17344/The Soft Times

The Soft Times
Date of Scene:	05 March 2024
Location:	Red Cave (14th Street Garage) - Park Row
Synopsis:	Phoebe wakes up on Jason Todd's bedroom floor -- after presenting as a safety hazard for Jason upon waking. The two discuss the Lazarus Pit, and what happens when recovery can't be complete. Jason, as usual does not sugar coat or make false promises.
Cast of Characters:	Jason Todd, Phoebe Beacon
Tinyplot:	Caliginosity

---

Jason Todd has posed:
Zoom. Skitter skitter. Zoom. Thump. Zoom. Skitter-thump!

Sounds from the living area of Jason's place above the garage begin to get louder.

Tossing and turning, Jason slowly wakes and mutter-mumbles irritably.

"... dammit Church.." Either the cat has too much energy or he's found a mouse to chase. Neither option matters to Jason, only the noise.

Throwing back the covers, he sits up and pivots. Dropping bare feet on the floor he goes to take a step. However, due to circumstances he is here-to-fore unaware of, his foot catches on a blanket bunched up on the floor. And then bumping into a body that wasn't supposed to be there.

Tumbling over the unknown object/person, Jason tucks into a roll and winds up sitting facing back toward his bed.

"... the hell?" Church has a lot of s'plaining to do.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    You know how much skill you need to sneak up, burrow under blankets, and fall asleep without waking up an experienced Vigilante?

    Probably depends on how exhausted Jason was the night before.

    Phoebe had her head wrapped in a satin hood to keep her hair from tangling. She was wearing a Sparkle Pony T-shirt, and was wrestled out of sleep by Jason tripping over her -- so she grabbed the nearest weapon of convenience (which was a weighted dinosaur stuffed animal) and prepared to defend Jason against... well. Jason.

    She blinks, blearily, and then tilts her head back and flops down to the blankets. "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I just -- " she gives a soft huff.

Jason Todd has posed:
It turns out, not as much skill when the person doing the sneaking is a family member whose footfalls, faint or otherwise are familiar to said vigilante.

Those weighted stuffed animals are deadly if you know how to use them. Jason has no doubt that if anyone has such arcane knowledge it is Phoebe. And Cassandra, Queen of All 'Saurs.

Rubbing his face, Jason blinks his eyes into focus, "What? No, it's okay Phoebe. I just.. didn't know you were there. Church is flying around the place like his tail is on fire. That's what woke me up" he mutters tiredly.

Then it properly occurs to him that Phoebe is sleeping on the floor in his room. "Wait.. why are you sleeping on the floor?" Maybe there were mice after all. In which case he won't be able to yell at Church as much as he wants to right now.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoeb sits up again, and rubs her eyes with the back of her hand.

    "Nightmares." she states. "I couldn't get back to sleep on the couch. I meant to get out of here before you woke up because... y'know." she shrugs a shoulder "Twenty years old, I should not be sleeping on the floor because of nightmares." she rolls her hand in the air, sitting up and putting her chin on her knees as she reaches up to pull the headpiece off.

    "I couldn't find my phone to put on the noise generator website, and Church was somewhere else." she yawns, and she purses her lips. "So... ah... sorry--"

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd listens. "Nightmares don't give a damn about how old you are" he mutters from first hand knowledge. "It's okay. I'm not upset, Phoebe. I moved before I was alert and tripped myself. That's more on me than it is on you" he offers ruefully.

He moves to stand up and offers a hand to her. "Alright. Since we're awake, shall we go skin a cat for tearing up the place? Or just go make some cocoa? Both is also a definite option."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Oh don't skin Church. He'll just complain the whole time." Phoebe answers, and she looks up at Jason, and then reaches up to take his hand and pull herself up.

    "You can blame me for tripping you. You weren't expecting my tired-ass-butt being there." she murmbles and stiffles another yawn.

    "Do you still have... y'know. Nightmares? About everything?" she questions quietly. as she follows him out. She'll grab the blankets later.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd snorts. "Not wrong. He's a wimp" Jason agrees.

"I'm not going to blame you" he says over his shoulder as he walks out to the living area. "Hey! Church. Cut it out!" he directs toward a furry blur that streaks past his ankles.

Turning to look at Phoebe, he nods. "Yeah. Maybe not as often as right after. But. Yeah."

He busies himself with heating up some water for cocoa and getting the chocolatey mix container out. And marshmallows. It's not hot chocolate without them.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    It really isn't. And this was a comfort to Phoebe, sitting down in one of the chairs, watching Jason be domestic.

    It was hilarious to her, somewhere in her mind, because Bats, being domestic, making cocoa and talking about feelings is not what anyone would expect of them, and she makes an abused sound.

    She wiggles her fingers near the floor to try and attract Church, the cantankerous Maine Coon.

    "C'mon Church. I know you've got the zoomies." she lilts gently as she sets her other arm down on the table and sets her head into the crook of her elbow.

