14573/A Costume Story

A Costume Story
Date of Scene:	19 October 2022
Location:	Mary Poppins, Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	Stop me if you've heard this one, a Toyota Prius and a Dodge Ram drive up to a Costume Shop...
Cast of Characters:	Daredevil, Sarah Connor, Black Canary

---

Daredevil has posed:
With Halloween less than two weeks away, costume shops were raking it in, some selling, and others renting. There was everything from the cheap plastic mask that was little more than a plastic plate with strings attached, to authentic looking 14th century suits of armor.
    Mary Poppins was somewhere in between, with a good selection, even at this late date, and receiving more deliveries daily. There was also Halloween decorations, bunting, cobwebs, inflatables, and everything else you might need for a costume party.
    They were even about to have a blind man visit, as Matt Murdock approached on foot. He had his white cane out, moving from side to side. He would occasionally consult his mobile phone, using voice commands for it to confirm his location, and how far away he was. He didn't really need it, but best to play up appearances.

Sarah Connor has posed:
Sarah really didn't join in the festivities of Halloween. There was to much danger opening her doors to strangers. Let alone the arrest warrants. All it would take was one curious adult and everything would be crumbled away.

No. Sarah just had to be careful one more year and then John would be an adult. She still would take care of him! Certainly. But she wouldn't be quite as worried about her being locked up with nobody taking care of him.

She refused to think of Cameron being as good as she was.

Still, today she was in her truck drinking a coffee, in a parking spot just two doors down from the exact costume shop in question.

Black Canary has posed:
It was time for Canary to do her favourite Halloween thing: troll costume shops dressed as Black Canary and see how many "well akshually!" nerds she can get telling her she doesn't even look close to the real thing...

Thus it is that, without knowing it, Mary Poppins hosts the real Black Canary, popping in while affecting a vapid cosplayer demeanour, even though kitted out to the gills with the real thing ... minus the fingerless gloves.

"Hi," she says to the clerk. "I was looking for a good set of fingerless gloves to really nail this outfit. Have you got anything suitable?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matthew Murdock made his way through the door, one that you push open from the outside, and pull open from within. Once through, he kept using his cane, where he could. There were a number of people in there, parents with children, couples, singles, a cosplayer, and even some frat boys. All the aisles were narrow, filled to the brim with products. He tried to make his way, not wanting to bump into anyone, and used his cane less and less, just slowly navigating, reaching out to feel racks, or whatever was there.
    He was trying to find someone who works there, but it was easier said that done with this much noise. He had noted the parked truck outside. He could smell that it had come from Metropolis. The mud on the tires. So much of this was an act. But if he didn't, he would lose his best defense against being exposed.
    The clerk grinned broadly at Black Canary, "I have to say that's one heck of a costume there. And yes, I'm sure we have just what you're looking for." Stepping out from behind the counter, he turned to another employee, a younger African American with an afro, "Dwight, can you take over?" And then to Canary, "follow me please."
    Meanwhile, outside someone was having a hell of a time parallel parking their Prius. The swarthy looking girl, perhaps Colombian, kept going back and forth, and seemed to be getting closer to hitting Sarah's truck, rather than parking behind it.

Sarah Connor has posed:
Well fuck. Another person went into the store. Really? What did she think - two weeks to Halloween?

Sighing, Sarah bit the bullet, figuratively. She put her gun into her back holster, put on her jacket, and get out of the truck, and headed to the costume store.

While Sarah doesn't believe in trick o'treating and all the hoopla around it, John had different ideas around the holiday. He and Cameron were going to the school dance and insisted she needed to buy them costumes.

Surely this was far enough from their home that they couldn't be found?

She was almost to the door when she noticed that the Prius driver was causing a big deal.. with her truck. "For fuck's sakes.." Grumble.. grumble.. "Hey! just a second. I'll move it a bit." Do not cause a fuss, please. And for pity sakes, do not cause a crash..

That would be the worst.

Black Canary has posed:
"Why thank you!" Canary gushes vapidly at the clerk, following as instructed. "I work hard on this look. It's nice to see it's apprecia..."

Her voice cuts off as she notices the blind man in the aisles.

