10109/Ice Skating At Rockefeller Center

Ice Skating At Rockefeller Center
Date of Scene:	19 November 2019
Location:	Rockefeller Center, Midtown Manhattan
Synopsis:	The Rockefeller plaza ice rink is like Vegas. Whatever embarrassments happen to Jason and Stephanie there, stay there.
Cast of Characters:	Spoiler, Red Hood

---

Spoiler has posed:
The text message that had come in from Stephanie's phone contained just a picture. It was a picture of Rockefeller Center plaza looking at the ice rink with the giant Norway spruce Christmas tree behind it. There was a little male figure, just a step above stick-figure, with dark hair, and the name "Jason" added to the picture and pointing at it. And there was a female figure with yellow hair drawn in, with the name "Me!" and an arrow pointing to it. Both figures appear on the ice rink together, their feet having little poorly drawn loops that seem meant to be skates. At the bottom of the photo is Tuesday: 11AM!!!

When that time rolls around, Stephanie Brown is at the location of the photo. She's hanging out near the place that rents skates, leaning against a fence post and sipping a hot beverage from Starbucks.

Stephanie's wearing a white dress, with a very colorful red knit jacket that looks warm despite not being very thick. An ever redder knit cap is on her head, blond strands of hair emerging to fall about her cheeks and shoulders. She's added some lipstick which accessorize nicely with the hat and jacket.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason had been keeping busy with well busy work lately, fixing up his little room in the Red Cave the way he wanted it it, scrounging a spare couch and a spare TV from the brownstone to make it all come together.

So, when the picture arrives, there's a little bit of a delay before Jason fires back his reply.

Jason >> K.

At a quarter past the appointed time, Jason makes an appearance, dressed, in his usual worn leather jacket (shocker!), a t-shirt, and a warm grey scarf, a pair of shades over his eyes.

(ref: )

Spotting Steph he lifts his hand in greeting, "Hey," he says. "Got your picture. So, skating huh?" he asks with a glance out at the rink.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown looks up and sees Jason approaching. It brings out a smile with a flash of white teeth from the blond college student. "Oh yeah. I figure if I've seen Jacina and you've seen... ah... you can pretty much pull any moment out of the last few years and there's a good chance it'll qualify? Well, then seeing each other fall on our butts a few times can't hurt matters worse, right?" she tells him with a warm grin and a shrug of her shoulders.

Maybe it also has something to do with Steph noticing there's been a common thread in some of the times she's felt better the last few weeks. Though there's nothing to say that but her smile.

"Unless you're going to tell me the bad boy of the streets was secretly a hockey star and you're an expert skater?" Stephanie asks. "In which case the sore tushy may end up being a bit one-sided."

Stephanie finishes off her hot drink and tosses the cup over into a nearby trash can. "Shall we?" she asks him in a light-hearted tone.

Red Hood has posed:
There's a faint smirk and a roll of his eyes about Jasina, "Really need to remember to kill Babs for that," he jokes breezily, as if most likely he found it funny more than he found it mortifying. "And yeah, looked up that podcast, so I'd say we're about square he says."

He eyes the ice again, "Yeah, that's me alright," he says of being a secret hockey star, "Except it's figure skating, if you liked Jasina, then you should see me rock a pair of tights." A beat. "Well other than the ones from my old uniform."

He shakes his head. "Nah, I mean other than trying not to fall on my ass against Freeze I've never really done the skating thing," and that had been done in boots. "But how hard can it be?" he asks as he glances back to Steph.

He nods, "We shall," he says. "Though, swear to me if we suck, not a word to the rest of the family okay?" he adds with a grin as he starts over to the skate rental place to get himself sorted out.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives Jason a warm grin and nods her head. "Swear. No embarrassing each other on this occasion," she agrees as she falls into stride alongside of him. The hem of her dress is swaying beneath the multi-colored, mostly red jacket, though she wore stockings to at least help keep the wind at bay.

"You weren't there when he got captured," she comments after the Mr. Freeze comment. Stephanie glances around, not thinking she'll be overhead, but choosing words to not give too much away if she did. "So, little shipment in a convoy of trucks stopped and frozen in place. Underground storm drains frozen over to make a slide for the stolen goods after they cut into the bottom of the trucks."

They get into line to get the rental skates. Stephanie continues, "Well, Freeze comes barreling into the area with a bus all rigged with his freeze stuff. Batgirl, the one with the red hair, in the Batmobile behind him. And Nightwing, he's underground and grapples himself down the frozen storm drain, sliding on the ice like he's water skiing. Shoots up the ramp into the truck, blows the roof as he does so he shoots up in the air, then spins and grapples Freeze's buses and blows through the armored windshield with all the extra momentum he had."

She laughs and says, "It looked like so much fun, the Bats should have set it up as a ride for kids."

Red Hood has posed:
"Good," Jason says pointing at Steph before chuckling as they make their way to the line for skates. "Nah, I missed that," he says with a snap of his fingers. "Wondered where Freeze was, I figured with all the rumours about Batman he'd pop up to do his thing, but guess he's," and make a disgusted face at himself, "Chilling in Arkham right now."

He shakes his head. "Yeah, that was bad," he says. "I'll cover the rental as pennance," he says as he fiddles with his scarf tucking the ends into his leather jacket and zipping it up.

True to his word, when they get to the counter he drops a crumpled fifty on the counter and gets himself a size eleven set of skates.

"They work like shoe sizes right? If my boots are 11, so are my skates?" he asks Steph.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown groans in agreement that the pun was a bad one. "I might have to give you the cold shoulder if you come up with any more of those," she says, managing it straight-faced. Except for that way her cheeks get a little fuller when she's trying to suppress one of those huge smiles of hers.

"Alright, penance accepted," she agrees. Stephanie steps over with Jason to the counter and looks at the rows of skates they have behind the clerk. "I think so," Stephanie agrees of the skate sizes.

The teenaged boy behind the counter looks bored. Probably forced to get the part-time job by a father who realizes he's lazy and needs a taste of working for a living. "Yeah, same as your shoe size," he confirms. He takes the money and makes change. Stephanie says, "Size seven please." The teen goes to get her skates, and returning with size 11s for Jason. He thunks the skates down on the counter. "Ground's covered but avoid any concrete or anything with them," he says in rote.

Stephanie picks up the skates and moves off towards where rows of benches, and lockers for locking up one's shoes, can be found. As she does, the teenaged by looks down and rather overtly checks her out. Stephanie reaches the bench to sit down. "I just got oggled I think. By a 15 year old. Never my own age. Seems like my lot in life," she says with a rueful laugh and shake of her head as she begins changing.

Red Hood has posed:
"Ouch, Brown," Jason says when she fires a pun back in turn. "That's cold."

He laughs shaking his head as he pays the bored teen for their skates and collects the change stuffing it negligently into his pocket.

"Thanks," he tells the kid when he fills them in on the whole size issue before Jason collects his skates and heads over to the benches, glancing back when Steph mentions she's been oggled.

