The Ones Without Packs

"It feels invasive" She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, still seemingly apologetic. "Lilliana, but I go by Lily most of the time". And then, she let out a slight laugh. "Yeah. You put the fear of God in some people; others...they just think of you as this boogeyman in the shadows...Personally, I just didn't expect you up here". At this specific spot, she meant. She had lived in the apartment complex below, sometimes coming up to the roof for a breath of fresh air. Like today, it had been particularly awful by her standards. "You said you have your rough days...How do you get through it?".

“It’s not trust me.” Jason replied, chuckling softly. “It’s nice to meet you Lilly.” A breathy laugh left his lips as he looked out over the city again. “I was a bit troubled back then. A bit more violent. More angry. Just wrong. Mmm, I come up here sometimes just to get a clear head.” He looked over at her again and said, “I do. I try to find something to ground myself. To pull me back to the present. Sometimes my family helps me ground myself too. I still have my bad days. Not as much as I used to, but they’re still there. They still happen.”

"I grew up in Midtown, but I feel like it never was as bad as now". She answered. Clowns, gangs, and sometimes a mix of the two. "And then here, in the lower projects, it can be dicey too". Because it was the only place she could afford it while in school. "I imagine you and your siblings look out for each other". In other words, It seems like a lonely and hard responsibility to have. She didn't doubt he had nights where he wanted to hang up the mask, but he hadn't no matter who was a cry for help. Then, as if realizing she was asking a personal question, she shook her head. "I'm sorry. You can just ignore me. I ramble quite a bit and I have no filter. It's not very ladylike". But so wasn't sitting on the roof with a stranger.

“Mmm, yeah.” Jason hummed, looking over at her. “Everywhere has its problems. Every place has someone trying to do better. To make things better.” He hummed and nodded his head at that comment. “Yeah we do.” He chuckled and shook his head, turning to face her a little more. “I don’t mind. What’s your name by the way. I’m sure you probably know mine, yeah?”

She sat down next by him, quietly. His warm laughter had her glancing over just as amused. She would never openly admit that the mask gave a certain edge, but there were women who were openly writing fanfics about the masked heroes and vigilantes of Gotham. And then, there was the NSFW section. She didn't care to open it. Imaginations ran wild when it was on the internet. "That's a positive attitude at least..." She nodded. "Is it like this most nights?" She referred to the buzz of the city below, his carefree attitude, and the relaxed posture of his.

“I’ve been trying to be a bit more positive then I have been in the past.” Jason hummed, looking over at her with a soft smile. “No, most nights are a bit more rough and tumble, but there are a few, like tonight where it’s good. But then again it’s Gotham, so things could change. I just try to take advantage of the calm when I can. I’m sure one of my other siblings is dealing with something where they are. They may have just decided to give me the night off cause it’s my birthday. But like I said, it’s Gotham.”