1726/The New Girl

The New Girl
Date of Scene:	30 July 2017
Location:	Dinah's Loft, Gotham CIty
Synopsis:	Batgirl follows Black Canary back to her loft after their encounter to fully meet.
Cast of Characters:	Black Canary, Batgirl (Cain)

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Black Canary has posed:
    It's just after the battle at the zoo, and the messy aftermath. Canary was NOT happy to find out that someone had been capping minions behind the building while she and Batgirl were taking down those inside, and she's still not sure exactly how the fight with Miss Moreau happened or who was involved...or how a dragon got exploded. Still, she gave what she knew to the first responders before catching up to Cassandra and inviting her back to her shop, which is relatively nearby, for 'introductions and/or girl talk', in her own words. So, as the two pull up in the small garage area she has at the back, she hops off, pulling off her helmet and setting it down as she pauses to stretching, waying for her to arrive.

    "Home sweet home. Come on in?" She opens the small door leading up into the back of the shop, stepping inside.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl's Batcycle is different than Barbara's, sleeker, better armored, by the looks of it. But then, there's been advancements in technology, too. Batgirl smoothly steps off it, already scanning her surroundings in typical Bat-Fashion. She's quiet, this one. And still hasn't said a single word to the Black Canary. Maybe the mouth patch over her is more than just for terror factor?
    She isn't sure, exactly, what Black Canary wants - but she can tell there is only curiousity, interest, friendship offered in the other female's body language. So she moves up through the doorway, and up the stairs into the loft.

Black Canary has posed:
    It's not a very big space at all..comfortable, enough room to spread out, but not more than she needs. She pause by the door to wiggle off her boots, seeting them to the right of the door, then starts to tug off her armored fighting gloves, tossing them the small table by the TV. "Would you like something to drink? There's water, cola...beer?...in the fridge there." she offers, not as offput by the silence as others might be. She hangs out around unusual people of all types, after all. "Feel free to sit where you'd like..."

    She pads into the bedroom, letting the door close partway, but leaving it open so she can still talk. Or Cassandra can. She gets the feeling she doesn't say much, thus far. She pauses to perch on her bed as she starts to strip off her costume, wiggling out of the bodysuit, then starting to peel off the fishnets.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl might well be the perfect guest? She demands nothing of her host. She does not complain, in the least. Instead, she assesses the apartment while allowing the Black Canary a measure of privacy if the other woman wants it. She moves, turning slowly, studying the place intently. Filing it away in her memory, should she ever need to make use of it. Should it ever become relevent.
    She knows neither Black Canary, or herself, had killed the thugs. Someone had, though. Someone was loose in Gotham, who took lives. And that? Was a problem. And it vexes her.

Black Canary has posed:
    A moment later the blonde comes back out, idly fluffing her hair a bit as she finishes pulling a black tank top down over the greyish athletic shorts she's pulled on, barefoot otherwise. She raises a brow a bit, watching the other girl slightly. "...I'm Dinah. Nice to meet you. I knew your predecessor we were...good friends." Though things happened and...she's not quite sure if Babs is still her friend or not. She's been avoiding her a bit. Afraid to find out.

    She tilts her head a bit, frowning thoughfully. "But, here you are now...sorry I haven't introduced myself earlier, but I haven't been in town as much lately." She walks over motioning you to the couch as she flops down on it. She's sort of waiting to see how the other girl responds to the introduction. Bat types can be prickly or just...silent at times. Depending on who it is.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl looks at Dinah, now, who so blatantly just showed her true identity - not to mention where she lived to her. It shows a measure of trust, and Batgirl can read in her host the intent, and the nature of her in that moment. The mask is removed, slowly, to reveal the asian face beneath, and the girl with the short-cut black hair and almond colored eyes. Her lips are impassive, and she nods, once, to the blonde woman. The name is registered.
    She sees, too, the truth in the words that Dinah knew Barbara. Oracle. The woman who'd - helped her. And in response to Dinah's own giving of her name, she simply points to the insignia on her chest, as if that's who she was. Batgirl, certainly, was far easier to identify with than Cassandra Cain. Batgirl knew who she was. Cassandra? Was struggling to fit into a normal world.

Black Canary has posed:
    There's a tiny twitch at that. "...wow, you've already got the stoicism and quiet down." she says with soft amusement. "Batgirl it is then." She looks the other girl over curiously, then her expression turns a bit more serious as she leans back.