"Can't blame him, you look good," Jason says matter-of-factly. "And really? Just old men and boys checking you out? Clearly college movies have oversold the college guy libido if there's nobody in your classes with their eye on you," Jason says pulling off his boots frowning as he finds his left big toe poking out a hole in his sock. He stuffs it back in and shifts the sock as he moves onto the next one, looking up to offer Steph a grin.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie slides her shoes off. "Not even sure about the old men at that," she says wit a little huff. "Yeah, you hear how college is going to be all different. But it still feels like the same groups just with different faces in them," she says with a little shrug, trying to make it sound light-hearted enough but then she was always too expressive for her own good. It gets to her.

Stephanie eyes Jason Todd's big toe, the sight of it bringing a bit of her normal verve back. "So you're worth how much, and still wear socks with holes in them?" she asks him.

Though Jason might notice when she removes her own shoes, she kind of peeks down at her toes to double check before pulling the shoes all the way off.

"So I asked a friend if ice skating was easy. And they said, sure, it's like falling off a log," Stephanie comments. She sits up and watches two people skate past, when suddenly one of them just loses it out of nowhere and falls. "I'm starting to think maybe she meant it differently than I took it," Stephanie says with a wince of empathy for the skater. She resumes putting on the skates and laces them up.

Red Hood has posed:
"Yeah?" Jason asks about college. "I never really went to high school except for a week at Gotham Academy," Jason says. "Sort of missed out on all the cliches and bullshit stuff being homeschooled by Alfred." He lifts his shoulder in a shrug. "But is it really that bad? I mean, you're you, hot, smart, nice, the whole package, don't know how you aren't fighting off a ton of guys."

He gives her a shrug, but smiles at the money thing. "I'm not on the Wayne trust if that's what you mean, but I do okay," Talia had given him a huge bankroll to become the Red Hood and even though that whole business had gone tits up, he still had the cash, plus the 'donations' he collected for the Red Hood Crimefighting Fund. "But Amazon doesn't deliver to the Cave, and I'm not a shopping guy."

He shrugs. "Yeah, he might have been talking about the falling part," Jason agrees watching someone take a tumble and shaking his head as he finishes pulling on his skates. "But hey, we made it through Bruce's training, we can handle a ice skating, right?"

He stands then, wobbling at first but stabilizing by the time he was fully up. "See, totally doable..." he says and makes some lurching steps over to the lockers to lock up his boots.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie brings her shoes over, seeming stable enough on the skates while they are walking on the area that has some sort of outdoor carpeting covering the concrete. No real sliding on that stuff like it will on the ice.

She passes her shoes over for Jason to add to the locker. His comments about Stephanie's attributes seem to be brushed aside by her more than anything. "Heh, thanks," she says, "But, I don't really seem to be the type that anyone goes for. I have a way of making myself look stupid and... well. Stupid. And, the Jordana's of the world make sure the rest notice it," she says in a self-conscious, subdued tone.

"Which won't stop me from falling on my behind when we skate," she says a little extra brightly. "And right, I figure if we can survive have wrenches thrown at our heads, we can survive ice skating." He didn't really throw wrenches at their heads. Possibly shot them out of a grapple launcher, but he'd never throw something like that.

Stephanie checks if Jason is ready and then makes her way over to the door to the ice surface. She steps out onto the ice, gives a little awkward sway and wave of her arms for a moment before catching her balance and just coasting a foot or two forward onto the slick surface. She turns around, not really by skating, but more by picking up her feet and setting them down again to turn.

"See?" Stephanie says to Jason with a pretty smile and holding up her hands to either side, palms up to emphasize the results. "Piece of cake."

Moments later she flails and falls over onto her backside.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason takes the shoes from Steph and fits them in carefully around his big dirty boots. "Who's this Jordana chick?" he asks her. "And you wants I should dissapear her?" he says putting on a fake 'Jersey gangster' accent.

He frowns, "Maybe I shouldn't joke about that stuff," he reasons, given all the stuff he confessed the other day. "Totally joking by the way. But totally down to ruin her social life in some unique fashion. Or if we're being really mean, I could date her for a bit, now /that/ would be cruel."

He gives Steph a grin. "And you're totally go-forable, but guys are dumb, even the smart ones going to college and shit," he says nodding sagely.

Jason watches as Steph acts as their yellow haired canary in the coal mine of the rink, he begins to nod, halfway stepping onto the ice when Steph falls, and he bursts out laughing. Of course that screws up his step, his foot goes out from under him and *whoomp* he face plants on the ice.

He rolls back into a sitting position spitting out ice shavings and laughing, "So, we're good on the no talking rule?" he asks. "This rink is totally Vegas."

Spoiler has posed:
The question about Jordana gets a soft, "Oh, girl in a bunch of my classes, since my freshman year. She's... a work. Really beautiful though, so..." Stephanie shrugs. When Jason suggests disappearing her, Stephanie grins but immediately shakes her head. She opens her mouth to answer, and then hesitates as if reconsidering. But only for a moment, the young woman firmly shaking her head again as she grins at him. "Though I appreciate the thought," she tells him.

And then Jordana's humiliation is forgotten as the whole falling thing happens. Jason's lying on his front until he rolls back to a sitting position, while Stephanie is lying on her back. She mumbles something that sounds like, "Stephanie had let her guard down, thinking she was finally safe from her greatest nemesis: gravity."

She sits up as well and nods to Jason. "Vegas, agreed," she says. She carefully gets back to her feet with some help from her hands. "There," she says, testing her balance, hands out to either side. Not falling. "I'm totally... what's her name. The figure skater. Not that one. The other one?" Stephanie says. She reaches out a hand to offer to help Jason up.

Red Hood has posed:
"Ah, one of those Mean Girls types," Jason says, yep, his experience with school is limited to a bit of elementary, middle school and a whole lot of TV and movies. Though when Steph plays at actually considering dissapearing the afore mentioned Mean Girl, Jason grins, "Who knew you could be vindictive?" he teases the girl who literally became a super hero to get back at her dad. "Not bad Brown."

After the fall Jason shakes his fist at the sky, laughing, "Damn you gravity!" he curses Stephs (and his) devious nemesis. Jason watches Steph get to her feet smirking, as if expecting gravity to strike again any momement but when it doesn't he applauds.

"The one that took the pipe to the knee or the one who paid the guy to put the pipe to her knee?" he asks as he takes the offered hands. "You taking physics at school at all?" He asks conversationally as he makes his way to his feet. "I'm pretty sure I am /waaay/ heavier than you are which might be a disaster if I slip."

So far, so good though. He manages to make it to his feet and doesn't fall. ""Success?" he offers carefully as a pair of skaters zip by. "Show offs," he mutters at them.

"So, shall we give the whole skating thing a try or are we good with standing," he asks. "I think for the sake of family pride we should at least give it a shot, we can't let these normals show us up."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's beaming smile is back. "Right, the one who took the pipe to the knee." Stephanie says with a grin. She watches the couple skate past and grins at Jason's epithet towards them. "Yeah, but can they deliver a rear naked choke properly on skates? I bet not," she tells him with an over the top scowl towards the high-performing skaters.

Stephanie turns her attention back to Jason, giving him a soft clap. "I think we pretty much need to. Besides it'll be fun. We can tool around here at speeds far beyond what we're capable of controlling ourselves at," she suggests. "Sort of like normal. Just on skates?'

Stephanie will start out trying to skate. Like most she tries to move her feet too much normal walking at first. But gradually she catches on a little more to push off the side of the foot to move forward, rather than straight forward and back which just causes the blade to slide forward and back.

