Free Time

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

Vic was in his "garage", his private work space in Titans Tower where he could build and engineer as he as pleased. He was looking over some schematics, and idly bobbing his head to the music playing in the background. This in itself wasn't unusual.

What was unusual was that, for once, the door was open. Normally he kept it locked, since he didn't like being disturbed when he really into a project. Plus he didn't want the "kids" to just barge in and wreck his stuff.

But he figured he could stand to be a touch more sociable. Plus most of the important projects had been completed, and he was mostly tinkering with a few designs to keep him busy.

Comments

[beastlyboy.livejournal.com]

A green tomcat has suddenly appeared on Cyborg's terminal, curled up and looking relatively miserable.

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

Most people would probably be surprised by that, but Vic had known Gar for years.

"Hey, Gar." He gave him a few scritches, which is when he noticed the less than thrilled expression.

"What's with you?"

[beastlyboy.livejournal.com]

The cat does a little 'ffft', not having the energy to howl or hiss properly. There's a quick, wet sound...

And Garfield Logan's crouched on the floor, brushing his shoulders off and shrugging, his pointed ears subtly moving against his head. "I heard Speedy on her way out. ...look, I know the chick's got problems, but it was stupid of me to do one of my little prop comedy bits while briefing everyone."

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

Vic waved that off. "That doesn't excuse her behavior."

[beastlyboy.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." Garfield says, looking at his hands.

Finally, he just admits it. "But I bet a dollar that she wouldn't have done it if one of the real adults was in charge. Damn it, Vic, am I just that pathetic?"

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

"And I'll be you five that she would have." That girl was that hardheaded.

"You're not that pathetic, though your jokes could use some work."

[beastlyboy.livejournal.com]

"Okay." Beast Boy shrugs, dropping that part of his point. "But, you see? I come to you with a genuine motivational crisis and the first thing you think of is bad jokes."

"I guess it just seems like every time I try to move past being the guy who cracks bad jokes, it blows up in my face."

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

There was a pause before he responded.

Garfield was being serious, which is very un-Gar-like... which, in a way, kind of proves the point he was trying to make.

"Ok, you may have a point there. You're usually the one who brings levity to a situation, and maybe we've taken that for granted. Which isn't to say that no one takes you seriously, so much as no one expects you to take everything seriously."

[beastlyboy.livejournal.com]

"Well, that's the thing." Garfield paces a little, full of nervous movement. "I don't take everything seriously, but that doesn't mean I take anything seriously..."

"Anyway, it's not your fault or anything. It's mine. I don't really know how to strike that balance between being an adult and still being me, I guess."

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

"Don't expect it to happen over night. Could you imagine the opposite, if, say Batman suddenly starting doing stand-up comedy? The first thing the JLA would do is strap him down to a table and see what kind of drugs he was on."

[beastlyboy.livejournal.com]

"Pffft." He's trying, he's trying, but Gar can't help it. He falls off of the chair he was sitting on, laughing to himself at the absurd picture. "Oh. Oh man. Hoo!"

"Okay, point made." Garfield wipes his brow off, grinning a little. "Remember the first time Batman showed up at the tower? Dude was like that giant devil thing from that Disney flick, you know the one."

[vic-stone.livejournal.com]

"How could I forget!

"You know, maybe I'm just remembering it differently, but it was almost like he was able to project his brooding onto the tower. It was like all the lights dimmed, a fog rolled in out of nowhere, and suddenly there was Batman, glaring at everyone through the mask all dark and ominously."