2180/Rooftop Mentoring

Rooftop Mentoring
Date of Scene:	26 August 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Black Canary, Spoiler, Batgirl (Cain)

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Black Canary has posed:
    It's been a few weeks by now since Dinah first offered to take Stephanie on as a pupil at her impromptu school. She's been a fairly tough but fair teacher, seeming to have a good idea of where the girl's limits are, and just how much she can carefully push her to expand them. This has been a mix of rooftop work, gym work, and situational training for what to do in different circumstances....basically situational awareness and tactics, for herself or for with a teammate or team. She's managed to remain home most of the time, though she did have to deal with a monster situation...at which point she gave Stephanie homework for next time, of course. She's not seemed to mind if Cassandra shows up to watch, even occasionally asking her to demonstrate if she wants to get more involved....though that might be because Dinah seems to really like sparring with the new Batgirl, which is a suprisingly even match for the two.

    Today is a gym day, and thus Dinah is waiting, seated on her couch crosslegged as she reads a magazine, dressed in her usual practice clothes: a dark blue top over a black sports bra, and black lycra shorts that stop at mid-thigh, and barefoot. Her hair is pulled back in a sloppy pony tail. And of course she's left the door downstairs and the balcony door open and told Stephanie she can just come up when she can get here. She assumes if Cassandra shows up too, she'll follow.

Spoiler has posed:
     It has been some work for Stephanie. Dinah wasn't kidding when she said she was going to push Steph to her limits! But, unlike any normal college student, Stephanie wasn't one to give up just because things were hard. She certainly seemed to thrive when given the challenge and proved herself to be a willing pupil. And...talented, to some degree. Really, it was amazing that Stephanie got as far as she did with the tools she had. And so Stephanie didn't mind the push to be better. It certainly helps having an experienced mentor, after all.

    Trying for some sense of normal, Steph actually uses the door and makes her way up. "You see that news report a couple days ago? Monsters running around. Monsters! Can you believe it?" The loft door opens and in steps Stephanie...all set for the gym. She is sporting a blue t-shirt, matching blue shorts and a pair of crocs on her feet. Because she is so not concerned with looking fashionable. Just comfortable.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra had met Stephanie halfway there, and had silently followed her friend. The asian girl was wearing a simple pair of cargo pants, a plain black tank-top, and a functional pair of canvas shoes. The girl seldom wore street clothes, or, that either of the other two women were aware, went out in public much without the Batsuit on.
    She slips into the gym behind her best (and only) friend. Dinah? Well. Dinah and Barbara, even Wonder Woman and Batman - they're associates. Allies. Maybe even parental figures. Figures she's grateful for. But it's no secret to anyone how close Cassandra and Stephanie have quickly become, a strange bonding for the mentally abused near-mute, and fighting prodigy. But one she's formed, nonetheless.
    Today, she's come to help. Or watch.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah looks over as the door opens, then smiles as she sees Stephanie step in, followed by Cassandra. "I know, I was there..." she says, marking her book and setting it on the end table. "Really nasty ones too, the type that eat anything in their path, including each other." She gets to her feet, stretching briefly, before she smiles at the pair. "Welcome back." She always says that, and seems to mean it. Because really, Dinah loves to teach. She doesn't get a chance to do it often enough, and she hasn't gotten to teach any students in a while. So, aside from being pleased to see the girls who are becoming a regular fixture at her house (much like Barbara), she's happy to be where the teaching will start again.

    "Let's get you on the mat then and start your warmup workout. Shoes off then.' She pads into the spacious gym, her bare feet barely making a sound as she pads across the big mat in the center.

Spoiler has posed:
    There is a chuckle as Stephanie turns from Cassandra and nods to Dinah. "Oh, I saw! It was all over the news! You was out there leading the troops, from what I could see. And...there was some sort of Amazonian, it looked like? And....what was that other person, some sort of poser goth witch?" Stephanie shifts as she enters the loft fully, a small shoulder bag, previously unseen, set down gently. "Makes me kinda wish I was there. But...not really. Like, what would I do with a bunch of mini-Godzillas, anyways?"