She slowly starts to move across the ice. The day is fairly nice at the moment but for the cold, scattered clouds. But a front is moving in from the north and upstate is already starting to get clobbered by a lot of snow. Stephanie looks back to Jason and flashes him a toothy grin at her progress.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason considers, "Kerrigan I think?" he says of the one who got a pipe to the knee. "Fresh out of pipes though if you're looking to complete the look." Jason says before he turns and watches the show-offs, "I doubt it," he says of them peforming that choke.

Wobbling he nods, "That is sort of our thing," he agrees about reckless amounts of speed coupled with a lack of concern for personal well-being. He watches Steph work out how to move forward, those little pushes rather than the 'chop, chop, chop' of trying to walk on the ice. Jason follows suit, pushing off with his back leg and then gliding. "Sort of like throwing a punch, push with your back foot," he says as he catches that grin and then tries to catch up with her. It works except one problem... how do you stop?

Jason slides past Steph and across the sun dappled ice, until he steps one foot in front of him, which stops his momentum but sends him tumbling to the ice again.

"Figured out stopping," he says with a grin. "And I didn't land on my face!" he adds cheerfully before he starts to get back up again.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie slides up beside Jason and tries to stop but keeps on going past. She manages to turn 180 degrees to head back towards him, but going the wrong way yields a shout of discontentment from one of the staff watching the ice. Stephanie just gives the man a bright smile and wave as if he said something friendly, and then ignores him as she coasts back to Jason.

She slides to a gradual stop and then leans down, hands resting on her knees. "Toe pick," she says with a big grin. "Come on Louis," she says, reaching down to offer a hand to help him back up again. And setting her feet to help her keep her balance as she does.

"You know you're right about it being kind of like throwing a punch," she says, swiveling her hips a little bit and rocking her feet back and forth as she does so. "So you know, somehow I'd have pictured Bruce like making his own ice rink in the back yard each winter for you boys," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason misses the going against the flow, but would have approved of it if he had, though the 'toe pick' comment earns a raised brow, "Are we doing 'The Cutting Edge' now?" he asks with a grin. Then he reaches up and takes her hand, to help himself get to his feet.

"And if he ever did that it wasn't when I was around. Probably worried about what would happen when someone strapped blades to my feet," he quips, before adding. "This may come as a shock to you, but I was a bit of a terror as a kid."

He makes an overwrought 'shocked' face at his own revelation.

Spoiler has posed:
As Jason Todd gets back to his feet, his companion for the afternoon gives him a surprised look at that revelation. "I can scarce imagine you as anything but a mindful and completely respectable-" Stephanie says before cutting off. "Yeah, that doesn't even feel right trying to form those words," she jokes with Jason.

The teasing expression and tone give way to another though as she glances briefly at Jason before looking away just a little bit to shrug and add with a sound of truth to it, "I think what turned out is pretty good though, Jason." She clears her throat and then adds, in more humorous fashion, "Which of course I'd utterly deny if you ever tried to quote me. Wait, this isn't being videotaped is it?" she asks, peering around the ice surface quickly before looking back to Jason and giving him a pretty smile.

Red Hood has posed:
Snorting Jason shakes his head, "Right?" he asks. "Just feels spooky talking about me like that," he says with a bit of a grin.

Stablized he manages to keep his feet glancing Steph's way when she makes her comment, "Just goes to show you don't know me that well," Jason replies, his belief in that statement covered over with a thin veneer of humour. "I just pretend to be decent pretty well, fools lots of people," he says nodding sagely.

He sighs, his breath coming out a puff of white, "Annd that was way too dark for a fun afternoon, see, like I said, piece of work," he says with a wink trying to put a bright face on it all.

Spoiler has posed:
Maybe Stephanie thinks it was a little dark too, or maybe she's just a bad skater. Actually she's definitely a bad skater, but that might not be the only reason Stephanie ends up giving Jason a little shoulder bump from the side as they are both on their feet and getting underway again.

"Not at all," she says of not knowing him well. "I'm hugely observant. With eyes like an eagle and instincts like a... something really instinctive," she tells him. She points over to a five year old wearing a really bright red jacket. "See that kid over there. I totally spotted him in just a moment. Or, ok, two moments," she quips of the child probably dressed in that atomic color so his mother can spot him easier.

The blond glances Jason's way though, that more serious look returning for a moment. "You don't give yourself enough credit," she says, not willing to let his self-criticism stand as the last words on the matter to where he can go on believing it unchallenged. But she softens it with a smile for him before taking a few more energetic steps to pick up a little speed. A small amount, but worthy of calling it speed as a novice skater.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason's lips quirk into a bit of a tight grin at the shoulder bump, which he returns as he too begins to pick up a bit of speed so they're not standing there like a little two person wall in the middle of the skaters. Of course speed wasn't so much the issue as stopping but that was something to worry about later.

"How do you do that?" he asks after Step does her whole bit about seeing the kid and her instincts. "Stay that positfive all the time, your life is crap too by the sound of it, but you wouldn't know by looking at you."

As for giving himself enough credit, he offers a shrug, but doesn't push the issue, he was already being Debbie Downer here. Glancing over to see Steph catching up he puts on a bit more speed. "C'mon slow poke," he teases pulling ahead again.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie lets out a laugh and gives an amused-sounding, "Thanks!" at the comment that her life is crap too. But it lacks anything accusatory, that grin instead making it seem she agrees, but Jason is right too about her attitude.

She doesn't answer though, instead just focuses on catching up to Jason. There's a determined smile as he sets her a challenge, and she's definitely flirting with speeds that beg for a bit more control than she has. Stephanie goes around a slow moving couple, gradually catching back up to Jason. "Wow, we're really going," she says.

At which point this little tiny Asian woman who must be at least 60 glides past them. Skating backwards faster than Jason and Stephanie are, moving with an effortless grace as she arcs around some other people and then back past them again.

"Show off!" Stephanie calls towards the woman, but it's said with a such a bright-eyed grin it just gets a warm laugh returned from the elderly woman.

Red Hood has posed:
"Hey, just calling it as I see it," Jason says before grinning and adding, "But I mean it in the nicest way."

The lack of answer and the chase has Jason shaking his head and maybe putting on a little bit more speed just because he hates to lose but sort of loves pushing his luck.

When she catches up he nods, "Just a bit," he says sounding unafraid even as he wobbles a little on his skates. After all once you get past the embarassment, there wasn't a lot ot fear about falling on the ice. No more than they had to fear on a nightly basis anyhow.

The old lady gets a laugh out of Jason, "And here we are all like we're going so fast, but then she just skates on by /backwards/," he laughs waving at her. Respect where respect is due.

"So, gotta figure we either need to find a wall to grab eventually, ooor, we're going to crash, got a preference?" he asks with a raised brow.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's multi-hued, but mostly red, knit jacket makes her stand out a little less than the five year old, but she's still quite visible as she and Jason move apart and together as needed to safely avoid people as they test their luck with the speeds that they are going. "I think you could talk me into a wall, and then a mug of over-priced hot chocolate over by the heater over there," she says, of a spot with rows of padded benches, with portable, super awesome propane heaters between them to let people get a little warmth.

