18151/The man behind the bird

The man behind the bird
Date of Scene:	02 June 2024
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	AJ meets Damian Wayne, and goes to dinner with him.
Cast of Characters:	Allen-James, Damian Wayne

---

Allen-James has posed:
    Since he likes the building at Sunset so much, AJ shows up early. A couple hours early. He plays Dvorak as the sun sets, and watches the lights of the city come on, then spends a while on his phone again, looking at all the Gotham news... again. Would they even report on a hero getting beaten up? Probably not. Nothing sticks, nothing looks like a super fight. He sighs, putting away his phone, then pulling it out to check his messages, and the time. About an hour left. He spends his free time fooling around on the violin he brought, and occasionally doing some pushups and sit ups, to calm his nerves down. But he's still all jittery as the time grows close.

Damian Wayne has posed:
*thub-thub-thub-thub-thub-thub-thub*

The sound starts faint but grows progressively louder. Perhaps disorienting at first, it quickly becomes clear that it is the noise of an approaching helicopter. Should AJ look in that direction, he would see a jet black helicopter with a stylized 'W' on both sides of the fuselage. Even here in New York City that 'W' is known: Wayne Corporation, the mysterious company owned by billionaire mogul Bruce Wayne that seems to be part research firm, part investment firm, part...something. But few dig too deeply into it because Wayne Corporation is one of the most prolific entrepreneurial sources on the planet, funneling literally hundreds of millions of dollars a year into various charitable and humanitarian projects. Even the company's detractors must admit that this would be a darker planet to live on if not for the Wayne Corporation. Perhaps it's just passing by on the way to some big board meeting or something.

But the helicopter just keeps getting closer and closer. That thing is going to land on this rooftop and it's going to be a tight squeeze because this building doesn't even have a helipad on it! Surely this violates a few dozen FAA regulations. At least. That Bruce Wayne sure is a smug son of a bitch.

Once the helicopter touches down, the engine cuts and the rotor begins to slow, slow, slow. One of the doors opens and four men in dark suits looking not unlike what one might expect Secret Service agents to look like come out and spread out on the roof. They look behind this or that doing a security sweep. Oddly, they see AJ sitting there with his violin and they completely ignore him. They don't ask him his name. They don't check him for weapons. They don't acknowledge him at all.

One of the agents holds his wrist up to his mouth and speaks into a receiver there. "Area secure. Send Mister Wayne out." So now AJ is going to get to see Bruce Wayne?

Out comes a figure from the helicopter. It sure as heck isn't Bruce Wayne. It's a slender-formed young man who couldn't be a day over 18 or 19. He gingerly steps out of the helicopter with the assistance of a cane. He's injured. Like badly injured. One of the security agents attempts to help him but he waves away the help with some irritation. Not unlike an injured Robin waved away AJ's attempt to help him the night before. Now this young man uses the cane to walk directly toward AJ.

Allen-James has posed:
    Allen-James was playing again when he first heard the thump and thud of a helicopter. While his family is not as wealthy as the Waynes, he's ridden in a private helicopter before, when going to a fund raiser that was held on a Yacht. He was 13 at the time, and it had been terribly exciting. Still, AJ had no expectation that the helicopter would be coming here.

    So he was pretty surprised when it got closer, and closer.. They shouldn't be flying that low in a city's airspace, really, but private helicopters often got special exemptions from ATC by dint of having a LOT of money. AJ figures the thing will fly over, and stops playing as it gets close, since he can't really hear himself over the thump thump thump of the rotors. Wayne Corp, he sees as it gets closer, idly wondering what a Wayne is doing in New York.

    Of course, when it lands, AJ feels like he's in another sparring session with Patty, the winds pressing against him, as he ducks and leans against them, hunkering down like everyone does near a helicopter.

    AJ watches the security folks with a frown, then raises an eyebrow at the thought of meeting Bruce. That's... odd. But wasn't there an article about...

    Seeing Damian get out of the helicopter, his eyebrows try to climb off his head, as things start clicking into place. AJ isn't a super genius or anything, but he is quite bright, and he saw the articles about Damian Wayne, rich scion of Gotham, being injured in an explosion. The limp really sells it, and AJ can see the young man's face in the lights of the city, and he lets out a wry laugh, as he walks towards Damian.

