10187/After The Battle

After The Battle
Date of Scene:	25 November 2019
Location:	Greenwood Funeral Home, Coventry and Living Quarters, Markovia Station
Synopsis:	Jason finds Stephanie in the funeral home after the battle with demons, and they try to shake the horrors they experienced
Cast of Characters:	Red Hood, Spoiler
Tinyplot:	Coventry Murders

---

Red Hood has posed:
Red Hood had the mic in his helmet off as he sat in the van. "Get it together Todd," he tells himself, his hands were still shaking after what he saw, or maybe the implications of what it all meant, he wasn't sure. All he knew was he was shaking like a little bitch and it needed to stop.

He takes a breath, then pushes open the door of his van. He wasn't ready to drive, but he could at least... he wasn't sure, but all the same he walks towards the funeral home, flicking on the mic in his mask and dialing out to Detective Wellington of the GCPD, one of the bent cops that had been covering this whole mess up.

"Wellington, this is the Red Hood," he says his voice distorted by the equipment in the mask. "That shots fired at Coventry? Hold off the rest of the response, tell them it has to do with the Coventry case and get down here, there's a potential big break for you."

There, he gave himself an excuse, he was straightening things out with the cops, not just walking off a case of the jitters.

He pushes inside, avoiding the ritual room at the back and making his way towards the viewing room for a seat.

Spoiler has posed:
Bodies formerly inhabited by demons are scattered around most everywhere. Many are missing limbs or heads, whether from Damian Wayne or Nora, the demon who accompanied Lucifer. Others have some scorches that might be consistent with electricity, and Jason will no doubt be able to pick out batarang marks or spots they were hit by tasers on some of the bodies.

There are bullet holes in a lot of the walls, and as Jason nears the viewing room, there's a large hole broken through the sheet rock of one wall. Someone obviously crashed through it and landed in the viewing room, and the body laid out before the hole might be the person. The viewing room itself has a jumble of bodies in the middle where a group electrocution took place. A few other bodies around the edges are notably missing limbs and heads.

There are still others. The table holding the coffin has lost a leg and toppled over, leaving the beautiful rosewood coffin lying half on the floor. A body is up against it, the neck right at the edge of the coffin, while the head is inside, with an amount of gore around it that suggests the coffin lid itself was used to do the decapitation.

The final sign of the fight is a young woman in black and deep purple. Batgirl is sitting on the floor, back against the outer wall over a few feet from the coffin. She's looking haggard, one glove removed, and her arm is covered in blood. She has a bandage out which it looks like she was using to try to clean up the arm first, and a little spray device that can spray on some super-glue like substance to cover a wound over until it can be dealt with. But it doesn't look like it's been used yet.

Stephanie looks up, the screen covering her eyes retracting so he can see the blue of her eyes. "Hey. So. How was your night? Do anything anything interesting?" she asks, giving a little wave of her good hand in greeting.

Red Hood has posed:
The room might as well be prestine for all that Jason reacts to the bodies and gore, it's a little off, maybe even unnerving. What he does react to is Batgirl.

"Shit," he says seeing her arm. "Wondered if it was a good idea for you to come after your tiger bite," he says like tiger bites were a normal thing for them.

However Batgirl and her wound were just the sort of thing he needed to get his mind off of well... everything. He comes over kneeling down beside her, "Need a hand with that," he asks nodding to the spray.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's lip curls up in a little bit of a grin. "Probably not the greatest of ideas. But it was necessary," she says. She watches as Jason kneels beside her and says, "I'll have to give a 'you were right' when we get back though. And... yeah, I'd appreciate it," she says. "The other one's kind of sore," she says of her 'good' arm.

The reason for that will be apparent enough as Jason kneels there. Stephanie shifts a bit to give him more access to the bloody arm. Her cape was draped over her far shoulder and falls away. Her costume is torn from her neck down to her upper arm, revealing skin beneath which is already starting to turn purple from bruising. In some places the bruises are clearly finger marks. The fabric itself was a bullet-resistant blend, but what is more impressive is that the body armor in the costume itself was also torn. It's a show of the strength of the one that was grappling with her.

"I think this one is ready to be retired," she says of the costume as she looks at her shoulder. "That last one was a real pain in the neck," she says, leaning her head back against the wall. "Get it. Neck?" she says, motioning towards the torn and bruised area. "Ok, more like a shoulder. So how'd you fare? Probably just charmed them into skeedaddling off to hell I'm guessing?" she asks, managing a smile through the pain.

Red Hood has posed:
"I've got a couple of Bruce's 'I was right speeches' recorded on my phone if you want to go with the classic taste to I told you so," Jason quips.

There's a low whistle at the wrecked costume, all that material was /tough/ and the kind of strength that it would take to rip it would be astronomical. His stomach twinges with a bit of belated fear, as if it was saying, 'why the hell did we fight those guys?' but it barely shows in his demeanor beyond a pause and another deep breath.

The jokes bring him out of it, "Wow, those are bad, but I'll give you a pass because you and your costume are holding on for dear life right now," he says before she asks how he did and he glances down at his leg which was throbbing painfully as he knelt. "Oh, took a round in the leg, the ballistic solvent on my pants kept it from breaking skin, but the bone is defintiely bruised." He lets out a little 'heh'. "And you're confusing me for Nightwing, I'm not that charming."

He gives Batgirl a look up and down then, "If you're good to move, we should probably get going got a cop coming and less we have to explain to them the better, he's not exactly on the straight and narrow."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie checks out the arm that Jason has been helping with. The bleeding is arrested which is the most important thing. Nothing is going to help the throbbing - there are also finger-shaped bruise marks on that arm - except time. And perhaps some of the foul-smelling League of Assassins ointment that Damian gave her some time back. The foul-smelling part his own unnecessary addition to the recipe.

"You do pretty good work," she says after surveying his work with the spray-on bandage. Stephanie shifts a little bit as if confirming that she can, in fact, stand. "Yeah, I think I'm moveable," she agrees before actually beginning to get up. Slowly, with assistance from Jason or the wall or both.

Once on her feet she eyes the corpse over by the coffin. She limps a little bit as she moves over, and closes the coffin lid. "Was someone. Once," the blond says as she turns back.

She'll eye Jason's leg to see how he's moving as well. "So, this ranked up there a bit when it comes to messed up things," she says as they move around some bodies towards the exit. "Need any help with your leg?" she asks, eyeing the spot he indicate the bullet hit him.

Red Hood has posed:
"Thanks, been awhile since I had to do this to anyone but myself," Red Hood admits, before he helps her to his feet, wrapping an arm around her waist to avoid grabbing one of her two banged up arms.

He nods, when she closes the lid. Funny how a little statement like that can bring the horror of what was around them home. Suddenly the corpses weren't just hunks of meat or demon puppets but people who had horrible things happen to their bodies after they died.

"We should get moving," he says leading the way and nodding, "Definitely up there, yeah, don't think I am going to getting a lot of sleep for a bit." As for his movement, he's favouring his right leg a little but not much, but then Jason dragged himself out of his own grave, so, things like pain tolerance were sort of a big question mark when it came to him.

"I'm fine," he lies. "How about your stuff? Where do you want to go? Batcave, Red Cave... wherever works best and gets us the fewest lectures."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown accepts Jason's help in rising, the young woman light enough even with her costume and equipment. Some of that equipment isn't with her, Stephanie stopping to retrieve her bo staff from where she lost it when one of the demons tackled her through the wall. She retracts it and it goes back into her utility belt.