Stephanie grins as she watches the elderly Japanese woman continue on past. "Ok, now I kind of feel challenged to become a good skater. Just to be able to look like that when I'm her age to, you know, someone like me," Stephanie says. And imbuing "someone like me" with a proper dose of judgmental tone.

"So, pick out a wall? Or shall we just go until we fall and slide into one?" she asks with a grin. She stumbles. Darn toe pick! But manages to stay on her feet. This time.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason is less immediately visible in his muted brown jacket and blue jeans, but then he's got that boxer's build and that patch of white hair at the front of his head to make him stand out from all the other leather jacket and scarf wearing guys at the rink.

"Heater sounds good," Jason agrees as he begins to scout out their exit strategy, remarking as he does, "Tell you what, keep praticing and if we both make it to sixty we can come back and show off for all the whipper-snappers, okay?" he offers with a grin.

As to the question of how do they find their wall... "There's one over there," he says pointing to the door off the ice just behind the curve in the rink wall. "Think we can make it?" he asks before a pair of hotdogging kids zip past, forcing Jason to dodge them, a blade slips, his leg goes with it and down he goes reaching out for Steph as he hits the ice...

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie eyes their chosen spot of egress. "Well we could just slam into the wall to-" she is starting to say when Jason does that trying to stay on his feet thing that precedes every spectacular ice-skating fall.

She reaches to try to help support him, her instincts never giving a chance that she would do otherwise. The end result is Stephanie ends up tipping over sideways, one leg flying up in the air dramatically as she half-spins before losing the second skate and ends up falling backwards, bottom-first.

She's falling right towards Jason's prone form, possibly to land sitting atop him as their too-fast momentum still has them moving forward.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason realizes what's happening too late and his trying to snatch back his hand before dragging Steph down with him is entirely without effect. He hits the ice with an 'oof' before a moment later he 'OOFS' again as Steph hits him butt first landing on his chest.

None of that does much to slow their forward momentum as they skid across the ice until they pile into the wall with a THUMP.

A few of the spectators at the side of the rink lower cups of cocoa to applaud and a few of the skaters passing by flinch or offer thumbs up for the truly epic crash.

Groaning Jason looks up at Steph. "So, we're still agreed right? Rink is Vegas?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie lands on Jason and there's much the same feeling as riding a toboggan down a hill. Except Stephanie usually doesn't laugh maniacally at the toboggan like she's doing with Jason.

She sits on him, hands reaching down to his shoulders to steer. Well, that doesn't work at all. When she sees the wall's approach is nigh, Stephanie does lean down to wrap her arms about Jason's head and shoulders to help protect him from the impact, taking it on her back between her shoulders.

She sits up, her cute red knit cap all askew, pulled down past her ear on one side and hiding an eye so she has to straighten it to see normally. "Totally in Vegas," she agrees with a groan. Though even during the groan she can't stop a grin from showing. She slowly gets to her feet, acknowledging their audience with a wave of her hand and a grin before reaching to help Jason up.

Red Hood has posed:
It's Bat training that has Jason grabbing onto Steph as she tries to be his helmet, holding on and trying to stabilize, to dubious results.

As they stop and take their applause, Jason meeting it with a "Yeah, yeah," and a wave from his back he looks up at Steph. "Wait, did you try to steer me while we were sliding? Like I was a sled or something." He wasn't sure, but by the way he's smirking he's amused by the idea.

When Steph helps him up, he accepts, "Well, at least we won't have any trouble finding ice for our bruises," he jokes as he grips the wall to help stave off another epic fall. He nods to the door to and from the ice, and says, "Now you mentioned something about a heater and cocoa?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie holds up both of hands in a helpless gesture at the question about her steering him. "Hey, I didn't think it was going to work, mind you," she replies. "But I long ago realized nothing should surprise me with your family. If you had sled runners suddenly pop out of a utility belt or something, I was going to make use of them, darn it," she tells Jason cheekily.

Back on their feet, she dusts a bit of ice shavings off, and sees Jason needs the same, brushing the back of his jacket, but leaving below that for himself. "Yes to both!" she says energetically about the heater. "Thanks for coming out today," she tells him as they leave the ice and get back onto the carpet-covered, not slippery ground where it's much easier to walk. "Needed this today, I think," she says, looking over to him with one of those moments she's dropping a bit of the veneer of humor she hides other feelings with.

Red Hood has posed:
"Jerk," Jason grins as he swats Steph for steering him before adding with a chuckle, "That's my other belt." and moves towards the safety of the carpeted area where he is glad to get off his feet and brush the ice shavings from his coat.

"And yeah?" Jason asks about Steph needing this today. Admittedly it had flown past his radar, what with the picture invite and all the rest, it was really hard to see anything but the sunshine Stephanie put out as easily as breathing. "Still worried about your mom?" he asks her patting the bench beside him.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown's grin comes back at the 'jerk' comment. She takes a seat beside him and gets a thoughtful look. "So kind of ironic, isn't it," Stephanie says, lowering her voice to a quiet hush that won't reach anyone else as she says, "That you are about the only one of us without a utility belt. While me, one wasn't good enough and I had to add a utility garter?"

Stephanie takes the seat beside Jason. The heaters are pretty amazing things that put out a great amount of heat in a wide area despite it being open air here. She holds out her hands towards it and rubs them together briefly. "Yeah, that, a few other things. Can't shake the worry maybe I somehow triggered Ivy. And other stuff," she says. "But... that's what you're distracting me from," she says with a grin and a little side bump against Jason. "Now I totally want skate blades in my boots though. Going to have to bring them up even if just to see Barbara's face when I ask," she says, laughing warmly.

Red Hood has posed:
Bat training has him looking over his shoulder when they start talking belts and garters, but the coast is well clear and he nods. "Made a utility jacket, eventually," he says patting his slightly too heavy coat. "But the utility garter sounds hotter," he grins knowing it wasn't /that/ kind of garter.

Then back on task he agrees, "And yeah, it is a bit ironic."

Jason takes a moment to bask in the heat watching as it distorts the air making the skaters on the ice wavy and indistinct. There's a flinch about the ivy thing. "Yeah, sorry if I helped you get that impression, with my message, I was a dick." He doesn't say she's wrong though, he owed her the truth, even if he has the grace enough not to say it. "And what other stuff?"

The skate boot thing earns a grin, "I either need to be there when you do or I need a recording. She'll either just stare at you like you lost your mind or already has a pair made, it's too close to call which is more likely."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown laughs at the garter comment. "Flirt," she retorts to Jason. Stephane gives a little shake of her head then. She reaches up and pulls off her knit cap, and runs her fingers through her blond hair to undo the effects of wearing the cap. She's had many unfortunate things in her life, but a fortunate one is that she's one of those girls who her hair being mussed up just makes the golden locks have a different sort of appeal.

"Nah, it wasn't that bad what you said. And maybe I'm just worried for nothing. I mean she might have had it in mind already. I'd kind of have to think if she was capable of all that at any moment, she'd not have stayed there as long as she did," Stephanie says.

"What other stuff? Oh Jason, don't you know? We women have to maintain an air of mystery. It makes us appealing so guys will want to spend time with us. Or at least that's what the Ladies Rule Book says," Stephanie tells him. And then she laughs about Barbara. "She probably already has a pair of her old boots she'd pull out," Stephanie concedes with a quick nod and a bigger grin.

