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[real_archer]

It's Artemis. Leave a message.

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[performance]

[ Hey, he's comfortable with his masculinity. Robin hops off the bike, gesturing to it with a flourish. ]

Then she's allll yours.

[real_archer]

[She grins and gets on, adjusting her skirt to keep it out of the way and to keep things from getting too embarrassing.

She pats the back of the seat.]

Hop on.

[performance]

[ Robin takes his place behind her, and even with the back of the seat slightly raised like it is, he's still shorter than she is. He settles his hands politely at her shoulders. ]

Ready when you are.

[real_archer]

Oh, I'm ready.

[Artemis pops her helmet on her head (yeah, she brought her own) and opens up the throttle. The moped roars to life. Okay, sort of... whines to life.

Mopeds are handy, but somewhat lacking in poetry.]

[performance]

[ Robin just laughs and holds on tight as they hit the road, trying not to think about the fact that this is somehow way less weird when he's clinging to Wally at superspeed. Trying not to think about Wally at all, really, even though— isn't this all, in a roundabout way, for him? Them? ... Kind of?

This whole fake-but-actually-a-little-less-fake-than-he'd-thought date plan had made more sense when he wasn't in the middle of it, but it's too late to focus on that now. ]

[real_archer]

[Once she gets over the weirdness of having Robin hanging on to her, it feels good to be on the road. She's not entirely convinced by his claim that the moped can get up to sixty, but it's carrying two people so she'll give it a pass.

It takes a little longer than the usual 20 minute ride to get to Cape Canaveral, but in that time Artemis is able to... push things out of her mind. Not think about the whole mess and just enjoy the feeling of the wind on her bare legs and arms.

The salt smell of the air sharpens and Artemis pulls up at the public beach. It's the perfect day, only a few puffy white clouds in the sky and a lovely fresh breeze coming off the water. She glances back at Robin and grins.]

You still back there?

[He's been quiet for a while, not that mopeds are exactly the best place for a conversation.]

[performance]

[ Robin laughs just a little too rushed, jolted out of his thoughts. ]

I was just enjoying the ride.

[ But it's a nice day, and the moment doesn't last long. He hops off the bike once they're parked, stretching widely before settling his hands on his his hips and looking around. The boardwalk has the usual junk food carts set up, and not too far off, a few small shops. ]

You wanna grab some lunch before we hit the beach?

[real_archer]

[She takes off her helmet and shakes out her ponytail, latching it to the handle bars before she gets off.

She glances at the food carts--a veritable junk food buffet. Wally would love it.]

... Sure, we could do that.

[performance]

[ Robin wonders if she's thinking what he's thinking (because he always thinks of Wally when it comes to junk food, even when he thinks of the circus, too). Maybe lunch first thing was a tactical mistake, but if he backs out now it'll only look worse, it'll just draw attention to it and that's no good, so— ]

Great! My treat!

[ And just like that, he's off, jogging backwards toward the boardwalk and then spinning on his heel and darting ahead, weaving through the crowd. He stops at the first place he sees, buying two corn dogs and two lemonades and handing one of each to Artemis when she catches up to him. ]

Man, I haven't had one of these in forever. I couldn't get enough of 'em when I was little.

[real_archer]

[Artemis is kind of taken aback by Robin's enthusiasm. Before she can protest him paying, she has a corndog in one hand and a lemonade in the other. She gives him an awkwardly grateful look.]

Yeah, me too...

[Sportsmaster usually made sure there was food in the freezer for his baby girl when he went on his long "business" trips and frozen corndogs were a treat.

Once, he'd taken her to a baseball game and she'd had the real deal. These days she's pretty sure he only took her as part of his cover story while he pulled a job, but the corndog had been good.

She takes a big bite]

... Mmm-fanks...

[performance]

[ Awkwardly grateful is still grateful, and Robin returns her smile with his own. He knows that neither one of them had a normal childhood, and he's never sure how much of what little she says about it is a lie and how much is a sort of sideways truth. He knows that feeling from experience.

But she seems happy, so: he is too. ]

Don't mention it.

