9859/Farewells, And Soup

Farewells, And Soup
Date of Scene:	31 October 2019
Location:	Interior - Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Talia is leaving Gotham ahead of her Leviathan enemies, and says goodbye to Damian
Cast of Characters:	Robin (Wayne), Talia al Ghul
Tinyplot:	Hunted Demon

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Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian had been splitting his time between Wayne Enterprises and the Mansion, and all the duties that are implied there. The black stretch limo dropped Damian off as he bundled up with a black cashmere coat and a green scarf. Even the walk to the front door was lengthy. The large door is opened and Damian steps in, the leather soles of his shoes clapping on the marble entryway. As quickly as he opened the door, he closes it, sealing the cold out.

  "I'm home." He comments, more of a mumble really as he removed his scarf and coat, revealing the business suit he had picked for today. The young man looked around, the silence in the mansion had been foreboding, it was always quiet, but the air had a grim note to it lately, as if the house knew what was going on in its walls.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia has been busy today. In and out of Bruce's room a few times checking on him. But otherwise she's been making some preparations which seem to go unnoticed by everyone but Alfred. At one point he looks over and the two share a lengthy, silent loo. Alfred finally nods and moves off, quietly setting about helping the woman.

By the time Damian arrives back home, her preparations are done. Talia comes down the stairs, wearing a pair of black leather pants and a top that Damian would recognize houses a few hidden weapons. The sort of thing she might wear going out, not around the manor.

"Indeed you are," Talia replies to his announcement that he's home. She walks over and if allowed, will give her son a hug. A brief hug might not be out of place between them these days. But there's something to it. Holding him a little tighter than normal that might be a signal to Damian.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     A hug indeed was not out of the question between them right now. The extra tightness of it was enough to have his green eyes to look up and down behind his mother.

  He was always a smart boy, he was designed that way. The genius of Bruce Wayne, and the Deadliness of the al Ghul line, all mixed into one. "You're leaving." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Damian connected all the clues, just like he was trained to do. "Why? We are all here, Mother. We can be a family."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul lets Damian go, though keeping her hands on his shoulders as if not willing to completely give up the contact with her son. "We are a family," she says, and just managing to keep most of the emotion from her voice.

Talia clears her throat, lest what she's feeling creep out. "And your father is in a bad way. And his enemies know it. It might be the most dangerous time they've faced here," she says. Talia glances past Damian, looking out towards the front of the manor. "And my enemies are gathering too. It'll be time, soon. The situation here is so vulnerable, I can't let them be added to what you're already facing. It would be too much," she tells him.

Talia's hands tighten on her son's shoulders. "I never dreamed we would find this again," she says quietly. "I won't risk it. Won't risk you, or your father."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian does not shove his mother's arms off, he so desperately wished for the connection, to anyone lately. He would never admit it, though.

  "We can make this work, mother. You do not have to leave..." His voice wavers, a slip he quickly fixed. "The risk is minimal, I am the best assassin the League ever trained." Damian's eyes welled up, he so adamantly fought allowing tears to fall from his face in front of Talia.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
For the hardness of her life, and the life she raised Damian into, there is no less of a mother's pride in Talia's gaze that looks over at her son. "You are the finest assassin ever. Better than your grandfather even," she tells him, giving Damian's shoulder a firmer squeeze before letting it go to give the fabric of his suit an unnecessary smoothing.

"But it's too much, Damian. Not with what you face already. It might take all of you to deal with Red down on that overgrown island of hers," Talia says of Poison Ivy's takeover of South Channel Island. "Plus you have every two-bit hood and a lot of not-two-bit hoods coming out of the woodwork, thinking they can expand."

Talia glances back out towards the world at large again. "Bruce gave me the shelter I needed. And you both gave me other things that I needed just as much, even if I didn't know it. But I will have to deal with this myself in the end. I always knew I would have to. I'm still capable. It just might take me some time. But it'll be time you can set Gotham right. And your father can be back on his feet," Talia says.

She shifts a hand over, gently resting it along the side of Damian's face. "The city is in fine hands while he's down," she says.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian sniffed hard before he grasped Talia's hand on his cheek. He was torn, much like he had been these last two years in Gotham. Between knowing Talia was right, and wanting to insist to his mother that he wanted her to stay, mother, father, and son, under one roof.

  Her words hit him hard, it was the words he had longed to hear from Bruce as well. His years of hard life had steeled himself, but despite his faults, he was still the boy who wanted his parent's love and acceptance.

  His teary eyes gave way to a whisper. "Please don't go. Please." It was one last attempt to keep the inevitable from happening.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia moves forward, her arms going around her son to hold him in a tight hug. "I'll be back, sooner than you can imagine," she tells him, her face hidden from his eyes by virtue of her height. So he won't see the tears that leak down her cheeks, though he might hear their evidence in her voice.

Talia presses a kiss into Damian's hair on the top of his head. "Guard your father as only you can," she says. "I will make a spectacle on my way out to draw them away, but some of my enemies might still come to investigate the manor," she says.

"Those swords you gave me. Fine weapons. They will serve me well," she tells him. Letting her words distract him. Hopefully. "There's a fresh pot of oxblood soup in the kitchen. And a second that Alfred says he'll keep hidden from the others to warm up when you wish it."

Another kiss to the top of Damian's head before Talia wipes at her cheeks and then pulls her head back to see him. "I'll be back soon, my son."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     "Thank you, mother." He said of the gift of Oxblood soup. Damian's eyes were red with tears he couldn't hide any more.

  He looks up at Talia as she says her goodbye. "May your enemies never see your blade, may your feet be ever silent." It was something he had heard said to League Assassins on their first missions for good luck.

  It was then that Damian Wayne resigned himself to the fact that his mother was leaving them. He stood there, tears streaming down his face, but silent, his green eyes taking a mental picture of how she looked, how she smelled, every detail he could put to memory, he would.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia's hand moves to gently rest on the back of Damian's head as she kisses his forehead. She leans back to look at Damian, and give him a mother's prideful smile. She doesn't need to say more, couldn't not say more, than that expression does.

Talia lets her hand fall away and then she moves around Damian and to the door. A quiver and the collapsible compound bow she's been using are waiting for her, along with the two sword. She straps them on and then throws a cloak over herself.

There's one last glance back at her son, and then she's slipping out of the door.