Red Hood has posed:
"Not flirting, just fact, those other types of garters are hot," Jason explains but the damage is done the association between Steph and garters had been forged in his brain and there was no getting rid of it. The cute mussed up hair wasn't helping things either.

Jason looks down to start unlacing his skates, happily jumping subjects to Ivy. "I figure she was getting ready to take over at least since she heard Batman was dead. She was too prepared. You only visited her a couple of days before she made her move," he says agreeing with her. "If she decided anything after your visit, it was that Batman was really gone since he didn't come with you. Nothing to be done about it."

"There's a rule book?" Jason teases with a smile. "Could you slip me a copy, that might be a big help." There's a snort about Babs. "Forget old, knowing Babs, she's probably got pairs for you and Charlie made up, probably the Birds as well."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie takes in what Jason says about Ivy, and gives a slow nod of agreement after giving it a few moments thought. "Thanks Louis," she tells him. "You know how to put old Rick's mind at ease," Stephanie says in a grateful tone.

She gets up and goes over to get their shoes out of the locker, returning with them. "These are yours?" she says, holding up his shoes. "I didn't realize you were half-sasquatch," Stephanie says as she passes them over to the much taller young man.

She retakes her seat and says, "Oh there's a rule book, but if I reveal any of it to you then we have to change the rules. That's rule number 2. Any rules learned by men are immediately changed," Stephanie says. Then sits up a straight. "Aw crap. Now we have to change that one too," she says, snapping her fingers.

"Why, you having trouble understanding women? I thought you were some kind of smooth operator. All that bad boy charm and everything you try to exude," she says, blue eyes flashing a bit as she glances over to him.

Red Hood has posed:
"Any time Ricky," Jason grins giving Steph a little punch in the shoulder.

He finishes taking off his skates and tucks his toe back into his sock by the time Steph had returned with the shoes. "Yes," he says grabbing the shoes. "They're mine. And yes, I'm a Sasquatch on my mother's side, but we prefer the term Cryptid American," he offers in deadpan before breaking into a smile. "Besides you know what they say about a guy with big feet."

"So does that mean the rule is staying the same or changing now? I'm confused," Jason says with a laugh about the rulebook. "But that they change as soon as a man knows learns one explains soooooo much."

"I do okay," Jason says with a shrug. "And what do you mean 'try to exude'? I just exude that bad boy charm naturally," he snerks with a shake of his head at himself and the idea of him and charm being used in the same sentence.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie looks over to meet Jason's eyes as he makes his own retort about his foot size. She just looks at him for a few moments, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. Very slowly she glances downwards, her eyes visually drifting. Then darting back up to meet his gaze as if that glance didn't just happen.

She keeps a smile off her face while she does it, but her cheeks have a way of getting fuller when she's trying to suppress one of her smiles. Also? Totally shows in her eyes.

Stephanie gives Jason a finger-gun at his confusion over the state of Rule Number Two. "Exactly," she says with a dip of her head. She slips her shoes back on as they talk, the welcome heat from the heaters making it, if not room temperature, at least as warm as a pleasant day near them.

"What do I mean, what do I mean?" she asks. "Come on, the leather jacket, the jeans that are just loose enough in the legs to look loose, but tight in the butt to make girls want to look. You can't tell me some of that is planned," she tells him, "Right?"

She hops to her feet. "Want hot chocolate then? Or... hit a bar and maybe some Irish Coffee?"

Red Hood has posed:
Jason meets Steph's eyes with a perfectly straight face, one he holds when she glances down and then back up again, "Eyes up top," Jason chides with a bit ouf a laugh in his tone. "I meant we have to get big shoes, I have no idea what you were thinking." he says in deadpan before smirking and pulling on his shoes.

"Still feels like there's blades attached to my feet," he says feeling the aftermath of having his weight supported on a thin piece of metal for the last little while.

"Well, thanks for noticing," Jason says about his butt. "But nah, no plan, I'm just naturally awesome, I leave the primping to Dick," he says with a grin. Which neither confirms or denies any effort he might make towards his appearance.

The offer of the Irish coffee throws him for a second. "Wait do you have a fake ID or something or did you turn 21 when I wasn't looking?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie sways a little bit on her feet as if testing out how they feel. "I know what you mean. I feel I'm shorter than I should be, too," she says now that the skates aren't adding a few extra inches. "That part was kind of nice," says the young woman who is a good half-foot shorter than most of the other members of the team. Including Jason and Barbara.

Stephanie gives an amused snort about the commentary on Dick. But the later comment gets a woeful sigh from Stephanie. "Twenty-first birthday. The biggest, most meaningful of birthdays. And you totally ditched me. Left me to deal with shots and beers and... shots of beer... all on my own," she says with a sad sigh.

"No friends. Just sitting there on a street corner with a 40 in a brown paper bag. Not one of the good street corners, mind you. This was like, over there by Noonan's Sleazy Bar. And the bums were handing me quarters because they felt like I probably needed them more," Stephanie says, just really laying on the woe thick. "Which is my way of telling you that yes, I'm 21 now," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason can't help but stand up when Steph mentions how short she feels, he's not Bruce's six-five, but his six-foot nothing is plenty tall. "Weird I was feeling shorter then I stood next to you and everything's back the way it should be," he says with a laugh before nudging her shoulder. "At least Squirt's still shorter than you."

"Wow," Jason laughs. "Lay it on thick there why don't you Steph? You forgot the part about getting your wallet stolen and then having to sell drugs to get back to the good part of Gotham..." he laughs. "Is this your way of telling me that I'm buying these coffees as an 'oh my god late' birthday present?" he asks with arching eyebrows and an amused smirk.

Spoiler has posed:
The vivacious blond grins as she reaches up and fondly pats Jason's cheek. "You're quick on the uptake, Todd," she tells him through that grin. Now that their shoes are back on, she grabs her hat and situates it back on her head.

"I actually haven't gone wild with being able to drink," she says. "But not being excluded by a guy at a door wanting to see my ID does kind of have a nice feel to it," the young woman says.

She turns to glance about the area. "Ok, I admit, I don't know New York very well at all. Any ideas of somewhere around here to go? Or do we wander until we come across something?" She glances around a bit more. "I mean, this is New York. Wandering the unfamiliar streets isn't particularly dangerous. I mean, not like it's Gotham, right?"

Red Hood has posed:
"Oh?" Jason asks, eyeing the hand patting his cheek.

He nods about not going wild with the drinking, "I didn't either, actually I barely noticed I'd turned twenty-one," he admits. Mostly due to him going to bars for years before that anyhow. "And you know you could have fixed the ID issue with a visit to Bruce or Bab's document lab," he points out with a smile. Not that was how Jason had been visiting bars all those years before he turned twenty-one.

"I know a few spots, but we could wander if we want," he says with a glance to the darkening clouds to the north. "Though probably want to find somewhere quick before that storm hits." To a couple of Bats storms were a whole lot more difficult to deal with than random New York Street Crime.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie turns to look in the direction Jason did. "Oof, that does look kind of bad. Sure, let's find somewhere we can hunker down with a good bottle," she agrees. She'll let him lead the way, ready to fall into step at his side.

