001; audio-video

[chiroptophobic]

[ This is Bruce Wayne's voice. Cheerful, foppish, and the audio itself is somehow unsteady as though he can't decide how close to his mouth to hold the device. Apparently his default is too close, because--well, you'll see. He speaks like he's called someone specific. ]

Um, hi there. I bet I mess this up somehow, send it to the wrong number - something like that - but I don't really know that many people here, and... Well, this is embarrassing, actually--

[ At this point he bumps the video feature on with his chin, and it records a swathe of his jaw. ]

Do you know how to cook?

[ He's squinting into the camera, super close when he draws the device back, so that only his left eye and a swathe of slightly too-long hair falling over his forehead is visible, and then that eye narrows and the feed shuts off. ]

Comments

[voice]

[chiroptophobic]

Oh... [ What does he want to eat? Health food; carrots, apples, broccoli, bananas--possibly pureed. ] Anything will do. Something simple I can try to make again?

[voice]

[the_infiltrator]

I'll surprise you. Where are you?

[Who needs names? You're just two voices in the night...one of you offering to cook...yup.]

[voice]

[chiroptophobic]

Oh it's uh--

[ As though he doesn't know it by heart. ]

The kitchen on level twelve?

voice - action

[the_infiltrator]

I'll be there in six minutes.

[Brusque little think that she is, she cuts the feed. And six minutes later she marches walks into the kitchen and looks around, identifying him by the probable description that would match his voice.]

Hi. I'm Cameron.

action

[chiroptophobic]

[ Bruce doesn't mind being met in person so long as he's not being recorded. So he smiles brightly, all teeth, and gives her the slightest wave. ]

I didn't mean to look so helpless. [ Yes he did. ] The princess that needs to be rescued act isn't my usual style.

action

[the_infiltrator]

No. You wouldn't make a very good princess. [She smiles back, mimicking him down to the tilt of her chin, and then leads the way to the freezer.] Are you new?

action

[chiroptophobic]

Even in a white dress? I'm hurt.

[ He's looking through the cupboards though, flatly looking like he doesn't belong in the slightest. Which is true of probably most of them. ]

New enough. Are there kitchens on every level? [ As though he hasn't explored every level. ]

action

[the_infiltrator]

I don't know. It's hard to get a reliable mapping of the ship. It's easier to let someone else cook.

[She shuffles around, gathering things.]

But you look strong enough to help me stir. Here, mix this.

action

[chiroptophobic]

[ He looks strong enough to stir? Well if she asks, he'll put it down to the base jumping. Nodding, he steps over to take the bowl, mixing it slowly, but paying more attention to her than the actual ingredients.

Always a problem. ]

What about you? Have you been here long?

[the_infiltrator]

It's hard to tell time here, but if we were on earth, this would be my second month.

[She watches his hands, glances at him, and then starts measuring flour]

You aren't as scared as most people are.

[chiroptophobic]

Should I be scared of something?

[ He blinks up at her, entirely innocently, and moves over toward the island to lean against it. If he is new, then he's unafraid, but pretending innocence is easy. ]

This ship doesn't seem so bad to me.

[the_infiltrator]

Bad things happen sometimes. I stopped a murder shortly after I got here.

[She dumps some flour into his bowl]

Whisk that very fast.

[chiroptophobic]

[ He winces deliberately. ] Does that happen often? People dying?

[ But just the slightest pause before he does what he's told, changing his angle after a moment when it becomes clear that a different position would preserve the strength in his arm. ]

[the_infiltrator]

[She looks up at him slowly, and then back down.] Yes. People die all the time. But not as often here. We have a smaller population, and most people are in good health.

But some of them kill other people. You should be careful.