2nd case.

[dorkwonder]

Hey, we need to talk. Can we meet at your room in a few?

Comments

[dorkwonder]

[Takes the leash off and lets Ace run around to his heart's content.]

Do you have a job here?

[secondchances]

[Misfortune, you have the best timing.]

I've been waitressing at a restaurant in the city. It passes the time.

[And pays off the debt she has to Lana for breaking her wine bottles. Whoops.]

[dorkwonder]

[Just how many wine bottles did she break?]

In the city? [Glances over in it's direction.]

Do you ever have any problems there?

[secondchances]

Lana Lang runs the place. Who'd have figured, huh?

Define "problems." There's the occasional thief and robbery, but nothing too exciting.

[dorkwonder]

It's a small pocket dimension after all. [At this point he is assuming the castle is one.]

No one has any problems with beings appearing from all parts of the multiverse?

[secondchances]

Nope. They tend to mind their own business.

[dorkwonder]

Earth could learn a little something from them. [Or a lot.]

Hey, Ace.

[The dog returns with a large twig.]

Go long! [Waits for the dog to get a decent running start before hurling the twig through the air.]

[secondchances]

[She smiles, watching Tim play with Ace.]

I guess now would be a good time to inform you that this is a joint custody sort of deal, with Ace. He's the Batfam's dog, really. Do you want weekends and holidays?

[dorkwonder]

We can rotate holidays. [Assuming they are still around for multiple holidays. Unfortunately, he suspects they are going to be stuck here for the next couple of holidays.]

[secondchances]

Next holiday is [AWKWARD, don't let him see the awkward, Steph] Valentine's Day. If that counts. I call dibs.

[dorkwonder]

Sure, he can be your date. [Grins playfully until he feels a twinge of awkwardness, too.] Unless you already have one, then I can take him.

[Cringes,wishing he could shove his boot into his mouth.]

[secondchances]

[She laughs a little. Of course... way to go.]

Ace is the perfect date.

[dorkwonder]

He's yours for the holiday. Just don't dress him up as a cupid or stick a bunch of hearts on him. [Attempts a joke in order to avoid any more awkwardness.]

[secondchances]

Aww, but I think he'd look dashing in a pair of cupid wings.

[It's a lame joke, but she'll roll with it.]

[dorkwonder]

You can have him wear a Santa hat or something for Christmas if we're still around by then.

[secondchances]

Are we really the kind of people to dress up our dog?

[It's okay to say "our" because it's a Bat thing.]

[dorkwonder]

I don't know if we can really judge people for dressing up their animals.

[Smirks. Ace trots over to them a few seconds later and drops the stick by Tim.]

[secondchances]

Right. Because of the [she mimics the bat ears] and the... [she just sort of makes a beak with her index fingers, by her nose. Silly cowl.]

[dorkwonder]

Exactly. [Ruffles in between Ace's ears before he picks up the stick.] That being said, I think we can exclude Ace from our craziness.

[secondchances]

We can settle for appropriately colored collars, though.

[dorkwonder]

[Hands the stick over to her so she can throw it this time. Ace barks eagerly, looking up at her with excited eyes.]

Can we go with red instead of pink for Valentine's Day? Bruce would find himself cringing in whatever world he's in, the second we put a pink collar with a heart id tag on Ace.

[secondchances]

I said nothing about a heart ID tag, but I like it.

[She grins, and tosses the stick. Ace takes off after it, through the snow.]

Red and a heart ID tag.

[dorkwonder]

I thought that was a given.

[Slides his hands inside of his pocket to help keep them warm. He's not sure what's more dangerous; the two of them yelling at each other, or getting along so well. Steals a glance over at her.]

[secondchances]

[Naturally, she was stealing a glance over at him at exactly the same moment. It's strange, how fast they can swing from arguing to... this. It's almost as if there wasn't a ton of messy history between the two of them.

Still, she quickly averts her eyes when she meets his. Whoops.]

Here, Ace! C'mere, boy!

[Please bring back that stick for a distraction.]

[dorkwonder]

[Their eyes meet long enough for him to feel a strange mix of emotions. Like Steph, he quickly looks away from her and glances down at the ground which has suddenly become incredibly interesting.

What does he say to not make this awkward? He doesn't trust his voice enough right now to not come out sounding awkward, sooo....he opts for silence.

Silence and snowflakes.]