#askverse plot

[enterthecocoon]

Valentine’s date with a fusion

((OOC: This is a role between me and @letsaskbatgirl. For obvious reasons, this takes place before Killer Moth was arrested by Booster Gold))

Batrose was waiting outside his apartment, smiling as she was holding a bunch of potted roses to give to him. Drury opeed the door for her. "Ah, Batgi-I mean. Batrose." He chuckled. "Sorry, still haven't gotten entirely used to this yet! Please, Batrose, come in." She walked in, giving him the flowers. "Those are for you." She said, smiling softly and sweetly at him. "Don't let them die." "Aw, thanks.", he smiled. "I promise I won't!" He in return gave her dairy free chocolate candy, Pamela's vegan lifestyle kept in mind. "For you. No need to keep those unbroken, though.", he joked. She smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." He blushed a little, leading her inside. "Here, I prepared the table for us." She smiled and followed him in. He pulled back a chair for her. "So...you said we should announce...ourselves...to all of Gotham?" "We should. I know all of this secrecy is killing you." "What about you? How do you feel about this?" She shrugged. "What's the worst that's going to happen?" "Well, if you say so...and how do you think we should go about doing this?" "I don't know. But if you want to wait until after this fuse stuff is over, we can wait." He smiled. This sentence to him proved this wasn't the Pam in her talking, that this was really what his girlfriend wanted. "I think it's alright. Let's figure out a way to do it, then." She nodded. "I'm glad we can do that." "So, how about we watch something together?" How bowed down and reached out his hand rather dramatically. "Your jacket, Madam?" She giggled a bit, handing him her green demin jacket. Drury took her jacket and hung it up, then led her to the sofa. "Please, do have a seat. I'll be getting a VHS for us...do you like the Gray Ghost?" She sat down, smiling at him. "I've never seen it." She said, her eyes batting at him. He placed in the VHS tape. "Huh, that's surprising. It's an old Superhero show. Rumor has it that it served as the inspiration for Batman himself." Batrose smiled, waiting on him to sit down before crawling into his lap and hugging him close. "I love you." She said softly. "Oh!" He pulled her in and hugged her. "That's unexpected...but I love you too!" He smiled at her. "I'm glad to have you!" She smiled, snuggling up to him as they watched the tv show. Suited to an exiting orchestral fanfare, the TV show showcased the titular Gray Ghost going up against the wildest assortment of threats, and using gadgets that would feel very familiar to Batrose. "So, the first VHS is done. Should I get the next?", Drury asked, rocking Batrose on his lap. Batrose smiled, laying her head on him. "Yeah, but I don't want to move!" She said with a bright laugh. "Am I that comfortable?", he laughed with her. She nodded, just snuggling into his arms. "Yes." She said, blushing brightly. He straddled her in his arms. "You're adorable, you know that?" She giggled, kissing his cheek. "So are you. You are the more adorable one though." He hugged her tighter. "Okay, I won't move then. But you'll need to repay me somehow once you do get down!", he said with a wink. "Oh and how's that?" She whispered before giggling out of shock of what she was doing. "Well, what are you offering?", he kept rocking her. "What do you want?" She asked, smiling at him. "Truth be told, I was hoping you had thought of something." He kissed her cheek. "How about we switch places for the next tape, so I know what it feels like?~" She laughed. "Oh alright. I can do that." He laughed with her."Should I get us something to drink?" "Please." She said, smiling at him. He picked her up and set her down, then entered the kitchen to come back with two glasses of water. "For my dear lady~", he said dramatically again, handing it to her. "Actually, I have an Idea. How about the two of us go to the park together?" "A nature walk. You know me so well." She said softly, smiling as she got up. "I love looking at the stars at night." He got up, too. "Wonderful! I hear the lighting in the park is beautiful in the evening!", he then said in a faux serious tone "But do know you still have to make up to me.", and winked. He offered her his hand. "Shall we?" She took his hand, smiling. "Let's go." He led her outside, the park was dimly illuminated with old streetlights casting their reflections on the water, fireflies buzzed around curiously to