Bruce Wayne

Bruce has been living in the Capitol for 25 years. He's been high-profile since birth, on every who's who list. He is also both outspoken about his disdain for the Games AND very, very, very generous with his money and investments.

This is a place for me to gather up where he stands with people who live in the Capitol!

Comment below with thoughts on what your character's relationship should be with Bruce, and I will add your character to the chart! Positive and negative hand-waved CR welcome.


Azula, Mentor - Knows of him, has not personally met him. Bruce knows of her, but has been too busy to meet her.

Jolie, Stylist - Acquaintances. They get along fairly well and have run across each other at parties.

Stephen Reagan, Escort - childhood acquaintances in that way where your parents are friends and you keep ending up in the same place. Casual friends in adulthood, but never really close.

Cyrus Reagan, Politician - casual acquaintances with a good business understanding. Bruce funded some of Cyrus's projects, while Cyrus helped soften the edges of his public image.

OUT of CHARACTER
Name: Lady Vincira
Other characters: Kevin, Rosalind, and Charlie!

IN CHARACTER
Name: Bruce Wayne
Fandom: Batman
Canon point/AU: Capitol AU!
Journal: makingitwayne
PB: Milo Ventimiglia/Artwork
History: Canon History

The Wayne family has been in the limelight for a very long time. Wealthy even for the crowd they ran with, they had very deep ties to the city, funding a great number of building projects, technologies, and start-up companies. The Waynes were very good to the Capitol indeed - and when Bruce was born to Thomas and Martha he was instantly a public figure.

Bruce never wanted for anything as a child. It wasn't that he was spoiled, precisely - he was a sensible boy, and found pleasure in simple things compared to other kids of his age - but the things that he did want were his the moment he asked; if not by his parents' doing, certainly by the doings of the many high-profile friends his parents had. In spite of all of the indulgence, his family was careful to teach him that he was to be grateful for everything comfortable in his life...and especially grateful for the fact that he was never up for being chosen in the Games. He has always had a good nature and he learned readily anything that was taught to him...everything including discretion.

You see, the Waynes were very good to the Capitol, but they also had their share of secrets. The Games were an institution, an integral thread in the fabric of society...but Thomas and Martha always thought it barbaric. They spent large numbers of credits Sponsoring Tributes over time, trying to make them as comfortable as possible; they had secret rooms built below their beautiful manor, so that they could outbid other Sponsors for time with the Tributes and give them privacy and shelter, a moment of respite. Bruce was taught to respect the Tributes - never to laugh or look down at them, but never to idolize them as celebrity, either. They were people who were made to suffer, and he had it instilled in him that he needed to have quiet reverence for their struggles.

When he was about eight years old, Thomas and Martha Wayne were met with tragedy. They had gone to a party for the current Games - an obligation, primarily, to save face and to keep up social ties - and on their way home, little Bruce had insisted upon walking a ways so that he could see the excitement still brewing in the streets.

That was when a desperate man crept up on them, murdering both the mother and the father for a few quick credits. The Peacekeepers swept in in time to save the boy - but the damage was done. Bruce was left sobbing over the corpses of his childhood, bleeding out on the ground.

Time passed, and Bruce grew. He fell in line with the other kids in the Capitol, because it was made so very clear right from the beginning that being reticent would only make things harder. A sort of duality became a necessity even while he was young; in public, he needed to be jovial and showy, indulging in all fineries - but in private, Bruce was a quiet boy, much preferring his books. He acted out a little, as some do...drinking, driving too fast, and letting his mouth run off when he really shouldn't; he never got down to anything that got him into more trouble than he could get out of again with a bit of charm, but it did net him a reputation as kind of a 'bad boy.'

Now, a few years later, he's mellowed out a bit, knowing better how to navigate the intricacies of social politics...and how not to get caught while following in his parents' very careful, very noble footsteps. He keeps in very good shape, keeps his nose just clean enough, and prepares very quietly for when everything comes crashing down.

He saw the man who shot his parents very recently, by the way. He was on the street, scrubbing something up in perfect silence. No one would have noticed if he was gone. It would be so easy. He was only an Avox, after all.

But then Bruce would be no better than he was.

He put his sunglasses on and kept walking.

Presentation:

Bruce presents himself as is expected from a favorite son of the Capitol. He's friendly, sassy, and fashionable - a man about town. He's a very handsome man, tall and all lean muscle, a shock of yellow laid into his dark, wavy hair. He dresses in Capitol fashion, sporting jewelry and pops of color...but he tends to avoid glitter except for special occasions. For the everyday, he doesn't mind his earrings and a bit of makeup, but he's not going to powder his whole face unless there is somewhere big to be.

Being a public figure in a ferociously outgoing society, Bruce has a reputation for driving fast cars, investing large amounts of money into things no one thinks about, and buying entire parties a round of drinks. He's very friendly in public, introducing himself to everyone at least once and holding plenty of large gatherings at his manor. As a conversational companion, he's incredibly intelligent - albeit he does tend to get a bit dark with his humor, unafraid of making people a little uncomfortable. He is outspoken and it's no secret that he dislikes the Games...but he doesn't appear to act against them, and he certainly pours enough money into the Capitol to show enough support for the government's liking.

Like many of the Capitol's socialites, Bruce is open to flirtation - regardless of gender. He isn't as notorious as some, perhaps, but it is very widely known that he has never held a relationship for more than a month or two. It's not that he isn't romantic; he has a flair for the dramatic that extends to his dates, and big gestures are the norm for him. The trouble tends to be that romances come across as shallow, and that he isn't really letting anyone in.