"Yeah, I wish brain bleach was a real thing," she comments about the likelihood of sleep. "I mean, ok I suppose it is. Tequila. But a more specific one," the blond says, making the jokes that are normal for her, but the fatigue she's feeling shows in her tone.

She eyes Jason's limp before saying, "We should go to the Batcave. Get some treatment," Stephanie comments. She glances down at her arm. The bleeding seems to be stopped at least. And she doesn't spot blood on Jason that seems to be his at least. "So, we'll do something else of course," she says, turning her head to Jason and managing a bit of a smile at least. "Got any of that brain bleach at your place? Could use a movie and distraction for awhile," she tells him.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason waits while Batgirl, gets her staff he leans against the wall as he does, taking the pressure off of his leg.

"Well, yeah," he says of tequila. "Just tends to be, well, like you said, not selective." And made for all sorts of bad life decisions too as it happened.

Once they're on the move again he limps quickly, looking her way, "Worried you were possessed there for a second when you wanted to go to the cave," he says with a smile in his voice. "And yeah, got brain bleech and a fully stocked med kit in the Red Cave," he says before adding, "And more recently a TV. There's a condition about the TV area though, like the rink, it's Vegas, nobody gets to hear about it, you'll see why. Deal?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie seems to spot how much the leg is bothering Jason, even if he tries to hide it. She slips an arm beneath his and around his back to help support his weight just a little bit. Her legs are probably one of her strong points at the moment, just a few bumps and some fatigue, so she helps where she can.

The pair pass outside, and can see way off in the distance the colored lights of a police car heading their way. It's still far off, plenty of time to get back to the parking garage without confronting them.

"Ooooh?" Stephanie says in reply to that comment from Jason. "Jason Todd, you went and did it, didn't you? You finally put a stripper pole in there," she says with a little finger waggle of admonishment. "I've suspected all along that Roy had the dance gene in him," she says.

They limp their way slowly to the other building. "Deal. Rink, and Red Cave TV are Vegas," she agrees. She looks at her Batcycle and then at Jason's van. "Mind if I ride with you?" she asks. The thought of not having to worry about her balance, or hold onto the steering of the motorcycle seems appealing. If Jason agrees she'll have the Batcycle auto-pilot itself back to the Batcave.

Red Hood has posed:
For a moment it looks like the Red Hood was going to argue as Batgirl takes some of his weight off his leg, but he just goes with it limping to the van, pulling the remote from his pocket to unlock the doors.

"You should see him twerk, guy's got moves," Red Hood says without missing a beat.

"Figured you would," he says of Batgirl riding with him. "If you can give me a second I can probably get your bike into the back..."

Then the autopilot engages and he pauses a moment. "Right, forgot yours can do that. I need to upgrade." His car and bike were pretty much just a car and bike with a few modifications, the rest of the family's stuff was next level.

"Hope in, next stop Vegas," Red Hood says, getting in and taking off his helmet, leaving the domino mask in place since it'd be less noticeable in traffic, especially at this time of night.

Then if there's no further business they're off through Gotham driving across the bridge into Central Heights and then when the street is quiet down the ramp into the Red Cave, the lights flicking on around them as the car comes to a stop.

Spoiler has posed:
The girl whose equipment still included smoke bombs bought from roadside stands just a few months ago, can relate to the low-tech equipment. It's been a steep (but awesome!) climb up the learning curve for Stephanie Brown.

She settles into the front seat for the ride to the cave. She doesn't say a lot on the ride. Just pulls her cowl off, then spends the drive staring out the window, fingers twirling a lock of blond hair as the memories of the last few hours don't want to let go of their grasp on her brain.

Once in the Cave, Stephanie climbs out of the van, bumping the door with her backside to close it. She's retrieved her arm sling from the bike before she sent it zooming home, and has it back on. "Ok, I see no TV," she comments as she walks around the side of the van to help Jason amble forward again when he's ready. "Except for the computer set up," she adds. The monitors of which would make a nice TV for a lot of people.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason, and it is Jason now that the helmet is off, is quiet too on the ride, too busy keeping the pain in his right leg (the one working the pedals) locked inside it's little box along with the memories of seeing Lucifer's face and what he'd done to 'Mom'. Part way along the ride, when they've stopped at a light, he gets himself a cigarette from his pack (14 left) and he lights up after rolling down the window a bit so as not to inflict his bad habits on Steph in their entirety.

Once inside the cave he takes Steph's help, as he chuckles, "Head over to that wall over there," he directs, reaching out to snag the medical kit as he walks past.

When they reach the appointed wall, he detatches from Steph and gestures with a finger for her to turn around and if she does he taps the places on the wall that gets it to slide away and reveal a door, "Can you get that for me, I've disabled the traps."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie helps Jason over to the spot, glancing around and clearly not spotting the hidden door yet. She lets him go and then turns around as requested. "I swear if you have a giant jack in the box that is going to leap out at me when I turn around, Jason Todd, I will hurt you severely," she says, but it's light-hearted.

The blond turns back around, an eyebrow going up at the revealed hidden doorway. "Wait, you have traps?" she asks. "I've got, like, a deadbolt and a chain," she complains as she moves over to open up the door. But carefully. Just in case he's forgotten any of those traps.

When she gets a look inside, Stephanie gives a soft, "Oooo. Ok, so did you do all of this work yourself?" she asks, peering around. "And... kind of impressed you're letting me see it," the young woman comments. She looks over to Jason and offers a soft, "Thanks. Totally in the vault."

Red Hood has posed:
"Yep, that's totally what I've got waiting for you because I am all about Joker gags," Jason says in a dry deadpan as he unlocks the false wall and slides it away.

"You also live in an apartment building, so, I think your super might have issues with people being electrocuted for touching your door," he says. "Advantage of living in an abandoned subway tunnel, no super to complain about the noise or fried corpses."

Ugh, he didn't need to think about fried corpses right now, just the words brought back the smells of the funeral home.

When the door is opened (without traps!) it reveals a bachelor suite style apartment inside, clearly made out of one of the old station offices, but unlike the rest of the place it was comfortable, with its own kitchenette, carpeting, painted walls, TV, couch, bed, the whole nine.

"Most of it, Roy helped me when were trying to get the whole Outlaws thing off the ground, he's got another room somewhere around here, but when we decided against doing the team, and I met Kitty it all fell by the wayside," Jason explains stepping inside. "So, I just put the finishing touches on the place in the last week or so, and moved in."

He shrugs, as to sharing the place with her, though it is a big deal, "Figured the cave was cold and well, I've got a TV in here."

He moves inside further dropping the bag by the couch and then turning a picture on his shelf around so it was backwards and not showing Jason as Robin and Bruce as Batman smiling together. Though the move is hardly subtle, he's too tired, too rattled and in too much pain for that sort of thing.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown checks her boots before following Jason inside. She looks around the place, giving it a full visual going over. "You did an awesome job with it," she tells him, swinging the door closed after they are inside.

Stephanie looks around some more, and spots some incense in a holder over on the dresser. Possibly for meditation. Whatever the purpose, she goes over and motions to it as she looks to Jason, silently asking permission. Perhaps she's thinking about the smell of electrocuted bodies as well. If he gives her the nod, she lights one of the sticks.

