tfln

[gutties]

Strike the earth!

Comments

[captain_bitterness]

Yes. It's your lucky day.

Your choice.

[theotherobin]

or yours.

4th and Strand. should i look for a hideously disfigured old man?

[captain_bitterness]

I'll be there in about twenty. And yes, a hideously disfigured old man in all black.

[theotherobin]

wow, you fit right into Gotham. i'll be in all yellow.

see you in twenty.

[ not all yellow, but a yellow hoodie at least. he's there, waiting on the street corner like he's lived there all his life. he probably has, for some of it. ]

[captain_bitterness]

[Jason is waiting on the corner for about 5 mins when a cab pulls up nearby and a very tall man climbs out wearing all black. He looks directly at Jason and nods.]

Couldn't find yellow pants to wear, Jason?

[theotherobin]

[ well... shit.

the guy that climbs out of the cab is not even close to being a hideously disfigured old man, and hey... if he wanted that look of surprise..... he only half gets it, cause Jason's pretty damn good at shoving every last thing he feels way deep down (until the worst possible moment).

he raises an eyebrow as he pushes off the wall, eying the guy as if this was exactly what he was expecting. ]

Yellow just doesn't do it for my ass. I expected you to be shorter. And older... and fuckton uglier. But that's your thing, huh. Downplaying shit to make yourself seem older and wiser.

[captain_bitterness]

[Nate catches the brief flicker of surprise that goes across Jason's face before he locks it down and in return he offers an arched brow lift of his own.]

Why did you think I was shorter?

[theotherobin]

Cause dudes who talk a big talk are usually shorter.

[Jason's not that tall, so... you know.]

Do I get a name?

[captain_bitterness]

I believe they call that 'short-man' syndrome.

[He looks steadily at Jason for a moment as if debating telling him his name.]

Nate.

[theotherobin]

You're making that shit up. That's lame as fuck.

[Jason's eyebrow goes up slowly as if to challenge him not to say anything, because the guy very clearly will anyway, but Jason likes to have the upper hand.

he very much feels like he does anyway cause this guy standing in front of him? not even close to what he came off as. ]

Nate.

Well shit.

That's cute.

[captain_bitterness]

A domineering or aggressive attitude perceived as a form of overcompensation for being physically small or short.
It's also known as the Napoleon complex.

[Nate's eyebrow goes up a little further and he makes that dry "Mmmn" noise.]

Shall we? I don't know about you but I'm starving.

[theotherobin]

Is there a similar term for someone who acts old and disfigured?

[Jason smirks like the smartass he is, and heads towards the place he picked out. it's a couple blocks away, long enough for him to sus out if this guy can actually be trusted ]

So why'd you lie to me?

[captain_bitterness]

Not to my knowledge.

[Nate follows alongside him, taking long easy strides.]

About what?

[theotherobin]

Maybe we'll have to coin a new term then.

[Jason waves a hand toward Nate like it's really fucking obvious.]

About yourself. Who you are. You're barely older than Grayson and you're not all that fucking mysterious. Bruce had no fucking idea who you were.

[captain_bitterness]

I believe the term is called 'honesty'.

[Nate muses and then gives Jason a dry look.]

I am older than Grayson, I just look young.

[theotherobin]

Damn, dude. You shouldn't be touting honesty so loud and proud.

[not that Jason's an honest person either. truth is, the lack of it on Nate's part was smart, even if Jason doesn't like being kept in the dark. there's no reason to be honest unless you know exactly what you're in for.]

And hideously disfigured. I mean damn, look at those four eyes. How can you even stand to look at yourself in the mirror every morning? Seriously, though. What was the point of misleading me?

[captain_bitterness]

[There's a flicker of amusement in Nate's dark eyes although the rest of his face remains serious.]

I wasn't. I am both old and disfigured, I just hide both aspects very well.

[theotherobin]

You were purposefully being real fucking obtuse.

[Jason gives him a pointed look. don't bullshit a bullshitter.]

And what about Bruce not knowing who the hell you were when I asked him about you? How do you explain that?

[if this guy is so damn perceptive, maybe he'll figure it out.]

[captain_bitterness]

Because you never asked Bruce about me.

[theotherobin]

[Jason raises an eyebrow, turning the corner to lead them to the best hole in the wall chili dog place.]

Yeah alright. So you're not a complete idiot. Here we are.

[he yanks the door open for Nate and heads in after him, and the guy behind the counter is already giving Jason a fond scowl before asking what he's dragging in this time, and if he's gonna have to hide out behind the counter again.]

Oh come on, Benny that was one fucking time.

Twice.

Yeah alright. Twice. But this time I'm just showing my friend here around the best parts of Gotham. Somehow we wound up here.

[captain_bitterness]

[The fact that Jason didn't ask Bruce is interesting to him and just goes to show another difference between him and Grayson.

Jason's interaction with the man behind the counter is also interesting and Nate files it away for later, following Jason silently to a booth where he sits across from him.]

[theotherobin]

[Jason isn't Dick, not by a long shot. Bruce has trouble seeing that often enough though. He tries to model Jason after him more often than not and it doesn't work. hell, he's even got Jason looking more like Dick by straightening out his hair instead of letting the wild curls run free. Jason doesn't give a shit of course (he does a little) because he wants this. he wants to be Robin so badly, and he can do this better than Dick ever did.

Jason's demeanor is different here. it's not the put upon casual aloofness that he so often carries with him. it's more real, more comfortable, like he's home. he's never really had one. the streets of Gotham are his home.]

You've got some choices but you gotta go for at least two of the classic ones, bro. Also the waffle fries. It would be criminal not to get those.

[Jason slides the small, beat up, laminated menu over to Nate.]

And just for the record, "friend" remains to be seen. Just didn't want Benny giving you shit.

[captain_bitterness]

[If Nate knew that Bruce was trying to model Jason into Dick v2.0 he would have a good, long chuckle about it and tell his old associate that he was an idiot for even trying.

He notes the shift in Jason's demeanor and takes the beat up menu with hands that are covered by expensive black leather gloves.]

Perish the thought of 'Benny' thinking ill of me. [He says in a dry tone as he reads through the menu.]

So tell me about these two times that Benny had to hide from your company.

[theotherobin]

[ Jason's not particularly thrilled about it either, but Robin means more to him than trying to start shit about that one. sometimes he fumes about it by acting out... which Nate might say is like Dick anyway.

Benny's probably eying the two of them right now, trying to figure out what a guy like Nate is doing with a kid like Jason, but well... he's seen everything by now. ]

Hey, you've got no idea what Benny could do to you.

[Jason says pointedly, picking up a menu as well, just to have something to keep him still. he knows this thing front and back by heart.]

No, dude. You got it all wrong. Benny wasn't the one hiding out from my company. Imagine if he had to hide out at his own place? He was doing me a solid when I had to lay low a couple times. The cops here are real bitches.

[captain_bitterness]

The only thing Benny can do to me is clog my arteries with cholesterol.

[He says in that same dry tone and then puts the menu down, having decided on his order.]

What were the reasons for you having to lay low?