Not quite the local gym...

[cursedhyacinth]

The gym doesn't have a lot of people in it. It's never been the most popular of settings in this place, and the folks who pass through the Hub -- or even make it a home for however long -- are more the type to set up a home gym.

But that's part of why Jacinda likes it -- quiet, but not entirely lonely, and something zie doesn't have to maintain on zir own time. Show up, work out, go.

Zie is currently fiddling with the setup on the lat pulldown machine, increasing the number of weight plates that will be engaged.

Comments

[cursedhyacinth]

"That is the understatement of the century."

Jacinda walks over and leans against the wall next to the bulletin board. "Nah, I know everyone you'd know, most likely. Bruce Wayne, Talia al-Ghul..." little smirk, "Danny Chase...?"

[red_hood_rat]

"Oh, I do know Danny Chase," Jason says with a smirk. "No wonder you about fell over when I said his name."

[cursedhyacinth]

"I don't know him as well as you do. Didn't know it was an option, actually."

[red_hood_rat]

"Hm, not sure if it would be for you," Jason says, absolutely ignorant of Jacinda's situation. "He's gay in my world, don't know about yours?"

[cursedhyacinth]

"He's dead in my world, so it's a moot point."

Jacinda shrugs. "Never asked, but he could've been. I started out as a Jason, though. Got on the wrong side of a magic spell, and it's hard to figure out how to break."

[red_hood_rat]

"Oh, he died in my world, too, but he's back now," Jason says, waving a hand.

At Jacinda's follow-up comment, Jason sucks air in through his teeth. "Oh shit, man, sorry, I assumed from the name. You want me to use male pronouns for you still, or?"

[cursedhyacinth]

"...Okay, I'm gonna address the rest of your points in a moment, but -- what year is it where you come from?"

The difference in reactions between Jacinda's home universe and the Hub is starting to really bother zir.

[red_hood_rat]

"2011?" He asks. "Wait, what year is it for you?"

[cursedhyacinth]

"Huh. I wonder if that's the usual timeframe... everybody in the Hub is way nicer about the gender thing. And most of them use 'he' when I explain."

Jacinda shrugs. "It's 1999 where I come from."

[red_hood_rat]

"Maybe?" Jason says. "When I did my multiverse hopping stint, I saw some, like, Victorian Era shit, but most of it seemed pretty modern."

"Oh shit, though," Jason says. "1999? Man, that's just... it's not the worst time, but it's sure not the best," he continues. "Can only guess the shit you must be putting up with."

[cursedhyacinth]

"Mm... one time, after some magic users stabilized this place, I found the way back home. I wanted to update everyone I left behind... you know, not dead again, still working on finding a solution..." Jacinda sighs. "Cass and Steph were working a case, some kind of new drug making the rounds, invited me to come along downtown to help look for leads. Not a smart move when folks can't tell if you're a boy or a girl, I guess.

"Got separated from them. Got jumped. Got my face kicked a few times before the Hub snatched me back."

[red_hood_rat]

"Jesus, man," he says. "You couldn't--"

Nope, nope, he can not let his mouth run away on that one. He actually clears his throat, putting his fist up to block his mouth, at which point the other implication hits him.

"Hang on. So you're on good terms with the Bats?"

[cursedhyacinth]

Jacinda nods, thinking that zie is finishing his sentence when zie says, "Couldn't run. Got surrounded." Jacinda scuffs the toe of zir sneaker against the floor, eyes on the motion while zie says: "It's hard to fight in a body that's different from everything you trained with before."

Jacinda looks up. "Good enough. As long as I 'behaved', most of 'em were willing to give me a chance. Had some plans, but it's all derailed now, so..." Another shrug. "Cass is decent, and Steph's getting there, even if she was way too fuckin' chummy over being 'the poor kids' to start. Dick is weird, but when's he not? And I just stayed away from Tim the Terrible so he didn't get new things to whine about."

[red_hood_rat]

"Shit. That makes sense, yeah. How long ago did you get cursed? Who did it, anyway?"

Jason looks honestly more perturbed by what he perceives as kowtowing to Bruce's bullshit rules than by any other part of Jacinda's situation. "Yeah, who the fuck cares about Tim. But... why'd you go back to 'em?" He sounds genuinely confused.

[cursedhyacinth]

"Time runs weird here," Jacinda replies. "It's been a while. And it was the Faerie goddess of Summer, Aine. I got a little too punchy with someone who invoked the goddess before a heist, and She took exception."

There's a wry smile on Jacinda's face when zie answers the next question.

"Funny thing about it... you ever stop to think how close some of 'the family' comes to killing, and how often? How Cass can go on a rampage and because it was drugs it's fine? How Dickie-bird can work for Slade or beat a man to death but be real real sorry about it afterward and it's fine? How fucking Tim can straight up kill Captain Boomerang for revenge but he's not a lost cause?

"Maybe some of them just need the right push. Maybe if you figure out who'd be willing to go that far, you can get them to take the heat for you, because B will look the other way for one of them."

Of course it's not right. Of course it's not fair. But when has life ever been fair to Jason Todd? Since when has he ever not worked under the handicap of people's double standards? May as well make it all work for him... one way or another.

[red_hood_rat]

"... huh," Jason finally says, after processing it a long time. "I can't decide if that sounds to me like giving up or if that's the most brilliant Goddamn idea I've heard."

"Faerie goddess of Summer... let me guess, Mr. Freeze?" Jason drawls sarcastically. "But actual guess... Poison Ivy?"

[cursedhyacinth]

"If it sounds to you like giving up, that's exactly what I want it to sound like."

The sarcastic guess makes Jacinda snort. "Close. Her girl."

[red_hood_rat]

"... I don't know Jack about this weird fucking multiverse nexus, or if I'll ever be back here or whatever, but if it works, and you and I meet again? Let me know."

Jason's eyes dart back and forth a few times as he adds that up, then scowls.

"So you've been cursed by an evil goddess, to boot."

[cursedhyacinth]

Jacinda shrugs. Who knows if he'll ever be back. Who knows what motivates a goddess to hold a grudge?

"There are definitely several reasons that I'm not Aine's biggest fan. But enough about me... you said that Chase was dead, and now he's back?" Zir brow furrows. "Was it... was it like... us?"

[red_hood_rat]

Jason shakes his head.

"The CBI has... resources, apparently. His soul was stuck in some fucking Borg assimilation across reality, but they had mystics and his DNA. His parents made a deal and got his soul summoned into a clone body or something."

[cursedhyacinth]

Jacinda lets out a breath, relieved.

"Good. That's good. Nobody should go through that shit." Jacinda curls zir hands into loose fists, tucking in the fingers as if to protect them from the remembered sensations. Zie gives a slightly shaky smile. "I hope his parents are just as cool in my world. Might be a reason to actually go back... even just to apologize."

[red_hood_rat]

"It's possible," he says. "Danny kept it quiet when he came back... I found him basically by accident. He didn't want the Titans to know."

"As for apologies... the Titans owe him a lot more than you do."

[cursedhyacinth]

"Just because someone was more of an asshole than I was doesn't mean that I suddenly have less reason to apologize for being an asshole."

[red_hood_rat]

"... that's a surprisingly emotionally mature point," Jason snarks. "You sure you're another version of me?"

[cursedhyacinth]

Jacinda's face goes blank in the face of what zie perceives as mockery. Zir voice is measured, deliberately calm, when replying, "How's it go? 'Be the adult that you wish was around when you were a kid', or something."