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[bluest]

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[theotherobin]

a billionaire? you mean cause of Bruce?

[bluest]

ah, no
alfred passed away, he left me his fortune
did you know he was a billionaire and he still served us sandwiches? blew my mind
maybe not a billionaire anymore, i invested into helping blüdhaven's homeless community

but i can still afford a crazy expensive present, if you want to go nuts :)

[theotherobin]

oh.
i didn't know.

nah that's cool. i don't need anything.

[bluest]

that probably won't happen for you
there was a whole confluence of realities ... another batman came over, it was wild
universes collide a lot where i'm from

your alfred is definitely going to be okay

[theotherobin]

kinda like with us now?

everyone dies, Dick. everyone leaves either way.
anyways i didn't message you to get into this depressing shit.

just wanted to say hey or whatever.

i was thinkin about you.

[bluest]

pretty much exactly like us, yeah
this is the least weird alternate meeting of someone i know that i've ever had, and i met a wigged out wally

it's not depressing, talking about alfred always makes me feel happy when i remember him

come see me, i've been thinking about you too

[theotherobin]

the least weird? damn, bro.

he teaches me how to cook when Bruce. never mind.

come see you? now?

[bluest]

i get you

sure, why not? it's not a mansion but you might still like it ;)

[ Dick sends him the address of his Blüdhaven home, just like that. ]

[theotherobin]

[he'd never complain about the Manor, but it really can be too big. pretty lonely. it's so important to him, though.

once Dick's address comes through, Jason doesn't give it a second thought.]

yeah alright. i'll be there.

[bluest]

let yourself in!

[ Living in plain sight is how Dick likes it, even if it means he's had assassins come after him and not Nightwing, once or twice.

The ground-level gym is advertised by a bright blue and white neon star on the roof. Dick's living quarters span the entire length of the loft across the building, a few corners creating rooms but largely open space ... and quite messy. The window he leaves open for Jason (because naturally) connects to the lounge area, a sofa decorated in stray, discarded Nightwing costume parts strewn over its armrest and the floor. A coffee table holds an honest-to-god landline, a half-eaten cereal bowl, and actual newspapers emblazoned with information about Blockbuster, the casino mob boss, scattered around some dying plants. Nearby sits an LP player with vinyls leaning on it.

It's almost painfully, unapologetically millennial ... but it's also lived-in and homely. ]

[theotherobin]

[ Jason's pretty sure this is a fucking terrible idea. he told himself he wouldn't do this, yet here he is, riding to Blüdhaven late Christmas night.

he doesn't expect the gym with neon lights and looks at the address Dick sent him again. Yup, this is the place. maybe he can buzz up, but he sees the window open and hey, why the hell not. he parks his motorcycle out back and scales the side of the building easily, yanking up the window once he gets there and tosses his bike helmet in first before climbing in and landing on his feet.

well. Dick did say to let himself in. ]

[bluest]

[ The somewhat retro chaos is broken up by a grey-blue pitbull puppy who comes charging around a corner on the slippery floorboards to bark its head off at the intruder seconds after Jason climbs in, hopping about as if to bite Jason's boots. It's rather tubby, as puppies go. From the other side of the loft comes Dick's voice, calling, ]

Haley! Don't take him out before I get over there!

[ As he hurries around the corner to scoop up his dog, Dick's expression breaks into a warm sunny smile at the sight of Jason, nerves melting away a little. ]

Hi! You found us okay, then.

[theotherobin]

[ Jason isn't faze by the puppy that comes charging at him. ]

Hey you. You little shit, you're cute as fuck.

[Jason kneels down and bops back and forth at those floppy ears, standing up as Dick comes around to greet them and scoop his dog up. Haley. well damn.]

Course I did. Hard to miss with all the neon lights.

[bluest]

Best way to hide in the 'haven, next to something bright, My other apartment's currently riddled in bullet-holes, anyway, it's a long story. Come on in!

[ Dick sets Haley down so she can go back to sniffing and jumping all over Jason, leading him to the kitchen where a couple of beers are waiting for them. ]

Her codename is Bitewing, by the way. Watch your fingers.

[ Puppy love-bites as she teethes, but still.

Dick rattles off chatter to quell any remaining nerves, unable to keep his eyes off Jason for long. The differences between him and Dick's much taller, broader tank of a brother are always a surprise, and he has the fluttery feeling in his gut to help him stay focused on this Jason too. ]

Do you want to stay the night? I mean, it's a long ride back.

[theotherobin]

Why'd you pick this place anyways? Blüdhaven. Sounds real fucking goth and totally the opposite of Detroit.