    "Those weren't stray shots that killed those men outside." she says, her voice steady. "Doubletaps. Professional coup de grace. And explosives. Not standard gear at all for the vigilantes that usually are in Gotham. Even Huntress prefers crossbow bolts to bullets. Any idea who might have been involved there?"

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    There is a pause, before she finally speaks. When she does, it is a sharp, concise word, odd emphasis behind it. "No." She had noticed the professional manner in which the thugs had been executed, as well. Yet, she remains standing, and she pulls from her utility belt a handful of spent bullet casings she snatched from the scene. These, she shows to Dinah before slipping them back into her utility belt. Her intent clear. She'll be either investigating herself, or showing them to the Bat for certain investigation.
    Maybe she'd been hoping Dinah knew. And, she stresses, hard, and even more emphatic, "No. Kill."
    Ah. There it is. The slight oddity of the words, and the lack of simple formulaic speech that is suggestive she might have some kind of speech impediment, or mental problem.

Black Canary has posed:
    Well, she was a bit curious if she could talk or wasn't wanting to. The slight oddity to your voice catches her ear, as she inwardly connects the dots. "Yes. No killing. Your boss gets a bit touchy about such things." she agrees. She frowns thoughfully. "...there's a handful of vigilantes I can think of that might be ballsy enough to operate in Gotham, assuming this isn't just a rival gang of some sort that's opposed to Moreau." She shakes her head. "Low probability there...maybe if it had been penguins..." she muses, then shrugs, her eyes returning to yours. "I'll see what I can find out too. Last thing we need are running gun battles involving high explosives throughout the city."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl nods in agreement. She, too, is touchy about killing, having done it once, herself. Still, the prospect that Dinah knows a few names means Batman will, also. She speaks a fourth time, "Stop." The single word intent, intense. And the blonde woman may, or may not understand that by the word, Batgirl is committing to stopping whatever force caused the execution of those thugs. The rammifications are - terrible, if it were to continue.
    She lowers herself into a squatting position, resting on the balls of her toes. Someone as trained as Dinah would realize she is both relaxed, but also in a position to react, to strike, and move if something changed. As if Batgirl were either on high alert, or this were something ingrained into her.

Black Canary has posed:
    "Yes. I'll help however I can." the other woman says solemnly. The crouch, however. That causes a spark of renewed interest in Dinah's eyes, as she takes in your stance. "...you're very well trained. That's not HIS style." she says thoughfully, her eyes professionally assessing. "That stance. He's more eclectic." The 'he' is fairly obvious as to whom, the way she stresses it. "I'd be curious to see it for a spar sometime, if you'd be interested." she says casually. "I don't get many who can keep up with me, and I can always stand to learn something new."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    "Yes." Batgirl is already back up to standing, and she takes a ready stance that will allow her to smoothly transition into defense, or offense with minimal effort. Then? She waits. Apparently 'sometime', she thinks, means now. She had observed that Canary was a skilled martial artist, and she wonders if the other woman might have anything she can learn, to become even better than she is, now.

Black Canary has posed:
    Most people would object to trying to spar in their living room. Dinah, on the other hand, smoothly stands, then uses a foot to push the coffee table in front of her couch all the way to the side, until it's against the wall, giving more room. She pads over opposite you, then leans forward in a bow, her eyes remaining on yours. "Well then...now's good..." she murmurs. It might not be your style, but she's used to at least offering the respect in a practice match.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl is fast. Not superhuman, no. But, damn fast all the same, as her leg moves suddenly once Dinah has finished her bow, intent on testing the other woman on her own stability of stance and her reaction times. Something she can judge far better in a fight against her, then when only getting glimpses as she's busy reading things and people around her and engaged in her own fight.
    She keeps the weight on her backfoot, and also shifts her weight to strike a flat-palm against Dinah's shoulder, to further put the blonde off balance.

Black Canary has posed:
    It hasn't been the first time that her opponent doesn't bow...by this point, Dinah's at least on guard for it. As she straightens from the bow and the foot comes at her, she leans back, shifting her stand as it whistles past her head. By necessity this puts her slightly off balance, but she smoothly twists to take a step back to the side as she continues the movement to be leaning away from the follow up strike, her left and right hands coming up at the palm strike as she chops upward into the air to direct it upwards. Her hands shiftas her fingers try to curl and grip, moving to a straight up judo stance as she tries to get her hands on you as she recovers, centering her stance again. Her eyes flash a bit in delight at the near hit...this Batgirl IS good, and that delights the part of Dinah that loves a pure challenge in a fight.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    If Black Canary had been not too focused on her own fights, she may have gleaned that Batgirl had never been even touched in the fight by Moreau's thugs. Nimbly, she evades Canary's hit, seeing it coming and, knowing where that near-hit strike was going to be aimed allows her two advantages. The first, clearly, is to dodge it, the second is to dodge it in a fashion which allows her a higher opportunity to engage into a wrist-lock with one hand, and kick Black Canary away into the woman's side, with a clean, open shot if successfull.
    She does not banter, or talk, and she's taking this seriously. To someone watching, it might seem as if they're -really- fighting. Not two friends, or two team-players sparring.

