9262/Let's go skiing!

Let's go skiing!
Date of Scene:	24 December 2021
Location:	Dick's Room - Townhouse
Synopsis:	A surprise date to Switzerland sees Dick and Steph snowboarding and enjoying themselves for a couple days.
Cast of Characters:	Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown

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Dick Grayson has posed:
    It's another of Gotham's innumerable dreary winter mornings when Dick comes in with a tray with coffee and various fruits and puts it on the desk near the bed before going over and sitting down beside Steph and leaning down to give her a light kiss.

    "Good morning love. I brought in a little light breakfast for you, because I have plans for us since you're on break from your classes. Rise and shine."

    He kisses her again, then goes over to the desk and picks up his mug, taking a sip. He drags an additional chair over near the desk so both of you can sit and wake up.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown rolls over and stretches slowly. She's not exactly a morning person, but neither does she turn into a grouch. Being woken by Dick Grayson always has a way of making the morning better than they used to be before they started dating though!

"Mmm, morning," she says, having taken advantage of the break to sleep in a bit, especially after a late night patrol. She kisses him, fingers going into the hair on the back of his head before sitting up. "Have I told you how wonderful you are?" she asks as she takes the coffee and gets a slice of orange to nibble on. "So, plans? Are they of the punch Joker in the face variety, or the other kind?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
    With a chuckle he shakes his head and answers "The other kind. If it was face punching it would probably be dark out." He pauses to look out the window at the gloom and snow and adds, "Well, darker, anyway."

    Turning back from the window he continues, "Have you ever noticed that where other places are pretty with snow, Gotham just gets more miserable? Sometimes I swear they must have built the entire city on Indian burial grounds or something, just put the hex on the whole thing."

    "Anyway, I thought we should go to one of those places that snow makes pretty, maybe try a bit of skiing or various other winter activities. Be nice to get out of the city for a bit, and it's not like we don't have enough in the family these days to handle the face punching duties. Sound good?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown gives a quiet chuckle and replies, "Yeah, sometimes almost feels like the country was built on ancient burial grounds taken from Native Americans." She holds her straight face for a moment before adding, "Too soon?" with a wry grin.

She climbs out from beneath the covers, knee-walking over to Dick's side. "Ooo, skiing? That would be a first for me," she says brightly. "That is, I've been on skis, but never at a real ski hill. Just the big hill in Coventry," she says, which is mainly a big sledding hill.

"Sounds great," she tells him. Stephanie wraps her arms around Dick and kisses his cheek softly, then climbs out of bed. "Let me get cleaned up," she says, heading off to shower and get ready.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick takes a sip of his coffee as he watches her head to the bathroom to get prepared for the day. Standing, he goes over to the walk-in closet and takes out two of the little carry on bags with wheels. Setting them both at the foot of the bed he starts packing some clothes for himself in a mix of comfortable and dressy. More toward the comfort end of the scale, but you need at least one nice thing, right?

    He contemplates starting Steph's bag, but then decides discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to women's clothes and shoes, so leaves it for her to do when she returns from the shower. Zipping up his bag, he sits it by the door and collects his mug, taking a sip and popping a few grapes in his mouth while he waits for Steph's reappearance.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown is quick in the shower, finishing up and coming out with wet hair. She gets dressed and quickly pulls some things out. After some thought, Dick might notice she includes a dress as well as an outfit which is nice but warmer than the dress would be.

She doesn't have a snowsuit, but pants and a jacket that will work fine. Especially with a layer of WayneTech's thermal technology underneath, the same stuff that is incorporated in their cold weather costumes.

"Ok, think I'm about ready," she says, grabbing one of her pre-packed travel bags that was part of her training with Barbara to be ready to travel on short notice. "So where to, up to New England?" she inquires. Though with his resources, it could be literally be anywhere.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    He has chosen fairly normal clothing for the trip, jeans, boots and a button front shirt before he puts on a jacket and knit hat. "Now, that would be telling and what fun is that? Let's head out and enjoy the trip." He grabs the handle of his bag and rolls it out behind him.

