dinner | ❝ i'm gonna make a change, for once my life. ❞ (cont)

[menarebrave]

( continued threads from here! )

[ Bruce honestly isn't sure why he's even joining in all this. It isn't that he doesn't want to spend time with them. It isn't the fact that he dislikes them. It's... so normal. And normal is something that always seems to elude Bruce Wayne. He pushed Dick away, he failed to save Jason, and Alfred is constantly disappointed in him. That was even before the situation with Superman and Lex Luthor...

What the hell are you doing, Bruce?

He sighs and gets out of the car. A click and covering the car later, he is walking up to his own front door. Maybe he should start rebuilding Wayne Manor if they're always going to be over?

Bruce also figures he'll be the one that ends up cooking for everyone. Which is why he's brought things that he needs to cook. Sides, since everyone has already decided on the steak. He hangs up the coat and walks straight to the kitchen.

Hopefully he's beat them all there. ]

Comments

( BRUCE CATCH ALL CONT )

[menarebrave]

@unrile

[menarebrave]

( original thread )

[ bruce had thought about giving dick the car already. sending a surprise gift of the keys, then for dick to find the car in the parking garage. he thought that might be the best way. alfred had talked him out of it... said something about 'gifts like that are far more treasured in person, master bruce.' he still had his doubts about it, but, he supposed he was going to find out how dick would be reacting now. ]

The others made it clear that I was invited. [ a shrug. ] I told everyone in the office I was busy. [ he means both offices.

but then, he half turns with a nod of his head for dick to follow him. the batcave hasn't changed much since dick was there (minus the notable upgrades). it was just this part of the conversation might be better in private and in a place bruce knew was more secure. he gets the entrance to it open and the elevator rolls up.

bruce looks back to dick. ]

There's something we need to talk about before dinner.

[farcry]

[ it’s been so long dick actually has to pause with the tiniest tilt of his head at how noncommittal yet confirming bruce’s answer manages to be. told everyone at the office i’m busy-- does that mean he’s for sure coming? how they manage to say so much by saying nothing at all has been something that still manages to impress him.

dick follows bruce’s nod, staying a half step behind him as he leads them to the elevator. ]

Sounds serious. [ serious enough that bruce feels the need to take them a few storeys down, apparently. serious enough that even an isolated house on a lake isn’t sufficiently private. his mouth pulls tight for a second, that familiar sense of shifting into focus around bruce coming back even though it’s been years. ]

Batcave, huh? When’d you get this place built?

[morghon]

[ Jon's thankfully not that late that they've already started without him. When he finally makes it to the dining room after a quick stop in the kitchen and some freshening up and changing into more acceptable dinner wear, Bruce is setting the table, and he stands by the doorway uncertainly. It's so... normal that it catches him off-guard.

He clears his throat softly. ] Evening, Bruce. [ Ghost will be bounding out to join him anytime soon, unless the wolf's having the time of his life in the kitchen. ] Anything I can help with?

[menarebrave]

[ Ayyy, ayy. Dinner time.

Bruce glances up at Jon before giving him a nod. The last time he had a family dinner... Jason and Dick lived at Wayne Manner, and Alfred was there too. It's been a while. But, Dick and the others insist, and Bruce is at least trying to be a better man than he has been. ]

Jon. [ He glances over at the kitchen. A wolf in a house made of glass. Bruce is a bit wary, but, he won't say anything. ] Well, if you know a better way to set a table...

[wolfsnarl]

When was the last time he’d seen Bruce Wayne? When he himself was no more than a distracted kid – when adults were blips of interruption in his world. Now, somehow, he found himself in that world, though his youthful, carefree attitude remained fully intact. Luck had kept loyally at his side, too; his gleaming car was parked outside, emblematic of his success, and – well, luck had mostly kept at his side. There was, after all, a new dent in the hood of his Porsche.

He’d managed to find a relatively quiet moment, however, despite the ridiculous turn the evening had taken. Not that he was complaining. He’d managed to prove his brother wrong, as they all now knew, and had arrived to dinner with a girl. Now he was wandering alone while the others laughed or relaxed or argued or did whatever it was a crowd of misfits did when they all got together for the evening. It gave him a chance to re-introduce himself, at least. It seemed like the thing to do, seeing as how he’d mingled himself into the odd little group.

“Mister Wayne?” he pipes up when he spots the not-entirely-amused-looking host. He clears his throat and approaches with a hand extended. “It’s been a while, and I haven’t gotten a chance to say hey yet. Remember me? Jon’s brother,” he adds by way of introduction, in case that fact had been forgotten. It comes with a rakish smile. “Hopefully you don’t hold that against me.”

[menarebrave]

Somehow, Bruce had the feeling that Dick was quietly upset that Robb Stark had a Porsche still.

Bruce had set himself in the living room while the rest chattered in the kitchen. He wasn't one for social gatherings really. He could put on a mask, mingle, and make light conversation. When it was in his house... that was a different story. Not to mention the lake house wasn't nearly the size of Wayne Manor. There wasn't very many places to go wandering off to.

