12525/A Bittersweet Goodbye

A Bittersweet Goodbye
Date of Scene:	02 October 2022
Location:	The White Hen, Loose Bottom
Synopsis:	No matter what pitfalls stand in the path Nor angel's ire, nor demon's wrath When one mournful chapter finds its closing They'll stand by you, a family chosen. Phoebe acknowledges she'll never get the answers to the questions that drove her to desperation, and rather than pursue, she lets go.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Conner Kent, Gabby Kinney, Alfred Pennyworth, Jason Todd

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The community was called Loose Bottom. It was a small hamlet in the English countryside, south of England and almost to the sea, a little valley in the hills of Sussex England.

    The weather was chilly enough for a jacket, with that thin bit of rain that almost could be mist if you didn't pay enough attention. It'd get you soaked if you stood out too long in it, though, reason why it was called 'Farmer's Death'.

    And in this valley called Loose Bottom (which was garunteed to bring a slight smile or at least a chuckle to the unawares) there was a little village pub called The White Hen, with white-washed daub on the outside and ancient wood on the inside, ivy growing along the outside and trying to creep in to the inside via the chimneys and making trouble with the thatched roof, with a couple of little tables and chairs near the door on the outside street, and a number of sometimes mismatched chairs and tables inside accompanied by the smell of cold beer and old cigarettes.

    one of the rooms off to the side was cordoned off with a little rope and marked with 'BEACON PARTY', where a man was at the bar and wiping out glasses. Someone had already prepaid for a number of drinks, so he was getting money whether there were people or not.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra Cain isn't sure why she's here. She seems to be a bit fuzzy on details, but that's her norm and though she's gotten better she certainly isn't up to speed yet. The plane trip here left her exhausted, and she may have snored through the entire flight. Don't judge, she works hard.

Stumbling groggily into the place, she looks around for assassins and then peers at the bartender. The man definitely has a history but she doesn't see any reason to break kneecaps tonight. She yawns a little, fist over her mouth, then clears the door so it's safe to enter.

Yes, Little Cass' bodyguard service is on duty.

Tim Drake has posed:
    You know, some people would be offended by the implication that they need a bodyguard. Tim, on the other hand--whether Cass is playing at being his bodyguard specifically or just a bouncer for the party--is feeling close to the safest he's ever felt since he was a little kid.

    It's a good cover story, either way. Fly over to take care of some Wayne International business, be in the public eye while someone plays a very convincing Red Robin back home for extra plausible deniability in the Bat-back-pocket, and show up in his boardroom finest at... Loose Bottom.

    He's not laughing but he's definitely still amused, judging by that particular upwards tick of his eyebrow. The place gets a speculative once-over with a detective's eye before he spins on the heels of his dress shoes to tip his head at the bar while looking at Cass. Shall we?

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner flew all the way here, and to say the truth he has been in Great Britain like two times before. So, he is also a little lost. But thanks to GPS and asking around, he managed to find the pub.

Which is nice, but why here? What is wrong with the bars and clubs of NYC or even Gotham?

Mysteries that need an answer, but the first one he sees is Cass, who is not very good at answering to most question. "You seems tired, but hello," he greets with a nod and a smile. When was the last time he saw Cass tired? Er... right. Never.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Was it possible for a Kinney to get tired? Apparently because on the flight over she had hit snooze mode pretty hard core. Of course if there was an in flight snack she totally got up for that because food was good. Now she's awake, wide eyed, and tagging along with Tim into the cozy bar.

The small, cozy bar, which in spite of smells was far less prevailent with the whole 'city air' situation that often had her nose wanting to make her run away. "I like this," she decides with a small nod of appreciation and a quick grin flashed to familiar faces. "Hey Conner, Cass. Where's our girl of honor?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Girl of Honor was late in arrival, because she was not coming by air. She was coming by motorcycle, and had parked a little ways down the lane, taking off her goggles and helmet. The bike was completing its journey on this trip, just as she was. She gave a pause at the entrance of the pup, regarding its sign, and then stepping in.

