#* LONEHEIR .

[ow1et]

@loneheir    ♡ 'd

most would find it uncomfortable to be studied by so many predatory eyes at once,  to be seen in such a raw way. athene is acquainted with the feeling of being watched ( it's accompanied her since birth ), and the shift from human gaze to raptor's is more relieving than distressing. there's nothing for her to conceal from the birds, nothing that she can even try to. they've seen more of her bared soul than any living person. unlike the crowd still lingering inside her parents' manor, they don't offer unwanted judgment. it's a large part of why she retreated to the aviary in the first place.

barnaby is there to greet her at the door, attention cleanly split given that she's not as alone as she typically is. " you can pet him. either his chest or back are fine. " as she explains, she scratches under his chin and owl's luminous eyes close. such a glutton for attention. he's a familiar weight on her hand, as are the pinpricks of talons through the leather of her glove. her first genuine smile of the evening pairs nicely with a quiet offer. " or you can hold him if you'd like. i have another glove you could use. but barnaby is . . . heavier than he looks. hollow bones don't even out all the mice he packs away. "

[sarastuss-a]

O' TIME, &. ITS' ETERNAL FLOW : none are spared from its' effects ━━━━ 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒. for she has seen how eternal time twist, &. it turns. sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. ( are you glad, hero ... that you no longer are immortal? ) how she too harbors memories, 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐋𝐃 , moments she would have loved to freeze, &. remain in. ━━━━ silence is heavy, surrounding the atmosphere. YET HE SHATTERS IT, once more the moonlight gathers these secret moments between the two.

@loneheir : ❛ all  time  ever  does  is  pass  and  all  i  ever  do  is  remember . ❜

BUT SHE CAN NOT REMAIN IN THE PAST, : she can not. 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 have fallen from her tongue, &. the hero would never break them. ( not when pleaded upon last breaths, last moments. ) ━━━━ ❝ it is quite painful, is it not? ❞ she makes no effort to hide sorrow, but allows a symphatetic smile decorate those lush lips. IT WAS THE TRUTH, it is painful to be the survivor. ❝ but it is our duty to remember. for those, that are no longer here to tell their tales, ... to remeber so we can learn from mistakes made. ❞ for those that have passed, &. for those she can yet save, she will remember. she takes his hand, an 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 squeeze ' you are not alone. ' ❝ when it feels too much, you can share it with me. i will help you carry the burden. ❞

[defyeded]

        BRUCE WAYNE : curses only have power when you believe in them, and i don't . . . @loneheir - i stare at him pointedly, a narrowing of my eyes the only display of my apathy as i try to feel something, anything, but find i lack the ability of late. there's an emptiness inside of me now, a numb sensation i associate with the reveal of my bloodline and my supposed wickedness- a leper to the rich, a stain on an otherwise prominent name in high society, the bastard child of a man with far too much importance for my tastes . . . "what else would you call it?" i ask quietly, curious as to where our perspectives differ.

        i tilt my head, a slight bend to my slender neck as i curl my fingers into the wood of the table between us, nails bitten into sharp angles almost claw-like. unintentional, i assure you - but a pandering to the rumours that circulate around me these past months. how i came to associate with bruce wayne, i couldn't say. it is as much a surprise to me as anyone. does he realise what consequences could befall him for keeping my company? i wonder if he cares.

                    "a series of unfortunate events?" i state, arching my brow as if to dare he agree. "whether you believe it or not, i am cursed." i watch him almost unblinking as i reach for and turn my glass slowly between my fingers, raising my shoulder in a casual shrug before dropping my eyes down to my hands. "and now so to are you. welcome to the club, it sucks." i raise my glass almost mockingly, a morose rasp to my tone as i tip the shot back and savour the burn in my throat. "you should run while you can."

[arkhampsych]

𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦. while he was more than capable of coaxing a distressed inmate into letting down their guard with words alone, the good doctor found the effects of a sedative much more certain. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵. Crane’s eyelids fell over his clear pupil’s as they drifted down towards his clasped hands. “ 𝘺𝘦𝘴. ” he breathed out softly as his lips parted into a yielding smile. he wasn’t expecting to be cross examined by a philanthropist.

