8687/Texting is easier in person

Texting is easier in person
Date of Scene:	07 August 2019
Location:	Barbara Gordon's Apartment, Clocktower
Synopsis:	Babs has Kate over... there was a foot rub. Foreshadowing is fun when you know the outcome.
Cast of Characters:	Batwoman, Oracle

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Batwoman has posed:
Gotham City, 11:36 pm. It's quiet; too quiet. No, really, it's WAY too quiet. Batwoman has made her usual rounds and even patrolled a few of the secondary 'hot spots'. "Looks like all the bad guys are home tonight darning their socks or something." she mutters half to herself, already heading for Old Gotham.

The Clocktower, 11:48 pm. "Colonel, I'm going offline for a bit. Checking in on a friend. Batwoman, out."

Kate knows that Oracle's sensors picked her up three blocks out, so she takes her time getting the zipline to the roof. Gives Babs time to turn off her alarms this way.

Oracle has posed:
The beautiful thing about the Oracle system is most of it can run automated. Babs programmed it to constantly check comms traffic on all Gotham City Civil Services, from police band, EMTs, and even local electricians.. never know when a msyterious brownout in one of those aforementioned hot spots might need better eyes than a 30 something year old in a raised box can provide. The system constantly monitors and waits for key phrases, which allows Babs a lot of free time to... do a whole lot of nothing.

Catch up on Netflix if she doesn't have to actively be behind the keyboard.

Usually she doesn't mind staying up in the Clocktower, but generally she's making that choice for herself. Tonight her right knee is in a brace balanced on the coffee table infront of her couch, Definitely, Maybe playing on the television, and a tablet in hand going through files. Most of the bruising is starting to heal, dark brown against her pale skin all down the left side of her eye and jaw. Her glasses are balanced on the end of her nose, hair is tied up on the top of her head in a messy bun, and a It's only funny til someone gets emasculated; then it's hilarious t-shirt over pajama pants.

Her proximity sensors do alert her and she does pull up a mini monitor on the tablet, but then only to deactive the heavy security on the Watchtower for the approaching guest. <It is unlocked, Batwoman> The voice is that of the androgynous Oracle.

Batwoman has posed:
Less than fifteen seconds later there's a soft <thump> as a black and red figure half-rappels, half-tumbles through a skylight to the floor. Batwoman slowly rises, taking a quick look around with a wry smile broadening on those red lips. Stepping closer, she scoops off cowl, mask and wig with one hand.

"Wow. You want me to get a steak for that eye? I though you were exaggerating in your report, but apparently not." Her gaze lowers to the elevated leg in the brace as well and Kate shakes her head. "Seriously, though, can I get you something while I'm up? It's a really slow night out there, so I thoughd I'd stop in and see how you were doing."

Oracle has posed:
Babs sets the tablet aside and leans forward to her big plastic cup of ice water to occupy her hands instead. The thud immediately draws her attention back and she smiles only until it starts to hurt, "Yeah, babe..." Touching two fingers to the bruising with a wince, more remembering the cause than the effects pain now, "Everything was going fine until I took a bad landing." Motioning down at her knee, "It's not broken, just dislocated my patella. A week or so of rest and I'll be right as rain..." Not nearly as bad as she made it out in the report, but that was dramatic, drugged Babs fresh off a fancy ass whoopin from a villainese she's fought more times than the sniffles.

"No, I'm good.." Arms up, glancing around, "Big cup of water, bag of doritos, Ryan Reynolds..." Chin curled, lip puckered out in a slow nod, "I've got everything I need." Green eyes back up at Kate, "Last few nights have been like that. Can't help thinking something insane is about to pop off."

That's how Gotham do, though.

Batwoman has posed:
Kate's smile softens and she nods, her crimson bob swishing with the motion. "Let me raid your fridge real quick and I'll keep you company a bit, then." she replies. The red-lined black cape swishes as she turns towards the kitchen. Emerging a few moments later with a diet soda in hand, she settles on the sofa within comfortable view of the invalid.

