16187/Second Chances Sometimes Come With a Cost

Second Chances Sometimes Come With a Cost
Date of Scene:	26 October 2023
Location:	Family Room - Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Gabby and Damian discuss relationship, Phoebe starts planning for the holidays.
Cast of Characters:	Gabby Kinney, Damian Wayne, Phoebe Beacon

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Gabby Kinney has posed:
A second visit in as many days leads Gabby to riding up on her Honda Trail. By now it was a couple of years old and she'd put many miles on it and it bore scratches from various incidents that she'd tried to paint over or fix where she could. The Rebel Fighter helmet she wears is taken off to plop on the seat in front of her, pausing only to run her hand through her hair so it's not TOO helmet-hair-like. Then she stomps the kickstand down leaning the weight to the side and cuts the engine.

It's left there tucked to the side of the drive so that it wouldn't be in the way of any larger, fancier cars that might come up. The steps up to the door are taken two at a time....

RThen she pauses in front of the door. There was a knocker. She'd texted Damian to let him know she was coming (and to ask if it was all right), and now she hesitates. A deep breath is drawn and she thunks her forehead against the heavy wood door. One hand lifts to grasp the knocker and knock in a habitual pattern of 'Shave and a Haircut'.

It was an old thing she did with Thomas to let him know it was her. It was habit at this point.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian had gotten the text in the middle of his workout. Which was down in the Batcave. With her making her way to the front door, he knows that there is no way he would make the front door in time...

Instead, just after the last knock, the door opens, the silver-haired member of the Wayne family stands there before her. "Miss Kinney, I assure you, you seem to need either shave nor haircut." he comments to her in dry humor. "Master Damian is expecting you. If you will follow me?"

The Butler leads her through the grand entrace and ballroom into one of the side wings. The doors to the Family Room open, just as Damian is coming out of the gym area. He's dressed in a grey compression shirt, shorts that go to his mid-thigh, his hands and feet tied off with tape and a towel draped around his neck. "Gabby!" he greets with a smile.

Alfred looks between the pair and gives a nod to Damian. An excellent choice. He closes the doors to the wing behind the pair.

"You caught me in the middle of my workout." he confesses as he steps up to her. "Don't know if you want to hug me, I am gross." There is a hint of a tease in his voice.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney steps back when the door opens to be greeted by Alfred. She'd never met him before, but heard a great deal, and been lucky enough to try some of the cookies that Tim brought her once. His humorous response draws a bright grin from her. "Old habit," she explains with a chuckle though she does nod as she heads in to follow. "Thanks. Sorry for dropping by unexpectedly. Mostly unexpected at least." Apparently Damian was waiting after all, right? She had told him and he passed it on.

The expansive mansion is regarded as she passes not with awe or envy but with the analytical gaze of someone absently memorizing the path they were taking and marking escape routes. Another habit. Right now she was running on auto pilot in some aspects because her thoughts were all muddled up.

Damian's arrival earns a smile in turn as well as a chuckle at mention of his workout. "Sorry for that. I know it's unexpected. I just..." The door shuts behind her as Alfred leaves making her realize he HAD shut the door. She hadn't noticed him leaving at first and she gives a little jump before rubbing the back of her head. "I'm off my game tonight. Had to have that talk with Josh and I feel awful but I know it was the right thing and ugh."

Sweaty or not she does step in close to at least plonk her forehead in against his chest. "I do way better when it comes to fighting."

Damian Wayne has posed:
"Here I thought you had not gotten enough of me." Damian comments with a slight smirk, but his attention is on her, and there is a shake of his head. "You did not bother me much. Nothing that I could not set aside?" At least, he hopes that sounds like the sincere concern he feels.

When she mentions the talk with Josh, that causes him to have an ah-a moment, and she closes the distance to press against her. He warned her. This is him, smelling his most natural. He has yet to get a chance to cool off - much less clean.

One hand settles around her waist, hand splayed on her lower back, his other hand reaching up, his fingers playing into her hair. "You said it was the right thing. I hope that you conveyed as much?" he asks her.

There's a glance to the gym. "We could go into the gym and you can pummel the bag or me until you feel better?" he suggests to her. "Though I would be just as happy to listen to you and try to be a supportive..." Friend? No. They're trying again. "Boyfriend?" She can set him back if she wants.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    SOMEHOW, she managed to meander her way into the family room without the Son of the Bat or the talented tracker of the Outsiders (and so many more groups). She's wearing orange plastic rimmed glasses, her hair is damp and in its natural kinks and coils state and a little everywhere, she's wearing a WAYNE TECH hoodie that might actually be Tim's, a T-shirt announcing Taco Night at the Rogues stadium and a pair of pajama shorts with 1-Up Mushrooms all over them, and her feet with the spilled-milk pattern of paler skin. She has a textbook and notebooks in her hands and a pencil over each ear as she purses her lips, brings her eyebrows up, and then kind of upnods at the two.

