Practice Chat

Will

"He doesn't like most people, let alone me. Excuse me, Unfortunately he's my only way out." I say, attempting to push past her to follow Damian.

I didn't want to be in this place any longer than I had to.

Chelsea

That was laughable... I smile slightly, glancing up as he goes to follow like a little lost puppy. "That's not the way; I'll take you," I offer, pulling my hair out of it's bun. I whistle to Ace as I turn to head the way I had been going before their interruption, the Doberman immediately standing to walk next to me once again as I hummed Mad World.

Will

I hesitate, glancing back at Damian.

It....it was not easy for me to trust even those closest to me. The world was full of liars.

I should know. I was one of them.

I take a small step forward before trailing behind. Close enough to follow, close enough to run if needed, and close enough to watch her every move.

Chelsea

I hear him, guessing his distance from me. Tim would be all calculations, give a number for the exact inches this guy was from me. I smiled at the thought, sighing slightly to quickly whip the thought away. No, no thinking of him... He went away...

"New York?" I ask over my shoulder, though didn't really care about his answer. The city was a comfort for me; I needed it. We come to a room, zeta beam tunnels along the wall. I go to the computer and type in coordinates, glancing over at him once again to stare for a little while more.

Will

"No, bridgecroft. Its farther than new york. More up north." I reply.

I wanted to go home. New york was the last place on my mind. I knew the area, had lived their for a while but I wanted to be back in Bridgecroft. Somewhere even more familiar.

Chelsea

I glance back at him, giving one amused giggle. "Come on. Blow off some steam after Brat Boy. It'll be fun..." I tilt my head at him with a ghost of a smile. "Daddy won't mind," I say before turning on my heel and walking through the zeta Boomtube.

Will

Daddy won't mind

I freeze, staring blankly at the space where she had just been.

Father. How did she know about Father?! Could Damian have...?! No, he hated her...then again he hated me as well. He had told Nightwing about me. How much had he told Nightwing?! Had Nightwing said an-

Enough.

Shut up.

You're panicking. Unexceptable.

How many times has Father drilled into your head that fear is unacceptable? You aren't allowed to fear. Fear is is a weakness. What was that quote....that Father had said?

'The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself'?

Something like that.

I follow into the boom tube, shielding my eyes at the bright light. To my surprise, we were in New York... just like she had said we were going. I can see the skyscrapers from a distance. The tall outline of the empire state building can be seen, it's windows gleaming in the sunlight.

But I'm not going anywhere. Not until I get the information I need.

I cross my arms and glare at her.

"How do you know about my Father?"

Chelsea

I loved emergency zeta travel. Of course Baty wouldn't mind that I used his Justice League codes... Nooo...

I walk along the rooftop that we had flashed onto, stepping up onto the ledge of the building to strut along, Ace next to me as always. To the left was just a sheer drop off twenty stories. "You're scared," I say bluntly, glancing back. My red eyes meet his for a second, before I turn away to continue onward. I skip into a run, jumping across the small five foot alleyway neatly, Ace forever following.

Spinning around to walk backwards along the edge slowly, I smile at him. "Come on. It's not far." The jump and the destination.

Will

I raise a brow, unsure whether to follow insanity over the rooftop. Hesitating slightly, I break into a run and leap across the space. The split instintanious feeling of flying filling me before landing nimbly.

"I am not scared." I state, standing out of the crouch position.

Chelsea

"No. You most certainly fear," I tell him, walking along more leisurely, clasping my hands behind my back. "It's all very vague now. But there is a definite paternal force swimming through nearly everything..." I step down from the ledge, going diagonally across the roof. The far side had a building taller than the twenty stories of this and the last. Leaning over on the opposite side, I peek over at the nearby park, landmarked by the sudden standing of trees, further beyond were the piers and the Hudson. The very iconic stone entryway rose above the trees of Washington Square Park and I smiled lightly at the sight of what had been home a year prior.

Will

"....H-how do you know all this?" I ask, feeling my face grow pallid. I swallow hard, shaking my head and allowing my face to go back into that hard mask. "Who told you?" I demand again.

Chelsea

I jump up to crouch on the building's ledge, smiling. "Chill, no one told me... I won't tell anyone else." Waving to him over my shoulder, I jump down to the fire escape and wander down the stairs to the alleyway. The last stair creeks down loudly, and I stay at the foot of the stairs for he and Ace.

Will

I go over to the ledge and with a deep breath, I jump and land on the fire escape. I run down the steps after her, going down noisly on the escape. "....How can I trust you....?" I accuse, looking at her.

