[video]

[timecapture]

[And here's Max, looking rather tired and frazzled. She hasn't exactly slept, in between helping as many people as she can - out of the way, mostly - and worrying over the escaped convicts. She knows that not all of them have been caught, but she breathes a sigh of relief, nonetheless.]

Well, I'm glad that's over.

[Sort of.]

Anyway, how's everybody holding up? Are you all okay? I think we handled that pretty well.

[She hopes they handled that pretty well.]

I plan on keeping an eye out for the rest of the prisoners. Just when we thought things were calming down, right?

Comments

[restingstitchface]

[Crane narrows his eyes, turns to his side. It's one thing to observe violence, quite another to have it used against you. He shakes his head, rubs the bruising around his right eye. The thugs hadn't hurt him mentally.

For the time being, he chooses to set aside directly addressing her appearance.]

Do you think they might hand themselves in under amnesty? [Like he plans amnesty, lord above.] Still, they did not torch the libraries. At least they're pretending they're civilized.

[Save the books. Fuck the people.]

[timecapture]

[A moment of "Why the fuck are you talking to me, asshole?" but Max pushes through it.]

Nope.

[Sort of. She tried.]

[restingstitchface]

[Nope is still an answer he can work with.]

Well, it would involve accepting consequences...

[He nods to himself.]

Onto more important people, then. It's a pleasure to see you recovering in good health.

[timecapture]

Yes. It would.

[Hint, hint, Crane.]

I'm sure it is.

[restingstitchface]

[He taps his fingers against his jaw, and then waves away her insolence.]

You're a very valuable resource to your hosts here, and they'd loathe to see you ill. But it seems you're in rude health, regardless.

[timecapture]

Maybe it's the company.

[She doesn't know what his angle is, but given her previous interactions with him, it's probably not good.

But he does have a point. She's been working hard - perhaps too hard - while trying to help people, and it shows.]

[restingstitchface]

The company.

[His voices drones with disinterest; and there's no other sound for a couple of seconds. It's almost like he gets the joke.]

You're an incompetent liar, Ms Caulfield. But there's worse crimes than lying. Did you manage to get any sleep? You don't look well rested...

[timecapture]

I guess you'd know a lot about those, Crane.

[Asshole.]

Why do you want to know?

[restingstitchface]

A matter of survival, I suppose.

[He's not lying. But what does survival mean for him compared to her? He narrows his eyes in curiosity.]

What did you dream of?

[timecapture]

I believe you.

[She does, too - but that's not necessarily a good thing. His cold, reptilian brain clearly thinks of "survival" in different terms.]

None of your business.

[restingstitchface]

[He waves away her insolence - and speaks with a light, airy tone.]

A secret, then?

[Course, you'd know all about the secret things he dreams about, wouldn't you, Max?]

[timecapture]

More like none of your business.

[She's repeating herself, she knows, but she honestly doesn't give a shit.]

Why? What do you dream about?

[Like she doesn't know. How does it feel, asshole?]

[restingstitchface]

[He sighs. She knows too much about his history, but he's made more since returning to Gotham. Why can't people just answer his questions? They'd all be better for it.]

Darkness. What makes night leaves stars, Ms Caulfield. I think you understand that more than anyone.

[He drawls. His heart doesn't beat as quickly as it used to.]

[timecapture]

All you want to do is drag stars into the mud.

[Yeah, she thinks you're full of it, Crane.]

[restingstitchface]

You are wrong. I simply want to make them shine.

[His voice is stony and without emotion. The silence on his part after speaking reveals his inward focus; it's torturous to recall how he had believed this, once. He now teaches people that life is pain.

It pleases him... in a strange way.]

[timecapture]

[Max holds back a shudder as she glares at him. He sounds a bit like Jefferson.]

You don't help people shine, Crane. You're just a self-centered asshole who wants to make everyone as lonely and pathetic as you are.

[And with that, she turns off the feed. She's 110% done with your bullshit.]

voice;

[itistolaugh]

I had fun! Well, not fun, since there wasn't any TV or internet and my phone battery died. Okay, a little fun. But now I'm kinda homesick. Nobody does riots as good as back home.

[voice]

[timecapture]

You actually liked the rioting?