inspect the moderate amount of other couples walking around Batrose smiled, making flowers grow near the other couples, wanting to make the others happy as well. They all smiled, the more religious ones taking it as a sign from above and the atheistic ones thinking this was all some extraordinairy but extremely romantic coincidence, one they would be sure to tell their children about. They went past a salesman selling crepès. "May I buy one for you?", Drury asked. She nodded with a smile. "I would love one." He paid for her choice of flavour, then bought one for himself. "We can eat it on that bench", he said, pointing to one that has a brilliant view of the reflecting river and the fireflies. Drury led her to the bench. Batrose smiled, snuggling up to him and kissing his cheek. He smiled back, pulling her in. "The crepè can't be as sweet as you, can it?" She smiled, looking into his eyes. "I do want to finally get it out there, but I want to know what you want." "What I want?", he asked, cocking his head to the side. "What do you mean?" "I mean. Do you want to tell everyone?" "We can.", he confirmed. She smiled, laying her head on his shoulder. He sat there, watching the water. "Why don't we take a picture or two together? On the bridge?" Batrose nodded, standing up to walk with him. "You got a camera?" He stood up, getting one from his jacket. "I wanted to ask you...what's it like being a fusion?" "It's weird. It's disorientating. You don't know which thoughts are yours and which thoughts are the other's." "Are you as smart as two people now? Or as strong? Or as fast?", he asked, leading her to the bridge. "Dunno. Never tried." She said softly, shrugging. "We should, while we have the time.", he suggested. "Like what?" She asked, looking up into his eyes. "Could you...say....lift that boulder there?", he said as they walked past a small one. Batrose shrugged, going over to the boulder and lifting it. "Yep... Pretty easily." "Impressive!", Moth said, taking out the camera. "Might I?" A bell like laugh came out. "Go ahead." He took a picture, smiling. She let the boulder down slowly, walking over to him. "My strong girlfriend!", he said, looking very proud. She threw her arms around him. "Yep. All yours." He lifted her in a spin. "Shall we test it a bit more, then?" "If you want." She said, smiling at him. She looked up. "The moon is so big tonight." "It's like a big, beautiful lightbulb in the sky...if you weren't here, I couldn't stop staring at it!" She giggled, leaning over and kissing his cheek. He kissed hers, too. After they took a few more pictures, he asked, "Could I give you one more test?" She looked up at him, curious. "Sure, I guess." He led her to a little abandoned parking house near the park, where a disowned, rusting car stood. "I bet one Movie date of your choice, all on me, that you can't break this.~" "And if you win?" She said, getting close to him. "A movie date of my choice on both of us, maybe?", he suggested. "I wouldn't let you pay for me, dear." She smiled softly, going over to the car, before trying to break it. After several attempts, only thing that came off was the bumper. "Hm....I count that as your win!", he said. Batrose smiled, walking over to him. "I guess you owe me a date night." "I sure do!", he agreed. Batrose smiled, taking a few more steps before stumbling a bit. "Everything alright?", Moth asked. "Yeah. Yeah. Just tripped over a rock." She said. "I still think it's interesting how a fusion changes you", he said, leading her back to the park. "If you feel up to it, wanna test how light I feel to you compared to when you're not fused?" She smiled, lifting him up. "Still light as ever to me." She said, before stumbling a bit and falling, somehow landing on top of him, her eyes going from green to blue. Drury didn't notice the eye colour change at first, it was the sudden presence of a second redhead that set him off. "Oh, hello, Barbara. Good to have you back!", he grinned, looking at her lying on top of him. Barbara smiled as Pamela just rolled her eyes. "I'll leave you two to your date. Get 'em, tiger." She said, walking away. "You'd think she had more of a sense for romance.", Drury joked, sitting up and embracing Barbara. "I think she was tired of being trapped with me." She said, hugging him back. "I love you, Drury." "I love you, too, Barbara!" She smiled, kissing him. "I've been wanting to do that, but I thought maybe it should be me, and not Batrose." "Please, go ahead.", he prompted, smiling. Barbara laughed, kissing him again.