Chelsea

"How indeed..." I murmur, walking along the alleyway towards the street. "Robin doesn't, why should you? Easy logic, certainly... Unless you just want to call him paranoid and go against everything he says. It's rather entertaining..."

I turn back to him, pausing a moment. "I live in a horror movie, a Lovecraft novel, a game of scares and fears that just pop out at you, and I don't like it. Using the fears I see against someone who hasn't done anything to me, a sort of gossip about something completely natural and understandable - most of the time. Their thoughts and feelings are their own, why should I go spoiling it to people? It doesn't get me anything. So I don't."

From my trench coat pocket, I take out my light grey mask and fix it to my face. Honestly, I didn't need it. I didn't wear one as a kid with Joker or Quincy, so I was recognizable. It was a pain when needing to delve into Tim's limelight life, as it involved wigs and contacts and cover-up galore.

Will

More masks.

I find it ironic.

Sometimes my face felt like a mask. I walked around constantly hiding my emotions, my thoughts, my ideas, any actual identity of the real William.

I needed no mask to hide who I am. I'm already doing that quite well.

I don't respond, just shove my hands in my pockets and look at her. "Where to?"

Chelsea

I stare at him blankly a moment before giving a small smirk, nodding over my shoulder and turning about to head out to the street. People walked the sidewalks, keeping a distance from me once they noticed me. I keep a small attention to all of their anxiety levels, calming any who exceed my comfort level so they don't go calling cops or anything. I wasn't always good, and my past tended to define me more often than my present. Which was fine. I was still sorting through who I was and what I represented as my new identity.

Quietly, past all the talk and chatter and city noises, there was something musical and light. Came on the right day. Good.

I wait for him, giving him a once over before threading my arm around his, to either relax him or make him tense, glancing over. "Why do you fear your father?" I ask him, going to walk along the correct direction.

Will

I tense slightly, glancing down at her. Why did she feel the urge to touch me...? I mean....seriously.....I'm not that warm and inviting.

And again with the questions and comments.

"Why do you care?" I snap slightly, looking away. "What importance is it to you?"

Chelsea

"Pondering normal life with parents. Batsy isn't the greatest father figure, especially when I'm annoying him more often than not," I say lightly, not minding his tense. I was used to Tim, who usually was afraid to touch me lest I suddenly disintegrate under his hand. I'm still watching this kid though from the corner of my eye, face staying blank. He didn't like staring. A lack of confidence...fake smirks and defensiveness. Dislike of attacks and questions...
"Why do you care? Why is hiding important to you?" I fire back at him.

Will

I blink, unsure of how to come back after the last comment. For a few seconds, I just....gap at her. Upon catching myself, I close my mouth quickly only to give a snort and roll my eyes.

"If you are looking for someone with a normal life with parents. You've got the wrong person," I say flatly, glaring at her.

Why couldn't she just back down?!

Chelsea

I giggle, crossing the street with a crowd. The music was louder now, though the city was still interfering with the pianos. I loved these events... Pianos in the Park, the grant instruments left for anyone to come and play. Mostly, it was the music students from the nearby university. "Don't look so cross, mister. Relax, remember? I'm no Brat Boy..." I say playfully as the trees and bushes from the park end to our right and open up to Washington Square.

The large structure welcomed us, looming overhead, beyond which was the large fountain they let you simply walk into if you wished. Activity was everywhere, from garbage sets of makeshift drums to gypsy gymnasts doing feats of flexibility, or novice magicians giving tricks and gags. Under tents were the pianos, scattered throughout the square and into the small forested area. I take in the sight, for once letting a natural smile come, before peeking over at him expectantly.

Will

I allow her to lead me around. New york had some wonderful sights, and the music completed the atmosphere. Maybe....maybe I could loosen up for a bit...after all Father was not here. I allow a small smile to form on my lips, letting the mask loosen.

Chelsea

I smile more at his own, unlatching from his arm to skip ahead and turn back playfully. "D'you play?" I ask. These people usually learned piano under over sophisticated and pompous parents, right? It was supposed to be classy or something.

Will

I shook my head, sticking my hands in my pockets. "No, my mother used to play. She taught my brother how to. Do you?"

Chelsea

Darn. Settle with someone else then. "No." I look around for a student. They took more independence with a piece if they knew it, and I liked unpredictable. "I dance." Kneeling down, I unbuckle my boots and unzipper them, slipping them off one by one. The body suit went down over my feet, so I wasn't barefoot, but it was easier this way. The gypsy looking people, with flowing homemade clothes, notice me and gesture over smiling.

Will

I could dance, enough to get my by at balls and such. Father had made me take a class on ballroom dancing. It helped a bit with flexability and such. "What kind do you prefer?" I ask, looking at her curiously.