10356/Dumplings Make the Good Times Roll

Dumplings Make the Good Times Roll
Date of Scene:	08 December 2019
Location:	Hot Dumpling Restaurant, China Basin
Synopsis:	The Bats gather at their favourite dumpling spot. Steph and Jason bring news from their trip.
Cast of Characters:	Red Hood, Spoiler, Carrie Kelley

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Red Hood has posed:
As much as Jason hated to admit it, this was becoming a habit, him setting up in the dumpling place and inviting the family to join him. Okay so maybe he didn't hate them that much, besides the last couple of times had been fun.

Pulling out his Prometheus, he fires off a text to the family group chat.

Jason >> Dumplings, you know where. Hurry up or I'm eating them all.

Smiling to himself Jason grabs would of the bigger tables and orders some tea while he waits for the others to arrive.

Spoiler has posed:
After a short spell, Jason's phone will chime.

Stephanie>> Eat them -all-? You'll look like:   - Save us some!

It's not all that long after that the door opens and Stephanie hurries, holding the door open for Carrie. Stephanie is stamping her feet, partially to dislodge snow and mud, and also just to warm up a little bit. She's got jeans and a sweatshirt, and then a winter jacket, gloves, and her goofy purple hat with the long tassels hanging from each side.

"Oh god it's cold out there," she says, stamping about a bit more but keep the door open until Carrie's inside.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley strides in alongside, or just a few steps behind, Stephanie. Her own attire was... well. Skinny jeans, some boots that were new and super dry, and a grey puffed jacket that looked just as warm. She's actually not shivering to death like Stephanie. A first for her given how often she was cold, too. Once inside though she unzips the coat and takes care to kick her feet a few swipes over the rug to ensure she doesn't trail in a ton of snow and slush either.

"Yeah, it is. I'm loving this jacket though," she adds with a grin. "The new boots are good too. Thanks for going shopping with me for them. I still feel guilty when I spend money on myself." Lifting a hand she waves toward Jason calling out, "You better have left us some!" WIth that, she politely greets the Asian woman who often guards the front counter before making her way over.

Like usual she slides into the seat beside Jason giving him a friendly elbow jostle in the process. "Move over bench hog."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason checkes the text and grins texting to the group:

Jason >> Worth it.

When the girls arrive, Jason waves, and the woman at the front counter greets Carrie in Mandarin, like she taught her last time, curious if she gets a reply in the same.

When Carrie sits down next to Jason, he shoves over as she shoulders him, grinning. "Fine, fine, one day you'll learn there's two sides to the table," he teases.

Steph's entry is met with an easy grin. "Just for the record, I'm never going to be that fat."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown tells Carrie, "Nonsense. Yourself is the best person to spend it on. I mean, unless it's me. Or, well, there's the whole charity thing too," she says reconsidering. "Ok, now I'm feeling guilty I bought a new scrubber sponge for the dishes when I could have made the other one last another week," she says with a teasing grin.

Stephanie closes the door behind Carrie, unzipping her jacket and her face lighting up as she spots Jason. "You still fit behind a table, so I'm assuming we're not too late then," she says, eyes overtly glancing at his belly and back up. She showed Carrie the picture before sending it of course.

Stephanie moves over to take a seat. "Oh, but you are planning on getting some other degree of fat then?" she asks, an eyebrow going up and flashing Jason a grin. "Russian judge is murder when he thinks you're not keeping your fitness up," she says with a sad sigh and a shake of her head. She tells Carrie of the Mandarin, "You are so going to have to teach me how to say that."

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley does answer the woman in Mandarin... and very well, too. She had been practicing after all. Even got that app with the terrorist owl on her phone to help her learn her pronunciation a bit. When Jason mentions both sides of the table she sticks her tongue out at him. "You're the one that usually moves over to sit by me. Though I think it's just to annoy me and steal my bao," she points out with a grin offered over to Stephanie.