[enterthecocoon]

Askverse Roleplay: The Brat is Back

(This is a roleplay event between me and @ask-gothams-brat. The second part will be uploaded on her blog, I will leave a link to it once it is there.)

Packing up her stuff, Kitten gave a sigh. Bye bye Jump City, Hello Gotham. She was happy though, she missed her dad a lot. Her mother wasn't as kind or loving towards her as he was. She truly felt as though her mother didn't really care - The room around her was filled with just freshly packed boxes all labeled in a pink sharpie marker. A pastel pink suit case also packed as well. Downstairs her mother waited on the sofa, watching some sort of daytime TV. She was livid that Drury would be taking her daughter.

He was a criminal! What did a criminal know of raising a child?!

It's been a long time since Drury last visited Jump City and every time he was astounded anew by how different it to Gotham, the air was much fresher, the streets were far cleaner and everthing just seemed safer. He was worried that he might actually be doing his daughter a disservice by letting her come with him. Of course, this city was not entirely without its downsides, inhabitants of certain T-shaped buildings would come to mind.

Drury wondered if this city treats its criminals as inhumanely as Gotham does, though, given the fact that he was miraculously given custody rights over his daughter despite his criminal record, perhaps things have improved. Just a few years ago, before he became Killer Moth, he was not allowed to see Kitten at all during his prison stay. All the years without being able to see his daughter had quite a toll on him, and played a notable part in his decision that Gotham's criminals needed someone to protect them from the inhumane treatment they got. But at long last, he could see her again, and for more than a just few days on special occasions! He could barely contain his exitement when he saw her house in the distance and really had to keep himself from outright running there, though the last thing he wanted to do now is look subspicious (not that most people would recognize Killer Moth's currently unmasked face anyways). He had to admit that he was somewhat dreading speaking to his Ex-Wife. He knew how much she hated him ever since he became Killer Moth.

"For Kitten.", he said to himself, and pressed the doorbell.

A blonde woman came to the door, rolling her eyes when she opened it.

“What do you want?' she scoffed slightly. Although she knew WHY he was there. She didn't like it. The woman blocked the doorway simply so Drury couldn't come into her home.

"You know she's heartbroken about this."

A lie.

"You think she wants to leave the safety of jump city and my home to live with a freak who cannot possibly take care of her?"

Jeannette couldnt stomach the fact her daughter was excited to leave her care. She just couldn't. What her daughter saw in the moth-man before her she had no clue.

"She resents you, you know. You left her for how long. I don't know who in their right mind would think in a million years she'd wanna live with you."

Upstairs Kitten was packing up a second suitcase of things she absolutely needed, her mother would have to ship out the boxes from her bedroom or simply hire some movers to bring them to Drury’s. This would be best for her. The teen zippered up the second suitcase, slinger her backpack over her shoulders and smiled as she brought her stuff down the staircase.

"You're going to ruin her life and you know it, Drury. You're ridiculous and selfish.", Jeanette continued. While Drury wasn't the bumbling idiot that many a Gothamite thought him to be, he did tend to be quite naive. Sure, he was on horrible terms with Jeanette, but would she really lie about something as important as her own daughter?

Could it be that the meanness of his daughter, which he assumed to be just her way of teasing him, be motivated by genuine distain?

Of course. What child wouldn't hate their father after they are kept away from him for many years? And especially when that raised by someone who despises the parent already.

It took him a while before he was able to form words.

"She...she resents me?"

This was not what he was hoping for. There were so many things he wanted to ask, so many regrets he wanted to voice, but he thought very carefully about which he would say now. He did not want to make things even worse.

"You...she should have told me she dosen't want to live with me. I won't take her against her will. Can I...can I at least tell her I'm sorry?"

"Yes, she resents you. You're an asshole for not realizing it sooner. I truthfully don't see how on this green earth she could ever forgive you. Is it even worth the trouble of apologizing if you know you won't be forgiven?!' 