    "I should probably stop by Gotham U and check in with my student advisor." she mumbles.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd's Bat-Card was always at risk of being revoked anyway. Why should he not flirt with that line more by doing things that Simply Aren't Done?

Eventually Church prances over, tail raised in triumph. Held in his jaws is, indeed a small mouse... toy. He bites it, making it squeak-a squeak-a. Behold the vicious hunter returning victorius with his prey.

He bunts against Phoebe's hand and drops the mouse toy so he can meow proudly at her. THe humans would be lost without his hunting and guarding prowess. The scary toy would have caused grievous harm to them. Humans are so helpless.

As the water begins boiling, Jason brings the quickheating pot over to the table and sets it down with the cocoa mix, marshmallows annnnnd... he swipes a can of real whipping cream from the 'fridge. Because it is needful.

"Whenever you're ready to. Till them you can just email. Pretty sure we can create a valid reason for an unplanned leave of absence that won't affect your grades."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Ah, mighty Nimrod, returned with your quarry in victory." Phoebe states to Church as he squeakhs, and she scritches at his head as she closes her eyes. The humans would indeed be lost without his guidance and majesty.

    Phoebe lifts her head from her elbow as Jason brings over the pot and the mix, and she gives a snort.

    "Yeah, it's called 'More money from the Wayne Vault'" Phoebe replies dourly. "The psych program is going to be on hold without Sewell there. They're probably scrambling to find out what happened that he and I disappeared around the same time."

    She considers a moment, her nose scrunching.

    "I can't hide in your place forever; you'll get tired of me eventually. With my vegetarian cooking and sleeping on your floor and eating your breakfast cereal."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd shrugs. "If you've got it, use it." He's much less concerned about tapping into Bruce's funding if or when he's able. It isn't doing anyone else any good sitting around unspent in his point of view.

He looks at her thoughtfully. "You've got every alibi needed, assuming someone is smart enough to try and find a correlation between your absence and his."

"You're not hiding. You're healing. It's as much physical as it is mental and.. emotional." See? He can talk about emotions. It's easier than talking about things mystical and spiritual. Which is more the reality of the Lazarus Pit. Not to say the experience is anything less than traumatic.

"As for cooking, that's why I order online for both of us. Who has time to deal with grocery shopping these days?" All the while Church, well pleased with the appropriate tribute paid to him by Phoebe, purrs proudly and launches himself up onto the table. Because he smells people snacks. And where there's people snacks.. ah, yes. There is the tribute bowl.

Waiting expectantly Church watches as Jason finally relents and sprays a generous swirl of whipping cream into the little bowl. With a sniff of approval the huge cat turns into a giddy little kitten and begins tonguing away at the sweet creamy treat. His human minions may stay; for a little longer at least.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I'm... doing both. I haven't even really spoken to anyone since... y'know. I came back." Phoebe mumbles, watching as Church tucks into his tribute, and she takes a mug of cocoa.

    "Just kinda been dozing off all the time here and occasionally foraying out and pretending to be human." she gives a small smile, and her eyebrows rise up.

    "I haven't even powered on my phone. I'm just -- I dunno. Existing between nightmares," she remarks quietly. "Ran into Talia. She's watching. Ran into a healer I knew." she purses her lips a moment. "It is so weird being on the other side of someone's healing."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd shrugs. "Call it what you like, then" he responds neutrally. "Doesn't really matter as long as you have time to recover. Get your head clear."

Sipping at his cup, he adds absently, "Takes time." A lot of it.

He snorts at the mention of Talia. "Yeah. I can't figure her. She brought me back. Then tried to use me as a tool. Or leverage. Or.. god knows. She's hard to figure sometimes. On one hand I'd say that having her watch is out of some obligation or desire to help Bruce keep us kids going. Safe. Or something. But sometimes it just feels like she's waiting for a moment to stick the blade deep and twist, just to get at him."

"Another healer?" He shrugs a little, "not my expertise but that seems odd to just run into one. Isn't it?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You know, she purchased for me every Sailor Moon costume once?" she asks Jason, looking over to him as she nurses her cocoa. "She has an obligation to Bruce and Damian. Bruce thought she and I would get along well enough to help one another over our dad issues. Then --" she swipes a little whipped cream off her cocoa with a finger...

    "Got a little antsy when I combined League of Assassins training with trauma injury training and started pointing out all the ways I could cause someone to bleed out with a knick to the inner thigh, or under the arm. Maybe it was a test. Probably failed it." she gives a soft snort. "I once told her she should probably see a therapist to deal with the codependency and meglomania. Unfortunately I've got bad luck with psychs." she breathes out.

    "... yeah. A member of the Justice League Dark. He works for one of the leaders and is dating another one. He showed up with her later. Weird. He sat with me and helped get my immune system going, and --" she holds up her left hand, where there was a scratch that's largely healed over. "Platelets. Turns out when your body's used to easy mode it doesn't like having to make its own." she purses her lips a moment.

    "... what if I never recover?"

