second birdarang-- er, somersault

[staystraught]

[Dick's at an outdoor terminal, chin in hand.]

So we're stuck hugging people. Some of them total strangers, some of them total jerks, maybe, but there's not a lot of choice in the matter, right?

Well, because I'm both curious and in the mood to punish myself, in honor of the fast-approaching Singles Awareness Day...

Who would you rather be hugging instead of the idiots who were dumb enough to get stuck here?

Comments

[little_girl_lost]

I don't know, I'm pretty happy having Barbara around...

[staystraught]

You don't support my hypothesis. You don't count.

[Although his smirk is a little too smug. Barbara... well, she would make you happy!]

Video;

[sweettalker]

That one's pretty easy. My boyfriend. My dad. My best friend, Leo. The list is pretty long by now. [Gosh has it really already been nearly six months?]

Don't suppose this place would be willing to indulge any of us for Valentine's Day, though.

Video;

[staystraught]

No, but don't we all wish?

I don't have a girlfriend, but there's... a, uh, girl I really like.

[Why do two faces pop up in his head?]

My family [such as it is] really aren't huggers. But they'd make an exception.

Video;

[sweettalker]

If you end up asking her out and she says yes I'm going to assume she's some sort of masochist. [with that mouth of yours that is. and that's said in a teasing tone.]

Yeah... I kind of get that. [Considering how little she sees her dad, but at least he does still hug her when the moment calls for it and he's actually around. She's a total daddy's girl and you will shut up about it.]

You can always initiate the exception-making if they don't, besides.

Video;

[staystraught]

I'm a martyr for love. What can I say?

[SHRUG.]

I could. But hugs have to be learned, I think. We're all behind the curve.

audio

[uncouthhatcher]

[There's a long, drawn out sigh before Gold replies in a way that definitely says he's got the biggest crush on something unobtainable.]

DJ Mary. That is one girl I'd like to be huggin', even if my two buds are pretty alright. [Silver makes for a good cuddle buddy and Crys... Crys is just nice to even like, hold hands with.]

[ofsongandstrings]

Singles Awareness? Is that what they call Valentoine's Day in your realm?

[It's an important question ok.]

Though to answer your question... I would say my free company and my fellow Scions.

[little_girl_lost]

I guess I don't. I'm actually pretty okay with being here. So. [She shrugs.]

[staystraught]

[He shrugs at that. If she's like Clark, well, he supposes this isn't so much different as losing your planet, is it?]

What's your secret? Besides a hot date.

audio

[staystraught]

D'you want a moment alone?

[As someone who keeps his crushes more practical, Dick is amused.]

I mean, sorry if this little thing interrupted your daydreams.

[little_girl_lost]

These people need help. Which is what I wanna do. Because, you know, Supergirl. [She points to herself, but manages to resist the urge to do a theatrical twirl.]

...And Superman still won't let me, at home. It's not like I never wanna go back, but staying here beats being stuck at the faartress of Solitude. [She caught herself saying 'farm' pretty quickly that time. She's gotten a little practice recently.] Cuddling isn't quite the kind of superheroing I had in mind, but it'll do for now.

[staystraught]

Absolutely. Someone noticed just how damaging a holiday so aggressively devoted to couples was to a single person, and for the health and safety of all, they adjusted accordingly.

[Straight face, straight face, straight face...]

What do you mean by "free company?"

private;;

[staystraught]

[He catches that slip, just because he knows Clark, and quickly adjusts the privacy settings.]

Personally, I'd take the Fortress of Solitude. Reminds me of the Batcave.

But I've only been to, like, a virtual Smallville. Not the real thing.

[But he takes a slightly more serious tack about that other part.]

I don't know what's up with Clark and partners. I don't know why he'd stop you. The Clark I know is kind of obsessed with finding remnants of the Kryptonians. At one point, he had me pretty much convinced Captain Marvel was one.

private;;

[little_girl_lost]

...Who would make a virtual Smallville? And WHY?

[And then back to serious talks.] But that's kinda it. I'm one of the last links to Krypton left, and he doesn't want to see me get hurt. It's not like I don't get where he's coming from.

But. I'm pretty much as invulnerable as he is, so I dunno what he's worried about.

I survived getting hit by a meteor without so much as a broken bone. It's not like I'm made of glass.

audio

[uncouthhatcher]

[... He likes you already, sure, just first impression you're fun.]

Least you apologize, my roommate doesn't care about stuff like that. [Hahaha. Poor Gold, living with a guy like Silver.] It's cool, it can wait 'til later. I've got plenty of time to myself these days.

private;;

[staystraught]

I was about to say, hello, Megan! You are invulnerable.

[And darn that Martian, she's got him doing it.]

Virtual Smallville is a long [painful] story, but yeah, you... I don't know, he's weird.

And irrational. The good fight needs more, not less.

audio

[staystraught]

[oh you have a roommate. he's by himself + cat. it is a bit lonely.]

I don't care, either, it's just that people get mad when you don't...

This place does get pretty dull.

private;;

[little_girl_lost]

Yeah. He's stupidly overprotective.

So, yeah. It's nice to get a chance to actually be helping.

private;;

[staystraught]

Yeah. Bats... more or less gives me free reign. Can't imagine that kind of restriction.

I mean, it may be a job for Superman, but every job is a job for Superman. He can't do it all.

[text]

[readytobe]

I do not want to hug anyone, here or elsewhere.

What is 'Singles Awareness Day'?

[text]

[staystraught]

"Singles Awareness Day" is a diabolical plot hatched by a nebulous conspiracy between chocolatiers, greeting card manufacturers, and rose growers, designed to shame people into getting into sudden, ill-advised romantic relationships by convincing them that their self-worth is directly proportional to their ability to do the same.

Hugging is a fundamental necessity for anybody, though. Even my foster dad gets that.

[video]

[hamburgerhero]

[America laughs loudly at this message.]

Is this some ploy to get people to admit their crushes on the network?

[video]

[staystraught]

Yeah, I guess you caught me.

It's kind of a relief, you know? Not having to walk the tightrope and keep it a secret from you, like with everyone else.

[Dick, where are you going with this?]

I'm glad someone is too smart to fall for such an obvious ploy. I really need to work on subtlety.

[video]

[hamburgerhero]

Ha HA! [America gave himself a mental pat on the back. He rarely was known for being clever or smart. For reasons.]

Hey you got some people spilling. I'm just a little hard to get to on stuff like this- secrets come with my job. I might not be legally allowed to say who I would want to hug. [He's half joking, half serious about that last thought.]