13962/Rooftop Talk - Talia and Phoebe

Rooftop Talk - Talia and Phoebe
Date of Scene:	24 January 2023
Location:	Wayne Manor Rooftop, Bristol Township
Synopsis:	Talia is either attempting to bring Phoebe to the dark side or is intent on turning over a new leaf and establishing a proper report with Bruce Wayne's magical mentee. Luckily there's ice cream and cake involved, so it's a good start.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Phoebe Beacon

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
It had been somewhat tricky to figure out how to go about it. Talia Al Ghul, despite all of her training in etiquette, manipulation, interrogation.. All thsoe things designed to read people and maneuver them about as need be.. WEll.. Empathy was not her strong suit. Or likely anyone of her family's. It was a learnt thing.
    Of which she had always done so little of. So she would have to make it up as she went along. She had tracked Phoebe over to the rooftop of the Manor, what few belongings she had put in the guest room she would be staying in. Now, up to the rooftop and looking up at the cloudy, chill winter skies.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There's a soft 'tap' of feet coming up on the rooftop from one of the bedrooms below as the occupant swings herself out onto the roof. She's wearing a leather jacket that looks like it's been beat up and spat out but repaired, and some thick jeans to help combat the cold, her hair in a pink wrap tonight. Her dark eyes go wide, regarding Talia as she spots her with suspicious looks and a certain hesitancy, and then she breathes out.

    "Used to be a girl could come up here and be alone for a little while before work." she greets the assassin.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shrug, "Well, the view out here is lovely.. At least, when the weather is'nt this way." It cloudy enough the lights of the city were blacked out to some degree, only flashes of warped light in the distance. "Care to join me?" She would put the package she had under an arm over to the side, scooting it out of the way.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe comes up, and she sits, a good bit of distance between herself and Talia, her dark eyes looking to the woman, examining her like it's the first time she's met her.

    "... does He know you're here?" she questions quietly.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod over at Talia, "Yes, he has given me permission tos tay here, for now." She would go to look across the skyline, "You can confirm with Alfred, if you would prefer. If you're unsure, I can wait up here while you go down."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You don't have a reason to lie about that." Phoebe replies haltingly, and she sits herself down, and taps her jacket a moment as if looking for something.

    "So you live here now. Dams must be thrilled to have both parents under the same roof."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shrug, "I can't speak for him. But.. IT's good to be somewhere again." She would look over at Phoebe sitting. "Might you care to share something?" She would inquire, going to pull over at the package presuming that Phoebe didn't look wary.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... I can relate to not having a home real quick." Phoebe admits quietly, and she looks over at the package, and then looks up at the cloudy skies above them.

    She wrings her hands, nails done up in gunmetal gray, her ring finger nails a bright gelcoat red.

    "All right, Talia, I'll bite. What's going on? What's in the box?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would glance over at hte color of her nails, "Well done. You could sharpen them slightly more. That would let them be backups for close quarters combat. Give a firm edge to them. The can be useful for having contact paralytics or a small blade to cut yourself out of things." She would give her perspective.
    "Well.. Something I was going to share." The box is passed over to Phoebe. Containing her favorite ice cream and candy

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "They were supposed to look pretty. And the gelcoat gives them strength. Otherwise they're pretty brittle." Phoebe admits quietly, and she wrinkles her nose a moment, looking over to the package.

    Black Raspberry ice cream and cakepop flavored candies. She feels her eyebrows rise up, and then she looks to Talia with curiosity.

    "A peace offering?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod, "I can suggest other hardening agents, but they can be somewhat uncomfortable." She would glance over at Phoebe, "Yes, it is. We.. Didn't start out entirely on the right foot, and.. I'd like to try and make things a bit better between us to try and restart." She would fold her hands together on her lap.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Well... these... aren't weapons. And I appreciate the advice but..." she just pauses making a slight *face* "I don't think it would have had the same appreciation."

    And then she leans back a moment, looking to the ice cream and then the cake candies, and she breathes out.

    "All right." she breathes out, and looks up to the sky.

    "You've got your chance. But only because He's given /me/ a lot of chances. I owe it to him."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile, "Yes. He has given me more than I should. Which is why I have to make the most of it. And.. I don't know you very well, Phoebe. I would.. Like to get the chance. You're the sister to my son. I'm.. Hping to get ot know you well and some of his other family. If that's something you're comfortable with."
    Starting it off slow. The girl has had so many betrayals.. LEt her speak on her own time. WHehter it's now or in years from now.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "That's somewhat by design." Phoebe sounds amused as she states such. She takes one of the cakepop candies and gives it a toss to Talia.