    With a bright smile flashed to Cassandra, Stephanie slips out of her crocs, then tosses them with a toe up to her hands, one then the other. Both are taken and slipped into the shoulder bag, which is then slid to the side as she turns for the mat. A glance is stolen back to Cassandra. "Wanna come on over, or you intent on sitting back and giggling at all my mistakes?"

    Not that Cassandra actually, you know, laughs. It is just Stephanie's way to get the normally stoic girl to do something other than stand silently.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Of course, while Cassandra is blind to the nuances of the tonals of voice and inflection unless it's blatantly obvious, she can read Stephanie openly, like a book. And the invitation - even the desire, to get her involved in Stephanie's training. So, Cassandra easily slips off her sneakers, and pulls off her socks to pad barefoot into the gym, ready - as she always is - to begin a workout.
    She tips her head to Dinah, and awaits instructions as to what she can help Stephanie learn, or practice, today. Dinah's probably never had two better students, than these two.

Black Canary has posed:
    "That'd be Grace, a friend of mine. Maybe I'll get a chance to introduce you sometime, she's just as impressive and person." Dinah says easily to Steph, nodding as Cass joins them too. "Well, if Cassandra is going to be helping today, perhaps we'll start with throws." She folds her arms thoughfully. "Judo over akido this time, I think. You're getting good at the wrist locks, but you need to be able to handle it if someone grabs hold of you." She pads out, then says to Cassandra, saying wryly. "...I'd guess I get to be the practice dummy for this rather than you. Want to show her a Tomoe Nage? I'll grab from behind." she says simply, then glances to Stephanie. "This is one of the most useful general throws, a circle throw. It lets you use momentum to help you add a bit of umph to it."

Spoiler has posed:
    "Of course you know her. It's like everyone knows everyone else. Well.. most everyone." Stephanie giggles softly, then gets a *little* bit serious as she listens to the plan for the day. "You mean besides kick between the legs and hope for the best." A little serious...but only a little. She does step over towards the edge, so that she can watch intently.

    And...that is when Stephanie gets serious. It is a shift so obvious that a blind man could read her actions. Stephanie is there to learn.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Instantly, as Dinah comes up behind Cassandra, the young girl does a -perfect- throw, removing Dinah as a threat to her person and putting the teacher flat on the mat by moving briefly forward as Dinah tries to grab her, putting her other leg up into Dinah even as she rolls back, pulling and letting body weight move with her and then fully exending her leg to kick-throw Dinah up-and-over her, and onto the other woman's back. Luckily, there is the mat. Otherwise, in the enviornment they fight in? Rooftops, cement, and glass windows? That might -really- hurt.

Black Canary has posed:
    "Well..." Dinah starts to say to Stephanie. "I didn't say -that-, but...gurk!" Dinah is over Cassandra's shoulder, slapping the matt as she hits, then woofing as she reverse to send her flying to land on her back with a whoosh of breath, slapping the mat again as she rolls as she hits.

    "Huff...yes. Like that...followup might be a bit more advanced, but if you can pull off that combo..." Dinah says, rolling back to her feet as she stands. She doesn't even look upset or mad...instead, she grins a bit wolfishly at Cassie. "That level of smooth is going to take some practice though. It requires a lot of balance and knowing exactly how your opponent's momentum is going to shift through both moves."

Spoiler has posed:
    Stephanie winces in sympathy as Dinah is tossed around effortlessly by Cassandra. It really ia a sight to behold...and Stephanie reminds herself how glad she is that Cassandra considers her a friend. Otherwise, things might hurt a little more. "right. Practice." Another reminder to go out on her own to toss some street thugs later. Because ain't no way she's tossing the Canary and Batgirl around like that.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Effortlessly, Cassandra does a laying-on-your-back-to-standing-on-your-feet back handspring. Then, silently, she offers her body to Stephanie, gesturing. She nods, once, as if to encourage her friend to try it out, and then when she reads the signs Stephanie is willing, at least, to try, she moves forward to 'grab' Stephanie, as if she were attempting to struggle with the similiarly sized girl.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah, hmms, padding over slowly so she can see what Stephanie is doing, including her stance. "There are other ways to do this as well...Daki Wakare, which works from a crouch also. Go ahead. Try the starting throw first." she says simply, folding her arms as she watches. "Remember, this is about balance and momentum....you do a lot of this naturally without thinking about it." It's part of the reason Stephanie is such a formidable prodigy as a fighter.

