maximummuses

[maximummuses]

His hands are bloody.

Half an hour ago, a spree killer was trying to make a name for himself in Gotham. Five dead in one week. Soft targets only, no one who'd put up a fight.

By the time Jason caught him, he never thought to ask why. The reasons didn't matter to him, not when he knew what he was looking at. This was the start of another rogues' career. If Bruce or one of the other found him, he'd be sent to Blackgate or Arkham, where the revolving door will chew him up and spit him out as something worse. And then the cycle would repeat over and over again.

No. To hell with that. Jason was going to end the cycle here.

He wasn't a good fighter. Jason could tell that the guy had never actually thought he'd get into a real fight. He was glad to knock that assumption right out of him, along with a few teeth.

The coup de grace was a bullet to the throat. The throat, because a headshot was too quick and center mass was more mercy than he deserved.

As his prey lays, bleeding and gurgling and dying, Jason knows deep down that this doesn't fix anything. The dead won't come back. It will happen again, because it's Gotham and sometimes it feels like this place is beyond saving. No matter how many he manages to put down, it won't be the Joker. Jason is trapped, chasing the Joker's death like he's Captain Ahab and it's the White Whale. Within his soul, there's no peace to be found with these actions.

But he does it anyways, because he believes it means something. Because Gotham still needs a Batman, but Bruce Wayne has woefully failed at being Batman.

His hands are bloody. It's a warm feeling.

[maximummuses]

"Right. The only problem being that there are so many of them, and only one of me. I can stay hidden but I don't anticipate being able to stay hidden for good." The plan isn't impossible. Daisy just reasons that there's just a time table on how long she can stay hidden before making contact with the enemy.

And once she's spotted, she's outgunned.

Her eyes dart across the battlefield, searching for any vehicles or other pieces of equipment that would be of help. Unfortunately, there isn't much she can use that isn't busted beyond all repair. But she stays low to the ground, moving slowly as to not look out of place.

"Tell me about it..."

Working with a Spartan was pretty nice, all things considered; Daisy didn't even really need his help most of the time--though that didn't stop him from trying. These Banished guys, though... they were a step up from the Covenant back in the day, according to everything he'd read... and observed, at this point.

"My recommendation? Stealth. I mean, even a Spartan can hide from stuff, right? If we can sneak past most of the Banished patrols and overwatch, we can get to the extraction point with no trouble. Hopefully."

[maximummuses]

"None of them ever are." The easy ones don't last terribly long in Gotham. Either they get eaten up by some other fish in the pond, they find greener pastures elsewhere, or they're the ones who turn it all around. For a man like Black Mask to have made it in Gotham, especially to the extent in which he has, it's impossible for him to be considered an easy target. "But as far as I recall, I don't remember that having ever stopped Robin in the past." For good and for ill. Always ready to take on a challenge.

"I know. Just as I also know that words on a page can only teach me so much. Not at least when compared to making contact with the enemy." He can read all about Sionis's cruelty, the methods he uses, the acts of violence he has proven himself capable of, but none of it will teach him as much as actually going out there and facing Black Mask himself. After all, nothing is as good a teacher as experience.

"Anything you have to say will surely be helpful, Father. Haven't you always said that being forewarned is forearmed?" Though Damian must concede that his father has a point. With so many encounters being under specific circumstances, any advice he gets from Bruce will be tailored to those prior experiences. Whatever Bruce tells him will only be marginally helpful at best.

    🦇—-;; Bruce hums when Damian speaks, not denying it because it's not like it wasn't true. He had faced many of Batman's foes before, but Bruce can also hear the unspoken bragging and elects not to acknowledge it any further than that quiet hum. "Whilst I'm sure you can handle him, Damian. He's not going to be an easy target." Between the gang he surrounds himself with and the man's brutality, it makes him dangerous. All of which Bruce has noted down in the files he keeps on all his rogues.

His weight shifts, easing his body weight to lean against one leg, not that i helps sore muscles feel any better, but Bruce doesn't outwardly complain about the discomfort he's still in. Besides, there's something a little bi more important to focus on than that right now. "I know you've read what he's capable of in his file." Bruce states, glaze shifting to the screens again as he considers if there's anything else he can add that he hasn't already made note of.

