11044/One Bird Two Bird Red Bird Blue Bird

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One Bird Two Bird Red Bird Blue Bird
Date of Scene: 05 May 2022
Location: Roof - Titan's Tower
Synopsis: Two Titans talk team and tea.
Cast of Characters: Kian, Damian Wayne




Kian has posed:
    He has been known to call it skydancing.
    The Gods alone know where the music is coming from, but the birdman is definitely moving rhythmically, and in three dimensions.  It's both elegant and impressive: this is a being who knows the sky intimately, who treats the winds with the delicacy of someone stroking a lover's cheek rather than with the indifference of a trucker charging down an interstate.
    A fast dive to the rooftop is only for the purpose of dropping hard onto the diving board at the pool and using it to redirect himself back upwards.
    And there is more than one happy "Kya!"  Kían is in his element, supremely confident in his ability to move in it.

Damian Wayne has posed:
    The sound of massive wings can be heard.  Perhaps Kian may even feel the disturbance of the air currents?  Before the small frame of Robin can be seen, the body of Goliath comes into view.  Burly, muscular, and far too massive to fly, this bat-dragon must certainly have magical properties that allow it to remain aloft.  It seems to be getting closer and closer to the roof to Titans tower.
    Eventually Robin can be seen atop one of the few beings that the aloof loner calls a friend.  He grips a handle of the thick leather harness that Goliath wears.  The teen wears a distant expression as Goliath comes to a landing on the rooftop.  In an agile, sprightly manner he leaps from the bat-dragon's back.  As he walks away from Goliath, Robin drags a gloved hand along the beast's flank.  He comes to a stop, clasping his hands lightly behind his back, and observes—but does not disturb—Kian's dance.

Kian has posed:
    Kían notices the great bat-dragon—and gives it plenty of room to do whatever it is it's going to do.  And then he follows it down at what seems to him a safe distance, ultimately dropping to a light landing on the rooftop—such that Robin is safely between himself and Goliath.
    He bows slightly, really more an inclination of the head and a twitch of the wings.
    When he speaks, it's with the clarity of the translator he never returned to Donna.  "There's nothing so large on our world that flies," he muses, regarding Goliath from the safety of the other side of its young master.

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Robin does not offer Kian a smile.  It's not his way.  But he isn't frowning or scowling, which is certainly the Damian Wayne equivalent of a smile.  He has dealt with Kian before and found him to be… not disagreeable.  Again, see the Damian Wayne Emotional Equivalency Translation Chart.  It is posted in the Tower kitchen near the cereal boxes.
    "He is one of the last of his kind," Robin says simply.  There is, of course, more to that story.  The undertone in the teen's voice suggests it's not a happy story.  Nodding once in Kian's direction, Robin asks, "How have you been, Kian?  I haven't seen you in a while."

Kian has posed:
    "I never know how to answer a question like that," Kían replies with a sort of half-smile.  "Better than I should be under the circumstances?  I mean, I'm away from my family, but for a good reason, and at least now they know I'm alive and well, and I can talk to them when I want, too."
    Kían is a trained physicist.  Strap in, he gives very complete answers.
    "I keep thinking this world should have driven me insane by now, but I think it hasn't.  Or maybe it has, but in a way that's useful here.  Or none of you actually exist, and I'm both in a profound coma and I have a better imagination than I thought I did."  He starts to laugh, and chokes off as he remembers his vision on the stairs in Tartarus.
    He takes one step closer, then stops.  "Will your… nnh, I don't know.  Your mount, your pet, your friend?  Will it let me approach?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Canting his head slightly to one side, Robin asks curiously, "Why are you here?  In this world?"  He goes no farther down the in-a-coma road.  The dour teen is too pragmatic for that sort of fancy.
    Robin extends his arm out to one side.  Even on the solid roof of Titans Tower, the thud of Goliath's movements can be felt beneath one's feet.  The massive, furry bat-dragon rests his chin on the young vigilante's arms.  Reflexively, Robin curls his arm around Goliath's head, and rests this side of his own head against it.  Whether as Robin or Damian, the kid is not much of a physical affection enthusiast, so seeing this sort of display is rare.  He steps to the side, keeping his gloved hand on Goliath's flank, so Kian can approach if he wishes to.  The great beast seems calm and sedate.