"Also I think that guy on the beach may be a bloated corpse." Hey, Damian wasn't here to make the awkward off color commentary so she might as well step in. She shimmies out of her coat now that she's seated to bunch it up in her lap leaving her just in her jeans and a long sleeved hoodie with the extra long sleeves that have thumb holes to keep them half covering her hands. Ah, warmth. "I think you can forgive yourself for the sponge, though. I mean, ew. I never liked sponges. Usually use a dish brush myself."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason snorts and nods, "Though that's just to provide extra embarassment in case your parents showed up," he says. "Besides after Thanksgiving, they know the gag so it doesn't work any more. Still going to steal your bao though." He offers a grin. He and when the lady comes with his tea, he looks at both Steph and Carrie. "Usual stuff?" he asks.

The comment about the bloated corpse gets a snort, "Lemme have a look at that again," he asks holding out his hand. "And I'm not going to be that fat even when I'm dead."

Dirty on the other hand? "What's a sponge?" he asks in perfect deadpan as he takes a sip of his tea.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie pulls out her phone for Jason to look at. "Be careful. Like looking in a mirror nearly," she says, flashing a wink over to Carrie. "Also, ew. You've been hanging with Damian too much," Stephanie tells Carrie.

She takes a quick peek at the menu, it never hurting to see if there's something other than her usual that would hit the spot. "Sponge, the thing we'll make sure Alfred hits you with a wet one, of," Stephanie fills in. The menu is put aside and she drums her hands gently on the table. "You know one of these days we need to go get in their game. Probably get our butts kicked," she says as she looks at the game of mahjong. "Or are you picking that up along with the language, Carrie?"

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley glances over to the mahjong game going on with a speculative look. "I dunno, I've heard it's a pretty intense betting thing. ... Then again I've also heard that it's a way of passing messages along with no one being the wiser, but that could just be from those old kungfu movies Jackie used to make me watch with her late at night." Rolling her shoulders she adds, "I only know how to play the solitare version you can get on your phone."

She knew the menu rather well but reaches for one anyway. Just in case there's something new, or something she hadn't tried yet that was suddenly tickling her fancy. "Maybe something nice and garlicky. Not like I'll be kissing anyone later."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason checks the picture again and mock scowls. "Yeah, right," he says giving Steph a kick under the table and tossing the phone back.

As to the game? Jason cranes his head, "It's been both," he says of Mahjong. "And these guys are definitely the intense betting type, they just about cleaned me out a couple of years back."

<< You're welcome back any time! >> one of the men calls out in Mandarin and Jason replies: << Not on your life. You should have let me win a little. >>

The men laugh and go back to their game. Jason looks over at Carrie then Steph at the 'kissing' comment, the look to Steph had a clear message: 'should we tell her now?'. They hadn't had time to really discuss how they were going to let everyone know.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown gives a tiny yelp at the kick. It didn't really hurt that much, but she wants Jason to feel like he's succeeding in life. Stephanie gives a soft snicker at the exchange with the players. She lowers her voice to ask, "Is it one of those games we can win if we just wear a low-cut shirt and... you know..." Stephanie squeezes her arms together to make the girls press together a bit more beneath her sweatshirt. It's not really the same effect as if the shirt showed cleavage, but it gets the point across. "So... your bet," she says in a smoky voice, and then does a really exaggerated hair-flip.

Stephanie blushes just a bit after doing that, but she's grinning. That's so not her style. She'd probably tip her chair over and send the game flying by accident. THAT is Stephanie's style.

The blond looks back to Jason, the silent exchange getting a brief moment's thought and then the tiniest of nods back. Steph looks over to Carrie and says, "So... funny thing happened when I went up to Angel Grove to see my friend Kimberly," she starts. Because she's really bad at the whole social interaction thing.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley glances over at the Mahjong players when they speak to Jason only catching a few of those words. Invited, back or return... Ah, yes. They would want him back if he lost. A lopsided grin comes to her as her eyes sweep again to the menu. There was already a retort rising in her throat when Stephanie has that awkward pause, and equally awkward segueway into a different topic which silences her. A little click of her teeth can just barely be heard as she bites down on whatever she was going to say.

Instead she leans an elbow on the tabletop keeping her eyes on the menu. Her raised hand twirls around a bit of her hair by her ear before she speaks herself in a low, deadpan tone.

