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Post by Batgirl on Apr 30, 2017 23:38:18 GMT -5
Barbara nervously took a seat across from the gangster. It was easy enough to use her own nervousness to her advantage. After all, she wasn't supposed to be here for any other reason than to ask for help. She was just supposed to be a scared girl looking for a last resort. She wasn't supposed to be snooping for anything else, or distracting from anything else. She unbuttoned her coat and let the fabric rest as she sat, fidgeting with her purse as he poured her a glass of scotch. Her hand trembled as she picked the glass up and took a sip, but it did help to calm her nerves. Christ, she didn't want to be one of those cops that had to drink to get the job done, but this was an unusual night already.
"Well, I-" She stopped when she noticed the blood. She was a little shocked. She didn't know why he wore the mask, but apparently the wounds were still fresh enough for them to cause bleeding. Facial wounds tended to bleed if not properly bandaged and when on a man with a gift for gab like it seemed Artie had. Her jaw, she noticed, was hanging open, though, so she immediately closed it when he assured her he was alright. But she did make a note of the potential weakness of his. Who knows? Maybe it was something she could use later.
"Well ... It's like this..." She took a deep breath, took another sip of the scotch, and looked him in the eye. It was the best way she knew to fake sincerity. No one could possibly lie when you looked someone in the eye, right?
"I've been dating this guy for about a year. It hasn't been easy, but we've been making it work. A few months ago, he started making more money. I thought he found a new job, so I thought nothing of it. I was just happy he was working again. It was so hard for him to find a job, you know? Well, about two months ago, he starts cancelling our dates. He stops coming home on time. I think he's working late hours because I'm an absolute idiot, until one night he comes home completely trashed. Tells me he wishes I was like this other girl, Susan. Blonde, skinny, good skin. Y'know, like a model. I think it's some girl from the office or something. I don't know what came over me. I did some snooping. I poked my nose where it didn't go. I looked into this Susan to see if there was something more going on. Turns out there was. And turns out there was no office. Turns out he's been lying to me for months about where he's working and he's been cheating on me this whole time."
She stopped and started to let herself get teary eyed, looking down long enough to get a handkerchief out of her purse and gingerly dry her eyes with it.
"Well, like an idiot, I confront him. I just wanted him to tell me the truth. He told me to stay out of it. I told him that if he didn't want to tell me the truth, then there wasn't much of a relationship to save. He didn't want to let that go. He got angry. I got scared. He starts throwing things around. I duck out of there. I ran, but he caught up with me and gave me this," she gestured to the less intense bruise on her cheek that might have passed for an older bruise, "and a few others I can't exactly show. Then he didn't come home for a while. I thought 'great' like, maybe I'm out of that nightmare, y'know? But then, out of nowhere, he has this idea that I ratted on him and his little organization." She sniffled into her handkerchief. "He's been working with Fisk, but he's got a side deal. I've got friends that can back me up on it, but they won't do anything to get him to back off of me. He keeps showing up, accusing me of ratting him out, and beating me up. I never know when he's going to show up."
She dried her tears again and looked at him, looking like she was completely on the verge of a breakdown. "I've tried going to the police, but they keep insisting that if I was telling the truth, I would have come forward earlier. I wouldn't have waited this long." She winced, her bruised eye giving her a sudden dash of pain. "Mr. Cade, I just want to feel safe going home again. I don't want to have to worry about him popping up and hurting me again. I ... I don't have a lot of money, but I'll give you anything you want. I just want him to go away. I don't care how. I just don't want to be afraid anymore." Her voice cracked and with that, she broke into sobs. She had let herself get carried away with the story. The emotions were real enough. She made everything up on the spot, but she got so carried away with it that she felt all of the emotions enough to be able to show them genuinely.
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Mystique
Villains 
Raven Darkholme is not a woman to be trifled with.
Posts: 107 
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Post by Mystique on May 5, 2017 12:29:08 GMT -5
Mystique's face contorted in anger as the masked man growled at her. This was not what she wanted to deal with. She growled back, but was caught off guard by the pair of punches to her gut. The kick to her knee made her falter, but after a moment, the damage suffered started to knit itself back together. Her kneecap, kicked out of place, snapped back into place without help, and her yellow eyes glared daggers into the inkblot mask. He had just made a big mistake, tangling with her. Looking over the fact that he was square in the middle of Boss Cade's den, Mystique's mercy only extended so far. She wouldn't kill him. Not today. No, but she would make him hurt.
She grabbed him by the head and shifted her mass into her arms so she could lift him up and slam him onto his back on the floor behind her. Without hesitation, she pinned him down, knee to his throat, and delivered as many hard punches to the head as was needed until he was fully unconscious. Even then, when she got up, she kicked him in the side before picking him up and carrying him out back to one of the cars.
Just to add insult to injury, she put him in the trunk, and made sure the drive out to the edge of the city was a bumpy one. When she got to the city limits, she made sure no one was around, opened the trunk, and unceremoniously dumped him on the side of the road.
