preyforheaven (preyforheaven) wrote,
@ 2013-07-10 18:43:00

New AU: Salvation
It was the first personal contact he'd had in so very long. He didn’t know it was 800 years, but it had been so long in the dark.

The Crusader felt his savior's mind directly, just a little. Careful, considered, firm thoughts. Someone who wasn't a mental collection of shattered porcelein himself might have felt the scars more, but to the young -- still young, in so many ways -- soldier, it was stability. It was a bright shining glimmer in the darkness. It was the nearest thing to Heaven.

As soon as he was fully unearthed, he sank to his knees.

He clasped his hands in front of him and held them out. That was how these things were Done, after all.

He'd never had a liegelord before. He remembered, vaguely, his critical view of Eobar's slaughter of civilians on the order of an unworthy 'superior'. The False God had, it turned out, been more of the same.

This, this was the real thing. And if it became necessary, Paris Bennet would do absolutely anything he had to to make sure he was never alone again.

"If you will have me, I am your man."

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 02:45 am UTC (link)
	"None that you're unfamiliar with, Sir." Whole roomful of people they apparently can't necessarily trust, and all. But Paris is very, very willing to adapt. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-12 03:04 am UTC (link)

Of course he'd made it clear not to trust anyone. Gotham was at its worst upon his return, worse than it'd been when the crime that had taken over had seeped from the side neighbourhoods and hit the front pages so spectacularly with his parents' death. That crime had been there before, but it took the deaths of two of Gotham's most prominent to make it clear to all just how bad it had gotten.

"Well, the prodigal son returns as they say," he nodded to him, before turning on the glib but charming smile as Alfred opened the limo door and he stepped out, to the flash of the cameras and the excitement of Gotham's elite. It seemed the Wayne heir was making his grand return.

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 03:06 am UTC (link)
	Paris doesn't have time to point out that Mister Wayne is hardly prodigal, a term which required irresponsibility, not simple absence. He follows at an exactly appropriate professional distance, watching everything. He didn't like that smile. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-12 03:37 am UTC (link)

There is irresponsibility in absence he might say, but it's something he'd accept, because he needed the time away both to collect and prepare himself.

Bruce Wayne makes his way down the red carpet, smiling for photographers, shaking hands and taking in introductions as if he didn't know who they all were already. While inwardly he loathes it, and knows that every hand he's shaken has touched dirty money, he continues anyway, this was part of the appearances after all.

It doesn't start out too foppish, he's polite and charming with that glib smile, making small talk, asking after the current events. But here and there there's slight remarks or actions of his that start the opinions forming. The way he admires the curves of some woman who walks by as a Chesterfield (the 4th actually) tries to chat to him about his company's recent expansion and how they perhaps may have talks with WE about a contract... Or the slight misunderstanding as the young Wayne seems to mix up the Paris of myth (the centre of the art piece Mr. Hayes had just acquired) with the city, and goes into an amusing tale about a waiter he'd encountered there. Or even just the way he admits to one young lady that oh of course he doesn't know how where his address book is, he can't be bothered to organize it all and they really should find his butler, and where was Alfred anyway?

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preyforheaven
2013-07-12 03:43 am UTC (link)

And behind his sunglasses, Paris cringes. The performance, even though the need for a performance ahd been explained, was an affront to the dignity of a Great Man....almost an affront to the general dignity of mankind, really.
And since of course Alfred is discreetly withdrawn for now, Paris may well find himself sliding business cards and napkins with young ladies' telephone numbers on them into the inside pocket of his suit, in consternation.

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gotham_knight
2013-07-12 03:54 am UTC (link)

There's quite a lot of numbers that end up in his companion's suit, not surprising, it seems the Wayne heir has been managing to score with everyone else's dates more than they have. And throughout the evening there's a girl by his side or on his arm at all times, and certainly everyone can't help but notice this. But he doesn't invite any back to the Manor, or the penthouse. Cleaning up, renovations, years of accumulated dust to get rid of he tells them. And it's all quite true, but really he wants to get the face-to-face public act of the Bruce Wayne persona down before he moves on to the next steps. Namely, slowly cementing a playboy reputation, some absentmindedness, and a penchant for thrilling and dangerous sports. Let's not forget expensive and outrageous purchases and vacations. But the last of that list will be fake, he has no intention of going on vacation, likely not ever if he can help it. There's too much work to do.

"I think they like me," says the playboy billionaire to his bodyguard, with that same smile he's been sporting all night. In a way it's him asking Paris's opinion of how things are going.

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 03:58 am UTC (link)
	"Yes, Sir," Paris says quietly. "For a certain value of the term." Both the term 'like' and the term 'me' in this case. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gotham_knight 2013-07-12 04:02 am UTC (link)
	"Well it's only my first night officially back, give me some time," he chuckles lightly, a foppish chuckle of course. The real Bruce did not laugh. Another party goer approaches to take up his time again and this time Bruce speaks more for the benefit of anyone overhearing. "Don't look so glum, it's a party after all," he smiles and raises his drink in toast. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 04:07 am UTC (link)
	"I am, how do you Americans say, on the clock, Sir. No one expects me to 'party'." Thank Heaven. Bruce understands Paris is no actor. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-12 04:11 am UTC (link)

"It's your loss, my man," he grins and puts his arm around the beauty that comes over before easily stepping into conversation with yet another party goer interested in getting a word in with him. He's certainly the popular figure tonight.

Perfect. The plan so far was going well, and he had to make sure to play the part well and not take it to far. Once this was done he'd tell Paris the details of the next steps related to developing the public persona needed for their crusade to go on discretely to begin with, but undeterred overall.

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