#* 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. ❞

[brutalmasks]

❛  isn't it ironic?  ❜ / from the batman

if there was one thing that bunny mask had noticed about gotham's landscape, it was how surprisingly dark it was at night — even with all of the street lights and the displays that were active beneath her. though the city was arguably very curious in general: what with it's costumed villains and the man who pervaded through the streets to 'take care of them,' so-to-speak, dressed in pure black kevlar with bat ears. the batman, she'd heard they called him. he served as both a symbol of hope and fear for the city that she was currently dangling her feet above. it was a particularly windy night in gotham the day that she'd found herself thinking this to herself. and normally, that would've put a lot of people off from visiting one of the highest skyscrapers in gotham in addition to sitting on the edge of it, as well. but bunny mask was feeling fearless.

she had just done away with a man about an hour ago, or so, and he had committed some very heinous crimes. so, naturally, bunny mask had doled out quite the extreme punishment to him: a death by an overdose as he had done terrible things with drugs to people. but it was a slow and painful one. a more than deserved one, in her opinion. bunny mask left no such calling card that this was her doing, however. this is because she was not a villain, she reasoned, like the men and women with gimmicky monikers who were still running rampant through the streets were. but bunny mask supposed at least some people had grown suspicious of all of the sudden unrelated deaths happening in the city. and that seemed to lead her to now, at this point in time, with an unfamiliar voice talking directly to her.

the haunting light green hue of bunny mask's skin was further illuminated by the sign lying behind the both of them as she turned to face who she learned was a man. no, not just any man. the fabled one known as the batman. silence spread throughout the air for a moment, as if bunny mask was waiting, anticipating that maybe he would elaborate further on what he was asking her. though it appeared, the bat believed she already knew what he was referring to: and he would be right if they were thinking about the same thing. bunny mask's lips curled into a small unreadable smile as she gazed at the man. her eyes were all white and glowing.

❝ you mean how the people of the city appear to consider you to be a hero and me, a villain? i have to admit, i somewhat share the same sentiment. what i am doing is cleansing your city of the sickness. it has been flourishing in this place, left unchecked, for far too long. and so many other humans are suffering because of it, ❞ humans, she said, because bunny mask herself was anything but. a light exhale escaped her lungs then. bunny mask was trying hard to understand what could possibly be his perspective here to not kill anyone, but admittedly, it was hard for her. he was rather infamous for sticking criminals either in jail or in institutions that they would repeatedly escape from.

❝ i only wish to bring peace to this place. everyone deserves it, do they not? i heard that this city has been wracked with trauma from it's inception; what with happened with the arkham family. and the alley, nicknamed crime alley, for the brutal murder that had occurred within it. there are so many other examples as well of bad things happening to the innocent. we must change it, and i intend to get retribution for the lives that have been lost, or are about to be lost here. before this place turns into nothing but a festering wound, ❞ bunny mask's intentions were noble. this, she knew, but the batman was more likely than not here to try to talk her down... right? or, perhaps he had already made her mind up about her: that she was no good herself.

but she believed in the ideology she'd made for herself and in revenge. so, either way, nothing would be stopping her from fulfilling her goals.

[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?

[returne]

Self-sentenced guardianship, then. Noble, or stupid. Maybe both. Caroline shouldn't try to unravel his character just yet — it's still early, and she promised herself she would put her best foot forward in this new-old place. “ You're not doing a very good job at convincing me that moving here wasn't a huge mistake, you know. ”

The pictures don't shy away from the tragedy. Caroline is looking at what's come to pass and what awaits and she is ... out of places to run to. She can work with ugly. Her friends used to say, you love a good project, don't you? like it was something to be wary of. Caroline wonders if Gotham will fold first of if she will.

“ This is, as of now, my official introduction to Gotham. ” She came in here looking for a story, and wonders now if other people would flinch at the one being told. “ No one's tried to mug me or anything yet, so I guess all those rumours about the big bad city must be wrong. ” The people here can definitely read the ' small town girl ' off her clothes and shoes and face though. Caroline isn't sure if that's something that'll just wash off in the shower.

Is there a word for used-to-be homes? Left-behind-abandoned homes? “ Virginia. Mystic Falls. The name makes it seem like it's a lot more interesting than it actually is. ” She's not quite lying, but not exactly telling the truth either. She has a feeling it'll always be like this when talking about her no-longer home. “ It's one of those towns where everyone knows everyone. You break up with your boyfriend and suddenly you're uninvited from every party and founders' event because his dad's the freaking mayor and apparently breaking his son's heart is a criminal offence. ” It's been too long for her to still be bitter about this, but she can still remember how even at her mother's funeral Mrs. Lockwood wouldn't let up on the passive aggressive poking and prodding at Caroline's private life.

“ I'm guessing I won't have to worry about that kind of thing here. ”

her words are akin to opening curtains on a bright day , one has to adjust ... eyes squinting ever so as the light floods a space that had been previously been held by darkness. bruce wayne has become unnaturally talented at hiding his true nature ; he finds that reflecting whatever those around him truly seek has a way of putting them at ease ... of gently lulling whatever qualms.

❛ i don't think anyone in the city has had a vacation in the past two years ... --- well , people have flocked to homes that sit on coastlines away from the city , it's ugly here ❜ his tongue gently cradles that last phrase. ❛ misunderstood perhaps ❜ nodding towards the photographs , ❛ maybe i want to make sense of it all , logic is what we crave most behind stability ❜ there's a melodic quality to his voice , accented by warm tones and an honesty that he pulls upon.

❛ a house ? ❜ he asks as he then looks down at her , he doesn't touch upon death (an occurrence in gotham that is daily). ❛ and you haven't ever been to the city ? ❜ the questions coated in genuine curiosity ; perhaps also realizing that she has no clue as to who he is.

nothing in gotham is serendipitous ; the city calling to those who she needs ... she a lighthouse and we the ship out at sea. even now as we talk in a crowded gallery i can't help but feel as if the walls themselves are leaning in to listen , that the wind outside is an accompaniment to whatever exchange we're having. i raise the glass of tonic water with a lime to my lips , to somehow add an interlude to the moment. i then ask another question , realizing that i rather enjoy not being the object of interest for once.

❛ where did your mother move you to ? ❜

[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 . "