"You know what, though? I think you should help him out first."

She demonstrates by herself approaching Matt. "Sir? Do you need help to find something? This man right here can help you out, I'm sure."

A winning smile is thrown the clerk's way; a subtle reward for him doing right by the blind man.

*How would he even know what costume he's wearing?* she wonders to herself, however. *Better make sure the shop isn't ripping him off...*

Thus it is that Canary hovers while the clerk serves Matt.

Budding drama between crushable car and truck as yet unnoticed.

Daredevil has posed:
The prius driver had enough for two prius', prii?, but the driver was not very experienced when it comes to parallel parking. Sarah's help would do the trick, but even then, the driver would roll the rear passenger wheel up onto the curb. How do some people ever get licenses?
    Inside, the clerk was agreeing with Canary, and checking her out. It was one of the perks for a costume shop. Pretty girls would try on tight, revealing clothes. And it was part of his job to look, in case he needed to make suggestions, or offer an opinion.
    Matt could sense her approach, by scent, by sound, by heartbeat, so many ways. "Yes, thank you, oh..." he was gathering what was going on. At first, he reacted as if she were an employee trying to help, but then shifted, listening for the clerk's voice, where to direct his 'gaze' as it were.
    "My associate called ahead. He's already picked up the Buzz Lightyear costume, and I..." it was impressive for a blind man to 'roll his eyes' with his body language, and a sheepish smile, "I'm supposed to try on a Woody one?"

Sarah Connor has posed:
The Pruis driver isn't listening to her, and by this time Sarah was getting a bit angry. After all, the driver could have just slowed down, and nobody would have gotten hurt. But nooooooo.

"Hey!" She had tried to be nice and polite - to no avail. Now, Sarah was trying a lot more forcefully. "Here. Let me do it, or something. You're going to cause an accident. We don't want an accident do we?"

No, they don't. At least Sarah didn't!

Black Canary has posed:
"What did you do that made your associate hate you so much?" Canary wonders aloud, quickly covering her mouth and grinning wanly and sheepishly.

Oops. He's blind. He can't see the smile.

"I mean you should surprise him with a Mr. Potato Head outfit instead. He was the best character in that movie anyway."

That should cover for it, right?

Daredevil has posed:
Sometimes forceful worked. The prius driver had no backbone, and when she forced the issue, the driver managed to get it parked. Not well, but well enough. For her help, the driver said, "thank you," before running out into traffic, nearly causing an accident, only to you guessed it, head on into the costume shop. Knowing Sarah's luck, he'd buy whatever costume she wanted to get for John or Cameron.
    "Perhaps he thinks I'll meet a Bo Peep, or a Jessie. Or an Alice from Wonderland. On Halloween, anything can happen, right?" At the suggestion, he asked, "do you have a Mr. Potato Head costume?" The clerk was pretty sure they did not, "I'll have to check on that," and Matt knew he was hoping, more than expecting. "I'll be right back," and the clerk headed back to check the computer.

Sarah Connor has posed:
Great. Where else would they be trying to get into, but the costume shop?

By now Sarah was almost to the point that she felt like giving up. But the thought of John accepting that she wasn't able to get the costumes changed her mind. Once more unto the breach! And Sarah tried to get into the shop before it was closed!

Or worse: Sold out of what she planned on!

Black Canary has posed:
Canary pulls her fingerless gloves out of her jacket pocket and puts them on, realizing the clerk was going to get tied down dealing with the blind man. "So... office party?" she asks conversationally. "Those are the worst, aren't they?"

The Prius driver entering is noted and gets a small eyeroll. You can always tell a Prius driver. It's in the smugness. Despite Priuses being old news now, in a world filled with actual electric vehicles.

"I'm dressed as Black Canary," she adds helpfully, since a blind man couldn't see it.

Sarah's entry is then noted, the frustration radiating from her registered.

"I wonder if that isn't a breach of, like, copyright or something?

Gotta keep up that vapid vibe.

