3238/Lucy, You Got Some 'Splainin' To Do

Lucy, You Got Some 'Splainin' To Do
Date of Scene:	25 November 2017
Location:	Clocktower, Gotham
Synopsis:	Who knew Babs was a babbler?! Nightwing thinks being a billionaire playboy might be the way to go.
Cast of Characters:	Nightwing, Oracle

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Nightwing has posed:
Now that Caroline has gone, Dick looks to Babs, asking "Does everything look clear?" You can never, ever, be too cautious when it comes to protecting the identities of the Bat Family. He picks up the pizza boxes, expertly dropped so that they landed flat, and moves to the kitchen as he waits for Babs' response.

Dick starts taking out a couple of plates, setting them by the pizza boxes, and asks "Preference for slices?" He opens the two boxes to make sure the pizzas are still fine, and what he sees is still very edible. First pizza is perfectly fine, the second is a little smooshed into the side of the box but still completely salvagable. He takes two of each for his plate, and grumbles "Can't have just a normal night... ever... next one will probably want a piece of pizza too."

He finishes up by taking two bottles of water out of the fridge, and adds "Pizzas are saved, thank God, otherwise who knows what'll happen if we leave and come back again."

Oracle has posed:
She moves through the room immediately, heading directly for the computer array that is tied in to her security. Barbara is not nearly as paranoid as Bruce about things, but... since she moved in here, on her own, she's actually taken a great many security measures that Bruce recommended and some that are even slightly more than he recommended. Her hands fly across two keyboards, and as schematics come up across all three screens, the extent of her system becomes fully visible to him for the first time. "She got around the ones I would expect of any halfway decent burglar and managed to evade the first of the higher-level pressure plates." A frown creases her brow. "Going to have to adjust its positioning, I think. But she hit the second tier just as I'd expected. So ... aside from some basic brushing up on that one pressure plate, it pretty much went as planned." She stands fully upright and breathes a soft sigh of relief.

Turning off the monitors, she comes back down the steps as she shoves a hand through her copper locks. "If she hadn't run across decent security, she'd have been more suspicious. As it was, I'm not entirely sure she bought the act. Pepperoni," she tells him, and then smirks faintly. "Us and normal don't exactly have more than a nodding acquaintance, you realize," she retorts, paraphrasing from the space western series. She pauses at the kitchen doorway to take the bottles of water while he loads their plates.

Nightwing has posed:
"Well, maybe you should think about those fire and electricity traps..." Dicks replies after Babs gives her rundown of how Caroline got in. It's obvious he's not a fan of people being able to get into Babs apartment, even if she is aware of it ahead of time, but he also is smart enough not to make a comment on it to Babs!

"Pepperoni it is..." and he puts two slices of pepperoni pizza on the other plate, and walks out to the couch in front of the T.V. "I'm going to table it for now... but I still want you to give a few Guy Ritchie movies a shot. I'm thinking Lock Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels or RocknRolla." Yes, persistent as always, he is still trying to convince her she is missing out on some high class cinema.

Plopping down on the couch, Dick places Babs' plate to his left, and looks over to her "...and I know that you can stream whatever you want, and that it makes me sound old asking Alfred for Blu-Rays... whatever." He gives her a wink, waiting for her to start her copy of Diehard from her Media Server. "I don't even have a T.V. yet at my place, so I think the fact I don't do streaming can be accepted as part of 'overworked'."

Oracle has posed:
She joins him, fully aware that he's less than thrilled. In truth, *she* is less than thrilled. "I'm not sure how much more security I can layer in here without drawing a different kind of bad attention," Barbara admits. "Although... asking Power Boy to let the Fatherbox enhance the place is crossing my mind." She shudders a little, even as she sits, sets his bottle of water in front of him, and takes her plate. "But that thing really gives me the willies."

And she merely rolls her eyes at his opinion on movies. Cuz... yeah, so not taking his word for that. She picks up her phone and starts the media server up, "You're just lucky I'm not making you watch Pitch Perfect. So shush, you."

Nightwing has posed:
"Hey... there's nothing wrong with acapella version of Since U Been Gone!" Dick smirks back, before taking a large bite of his pizza. After he swallows it, see Alfred those etiquette lessons stuck, he adds "And Anna Kendrick..." he lets out a long whistle, and shakes his head. He scoots a little farther away for a moment, expecting to get something sent in his direction, but ventures another bite of pizza anyways.

He does nod his head in agreement with Babs, "I know, I know. Caroline made a valid argument about the level of security already. It's not people like Caroline that I worry about, though." then the mention of the Fatherbox. "Sooo.. mind giving me a bit more info on Beau, how you guys met up, and where he's from and what he's about? He seems like a nice enough guy, and I /will/ talk to Superman about him. Just seems a bit out on a ledge for you, ya know?"

