“He must have known I'd want to leave you."

[waywardbird]

Who: Jason Todd; OPEN POST
What: Shenanigans
When: Nighttime; the night before the train leaves
Where: The Leaky Cauldron
Warnings: PG-13 for Jason's dirty mouth
Status: In-progress



It was the night before the train left for Hogwarts and the Leaky Cauldron was surprisingly...quiet. Like the calm before the storm. In the morning the place would be crazy with parents trying to get their kids out of the door before train left, apparating in and out of the building at the speed of light as little Timmy forgot his brand new pet toad in the bathroom sink and his quill's under the bed and his books on the bedside table. It was going to be hilarious.

But underneath that veneer of seasoned veteran, Jason was nervous about the impending train ride. He hadn't yet run into anyone from his year or quite frankly someone who remembered him and honestly? He sort of liked it this way. No awkward explanations about where he's been, what he's been up to- this was easy. He kind of also hated it. It was true he never really made a whole lot of friends when he was at school, but. He still talked to people. Knew them, asked them how they were, stuck up for kids no one else would. Maybe it was petty to want people to remember you for your actions but, well- it just was what it was. Congratulations on almost being an adult, have some incredibly awkward feelings.

Camped out at a back table Jason half-studies and half-muses. He's not angry, but he's just not...focused. The ash tray on the table has a couple new stubs sticking out of it; Jason is quite past the point of caring if Bruce noticing his bad habit. Continued arguments do that to a guy. Idly, he turns a page and lights a new cigarette. This guy needs a distraction, stat.

Comments

[like_father]

A series of creaky footsteps echoes down from one of the staircases leading into the pub. The two Ventures walk in, side by side, trying to keep their voices low but still chattering indistinctly between each other. The large horned owl on Hank's shoulder flaps his wings and tries to get comfortably situated.

Dean's holding a book and quill to his chest and trying to remind his brother to whisper. One of the guests in the room next to theirs told them to quiet down or leave. Since it didn't look like either one was going to go to fall asleep soon, they opted to stay our of everyone's way downstairs. They just didn't expect anyone else to be there..

He personally wants to stay by the fireplace and finish what he's working on, but he knows that Hank's still full of bottled-up social energy. But before he can worry about his brother acting up, the owl does instead.

[the_hankinator]

He and Dean were kicked out of their room, due to some crabby neighbor, and he was sure to tell Dean exactly how he felt.

"I mean, geez, what crawled up their butt hole and died? An angry grandma? I'm totally guessing they've been possessed by an angry grandma. Nothing you say will convince me otherwise."

He reaches up to scratch his head in irritation, but accidentally pull's on some of Bruce Wayne's (the owl's) feathers. The bird squawks and bites his hand, before flying off of his shoulders.

"OUCH- What the! Hey!" Bruce flaps around the pub, screeching at Hank in betrayal. "Hey! Come here, I didn't mean it-!" The bird starts knocking into pictures on the walls, jostling them off of their places and sending them crashing. The people in the pictures go running into paintings placed farther away from the crazed owl, and they glare at Hank, the bartender nearby included. "Sorry, I'm sorry! He's just- I don't know what's gotten into him. He's- oh, confoundit." Hank cuts off his own apologizing when the bird starts flapping right around the sad and dark looking guy in the corner. "Oh, shoot." He sucks in a deep breath.

"BRUCE WAYNE!! Get over here this instant!"

[waywardbird]

One minute Jason is enjoying his sweet, sweet nicotine and vaguely remembering the finer details on bezoars when all of a sudden someone's asshole of an owl is getting way too into his space. Jason attempted to wave the bird off with his free hand. "Christ almighty," he muttered, beginning to get a little peeved. "What the hell is your pro-

"BRUCE WAYNE!! Get over here this instant!"

Jason visibly jumped and glanced around, looking for his guardian. Nowhere in sight. So that meant... Jason gave the source of the voice an incredulous look, too shocked to even care the ash on the tip of his cigarette was threatening to fall on his book. There are no words to describe the pure 'what the fuck' this look conveys.

"You have got to be shitting me."

[like_father]

Dean mistakes Jason's look of confusion as some sort of intense, unspeakable rage. He holds his book up defensively and hisses, "Hank, control your bird! You're causing a scene!"

[the_hankinator]

He turns to Dean, gaping at him in disbelief. "What do you think I'm trying to do?!" He huffs, turning back to the scene before them. He brings two fingers up to his mouth, and whistles. Really loudly. The owl falters, and stares at Hank. "Well come on." He motions for the bird, and it flies over and settles back on Hank's shoulders. "There you go. Stupid bipolar, schizophrenic, twitchy, pompous owl. You're nothing like Batman." He grumbles, and looks back over at the distressed looking guy that Bruce had seemingly tried to attack. He walks over, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Look, man, sorry about all that. Are you alright? You're not looking so alright. Wait a second.." His eyes widen, and he gasps lightly. "Oh, my glory. You're not afraid of owls, are you? Oh, shucks! I'm sorry!" He flaps his arms in panic, then remembers that his giant owl is looming right over his shoulders, and probably scaring this stranger half to death. "Dean! Dean, get this bird off of me! The guy's afraid of owls! I'm giving him a heart attack!"

