Bat-Family Christmas!

[foreverbouncing]

WHO: Bat-family! Tag yourselves in. Threadjacking encouraged! No posting order.
WHERE: Oracle's Place.
WHEN: Christmas Day, All Day!
WARNINGS: ...Bat-Family Christmas?
SUMMARY: It's Christmas! There are gifts and way too many decorations and Christmas cookies and Christmas dinner and it will be awkward and awesome and Christmasy.
FORMAT: Whatever?

Comments

Illegal Other Category: Outside

[deadredbird]

About halfway through the party, in as far as one can calculate these things, Jason shows up outside. He looks at one hidden camera, then another, snorts loudly enough to be picked up by the microphones, and sticks his hands in his jacket pockets. It's not his usual jacket, because coming back to this from Africa was a little (though he would never admit it) daunting. So it's an honest to god real winter jacket and he seems to be irritated about that, or, perhaps, he's merely irritated about any number of subjects he would be happy to expound upon should you inquire.

He is also a little tan and has a black eye (left).

Though he doesn't look at the cameras anymore, it's clear he's waiting. Waiting for Dick, perhaps. Or, waiting for the nerve to go inside. Or waiting for Bruce. Jason leans against the wall, then paces, animal restless, kicking occasionally at the snow and then standing very still, staring out at nothing.

;o;

[deadredbird]

He's forced to think about the last time he hugged anybody, but nothing's coming to mind. Surely Danny forced one on him at some point? Or maybe they never quite progressed past punching each other in the shoulder. (A flash of memory in which Danny's carrying him, after they took him off the wall... no, that doesn't count.) In any case, this is good, despite the inner turmoil. This isn't goodbye, there's no need to get all fucking dramatic, but all the same, Jason figures this won't be happening that often.

"Yeah." He confirms, and his voice isn't a deep bass but one can feel it in his chest anyway. "I need to talk to Bruce." For some reason he can't remember if they've ever had a conversation in which either of them said 'Bruce' at all, but it feels like they haven't.

[girlyboywonder]

She hadn't expected any other kind of answer. It's not Jason's kind of place, and -- she's starting to see -- not his kind of crowd. So she's not disappointed, not really. That's just Jason.

"Okay." She finally drops her arms and pulls away, offering a warm smile up. "Welcome back. And merry Christmas, for the record." She half-wonders if she should teasingly mention South America (the timing feels off), or ask what he needs Bruce for (even worse idea, something about privacy and respect), but settles on leaving it at that. It's Christmas. Everything else can wait.

Re: Illegal Other Category: Outside

[batmantled]

Maybe it's Babs' security that clues him in, and maybe he's just on his way outside to check the snow by the door for anyone who might be leaving early. Maybe he's just been tense in there - on edge all day with the warmth and the company - thinking about who might be out here by themselves.

Either way, he comes outside with his jacket on, holding a shovel in one hand. He takes a slow, unhurried step off the walkway and stops just outside the reach of Babs' most obvious cameras. Just watching Jason where he is.

Maybe it's relief. Maybe it's frustration.

[deadredbird]

By now Jason is, in a sense, exhausted. It's not that he minded Helena or Carrie coming out to talk to him, but conversation that isn't 'business' takes more effort, and he really only came here prepared to talk to Bruce. At this rate if/when Bruce comes out Jason will probably say a bunch of shit he didn't mean to say and fuck everything up, like he always does.

His shoulders actually sag when Dick comes outside. But he stays quiet, because there's always the chance both of them are going to man up for once and just hang around in stoic silence. He wishes he still smoked. It's easier to shut people out with those little rituals.

[batmantled]

Jason hasn't walked away yet. Hasn't thrown a punch. He takes another step and stops again, close to the edge of the wall. Maybe he's pushing it, just a little.

"...Hey."

[deadredbird]

Giving Dick a sullen look meant to discourage him from venturing further into unmarked conversational territory, Jason turns away a little and huffs out an annoyed cloud of air, not unlike an animal. It's not the best hedgehog impression he's ever done in their relationship, but historically speaking, the spinier things got, the more likely they were to end up physically fighting rather than just circling and sniping.

The fact he's not treating the result of their last fight as an ultimatum is supposed to be an out for Dick. The illusion that these things will go on and continue to happen for as long as they both give half a shit about each other. But maybe Dick can never leave it alone, or maybe he can sense there really is an imminent split.