"Anything else I could add is all anecdotal and very specific to the encounters I've had with him in the past." He says, looking at Damian again. "He'll be difficult to crack and get information from, he's not likely going to want to give up his contact." Bruce knows it's not exactly the most helpful thing he can offer, but most of what he could say is covered in the file. "Be careful." He warns, even if he knows he doesn't necessarily need to.

[maximummuses]

you can't honestly expect me to believe all that. (logan!)

"YOU CAN'T..." PROMPTS

"That's the truth, the whole truth, and nothin' but the truth." At least as far as Logan remembers it. Weapon X did a number on his brain, but psychic therapies, and the good old fashioned passage of time help mend some of the holes.

He throws back a cold beer, before getting another from the pack next to him. The intensity of his character never leaves, not in any way that's meaningful. It's hard for it to leave after everything he's endured. But talking shop like this, or trading old war stories, it puts him at ease a little.

He really is an old man.

"Name me someone with powers, and I'll get into a scrap with them again. Hell, I made a career out of fighting Magneto," despite his metal bones working against him every damn time. "But for my money, none of them hit as hard as Hulk does."

[maximummuses]

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" (logan!)

General Sentences, Vol. 26

"Can't really say I was thinkin' about impressing you, bub." Logan pulls something out of his shoulder, dragging a spurt of blood along for the ride. Just as quickly as there's a wound, it stitches itself closed. Not even a scar. He rubs his bloodied hands against one another, stepping towards the young man. If he didn't know better, he'd assume this guy knew Brooks. But while Logan can smell killer on him, he can't smell vampire. No, this guy's got nothing to do with Blade.

"That was three of... whatever the hell those things were. You here to make it four, or just passing by?" Slowly, three claws punch out of his right hand, and another three punch out of his left. A snarl escapes his throat.

[maximummuses]

Maybe one day, Damian will learn that letting his guard down can be a good thing. It won't be soon, because for it to be soon, Damian will have to admit he needs help learning how to relax and let his guard down, and he'd rather choke than admit that. But maybe one day he'll ask for advice.

"I've faced many of your foes before," 'with ease' is how Damian wants to finish that phrase, but he decides against it. There will come a time for boasting in the future. "Sionis is one of the few I've yet to face, or at least face in any meaningful capacity." Not out of fear or hesitation, merely because someone else got to him first. He supposes that it was only a matter of time before he had to cross Sionis off the list too. What better time than the present to deal with him, especially when there's a smoking gun tied to him.

"I concur, Father." Without getting more information than would be reasonablly possible out of Bruce, Black Mask was the best lead. That alone is reason enough to deal with him tonight. "While the files on him have been illuminating, I was wondering what you could tell me that they couldn't." It was important to ask, before making first contact with the enemy.

     🦇—-;; If Bruce notices Damian startle, he doesn't draw attention to it, if only to save his pride. Already aware he's likely already telling himself he should have been more aware of his surroundings, despite being in a reasonably safe space to let one's guard down.

His gaze remains focused on the screen for the moment and he listens to the words told to him. He wouldn't put it beyond Black Mask's men to be responsible for his abduction, but he also knows that he probably would have been in worse condition than he was if it had been, not that he has much of a recollection of the last few days before he'd been found and brought home. He had some injuries consistent with being beat, but nothing that'd slow him down long. Maybe the Boss didn't know about the Bat yet, as unlikely as that was, it's not a theory Bruce rules out.

"I wouldn't rule it out, even if whoever he's working with is thee reason behind my abduction, I doubt he doesn't know about it, or the fact that I'm free again." He considers for a moment, "he's the strongest lead we have right now to finding out more about those shipments." Not that he's expecting it to be easy to get any information about them. But he also knows, it's unlikely he's going to be allowed to go out just yet, despite the fact he's already itching to do just that.

[maximummuses]

"Oh wow, Damian got a new costume as Robin! I wonder how it'll look!"

...I hate it here. I hate it here so much it's unreal

[maximummuses]

@thestupidmeanone (sc)

"We're going to have a problem soon, Epsilon." If she couldn't hear the sound of the Phantoms inbound, then the radar pings surely tell her that Banished are inbound. There should be an aura of discomfort or fear, knowing that humanity is on the backfoot again. The UNSC had only just barely survived the Covenant. The Banished and the Created felt like more than the species could bear. But Daisy-023 doesn't have that discomfort. Be it because of the war as a whole, or Harvest, she's used to it. Being on the backfoot is nothing new.