Daredevil has posed:
"Something like that," he said, hearing the tug of the cloth over her fingers. He also noted that she had removed them from her jacket pockets. But he didn't know she was pretending to be a cosplayer. "Black Canary," he repeated, "that doesn't mean... Dark Big Bird, does it?" He hoped that didn't come across as insulting. She'd have to describe it for him, since using his hands was not at all appropriate. People got weird when blind people wanted to touch their face. This was many levels beyond that.
    "Well, most big copyright holders will unhesitatingly take the position that unauthorized costumes depicting the likeness of fictional characters violate their exclusive rights. For example, Disney is famous for aggressively policing the unlicensed use of their characters. On the other hand, if you were to take the fashion arguement, it has always had a complicated relationship with intellectual property, especially copyright. That's mostly because there's an exception for utilitarian objects. Winnie the Pooh is a yellow bear that wears a red short sleeved shirt. But are all bears Pooh bears, and what exactly constitutes a Pooh bear. Certainly the red shirt is ubiquitous enough. Or... have I gone into lawyer mode again?"
    He noted Sarah Connor's presence, as well as the Prius driver, but as a blind man, he couldn't exactly make that overt.

Sarah Connor has posed:
Sarah snorted at Dinah's and Matt's conversation. Still she wanted to get out of here before the Prius driver was ready to go. Lord only knew what type of problem they would get into if that was the way they parked.

"Excuse me? I was looking for a man's costume for a devil, and a woman's angel? Tell me you have some in the back, or point me to the row where I can find them?"

Sarah was at the cash register, and kept her eyes peeled for terminators. With luck this errand would be terminator free.

Black Canary has posed:
"Black Canary is one of those vigilantes," Canary says helpfully. "I guess ... yeah, that's not helpful is it?" She noisily chews gum while keeping up the bubblehead look. (It's not hard work.) "Well, she's blonde, she wears fishnet stockings, and a bodysuit and a leather jacket." Feigning worry, she adds, "I hope I don't get in trouble copying her look? You're a lawyer, right?"

And here it comes. The inevitable. The request for free work.

"I'm not gonna bother you 'cause I get that this is what you do for money. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm in the clear on this outfit. Why don't we see what we can do about your costume instead?" Canary says with a sly grin that's completely wasted on the target.

Darting her eyes around she spots something else, not Matt's but ...

"Excuse me? Ma'am? I see a devil outfit over there..." She points to a nearby shelf. "So probably angel's not far away." A brief smile at Sarah and her eyes are back on Matt.

"Are you really set on a Woody to be part of some kind of theme?"

Daredevil has posed:
The clerk who had been helping Dinah, then Matt, then a number of other customers, and now Sarah. "Devil and Angel, his and her matching, yeah, we have those, though I'd need to know the sizes." He would lead her towards Matt and Dinah, since they were standing near them. In fact, Matt was standing directing in front of a row of devil costumes, which consisted of a red jacket, which buttoned at the waist, pronounced and pointed lapels, and matching red pants, "we have your Woody costume, sir, I'll lead you to the changing rooms in just a moment."
    To Sarah, he explained, "this costume should go with a black dress shirt, though a t-shirt will work okay, and black gloves." Seeing Canary's, "oh, I see you found..." though he didn't recognize those gloves as some they sold, but he decided to drop that. Back to Sarah, "the pitch fork, devil horns, and red face paint are all in aisle 3. It would work best with black socks and black dress shoes."
    As for the angel costume, it was pretty much a corset with an attached skirt, with angel wings that clipped onto the back, and a halo that you wear. He showed off the dress and wings, "the halo will also be in aisle 3, and this works well with white heels."
    "A vigilante," Matt repeated, "should I be nervous?" He was playing. As he listened to her description, "If your description is anything to go on, I think that legal troubles would be the least of your problems. And I say this as a lawyer. As for vigilantes, I wouldn't worry. I imagine that somebody has licensing deals with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Justice League, and most of the rest are in no position to take you to court, if she were ever aware of the potential infraction."
    "No, I'm not, but my co-counsel is." He knew it was awkward. Even he grimaced at the way he phrased it. "I still have to figure out a better way to quickly explain that he is my partner in our firm," as opposed to the other more common meaning of partner these days.