She turns back from it and pulls off her second glove. She's still Batgirl, but now minus her cowl, two gloves, and a bruised shoulder and upper arm left bare where her costume was torn away. "Why don't you go shower and clean up and I'll see about heating up something?" she says, eyeing the kitchenette. "I'm guessing there's a lot of frozen that can be heated up?" she asks as she limps slightly over to it to check out the selection of food.

Red Hood has posed:
Steph does get the nod about the incense, if he hadn't been concerned about the picture he'd have probably gone there himself.

"Sure," Jason says. "Thanks." As expected there's a fair bit of frozen food and the fixings for protean shakes as well, popcorn and a fair bit of booze.

Before hitting the shower though, Jason moves to the dresser and pulls out a shirt, "Not sure if that suit is one piece or not, but since you're missing most of the back there," he offers setting the shirt down by the incense burner.

Then it would be shower time if not for their phones buzzing in their pockets. Jason pulls out his and checks the messages:

Dickbag >> Report: is everyone safe? What on /earth/ happened in Coventry?! There's bodies everywhere!

Jason smirks faintly forgetting he'd changed Dick's contact to that, it wasn't like they talked on the phone a lot, he fires back a text:

Jason >> We're all dead. wooooooooo... we're ghosts now.

Their phones buzz again and Jason checks:

Dickbag >> Not. Funny. Prove you're you

Jason changes the contact back but can't help but snap a selfie of himself giving the finger and send it to Dick, followed by the message:

Jason >> Does that work?

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie smiles as Jason gets the shirt for her. "Thanks. Will change into it after I get a chance to clean up," she confirms. She's about to say something else, eyes going to the picture he turned around, when their phones buzz.

Stephanie takes hers out, seeing the exchange between Jason and Dick. Which of course sets her to laughing. It's her normal laugh, if maybe a little fatigued. The exchange between the pair banishing for the moment some of those thoughts of what they went through, even if Dick is asking about it.

Stephanie keys her phone, sending back to Dick: We're safe. Momma dealt with. Everyone's well, if a bit freaked. Guy with the wand kept them from playing zombie shell game on us. In dire need of chili fries now.

She looks over towards the kitchenette. "Hoping you have chili and cheese," she says with a smile and then going to check.

She gets a bag of frozen french fries. Also some chicken strips, and then goes looking for condiments and topping. "Don't use all the hot water, eh?" she asks, flashing a smile over to Jason before she starts being all domestic and starting the food cooking or heating.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason almost offers to let Stephanie go first, knowing that by grabbing a shower ahead of his guest, somewhere up at the manor Alfred was having a migrane at the bad manners. Though as Steph seems to be busying herself with getting food, Jason just says, "Can of chilli in that cupboard there, got fries and..." seems like she's found them.

He checks his phone to see Steph's message to him and Dick, and adds:

Jason >> Will trade an AAR for chilli fries.

Then grabbing some clothes for himself, he hits the shower, laughter coming from behind the closed door of the bathroom as Dick sends back:

Dick >> ...Fine.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie pulls out her phone, grinning at the response and then sliding it back into a spot in her costume. Once Jason is in the bathroom and the sound of the shower going, she lets herself slump against the wall for a moment. The sounds, smells, and memories of the night are a bit overwhelming. Stephanie takes a moment to try to process them.

She eventually goes back to work in the kitchen. Scrubbing her hands a little obsessively with understandable reason before finally handling the food.

By the time Jason will have finished the shower, the fries will be up, with cheese melted over them and the chili heated up and ready to be added, or dipped in as he might prefer. The chicken is still heating in the oven, which she went for instead of the microwave.

The TV is turned on and a small assortment of movies is sitting where they don't normally belong, like she'd been going through them. There's a fair range of movies types represented. Just nothing even remotely related to horror.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason emerges from the bathroom, his white and black hair pointing every whichway after having been dryied with a towel, he's removed his costume in favour of a pair of sweats and a hoodie, pausing in the doorway he looks at the spread and the movies set out and he blinks.

Hadn't he been trying to keep this place secret, his little spot away from the world... how the heck did Steph suddenly manage to take charge of it, hell, he wasn't even mad he was impressed.

"So this must be what Bruce must feel like when he sees you bouncing around the cave." he says with a smirk. "There's just no keeping you out of things, huh?" he asks.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie looks over to Jason and gives him a small smile. "Well, he and Tim managed for quite awhile at least. But I wore them down," she says, picking up a fry to nip at as her eyes keep up the grin for Jason.

"Ok, that whole looking clean thing seems like a nice idea," she tells him, waving her finger in a circular motion towards Jason to indicate the totality of his appearance. Stephanie moves to pick up the shirt he'd pulled out. "I pulled out a few movies if you don't mind one playing while we med it up," she says. The medkit is set nearby. Right beside a bottle of Patron.

"I'll just be... ok it's going to be way longer than a minute," she says. Stephanie gives a finger wave and then heads into the bathroom to shower.

She's true to her word. There's going to be a lot of just standing under the hot water, trying to cope.

Red Hood has posed:
"Idiots," Jason says of Tim and Bruce for trying to keep Steph out of the game. It was a little harsh because nobody sane would ever want to live like the Bats did, but then if he'd learned one thing about Stephanie was that she was a crazy as any of the Robins had ever been.

When Steph goes off to shower, he steps out of the way of the doorway and lets her at it, "Take all the time you need, tried to leave you as much hot water as I could." See he at least had some manners.

Once she was inside with the door closed Jason took a little time just to process, what he'd seen of Lucifer, what he saw in the room, what the demon situation being over meant for him and his future with the family. Bruce stopping to smell the roses in his recovery had taken the urgency out of being here and covering for him and the road and freedom beckoned...

As did Gotham in its way, it was always home, he couldn't escape that or the people he shared it with, Damian, Carrie, Babs, Kate and now Stephanie, they all had their hold on him in their way, perhaps not enough to keep him here indefinitely but enough to make sure that leaving would hurt.

In the end though, he pushes that out of his head to focus on the mundane, making himself some chilli fries and snapping a picture of it with his phone before he going to put in 'The Cutting Edge' and flopping down on the couch while typing something on the phone. The fries for now, left on the warm oven top to keep heated while he worked.

Spoiler has posed:
It was a long shower. Letting the fall of hot water be therapeutic. For the longest time Stephanie just stood with her head leaning against the wall and letting the water wash over her. Like it could clean more away than just dirt if she only let it run long enough.

But eventually, and before all the hot water is gone, the sound of the shower turns off. A little more time passes and then the door opens. Stephanie has changed into the shirt that Jason gave her, buttoning it up as she comes out. Her hair is still damp, the blond tresses a little darker while wet, and hanging free though looking as if they were given a quick brushing.

Stephanie leans against the doorway, turning out the light as she looks over to Jason. "That helped," she says softly, giving him a little smile. She moves out into the room, spotting the opened movie case. "Good choice," she tells him. She goes to get a beverage and returns, taking a seat on the couch beside him. "How's the leg? Does it need any treatment we can do here?" she asks, looking over to check out where the bullet hit him. She also glances up, eyes studying his face and trying to divine Jason's condition in ways other than his physical wounds.

