daemon au

[stands_for_hope]

So... daemons. Animal of a different gender from yours = your soul. Tag one of the characters on here with a starter, post your own with or without a request for one of mine or play here as you like.

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KAY!

[stands_for_hope]

Clark, on the other hand, is feeding his daemon part of a strawberry with one hand as he makes his way in. He and Neoma have figured out ways to deal with the distance, but it's not something he forces himself to do unless a battle situation requires it. Coming in for monitor duty is not one of those times.

"If you're more comfortable," he says with a tip of his chin, "you can pull the cowl up. I just figured it doesn't breathe all that well."

[frightening]

"I don't breathe through my forehead," he says-- snaps, really. Immediately, Bruce hates that he says it or anything at all, and wishes he'd just kept silent. He forces himself to even out his vital signs - spiked slightly with irritation at himself. This is Superman. Clark. Whom he knows. ... Sort of. He's the person he feels least uncomfortable around, anyway.

In the faint reflection of a monitor, Bruce watches the other fighter's daemon eat a strawberry. Until he realizes that's what he's doing, and his gaze twitches elsewhere. Bats are uncommon daemons; most animals that people tend to find 'creepy' or 'spooky' are. He supposes the most powerful being on earth has no reason to cringe away and unconsciously influence the fixed form of his soul, but it's still interesting. Different. He's never known anyone with a daemon of his namesake before.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark just raises an eyebrow at the outburst, because really, Bruce. But a moment later, he settles next to Bruce in the other chair, and glances over at him in a silent question. Everything all right?

He's concerned. After all, Bruce is usually pretty settled in his own skin. He tries to think of what might have set him off before realizing that he hasn't gotten to meet Nee before. But...

He's Batman. Why would he be bothered by--

"This is her usual form," he ventures after a moment, peering over at Bruce. "She's been a fruit bat since I was in high school. Kryptonians aren't any different from anyone else when it comes to daemons. I didn't-- I mean, I hope you don't think I'm trying to make you uncomfortable. With Neoma, I mean."

[frightening]

"It's not that," he says, almost flustered. Clark's daemon is interesting but not his source of discomfort.

"I don't know why I'm here." It's difficult to admit, but he makes himself. At least his anxiousness has dissolved; he's a bit wary still, always has been around people being so comfortable with their daemons, but he hadn't lied. "I don't like being away from Gotham. I'm not like you and Diana."

[stands_for_hope]

"Always so quick to think you're different," slips out of the little bat, which makes Clark turn to her and give her a bit of a look. No need to be rude, after all. But she'd always been quietly outspoken.

Clark has learned to just sigh and go along with it.

"I do wonder what you mean, though. That you're not like either of us."

[frightening]

Bruce's eyes narrow slightly. He doesn't like talkative daemons. It's considered sort of fine for them to say rude things, and it bothers him. His gaze stays on Clark's though.

"I'm not going to inspire hope or ... media-friendly pictures, good feelings, in anyone," he says. Bruce wants the Justice League to work, he really does. But maybe it would be better for him to stay in Gotham, and just fix their computers sometimes.

[stands_for_hope]

"Really?" Clark notes with a raised eyebrow. "You don't think it's important that a baseline human is a public member, a standardbearer in fact, of the Justice League?"

Because this isn't just about organizing Earth's heroes, after all. It's about more than that. It has to be about more than that.

"You're a reminder, internally and externally, that this organization, what we're trying to do, isn't about powers. It isn't about... destiny or even just duty. It's about stepping up, choosing to make a difference, working hard and helping people with the skills you have." He tips the strawberry up a little more for Nee. "And we both know that that's not just some soundbyte to make you feel better. You're an important part of the team, Bruce. And what you bring to the team is very real. After all, how many times have you saved my life alone?"

[frightening]

Bruce tolerates that little speech with only slight discomfort - by now he's sure Clark has figured out that his field partner reacts, shall we say, less than generously, to displays of sincerity offered in his direction. But in turn he's learned that this is just how Clark is. He's the only person Bruce won't tell to shut up.

"Most people in Gotham aren't aware I'm not a meta," he points out. Bruce is proud of being baseline, but it's helpful to inspire that kind of terror regardless. He shrugs, and looks back at the monitors.