"Robb," he looked up from his tablet with the night's headlines. An easy smile on his face. He puts the tablet on the table and stands, offering his hand to take Robb's. It didn't matter much he was dressed in an over shirt and jeans. "The older brother of Ned and Catelyn Stark. It's hard to forget any of you with that red hair."

He glanced past him at the others. "Jon told me he invited you for dinner."

wanda ( CATCH ALL CONTINUED )

[control]

[ more in the kitchen goodness or anything your heart desires for the evening! ]

@unrile

[control]

That's what I'm worried about.

( clearly teasing with the yeesh face she makes, but isn't really too worried since she isn't looming over him to ensure he does a good job. she's also too busy working on her own potatoes. )

How long are you in town for?

[farcry]

[ well, that earns a quirk of a brow with a subtly amused smile. worried about his knife skills? what part? the precision, speed, or accuracy? with a quiet snort, he starts cutting the potatoes she's washed. in half, and half again. ]

Couple of days, maybe. [ he's not too sure, yet. ] Depends on how I decide Bruce's doing. [ he glances at bruce without pausing the knife, then back at wanda with a shallow sigh. ] It's been five years since I last saw him.

[morghon]

[ It's easy to tell that Jon's home: Ghost stops whatever he's doing and makes a beeline for the man to demand attention, tail wagging happily. Sorry, fam, wolves come first.

Once that's done though, he moves closer to Wanda and sets down a paper bag on the counter. He's still wearing his work uniform and he looks a little stressed out. Even so, he smiles softly at her. ] Thanks for walking Ghost. I'll have to freshen up. The ice cream's all yours, by the way.

[ A pint of her favorite flavor is among the items he's got in the bag, a little thank you for her taking care of Ghost. There are also snacks. ]

[control]

Traitor!! ( she calls out after ghost as he completely abandons her to demand jon's attention; obviously her undivided attention and head scratches weren't good enough.

wiping her hands off on the overly frilly apron she's wearing over her jeans and an oversized sweater, wanda happily digs through the bag. pleased with her newfound treasure trove before quickly tossing the ice cream into the back of the freezer, hoping no one finds it. )

Seriously anytime, I have enough free time with classes out. Thanks as well, this was a bit of an overkill, but I'm not about to complain.

@menarebrave

[control]

[ ooc; continued from here. ]

I can only watch so much true crime documentaries before people start to think I'm using it for research. ( of course she is teasing, but wanda has never been someone that enjoys regular televisions or reality television. learning someone is more valuable in her opinion. )

[menarebrave]

I thought you were doing research. [ that smirk on his face says its a jest--but only to a point. he fully believes in supporting wanda into some kind of a better future. one that isn't being some caped crusader.

maybe it'll turn out better for her than it did for jason. or dick. ]

So, what else have you learned from it?

jon catch all

[morghon]

@wolfsnarl

[morghon]

[ Jon texts Robb the location to Bruce's lake house. ]

Take your time. We'll be here all night.
But if you want anything more than beer you'll have to bring it yourself.

[wolfsnarl]

[ Easy enough. Especially in a beautiful, fast car. ]

I'm on my way. I don't want you having all the fun without me.
Guess that means I'm bringing sushi? And cards?

dick catch all

[farcry]

((starters here))

steal!

[morghon]

This way. [ He has his hand on a panel that looks like a wall but is in fact a door leading down to the cellar. He'd discovered it by accident, really — Ghost had wandered off, and there it was. ] You remember you said this was your idea, right?

//stay//

[morghon]

Jon's seated on another driftwood log dragged next to the one Dick's commandeered, and he's on his nth glass of wine, quietly watching Wanda and Robb's weird date as they stroll along the shore with Ghost. He normally doesn't drink much, but when he does, he does. Especially when there's some sort of sweet wine involved.

He glances over his shoulder to the house, and, not seeing any sign of Bruce or Robb emerging from whatever conversation they're having, he turns back to Dick with a wolfish grin. "If you were serious about nicking Robb's keys, now would be the time," he teases. Not that either of them is in any condition to be driving at this point, but, hey, the Porsche already has a dent anyway?

//stay//

[control]

After a while (and several internal debates), Wanda eventually wanders out of the house; likely due to a conversation she had with Bruce and wanting to spend some quality time with Dick. She lingers next to the fire for a few more moments before plopping down on a chair next to Dick.

"Hey, hope you don't mind me joining you," she says with a laugh. Something she should have asked before taking a seat next to Dick, but she figured he wouldn't mind. Pulling her arm out from under the thin fabric of the shawl she's wearing, Wanda offers out a screwer while the other hand holds up a bag of jumbo marshmallows. "I couldn't find graham crackers, and I ate all the chocolate."

since robb's complaining that there are no girls—

[forceshadowed]

Even if they hadn't been forced to flee and dive prematurely into this final, desperate mission, Jane still wouldn't have been ready. How could any training have prepared her for this?