    Stepping out the front door he waits for Steph, then sets the alarm system and heads for the limo waiting at the curb for them. The driver puts both bags in the trunk while Dick climbs into the limo. Once Steph is also in he closes the door and goes around to get in and pull away from the curb.

    "I didn't see any reason to leave a vehicle in the airport parking lot, so we get to ride in comfort" Opening the mini bar, it is stocked with a carafe of coffee as he had requested, so he goes for a second cup and then offers the carafe to her if she wants any.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown takes some coffee as well, loading it up with a lot of creamer and just a little bit of sugar. She relaxes back in the leather seat. Stephanie still isn't quite used to the amount of luxury that Dick's life affords them. The little things still stand out to her, just how soft the leather of the car seats are, the refreshments available at merely a request.

Though she doesn't ever lose sight of what's important, her hand reaching over to rest on Dick's. "Thank you for this," she tells him with a smile. "I've had a shortage of vacations in my life that went outside of Gotham," she says. A recent one to the Bahamas being quite notable in her memories. "And the frozen train in the former Russian republics stopping, ah, a clown, doesn't count."

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick smiles and turns his hand over to hold hers, while saying, "Me either, but then, I didn't have someone I wanted to go places with. I was always focused on the Mission, taking any time I had to train or patrol more, so never really took advantage of the things the Wayne name made available to me. These days, I'm not the only one helping with what needs to be done, so I can step back a little sometimes. Then when we got together, it made me realize I wanted to take you all the places I had never bothered going to, because we'd be enjoying it together."

    The ride goes fairly smoothly, despite the snow on the ground the driver is skilled at his job and keeps away from idiots who think they can just zip through the snow. Soon they are passing through the gate to the private hangars, driving into one of the ones with the Wayne name on it. Waiting inside is a jet that looks fast even just sitting there. The driver pulls up next to the stairway, then gets out and opens the trunk, handing the suitcases to an attendant who takes them up into the plane.

    Climbing out of the limo, coffee still in hand, he gently tugs at Steph's hand that he has not relinquished and guides her up the stairs and into the plane. "This little baby is one of Wayne's newest, it can actually go supersonic, and well, it's damn comfy." He gestures around the cabin which has only a couple airline seats for the takeoffs and landings, while the rest is a combo of high tech office and comfortable living room.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown steps out of the limo behind Dick, her hand grasping his back warmly. "Ooo. You know, I should probably learn to fly a little better than I can now," she comments. She's done the basic simulator but would still be well short of a pilot's license, let alone trusted to fly the Batwing under normal circumstances. Though, granted, the autopilot can fly it on its own well enough it barely needs a pilot.

She follows Dick up into the luxury jet, head swiveling as she spots all the signs of elegance, the fine leather upholstery, the interior decor that is nicer than her apartment. By far. "And will we need that? Going supersonic that is, where we're going?" she asks, the pretty blond's lips curling up a tiny bit as she tries to needle some clues as to their destination out of Dick.

Once settled into a seat, she relaxes, sipping some clear cola that she gets from the attendant, and enjoying alternating between watching the scenery out the window, and the scenery sitting beside her in the form of the handsome Wayne ward.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Once they are settled in, the attendant closes the door and the engines fire up. Rolling out of the hangar, the jet heads for the runway, waiting it's turn until given clearance, then roars down the runway and lifts into the gloomy Gotham sky. Steph will probably notice that they are over water quickly after the takeoff, then the jet climbs up into the clouds, then breaks through into bright sunlight.

    The engine sound rises to a higher pitch and the clouds below start to go by rather quickly.

    Unbuckling his seat belt now that the takeoff is done, he nods and answers "Well, since we are already supersonic, we can assume we might be headed somewhere quickly." Winking at her with a smile, he finally answers her question. "We're over the Atlantic zipping quickly towards Europe. Yes, I have your passport in my bag. I figured the best place for a nice skiing trip would be Switzerland, so I have a suite awaiting us in Zermatt. Don't worry, they cater to the new skier as well as experts, so you'll be just fine."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie knows it shouldn't surprise her, yet the ease with which they can just jet off to Switzerland still does catch her by surprise. Traveling to another country for her would be the kind of thing she'd be doing all kinds of prep for.