Red Hood has posed:
By the time Stephanie is out of the shower, Jason is sending off the AAR he'd been typing on the couch, it's barebones and lacking his usual sarcastic flare except for the picture of chili fries he included.

When he looks up from his phone, Jason's glad he didn't grab a drink because he'd probably spit take with Steph standing there in, from what he could tell was only his shirt.

He laughs, "Right, forgot those suits are pretty tight, um, want some shorts or something or are you good?" he asks before remembering he probably be decent and look away, which he does turning his head about 45 degrees so Steph was still in his periferals.

At the moment his face is hard to read with his wicked amusement at Stephanie's state of dress dominating it at the moment.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie peers down at the hem of the shirt, which falls down a little past mid-thigh, covering as much as a skirt. "Hrm. Nah, I'm probably good. I'd be hiking up your shorts half the time anyawy," she says, and turns her gaze towards Jason's waist, injecting just a tiny bit of judgmental look as if she were implying something about his waistline. Her cheeks get a bit fuller in that telltale way she has when she's trying to suppress a smile or grin.

She settles down onto the couch, drawing her legs up one atop the other. "This is nice and soft," she says of the shirt's fabric, feeling it between her finger and thumb up near the collar. "I'm going to start thinking you have good taste if you keep this up," she comments to him.

Stephanie draws her hair over one shoulder so less of the wet strands are in contact with the back of the couch as she relaxes back. "Wow. Tonight was pretty... um. This is one of those moments the words are going to fail me. Which is like, always, now that I think about it. Anyway. What happened with you outside there?" she asks, looking over to Jason again.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason catches the look at his waistline out of the corner of his eye and snorts looking back at Stephanie. "Are you trying to say something there, Brown?" he teases her.

When she plops down beside him, he gets up to get his own drink and bring them the glory that is fries. "These chicken ready to come out too?" he asks and if they are they get brought along as well, he's limping to get this all done, and doesn't want to get up twice.

"Thanks," he says of his shirt. "One of the ones from my 'maybe I could live like a normal person' phase, keep it if you want, you rock it way better than I do."

Once he settled back with food and drink then Jason's thoughts turn from a sexy blonde in his shirt, to the horror of a few hours past. If Stephanie is still searching for signs of his mental state, they're there to be read now, his expression grows a little distant and his eyes take on that 'thousand yard stare' look to them, even as he lies, "It was fine, took a shot to my shoulder blade and my right ankle. Armour took most of the shoulder shot, the leg's.. well," he reaches down and pulls up his right pant leg, a nasty bruise was beginning to form already. "Going to be swollen all to he-" he begins before changing the word midstream. "Heck to tomorrow."

It was aching more now, the comfort of the shower had brought him out of fight or flight and the effects of the adrenaline that brought were beginning to fade, though by his expression it seems like his physical wounds are the least of his injuries.

Spoiler has posed:
"Mmm, that smells good," Stephanie says as he brings the chicken over. She gets one of the fries, turning it to keep the cheese and chili from falling off as she brings it to her lips. She chews it and swallows though part of her is focused on Jason's expressions.

"Yeah, I think this is going to be one of those days Alfred gives me an umbrella when I come in for treatment," Stephanie tells Jason. If that gets a raised eyebrow from him, she explains, "Meaning he is doubting I'm smart enough to come in out of the rain. But would never actually say it," she says with a small smile.

Though Alfred has been even more gentle with Stephanie since that day in the Batcave when he'd handed out packages.

The blond rests one arm on the couch back and then leans her head against it. "I'll admit, it shook me up a little bit," she says, eyes dropping away from Jason. "Some of it, what we had to do with them to stop them," she says, giving a tiny shake of her head, eyes still down.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason nods about the smell of the food, it does smell good, but it doesn't fully pierce the funk he found himself in, though he does lift up a bowl of fries to mechanically shovel a couple of them into his mouth, before setting the bowl down again and going for the Patron. /That/ he wanted right now. A nice chemical lifeline for him to grab.

He lifts the bottle in a silent question to Steph if she wanted some of the brain bleach, before pouring himself a healthy portion and doing the same for her if she asks for it.

Jason does raise a brow at her remarks, but smiles when it's explained, "Ah, yes one of his classic Brit-burns," he says. "I know what you mean."

As for what they had to do to stop them, Jason nods, "What did you have to do? I sort of lost track of what was happening when things popped off."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives a definite nod at the offer of the smooth tequila. She'd have ended up with the cheap bottle that just has a Mexican flag on it and the words "Tequila" and "Product of Arizona". As if perhaps the discrepancy wouldn't be noticed.

She takes the offered glass. She gazes down at the liquid within it, slowly swirling it and bringing it to her lips. She hesitates a moment, looking thoughtful, before taking a few sips one after another.

"Well," Stephanie says, eyes dropping away towards her lap again. "The holy water was just annoying on their skin." She gives a little clearing of her throat. "So a lot of electrocuting. They made noises. Like people would have. And... and the smell of it," she says, trailing off softly. That smell might have diminished slightly by the time Jason went into the house and found Stephanie in there still, but it definitely was not gone yet.

"It wasn't just that either though. We face some real losers, who try to be wicked and hateful. Yet, I don't think I've ever felt such... such joy, at the prospect of hurting someone as they showed. It was like they could savor even the thought of it," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason might have gone for the cheap stuff if he was buying it himself, fortunately some of the criminals he takes 'donations' from have more discerning tastes, hence the Patron.

While Steph sips at hers he slams back half his portion and lets the smooth liquor roll down his throat and warm his insides. He was definitely going to have to buy some of this stuff if they killed the bottle tonight.

Jason makes a face at the sounds and smells of electrocution. He knows them well, even though his helmet spared him the smells of the room when he went in to take a look, best not to ask why.

"Sorry you had to deal with that Steph, if there was some way I could have taken them out without back up I would have done it, you guys shouldn't have to do that shit," he says with earnest regret.

There's a nod about the demons, "Yeah, they definitely got off on hurting people," he agrees. "Plus them wearing human 'suits' just adds a whole other level of fucked up, though between you and me you don't want to see them without it... it's not exactly fun."

He finishes the other half of his glass and pours himself some more.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie continues to eye her glass. Slowly giving it a little swirling motion and watching the tequila move within. She takes another sip from it, feeling how smooth the liquid is despite the reputation tequila has. But then, this is the good stuff after all.

She notes something he said, but leaves it for the moment to instead focus on Jason's comment about seeing them outside of a body they were possessing. "When did you see that?" she asks him quietly, perhaps thinking at first it was in a past encounter with them.

But then Stephanie seems to rethink that. "Wait, tonight? Were you there when... when she got sent back or... I'm still not sure what happened to her. Killed? Did you see it?" Stephanie asks Jason, her attention on him now rather than the glass.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason opens his mouth to answer but Steph gets to the answer herself before he can, "Yeah, tonight," he says leaning back against the couch now that he'd topped up his glass.

He let's out a breath, "I was there, I saw it happen, I really don't know how to describe it, except to say Mom got sent back where she came from and is probably not going to have a fun time when she gets there," he shudders a little at the memory. before he licks his lips a little finding them suddenly dry. "Also," he lifts his glass to his lips. "I don't know if Lucifer is the devil or not," which was true enough though Jason was pretty damn sure at this point, "But he isn't human and shouldn't be messed with."