[ Robin leans against the railing, scoping out the beach as he eats. After a minute, he turns to shoot her a sideways glance and a grin. ]

Hey, if there's anything you wanna stop and see, or a total no way — don't just let me drag you around, okay? But... I'm thinking we should check out that novelty sunglasses hut over there. I can see you in shutter shades.

[real_archer]

[Junk food, sunglass huts... this is all feeling very familiar. If one of them wins an ugly stuffed animal from a midway game, Artemis is going home.

Still, she hardly bats an eye before returning his grin.]

Shutter shades? Seriously? [Aviators are where it's at. She still thinks the aviators she bought with Wally make her look like a badass] Also, like you don't have enough sunglasses already.

[performance]

So maybe I want us to match.

[ He shrugs broadly. ]

Too much for a first date?

[real_archer]

[Artemis just stares at him for a moment then breaks into a laugh and gives him a friendly shove.]

Oh my god, your superpower is that nobody realizes what a complete dork you really are.

[She tosses her corndog stick in the trash and slurps down the rest of her lemonade.]

Alright, lets go try on some shades.

[performance]

[ And then he's absolutely beaming. ]

Oh, no, you've found me out! You realize, of course, that you're sworn to silence.

[ The corndog's done with, but Robin's gonna haul this lemonade around for a while. Sorry: tiny bird appetite. He's practically bouncing as they make their way to the sunglasses stand, and once they're there, he peruses their selection— uh-oh. ]

Artemis. Artemis. Artemiiis. I know I said shutter shades, but look at these.

[ He grabs the tackiest sunglasses of all time and holds them out for her. ]

[real_archer]

[The only time she's even come close to seeing Robin this excited, he was ninja-swinging out of the rafters to ninja-kick some hapless mook in the face. It's an interesting experience.

But she balks at the sunglasses.]

Nuh uh, no way. You first.

[performance]

[ SHRUG. ] If it pleases thou, milady.

[ He does a little twirl, and somehow in the span of that second he's switched out his glasses for the glittery flamingo shades. ]

What do you think?

[real_archer]

[Artemis starts laughing and fumbles to get out her comm and pull up the camera app.]

I need a picture of this.

[performance]

Wait wait wait!

[ Robin grins and holds his own sunglasses out for Artemis to try on. ]

Can you get one with both of us?

[real_archer]

[A picture of her and Robin, the Boy Wonder? Somehow she never imagined this happening when she decided to put on a mask and start super hero-ing.]

Both of us? Okay, sure.

[She puts on the sunglasses and moves in next to him, holding the comm at arm's length.]

Say cheese.

[Artemis pulls what she thinks is a Robin-y kind of face--you know, all mysterious looking. It kind of looks like she's posing for a mugshot.

Snap. Now preserved in digital history.]

[performance]

[ And Dick gives his brightest, widest, cheesiest grin as the camera snaps.

THEY'LL LAUGH ABOUT THIS SOMEDAY. ]

Perfect. You think I should buy these and let you hang onto mine?

[real_archer]

I don't know, how do they look on me?

[She turns the comm around to look at the picture and wrinkles her nose.]

No way, I look like I'm in the Matrix! And you...

[Okay, SHE IS LAUGHING ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW.]

... You have to get them. Oh my god...

[performance]

I don't think I have a choice.

[ HE ALREADY HAS HIS WALLET OUT. He doesn't care if he looks like an idiot — he's just beyond thrilled that she's laughing. $12.99 later, Robin is looking extra sparkly in his new shades, taking a victorious sip of his lemonade. ]

Well, that was worthwhile. Where to now?

[real_archer]

[$12.99 for terrible sunglasses?! If Artemis knew, she would disagree very much about it being worthwhile. Luckily, she's not paying attention while he pays, too busy still snickering over the snapshot.]

Oh, umm... How about the beach?

[performance]

[ He might be working for minimum wage right now, but years with Bruce Wayne haven't exactly given him good money management skills. And anyway, they're dazzling. ]

Sounds great. Let's go get our feet wet.