"Thank you," she tells Dick, her expression telling him just how much a thing like this means to the young woman. If not quite sweeping her off her feet, it still definitely thrills her.

"Now I'm glad I brought the clothes I did," she says with a soft smile. "Maybe I can get you to take me dancing somewhere tonight. I'm assuming they probably have some kind of nice lodge or clubs or something there?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick nods, "Oh yes, plenty. Zermatt is generally regarded as the best resort town in Switzerland, there are tons of clubs, restaurants and assorted things to do. As for clothes, if you hadn't, we'd just buy some. Oh, which reminds me, I had a cold weather outfit made for you using WayneTech's best insulating materials, so no worries about freezing while you learn to ski."

    He thinks for a moment, musing to himself "Let's see, it's normally about a ten hour flight, but we're going more than twice as fast as a commercial jet, so we should be landing in about 4 hours or so." He nods then looks over to her and asks, "Ok, we've got a few hours to kill, what do you feel like doing? We've got just about everything we have at home, so it's up to you."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie gives a happy sigh as Dick shows he put some thought into this trip and it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. Not that the latter would be bad. But that he planned it out for her makes it even more special.

"Well, I'm sure we can come up with... something," she says, rising from her seat and finding a 'privacy' button which she pushes to inform the in flight attendant, before grinning to Dick and moving over to him.

Hours later, the pair of smiles on their faces as the plane lands and they disembark, trading the plane for a car on the tarmac. Stephanie pauses, looking around at the Alps in the distance. "Wow. Big, big mountains," she says of the beautiful view, smiling to Dick before climbing into the car which can woosh them off to the resort.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    The car takes them from the airport and part of the way around the mountain. One might think the airport was placed where it is on purpose, as it blocks the view of your destination until you come around the mountain and the valley is revealed, as well as the scenery beyond it. It's almost unfair to other ski resorts that not only does Zermatt have the picturesque valley and many ski slopes, but the view beyond is dominated by Europe's most iconic mountain, the Matterhorn dominating the sky.

    "Wow, that is... amazing. I've actually never been here myself, so it can be new for both of us. I have us at Hotel Mont Cervin Palace, it's supposed to be one of the best places in the city." He reaches over to take and gently squeeze her hand, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I know it's a bit over the top to drag you off to a Swiss vacation, but given what we do back home, I think we can say we probably deserve it. Besides, I love making you smile like this."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
And smile she is. Stephanie leans over against the man and oooos quietly at the sight of the majestic valley and the mountains painted with snow. Like a dream, or something you'd only see in a movie. At least when you're a poor girl from the rougher streets of Gotham.

They climb out of the car, Stephanie sliding her arm around Dick's waist and leaning against him. "Thank you, Dick," she tells him, turning her bright smile to him, the girl's face just lit up with what she's feeling, and her cheeks a little rosy from the cold air.

"So, should we get settled and then get dressed and go find the slopes before it gets too late?" she asks, letting Dick lead her inside.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Entering the hotel, their luggage is taken from the car by a valet and sent to their rooms as soon as Dick checks in. A warm and welcoming attendant walks them to their suite, explaining various services available from the hotel including their gourmet restaurant, spa services and indoor pool for swimming. The attendant then starts explaining various ski runs, which ends up with Dick having him charge two EasySki cards to the room. Entering the suite, the attendant shows the various features and then leaves them after pointing out a small brochure stand tastefully placed in the foyer of the suite which contains the expected 'Things to Do' type brochures.

    Dick looks around the main room and nods, "Yeah, fortunately they're six hours ahead of us, so we're basically at the same time we left, we have most of the day to look around and ski. He hands her one of the cards, "Apparently you just swipe it at the top of whichever ski run you want to use, it charges for just the runs you use instead of having to pay for a whole resort and then just using a small part of it. I'd say we probably want to get you into a new skiers class, however."

