002

[asinisterkid]

Who: Jason Todd, and whoever wants to bother him.
Broadcast: None
Action: VRD // Waystation
When: 4/21, in the wee hours of the morning // 4/27, mid-afternoon.

{{ It's two, two, two events in one! The first will be a lovely VR romp through Gotham at night, set up for his new friends, but open to anyone who feels like crashing the party. The second, taking place a week later in honor of Jason's Death Day (4/27), will involve a lot of alcohol. OMG SO MUCH ALCOHOL. And as many fights as he can get away with starting at the nearest Waystation. }}


[ For the moment, half of the VRD has been turned into a little slice of Gotham, all gargoyle-encrusted skyscrapers and gothic splendor. There's a full moon overhead, and only the smallest shreds of cloud. Between that and the ambient light from the city, visibility's pretty good. It's a gorgeous summer night, and Jason's relaxing for the first time since he got here.

It's a cheap trick, but he's willing to be soothed by this little taste of home, especially since this place should allow him to run the way he's used to. He even went out of his way to pick a time when there would be less competition for the space, and less chance of someone turning his city into a beach mid-jump.

Robins need to fly, after all. ]



[A week later: Jason hasn't had a chance to earn much money yet, but he's spent some of the past week working security, picking up what he can. And now that he's got money to put towards things not a ship upgrade, he's gone and spent it on alcohol.

Yes, all of it.

This isn't a good day for him. This is the day that Jason Todd, Age 15, got beaten nearly to death with a crowbar and then blown up. He's been increasingly keyed up over the past couple of days, the nightmares getting more frequent, and generally he's been feeling like there's a scream trapped in his throat, getting louder and louder...

So obviously, the solution is no sleep, and lots of alcohol. He's got a few bottles of something that might be space vodka, or might be industrial strength engine degreaser with a vodka label half-assedly slapped on the bottle. It tastes foul, either way. He's sitting in the central courtyard of the waystation, already halfway through the first bottle. When not sending drunken text messages with his communicator, he's been harassing random people. ]

Hey, you. Yeah, you.

Fight me.

[ Is he talking to you? A random passerby? A potted plant and/or especially lifelike bit of statuary? YOU BE THE JUDGE. ]

Comments

[poetontheinside]

[He sees that look, and there's no homophobic freakout- he's known who he is and where he stands for years. That's the benefit of age- the downside is that he's almost 20 years older than Jason and he feels it, sitting down next to him. He's also 90% less drunk than Jason, so he won't take the implied step.

So he appreciates that look for what it can be to him: flattery from a drunk, maudlin kid. His ears don't get any less red, but he shakes his head with a little eyeroll.]

'No', then. You still want that punch, or what?

[asinisterkid]

I'm hurt.

[ No, he's not. ]

You gonna sit here and babysit me all night if I say no?

[poetontheinside]

You'll get over it. [He leans back on his hands, totally unsympathetic.]

Yep.

[asinisterkid]

Hm. Next question: you planning on handing that bottle back?

[ Hey, a guy's gotta have his priorities. ]

[poetontheinside]

[He snorts and hands the bottle back]

Any other questions?

[asinisterkid]

Nah, I'm good.

[ He considers his options. ]

...Fine. Hit me. But I reserve the right to tell you to fuck off if you half-ass it.

[ It's not like any better candidates are showing up. ]

And I trained with an actual crazy person who dresses up like a bat to fight crime, so trust me, I will know if you're going easy on me.

[poetontheinside]

[He takes a second to consider those words, mostly the crazy-bat-person part. He already met one superhero, could Jason be talking about...?

He physically shakes his head to get rid of that idea, for now, and then pushes himself up.]

One punch, and then I shuttle your drunk ass back home.

[asinisterkid]

If it's a good enough punch, sure.

[ There's a challenge in his eyes when he looks at Ray: he really has been punched in the face by some of the best. ]

I'm on the Paisley. Just in case you somehow manage to knock me out with just the one punch. [ There's a bit of mockery in his voice, but it's the cheerful kind, at least. He gets to his feet, pushing through the way his head spins, and moves into a stance that ought to keep him standing when the punch lands.

Then he raises an eyebrow at Ray and makes a little beckoning motion. Come at him, bro. ]

[poetontheinside]

[Ray makes a bit of a show of it, but he tells himself it's his background in boxing- it's all for show, right, until you knock someone out? He rolls his shoulders, bounces on his feet, flexes his fingers.

And, alright, he may look scrawny, but there is some technique there, and he does have some power behind him. He doesn't pull the punch one bit, and he strikes with everything he has. It may not knock Jason over when he's sober, but maybe the drunken instability will make up for that.]

[asinisterkid]

[ And Detective Kowalski boxes, from that warmup. Good, he'll be able to throw a decent punch.

When the punch lands, Jason adds 'able to commit' to that assessment, too. Not like that's a problem with a lot of cops he's met, but the combination of kindness and the ability to punch like he means it is interesting.

If he was even as drunk as he'd been when Ray first approached him, Jason would've been able to take that punch without toppling. But he's been drinking heavily with Ray around, and so he staggers back a little, trying to regain his balance, before he gives it up as a lost cause and drops into a sitting position. If he's going to end up on his ass, he might as well have some dignity. ]

Nice. [ He rubs at his jaw a little. ]

[poetontheinside]

[He flexes his hand, wincing, and then takes the few steps towards Jason and offers him a hand up. He's reminded of the time he'd asked Fraser to punch him- out of kindness, so they could wrap things up properly. Violence in friendship.

It's not that strange, he supposes.]

Thanks. You ready to go now?

[asinisterkid]

[ There's a moment when he feels childish enough to stay right where he his, but the moment passes, and he takes Ray's hand, and lets himself be pulled to his feet. ]

Yeah, sure. Maybe I'll be able to sleep now. [ It's not much of a smile he gives Ray, strained and thin, but it seems more genuine than the cocky grin from before. ]

[poetontheinside]

[he gives Jason a solid smack on the shoulder before moving towards where he can see his shuttle.]

Just be careful to lie on your good side, huh? [He smiles back a little, gives his hair a ruffle.]