    "Gotta admit. I'm not used to not being the wealthiest heir around." he says, looking anything but wealthy. Still, he could probably go home and claim his trust fund at any time, and become one of the rich and influential again. In the circles he's been in, there are richer people, but he's not usually around the De Costas, or the Worthingtons. "I did not see this one at all." he laughs, giving one of his bright smiles to the younger Wayne.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Let's be real. Damian is a glowerer. A frowner. Of the many pictures of him that end up in the press, exactly zero of them show Damian smiling. In fact, in the press there is a fun side item that has been dubbed the Damian Frown Scale, with each picture being rated on a 1-10 scale for just how frowny the young man's expression is.

He's a frowner.

But when he sees AJ walking toward him, he smiles. He doesn't grin. He doesn't twitch his mouth up. He full-on smiles. Even his father and the others who spend time with Damian have rarely seen this expression on his face.

"You showed," he says simply in that surprisingly gentle, crisp, soft tone of voice of his. "I spent all day planning what I was going to do next after I got here and the rooftop was empty." He is leaning quite a bit on the cane. Last night's escapades took a physical toll on him. He should /not/ have been out here in uniform. Luckily AJ talked him out of jumping off the roof.

He stands there, a foot, maaaaybe 18 inches separating the two. He just looks at AJ, his eyes glittering in a very un-Damian way. "Welcome behind the curtain," he says.

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ is a smiler. Always open and grinning, or smiling, or laughing. In spite of all the shit he's been through, he always tries to find something positive to focus on, rather than be negative. So while his smile is big, and a little goofy, it looks natural on his face, as he looks up at Damian.

    "Glad I could ruin your plans then," he winks as he says it, obviously joking. "Unless you have a plan now for when I show up?" he says with a chuckle, as he shifts nervously from foot to foot, unsure if he can hug the man, or if that would be too much.

    "I... It's a pretty heavy curtain. But thanks for letting me in on it." he says. He decides to go for it, opening his arms a little, in a clear 'may I' sort of way, as he takes a half step forward, giving Damian time to pull back if he doesn't want hugged in front of security folks.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Those security personnel are highly paid professionals. They make more per year than some doctors do. Their sacred code is to never, ever reveal or even discuss the personal activities of their protectees. Bruce is a generous employer and these agents are very loyal to the Wayne family.

With a bit of a wince, Damian wraps his arms around AJ and hugs him. This isn't some pat-pat-on-the-back bro hug. He holds the other young man to his body with complete abandon. When the hug runs its course he pulls back only enough so that there is a inch or two between their noses.

"The level of evil in Gotham that would do /anything/ to find out who Batman is, who Robin or Red Robin or Batgirl or Signal or any of the rest of us are," Damian intones softly. "I know the X-Men and their allies are bold defenders of the world, honorable and powerful warriors. But this is a special, very focused, very incisive brand of evil. We have to maintain appearances and you mustn't ever talk about what you know. It's not for my protection, you understand, it's for yours. If the Joker or the Riddler or the Penguin or any of a couple dozen other lunatics ever found out that you know...they would find a way to take you. And then you would curse your own mother for ever having given birth to you." Dramatic and over-the-top? Yes. But Damian wants AJ to understand now what's at stake. And what the consequences are of failure. This, of course, is all said quietly and out of earshot of the security agents.

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ leans into the Hug, half supporting, half clinging to the other man. He's shorter than Damian, pretty significantly shorter. It'd be easy to mistake him for the younger one of the two, with how youthful his face is. But, he looks up at Damian, focused and intent.

    The warning of the danger gets a thoughtful look on AJ's face, and he gets all serious, giving a little squeeze to Damian. "You all do have a lot of crazy over there, don't you?" he muses. "I just have to worry about killer robots and terrorists and the lot. Not really a 'torture the innocent' kind of crowd."

    Still, he straightens a little, and seems to come to a decision. "I'll just have to train harder." He keeps his voice low as well, pitched just for Damian to hear."I already decided to help people too. Sooner or later, I'll piss the sort of people off that you're worried about. I'd better be good at defending myself before then. I may be short, but I'd make a shitty damsel. I won't tell anyone, I swear it."