The orphan continued to speak and Crane’s vision focused on the linoleum floor. Every surface in the room — save for the steel finish of a row of countertops — reflected fluorescent light. They stood in a glowing off - white void, textured with antiseptic tile.

Eventually the doctor’s eyes grew tired of appraising a luminescent stripe cast unto the face of his guest’s flawlessly lustrous shoe. He blinked and raised his gaze to meet wayne’s. His stare almost completely colorless : absent of any quality that would suggest thought or feeling lurking in the abyss of those two glacial pools. When he listened, the psychiatrist was possessed by a vapid stillness — as though his 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 could be confined by breathing as little as possible. It was an inhuman pause that broke only when his lips moved to utter a phrase that barely crossed the threshold of a whisper,

“ I have always had a desire to explore the natural root of neurosis and to find a cure that would put an end to necessitating institutions such as arkham. ” He tasted the word at the back of his throat. “ unfortunately, it would appear the board intends to continue to service this asylum as a prison … no place of comfort for those with any hope of remission. ” Crane continued, sighing out his analysis of arkham’s system at a greater volume :

“ like all patients, your mother, was prescribed treatment that only exhausted her dejection. ” He paused to study wayne, “ confining the disturbed with only their delusions to keep them company, nurtures paranoia. that is why I advocate for the asylum’s resources to be directed towards the advancement of medicine. ”

@loneheir / 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎𝚍.

[starsiet]

@loneheir: life is confusing enough.

“ tell me about it. ” new york was nothing like she expected — everything she worked toward was a lie. the people she idolized turned out to be nothing like she imagined. it was entirely too much. she knows they probably know where she ran off to — thankfully, she didn't have some interview to do. not yet, at least.

she's glad to be just annie right now — not everyone knew her identity. not yet, at least. she liked to imagine the person standing by her didn't know. “ it feels like . . . everything is being thrown at me. and i feel like i can keep up at first, but then your hands are full and you have to keep catching everything but you can't let everything drop and then your hands are just too full and you feel frantic. ” she sighs, letting her head drop. “ sorry for rambling. guess i needed to get that off my chest. ”

[quinfamy]

*      incoming      /      @loneheir    .  .  .    (    random  dialogue  prompts   )      —      status    :    accepting  .      ❝  people  think  i’m  weird .  ❞

             ❝        well   ,  i  wasn’t  gonna  say  anythin’  buuuuut  .  .  .      ❞           an impish  grin  tugs  at  rouged  lips   ,   teeth  catching  hold  of  plush  lower  tier  as  she  bites  back  a  laugh  .    in  her  expert  opinion , weird  is  underselling  it  .      (   personally   ,   she’d  go  with  ‘  creepy  ’   )      it’s  said  so  matter  of  factly  too   ,   as  is  often  the  case  with  the  bat   ,   no  trace  of  sadness  or  resentment  to  be  found      (   he’s  far  too  clever  to  give  any  of  that  away  to  the  likes  of  her   )   .  .  .   it’s  just  something  that  is  .

             posture  shifts   ,   arms  folding  across  red-and-black  clad  chest  as  brows  arch  beneath  her  mask  .           ❝        didja’  reeaalllly  need  other  people  to  clue  you  in  that  prowlin’  the  streets  at  night  with  pointy  ears  and  a  fancy  cape  ain’t  exactly  '  normal  '  behaviour   ?      ❞      

[sarastuss-a]

CHAOS THREATENS THE LIGHT : &. 𝐎' 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, you recognize this energy, ━━━━ the aftermath of a battle fought here is hers' &. @loneheirs 's to witness : SWORDS &. SHIELDS LIE BROKEN, BENDED, ... the ground covered by ash. a sight so grim attempts to steal hope. ( but her heart, her soul ... will not give in. ) ❝ this was not done by an ordinary foe. ❞ the energy surrounding the 𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒 can not be forgot, nor can your heart ignore the familar sting.

