[open] sun's up, a little after 12

[feathersandflames]

Who: Bette Kane feathersandflames and you!
What: Bette is visiting Descendant Bar and Lounge!
When: Shortly after her arrival/the Confluence
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: N/A but will update as needed!



Bette’s used to staying in strange hotels in different cities. Not that the hotel she’s situated in currently is strange, but the circumstances she’s found herself in - falling through the sky, fighting a giant robot alongside Red Hood, and then finding out that she’s on some alternate, parallel Earth - some might call that a typical Tuesday, but it was a little far out, even for Bette. Still, she’s spent a couple of days acclimating herself to life here - or what life is going to be - and though she’s spent her days shopping and reading up on things that needed reading up on (and there was a LOT that needed reading up on) she’s also starting to feel the bite of loneliness. Ergo, Descendant. Red Hood had suggested this as a place to check out, and bars are generally where you go to meet new people, right?

Right.

She’s left her costume and weapons at home - she’s never really been one to wear her costume under her civilian garb, it bunches up in the wrong places and looks unflattering under the wrong fabrics - but with the slightly wide-eyed look in her sky blue eyes, it’s clear that she’s new here. She’s clearly looking around for a familiar face - any familiar face - as she approaches the bar and orders herself a Paloma.

Once she gets her cocktail, she’s going to wander around, check out the arcade machines on the second floor, maybe waft through the reading room, though she’s feeling a bit too energized right now to sit and read anything more serious than the latest issue of Vue or Elle.

How’s the visit going to go? She’s not sure, but she’s hopeful, and she’s excited to find out.

[OOC: Feel free to come across Bette anywhere in Descendant and say hi! If you have any other ideas, hit me up on Plurk or DM me!]

Comments

[robintohood]

“I think we’ve managed to pull this off because we still got some shared goals,” Jason replies. “Descendant kinda works like the Iceberg Lounge. We’re in neutral territory so Central’s gangs can come here and talk business and do a little bit of business. The private karaoke rooms especially are good for that. As far as those customers know, we’re a business that’s not too scared of who we’re serving.”

Jason then vaguely gestures at the door to where the rest of Descendant is.

“What they don’t know is that the whole building is bugged. This is how we’ve been getting a lot of intel on Central City’s underworld. Getting a bar and using it for spying was Tim’s idea. He talked me into it because I had the resources to pull it off. And my own crime lord shit is separate from all of this.”

[feathersandflames]

"Jason Todd, proprietor of Descendant. Red Hood, crime lord. But only a few know they're one and the same." That's her best guess, at least. "Not that you need my validation, obviously, but this is like a totally brilliant operation. I'm guessing you don't act on every piece of criminal activity that's discussed here, since it would be a conflict of interest with some of what you do, and also tip your hand about this place being what it secretly is?" This is something she may not have put together on her own in the before-coma-times, but training with Uncle Jake and the Crows had taught her a thing or two about surveillance. When she was paying attention, anyway.

She swirls the ice around in the cocktail's highball glass thoughtfully. It's a Bat Bird-run business, she thinks. God only knows how Dick's going to react when he realizes she's here. And hadn't Jason said something about a Batman...? That's going to be another bridge to blow up when she comes across it. Hi-Bruce-you-may-not-know-Flamebird-but-surely-you-recognize-your-younger-cousin-Bette?

But if time here the last few days has taught her anything, it's that she needs a place to ground her, a place to tie her to people in some way. It's not like she can pick up the phone and call one of her girlfriends or a spa day or something, not here. They don't exist.

"So, Jay. What are the chances that Descendant is hiring? Because I'd like in."

[robintohood]

Jason smirks at Bette’s blunt question. He likes the attitude and so far it seems like they won’t have much trouble working together.

“When it comes to our family, I’m always hiring,” he replies. “Dick’s one of the bartenders and Tim’s a busboy. When Cass, the stitched-up Batgirl, was here she was a bouncer. Steph was a server. Most people who work here don’t know what we actually are but obviously family members and our closest friends and allies do.”

So far the current setup has served Jason and the others well. Jason wants to continue it.

“And yeah. We don’t act on every intel. It’d be a dead giveaway if every Descendant customer got arrested after visiting us. We just focus on the bigger fish.”