    He gives another little squeeze, then pulls back a little more from the hug, and shifts to where he's supporting a bit of Damian's weight. "Standing around here isn't any good for you. You got blown up recently." he points out, "And I'm going to hear that story. But you need to have a seat, or we need to go somewhere more comfortable."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian actually accepts the assistance from AJ. Another first. And probably an indicator to just how much he pushed himself the night before. "You have the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet," Damian says. "I think you will grow into the best of us. I'm all I'm ever going to be, a thug who just happens to be beating up the bad guys instead of the good guys. Until the night when I jump one second too early or two late and Batman will be looking for the next Robin." He makes a consigned shrug.

He starts to head in the direction of the helicopter, one arm over AJ's shoulder so he can lean on the shorter young man for support. "Look, I didn't come here like this with the helicopter and all of this security to show off. I did it so you know what you're getting yourself into. I have to keep up appearances. It has to look like I'm dependent upon all of this. This...this is just a part of what it's like to be in my life."

As the two get closer to the helicopter one of the agents says into his wrist receiver, "Mr. Wayne is moving. Prepare for departure."

"So," he says with a grin. "Are you hungry? Do you want have dinner at my place? You'll never have food like Alfred's food. The guy is a genius."

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ moves along with Damian towards the helicopter, one arm still around his waist, while Damian takes his shoulder. It's a gentle sort of assistance, companionship, and closeness. AJ isn't used to it at all, and is nervous that he's going to do the wrong thing and upset someone who is so fiercely independent, but at the same time.. He wants to help, and support. So he does, though he is careful to let Damian be the one leading the pair of them.

    "Dinner at Wayne Manor, hmmm? I can definitely eat for that kind of offer." He says with a smile, "I can play for you after. Do you like Lindsay Stirling? I've been working on some of her songs, and I would appreciate feedback. Modern isn't something I do very often." he chuckles, as they near the helicopter. "Though I've been thinking about trying my hand at composing myself."

Damian Wayne has posed:
The security personnel won't try to help Damian into the helicopter. But Damian does seem to allow AJ to help him in. "Jonathan, Mr. Ramses-Denholme and I will be going to Wayne Manor. Please call ahead and inform the kitchen that there will be two for a late supper."

"Yes, Mr. Wayne," the security agent says. He leans forward into the cockpit and relays the instructions to the pilot and co-pilot.

Given that AJ has already told Damian that he is no stranger to helicopters, Damian does not instruct him on getting belted in. Damian affixes his seatbelt and grabs a headset from the overhead and puts it on. He looks over at AJ and smiles.

The helicopter starts up and lifts off the roof, heading toward Gotham City at top speed.

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ is careful but supportive for Damian to climb in, then gets in himself, clambering into a seat and pulling on a headset himself as he straps himself in.

    "Last time I rode in one of these, we were going to dinner on a Yacht. The whole thing was very hoity, air access only to the party. If you couldn't afford the ride, you couldn't afford the plate. I think it was for some senator's re-election campaign or something. God that was a boring night." he laughed. "I was young, and all I could think was how dull the string quartet was. They were playing Bethoven or something safe like that, I think. I wanted to go steal a violin from them, show them how it was done," he reminisces. He has a wistful smile on his face, remembering the good times. He misses his parents at times.

    "My mother talked me into not bothering them. Pointed out that the point of the music was to show that the organizers had taste and money, not to actually be noticed. I told her that was stupid. If you were going to have music, people should pay attention to it." He chuckles, and motions vaguely into the air. "I was always itching to play back then. I wanted noticed so bad. I was going to join an orchestra when I grew up. I had it all planned out. Fencing Olympics before I went to college, a degree from Juliard, some horsemanship trophies to keep my mother happy." he sighs with a wistful smile, looking out over the city. "And just look at me now." He gives a joking smile, thankful of the winding path of his life, since it means he got to be here, but also wistful for what surely seems like a simpler time now.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Gauging AJ's reaction as he goes, ready to stop the moment it seems like his advance is unwelcome, Damian slips his hand in AJ's, intertwining his fingers. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child," Damian says gently. He surely wasn't lying when he said he reads a lot. "Now you're stepping into the real world. You can achieve so much that is relevant to the planet. In ten years you won't even recognize your life." He doesn't elaborate because everyone in the helicopter can hear what he's saying over the comm system. This is not a private conversation. He relaxes back in his seat peering out a window for the half-hour-or-so flight to Wayne Manor.

