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Who: a gathering of birds and pals
What: it's a little birdie's birthday
When: dec 1st
Where: (comics)jason's central city apartment
Content Warnings: hopefully no fisticuffs in here

( about a week prior to the day, jason sent out an ominous invitation because how else is he supposed to tell people about shit? he's still recovering from both the stupid fight with junior and the numerous fights he'd been in before that with every jack and john he could find who was desperate enough to fall for him antagonizing them.

which means he's beaten enough that the several hours dickie spends in school is spent prepping snacks for the party. there's a massive sheet cake bought at one of the nearby grocery stores with generic balloons and a "happy birthday dickie" written in frosting across the top of it, along with several charcuterie plates, bowls of potato chips, and massive tubs of ice cream in the freezer.

jason figures there's enough of them they'll eventually eat through everything.

there's red, black, and yellow balloons tied to the table with all the snacks with a brightly colored happy birthday banner taped to the wall above it. be careful of the hidden knives, batarangs, and various other bat tools stashed in every potential hiding place around the apartment - jason wasn't picking those up for a party.

if it looks a little excessive, it's because that's the vibe he was going for. )

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( jason organized the get together, but he's - minimally participating once people start showing up. there's an L shaped couch in the living space in front of a massive television set up with a couple consoles, and jason's thrown himself into the corner of the couch, shoes on but carefully hanging off the edge of the couch and an old paperback in hand that he's making an attempt to read through while everyone else crowds into his apartment.

occasionally, he'll make his way into the kitchen to grab a soda out of the fridge and steal shit off of others' plates like the gremlin he is, but crowds aren't really his thing and he knows damn well he has a tendency to antagonize a good half the people here when they open their mouths, so sticking to his own area is probably playing it safe.

probably. )

[ She isn't on the group chat for the Bat family, and might not have seen the chatter even if she had been, but Diana is here, holding a small, wrapped box, nonetheless. But despite this being Dick's birthday, he isn't the only one she's seeking out tonight.

And so, a little later in the evening, when Jason has made is way into the kitchen, he'll hear a quiet step coming to the door. She stops just inside, giving him a little space, studying him. ]

Jason.

( family get togethers aren't his strong-suit, regardless of how much jason would like for them to be. but he's managing not to lose his shit during this one, though mostly for dick's sake rather than - actually managing his temper. it's something, at least.

but running into diana in the kitchen with her watching him like that--well. makes him feel like she's looking straight into him, which isn't a feeling he enjoys much at all. he stands a bit away from the refrigerator, empty glass in hand which he's putting down as soon as he sees how she's watching him. doesn't move to walk towards her, but he's not trying to get away either. )

Yeah?

[ She watches him a little longer, and the weight of her gaze is perhaps not unlike the touch of the lasso – in some ways, they are connected. There's a tense moment where they both look at each other, and then she's in motion once more, implacable.

A few quick steps, and she's near him; one more and she's close enough to put her arms around him in a warm embrace.

Simply: ]

I'm glad you're back.

( the longer they maintain eye contact, the closer jason gets to opening his mouth and snapping out something snarky that he'd likely regret later down the line. he's about ready to, when she starts towards him. his immediate response is to stiffen his shoulders, stand up straight, but two seconds after his body starts, he remembers how fucked his shoulder is and just barely manages to hold back the wince from how much that hurt.

and then diana's arms are around him, and he's freezing up. not pushing her away or trying to pull out of her arms, but not--leaning into it either. he's almost gotten used to bruce's one-armed, very easy to duck out of semi-hugs. he's comfortableish with babs, and fine with dickie, but he's fairly certain the last time he's had close contact with wonder woman was when she kissed his cheek in the bar and then the time before that, when he was still in hot pants. )

[ She doesn't hold on long, and steps back after a moment, her hands falling to her sides. Though she's wearing civilian clothing, there's still a fair amount of Wonder Woman about her: she wears the tiara, her star earrings, and the lasso gleams at her hip. ]

I hope you're feeling better.

[ At the very least, she hopes he won't make another run for it in the middle of Dick's birthday party. ]

( she's always wonder woman to him. not that - jason's spent much time with her outside of the big hero teamups. she's strong, capable, fearless, capable of taking damn near anything on and making sure it knows not to fuck with her again. jason certainly knows better.

diana pulls out of the hug, and jason shoves his right hand down into his pocket. chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment. )

'm fine. Usually am. ( it's not a very convincing lie. he figures he has a good idea where she's going with this though, so - ) I'm not going anywhere.

That's such a useful word, isn't it? 'Fine.' It means so many things to so many people. And yet that makes it mean almost nothing at all.

[ Bruce had been covered in bruises, exhausted and jittery when she found him, when he, too, was fine, and Jason is holding himself like a wild animal intent on escape.

Fine. She'll never understand the stubborn way those of Man's World refuse to acknowledge their feelings and hurts. ]

Well, you are the host. I'd hope you'd stay. But I also hope you aren't feeling trapped, Jason.

