16065/The Tumble from Grace

The Tumble from Grace
Date of Scene:	12 October 2023
Location:	Red Cave (14th Street Garage) - Park Row
Synopsis:	After having to execute a high school student who had signed a contract with a demon and who was already too far gone to recover, Phoebe seeks solace and laundry in Jason Todd's garage.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Jason Todd

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There's a familiar sound of a well-tuned if ancient motorcycle echoing along the back alley of Park Row as Phoebe make sher way to the Red Cave. She's got a big sack on her back, carefully looped around her so that it doesn't swing around to upset her balance as she pushes the access code for the garage in, and then as the door rattles open, she swings the back end of her bike out, and eases herself in, unlatching her chinstrap and removing her helmet.

    "JAson? Are you in?" she calls out, looking to the mustang.

    "Sorry to bother you -- washer at the Curio's broken and I still feel weird about Alfred folding my underwear."

Jason Todd has posed:
The dulcet tones of Led Zeppelin echo through the garage as Phoebe and Bike arrive.

Rising up from under the hood of his Mustang, Jason reaches for a rag to wipe his hands.

"I'm not sure. I should be during these hours. But you never know. Sometimes I'm so spontaneous and unpredictable even I don't know what my actual office hours are. Really, it's just a crap shoot. You'll just have to take your chances."

With a smirk, he walks toward the two visitors. "Oh. See. Jason, the owner of Todd's Laundro-matic? He's definitely out of town. I -could- let you in. But I'd be taking a huge risk. He's pretty much a straight up asshole. Temper like.. damn."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Oh hey, Jason of Jay-Tee's Car Repair and Bullet Hole Filling. How you doin'?" she gives a smile "I know, taking a huge risk that I might forget a red sock in the washer and turn all your white shirts pink?" Phoebe bats her eyes, and gives a smile as she sets her laundry sack down and dismounts her bike, leaning herself backwards to stretch her back muscles.

    "To be fair, I wasn't going to hijack your laundry facilities unless you were home. Kinda wanted to talk and just sorta hang out." she gives a slight smile, and then motions to the car "But if you're busy I can just do laundry and leave you alone."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd tosses the grease rag onto a work bench with a casual flick of the wrist. "No. I'm more than able to do that myself. Or Church is. He loves throwing his bandanas in the washer without telling me." Like a cat could talk.

"Didn't figure you would. And sure, you're always welcome to do laundry here. Alfred starches everything. Every. Thing." And that isn't a positive thing in Jason's mind.

"I'm not busy, c'mon." He even reaches out in an offer to carry the bag full of clothes if she wishes.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Cats are mischevious creatures of chaos. That's why I have dogs. They're... less mischevious creatures of chaos. Especially Chimkin Snuggets Smashed Potato." Phoebe states, and she hands off her laundry sack to Jason for him to kindly carry up.

    "Man I hope I haven't been away so long that he's forgotten me." she jokes, and then she breathes out.

    "Yeah. The first time he handled some of my clothing I got the feeling he didn't strictly approve of someone of voting age having -- you know what, discussing my underwear is just weird." she pauses, and lets out a loong sigh.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd pauses. "... smashed.. potato.. dog?" He considers that, "I think I'm safer not actually knowing. Aren't I?"

Taking the bag of laundry, he begins to climb the stairs to the loft and the promised laundering devices.

"Hey. I wasn't the one discussing anyone's unmentionables. I just work here. And live here. All at the pleasure of that damned cat." The muttering is complete with a scowl of affection toward the massive lounging form of Chruch - whose eyes don't open. An ear twitches and the tip of his tail curls and flops. Once. The humans may enter his domain.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "One, I didn't name him, that's the name the shelter gave him according to his paperwork after he was 'gifted' to me. Two, I just call him Potato, it's what it says on his nametag. Three, pretty sure he's partially deaf and blind but he is the most chill eighty pound lump of dog I have ever encountered." Phoebe states, "He's from the shelter day that Killer Moth decided to crash and Ant Man talked him outta it." Phoebe gives a bright smile as she takes off the satin hair-cover for under her helmet and shakes out her pink kinks and coils. They're fluffy.

