Log: You and me... we're in this together now.

[hititwithacrowbar]

who: Jason Todd
what: TD prompt and settling into his new life.
when: Early February
where: The Kent House
warnings: The nightmare thread has illusions of drowning, verbal abuse, victim blaming and claustrophobia...and being buried alive, kind of. More will come clearly.

Comments

Dream a Dream- Nightmare CW; see warnings above.

[hititwithacrowbar]

A faint dripping seems to come from every side, opening his eyes Jason sees nothing but darkness. The dripping growing closer, a faint blue light starts to filter in from the side. what in the world... was the first thought to cross his mind before a drop of water hits his forehead, moving his arm he realizes he's in a suit and that his elbow just hit wood.

No, no not again... no

The dripping seems to start falling all around him the blue light filtering in from what looks like crudely put together planks shines the water to a almost absinthe green... a green he knows all to well. Anxiety starts to bubble within him as he starts to thrash violently to no avail.

"Why didn't he listen, Master Bruce?" A voice speaks from above, dripping with disappointment... Alfred.
"He was trouble from the start. No big loss, we will find a replacement." ... a sharp pain digs in at the sound of Bruce's voice. "I never should have brought in that kind of trash."

"Fuck you B! Fuck you!" He screams from inside of the box but they don't seem not notice. The sound of laughter comes from all around he can barely see the legs around like a make shift funeral. 'No good' 'worthless' 'tch' 'couldn't follow orders' and worse yet 'He deserved it' all in voices of those he knew and loved... some of the voices were even those from the new world he had come to accept as his new home.

The more those around him spoke, ignoring his screams the more water dripped into the box, a more steady flow of the green liquid until he had to lift his head to keep from drowning. Finally one last voice speaks

'Red Him... no good, he go away, Red Her.' Finally the water covers his head and he's trapped in the box.

[bunnyhopped]

[ She could hear... water. Waves? The ocean? Was she suddenly back in Busan, just in time to face down the next omnic attack arising from the juncture between the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea? Was she there with MEKA, with her squadron?

No, it was... far too warm. Hana always knew the water on the shores of Busan to be cold. As if the sea itself was dead, ready to pull into it the destruction that the colossal omnic that rose out of it time after time would bring down upon her country. She felt far too warm—

Her eyes opened with a jolt.

She wasn't just hearing the water - the fact that she could feel it all around her meant she was in the water. She gasped, immediately covering her mouth to keep herself from choking on and drowning in the water - but she realized that in spite of that, she didn't feel the need for air.

A dream, then.

And it was light in here, almost as though the water had an inherent glow to it unlike the dark sea at Busan. Where am I—

Looking down at her own body as she began to tread the water she realized, too, that she was wearing a black hanbok. White trim... like they would wear to funerals. It wasn't long after that realization that she heard the sound of thumping and something banging against something and as best as she could underwater and wearing something like a hanbok she tried to find the source of it.

A box.

The sounds are coming from a box. And somehow even in the water she could hear... a voice?

Not another moment is spared before Hana sprung into action, moving her arms and legs and trying to swim down to where the box was. Even knowing this was a dream, she couldn't exactly make herself wake up from it nor was she just going to wade around in the water as someone ostensibly dream-drowned below. As she got closer to the box, she felt like she could almost recognize the voice yelling from within, too, or make out the words she could hear until the voice went silent.

She propelled herself once more with her legs. Reaching out, her hands found purchase on the edges of the planks comprising the makeshift coffin and she began to pull as hard as she could. ]

[hititwithacrowbar]

[ The brilliant green glow of the water was a lovely contrast to the hanbok. The water was warm but something about it made everything feel wrong. Like things crawling in the skin, and a burn the longer one was there.

AS she pulled the plank, it moved with ease despite the one inside trashing like they couldn't break it, once the wood grave way Jason came sitting up almost to fast, like he was screaming in the water he was drowning in.

His hair was floating around him, much like hers, dressed in a simple black suit but clearly the man she knew. Not the boy he had been when he died. Dreams were odd. After a moment of eye contact, pure chaos burning in his eyes, which seemed more green in that moment than blue. He pushed himself the rest of the way free. Towards the surface.

This was fear. ]

[bunnyhopped]

[ As the boards gave and Jason emerged out of the box, Hana pulled back, bubbles coming out of her mouth as she gave another gasp that in real life would have had her choking on water flooding into her lungs. But this was a dream, and— that was Jason.