"You and Jason happened to hook up and now I'm going to become a third wheel to yet another of Jason's relationships?" An eyebrow arches as her green eyes finally snap up to meet Stephanie's, then swing over to Jason to see his reaction for confirmation to her guess.

Red Hood has posed:
"Well you two might win with the low cut shirts thing, but if I do it it'll only work on Chow," Jason says nodding to one of the guys at the back, who laughs at the joke. << Please do >> he calls back.

<< Give me money back then we talk >>

"He wanted me to wear the low cut shirt, I told him I wanted my money back from last time they cleaned me out first," he explains before the subject suddenly shifts.

When Carrie looks his way, Jason doesn't hesitate to nod. "Yeah, pretty much," he admits, there was no point in hiding it, or trying to sugar coat it, Carrie, was Carrie, she didn't miss much.

Spoiler has posed:
The mental image of Jason doing the low-curt shirt thing made Stephanie break out in warm giggles, her eyes going to his chest for a moment. "You could pull the look off," Stephanie tells him with a grin before the topic was changed by her.

Stephanie wasn't quite expecting Carrie to make that intuitive jump, so Jason has plenty of time to fill in the gap. The blond gives a nod which starts slow but becomes a more certain confirmation soon enough. "Yeah," she says, looking over to Carrie. The waitress chooses that moment to arrive with their dumplings, setting the dishes down in front of everyone.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley gives a quiet, knowing 'mmm' that might be better suited to coming from Damian. At least there's a pleasant distraction of dumplings that arrives. Potentially touchy subject or not she reaches out to snag at least two before they become scarce on the platter. "You two have been spending more time together lately. Jason was verrry annoyed by how you were acting around that club owner. And you both vanished for the weekend, and came back around the same time. Oh," she pauses just long enough to pop a boa into her mouth and chew before tucking it into one of her cheeks chipmunk-like so she can add, "And you may have butt dialed me at one point over the weekend when I assume your phone was tossed aside for other reasons judging by the sounds."
    here's the breifest of pauses before she adds, "I'm kidding on the last. Your GPS location was identical."

Red Hood has posed:
"I know it," Jason says to Steph with a nod.

As for Carrie? Those deductions were what Jason meant. Carrie didn't miss much. "And they say Tim's the detective of our little group. Wait was I really freaking out about Luci and Steph?" Jason asks the ladies, before the rest hits.

His cheeks colour a little at the butt dial thing before he blinks in surprise."Wait? You were checking our GPS?" he asks not sure if that's more scary or imnpressive. He settles for the last, snooping in people's business was sort of the family hobby. The butt dialing thing gets a smile.

Jason reaches out to snag one of the bao, looking over to Carrie asking, "So, we good?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown lets the other two get first pick of the dumplings, though in the interest of preserving Jason's girlish figure (she's seen the photo!) Stephanie does get a few before he can take too many. She looks across the table at Carrie, eyebrows going up a bit.

"He was freaking out about Lucifer and I? I mean, not that there was anything to freak out about," Stephanie says. Her cheeks flush as she remembers feeling guilty while talking to the club owner slash Prince of Darkness, but won't really let herself think much on why she felt that way.

Stephanie looks over to Carrie too after Jason's question, as he voices what was on her mind.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
"Of course I was! The last time one of you ran off to 'take some time to themselves', D came back with a glowy rock that he's got a dangerous self-destructive relationship with," Carrie points out with a little wag of her chopsticks in their general direction. "Plus the Bunker's computer system IS a copy of the main one. It has access to way more information than you'd think. And yes," she agrees with a solemn nod. "You were totally over-reacting. Rolling your eyes, sighing dramatically. You did everything but stomp your feet."

She pauses a moment considering the rest. The main question he had posed. It earns a shrug. "No different than before I guess. Kitty will be happy to hear you moved on."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason looks between the two girls, outnumbered, "You're both nuts, I was fine," he assures them, though now he wasn't so sure.

The bit about tracking them gets a nod, "Fair point, well happy to report the ski lodge had no glowy rocks, and better you than Bruce," though what guarantee is there of that? Or that Babs wasn't tracking them... His thoughts showed pretty clearly on his face, "Well I guess telling everyone's going to be stupid easy."