Booted feet extend, resting lightly on the coffee table before crossing one ankle over the other. "That IS the way things go around here, true enough. Which is why I try to catch my breath whenever I can, or at least catch up on research." She pops the tab on the soda, taking a slurpy sip.

"So is this the one with Sandra Bullock, by chance?" Kate asks, casually hopeful.

Oracle has posed:
Babs bobs her head and fishes a single dorito out of the bag laying up against her left hip, crunching through it with her head laying back against the couch cushion, "I've had plenty of time to go through some of my files, anyways." Sucking at her thumb while turning to grab the tablet. A few motions with her pinky and she holds it out over to Kate, "This Hook business in Metropolis and New York has me holding my breath waiting for the shoe to drop here in Gotham." The screen is a file on some of the information she's been able to find on this new drug, specifically medical data on persons having overdosed and even a chemical compound with enough unknown elements to confound any scientist.

There's the quiestest little grunt, pushing off her elbows on the couch for her water sitting on the table, "Nah, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz." Grinning side long at her redhead 4life friend, "I'm partial to Isla myself... Rachel Weisz always has that startled look like she's not sure where she's going or how she got wherever she is."

Batwoman has posed:
Kate takes another loud sip of her soda, leaning over to look at the offered tablet. She purses her lips and nods. "I'm with you there, Red. Anything that hits the Big Apple only has to fall over the river to land here in Gotham. Time to make sure that provisions are made and our loins are girded." She leans in a bit closer, then asks. "Any leads on an antidote yet? Or at least a methodone-equivalent?"

Kate props an elbow on the back of the sofa, then, turning more attention towards the big screen. "Out of THAT field, I'd have to agree with you." she agrees. "We gingers have to stick together. And besides, I've never had much lucks with blondes and my batting average is pretty low with brunettes."

Oracle has posed:
Babs bounces a red eyebrow skyward and sighs between quick sips of water. Another grunt has the cup sitting back on the table, "I'm surprised it got so terrible in New York and hasn't gone completely batshit-" buh dun tis "-in Gotham. Usually we're the first if the Tri-state to explode into absolute Bedlum." After another dorito, she captures the edge of the bag and tosses them short distance down the couch against Kate's armored leg. "Nauh ett.." Acting like she wasn't partly raised by Alfred or something, "I haven't gotten a sample myself, this is just what I was able to boost off GCPD database..." Flicking her fingers in the direction of the tablet, "But if you get me a sample, I know someone who might be able to help formulate a cure.. It would go a long way down at Doctor Thompson's clinic. She's overrun with cases down in the Bowery."

After sucking chip and cheesy powder from her teeth and another sip of water, "Girl, it's been so long since I've been with anyone, I think my stats reset to zero.." Propping her temple in the palm of her hand, elbow balanced on the arm of the couch. "Not that I'm complaining.. hard to explain to someone why you live in a Clocktower with a fifty million dollar computer sitting in your living room." Her unpainted lips twist slightly off to the side, "Tender kind of loses its appeal when you can hack their account and see what they're NOT putting on their profile..." Shifty-eyes, "Not that I've done that... that would be amorale..."

Batwoman has posed:
Kate Kane peels off a gauntlet before digging into the offered bag. Carefully for her; can't get all that orange MSG powder on the glossy, black fabric! Crunch-crunch-crunch. "I'll <gulp> see what I can do on scoring a sample. Might have to go 'old school' on this one and do it undercover or something." she shrugs, fishing out another chip. Carefully licking her fingertips, Kate laughs.

"See, that's what scares me about you. It's easy for me to keep up my carefully-crafted, emotionally tragic reputation with the tabloids. But *you* my dear..." Kate emphasizes by pointing at her fellow redhead "... you know all my tarnished, tawdry secrets." Beat. "And you *still* let me inside your place to raid your kitchen. Clearly your judgement should be brought into question at some point."

Oracle has posed:
Babs smirks sidelong at Kate and bobs her shoulder a little, leaning against the arm of the couch so her face is propped up in the palm of her hand, "I'm a sucker for a rescue dog." She murmurs teasingly over at the armored redhead, nudging her right leg out to push her toes against a black clad knee. "Besides, you're only the second person to come check on me..." She's not at all bitter about that, no not at all.