Spoiler has posed:
The young woman's attention stays on Jason as he slowly unfolds the story of what he saw tonight. Stephanie sits for a few seconds after, just letting it soak in. "Damn," she says in a tone with sympathy, as if she's mostly thinking about what it was like for Jason to see that.

"If the sight of him had that kind of effect, I'll steer clear of him as much as possible," she tells Jason. Blue eyes watch Jason's reactions that are normally kept buried away, giving Stephanie some idea of how it is impacting him.

Stephanie takes a sip of her tequila, then rests her fingers lightly on Jason's arm. "We should probably keep an eye on him though," she says reluctantly. Her eyes pull away as she's thinking about something, and after a moment a bit of color just touches her cheeks light the faintest bit of blush applied. "I saw what you meant, about even just talking to him. It was like... oh, what every used car salesman... or pick-up artist wants to be," she says. "Ah, I hope I wasn't... that I didn't seem... because I didn't. Wasn't," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
"That's hitting the nail a little on the head," Jason manages to joke but he has none of his usual mirth behind the words. Damn, devil, get it?

If there was a word for how what he saw is impacting him it would be sacred, not for his life, but on some exetential level, like someone threw back the curtains of reality shoved him through to be swallowed whole by the harsh truths that lay behind it.

He blinks when he feels Steph's hand on his arm and this time he doesn't pull away or make some smart-ass remark, he just puts his hand on top of hers, grateful for the warmth and human connection.

"Wha? Oh, that, it's fine, you don't have to explain any of that to me, trust me I've seen other girls get it worse than that," he says. "And I get it, he's all well him."

He shrugs.

"Anyhow, yeah, we definitely need to watch him, just need to be careful about it," he does bis best to smile as he tries to joke, "And no sleep apnea testing."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives a soft laugh about the sleep apnea testing, the sound of laughing welcome after the topic they've been discussing. When Jason mentions she didn't need to explain it to him, that seems to differ with how Stephanie had felt about it. But before she can really give that much thought, she tries to reach out for the Patron bottle to get a refill.

The twinge of pain that passes through her face, and her sharply caught breath, are not very well hidden even if she tries to lessen them. Stephanie instead sets down her glass which was being held in as good of an arm as she has currently, using that one to reach for the bottle to being the process of topping herself off.

"Yes. Best we are in groups," she comments about keeping an eye on Lucifer. "Hey, I'm sorry you had to go through what you did tonight too. But, you said something earlier Jason. We're all in this. I know you'd take this on yourself, that you think... that we shouldn't have to deal with it but there's something about you... think you need a penance or just that what you've been through you should be able to handle it," Stephanie says. "But, that's not how it is. We're in this together. And you're just as important, and we can all share the burden of this stuff."

Red Hood has posed:
The laugh seems strange to Jason as if he'd forgotten what that sounded like for a second and he smiles, whatever confilct Steph might have about not having to explain herself to him is missed when she flinches and gasps.

"Here," he says grabbing the bottle, "Hold out your glass," he says. "How's your arms? Need anything from the kit for them or is this," he jiggles the bottle sending its golden contents to sloshing. "Enough?"

"Yeah..." Jason says non-commitally about the better in groups business with regards to visiting Lucifer though what really gets a response is the rest. "It's not about penance, it's..." he looks at her. "I'm a killer and the rest of you minus Damian aren't. I've been through shit that barely lets me sleep at night, and given what happened tonight, I'm pretty sure I'm cosmically fucked as well, so I am damn well going to make sure the rest of you don't end up that way as well. I can't change the choices I've made or who I am, but I can do this for the Family. I can put this stuff on me."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie lets Jason handle the bartending, taking her glass back up and holding it steady for him. "Thank you," she says softly. She looks at her left arm, with the tiger bite and the bruising. "I imagine it's probably best to leave it like this until Alfred can look at it. I'm worried he might get offended. I mean it's sealed, so I think it's probably going to be good for the night," she says, reaching over to softly touch the glue-like resign that is covering the wound.

Stephanie looks back from her arm to Jason. "But you aren't a bad person, Jason. You may have done some things you wish you hadn't. But, so say we all. Who is to say what the tipping point is. You do a lot of good too."

Stephanie takes a sip of her drink and says, "Look, when you get down to it, you're no different than the rest of us. You can try to do the right thing and hope it's enough. For all I know swearing is enough to land me in H-E-double hockey sticks and I'm already a goner. Really, nothing's changed in that we just don't know. And even if Lucifer told us how it works, should we believe him?" she asks.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason nods about her arm. "Well, if you need anything stronger than what's in your glass, wait a bit before taking it, booze and pills etc..." he says, yes Jason was actually advising caution about something. So even with the demons dealt with the end of the world must be nigh.

"It's not because I think I am a bad person," it was but it wasn't the only reason. "It's like... remember when there was that big earthquake and tsunami in Japan like around 2010 or whatever? Anyhow, I remember reading a news story about it, about how these old guys all volunteered to help clean up the radioactive waste because they were too old for the cancer to take hold before they died anyway, it's sort of like that. I am already so mired in this shit that it doesn't make sense to let you guys get it on you, not when I can just add more to what I've got. Honestly, I am not trying to beat myself up," he was. "I'm just trying to help."

As for the rules about going to Hell, Jason offers: "True, but why lie? I dunno, it's all so fucked up I have no idea what to think anymore. I mean, did I tell you he said Batman was going to hell when he stopped him? I mean if Bruce is going to hell then we're all fucked."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie frowns about the bit about Bruce. "Well, we really have no way of knowing if that's the truth or not. Could be he was heading to Heaven and Lucifer intervened. Could be Lucifer had nothing at all to do with it and is just an opportunist. An opportunist with sleep apnea," she says, trying to inject a little levity back into the conversation. Even if it touches on areas that she preferred avoiding with Jason.

"Give us the choice, hmm? When we were all locked in the Batcave? And Bruce was facing Superman out there?" Stephanie says. She feels her chest tighten as if about her heart, as it always does when she thinks on this topic.

Stephanie clears her throat. "I told the others, Bruce needed us clear, to not have to worry about protecting us. It was the only way he stood a chance, to not be distracted. And you know what Barbara said? She said, you're right Stephanie, but it still should be our choice."

Stephanie moves her fingers back to rest on the edge of Jason's arm. "Please don't try to shelter us like that. To shelter me like that. I made this choice. And..." her voice tightens up enough she loses it for a moment. "And anyway, I've beat up enough people it would probably be too late for me, too, so..." she says, not really providing the reason she'd think it's too late for her.

Red Hood has posed:
"See, that's why I hate this magic stuff? We have to either take people's word for it, or be lost in the dark with theory after theory," Jason says taking a swing directly from the bottle this time, before he realizes what he's done and wipes off the bottle mouth with his shirt. "Don't worry, I don't backwash or have cooties."

He does his best with the levity thing himself, "You might get some though if you check out his sleep apnea thing," he adds with a tired smile and humour that falls flat in tone if nothing else.

Jason sighs, setting down the bottle. "Ouch comparing me to Bruce," he says the levity a bit more on point this time. "Low blow, Steph, low blow." He does consider her words though what she's asking, and how he's felt when Bruce pulled the same sort of crap with him in the past... and in this moment he found himself sympathizing with Bruce. "I get what you're saying and I'm sorry for having taken the choice out of your hands." It wan't a lie but it also wasn't a promise that he'd never do it again.