    Heading into the bedroom, their bags are sitting on a luggage stand, though now there are three on them. She may have noticed the third one being transferred from the plane to the car that brought them, and opening it displays two winter ski suits as well as a pair of ski boots that look to be sized for Dick. He opens the drapes to reveal a view over downtown Zematt with the Matterhorn towering above. "Ok, that's a view I'd like to always have." He turns with a smile and pulls his cold weather suit out of the bag and starts changing.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown gets changed as well. "Oh, I can probably manage. I mean, point skis down hill and then kind of... gravity does the... the rest." The blond girl pauses a moment as if considering her luck when it comes to Gravity. Her arch-nemesis, truly. Perhaps luring her to a mountain to where waxed wood on an icy slick surface was part of Gravity's fiendish plan?

It's just a thought though, and not one that will spoil the fact SHE IS GOING SKIING IN SWITZERLAND WITH DICK GRAYSON!

Stephanie sheds her clothing to get into her ski suit. There is a moment when Dick is struggling into his, arms occupied getting into the sleeves, that there's a sudden, sharp pinch on his bottom. By the time he can look, Stephanie is just putting on her own suit as if nothing happened.

Before long she's dressed though, and ready to hit the slopes. "Maybe I should try snowboarding instead of skiing," she says. "I have skateboarded some, so it's probably a little more like it."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick grins at her after the pinch and finishes getting dressed. Hat, boots and gloves are included, so they are both ready to go in just minutes, wearing much less encumbering gear than most people would be in to keep nice and warm. "Snowboarding works for me, I do both and don't really have a preference. As long as it involves sliding down a mountain on a board or boards, I'll be enjoying myself.

    He stops at the front desk when they are ready to go, and a car is brought around for them. The first stop is a winter sports shop where he buys a snowboard for himself and the snowboard and ski boots that Steph chooses. Armed to do battle with the snow, the car takes them to one of the more popular snowboarding slopes and lets them out, leaving a number to call when they are ready to return to the hotel.

    "So, want to start on one of the easy slopes to make sure you're not too rusty, or are we just going for it? It's been a little while since I've done this as well, so I'd vote for an easy run or two."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie plops her board down in the snow, and steps onto it, clicking her boots in place and giving each a little tug to make sure it's securely in place. She looks down at the slope over the lip of the flat area they are waiting at, seeing how the mountain just descends at what probably looks like a sharper incline than it is.

The air is clean and the sky is pristine blue with a few lazy, fluffy clouds overhead. The sunlight sparkles on the snow, myriad snowflakes winking the light back up at them. Stephanie draws in a slow deep breath, enjoying the moment.

She turns towards Dick then, pulling her goggles down over her eyes. "Take it easy?" she asks, then repeats in a more scandalized tone, "Take it -easy-?"

She lets out a mock sad sigh and shakes her head. "Oh Dick, I thought you knew me better than that," she says, lips turning up in one of her warm, goofy grins. And then she nudges the board forward with a few little movements and jumps, until it start sliding downwards!

Dick Grayson has posed:
    With a shrug, he seats his boots on his board and is on the slope just a moment later, whooping in excitement as they whiz down the slope. Watching the run ahead he leans to line up with a little jump and launches into the air, spinning a three sixty before board hits snow again. Apparently, he's not as rusty as he suggested. He hits a few other jumps on the way down, coming to a stop at the bottom beside Steph as he reaches down to release himself from the board and picking it up, ready to go again if she is.

    "Yeah, I know, you don't do anything the easy way if you can help it. It's part of what I love about you, actually." He slips his board under his arm and lets her pick the next run, as there are several of varying difficulty they can take a lift up to from this area.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
It doesn't take Dick long to catch up to her, as Stephanie is zigzagging back and forth, which does help to keep her speed down. Though at one point she gets to a jump and rather than go around it, she zooms over it.