[sforhope]

Right, wrong. He has always been one of the FORTUNATE who were taught the difference between these two, but letting him struggle at times when it comes to the grey, his conscience and goodwill guiding him through it. Then there is that part, the GOD part. Humanity sees him as a deity, a figure to follow on its steps. It is a burden more than anything of pleasure. Yes, he has to do everything right. ❝ I’m just trying to do the right thing. ❞ Like his company, he is not one of many words. A slight raise of his head, the moonlight illuminating his features. ❝ Aren’t you? ❞ Tossing the ball in their court, his gaze meets theirs, their upcoming answer more for a confirmation than a genuine ask.

@loneheir : "You don't always have to do everything right."

[hellenistiq]

@loneheir : that's a fantastic question.

“ one that i was hoping you'd answer, ” henry purses his lips together, legs crossed and eyes focused on the book in his lap. he looks at bruce from over the tops of his glasses, MIND RACING. what could he be thinking of? he sets the book in his lap, open, of course, TO KEEP HIS SPOT MARKED. “ it's kind of unanswerable, isn't it. but that's the point of it, i'd venture to say. LIFE'S BEST QUESTIONS DON'T HAVE ANSWERS. ” he's sure he's heard julian say it before — he wishes julian was here now. “ and why is that? do they want us to spend our lives in pursuit of these answers? do they expect us to accept it? i don't know. ” he tucks the paper he uses as a bookmark, the greek alphabet, and shuts the book. “ what do you think about THAT? ”

[enquerys]

[ BRUCE WAYNE ] : ' you keep on talking with nothing to say. ' / @loneheir

ㅤnothing to say? NOTHING TO SAY? poor, sweet batman, always one infuriating step behind. every word that comes from edward's mouth is carefully planned, each meticulously constructed sentence carrying some important weight, some clue to one of the many diabolical traps he'd set up around the city. as for which trap he was referring to — well, it's batman's job to figure that out. for him to outright tell would be cheating, and where's the fun in that?

ㅤhe glances away from the two - way video comm he's established between them long enough to let out an exaggerated yawn, hand held lazily before his widening mouth. a rueful shake of his head is then given in the bat's direction, the corners of his mouth curling into a trademark smirk. ❛  oh, i can assure you that's not the case,  ❜ he murmurs playfully, lips parting to bare a self - assured grin. ❛  but i can see why you'd think so. see, your mind simply isn't wired the way mine is, i'm afraid. subtle nuances are just... lost on you.  ❜

ㅤa sigh, lean shoulders deflating. ❛  i could be persuaded to give you an actual hint, of course. that is, if you're willing to ask nicely.  ❜ the camera pans rather jerkily to show a man in a now dirtied suit, hooked up to what looks like an electrical transformer. exhaustion gives way to immediate panic as the camera — and by extension, the riddler — grow closer to the captive man, who whines and moans into a makeshift gag, his voice hoarse from overuse.

ㅤit swivels once more to return to the caller himself, only the camera is much closer this time, enough to show the deep bags encircling his eyes, the sleepless pallor of his skin. despite whatever treatment he's supposed to have been getting, his instability and mania have only grown worse.

ㅤ❛  ask me very nicely. or his goose is cooked. ❜

[biggestnda]

@loneheir : why are you such a downer?

“ not a downer. ” the dreaded d word. alexander claremont - diaz was not a downer, he was just busy. law school was no joke, apparently, even if he were the FIRST SON OF THE UNITED STATES. they were harder on him, if anything. he liked the challenge. it just meant his social life suffered, and significantly. he doesn't get the feeling that's what bruce is talking about, though. IF NOT THAT, THEN WHAT? “ fine, fine. i'll go to that mixer. didn't seem like your scene, dude. ”

[slaughtyr]

❛ Everyone hides who they are at least some of the time. ❜

“ that's an . . . interesting perspective, @loneheir ” it isn't. clarice has heard this same lecture from her psychology professors at least a dozen times. thus, she cannot claim such a statement to be untrue. agent starling muses on this for a moment, pondering both the man before her and herself : the accent she shed years ago, the things she left behind in fear of ridicule. everyone does it at least some of the time.

everyone keeps secrets, everyone lies, intentions set on survival. likability. clarice watches him through the eyes of someone who doesn't quite understand, but might be starting to. ridicule is easy on the other side of the glass. opinions come freely reading a paper, a smear campaign. judgement is just as natural as the fear it brings.