Oracle has posed:
Barbara pauses and stares at him. He knows the movie. Okay, the rather boggled expression on her face is PROBABLY worth it. And then he says Anna Kendrick, and the blue eyes rolls expressively. "Well, I *almost* had a good thought about you," she informs him in an amused tone.

Blowing out a slow breath, not really paying attention to the movie -- it's not like they haven't watched it together about 100 times -- Barbara takes a moment to savor and chew a bite of her pizza before answering. Her words, when they come, are chosen carefully. "He found me," she admits a little reluctantly. "I told you I was laying the groundwork to eventually come off the streets... what I didn't really elaborate on to you or Bruce was the HOW." She takes another bite, because he might be really annoyed really soon and she might lose her appetite. After she swallows again, she adds some of the details. "I've done a few ... let's call them under-the-table jobs lately. Beau came seeking me out for help establishing an identity. Or rather... he came to ORACLE for that help. He's... Apokaliptian."

Nightwing has posed:
Dick's grin gets even wider at her response to Anna Kendrick, and he adds "Well, she'd look /way/ better as a Red head..." a moments pause "...or maybe a Blond? Hmm, tough one there." This time he /actually/ ducks as if he's about to be hit. "Anywhere but the face! Bad guys ALWAYS want to smash the face..." He raises his hands up in supplication as part of his begging for mercy.

Well, it's a good thing there is some levity to the discussion, because the things she's just told Dick has got him very serious very quickly. He stops as he reaches for his pizza, and now he figures he understands what Babs was saying with the whole Shiva Debacle. He takes a drink, longer than necessary, from his water bottle as he thinks through all the questions he has and how to ask them without coming across as an asshole.

"Ok, soooo... where to start... First thing, you know me, you know I care about you, and please don't take anything here more than me trying to figure out what's going on..." Good Job, Dick, great way to start a conversation, "So, let's talk about ORACLE first. I know a little bit about your handle, but this sounds.. way way more than just that. It sounds like you're taking this more serious, more... involved?"

Oracle has posed:
Yeah... she was kind of afraid this would go over like a lead balloon. Barbara is watching him thoughtfully. Because when she came and confronted him about Shiva, she figures he's probably feeling about the same way just now. And hey! She did really good at not yelling at him! So she appreciates that he isn't just flying off the handle here.

"Oracle is still a hacker. She's just..." Aw hell, how to tell him this much. He can see the debate raging in her face -- tell him some or tell him all? She's the one who raised the topic. And he's always had her back -- he can't do that if she's keeping too many secrets. "I've been doing some work for the Feds. And some freelance work... removing some of the bank balances of those jack-offs who are making noise in the Corridor. Their money is doing great things in Starling and in Gotham." Wait for it....

Nightwing has posed:
Dick isn't exactly upset, concerned is definitely a fair reading of his features, curious would be something that could be seen in his eyes, and she can guess that he understands the entire concept of keeping some things secret. Their whole existence is a secret, one that they all live with every day, and it isn't something he is going to hold against her in any way.

Alfred and Bruce would be proud of the neutral expression that Dick adopts as Babs tells him about her extracurricular activities. Dick has developed his own look, lacking the scowl or glare that Bruce applies, and the cultured indifference that Alfred is so very good at. Dick has as the look of someone that is listening, but from a thousand miles away. His voice is calm, measured, as he asks "What do the government agencies and 'freelancers' know about Oracle? I've got no doubt in your ability to hide your identity, Babs. I also know that /you/ know these types of people are doing everything they can to track you down. What do you know about their efforts so far?"

This is where all that time with Bruce has rubbed off on him, both good and bad, and the persona that's in place is half Dick and half Nightwing. He cares enough to not go completely into Nightwing persona, but he has been in this game so long that he doesn't always choose when the mask has slipped on when dealing with Family.

Oracle has posed:
"They don't have a handle on Oracle at all," Barbara replies evenly. Her pizza sits on the plate in her lap, and she turns to face him on the couch. "No gender, even. They've poked around some. But the couple of agencies I've worked with have made a point of actually helping obscure any trace of Oracle on their end, which is double-coverage of my identity. And without trying to sound arrogant... they don't have anyone nearly as good as I am on their payroll anyway. I checked into it before I ever volunteered any information in their direction." Because her identity leads FAR FAR too close to other identities. "There are layers upon layers of security involved here. And I was toying with a request to Superman for help encrypting a good bit of it with Kryptonian tech as well, when I move forward from here. I don't think I'm at that level. Not yet." But she's planning ahead, clearly.

