VIDEO

[khajidont]

[ Good evening, Mask or Menace! Jaime's back, and while he doesn't look any older, he certainly looks tired and a little sour to boot, like someone just fed him a nintendo switch cartridge real bitter pill. It was a long month. ]

So, um... hey! I'm back. That was definitely the longest I've been ported out for, but I gotta ask: what happened while I was gone? Because I got back, and all of a sudden, like, half of the people I know are gone. Dick's gone, Tadashi's gone again, Fuu's gone, Sarissa's gone, so's my Mom...

Was this just the Porter, or what?

[ It probably is - people tend to leave in waves - but it's left him feeling a little shellshocked, and it's worth searching for answers at the very least. He raises a hand to rub at the back of his neck, playing a little with the hair at the nape. ]

Um, anyway. Good to see you guys who are still here. And for all the newbies, I'm Jaime. Nice to meet you.

Comments

Re: video;

[khajidont]

Thanks, man. It sucks, but... at least I'll see her back home. How about you, how've you been since the whole, uh, blackout thing?

[aboveand]

Still, it's your mom. I know how much I miss mine, so I can only imagine what you're going through right now.

[Still, if Jaime wants to let it go, he'll oblige.]

I missed pizza for a while, but I survived. Thankfully no one tried looting out by the government housing. How about you?? Talk any shoplifters to the side of angels?

[khajidont]

Hey, at least I got a chance to see her again while I'm here. Most people don't get that kind of opportunity. Dunno if you've noticed, but this place either has parents without their kids, or kids without their parents - I got pretty lucky, at least for a little while. [ No, it sucks, but, well. Life goes on. ]

No shoplifters this trip home. But I promise when I manage it, I'm taking video evidence just to show you it can be done.

[aboveand]

I've noticed. I'm in the former category.

[....Okay, technically his dad is here, but he has no idea about this fuckery.]

But yeah, when you put it like that... I'm really glad you got to see your mom again, Jaime.

[Terry slowly breaks out into a grin.]

So basically you're just going to videotape yourself dealing with every mugger you come across? One-handed, or are you going to buy one of those chest straps?

[khajidont]

Oh, I'm going the go-pro route, one-hundred percent, [ Jaime says, more solemnly than he really should. ] That way I can capture all my parkour skills before finding some mugger to talk reason to. It'd go viral on Bluetube.

[aboveand]

That's an understatement. You'd make the rest of us look bad.

[khajidont]

I mean, we literally had Superman here. I think making the rest of us look bad is a moot point by now.

[aboveand]

Hang on, Superman was here? I knew Supergirl was here, but I missed Superman?

Damn.

[khajidont]

Yeah, sorry, man. He might still come back? He was here twice already, so there's no saying he can't come back.

For the record, I wish he'd come back too. Really nice guy.

[aboveand]

I've always wanted to meet him.

[Yes, managed to say that with a straight face! Nailed it.]

I've heard really nice things. I know I'm from Gotham and I should be a fan of the other guy, but Superman's always been my favorite.

[khajidont]

Not a big fan of the Big Bad Bat? Assuming there's still a Batman in Gotham! I can't imagine a Gotham without any of them, to be honest.

[aboveand]

Hey I didn't say that. And yeah, there's still a Batman in Gotham. He saved my girlfriend once.

[Not a lie!]

The rest--Nightwing and Robin and Batgirl--have all retired, though.

[khajidont]

I'm kinda surprised they didn't, you know, pass on the legacy. It's sort of sad to think of a city just having Batman.

But hey, glad to hear one of 'em is still out there doing good.

[aboveand]

[...Slag it. Did he give too much away?]

Well I mean, for all I know this guy used to be Nightwing or Robin. Not exactly like anyone gets a good look at the guy. I just meant there's just Batman in my Gotham.

[khajidont]

[ Don't worry, Terry, this boy just has a lot of Legacy Feelings. ]

Nah, nah, I get you, it's just - I mean, as long as I've known about Batman, there's always been a Robin. I think there's been...

[ There was Dick, then the next kid, then Tim, then the squirt... ]

Four? But I guess some legacies have to stop somewhere.

[aboveand]

[Had Bruce not filled him in on this already, he might have blurted out something that would have highlighted just how different his Gotham is from Bruce's (and apparently Jaime's). Something that might have made it obvious that Terry was Batman. As it is, he's worried he said too much already.]

Yeah, it was pretty crazy years ago. Maybe something happened that made them retire. I can't even guess.

[khajidont]

Yeah, me neither. And we never will be able to, I guess.

[ They've all been through so much. What could have been the last straw for people like them? To leave for good? All the retirees Jaime knows went back to it eventually, and typically speaking, died doing so. He hopes that hadn't been the case.

He shrugs. ]

I s'pose it doesn't have a whole lot to do with you either. What do you do, anyway? I just realized I've never asked.

[aboveand]

[The story of what happened to Tim was horrific, and truth be told he understood exactly why they felt that way. But it wasn't his story to tell, and even it was, it wasn't one Terry McGinnis should know.]

At least they were able to protect Gotham as long as they did, anyway.

[He gives a sheepish smile at the question of his work. He goes every day without complaint, but he can't say he's a fan.]

I'm a cashier at a year-round Halloween store. At least, that's what the paper said. In reality I'm more "costume model/guinea pig." How about you?

[khajidont]

Oh, man. That sounds like a job. [ And not an entirely pleasant one. It must get dull, waiting for Halloween to arrive. ] I'm a mechanic. [ Not an apprentice. A real one now. He got his certification and everything.

He turned out like his dad after all. ] It's not my assigned job, but it works for me.

[aboveand]

I'll trade you.

[His smile betrays that he's mostly joking.]

That's a pretty schway gig though, for real. Cars are finicky beasts. And don't get me started on bikes.

[khajidont]

I've been working with cars my whole life, so it wasn't that big of an adjustment. But if you're seriously looking for a change in career, hit me up. I got another friend of mine a job there last year - they treat us real well.

[aboveand]

I'll definitely consider it. I like motors, but I'm not sure if I'm good enough to turn it into a job.

Besides, if I don't wear a pirate costume outside our store, who will?

[khajidont]

I mean, literally anyone else.

[aboveand]

[Terry tries to feign shock, but his smile doesn't fade.]

That's not what they tell me at work!

[khajidont]

Yeah, and my Dad used to tell me that the radio was broken and could only play two channels at the garage. [ He cups his mouth with one hand, fake-whispering into the camera. ] He lied.