[OPEN Mingle] Happy Anniversary and Happy Holidays!

[robintohood]

Who: Mingle post! Jason Todd robintohood is also available in a separate top-level comment
What: Festivities at the Descendant Karaoke Bar and Lounge
When: Week of November 27th and throughout December
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: N/A for now. Will edit if needed.

[By god, the weird (and only sometimes shady) New Jerseyian karaoke bar in the middle of Michigan has made it. The Descendant Karaoke Bar and Lounge has hit its first anniversary. To celebrate, there are special discount rates for customers and even deeper ones for the repeated loyal clients.

Because Descendant’s birthday is also at the very beginning of the winter holiday season, the whole place has been decorated to reflect the occasions. There’s the usual colorful tinsel, wreathes, Santa hats, and fake holly plants but there are also special additions the Descendant’s staff did. There are hidden Santa Gritty figures and decorations throughout the building. More blatant are the Christmas trees throughout the building adorned with Gritty baubles. Instead of an elf on a shelf, behind the bar on the top shelf is a Gritty figure next to the maneki-neko figure Mayuko gifted Jason last year during Descendant’s grand opening. Both figures are there all year round but for this time of the year, they’re rocking Santa hats too.

As for the Descendant’s owner, his presence is oddly sparse despite his business hitting a milestone. Jason’s still monitoring daily operations and is still making sure tasks are being properly delegated but during these last weeks of the year, he’s not at Descendant as often as he usually is. He can still be contacted though, namely if there’s an emergency.

Meanwhile, if one were to carefully eavesdrop on some of the Descendant’s more shady customers, one might hear that the Backbreakers gang and their leader, the Red Hood, might be having… problems holding their remaining territory. The rumors have been going since mid-November after the mysterious bombings to several of the Backbreakers’ safehouses.

So come in from the cold and celebrate, be it Descendant’s birthday or a winter holiday. Have a holiday drink like a spiked eggnog, a gingerbread martini, or a wassail. The karaoke machines are full of holiday songs to sing to as well.]

((OOC: Mingle post! Go have fun, folks. Jason’s own top-level is right here. My contact information is on this journal's profile and I'm in the game's Discord server. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns as well. I also have a feedback post.))

Comments

[robintohood]

Nope. Haven’t heard of that.

[Though he does remember Mayuko talking about that camp before]

[welcome_summer]

Okay... so about an hour after I got there, I run into this guy in an open area. Tall, in a suit and top hat. Gray skin, crosses etched into his forehead. We talk for a bit. Newcomer-type things since I obviously have my suitcases and all. I look over, and the people I knew from home, my friends, one of my students? They're watching, and they've gone pale.

[robintohood]

[Oh he doesn’t like where this is going]

What was wrong?

[welcome_summer]

Well, unbeknownst to me, my shitty ex-boyfriend I mentioned earlier was also there. At that time he was dating this... strange man, Tyki Mikk. So my acquaintances were... nervous about his encountering me because he might do something rash out of... jealousy or something. Like use his phasing powers to make some of my internal parts external, or a particular trick, implant carnivorous butterflies into my abdomen and watch them eat their way out.

AND if that happened, they would have to haul me to the swamps and wait, like, two weeks for me to revive. Because the only thing that could hurt this guy was sanctified or holy weapons, so by the time someone with those could be rounded up, I'd be a goner.

[robintohood]

[Jason frowns as he listens. Tyki sounded like another mass murderer walking around with no consequences to face]

So what really happened?

[welcome_summer]

Fortunately, he wasn't interested in anything like that that day. I had a politely bland conversation with him and went on. Learned about him way after the fact.

All of this is to say, I understand your drive, a little. We should help those who need assistance or can be redirected, but there are some people who can't be helped, who will continue to hurt others. What's to be done?

[robintohood]

[Darkly and in a voice that sounds more Red Hood than Jason’s usual civilian cover]

Exactly. That’s something I concluded a long time ago.

[wereall_addicts]

She nods, because it's true enough. "Though I tried a little bit of everything. Commercials, films - anything that allowed me to play a part." But honestly, her stage is mostly crime. She's still not sure if that's safe to say here.

[robintohood]

“Any favorite parts or sets you worked on?” Jason asked, curious. It’s a question that could reveal what kind of person she is.

Late December Friendsmas |openish

[welcome_summer]

[It's sometime in the midweek lull between Christmas and the New Year that Mayuko ducks into the Descendant again. She's been cleaning out her big old house for a few days, and she could use a drink.