Spoiler has posed:
    "Okay....but remember, you told me to." With that, Stephanie shifts, as Cassandra moves to grab her. Stepping into Cassandra, rather than away, an arm crosses over to grasp Cassandra's wrist with a hand while the other shifts to provide balance instinctively. Then, with a sort of full body motion that starts with a shove inward, a pull outward, and the upper torso just sorta flowing almost like a wave, the blonde attempts to throw her raven-haired friend up and over her.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    If it were -anyone- else, Cassandra would counter. Oh, how she'd counter. She'd counter so hard.
    But it's Stephanie. And she wants her friend to learn. So, she takes herself back when she was learning the move from her old trainer, Bronze Tiger. And, she does not resist. At least, not unnaturally so. So she is so-pitched, an she flies backwards, onto her own back, but armed with the knowledge that's what was going to happen? She can prepare for the fall most effectively.
    And, she -then- demonstrates a counter to Stephanie. Because she's Cassandra. And she wants Stephanie to learn. As she falls, she twists, so she lands partly on her side, instead of her back to minimize the depressurizing of her lungs, which allows her to get her breath back quickly, and she is able to scissor-snap her legs around Stephanie's knee, to bring the blonde down. She follows up with a snap-arm -- to the mat. Just short of Stephanie's head.
    Then, she untangles herself, and moves to stand, to let Dinah explain what happened. Dinah is good at explinations.

Black Canary has posed:
    "Well done!" Dinah congratulates. "And a masterful counter there too." she says dryly, peering down at Stephanie, checking to make sure she's okay. "As she just showed there, just because you get the full throw off doesn't mean a really skilled combatant won't be ready to take advantage if you try to follow up." She straightens again. "She hits on her side, so the impact didn't knock the wind out of her, and then she still had the range with her legs to take you down. Of course, you can get around that if you throw a target -over- something...air conditioner, boxes, another thug, anything. It keeps you protected from a counter."

Spoiler has posed:
    Stephanie is more than a little surprised she was able to toss Cassandra. The suddenly finding herself flat on her back with her best friend's arm a hair's width away from her head? Not as surprising. There is a gasp for air as Stephanie rolls to one side. But, she doesn't stay down too much longer. She shifts to her feet, pushing herself up with one arm, then resumes her stance, without so much as a word.

    At least, until she is back up again. Then Stephanie glances over to Cassandra, and a slow smile spreads across her face. "Okay, okay. So you're telling me I need to watch out for your feet to." She grins and turns back to Dinah. "At least she didn't knock me out, this time." This time....as if there were other times in the past?

    Knowing Cassandra....probably.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra looks back to Dinah, who had mentioend Daki Wakari. Cassandra makes a 'throw' gesture, of that style to Dinah, and then tilts her head in question to the self-appointed teacher. She is here to help - but, this is Dinah's lesson.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah just raises a brow at the mention of being knocked out, but looks somehow unsuprised. She does nod to Cassandra when she makes the motion. Yes, let's try that. Pretend you weren't able to roll to your feet as quickly, Cassandra, on all fours." She walks closer, gently tugging Stephanie by the arm. "Alright. This is what we call a lift and separate type of throw. Watch what Cassandra does." She can't help but feel a bit of amusement that she's ended up being the demonstration dummy, but Cass knows her stuff, after all.

    "This is what you do if you're not quite back to your feet, or on all fours after falling, and someone tries to tackle you to get a lock on you." She kneels gracefully next to Cassandra, then shifts to slide her arms around her. Actually going for the lock, rather than the slower form she might use if it was anyone else.