She doesn't do any tricks, just sails through the air, landing and ending up on her butt, sliding down the mountain. Though she manages to get her board under her and pop back to her feet without stopping. She dusts the snow off her butt as she's still moving, with a great big goofy grin on her face.

At the bottom she looks like she'd be dancing and stamping her feet, except they are clipped into the snowboard. So instead she gradually topples forward and falls into the snow, laughing. "That was great," she tells him as she gets her feet out and then picks up the board to join Dick on the ski lift on the way back up the mountain.

"Oh, this is kind of nice," she says of the view as the cable takes their lift up the mountainside. "Do you want to stay here for Christmas, or need to be back in Gotham for it?" she asks.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Leaning against her as they ride the lift, he nods, "Yeah, it is. As for Christmas, I didn't know if you'd want to spend time with your mom or anything, so I left things kind of open. You can make the call on that. I'm good either way, no real plans or anything from my end. If we go back, we'll probably end up at one of Gotham's charity parties, which I can live without."

    When they get to the top, he hops off the lift and drops his board to the snow, clamping one boot into it so he can push with the other until he's at the top of the run. He clicks the other boot in and tips himself over the edge of the run with a whoop!

    He cuts back and forth across the slope until Steph passes him, then starts down the slope, taking a couple jumps along the way. He does, however, also keep an eye on her as they zip down the mountain. Don't want the girlfriend broken for their first Christmas together, after all.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Dick's girlfriend does better this time. She's a quick learner, and has some pretty great balance between her gymnastics background and the intense training that Barbara and others have put her through.

Soon she's making tight turns and taking some of the smaller jumps. After getting used to turning around and snowboarding both directions, she does a 180 in the air and lands it successfully.

She shooshes near to Dick on the mountainside. "Need a cape!" she calls over to him with a laugh before banking in the snow and shooting off to the side again, then coming back to him.

Nearer to the bottom she tries a bigger jump. At first it looks like she's going to land it cleanly, but Stephanie ends up wiping out. She tumbles for a little bit before ending up lying on her butt in the snow. As Dick approaches he can see she's shaking.

With laughter.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick cuts his board across the slope and comes to a stop near Steph, shaking his head and offering a hand to get her standing again. "That was a good one, love. I'd guess nothing broke since you're laughing, so shall we finish the trip down? We can get a bunch more runs in if you like, it's pretty early yet. I forgot how much I enjoyed this, so I'd like to keep going. And given how quick you learn things, I bet we'll have you doing tricks in no time."

    Assuming she lets him help her up again, he finishes the run with her and waits for her decision on both further runs and Christmas.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown is in great spirits as she rises back to her feet with the help from Dick. "How about one or two more runs, and then go grab a nap and then go out for dinner or to a club or something after?" she suggests. "I noticed the bag with the dress in it, I'm looking forward to getting into it," she says with a warm laugh.

The young woman gets back on her board, and when Dick is ready, continues on down the mountain. She cuts back and forth, getting more and more comfortable with the snowboard. It isn't long before it looks like she's being it for far more than a couple of hours.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick continues to hit jumps and tricks as they go, keeping an eye on Steph's progress as time passes. After a while, he starts guiding her to easy jumps, moving up to harder ones as she gains confidence in her ability. Both of them have a lot more agility and skill from many, many nights running the rooftops in Gotham, so all it takes is a little practice translating them to the snowboard.

    As the sun is dropping towards the horizon, he catches her at the bottom of a run saying "We may not have time for a nap, but would you like to go back, grab a shower and get something to eat? There's a good restaurant in the hotel, and then we could find a club."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie's face is all grins by the time they reach the bottom on the final run. She's not afraid to try tricks, and wiping out doesn't deter her for long from hopping back on the board and trying again.