Biting her lip as she watches him sort through the facts at light speed, she finally asks, "What are you thinking?"

Nightwing has posed:
Dick nods his head slowly as he begins taking in all that she knows, and applying it to how he would try to track her down. He has no doubt in her abilities, or thoroughness, or the technology that she has access to when it comes to implementing her own security measures. His mask fades as he works his way through it, there's concern there again, but he doesn't appear to be upset with what Babs has told him.

"Well," Dick starts in response to her question, "As always I'm thinking of the worst case scenario. Some metahumans or aliens in place that could be working with them that do the same thing you do. Then I'm thinking about how most Law Enforcement is wrapped up in their laws, and if they find it useful to burn an 'off the books' asset then you know they will..."

Turning his gaze back to hers, his blue eyed gaze serious now, "I'm worried about you, of course. Personal interactions are so much easier to control what is shared. Electronic transmissions can be analyzed from all kinds of angles. You know this, I know this, and I'm thinking Bruce doesn't know this... so I'm sure when /you/ tell him he'll have some choice thoughts." Of course he would never mention it Bruce, the worst case scenario is Bruce asks him directly, and he has to tell him to talk to Babs about it.

"So, this takes me back to Beau, and makes me want to call Supes right now. How long were you working with these freelancers before he started looking for Oracle?" Yep, Dick Grayson, doing Bruce Wayne proud with the paranoia.

Oracle has posed:
Yep. Her appetite goes away. Barbara puts her plate onto the coffee table and pulls her knee up onto the couch, considering how to answer this. "A long time. And if he wanted to take me out or hurt me in any way... he could have done it. That Fatherbox of his is an Apokaliptian supercomputer -- way, way advanced. And, according to Beau, it took every bit of that tech and some serious supersmarts to locate me personally. Superman, I'm assuming, already knows about him. He's keeping company with Kara on a regular basis. I think I'm in the clear here."

She hesitates and then grins at him. "This is payback for me telling you that you had to tell Bruce about Shiva, isn't it?"

Nightwing has posed:
Letting out a long sigh, Dick shakes his had, "Babs..." he frowns, feeling as if he's doing a horrible job explaining what's running through his mind, "...I've got every confidence in you. I'm not trying to second guess anything. It's just..." he shakes his head, biting his lip as he tries to relate what's in his head, "...After this attack by Aliens as strong as Supes, you never know what's out there, and I'm thinking Bruce's paranoia is not such a bad thing."

He leans back on the couch, his head tilted against the back as Bruce Willis says 'Yippee Ki Yay, Mother' ... "No, I'm not upset about that, and I"m glad you did it." He brings the palm of his hands up to rub at his eyes, "I'm trying to understand so that when you want it, I'll be able to do everything I can to help you, Babs. The more I know, the better I understand, the better I can plan." He tilts his head to the side to look at her, "That's the difference between us and people with power. We make up our strength with better tactics and multiple plans. All I want is a plan that keeps you safe."

Oracle has posed:
Now she relaxes. This, Barbara understands. She can deal with his worry. He really has changed -- in days past, he would have been up pacing the apartment or climbing the rigging in the gym by now, trying to work off his mad-on. "I have plans. I have have back-up plans. I have back-up plans to the back-up plans. Who do you think you're dealing with here, Boy Blunder?" she teases gently. "Of the two of us, I'm pretty darn sure he taught me to be far more paranoid than you'll ever be." And as he slouches in the couch that way, with his head turned toward her, the redhead's expression shifts slightly, as if she just realized something profound. Keeping her tone light, she pulls her other leg up so that she's curled facing him, where she can prop her elbow up on the back of the couch near his head and talk to him.

"I wasn't going to tell you just yet... same as you weren't going to tell me about Shiva. But I ..." She hesitates, uncertain of her phrasing. And then when she does finally find the words, they're kind of fast. He hasn't seen her do this in a long, long time, but ... well, she kinda babbles. Not under stress on the streets or in front of Bruce; he seems to be the only person who makes her do it. But it's happened a couple of times before. "You asked me out on a real date, and I don't know if that has to mean anything, and it probably really doesn't or anything because we always hang out together and talk and tease and flirt, but when you asked me out I figured maybe it was time someone else knew what I was doing in case it went sideways, and you're always the person that I trust to make sure I'm okay, and so whether we're dating or just hanging out or even if it turns into something more you're still the person that I trust the most, and now I'm not really sure I should have told you because between the intrusion tonight and the one when Beau came by I knew you were going to be a little alarmed and all I really wanted to do was reassure you, and even if we do date a while and things don't work out, we're still going to be friends and have each other's backs, so why wouldn't I trust you with it? Right?"

