16134/Hot Starcrossed Dumplins

Hot Starcrossed Dumplins
Date of Scene:	21 October 2023
Location:	Hot Dumpling Restaurant
Synopsis:	Gabby reconnects with Damian a year after his strange flake out. It's as awkward as one could imagine.
Cast of Characters:	Damian Wayne, Gabby Kinney

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Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian was not expecting company tonight. After spending a morning training and at class, the young man realized the evening was coming. But on the schedule of things, it was Batwing's night off. And rather than ignore said schedule and deal with disappointing looks, Damian actually decided to leave the manor and enjoy one of the spots that had been introduced to him.

While he may be oil and gasoline with his older 'brother', he has to thank him for introducing him to the restaurant. While he could settle in one of the booths, he really has been trying to push for the Changs to install tatami seating (he even offered to spring for it!) but there has been no such luck.

Sitting at the booth by himself, he has just had a few wicker steamer baskets delivered to him. Opening them to expose the dumplins within, he allows himself a small smile of pleasure as the steam rises into his face. This was one of the places he could show up as himself and not be accosted.

Picking up the chopsticks, he slaps his hands together and gives a quick blessing before breaking the sticks at their veritcal axis to slide them between his fingers so he could dig in.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Mama Chang saw to it that no one bothered them. Sure, some had figured out that these were the Wayne Siblings by now--but that didn't matter. Jason had grown up in the streets just like the rest of them. He was part of the neighborhood, and the others had eased their way in by being good customers as well. Some, much like Damian, even spoke Mandarin! Or tried to. That blonde girl couldn't get the pronunciation right. She tried though, so Mama Chang had to give her credit for that. The general rule here was simple though: People came here to relax, to eat, and not to be bothered.

Which is why, when a face that had only been here once before (thanks Tim and Phoebe!) appears they're at least a bit wary about watching Gabby's entrance. Her nose had led her here deciding this is exactly what her stomach wanted tonight though. A quickly flashed smile is offered to Mama Chang as she's about to ask for a seat when her nose picks up a familiar scent.

A little look of surprise flits over her face as she turns to regard the young man in the booth she'd not seen for at least a year. Maybe longer? She'd been so busy since then she had lost track of time a bit. "Excuse me just going to say hi," she utters as she moves from the entrance toward the booth.

"Long time, Damian."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian had just gotten the first of the his shrimp siu mai when a voice he has not heard in a couple of years touches upon his ears. Lowering the dumpling that he had captured, he looks up and takes in Gabby. Has she gotten taller? It seems like she has.

The look of surprised turns into something a little more pleasant as he moves to rise to his feet. He's had a bit of a growth spurt, it seems! Because now, yes, he is definetly taller than she is.

"Gabby, it has been a while." he offers to her, not exactly awkward, but working his way through his thoughts and memories of her. Which at times, were confusing. "Save you the trouble of ordering? I have plenty here, would you like to join me?" he asks her.

He asks Mama Chang in Mandarian to add Gabby's drink order to his tab as he pauses. Does he give her a hug? Handshake? Just sit back down?

"One year and five months. Thereabouts."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Taller perhaps. At least by a little but Damian still out paced her greatly by far more. The gap between their heights was much larger than the last time she'd seen him even if he wasn't as tall as some of his brothers she knew.

For a moment her expression remains uncertain as she's not sure how he will react to her being there. The offer to join though? The tension eases from her face allowing a little smile to come more easily.

"Yeah, that's probably about right," she finds herself having to agree after only a moment of thought on exactly how long. Felt longer, though she decides not to speak THAT thought. Instead, a little amused snort comes from her as she steps forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug, "C'mere you big dummy." It's a quick catch and release hug, but a hug none the less, and she steps back after to sink into the seat opposite.

"Sure if you don't mind, though I'm going to want some...Ah, yeah." Her hand slides over to the little containers of red pepper sauce that was on the tabletop. "Little spice. Not that it needs it, just... Nice on a colder night."

"How's things going for you?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
There was a time where someone would suddenly hug Damian, and it would be grounds to be stabbed. Or at least feel him freeze up and grouse. They're both uncertain. He may just be hiding it better than her.