She steps off the board and picks it up, nodding to Dick. "Sounds good. Clean up and then get some food. I'm famished," she says with a warm laugh. She slides her arm around Dick's waist as she walks beside him, the board under her other arm. "Thank you for the surprise trip," she says, flashing a smile at him that lights up her blue eyes as she looks over to the man.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Slipping an arm around Steph, the two return to the hotel. Snowboards are tucked into a storage area and they return to their suite. "Why don't you shower first, then I'll grab a quick one while you get ready. If we both go in, we probably won't make it to dinner."r
    He winks at her and starts stripping off his outdoor gear. Once it's off, he calls down to the restaurant for a table before he goes through the clothing in his bag and lays out what he wants to wear, waiting for the shower to be free. Once it is, he heads in and cleans off, coming back out to get dressed, wearing black dress pants and a blue button front shirt, not feeling the need for a suit tonight.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown unzips her snowsuit and sets her boots aside to dry. She lets out a laugh and looks over the very fit Dick Grayson at his comment. "You, are probably right about that," she agrees, flashing him a playful smile.

The girl crosses the room, cupping the far cheek as she leans in to kiss the other. "I'll be quick," she tells him. To her credit, Stephanie is rarely a girlie-girl like that, anyway.

Before long she is out, making way for Dick, and moving to get ready. She quickly applies a little makeup, rarely wearing much, but wanting to look extra nice tonight.

By the time he is out and dressed, she's waiting for him, stepping out in the dress. It's slinky and black, with a material that has a sheen to it when the light catches it just right. It's backless to reveal her slender, athletic build. And as she models it for him, a thigh slips out a tall slit up the side, revealing stockings and heels. "Well?" she asks, grinning as she moves over to give Dick a quick kiss, ready to hit the restaurant then.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Looking her over, he smiles and answers, "I'll be chasing the men away all night." He takes her in his arms and kisses her while being careful not to muss up her hair or makeup. He's got just a hint of cologne, not the type to overpower everyone in the room. He then takes her hand and leads her out of the room and down to the restaurant.

    The maitre d' welcomes them as they enter and leads them right to a table near the hearth that also has a view of the charcoal grill. Small menu cards are already on the table, so the maitre d' wishes them a good evening and returns to his post.

    Picking up the menu, Dick looks over at Steph and says "From what I understand, they do an excellent rack of lamb which would feed both of us, but feel free to look over the menu if you're not in a lamb mood." He signals the waiter and has a bottle of wine brought over and opened for them while she looks at the menu.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown takes her seat, smiling as she looks around the beautiful little restaurant with the view of the slopes where night is falling, and the lights in the valley are coming on. The warmth of the grill nearby is also nice, especially as her dress is not the warmest of garments, sacrificing insulation for appearance. And doing a damn fine job of it, at that.

She picks up her menu and says, "Another admission. I've never had lamb before," she tells him. "I'm happy to give it a try if you like it and want to do that," Stephanie says.

As the wine is poured after Dick has given his approval, Stephanie picks up her glass. "And don't even have to worry about a certain detective arresting me for underage drinking," she kids as she takes a sip of it. "Oh. Oh wow. That's one thing I've heard before. The difference between a bottle of wine, and a -good- bottle of wine is huge," she says.

"Sure, let's get the lamb if you want it," she agrees.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick nods and again motions the waiter over, ordering the rank of lamb as the main course. As it will take a little time for that to cook properly, he also orders a couple of items to start the meal with. Caviar arrives, along with a light ravioli with pumpkin, apple, sage and nut butter.

    "Exactly. That's another nice thing about a trip to Europe, we can enjoy wine with dinner without getting in trouble for it. I think you'll like the lamb, it's got a bit of an earthy flavor to it since it's grass fed. It's a little stronger than beef, so people tend to love it or hate it. And don't worry about it if you're in the hate it camp, every once in a while I can actually act like I'm rich and order a different main course."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie passes her menu to the waiter as Dick places the order. She lets out a quiet chuckle. "See, it's those little things that are the weird ones to get used to," she says as Dick mentions he could just order a different, expensive entre if they don't like the lamb.

