6970/The Forgotten Spar

The Forgotten Spar
Date of Scene:	20 March 2019
Location:	Red Hood's Cave
Synopsis:	Jason and Kitty's attempt to spar turns into finding out more about each other's pasts
Cast of Characters:	Red Hood, Shadowcat

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Red Hood has posed:
Kitty had asked to see what style of fighting that Jason knows. After all, he looks a lot like a classical brawler - yet he knows meditation skills. And while it was confusing, there has to be an explanation, right? So after Kitty spent the night at Jason's, he invited her down to the Redcave so that they can train together. Dressed in his combat pants, boots, and a t-shirt, he's not quite in his full gear for the Red Hood, and he grins slightly.

"You know Kitty, the bright spandex works for the cape and hero set, but if you want to do patrols in Gotham, you're going to need something a bit darker. Bright colors are for Robins and drawing attention." There is a certain tightness in his voice at that, but nothing terribly bad.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty gives a warm laugh. "I could probably pull an older costume out of mothballs," she tells him as she eyes his clothing. "I have had a few that were darker in coloring." She is indeed wearing her X-men uniform, having brought one to keep at Jason's place so she has one on hand if needed. "And I don't wear capes!" she argues. "Ok, I've seldom wore capes," she amends. There was that one Darth Vader outfit...

"Speaking of, I'd like to take you shopping with me sometime," Kitty says with just a hint of mischief in her expression. "But that can wait." She moves in front of him, pausing to bow before she drops into a comfortable, ready stance. "No powers or weapons or anything to start with, right?" she asks. "Also, no fair distracting me with the tight t-shirt." Like her own costume doesn't have areas it is tight.

Red Hood has posed:
"Shopping for what?" Jason has a finely hewned sense of danger - and one's girlfriend suggesting shopping triggers it easily. "I could have gone without the t-shirt." he points out to her. Though as she points out the question of powers or no, that brings a raise of brow from Jason.

"I don't know if this is the time for that conversation. But you said that you live in a constant state of phase and have to concentrate to be whole, right?" he asks curiously. "I mean, do you have limitations on that? Things I should be on the look out for when we're together?" He's not probing for a weakness, he sounds seriously concerned that one day she may just fade from existence.

"But for now..." he considers for a moment. "You said you can phase through me and knock me out. This is simple. I want you to touch me. That's all you have to do. Is reach one of my vital areas. You can use whatever method you see fit."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty's eyebrows wiggle slightly at the mention of shopping. "I don't think you'll mind," she tells him without providing additional information beyond the smile she gives. He'll have to wait and see on that, apparently.

Kitty gives a little side to side head bob as if his explanation wasn't quite right. "I'm not constantly in a state of trying to phase that I have to stop, no," Kitty says. "I think what you're referring to... I meant once I start phasing and I reach the point I can go through an object... that is a point I stop. But... it isn't the limit of how far I can phase. I could keep going further. But I'm not really sure what would happen to me or where I would end up if I did."

Kitty gets a troubled look. "I think I might end up in another dimension. There's another dimension I've been to, that I have a... a connection to," she says. She looks a little troubled. "It's a long story to understand though. If you want to hear it, I'm willing to tell you. It kind of does have a little bearing on our relationship. In that... you're not the first person I know to have come back from the dead, or who has had to deal with the effects from that."

All of that said, Kitty says, "Well, I can phase through you without hurting you. It won't knock you out though." She nods her head though to the just having to touch him. "Ready."

Red Hood has posed:
Nodding his head as he gets the first real explanation of how Kitty's phasing works, "You know, science wasn't my strong suit in school. So, just to put it layman's terms - like Pringles, once you phase, you can't stop unles you make yourself?" comes the curious question as he's backing into position to get ready for the young woman's first move.

"I mean, that sounds pretty powerful.. and obviously you can feel what you want - I mean.." Is that a /blush/ from Red Hood? He shakes it off, and settles into a loose stance. "So you can pass through organic and inorganic material without affecting it - but elecrtical gadgets can't be shielded against you? Exactly how many laptops have you ruined?"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde gives another so-so gesture at Jason's explanation. "It -usually- isn't a question of can't stop," Kitty says with clear emphasis on the one word. "I usually have to choose how far to go. I've even trained myself to phase to a point of intangibility if I'm startled, as a self-defense mechanism," she tells Jason.

She motions then with her hand. "But there's a lot further I could go than the point of intangibility. I just don't choose to. That said... there have been moments I kind of lost control. Even sometimes dreaming I've phased while asleep. But never further than just going intangible," she says.

The mention of electronics gets a nod. "Yes, I won't disrupt a power cord, but actual electronics pretty much die when I pass through them. A number of laptops. Far more cell phones. I don't know of any way to shield them, no. And that's only me passing through them. If I have my laptop in hand and phase it with me, it's fine when I bring it back even if I take it through other objects."

Red Hood has posed:
The explanation brings a tilt of Jason's head as he folds his arms over his chest. He's not exactly on the defensive, but this seems to be something that he wants to understand - since it is part of her after all. "If you touch something while phased, can it phase with you?" he asks. "Or are you not able to do that?" The spar has been forgotten as he moves to brush his hand across Kitty's shoulder and the hair that's over it. Just to remind him that she's real and he can touch her.

