2013-10-31 - Oh Joy, an Animal

Bruce did manage to get four hours of sleep before he got up and went out. Damian may think his Father forgot that he promised to spend today with him talking about his plans and taking him to meet Mr. Fox. However, Bruce does return home with a small box with holes in it. Small as in the size and half of one of Bruce's fists. Bruce peeks into the kitchen, then heads for the stairs, "Damian, I'm home!" He then heads back to the kitchen where Tim and Alfred are.

Bruce sits the box on the kitchen table where Alfred and Tim are, waiting for Damian to show up. He also sets the bag he was carrying on the floor. It has 'supplies'. "Dog when I trust him not to use it to try and kill you Tim. He might find a way for even a small one to do it, like when you are asleep."

Alfred just looks at Bruce a little funny.

Tim shakes his head. "He wouldn't use an animal, he would want the kill himself." he says matter of factly, already dressed and looking over his next collage assignment, already figured out and such, but pondering what to leave out so that he doesn't raise eyebrows with a fourth perfect score in a row.

The patrol from the other night definitely helped restore Damian's spirits. The youngest Wayne comes down stairs in his jeans and t-shirt, and he walks briskly and smiling, he pushes through the kitchen door and on his way to his father's side he says off-handedly to Tim "As much as I hate you Usurper, you are right about that, I would want to savour that kill." Anyone's guess if he's joking. He looks up at the box. "What's this about an animal?" he asks his Father.

An arched eyebrow, "I certainly hope you are jesting Damian. I'm quite fond of Tim," Bruce states.

Alfred states, "There will be no killing family members," putting his foot down firmly on that. "It is uncivilized. We verbally spar like any normally dysfunctional family." Did that just come from Alfred?!

Bruce stares at Alfred a bit, before he blinks and shifts the box with holes in it toward Damian. "A gift."

Something white and fuzzy pokes through one of the holes before disappearing.

Tim snaps the pencil, though sets it aside and gets another one. "Thumb slipped." he mutters as he continues his work. "Well, aside from you Squirt... I'll let Bruce tell you." he says, in reference, and retorting, to the animal question, the usual 'it's cute that he is so angry' look is gone from Tim, now there is a bit of contemplation, and a lot of pity for the boy.

Damian turns when Tim's pencil snaps. "tt. And people think I have anger issues," he taunts though his attention is on the thing peeking out of the box. He lifts the lid carefully peeking inside. "Anyhow of course it was a joke Father. Though to be fair Alfred, Tim isn't family, he just lives here."

Alfred then says, "Of course Tim is family. You do not need blood relations to be a family, Master Damian. I also consider you all my family." And then he goes back to washing dishes as if nothing big was stated. That is just how Alfred is.

When Damian opens the box, he will see a white, fluffy ball of a kitten. He is laying down and rolling about. It looks up at him with wide yellow eyes and makes a quiet, but high pitched, "Meow," sound.

Bruce states, "Of course you are family Alfred. No one else could put up with me for this long otherwise."

Alfred hides his slight smile as he washes dishes.

Though Bruce's eyes are on Damian the entire time, watching for his reaction.

Tim frowns even more as a second pencil breaks. "You know what Damian, why don't you stop a drug ring AND a literal attack on Gotham, until then, anything you have to say is the ramblings of a little brat, I earned my place, don't make me say something I will regret." he says, returning back to his work, now visibly upset, mumbling and frowning ,when he usually is all smiles when doing homework.

"Of course you're family Alfred," Damian allows as he looks down at the cat. His eyebrow arches and he pulls the kitten out of the box. He holds her in front of him her body dangling down from his grip on her 'shoulders' then he pulls it closer, letting it's needle like claws dig into his shirt, before helping her up onto his shoulder. Wrinkling his nose as her tail hits him in the face. "It's a cat," he says to Bruce looking up questioningly. Then to Tim he says "I helped stop Vandal Savage's chemical bomb, injured several of his Elite, as well as carried out various other jobs before I was a teenager. However, good job on the drug ring." He reaches up and rubs the cat on it's nose as he turns back to his father.

Carrie had been out all night. All night. Without word, or radio, or any news of where she might be though there were ways to find out. Coming in through the front door she heads to the kitchen hearing voices only to walk in looking... chilled. Her lips were still purpled though her color was coming back--it was just one of those drawbacks of being of the pale skinned ginger persuasion. A large peacoat edged with leather around the shoulders is worn over her clothes, and even that seems to be a bit damp here and there. Pausing at the sight of everyone here she squints a moment before uttering a simple question, hopefully. "Coffee?"

And Bruce then moves and does something he doesn't do very often, he touches Tim's shoulder in comfort. "I know you more than earned your place Tim, and I know in time you will leave the Bat Cave and establish a name for yourself just as Dick did. In the meantime, I'm proud to have you by my side as a friend and partner." He blames Carrie. This explaining things. And he blames Alfred. The 'talking it out' with his son thing that Alfred makes him do. Tim can go into shell shock later.

In either case, "Tim is a member of our family, just as Carrie and Cassandra are. Now, worry less about Tim right now, and a little more about your new responsibility," and Bruce points at the kitten.

Alfred is already moving to get coffee as soon as he sees Carrie. It's actually Alfred that asks, "How was the North Pole?" Wait, when did they slip a tracer on Carrie?! Well, she does have their comlinks. Though he then blinks at the kitten, "Oh...an animal." Oh joy. Damian likely gets a feeling it is going to be his DUTY to clean up after the feline.