She's useless to everyone if she doesn't keep her cool.

"We're ways away from an extraction and as far as I can tell, it's just you and me down here." She ejects the mag in her rifle before loading in a new one. She has less bullets than she'd like, too. "If there's a plan beyond 'kill anything that shoots at me' until the skies are clear for a Pelican, then I'm open to hearing it."

[maximummuses]

Starter Call!

Like this for a 1-2 paragraph starter!

[maximummuses]

[maximummuses]

Like this for one of my muses to bother your inbox a little

Remember to specify muse!

[maximummuses]

「   RP MEME :   NONVERBAL PROMPTS.  mix of violent, caring, touching and non-touching prompts.  」     SEND PROMPT '+ REVERSE' for the inverse to happen. for example 'bandage + reverse' for the receiver to bandage wounds on the sender.

[ BANDAGE ] : sender bandages a wound on receiver.

[ GUIDE ] : sender puts a hand on he receiver's back to guide them somewhere.

[ WAVE ]: sender waves down receiver to get their attention.

[ SIGN ]: sender raises their hand to sign to receiver. what follows can be anything the sender desires.

[ LIFT ]: sender lifts receiver's chin to look at them.

[ LIGHT ]: sender lights receiver's cigarette/candle/etc.

[ FIND ] : sender finds receiver beaten and/or bloodied.

[ PIN ]: sender pins receiver against the wall during combat/sparring.

[ GET DOWN ]: sender tackles receiver out of the way of danger.

[ TAKE ]: sender takes a hit meant for receiver.

[ CAUGHT ]: sender finds receiver somewhere they aren't supposed to be.

[ TRAP ]: sender traps the receiver somewhere they don't want to be.

[ DARLING ]: sender touches receiver's cheek.

[ SNATCH ]: sender snatches receiver's wrist as they turn to go.

[ STAB ]: sender stabs receiver.

[ DRAG ]: sender drags receiver from point a to point b.

[ SIT ]: sender sits on receiver's lap.

[ EN GARDE ]: sender and receiver get into some kind of fight.

[ DRUNK ]: sender finds receiver drunk.

[ BLOOD ]: sender walks into receiver's room covered in blood.

[ FLOWER ]: sender offers a flower to receiver.

[ HOLD ]: sender reaches to hold receiver's hand.

[ BRUSH ]: sender brushes a strand of hair out of receiver's face.

[ NOTE: ] sender writes a note for receiver. the contents are whatever the sender decides.

[ EYES ]: sender notices receiver looking at them.

[ STOP ]: sender raises hand to signal the receiver to stop in place.

[ TAP ]: sender taps receiver on the shoulder to get their attention.

[ WAKE ]: sender gently wakes receiver from a nap or otherwise.

[ MORNING AFTER ]: sender and receiver wake up together for the first time after a night of passion.

[ BLANKET ]: sender drapes a blanket over receiver's shoulders.

[ HUDDLE ]: sender and receiver huddle together in an effort to stay warm.

[ TUG ]: sender pulls receiver away from them.

[ PUSH ]: sender pushes receiver away from them.

[ BULLET ]: sender shoots receiver in a non-lethal area.

[maximummuses]

General Sentences, Vol. 26

(Assorted original sentences. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Are you famous?"

"Are you okay? Have you been drinking?"

"I only want what's best for you."

"Don't I get some say in this?"

"You've changed your hair. I don't like it."

"Do you fancy a trip to the seaside?"

"You're not fooling anybody."

"What are you smiling at?"

"Is this the best you can do?"

"This isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be!"

"Is this a bribe?"

"As per usual, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm not sure we've ever properly met."

"Is this really happening?"

"Tell me what you believe is happening."

"You seem awfully quiet."

"Who says dreams don't come true?"

"Could you be any more condescending?"

"Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"You know, I think you need help."

"You're fired!"

"Are you still angry?"

"Have you come here to just look down on me?"

"Don't you think that was a little too easy?"

"I still hate you."

"I hate seeing you this sad."

"You don't really believe that was a ghost, do you?"

"You're everything a man could want."

"You've got a real talent for missing the big picture, haven't you?"

"It's okay if you're not alright. You can tell me."

"Why can't you just ever be happy?"

"Stop treating me like a child!"