Spoiler has posed:
    "Like just now." Stephanie slides around towards the side, kneeling down next to the two....but not too close. Because she knows what happens when one gets too close to training. She rolls to the balls of her feet, in a partial squat position. One designed to help her get away if needed. She's set to not let Cass get the drop on her again.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra slips out of the lock, and gets her arms around Dinah while the two are still down on the mat, or near all fours. She twists, then, using both arm strength, hips, and then momentum of a roll to literally toss Dinah across herself and onto the mat, falling with her but clearly Dinah takes the full brunt of that impact, not Cassandra.
    The girl slowly climbs back up to her feet, then looking to Stephanie, to see if her friend understands how both the lock was evaded, and the hip-toss worked.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah rolls, slapping as she hits the mat firmly to break it up, then rolls back to her feet. "Did you see how she did that? Shifting my weight, then using the roll to get me under her?" she asks Stephanie, resting her hands on her hips. "Go ahead and try it." She doesn't ask if Stephanie thinks she can do it, because why put the seed of doubt that she can't in there? She steps back away from the two again, nodding to Cassandra. "Please let her try to throw you." she says simply.

Spoiler has posed:
    No need to worry about that seed of doubt. It's already in there, but Stephanie is trying really hard to not give it any place to germinate. She rolls to sit on her knees, then drops to all fours. She tilts her head, her gaze upon Cassandra, as those blonde locks of hers cascade down to the mat. "Now...be gentle" There is a clear tease to the exchange, as if the exagerrated expression on Steph's face wasn't enough.

    When Cassandra does go for the lock, because of course she would, Stephanie finds that she really cannot move. And so....Stephanie improvises, and throws herself, with Cassandra latched on. It's similar to what she just witnessed, but certainly unrefined as Stephanie shoves herself up and over and lets herself fall down on top of her friend.

    With a little extra shove with the elbow just for good measure.

    Steph may not have won style points...but hopefully the extra oomph of her weight was enough to bust out of that lock.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    The lock is busted, but mainly because Cassandra is going 'somewhat easy' (for her) which is probably like 'advanced' level instead of 'kungfu master of the world'. Then again, if she makes it too easy on Stephanie? Her friend won't learn to be as much of a threat as she is. More than once, though, she's wondered if Spoiler has it in her to be as - brutal - in her fighting as Cassandra is. Or, for that matter, Damian. Or, Batman.
    This time, no counter comes from her, as she rolls forward after taking the brunt of that throw. She slowly rises, nodding once, seemingly in approval.
    Maybe Cassandra read that seed of doubt, and she does not additionally wish to make it germinate. She would rather help build Stephanie's confidence.5r

Black Canary has posed:
    "Good..." says Dinah, tilting her head as she considers critically. "A bit of improvisation there towards the end, but not bad considering your position." She tilts her head. "...but now, we're going to drill until you can do that one perfectly." And she will, working both girls through the positions, then going back to the first. She believes in drilling unti you've got it...and also suprise quizzes on manuvers taught previously, from time to time, to make sure you've not forgot.

    After a good hour of it, she calls a halt for a breather, having stepped out of the room to snag several bottles of water and setting them down by the mat. "Good. YOu're improving quickly. Cassandra, you're a very big help to making her stronger." she says to the other girl. She's got an idea of how against character it is for Cass to let herself be the practice dummy, but that just impresses her a bit more, knowing that the two must have really bonded that she's willing to.

Spoiler has posed:
    Stephanie sits on the edge of the mat, leaning back and supporting herself with her arms. A stray lock of blonde hair flies away from her eyes with a puff of breath....because she just doesn't feel the need to brush it aside. Not after an hour of trying to throw one of the best damn martial artists she knows over and over again. "Well....that was fun. And, note to remember. Don't improvise." A chuckle escapes from Steph's throat as she tips a wink to Dinah. "Seriously though. Thank you. You know....for this." It probably isn't the first time Stephanie expressed her gratitude. And most likely not the last.

    One of the bottles is snatched up as Stephanie moves to a sitting position. "Sure beats karate classes at the Y, that's for sure." She leans over, after getting a sip in, and pats Cassandra on the leg. "I know you are going to make sure I pay for each and every toss later, hon. Just letting you know I will be ready for it." Well...not really, but Stephanie knows at least how to talk a big game. Maybe that's the secret to the relationship. It's just a simple game of show and tell. Stephanie does the telling...and Cassandra does the showing.