    And then stands awkwardly, with her usual black pepper and roses scent marred by burning metal and singed cities.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
He had warned Gabby about being sweaty. That compression shirt was probably wicking though, so he might not be as damp as he was before he came from the downstairs 'gym' to greet her. Either way, when he wraps his arms around her she leans in letting out a heavy sigh. "I didn't tell him about us meeting again, I thought that might be a bit much, but I did point out that we were having difficulties and I felt a bit awkward with the group--"

The explanation cuts off as she catches a whiff of someone else. Her head lifts up to sloooowly turn toward Phoebe red-faced and pink eared with a blush. A quick, toothy smile is flashed toward her as she chuckles. "Heeeey Pheebs, long time. Uh. You're probably wondering why..." Not the time for the eighties flashback sequence voiceover.

Lightly she clears her throat with eyes lifting back up toward Damian giving a little shrug. "Surprise?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
"You didn't need to tell him about us if you didn't see it as a reason." Damian responds reasonably. "Between the conflict of interest with the group member and leadership and what was it you said. 'Not meshing'?"

He starts to say something more when Gabby suddenly whips her head around. In his defense, he was perhaps paying too much attention to the woman in his arms and not enough on his surroundings. After all, there is very little here that would offer ill-intent.

Short of a gossipy sister telling all of the siblings that Damian has found a girlfriend. Perhaps. At least it's not Stephanie or Tim, there would be no mitigating that damage.

"I assumed she would learn of this sooner or later. If you are fine with it, Gabrielle, I will not murder her and feed her to the sharks in the bay to protect our secret."

His lips upturn. Just a smidge.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You may test the assumption that you can murder me..." Phoebe starts with a serious note, and then she appears to reconsider, "at some other time and date... actually not at all, please don't try to murder me. I don't like being dead." Phoebe comments, and then she motions between the two.

    "You want me to backtrack the way I came? Or maybe just kinda portal to my apartment to study so that I'm plausable deniability? Although I think Alfred saw me take Idu and Potato for a run this morning..." she states quietly, and then awkwardly rubs the back of her head, her lips pursing and she looks up and around the family room.

    "'Cause of all the people to see me in my pajamas wandering the manor, Gabby isn't one of them I thought it would happen with."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney finds herself smiling as well though she tries valiantly to repress it. "Given Alfred let me in I think things may be known soon enough as well," she responds to Damian. A half-step back is taken... Or she starts to, but he does have his arms around her. It's entirely up to him if she gets to step away or not, really.

"Like I haven't seen you in your pajamas at the Roost before," she offers back to Phoebe only to pause at something the other girl said. "Wait, who's Potato?" Idu and Potato? One she knew, the other she did not. A slow realization dawns and she gasps. "Did you get another dog? Where is he? Her? It?"

Important questions first obviously.

Damian Wayne has posed:
She wanted to step away and Damian releases her so that she may. His arms fall to his side, and quiets down to allow Gabby and Phoebe to catch up. "Potato is a dog closer to Phoebe's personality." That's pretty much all he has to offer on it.

He'll wait until Gabby's ready to circle back around to the reason why she came. "Do I have time to shower and freshen up quickly?" he asks of the pair, a glance to the door of the gym behind him.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Potato is *not*..." Phoebe begins, and then she pauses to run her hand through her poofy hair.

    "Yes. Another dog. He's probably sleeping up in my room. It's a long story involving two men who part time as insects I guess?" she ventures, and she shakes her head, "Ah, no no, you two were obviously in the middle of a big discussion, I won't keep you from each other. From continuing with each other. The discussion." she stammers, her cheesk and ears darkening in embarrassment

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Nonsense. You're my friend and his sister," Gabby responds before turning her attention back toward Damian. The request of going to clean up real quick garners a smile from her, and she risks leaning in to give his cheek a peck of a kiss. "Go on, I can wait a bit for a freshly showered you," she teases lightly.

Only then does she step away fully to head for one of the couches to plop down on it, gesturing toward Phoebe to have a seat too. If she wanted anyway. Of course, if Damian does step away to go shower, she watches him leave and promptly claps both hands over her face with a little groan.

"We're trying again. After he explained why he bailed last time. And I had to break things off with someone else I was kind of seeing but not really vibing with and why am I blushing so damn much, Phoebe?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian slips off, but not before he accepts - he leans into Gabby's kiss on his cheek and a smile for her. "I will not be long." he promises as he steps away to head to the much closer gym and showers.

