Fifth Floor Common Room, Saturday morning

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Today was Bruce's birthday, although hardly anyone knew that. He wasn't usually one for birthday celebrations, after all. It just didn't seem the same without his parents. But he was willing to make a slight change to his routine of brooding this time. After all, he was seventeen. He had now officially lived more than half of his life without his parents. And even though the pain of that loss was still as raw as it was when he was a child, he felt he could take the opportunity to embrace something from his youth.

And so Bruce was in the common room, eating some cereal he claimed on his way back to his room last night and watching the old Gray Ghost show on DVD. It was his favorite show when he was a kid. It probably wasn't too surprising that seeing a heroic masked man fight for what was right left a mark on him.

Bruce felt that a tribute to his childhood was probably the beat gift he could possibly give himself. And he could confirm that the Rice Krispies from last night weren't poisoned.

[OOC: Open CR! Come see Bruce be a normal human being for his birthday!]

Comments

[wrongkindofsith]

"It's actually playing something interesting today." Normally Cara would have greeted Bruce first, but, well, colour her surprised.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Don't give the television credit for that. I brought DVDs," Bruce pointed out. "I don't think it can mess with DVDs."

[wrongkindofsith]

"Now that you've said that, I'm sure nothing can go wrong." Cara? Sarcastic? Never.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"If it tries anything like that today, it's getting dismantled," Bruce said. "I'm just about out of patience with it."

[wrongkindofsith]

"I could help with that," Cara offered. Not that she really had a problem with the thing, but sometimes random destruction could be enjoyable.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'll keep that in mind if it ever pushes me too far," Bruce said. "But until that happens, I'd like to keep it around so I can watch the Gray Ghost."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Bruce." Tony was on the hunt for food, thank you. And his gingerly moving around had gotten less old-man-like! So he was so looking forward to his vacation.

For the working he could do on his laptop.

"...whoa, old school show."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"A little slice of my youth," Bruce said. "Somebody was selling it on eBay."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"It's black and white," Tony replied, taking a seat.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"What, you didn't have black and white shows in your youth?" Bruce asked.

Gotham was special.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"...no. I think my dad might have?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

She'd called home to the big boss guy first thing this morning, but Stephanie wasn't really done trying desperately for that whole approval thing making birthday wishes without stopping in to check up on the little big boss guy.

Not that she'd let on that she knew it was his birthday, of course, but she'd brought in a completely casual oh-look-what-a-coincidence box of doughnuts anyway.

"Hey, Bruce," she spoke up from the doorway. "Wow, this show's still on the air?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Stephanie," Bruce said. "You've actually heard of it? Must be a Gotham kind of show. But no, I got it off eBay."

Yes, Bruce knew how to use eBay.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Of course he knew how to use eBay!

"There's occasionally gossip about Simon Trent on the covers of the stupid celebrity rags," she replied. "Get sent out for milk and eggs often enough, it's hard to avoid. I knew a guy who was into the show, too."

She waved the box in her hand vaguely in his direction. "Doughnut?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Sure. Thanks," Bruce said. It was his birthday. He could have some junk food. "Trent's pretty much been in seclusion in my world since the show ended. I hear he just couldn't convince casting directors to let him do anything but the Gray Ghost. I hope there's a decent future for him in my world."

Yeah, he had no clue....

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Neither did she, in this case.

"Typecasting," Stephanie remarked, wandering over to hold out the box of doughnuts for him. (Be glad she didn't put birthday candles on them, okay, Bruce?) "Poor guy, stuck as a costumed vigilante in everybody's minds forever."

Because that was a fate she'd never wish on anyone, really.

"I mean . . . I didn't mean that as a bad thing. There are worse things you could be remembered for."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"You've seen this before?" Tony just had to ask. Because look at it. LOOK AT IT.

Black and white shows are insanity.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"A few times," Stephanie told him, smirking faintly at the still-pink hair. "You can't argue too much with a classic."

BLACK AND WHITE TV WON'T HURT YOU, TONY.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

IT WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL ABOMINATION. DON'T YOU DEFEND IT.

"I must have missed out on this then."

LUCKILY.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Your loss," Stephanie told him breezily. JUST FOR THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DEFEND IT, SO THERE. "So it isn't all bright colors. Who doesn't love a good superhero?"

Never mind her own bias toward the bright colors. Never you mind that.

[exspeedydotcom]

"Hey, Bruce," Roy said when he ducked into the common room in search of sustenance. "Happy birthday, man."

...what?

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

It wasn't too surprising that Roy of all people knew. "Thanks, Roy. I hope you didn't get me anything for it."

Because they both knew he was insanely rich. Good joke, Bruce.

[exspeedydotcom]

"Sorry, man, I'm kinda broke." Because he'd been disowned. Also possibly Ollie had lost all his money by this point, but Roy was strenuously not caring about that. "Maybe next year," he joked.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'll keep that in mind," Bruce said. "Other than being broke, how are you doing?"

[exspeedydotcom]

"Good," Roy said, which was code for, 'apparently I am going to procreate with a supervillain.' "You? I hope you're doing good, I mean, it's your birthday and all." Never mind Roy also knew why that day sucked balls.