[ And it isn't all that long before he raps at the door and push it open a moment later. He'd checked the schedule and knew no one else was likely to be using the room. ]
(ooc: open to prose or brackets and can move elsewhere if you'd rather))
Kyle offers a nod in greeting, and in answer to that as he takes his cup.
"Of course. Any time," he says, meaning it as he moves to sit facing Bruce.
He isn't sure what he expected, but that wasn't it. He nods though. "I remember us talking about it, yes." He technically has a photogenic memory as a vampire, but he has worked not to recall everything picture perfect. "Your thoughts on that have changed then?"
His memory is also perfect, and he has honed it. There are times - most of them - that he regrets that more than a little.
Not that he's always perfect in practice. Too much effort, sometimes to engage all that recall everything precisely. All vampires just get coffee now - whether they can drink it or not. Rude, but.
He doesn't regret remembering that conversation.
"Reluctantly. Things here got nasty last time. I need at least one option."
Having lived on coffee for so long, it's one of the things Kyle would miss if he'd had to give it up with being turned. Inhaling the scent, he's about to take a drink when he pauses.
Staring at Bruce for a long moment, considering how to word this. Then just deciding to just go for it.
There's something in the way Kyle stops halfway to a drink that makes Bruce almost smile.
"Bad enough to make me go against my aversion to professional medical care. I got it taken care of, but I needed another person and the person I had available was quite possibly the last person I would have chosen."
Kyle had little to know knowledge of Bruce and his family before coming here as he knew others did. Something he believes is the stories from places like this being shared with others.
What he did know is the things that he'd learned from the people here. Like Tim and Dick. And Kyle's former therapist and friend.
"That last person wouldn't have been related to a beautiful psychiatrist who is family with your world, is it?"
Though given a recent post that kind of shook him, he's really hoping it's Harley.
"The one who was here before was a friend of mine and she talked about her world sometimes."
He grimaces and then does take a drink of his coffee. "That's... good to know. She was a really good person. I don't know her life before but the woman I knew here was something else. Special."
He'd cared about her deeply, one of his dearest friends and someone that had known a lot about his life.
But then Bruce goes on and Kyle shifts to set down his cup, shifting to fulling fix his gaze on Bruce. Just from what Harley had told him and the things he knew about the man that had gone after Tim when Kyle had first been new here and Kyle had ended up in a coma that wasn't the kind that happened to people here.
"What happened? What is it you needed help for and that he gave you?"
There's none of that soft, bedside manner in that moment. Bruce is one of only two people that he's close to, that he cares about, and he isn't intimate with. Bruce is important in his life... for so many reasons and he's not okay with how that sounds, and he's not sure Bruce is okay either. Even if he would never admit it, Kyle suspects.
He'd admit that he isn't okay in the sense that no one should use him as a role model in any regard. That he's less okay now than he was -- probably not.
"She wasn't from my world, either, though she clearly knew some version of me." Based on the name of her hyena, which he thinks might also apply to this Harley.
anyway, he takes a drink of his coffee and shrugs. "I got caught up in the gang and guard activity." Stabbed, then jailed. "I was not in ...peak condition and Joker stepped in for the public portion of the punishment, and I was in worse condition then. It was mostly a matter of disinfecting and stitching, some fluid and antibiotics, but there are parts of my body I can't reach myself."
And he cannot have that happen again. Not with Joker, not with that level of vulnerability and especially not when the power dynamic here is so skewed by their designations.
Kyle knew that when Bruce texted him this wasn't going to be good, and he knew he'd be here for him. He just hadn't realized how bad things had gotten for Bruce, and what he'd had to deal with.
With another, he would offer sympathy here, ask questions about how bad things were. Especially not physically. This is Bruce though, and he's learning how to scale back his natural tendencies for the comfort of batfam member Bruce.
So he considers his words carefully. "Physically how bad is it? That you're aware of?" He's pretty certain he's acutely aware of how bad it is. It's not like Bruce not to know.
"There's nothing that needs further addressing, or will do more than leave a few more scars over the long term."
Is that an answer? He's trying.
"It's still bad enough to be uncomfortable, but not much more than that, at this point. It would have been a major problem if Joker hadn't decided to play nice."
He needs someone he can call on. He resents that, but he does.
It's an answer. Not a great answer but it's definitely an answer.
"I know... of him. Of things that happened to Tim here before, and what happened to Harley. She and I confided in one another about life and some other things over the years."
He's heard a lot. He saw how bad Tim was. And he knew what the people from their world were like. He'd known Roman and Zsasz. It made him almost thankful for the kind of monster Jones was. Almost.
"He's here though so who knows about next time?" He sighs. "I know our relationship is interesting, Bruce, because of Tim but... if you don't call me next time, he's not the only one you'll have to contend with."
Okay Bruce Wayne, please be intimidated by the doctor who totally won't do anything of the sort, even if he could rip someone apart.
Bruce lifts his eyebrows, in a way that is very clearly pointed, but not in a particularly sharp way. A little warmth, a little tired, a little amused, even, but still a Look.
"I didn't have to contact you about this time. I did. To make arrangements." But then: "Our relationship isn't odd, for me, 'because of Tim'." He doesn't say things without them meaning... something.
And in this case he's telling Kyle a couple of things.
One of them being 'yeah, he knows about the sex but he likes you and would anyway -- or maybe would sleep with Kyle anyway'. Either way. Both ways?
Kyle offers back a very practiced bland look, not even trying to pretend he isn't putting on that face.
