14842/A family get together

A family get together
Date of Scene:	23 March 2023
Location:	Library - Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Nightwing, Harley Quinn, Batman

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Nightwing has posed:
The rain is coming down hard outside and the flash of lightning illuminates through the windows of the mansion. Dick hasn't been home in a while, so when he slips inside it's with the crash of thunder in the clouds off in the distance. Shaggy black hair hangs around his face, which he combs back with his fingers to push it off his forehead. Wearing a black shirt with the top two buttons left undone and a pair of black slacks, it is only the grace of an umbrella that he doesn't look like a wet dog come home for dinner.

"Anybody home?" He calls out into dark hallways. Making his way through familiar landscape, a place where he'd lived and grew up. As familiar to him as the streets of Gotham... "Bruce? Alfred?" Ducking his head into the library. "It's Dick." Both of them would certainly know his voice, but maybe it will lure them out of seclusion if he said it out loud?

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley Quinn A small head pops out with those pig Tails " Did somebody say dick? " Somehow, the blond is back on top of a book shelf in the library as she peeks " Oh, that dick! " she grins brightly " Hiya, sugar butt " .

     Harley has a Bright smile on her face as she looks down at the bat family member.

Batman has posed:
Looking up from paperwork he has upon his desk he smiles black hair slicked back deep blue suit on with a black tie. And then there's Alfred coming with a tray with a pot of coffee and a few mugs on it. "Master Dick it's good to see you welcome home."

Bruce stands up and makes his way to Dick holding his hand out. "Dick it's been a while, you look well, please come sit let's talk. Catch me up on how you've been." Then there's Harley. "Harls what are you doing on a book shelf again? Oh now you're trying to make the poor boy blush."

Nightwing has posed:
This is going to take a second.

Dick's blue eyes sweep across a lot of things coming at him at once. Selina had said Harley was here and that was taking a whole mess of processing power without actually seeing her here. Perched up on a book shelf calling him sugar butt and making dick jokes at the expensive of his name. He cants his head slightly, that part wasn't so out of the norm now that he thinks about it.

Seeing Alfred warms his heart, however. "Alfred, it's good to see you. Thank you." The coffee too, he could definitely use some coffee... and maybe a little whiskey. His smile at the loyal butler only faulters slightly when he looks back up at Harley on her perch upon the bookshelf. Waylaid by Bruce's approach.

He does smile, but it's tense. Extending his hand out to his mentor and adoptive father. "She's not making me blush. Her antics stopped having that affect on me ages ago." A firm grip, blue eyes fixed on Bruce. "I've been.. good. Confused, but good. In Bludhaven until a few nights ago. How about you?" Another glance up at Harley, then back to Bruce. "Are you a hostage? Is everything okay?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley Quinn Gives one little " Ha " as she Flips right off the shelf, " I told you why ! " she says, but she then shoves dick right into the shoulds " Hug your dad, stupid," She says firmly, " You hug him back .. life is too short for your awkward mess " she sniffs as she seems to wait for the two to hug a little. She seems to ignore the hostage thing even though she's wearing her going out and making trouble outfit though the one change is the bat symbol on her collar.

     she grins too " I always affect everybody.. once you've pissed off dark side you've made it " She says simply with a grin

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne laughs shaking his head back and forth as he firmly shakes Dick's hand taking a cup of coffee from Alfred and looking between Harley and Dick he smiles. "A hostage no, rehabilitating Harley and Selina, both have actually been aiding in the crime fighting efforts." He smiles softly at his protégé and adoptive son.

"Yea but I'm fine Dick in fact better than fine." He smiles at Harley and her bat symbol on her collar and then he laughs loudly. "Hug....us....our affection is shown through good old fashioned handshakes. So where she you planning on going Harls?"

Nightwing has posed:
Still a lot.

Dick releases Bruce's hand, but only so he can take one of the mugs of coffee. Clutched in both hands he holds it up for a long drink as if this will embue sense into his world where there is a distinct absence in the moment. Harley has a bat-symbol collar. "Okay." Eyes flashing back over at Bruce, "Rehabilitating them. I get that." He absolutely does, that at least tracks. There's so much more though.