Spoiler has posed:
The blonde's expression suggests she probably caught the limits left unexplored by Jason's statement. "Good, because Carrie and I would both feel the need to try to kick your butt if you did," she tells him.

Stephanie gets another chili-cheese fry to nibble on. "So you feeling any better than before?" she asks him. "Which movie did you pick out?" she asks, looking over towards the stack. She takes another sip of her Patron, and then offers the glass towards Jason for a refill. "Pretty sure you do have cooties. You're a boy, it's part of the definition of boys. Or something. I need to check the rule book for a ruling on that."

Stephanie glances around the room again. "You did a nice job with the place," she tells him. "Going to have you come decorate when I'm ready to move into my palatial estate some day."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason figured she'd catch the limits, Steph was a Bat, which was also why he chose to pick his words carefully rather than outright lie. "Bring it," he smiles at the idea of Carrie and Steph kicking his butt.

"A little, I mean it's nice to have company," he says before offering a smirk "And you made us chili fries, so hard to be too depressed, right?" he offers lightly, it had helped, but the night still weighed on him. "Thanks for getting beaten up enough to come and hang."

As for the movie, "The Cutting Edge, figured after our skating trip it worked," he says. "And hey, cool it Steph, don't tell me that!" he protests. "Then the rule needs to change and suddenly I'll have Schrodinger's Cooties, and never know if I have them or not."

That was more like Jason, a little more alive and well if not happy, then jokey...

"Yeah, it's not bad, and speaking of palatial estates, wanna move into my old place?" he asks her. "I mean it probably won't be forever, but you could, your mom too, if that wouldn't drive you both nuts and y'know stop you from checking if boys at your school have sleep apnea or whatever..." he offers with a faint grin. "It's either that or piss of my neighbours by turning it into an Air BnB."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gets one of the chicken strips, dunking it in honey mustard and taking a bite of it. "Mmmm. I wish we had some gravy for them," she says. "Though I won't complain about these," Stephanie adds of the honey mustard and the bbq sauce they have for them.

She reaches out for the bbq, dunking the bitten-off chicken strip into it, and then pauses. "Ah, well, you'd better hope I don't have cooties, Schrodinger or otherwise. Because I just double-dipped," she says sheepishly. "Huh, normally I'm kind of manic about not doing that around people. I always figure they are going to stare at me and call me 'uncouth', 'impolite' or... um... 'far... cical?" she says, quickly running out of appropriate adjectives.

She punctuates the moment with a bite of the bbq-laden chicken strip.

The offer of the brownstone catches her by surprise, and Stephanie gapes for a minute. "Wait, really?" she asks. She glances around the living area that they are currently in. "I don't know that I like you hanging out down here alone all the time though," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
"Thaaaat, I can't help you with," Jason says, "But gravy is a good idea," he says as he puts on the movie.

As to the question of if Steph has cooties or not, Jason offers a vote of confidence by stealing the rest of her chicken strip right out of her hand if she doesn't slug him for it and eating it. "Hmm not tasting any cooties, think you're safe," he offers with a grin.

"Hmm, not boorish, classless, our cloddish?" Jason asks about other names she might be called for double dipping with a grin. "And no judgements, I'd probably be watching movies in a disgusting stained shirt and boxers and eating cereal, so, double dipping? Miles above me when it comes to class."

"Now who's trying to protect who?" Jason asks about Stephanie's objections to his living situation. "Besides this is mostly for nights when I don't feel like going somewhere else, the rest of the time I've been crashing at Kate's or the manor."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie bids the chicken strip adieu as Jason filches it from her. No slugging today, they have enough bruises already. She does reach for another of them though, dipping it in the bbq sauce again before taking a bite.

The movie is starting up, the Olympics going on and the hockey player colliding with the figure skater in the hallways outside of the rink. "See, they fall more off the ice than we did on," Stephanie claims with a wave of the chicken strip towards the television.

She munches on the chicken as Jason addresses his housing situation. A quick peek is taken out of the corner of her eyes for a moment. "I knew you were staying at the manor sometimes," she says. "I hadn't realized you were staying with Kate though," Stephanie says. She takes a small sip of her Patron. Eyes on the screen she asks, "So are you two... you know. Getting close?" she asks, stealing another small peek over after she asks.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason swallows down the rest of the cootieless strip and the helps himself to a second one, dipping it in the BBQ as well.

"They totally do," Jason says about the movie. "Maybe that's how it works? You can either walk good or skate good," he jokes before taking a bite.

He almost chokes on it when Stephanie suggests he and Kate might be getting closer. He takes a swallow of tequila which really doesn't help but eventually he's able to clear his throat enough to talk.

"I am guessing you haven't hung out with Kate much, huh?" he says finally. "You'd have a better chance of getting close with her than I would," he says with an easy smile. "I'm just crashing with her because she offered and she's awesome."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's attention seemed to be directed at the movie, the question an idle one she wasn't very focused on the answer to. She looks over to Jason as he coughs and clears his throat. "I don't really know her very well, no," Stephanie says. Jason's further words take a moment of processing, and then there's a sudden, "Oooh..." given.

Stephanie relaxes as if minor amounts of tension suddenly were released. A bit of a little smile draws up the corners of her lips. "Oh," she repeats again, and gives a soft chuckle. "Sorry, I didn't realize," she says, glancing over to Jason to give him a small grin.

A few more seconds pass and then she says, "Hey, wait a second. So if you're staying there because she's awesome, but wouldn't stay at the brownstone while I'm there..." she says, QED. An eyebrow goes up in mock outrage. Outrage!

Red Hood has posed:
Jason nods, "It's alright," he says though the sudden release of tension is noted, but not commented on as Jason helps himself to another, non-coughing sip of the Patron.

"Nothing to be sorry about, it's cool," Jason says before breaking into a grin at the teasing about the other.

"Who says I wouldn't crash there too? Besides you haven't accepted yet, and so we haven't had a chance to discus the rental agreement," he says with a bit of a smirk as he sets down the glass.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie double-dips her chicken strip into the bbq sauce again. "Oh, well," she says as Jason ably deflects her bit of mostly joking offense. "Well... ah... hrm. Oh I'm definitely willing to. I mean the place I'm at is convenient to campus at least, but. Well you've seen it," she says.

"I'm just debating having mom there. I'd like to so I could keep an eye on her. But I don't think I can hide things from her much longer if I'm living with her," she says with a little frown. "I mean, I can put on a turtleneck for a visit, but if she sees me walking gingerly too much or always being covered up she's going to wonder," Stephanie comments.

"Though, your place is closer to hers, so that would let me drop in on her more often," Stephanie says. She had been sitting with her legs one atop the other, drawn up to her. Now she turns to face Jason, sitting cross-legged, though being careful with the tails of the shirt until she's settled. "Ok, what's the rent arrangement?" she asks.

Red Hood has posed:
"Have I?" Jason asks about Steph's place. He wasn't sure, but then after the day they've had a memory slip was to be expected. "And I get wanting to keep close to school, especially with Gotham traffic."

"Ah, so she doesn't know what you do," Jason says when she starts talking about hiding wounds and the like. He had a taste of that with the early days with Kitty, and a bit when he took girls home now, wounds and bruises. Fortunately his whole bad boy thing made for easy explanations. "How's that working?" with Kitty at least he'd found it hard to keep the family secret, to keep lying to someone you care about.