    She had a folio tucked under her arm, her helmet in hand as she gives a slightly embarrassed smile to Conner, Cass, Tim and Gabby, and she gives a little bit of a wave to the group in silence, adjusting her stance a moment.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Just because he doesn't actively fight crime doesn't mean Alfred isn't up to a little detective work of his own. He's been surreptitiously keeping an eye on Phoebe since the matter of the explosion the other night, and so, sensing his presence just might be necessary again, he took the UK flight with Tim under some pretext of meeting with an old army chum.

He's not officially /invited/, per se, and so he waits until most of the other guests have arrived before he casually enters the pub himself. It's not that he's trying to be sneaky about it; he'll meet the gaze and nod politely back to anyone who notices him there. He's just being... inobtrusive, taking a seat at a small table in the back with a pint of best bitter to keep him company. He sips nonchalantly and watches Phoebe with calm curiosity.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Covering a yawn with her fist, Cassandra glares at Conner. The yawn is his fault, clearly, for calling her out on them. She's taken up a second hobby lately, and her sleep schedule is shot because of it. If only it weren't something she thought was so important!

Her dark eyes turn to Tim, and she upnods and leads him past other patrons. Not that he needs it, it's a matter of appearances. The grin she gives Gabby is controlled and professional.

Which all goes out the window when Phoebe comes in, as the cool pro attitude gets shot full of holes as she jumps up and down, waving one arm over her head! Even with Alfred coming in she still kinda loses ten points off of her pro club membership.

She's over there, Gabby.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd is later than late. Because that's the way he rolls. He wasn't on any flights in common with the others. How he got here is probably less than interesting anyway. What may be interesting is that he has shown up well after anyone else. It might be ironic but he's shown up in a red hoodie pulled down till it casts his eyes in shadows, black jeans and boots. Stepping inside he just leans against the doorway of the reserved room, watching those already gathered.

He seems content to hold the doorframe up. It could collapse and cause great tragedy.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner smirks at Cass, but before he can say anything else, the other guests start appearing. Ending with the Girl of Honor. Just when he was checking the reserved table. He waves at Phoebe, but gets completely outdone by Cass enthusiasm. "I think he saw us," he comments amusedly. "Any idea of why here, Tim? Distance is not much of an issue for me, but it was quite the trip. I almost got lost." He didn't! He arrived second instead 30 minutes late. Progress!

Tim Drake has posed:
    "A few," is the only answer Conner's getting out of Tim. He's positioned himself at the bar inside the room reserved for the party, one elbow against it as he idly scrolls through a couple of notifications on his phone. It's mostly affectation; people see a young adult on their phone and write them off, which means Tim's free to surreptitiously spy out of his peripheral vision.

    Whether or not the barman is deserving of such scrutiny, well... time will tell. He gets a few moments to act (mostly) unobserved, as Phoebe's arrival has Tim standing up straighter. "Nice choice," Tim says in lieu of greeting, with a head-tilt to indicate he means the pub. Not exactly Tim's style, admittedly, but he seems in agreement with Gabby.

    Alfred's unobtrusive presence is mostly skipped over, half because the Wayne family butler is just that good at blending into the background and half out of respect for him, given he likely taught Tim and most of the Bats precisely how to do as he is just now. But Jason, who unless he was stowed away in the luggage definitely came by another means of travel, his presence earns some raised eyebrows. Two, precisely, from Tim. And then a silent gesture towards the bar, because alcohol.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins brightly at the sight of Cass as well. "Good to see you!" She lets out cheerily in spite of looking fairly tired herself. It's when Cass goes into straight fangirl mode spotting Phoebe that she actually lets out a laugh. "Ah, I see, I see. Good to see you too Phoebe," she greets turning toward the door to pause, and tilt her head.

Was that older guy part of the staff here? He kind of had that look but he also looked ritzier than the barman. She'd never MET Alfred before, having never BEEN to Wayne manor after all. All she knew of him were his amazing cookies that Tim had shared on occasion.