[feathersandflames]

That took a lot less convincing than she had been prepared to give. She grins brightly. Was this what it felt like not having to fight for every inch of space and acceptance? "Actually the ninja Batgirl makes - made? - a lot of sense as bouncer. She's tiny, but she's tough." Bette remembers that much from the few times they've worked together in those giant group ordeals that seem to pop up once a year. "So, wait, what happened to Cass and Steph if they're no longer working here?" Pause. "Also, do you guys collectively get together and decide which intel to act on? Is there a whiteboard somewhere?"

[robintohood]

“Confluences took back Cass and Steph a while ago. No one knows how that works either,” Jason says. While he’s glad they’re both back home, he still misses them. “And for intel, we trust each other’s judgement and keep each other in the loop. If looks like it’s gonna be a bigger operation, we’ll talk more but so far we haven’t had to over Descendant intel.”

Jason then points upstairs.

“The attic’s a safehouse by the way. It’s only for family and whoever we trust with our secrets.”

[feathersandflames]

"These confluence things sound keen." It's snarky, but only in so much as she doesn't exactly love that there aren't answers for how it works - more so for the fact that she could suddenly get pulled back home. But she wasn't going to think about that. Not just yet. "The basement's not like a Batcave, is it?" It's a joke, but hey, you never know. "So what do you need me to do? It sounds like you're down both a bouncer and a server, and between the two, I'm like pretty sure I'd do better as a server?" She's watched 2 Broke Girls, she knows how to carry a tray.

[robintohood]

Jason lightly huffs in amusement.

“Now why would I be that obvious?” He jokes while putting a hand on his chest in mocked offense. Though they set up Descendant to be relatively safe, it still wasn’t wise for them to cluster too many of their resources in one spot. “Nah. The basement really is just for storage. The building is Prohibition-era though so we got hidden doors and passageways. I’ll show you those later.

As for the job, I can always use a server. You can do part time or full time.”

[feathersandflames]

"I was joking about the cave - mostly - but I do love a good secret passage!" As a child, she'd been convinced that Wayne Manor had housed them, but she'd never really been allowed to explore the few times she'd visited. (Though it was now dawning on her that there probably WAS a secret passage that at least led to the legendary Batcave.)

Given that most of the Kane family resided in the Diamond District, they were more high rise people than outskirts-of-Gotham-mansion people. There was a mansion belonging to the Kanes, but Bette had never visited it, and lately, they mostly stayed at her Aunt Cathy's mansion, which technically was more a Hamilton thing than a Kane thing.

"I definitely think I'll start out full time, at least for now? It'll give me something to like ground me while I get my bearings, you know?" Besides, working there was probably a better way for her to familiarize herself with Central City and its people than anything else. Even if it didn't pull in everyone - what place did? - it would give her enough to get a gist for the place and the people.

And being around some familiar folks definitely didn't hurt.

[robintohood]

“You’ll definitely learn a lot once you deal with the customers,” Jason assures her. “Also, you can fight back if someone’s being an asshole. We’ve literally thrown out people before. Don’t be afraid to bust someone’s wrist if they deserve it.”

As important as it was that they all maintain civilian covers, it was also important that nobody think any of them were pushovers. Firm boundaries are necessary, especially given the kind of customers that visit Descendant. Not everyone was a criminal but there were enough to be on extra guard.

[feathersandflames]

"My favorite thing to do is to scare the ones who think I'm a harmless, defenseless, blonde ditz," Bette laughs. "So it's good to know I can get punchy if they get handsy or something." Given that violence isn't usually Bette's first resort, she doubts she'll gain a reputation for being the ball-busting server, but it's reassuring to know she'll be able to defend herself if it comes to that.

[robintohood]

Jason laughs as well. He’s witnessed other BatFamily members impressively defending themselves from a bad customer. It’s always entertaining.

“It’s a great way to flip what could’ve been a bad night into a good night,” he says.

[feathersandflames]

"It's always fun seeing someone's face when they realize they've underestimated me. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not Black Canary, but I can hold my own when I need to." She's been underestimated for a chunk of her life for many different reasons and the only thing it's ever done is push her to work harder, to improve, to prove her naysayers wrong. "Also, you know. Thank you, Jay. You've already taken a few chances on me since I fell out of the sky, and I really appreciate it."

[robintohood]

“It’s fine. You haven’t given me a reason to do otherwise so far,” Jason says calmly.

He hasn’t thought of himself as a good person in a long time and it probably won’t change anytime soon. His work as the Red Hood is ugly and even his work at Descendant is partially for selfish reasons. However, Jason feels no regret in any of it. As far as he was concerned, it all necessary.

“I told the others that you’re around after we took apart the giant tin can. Nobody seems upset.”