7784/Come Home to Roost

Come Home to Roost
Date of Scene:	11 September 2021
Location:	Level 4 - Kitchen and Dining - The Roost
Synopsis:	Strix is officially welcomed to her new home at the Roost. With pastries!
Cast of Characters:	Tim Drake, Bart Allen, Strix

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Tim Drake has posed:
    What's the traditional food for move-in days? Google has told Tim it's pizza, but that's pretty much a standard meal at the Roost. To the point that he probably knows the name of every employee at The Ultimate Slice. Cake, maybe? It's sort of a celebration, right?

    Tim is no doubt overthinking things. And he's also accustomed to Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams, so the food delivery that comes in is from a very authentic local Italian pasticceria, and everything is in the form of tiny pastries that probably cost at least $10 each.

    The boxes have actual ribbon as handles. It's bougie.

    But Strix is moved in. Dog supplies have been purchased. The Outsiders group photo album in the Cloud is already filled with pictures of Beast playing with his new toys, and Tim has doubled the amount of dog food he's making (it's Alfred's recipe) so that the jack russell terrier that Mary has rescued is eating just as good as Scout, Phoebe's dalmation, who has taken up temporary residence at the Roost.

    In fact, Scout is currently asleep in a dog bed against one wall of the kitchen, as Tim sits at the table nearby. He is eating... pastries. As in, plural. Some sort of mini lemon meringue tarte and a cream puff. Maybe the world is ending, or something.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen has been out on some errands, and comes into the Kitchen and is first seen pretty much as just a butt sticking out of the fridge. The young man is in costume, and calls out "You know I think we need a bigger fridge." He offers from inside the fridge. He steps back balancing a pile of things in his arms as he heads towards the counter. "Hey what ya eating Rob?"

Strix has posed:
Strix comes down from her room, after getting all her art supplies set up and carefully hiding her box of cash that she's made from doing mercenary work and illegal fighting. She moves silently as she walks in. She can't help it. Decades of training just have put her in that kind of mode by default.

She's dressed as she normally is, with overalls and a plain white tee, and with her bandages unevenly wrapped around her head to hide the extensive scarring on her brown skin and curly black hair pokes from holes in the bandaging.

She pads up to where the food is at, looking curiously at it, and then tugs on Robin's sleeve to get his attention. She points to one of the pasties and then cocks her head questioningly. What is this?

Tim Drake has posed:
    Tim's got his phone in one hand and a fork in the other, and a mouthful of lemon tarte. So all Bart gets in answer at first is a muffled noise, after which Tim presses the side of his hand to his mouth. He grimaces through a few quick chews before swallowing. "I'm not sure there is any quantity of storage large enough for the amount of food this team goes through," he says, eyeing everything in Bart's hands. Then he waves his fork towards the boxes on the table in silent offering.

    There are several of them, and a few more in the fridge, which is admittedly not the best use of the shelf space in there. The boxes are fancy, and that generally translates into being more packaging than is strictly necessary for whatever's inside them.

    "Hey, all settled in?" he asks Strix, when she's appeared. Or rather, when Tim notices her, since it's not an immediate thing. Even with his situational awareness. When she tugs at his sleeve, he smiles. "Italian pastries. I bought the entire menu, so there's..." He gestures. "A lot. Have some. I probably can't even tell you what's what." He cuts off another bite of tarte with the side of his fork, peers down at his phone for a moment, and fires off a quick text while he chews.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and says "Hey, hope you have found everything you need? If there is anything not here let us know." He starts to work on a sandwich that would make Scooby and Shaggy proud. He looks at the sandwich press and his sandwich, and hmms "Rob, if I draw up plans for a new sandwich press you think you could make it for me?" He asks, coming over sitting his large sandwich on the table and then is back in the kitchen putting things up "Either of you want a drink or something while I am in here?"

Strix has posed:
Strix nods enthusiastically when Tim asks her if she's all settled in. She bares her teeth, and curls her fingers underneath them to approximate sharp teeth, an obvious sign for Beast, her Jack Russel that she rescued from evil disappearing spiders. Then she rests her head in a hand, and closes her eyes as if she was asleep, and points downstairs approximately where her room would be.

She nods to Bart, and mimes opening a can. She, then, turns towards the assortment of pastries and considers what to select. She picks one up that looks interesting. It's got candied orange peel on top and smells vaguely alcoholic. Last time she had alcohol it was straight up whiskey, and she didn't much care for it, but this doesn't smell too bad, so she takes a bite out of it. Her eyes light up in delight and surprise, the alcohol is much more mellow, and the sweetness of the candied orange peels actually brings out the rum's flavor. She quickly finishes this one off.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "Beast is asleep?" Tim asks, looking up at Strix to confirm he's understood her gestures. He tucks one leg up underneath himself, and upon finishing off the tarte, leans forward to pick something else out. Because going for seconds is apparently something he does now.