"How are things anyways? I feel like we've not talked in forever. .. I mean aside from both of us desperately needing to reevaluate our love life." Wiggle pointing at the computer, or maybe meaning beyond at Gotham in general.

Batwoman has posed:
"The second?" Kate echoes, reaching down with her still-gloved hand to take that bare foot. Almost absently, her thumb strokes along the arch. "And I'm not so much a rescue dog as... " She pauses to wrinkle her nose at the other redhead. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little rough around the edges. Still worth being rescued, I hope."

"Well other than the occasional social experiment, I have a whole, big bed to myself. If we're looking on the positive side, that is. And I'm considering an upgrade to the Ducati." She pauses, releasing Barbara's foot. "You, um, don't cruise dating sites on that thing, do you?"

Oracle has posed:
When her foot is taken, Babs grabs her brace in both hands and moves it over onto the couch. It's bent enough that it's not also laying in Kate's lap, but there is never a situation under the sun where she's going to slap away a foot massage. Her head drops back on the arm of the couch, fingers laced behind her messy red bob, "Just the second, yeah." Nodding with her mouth pulled into a tight grin, "The first was Batman, though. So I guess I should be touched."

Leaning forward to look at her redheaded compatriot, "Oh shut up. I've got a pretty good judge of character, babe. You're top shelf vodka.. no Burtons here, at all." She leans back, adjusts her shoulders, and stares up at the ceiling of her small apartment.

"You mean on the array? God no... well once.. but it was for work.." Whether Oracle or security, hardly matters in the grand scheme of things, "And I did it behind a encryption so heavy, even Brianac would scratch his head trying to decypher it.." Her toe comes up to point at the tablet, then taps down on Kate's armored leg, in a 'don't stop' motion. "I'm all about mobile dating sites.. swipe on the go."

Batwoman has posed:
After the toe-point, Kate pulls off her other gauntlet and cradles Barbara's foot in both hands. Time to get serious. Both thumbs stroke along the arch, one following the other. "Top shelf vodka, hmm? Lately I feel like two dollar tequila. Complete with worm."

Without pausing, Kate scoots a bit closer to let the braced-leg foot rest in her lap as well. She shifts the attention of both hands to that one. And giggles. "Wait... Are you telling me, Barbara Gordon, that you used Oracle's nuclear encryption to cover your tracks on a *dating site*?" Another snigger follows.

"I suppose you just use burner phones now, right?"

Oracle has posed:
Babs snorts at Kate's description of herself, "Hardly... I mean maaaaaybe a really expensive beer?" Peeking down herself from her stare at the ceiling to catch the redhead in a raise brow look, "Nah, mid-range bourbon all the way. Good enough for high society, but still hooch enough for a night at the club."

With her other foot in Kate's lap, Babs closes her eyes with attention paid to the foot on her injured leg, sighing quietly whether because of it or being reminded that it's injured in the first place. "I felt like such a dumb shit.. a hundred times... a thousand.. I'd have stuck that landing no problem. Got cocky, forgot I wasn't wearing my armored suit and bang.. I'm getting smashed across the beak with a pistol barrel." She's not very good with losing, even all these years later, and blows out a steamed breath through her nostrils.

Thankfully there's giggles to distract her and her green eyes pop open to stare at Kate, "I swear to god, if you ever tell anyone I'll change all your passwords to something suitably horrible." Still, she's grinning and rolling her eyes at herself.

"I admit it wasn't the highlight of my career. All I got was a message from 'bigdickmaster77'.. because there were 76 OTHER bigdickmasters, apparently."

Batwoman has posed:
Kate snorts softly, both hands working on the same foot. "Hooch enough for a night at the club? I definitely like the sound of that." At Barbara's sigh, Kate works slowly along each toe as well. For a moment, Kate's expression fades a touch.

"You went on a patrol without your armored suit? What were you wearing, that leotard-thing? I'd say you're lucky we're even *having* this conversation. That's like a soldier going into battle without a helmet."

Kate's fingers continue to work their magic, even as she leans in for a closer look at Barbara's face. "I don't think that'll leave any scars, at least. And yes, your secret's safe with me."

