i was born to hold my hands up (open)

[reneger]

Who: jason todd reneger & whoever
What: downfall event prompts ; post-event happenings
When: late july - august
Where: excelsior, central city, nyc
Content Warnings: body horror, child death, child abuse, general violence, drug overdose, suicidal idealization, etcetc



prompts in the comments because.... i can.

Comments

[reneger]

You find someplace new?

( it's not really the point of jason's whole spiel, so he waves it off. there's no need for bruce to tell him where he's going. )

I don't care if you move your shit. Like I said, just tell us if you're going to go incognito for a while. You're gonna worry the brats.

[batsymbol]

Not yet.

( in regards to a new place. )

Miss me that much?

[reneger]

No.

( it's said with a click of his tongue, a roll of his shoulders. )

Dickie was looking for you.

[batsymbol]

Why? He's with you.

( bruce isn't his guardian here. )

[reneger]

You're still important to him.

( regardless of who is his guardian. jason's--maybe using dick as an excuse, but he's not wrong. )

[batsymbol]

( there's an uncertainty there in his eyes when jason goes and says that, but he doesn't bother to say anything. his gaze drifts down when he spots the pup there having had his fill of dry food, licking his lips and puttering around there near them. )

I gave some money to Dick. ( the older one. ) So you can all have a place for yourselves.

[reneger]

I have an entire floor of a ritzy apartment building in New York City. You can't buy us.

( except maybe with puppy time, because he's crouching down low again, weight on the balls of his feet, to pet the puppy again. )

[batsymbol]

Just a floor?

( it's said dryly in typical bruce humor. watching the way the pup happily goes over to jason for attention, he considers for a moment. )

It's to keep you together. If you need it.

[reneger]

Some of us are adults who've been on our own for a while. Dick's lived in Blüdhaven for years. I've been all over. Tim manages corporations.

( he was planning to say most of them, then realized that's not quite the case anymore. )

We don't need your help to keep us together.

( but jason's eyes are staying on the puppy. after a few pets, he pulls out a phone. snaps a picture of him. )

[batsymbol]

( that has bruce feel some sort of way that he's not quite yet sure how to articulate. he stares to the pup for a long moment, before he lets his eyes fall shut. )

Yeah. You're a family after all.

( and he's just an outsider. his own family - his only family, in a hospital back in his gotham where he doesn't know if he'll pull through or not.

grabbing his duffel bag off the island, he slings it over his shoulder and heads out of the kitchen. back turned. voice relatively soft. )

You know the way out.

[reneger]

( he hit a nerve, and jason hadn't even been trying. ah, well. it happens. he sucks in his teeth, but doesn't move from where he's crouching. the puppy's getting more pets, and jason would just hate to cut him off. )

We're a family.

( in case bruce forgot he's included. that he's one of them, too. )

I meant--we don't need that kinda help. Passing off money onto us and fucking off ain't keeping us together. You could just stick around.

[batsymbol]

( bruce lingers there in the doorway of the kitchen. doesn't look back to jason or the pup who's so very happily getting more attention than he's probably ever had before in his short little life thus far. he's about to leave it — to just keep going and let jason make his own leave whenever he feels like it, but. )

It was just to offer some help. Because I can do that here.

( he can't help alfred. no matter how much he wishes he could. )

[reneger]

( he hates using his words. because jason's bad at it. because he always finds something to get pissed off at and bitches about it. he almost does, here. the irritated expression on his face is evident enough of that, but he does take a few extra moments to contemplate how to phrase what he's going for. to avoid pissing off bruce. to avoid giving bruce something he can twist into something that'd piss off jason.

they're both good at that. jason's trying to get better about not doing it. )

Next time, just give us a heads up. It's one thing to fuck off on those of us from my side of the multiverse, we're used to it. It's another thing to fuck off on the kids.

[batsymbol]

I didn't think I had to check in.

( it's just been him and alfred for some time now after all. might just be him if things go south... something he's trying his best not to think about. )

It's not like I live with any of you.

[reneger]

Most of us don't live together, but we still keep tabs on each other.