Jason averts his eyes as Steph turns, okay, mostly averts his eyes, until the tails are settled, "We good?" he asks when she's got things sorted out. "Well, the rent is really easy, it's nothing, just you know enjoy the place, someone should. It's just not me right now. Other than that, I'd like to keep the master bedroom free for me to drop into if I need a place to crash. If I do, I'll text first and if you've got company I can just come in from the roof and you won't know I'm there. That work for you?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie rests her hands in her lap, one of them holding her glass of tequila. She gives a soft little snort at the question if she's good. "This shirt is like a dress practically," she says, giving it a little tug. It drapes over her figure in some places, is loose in others. The sleeves come down to cover her palms, making Steph have to push them up now and then. But with the drying hair in particular, it sort of works for her.

"Not a whole lot of occasions I'd be having people over," Stephanie says. "But I don't think I could complain about the arrangements. Just, let me think on it a little bit and I'll give you an answer, if it's ok?" she asks. "Really, it's nice of you to offer," she tells him, looking down a little bashfully. She's done a pretty good job so far of not asking for help of the financial sort so far. Though Jason might have caught a comment from Alfred once that suggested something had gone on while Jason was gone.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason looks over finally, and snorts a laugh of his own. "Wait are you calling me fat again?" he teases. "And fair point, but I dunno it's a shirt not a skirt so it feels more I dunno risque?" he offers with a shrug. Also it really did sort of work for her, and that added whole other layers to all of this.

"No problem, not in a rush with the thing, the fund that I pay the property taxes from won't run out for awhile yet. So, if you want it, awesome, if not, that's cool too. Really you're helping me out, here," he says but that bashful look and the stuff he had indeed heard from Alfred make him ask, "Everything okay?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie holds up both hands, though the more injured arm only raises a little bit. "I really wasn't, I just meant you are tall," Stephanie tells him with a soft laugh. "And that's not bad. Because you know what they say about long legs," she says, blue eyes giving a little merry twinkle as she does.

Steph gets a fry in hand to nibble on while they talk. "Yeah, I just need to, think it through," she tells him. But Jason has earned from Stephanie the kind of look that often makes someone feel good, knowing they've touched another with their generosity.

At the question about everything being ok, Stephanie seems to perhaps sense in what regard he's asking. "It is now. Last summer, when you were gone, was another story," she tells him. She gets a little bit of a hesitant look, but not enough to not continue, apparently, as Stephanie says softly, "I was pretty much flat broke over the summer. Was trying to find a job. Started hocking some of my stuff. My TV and, some other things, just to stay in the apartment. I thought I was going to have to move back in with Mom. And, well, we already covered that. Though, also, you know, I wanted a chance to live without my mom looking over my shoulder too," she tells him.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason flinches a little in sympathy as Steph raises her hands, "Easy, just joking and wait a minute, what does my shirt have to do with my leg size," he teases her giving his head a shake, before he adds with a bit of a smirk, "And no, what do they say?" clearly trying to get her to blush.

"Think all you like," Jason says taking a moment to enjoy that look she gives him. Coming from nothing and well being /him/ Jason didn't get a lot of moments to be generous so it was nice when one counted for something.

"Jesus," he says, "That fucking sucks," he'd seen his parents go through that, hawking their stuff to pay the rent, usually because they'd spent it on drugs or sunk it into doomed criminal enterprises. "So, guessing you hid all that from the Family right? So they didn't come riding to the rescue?" he asks her, it's not a judgement, or rather it was, but it was one spoken with respect.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie grins back at him, not blushing but instead just giving him a teasingly sassy look. "Long legs, long jeans," she replies. What they went through earlier tonight is a bit forgotten now, Stephanie's smile and laugh back to something normal. The alcohol has definitely helped, and Stephanie is absolutely buzzing by now, being a lightweight who rarely drinks.

Stephanie replies to the questions about her former financial state with a little nod. "I wanted to make it, you know? Without having to ask someone for help that, wasn't my family and who I was lucky had shown the trust they had. And this was about the time I did the interview. So I was already in the dog house to start with," Stephanie says quietly.

She runs a finger around the rim of her glass, before taking another small sip of the Patron. "Well, you know how tough it is to keep anything from this group. I'm assuming Tim figured out my situation. Or, maybe not. Maybe it was coincidence. Yeah, right," she says with a soft laugh. "Well, he offered me a job, buying up superhero memorabilia for his museum he wants to make. He also auctions some of it off for charity. Basically I attend auctions to get them, or buy them where I can find them. Whatever money I save him over what it would have cost retail, I keep half. It's been enough I was able to go to school when I thought I'd have to drop out. And hang onto the place. And, after that, Bruce gave me a car for my birthday. I don't think he ever knew about my situation," she says.

He probably did. He's Bruce.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason sorts, "Guess I deserve that one with my big feet, big shoes, remark from the other day," that doesn't stop him from flicking the cap of the bottle of Patron at her though. Or lid, really since it was a screw on.

He peers at her through narrowed eyes, "Wait are you drunk?" he asks her breaking into an amused smile.

"Oh, I get that, why do you think I'm not on the family teat," Jason says of his own situation, since he was still sort of officially dead, Jason funded by the Wayne trust, he made his own way, albiet through theft and some saavy investments on the side. "Yikes, good timing," he says about this all going down around the time of the interview.

"Yeah, I bet Tim knew," it sounded like him. "Still doing that job or move on to something else?" he asks. As for Bruce, "Rule one of the unchanging rule book of the Batfamily: Bruce always knows. It's just a question of if he tells us or not."

Spoiler has posed:
"Still doing the auctions," she confirms. "I can somewhat set my own schedule. Some auctions I have to be online for, or even there in person for a few. But, it's worked out well. I mean, I know he's helping me out, but any dollar he pays me, he's saving two. So, I keep my dignity at least?" she says with a gentle shrug.

The question about her drinking causes Stephanie to sit up a little straighter. Attempting an imperious posture. "I am not drunk," she says. It would be more effective if she didn't have a slight sway as she effects that perfect posture.

"I don't normally drink though," she says, looking down at the glass. "Sometimes at a party, though I don't make it to too many of those," she admits. Stephanie glances up to Jason. "I bet you go out a lot. Good looking. You've got that commanding vibe going too," she says, doing a little circular finger thing towards Jason.

Red Hood has posed:
"Doesn't sound like that bad a gig all in all, better than most college jobs waiting tables and doing crap like that," Jason opines with a shrug. "And okay, I'd rather cut my own throat than work for Tim, but, that's just personal beef, but otherwise he seems like he'd be an okay boss," a beat as some old family gossip pops to mind. "Wait, didn't you guys used to date?"

"Uh-huh," is Jason's oh-so serious response to Steph's assertion she wasn't drunk. The rest of what she says makes him chuckle and add. "Was going to make you touch your nose," he does the drunk test thing, holding out his arm to the side and touching his nose by bending that arm at the elbow. "But you calling me good looking and commanding is proof enough you're sloshed."

Jason takes a drink of his own, but he's a long way from catching up.

