Typical Tuesday [open]

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Everything seemed so familiar. The darkness wrapped his slender frame in shadow, as only the dim glow of a lamp, and what managed to seep through the curtains covering the windows, lit the scene, lingering upon the scraggly set of hairs that had begun to form around the man's pointed chin, and bloodshot eyes. Upon the desk, numerous numbers and statements had been scrawled upon crumpled or folded papers, and a few flasks of unrecognizable liquid, presumably chemicals, stood silent and beckoning upon the wood of the furniture. As a screech pervaded the atmosphere of the room, it shattered the silence in such an abrupt way that the white coated zoologist, of whom had already been trembling from both anxiousness and exhaustion, leapt with surprise, dropping the mug of coffee he had been sipping on for the past half hour.

The hot, brown liquid splattered his clothing, seeping into the fabric to caress an unshaven chest with painful heat. The mug was caught, luckily, upon his lap. "Blast it!" Robert Langstrom hissed to himself through grinding sets of teeth, sweeping his hand down to grasp the mug and set it upon the desk, before rising from the chair he had been situated in with a scowl, shooting a glare toward the creature that had caused his accident. The vampire bat gazed at him with beady eyes from it's cage, it's expression unreadable.

"Damn you." He cursed the beast, his pupils wandering about the room as he sought some sort of absorbent material to clean up the mess. It was a relatively small area in which he performed his so called valuable research. There was only one window, a couch stretching along the back wall with a small TV in which he could watch the news each morning, alone, without the disruptions of his family. The apartment in it's entirety was three bedrooms and one bathroom, the kitchen and dining room were small, as was the living room, but the small office near the back of the apartment was all he ever really needed. 

Of course, his wife was quite the opposite in her beliefs. She certainly didn't support the fact that Robert spent most of his days hidden from sight, antisocial and obsessed. He loved her, truly, he did, and he'd do anything for her...but at times, she could often become the biggest obstacle to his studies. It had only been a few weeks since his release from Arkham, and she had already made it quite clear that if he went back toward the Man-Bat, she'd leave, and take the rest of his family with her. It wasn't the first time she had made the threat, however, and despite it, Robert had returned to his addiction. The two hadn't spoken since, though Francine still remained nearby. He had been shaken by his lack of control of his former transformation, but it was seen as an opportunity, to continue his attempts at perfection.

He sighed at the discovery that there was no towel nearby, shooting the large bat another piercing glare as he removed his lab coat and tossed it toward the small couch. He'd take it down to the laundry later, but in that moment, there was nothing he desired more than a breath of fresh air, though the polluted skies of Gotham City could hardly provide such a thing. Robert strode toward the doorway, peeling it open to squint in the light of the hall before slipping into the open. He moved toward the kitchen, where he discovered Francine. She pursed her lips at the sight of him, turning back toward the stove. Glancing around her shoulder, Robert noted that she was making tea, before clearing his throat, and hastily stepping toward the exit.

"I'd better not see anything about a giant bat on television this evening."

The stern voice of his wife halted his movements as he turned back to face the woman, nodding quickly as he inhaled deeply. "You won't." Robert promised, before swiftly making his escape. The next few minutes were spent with Robert making his way toward the ground floor of Gotham Towers, bursting outside with somewhat of a smirk playing across his dried lips. It was nearly noon, and the city was just as crowded as ever, given his position so near to Central Gotham.

Turning in the direction of the towering, gothic skyscrapers, he had already plotted the course of his walk. He began to make his way into the bustling epicenter of the city, tucking his hands into the depths of his jean pockets. There was a slight breeze, warm, but humid, and a quick glance at the sky confirmed his suspicions. Dark clouds rolled toward the city, rumbling ominously. He hadn't thought about a coat, despite the overcast skies. Oh well. He thought to himself as he continued on, moving toward the Saunders District as he began to contemplate which of the many bars he should wait out the storm in.

Lost in his thoughts, and with his lack of attention, Robert nearly toppled over another pedestrian, slamming into the anonymous person with a grunt. He managed to catch himself before gravity could drag him toward the concrete, uttering an apology as he attempted to regain his composure, before turning in order to discover just who exactly he had collided with.