And then she's pressed against him, for just a moment, and his arms rise to return the hug to her. His nostrils take in the scent of her shampoo before she releases him and he moves to return to his seat with practiced ease.

The siracha had been pulled closer to him, however, when she seeks it out, he helps push it over in her direction. "Winter will be here soon. Unfortunate that some elements do not take the opprotunity to hibernate. Better that others do not."

It clanky. Awkward. But see, Honey Badgers don't hibernate in the winter. So. Perhaps an attempt at humor. Even if it's a poor one.

"I can handle a little extra spice," he starts to say, not exactly dodging the question, but trying to find the best way to answer it.

"It has been going well. I have been working on trying to become more of a part of a whole instead of being on my own. There are things that I am confident that I alone can handle myself. But I am finding myself relying on those that wish to help."

"And you? All is well with you?" he asks, as he returns to finally picking up one of the dumplings to snack on as he moves the basket closer to the middle of the table to share.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Cedar. Jasmine. Something else to help marry the two together. It was a very faint sent but there lingering in her hair. Woodsy, sweet, earthy. Not overwhelming. It couldn't be with her senses as strong as they were, yet... It was there. That little bit of shampoo that left behind a whisper of a scent. The urge to inhale during the hug is held just as her breath is for fear of accidentally insulting. Her nose was more keen than most after all and he likely knew this fact. Instead she focuses on just relaxing back into the seat once the moment has passed.

Though Gabby spoke a lot, she wasn't as eloquent a speaker as Damian. It takes her a moment to just focus on listening to his words and taking in their potential double meaning that was almost always present when speaking with someone 'in the biz' that had a secret identity. "Yeah. Winter has it's moments."

She takes over one of the little plates before drizzling the sauce on the plate itself so she can dip the dumplings into it rather than drenching them. Easier to control that way. Satisfied the bottle is offered back sliding across to him once more, and she reaches for some chopsticks of her own.

"Well enough. I've been busy but not as much as this time last year." Her gaze lowers a moment to just stare at a spot on the basket. Thinking quietly through a through breaths before she's stirred into movement again. Deft chopsticks pluck up one of the shu mai to bring onto her smaller plate.

"The group I was part of lost it's leadership partially due to one of my relatives. So I took responsibility. It's grown since then, and I've expanded to three other leaders. Which helps."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian was wearing a bit of something different that last time they met. A mix of ripe bergamont, lemon, blackcurrant, intermingling and teased with lavendar, clary sage, peach and apricot. It's a vibrant, warm smell, and his arms may have lingered a second longer than hers in the hug - but that may only be because he was waiting for her cue to release.

Picking up a dumpling and splashing it with sauce, he listens to her update. No. Not an update. This isn't him telling Bruce how his patrol went, it's a young woman sharing how her life's been, and he should treat it as such.

While he could talk circles about most any subject you could give him, when it comes to the interpersonal relationship? It is probably one of his weakest topics.

Since he is sharing the meal, he uses his own plate to mitigate, so that he is not taking directly from the basket. "I hope all is well and that you are not busy because it is not chaotic, and not because you just lack things to do. Though I doubt that would ever truly be the case with you."

When she explains the group and it's dynamic, he nods his head slowly, "Being on the board of a similar group, it is always good to be able to spread the wealth and responsibility, as it were." She knows he's one of the 'leaders' of the Titans, even if he hasn't been the best leader of it at times. "I am glad to hear that you are..." he searches for the right word, before settling on. "...not too occupied."

He starts to ask another question, stopping himself instead as he eats another dumpling, chasing it with a glass of water.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Indulges. Just for a few moments, she indulges in the entire situation. Though it might be considered impolite she rests the elbow of one arm on the table so she can lean her cheek into her hand. The other draws up her chosen dumpling to take all in one bite before lowering her chopsticks again while her green eyes slide shut.

The scents. The flavors. The sound of chatter in a language she didn't know as a peaceful backdrop to enjoying the mouthful she slowly chews while listening to Damian speak. Another deep breath is drawn before she gulps down the mouthful, and reaches for her own drink that Mama Chang had delivered per request. A Coke, unfortunately. Likely to ruin the flavor she'd so enjoyed, but... It was what she liked.