Kitten finally got her suitcases down the stairs. She had the biggest smile on her face. She resented her mother. Her mother kept her away from Drury at any chance she’d get. Even on the days she was supposed to see her dad. They always got there extremely late and her mother would pick her up extremely early.

"Mom, I'm ready!", she called, making her way from the hall to the den.

Jeanette rolled her eyes. "We have plans to go out today, you're in the way of those.", yet another lie.

Kitten could hear her mother talking and tilted her head, coming to the door.

"What the...?' 

Jeanette gave Kitten the fakest smile one could ever receive.

"One second, darling. Go watch TV or something, the adults are speaking now."  

".....but if we don't leave soon, we're gonna miss the train...."

Kitten sounded concerned about her mother.

"I mean. I'm gonna be fine-- what are you even talking about us having plans? There were no other plans besides me going to live with Dad and you hiring a mover to bring my stuff--" the girl gave Drury a genuine smile. The first he's seen in a while. While seeing his daugher usually made him happy, the father was now overcome with guilt and had to force himself to look her in the eyes.

"Kitten.", Drury began. "I...I know I haven't been the best father. I'm really sorry about everything. If you truly wanted to stay with your mother, you could have told me. I understand."

"....but I wanna go with you..?' Kitten asked confused, tilting her head. "I mean .. I forgive you for whatever you're talking about but I never said I wanted to stay with Mom..." She furrowed her brow a bit confused. Jeanette growled lowly. She didn't want Drury to apologize to Kitten. No. Because then she'd get caught in her cruel lie.

"Kitten it's okay. You don't have to pretend"

"But ... I'm not pretending-" Kitten raised a brow at her mother. "I wanna go live with Dad! I told you that!' there came the famous snappy attitude.

"You do? But your Mother just said that you resent me and you would never want to..."

He finally caught on. This woman was more rotten than he remembered her being. "Jeanette. Is there something you need to tell me?"

"I never said I didn't wanna live with you!!! Shes a dumb liar!!!" Kitten yelled, gripping her backpack tightly.

Jeanette growled. "I don't want her leaving this house to live with a criminal. She's not leaving, Drury!”

"That's not your or my choice to make. It's hers.", he stated, crossing his arms. "And I was ruled to worth having custody rights, even with the criminal record."

"As her LEGAL guardian, it is my choice." Jeanette wasn't her legal guardian anymore. Drury was. He had full custody. "You're not taking her from me, Drury. No.”

Kitten hated when her parents fought. Since day one. She just crossed her arms and frowned a bit listening to them argue.

Drury was afraid that this was going to happen. As he had absolutely no intention to physically force Kitten away from her, he had to hope for a bluff.

"Jeanette, our daughter is not an object one can take and steal, but a person with the abillity to make her own decisions."

Now he had to sound convincing.

"And I am her legal guardian, even with my criminal records. We can take this to the police if you want to. They'll understand you're keeping a away child from her legal guardian.", he said, grabbing his cellphone out of his pocket. Of course he wouldn't actually dare to call the police, but he hoped Jeanette wouldn't be too certain of that.

Kitten just looked between the two, Grabbed the handles of her suitcases and ducked under Jeanettes arm, walking over to Drury. "There.", she groaned, glaring at her mom.

Jeanette swore quietly. She wasnt the brightest lamp Drury had been drawn to.

"Whatever. You can pay the movers to pick her crap up. But tommorow is garbage day and her boxes will be on the side of the road" she was however spiteful. "You're a criminal Drury. A filthy criminal. You shouldn't even have custody of her. Not at all."

That anyone *dared* to make such a threat against his daughter...perhaps if Drury didn't tell himself that it was motivated by protectiveness over her daughter, this might have ended differently, but all his revenge looked like right now was a glare, though it was a glare much deadlier than any he ever threw against a member of the Bat-Family.

"Come on." he said, lightly tugging Kitten's arm. "We have better things ahead of us."