“ masking is human nature. survival instinct. you match the herd you can't be singled out. ” the same can be said for the opposition, the closer the wolf looks to the sheep, the less likely they are to run.

[sarastuss-a]

CHAMPION OF THE WORLDS, BOUND TO RISE AGAIN &. AGAIN : but this evening, she is allowed to be vulnerable. the candles lit within his tent 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, as he tends to the bruises that decorate her skin, ━━━━ MARKS PROVIDED BY THE BATTLEFIELD. ( she could have done it alone, but such suggestion was refused by him. ) &. 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃, leading them into this moment, so close, vulnerable indeed. ... SO MANY THINGS COULD CAUSE A DANGEROUS SPARK, perhaps the reason her gaze is averted forwards : as if she was contemplating the nothingness before her. she could not risk it, she could not ━━━━

@loneheir : [ CHIN ] as they stand close to one another, the sender hooks a finger and tenderly lifts the receiver’s chin, tilting it up so that they can look at one another, and running a thumb across their skin lightly.

STEADY YOUR GOLDEN HEART'S BEAT, HERO : for otherwise, ━━━━ he is bound to hear the fastened beats. 𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄, yet merciless in its' way to capture! ... she could not look away, she would not want to. the way his bare thumb caresses her warm skin, 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆, ━━━━ intentional, or not? she does not know, not when heart beats fast against her ribcage, emotions yearning to break free. ... an exhale, as she drowns into his eyes. ❝ what are you thinking? ❞ INNOCENT QUESTION SPOKEN, is it same as her own?

[embodies]

she relinquishes a whistle of approval to his haul : the radio is by far the stealer of the spotlight amidst both their takings. tech is hard to come by these days, functional or not, and she has no doubt between them they can get any rusty hunk of junk to work if given enough time. she considers herself moreso proficient in doing the talking but that's not to say vanasha shies away from metal and wiring if the time calls for it. the uprising has made even the most stubborn of survivors a reluctant jack - of - all - trades. out of necessity, if nothing else.

nodding her assent to his guidance ( the barn after all is not the most promising of cliché locations and they've amassed plenty, fortunately ) she permits a fond smile at his constant ability to look forward. a troublesome feat with no end to the madness in sight. many of the people she had met during the struggle had succumbed to that exact honey - trap of nostalgia : looking backwards. yearning for a time long gone and stuck in the quicksand that is refusal to accept. the strongest warriors adapt to their surroundings, pleasant or not. believe not in recovering the past, but creating a new future.

❛ famous last words . . . ❜ a morbid murmur she can't help but direct his way, yet the truth rings mournfully in her response and they both know it. the calm before the storm leaves a lingering sense of unease in both their bodies that she can feel like an electricity waiting to be unleashed. adrenaline stored ready in waiting for the next unforeseen threat. ❛ we need to find a vantage point. ❜ it is decisive, firm. they are both in a potentially futile hunt for their loved and lost ones, united in that front. ❛ with any luck, that radio'll be the key to finding aloy— or your people. ❜ she is ambiguous in her description, never bold in asking the details of another's closet : they are not her skeletons to share.

before she can divulge further he has lured her gaze ahead, peering through the panes to somewhere too good to be true. a knowing smile, glint in her eye and she gleams back to her company. ❛ my, my, bruce— still can't resist a set of wheels and a dream, huh ? ❜ let the teasing not dissuade from her obvious approval, for she's heading over and whipping off the tarp before he knows it. cobwebs and dust motes begone, their steed awaits.