Thankfully he keeps a spare set of clothes in there, just in case he needs to change and while doing that, misses out of Gabby's explanation to Phoebe -- and that her reaction may have had him blushing for a moment as well in the wake of the kiss and his retreat.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe does sit down. She straightens up a little as she does so, zipping up her (Tim's) hoodie as she presses her lips in a thin line, watching Gabby watch Damian leave.

    "... Gabs. Pretty sure I don't have to explain basic biology about how freaking liking someone works. But if you do need that explaination, I have finger puppets for it." she states, leaning onto the arm of the couch.

    "But you do realize you're dating into a family of detectives. Everyone is gonna know your business in like, a week." she cracks a little smile, "Trust me, I went to break the news I was dating Robbie to Tim, and Tim just came out with Robbie's name and then apologized for ruining the big reveal."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney drops her hands away to shift on the couch. Her legs tuck up on the side (feet on furniture oh no!) so she can lean on the armrest with both arms to kind of face toward Phoebe more as they talk. "I know. I know. I just didn't expect... It's been awhile since I felt like this at first. I mean. I know I just got out of a relationship awhile ago, but that kind of built up and wasn't just..." Her hands lift making flappy motions like explosions. "Poof."

Her hands drop again and she smiles again. "Well yeah. I'm not exactly expecting it to be a secret. Also congrats on the new doggo." A long pause comes, then she asks, "Have you met Goliath yet? Damian introduced me yesterday. He's so cute!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Gabby, I've lived in the Manor for over a year." Phoebe cracks a grin as she settles, and takes one of the pencils from behind an ear. "Of course I've met, baby talked, petted, brushed out, and taken a nap on t he giant dragon-bat that lives in the barn." she expands, and she leans back a moment.

    "Sometimes I go into the barn to babytalk Goliath into being a couch for studying and he falls asleep. I'm really impressed that he gets on so well with Batcow and the horses, along with Alfred the Cat, Dorito the Cat, Ace, Titus, Potato and Idu."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Finally, the gym doors open and Damian steps out, cleaned up. He may have actually spent a few more moments than usual in there. No paticular reason for a little freshening up, making sure his hair looks nice - that he doesn't have anything between his teeth.

Dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a slightly oversized 'Gotham FC' t-shirt, with grippy socks on his feet, he makes his way back into the family room and if she doesn't mind his company, will sit next to Gabby.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Speaking of babytalking Goliath and napping on him. Phoebe may have a picture on her phone. From a few years ago, when Damian was smaller than he is now. He's out in the barn, it had been snowing and the boy had brought his comforter from his bed out to the barn, draped it over Goliath and had fallen asleep nestled against him with a copy of one his mangas that he likes to read.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins broadly at the very thought of that. "He does seem very cuddly and warm," she has to admit of Goliath. "We sat up against him a bit while talking and well, deciding things." While kissing. She's not about to say that even if it's the truth. There are some things she doesn't babble! Or at least she was getting better at not babbling it.

"The barn, huh? We were out by the lake," she explains when Damian comes back. She looks back toward him as he joins her, and reaches over to take hold of his hand in hers to give a little squeeze. She always had been a touchy feely person. Damian though? She wasn't sure if he was or not. So far that wasn't stopping her from trying.

"So uh, yeah. Damian did mention you gave him ideas for dates back when we first met," she blurts out with a bit of amusement that devolves into a chuckle. "Thanks. Maybe we're in a better place to try again now to begin with. I think so at least."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yeah, I gave him a couple of ideas when he asked for dating advice. Not that my dates are really that exciting. The last two or three were decidedly tame with 'sit on the couch and eat hot food before patrol-hunting'." she pauses.

    And finger steeples. "Except that one time when he broke Phillip Glass's nose. That was pretty great, actually. Made TikToks and everything." she states, and then she purses her lips, and then rubs at her right shoulder a little.

    "Man, this is going to be such a weird Christmas. Wonder if we can get everyone here for dinner some night. We'd have --" she begins to count on her fingers "... like forty people all told. That's a lot of tofurky."

Damian Wayne has posed:
When Gabby takes his hand, he turns it over as Damian laces his fingers with hers. Progress! After all, he did just ask if she was his girlfriend - not that she had answered that before Phoebe jumped in.

"I introduced Goliath at the lake because I did not want to have Gabby swarmed by the menagerie of animals at the farm. And I told Gabby some of your ideas. Such as the trampoline park, or skydiving. Or a demolition derby." Fine, two of those were NOT Phoebe's suggestions, but he puts them with her anyway.

In case Gabby didn't like them.

"We only need tofu turkeys for those that do not eat traditional turkey. I will be fine with a smoked normal turkey breast, thank you."