Besides, there are a few people in Central that she's hoping to catch before the year changes. Mark to deliver... something he might like to have. Sleeper to answer for their fashion crimes. She's happy to converse with anyone.

Maybe some others have the same idea, coming in from the cold, settling matters from the old year and looking forward to the new.]

[definecat]

[Throughout the month Sleeper has been doing their best to help raise the ugly sweater game in the Descendent. One can easily get a very thorough and acerbic review of one's personal choice, with the balance of tastelessness and fitting topical matter being key. They've even sported their own versions, such as this offering. Just be glad they aren't actually trying to make anyone's eyes bleed.]

[atypical_echo]

"Wouldn't think it would be my thing either," he says with a smile. "But you get caught up in it, whether you want it or not. Can really help you shut your mind off."

And Jason needs that.

"I tend to watch a few episodes on the second tuesday and fourth wednesday of every month," he says. "A way to unwind."

[robintohood]

Jason fidgets a little again, unsure how to handle such an offer. He still feels like he has so much to do. The balancing act between being the Red Hood and Jason Todd has been becoming more tenuous, not that he would ever admit it.

“I’ll see how my schedule looks after December,” he says. “You don’t have to do this you know.”

[welcome_summer]

[See, that sweater on Sleeper is almost cute. And with accord having been reached with Jason again, Mayuko feels a little more comfortable engaging with Sleeper. She doesn't know that the two bonded in this universe, but she's seen they are close.]

You went thematic with this one. Surprisingly less chaotic than expected, and I do like the beer steins on the edge.

[definecat]

The inappropriate beer steins are what make it work here. I mean, really, beer is not generally considered a holiday beverage. I have others. I am the official critic of all things ugly sweater.

[welcome_summer]

Beer is a good, solid holiday beverage! It goes great with another holiday staple: fried chicken. It's not a pretentious choice.

[Her tastes aren't complicated; she'd take beer over most other drinks. But she orders the complicated stuff here so she has cover to tip well.]

So does being "the critic" make you the ringleader or a senior collaborator on the sweater gifting front?

[welcome_summer]

And is it something you're still working on solo?

[She's not going to outright connect that to how worn out he looks, and she says it carefully.

She knows through the media that the Batman was in this universe before, and that there have been Robins-plural around (even if they all don't go by the name, which is understandable). It wouldn't be surprising, given the history Jason has with the former, that the latter might be kept at arm's length.]

[definecat]

But the traditional eggnog and wassail are easier to think of. You don't really see anyone putting together a picture of Santa kicking back with a brewski.

[They shrug a little. It doesn't really mean anything to them.]

I definitely took my job finding the perfect sweater in regards to personality and tastes seriously. Several of the finds involved real blinking lights.

[codicies]

Dylan's not at the bar, but he's bussing tables near enough to hear the comment. He looks up, follows her gaze and smirks.

"Yeah, maybe it's blasphemous to say, but I really don't get it." He keeps stacking plates as he speaks. Dylan's a pretty average looking teenager, and his body language is relaxed even as he works — He's definitely comfortable here.

"But I try not to judge the owner too much for his taste in holiday décor." He steps a little closer and leans in, lowering his voice to a stage whisper: "He's from Jersey."

[robintohood]

Not always.

[It’s not a lie really. Sleeper’s been a great partner for him. But even then, doing everything by himself is a hard habit to shake off]

But this isn’t something that encourages teamwork.

[wereall_addicts]

"Lady Macbeth is always a highlight." Sophie considers for a moment. "Oh! I played Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman. Probably one of my favorite challenges as an actor."

Seemed to be a favorite of her team as well, which is a highlight. Or at least it impressed Parker.

[wereall_addicts]

She smirks, before shaking her head. "I've been living in Boston lately. I know there are things you could say to fuel the feud, but I don't really have a ball in either court." She appreciates the perspective though. It does feel very New Jersey.

[robintohood]

Jason whistles. He genuinely is impressed.

“Good tastes,” he smiles. “Very meaty parts. Playing Willie must’ve great to explore especially. You work more on the American side of the business or elsewhere?”

[atypical_echo]

"What? I don't have to partake in one of my favorite hobbies?" he says, trying to play innocent.

Mark is not great at playing innocent. Not with that hopeful look on his face.

[robintohood]

Jason snorts. Naturally, he doesn’t buy Mark’s innocent act at all.

“You know exactly what I mean,” he retorts, though not annoyed by the man’s gesture.