❛ you think she's still got some juice ? ❜

@loneheir.

this land nothing more than what remains , careful in it's ways of preserving self - everything around her was dying. he eyes her the inside of her rucksack , and the corners of mouth threaten with a smile , ' nothing but a memory ... ' bruce then going to inhale , ' spam is fine with me , you did alright - managed to get a compass , rope , and a radio ' his backpack slung over shoulder as he shows her his own findings. it wasn't much but it was something , it allowed them to live another day - it didn't matter how well you managed to survive in these parts , each day was a gift ( ... you were lucky to make it out alive. )

he wishes he remembers what it was like before , the days in which he only had to worry about correct coding on a prototype , - when was the last time he saw a working computer ? it's a good thing he trained himself in other ways , managed to obtain a great deal of training while ensuring that he knew how to read a situation inside and out before stepping into one that could possibly be compromising. ' we'll leave the barn , ... i don't think we'll find anything there - maybe a creature tied up ' zipper sounds the closing of backpack as he slips it back upon shoulder. ' some people thought you could tame them ... like some fucking pet ' he shakes head , though he had no direct tie to immediate family.

the closest family he had was shannon , a bond made within this chaotic world that somehow made sense. there isn't a day that he doesn't think about her , wonder if she's making a difference. her talents too valuable to waste as she was stolen away in the middle of the night , bruce blames himself - he had gotten comfortable with their routine ( love compromised logic ). thought that they were impervious to danger , and suddenly those previous thoughts about chaining up someone who you loved , who had been infected by the virus makes sense. he hates admitting that , and so ? what comes is the clenching of jaw as he nods towards the woods.

' what's our next move ... besides getting away from this bloodbath ' his eyes then go to the flooring of house as he eyes the dried blood , ' we were lucky to make it this far without running into anything ' gaze shifts , and he spies a tarp covering something that resembles a car, ' hmmm ' his hand lifts and points in the direction of said tarp , ' should we ? '

[coinofsilver]

see you on the other side .

dent shuts one of the luxury car's back doors and wonders if he could have done more for the boy millionaire inside . bruce sounded tipsy but harvey wasn't entirely sure that wasn't just a clever excuse to leave the party earlyㅤ ( too bad district attorneys couldn't engage in the occasional public intoxication without that affecting their work ) .

a few high-pitched voices playfully sang ㅤ" byeee bruceee "ㅤ off the new cultural centre's balcony . wayne had clearly caught the attention of a handful of female attendees ... wasn't he supposed to be a pompous , self-obsessed little shit living up in a big expensive penthouse like half of the folks attending that darn event ? why then was he not seduced by the opportunity of being at the centre of a circle made up entirely of interested women ? maybe the tabloids had been lying when publishing all those profiles on bruce wayneㅤ ( a very likely option ) ㅤ, or maybe , just maybe , BRUCE WAYNE HAD BEEN LYING ABOUT HIMSELF .

harvey bent down a bit to peek through the car's half-open window . the district attorney couldn't help but smile at wayne's parting commentary . dent doubted they'd meet each other again ; he was surprised to find that the thought left him feeling somewhat blue . harvey's hand slowly left the car's door to find his pocket ; cold silver met his palm there . the curve on his lips melted into something smaller but genuine .

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ" you get home safe , bruce . "

[trueblu3-a]

you can't do everything by yourself. / to satine from matches <3

" oh really? "   the two of you,   tall in an old historic building,   take up much of your personal office.   it's lit with warm lights   &   would be a comforting place were papers not scattered around your desk   &   were the room not so small when you are in it together.   you bring yourself to sit on the edge of your desk,   one leg crossed over the other with a mimicked motion on your arms.   your chin is raised as you stare @loneheir down:   your gaze is hard to avoid,   blue   &   piercing.   " if i don't then who will? "   it's a genuine question that,   when asked,   softens your features.   the effects of zidler seem to still linger beneath your skin   (   you are,   you will always be:   his sparkling diamond,   the weight of the moulin bared on your shoulders   /   as he wanted,   so he shall get   ).

" i turned the moulin into what it is today,   i flipped it around,   i turned it on gotham's head. "   your tone is shaky,   &   the lack of sleep is staring to settle as you realize how much your shoulders hurt,   how your eyes struggle to stay open.   " i'm the one sofia is upset with,   i'm the one who took it on myself to take care of these women   &   trade secrets. "   now you laugh out of frustration,   head bowed down for a moment.   " &   you can't help,   that's not your job,   that's not who you are. "   the smile drops,   you stand in silence...   you realize you're so terribly tired.   " i have to do everything by myself,   i have to. "