[Artemis very nearly points out that until a week an a half ago she had never talked to him at all and goes back to ignoring the hapless kid who turned her life upside down.
But something stops her. She's nearly driven off enough friends over this.]
[it's a while before this next response comes. in the interim gar ignores his communicator for a while, fights back an anxiety attack, and writes and deletes several different versions of the explanation. its a stressful topic, but he does feel that Artemis should know.]
[Artemis lost her mom when she was nine too, but the difference is that even in her darkest moments Artemis knew that one day her mom would come back. Her mom would be different, and maybe she would feel like a stranger, but she would come back. All Artemis had to do was keep it together until that day.
She knows about anxiety and she knows about loss. She knows just enough to know not to push it.
And if the team took him in... well, then they really are his family. Artemis is his family, even if she doesn't really know him yet.]
hey, we should hang out some time. go... do something. I don't know. what does a guy who can turn into animals like to do?
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But something stops her. She's nearly driven off enough friends over this.]
it's ok. you didn't know.
and I was kind of a jerk about it.
[Apologizing: Artemis style.]
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i mean im pretty sure you get to be a bit of a jerk when you find that kinda stuff out but
thanks anyways 8)
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lets start over. pretend like I don't know jack about you, because I kind of don't.
so... beast boy, huh? animal powers, I'm guessing?
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garfield...?[Why do superheroes always have such weird real names?
... thinks the archer who is unironically named after the greek goddess of archery.]
how did m'gann give you powers? I didn't know she could do that.text
it wasnt really on purpose. she gave me a blood transfusion and i got some of her powers as a side effect
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wait... you're that kid from Qurac, aren't you? i heard about that mission. I didn't know she gave you powers, though.
and now you're on the team?
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i joined in 2011!!
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that's the year I came from. technically.[Soon, then.]
... how old are you?text
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wait, you're 13 NOW?
so you were, what, 8 when you joined the team?
[Robin was nine when he started his sidekick career and Artemis was being trained by Sportsmaster at the same age, which wasn't any safer.
Still... it seems young.]
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no offense, but that is really young... who recruited you?[Because Artemis is pretty sure that Black Canary, at least, would have a problem with that.]
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but i guess it was nightwing that okayed me going on missions?
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right. robin when he's apparently all cranky and weird.
well... weirder.
[Robin told her that bit. And, well... it explains why he wouldn't have a problem with the kid starting so young.]
wait, why were you already living at the cave?text
my mom died. the team took me in.
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i'm sorry.[Artemis lost her mom when she was nine too, but the difference is that even in her darkest moments Artemis knew that one day her mom would come back. Her mom would be different, and maybe she would feel like a stranger, but she would come back. All Artemis had to do was keep it together until that day.
She knows about anxiety and she knows about loss. She knows just enough to know not to push it.
And if the team took him in... well, then they really are his family. Artemis is his family, even if she doesn't really know him yet.]
hey, we should hang out some time. go... do something. I don't know. what does a guy who can turn into animals like to do?text
i like people things. but im also pretty sure that fetch is the greatest game ever invented c:
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aw! I always wanted a dog. a big jowly one with a slobbery face. we couldn't have animals in our apartment building, though.[Also, supervillain dad? Not all that big on family pets.]
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OR A MASTIFF!! mastiffs are great
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