2015-05-06 - Sluggin It Out

Midnight. Time for people to be in bed, if you live in normal parts of the world. This is Gotham though. It does tend to have a slightly lower early bedtime rate. There's a study on it...not important right now.

Black Bat flips off the edge of a rooftop, firing a grapple in mid-flip between her legs. It catches on an overhanging girder, and she swings across the street to the wall where she softens the landing to nothing by running along the wall. She looks around, then walks up the wall til she's hanging upside-down and looking curious.

Black Bat taps on the window she's at, trying to get the attention of whoever's inside. Huntress suggested this might be the place.

The window is dirty and not very clear, but there appears to be a mostly broken couch with a white button up shirt and black slacks on the it. That seems...unusually professional. A man with a white streak in his hair steps out, putting a towel about his shoulders after it had been used to dry his hair. He wears blue jeans, the zipper up and button undone, barefoot. He glares at the window.

Jason walks over to open it, looking suspicious, "What the hell....did Dick tell you where to find me?" He hasn't run across Huntress yet, so would not suspect her, or perhaps she didn't realize it was Jason here.

Black Bat frowns slightly, her face showing confusion under the black eye mask. Upside-down it might look a little odd, then she suddenly grins and points at Jason with an ah-ha! expression. It's like watching someone realize something they'd been confused about. She seems quite comfortable hanging by a line outside the window though.

Jason stares at Cass, "....." He then sighs, "Who did you expect to find? Bloody hell woman, come on in before someone sees you," and he backs up to free up the window. The guy is of course built, and there are light scars places from wounds gained in fights. Still, the scars are not as intense as one would expect, faded even.

Taking the cue to come in, Black Bat flips in through the window and sets her line to reel in. She waits for it impatiently, then clips it to her belt again with the air of someone putting up with inferior equipment.

Once that's dealt with, she leans against the wall and looks the place over. "Did not...recognize you," she says in her odd voice, then motions to her own face. Specifically to her mask, then points at Jason's own eyes. She seems generally unconcerned with the state of the place. It's almost as if she's just looking for ninjas or something else of low priority.

"Without my domino mask?" Jason goes to close the window to keep the cool air out so it's still somewhat warmer inside the apartment. He runs a hand through his damp, almost still wet hair. He then picks up the towel and dries it some more before tossing it over the couch's back. "I suppose we don't exactly chill out of uniform. What brings you here?" He looks curious at that.

Black Bat sticks her tongue out at Jason. Her eyes track him, but that's about all; they mostly flicker about to make sure nobody's sneaking up on her. Probably habit. She sighs a little, then reaches into her pouch and pulls out something that she holds with distaste. It's a sheet of paper, which she holds out toward Jason annoyedly.

The sheet of paper is a shipping document stating a pier number and time, with the signature of a shipping clerk on the bottom.

Jason walks to Black Bat and takes the piece of paper with an odd expression. He looks it over, not even thinking of getting a shirt because..well, it's his apartment! He then looks back up at Black Bat. "Umm...what about this?" A pause. "Oh." Alright, so Jason has stupid moments just like normal people!

Jason sighs, "It's a shipping manifest. It has a signature of a shipping clerk, along with piece number and time. Basically a receipt of sorts. Where did you get it?"

Cassandra removes her mask, pushing off of the wall and walking to beside Jason where he's looking at the paper. She squints at it, then says "Mob...boss. Table. Seemed...important." She pauses, squinting at the paper, then makes an odd noise. "Sssssaaaaa....n?" She frowns furiously, peering at the thing.

"We need to help you learn to read kiddo." But Jason shifts closer to Cass and moves his fingers over the text so she can follow along as he reads the information off, and even what he can read of the signature.

Cassandra slaps the paper, not knocking it out of Jason's hands, but slapping it annoyedly all the same. She crosses her arms and stuffs her mask in a pocket. "Stupid," she says, waving at the paper to indicate the target of her venom. "Waste...time." She grins suddenly, then adds, "Have YOU to read for me!" as if that's a completely acceptable solution to the issue.