Kian has posed:
    Kían keeps his wings folded tight and steps forward slowly.  Once within arm's reach, he holds his hand out for the creature's inspection.
    Snuffle.
    Snuffle snuffle.
    "Grf," the great beast says with indifference, leaning into Robin, apparently okay with the birdman—or at least not concerned with him.
    Kían reaches up and rubs its cheek gently.  "'Why' is a question for the Gods," he finally answers, now that he feels more certain than not that Goliath isn't going to mistake him for prey.  "How I came to be here, I can at least offer a hypothesis.  I think my rhy'thar… sorry, my special abilities.  I suppose what are called 'superpowers' on this world.  Well, they didn't like the standard superluminal drive on our starships.  I was going to the homeworld to study… and be studied… at the Imperial University, and the only thing that makes sense to me is that when the ship transitioned from tardyonic to tachyonic matter, my powers didn't like it and made a hole in the universe for me to fall through and I did, ending up here."
    He laughs, once, and without amusement.  "As for the why… the Gods have a sense of humor is the best I can do there."

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Robin is a learned young man, with an unusual and extraordinary body of knowledge in his head.  But as Kian goes into the astrophysical specifics, the costumed Damian sort of stares blankly at the winged man.  Meanwhile, Goliath leans forward and snuffle-snuffle-snuffles Kian.  Then the creature plops down on the ground and pushes his great head under one of Kian's hands.
    "So your home world is in a different universe than this one?  You mentioned that you have the ability to talk to your home world.  How is that possible?"

Kian has posed:
    "Oh, oh no," Kían says, addressing Robin but looking at Goliath as it—he?—demands the Akiár's attention.  "It turns out my world is only about six parsecs away," he explains, scritching just behind Goliath's left ear.  "I only fell through a hole within the universe, not between universes."  He says that as though it explains everything.
    "Terry tenár'h accidentally opened one of his Rabbit Holes to my world, while we were in close physical contact and I was dreaming of my world.  So now my people—and more importantly, my friends and family—know that after I disappeared from Flight 442, I was okay.  And I was able to bring communications equipment back after Terry recovered and we could return to Earth."
    He chuckles softly.  "I'm still kind of amazed that I felt I needed to return here… but Earth seems to need me to be Kían more than my own worlds do."

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Goliath starts making low, deep rumbling sounds in his chest as Kian brings on the scritches.  The bat-dragon adjusts his weight a bit, not quite rolling onto his back.
    "It must difficult to make a choice between two worlds.  I… know something of that feeling."  A brief pause.  A small shrug.  Whatever.  "But it is agreeable that you chose to stay.  You're an asset to the team.  Your performance during the attempted mass robbery by the ATV riders was adequate."  Adequate?  Wow!  Damian must be a in a good mood tonight, he's practically gushing.  "And I am aware of your personal importance to Gar and Terry."

Kian has posed:
    "I… it was not a difficult choice," Kían admits, moving a little closer to Goliath for more efficient attention-giving.  "My worlds wanted me to be a rhy'thar-bearer, a rhyták."  That last word comes out like Kían had tasted something sour.
    "A godling, a focus for, but not of, worship.  Earth… Earth is the only place that gave me room to try to figure out who I am rather than assume I'm something and try to force me into it.  And on Earth, I'm not the only carrier of powers.  That… that means a lot to me.  I feel like I fit here.  On my world, I feel like I've been imposed on it."
    He draws a heavy sigh.  "I don't know if that makes sense or not."

Damian Wayne has posed:
    With his hands still clasped behind his back, Robin moves to the edge of the roof to peer down at the streets below.  He seems utterly fearless of the height despite the fact that he has no supernatural abilities of any kind.
    "I was created and raised to eventually go to Gotham and kill the Batman and take his place," the masked vigilante says in an easy, calm, matter-of-fact tone.  "But I chose to reject what those who created me said was my destiny.  Instead I went my own way.  So in that regard, we are kindred spirits."

Kian has posed:
    Kían blinks rapidly.  He's aware—intellectually, anyway—of who Batman is.  Even though he hasn't actually met him yet, he's at least gathered that the Batman isn't someone easily or indifferently disposed of.  "I think," Kían says slowly, as though piecing it together as he speaks, "one can only be what they need to be, not what others want them to be.  I was raised to be a normal Akiár, not a godling or a superhero.  But… here I am."
    He adds, after a brief pause and with a slight smile, "And here you are, too."

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Robin turns around to face Kian, his back to the vast open expanse of the city, his feet at the very edge of the rooftop.  There is a brief pause.  "I'm glad you stayed.  You're a good egg."  And just like that Kian joins the small, exclusive club of people who have heard Robin tell a joke.
    "I have to go, I'm afraid.  Don't forget that you have an open invitation to tea."  He lifts a hand in a brief wave.  One corner of his mouth tics up a bit, and he simply falls back into nothingness, plunging downward from the roof.  The rush of air is strong, violent.  There is a growl as Goliath's powerful wings propel him over the rooftop to rocket downward to catch Robin as he falls.  Wrapping the teen in powerful, furry arms, the bat-dragon swoops up and speeds off into the night.