Moreso there's another figure in the doorway which draws her attention away. A hand lifts to waggle fingers in Jason's direction with a simple greeting of, "Hey J." Clearing her throat she glances away almost shyly after. I mean. As much as she could be called thta.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Well, the pub is over a thousand years old, Jason, that's honestly a concern. Phoebe gives a smile to Cass, and a shy wave to the trainer, even if her cheeks darken just a touch, and she takes a deep breath, and she sets her folio down on the table.

    -I did not want to be alone tonight- she signs, looking around to the assmembled grouping. The people she trusts most in the world, the people who have been there for her over and over, no matter how many times she fell. She holds up a finger, though, and goes to the barman, and motions for a pint of the darkest they have on draf-- err... draught.

    She motions for everyone to order what they want.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd is considerate that way. Never let it be said he hasn't done something nice or those present, risking his shoulder in the name of holding up the building for the good those present..

And that is as far as his concern for others ends.

With a nod to Tim and then to Gabby though she also gets, "Hey Stabs."

At the bar he looks to obtain something strong. One may have to wonder how he arrives at the conclusion that Jagermeister. And yet this is what he has done.

Sipping at the shot, he turns to look at Phoebe. Because it's hard to listen to someone signing when you aren't looking. And she was the reason he came. So theres that too.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass looks past Phoebe and spots Ye Ole Doorstopper. She rolls her eyes in Jason's direction, then turns her rather odd self toward Gabrielle. She gets this sudden redness to her cheeks, and runs her right hand across the back of her own neck. Embarrasment? Yup.

Then she calmly lets Jason pass her, uncertain whether or not she's supposed to call out Alfred, and gives Phoebe her best listening ...voice. You know, attention. This is important?

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
For his part, Alfred simply gives Cass a polite nod when her eyes pass over him. Hopefully this indicates that he is not especially trying to be incognito; he's just being a Good Adult and staying out of the way of the important people.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner has never seen Alfred either; he only knows the Legend (and the cookies) so the presence of the old man passes unnoticed. An Englishman in an English bar? Shocking.

"This is a nice place, and I'd love to learn about how is you know it," he says to Phoebe. Also, is he supposed to ask for a drink instead of going directly to fish and chips? Uff. Well, he can order a pint so it decorates the table for an hour or two, he supposes.

Tim Drake has posed:
    A moment of negotiation results in Tim walking away from the bar with a glass of some sort of outrageously expensive amber liquid. There will probably be plenty of connoisseurs who would argue that it's entirely worth it, but Tim hasn't yet developed a palate for alcohtol. After all, he's too much of a goody-two-shoes to have had more than some champagne when he was younger. But in the spirit of whatever it is Phoebe has planned, then spirits it is.

    He takes a seat and folds his arms atop the table, looking at Phoebe. In much the same manner as Cass, he's giving his undivided attention here.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney heads over to the bar as well. Her talk is far shorter, and she does flip over her ID to show because let's face it: She still had that baby face. She's very good about it though as she comes away with a simple dark beer in a cup after explaining she wasn't a big drinker and only wanted to try a good basic beer to see how it was better than American ones. Something the bartender was no doubt happy to provide.

Joining the others, cup in hand, she glances over at Phoebe. "Of course we came! We'll always be here when you need us," she assures glancing to the others with an expression that reads 'RIGHT?'

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass accepts a lime water. She has no intention of drinking a stout for anyone. Not even Phoebe. However, she has the excuse of 'being on duty'. Oh, and of being Cass, which has and always will mean that she's a special case.

The look she gives Gabby though, is almost a stare. Like, you're asking ME? Have you met me girl? And the glance at the beer is almost a commentary of its own. Oh Gabby, I thought better of ye.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd turns away from the bar, elbows resting on it. He holds the shot glass, having yet to toss it back. And now it seems he has a pint as well. Who is he to argue? He nods to Gabby's assessment. "I went to Fuck Bottom, PA for you, Pheeb. I had a ghost breathing in my ear and haunted and possessed pineapple follow me home." He doesn't care who thinks he's crazy, Cass and Tim know dfferent parts of this tale of woe.

He continues, "Tim almost threw me to my certain death chasing after you when you and our friend disapeared in the park triyn got save those cops." He shrugs and turns to take the pint in hand.