    Still...Stephanie is grateful. The way she moves around Cass is more than enough to show it. And...she is improving, which is always a good sign.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra grabs a water bottle herself, and sits near Stephanie. She hasn't said a single word, the entire training session -- but then, she hasn't had to. Dinah can do the explinations. And Stephanie, even though the blonde girl can't read body language well enough, seems to - well, be the yin to Cassandra's yang and understand Cassandra pretty darn well.
    Briefly, at the promise that Stephanie will be 'ready for it', Cassandra smiles to Stephanie as if to call her out on it. Or, perhaps, to agree. Maybe a bit of both? Most likely.
    She reaches out to squeezes Stephanie's arm briefly. She knows Stephanie won't stop going out to fight crime. So, enabling her with the best teachers she can find? Next best thing.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah watches the pair, a faint smile on her face, before she pops open her own water absently. "It's my pleasure. I've missed having someone both eager and talented to teach. " she says cheerfully. "Not that I'm going to go any easier on you next time, mind." She leans back on one of her hands, sitting crosslegged. "Have you thought about anything else you might want to learn? I've been going over the fighting and movement and tactics...I think you're getting a good foundation for all three." She gestures with the bottle. "More importantly, you aren't afraid to improvise."

Spoiler has posed:
    "You was going to go easy on me?! I object!" The laughter that threatens to overtake Stephanie is drowned as she quickly takes a drink from the bottle, then places it down as she dramatically flops down upon the mat. "Eagerness I have in spades, though I think you're exageratting about the talent." There's a wink given, signalling that Stephanie is certainly joking. But then, the question about what else to learn is poised...and it causes Steph to think. She rolls to her side, with Dinah and Cass in front of her, her expression that of being lost in thought. "Is there something additional I should be studying? I mean, I know that we're doing this so that I can protect myself. As much as Cassie here would tell me otherwise, she's worried I going to be in over my head." A pause...then another thought. "Well...maybe the whole intimidation bit, or maybe some advanced investigative skills. I mean, I am good at figuring things out and all, but certainly not on a level as others. And, gosh, Cassandra has the intimidation down solid. It could be because she's not very talkative. That can be scary, ya know?"

    An idea sparks in Steph's head as she draws a parallel. "Wait. Batman hardly speaks, too. Maybe I should be quiet." She considers it for a moment, then shakes her head. "Nah...I couldn't keep my mouth shut, really."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    The last bit? Causes the -tiniest- bit of a laugh to emit, vocally, out of Cassandra's slightly upturned lips. She puts a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, briefly that the sound came from her, before slowly lowering, her eyes furrowing some - suddenly wondering if she's losing more control than she'd like. She didn't -use- to smile. Or, you know. Have emotions. Like -liking- people, and things.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah's eyes widen a bit, in obvious delight at the small sound, giving Steph a covert thumbs up while Cass is looking away, then coughs. "Well...I think you may be more then snappy patter and insult sort of distraction type of girl, honestly." she says with a smile. "But investigation, yes, I can help you with that part too. " That might be even one of the few things Cassandra can't kung fu, she realizes. "Maybe both of you."

Spoiler has posed:
    The laugh comes as a surprise for Stephanie, as well as everyone else. Though, the look of surprise does melt away into a slight sense of accomplishment, which only strengthens with that approval from Dinah. Steph's hand squeezes Cass on the closest leg, just a quick show of comfort, before withdrawing back to her own lap. "Well...yeah. I can insult with the best of them." She chuckles softly, but then nods again. "Yeah. I mean, I am pretty good, but could always be better. When your dad is a second-string Riddler, investigation tends to become necessary." She shakes her head. "He never was all that good. The clues were too easy." Stephanie shifts to a different topic before she gets too teen-age angsty. "But yeah. That would be awesome."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Casandra, for her part, gives a sharp nod to Dinah. She knows 'Detective Work' is her greatest weakness, at least, as it pertains to her 'work'. In that, Tim is far her superior, as she is his in martial arts - but the drift there is much wider, she feels. Still, there's not a measure of pensiveness or doubt in her mind.
    Her countenance suggests without her even having to voice the single-syllablic affirmation that she is not only ready, she desires the addtional training. Training, sparring, practicing? For Cassandra, that's like going to the mall and going shopping, or playing video games.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah reaches over to pat Stephanie's thigh now. "Well...you're not him." she says gently. "So dont' focus on that, focus on how you can improve? And a snappy line or insult can make a big different. Not to be underestimated, especially against people with big egos." She settles back, resting her arms behind her as she looks thoughful, then her eyes light up. "Ah. I know. I'll take you girls to a mystery room."

