to make him feel at ease with this rendezvous - almost. They’d gone from barely speaking at all to one another for a month, to a difficult video chat where a lot of anger was resolved but the wounds hadn’t quite healed over…and then Ollie almost died. It had shaken Guy enough to dismiss what pain he still had over the previous incident, but had still left things unsaid.

And now, Ollie wanted to talk to him…about Guy’s issues. Guy realized that the last time he’d opened up to Ollie, it had come back to haunt him - though through no directly betrayal of Guy’s confidence on Ollie’s part - Guy’d sworn off confiding in people in general, save precious few. It didn’t include Ollie anymore, and the idea of being grilled by a man who knew him so well he might as well be transparent, well, it was as close to jumpy as Guy Gardner got.

“Ollie Queen, borin’? Wouldn’t that actually involve you using short words, or not speakin’, or somethin’ terribly out of character like that?” he teased.

“Usually I’m the most boring when I’m being very, very careful about what I’m saying,” Ollie said, then paused in front of the coffee counter and frowned at Guy as a thought occurred to him. “Or maybe that’s not so boring for the *other* person, but it sure is for *me*.”

Shrugging with a smile — no use dwelling! — he ordered himself an obscenely large green tea frappucino and some lemon loaf. “We’ll go sit up with the Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Nobody except high school english students bother with authors of the Lost Generation anymore, so it’ll be nice and quiet.”

( like white elephants )

priorities

[bossymarmalade]

Damian Wayne pulls back into the cave, throwing his helmet to the floor as he kicks his bike to a stop and looking sour.

Batman: Damian?

Damian Wayne: The stupid doctor doesn’t know anything. He could barely confirm his own name without stuttering.

Damian Wayne glances at the Lantern

Damian Wayne: What are you doing here, Gardner?

Guy shrugs, “Just payin’ a visit. Seein’ if Dick was around…how’re you doin’, Damian?”

Damian Wayne: Peachy.

Damian Wayne: Grayson is leaving. Going back to Bludhaven.

Damian Wayne sits down at a computer and types, scowling at the screen

Batman switches the screen to his last saved level of Professor Layton.

Guy frowns “Leaving?”

Batman: Nygma’s online.

Batman: [to Damian] Guess which one he is.

Batman: [to Guy] Dick is moving back to Bludhaven.

( whys and wherefores )

grease is the cure

[bossymarmalade]

Isis is hiding with her tablet. I’ve already snapped at her about four times in the last hour, so she’s justified for it. Please bring something greasy enough I could siphon the extra off for my car.

Ollie hadn’t actually expected an answer that detailed and anthropomorphic re: Isis, but he valiantly put all thoughts of kitty skyping from his head and sallied forth to bring Selina what she’d requested. A baked cannelloni swimming in oil, focaccia with oil and balsamic, and a much nicer and infinitely less greasy margherita pizza for when she was feeling better and ravenous.

“Delivery from Queen’s House o’Hangover,” he said into the buzzer when she picked up, making some kind of rolling aggravated purring noise on the other end. At least he remembered to pitch his voice down, or he had the distinct impression that Selina would have no qualms about leaving him there on her doorstep.

Selina sat there for a moment and just stared at the door, trying to decide how much time she needed between buzzing him in and him getting to her door to actually get to it herself. Why had she been so stupid to let Maven take the day off?

No, wait…. Maven said something about it last night. Damn her wine-fuzzy brain!

She realized she hadn’t responded and growled slightly, hitting the button to unlock the door. He was just walking up to her mat when she finally made it to the door.

“I can’t decide whether that smells delicious or disgusting, but it’s the most human thing I’ve smelled in a while,” she said, opening the door. “Come in.”

( as i was going to st ives )

the gift

[bossymarmalade]

Guy Gardner landed not far from the gates of Wayne Manor, and ringed on suitable attire for the pool party. He wouldn’t be staying long, no need for swim trunks or a towel. All he needed was the gift tucked under his arm. As he walked up, he noticed Billy Batson pacing outside the gate. “Hey, Billy…what’re you doing out here?”

The boy looked up, and he looked nervous. “Hi Mr. Gardner. I’m…I don’t think I can go to this party. I better go home. Can you please not tell Stephanie I was here?”

Guy gave a little frown and held up a hand before the boy could leave, “Woah, woah, ease up there, partner…what’s the problem? Maybe I can help?”

Billy looked up, opening his mouth and closing it a few times as he was about to speak, then changed his mind, and then started again. Finally, he whispered, “I don’t have a present for her.”

The redhead smiled, “Oh, is that all? Hey, Billy, it’s really no big deal. I know Stephanie, and she’ll be plenty happy to see you, she doesn’t care about things. Trust me, she won’t mind one little bit!”

“It’s…different for me, though…” the child confessed haltingly.

“Oh?” Guy slowly dropped to one knee, so he could talk to Billy and not down at him. “How come, buddy?”

Billy looked back through the gate, then left and right up and down the street, before he dared answer. “If I tell you something, you promise not to tell?”