    "Hey Church! How's it hanging boss-cat?" Phoebe gives a smile at the lounging form of Church.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd listens and looks back at Phoebe with a disbelieving expression and a grunt. "So Moth attacks the dog show and you come home with a dog? Sounds like his evil plan was a resounding success..." it's muttered but affectionately sarcastic.

"Love the hair b.t.w." Then he drops the sack of laundry in front of the washing machine and backs away. They're not his unmentionables after all.

Looking to the cat, Jason grunts again, "As entitled and lazy as ever. Till it's time for the Three AM Zoomies."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Ah, yeeaaaah, magic prank that backfired horribly on me. Now this is my natural hair color." Phoebe gives a wry smile as she walks over to open the sack and she takes out a baggie of laundry detergent. Tosses that in first.

    "Well I borrowed his leash to stop Moth from flying off. And he was unbothered by the dog whistles. And he's such a good boy even though oh gods he farts worse than Idu." Phoebe comments in affectionate complaint, and she begins to load the washer. Colorful unmentionables in fun patterns like 'dinosaurs' 'ponies' and 'Batman Symbols' get dunked in, with T-shirts, jeans, and a couple sweat shirts.

    And then down comes the lid of the washer.

    "I dunno. Don't you get three AM zoomies too sometimes?" she asks in a playful expression. "Isn't that about when you have to save my ass sometimes?"

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd arches a brow. "Maybe Magic is telling you to stop using your powers for evil and only for good?" To him it's a joke. It's funny.

He doesn't really pay attention to the clothes going in. "When I'm already awake that's one thing. He's sleeping and I'm sleeping. Then boom. He's just. Up. And bouncing off the walls at Mach 5 like his tail is on fire. It's insane."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Or maybe it's a Hellride telling me it doesn't appreciate celebrating the Barbie movie." Phoebe comments, leaning against the washer as it fills. "C'mon. I only use my magic for a little evil. The rest of it's all good." she points out, and then she lean her head back. "You know it's because they're apex predators whose main operation period is the night, so all those ancient instincts are going 'OHMIGOD MUST RUN NAO'" Phoebe grins.

    "The dogs do it too. That's why I try to take them both jogging with me. That and do you know how many people go over to the other side of the street when there's a girl with two dogs jogging along?"

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd shrugs, "Could be. Not like I know anything about magic."

"That. Is no apex predator. Unless it's a wounded dust bunny he's hunting. You know he's scared of his own shadow?" Jason asks seriously. "Flips out like it were a monster or something when the sun shines in the skylights just right. It's actually pretty funny."

"Wait. You said that this.. potato.. was deaf and blind? How do you keep him from wrapping his leash around every streat sign or telephone pole?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Mostly deaf and partially blind, I think. I can't be sure because every time I try to administer a test he just seems like he can see and hear, he's just got only two braincells." Phoebe shrugs. "I might have Bart take a look at him to be sure. And Potato, yeah, that's his name." Phoebe takes out her phone, and flips a few pictures, then turns around to show Jason.

    Potato largely looks like a large pitbull mix, with a generally clueless and happy about it expression. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fc/59/77/fc5977903cebb172a8500a5964245335.jpg

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd shakes his head. "Well.. it sounds like nature has found a way to finally keep you properly busy" he notes with a grin.

"Something to drink?" He makes his way toward the kitchen, pulling open the 'fridge door to check what's inside. "Water. More water. Energy water. Beer. Pineapple..."

Looking over the top of the door he waits for her to choose. Or decline.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Is it haunted pineapple? Are those ghosts -still- sending you Pineapple from beyond the pale?" Phoebe asks as she follows Jason into the kitchen, and she gives a wry smile, and peers over the fridge door.

    "Water's fine, unless it's a really good beer and you don't tell Bruce."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd looks at the fridge, "Wrong 'fridge. The Condo? Yeah. They're still leaving pineapple. I'm afraid to move out. It might make them mad or something." Plus, free pineapple. It's not quite free beer but still.

Another snort, "Please. Bruce hasn't talked to me outside of the rare family gathering, and even then I think it's only because Alfred might scowl at him if he didn't."