"And besides a few Tinder hook ups, I don't go out as much as you might think."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives a little nod as she says, "I can't complain about the job at all. And it came when I really needed it. I was about at bottom and tuition was coming due, and rent." Stephanie gets a soft laugh then at the sobriety test. She reaches out one of her hands, the less-injured arm, holding up her index finger like deciding which way to move it to her nose. And then she reaches out to tap it to the tip of Jason's nose instead. "See? Perfect!" she says giving Jason one of her warm, goofy smiles.

The smile just grows a bit at his teasing her over her description of him. She just smiles and then finally draws a deep breath at his question about Tim. Stephanie lets it out and says, "Yes. back when I was 15, 16. It was just about as convoluted as you might have imagined," she says. "We flirted, in costume. I didn't know how he was. And, so he shows up at my door one day, saying he's there for our blind date. And told me his name was Alvin. And, then let me realize he was Robin. Or, well, he was at the time," Stephanie says. She reaches over, resting her hand lightly on Jason's as she says that part, realizing the way it might make him feel.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason nods about the job before he laughs as Steph touches his nose instead of her own. "I don't think it works that way, but if you want we can find a patrolman and try it on him," he jokes with a laugh trying hard not to stare at the drunk Steph sitting there in his shirt.

He sets down this glass of Patron, that way led bad things.

Jason nods to the story of Steph and Tim's complicated love story. The touch is welcomed, or at least not rejected, which was the same thing coming from Jason.

"Well, glad Tim was having fun with my old life, and doing a better job of living it too," Jason remarks a little bitterly. "I was all about the job when I was Robin, no social life, no flirting in or out of costume, I just kicked ass, trained and kicked more ass."

Yeah, maybe the tequila had snuck up on him some, he was usually not that forthcoming about things. He stands up then, letting his arm slip out from under Steph's hand.

"I should probably clean up the van a bit, get the EMP out of there at least. Feel free to take the bed, I'll crash on the couch when I'm done," you know, if he crashed at all.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's expression softens a bit as he talks about how being Robin was all job for him. She tilts her glass back, finishing the last swallow or two. "You shouldn't be doing that on your leg," she tells him, sliding her own legs off the couch and standing up as well.

There's one little moment where she catches her balance, but otherwise is good. "Wasn't there more to it than that for you? I mean, when you were on mission, sure. But what was your life like the rest of the time. During the day. When it was you and Bruce and Alfred at the mansion?" she asks him.

One of her hands slips up inside the shirt she's wearing, up at the top, to move over across her shoulder. Just touching it lightly as she stretches her neck a bit, the muscles growing tight with the battering she took there which included her costume and even the body armor being torn away. Frightfully strong opponents.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason watches her stand and not in the same way he'd been staring before, his mind was out of that mode now, and full of old wounds and grudges.

"It wasn't work for me though, I loved it, I /lived/ for it," he says with an intensity that he rarely ever shows. "The rest of my life was a prelude to putting on the costume and going out to fight. That's why I didn't really fit in at school, or anywhere else, because I didn't care, all I wanted was the fight, the mission," Jason explains. "I think it's why Damian and I get along like we do, he practically needed Carrie to be hired to teach him to be anything else but Robin, the others, Dick, Tim, they let other things get in the way, they chose to leave the mantle behind, the Joker had to kill me before I stopped being Robin and even then I came back."

It seems like there's more, things that he has to clamp down tight not to say, so much so his body practically trembles with rage just thinking about it all.

When he speaks though he doesn't speak to that rage, only, "My leg will be fine, I'm going to take care of the van, just rest up, eat anything you like, rigged a switch by the bed so you can turn off all the lights from there." Once again he turns for the door.

Spoiler has posed:
"Is that what you still want though?" Stephanie asks quietly as he's turning away from her. Her bare feet make no sound on the carpet, but he'll likely see her moving closer in his peripheral vision, or reflections in the room. Or just hear her voice getting closer.

"I know that's how you were as Robin. But hadn't you grown to want other things too? Not as Robin?" Stephanie asks. If Jason hasn't left yet, she moves nearer, stopping right behind Jason, but not touching him.

"I know you've got a lot of anger in you over how things happened. You have every reason to be angry. Heck, I can't ever forgive my father. So I can understand. Though I know what I've been through pales in comparison," she tells him quietly.

"But you did make it through all of that, didn't you?" she asks. "I know we didn't know each other well. But that time I saw you at the manor. You seemed happy," she says quietly, speaking of the only time she saw he and Kitty together. Outside the manor, unloading some of his things to move into storage.

Red Hood has posed:
Stephanie's question gave him pause, was that what he wanted? To be a machine of... well not justice, the mission was never about justice for him... vengence then, if not his own, then a aimless general hate for those who oppressed others. In his rage the idea felt comforting, safe, like home.

"Yes," he answers, "I still want that." It was a lie but it was one he was telling himself as well as Stephanie.

There's a nod about her father, "You can drown in one inch of water or an ocean, it's all the same in the end, what happened to you isn't worse or better, just different."

As for the rest he makes a face. "I thought I had, but I hadn't," he says. "Living for the mission is easier. Better. Given what I did, if I kill again, the only thing I lose is Gotham, just need to keep my operation light and mobile."

Spoiler has posed:
A hand comes to rest upon the curve of Jason's neck where it meets the shoulder. Softer than he might have thought given the vigilante life she leads. The skin warm against his own. "Some of us will be less for you keeping those other parts of yourself from us," the young woman's voice comes quietly.

Stephanie slowly steps around in front of Jason, looking up at the taller young man. "What you said is right. It is drowning. Whether it's me with my father, or you with what you've been through. We can't just make it go away," she says, and then her head droops down, some of the blond hair that is finally drying falling forward before her face. "I don't want to drown, Jason. I want more than that. Don't you?" she asks, voice so soft it's almost drowned out by the movie.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason flinches from the unexpected touch but does not move to escape it.

When she turns to face him, it's clear Jason is still gripped hard by his anger. "Not my problem," he says. "I have a hard enough time taking care of myself, I can't let myself worry about other people and what they want."

Jason hears the soft spoken question and offers an answer: "No. I don't want more, I just want to do this job until someone gets the drop on me and it's over, I just don't have it in me to try for anything else."

"I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true," it wasn't but in this moment, he believes it. "Anyhow I need to go, you can stay as long as you need, take whatever you want, it's all good. I just have to go."

He moves to step around her to head to the vehicles.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie pulls her hand away as Jason moves around her to limp towards the vehicles. The young woman turns to follow him with her eyes that if anyone was there to see them, would betray a jumble of confusing emotions.

Stephanie watches until Jason is off in the abandoned subway station where she can't see him from within the room. She turns back, listening to the sounds of the van doors opening, and the heavy EMP being moved.

Stephanie walks over to the couch, reaching down to pick up the plate containing the chili-cheese fries. She lets out a soft sigh and carries it over to set on the kitchen counter. She walks back, heading over towards the bed that Jason told her to use. On the way she stops by a shelf. She reaches out to slowly turn a picture back around to face the front, then moves on to the bed, Slipping in under the covers onto her side, her back towards the door, the lights still on.

Red Hood has posed:
Jason doesn't look back, there's too many emotions driving him right now, anger, of course, but now tinged with a bit of regret and shame. The EMP is moved, and Jason still does not return to the room, he slips away instead. Chosing to run instead of fight, leaving Stephanie in his room, the picture of he and Bruce, Batman and Robin, smiling on the shelf.