alwaysroomforhope | (no subject)

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The thing about working the graveyard shift Steph likes the most is that she gets to see the sun rise. It's not as lovely a sunrise as Gotham produces -- the air here is too clean, not enough pollution for light to refract from -- but it's still pretty awesome.

And then she gets to sleep all day.

There's really no downside.

However, today she's really tired for once; Mel's still downstairs, so she's signed off early and she's dragging her feet towards her suite at only two o'clock. It's been a long shift and a longer week, and she still can't quite shake the weird dreams. Not that she doesn't appreciate the change -- weird dreams are quite nice in comparison with the usual nightmares -- but they're weird, and knowing there's a reason doesn't make it any less so.

She shuts the door quietly, even though Tim's not here at the moment, and trudges towards the bedroom, already peeling off her shirt and boots.

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Goldy grins smugly at the revelation, basking in the fact that she'd barely had to work for it at all.

"Another Robin huh?"

Steph scowls at her.

"Yes. He's — from before."

"...Before your untimely demise," Goldy advances.

"Ugh. Awkward."

She wrinkles her nose, gives the pillow a final thump, and settles herself down, facing Steph.

"Does he know you're dead now?"

Steph sighs, and slips back down in the bed, thumping her head down on her own nicely-plumped pillow and scowling at the roof.

"Yeah. Oracle told him." Stupid Oracle.

"I'm sorry. That's got to be weird for both of you."

Sensing Steph's unhappiness at the situation, Goldy reaches up and gives her hair a comforting stroke.

"Was it prudent for her to give him that insight into his future?"

Steph shrugs. "It's too late now. He probably would have figured it out, anyway."

She lets Goldy stroke her hair, though.

"He's Bound, and he's staying here till ... whenever. So be nice to him, okay?"

"I will," Goldy vows quietly. It's clearly a sincere promise, as rare as that is for her.

"Does he have a name?"

To anyone else, Steph'd instantly respond with "Sure, it's Alvin." To Goldy, though, she hesitates.

"... Yes, but it's — secret. He's going by Alvin."

Goldy gives her an understanding nod.

"Oddly dated name choice for the twenty-first century. But, fair enough."

She's no stranger to false identities herself, so she doesn't press the issue.

"If he's a friend of yours, he must be a decent guy. I look forward to meeting him."

"Maybe I should supervise," Steph says, with a hint of a grin. "He's a great guy, but he has this thing for hot blondes."

Goldy arches an eyebrow.

"Had a thing for you did he?"

"I can't blame him," she then concedes.

"Well, if you can call it a thing," Steph says. She rolls onto her stomach and props her chin on her hands. "We were together for, like, ever. I mean, I didn't think we'd ever break up. Technically we didn't, I just died. Only he's from before that. So it's all ... sorta weird, right now."

"You're still his girl back in his world?"

Goldy makes a face.

"Ouch. Poor Alvin."

"Well, the one back there is, anyway. She's me from forever ago." Steph looks thoughtful. "Hey, do you think I could send her a message or something? Say Dear Steph, don't get dead, idiot, love Steph?"

"That's probably not the best idea, since you're her. If she doesn't die, you might cease to exist in this reality."

Goldy gives a downcast sigh.

"And then I'd be very sad."

"Yeah, but she wouldn't be dead." Steph shrugs, and reaches over to poke Goldy in the side, grinning. "I wouldn't wanna make you sad though."

"Damn right you wouldn't," Goldy smarts back.

Mitigating her cockiness somewhat, she pecks a friendly kiss onto Steph's cheek.

"Not dying is far less important than our friendship."

"Well, no, it's just you're so annoying when you're pissed off," Steph explains solemnly, before breaking into a grin. "Mind you, if I've negated my own existence I won't really mind, so..."

That comment earns her a light kick and a mock glare.

Not a cold-footed kick though.

"Keep going and there's a whole world of annoyance in your immediate future, regardless of whether it will be nullified at some later date."

Steph yawns sleepily. "You haven't explained what you're doing here yet."

"And I'm not going to," Goldy replies airily. "I thought I'd made that quite clear."

"Seeing as you didn't feel the need to tell me about your run in with the entity behind the Black Oil incident, or the nightmares you've been having as a result, I think it's quite fair that you aren't privy to the reasons for my presence."

Startled, Steph peers over at her, and frowns.

"I don't think that's quite fair at all, G. It's not like I even knew about that until K did that hypnotising thing."

"Oh."

Goldy looks away sheepishly.

"I wasn't aware that the memory had to be coaxed out of you."

Steph rolls her eyes, which is less than effective since they're currently closed. Still ... the attitude is there.

"I would've told you if I'd known, G. Probably. Maybe." She kicks out at her lazily. "Perhaps."

"Well, given your uncertainty, Sweetcheeks, I think I'm still justified in not telling you."

She rolls over and turns off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into half-darkness.

"So, just shut up and enjoy my wonderful company."