Jason, with eyes that she'd never, ever seen on him before. Those were eyes of someone who was scared, and she'd never seen Jason scared (not including the younger Jason of the memory she'd seen months ago).

When he began to make his way up back toward the surface, she followed. The longer she was in this water, the more she could feel her skin crawling, a low burning sort of sensation. It wasn't warm in a comforting sense at all, not anymore. He was fast and she couldn't quite catch up in her heavier garments, but she made it eventually, and when her head broke the surface she found herself gasping and panting for air even when she hadn't felt the need for air underwater. Dreams were odd, indeed.

As soon as she opened her eyes she could feel that burning sensation around them and she cried out in pain for a moment before she waded about with half-opened eyes, searching— ]

Jason?! Where are you—

[timmers]

Tim hadn’t had so much sleep since he had taken on being Robin, he was pretty sure. He was getting a stunning and decadent six hours a day instead of the 0-3 he usually had. There were no drug rings to bust, no check in at Arkham, no villain of the week to clear out. Idle hands were the devil’s workshop- and so Tim tried to keep useful. Checking in on alternate copies of his mildly unstable pseudo-family wasn’t indulging his paranoia if it was useful.

He crept into Jason’s loft, wondering if the man was out again, when he heard a thump. The creak of a bed—god, someone please tell him he hadn’t chosen literally the worst timing. Except, this was Jason’s safehouse. He wouldn’t have brought a casual bed partner here. The sounds were too erratic.

Tim rounded the corner and peered cautiously. Jason didn’t have company, at least not any that weren’t in his head. He looked soaked in sweat, gripped in a nightmare-a night terror. Tim hesitated, then, against his better judgement, he opened the lights and approached the bed.

[hititwithacrowbar]

The man was gripped tight in the throes of the nightmare. Back in Qurac, in that warehouse watching his younger self being beat to death. Tonight it wasn;t the pit, it was him sitting as he is now, but unable to stop it.

Twisting and moving was enough to make the bed creak as he sweat and tossed, the sheets half off the bed, Jason was only in a pair of sleep pants. He had only been asleep about three to four hours, at least until the light filtered in. It as only then that his eyes snapped open wide and his arm moved almost to fast under the pillow retrieving a gun pointing it right at Tim. Luckily he didn't pull the trigger.

[timmers]

Tim ducked pre-emptively, throwing his mantle up. When nothing fired, he cautiously peeked out from underneath.

Dropping the heavy drape, he slowly pulled his hands out so Jason could see them. "...So, I thought I'd see how you were doing. Let me guess: not great."

Dream a Dream- Strange Happiness

[hititwithacrowbar]

"Tt, your an idiot."
"Nah, that's you."

The voices spoke as the wind gusted up around them. Jason was standing on the edge of a building watching the city below. Only, he's not himself. He was much younger, dressed in red and green, it looks like a t-shirt and green panties with a brilliant yellow cape. Near him bickering is another boy in the same color-scheme but with pants and green combat boots...and a hood. A third boy sits by them playing on a laptop, he looks closer to the first boy but with with much more red and pants. Each with a brilliant R painted on their chest.

"Boys...." The sound of an iritated adult with a bat in his throat spoke up as a tall man in all black looking like a giant bat walks from the shadows with someone else, another man lithe but well built in blue and black. He doesn't have a cape. He walks over to the boys ruffling each of their hair with a smile brighter than the sun. "Hey, I missed you all. It's been to long."

All three boys shut up and smile at the one in blue. Even the grouchy one with the hood.

"Alright, Robins, Two-Face is at it again so we all work together." The man in black glares at the one in the panties. "Understood?"

"Got it, B. Jeeze."

The one in blue snickers a bit, as the one with the laptop tries to hide his own giggling.

They move all jumping off the same roof as they shoot off lines. The one with the hood smirks.

The images transition then, as the boy lands he's no longer a boy but a man in black combat boots and tight blue jeans.

"STOP!" The same voice of the one in blue calls out, as he flips him off and takes off running along the rooftops laughing like a madman.