    "I'm Damian's sister only because he decided it to be so." she replies, and then she gives a soft snort. "And because Bruce legally adopted me, but I mean, legal versus accepted. So. How are you adapting to life outside the League of Assassins?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shake her head, "It's an ongoing process. One that will likely not ever end." At least until her father decides for his own reasons to take her back in, whether or not she has any preferences in the matter when. Talia does not, however mention that.
    "I'm sure whether or not that you were adopted would have made any difference. HE is quite possessive."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Mmn. I think it helps that when he got shot, I made sure he could go back out on patrol the next night." she gives a small smile. "I have my uses, I suppose." she remarks quietly, drawing one knee up and setting her chin on it as she regards Talia.

    "I'm sure it's an adjustment for you. Must be tough having to endure such a paradigm shift."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would look into the distance, "IT is. I.. Am not used to having a direction. A purpose." As messed up as she had been driven, she'd alwsays had a goal. Now discarded and thrown away as if nothing.
    One at least she freely admits.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "It sucks." Phoebe agrees. "To have the rug pulled out from under you and everything you thought you were gonna be kinda... just dropped."

    "I think that was my greatest fear joining this group. I was thrown away pretty handily."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod softly, "I.. Appreciate the kindness. I do not know what I am going to dow tih myself. I feel like I am.." Useless? A burden? A threat? So many different things floating around in her mind left unsaid.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You feel directionless. You're in a wind and you don't know which way the wind is turning you. Drowning without a tether." Phoebe replies, and then she breathes out a huff, and then flops back to the cold roof.

    "I can relate."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod gently at PHoebe, "Thank you. IT's.. Appreciated." She would look out to the distance, moving to take one of the small cake pieces for herself to nibble on it. "Enough about me. You seem.. Weary."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Well... yeah. I'm in college, work the Gotham Nightshift, do independent research and supernatural investigation and still try to retain some semblance of normal teenage life." Phoebe states wryly. "I'm freaking *exhausted*."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod over at Phoebe, "Then, as undermining as it might be to speak of as a Wayne.. Drop at least one of those things. You are your father's daughter, and that gives you a wide degree of.. Latitude for keeping up appearances."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    At that statement, Phoebe visibly bristles.

    "Bruce is *not* my father." she snaps, "He will never *be* my father. He's the person who gets assigned to pick up my body and decide what to do with it when I inevitably to something dumb enough to actually kill me so that Tim doesn't have to." Phoebe states, sounding very tense. Her shoulders square and she sits up.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod gently, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just meant that as a Wayne there's some level of.. Sloppiness that is permitted within society. So if you feel like you need ot step back from one of those things and return at a later date, such thinsg are simple enough toa rrange without any degree of suspicion."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I can't step back from any of them." Phoebe gives a soft huff. "And it's fine. You're not the first one to be surprised I'm so vehemently against referring to Bruce Wayne as my 'dad'. The last three ended up with horrible fates."

    Phoebe brings her hands up and covers her face.

    "I don't want that for him or the boys."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod over, "I'm sorry on that." She would go to push the ice cream back over to PHoebe, "So how about we start over then? W E still have three quarters of a tub left. And I think that we could both stand to have something to help us relax some."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe accepts the tub of ice cream.

    "... Talia, you don't know anything about me, do you?" she questions, looking at the assassin. And she turns the tub over. "... and I don't know a lot about you. So... how's this. I have been kinda poking at Damian because I wanna learn how to use swords. For reasons." she gives aside eye to Talia.

    "Wanna teach me how?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shake her head, "No, I do not know anything about you beyond the few times we ran into one another in the city." That's rather honest of her. "And that Damian has declared you his sister and there is no escape from that. And very well. I can teach you about swords. A few things to startw ith. You have enough on your schedule as it is, so this will be occasional and informal."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Works for me." Phoebe remarks, running her tongue over her teeth a moment as she considers all the other things that run on her schedule.

    "So. First thing is that as you might have guessed, I'm magical. I heal people. IT's the thing I do. I'm good at it, but *no one ever uses it*." Phoebe states, and then brings up a second finger.

    "I'm also a pretty horribly traumatized teenager with abandonment issues. So good luck getting close to me. And third..." she holds up her third finger "Idu already likes you."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would listen over and go to fold her legs underneath her as she would listen,s witching her position. Looking over at her and shake her head, "Then they are idiots. Given the amoun to ftime that these foolks spend hurting htemselves and forcing htemselves out while they're in agony as if it's some sort of penance.. I should smack them upsides the head."
    She would look over at Phoebe and listen. "I hope that I can pay back Idu's faith in me."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You gave him snausages. He's pretty much a stomach on legs as long as you're not an Actual Demon." Phoebe points out with a wry smile, and then she looks over to Talia.

