10754/Rooftop and Ramble

Rooftop and Ramble
Date of Scene:	13 April 2022
Location:	Gotham City Tower
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Austin Reese

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Rooftops of Gotham. THe city doesn't sleep, and neither, apparently, do its guardians.

    In most cases.

    Phoebe is dressed in her Bat armor tonight, trying to get used to having a cape because THAT isn't weird or balance-upsetting at all when you're used to your medical packs, and she perches on one of the rare elegant tiers of the Gotham Insurance company floors, empty this time of night, one leg hanging off the edge and sweeping back and forth, the other holding her chin as she got used to a different HUD.

Austin Reese has posed:
In his defense Austin isn't used to having a HUD at all. So he doesn't have to adjust from one to a new one. He was pretty insistent on not having a cape. Something about an old movie. But he did have a hood, and more of a goggled look to his mask. He has joined Phoebe on this rooftop a few days after their dinner with the gang.

"Didn't we meet like this once before?" Austin says, as he shows up behind her

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Ah, memories. Impulse and I pausing to talk things out about life, the universe, time travel --" Phoebe gives a wry grin, and motions to the spot on the thick railing of the tier next to her for Austin to join her.

    "How are things going for you, Fledgeling?" she teases lightly, looking over to him with her eyebrows rising above her domino.

Austin Reese has posed:
"We're gonna definitely need to come up with a better code name than that." He replies, as he moves up next to her and then takes a seat, letting both legs dangle over the ledge, "You know I used to come up to the tops of apartment high rises back where I lived. After I learned to pick locks."

He looks out over the city, and hmms a little bit to himself, "Never thought I'd ever get a view like this. It really is an impressive city, isn't it?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Oh I know. I'm told I have to pick a one other than Balm if I'm going to keep working with the Justice League as a Dark member. More passwords to memorize." Phoebe protests playfully, and she smiles, setting her chin on her knee.

    "I used to climb a church near my house, near the University. Before I got into this life. It's easy to see Gotham as a whole as something that's not... sick. That can get better." she gives a wry smile, and then motions. "She's beautiful, but a monster all the same."

Austin Reese has posed:
"Working with the Justice League huh? Already moving up in the world." He says, as he laughs a little, "I figure they'd do DNA scans or something but then you have alternate timelines and dimensions to deal with..I mean if there was an evil you who wanted to break into their HQ."

Her talking about the city makes him nod faintly, "I've seen some of the worst the city has to offer. But I've also seen the people of the city banding together in the wake of disaster after disaster and caring for one another."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Oh. Uh... I'm..." Phoebe stammers a moment, and she breathes out. "I used to train under this mage, exorcist, demonologist guy. He liked me enough that I was set up as his kid and was supposed to be -- well. Robin to his Batman, I guess." she leans back against a rise in the railing as she chews on her cheek a bit. "I was happy. I had purpose. Parents, a plan, I was going to train under him and And then one day -- he was gone." she remarks.

    "Intense six months magical training and one of my other mentors exiting later, I kinda act as a leader for the group that did an awful lot of fighting of the Angels."

Austin Reese has posed:
"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up memories. I was just trying to make a joke." Apparently not very good at it. He'll need to work on his stand up a bit.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "It's all good. I cried it out this morning and kinda made my peace with the fact that I'm anathema to adopters. So really it's only a certain matter of time until all the Robins swear vengance against me." Phoebe replies quietly.

    "Gotham's resilliant. So are its children. We gotta be." she cracks a smile, and she shrugs.

    "If there's an evil me, she's probably terrifying."

Austin Reese has posed:
Austin just shakes his head a bit, "Don't think there's a force in the universe that could kill Batman, so you're good." He reaches over and gives her a pat on the shoulder, "So you don't have to worry about Robin vendettas anytime soon. Besides, they'd have to get through me."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a small smile, and she shrugs her shoulders. "My money is on Red Robin to be the one to take me out, incidentally. We've sparred the most, he knows all my magic tricks." she gives a wry smile, and then breathes out.