Black Canary has posed:
    The speed and skill suprises Dinah, as her wrist is grabbed, though she manages to keep her other armr free bringing it down to her side in a sharp Jeet Kune Do flavored strike as she absorbs some fo the impact of the kick, grunting, before she jerks her other arm, trying to tug you close as her right leg snaps up in a sharp Muy Thai stroke aimed at your midsection. There's no hesistation now in Dinah....you can take it. You're good enough to pull the strikes, just like she is, if needed. And mats are for suckers.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl twists into Dinah, to lessen the impact of the Muy Thai kick and meet it before it's at full impact, as well as to put her body directly into Dinah further, welcoming that tug. She, too, has body armor, yet there is the sound of a soft grunt before she's twisting, leveraging her hip, leg and stance to pitch Canary to the floor, and follow up with a strike to the chest, which would knock the air out of her opponent, cleanly, efficiently, if it hits.

Black Canary has posed:
    The other woman is too off balance with you having control of her wrist and knows it, feeling herself starting to roll over your shoulder before she hits the ground with a grunt, slapping both to break the fall and also to shove as she twists, rolling into your legs to avoid the follow up strike and to try and break the grip you have on her, her free arm coming up to try and wrap around your legs in the process.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Clinging Monkey? It's a move Batgirl sees coming, and she has to credit Dinah for her creativeness at avoiding the follow-up strike, but she knows if the other woman gets that girm grip on her leg while she's standing she'll have the upperhand. So instead, Batgirl twists as she moves to fall into the ground, her other leg wrapping around Dinah's head with a clear intent: Put Dinah's head into the floor of her own apartment.

Black Canary has posed:
    Being on the ground? Not the best place to fight from, for obvious reasons. And getting the arm around one leg doesn't help when the other comes right down for her head. She again tries to roll with it, her abdomen flexing as she leans up sharp, the blow clipping her head enough to see stars as she powers through it, then twists a leg under her to shove hard, sliding her head up between your legs as she tries to buck you off. Not the most elegant of manuvers, but she's limited by what she can do...and right now, she's not sure who would win in a pure on wrestling match.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    As Dinah's head manuevers up between her legs, her forehead is met with the flat-palm of Batgirl's hand, and then she uses the disorientation to roll, shifting her legs to place her atop where she can strike Dinah's head again - but this time the force of the strike will also cause the blonde woman's head to rock back, and into the floor. Thankfully, Batgirl is not out for blood, avoiding Dinah's nose with absolute precision strikes.

Black Canary has posed:
    A bit dazed, her vision blurring, Dinah is feelng the hits, and she hasn't been able to land a clean one on you yet. It's...actually wonderful. She can't remember the last time someone this good fought her. As you come down on her, that first slap smacking her head back into the floor and drawing another gasp from her from the impact, , she tenaciously brings up her arms in a modified boxer's defense, taking the hits against them as she sharply tries to roll to dislodge you, trying to reverse your positions to straddle you, snapping out a quick one two jab followed by a pure boxing right cross aimed at your chin.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Batgirl sees the punch coming, shifts her head to avoid the brunt of the blow, but with her position she still can't manuever as much as she'd like to. It's her turn, now, to briefly get disoriented, and that gives Dinah the leverage she needs to reverse their positions, and flip Batgirl onto her back and gain the upperhand, for the present.
    Batgirl is already in motion, though, seeking instead of trying to reverse positions again to twist and gain some form of submission hold on Dinah. She's not giving up, yet. Not until Dinah calls it.

Black Canary has posed:
    "Hnngh..." Dinah loses some of her air as you squeeze her around the middle with your legs, tightening her abominal muscles as best she can, then hammering a quick strike aimed at your side. You're armored, so she doesn't pull it - she won't get it through where you'll feel it without that. She can't quite get a full solar plexus shot, but she aims it for your diaphram all the same even as you roll, running out of room as you slam against the cushioned couch with a solid THUMP.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    As Batgirl is slammed into the couch, which she was not prepared for it gives Canary the opening she needs to strike against Batgirl's diaphram, and force a little air out of her as she was trying to do to Canary, earlier. The breath comes, a wheeze, and Batgirl's only move then is to go into full defensive mode until she can get her breath back in the next few seconds.