"Suppose I've always been a little reluctant about the loss of control," she says thoughtfully as they walk along in search of a watering hole that appeals to them. "I mean, well, you get it I'm sure. Didn't want to follow down any paths. I did drink at a few parties. But how much time do we get for that stuff?" she asks. "It was always kind of a social thing, it felt like to me. Or, ok it isn't necessarily. But it should be. And rarely did I have someone to share that with," she says, with a little shrug of her shoulders as she admits to her lack of social circle.

"So... spill the beans. At what age did you make your first ID? And did Bruce catch you?" she asks, peering over at Jason with smiling suspicion.

Red Hood has posed:
"Sure, I think I know a place that's not too far from here," Jason says about hunkering down. That Club Mjolnir was in Hell's Kitchen which wasn't that far from Midtown as things went. Plus, it was in the direction of Gotham and home.

Jason nods, "Seems like a family trait," he says without thinking before pulling a face and clarifying. "Shit, I meant /our/ family, wasn't a crack at your mom," he says. "We're all pretty light drinkers, is what I was going for, because we never know when we're going to end up having to work."

He lets out a sigh that turns into a white cloud in the chilly afternoon air. "I drink a bit when I'm away from the family, but mostly, it's just a once in a while thing, usually when I just want to not think for a bit." He does offer a smile for the lack of social circle, "Well, I can fill in there if you want, at least until Tim and Carrie are old enough to drink with us."

And if he decided to stay around, though that question was on hold for now.

The question though earns a smirk. "Fifteen," he says firmly. "Just before y'know," when he died. "And yes, Bruce did catch me, but that was the whole point, me throwing his rules in his face, besides, first rule of breaking Bruce's rules is always assume he knows, you're going to be right more times than you're not."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown reaches her arm up, sliding it around the taller young man's shoulders for a moment as he makes the family comment. "I knew what you meant," she says, giving him a soft smile to let him off the hook for any worry he had.

She gives his shoulders a little side-snug before letting go as they move down the sidewalks. The streets are busy at the moment, but it's mostly people trying to rush home early and beat the storm that is coming down from the north. "Fifteen. And did it work? Did that bad boy brash vibe pull it off, or did they take a look at you and laugh?" she asks, her grin making the last part just warm teasing.

A woman hurries past, two children in tow including bright red jacket boy. Stephanie motions a hand towards him. "See? Totally spotted him," she leans over to whisper. Stephanie clears her throat a little bit. "I get why you rebelled and all. Why Dick has some of the attitude towards Bruce that he does. But... I guess I come at it from a different perspective and all. It... well, no matter the glower, it means a lot he trusted me." Trusted her enough to reveal his identity, and those of his sons.

He trusted her with a lot. Even more than that.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason nods in gratitude for being let off the hook. He knew it was a sensitive subject and as much as he could be an asshole there were some lines he wouldn't cross.

He ducks and weaves after that side-snug, dodging hurried New Yorkers as they make their way down the streets. "It worked, but not because it said I was twenty-one, but because I it said my name was Jason Wayne," he explains, "Sort of cheating, but I figured there'd be a little extra sting for me to be out boozing it up on the family name."

Jason laughs about the red jacket kid, before nodding, "Guess you, Carrie and Tim all worked as hard getting into the family as Dick and I have worked to get out. Though curious about what made you do it, I mean why push to join the family vs working on your own? Especially with Bruce being a hard no to you joining from the start?"

Spoiler has posed:
The question draws Stephanie's eyes off ahead of her, looking down the busy sidewalk filled with New Yorks burrowed into their winter jackets. "Wow. Good question," she says, turning to look towards Jason with a bit of a crooked smile. "That's like, psychiatrist level questioning I think," she tells him.

A man in a hurry, carrying two bags from a department store, rushes past and the boxes within banging off of Stephanie's shin and resulting in a yelp and a hobbled step or two. Stephanie turns back to watch the man hurrying off with a comment. "Apology accepted!" she yells towards his retreating figure.

She turns back, grumbling, and starting forward again, only limping for a step or two until she works it out and is back to moving normally. Nothing major then. "Gotta love New York," she says with a shake of her head.

The encounter only delayed her answer. "I could probably spend all night answering that and still not do so. I looked up to him? To Tim," she says, who was Robin at the time. "I wanted to be as good. I wanted..." she says, trailing off. To not be a joke to the very bad guys she was successfully taking down. Sometimes successfully at least.

Red Hood has posed:
"Well I don't have a couch to offer you, but I'm sure I can scare up a bar stool when we get where we're going," he says before adding. "Assuming we survive," as the man bashes Steph's ankle with his bag.

"Jerk!" he calls out after the guy, but the insult is lost in the noise of the New York streets. "I'd suggest we take a cab and avoid being battered by holiday shoppers but," he looks out at the street which at the moment resembles a parking lot. "But I think walking might be faster."

He nods, "Yeah, nowhere better to make you miss Gotham."

"Well don't leave me hanging," Jason prompts as Stephanie trails off. "Though the idea of someone looking up to Tim is boggling my mind at the moment," he says offering the jibe at Tim as an out for his earlier question.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie laughs but gives Jason's ribs a light elbow on behalf of Tim Drake. "Tim's a really good guy," she says. She opens her mouth to tell Jason how Tim went with her to Lamaze classes, but then decides not to bring that up. Instead she changes tack, saying, "I don't know. It was just... different. Different being a 5'2" girl at the time. And... look, just Bruce's emblem strikes fear into a certain caliber of adversary," Stephanie says, avoiding any actual Bat-words while they talk on the crowded sidewalk.

"Me? The entire sight of me got me laughter more often than not. I mean, there's satisfaction trouncing someone after that. But even with that it got old very quickly," she says. She dodges another bag-laden shopper, skirting around them deftly this time.

"And. And and and. I don't know. Even just seeing them together. I mean, they had each other, you know? They had this level of trust. And in those days, when they'd work with me, I didn't even really feel it was because they trusted me. But because they were looking out for me," Stephanie says, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "Is any of that making sense? It's probably bare scratching the surface... I mean you're asking about the focus of six years of my life," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
"I'll take your word for it," Jason says about Tim. "Hard to get over coming back from..." he glances around the busy street. "...away... and finding some new kid doing your job." Though for all that Jason's attitude towards Tim had improved. For one thing he stopped calling him Replacement.

"I get it, can't beat that sort of branding and if people react the way they do to his symbol, it makes the job easier,' Not to mention not having to overcome skepticsm every night.

Jason for his part slips out of the way except for his foot, the shopper trips and almost falls except for Jason catching them at the last minute. "Whoa, better watch where you're going," he warns helpfully before letting the grumbling shopper go on their way.

"Yeah it makes sense, you wanted to belong to something, to be worthy of His trust," and as with most of the family, His means Bruce not god. "I get it, I do, I was like that once, when I started, being... who I was then was the best time of my life."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie shares a smile with Jason at what he does with the shopper. "I think I can imagine something of what that might have felt like," she says softly. If it meant so much to her to earn that kind of trust, how would it feel for her now, to find someone else trusted with Barbara's legacy?

Stephanie glances over to Jason as they continue to outpace the vehicular traffic. He does get it, though Stephanie herself knows there are so many levels to her feeling on it that she herself doesn't get some of it, either.