Motivations:

Where outwardly Bruce is an outgoing and friendly man, when he's alone he is actually a quiet and contemplative soul, still very much feeling the loss of his parents. Behind closed doors, in a safe place, conversation with Bruce will reveal that his personality is actually very serious. Keeping up appearances is very draining to his inner self, and the brighter he shines, the darker the shadow he casts for himself for later on. He seldom smiles when he is being genuine, and if he does, it's a sad smile indeed.

Thomas and Martha Wayne were secretly working counter to the Games - and Bruce has taken up this mantle, finding whatever ways that he can to subvert the system and assist the Tributes. Early on, this will primarily come in the form of sponsor gifts and extreme generosity in the Capitol...but over time, he will get more and more into his personal crusade, hiding criminals in his secret rooms and becoming involved in the Rebellion. One thing he will be doing is bidding on Tributes, just like his parents did when he was a kid - letting the Capitol think what they want to while he gives them a time of respite and sympathy behind closed doors.

It isn't that Bruce isn't interested in romance - the truth is that his paranoia makes it hard to let anyone close enough to love him. He tends to keep people at arm's length, and in his perception, it's both for his sake and for their's. Is he lonely? Of course he is. But he also finds it easier to focus on doing his good work if he doesn't have to worry about taking someone else down with him. It's possible, of course, that someone will be able to gain his trust enough to form a lasting relationship with him...but they would have to work awfully hard at it, and be ready to deal with some very heavy baggage.

Setting:

The Capitol has taken good care of Bruce, and Bruce's family takes good care of the Capitol to this day. He's comfortable for the most part - except for the Games. He has never liked them, and he never will. He's going to do his best to have involvement in the lives of the Tributes, helping them as much as he safely can.

If he ever winds up in the Arena, he's going to face up with a very big problem...his personal policy of not killing anyone runs counter to the point of the Arenas themselves. Likely he will fight to incapacitate, and if the other Tributes die of natural causes or hazards...he at least gave them the mercy.

SAMPLES
First Person Thread:

Look, I know you all like poking the bear and everything, but my stance isn't exactly a secret - I'm not a fan of the Games. Period.

[Bruce flashes his pretty white teeth in a smile, folding his hands in front of him as he stares the camera down. He's no stranger to controversy. He's lived in the limelight for his whole life, and this little conversation is no more than a drop in the ocean.]

But okay, I'll bite. The new format is better in exactly one way - the death isn't permanent. These people go in, and they fight, and they come out again. It's good that they come out again. But that's where the good ends, I think. Imagine being ripped from your whole world, forced to fight for the enjoyment of people you don't even know. Now imagine dying. Being brutally murdered.

[He's not smiling anymore. His tone is unusually grave (or at least, it is in the public eye), his blue eyes fixed in a sharp stare.]

Imagine waking up from that. And imagine knowing you're going to have to do it again.

Does that sound like a game to you?

Just...think about that next time you're getting your snacks for a viewing party.

[A breath is pulled in and then slowly released; Bruce eases up again, the smile once again replacing the grave, knowing look that had made its guest appearance.]

And think about it next time you feel like asking me stupid questions.

Prose:

They were probably expecting him to fold. Beg. Flash a smile and offer some money to make all of this go away. They probably thought this would be some earth-shattering thing to him, a punishment in the form of yanking the silver spoon from his mouth and forcing him to get his hands dirty.

Bruce wasn't going to do any of these things. He was ready for this. He had been ready for this for a very long time.

He stood there in front of that force field, stance wide and shoulders back, eyes locked on the Gamemakers as if he was looking straight through them. Stripped of all his finery, he didn't glimmer like he had for so long - there were no rings, no flashy clothes, no over-shined shoes or dark sunglasses to hide behind. There was only Bruce Wayne. The Tribute. The example of what happened when you turned on those who were good to you.

Not a word escaped his mouth before he turned away from them, launching right into action. The amount of training that he had put himself through was on display in public for the very first time - and it felt good. He displayed his physical agility in skillful kicks and twists, his strong arms with calculated strikes against the mannequins. Not once did he stop moving; sweat poured from his body, sticking his dark hair to his forehead, droplets falling this way and that as he moved from one target to the next.

No weapon was taken in hand. They wanted to see what Bruce Wayne could do, would do - and he was happy to show them that he didn't want their help in proving he was capable.

He was in disgrace. His family name was now spoken in scandalized whispers.

The mask was off. He was finally showing his real face.

He was free.


What is your character scored: If Bruce were to wind up in the Arena, I think he could safely be scored at about 10.

Beyond having likability and star power in the Capitol, Bruce has been quietly training in paranoid preparation all his life for the day he would have to fight in an Arena. He's strong, wildly intelligent, and he knows Arena strategy backwards and forwards.

Obviously he has no powers - but he does have his wits, and a healthy amount of technological know-how that could prove him very dangerous indeed.

Additional information:

Why would the Capitol include his canon doppelganger? Because he's the goddamn Batman. Who WOULDN'T want that in their death match? Let alone the doppelganger of such an influential and well-known public figure. It helps that it would act as a sort of warning to Bruce - a way to say "look at what could happen to you" without punishing him directly.

He has lived in the Capitol his whole life, and he is very fond of it in spite of everything. He loves his hometown. Even if he feels like it's gotten somewhat lost over time, that will never change.