Kent House - Closed to Jon, and Batfam (Possibly Wally)

[hititwithacrowbar]

Jason made his way in the house, dropping his keys near the door balancing a few bags in his hands as he walked on inside. He had only been off work a few hours and had managed to get some grocery shopping and bills handled. So moving to the kitchen he laid down the bags and plugged in his phone to charge. His leather jacket tossed on the table as he started to put things away. It was weird jumping between his apartment to the house, but it was nice to have something worth while to do. Helping out the boys helped give him a little focus his life had been missing without the outlaws or jobs from Bruce or other sources to keep him constantly running.

Once everything was put away, he sat down at the table, picking at a pack of rolls while he looked over the mail, leaving a folder on the table for Tim and Damian, and a book for Jon, a hard back with a yellowing bear on the cover. The end of their little case, thanks to Keith. Puzzle's name had been found, as well as the second victim's name their families had been notified, and the perp had vanished before they solved it, but at least it was over and done with.

[sonofab]

[Damian glances at the case file Todd drops on the table and at the book with the yellow bear. Seems juvenile, like the toys he'd seen in the kid's stores. He scoffs and nudges it away before opening up the case file right there at the breakfast table.

Gorey pictures and all on full display but Damian didn't seem to notice or care.]

You found a name? Took you long enough. Did your necromancer friend prove useful after all?

[hititwithacrowbar]

What time are you due to school?

[ Jason knew, of course but he but it didn't matter, he set the coffee pot to brew before sitting down across from Damian.]

Yeah, pretty lame name, right? And yeah, Niks was helpful, but Puzzle was a coward in life and in death so Keith figured it out. Looks like the Joker was here awhile, he left a couple weeks ago.

[ he reached over pointing to Ash's name on the sign out sheet.] We have the time and date he left to.

[sonofab]

Indefinitely.

[Damian says dismissively before sipping a glass of juice.]

Joker? [Well now the M.O. made sense and the twisted humor of the crimes. If anything they should be ashamed of how everything about it just screamed Joker. But the reality of it was likely, they just didn't want to believe a place like this trying to build itself to be better would allow such a madman to slip past their security checks.

Such thinking was foolish and naive. It was there mistake.]

We should make a note to the fools that run this place to at least do a cursory background check some of the people they pull here. There should at least be a watch list for such types...

[Though if there was... he's pretty sure he and Todd would be on it. Anyway, while you're distracted!]

Sign these by the way. [Don't bother reading them of course. Just sign.]

[supersweet]

[ Jon always greets Jason with a bright smile, as he usually does with his parents. ]

Hi Jason! How was work?

[hititwithacrowbar]

[ Jason sat the Pooh book down in front of Jon before ruffling his hair and smiling back. ]

Hey Jon, it wasn't that bad, mostly boring stuff tonight. How was school?

[supersweet]

Eh, pretty much the same. Nothing happens at school.

Lola's Diner- Late Night.

[hititwithacrowbar]

Jason was on his lunch, which gave him about an hour, since it wasn't to late in his mind he drove on over to the diner, he wasn't even sure Lola worked tonight. However since their last street race he had been meaning to stop in and ask how her bike was running, and she was always a good person to chat with when he wanted to kill time.

Making his way in, he pulled his hood down and yawned a bit. Moving over to take a seat at the counter.

[threatenwithcuteness]

One of the waitresses behind the counter glanced to someone in the kitchen, then kicked something so it skidded over near Jason's seat. This meant when Lola came out from the back she had a box to actually comfortably see over the high counter the diner used.

"On your lunchbreak?" Lola's shift was near done, but thanks to having wheels she felt far more comfortable taking later shifts without worrying about getting home. She had her order pad out and at the ready.

[hititwithacrowbar]

Jason being the tall creature he was could actually see down behind the counter, namely when he leaned on his bruised up knuckles, since his elbows were on the counter. He chuckled when he saw the box slid out. Of course Lola couldn't reach the counter. And they knew well enough who he was here to see.

"Yep, its been pretty dead tonight so they gave me an hour opposed to a half hour." He explained before adding. "And everyone else is asleep or partying at a club. So, I figured I'd stop and see how you've been." He then ordered coffee and some kind of steak thing, taking care of the boys beef was kind of a no go while he was at home.

[threatenwithcuteness]

And this is why Lola usually worked the tables and not the counter. But sometimes she had to so they planned accordingly.

