backwordscompatible | IC CONTACT (HAVEN)

[You know what the strangest part of all that was? Not only did she follow every word...not only did it make total sense...but it was surprisingly sweet. To care for Conner so much that he would take something like that into account. She certainly would never have thought of it.]

[A moment of further contemplation, and she leaned against the wall beside him, head propped up by her free elbow as she continued to inspect the stubble with her fingers.]

...I kind of like it.

[Kon spends a surprising amount of time working out what Conner will probably think of something. And then what Superman would think of something. It's probably for the best that Zee only got the highlights version of his mental processes.]

[Or that his mental processes are exceedingly obvious as he preens.]

Yeah? You think it enhances my rugged appeal?

Surprisingly, yes.

We just need to give you a plaid shirt and surround you with trees and you could be the next Brawny man.

Rude! I might have to take my manly stubble somewhere it will be appreciated.

[So who said she wasn't appreciating it? This was her, appreciating. Never mind the fact that she looked...no different than usual.]

And where might that be?

Red? I mean, he is kind of my hobospiration.

You think Red'll appreciate you more than me?

[Kon, please. Please, please. Also, hobospiration is an awful word.]

Go on. Prove it. I'll wait here until you get back.

[Kon doesn't budge.]

Red isn't in.

You haven't looked.

I've been looking. His picture is there, but he's not picking up his phone. Look, I'll prove it.

[Kon shifts so that he can pull out his phone. Sadly, this means that he has to stop petting Zee's hair. He taps Jason's picture to call him.]

Just letting you know that you're my hobospiration.

[/end call.]

See? No reaction.

[There would be more time for petting later. ~~That sounded kind of wrong, didn't it?~~ Zatanna leaned forward just enough to get a better look at Kon's screen. He was right. Red's picture was still there. But that message....]

Has it ever occurred to you he thinks you're just leaving him drunk voicemails?

I am pretty sure that if Red thought I was sending him drunk voicemails he would be over here to kick my arse for wasting his time with drunk voicemails.

But ... [Kon is going to properly sit up now.] I've tried looking looking for him too.

[Now they were approaching unwelcomingly familiar territory. Her smile gradually faded.]

He is a bat. Sort of.

They have this habit of not being found when they don't want to be.

Are you implying that Red isn't on the edge of his seat with anticipation, waiting to hear what my next thrilling hijinks will be?

[Not quite how she would have phrased it, but otherwise?]

Yes. Yes, I am.

How accurate.

But yeah, I guess with Red having left the building, it's more imperative that someone puts in a good word for facial hair.

I suppose it can use all the good words it can get. And if there's one thing you never seem to be short on, it's words.

[She leaned forward enough to rest her chin against his shoulder]

You okay?

Jokes aside, I know you really like the guy. It's okay to be a little worried.

A little worried is all I can be. Like, I don't have much worry left over after Conner ... Conner. [Enough said.] Part of me thinks I should just be happy, but that little voice that I can never quite make myself ignore, that sounds like a really weird mix of Elmer Fudd and Lex Luthor, is there going 'how long' and I kind of wonder if Red's been gone longer than I knew because I was concentrated on Conner and if I missed a chance to help him.

Also, I want to tell him about my future team-mate.

[Enough said was right. When he mentioned Conner, she reached out and gave his shoulder a light squeeze of reassurance.]

Or, again, he's just off having some very alone time and doesn't feel like checking his voicemail.

[Also, your inner voice concerns her greatly. Just saying.]

Which future team-mate?

[Kon is about to protest the 'very alone' time, but he remembers that Jason is a bat.] Even so. I know he's capable, and the only reason I am not making a bigger deal of this and freaking out is because if I did, he would kick my arse for it, but I'm not very good at this yet. But I think I'm just going to resign myself to worrying and carrying on until I can worry at him. [Because that makes sense.]

[Be vewy quiet. I'm hunting Kwyptonians!]

The new one. Which means between Batgirl and Red, we got 4 people from my reality here.

[Perfect sense. By which, it actually makes no sense at all. And she would just have to come up with a way to stop this madness before it gets out of hand.]

[...more out of hand.]

I'm going to need more than just "new" for a description here. Boy? Girl? Robot?

Girl. As far as I know, not robot but stranger things have happened. Did I tell you about the time aliens replaced everyone on the team but Imp with robots and it took him a week to notice? But yeah, pretty sure she is flesh and possibly blood, but she's another one I haven't met yet.

She knows me, though. Knows things about me that only a team-mate would know, so she's definitely legit.

[She had a hunch, and even though it was very little to go on, there was nothing wrong with guessing]

Rose?

Yeah, actually. When did you meet?

Shortly after you did.

We played a round of ninja tag before she walked me back to the house. It was actually kind of fun.

[Other than the fact that she'd been too exhausted from lack of sleep to truly appreciate the moment.]

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