2312/Scenes From A Small Diner In Gotham

Scenes From A Small Diner In Gotham
Date of Scene:	03 September 2017
Location:	Gotham City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Element Woman, Black Canary

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Element Woman has posed:
Things were weird in the immediate aftermath of the Gotham City Bank robbery (?) for Element Woman and others. She held still until forensics could come and get the blood off her, and even carefully peeled the outer layer of her face... off.

Don't worry! she'd told the startled policemen. It's silicate! After this, her face was more or less as established, if a bright and vivid shade of cerulean instead of the creamy pale marble it had been before. After THIS:

"I think I was tapped for this because, alright - I'm in this program in New York? It's sort of an emergency crew thing," Element Woman explains from her seat on the far end of the counter of a diner. (The door has been propped open. Element Woman doesn't reek, exactly, but it's a little like someone just dropped a bucket of sidewalk chalk. If she noticed the busboy propping the door open, she didn't mention it.)

"It's mostly people from Mutant Town, but they took me too, I guess because I sure don't seem like an ordinary person," Element Woman keeps chatting, tapping the menu on the faded formica of the counter. "So there's connections and interconnections and I suppose they were concerned someone might knock part of the bank over? Structurally, I mean. I could have done a lot with that! But I guess they really didn't..."

Element Woman, who has already revealed her actual name is Emily Sung while walking over, trails off for a moment. Her lips purse...

And she brightens again. "Still, I'm so flattered you're hanging out with me like this! I mean I didn't have anything to do - I was going to go visit the museums if I didn't have any bad things happen." OK so bad things did in fact totally happen. "Then get the late bus home. But it's so nice to meet you in person! You look way different from the photos, but like, it's a good different?"

Black Canary has posed:
    Black Canary is comfortably ensconced on the stool next to the chattering young woman, smiling a bit, and ignoring the odd looks the two are getting. No one has so far tried to come up and bug them yet. "It's fine..." she says in a soft alto voice, with just a tinge of huskiness to it. "I like to meet new heroes and heroines on the block. If nothing else, because it helps to have someone to call when you've got issues that you can't deal with on your own."

    She smiles faintly, as the server drops off what looks like a Mexican coke by her, before she pours it into the provided cup and ice. "And, for the record..." she points out. "I think you did fine, if that was what you came up with with no chance to plan deeper." She grins a bit. "Well, I like to think I'm -much- more personable in person then as a photo." she tease gently, before taking a long sip, and setting the glass back down.

    "So...what's your story?" she says simply. "Whatever you feel comfortable telling me, that is? And what exactly can you do?"

Element Woman has posed:
Emily had asked for a cup of coffee and when it arrives she says "Thank you!" and starts adding cream and sugar. "Thank you too," she tells Black Canary, eyes wide. "That means a lot to me. I haven't been able to do more than practice at home and I ah - I have... security... problems with that, but I have been able to do some things here and there, and learn about fire-fighting and everything!"

She dips the spoon into the coffee cup and stirs merrily.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Alright, well, this is going to be a little vague on some details since we're in public, but I was in an archaeological dig in Egypt - I know, doesn't that sound so retro? But it was really a thing, they'd found a kind of temple complex that had been buried, with some deep sonar. So they dug it up and we were there to help study it closely, right? Because obviously there's all kinds of information that can be lost and WAS lost back in the day at the really obvious locations like the various Pyramids."

"Did you know the Sphinx's nose was gone when Napoleon got there?" Element Woman says. "-- Okay, I'm digressing."

She sips the coffee.

"Anyway, I was exposed to some kind of exotic trans-actinide compounds in this astrolithic object that had been entombed in there. It wasn't really a /central/ thing so we'd assumed it was just like, you know, Oh, isn't this neat, it's a treasure, put it in the temple and/or tomb, we can buy iron off the Hittites anyway. That's not exactly the case," Element Woman says, "but that's close enough. Anyway, I was doing inventory in that chamber when it flared up and..."

"Here I am," she says, smiling and gesturing at herself.

"As for what I can /do/, I can change my body into all sorts of different chemical and material compounds," Emily continues. "I'm going to be a little vague there /too/ in case someone's listening in, but that's the gist of it. For instance, I don't know if you were close enough, but I was going to flood the inside of that van with an ether compound to disorient the - the -"

She falters slightly, possibly remembering what she saw not an hour ago.

"Well, I know I didn't go as fast as I could have," Element Woman concludes, "but I was expecting to be caulking up seams in concrete, you know? I had to think fast."

Black Canary has posed:
    "I did, actually..." Dinah says in amusement at the reference to the Sphinx. "Though I always sort of liked the myth that the French shot it off with target practice." She holds up a hand. "And don't beat yourself up. You didn't know what was going down. Take it as a lesson learned and remember it for next time." She smiles faintly as twists around to lean back against the counter, running her fingertip over the top of her glass idly.

    "Hmm...so, think it was alien or alchemy?" she says curiously. "I've seen people have abilities they got in tombs like that from magic or technology, honestly. But it's quite a talent to have. AS long as you're careful...I'd guess you have to avoid some substances to avoid chemical reactions?" she says curiously. "Like...well, as an extreme example, sodium and water, or something similar. Or...what happens if you're hurt when you're a material, like if you're cracked when you're made of rock?"

