(no subject)

[nothinglikeanybody]

[oom: "The mask hides your fear. No one knows what you're thinking. And it's double-edged - it frightens your enemies and feeds your strength.
But no suit, no mask, can ever hide you from yourself."
warnings for drugging of a minor and violence.]

You've heard this one before. A thirteen-year-old boy walks into a bar. He's wearing jeans, gloves, and a blue jacket that he may or may not be trying to disappear into. He's also pale, sweaty, and twitchy, but - details.

Milliways... may or may not be a better place to detox from fear gas than an alley next to the Batmobile. It's probably safer. But there's also way more going on, which means way more to set his brain down a fun new path of panic. They say that the scariest things happen when you're alone, but right now, Tim's pretty sure crowds have that beat. It'd be - he thinks it might be easier if he goes to the outside, so that's the direction he heads in.

It takes - pretty much all of the self control he has (what he's feeling isn't real, it's just a drug, he's - probably - safe. it'll wear off) to limit himself to walking to the outside door instead of running. This is fine. Sometimes he flinches at - nothing real, but that's fine. It's better. He knows where he is, he can identify the fact that he's been drugged. That's an improvement. Not too long ago, he was having full-on auditory and visual hallucinations, so this is better. He just has to hold on for a while longer. Like Robin would. He's still Robin for one last night.

Comments

[runningred]

Jay looks up from the cloud of white-shelled drones he seems to be having an argument with.

He drops everything when he sees Tim, going straight to the bar, fetching a glass of something brownish and thick. "Drink this, slowly." He warns. "Don't worry, it doesn't taste as bad as it looks."

In fact it tastes like a chocolate and malt with an edge of coffee.

[nothinglikeanybody]

His mouth voicelessly shapes out the wrong name for a second (Robin?) before it clicks that the voice is too old. "Jay?"

His fingers curl around the glass, but he's not drinking from it yet. (Jimson root extract. It's a nerve toxin. There was nothing they could do. I'm sorry, Tim.) It's not that he thinks Jason would hurt him, but somewhere between his eyes and his brain, the properties of the liquid are warping. He can't shake the feeling that it's eating through the glass.

[runningred]

"Yeah, it's me. It's okay, you're safe now." He studies Tim's eyes. "Who hit you, kiddo? Crane or Ivy?"

[nothinglikeanybody]

His eyes are dilated and unfocused, occasionally darting off to the side to look at something that may or may not be there.

"Crane. It was - Crane." The glass slides out of his hand, abruptly - in his head, there's a sizzle when it hits the floor, but in reality, it just spills like regular liquid.

[runningred]

In reality, Jay catches it, a little of the smoothie sloshing over his hand as he sets it down. He wipes it off on his jeans without a single thought. "First time?"

"Okay, you are far from past it, little brother. We need to get you somewhere quiet." He ducks his head to look into Tim's eyes. "I'm with you. You're not doing this alone."

[nothinglikeanybody]

"He's gonna be pissed at me," Tim blurts out, because brain filter isn't so much a thing right now. "I wasn't supposed to go out."

(That might be part of the reason he didn't just turn around and walk back out of Milliways.)

[runningred]

"Bruce is Bruce. He's gunna be pissed no matter what any of us do." He tries to guide Tim towards a chair. "He's an emotional retard. But you'll deal with him better once your head's clear."

[immortalthief]

Amanda knows that look, or at least she thinks she does, "Crazy party?" she asks with a kind smile. Being careful to keep her voice down.

She has never encountered fear gas.

[nothinglikeanybody]

It's not a bad guess. If Tim didn't know what was going on, he might assume recreational drug use. (The abnormal dilation in his pupils would seem to confirm it.)

He retreats backwards a step, even though she hasn't really made any move on him. (There's nothing wrong with being afraid, Tim! Just fight through it!} "N-no."

[immortalthief]

Amanda looks a bit concerned, he looks afraid which is an odd reaction for a hangover so yes her next guess is drugs.

"Are you headed outside?" she guess from the overall path he seems to be taking. "Or someplace else?" in case she is wrong.

[nothinglikeanybody]

"Why?" he asks, suddenly suspicious because. Well. Fear gas and paranoia are more than acquaintances.

[immortalthief]

She isn't certain how to put this gently, "You look like you might need some help?" she's worried that he might hurt himself, "Perhaps I could get someone from the clinic to help?" because experience tells her that he probably wouldn't like help from a stranger right now.

[nothinglikeanybody]

He shakes his head and backs up another couple steps. "I'll be fine."

(It might be best not to ask what she looks like, right now.)

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie watches the teenager carefully, before following him outside to make sure he's okay and doesn't wander off in the snow.

[nothinglikeanybody]

He breathes out, in not quite relief when he gets outside. It's cold, sure, but being more in the open makes him feel less like he's being crowded in. He keeps moving, though, more because it's something to do than because it's in any way helpful.

(He's not okay, and he is wandering off in the snow somewhat, but at least he has a jacket.)

[is_the_motion]

"Hey there." Bonnie says, not too loud, or too abruptly. "Yer gonna get lost, and it's cold."

[nothinglikeanybody]

"I'm - " Trying, at the moment, to tell himself that she's probably just a nice person who's concerned about the teenager on a bad trip but she's starting to look like a living shadow and that is not helping. "I'm fine."

[is_the_motion]

"Yer not. Yer either intoxicated intentionally or unintentionally, and yer a minor, which means if you wander out there I got to get someone responsible to come drag you back. Probably Security." Bonnie says. "Whereas if you just wander back where I can see you're okay, we can just wait until it wears off."

[nothinglikeanybody]

It's shocking, how much more sinister wander back where I can see you're okay sounds when filtered through a haze of fear toxins. He backs up a couple steps. "I'm fine. On my own."

[not_his_pa]

William is coming in from the stables when he sees Tim and slows down, he doesn't look good, "Hey, its pretty cold out there. You goin' to be warm enough?"

[nothinglikeanybody]

"I have a jacket," Tim says vaguely. It may not be an adequate jacket, but it's better than nothing.

(Someone passes by him a little closer than is comfortable, and he flinches.)

[not_his_pa]

"That's good. Too many people for you?" He'll just walk with Tim but not too close.

[nothinglikeanybody]

"Yes."

William may be included in that number, but he's not saying it. At least, not yet; as long as he keeps a distance.

[not_his_pa]

"I know how that can get. Nice part of bein' a cowboy, I'm meant to go ridin' by myself,"

At the moment, he's walking about a yard away, close enough if he needs to get near to help but that's it.

[nothinglikeanybody]

"Yeah," he says, a little vaguely. Exactly how much of what William is actually saying Tim hears is... debatable.

Once Tim gets to the door, he pulls it open. It's cold out, but that's all right. It's bracing and real.