A laugh, "And you have to hunt someone down to read something to you when it could be time sensitive?" Jason goes to reach out to touch Cass's shoulder, "What are you afraid of these little letters for anyway? You are a big bad ninja."

Cassandra punches Jason in the shoulder when he calls her a ninja. A real, good solid punch, not the play punches Robin uses to take out villains. She follows it up with a spinning leg sweep, but she's not really putting her all into it. When she comes up she's not even in a guard position.

"Ow, shit!" His should is lucky not to get knocked out of socket! He will likely have a bruise later, but he's paying attention now and leaping up to dodge the sweep. His own position is prepared and his eyes narrowed, "What the hell Cass?" Pushed anymore, and he wouldn't think second about attacked Cass full-on....but she knows how short Jason's temper is...a dangerous temper.

And Cassandra leans back against the couch, looking as if nothing's happened. Just slouching a bit. She makes a little 'tch' noise, then looks up at Jason with pride. "Ninja." She motions toward the paper, ignoring Jason's temper completely. "Stupid...squiggles. Tried...is very hard."

"Oh, deal, I'm trained too. It doesn't magically go away." A snort from Jason, though he remains tense. "And if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth much, now would it? You have to work hard to get things worth while."

The sound of a baby outside makes Cassandra glance at the window, then back. She looks at Jason without even a hint of repentance for her crime, and says "Want to...help?" though she's certain she could handle it herself. Whatever it is. Which is, of course, avoiding the topic of conversation entirely.

Jason sighs. "Fine. But can you twerk your ass for me later in repayment? Or buy me a beer." He is careful not to turn his back to Cass exactly, but does go to the spare room to get his uniform and gear and will start to change. And yep...no door closing, whatever.

Cassandra looks at Jason with annoyance for some reason when he talks. She shakes her head slightly, then slips to the window and readies her grapple. Then she stops, framed in the moonlight, and puts on her mask as she thinks. "No," she says as Jason changes. Turning back, she stalks to the spare room and walks in on Jason, mid-change, without knocking.

Jason is pulling up his pants of his uniform, and blinks. His guns are out, his uniform is out, and his jeans are on the floor. He glances up at Cass enters as he is securing his pants, "I didn't think you would anyway," he murmers, not seeming to think twice about Cass's actions. Then again, Jason doesn't exactly believe that Cass thinks sexually so it doesn't put him on edge. He's just being his typical ass-hole self.

Cass sits down, somehow managing to make it seem like she's standing tall. Her posture is good even on the floor. She waves her hand in the air, then makes a fist and squeezes it til the leather glove cries out for mercy. "Stop," she says, looking uncomfortable. Annoyed, upset, and ...embarrased, when she glances away, from the look in her eyes. It's not just anger. She's embarrased. "When you...look, it makes me feel..." She trails off, not looking Jason in the eyes.

"Umm...I'm stopping getting dressed now," totallllly confused! But when Cass speaks like that, Jason stares blankly for a moment, then face palms. No, literally! Palm raises and covers his face! And is he blushing?! "Cass! Sometimes you shouldn't read body language that closely!" Yes...Jason is...admittedly, finally...embarassed. Horribly so!

Kidding around and being a jerk is one thing. Being called on the truth is another. Awkkkkkward! Red Hood pages: It's weird when Jason finally gets a clue. :D Long distance to Red Hood: Black Bat hugs :) Black Bat turns and looks at Jason, her eyes blazing. She doesn't ACT on it, but she's obviously pissed. "How? How can I....not? I can not....just....turn it off! Everyone...all the time." She turns away, taking a breath to calm down, and puts a fist into the door frame. Which creaks warningly.

After about three seconds though, she's got it under control. Which is a pretty good feat on its own. She visibly forces her temper back under control with pure willpower.