Element Woman has posed:
"Well I don't really know," Emily says. "It wasn't our property, obviously... I imagine the Egyptian government has it. I was kind of all scattered at the time."

Might be literal. She takes a sip of the coffee then. "Oh," she says, "I can just... not react; I mean, it might take me by surprise, but it's easy to stop. It's a little hard to just... explain..."

Another sip. "Oh, I just put myself back together," she says. "It's pretty great. I mean, it hurts, of course! I'd hate to have gotten hit by those guns. But I mean..."

"This isn't very helpful, is it," Emily concludes with a lame little laugh.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah watches thoughfully as you explain, sipping from her drink, then sets it down. "No, it's fine, it's always hard to explain some of these abilities to people who don't have the right frame of reference." she assures the other woman. "Hmmm, so...you...are made of other elements now? Or do you revert to a human body?" She leans forward a bit at that. "Honestly, I think being hurt but being able to put herself together beats the permanent hole I'd have to live with if one shot me." she says dryly.

Element Woman has posed:
"Oh, I don't... really revert, no," Emily says with a laugh, before she continues on, "That's the thing though, I CAN put myself back together! I mean it's not... trivial, but I can even become liquids and gases."

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah hmms, leaning back again thoughfully. "It's similar to some other people I've heard of, though I've not gotten to meet them in person. Sandman, for example, though he more on the other side of the law." she admits. "So you're always whatever substance you choose at the time? Makes sense, I guess, if you can only do all of you as the same material, rather than mixing. Human body being more complex." She frowns thoughfully. "Still...that's got to be a bit rough on you. How have you been since this happened, with just...life?"

Element Woman has posed:
"Oh I've heard of him," Element Woman says. "I think I could outdo him! Maybe? I only know what was in the Bugle."

After this, Element Woman visibly struggles for a moment. "Oh - well, I mean, it's been a little rough here and there... but I've just been glad I've been able to help people out! It's... definitely not what I expected, but you have to take what life gives you."

Black Canary has posed:
    The other woman looks sympathetic, then reaches over to pat Emily's leg gently. "It can be rough. It's not a life for everyone, too." She tilts her head. "But if you're having problems, maybe I can help with some of them? If it's housing or paperwork or things like that. Or just someone to talk to, if you need to vent a bit?" she offers. "I mean...I can listen and a shoulder if needed." She smiles softly. "Mmm, possibly some pointers for training, if you really want to do this. You have a really adaptable ability; practicing different materials would probably help you out a ton so you have options in an emergency situation."

Element Woman has posed:
"Oh, I'm fine - I mean I can't complain," Emily says with a laugh. "But don't worry, I have a home and everything! I have documents, all of that." She lowers her voice, to admit, "(I did once camp out under an overpass when I was travelling on a case, but I did it as a puddle and it wasn't much fun. I /could/ have gotten a motel room.)"

Taking a deep breath, she then blinks. "Oh! Sure, yes, I'd love advice! Do you want to train together?? Is there like a gym somewhere? I went to look at the ones in Mutant Town but they were just rugged and I think they could tell I wasn't..."

Emily trails off with a raising of her coffee cup, tilting it back and forth in an ambiguous wobble.

Black Canary has posed:
    Dinah sighs. "Well...not a public one, anyway." she admits. "The League has facilities for members, but they limit who can use them. I've sort of thought about starting up a dojo or something but..." She shakes her head. "It would be a major project, to make something that could take the kind of punishment some metas can dish out."

    She picks up the bottle of Coke and pours the rest into her glass, then waves it at you absently, pointing. "And people like you would defintely need more speciality training, I'd imagine.' She hmms. "...maybe obstacle course work would help you though? AT least it would let you practice smoothing changing between different forms."

Element Woman has posed:
"Oh... the Justice League - you really spend time with all of them, don't you," Element Woman muses, as if this is a mild revelation. "What are they like!" She leans in close, slightly too close, and her weird chalk breath is notable as she half-whispers half-asks, "Is Batman really able to duplicate himself?"

After this her tone grows more normal. "I think something like that might work... Most of what I have been doing is just practicing different shapes and so on. It's hard to explain the chemical part of it."

Black Canary has posed:
    There's the quick flash of a grin. "Not that I've seen. He's just really good at being where he needs to be." she says simply. "And...not as much. I'm a little more independent these days, though I help when I'm needed. I'm not as much of a full time heroine anymore." She doesn't elaborate on the reasons behind that, though she doesn't sound evasive. Just not talking about it.

    "Well...my suggestion would be, maybe find an old condemned building or something and try and move through it as quickly as you can. Going through walls, through pipes, small holes, whatever you need to turn into to do it? Um..." She look thoughful. "How do you know how to turn into a material, actually?"

Element Woman has posed:
"It's hard to tell," Emily says, "but I just mean more it's like I can't explain it. I sort of hold the idea of the thing in my head and just sort of... become it? It's like... I mean, it's more that the subjective experience is really hard to verbalize!"

She went to college, clearly. "I actually have a little notebook. I've managed over five hundred compounds, even if a lot of them were kind of just variations."