[which makes sense. this Dick seems to be the total opposite of a lot of things his Dick is. His universes Dick. the actual guy is not his at all.

More differences as Jason follows into the kitchen and there's a beer waiting for him too. yeah, that would never happen.]

I can take a few little bites. Right, boy?

[Jason scoops up the puppy this time, letting him scramble against his chest and lick him if he wants to. he fucking loves dogs. they're way better than people are.]

Stay the night? Uh... Sure. Yeah sure, I can do that.

[bluest]

[ There's not just beer, there's ... cold pizza! He beings a box out of the fridge for them to help themselves to (Alfred is sighing in his grave). ]

She's a girl, [ with a nod to Haley, ] best heroes I know usually are.

[ Dick takes a seat at the breakfast bar, feeding Haley a piece of ham off his pizza as Jason fusses her. She sniffs the hell out of Jason, fascinated by this new person who needs all the licking. Happy to hear Jason is sticking around, Dick relaxes and reels off an explanation of Blüdhaven being a whaling port back in the day, the old language modernised into a cheesy tourist-trap with the saying of "Get your BLÜD up!" ]

The casinos keep the city running, unfortunately it's the mobs keeping the casinos running, and Tony's Zucco's daughter as mayor keeping them in line, so ... [ He pulls a face. ] Simpler to deal with than Gotham though, most of the time. Nobody really crosses Blockbuster.

[theotherobin]

[ hey, cold pizza is great. any food with beer is great. Jason's fully used to having nothing, so he'll eat pretty much anything. ]

A girl, huh. Should've known since she likes me so much.

[Jason needs all the licking, and he'll gladly take it while he listens to Dick ramble on about Bludhaven. this Dick definitely talks a hell of a lot more than his own as well- not that he wants to compare. they both know how not great that went before.]

Hold the fuck up. Tony Zucco's daughter is the mayor? Of this play you're living in?

[bluest]

[ Snorting, he smiles as Haley makes nice with Jason. New best friends, right there. ]

That's not even the best part. [ Munching away, he keeps his gaze on the puppy trying to steal Jason's pizza and calmly says, ] She might also be my sister.

[ A humourless laugh barks free, because his life. His life, for real. ]

[theotherobin]

[ Dick's gonna hate him, cause Jason lets Haley have some of his pizza, then sets her down and grabs his beer, narrowing his eyes at Dick. ]

What the fuck?

[bluest]

I know, I'm right there with you. The story her mom gave was that she hooked up with my dad years before my parents got together, she never told him about her kid. I ... don't know if I believe it yet. She was sincere, I guess.

[ But this is Blüdhaven, not Gotham. Being crazy here means little unless you're affluent and Dick isn't sure the mayor's mother doesn't just want to keep her daughter out of Nightwing's way. Then again, Dick doesn't want to accuse a mother of lying so earnestly when she seems like a nice person. What a mess. ]

It's reason enough to stay here, even without the rest of ... the stuff that happened.

[ Gesturing to his head with his beer. ]

[theotherobin]

Sincere? Sounds like a lying crock of shit. Did she get a test done? You can't just believe people when they sound sincere. You know that, right? Please tell me you're not just going along with the whole nice thing.

[you're talking to Jason Todd here. trust no one to the max. even with a test he'd be suspicious, but this sounds like absolute bullshit.]

Wouldn't it be better if you were closer to the shit you knew? The people you know? Where's Kory and Gar and Rachel?

[bluest]

[ He pulls a face when asked if he's not just going to trust his so-called sister. Trouble is, Dick wants some shade of his old family back and trusting people is what he does. Initially.

Dick sidesteps the question about being better off around people he knows. ]

Kori's, uhhh, doing her own thing last I saw her. I assume the Titans are at the tower in San Francisco.

[theotherobin]

[ yeah, how has that whole trusting thing been working out for Dick? maybe not so great, it seems. ]

The Titans? And you weren't with them...? Wait... no. Don't tell me. Don't. This is just. A whole fucking lot. Nothing's the same and we're just gonna drive each other crazy with this shit.

[bluest]

I'm not with the Titans because they're an adult team of their own now, not because anything bad happened. Kori's rediscovering herself ... with a weird boyfriend, but that's whatever.

[ Not getting into that! He pets Haley who has settled on Jason for a nap. ]

Think of this universe as a timelapse half a decade ahead of your own. Your friends are fine, Jay, they just grew up a bit.

[theotherobin]

They're not my friends.

[is what he settled on after all of that, because... yeah, it's still fucking weird. ]

I barely know them. Dick... the one from my universe- didn't exactly want me to meet 'em, I don't think. I barely know him either... not for lack of trying. I mean, I think at this point I know more about you then I know about him.