"You're family. You need anything, I'll be there."

Who is this and what have they done with Jason Todd? Where are the snide and gruff self-serving remarks? Is it is also April Fool's?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe rubs her hands a moment, sitting down at the table with the group, and she looks around, and she closes her eyes.

    And she brings her hands to her throat, pressing very gently. She looks uncomfortable, but the tingle of her magic is obvious to those near her.

    "Th-Thank you all for coming. I honestly wasn't expecting anyone." she states, giving a pained expression and her voice creaking, as if it wasn't sure it was permitted to be used.

    "This is... purely a selfish trip. I didn't want to feel alone tonight. As you know, last year someone surprised me with an adoption. Someone I thought I could learn from, someone I thought was like me. Someone I thought loved me. We had planned a trip. Three of us. We were going to spend the summer before I went to Gotham U, and I was to do intense training. And between training, we were going to hit towns and villages and streets with horrible names, have a pint, and call it our Family Trip."

    She Pauses, and looks down at the table.

    "That didn't pan out. You all know. Things... happened, and I am not proud of what I did. Who I risked. So... this is the last stop, on what would have been my Family Trip. And this is the night I'm saying goodbye to what could have been."

    Phoebe then picks up the pint, and *chugs* that dark stout down.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass is getting better. She doesn't speak all of the languages, and has English in a very general sense, but she gets the emotion behind -everything-. And this is all about emotion tonight.

The lights are low enough for her to vanish, if she wanted to do so. She's a silhouette in the darkness, watching Phoebe speak. She bites her lip and says nothing, watching the changes in Phoebe's face. And seeing a heart break in realtime is not an easy thing.

She's forgotten her drink until people start to quaff. Then her eyes shift around the room guiltily.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney listens quietly to the speech from Phoebe explaining the reasoning. Explaining the location. Her eyes skirt about actually taking it in more in-depth than before as she sees the potential meaning this place was once to have held for her friend. When she tips her drink back, her own is raised up in salute to take a drink.

"It's a fitting goodbye, Phoebe," she offers quietly not sure what else to say. All she can do is reach out to place her hand on her friend's shoulder giving a light squeeze in comraudery.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred sets his pint glass down with a firm thunk, stands, gives his waistcoat a bit of a tug to straighten it, and walks purposefully toward the center of attention. Adept he may be at being inobtrusive; but he is also quite good at making himself PRESENT when need be. And need would seem to be.

"Miss Phoebe," he addresses the young woman, almost sternly, as he comes to stand beside her, "Things always happen. That's life. And while it's all good and proper to say goodbye to what could have been, I must insist that you also take note of what IS. You have a new family. A new adoption, even. And you have far more than three of us here to celebrate it."

He clears his throat slightly, eyes flicking from one face to another as if daring anyone there to naysay him. Then his attention comes to rest solely on her again, and his features soften as does his tone. "You are not alone, and you need never be alone again." He holds up one hand in an invitation, not forcing a hug upon her but allowing her to come take it if she wants it.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass drinks, of course. She knows how losing a family feels from personal experience, and even if she can't say the words herself, this is in some ways a goodbye to more than one family, tonight. Since not everyone can be as eloquent.

Is it wrong that she thinks that maybe a stronger drink might have been in order, this once? Maybe. But a fizzy drink with lime? It feels almost...childish.

Then she sees a glance from Phoebe, and realizes it's not about the content of the glass. It's about the content of the room, and Alfred sets a few things right. The past is right to know, and remember.

Love the ones you're with?

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd sips at his pint when Phoebe finishes. A nod to Gabby and then Alfred's words. He spoke his piece preemptively. He keeps quiet now, just hanging there for Phoebe. And leaning on the bar. It might try to slink away otherwise. Someone has to do it.

Tim Drake has posed:
    It's hard to read Tim's face in the moment, his expression shuttering as Phoebe begins her pained explanation. Throughout, his hand remains wrapped around the glass, and the subtle clench of his fingers is evident in the faint blanching of his knuckles. For a brief moment after it seems like he might say something, taking an inward breath, before letting it out again in a slow exhale.