    It's pure happenstance that he picks one of the same desserts that Strix did, and he finds it similarly delightful.

    He's still eating, so he just flashes a thumbs-up at Bart. How much trouble could they get into with a sandwich press? For a moment or two Tim stares off into the middle distance as he considers this, before deciding it's best to just not think about it. "I'm good, thanks. Phoebe would probably be able to sense from the cadence of my texts that I had even more caffeine today, and she'd send me a bunch of disappointed emojis."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will bring a soda to Strix, and some Milk over to Tim so Phoebe does not get on his case to bad. He brings his own sandwich over and about a dozen of those little single serving chip bags all different types "So, finding everything you need?"

Strix has posed:
Back when she was growing up, having a soda was something of a luxury. Now? They come in two liters. She gratefully accepts the cup of soda and takes a sip, closing her eyes in pleasure. Ah, sweet sugary goodness.

She nods at Tim before going in for another pastry, one that looks like it has some sort of blackberries in it and takes a bite. So good! Beast is, indeed, asleep.

Tim Drake has posed:
    With the way Tim looks at the glass of milk Bart retrieves for him, he's lucky it doesn't curdle right there. But he takes it, and sighs in a way that acknowledges that this is, yes, the better choice for him. "Thanks," he says, and actually means it. His next selection from the pastry smorgasbord is something chocolatey--or maybe it's tiramisu--and it does pair very well with the milk, as it just so happens.

    "You can let any one of us know if you need anything, or you can use the computer," and Tim twists in his chair to point to the computer station in the wall. "They're all over the Roost, and I've coded your biometrics into the system." He stabs his fork through the remaining bite of pastry on his plate (they are very tiny, two-bite sort of things) and pops it into his mouth, but not before he adds, "Welcome home," with a quick wink at Strix. Then he continues with his stress-eating, or whatever it is that has Tim willingly indulging in carbs and sugar.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will hold up a finger and if off, like a blur. The young man can be seen zooming about the room for a moment, and then three new books are on the bookshelf in the library "Do you speak sign language?" He asks Strix?" "If so I learned how and can translate if you need someone to." Yea he just taught himself ASL in less than a minute.

Strix has posed:
Strix bobs her head in thanks at Tim, finishing off her pastry. Another one is immediately in her hands. This time something savory. She sniffs at it curiously before popping it into her mouth.

To Bart she shakes her head. This isn't the first time she's been told she should learn ASL, and it's probably something she /should/ learn eventually. But that would mean that the rest of the Outsiders should learn with her, so she can communicate with them.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Apparently that chocolate-and-or-coffee pastry was the last Tim's having, though that was at least... what, three? Four? And that's only what witnesses were around to see him eat. He sits back with his glass of milk and watches as Bart zooms around.

    Well, he can't actually watch, because Bart is obviously moving too fast for that. But Tim observes the general situation over the top of his glass. "It might be a good idea for the team to start working towards learning as a group," he says, thinking along the same lines as Strix is. "We don't want to rely on the psychic link because it's not always available, and being able to communicate silently can be extremely useful on covert missions." He's probably also thinking of Cass and helping her, as well.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods his head a bit and says "So, you mentioned Beast. who or what is beast?" He will ask, as he munches his sandwich. "I can probably help teach people if you want me to." He offers . HE looks over to Strix, and says "I pick up on new things pretty fast." He offers with a grin.

Strix has posed:
Strix grins back at Bart, and pulls out her phone. A quick tap opens up the text to speech and she taps something out on it. "DOG EMOJI" comes the voice that sounds quite a lot like, but just different enough from Siri. It's kind of her voice now.

Tim gets another nod in agreement. She taps out another message on the phone and "GOOD IDEA" is spoken to him.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "His owner was killed by giant spiders," yes Tim just said that, "In the Narrows. He ran up to Strix on the scene and stuck with her the whole time." And then Tim shows off several pictures of a perfectly Wishbone-esque Jack Russell Terrier on his phone, a tag that reads 'Beast' hanging from his collar. The newest resident of the Roost.

    Tim rests his elbow on the table, fist against his chin. "It's a good thing you're here," he says to Bart. "This place is practically a zoo." He nods an acknowledgment to Strix about the sign language, and then turns to Bart. "I'll figure out the scheduling so we can make it happen."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen grins and nods his head a bit "I would about say we need to find a way to add another room, and make it an indoor dog park or something Fake sun lights, and real plants and such." He grins and looks over to Strix "If he ever needs looked after let me know, I am studying to be a vet, and will figure out some food anf treats specially for him."

Strix has posed:
Strix nods enthusiastically to Bart. She drains the rest of her soda, and then waives for them to follow her. She leads them through the roost until they get to her room, which she opens. There, under the big table she's got set up in the room, is a Jack Russel Terrier, cute as can be, snoozing in a dog bed.