Nightwing has posed:
"It's not /your/ plans I'm worried about, Babs." Dick replies to the teasing, "Just like Bruce, I'm sure you've got evil mastermind levels of planning going on, and I'm sure they'd give Gotham's worst a run for their money." A smirk crosses his face at the thought of one of Gotham's crossing mad schemes with her, "But /I/ am still working on how to be ready if something goes south..." he does quirk an eyebrow, "...and since Bruce doesn't know yet, I've got to be ready for his piece too, and when he finds out what I'm going to tell him." It's hard to tell which Dick is more worried about, bad guys or Bruce.

Then Barbara is off to the races with her verbal onslaught, and Dick's eyes widen just a bit... the longer she goes, the wider his eyes get. "Babs," there's a pause, it's easy for her to read the reaction on his face, he is totally overwhelmed in how he should respond, "I asked you out because I know how we both feel..." he runs his hand through his hair, "...and you're right. We'll always be there for each other. We'll always be there no matter what happens." His face blushes a little, "I know I'll never have a real relationship, how can anyone with what I do every night..." He shakes head, a bit of sadness creeping into his eyes, "Bruce has shown me that, it's more than just commitment that we can't give, but how could we be so selfish to put someone we care about in danger if someone found us out?"

Things are not coming out quite the way he'd thought they would, frustration evident in the frown that moves like a storm cloud over his features, "Babs, I care about you... more than I've cared about anyone else. I cherish our friendship more than anything in this world. I'm worried that I'm more like Bruce than even I know. I figured if anyone could understand that, and accept it that it would be you..." He looks over to her, he's not sure how to make the next steps, "Lets take it as it goes, ok? I want to be here. I want to spend time with you. Is that enough for now?"

Oracle has posed:
Now it's Barbara's turn to blink somewhat owlishly at him. "Well..." Her brow furrows a little as she works on parsing what he just said. Usually she would enumerate her answers to him in list form, because he did just throw a bunch of strange words out there that don't quite go together. 'Never have a real relationship' and the two of them. Does that mean he doesn't think that there's any chance of a real relationship here too? Does that mean they're friends? Friends with benefits? Maybe they'll just be fuck-buddies. None of that quite parses for her, and it's really funny -- for all that both of them are pretty capable of the Neutral Face, there's a moment where every thought in her head is emblazoned across her expression as those thoughts run through her head.

He's confused her. But that's nothing new. And in some ways, *that* at least is solid ground. She understands being confused by whatever this is between them. It's been there for so long that she's been in a little bit of a tizzy about it since the night he asked her out! Finally, she pulls in a breath, holds it, and then replies.

"Yes?"

Nightwing has posed:
He has been taught by some of the best to read faces, read body signals, understanding what those tells me, and then reacting appropriately. However, today all that has failed Dick, and he can tell that his words has done everything OTHER than make things clear to her.

"Oh Damnit..." Dick replies as he processes what he said, how he said, and begins second guessing his own idiot brain for making things so much more complicated. WHy didn't Bruce tell him how to deal with these kinds of situations?!? Oh wait, because Bruce doesn't GET himself into these types of situations!! So, maybe Billionaire Playboy isn't such a bad cover story after all.

"Ok, simple answer." Dick scoots over, and pulls Babs into his lap so he can hug her tightly. "I like spending time with you." He leans his cheek against her head, "I want to spend more time with you." There's a pause, a long breath is let out, "I don't know what else I want." Honesty. Best way to be at this point. "I know I want you to be a part of whatever it is that comes next." He'll squeeze her closer, perhaps afraid she won't be ok with that answer, "I hope that it's enough..." Yep, she can hear the faint trace of concern in his voice, the man who'll jump off a skyscraper without a second thought.

As always, Dick turns to humor when all else fails, "It's way easier to kick the hell out of the psychos from Gotham than have a conversation about feelings with you..."

Oracle has posed:
Oh, hey! Laps! Barbara squeaks a little as he tugs her into his lap, and then settles there like it's the most normal thing in the world. Body language -- and familiarity -- are helpful in situations like this, and the immediate lessening of tension through her shoulders and down her back as he wraps his arms around her like that is telling. Her trust in him is absolute. She's flown off skyscrapers with his arm around her like this, more than once, as he taught her to fly. Now, it appears they're going to teach one another yet another new thing -- talking about what you want or need from someone.

"It's enough," she tells him quietly, resting her forehead against his cheek. And then she grins a little. "But if we fall asleep watching the movie and you snore, I'm still gonna poke you." Because he DOES snore sometimes and she DOES poke him from the cot on the other side when they've crashed in the Cave on a busy night.