[maximummuses]

#THE FAMILY JEWELS: an assortment of lyrics from the family jewels album. please note that some tracks were easier to take lyrics from than others, & i apologize in advance! feel free to adjust as needed. part one. ♡

ARE YOU SATISFIED?

was i meant to feel happy that my life was just about to change?

people like to tell you what you're gonna be.

i never am happy.

are you satisfied with an average life?

it's not my problem if you don't see what i see.

are you satisfied with an easy ride?

nothing comes for free.

it's my problem if i wanna pack up & run away.

do i need to lie to make my way in life?

they say i'm a control freak, driven by a greed to succeed.

once you cross the line, will you be satisfied?

nobody can stop me.

SHAMPAIN.

sleep is not my friend.

i feel celestial.

a bottle to myself.

savor the taste of fabricated wealth.

i'm drinking champagne to forget yesterday.

i wonder when the night will reach its end.

I AM NOT A ROBOT.

you've been acting awful tough lately.

but inside, you're just a little baby.

better to be hated than loved for what you're not.

it's okay to say you've got a weak spot.

just open up & sing.

you don't always have to be on top.

i'm vulnerable.

you don't answer the phone when it rings.

don't be so pathetic.

can you teach me how to feel real?

you are not a robot.

you're lovable, but you're just troubled.

you are so magnetic.

MOWGLI'S ROAD.

one life with one dream on repeat.

i'll escape if i try hard enough.

i have been told that i must take the unforsaken road.

i don't know who i want to be.

you say yes to everything.

will that guarantee you a win?

i'll do as i am told.

do you think you will be good enough to love others & to be loved?

OBSESSIONS.

give me a cigarette.

won't you quit your crying?

we've all got obsessions.

all you ever think about are sick ideas involving me, involving you.

i want to wipe out all the sad ideas that come to me when i am holding you.

don't let it make you feel sad.

i want to erase every nasty thought that bugs me every day of every week.

you never told me what it was that made you strong, or what it was that made you weak.

THE OUTSIDER.

don't get on my bad side.

hop into the backseat, baby.

these people are weird in here.

i'll show you some fun.

just because you know my name doesn't mean you know my game.

i'm in the wrong place.

is there more to lose than gain if i go on my own again?

i'm good at protecting what they wanna take.

i'm a fucking wildcard.

HERMIT THE FROG.

i feel i'm watered down.

i never knew you had such a dirty mind.

you used to be so kind.

my heart just burst like a glass balloon.

i was the wrong damn girl in the wrong damn room.

you're just a little bit too much like me.

did you find your bitch in me?

oh, you're abominable socially.

i wanna tell you a secret.

you can take your double-standard love & keep it.

[maximummuses]

        ANGER   WAS   :                                  BETTER   THAN   TEARS                                     BETTER   THAN   GRIEF                                     BETTER   THAN   GUILT

[maximummuses]

The premeditation of it was the easiest part for Damian. Call it a holdover from his League of Assassins days, but he finds the planning to be as easy as the deed itself, if not easier perhaps. There's always an element of chaos in the battlefield, whether Robin intends for there to be one or not. Planning ahead mitigates the chaos.

Or maybe he just finds it easier to act with a plan, and there's little more to it than that. His mother and grandfather always said that the victory lies in the preperation, and he was taught to win no matter what. But he's also acutely aware of the fact that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

When Bruce speaks, Damian is startled only for a moment. Mentally, he kicks himself for not being more alert.

"Sionis was a consignee for more than a few of the items on the ship's manifest. Whether he was related to your abduction or not, he's certainly related to this case."

     🦇—-;; Bruce isn't the slightest bit surprised to find Damian at the computer, going over the information about this case. He can assume he's found a lead from the footage from his cowl's recordings. He can see clearly that he'd been right about the manifest being a clue and what it's lead to, but for the moment he knows he's not going to be allowed to follow this new lead.

He can guess what Damian's doing, and he's not going to stop him, but he does finally announce his presence by clearing his throat, being a short distance away from him and the computer now. Bruce looks a little better after getting a few hours of sleep at least, but he still doesn't look entirely well. His gaze flickers up to the bats for a moment before back to the computer.

"Is it the cowl's recordings that lead you to Sionis, or is this unrelated?" He can certainly offer battle strategies to help if Damian needed them, especially since Bruce has had more than a passing meeting with the man on several occasions.

[maximummuses]

@bleakandhollow