( it's just a thing that they do. they watch each other's back, use a copious amount of bugs and trackers just to make sure they know they're all still alive and where they're supposed to be. )

Check in next time. Yeah?

[batsymbol]

Right. Like any of you check in with me.

( there's a huff there on his lips and he eyes jason with disbelief before he shifts the strap of his duffel bag there on his shoulder and turns to leave the kitchen like he'd intended to. )

[reneger]

I stay visible when I'm out and about. Tim's got a tracker on me that I only drop for short periods of time when I'm heading places I don't want him to follow.

( like here, because he doesn't know if bruce told tim yet, and jason's not about to spill bruce's hideout if he doesn't want it spilled. )

Maybe if you wouldn't fuck off, you'd be included in our check-ins.

[batsymbol]

Don't bother. I don't need them.

( he goes and leaves the kitchen then, heading throughout the place. expecting jason to leave himself. figuring this is over and done with. )

[reneger]

( bruce goes out of sight, and jason--rolls his eyes, before he's scooping up the puppy in his arms and following after him.

he's already here, he may as well make a nuisance of himself. )

Where'd the new car come from?

[batsymbol]

( why is jason following? he expected him to take off with some flippant remark thrown at him. that's more in par with jason todd and how he seems to be a lot of the time. )

I won it.

( he doesn't bother to look back as he goes down one of the hallways, heading for the large room at the end of it. )

[reneger]

( he's following in part to figure out what bruce is up to in here. what he's been putting together, what he's working on, why he's working on it. this isn't his first time in bruce's makeshift cave, but it is his first time up here. he figures, if bruce isn't getting bitchy at him wandering around in his space, he may as well take advantage of it for now.

also, he likes the puppy. so he follows, holding the dog and memorizing the path they're taking. )

Yeah? From who?

[batsymbol]

( stepping into the large room, it's clear it's a bedroom — bruce's bedroom. at least, that he's using while he's here in this place.

it not only looks lonely, but feels lonely, too.

the duffel bag (which has his suit) is dropped to the large bed in the center, his hat tossed down with it as he unzips his jacket and pulls his banada off from around his neck. moving over to the dresser there, he grabs the makeup remover and a cotton pad, dabbing it on as he starts to rub at his eye. )

Do you want something?

( he asks while looking to himself in the mirror as he works on his other eye. emotional walls up. )

[reneger]

( he didn't really come here needing something from bruce, just wanted to make sure the guy was still alive. that he was around, that he hadn't disappeared or gotten batnapped by the joker, or anything else like that. bruce is here, he's fine, he's clearly getting himself into shit and having a good time doing it if his new ride is anything to go by.

bruce is cleaning himself off, and jason's standing a good several feet behind him, in clear line of the mirror itself. he rolls his eyes, cradles the puppy in his arms while scratching under his chin. lets the puppy chew on him a little. )

My B has a dog of his own. German shepherd, named Ace.

( just filler commentary. a sentence to give him a little more time to think about what he's actually saying in response to bruce. )

I got what I wanted already. You tryin' to kick me out?

( the little half-smirk on his face is playful enough, but it doesn't reach his eyes. )

After I came all this way to check on you?

[batsymbol]

I'm not your B.

( but they look for their bruce in him and, sometimes, he gets tired. of expectations and being a sort of emotional punching bag for the other him.

dropping the dirty cotton pad down, he removes his shirt, tugging it up and over his shoulder, revealing new and old scars and bruises littered across his back, arms, and chest. something they probably all share in that regard at least. )

So you don't have to check on me.

[reneger]

( his jaw clenches tight, while he listens to bruce. expression darkening, teeth grinding together for a moment before jason's pulling in a deep breath and letting it out. tries to let out the tension, even if it doesn't quite work for him. he still feels it in his shoulders, in his neck. )

If you were my B, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be checking in on him.

( the hand petting the puppy moves up to press against the side of his neck. rubs his palm against it. )

'cause he's an asshat. A manipulative piece of garbage. The only good things he has going for him are the people he manages to pull in.