shitposting rave 5: discount rejects from every genre

Oh. That...would be nice, if you don't mind.

*Haku's face goes the slightest bit pink. He's never going to get used to people's kindness in here.

He closes the small distance between the two of them and crouches down, slowly, telegraphing his movements. As nonthreatening as Dick appears, Haku still reads danger in the mask, the lean-cut muscles, and the injuries, which were certainly violently obtained. People in pain can be put on the defensive very quickly, Haku knows.

As always, he masks these calculations and his unease with a smile.*

 

[Dick grins back, bright and cheerful. Yes good, food is how you befriend people right? The grin somehow makes the bruise on his cheek look even worse in so far as that is possible.]
'Course I don't mind. Food's for sharing if there's enough of it. So, how'd you get into the possibly-a-crazy-villain's-trap dimension?

 

Lissa returns and sits down near the two of them. After a moment, she looks up at Grayson, aka He Who Is Not To Be Named. "You want to try imagining those wounds healed up, maybe? It won't have much effect on your physical body typically, though if you're very strong-willed in the magical sense, it might."

 

[There's a brief tiny frown, before he swallows his current mouthful and blankly recites something that he has probably heard so often he just immediately tunes the lecture out:]
"Pain is your body's way to remind you not to make mistakes. You're just going to jump up and ruin your stitches if you dampen the pain too much. You could cause yourself permanent damage if you don't let yourself heal properly. We don't rely on magic users, Robin, only things we can manage to get ahold of ourselves are good tools."
I can deal with a few bruises, lady.

 

Lissa looks at him sidewise. "My name is Lissa, and I'm personally a firm believer in the best medical care available, but you do you. Do you like green tea?"

 

*He shrugs absently* I died. *He starts picking at the kimchi and rice. It's not very good, but he knows better than to turn down food freely offered.*

*He listens to Dick and Lissa converse in silence for a few moments.*

I don't mean to offend, but...why not heal if you have the opportunity? Pain slows reactions and movements, and even here, there might be something you have to respond to quickly.

And I wouldn't want someone to be in pain if they didn't have to be, sir.

*He gives Dick a small, cautious, and more sincere smile, then turns his attention back towards Lissa.*

It's good to see you again.

 

"You too, Haku." Lissa offers some fish--cooked, though she doesn't normally eat cooked fish--with sweet potato noodles--to both of them. It'll go with the kimchi and rice, she thinks, it's something she ate once at a Korean place in Portland.

"I'm inclined to agree with Haku. Besides, if you've truly been healed through magic, or even psionics, you're healed. I know you can't always rely on things you can't get for yourself, because they won't always be there. But if you've got an opportunity, why not take it?"

 

[That's a real name he's fairly sure and it makes him hesitate before he can pull the Friendly Team Player Smile(tm) back in place.]
I'm- Batman. Which you know I think but they don't I think.
[He nods to Haku, smile widening into something much closer to genuine for a moment.]
I'm a firm believer in not being reliant on things I can't manage to get from sources I can count on! This is pretty much the best medical care available outside of hitting up my Robin's mom and considering what she did the last time we asked her for help on a medical issue... yyyyeah no.
Green tea's okay, Robin and Alfie prefer black but I'm kind of a dumpster, I eat everything.
[charming rascal wink: go!]

[He winces ever so slightly]
Oof, that sucks. Got better, like my one brother, or got stuck? I don't have to do with ghosts much, but I've got a few friends I could call up for help.
And hey, that's nice of you two, but I'm used to this kind of stuff, promise. I'm not in pain unless I do something stupid.

[He moves seamlessly on to stuffing his face with fish and sweet potato noodles. A slightly worshipful look enters his eyes when he tastes the first bite because sweet alfred, it's almost as good as food at home.]
Thish ish really goodf.
[... Don't speak with your mouth full you menace.]

 

Lissa giggles and sets out the green tea.

"I'm glad you like it. You know, taking someone up on an offer--although, really, I was suggesting you do the thing for yourself--doesn't mean you start to rely on that someone. It just means you take the chance while you have it. And yes, I know you're Batman." She wonders if he remembers any of their earlier conversations. Just in case he doesn't, maybe she won't mention the kerfuffle he had with her niece. "I had some harsh training, too. But. It turns out that the world is not as awful as my teachers believed. And even if it were, this isn't that world."

