damian

[vigilantics]

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[vigilantics]

[ she doesn't seem surprised by what he's doing. honestly, she'd be doing something similar right now if she hadn't searched for him instead as soon as she realized he wasn't with the group anymore.

steph approaches him slowly, only stopping when she reaches the sword. ]

Damian.

[bittybat]

[He doesn't lower the sword, even when she comes up to it. He could have gone to her, to make it easier. Hell, he could, like, not be on a damn mountain to make it easier for everyone. But here he is.

His eyes are red, more red than normal.]

What are you doing up here, Brown?

[vigilantics]

I haven't been up here yet. Needed the exercise.

[ asking if he's okay seems rather pointless.

but she'll walk closer to him again. ]

[bittybat]

[He keeps the sword raised like he places to let her run herself through if she dares come closer, but then he

sort of panics that she won't stop, so he ends up bending first. The sword lowers slowly down to hang by his side.]

Shut up, it isn't the time.

[vigilantics]

... it's probably the time.

[ because she knows that he isn't going to actually let any time be the time, knowing him. ]

[bittybat]

[STOP. Let him not have it be the time any time.]

Go back down, Brown. You don't have any business being up here in that condition.

[Especially not checking on him.]

[vigilantics]

[ she's only going to stop walking when she reaches him. ]

It'll take a while.

[bittybat]

[He squeezes the hilt of the sword.] I don't need coddling. [But it sounds--pained? Like he's trying to convince himself this more than anything.]

Go back down.

[vigilantics]

This isn't coddling, Damian.

[ it's said softly

steph can't really kneel down like she wants to, because of the injury, but she'll still wrap her arms over damian's shoulders and drag him into a hug. he can resist if he wants, or yell at her, but. if anyone here needs one, it's him. ]

[bittybat]

[He opens his mouth, but then his face is covered by gross Steph torso, so he immediately shuts it.

He stands there with both arms hanging down by his side, stiff and awkward all over.]

[vigilantics]

[ honestly, he didn't stab her, so this is going better than it could have already. ]

... I'm sorry, Damian.

[bittybat]

He was injured.

[That's the excuse he's clinging to about why Dick is gone, why Dick couldn't do it. That's the reason, isn't it? There's a reason. Dick wouldn't just let this happen.

Dick would fight, right? Dick would fight to stay alive for them surely, even if it's not their Dick.]

[vigilantics]

He was.

[ and it's true, he was. so was ookurikara.

she'll slowly lower herself so he isn't just forced against her torso. ]

He wouldn't leave us on purpose.

[bittybat]

[He opens his mouth, but then shuts it again because he's afraid his voice is going to croak if he talks. But it's obvious by the angry red lining his eyes and the wetness on his cheeks what's happening even if he doesn't say anything at all.

Squeezing one hand into a fist, and the other around the hilt of the sword, he drops his chin to his chest and exhale raggedly.]

[vigilantics]

[ she has to lift her gaze upwards to try to blink away any tears that threaten to well up.

jason was already bad enough. percy, too. what happened in winter's cabin. and every time damian did his best to remain levelheaded about it all. and she gets it. she does. getting too invested and emotional can lead to mistakes-- it's true even back in gotham.

but, in the end, he really is just a kid who lost his family. so she just stays quiet and wonders why this is happening.

[bittybat]

[Very quietly and hoarsely, he says,] I want to go home already. [It isn't whiny, or even especially sad. It's tired. He is tired of being in games with absolutely no loop hole they can take to get out of killing.

And yet, he thinks his father would have been able to find a way to stop all of this somehow. Probably.]

[vigilantics]

... me too.

[ it's really not that easy to admit. everyone it tired, and angry, and hurt, but for some reason it's really especially hard to admit it right after a loss. ]

We will. [ a shaky breath. ] And then we can complain about all the litter and how people can't walk two feet to throw their trash into the garbage.

[bittybat]

Not the time, Brown.

[But he sounds, like, tiredly fond in a very small way. Like some part of him wants to suck his teeth, but can't.]

[vigilantics]

My timing tends to always be bad.

[ she will pretend like she doesn't notice. ]

[bittybat]

[Thank God. He'd have to kill her if not.]

Fine. Your comforting is complete. Now you can go back down the mountain.

[vigilantics]

I need to take a break after coming up the mountain.

[ it took her so long to get up the mountain. ]

[bittybat]

[LET HIM BE A BROODY WAYNE IN PEACE!! He will be consumed by his moodiness and insatiable desire for righteous justice, and then he will murder several people the next week.]

Sit down then. He didn't... [A pause.] He didn't die so we could be stupid.

[vigilantics]

[ it's a good thing this happened right before endgame

but she makes a face? although she does... end up sitting, because he's right. ]

... no. We have to make sure we get to the end of this.

[bittybat]

[Wow, the one time Stephanie Brown listens to him. He will emboss this into granite.]

We will. [He wipes his eyes roughly with his arm.] It sounds like we have one last battle left.

[vigilantics]

A potential giant pink snake... lovely.

[ she says this so dryly. but honestly, it's nice to talk about a mission than what they uh, just. witnessed. ]