Kitten nodded. She hoped her stuff wouldn't end up in the trash. "Should we go hire someone to pick up my stuff first..before we go...?",  she questioned, dragging her suitcases along with her. "so that way she doesn't... throw my stuff away?" Kitten was being less obnoxious then usual, simply because she didn't know why her mom kept acting like this.

Jeanette slammed the door in their faces, Taking her seat on the sofa, rolling her eyes

"Of course, I'll call someone right now.", Drury said, still holding his phone in his hand. "Before we go, is there anything you'd like to do in Jump City before we go? Any friends you still have to say goodbye to or a place you'd like to visit? It's propably going to be the last time for a while."

"...erm..." She thought. Once everyone learned she was moving. They all kinda ignored her and pushed her to the side.

"Um... No ... Not really...' she frowned, looking at the sidewalk. Her old friends used her because of her aunt's fame, really. "I said all my goodbyes Yesterday.' she suddenly sounded confident. It was of course a cover up for her true emotions. "We could get ice cream though, maybe?" She smiled a bit. "that sounds fun.." "Ah, Ice Cream sounds nice!", Drury smiled. His sweet tooth was no secret, and after he hired some movers per Telephone, he let Kitten lead him to her favourite place to get Ice Cream in the city, with him paying for both of their cones.

Kitten again smiled at Drury after they ordered and got their ice cream. "Mom never really went out with me. Usually we'd find something in the house that needed to get done. If we did go out it was usually to go get her something". She made a “blegh face” about her mom. "I can't believe she's such a liar either!!! It's ridiculous!! She pretends she's all fancy but really she just sucks!!'

Drury chuckled a little. While still angry that Jeanette lied to him and tried to manipulate their daughter, he was cheered up by the fact that Kitten sided with him. "I'll be better than that, I promise. But at least there's one good thing that came out of her: You!"

She laughed a bit, continuing to eat. "Think Gotham is going to be fun?' she questioned "What even is there to do in Gotham anyways?"

"Ah, there are lots of fun places in Gotham. There's the fancy Iceberg Lounge, we have many theatres over here that you could visit, there's a bunch of film and movie studios over here, too. Did you know that actor Simon Trent of Grey Ghost fame lives not that far from me?"

"Really?' she questioned, tilting her head. "You're not rich tho ... So how could you live close to him...?" Kitten could be brutal sometimes. It was just her personality.

"Well, I don't live *that* close to him, but it's not an extremely long drive, either. As for me being rich..." he looked around to check if no one is listening. "I...might have more money left from my burglary days than I might have let your mother know."

"Like how much?" Kitten raised a brow, looking at him. "Surely it's not as much as you're making it sound."

There it was ... Her sass. It was finally emerging.

"You..", he looked around again. "...might have heard about a character named Cameron van Cleer joining the Gotham Millionare club."

"um, yeah? His name is all over the news? No duh. Do you think I'm stupid or something?"

He smiled, eating a spoonfull of ice cream and just waited for her to make the connection.

"....no!" She practically yelled, eyes wide "You aren't!!! No no no. You're lying-- there's no way. ... Not... You!"

He chuckled again after finishing his Ice Cream. "Well, if you're finished, let's go, we don't wanna miss the train."

She stood up herself after finishing her ice cream. "You can't POSSIBLY be him. There's no way! You're... You!"

"Well, so is he.", he pointed out.

"yeah but ... You're too... Mothy to be rich and famous like that-"

Drury also got up and pushed his chair back to the table. "Well, before you get your hopes up, I will tell you that I can't afford to be him very often. and he's going to be "out of Gotham" most of the time. Drury Walker lives in a smaller household to avoid subspicion."

"....." She quieted down "Told ya..." She rolled her eyes a bit, grabbing her bags. "Uh, Kitten? Is everything alright?", he asked, concerned he might have dissapointed her one time too many.

"Yeah?" She scoffed, pushing her chair in.

"Well, then let's go to the metro station." The fear that Jeanette planted into him has not yet vanished completely.

"You...are still coming, right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She rolled her eyes, dragging her rolling suitcases behind her. "W-well, that's good to hear..", he sighed, and not many more words came until they walked down the stairs and entered the train.