"I know you didn't, and I know you fear me about as much as a fly. That doesn't mean I don't like you, Bruce, and if I can be there for you I'm glad you'll let me."
He nods at that, considering asking why it's odd then but this is Duplicity and he could probably think of a dozen reasons or so why.
"Also, on that note, this stays between us. I assume you know that but making that clear. No matter what might happen. Because you're a friend and I want to do what I can."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Let's meet in the Blood Bank. It's private enough.
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Now? I can be there shortly.
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I'll bring coffee.
text to action
[ And it isn't all that long before he raps at the door and push it open a moment later. He'd checked the schedule and knew no one else was likely to be using the room. ]
(ooc: open to prose or brackets and can move elsewhere if you'd rather))
Action - and thanks!
"Thanks." For coming.
He is uncomfortable with this, but.
"Do you remember when you offering to treat me?" It's been... a long time. Since barely after his arrival, actually.
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"Of course. Any time," he says, meaning it as he moves to sit facing Bruce.
He isn't sure what he expected, but that wasn't it. He nods though. "I remember us talking about it, yes." He technically has a photogenic memory as a vampire, but he has worked not to recall everything picture perfect. "Your thoughts on that have changed then?"
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Not that he's always perfect in practice. Too much effort, sometimes to engage all that recall everything precisely. All vampires just get coffee now - whether they can drink it or not. Rude, but.
He doesn't regret remembering that conversation.
"Reluctantly. Things here got nasty last time. I need at least one option."
That isn't Joker.
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Staring at Bruce for a long moment, considering how to word this. Then just deciding to just go for it.
"How bad was it, Bruce?"
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"Bad enough to make me go against my aversion to professional medical care. I got it taken care of, but I needed another person and the person I had available was quite possibly the last person I would have chosen."
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What he did know is the things that he'd learned from the people here. Like Tim and Dick. And Kyle's former therapist and friend.
"That last person wouldn't have been related to a beautiful psychiatrist who is family with your world, is it?"
Though given a recent post that kind of shook him, he's really hoping it's Harley.
"The one who was here before was a friend of mine and she talked about her world sometimes."
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Just throwing that out, but there is certainly some element of warning in there, for all the conversational, casual, tone.
"It wasn't her. It was her dominant." Who is stable but that just means consistently terrible. Really, really, terrible.
He still doesn't know what Joker was playing at, in stepping in and 'rescuing' Bruce.
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He'd cared about her deeply, one of his dearest friends and someone that had known a lot about his life.
But then Bruce goes on and Kyle shifts to set down his cup, shifting to fulling fix his gaze on Bruce. Just from what Harley had told him and the things he knew about the man that had gone after Tim when Kyle had first been new here and Kyle had ended up in a coma that wasn't the kind that happened to people here.
"What happened? What is it you needed help for and that he gave you?"
There's none of that soft, bedside manner in that moment. Bruce is one of only two people that he's close to, that he cares about, and he isn't intimate with. Bruce is important in his life... for so many reasons and he's not okay with how that sounds, and he's not sure Bruce is okay either. Even if he would never admit it, Kyle suspects.
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"She wasn't from my world, either, though she clearly knew some version of me." Based on the name of her hyena, which he thinks might also apply to this Harley.
anyway, he takes a drink of his coffee and shrugs. "I got caught up in the gang and guard activity." Stabbed, then jailed. "I was not in ...peak condition and Joker stepped in for the public portion of the punishment, and I was in worse condition then. It was mostly a matter of disinfecting and stitching, some fluid and antibiotics, but there are parts of my body I can't reach myself."
And he cannot have that happen again. Not with Joker, not with that level of vulnerability and especially not when the power dynamic here is so skewed by their designations.
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With another, he would offer sympathy here, ask questions about how bad things were. Especially not physically. This is Bruce though, and he's learning how to scale back his natural tendencies for the comfort of
batfam memberBruce.So he considers his words carefully. "Physically how bad is it? That you're aware of?" He's pretty certain he's acutely aware of how bad it is. It's not like Bruce not to know.
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Is that an answer? He's trying.
"It's still bad enough to be uncomfortable, but not much more than that, at this point. It would have been a major problem if Joker hadn't decided to play nice."
He needs someone he can call on. He resents that, but he does.
Kyle is... his answer.
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"I know... of him. Of things that happened to Tim here before, and what happened to Harley. She and I confided in one another about life and some other things over the years."
He's heard a lot. He saw how bad Tim was. And he knew what the people from their world were like. He'd known Roman and Zsasz. It made him almost thankful for the kind of monster Jones was. Almost.
"He's here though so who knows about next time?" He sighs. "I know our relationship is interesting, Bruce, because of Tim but... if you don't call me next time, he's not the only one you'll have to contend with."
Okay Bruce Wayne, please be intimidated by the doctor who totally won't do anything of the sort, even if he could rip someone apart.
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"I didn't have to contact you about this time. I did. To make arrangements." But then: "Our relationship isn't odd, for me, 'because of Tim'." He doesn't say things without them meaning... something.
And in this case he's telling Kyle a couple of things.
One of them being 'yeah, he knows about the sex but he likes you and would anyway -- or maybe would sleep with Kyle anyway'. Either way. Both ways?
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"I know you didn't, and I know you fear me about as much as a fly. That doesn't mean I don't like you, Bruce, and if I can be there for you I'm glad you'll let me."
He nods at that, considering asking why it's odd then but this is Duplicity and he could probably think of a dozen reasons or so why.
"Also, on that note, this stays between us. I assume you know that but making that clear. No matter what might happen. Because you're a friend and I want to do what I can."