She lit a cigarette in the dim light of the streetlamps, trying to decide if there were extra steps she should take. She ultimately decided this little masked man wasn't worth the effort this time. This was, after all, the first time she'd run into him, and he was fairly easy to dispatch. Maybe he found the information he was looking for and wouldn't come back. Then again, maybe he found the information he was looking for and this was hardly the last they'd see of him.
She decided, ultimately, she didn't care enough. Not this time. If he came back, she'd take care of it. But she wasn't expecting to see him again.
Without a word, she put her cigarette out and got back in the car, leaving him in the dust.
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Post by Artie Cade on May 6, 2017 21:20:51 GMT -5
Artie listened to the girl's story. Idly at first more than anything, casually smoking and drinking alternately, blowing smoke rings at the ceiling at certain points but always maintaining his gaze at her.
This girl seemed...off somehow.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
Wasn't the story, no not that. The story was real, of that he could be sure. It occurred to him that perhaps being so demonstrative earlier was a mistake, maybe he'd put her in an awkward position. She had been through something harrowing enough and now she'd seen the one she wanted to come to for help rather messily dispatch one of his own men.
Hm....perhaps that didn't inspire confidence. Then again, perhaps it did and was just too exciting.
When the girl finished her story, Artie stood slowly and limped over to her, taking her handkerchief out of her hand and dabbing at her tears.
"Hey, it's okay..." he said softly, "It's all right. You're safe here. Safest place you can be."
He handed her handkerchief back and looked her up and down as he stood again, leaning on his cane.
"Sounds to me like any number of Fisk's little project boys," he grunted, "But giving me a name would ruin half the hunt. Like sticking a neon Vegas sign on a tiger's back before ya head out. Seems a cheat."
He lit a fresh cigarette and allowed the smoke to slowly billow out from between his teeth as he continued.
"I'll take care of this," he said, "No charge. Just remember ol' Artie Cade if I come around to your place of work or what have you, huh? Might need to talk."
Artie patted the girl's shoulder reassuringly and took another drag on his cigarette.
"Meantime..." he said as he limped toward a desk on the end of the room and began to write on a small sheet, "Laura will take ya home. But don't stay there, gather what you need and head over to this address. It's the Biltmore Hotel, I'll make arrangements. You can stay there as long as you need, they'll bill it all to me."
Tearing the sheet off, he limped back over to Babs and handed her the address with a name, Harold Griggs, written on it.
"He's the manager," he explained, "Ask for him, he'll have everything in order for ya. Don't worry, it'll all be taken care of soon. Just give me some time."
He offered her a wide grin, not necessarily malicious, but almost hiding something.
Probably his delight at this little cat and mouse game with this foolish boy he would soon be on the scent of.
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Post by Batgirl on May 8, 2017 14:12:07 GMT -5
This was more than Barbara could have expected. She was filled with relief.... until she remembered she was lying, and Cade was soon going to be on the trail of someone entirely fictional. She managed to keep her cool well enough, but she was still upset. She nodded through the tears, and managed a still bright smile. She remembered her mother used to say, when she was still alive, that Barbara's smile could light up a funeral. It was just a naturally happy smile, no matter her mood.
Even when she was afraid she was going to be caught in a lie by a dangerous criminal with a history of beating people to death for looking at someone funny.
"You're too kind," she said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath and took a moment to fix her hair, as was proper for a woman to do. "Really. I don't know how I can ever repay you for your kindness."
She had no idea why she was saying these things when she knew perfectly well he was a suspect.
She could have gone on saying more things to boost his ego, but she was already worried she was toeing the line with what she could get away with without him suspecting her of spying on him. She was still nervous, even as she was trying to relax. She was as relaxed as she could be, given the circumstances, but she wasn't sure she'd ever know a fully relaxed state again after tonight. This was the most stressful night she had ever known.
"I ... I actually already moved out of my home. I'm living out of a suitcase right now." That was believable enough. "I wouldn't mind staying somewhere nicer, though." She offered a smile and started to gather her purse up, worried she was in the way and taking up space like she usually was.
She got to her feet and stood behind the chair he let her sit in, clutching her purse to her like a security blanket. "Thank you so much, Mr. Cade. Really. I can't thank you enough!"
Though, in her mind, she was wondering what had become of Rorschach. Had he gotten inside? Was he still inside? Had he gotten away safely? Had he run into trouble? Was he still in trouble? There was no way she could help him now. Not with the story she'd concocted, and not if the bartender was going to walk her to her hotel.
And if he had left, how was she supposed to find him to talk to him? Was that the idea? To test her? Well, this test sucked and she hated it.
She excused herself and slipped outside, glancing around to see if she could spot Rorschach, but he was long gone. She'd have to look for him so they could touch base, if that was even possible in this city. She sighed and decided to wait outside for the bartender. If nothing else, she could claim that being in that bar was a little uncomfortable after seeing a man murdered in front of her. Which, honestly, wasn't wholly untrue. She was more comfortable waiting outside.