She slides her hand over to his, resting her fingers on his own atop the table. The girl's blue eyes just gaze over at Dick for a few moments, before she finally looks away, giving a bashful smile. She did it a lot when they first started dating. A little less now, but it still happens. "Are you happy in Gotham? By which I mean... you moved to Bludhaven for awhile. Do you think Gotham is where you want to settle down for good eventually?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Taking a sip of wine while he thinks about it for a moment, he nods. "The time in Bludhaven was good for me in getting out from under Bruce's tutelage, being able to do things my way and stand on my own. Something in the way of a confidence builder, seeing that I could go it alone if I needed to. But I came back because Gotham does feel like home, gargoyles and all. So yes, I do see myself staying now that I'm back. And now I've got another excellent reason, of course."

    Turning his hand over to entwine his fingers with hers he continues, "That is, unless you have plans to go elsewhere. I have the feeling we're going to stay together for a very long time, and where we do that doesn't even matter. As long as you're with me, I'll be happy just about anywhere."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The girl looks down, smiling and slightly blushing, and altogether looking pleased with Dick's comments. "I'm pretty much a Gotham girl. I hadn't hardly been outside of the local area except gymnastics meets up in New York and the like until the last year or two. Traveled a little bit with Roberto. A trip to Brazil that... ah. Well, really you could have made a movie about it. The crazy family drama and... really. It was just like a movie," she says, sighing and shaking her head.

"But no, what I was trying to say is, I haven't even hardly been many other places. But I can't really imagine myself living somewhere else, just the same," she says. "Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind if you keep taking me places," she says with a chuckle. "But I want to be close to mom. And Cass and everyone else."

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick smiles and nods, "Yeah, the rest of the family is another reason to stay in Gotham. And given that we can get away for trips like this when we want to, it's not like we'd be missing things by living in the city." He thinks for a moment, then with a bit of a wry smile says, "And let's face it, there's a good chance that I'll be stepping into Bruce's shoes someday when he can't manage to keep up his current pace. I think there's a certain reputation that needs to be kept up, I'm sure you know what I mean."

    The waiter brings over the rack of lamb, setting it on the table along with sides of broccoli and carrots. Dick takes up the serving fork and puts a medallion of lamb on Steph's plate before taking one for himself. "Take whatever you want of the vegetables" he says as he pours a little gravy over his lamb, putting the gravy boat down near Steph so she can pour some if she wants.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown smiles to the waiter. "Thank you," she tells him, and gets a, "Of course, fraulein," back from the man. "So they speak three languages here," Stephanie comments to Dick, having read up on Switzerland on her phone while on the plane. "That's just crazy, a country that speaks so many different ones at once," she says. Hey, she's only known Gotham.

She tries the lamb first, before deciding to go with some gravy as well. Some of the steamed vegetables are placed on her plate as well. "So Dick, do you mind talking about what things were like at the circus, with your parents? I've never really asked much because I didn't know if it was something you liked to have delved into."

Dick Grayson has posed:
    "Yeah, we're a little behind the rest of the world in that regard. Most people outside the U.S. speak at least two languages, with the second one being English." He takes a bite of the lamb and nods with a smile, "I'm thinking they deserve that five star rating."

    When she asks about the circus he shakes his head "No, I don't mind. I was only eight when it happened, but before that was... well, what boy doesn't want to run away and join the circus at some point, and I didn't have to run away to do it, I was part of the circus my whole life before that." He pauses a moment with a distant look in his eyes, looking back to those days in his mind.

    "My parents were great, we were happy as a family and as performers. They started training me to join them as soon as I could walk, and I was quickly part of the act."

    He pauses to eat a bit more, then continues "As you know, I've kept those skills up, which has served me well any number of times. It's amazing how well acrobatics translate into other physical activities."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
"Indeed," Stephanie agrees about gymnastics. "It was really all I had to go with starting out. Well, that, and a plucky attitude," she says, grinning up at him across the table.