"Thirteen to one." A beat. "One and a half. I'll give you the warehouse thing."

[stands_for_hope]

"How generous."

Clark's own count is a little different, but it's an amiable kind of different. He'd rather argue over how many times than ever win the argument.

"And I mentioned internally for a reason."

Good job trying to slither out, Bruce. But you are important.

"I actually figured it had more to do with you spending so much time in the light when you're more used to hugging shadows." Nee got a scritch as he spoke. "Which is fair. It took me a while to be comfortable with public attention. There were years where I was out there, helping people, making sure to move too fast to be seen."

He tilts his head.

"Not that different, Bruce. Really."

[frightening]

"I get a lot of public attention in Gotham." Attention of a very different sort.

His pale eyes track something in Clark's face for a quiet moment, attention split between him and the monitors. Once, he glances at the bat. It must be comforting to have her near. He looks back at the screens.

"You can take your mask off too, if you want," he says eventually. Dry.

[stands_for_hope]

He can't help ducking a little, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. Neoma looks at Bruce for a moment, clearly measuring him, then pushes up to flap her way to the ceiling where she finds a spot to hang.

"I didn't mean to sound like a PR blurb. I just... can't imagine doing any of this without you. And personal reasons like that aren't great reasons, I guess."

[frightening]

"Personal reasons?"

Now Bruce is looking at him with a sharper gaze. Can't imagine doing any of this without you - what, can't Clark imagine working without being nitpicked and growled at? Bruce isn't apologetic about how he acts - he firmly believes it's all necessary - but he knows what everyone thinks of him and he knows he's never going to fit in. That worries him. He doesn't want to be the break in the chain.

Personal reasons, though. He can't figure why Clark would want him here, personally.

Sound from the hallway behind them, and Batman tugs his cowl on out of habit before Flash bounds through, chipper and talkative.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark had been about to say something back when the Flash came through, the usual golden retriever trotting at his heels. There's a greeting and some pleasantries that come out of Clark almost automatically before he glances over at Bruce just the once. Then he's back to Barry.

"We should probably get our eyes on the monitors, Bar," he admits mildly.

Neoma from above is looking mildly annoyed for some reason, though her gaze is on Barry and not on Bruce.

[frightening]

Bruce says hello - well, grunts it. He doesn't dislike Barry Allen (just the opposite), but he just don't think the other man is really suited to tolerating him for any extended period of time. Best to keep it to work only, where Barry won't end up personally hating him, too. Speaking of work only, now that Flash is here, Batman's off the clock.

Without a word or backwards glance at Superman he gets up, and leaves.

(It's hard to tell with his lenses, but he does glance up at the little bat, instead. What?)

[stands_for_hope]

Neoma's glance back says, quite plainly, 'how are you missing this?'. And that would be the end of it, except that she's a damn persistent little thing. Clark, oddly tired, turns back to the monitors and keeps up a half-hearted discussion with Barry. And Neoma flutters off of her perch and slips through the door just before it closes to land on Bruce's shoulder.

She's well aware of the taboos she's breaking here, as well as the fact that of anyone in the building, Bruce was the one who cared the least about them. But he's probably never had a daemon decide to touch him before. And with the door closed, there's no way to know how Clark feels about it. He's the one with the x-ray vision, after all.

"Why did you leave like that?" and she sounds frustrated, though not angry.

[frightening]

--Alright, what the hell. Bruce stills, and yes, he cares little for the boundaries people put on daemons but he's still aware they exist. It's one thing to exploit weaknesses in battle or shove a teammate's daemon out of a vulnerable position because they're too stupid to do it themselves, but it's another to be so casual about it. He cocks his head, not dislodging her but giving her a glared side-eye.

"My shift is over." And just to prove he's not a complete idiot: "I'm not sitting there having any kind of private conversation with an audience."

[stands_for_hope]

She is apparently completely immune to Bat-glares, much like the man she's attached to. Is it because she's a bat herself? Or just because she's as indestructible as her human? Hard to say. Though if he knew anything, he'd know there's nothing at all casual about this.