    "What's the worst you've seen of Gotham?" she questions, drawing her other leg up and letting the other one stretch out.

Austin Reese has posed:
Ah well, he knew it would come up eventually. He rubs the side of his head for a moment, rubbing at a scar under his hair, "Both of my parents were killed in the aftermath of the tsunami." He says, starting off simply enough, "My dad was GCPD ESU, and he got shot by a rioter. Just some scared guy trying to survive. My mom, she was a nurse at the hospital. Somebody stabbed her because his daughter wasn't getting treated fast enough."

He shakes his head a little bit, "Our house was destroyed too. So I was alone and had nowhere to go in the aftermath of the worst thing to hit this city in a generation."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe is quiet for a moment.

    "... my dad was a fireman. He opted to stay, and we got moved to Tricorne, since he could double as medical and my mom was a teacher. I don't remember much about it, just being moved to a tiny apartment and singing in the food lines." she replies quietly.

    "I'm sorry. That is pretty much the worst of Gotham." she states, and she reaches out a hand, gloved fingertips extended.

    Austin might know that Phoebe is highly touch avoidant. Other than Tim, she rarely sat close to anyone.

Austin Reese has posed:
Austin takes the offered hand and holds it close for a moment, "Thanks." He says, "For not just like, trying to talk me out of this." He says, "You were the first perso...Well except maybe Batman..But nevermind you're the first person I knew about it that seemed to think I should actually go through with it."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I totally tried to talk you out of it." Phoebe points out, but she curls her fingers against Austin's a moment, turning to regard him with mixed amusement and seriousness "This stuff is hard. The training is brutal. There's days when all you want to do is just walk away from the life. There's an incredible amount of pressure to do things Perfectly."

    She slowly releases his hand.

    "But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world at this point." she remarks quietly, looking out over the city before them.

    "But I'm glad to have you watching my back. Just like I watch yours."

Austin Reese has posed:
"Oh right. But then when I didn't you encouraged me." He says, correcting himself, "I feel the same way though. No way would I give it up now. I mean maybe a couple of months ago when the first sparring matches started.."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yeah. Those suuuuuck." Phoebe replies with empathy, and she wrinkles her nose.

    "Though once you get over the fact that the people you're sparring against have literally been doing it for years, it gets a little easier. Also when your sparring partners are assassins." Phoebe considers. "Speedsters." She looks out over the city.

    "... remind me to tell you about the time I broke Red's collarbone sparring." she smiles, turning to look back to Austin, giving him a lopsided smile. "You'll get used to it."

Austin Reese has posed:
Austin leans back a little bit on the roof, "Oh that's gotta be a hell of a story." He says, with a chuckle, "Haven't fought any speedsters yet...There was that one cat lady but I ended up fighting the goons that were double crossing her instead.."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Which cat lady? Catwoman?" Phoebe inquires, looking over to Austin with curiosity, and pursing her lips, racking her brain for other feline femmes, and she stretches her fingers a little bit.

    "... there is an awful lot of goon fighting in Gotham." She remarks quietly, and she smiles quietly.

    "But the quiet moments like this are good too."

Austin Reese has posed:
"No not Catwoman." Austin replies, as he thinks about it, "I think she's called Cheetah." He says, "She's fast. Maybe not as fast as Impulse but she's still wicked fast."

He nods in response to that second sentence, "I like the quiet moments. Because you also never know when it's going to suddenly lead to you having to beat some bank robber around the head and shoulders."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Mm." Phoebe's eyes narrow a moment. "Most speedsters have super-boosted metabolism, so a lot of toxins and stuff works through them faster -- just as a head's up. A lot of tear gas doesn't work so well on them."

    "I hear every bit of that." she cracks a little smile over to the goggled batling.

    "Speaking of --" she tilts her head "You been through the hi-tensile line training yet?"