 

*Haku switches over to eating fish happily. As it turns out, he really missed fish, and the noodles aren't bad either, though he keeps eating some of the rice, for politeness' sake. He smiles gratefully at Lissa.*

There was healing magic, back where I was before this, but I never learned the trick of it. I know pressure points, though. And I can suture.

*Haku isn't phased by obvious aliases, though it adds amother point towards "this person is probably fairly dangerous."*

My name is Haku. Pleased to meet you, and thank you both for the food, if I didn't already mention it.

I'm pretty sure that I died dead. *He looks at the ground for a moment, one hand resting on his sternum.* I don't know if I can get back or anything. I've tried.

*Nope, no more being vulnerable in front of strangers, time to change the subject.* I met a man in a red mask who said that he died and came back. Was that your brother?

 

[Happy bird boy is happy, sipping the tea with only a little more restraint - it's hot! - and nodding slightly.]
Yeah, I remember. And... real talk? I dunno if I can just imagine myself better. We've got too many villains who mess with perception of reality running around gotham for me to trust something like that. No offense, just. Bad experiences.
The wounds aren't even that bad anyways. No fractures, just fleshwounds.

[He moves to touch Haku's shoulder, slowly and carefully and letting him see the move coming and evade if he wants to. He just really wants to reassure this poor kid. Being dead must suck.]
Nice to meet you. And yeah if he was about yeah tall and had a massive attitude problem, that's him.

 

-has Jason always been here or did he just appear? Who knows, but he has his helmet off and minimal body armor, although he's still wearing a domino-
I'm not any worse than your Robin.

 

*Haku allows himself to be touched, and if he even leans into it a little, it's definitely not obvious.*

*Haku looks over his shoulder at Jason, surprised and more than a little pleased* I don't think you have that much of an attitude problem.

 

Lissa sighs, and looks over at @Haku. "The last time we spoke you said you were waking up here from somewhere else. Did that turn out to be an afterlife, of some sort?"

She smiles at @Red Hood. "They've both got attitude problems, but that's okay. Most of the best people do. My husband sure does."

 

-snorts loudly and looks surprised, like he didn't mean to react like that-
You're sweet, kid, but you're wrong. Got my company manners on in here.

 

Not for lack of trying probably. He is just that good at being a brat. You both are.
[Dick doesn't even hesitate a second before ruffling Jason's curls like the terrible awful man he is.]

[He gently squeezes Haku's shoulder briefly before pulling back again.]
Give it a bit. I love him, don't get me wrong, but jeez...

 

I...think so? It's even more like dreaming than here. It kind of looks like...where I lived when I was a kid, there's snow falling but I never get cold. If I try to walk beyond a certain spot, I end up back there, though. And there isn't anyone else... *His voice trails, and he swallows.* If I fall asleep there, I seem to end up here. It's strange.

Well, I do my best to be polite *he says primly, and grins because he's joking. Seeing the two of them interact puts him a bit more at ease.*

 

Lissa watches Grayson and the red one. There's so much love there. She's not sure what flavour it is, but it's deep. So much blood, not necessarily their own, but enough to bind.

"It sounds to me like you are not supposed to be there yet, or there'd be somewhere you could go." She frowns. Avoiding death is her thing, now. But she remembers.

 

Wow, sounds eerie as hell. Most dreams aren't very fun but that sounds pretty horrible.
Man I wish I paid more attention when Zatanna explained her stuff. I've got no idea how to help...
[He does answer Haku's grin in kind though. Something about the kid really reminds him of Damian which obviously means it's Dick's mission to make Haku smile and laugh as much as he can manage now.]

[He notices Lissa looking and he's fairly sure he can guess from her expression what she is thinking but he also doesn't particularly want to point out how often he and Jason are at eachother's throats because they ended up on differing sides of the law. He doesn't even particularly want to think about it. It's okay. Things can be just fine for once in here. At least he hope so.]

 

Lissa smiles at Grayson. She knows he still doesn't trust her completely, probably because she's on the wrong side of the law from him, but if he knew the law in her world, she believes he'd understand. Red Hood did.

"I don't know who Zatanna is," she says, and turns back to @Haku. "But Death and Dreams are kindred. Their daughter is the one who Tempts you back into the world, into Life. I'll pray to her for you. Find water there if you can, though blood is better, but not too much. Look into it and see the face of your innermost self. They say she will come to you and show you the way. Emireiallis, they call her." She swallows. "If you see my sister here--she looks like me, but older, and she wears a lot more clothing, and she's got more ink on her even than Wrench does--she's better equipped to help you with this than I am. Her name is Valiska."