15 - Video

[bodilesswarrior]

[Look who's awake!

Barbara looks rumpled and worn, hair mussed and skin pale. There's a stylised owl on her forehead, wings curving down her cheeks, stopping at the edges of her smile.

Iris is there with her, bedraggled and beaming. Between them, Jonesy hops and mews, clamouring for attention.]

Hey, Barge. [She sounds a bit exasperated, but she woke up with Iris in her arms and purring in her ears; she's incapable, right now, of being overly irritated.]

Fill me in on the past few weeks, would you? [Not that she won't be going through the network with a fine-tooth comb, of course, but individual perspectives are always valuable.]

Comments

[itstopped]

Hey. You're up. [It's like Christmas! Not that he has a firm grasp on what that actually is yet.]

[bodilesswarrior]

[Her smile deepens, crinkling the wings.] Yeah. Guess the Barge thought I needed a rest. [The Barge was wrong, okay.]

How've you been?

[itstopped]

[That's a complicated question at the moment, but not in a way he wants or needs to talk with her about -- at least, not yet. He shakes his head.] Fine. Dean was out, too -- a lot of people have been -- but he woke up earlier today. Otherwise, uh... zombies, a breach, a few murders... Mostly the usual. [He raises a brow, voice going dry on the last point.]

[bodilesswarrior]

[She knew some of it, thanks to Iris, but she still pinches the bridge of her nose, frustration clear.]

That's the Barge for you. [She sounds almost fond, really. She blames Gotham.] I'm guessing Dean's jumped right in.

[itstopped]

Mm. [He confirms this with a look, but then he grins.] What about you?

[backdated a short time before the post]

[routemistress]

[Between the murders and Victor, Iris hasn't had a chance to walk Jonesy or check on Babs since after breakfast; the cat's going to be going mental by now, and it's a good thing Jonesy has an automatic litterbox and isn't given to random furniture destruction. Or attacking sleeping people.

She lets herself in with the voicecontrolled lock]

...'Ey Madam, I brought you prawns.

[Jonesy twines round her ankles, and she smiles.]

...I'd've brought you along, but Bruce were narky enough about Harvey sitting in on the autopsy. Besides, you don't like 'im.

[She puts the plate of prawns down and keeps talking to the cat.]

...No, I've no idea yet. Weren't Victor, I know that much. I think we might 'ave to interview everyone newish. Least I've got a bad cop laid on already, eh?

[She rubs her face, and sits on the edge of Barbara's bed. She doesn't look at the woman sleeping there.]

...Wake the 'ell up, can't you?

spammity spam

[bodilesswarrior]

[She can hear a voice, as she fades into consciousness, familiar enough that it makes her lips twitch. When her eyes open, dazed and drowsy, it's a full-fledged smile.]

Well, if you'd only asked. [It's a soft mumble as she tries to focus.]

[surfaceshine]

Welcome back, darlin'.

The Barge is back to full awesome capacity. Any more and we'll explode.

[bodilesswarrior]

You too, Sleeping Beauty.

Good thing we use our powers for good.

[bodilesswarrior]

[A faint, rueful smirk. It's not like she can criticise.]

Iris has given me a rundown.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE SPAM

[routemistress]

[It shouldn't be possible to execute a flying leap from a sitting position, but Iris manages it anyway; she lands on her elbows across Barbara's top half and buries her face in the soft part of her jawline, where it merges into ears and hairline. She smells of massage oil and permanent marker ink and her pulse beats strongly under Iris' lips and she's not crying okay, if anyone asks that's just drool.]

What time d'you call this, lady.

[bodilesswarrior]

[A soft, light laugh falls from Barbara's lips as she tries to raise her arms; they fall haphazardly across Iris' waist.]

Fashionable late?

[routemistress]

[That is asking to have an ear bitten, and Iris does so, lightly.]

Bugger fashionable. Don't ever do that again, it was 'orrible. Both of you at once.

[It's around here that the cat finishes her food and works out that the boring still person has stopped being boring, so she jumps up to get - shrilly loudly - in on the act]

...oh piss off, Madam. I suppose you want to get up and pee. And we've got a serial killer.

private

[patheticvillain]

Hi. Missed you.

[private]

[halftheman]

Imagine Iris has told you that there's a serial killer on the barge. [ a beat ] Well, a new one.

It's not me.

[itstopped]

Getting back in the cockpit, I meant.

[fire_punk]

Someone cut Slevin to pieces. [And he really wishes he knew who did it.]

Private;

[anewlanguage]

Looks like someone's piling up the bodies. Other than that...your cat was in good hands, but you prob'ly guessed that.

[He is...really not sure he should be saying anything.]

[not a comment]

[routemistress]

[Iris doesn't say anything; but she's right here, curled next to Barbara. She can't miss this, and neither of them can miss her careful lack of reaction, her stillness suddenly redoubled as though she's holding her breath.]

[bodilesswarrior]

[Delighted laughter blends with petulant yowling, and she pulls back a hand to gather Jonesy up to her cheek.

Her smile fades as Iris finishes, but not entirely.]

How close are we to catching them?

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara waves a hand.] Won't take long. [It might have, if she needed more than intent to wheel herself around, but as it is...]

private

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara's smile turns soft, tender.]

Missed you too.

Get into any trouble?

[private]

[bodilesswarrior]

[A faint snort.] Didn't have your theme anyway.

[bodilesswarrior]

[Her smile fades in something sombre.] I heard.

We'll catch them, Kevin.

Private

[bodilesswarrior]

[Her smile freezes, for a moment, shoulders tensing - but she doesn't scowl or turn her head. She reached out first; she needs to try, with this.]

I should ask Iris to catsit more often.

...Any ideas on the culprit?