"Yeah..." This place had the usual low level of traffic. People with jobs like Jason. So the place was slow but not dead. "I'm good! Mostly, sorta..." Lola's hair faded, just slightly, to a less vibrant blue as she fiddled with items on the counter for a few moments. Forgetting, just a bit, what she had to do. Her hair returned to its usual brightness, "Right, you have a long lunch but it's still lunch, what'll you have?"

Evening talk with Damian - Set for Febuary 8th

[hititwithacrowbar]

Jason had been coming and going as much as he usually does, and making an effort to be around more for Jon's sake. Balancing his social life, and his new found responsibilities meant cutting something out, and what that had been was his nights at the bars. Which had instead been traded for his second job, which he honestly did late at night before his graveyard shift at the Guard started.

He had just gotten the dish washer running and was signing some papers for the bills and an school stuff, as he instructed Damian, and Jon to leave anything they needed signed on the table for him. Much like Bruce and Alfred when handling things that needed Bruce's signature. Jason didn't read any of it honestly.

It was around 10:30 when he settled onto the couch, grabbing his controller, with a glass of something amber, that sure wasn't juice. It was sitting to the side for now, in favor of holding a bag of frozen carrots against one side of his face.

[sonofab]

[Night sleeping was still so elusive for him but his body clock was reluctantly starting to adjust. But he still found himself waking up at odd hours in the night wanting to work out or just read. Sometimes even going over to bother Jon.

He was headed down the stairs to try warm milk as suggested by Jon when Damian again came to his room claiming he was bored. This is when he spots Todd on the sofa. Didn't he usually work at this time? He walks over to question him, but sees the man is... bruised.]

I'm bored. [He grunts and decides not to add the part about Jon kicking him out.]

What the hell happened to you?

[hititwithacrowbar]

[ Months ago Jason had adjusted to normal people hours, then he requested to be transfered to night shifts for many reasons one was to cover up for his failing love life. It was totally healthy behavior. He was a night bat anyway.

Hearing Damian's voice he shifted his head keeping the cold bag against his eyes, why was... okay. He can play along. ]

Want to play a game?

[ He offered since he had hooked his system up when he moved onto the couch weeks ago. Most of his violent games kept up high as not to scar Jon. ]

Take a guess, Damian? I bet you don't have to guess hard.

[ Granted part of him would always be proud of the day Damian called him The Great Brawler. So of course he'd cover up his second job as a bar brawl. ]

Backdated to Jan 28th - Closed to Vincent Phantomhive

[hititwithacrowbar]

Jason made his way into the theate. His new hair cut, combined with his natural curls came together in a nice way, to be honest he felt like he was faking with the effort he put in to look nice as he made his way in. The only sign of his true nature, was the motoroil stuck under his nails, and the heavy calluses on his hands.

When he made his way in, he caught one of the people walking around asking where to find Lord Phantomhive. It was odd to say, when he usually called Ciel that when other people were around... and mostly just to amuse himself because of his love of novels. Ciel to him felt like one of his brothers, but one he liked better. So, he worried about making a bad impression. After all, when he was in Bruce's care in his youth he always felt like Rich people could smell the poverty on him. The things he used to hear whispered at the Wayne parties were half the reason he was glad they never fixed his status as legally dead.

<3

[earlofphantoms]

The Phantomhives were a bit odd for nobility. They generally made no distinction between the rich or the poor if the person could prove a useful friend or ally. And, of course, Vincent was a big believer in philanthropy. He often invited orphans to the mansion for Christmas.

Jason would be directed to an office where Vincent was flipping idly through a stack of papers. He may or may not be doing his work - it was hard to tell with his impish grin. In comparison to the other man, the Earl looked like the perfect Victorian gentleman. He looked up from the seemingly endless choices for ballets and his brown eyes glowed with faint amusement.

"I'm glad you could come."

<3

[hititwithacrowbar]

Much like Waynes, Jason already saw a lot of his adopted father in Vincent's son... which was half of Jason's concern for the boys well being. Bruce wasn't exactly a fine example of mental health. But, philanthropy was certainly a good sign in the wealthy and a good way to get on Jason's good side.

Making his way into the office, only after he had been pointed in. He spared a small knock against the frame as he made his way inside. Well, the son certainly took after the father, in looks anyway. Hair color aside.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting so long." He apologized once more before making his way on into the office, towards the desk. "I hope this isn't a bad time?"