"He was trying to tell you something." The 'you moron' was unspoken but it was clearly more out of a desire to be heard than any kind of politeness. She's thoroughly past that right now, after all. "You could have asked him for a moment of his time."

[frightening]

"He can drop by my quarters before I leave if he wants to try harder," Bruce snaps, feeling uncomfortable already. And this time he does shrug her off-- gently, one hand rising to make sure she's off his shoulder before he storms away. For a brief moment he wonders what that contact made Clark feel.

It's so unsatisfying to have sliding doors that he can't slam. Bruce shoves his cowl back as soon as he's in private again, the heel of one glove-covered hand pressed between his eyes. What the hell is he even doing. Why can he work so seamlessly with Superman and then as soon as they're trying to be themselves he falls apart with brittle nerves.

[stands_for_hope]

She flaps a few times to make it clear that she could follow but is choosing not to before giving him a Look and spinning to fly back to Clark.

There is, however, a light knock on the door of his quarters within a half an hour.

[frightening]

The door doesn't open immediately, but still promptly - and reveals Bruce, unmasked, trying to reel in an expression that's definitely bordering on a scowl. He's out of his armor and wearing the form-fitting black undersuit, getting some research and report work done before he heads out.

For a moment he says nothing and it seems like he's going to ask What the hell do you want, but then it passes and he turns away, stepping further into his quarters and letting Clark inside.

Strangely, Bruce seems to be still alone. It's hard to pick out, but beneath a pillow on his spartan bed, two small black eyes peer out of a shadow, observing.

[stands_for_hope]

Neoma is on his shoulder, but she flickers up to a ceiling spot to hang and watch the two of them. Or rather, the three of them. Don't think she's missed you, small black eyes.

Clark gestures up to the bat with a wince.

"I'm so sorry about earlier. I had no idea she was going to do that. I would have called her back if I had. I... I didn't mean to make you feel even more uncomfortable. That's the last thing I want."

[frightening]

Bruce just stares at him. Clark looks so off-kilter, and he feels a strange stab of guilt and disappointment-- the latter just makes him angry at himself, because what did he expect? For Clark to like it when Bruce's hand brushed against Neoma?

"It's fine," he says, forcing himself not to snap. He leans back against his desk, arms crossed over his chest. At first. He makes himself lower his arms, hands curled against the edge of the flat surface.

"I had asked you something."

[stands_for_hope]

"And then you left before I could answer you," which came out wry and, yes, warm. He'd been thinking about it most of his time in the monitor room with Barry, whatever had come out of his mouth as he chattered back to the other Leaguer.

"Personal reasons," he repeats, "that have to do with enjoying my time with you. Feeling... more secure when you're involved in something." He stepped a little closer. "Wanting you around because... well, I like you."

He opens his mouth to continue as Neoma swooped down from her little perch to land on the bed, just in front of the pillow. She doesn't speak, but she does place a single blueberry in front of her in a peace offering. Clark had been about to say something to her, but he can't help the faint smile that it gives him.

[frightening]

Bruce raises one eyebrow as Clark first begins to talk, silently saying What, you were going to go on about it in front of Barry? but he holds his tongue. Listens. Hates himself a little at how his heartbeat skips and speeds up when Clark steps closer, then even more when he says says I like you. He knows the Kryptonian can hear it.

And then his gaze darts to his bed. Where the hell did the bat even get a blueberry. After a bizarre, almost tense moment of silence, a tiny black paw with thin claws reaches out and slowly pulls the blueberry beneath the pillow. Bruce feels his shoulders tighten; whatever that little animal currently is, it's already very obviously not the elegant Siamese cat that is known to be tabloid darling Bruce Wayne's aloof daemon.

[stands_for_hope]

"Bruce?" and he sounds... a little lost. More than a little nervous, because what's keeping his spine straight and his feet on the ground is Superman more than anything. But it's not quite good enough to keep the nerves out of his voice because Bruce isn't answering with anything but his heartbeat and his muscles and Clark's learned that when it comes to things like this, you couldn't take that as an answer. For so many reasons.

On the bed, the little bat is clearly, curiously, peering at the other animal, or what she can see it and doing her best to look harmless and friendly.