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ chuckles at the quote. "Corinthians. I forget the verses." he smiles, "You are a fount of quotes. Are you sure you don't have the heart of a poet yourself?" he teases, even as his hand twines with Damian's, a little self conscious and nervous about it, but not pulling away.

    "Of course, it's really not too late for me to go to the Olympics. I just wanted to prove I could win before I was twenty. I have always been ambitious. Father said it was a good quality." He leaned back as well, watching the city fall away under them as the helicopter starts to go. "You never did answer. Lindsay Stirling? If you want to hear me play tonight."

Damian Wayne has posed:
The lights on the helipad on the grounds of Wayne Manor erupt into life. There are about a half dozen security guards, these one in black fatigues with automatic weapons, surrounding the pad. The air vehicle glides down into an expert landing. Only the best pilots in the world get to carry Bruce Wayne's most precious cargo.

"I have to admit that I do not know who Lindsay Stirling is, but if the question is do I want to hear you play violin, then the answer is hell yes," he replies, giving AJ's hand a squeeze.

One of the fatigue-clad, automatic-weapon-carrying guards outside opens the helicopter door and steps to the side. The four guards inside the helicopter disembark first. They head into the manor to file their reports in the security office. With a wince, Damian disembarks, relying heavily on his cane and on AJ.

He says to one of the security guards, "Mr. Ramses-Denholme and I will be in the east den. Please inform us when dinner is ready." When he speaks to them it is with authority, but also humanly. His tone and body language speaks to the fact that these men and women are trusted employees who are heavily relied on to keep one of the wealthiest families in the world safe. Not one of them is ever looked down on or belittled. Not ever.

Looking at AJ, Damian smiles. "Shall we?" He leads AJ through the massive rear grounds of the estate toward the main manor, and into the east den's external entrace. The room is simple yet lavishly appointed. This not a room for show or interviews. This is a comfortable place of relaxation. In addition to the absurdly expensive leather furniture and thick padded carpet, there is a grand piano in one corner of the room and...something else. It is a stand upon which rests a rare Stradivarius violin. Smiling, Damian walks toward it. "I borrowed it for the night from a friend who sits on the Gotham Symphony Orchestra. My father helped her family out once and I always kept in touch." He winks at AJ. "Please don't break it. I don't even want to /think/ about how it would cost to repair or replace. But I would love to hear you play."

Allen-James has posed:
    "She's a modern violin performer. Does all these techno violin songs. Even has some wild electric violins that she used to use. She does this electro violin stuff, but she's got some nicely challenging pieces." He hops out of the helicopter easily, and waits to see if Damian wants help, though he suspects here at home, Damian won't take much assistance from him.

    Still, he nods to the security guards amiably as he's led past them, into the east den. It reminds him of the sorts of places he used to hang out when he was young, but the Stradivarius certainly is eye catching.

    AJ chuckles wryly at the thought of breaking it. "Oh, I..." he shivers, as he walks over, and lightly brushes his fingers over it. Scooping it up carefully, he plucks at it, noting the timbre and tone of the instrument, as he tweaks the tuning peg ever so slightly, then gives an almost shy smile to Damian.

    "This is an incredible instrument." he breathes, then picks up a bow, and tests it with a slow shift through several notes.

    "Probably too nice for what I'm about to do, but.. This is some modern stuff." he begins with a high, singing series of notes, then transitions to careful plucking at the strings as he launches into Lindsey Stirling's Elements, adapted slightly since it lacks the repeating track and the dubstep electronica behind the violin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf6LD2B_kDQ&ab_channel=LindseyStirling

Damian Wayne has posed:
One would imagine that artists know when they are being listened to politely and when someone, like Damian right now for example, truly sinks into the experience. When listening to a singularly talented musician play, time ceases its relevance and there is only the experience. For these moments there are no broken ribs, no constant headache, no concussion, no bruises, no cuts, no burns from the defibrillator. Damian listens and watches. And he falls in love.