Though her thoughts are on Jason now. "Can I ask you something?" she asks him. Assuming that he gives her some sort of affirmative reply, Stephanie says, "So I'm not really the best people person. Which you've probably noticed. And... I'm not really sure sometimes what to say, or ask, about what you've went through," she tells him. "I don't know if mention of it would bother you, or whether having someone to talk about it with would be welcome," she says. "So what do I do to not put my foot in my mouth?" she asks.

Red Hood has posed:
"Yeah, it wasn't fun," Jason says of finding Tim in his place, which may just be the understatement of the year, that had been the moment that Jason had turned against Bruce in truth, when he decided he'd be the better Batman, and become the Red Hood.

"You'd probably handle it better than I did," Jason admits of how Steph might handle it compared to him.

Jason nods, when she asks him if she can ask him something, holding back the urge to make the stupid and obvious joke of 'you just did'.

"So you're asking me if it's okay to ask me about what happened? And how best to do that?" he asks to clarify.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's head bobs side to side a little in response. "Sort of that, yes. Not just, like satisfying curiosity," she tells him quietly, glancing over at Jason as she walks at his side down the New York City sidewalk. "I mean if you don't want to talk about it I don't want to press. But... ah..." she says, stammering for a moment as she actually manages to stifle her internal voice and think before she speaks. "I figure, you know. It would probably be good if Rick got to know Louis a bit," she says, looking away from Jason as she does.

Stephanie slides her hands into her pockets, wishing she'd brought gloves. Her knit jacket is just a little thinner than the coming storm probably calls for, too. Thought here's a decent looking bar up ahead on the next block.

Red Hood has posed:
Indeed there is a good bar just a little ways ahead, their destination, Jason locks his gaze on it for a few moments while they walk down the street, considering Stephanie's words.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Jason says finally. "It's not just a you thing, or a trust thing, I just don't like to talk about it."

He looks to Stephanie seeing her reaction. "More than that, today has been fun, and I can't think of a less fun way to end it than talking about me," he turns to her and stops, earning a 'hey' from a guy behind them, before Jason gives the guy a look and he wisely chooses to walk around the pair rather than push the issue. "Anyhow, not trying to be a buzz kill, and I still want that coffee with you, but right now, I just need to leave my past in the past. That okay?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie stops when Jason does, and ignores the man behind them, letting Jason's look divert the man. Instead she turns to Jason to look back at him. Stephanie's eyes seem to brush about Jason's face, reading his expression as much as his words. The nod that she gives then is an understanding one.

"Yeah, it's ok. This is why I wanted to ask. Rather than fumble around trying to gauge if you felt like talking or what," Stephanie tells him with a little understanding nod.

The pair of them are being an obstacle on the sidewalk, so Stephanie loops her hands about Jason's arm to start them forward again towards the nearby entrance.

The young woman's lips draw up in a small smile as they draw near. "It has been fun," she agrees. "I'm really glad that you came," she tells him, looking over at Jason for a moment before they reach the door and pass inside.

Within, the walls and the bar itself are an old wood that has been shown enough care to have a luster to it even with the dings and scratches that have accumulated over the years. Not just the wood shows how long the bar has been here. A shelf runs along the wall behind the bar, and curves away from the wall at the spot the bar itself turns to meet the wall. Atop the shelf a trio of white candles are burning beneath a glass cover. However the wax from the candles is allowed to leak out beneath the glass.

The candles must have been going for years, because there is a cascade of white wax that flows down from the shelf, to the bar itself and then down to the floor. It looks almost fluid, but frozen in time like some fanciful spring that was spilling force and then was flash frozen. The entire fall of wax is several feet across, and the name of the bar, The Wick, makes a bit more sense in that context.

Red Hood has posed:
"Thanks for understanding," Jason says to Steph meeting her eyes for a moment. His face is difficult to read, but there is relief at her understanding replacing the discomfort at the prospect of discussing his past.

"Glad you did, much better if things are out in the open," Jason says. "At least when it comes to that sort of thing," says Mr. Quiet Loner Guy.

When his arm's taken he glances down at Steph but doesn't argue letting himself be led into the Wick, nodding, "It has, I mean we can never talk about any of it," he jokes. "But it's been fun."

He pauses to gawk at the pillars of wax behind the bar (reference: ) for a moment commenting: "Is it bad that I sort of want to pick at those?" he asks her with a smile before heading to the bar.

"So, Irish coffee then?" he asks about their drinks as he flags down the bartender.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown walks inside with Jason, relinquishing his arm once they are in. "Ooooooh," Stephanie says at the wax pillars. "Wow. No, I totally get it," Stephanie tells him. "They are like... it's kind of like when a mud puddle freezes over and the water all drops away and you get that layer of ice that you just can't quite resist the urge to go step on," she comments with a soft laugh.

"Or, ok I hope I'm not the only one with that urge. There's probably some sort of a psychiatrist test where they ask you about that and it means you're a really messed up personality type if you answer yes. A type with some big long scientific name. But they just call those people 'Stephanies' for short," the blond haired girl says with a soft laugh.

She nods at the choice of drink. The bartender comes over as Stephanie moves to join Jason, taking a seat at a tall chair along the bar. "Evening, what can I get for you?" he asks the pair that look young enough they'll have to show some IDs. Stephanie is already pulling hers out in anticipation.

Red Hood has posed:
That ice comparison was spot on. "Exactly," he says with a nod as he settles himself on the bar stool. Then he laughs as she carries on, "I see, 'Stephanies' huh?" he asks as he sighs and digs for his ID.

"I'd like a coffee with Bailey's if you've got it, or more accurate some Bailey's with a little coffee in it, please."

He shows the man his ID, only to have the man frown at it and look up at Jason, "I am not sure this is current, Mr. Wayne," he says.

Jason leans over to make a show of looking at the ID. "Oh, right, old ID," he says taking that one back and giving him another one, his current one, while putting the fake one down in front of Steph with a grin.

True to Jason's story it had the name Jason Wayne on it, with a fifteen year old Jason staring up from the picture, it was definitely him but there was less world weariness in the face and whole lot more reckless bravado, hell, he was even giving the camera 'the guns' even though this was supposed to be an ID photo.

The bartender choose to pay it no mind once he gets a look at Jason's proper ID and then he looks over for Steph's order and ID.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie picks up the ID and checks out the details, but especially the picture. She cackles softly as she passes her own over to the bartender. He looks at hers as closely as he checked Jason's, looking at the picture and then over to her. Stephanie has one of her warm but goofy smiles going in the photo, and gives the bartender the same one. Definitely a match.

"Same. And if you have whip cream for it, and any chocolate sprinkles, you will single-handedly stop me from ever speaking ill of New York city," she tells the barkeep.

He gives a soft chuckle. "Whip cream yes. Out of luck on the sprinkles." Stephanie snaps her fingers. "Well, I'll only give the occasional mild rebuke then," she tells him as he moves off to make their drinks.

Stephanie looks back to the pillars of wax, smiling and then turning her attention to Jason again. "So I should probably confiscate this, Mr. Wayne," she says, waving the fake in the air towards him.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason leans over to check out Stephanie's ID while the bartender studies it, of course she's smiling, "I think it's probably fake, nobody's that happy at the DMV," he stage whispers to the bartender who snorts and hands Stephanie's ID back to her and then goes to get their orders.