"If something is holding onto you, does it automatically phase with you, or do you have control over what does and doesn't phase?" comes the next inquiry.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde smiles and she leans in against Jason as he touches her, and as they talk. "I have full control. If you're touching me when I phase, I can decide to bring you with me, or leave you here and just I go. I can touch two objects and phase one with me but not the other."

Kitty takes Jason's free hand and closes it over her wrist. "If a bad guy gets hold of my wrist? I can phase just my wrist but keep the rest of me tangible," she says. And just like that, his hand passes right through her wrist. Though her wrist doesn't look any different, it doesn't turn ghostly looking or transparent. While her wrist is phased, Kitty leans up to brush a kiss to Jason's lips, her own lips very real and soft and tangible.

She smiles, giving him a playfully sultry flutter of her eyelashes after the kiss. "So I could go intangible as someone is shooting at me, but then punch him in the face with my still tangible fist."

Kitty pauses for a moment and she looks a little reluctant about something, looking down. "I could... I could do horrific things to people with it. If I chose to. Like... pull someone's heart out." She gives a quick shake of her head. "I can't do that though. I can't give in to... to that," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
"You are a terrible tease and a flirt, Kitty Pryde." Jason does return the kiss as he listens to her, and wacthes her as she demonstrates her powers. "And it doesn't bother you that for all intents and purposes, I am.. oh, what was that word he used.. 'flatscan'?" he tries to find the right word for a normal human - which for all intents and purposes, Jason is.

There's a thoughtful pause as she speaks of the darker capabilities of her powers. "It's a struggle. I know. When I first came back from the grave.. I was murderous." he admits. "Enough that Bruce put me in Arkham for several months - until Talia found me." he glances aside at that, and decides to focus on something else.

"Don't make stealing hearts a habit, Kitty." he warns. There's a smile to his tone, as he lifts his eyes to hers for a moment.

"You already have mine."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde leans her forehead against Jason and gives a sigh of contentment. "Yours is the only heart I want and need," she tells him, looking up to shine a radiant smile up to him. She slides a hand over into his again, squeezing a little tight. Her tone grows a little somber, making it clear what part of his words she refers to next.

"That part of your past, we have more in common there than you think," Kitty admits. "Not... I wasn't dead. But you remember how I freaked out a little bit when you were meditating? And you were talking of how you deal with that, with what you still feel inside?"

Kitty draws in a deep breath and lets it out, the sound having a shiver in it."I thought you were talking about me. I've been touched, twice, in... ways maybe something like you were. I've had longer to learn to deal with them, maybe. But they are still there. Most of my friends don't really understand what I have to contend with," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
"I know. You told me." Jason reminds her gently. While one of their hands is twined, the other one reaches up to cover her heart. "You told me about the darkness inside of you. How you have to face with it. That you wish that you could do what I did. I know that you are that brave. But I know you are also that scared of what it could do." he presses his forehead to hers, to keep her from looking away.

"We do this. We do it together. Its what I want. You're what I want, Kitty." He's on the verge of saying more, but he seems to scale himself back, instead his attention returning to the pair of them. "You've seen my darkness. My fears. My nightmares. You're still here. I don't what I did to deserve it - but yet here you are. And there's nothing I want more than that."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty nods as she looks up at the taller man and she squeezes the hand that she's holding. Squeezing it tight as if to let that feeling of his solidity add to her strength. "Yes, I have to face it and not accept it being there," she confirms. "If I did... the one who did this to me is dead, he can't take my body over as he intended. But I fear accepting it or embracing it would change me. That I wouldn't be your Kitty Pryde anymore," she tells Jason. There's obviously a lot to this story he hasn't heard yet.

"I'm never turning away from you because of what you're dealing with. Yes, together. I'm stronger for you in my life, Jason. I have so much more to life for. To hope for. To dream for." She smiles up at him and gives a soft, warm sigh. "I accept you how you are, and I trust you'll accept me even when you hear the worst parts of me," she says.

Red Hood has posed:
"I see." Jason may clearly not see, but there's an understanding there. They each have their own darkness. Their own fears." Jason shakes his head. "Just as you have not seen the worst of me yet. But we don't have to open that gate right now. We have..." he considers his words, and looks down at her. There's a lump in his throat - but it's not a bad one, as his hand flexes in hers.

"We could have a lifetime together to figure it out.'

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde's warmth is rarely far from the surface. And that is even more true around Jason. Her smile comes back, eyes filled with a love that is only shined out to him. "I'd like that lifetime," she tells him, Kitty leaning her head forward to rest against his chest.

"Hopefully the two of us working together can help us both get through that lifetime," she tells him, smiling up at the vigilante hero. "We can work out some things we can do together. My teammates, we have some set moves. Like... if a couple of machine guns are about to open up I can phase us both while we close the distance. If we need to retreat, we have a code word that tells me you want to go through the wall and I'll phase us both through. Things like that. And I'm not sure what all you do besides fight. But we might come up with more things specific to the two of us?"

Red Hood has posed:
"We can work all that out. We need to make sure that someone is going to be okay with you working the streets of Gotham first. He can be picky." Jason reminds her. "I was even kicked out of here for a time. And you.. well, you've heard what's happened with Damian. Let's make sure of that before we go talking about making plans to do this together. It was the promise that I made when I said I'd try to do it his way."