Robin nods to Bruce and sighs as he turns to Carrie. "You have to let us know where you are going Carrie, I can't have my partner vanquishing." he says with a smile, see, Robin so so badass he has his own Robin.

"Yes Father," Damian says before looking over at the cat almost as if he's willing it to murder Tim. The cat simply paws at his face and Damian scrunches up his nose. "Stupid cat," he mutters to himself before he takes it off his shoulder and carries it in the crook of his arm. "North Pole?" he asks Carrie with a raised eyebrow. Tim and his delusions are ignored.

"Cold, and enlightening," Carrie responds to Alfred with a smile. Normally she would move over to Alfred's side to accept the coffee he was getting her. Instead she leans against the wall waiting however. Leaning her head back against the wall as well she shuts her eyes for the moment willing herself to deal with the lack of sleep as well as recovering from the temperature differential. "Figured you all could use some guy-time. I'm lo-jacked. You know how to use it." Of course she figured they would know. She had the radio among other techie toys. Cracking her eyes open she grins at Damian and the kitten. Lifting a hand she reaches out to gently pet the kitty. "Recon," she explains simply to Damian. "I need to sleep soon."

"And you have to name her." That is when Bruce breaks the news that it is a female to Damian. Wait till it goes in heat for the first time and needs spayed. Damian will likely freak. Bruce picks up a bag from the floor and sets it atop the table, it is a large one. "Kitty littler pain and all that stuff. The kitty litter bag is by the front door."

Bruce then says to Carrie, "You should inform us when going off like that. There is a party to attend this evening," reminding Carrie. "Selina would give me hell if any of us missed it completely. I rather not have to convince her to give my mother's pearls back again, so we are all making an appearance." Bat Family outing!

Tim frowns and looks at Bruce. "Yeah, then we get to watch her paw all over you throughout the whole night.' he says with a snicker as he closes his book. "There, finished." he says as he shoves the book into a bag. "I wouldn't be surprised if she has a shrine in her closet dedicated to Bruce." he then looks at Carrie. "Does she?"

Damian frowns a little but at Carrie's answer he nods once. He knows who lives up in the north pole and it's not Santa. The cat responds to the petting with some playful clawing before Damian pulls her off. He looks up at his father and down at the cat. "Perhaps Selina would be fitting," he says, but if Bruce is paying attention there is expectation in his eyes that he's suggesting he's just pushing buttons. "She does like cats."

To the rest of the instructions he nods. "I'll take care if her," he promises.

Carrie smiles slightly at the mention of the party. "Sorry, Boss. I know. Made sure I was going to be here for it. I'm the one that asked her to throw the party, after all. Finally got a costume figured out, too." Other than the one she'd been toying with. Her hand drops away when the kitten is pulled off of gnawing on her fingers earning a grin. Tim's remark gets a tip of her head and a single eyebrow raised as she gives him a 'you can't be serious' look. "Of course not." There's a pause before she blurts, "Just a collar with his name on it." To Damian she grins softly, "She's a cutie, you'll do fine taking care of her." With that she pushes off of her leaning spot declaring, "I'll be up in a few hours."

Bruce scowls at that, "Not likely, if she did, it likely be littered with 'items', and I'm sure Alfred would have reported anything missing to me." A roll of his eyes then. "And it's not that serious." Because of course, Bruce doesn't do 'serious' anymore, and when does Selina ever do 'serious'? And then Carrie comes out with the, "What?" He then face palms. "Very funny Carrie, get the hell to bed," a slight growl coming from him. That should hopefully send the girl running. He then points toward Damian, "Go ahead and set up her things and get her comfortable. If she needs more, we will pick them up on the way back from the office, but we leave in an hour and half." This gives Damian some time with the kitten before they go to see Mr. Fox. Bruce then heads to leave the kitchen to get some work done.

Tim snickers at Carries joke. 'Well hopefully it's in black.. any other color just doesn't suit Bruce." he says with a smirk as he looks to Alfred. "Oh by the way, thanks for helping me with the Costume." he says as he pats the older man on the shoulder and heads off to get some sleep as well, hit last four hours of sleep having been to break a fever.

"Collar?" Damian says looking around the room for help with that one. Then with shrug he turns back to his Father. "I will be ready," he promises and then heads towards the door, looking down at the cat in his arms he frowns thoughtfully before deciding "Little Wing," with a nod and heading up stairs to get ready.

"Yessir," Carrie states though she can't help but grin a bit with amusement. When Tim heads off, too, she nods to him as well. Then Damian earns a smile. "Selina has a lot of cats and likes to adopt strays. Cats require collars. I'm tired. It was a dumb joke." And not at all how she meant it but this was Damian she was speaking to. Nodding to him she turns out the door herself. "See you tonight."

Tim smiles and heads off to catch Carrie. "Hey Carrie wait up!" he says as he slides to a stop in front of her.

Carrie is easy enough to stop right now. Blinking at Tim she tilts her head at him curiously. "If this is about who I was with..." she begins only to give a small shrug. "What's up?"

Tim shakes his head. "No no, I was wondering, usually at these parties a woman is supposed to have a escort, all proper and such. i was wondering if you wouldn't mind me accompanying you to the party?' he asks with a winning smile, though, both are sleep deprived.

"Oh. Hadn't thought of that." Carrie frowns more to herself for not having considered it than for the suggestion itself. That small bit of information is tucked away for future etiquette at such events. A hand rakes back through her hair, and she smiles in return. "Yeah, that'd be okay. We're all going any way and you could probably help me to keep from making any mistakes. I'm not used to big fancy parties."