( there's nothing worse than being called out by one's idol. especially when that idol is wonder woman. especially when he's fairly certain this is approximately the point in time in which artemis would have just shoved him over and told him to knock it off, and diana being the one to tell him is making him think back to how she'd call him out on being an idiot. donna'd grab him by the ear (again) and drag him around until he either opened his mouth or she was satisfied he was done.

he misses them. but this isn't the time for reminiscing, especially given the hope you aren't feeling trapped comment because, ha, aren't they all trapped here? )

I'm alright. ( not fine, since that word's now off limits. a quick look around them shows that no one's within listening distance, and jason had just checked over the apartment before inviting over everyone else for bugs and the like. doesn't mean they're not there, but if they are, they're likely tim's. and tim knows to keep his mouth shut or else. ) Didn't leave 'cause I was feeling trapped.

Then why did you leave, Jason?

[ It may not be her business, past her usual concern for a friend, but she asks anyway, thinking of Kyle sitting there on the side of the bed, so bereft. Thinking of Jason taking hold of her lasso to tell her about him and Kyle to begin with.

He has every right to leave, of course, as Kyle does. As any of them do, in their own relationships. And he's not a criminal to be interrogated. But he is a friend, who helped her before. Perhaps she can offer a little help back to him. ]

( because he ruins everything. because every time jason finally gets something good going for him, something happens and it all gets fucked over. because he's an asshole, because he doesn't deserve people like kyle or dick in his life. because he's going to get them killed or worse, and it doesn't even fucking matter that kyle's essentially a god, jason'll figure out a way to break him down anyway. because dickie deserves someone better than him, who doesn't have a shit temper.

because jason was terrified of losing everything, so instead of letting it get ruined in front of him, he thought it'd be better if he just ruined it before that happened and realized after the fact that it was a stupid, shitty idea. he's vaguely talked about it, with kyle, with dickie himself - with grayson the eldest even, but it's not something he knows how to talk about here, in an apartment full of people, and to wonder woman of all people.

his jaw clenches tight, and jason moves to try and walk past her. )

Just 'cause.

[It’s only because the party is for one of his siblings that Jason took his older self’s invitation. He’s still fuming over what happened to the Backbreakers’ territory and December in general is a bad time for him.

But for Dickie’s sake on this one day, he can try to focus on something else. He drops off his birthday gift first before helping himself to some food. He’s also pointedly making sure he keeps himself away from his doppelgänger, mostly by staying in a corner.

It’s too easy for them to start a fight and today really isn't the time for it]

Edited 2023-12-14 22:53 (UTC)

[ He hadn't not expected something, but the effort Jason put into it was more than he'd expected. It's not too different from his parties back home-- crushingly normal, he thinks, for anyone who was hoping to see the lavish lifestyle of a billionaire's ward.

He feels homesick on days like this, but the care Jason put into this and the people who showed up eases it.

He grins at anyone coming in. ] Glad you could make it.

[Jason tousles Dick's hair]

I gad to get out of the bar eventually.

[ kyle doesn't really celebrate the holidays.

he has no reason to. sometimes, he'd stop by to check on his mother, spend a few days with her. otherwise, he'd often find himself back with watchtower duty. it's not that he didn't like the holidays. he did and a long time ago, kyle resented the idea of being stuck with work while everyone celebrated.

but then alex died. donna died. jenny died. holidays lost their lustre.

it's different this year and kyle finds himself uncertain. not quite sure what to do. he doesn't throw himself into the holiday season, but he does pick out a few lights, even some wreaths. he hums a few christmas tunes while he's at it too. ]

( jason doesn't do holidays. when he was young, he and his mom tried every few years or so, but they hadn't had much to begin with. after bruce had adopted him, alfred had been the one to pull holidays together. there were galas, but jason hadn't even had enough time under the wayne roof to really adjust to those. and then he'd kicked the bucket, thrown the idea of holidays out the window. when he'd gotten along with everyone, there'd been smaller celebrations - but it'd never lasted long, and now that alfred's. . . gone, he can't imagine that ever going back to how it was back home.

here, there's a now-fifteen-year-old dick grayson living under his roof along with kyle. which--changes things. a little. to the extent he's leaning up against the wall near the door that leads out of the condo like he's considering running but isn't. )

You missed a spot. ( with a nod of his head towards the coffee table, which clearly isn't looking festive enough. )

[ kyle squints at the coffee table. ]

I don't think I have anything for that. I guess I could stick a wreath on it.

You've got a ring.

( a green one, even. kyle's creative, he'll figure it out. or - )

Red cup in the middle of a wreath. There's candy canes in the kitchen.

I'm not using the ring for everything.

[ even if that's his default mode. you have to put in extra effort for the holidays!! ]

I'll go bring them.

( kyle can go.. do that, jason'll stay right where he is, eyes following kyle as he moves throughout their place. )

Do we need a tree?

( look, he's even using "we". )

[ kyle waggles his eyebrows. he did not miss the "we". ]

Do we want a tree?

's your world, Rayner. I'm just living in it.

( alfred would get a tree. alfred is also dead. )

Your commitment to the holidays has been noted.

[ after some thought, kyle decides to generate a tree from the ring. complete with decorations, star, tinsel, the works. ]

It's not you. It just. . . hasn't been a thing for me. I'm not complaining.

( look he's even pushing away from the wall so he can walk over to kyle and lean right up against his back, hooking his chin over kyle's shoulder. )

We can go out. Get one of those real trees that leave pine needles all over for months after.

And I wasn't mad.

[ but he leans against jason with a smile. ]

Let's do that. It could be fun. I don't think I ever picked out a tree before.

jaybirb ( open )

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Other Jay | OTA

the birthday boy ; open

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( holiday shenans )

what if i tag this forever later because i missed this

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