    It's not until Alfred steps forward that Tim lifts his glass. "To found families," he announces, and then takes a... we'll call it a modest sip. All of the Bat training in the world doesn't provide enough acting to cover up the faint nose-wrinkling Tim gives at the taste.

    Okay, technically that's not true, but that particular set of skills isn't being put to use tonight.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Well there's a rose in a fisted glove, and an eagle flies with the dove, and if you can't be with the ones you love, honey...

    Phoebe seems taken offguard by Alfred's standing, eyes going wide with surprise, as she sets her now empty glass down with a soft 'thud', and she chokes out some response, but shakes her head and takes a step back.

    -I'm OK!- she signs, and then echoes it again. And apologizes about how hard it was to speak, all in sign as she lets out a huff of a breath.

    -Feels like glass. But didn't want to sign everything. It gets confusing- she explains, and she just nervously sits, her dark eyes lowered as she looks to Tim, and then draws back to her empty glass.

    -It is fitting. And I'm really am thankful for everyone coming out.-

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred smoothly tucks his proferred hand behind his back as if that's the motion he intended to make all along, and rocks on his heels. "As long as you're quite sure," he concedes, although there's a glint in his eye to suggest he doesn't quite believe her protestation of being entirely ok. He follows up with a little nod, and a soft, "You're welcome."

He then follows the glance at Tim, gives him a little head-tilt to indicate that perhaps he ought to come over and comfort his friend, and steps back, resuming his place in the scenery.

Jason Todd has posed:
When he sees how Tim reacts to what Phoebe says and how she reacts back, Jason's jaw clenches.

He finally tosses back that shot of Jager. The face that goes with the shot suggests he didn't drink it for the taste. As he swallows, the shot glass is slammed down on the bar, as is custom. However its proximity to Tim is less than customary but with the hoodie still up, maybe he didn't see how close he was?

Hands now free, Jason signs back to Phoebe. <We're Family. No matter what. We own our misteps and we get stronger. And the rest help to pick us back up.>

He pushes off the bar and walks over to Pheeb, lightly bumping her shoulder and giving her an affirming nod before he walks past to stare out the window. Staying in one place seems to be impossible for him today.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney takes a half step back herself to give Phoebe room to breathe. It was her turn to awkwardly clasp her hands behind her back as she allows the other members of Phoebe's family to step in giving their own reassurances. Even when Phoebe mentions that talking was painful she just nods in understanding. "Do what you need for yourself," she assures. Her sign language wasn't great but she was certainly getting enough practice it was getting far, far easier to keep up in reading it.

When Jason steps forward to sign as well she can only nod quietly in agreement. Another step back is taken right up to a table behind her. Perfect. It was hip height so she just leans against it comfortably.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Hands.

Phoebe's hands. They're being held, then, by paler ones. Strong, and coming in silently. Strong. Gentle, they choose when to use that strength. The arms they're connected to are feminine, and subtly hide their ability. But the fact that they're holding Phoebe's hands, would cause one to look up.

And there are Cassandra's eyes, looking into Phoebe's own. A nod? Yes. No more. There never needed to be more, and hopefully it's enough.

She won't take over here, but she will be who she truly is. Best friend? More?

Define what you want. It was never about words. We're here. WE.

Tim Drake has posed:
    When Phoebe looks over, Tim's head tips to the side, and the corners of his mouth twitch downward in a commiserating grimace, the muscles in his jaw tense. And then he goes tenser still, his shoulders hunching up as he looks over at Jason. Or rather, Jason's shot glass. And then at Jason, his brow furrowed.

    "No family is perfect. And given the traumatic foundations for ours, we have to fight to overcome pitfalls that are no deeper than puddles for most people..." His mouth twists. "I think that metaphor isn't exactly working the way I want it to, and I'll blame jetlag for that. But our struggles just mean we hold on that much tighter to the people we care for."