Another drink of coffee and he sets it down gently on one of the tables in the library, with his attention dividing between Harley and Bruce, clearly thinking there's more to this story than he's seeing up to this point. Though he focuses it on the Clown Princess and her 'trouble clothes' and Bruce's question on where she's planning to go for the night.

Or maybe it's the laugh.

"I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard you laugh since I was twelve years old..." His brow furrows, finding it hard not to be pleased by it, but also supremely unnerved. Like he's walking into a locker room in '98 and seeing Mankind and Undertaker sharing a handshake. "What do you mean, better than fine? Are you dying?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley Quinn Rolls her eyes " Men " is all she does, and she throws her hands into the air before going to grab her own coffee and give Alfred a kiss on the cheek " You added the marshmallows. I love you ". The old man only giving a chuckle. She looks to Dick " I know, right, his laugh is awesome.. spooky but awesome' She scrunches her nose " I swear the specter comes in every time to make sure we're okay when ever I make him laugh " .

     She blinks " wow I knew you rode the boys hard dear but that bad? yeeeesh " she says as she moves to sit crossed legs on bruces desk while she enjoys her coffee with marshmallows.

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne shakes his head. "Dying no. Though yes I do laugh a lot more since I starting working with, living with and well..." He trails off with a chuckle. "Alfred gab us the bottle of whiskey and a few Tublers Dick may need a drink." He says. "Yes Master Bruce." Alfred says leaving to grab what was called for.

"Well since I started dating both Harley and Selina." He says taking a drink of his coffee watching Dick's reaction to this news

Nightwing has posed:
This is not getting easier.

Dick reaches for his mug, turning it over in his palm with a curl of his fingers. In a weird upside down where he's actually agreeing with Harley's observation of Bruce's laughter. Truly, this is a bizzaro world. Trying to parse it, compartmentalize Bruce smiling and laughing. He's staring over at him with genuine concern for his father's health until he assures him that he is not, in fact, dying.

"Well that's good, at least. You had me worried." A little. Glancing over at Harley, his face pulls into a smile that lacks just enough mirth to look forced. There's whiskey coming though and that generally doesn't bode well for the news Bruce is clearly building up to tell him.

The mug comes up to his lips for another drink in a very inappropriate time. Just as Bruce drops that bombshell, Dick was swallowing another big gulp of coffee and he sputters. Splashing his face and blowing coffee out of his nostrils.

"What?!" He coughs out the word and sets his mug aside, shaking his head several times after wiping his face on his shoulder. "Bruce... I.." His blue eyes dart between Harley and Bruce, "Is that how you're rehabilitating them?" Selina? Okay... that one he could see coming from a Bludhaven. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" She's wearing a Bat-symbol on a collar... he's clearly trying not to point out very important details because Harley is sitting there.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley Quinn Just beams a big bright smile and lays another bomb on the poor man. She just has to throw that gas on the fire cause, wow, it's so much fun for her .. In fact she just loves watching him freak right out " Just call me mom," She says brightly and sips her coffee yeah that's it she doesn't think she needs to add more that should be enough for the poor boy. She is a doctor. After all, teasing is fine. Too much would damage him.

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne nods his head laughing loudly and deeply. "Harls you trying to get him to call you mommy." He says shaking his head as Alfred returns setting down the tray with the decanter of imported high-end whiskey and tumblers. "Yes Dick, I'm positive son. We've broken whatever hold on her mind that clown prjnce

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne says, "prince had." He says sitting beside Harley another sip of his coffee as he pours them each whiskey. "How about you any ladies in your life?""

Nightwing has posed:
Call her mom.

Dick's eyes shift back and forth, forth and back, ticking side to side as they bounce from Harley to Bruce and back again. "You're not joking." They're not joking. And Bruce is barrelling out a deep roar of a laugh at what Dick clearly seems distressed about. His brow furrowed, palm running down his face, and then back up to cover his brow to see if he's maybe having a fever.