Pulling out one of the bottles of beer, he pops the cap off. "Still good." As if it could have been skunky from sitting in there too long. He's probably just teasing. At least the brand isn't the super cheap stuff. This time.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "That's actually pretty fascinating. I haven't heard about ghosts continuously leaving Pineapple. I mean they shouldn't even be able to, the amount of energy that it takes to manifest a physical object out of nothing is immense. You got some *weird* hauntings." Phoebe points out, accepting a beer and going to hop up onto the counter.

    "Speaking of Bruce and scowling..." Phoebe taps her bottle a moment.

    "How... do you think I should broach the subject of having to make the decision to unalive someone?"

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd just shrugs, "Not my fault. Unless they're mad because I showed up to try and help you. Which seems like a dumb thing to be upset over. We helped them, too, didn't we?" Right? He isn't even sure anymore.

Jason pauses mid sip of beer to look at Phoebe directly. It's a long hard stare as he tries to decide if she's serious.

"That conversation will never end the way you potentially want it to. There will be preaching. Guilt. Twisting your words. And did I mention anger and cruel words?" The voice of experience. "You'll never convince that man that there is any reason to kill anyone." A long, resentful sip of beer is taken. "Even when the only thing some people deserve is to be killed a million times over. He just keeps giving out Get Out Of Jail Free passes and says it helps the city."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "This wasn't Gotham related. It's a town a bit to the North of here. Mystic bullshit." she explains quietly, and then she tilts her head back, her lips pursed slightly as she raises her beer up and sips. One of those scars on her throat from her own demon encounters is showing.

    "He knows already that I walk in two worlds. And that demons can't be dealt with like people in most cases... but this was a highschooler who signed a contract. The easiest and quickest way to stop the issue was to eliminate the main contract holder. He was as good as dead anyway, hardly more than a husk." she scratches her neck a moment.

    'So, in the duty of having to hunt and deal with demons because goodness knows my life isn't screwed up enough, I did what had to be done. It wasn't in Gotham. It wasn't on Bat-Time."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd listens intently and then remains quiet for several beats.

His response and tone are matter of fact. "If it didn't happen in Gotham, then you don't 'owe' him a report. You think he accounts for everything he chooses to do to the League? You sure as hell know he doesn't account himself to any of us, he just expects us to jump to his tune."

He tries not to let it out often. But there is still some resentment there. One could argue he has the right. Wrong or otherwise.

"You did what you had to do. That's more than you owed explaining to me. The same for him. You weren't an 'agent'. So leave it there. That's what I say to you."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    And Phoebe listens. She takes it to heart, because while Tim was her first mentor in all this business of Bats and Heroes... Jason's the one who never sugar-coats and always tells it to her straight. And she knows Jason can keep a secret.

    It's why she brought him in to deal with the demon who took her voice, after all.

    "Okay, okay, yeah, you've got a point." she replies, and she takes a shakey breath, and she gives a small smile.

    "You know I really do value your insight into this, right?" she asks, "You are one of the smartest people I know."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd starts to acknowledge that she values his input. Then she goes too far.

"You take that back. I'm a big, slow, dumb bully who solves with violence what should be solved with peace." Whether he means it, is regurgitating something that was previously said to him, or is just being sarcastic? Well.

He finishes off the beer in his bottle.

"If something I say helps, I'm glad, Pheeb. But don't go giving me too much credit. I'm not the smart one in the family by a long shot."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "No, but I console myself with 'Batman doesn't pick dumb ones'. Saying you're 'not the smart one' in the family's a tough one though, I mean with Babs and Tim." she states, her eyebrows drawing up as she gives a crooked little smile, her nose wrinkling.

    "Besides. I know you're a book nerd." she sticks her tongue out and gives a self-satisfied 'mmm' noise before she finishes her own beer.

    "Besides, you're the brave guy who shows up to bail me out of bad situations with guns a-blazing. Me calling you anything short of 'the one who saves my ass' would be disgenuine. So -- while the laundry's going -- what can I help you with? Need me to hold a light while you work on the car?" she questions.