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

[red_hood_rat]

Jason stares at her for a moment more, then shakes his head. Being raised by Batman has got him too fucking paranoid.

"Good to meet you, Jacinda," he says. "Lemme know if I'm being too chatty for you, all right?"

[cursedhyacinth]

"Will do."

Jacinda does another set at the lat pulldown machine, quietly. Zie looks over at Jason, and gives a little chuckle upon seeing how much weight he's working with on the leg press.

"Gee, got enough loaded up there, man?"

[red_hood_rat]

Without missing a beat, he responds, "Gotta keep it up for my boyfriend. He likes my thighs." Jason winks.

[cursedhyacinth]

And that chuckle turns into a full-bodied laugh. Trust another Jason to find himself a leg man, whoever it is.

"Oh, I see. Gotta give him reasons to keep showing his appreciation, then!"

[red_hood_rat]

"Gotta find some way to keep him in bed when he wakes up at ass-o-clock in the morning," Jason says. "Don't know how Danny does it."

[cursedhyacinth]

Danny?

'Danny Chase?' Jacinda thinks. 'He was... and into me? No way... Danny is a really common name, and didn't the Titans get him killed anyway? You're overthinking this, Johnson...'

And perhaps not schooling zir features so well. It isn't abject shock, but maybe a little too contemplative for what would otherwise be just a passing comment from a new acquaintance.

"It's always a little rough," Jacinda replies, "when you have a different sleep schedule than your partner."

[red_hood_rat]

Jason definitely notices Jacinda's reaction. He's not quite sure what to make of it, but something's a little odd about all this. And why does Jacinda look so familiar, anyway?

But as the follow-up comment, Jason shoots Jacinda a lopsided grin. "No kidding," he says. "Even worse when he lives in a different city entirely. Either I've gotta haul ass down to NYC or he's gotta come here. Not too far, I guess, but sort of takes the spontaneity out of booty calls."

[cursedhyacinth]

Jacinda nods. "Isn't it 'up' to NYC, though? You're goin' north."

Jacinda goes to stand on one leg, pulling up the other and holding it in place with one hand, so as to stretch -- in preparation for going to a new machine. "He worth relocating for, if you want that spontaneity back?"

After a moment, Jacinda switches legs, stretching the other.

[red_hood_rat]

"Yeah, but it's a downgrade," he deadpans.

"Man, I don't even know," Jason says. "We like just made it official... but I love Gotham. I don't really gotta choose, do I?"

"Done with the leg press, if you want," Jason says, noticing Jacinda stretching. He stands, stretching his arms over his head, himself.

As he walks away from the machine, he pauses to glance curiously over the bulletin board on the wall. He tends to pay attention to local announcements, for various reasons.

[cursedhyacinth]

"Oh. Well, probably not, if it's such a new development. Never mind me." Jacinda nods when Jason offers use of the leg press, and says, "Sure, thanks."

Zie is busy adjusting the weights on the leg press, and doesn't notice that the bulletin board has made a (rather sneaky) appearance. Most of the older, out of date messages have been taken off by now, but the explanation of what the Hub is -- as well as the two explanations of what happens to Jason Todd, in either Ethiopia or Sarajevo -- remains untouched.

[red_hood_rat]

Jason takes a few moments to read the board, brows furrowed in surprise and confusion.

"... hey, Jacinda, can I ask you a weird question?" Jason asks.

[cursedhyacinth]

"Yeah, go for it," Jacinda calls back. Zie is in position for using the leg press now, and adjusting the placement of zir feet.

[red_hood_rat]

"Would you happen to be a version of me from a different universe, or?"

[cursedhyacinth]

Jacinda can't resist being a bit of a smartass, and responds, "That's a big 10-4, good buddy..."

But zie is also stepping away from the leg press because these conversations almost always end up needing to be the primary focus.

[red_hood_rat]

"God, my life is fucking weird," Jason says.

"So are you from one of those universes with like Brianna Wayne and Wonder Man and shit, or?"

[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."