"You broke the Joker's hold, but did you cure the underlying problem?" She's a doctor, so Dick uses the real clinical concerns. "You've moved her fixation from one man to another man and intimately tied her to a whole new relationship.." He's blinking a few times, eyes dashing up to look at Alfred appearing with alcohol, "Thank you." Because he needs it.

The cap is spun off and a tumbler filled to the top, which Dick washes down in one swallow. "You've thought this through right? How much damage you could cause if this doesn't work out?" Motioning between them with the empty glass, which he refills and drains.

Are there any ladies in his life? "You're missing the point, Bruce. I'm glad you're... happy.. which is really hard for me to wrap my head around.." It's actually kind of disturbing how hard it is for him to wrap his head around it. He should be happy too, but everyone thinks they want snow until they're stuck inside during a blizzard. Eyes moving back and forth between them. "Is there anything else?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley Quinn Seems to think and tap her chin " Anything else, anything else " . She didn't like the jabs he gave, sure they were warranted " I'm not locked into any one man.. and it wasn't bruce that fix's that it was ivy .. I just found bruce after.. and what's wrong with him now I like him like that " she beams " he's happy .. oh I know what else! " She giggles " Your gonna be a big brother again,"

     she nods. Of course, she doesn't tell him it causes bruce might be adopting again or that he might be looking for another robin, but she's just gonna let a very off balanced dick come up with his own thought process with that bomb.

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne shakes his head back and forth and looks at Harley his features going back to that grim and stoic face. "We've had this conversation Harls, Ivy didn't do anything for you, she made you a dammed guinea pig for her experiments. That didn't fix anything for you." He says firmly before looking to Dick. "She's right in that we are poly though so not locked in to any one single person." He says with a chuckle before looking back to Harley. "I really wish you'd learn the difference between aide...me...and using you as a Lab Rat Ivy."

His gaze back on Dick. "Aside from that relatively common disagreement, we're fine and happy and it's not merely a transferal of fixation and obsession. Believe me on this Dick, you have nothing to worry about son that I promise you."

Nightwing has posed:
Harley is not helping, but Dick isn't floored for the reason they might be thinking. This is all a lot coming at him at once, certainly, but his concerned are based more firmly. The revelations are heavy, for sure, but.. the implications are more so.

He pours another tumbler of whiskey and dumps it into his coffee, which he grabs to take a long pull of the spiced beverage. "I'm going to sleep on this." He says quietly after their small spat and his own brain trying to wrap around what they've told him. "I have a lot of questions, Bruce.. A lot. I just need to wrap my head around it." The mug is drained and set down on the table for Alfred to snatch up immediately, an apologetic smile directed towards the Butler.

"I'm going to stay in my room tonight, but can we continue this tomorrow? After breakfast?" Waving his hands in a circle, then combing his fingers back into his shaggy black hair. Blue eyes peering at Harley trying to guage whether she's messing with him about a little brother. So he looks to Bruce with a raised brow. Confirmation required.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley Quinn The only answer he gets is a big bright, slightly unhinged smile and a waggle of eyebrows, maybe a wink maybe .. but she's giving nothing away as she leans back on the desk a little unfolding her legs to swing them.

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne shakes his head at Harley's antics before looking to Dick again. "By all means you're always welcome here and you're room is the same as when you left, you know Alfred." He says with a nod. "We will talk about this all more when we've been rested. But yes a younger sibling is a possibility, just need to find the right orphan." He smiles wrapping an arm around Harley. "Sorry Harls I needed to give him a little peace of mind." Bruce teases.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick motions, a point as if he's about to say something, then he taps his hand on the desk and nods. "Alright." He nods, "Alright yeah." He wiggles a finger from one to the other, tucking his other hand into his pocket. "Until we've slept and I've worked through all this, then." Blue eyes move between them. He taps the desk again and turns to head out of the library, "See you both in the morning, I guess. Good night." Coming back his hair, so it flops over to the side. He climbs the stairs with at a light jog and heads for his old room.