Stephanie takes another bite of the lamb, giving a soft sigh of enjoyment as she savors the delicious flavors. "I imagine it's probably be kind of hard to hang onto the memories at that age. To keep them vibrant and all," she comments quietly. "Though, well, bad things have a way of etching memories in now, that I think about it. I mean... No Man's Land, and all," she comments. Not that Dick was that young then, he'd already moved on from being Robin by then. But Stephanie was nearer to ten.

"Do you remember them pretty clearly still?" she asks. "I liked the photos I saw of your mother when I put the album together," she says of the album she gave him of old articles and photos from their performances, a Christmas present from the year before. "She was very pretty."

Dick Grayson has posed:
    He nods, "I do remember them pretty well, but as with about any memory, is fades a little as the years go by. But yes, she was pretty, and dad was handsome. And they both loved each other and me. It was a good time to think back on, and one that's kept me from sinking too far into the things we do in Gotham. I can just pull those memories up when I need to center myself and not go too far, you know?"

    "It was a strange position I found myself in after Bruce adopted me as his ward. The son of circus performers rattling around that huge house that was mostly untenanted. Alfred really helped me deal with things at the beginning, and then once I found out about Bruce's business and he offered me the chance to help him with it, I had purpose again. But the memories of my family kept me from sinking to deeply into it."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The meal continues to be enjoyed, though Stephanie's attention is mostly on Dick as he relates what it was like for him when Bruce Wayne first came into his life. "I can only imagine how much it was to adjust to. Life changing and, well, the mansion is probably a pretty intimidating place for a kid that age. I mean, it can be for an adult," she says, her smile turning wry at the last part.

A sip of the delicious red wine is taken, and the glass set back down. "How did that happen? That is, how did you learn about his activities? Were you out snooping or just noticed something? Or did something happen that forced the issue?" she asks. They've managed to avoid any number of situations that might have resulted in being unmasked or figured out by people who know them. But some of them have been close calls.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Glancing around to make sure nobody is close enough to overhear their words, Dick smiles a little, "Well, I was a little frustrated because Bruce was kind of distant, and I was used to a close family, so I decided to sneak out at night and find out what had happened to my parents on my own. I was just a kid in dark clothes sneaking around some of the worst places in Gotham, but I had a name to work with, Tony Zucco. I lurked in alleys, rooftops, even the occasional sewer listening to some of the worst criminals in Gotham talk business, thinking that sooner or later I'd get a location on the guy."

    He pauses to sip his wine, then goes on "I was on a rickety fire escape and had just actually heard someone say where he was when a dark figure dropped down beside me. The fire escape twisted a little, I was startled and took a step back... and fell off. I hit my head and when I woke up, I was in the cave. Bruce was impressed that I had both been able sneak around without being discovered and that I had been able to follow the trail as far as I did. That's when he offered to train me to help him if I wanted to, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown takes another bite of the lamb, eating slowly as she listens to the story. She grins at hearing about Dick sneaking around after the criminals. Maybe she should be appalled at the thought of him going after them at his age. But lets face it, with her history, she respects the moxie far more than anything else.

"Well I guess he has an eye for talent," Stephane says. Though after a moment her grin fades a bit at certain implications. "Well, sometimes he's wrong too," she says, a note of stubbornness entering her voice. But she doesn't let that thought spoil her mood, bringing back the smile quickly enough. "So are you happy with the brownstone? I've really been glad you decided to get it. I'd have been happy to make it work, between my apartment and the manor. But really, this is so much nicer to be together like this."

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick nods, "Yeah, he can be. But he's right most of the time, which is why we're all still around. As for the brownstone, I couldn't ask for more. Having you there all the time is wonderful, I couldn't ask for more." He chuckles a little and adds, "Though if I could manage to get a secret tunnel dug to the nearest storm drain for the car when it's not being a Camaro things would be perfect. I got lucky in Bludhaven, the building was right over a closed and forgotten about subway station."

    He shrugs, "I'll figure something out eventually, but we do need a way to go in and out when we're doing our work. Can't have people seeing us leave in our work clothes, people tend to spot the unusual."