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open post | reincarnation
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❝Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we’re bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, rebirth our future.❞ |
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❝Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we’re bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, rebirth our future.❞ |
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Dick Grayson | Batman
England, 1770 Richard's parents had been taken from him in a carriage accident, though his wealthy uncle was on hand to take him in and ensure his proper upbringing. He allowed the boy to study anything and everything he wanted, being a big supporter of knowledge. They came to blows when Philip Astley sought acrobats to perform in his Ampitheatre of equestrian arts, the old man considering the whole idea to be far too lower class. Richard ran away from home and lived out his days as an acrobat, it just made sense to be flying.
America, 1825 Rick ran away from the orphanage only two weeks after being dropped in it by disinterested relatives. He joined the circus, attached himself to the trapeze artists and refused to leave them alone until they'd taught him everything they knew. He became the star attraction, married one of his fellow artists and never stopped travelling.
London, 1901 After his parents died, Richard was left to the streets until a London policeman took him in. Work-obsessed, constable Wayne left the young man mostly to his own devices, but he instilled a great sense of justice in Richard, and he grew up to become a policeman himself.
Gotham City, present day Taken in by Bruce Wayne after the murder of his parents, Dick Grayson took on the mantel of Robin and joined in guardian in the never-ending fight against crime.
These days, he's putting his acrobatics skills to work as Nightwing, keeping the streets of Gotham safe on his own terms.
London, 1901
Well. One of his professions. Because Matthias Taylor is also known as Mr Veils, and he's a member of the city's underworld -- of a group of reincarnates who've decided to take a little bit of control over the city.
He is a quiet speaker, well dressed and immaculately groomed, and doesn't come across as very dangerous. Not until people find out that he's a rope maker as well, at least. And that he always has rope on his person, and needles, and scissors. And usually a garotte.
He is careful, and leaves as little evidence as possible, and has a much lower profile than some of his companions -- Mr Fires, say, who everyone knows is in charge of a bunch of thugs down at the docks, and has a hand in smuggling, or Mr Stones, who is obviously dangerous -- and while the police sometimes "want to ask him a few questions," they haven't been able to pin anything on him yet. The pun of which is entirely unintended.
Re: London, 1901
Richard's still young, been living with the constable for a few years but he's desperate to impress. Bruce is a distant man, you have to work hard for his approval and Richard intends to work hard. Besides, he wants to follow Bruce into to constabulary when he's a little older, so perhaps he ought to get a little practice in.
Which is why he's trying to tail Mr Taylor, hoping he can bear witness to something that will help Bruce achieve his goal.
no subject
And many of their group's exchanges take place indoors, which is just frustratingly unhelpful, really: It isn't a crime to have dinner with a man who almost certainly runs opium dens, after all. And if you make ropes and someone ends up tied to a weight in the river, well. Selling rope in and of itself isn't a crime, either. No one can prove that he knew what it would be used for. After all, if you sell a woman stockings, and she strangles a man with them, can you be jailed?
(That had been an interesting case.)
Truth be told, he realizes he's being followed. He stops to give an urchin beggar a few coins, whispering something to her, and she tiptoes up to his ear and whispers in return, earning a small nod -- he had already had a feeling, one he couldn't completely trust but didn't have to. Whoever his tail is, they aren't much older than the urchin gangs. What do they want?
He's curious about that. So he decides, well. It shouldn't hurt to be a little less careful, today. Just to see what the person following him will do.
So Richard will see him keep some questionable company. He will also see Mr Taylor leave his small bag on his table while paying for his tea, which really is inadvisable in a city like London. (No one steals from him. If Richard looks, the bag has fabrics and small projects in it, nothing particularly questionable, and some money.) And, when he ducks into a small store and comes back out around half an hour later, he swipes at his brow with a white handkerchief -- one that has spots of blood on it.
What are you after, child?
no subject
He risked looking in the bag, but he didn't want to linger too long and anyway there didn't seem to be anything in there, so he slipped out of the tea room before the owner chased him out, he might not be as scruffy as he used to be, but it wouldn't be the first time today somebody had mistaken him for a street kid (he supposed he had 'the look', it wasn't that long since he'd been one, after all).
Richard is observant, Bruce has taught him that much, so he spots the blood on the handkerchief and it's the closest to a lead he's gotten all day, the problem is, he's not sure what to do with it. If something's happened in the shop, he could go in and find out, but then how would he tie it to Mr Taylor?
With only half a plan in mind, he made his way down from the rooftop he'd been observing from (getting up on the rooftops in London is EASY if you know what you're doing, and he did) and moved quickly over to the man before he went away.
"Excuse me mister?" he tugged on Mr Taylor's sleeve "Do you know the way to the British museum? I was supposed to meet my sister there but she got lost and she's only young, she'll be scared without me, do you know where it is, please?"
If he could keep him there for a little bit longer, until somebody went to the shop, then if anything untoward had happened inside, he'd still be on the scene. It wasn't a brilliant plan, but it was something.
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The timing is too good, and the clothes are a little too nice (and he does know his clothes, naturally). He's certain this is the one who's been following him. He pauses, and smiles down at the boy.
"The British Museum?" he muses, slowly. His voice is a whisper -- a loud one, audible, but still a whisper. "Yes, of course. Don't worry, child, I will show you the way."
He makes a small gesture in the correct direction, motioning for the boy to come along with him.
no subject
But first, he was fairly certain that some stalling wouldn't go amiss.
"Are you sure it's that way, mister? Only I thought I came from that way," he pointed in the opposite direction