The red-lipped smile returns. "Something like 'bigdickmaster77', perhaps?"

Oracle has posed:
"I'm not proud of my decision." Babs eyes slide closed again, spreading her toes with just a slight wince at the attention they're being paid, "Soon as my stims are mend, we should go out to a club, then. I'll be your wing woman, you can hate on my inability to throw game... It'll be an absolute gas." Peeking one eye open just enough to fix Kate with a half lid green orb.

"I did, yeah. That one.." Her hand slips from beneath her head, thumbing at the battered and torn original Batgirl costume in a display case near her bedroom. "That thing is so sexist, I feel like I did every woman on earth a favor by getting my ass kicked in it. Indirect reparations, I say." Teasing her own injuries, "I just wanted to fly one last time. I knew I was giving up the cowl.. I've known for months.. I got all nastalgic. Ran into Stockholm and couldn't resist one last brawl, ya know?" Her fingers slide together back behind her neck.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, "If you're half as good at secrets as you are at rubbing feet, you can keep whatever you want." Smirking without opening her eyes at the reference to 'good ol big dick', "Jokes on him, anyways. Fishing in the wrong pond."

Batwoman has posed:
Kate eases up on the pressure at the toe-spread and wince, more stroking than rubbing now. "So you want to go clubbing and be my wing-woman? Seriously? Couple of top-shelf redheads out for a night on the town. But these clubs are known more for the 'cooch' than the 'hooch'..."

She sighs softly, shaking her head slowly."Had to fly one last time? At least you could've come to me to spray your costume. Non-newtonian fluid. Stops high-speed impacts." Kate stops and carefully pats the leg brace. "But you'll be putting on your dancing shoes again in no time."

Resting her head back against the sofa, she continues the foot massage and relaxes while her hands work. "And hopefully you've gotten that out of your system, too. Doing what we do isn't a part-time gig, Babs. You know better; we all do. I'm not saying you're not good at it. Honestly? You're the best. But I'll feel better if you're safe at the other end of my headset."

Oracle has posed:
"The cooch huh?" Babs grins without opening her eyes, smiling up at the ceiling. Her eyelids move in a way that probably suggests she rolled them beneath their fleshy covering, "I can take a night off sitting at the computer if it means we both come off looking like the top-shelf whiskey we are." Nudging her to in against the inside of one armored leg. "So long as you never, ever, say the word cooch again." She's very clearly joking.

It's a good word.

"I didn't expect a fight. I wasn't going out looking for one, anyways. I just wanted to run the rooftops.. feel the wind on my face.. blowing in my hair. Run a tight wire between two buildings." She's speaking quietly, wishfully, "I wont miss the fighting, even if I am good at it-" She a bad bitch and she knows it, "-but I'll always miss that part."

her grin spreads just a little further, hands slipping out from beneath her hair to lay on her stomach, shoulder drooping so she's looking right at the the other redhead, "Don't worry about me, I'm not saying I wont ever change my mind and suit up again, but I know my place right now is behind that computer.. making sure you all are getting the intel you need, watching your back.." She sighs heavily and cranes to look up at the ceiling over the rim of her glasses, forehead wrinkling a little.

"Still, I wouldn't mind if you helped keep me in shape? I don't like to sign off the checkbook without knowing I've still got savings, ya know what I mean?" Analogies are the best. "And you're almost..." One finger comes up sharply, "-almost- as good as I am... so..."

Her hand begins to settle, then comes up again sharply, "ALMOST."

Batwoman has posed:
Kate's eyelids half-lower even as she smiles. It's the wry, almost-wicked smile of Batwoman. "There are worse words, you know." she muses. Her hands continue working their magic, switching from one foot to the other every so often.

"In this war, every soldier has a place. A duty. A station. A job, that they excel at, like no one else. This clocktower is your Station, Barbara. This is where you can do the most for our community."

Kate lifts her head away from the sofa back, looking directly at Babs once more. "But if you're ever looking for a dance partner, you've got my number." Then the 'almost' comes up and Kate laughs. "And I don't mean just at the coochie clubs, either!"