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    Stephanie struggled to catch her balance before she fell on her bottom. She muttered an expletive as she stood up to discover the back of her pants were soaked. It had been a simple night. She was off to the Langstrom household to visit Mr. Langstrom. Before he went to Arkham Stephanie had interned for him, so when she heard he was out, she decided to pay him a visit.

    "I'm sorry."

    Stephanie looked at the ground and attempted to wipe off some of the gravel and rocks that had stuck to the back of her pants.

    "It's fine. I should've been looking where I was going anyway. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go som-" Stephanie was cut off mid sentence when she looked up and saw who was standing in front of her. "Mr. Langstrom?!?"

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As he stood to his full height, his balance recovered from the sudden collision with the other person, a curse entered his mind, as Robert berated himself for his lack of attention. His nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath, his gaze settling upon the form of the woman, glittering with a sudden curiosity. He waved off her apology with a stiff shouldered shrug, given that he believed the accident had been his fault.

"My fault." Robert spoke in a quiet tone, swaying as a sudden wind buffeted his slender frame. The towering skyscrapers had only served to intensify the might of the gale, as it swept between the gothic structures. There was a slight feeling of recognition as he focused upon his accidental victim, though he couldn't quite place it. Even her voice sent a spark of familiarity shooting through his thoughts, and Robert knew then, that once, he had met this girl, perhaps even known her, but that would have been more than a year ago, before his mistake with the Man-Bat serum that had ended with his defeat at the fangs of the Black Serpent, and his placement within Arkham. The woman's tone adopted surprise as she stated his name, and it was quite clear that she remembered him in that moment.

Robert took on the feeling of confusion as he attempted to place her name and purpose within his life. "Huh?" Though there were no words within his question, it was rather obvious what he was referring to.

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"Huh?"

Stephanie looked at the man. He looked alot different than he did before he went to Arkham. She realized the man's confusion. She frowned a bit at seeing that he didn't remember her.

"My name's Stephanie. Stephanie Brown. I interned for you last year before you went to-" Stephanie realized her mistake. She shouldn't have brought up Arkham. She looked at the ground, and chewed the front of her lip.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bring it up... I'm sorry.." Stephanie looked at Robert, expecting him to be angry. She didn't mean to bring up Arkham again. She tried to bring a different topic.

"So how have you been doing? I was actually coming to see how you were doing, and then, I bumped into you on the way, obviously." The young teenage girl smiled up at him. She kept trying to watch what she said. She didn't want to cause an unpleasant reaction.

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Even as she informed him of her own name, the man still had to take a moment of contemplation before recognition shot through his mind. Blinking, he nodded in response to the fact that he was aware of her purpose within his life at that moment. As she cut herself off from the continuation of her statement, Robert merely shrugged. He still hated himself for the fact that he had allowed the Man-Bat to get the best of him, and his obsession had landed him a place in the asylum. He had despised the location, trapped in a cell like an animal in a zoo, but the worst part of all happened to be the other inmates. They were beyond irritating to a man that still retained some sanity.

"I'm fine." Came his stern reply as he answered the teenager's question. Robert wasn't particularly sociable. Encounters such as these were not a favorite pastime for the zoologist. A clash of thunder sounded above their heads. The storm spread it's ominous gray tendrils across the sky as a sudden downpour struck the city. Shooting Stephanie a glance, he hurried to locate a place of shelter.

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Stephanie stood there awkwardly, holding her hands in front of her. The rain began to soak through the purple beret on her head, chilling the young teen to the bone. She crossed her arm over her chest and held her dark blue trench coat closer to her. Stephanie smiled a little bit when he seemed to remember her. It shouldn't have taken him so long, but she had sympathy for the man. Spending a year in Arkham with those crazies could do bad things to your head. Stephanie shuddered at the thought of what he had went through that year.

Stephanie let out a sigh of relief as the man shrugged. He seemed to not be offended by Stephanie's statement, which she was pretty glad about. She definitely didn't want to offend the man. Stephanie pursed her lips and looked down at the ground in awkwardness as he sternly replied. She jumped at the thunder and then the sudden downpour.

The young teen followed the man to a storefront. They stood under the fabric cover and escaped the rain. Stephanie peered into the store. It was a little coffee shop. She gestured towards the man and stepped inside. She bought two coffees, handed him one, and sat down in the chair across from him. The girl finally got up the courage to speak again.

"So how is life since you've gotten back. Have you done anything interesting?