Sarah Connor has posed:
Ouch? A co-counsel. ie A lawyer.

She swore if she wasn't meeting SHIELD agents, she was meeting something to do with law. Whether it was FBI, or police, or, like now, a lawyer.

In due time Sarah had all the bits and pieces that she would need (or John would!) and paid cash for theM. Sarah /never/ paid by debit. She didn't even have a bank account. What they can't track..

She declined her zip code, or email. The same reasons!

And then she was off.. before the Prius driver.

Black Canary has posed:
"I dunno," Canary says, shrugging, then chewing more on her gum/cud to keep the vapid image going. "If you're a bad guy, then yeah, you should be nervous. Canary's probably comin' after you. I hear she's really mean to bad guys."

It's actually amazing what she hears about herself.

"Not following what you mean by troubles, though. I mean, the outfit works..."

With the return of the clerk fussing and directing, she pauses, then picks up where she let off.

"...right?" She directs that at the clerk, posing in a 'surprisingly' good imitation of a Black Canary martial arts stance. Real surprising.

"I look OK in this outfit, right? I'm not going to be in any kind of trouble?"

Of course, here's a slight miscalculation. She's with a blind man, so the clerk, who's not an expert, isn't going to notice this, but the Devil of Hell's Kitchen will see it clearly, despite his blindness.

Her stance is dead-on perfect. Not in just appearances. The balance is exquisite and there's all kinds of little tells of someone who does that stance frequently. Professionally, even. Even judging the muscle tensions and relaxations by the subtle differences in skin texture gives her away.

She's not a vapid fangirl dressing as her favourite superhero...

The clerk, of course, whether he agrees or not, is going to enthusiastically agree that the outfit suits Canary. The fact that it actually does helps, naturally. For his agreement he's rewarded with a bright smile.

"So your partner in crime, then, not in romance?" she quips Matt's way. "Or are you civil attorneys?"

Daredevil has posed:
"I'll make a point of not getting on her bad side, should I ever meet the real one." Thing is, he could tell when people were lying by their heartbeat. But he liked to play along. It made people feel easier about things. "I'll take your word for it," on whether or not the outfit works, "but a lawsuit is always trouble, even when both the law and the facts are on your side."
    He did pause, inclining his head, and smiling, "I think that she's spot on." The tone of voice he used suggested he was making it up, since he had no earthly idea how good or bad she looked.
    The clerk on the other hand was showing all kinds of signs of appreciation and infatuation, "oh, absolutely, this has to be some of the best cosplay I've ever seen, and I've seen more than most." Then he suddenly looked horrified, "oh, I'm so sorry sir," to Matt, which raised a hand, showing his palm, "it's a figure of speech, believe me, I've heard it all before. Just treat me like anyone else. You don't need to walk on eggshells."
    "Uh, no, a civil attorney deals with non-criminal areas of legal dispute. There are dozens of legal specialties, but we dabble in just about everything. Really, it's all about the needs of the client."

Black Canary has posed:
Canary looks between the two quizzically. She suppresses a chuckle that won't be caught by the clerk, but lights up in Matt's ears.

"So, why don't you go try on that Woody outfit and I'll go scrounge in the Wonder Woman section. That might be my next cosplay."

Something about that is making her suppress even more laughter. Of course for herself it's because she'd get murdered by Diana if she did something like that, but nobody here knows that.

Though one is likely suspecting something is up.

"Do you think I could pull off a Wonder Woman?" she asks the clerk. "Or am I too short?"

Let's see how he handles twisting in the wind.

Daredevil has posed:
"All right, Canary, Black Canary, what should I call you?" He turned in the direction of the sound of the clerk's voice, assuming he was still standing there. "Of course sir, may I take your arm?" Matt would nod his head, knowing others can see it, "of course." And he would be led to the change room, disappearing for a few minutes.
    The clerk would tell another employee, one stationed near the change rooms, to help Matt if he needed it, while he went back to Canary, leading her to the Wonder Woman costumes, "oh, most definitely, though if you really wanted the look, you'd need a wig, or to dye your hair." Black Canary or Wonder Woman, either way, Dinah was a gorgeous woman who would captivate the attention of any crowd.
    When he was ready, Matt would come out of the change room, dressed as Woody. He had just the right amount of stubble to add to the look, not so much Woody, but definitely a handsome cowboy. Somehow, between the jeans, the shirt, his build, it just seemed to work. Too bad Matt wasn't able to appreciate it at all. He'd need a kind stranger to offer an opinion.