When the song winds down, he speaks. His voice is a hoarse whisper thick with emotion. "That was...that was lovely, AJ." Moist, glistening eyes peer down at the carpet. Post-death Damian is relearning how to experience the world and the transition has not been easy for him.

He peers upward and draws in a deep breath. "AJ, may I...may I kiss you?"

Allen-James has posed:
    There are points where AJ is clearly falling into the music himself, shifting and swaying with it, leaning into the Stradivarius as if it were a lover, caressing, and toying with it. Fingers dance, and flow along with the pouring of the notes. Finally, it's over, and AJ breathes a little heavily, his hair an unruly mop hanging down over his face, as he comes back from wherever he went while he was performing.

    He gives a radiant smile to Damian as he says it was lovely. "Thanks. I think I've got the arrangement about right.." he is replying when the question comes in. He looks down into Damian's eyes, and reaches to brush the hair out of his face. Then he carefully sets the violin down, and moves to where Damian is sitting, and carefully leans down, cupping Damian's chin. "I think since I'm the one standing, I get to be the one kissing you." he teases with a serious look on his face, as he leans in to take that offered kiss. For all his teasing, he lets Damian lead the intensity, eager, but also unsure of himself.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Would it be a surprise to know that Damian is an awkward kisser? Because he is. His past relationships were mostly intellectual exercises. He never felt human so he would mimic things that humans did to be more like them. He has had very little physical intimacy in his life.

But now that he is back from the dead, everything is different. AJ. The music. The boldness of it all. Awkwardly but with great affection he kisses the other young man. With a new ruddiness to his cheeks he pulls back. A small line of moisture stretches between Damian's lips and AJ's for a tiny, unsustainable instant before breaking and vanishing instantly from existence. It is a reminder that all things end, and that it is usually later than you think it is.

"I wish I wasn't so, you know, banged up," Damian says in a little bit of an embarrassed tone. "That'll teach me to eat Chinese."

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ himself has never really kissed anyone either. Oh, sure, he kissed a few girls when he was in his early teens. One of the theater girls who found his competitive drive endearing rather than threatening. But he was doing that mostly to see what it was like. This was different. Electric. Meaningful. He leaned into the kiss gently, a hand on Damian's chair to support him as he leans over to kiss the other man.
    He breaks the kiss, and laughs slightly at the moisture connecting them, and gives a squeeze to Damian's neck gently, before straightening. "Yeah. I want to hear that story now." he says as he moves to sit near Damian, but in his own comfortable seat. "How exactly does one of the richest men in Gotham end up getting blown up in a Chinese joint?" He asks with a firm look.

Damian Wayne has posed:
"There is a lot I still can't say for security reasons," Damian intones soberly. "The safety of some people who are very important to me depends on compartmentalized information containment. But basically there is a threat at large in Gotham right now that blew up that restaurant. We /believe/ it may have compromised my secret identity through the usage of a massive data attack of some sort. And manipulated city gas lines to blow up that restaurant." He sighs as he sits back into his chair. "We're in a new age now, AJ. There are no rules anymore, no decency. This threat considers blowing up an entire restaurant full of innocent workers and customers just to kill one man an acceptable act."

Damian peers at AJ to see how he's handling this new information bomb. "But Batman is on it. And we have some of the best data scientists in the world on our team. This will be wrapped up in no time."

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ nods at the prevarication for security sake. He nods, and frowns. "Data attack, hmmm? So some sort of hacker?" he asks, curious about this sort of thing. He nods at the thought that Batman is actively investigating.

    "I'm... not sure what I could do to help, but.. You know you can call me in if you need me."

    He chuckles as he shakes his head, "Not that I think I could do a lot. My shields wouldn't hold up against that sort of blast, and would only make things worse, really." he says, revealing a bit of what he can do, though he doesn't even think to explain it, explicitly. "But, if you need another set of feet on the ground... well.. I'm tougher than I look. I'm sure I could find some kind of mask to go with my hoodie."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian picks up one of AJ's hands and idly plays with the other young man's fingertips as he speaks. "There's not much I can do right now until I heal. Although I hate saying it, I have to be honest about the fact that even just going up on that rooftop last night in uniform was too much. Maybe we could use this time to get to know each other better."