    "So, how about you?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shrug, "Well, given my.. Family.. Injuries are rarely a lasting issue." That comes out somewhat cautiously. Surely Phoebe knows about the Lazarus Pits and how they work. "By reputation but not actual. And.." On Idu's faith, her own faith..
    "All I can do is try."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Idu would have alerted if you were an actual demon. He's /desher/, part of my biological family's heritage." Phoebe explains as she leans back, and begins to scoop out some of the raspberry ice cream.

    "Idu's a pretty good judge of character."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile, "Then I hope to continue his narrative of being always right." Her tone is soft. But the.. 'Hope to' rather than 'I shall' is quite, quite intended rather than slipping out. Her tone is sad but htat bit is honest.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... look, Talia - I'm not going to pretend that I can even guess what you've done. Not my place. I don't *care*. I almost triggered the apocalypse with my insecurities concerning a guy who wanted to protect me. I'm a horrible friend who was going to sacrifice the memories of everyone who knew me at one point. All we can possibly /do/ is try to be the people my dog thinks we are." Phoebe points out, "And all he wants is for people to give him lunchmeat."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile, "You are a very wise woman, Phoebe. And Inu sounds like a very wise dog." She would settle back over and glance at Phoebe. "You have burdens of your own to bear. Great ones." She would offer the last of the ice cream tub over. "Might you wish to talk about them?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You haven't reached that level of friendship yet." Phoebe states, around a scoop of ice cream. "That's going to be like, somewhere in the third gallon of ice cream talk." she gives a wry grin.

    "Eh. I do stupid things all the time. Ask Alfred. I'm not that wise."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would laugh, "I'm sure that as far as ALfred is concerned that all of us do stupid things, require chiding, and for those that he cares about require stitching up in the end. And I can accept that." That she hasn't reached that level of friendship yet.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Alfred... is just something else entirely. He definitely picks his battles with me. Kinda hilarious." she remarks quietly, "But I think his approval is easier to come by than Bruce's. He's quiet about it, but he's more obvious in his care for others. Bruce takes a while. If ever."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod, "Bruce has a.. Difficult time. HE has.." How does she quantify it. "So many burdens. So many. And he fears sometimes that he cannot let others help him or see them be buried. I do.. Not know him well."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Heh, is that a recent revelation?" Phoebe raises her eyebrows a moment as she looks to Talia, and she leans back on the roof.

    "That is probably by design. He doesn't let people in."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod, "The only person that truly knows him I suspect is Alfred." That bit is.. Even without her having been in touch on any level with him for years.. Probably remains true.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Hundred percent true. And I'm glad for that." Phoebe looks up at the clouds.

    "Everyone needs someone they can trust with everything. I'm lucky, I got mine. And I've got a best friend." she gives a small smile. "I don't... suppose you got to have that freedom, huh?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile sadly, "I would like to think so." Again, her words are careful. Is this all a part of one of her father's never ending games and manipulations? Perhpas. Is she giving her father too much credit and it lending itself to paranoia? Perhaps.
    "I hope to find out, even." Turning it into aj oke.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Give it time. If you want to change, you will." Phoebe remarks quietly, holding her hands up to the sky and judging the gray of her nails against the clouds.

    "... after all, it's not like you're *actually* a demon."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile, "I've been told otherwise. So hopefully Idu is right on that particular aspect." She would glance over at the nails. "So, what lead you to decide on that coloration?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Gray's the new black, and let the nail tech choose the highlight color." Phoebe replies breezily, bringing her hand back down. "Gunmetal was apparently super popular at the shop I went to. And I like the gel 'cause it's stronger than just polish." she explains, and she looks over to Talia "Want the name of the place?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shake her head, "No, thank you. But they did an excellent job. Try and convince Bruce to go to them. You can possibly get Alfred to help. I'm sure that it will confuse the ones that are not in on it massively."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... Talia, they're not gonna take Bruce Wayne or Alfred. This... it's a braid shop. Like, I could take *you* there, but the minute someone like Bruce walks in they're going to be *so* confused." Phoebe busts out in laughter, "but I can just see Bruce walking in, straightening his suit and going 'Yes, I would like to have my nails done' and you know what? They would do it, too!" she giggles, her nose crinkling a bit as she wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, and then draws herself up to a stand.

    "All right. I've gotta change and head out."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile over, "That's what makes it perfect. And you can't tell me that he wouldn't enjoy doing it just some. See if you can get Alfred to help you with it. Just for achange of pace. And take care on your patrol." There. She's made the girl laugh and given her most of a carton of ice cream and cake. It's a start.