Black Canary has posed:
"Well, or I could stop bleaching." Canary winks at the clerk and starts looking over the cosplay options for Diana. It might be worth the subsequent Amazon beatdown to wear that to the Watchtower on Halloween. She'd probably pick up a few techniques before losing consciousness...

"I mean my normal hair is pretty plain brown."

Pleased that she hadn't been well-axshuallyed in the store, Canary decides to actually buy something.

"I'll take it," she says, pointing to the most expensive and 'authentic' of the Wonder Woman cosplay packages. "I can do the alterations myself, so no need to really fit it. It'll be too big and I can size it down myself."

Diana was going to kill her.

It would be glorious.

"And ... where did that lawyer fellow go?" she asks, peering around. "He went in the direction of that handsome cowboy. Is he hiding now?"

Kind stranger has opined.

Daredevil has posed:
"Oh," said the Clerk, surprised, maybe even a little saddened, oddly enough, to hear that she wasn't a natural blonde. So few blondes seemed to be natural these days. But the dead give away for many of them were the eyebrows, as people dyed the hair on top, not so much the eyebrows. "That would work, though it would take longer than two weeks to take full effect. I assume this was intended for Halloween?"
    It was nice for the clerk that she decided to buy it, not only was it expensive, but it was also good considering how much time he had invested in helping her, Sarah, and Matt. Every sale mattered, and stores like this made enough during October to cover most of the rest of the year.
    The handsome cowboy blushed a little at the description. He tied to do a Woody voice, "there's a snake in mah boots. Reach for the sky."

Black Canary has posed:
Canary, of course, paid attention to details like that, hence fooling people at first glance. She was even careful to minimize the visibility of her roots, helping maintain the illusion. (She couldn't conceal the thickness of the hair, but most people didn't know that little factoid so she got away with it most times.)

"Yeah, if I want to look the part I have to bleach my hair," she says, Matt sensing the lie from as far away as he was standing.

He isn't sensing a lie with the handsome cowboy part, mind, albeit sensing a good dose of humour. Humour that threatened to spill out as she mimes being afraid and raising her hands, reaching for the sky.

A pair of fancy knuckle dusters falls from her jacket pocket to bounce on the floor.

The clerk, if he's any kind of a fanboi himself would recognize those as a very good reproduction of the knuckle dusters few people realized Canary carried. Matt, however, would recognize the ring of weapons-grade steel of a particularly high hardness. It's screaming "this is a real weapon" to the world to those who know how to listen.

Perhaps screaming so loudly that the distraction makes him miss that Canary is staring straight at him, eyes boring a hole in him with a certain degree of suspicion.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt could tell when people were lying due to their heartbeat, breathing, and to a certain extent, body language. You didn't have to see body language to appreciate it. There was the shifting of muscles, the way limbs brushed against the body, stretching, contorting, everything and anything. But it didn't mean he was naturally a good liar. That took practice.
    And he had practiced. He didn't react to the sound of the knuckle dusters hitting the floor, but he did hear the clerk picking them up, "ooh, these look great. Where did you get them? No, don't tell me. I doubt we could afford to bring in facsimiles this good." He held them out to her, possibly distracting that suspicious gaze of hers.

Black Canary has posed:
DAMMIT! The clerk's interference earns him an non-vocal scolding, but a vocal "Whoopsie! I forgot I had those in there."

Lie.

"Thank you. They were a gift from a friend."

Truth.

"They look pretty cool, don't they? I don't know the first thing about how to use them, though."

Lie. Very big lie.

"I don't know how much they cost, though, so I don't know if it's something you could stock."

First half truth. Second half lie.

"Well, thanks for your help!" she bubbles, waving the WW costume around. "I'll probably have to get home and start working on jazzing this up."

