Re: Jake R/Jack C: Gotham city quick-log
[The person was Jack, come through from Marvel and headed for the street that Jake had cited. Since Valentine's day, there had been an inexorable pull in the pit of his stomach, dragging him onward. Checking in with Jake and his half-sister wasn't so much a suggestion as a requirement, and only in that sense was it begrudging.
Did he regret giving his wish up now? Not so much as he might have otherwise. It could have gone so much worse, if the wisher had held a grudge toward him, but he hadn't thought of that in the moment, and he didn't have any fear for himself. Still, it felt somehow wasted on compelling him to do something he would have willingly done if Clem had only asked. That was how it rubbed him the wrong way. She could have used it for her own happiness, or he could have kept it and done some good. But every prospect had presented too many ways it could go wrong, and in the end, giving it up to someone else had made more sense.
It was a shame there was no good way to wish to know what you wanted. That could have created a disaster all on its own, the hotel twisting it to make him want something dark. That was the root of the problem, really and it was nothing he could blame Clem for. There was nothing he wanted - one person, maybe, but he would never compel her to want him back. He didn't have dreams like he'd had when he was younger. He responded to what was happening in the moment, and let himself be where his friends needed him, without planning for himself. Maybe that needed to change, though he didn't have a clue where to start.
For now, all he could want was to make sure Jake was alright, and then go check on the baby. The boy seemed nice enough, caught up in familial intrigue that Jack only really knew the surface of. He did know that based on Clem's testimony he was starting to develop a distinct dislike of the boy's father, but, per usual, he kept his thoughts to himself.
When Jake slammed into him he half-stumbled, grabbing the boy by the shoulder to steady him. An apology for not looking where he was going died on his lips when he saw his face. He looked enough like his aunt for him to make the connection, and this was the place.]
Are you alright? [He hadn't yet seen the ghost close behind.]