He nods in AJ's direction. "I'm curious about your powers. But I don't know if asking about them is too personal. I'm interested in hearing anything you feel comfortable sharing."

Allen-James has posed:
    "Damn right it was too much. If you weren't so hurt..." AJ grumbles with a frown, still annoyed that Damian had been about to /jump off the roof/ when he was this injured. He chuckled, though, and nodded. "We should get to know each other better. Things have been moving fast, but I guess that's a part of this whole thing too. Live while you can." He gives one of his wry smiles at that, and chuckles.

    "As for my powers... yeah, it's personal, but we're getting pretty personal here." He winks. "Well, you saw the article about the car crash. I produce shields. That one was my strongest and biggest. Smart people tell me that's not unusual for a mutant power that awakens during a life or death situation. I may get powerful enough to duplicate it, but it'll probably take me a lot of work. Right now... I can make shields by 'painting' them with my body. Hands, feet, etc. They're pretty strong, and absorb energy and reflect it when they're hit. So, if you punch one, it will shove you backwards with a little less force than you hit it. A gun can break one, pretty easily, and when they pop they explode. Like a grenade." he explains a summary that he's gotten used to giving at the school as people learn about and help him train his powers. "I haven't ever managed to duplicate the sphere I made in the crash. But I have been working on my ability to use them to walk on air. When I 'let go' of them, they stay wherever I put them, so I can make little foot holds that shoot me along faster than I can run.... if I can maintain my balance right. My current record is six steps. Or I can walk if I take it real slow and don't trigger the bounce of them."

Damian Wayne has posed:
In a whispered voice, Damian murmurs, "That must be so incredible to be able to do those things. How people can't see metahumans and mutants for what they are I'll never understand. I mean, running on air? What I wouldn't give to be able to do that. I get around pretty well up in the air but nothing like that, nothing on /that/ level."

He continues fiddling with the fingertips on one of AJ's hands. "Does Xavier's help you to develop these powers? Like, is there some shield expert or flying expert who trains you? And if you can't talk about it, I totally get it. I just don't know anything about Xavier's except what ends up in the news. And I'm assuming most of that is propaganda bullshit."

Allen-James has posed:
    The fingertips are calloused from playing the violin, but in the smooth, well worn way that indicates long term callouses, rather than new ones. He chuckles, as he mmmms.
    "It's good to assume that most of what you know about Xavier's is wrong. They've got some hacker types that keep the lid on things there, and most of what they let through is kinda misinformation. Honestly, right now, we're trying to figure out what exactly my power is. Energy manipulation of some sort, right? But can I do other things besides shields? I can also make a repulsive field, so... who knows what I can really do. We've got geneticists looking into my genes, and all."

    He gives a little squeeze to Damian's hand. "And I've got a lot of help getting myself back in shape after so long on the streets. Diet, exercise, you know, the usual stuff. We're just starting to really work on my power. I have been working on the air run thing myself after tests and classes."

    He pauses, and leans his head back, considering what to talk about, before continuing on. "I have a lot of high school that I'm catching up on. It's easier cause I was always a nerd, but, I still missed like, three years of high school, and a couple of college. Catching up is taking a lot of my time, and the rest I'm doing workouts and training like I'm back in fencing." he chuckles. "Which, by the way, I miss. I've heard there's a fencing class for Happy Harbor Community College, that I'm thinking of commuting down to take."

Damian Wayne has posed:
A wistful expression comes over Damian's face. "That's where I went to high school, Happy Harbor." He smirks a little. "You definitely would not have liked me then. I was a tyrannical shit." He shakes his head. "I'm probably lucky I survived those years."

A woman in a classic maid uniform enters the room. "Mr. Wayne, dinner is ready whenever you and your guest are ready, sir."

"Thank you, Grace," Damian says to her politely. She departs the room, shutting the door behind her.

Using his cane to assist, Damian stands with a grimace. He holds out a hand for AJ. "Are you hungry?"