Beast looks up, blinking blearily having woken up at the sound of the door opening. When he notices that Strix is here, and brought friends, he's immediately up and out of his pet bed, and, tail wagging furiously, comes over to greet the people.

Tim Drake has posed:
    There is a lot of fodder for potential Roost projects coming up in this conversation, and Tim perks up a bit. "That's a great idea for when it'd be an issue taking him out for a walk." Keeping the comings and goings of the superhero occupants of the building is something of a priority, after all. He finishes off the last of his drink too when Strix does, and then rises to his feet--taking a moment to close up the pastry containers--before he follows after.

    "There he is," Tim says, and he doesn't quite descend into baby talk, but his tone of voice has certainly lifted a bit. He drops down onto his knees to rub behind one of Beast's floppy ears.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will let Tim pet the pup first, Bart wants to but he has learned to let others go first and not always cut in line, just sometime. "Well he looks happy and healthy thats for sure." He offers with a smile. "I still need to talk to Starfire about Silkie, you know anyone else with odd pets Rob?"

Strix has posed:
Beast is more than happy to get scritches behind the ears. He even goes so far as to give Tim's hand a couple of licks before padding up to greet Bart, ready for more scritches.

Strix beams like a happy parent at Beast's antics, and goes over to the table to show off her latest work of art. It's a scene of Strix holding Beast under her arm, with a sword out, fending off giant spiders.

Tim Drake has posed:
    How many times has Tim told Beast he's a good boy so far? Many. Many times. And he says it again, right here and now, just in case Beast was unsure. "Mostly just dogs. And the assassin cat. I think your pets are the most 'out there' I know about." Then it's Bart's turn, and Tim climbs back up to his feet so that he can look at what Strix holds out. "Oh wow, you drew this?" he asks. He even gives a little shiver when he eyes the spiders she's drawn, because--euuuugh it was not fun, that whole thing was not fun at all.

    After he's gotten over that instinctive reaction, Tim smiles. "We should hang it up on the fridge," he tells her. "If you want, at least."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen sits down to play and set the dog, talking to him, and looks over to the picture "Very nice." He says and then to Beast "Your mommy is going to protect you and drew you all cute, and such yes she did." He gives the dog much love and scritches.

Strix has posed:
Oh, Beast is soaking this up. He also knows how to be cute enough to solicit even more attention from the trio. Once he's done with Bart he moves over to Strix to give her those puppy dog eyes, which she cannot resist. She bends down to pet the pup herself.

Tim gets a nod, and is handed the picture for him to hang up on the fridge. The picture itself isn't that bad. She's definitely an artist in the making, though it's still a bit rough around the edges.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "This is great," Tim reaffirms to Strix as he looks over the drawing one more time. Pointedly he does not linger on the spiders! Then he glances towards the collection of art supplies Strix has set up. "If there's ever anything you need, you can add it to the shopping list. The order goes in every Sunday," he tells her, nodding towards it all, and then he takes a few steps back. "Okay! I'm going to go put this up."

    He pauses there at the door to Strix's room, obviously intending to do what he's just said, but something makes him linger. "This is your home now too, along with the rest of us, so if there's anything we can do to help make you more comfortable, please let us know."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods and will stand up to follow Robin offering both Strix and Beast a wave "Yea and if there is something you want but can't find let us know, we will do our best to help out. I'm even faster than Amazon's 1 day delivery."

Strix has posed:
Strix gives Tim a thumbs up, and just to reinforce the fact that she thinks them all as a kind of found family she launches herself at him in a big hug. Bart gets one too! Beast, wanting to get in on the action starts barking excitedly, and Strix bends down to pick him up to cuddle him. Yes, Beast is part of the family as well.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Oh, they're hugging. Thankfully this is not the 16 year old Tim who could quote the dictionary definition of fun without actually understanding it. Not to say he's the life of a party, but he's relaxed now that he's fully into the whole young adult phase of his life. So, hugs! He wraps his arms around Strix in return, even pats her gently on the back, and then disengages in a socially appropriate amount of time so that she can move on to Bart.

    "I'm usually in my computer lab if I'm here," he says. And then, drawing still held delicately and carefully between his fingers, Tim steps out so he can return to the kitchen and put it up on the fridge.

    ...also possibly to eat more pastries. No one has to know!

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and says "Oh also, if you want any movies added to the movie night, the request list is on the computer. Tim tries to make sure different person's movies get picked each week so we don't end up watching 80s surfer movies all the time or something." He hugs back and says "And me, I am all over the place, but call me and I will be there." HE makes sure she has his number.

Strix has posed:
Strix nods to both Tim and Bart as they reassure her that they're there when she needs her, and that they can get her anything she needs to make her life more comfortable. Really, that's just going to end up being more art supplies.

She gives them a cheery wave goodbye and gives Beast a little whistle to keep him from following them. She goes over to one of his favorite toys and waggles it to get his attention and tosses it further into the room. Thus distracted, Strix shuts the door and goes to play with him for a while.