Spoiler has posed:
    "Oh, don't worry. I am much prettier than him." There's that snark coming out. "But, nice to know my big mouth can be good for something." A chuckle escapes her as Dinah brings up going to a mystery room. "You know, that would be entirely too much fun. Up until someone tries to intimidate the staff to find out who the killer was. Because that will so happen."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Confusion sits, however, on Cassandra's face. Who, apparently, has no idea what a 'Mystery Room' is. She look to Dinah, first. Then, to Stephanie. And then back to Dinah. Patiently, yes. But, her look of absolute confusion is easy for anyone in the room, or - any mook out on the street to plainly read if they came across her so.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah lets out a soft chuckle at the look, then explains patiently. "A mystery room is a test. You're let into a room where there's a mystery, and you have to solve the mystery to leave the room, which is full of clues that you can use to put together what's happened. It's something that people do for fun as a group sometimes, to test their minds and to work as a group." She hmmms. "I'm sure there's one around her somewhere we could try. That'd be good practice for you both, starting with something like that.

Spoiler has posed:
    Blonde hair bobs as Stephanie nods. "They come in all sorts of scenarios. Why, there are some that are more of a fantasy nature, with wizards and dragons and all sorts of fantasy creatures. I saw a group go through with what looked like the father in charge crawling through tunnels half filled with balls from those ball pits just so he could track down a special rune that was on the other end, because his son didn't want to crawl through." Stephanie giggles at the thought. "But...they ended up solving the quest though! They were trying to free a wizard and got it done. Looked like a lot of fun."

    Stephanie leans over, pushing Cassandra gently on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I am sure we can find one that you'll like. Maybe it will have target dummies for you to kick, too. It will be fun!"

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra listens to all of this, and if there was a facial expression for 'hand-wobble', the girl's face is giving that presently, a mixture of doubt, curiousity, and a few other such emotions all playing about in her mind, reflective on the half-frown, the narrowed eyes.
    Much less emphatic than the prior nod, she nods again. Social affairs? Not her cup of tea. But, Barbara would have likely told Dinah in one form or another that Batman had Wonder Woman working with Cassandra on that. And such is why Cassandra was occasionally just 'gone'. Trips to Metropolis, and the Hall of Justice, and the Embassy.
    It would be her first social event outside of those guidelines, but -- Stephanie and Dinah would be with her. So there's comfort, there. She nods again, a touch more resolutely as these thoughts play through her head.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah smiles. "Well then. I'll figure out a date and we'll switch out our usual physical training day." she says thoughfully. "Maybe next week." She smiles and shrugs. "I'll let you know?" She stands up. "Hmm, for now...good workout. I think I could offer pizza, after you burned off all those calories." she says teasingly, resting a hand on her hip. "Sound good? I know a little place, won't have hardly anyone at all this time of night..." She knows Cassandra isn't up on big crowds yet.

Spoiler has posed:
    Stephanie lights up at the sound of pizza. "Oooo....that sounds good." She's a college student. Pizza is like three of the four major food groups. She shifts to her feet, then offers a hand to both Dinah and Cass, one on either side of her. "We should go. It will be great! And then you can talk all about what it was like to beat up monsters or whatever it is you want to talk about that isn't, you know, related to beating things up." She offers a sly grin as way of incentive, already prime and set for conversing.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra stands up, as well, as soon as Stephanie does. She is like a Stephie-Shadow. Only, well. Not -quite-. It's not like she is particularly shy. Or, that she feels Stephanie needs protection 24/7. Merely, ... well, perhaps she can learn something from her friend. And she feels more like a person, around Stephanie. So, shadowing her is a good thing, right?
    She nods at the mention of pizza. Pizza sounds good. She needs the calories. She'll be burning them tonight.
    And in the meantime? She will quietly absorb whatever knowledge, or stories, Dinah and Stephanie share. Content to be silent. But, somehow still an active participant.