Not that the place isn't banged up to begin with, Jason then lowers his hand, "It isn't likely I meant anything by it! It's sub-conscious, alright?! You are a beautiful woman, you are deadly too, and powerful! How can a man not find that attractive? Especially a man that grew up like me? It's not like I really want to force you to do anything against you will."

Jason then pinches the bridge of his nose, "Just don't hit me for being attracted to you, alright? That would just make the situation worse right now." He is frustrated and stressed, it is revealed in the lines of his body, his breathing rhythm, the way he speaks which is uneven as he is unsure what to do as he panics. Plenty of lies go to roll off his tongue, but Cass would catch them anyway, so they die on the tip.

And Cassandra's head turns back to Jason, watching his body language as he goes through all that. She actually seems to relax, and her mouth starts to smile, as she watches his very honest, very human reactions. She slips up to her feet and walks toward Jason, taking his hand in both of hers if he lets her do so. Her eyes are warm, now, not upset, as she squeezes his fingers.

"Hey, no, -NO-," Jason says seriously as he stares at Cass, his eyes narrowing as she squeezes his fingers. "Don't look at me like that. This isn't some damn mushy moment where we hug and giggle and say friendship is forever. I -will- shoot someone in the head for sure then." Ya..Cass having a gentle look. That doesn't cause more panic at all! Let alone touching him willingly, Cass isn't a touchy-touchy person. His fingers twitch as if resisting squeezing her fingers back.

Jason wets his lips, shifting his weight. His mind is pulled in two directions...even his heart is beating faster than in the middle of a deadly battle.

Black Bat throws her head back and laughs, then smacks Jason in the side of the head with one hand. Not hard, just getting his brain slightly out of the panic mode. Hopefully. "Calm...down," she says, then fakes a punch at his face. Just a fake, nothing else. "You...understood. And stopped." Then she shrugs, lowers her guard, and adds, "Not bad...for a boy." And an eyebrow raises communicatively.

Jason winces at the slap and says, "Damn it!" He is going to need to start dodging those, seriously! But he frowns, "You really have noooo idea." He was struggling between running and kissing her! But Jason's free hand pulls up to catch the fake punch, and when she lets her guard down...Jason takes advantage of it.

If Black Bat isn't careful, she will find herself pinned against the nearby wall, Jason's one leg shifted to trap her legs, and his hands out to trap her wrists. "I'm not a boy Cassandra," Jason warns. "I'm a man. You brought something out in the open you shouldn't have, so don't tempt me."

Cassandra doesn't dodge the grab or the pin. She doesn't respond to it either though, her face looking tired suddenly. "Let...go," she says. Not fighting, not physically, but also not going along with it. Pinned to the wall, she just lets him hold her there for the moment, though her body feels almost like it's waiting, and her eyes are looking at Jason without emotion. Not judging. Just looking at him.

Jason is still at first, his expression hard. But he finally curses beneath his breath and lets Cassandra go, stepping back. He could never force her, -never-. "Perhaps another night we can run the roof tops little sis." He is putting barriers up again, re-establishing the role he put Cassandra in when he first realized his feelings would get his ass handed to him. "I'm running on about three hours sleep after a hard day at work." Work?! Jason has a day job?! Or something...but it's just an excuse. He's trained to go on little sleep.

Cassandra looks at Jason for a moment, her eyes staying quiet, not moving to make him react again. Then she says, "Get...some sleep," as she looks at him, watching him put up those barriers. "I can...handle the docks." At that, she turns to slip out the door and the window following it. The view of her face as she leaves is thoughtful. And maybe, just a bit worried. Because Jason needs a gentler hand than she's used to giving. Either that or a bullet to the head, and she's not willing to do that for him.

Though strangely enough when Cassandra leaves, Hood does follow after her at a safe distance to make sure she doesn't really need any backup. And if he can help without her figuring it out? He will...