Half-truth.

"I'll be sure to tell my friends about this place!"

Truth. But ... something off about it. There's amusement attached to it.

And with that, the 'cosplayer' waves, vocally adding, "See ya round, cowpoke!" Matt's way as a courtesy, and then exits the shop.

And waits, leaning against the side of the building, for Matt to come out...

Daredevil has posed:
There were so many truths, half-truths, and bald-faced lies on display today. To most, the clerk especially, it seemed as if the Black Canary had left. Matt would take his time, heading back to the changing room, removing and replacing it with his suit, which were also his work clothes, and he would pay for it. They put it inside a bag, which he in turn placed in a backpack. It's why he had worn it today. The cane needed to be available, but having his other hand did help a lot.
    Sometime later, not that long actually, he would emerge from the shop, where a certain vigilante would lay in wait, leaning against the side of the building. What did she have in store for him?

Black Canary has posed:
Woody, from the movie, exactly correct in all facets, sounding exactly like specifically the Blu-Ray reissue of the movie, says, "Reach for the sky, pardner."

Coming from a figure of familiar height leaning against a wall, facing him. Possibly smiling.

"There's a snake in your boots," she adds in her own voice, with more than a small amount of impishness in it.

Daredevil has posed:
That sound was eerily accurate. It didn't sound like a recording either. He could tell the difference. It was like hearing Tom Hanks, except, it was perfect, or so Matt would think, had he heard the lines more recently. Films weren't that interesting for him, as descriptive video worked, but only so well. And he could not watch a screen. It appeared as a rectangle. There was some difference in the colors, heat levels, but it was far too 'blurry' to be of any use to him.
    He definitely recognized Black Canary's voice, "you got me, Miss Canary. Were you waiting for me? I hope you're not going to practice true vigilantism and beat me up or something?" He was a little concerned, but he a playful tone to his words.

Black Canary has posed:
"Ah, Hell no, counselor!" Canary says, detaching from the wall and approaching Matt. "Just ... call it an invitation to coffee. If there's a decent place nearby."

She pauses. For apparent drama, given the stance.

"When did you figure it out?"

Daredevil has posed:
"I don't know how comfortable you would be in a cafe dressed the way you described yourself, but my practice is nearby. I can't really vouch for our coffee machine, I'm pretty sure it's World War Two surplus, but it is hot." He did give her a pretty convincing puzzled look, the kinds of facial expressions he learned before he lost his sight, and never forgot. "I'm sorry, figure... what?"

Black Canary has posed:
"That I'm the real Black Canary," the woman says simply, bluntly. As appears to be more her style, given how naturally this fits on her. "You ... it's hard to place my finger on it, but you didn't seem to be falling for my little act in there."

The leather of her bodysuit creaks as she shifts her stance into something more relaxed.

"And it doesn't matter what people think of how I look. Anybody causing trouble over it bites off more than they can chew. By now I've been in enough newspapers that nobody's going to think they can get away with messing with me."

She pauses.

"You or your partner or both ... you represent vigilantes, don't you? You have a vibe about you. I can't place my finger on it. I have to rely on my intuition." She holds her hands up. "And I know this doesn't hold up in court, but it works in the street. You're in the scene somehow. And since you're an attorney, I'm thinking you represent some of us."

Daredevil has posed:
"Oh," he said, and he tried his best to sell that. There was surprise in his voice, the way his face contorted. The brow. She had just admitted to being the real Black Canary. Yes, he suspected, but he wasn't sure why or how she had picked that up. He could tell that she was telling the truth, which actually meant that she believed she was the Black Canary.
    "Thanks, I think." He furrowed his brow in thought, "perhaps it has something to do with my reliance on my other senses?" which is what all blind people did. There was nothing surprising there, though most didn't get to hear the creaks and shifting of stance, especially of a woman in a bodysuit.
    He decided not to address the talk of her threatening to deal with anyone who raises and issue with her attire. Instead choosing to discuss his law firm, "we have, yes, but hardly exclusively. We represent people in need. Sometimes they are vigilantes, such as yourself. Most of the time they aren't. Or, at least if they are, they don't tell us."