It feels like falling, then being torn apart and put back together and torn apart again, and then another freefall through an endless white nothingness. Somewhere in the white she sees faces, and her mind desperately holds on to the images as though doing so would keep her from disintegrating into the void. She recognizes some of them: Veré, the Mother; Scarlet Witch, who she'd only seen moments before and had sternly reminded them to avoid the lake house at all costs; even the one they called Ghost, a legend in the Resistance, a man with dark hair and sad, gray eyes who she unfortunately didn't have the honor of meeting.

And then she's dropped back into the world, hard, as though the Earth itself is offended by her very existence. She feels her body slam into something made of metal and glass before hitting concrete, and in a daze she rolls to her back, lifting a hand to her head to steady herself. Then she stares up at the sky. It's night. And there are stars—

Brown eyes widen in shock. Holy kriff, there are stars.

omg his car /weeps

[wolfsnarl]

Couldn’t grab a girl at the last minute – it was a shame, actually. He should’ve been able to; there were plenty walking around, and he was sure at least one of them would rather accompany him to this borefest of a dinner than go anywhere else. Imagined scenarios that would keep the borefest from being too agonizingly boring, but it was beginning to look like his imagination was going to be all he had to keep him company. Well, that and Jon. And Ghost. And whoever else was sitting around. They would surely be interested in having a look at his car, right? What else could they possibly be doing to keep themselves entertained? Look, but not touch—

But then he’s slamming on his brakes, much more roughly than he enjoyed having to do, and a moment after his brows shoot up in shock, they’re furrowing in aggressive annoyance. Whatever he just hit – no, whatever just hit him - had struck with enough impact to leave a mark. Irritation brought a curse to his lips as he set the car in park, ducking out the door and quickly stalking his way around the front to see what was responsible. An animal? Something obnoxious left in the street? A rock from God-knows-where?

Or… a girl? He blinks his face out of its mask of annoyance just long enough to take the sight in. Yes, a girl, lying there on the pavement, staring dumbfounded up at the stars. Why hadn’t he seen her? Or, more importantly, why hadn’t she seen him, and stayed out of the road? She doesn’t look maimed, anyway, and so his attention is snared back on the fact that she landed without invitation on the hood of his car. He steps forward and reaches a hand out to tenderly stroke the vehicle’s silver face. “Do you always throw yourself in front of cars like that?” She could’ve broken something.

Oh – she could’ve broken some part of herself, too. Returning to his manners belatedly, he steps around the girl, giving her a quick inspection before leaning down to begin helping her up, one hand finding her fingers and the other gripping her shoulder. “You look okay. Can you get up?” He can’t help but smirk: maybe when wishing for a girl to appear, he should’ve been more specific. “Interesting timing, I have to say.”

everyone aboard the dinner express 🥂

[morghon]

This is so weird, Jon thinks as he slides into a seat, Ghost curling up beside him on the floor and eagerly awaiting whatever he (or anyone else) might feed him. The last family dinner he remembers attending seems so long ago now; Thanksgiving, or at least one of them, while he was still in the service. Robb had brought a girl home, or had that been Theon's? All those dinners with the Starks have more or less felt the same for him, decidedly unremarkable, filled with the usual things he'd come to expect since he'd been a boy: Robb the center of attention, Theon an idiot, Sansa preening, Catelyn flat-out ignoring him.

So this dinner with Bruce Wayne and his weird collection of strays? It's weird. But it's a good weird that Jon finds himself stumbling over what to do, how to properly act, and it shows in the fact that, despite being an actual resident of the lake house, he's actually taken the furthest seat possible from the head of the table — and he would've gladly positioned himself all the way on the opposite edge if Bruce hadn't set the table himself and marked their places with the tableware. Hey, old habits die hard.

[control]

Wanda lingers in the doorway leading from the kitchen to the dining room, an uneasy feeling coming over her as a vivid flashback of that awful day replays in her head: one moment she's sitting in the modest apartment she shares with her family and the next there is a hole in the ground where the table and their parents used to be. Pietro barely managed to pull her out of the way in time. The sound of screaming from the streets and artillery shells shredding through the air fills her ears... Her fingers grip the door frame as she feels hot tears starting to roll down her cheeks, she rubs them away the best she can.

Quickly she shakes her head, pulling her mind from going down that rabbit hole and quick to glance around. She hopes she wasn't projecting (which is hard when things sneak up on her like this) before slipping back into the kitchen to start delivering food to the table: steaks cooked to their requested doneness, oven-roasted potatoes with herbs and garlic, salad, and rolls.

She brings a few bottles of wine and water with her as she takes a seat next to Jon, her hand reaching out under the table to coax Ghost over. "Not sure what everyone wanted to drink; there's most stuff in the kitchen if you don't like what's available."