“As long as it isn’t a secret that might hurt someone, then yeah, you can tell me anythin’ Billy,” Guy assured him, his concern growing a little.

“I really like her,” he whispered.

“Ohhh…” he managed to not crack the hint of a smile. This was serious to Billy, and should be treated likewise. “You mean, as in, like like her?”

Billy nodded, wide-eyed.

“Well, yeah, I can see why that would make a difference…” He glanced down at the parcel under his arm. “As it happens, I think we can help each other out, Billy. See, I already got Steph a present from Europe, a snowglobe, and she told me it should count as her birthday present too. But y’know, I couldn’t resist gettin’ her somethin’ else. Now, I’m afraid she’ll get mad because I got her two things, y’see?”

The boy wasn’t sure he did see.

Guy continued, “You could give her this second present from me, and say it’s from you. Then I won’t get in trouble for givin’ her two gifts, and you’ll feel better because she’ll get a nice gift from you. Whaddya say, help a fellow Leaguer out, buddy? Please?”

The child thought about it. Guy could see him briefly wrestle with the moral implications of taking credit for something he didn’t buy. The Green Lantern smiled to himself; this kid was like a mini-Superman, a boy scout through and through. It was undeniably cuter on a ten-year-old, but still charming on Blue. It was time for the last-ditch hard-sell, “You’d be doin’ me a favour. I can’t return the present, anyway, I ordered it online, it’d be a hassle. I can’t even stay for the party, so, might as well, right?”

“What present did you get her?” Billy asked at last, and Guy whispered the answer to him. The boy’s eyes lit up, “Holy moley, that’s a perfect present for Stephanie!”

“So you’ll do this for me?” Guy asked, nodding with a smile.

“Yes Sir!” Billy agreed, almost jumping from his enthusiasm, “And thank you!”

“Well, thank you Billy,” Guy gave the boy a manly handshake and rose to his feet, then removed the tag on the present that said it was from him and handed it over. “Careful not to drop it now, don’t want to dent it,” he grinned.

He leaned over and pushed the call button on the gatepost. “Hi Alfred,” he replied when the butler asked who was calling, “Guy Gardner and Billy Batson, for Steph’s party.” The gate swung open, and Billy waved as he couldn’t contain himself and ran on ahead, the aubergine-wrapped gift with the green bow tucked tightly into his chest in his little arms.

Guy smiled quietly to himself as he shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled up the driveway at a leisurely pace, feeling good about life for awhile, appreciating the gift.

last straw

[bossymarmalade]

Damian rises from the computer as soon as he sends his warning. His anger over Todd’s claim about having… relations with his mother manifests itself as cold purpose. He’s silent as he makes way to the cave and dresses in his Robin gear just the same as any other time he might go out on patrol. He’s deliberate in the weaponry he arms himself with, however. Todd isn’t much of a challenge by Damian’s estimation, but he wants to make certain he causes him as much pain as possible without actually killing him.

He’ll have his revenge, and he’ll maintain Father’s sacred rule. Damian Wayne is a reasonable young man.

The day is gray and drizzly as he tears out of the cave on his bike, the engine screaming in his ears and the wind fanning his cape behind him. These stimuli are lost on Damian as his mind churns over his fury and determination to teach Todd an agonizing lesson. The only thing he sees are the navigation coordinates on his bike’s system, each mile taking him closer to Todd’s safehouse on the outskirts of Gotham City.

Jason considers Damian’s words more than he lets on publically, if the internet really counts as ‘public’, it is all rather new to him. However as his last encounter with the latest Robin has proved Damian is not a boy to be reckoned with, even if the bare truth is he is but a boy. After this consideration Jason gets to his feet and moves towards the abandoned helmet on his bed and puts it on, just in case, he tells himself, but he knows this is not all. He is aware of where all his weaponry is stored and he gathers as much as he can into his jacket, unable to reason with himself why he has kept a pistol in hand. He will wait an hour before bed but that’s definitely enough of cyberspace for tonight.

( filial piety )

new things

[bossymarmalade]

(hanging out at ollie's place, and kate is packing under her jeans)

KATE: *pulls away, turning so she can sit up on the counter, only her eyes giving away the fact that she's playing a part* You're not taking me seriously, Ollie. If I was un hombre, if my dick were real? You'd be fighting me already.

OLLIE: No I wouldn't. *moves in, touching the sides of her knees* If YOU were un hombre, Kate? I'd already be on my knees.

KATE: *bites her lip for a second, then plants her foot in his solar plexus and shoves him to the floor* You bastard.

OLLIE: Ollie slides back, honestly astonished to find himself on his ass. "Honey, I ..." he starts, then wrinkles his forehead, looking unsure. "I'm taking you very seriously," he says finally. "But I want what I want."

KATE: *cocks her head, letting him know she's playing still, that it's not really her* *slides down off the counter*

OLLIE: Smiling at her for a second or two, Ollie tips his head slightly to reassure Kate he's playing along before sprawling back some more, watching her approach. "I usually do get what I want, Katie," he drawls.

( and what's that? )