    It's no more than a second that he looks away, but in that brief space of time he manages to look over to Alfred and give a little twitch of his head to signify an acknowledgment, though not quite an acquiescence to the unspoken suggestion. And then Tim's focus is back on Phoebe. "Either way, we'll stay here as long as you like. Though I'm not sure I can do more than one drink unless we bribe the barman to make something ridiculously fruity." Tim smiles, if faintly. "You can make the obvious joke if you want, I'll let you have dibs."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "If you want a fuzzy nipple, a Georgia Peaches, or one a' those blueberry lemonade spritz things, we coulda given ya one, lad!" The bartender exclaims in frustraition, throwing his towel over his shoulder. "Just don't have that stuff on draught!"

    Phoebe gives wan smiles to all, and just sort of rubs the back of her neck with the acknowledgement, and the commisseration. She knows they're all there for her.

    And as Cass holder her hands a moment. Phoebe's eyes uptick to the other woman's, and she gives a slight uptick of her lips, and raises one of Cass's hands to her cheek a moment before releasing. She didn't need words to explain how thankful she was for Cass.

    Tim's joke gets Phoebe to smile a bit brighter, though her eyes are beginning to moisten, tearing up.

    -Just one thing to do then.- Phoebe signs, and she pushes her chair back. She stands, she goes to pick up the folio, and she pulls it out.

    It's full of papers.

     Drink recipies from a bar in New York City. Augmentation circles and mandala creation exersizes, some with smiley-face monster stickers or red markings where she didn't quite connect the lines correctly. A layout and listing for the Lending Library at the Curio. Sketches of a big guy cleaning glasses at a bar, and a smaller guy hunched at the end pouring over an old paper. And pictures. Printed from her phone memory, one that Tim might recognize as the 'cabbie dad, the magic dad, the Thoth dad' picture of three men in various stages of confusion about Phoebe taking a selfie with them. Back when she could braid her hair long. A picture of her dressed as Neo Queen Serenity wearing a silver-white dress. The unofficial adoption papers with a different last name than Beacon or Wayne.

    All of it, pitched into the fire.

    Followed by scraps of notebook paper wound with twine and copper wire, rendered functionless.

    Everything burns.

    -Uselessly dramatic.- Phoebe signs, though she's not really facing anyone but the fire.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred has returned to his table and relative obscurity, letting Phoebe have her moment from a respectful distance. He can't see the details on all of the items being cast into the fire, but he can imagine the sorts of things they contain. It's not so different from the grief of a boy he knew once. At least then, he'd been in more of a position to provide the needed support. Now? Well, he wishes he could do more, but then again perhaps that responsibility has passed on as well. He lifts his glass to finish off his pint, and simply makes a note to make sure Phoebe's favorite cookies are well stocked in the kitchen.

Tim Drake has posed:
    The outburst from the bartender has Tim rolling his eyes, pointedly looking towards Phoebe. The joke landed, either way, and he takes up his glass of what we'll call whiskey to accompany her over to the fire. He lingers within arm's reach but angled so that he's not peering directly over her shoulder as she completes the ritual.

    "Drama? What would we know about that?" Tim asks, the sarcasm thick in his voice. And then he signs, body carefully shielding the movement of his hands from any non-familial onlookers, "It's not like we dress up in costumes and lurk in dark corners just so we can make our dramatic entrances."

    He takes a sip, after, and once again winces. Just a little bit. But he stands there nursing a drink he clearly doesn't enjoy while Phoebe feeds things to the fire.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    As the pictures and writings, the notes and little scraps of memory burn, Phoebe sinks down, feeling the heat of the fire on her face, and turns to look to Tim. She gives a smile, a soundleess laugh as she looks to his hands and shakes her head, and then just sort of sidelongs herself next to Tim, and with that familiarity reserved for so few, she sets her head against his shoulder, her arms crossing in front of her as she bites on the inside of her cheek, and then closes her eyes, letting the tears fall.

    'Goodbye, Dad.' she whispers, with the utmost gentleness to her fading voice as her magic falls short of real healing/

    And then, concious of not getting tears all over Tim's shoulder and making it oogie with boogies, she turns, taking a breath and wiping the tears off her face, looks to all who came out for her.

    And for the first time in a long time...

    She felt Light.