[waywardbird]

"You named your owl Bruce Wayne?" Jason looks baffled, and also maybe a little weirded out. He stares at Hank like he's watching a car wreck in slow motion. "Like the wizard?"

He holds up his free hand in a placating gesture, brushing aside his emotions for a second. "I'm not scared of owls." Jason gives the owl a look and takes a drag of his cigarette. "Bruce here is just fine."

[the_hankinator]

"Are you sure?" He places a hand on Bruce Wayne, and the owl moves down to the crook of Hank's arm. "You're not pulling my leg, are you? I mean, this is your mental health and personal comfort we're talking about here." He runs his fingers through the bird's feathers, and frowns at Jason. "And he's named after Bruce Wayne. Y'know, Bruce Wayne. Batman? The only Bruce Wayne?" He pauses for a second, then realizes what Jason had earlier said. "Wait a second. There's a wizard named Bruce Wayne?" He whips his head around to gape at Dean, and shouts, "There's some guy named Bruce Wayne!!"

[like_father]

Dean flinches and walks over, sighing.

"Hank, people are trying to sleep, still.." he mutters, "And it's not that exciting, there's probably lots of people with that name!"

He stands beside Hank, on the other side of where the short-tempered owl is perched. He shrugs apologetically at Jason, "Super sorry about all of that. I think Bruce is just antsy from being cooped up for so long.."

[waywardbird]

"Not that many," he mutters under his breath, taking one last deep drag before snuffing out the cigarette in the ash tray with his fallen brethren. No more for tonight; Jason the human chimney had had enough.

Jason waves a hand dismissively. "It's alright, I get it. You're both Hogwarts students right? Maybe tell the big guy to fly ahead." He shrugs. "Magical owls are smart, he probably already knows where it is." And it would get him away so that Jason and the other patrons could be left in their relative peace.

[like_father]

Dean checks his brother's reaction before he comes to a decision about that. Letting Bruce go on ahead would save everyone a lot of strife (especially the poor pub owners, who probably had their hands full as it was). But Hank loved that owl. He never caged the darn thing, even back home. It had been his only connection to the magical world all summer.

Bruce's behavior problems couldn't be ignored, though. And it would save them a lot of trouble on the train ride.

"That's not such a bad idea.." Dean offers.

[warrenslast]

"Well look who the cat dragged in!"

Evryn hadn't expected to see Jason when she walked in, no; she hadn't seen him before he'd up and disappeared. But a Pooka has a good memory, and Evryn considers herself one of the best. Walking up to Jason, she puts an arm on his shoulder.

SO much for not being recognised, huh, soldier?

"An' here I was thinkin' I was finally rid of ya."

[waywardbird]

"No need to sound so excited," said Jason with a slight drawl. The corners of his lips were beginning to turn up; nothing like a little antagonism to brighten his mood. He took a drag from the cigarette and looked up at Ev, blowing the smoke in her direction.

"I know how much you missed me." Yes, he is definitely smirking now, it's not even a psuedo-smirk, this is the full monty of smirk-dom.

[waywardbird]

Jason shrugged again and turned a page in the textbook. Oh look, a lovely anatomically accurate diagram of the common dung beetle. Wow, how much more thrilling could this get. Not.

"It's your choice, but it would be easier in the long run," Jason said, turning the page again. Looked like he remembered all this. Good. "Or do you think your owl's gonna be fine in King's Cross?"

He gave them a pointed eyebrow.

[warrenslast]

"Missed ya like I missed breathin' that air," she gripes, snatching the cigarette out of his mouth as she plops her behind in the seat beside him. "You ain't dead off this shit yet?"

[waywardbird]

"Not yet," he said, grabbing the cigarette back to inhale more of the noxious smoke. Jason traded the cigarette to the hand farthest from Ev; yeah, he was going to finish this thing whether she liked it or not.

He winked at her. "You definitely missed me. I can tell."

[warrenslast]

"You're gross."

Rolling her eyes, Evryn turns the chair so she can sit with her back to the table. "Course I missed ya. Charmin' face like that an' I'm swoonin'. Barely got through the year without ya." She reaches over and shoves at his chin the next time he inhales.

[the_hankinator]

"Batman will be just fine, I'll have you know!" He glares, pouting at both Dean and Jason. "His name is Batman, for gracious sakes! Which means he can handle anything!" He huffs indignantly, hefting the bird so it sits comfortably on his arm. Bruce Wayne pulls on Hank's hair, forcing the boy to look at him. "Geez- What?" They stare at each other, and Hank frowns. "Well, I mean... unless Bruce wants to go." He pauses. "Aw, heck, he could probably handle it. Give him some time to stretch out his wings, too. Plus, it'll get him to stop trying to use my books as something to poop all over." He looks back at Jason.

"Speaking of books, what are you reading?"