Jason Todd has posed:
"I do not want to know why she bought those for you any more than I want to know why you would have wanted them" he mumbles cautiously.

"That sounds like the sort of test she'd try to give someone. Not that different than what.." he trails off and leaves that unfinished. Then he laughs, "My god. The amount of mental and emotional trauma." Just thinking about it makes him cringe. "No therapist could come away from that session feeling safe or sane again." He grins. "That's why none of us ever really try therapy. We have pity on the poor professionals."

Justice League Dark. It makes him scowl a little. "Well at least they're from a sanctioned team and not just a random off the street."

He remains quiet, watching Church effortlessly leap up on to a surface he knows he isn't allowed on. Those Yellow-Gold eyes turn to look at Jason and slow blink. Daring the human to deny his authority. When no challenge comes, as the large cat expected, Church sniffs at the air before sauntering over to unceremoniously flop down on his side in a sliver of sunbeam starting to shine through one of the transom style windows set high along the brick wall. Solar power is the only way to Cat.

"And you're assuming I have?" It's quiet. A shared admission. A secret many may suspect but have never been able to confirm.

He glances to Phoebe. "This life is going to kill all of us. It's not like that's a surprise. We all knew it when we started. Whether or not it was admitted." He sets his mug down and looks at the lazing cat.

"The truth is we're all already dead. You and I just got a sneak preview."

Rubbing his face, he sighs. "I can't promise you it gets better. I can't promise you that it won't get worse for that matter."

He looks back to Phoebe, "But I can promise you that you don't have to go through it alone. Any time you need Garage Time, it's yours. No questions. No judgment. Stay as long as you want or need. If you want to talk we'll talk. If not? Church will just require his due obeisance. As always."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Fine, I won't say she found my Sailor Moon cosplay pictures and said I should develop a mahou henshin -- y'know. Like a Sailor Moon character. I kinda said 'ma'am this is Gotham, I would get *shot*."

    And she snorts.

    "The Justice League Dark is *barely* sanctioned. Some Demon dressed in a John Constantine Suit pitched it to Diana, J'onn J'onnz and Kent after he founded the Midnight Brigade. He wanted me to lead the Brigade for the day to day stuff, to practice, he said, back when I was calling him Dad." she rotates her cup a moment, and stares down at the table as she gets quiet. That's a well known festering wound in her heart.

    "You're right. Every psych I've ever met either can't cut it, goes nuts, or tries to kill me." she remarks with gallows humor, and she purses her lips before she turns to watch Church move into place, and flop over.

    Cats. Solar powered death machines, the perfect predators if only they didn't average ten pounds.

    The quiet admission though, makes her dark eyes draw back to Jason before she turns to face him. She had always seen him as the most protective of all the brothers, the most Real. The one who didn't do sugar coating or dancing around the hard subjects with her. Other than that one time... but that was another life ago. Just like founding the Justice League Dark.  

    Her shoulders slack. She bites at the corner of her lower lip, and this time, she reaches out to brush her fingertips against his wrist, leaning over the table a moment.

    She swallows the knot in her throat, and tries to find words to speak, tears welling up in her eyes.

Jason Todd has posed:
"I did not need to know that." About Sailor Moon.

"We're barely sanctioned. It's how this all goes. If we were sanctioned, there would be a lot more regulation and red tape. Like the Justice League" he says with a snort.

He can tell she's considering private thoughts by the look in her eyes. He looks to her hand and turns his wrist to offer his hand. "This family is hard enough to deal with in daily life. They're trying to help you, support you. But the truth is, other than knowing that you went through something, none of them are going to know first hand. Cut them a bit of slack if they say or do something the wrong way." He pauses, "Except Damian." It's a joke.

"Give them time. They'll figure out the new normal for you pretty fast. Once you can find it for yourself." Shrugging he offers, "Self discovery hasn't got a timeline, though. Which means don't worry about anyone else. Take all the time you need. Everyone will be here to help and support when and how they're able."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe turns her fingers slightly, and laces them between Jason's as she breathes out, and puts her head in the crook of her arm.

    "You're just jealous because Talia never gave you seventy eight mini skirt suits with matching heels or gogo boots." she states to him, in an obvious joke, and she closes her eyes.

    "Thanks, Jason. I'm going to be stuck thinking of you in a sailor fuku for weeks."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd squeezes her hand, his fingers calloused from the combination of working on cars and the training he puts himself through.

"Jealous? I wouldn't wear anything like that because I'd put everyone else to shame. Have you seen my legs?" he deadpans.

"You're welcome. And you're welcome." This time it's much more glib as he reaches to finish off the last of his cocoa.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I've seen everyone's legs. I have access to medical records." Phoebe points out, cracking a small smile.

    "I feel like one of us has to get into a fight wearing a miniskirt at some point now, for comedy." she smiles, and her own calloused hands -- years of martial arts training. Medical training, callouses where her art supplies would rub hold against his for a moment more before she releases him.

    Then she tilts her head back to finish the rest of her cocoa.