Black Canary has posed:
    The wheeze is enough to losten the grip just a a bit as Dinah sits up with a grunt of effort, one arm coming up under your left as she twists, her other trying to grip your arm as she throws her weight into you, trying to keep you off balance and carry you back to the ground. Her hands shift, assuming an akido hold as she tries to shift it into a join lock, to keep your arm behind your back. She's panting now, trying a combination of her weight and the attempt at a grip to try and control your fall.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    It's damn hard to fight, to react, when your body can't breathe right. Can't get oxygen. And Dinah's placement and impact had been perfect. The joint lock is established, and Batgirl goes to the floor, hard, but softened by the extra effort by Dinah. Her position, and her apparent defeat has her wondering if she should not -really- have gone all out on Dinah, as she does with Batman, when they spar. She's already rolling though, to get up. Apparently, she's not going to quit, until she's knocked unconscious. Or, until the spar is called to a stop. Her breaths now come in deep heaves as it begins to slowly replenish air, and she tries to keep her distance from Dinah.

Black Canary has posed:
    She can feel you struggle, the lack of give to you, the will driving you as you continue to jerk, then she taps your thigh, tagging. "That's enough.." She immediately release you, leaning back against the couch as she pants. "....that was...quite nice, thank you..." she murmurs, her mussed hair falling over one eyes as she reaches up to brush it out of the way, then touches the back of her head, wincing a bit. "Still don't recognize the style...but it's efficient..."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    There is a sharp nod from Batgirl, still in her mask. If nothing else, Dinah has won her respect as a capable fighter. She does not give explination or insight to her fighting style; imparted to her by so many of the most lethal, and dangerous people in the world. Mercenaries for hire. And, now, heroes that were practically already legends in their own right.
    "Yes," she answers, of her own abilities, speaking once again in that single-word phrase, now that her lungs are working properly again.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah takes a moment to catch her breath, then grins wolfishly at you. "Next time...I'll get my armor. So you don't have to hold back as much..." she promises. She leans her head back against the couch, looking thoughful as she stares at the ceiling. "...that's what it is..." she says finally, realizing. "...you're like me. A mix of styles blended together. Huh." She tilts her head up to smiles at you. "Neat. I haven't run into someone like that in a long time."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    "Yes," agrees Batgirl again. And, after the word is spoken, she nods, as if in acknowledgement to the woman's astuteness in seeing that. Not too many people could. At least, most of the people she is fighting, now, could not. And, deciding to take Canary up on her previous offer after the fight, Batgirl moves to Dinah's kitchen, opens several cabinets, closes them, until she finds the one containing glasses. She fills it with tapwater, sipping twice first, and then guzzling the rest down. The glass is then set into the sink to be washed, as she returns back, this time taking her mask and sitting down on the couch to study Dinah more

Black Canary has posed:
As you do, Dinah pushes herself up padding over to do the same as she idly rubs where you got in your strikes, judging the seriously of the bruises she's about to develop, then after you're done gets a glass for herself and does the same, drinking it down, then brushing the last of it into her hand to rub along the back of her neck absently as she watches you.

    After a moment, she pads back over, then seats herself next to you, on the other end of the couch. "...you didn't come from Gotham?" she says slowly, curious now. "I think I would have heard of someone like you by now, at your age."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    "No," says Batgirl, simply. Though it may be unclear what she is saying no too. No, she didn't come from Gotham, or, No, Dinah wouldn't have heard of her. Technically, both are true, considering how - secluded Cassandra's childhood was.

Black Canary has posed:
    The other woman nods thoughfully. "I admit I'm curious where Bats found you." she says simply, though she leaves it a statement rather than a question. She doesn't really want to pepper the girl with them, especially if she's not a talker much to begin with. "Not military training on your part. Private?"

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    "Yes," Batgirl agrees. Very private. She puts back on the mask, then, and moves to the door. She pauses at it, looks back to consider Dinah a long moment again, knowing that she has a friend here. Or at least, an ally. She will have to ask Barabara about her, more. Another nod, and Cassandra is out of the door, the motorcycle sounding a few moments later, before Batgirl is off on her bike, headed back to the Cave.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah watches this, quirking a brow, then smiles a bit faintly to herself. "Well. She's fun." she murmurs to herself, letting her head flop back on the couch. And now, the Advil, she thinks. Ow.