There's a nod about the other. "Cool, and thanks Carrie," he says before nodding about Kitty. "Yeah, she will. Gonna have to call her soon or something."

He munches on a bao.

Spoiler has posed:
The comment about Damian gets a bit of a wry grin. "Well. Yeah. Bruce," Stephanie says, biting her lip and no doubt wondering whether there was any chance it had escaped him. Normally she'd think no. Perhaps, with the current situation he had in his life as a distraction?

Probably still not. But more chance than before at least.

Stephanie's eyes focus on her food for a bit, stirring it around with her utensil before finally taking another bite. She looks back up to Carrie. "Still love ya like my sister," she tells Carrie, smiling to her.

She takes another bite, following up the spicy one with a sip of tea before looking back to Jason. "Damian going to stab me? Is there a family tradition around that? Not that I've heard of one, but it doesn't sound of place, really."

Carrie Kelley has posed:
"Yeah," Carrie says simply. It's hard to tell whom she's responding to at this point as she just stabs another bao. A slight frown crosses over her, and she quickly shakes her head to get rid of the thoughts that were nagging at her. "Oh, no. Well maybe if you keep sneaking up on him like that. Got to ask permission to hug him." Even if she did risk it herself at times, but usually only when she knew he needed one and there weren't many people around to gawk. She knew he had his pride.

"And nah, I don't know if anyone else knows. I just pay attention to little details. Always have. It's like following the plot line hints in a movie or play. There's a reasons tropes are so common after all."

A smile is offered to the pair. "Congrats I guess."

Red Hood has posed:
Jason's attention on Carrie, but what he notices doesn't get commented on here, and when the subject of Damian is brought up, he nods. "Yeah, and then if he does hug you consider it like Vegas and Fight Club, never talk about it, especially to Tim."

There's a nod about the rest of the Family, "Guess nothing for it but make the rounds, if they know then they know already, then they know already," Jason says.

As to tracking the leads Jason nods, "So you're saying we're like a predictable movie?" he asks with a bit of a smile trying to add some levity. "Anyhow thanks," he says with a grateful look to Carrie.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gets a soft smile at the reminder of Thanksgiving. "Yeah, sometimes he needs a little push of his button. Though the teasing fun one is right next to the decapitation one," she kids softly. Her tone is nothing but fond though as she speaks of the youngest Wayne.

Stephanie looks back to Jason and gives a little nod as he talks about the rest of the Family. "Yeah, I guess that might be for the best," she agrees.

Stephanie's mouth quirks in a humorous way. "So, Jason, you realize this means we were the last two to realize?" she asks him. "So going to get put back through those micro-expression courses, aren't I?"

Stephanie looks back to Carrie and gives her a soft smile. "Thanks," she tells her.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley lifts her hand to give a dismissive wave at the whole thing. "I didn't know for sure. Just things were starting to follow a pattern I've seen before a lot of times. Just a guess until you two confirmed it." A faint grin is given, and she shakes her head again. "What, did you think I was going to pitch a fit or something?"

Another boa is stolen, and quickly eaten while leaving them with the distraction of that question. Then she places her chopsticks down in favor of pressing her hands to the table to stand. Her coat is snagged in one hand before it falls completely to the floor.

"You two can cover dinner though. I'm going to go take a walk. You good to get her home, Jason?"

Red Hood has posed:
There's a grin for the deduction on Carrie's part and for tricking them into confirming it, "Heh, guess that does mean we were following a predictable path on some level."

As for Carrie's question. "Dunno, just wanted to be sure we told you," he says which was mostly true. "And fair," he says about getting dinner, he did have that illicit cash hidden away right now.

He nods though about getting Steph home, "Yeah, I got it, have a good night Carrie, we'll see you soon."

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley chuckles quietly at that only to nod as she shrugs into her jacket. "Thanks for telling me. I do appreciate it," she offers back. There's a glance over her shoulder at the pair looking at them together quietly a moment. Then her jacket is zipped up, and she dips her hand inside the pocket to fish out a knit hat to tug on over her head. Got to get all covered up before heading out.

"See you guys around," she responds with a nod, and turns away to trudge back out into the cold.