Gabby opens her eyes again to regard Damian across the table with a little smile. "There's always something to do. Sometimes it's just upkeep though. Right now it's kind of a waiting and preparing time given the upcoming holiday is a bit... Rife with issues. I'm enjoying the downtime a bit."

"Trying to keep busy though, just in different ways. I've got a small side business a friend gifted me last year. A shop in Gotham actually."

That little hesitation at the end of his speech was noticed. Another dumping is accepted. "What's on your mind, Damian?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
He seems always so polite. So stuffy and rigid, sitting there in that perfect posture in the seat. He could slouch. Surely, it's easy, he's had to act that part plenty of time. But it's not relaxing to him. Not yet. He's still learning.

It will still be a couple of more years before Mama Chang will be delivering rice wine to the table. Or even a good Chinese beer. Ah well. Setting his chopsticks on his plate for now, he picks up his napkin to dab his mouth.

Green eyes go half-lidded in thought, before he releases his breath. "There will always be something to do. May it never become overwhelming." he offers to her with a touch of a smile.

"What type of business is it? I will have to visit sometime. Unless it is something that you do not think I would enjoy." Damian suggests when Gabby brings up that fact. It seems like a polite thing to do.

And she catches onto that hesistation, he glances to the side. "I was just recalling that the last time we met, it was under similar circumstances. And my behavior at the time was incomprehensible. And driven by a momentary confusion and misudnerstanding and that I did not offer you explanation, nor apology." he admits to her, deciding to approach the subject head on.

"I am not sure you would want to hear either now. I had greatly enjoyed our time together and I allowed my fear of..." he doesn't even know if he can find the word for it. "I allowed thoughts that I would not be a good..." And again, there's that pause.

"I hope that you have found someone worthy of your time and attentions. Because I realize what it was that I had given up in a moment of fear and was too much of a coward in my personal life to face it."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney smiles with faint amusement at the mention of the business. "It's a small clothing shop that does casual clothes. A lot of old street artists work on the designs and sell them, and when I took over I started a 'hero inspired' line that helps raise money for charity. There's copyright issues so we can't use the exact logos or designs some use, but.... 'Inspired by' still gives a lot of room for creativity."

As the conversation turns to their last interaction she grows quiet to listen attentively. It suddenly all started to make a bit of sense at least. "I see. I guess I can understand being uncertain of an unfamiliar situation. I've been there myself at times." Though she hadn't quite reacted that way. Best to leave that response out.

Talk of finding someone though just earns a little wry grin. "Ah... I dated a pair for awhile, but we kind of drifted apart. Currently been on a date with someone else but he's the adopted son of one of my fellow leaders. I'm not sure it's right for us."

Damian Wayne has posed:
"You realize, Wayne Enterprises could help with some of your copyright issues, if you speak with the right person." Damian responds with a mote of amusement, and then there's a quiet chuckle. Another dumpling is procured and processed, because it gives Damian the time he needs to think.

"Before that evening, I had spoken to someone of you." he admits. "She suggested that I ask you to train with me. Or take you on an outing. Something extreme, like bungy jumping or racing vehicles. Even a trampoline park." A shrug of his shoulders.

"I want to explain the why to you. But this is not the place to do so." He admits finally. Though, she does speak that there is someone else. "I see." he manages with a nod of his head. "I have seen someone else as well. We remain close friends."

"If you do not want to know more, I would be happy to continue to be your friend, Gabby." he finally ventures. "I know that once something is done, it is hard to be undone." But again, there's that respect for the fact that she's been on a date with someone else. However, that does not mean a relationshop. "I am glad I had the chance to at least tell you how I feel."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I'd like that. Being friends," Gabby responds quietly. It had been a tough time for her to begin with for various reasons... but that wasn't something to get into at this point either. "Yeah I'm still friends with my exes, too. My ex boyfriend and girlfriend," she explains so that he at least has SOME idea of the arrangement she'd been in. Perhaps. Not everyone was accepting of such things.

"Thank you for dinner, Damian."

Damian Wayne has posed:
"You're welcome, Gabby. I hope we can do this again soon." With that, he takes out his wallet and after fishing a couple of bills, Damian sets them on the table. "My phone number hasn't changed."