canon review is a go!

[robinred]

( Mundane, you're insane. You made a post to this same community only a few days ago. Nobody needs to know what you've been up to. Nobody cares. There has got to be some unspoken rule that says you can't post to d_m just because you're bored.

You have work to be doing.

And Tim was under the impression he was easy to forget. )

You got your hands on the books. Should I be saying congratulations?

Comments

[sibylline]

I can say it if you won't.

[robinred]

She shouldn't be encouraged.

[plains_hunter]

Looks like a lot of reading, ahead.

[robinred]

If anything it'll buy me some time.

[sibylline]

In principle, that's true. In practice, Tim — wherever you go? Whatever you end up doing?

It's going to be better than where you are now.

[plains_hunter]

What do you mean? At least you'll be active.

[robinred]

She's barely begun the reading and she's already plotting things for when she's done. ( He doesn't believe you, Babs.

But. But okay, maybe Babs was just trying to help and maybe Tim now feels a little bad for snapping. ) But I'll hold you to it. ( Which sounds so incredibly dry. )

[robinred]

What if I told you I'd rather be left alone?

[sibylline]

Let her. We're not here only to be messed around with. There's something about each of us they want in particular, and for you, well, it just about has to be resilience. I know because I'm there, when it's better, so don't give me that tone of voice, mister.

[She's just as dry.]

[haveyoumetmyttk]

I wish my mun would get on that. She's too busy reading up on the new version of myself's stuff. [Looks beyond annoyed.]

[plains_hunter]

How long are you gonna' play the sad sack, kid? Whatever it is, get over it. Move on. Stop moping around like it'll change anything. Look at me, even I'm trying to move forward. Mun's trying to stick me in Cape and Cowl.

[robinred]

I. . . didn't really mean to sound like that. ( Just. You know. By the way.

Sorry. )

[robinred]

Mine hasn't even done that. ( Maybe if she would stake out a shop near her, he wouldn't have to deal with this mess. )

[sibylline]

[She nods, then holds out her hand. Give your hand to her, Tim. You have to, she's not asking for a hug. The power of guilt compels you!!]

[robinred]

I'm not playing. I'm not playing any games. ( Timmy, hush, you don't even know. ) Look, I was hoping to get her off my tail. I couldn't even do that. It doesn't mean I have to enjoy whatever she's going to throw at me later, or that I'm not going to fight it.

[plains_hunter]

You can try to fight them all you want, kid, but you're as much a pawn as the rest of us.

[haveyoumetmyttk]

He gets to go somewhere I'm stuck in the stupid memes she sends me to. Seriously, dude, go along with your mun and look for a place. Memes are the worst.

[robinred]

( Oh please. The power of guilt basically makes the world go 'round, if only it didn't constantly feel like the force that will one day crush all living things underneath it as well.

Tim looks like he really, truly, doesn't know what to think of the hand offered to him. Like, he can't think of a reason why it'd be there. Of course, the confusion is erased from his features a half-second later and wow okay maybe he's a little out of it.

And then he doesn't really know if he should take her hand because the whole point of this. . . thing. . . was to distance himself from the family. But Babs was-- and he-- okay. Yeah, he gives her his hand.

It's gloved. Good luck with that kind gesture. )

[robinred]

That's probably true but I can't just hand myself over to her. I'm my own person. If I'm some toy, it won't be willingly. It won't ever be willingly.

[sibylline]

[She squeezes his hand, which to an innocent observer must not look like anything but a nice gesture. In fact, she's squeezing hard enough that the pressure can just be felt through the undoubtedly armored glove. Enjoy that, Tim. You can make it as hard as you want but she's bestowing affection (A VERY RESERVED GESTURE OF AFFECTION, AT THAT) upon you whether you like it or not. B|

Then she simply lets go, without drama, without ceremony.]

Take care of yourself.

[It's not very tender. It's an order.]

[robinred]

She has this other guy up in a spaceship. ( Based on the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Tim kind of wishes he could geek out about that. But he won't. ) It'll be a few months before she scopes out a place for me to stay.

And I know memes. I'm trying to keep her away.

[plains_hunter]

Kid, I'm starting to think all those idealistic speeches from Bats are giving you a false sense of reality.

[robinred]

( That was good. That was nice, that she didn't drag it out. Tim drops his hand back to his side. He can't say much about the order given. Can't do much about it either, other than mull over it. He's not a priority right now. )

I'll trust you. ( Kind of. About things getting better. Later. Anywhere.

And there's some underlying suspicion in his tone, again, but damn if that's not just the way he sounds all the time now. He doesn't much want it there. Because if someone lies to him again, it could scarcely make things worse. Even if that someone was Babs and the promise was it's going to be better. )

[flyingg]

Could be worse reasons for congrats.

[robinred]

( No, that's-- actually really funny. In a lot of ways. ) We make it our job not fictionalize the realities we face. ( For the record, he wants to say, he's not a kid. )