"Oh?" Jason asks eyes tracking the ID before he makes a grab for it. "I swear it's legit."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie laughs and doesn't try to keep it from Jason as he snatches it back. "I don't think they let you finger-gun the camera at the DMV," she retorts softly. She pulls off her knit cap, brushing her fingers through her hair again as they settle in at the bar.

"So I haven't told anyone, but I'm planning to make a visit to some people over here," Stephanie tells him. "To see if I can find somewhere that our friend Selene can stash some of those troubles of hers. Rather than, you know, have to get rid of them completely," she adds. "I was thinking there must be someone that could come up with a solution for it. Figured I'd check with... ah... some of the big guns over here." She speaks roundabout, as the bartender is finishing up their drinks and bringing them over.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason chuckles as he puts his fake back in his wallet. "Wanted to give myself a challenge, balance out the Wayne name," he explains about the finger guns.

"Yeah?" Jason asks, nodding as the bartender brings them their coffees. He lifts his and takes in the heddy smell of Bailey's cream and the rich aroma of the coffee. "Who were you thinking about talking to?" he asks. "Lot of big guns here in NYC."

Then there's a smile about Selene, "Still need to meet her and her swoonable body suit," he adds.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie grins as the bartender was heavy with the whip cream atop her Irish Coffee. "Thank you!" she tells him. She picks up the cup, cradling the warmth of it in her hands before taking a little sip. Which requires poking her tongue through the whipped cream to make a path for the coffee to flow out.

She sets the cup down, having a whipped cream moustache now.

"Well, I might start with Diana if just for advice on who to talk to," she says. "After that... I thought maybe that one Doctor. If Diana can tell me how to find him. And I might also try that group with the mansion here in town," she says.

Stephanie looks over at Jason with a critical eye. "Mmm hmm?" she replies in a judgmental tone. "I'm not sure you need to be anywhere near the swoonable body suit," Stephanie comments. There might be a touch of color in her cheeks. But then again, it's probably just the dim lighting of the bar. Reflection of the candles? Something.

Red Hood has posed:
Watching Steph with the coffee is something of a floor show, one with a humourous ending, given the mustache.

Jason begins to lift a hand to gesture at it and point it out, but it soon settles back as he smiles smugly letting her figure it out for herself.

"Might have better luck finding her back at home. She's helping Bruce with his recovery isn't she?" as for the heroes in the mansion, Jason makes a face. "Them? They're mostly show boats but they might be worth asking."

The objection to seeing the swoonable body suit, earns a raise of Jason's eyebrow, as does the apparent flush in Stephanie's cheeks. "Oh? Need I remind you that you were the one that told me about that suit?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives a nod about Diana being at the mansion. "I can check with her there. But I'm figuring I'll probably need to make the trip over here then to find someone."

Stephanie rests her elbow on the bar. "Well, yeah, flashy. But I figured they might be able to handle it. Or maybe those down at the Freedoms Plaza or... whoever," she says. She rests her chin on her hand, fingers up near her lips which is when she discovers the whipped cream. She gets a bit on her pinky, checking to see what it is, then tasting it.

Stephanie grins and gets a napkin they use to put under drinks, to wipe her mouth with. "Well, yeah, I did. Which is why I know enough to figure you'd be nothing but trouble there," she says. "That's really all I need. Vampire Jason Todd. I mean, who is going to go ice skating with me during the day then? Have you even thought about my needs here, Louis?" she asks, her tone one of warm teasing.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason considers that, tilting his head a little as he does, "Yeah, that makes sense, they would probably be able to help figure something out, or I could give Zach a call, he seems to know his stuff when it comes to the weird crap."

He finally takes a sip of his coffee savouring the liquor that comes with it.

Jason considers Steph for a moment then snorts, "I dunno, could be fun being a vampire, I'm up all night as it is, not a huuge fan of garlic to start with, hmm, there's a lot to consider there..." he teases her while he watches her reaction closely.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie takes another sip of her drink, being more careful about the handling of the whipped cream. It's a bit melty from the heat of the drink, so she's practically able to sip a bit of it before getting to the warmer coffee beneath.

She sets the glass down on the bar. The bar has a number of nicks and scratches, and near Stephanie's glass there's an outright carving where someone scratched MK+DR into the wood. Probably while the bartenders weren't paying attention, and it was subsequently varnished over.

Stephanie brushes a finger over it though is listening to Jason Todd. She gives a little laughing snort about his nocturnal habits. "That would rule out not just Italian food, but, you know, food-food," she counters to him.

The bartender, nor any of the others in the bar would notice anything but amusement in Stephanie's demeanor. But then they weren't drilled on micro-expressions by the greatest detective in the world. There's the tug of a muscle or two out of place with the amusement that otherwise shows in Stephanie's expression, consistent with someone putting a brave face on or something of the like.

"Besides, I never really took you for a horror movie fan. Action adventure, I can see. Classics, I think you obviously have the taste for those," she tells Jason. "And, you owned your own copy of Sound of Music so I'm going to have to add musicals to the list, though it wasn't one I was going to jump to."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason definitely notices those little hints that there's more going on with Steph than amusement, and he sips his coffee to buy himself a moment to consider the implications.

When he lowers his cup, he only half-listens to the arguments about not becoming a vampire. "True," he admits of it being the end of food-food not just the stuff with garlic.

"Yeah, not a horror movie fan," he agrees. "They're just sort of boring, except for the more psychological ones, those are kinda tense," he admits.

There's a smile then, "And yeah, I know don't strike most people as the musical type, but then I also don't tell anyone about liking them either, just Kitty and Alfred."

Also Bruce, but only because he assumed Bruce knew everything he tried to hide.

Speaking of hidden things, he lets out a breath and considers the chances he read Stephanie's face correctly...

"Everything okay, Steph?" he asks her. "You looked a little freaked out for a second there."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie nods about horror movies. "And if they are not boring, I just didn't want to be freaked out. I know some people like the... I guess it's an adrenaline rush for them. But I'd have just ended up freaked out all night, I think," she says. Growing up with a poor parental situation does that to you.

She looks over as Jason asks if everything's ok. "Yeah it is, why?" she asks, and reading her expression, she seems legitimately curious. But then sometimes things can be expressed that a person is not themselves conscious of.

Stephanie smiles and says, "I'm sitting here in a wonderful little bar. With a hot Irish coffee. After my first time ice skating, and coming with probably fewer bruises than I pick up on an average Saturday night," she says. Vigilante humor. "And enjoy a conversation with a good friend," she says, looking away from Jason and smiling as she picks up her drink and takes a sip of it.

"Honestly, this is probably one of my best nights in a long time," she tells him.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason takes in the response for a moment then shrugs, "Yeah, you mentioned about the horror movie thing, well we'll leave those off any future movie nights then," he says before taking another sip of his coffee.

As for the rest of her respone his brow furrows a moment, and his head tilts before finally he nods, "No reason, just..." he lets it trail off and shrugs. "Must have been the lighting in here," he says happy to set the subject rest as he lifts his cup again, smiling at Steph's assertion, "Yeah, mine too," he agrees. "Thanks for inviting me."