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X-23
Heroes 
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on May 8, 2017 16:21:02 GMT -5
Laura's reaction to her Fathers request amounted to "sure." she didn't have anything better to be doing, and she was getting sick of the smell of the dead body anyway. it had been dragged away, but blood and brain matter had a way of lingering. She was going to have to bleach the floorboards for weeks before her powers let her stop being bothered by it.
because the smell of burning chemicals was in some way better. Great. Faced with that particular headache ahead of her for the next half a month, because her Father had had what she referred to as "one of his moments", it had seemed prudent to Laura that taking a drink with her would probably help make her relax a little and stop it annoying her as much. So when Laura left the bar, having grabbed her jacket before leaving, she was already drinking from a large bottle of Russian vodka before she had even found the girl.
The redhead seemed like she was ready to bolt at the first shadow. Not that Laura could blame her really, most people weren't used to this sort of evening, and there was still her boyfriend out there looking for her. But that's why Laura was here so maybe she'd be less scared by the time they got to the hotel.
"You will have to take the lead." Laura offered instead of a hello. "I do not know where you live." She explained after a moment, realising she had failed to give a reason why. She raised the bottle to her lips and drunk again, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she reached the redhead. "I am aware you feel in danger for your life. But you do not need to be scared any longer. I will protect you." It was promised with no flair or dramatics, just a simple statement that carried the understated confidence of someone that was 100% convinced she was in no danger. She shoved one of her hands in her jacket pocket and just stood waiting for Babs to start walking.
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Post by Batgirl on May 16, 2017 13:52:38 GMT -5
It surprised Barbara that Laura was going to keep her safe, really. It surprised her more that she was bringing a bottle of vodka with her. She blinked, but she decided not to judge. After all, Artie did kill a man in her bar. Maybe she needed to take the edge off. Now that she thought about it, Barbara felt like she could use a drink. If she liked vodka more, she would have asked for a sip. No, she'd wait until she was alone and go and get herself a bottle of whiskey.
"Thanks," she squeaked out, more out of exhaustion than fear. She took a deep breath and started walking toward the hotel. "I ... I already moved out of my apartment. I'm staying in a hotel until I can figure out where I'm going."
Speaking of, that was another issue she had to resolve. Thankfully, she and Helena had gotten separate rooms. Rooms close to each other, but separate. What was she going to do about that? If she was quiet enough and could get her things without alerting Helena, she could come back the next day and explain the situation, and Helena could come with her to the new hotel. There was obviously no way she was going to leave Helena alone in a strange city.
But how was she going to explain the situation? Not easily, that was for sure. How to explain the bruising? A mugger maybe? But then how to explain how she inexplicably had a lead? She made friends with a known psychopath in a mask. Yeah, that would go over well. Or maybe she could just say she got mugged and some rich guy took pity on her. For someone that managed to lie effectively to a gangster like Boss Cade, she needed to figure out how to lie better.
She pulled her coat around her and looked at Laura, realizing it was a little too quiet.
"Do you mind if I ask how you know Boss Cade?" she asked. "I mean, how did you come to work in that bar? You just ... seem so nice. A little too nice to be working in a place that criminals like that like to haunt, y'know?" If nothing else, maybe she could get a little more information out of her. Part of her almost hated to do it. She had no idea why, but there was a sort of guilt she felt when asking Laura these questions. She awkwardly looked at the sidewalk in front of her as she slowed her walk to a shuffle, as if she was nervous. "I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's just .... I hate the quiet."
And it was partially true. Quiet was suspicious. She had grown up her whole life in a large city, and she had grown to get used to the sounds of gunshots and cries for help. It was ... eerie, having only idle traffic as the ambience for their trek to the hotel. She didn't know how to deal with it, except to talk, and she didn't know if Laura even liked talking. She didn't seem like the kind of person that did.
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on May 17, 2017 17:42:33 GMT -5
Laura nodded in approval at her explanation. "smart. you have thought this through better then I expected." really she much of a scared girl running to ask help from the man with the biggest and nastiest reputation in the city. but as things were going pretty well for her so far it seemed to have proven Laura wrong, that it had been a pretty good move all things considered. "If you have work or family in a certain area, that would limit your choices. but I imagine you would like to try and start over somewhere new."
For Laura, a new family and job had BEEN the new start, but she understood the concept non the less. it was liberating to be somewhere where next to no one knew your history. Her musings on the past were uncannily the next thing Barbara asked about, not that Laura was going to go into much detail to a stranger. A ghost of a smile crossed Laura's face at the questions though. Sometimes it was nice to not to have a reputation preceding her as a violent little mutant that follows her Father around.
"i do not work at the bar so much." Laura corrected easily. "I own it. Father gave me the bar to run as my sixteenth birthday present. he knew I wanted to be doing more with my time so it was the perfect gift." not certain if she had explained herself well enough, the rest of what Barbara said gave opportunity to be more blatant with it.
Laura wasn't sure what she'd done to seem nice. nothing she'd done had seemed notable to her so she just looked at Barbara and shook her head. "I am Artie Cade's daughter, enforcer, and bodyguard. no one ever calls me nice. In a place criminals come to get drunk there are almost no fights because everyone there is scared of angering me." it wasn't bravado, Laura was simply stating the fact of the matter. she was well aware that if she unsheathed her claws the entire establishment would go deathly quiet in a heartbeat. and that was how she liked it, no one damaged or messed up the place.... except for her Father.
To Laura, silence was like water. she needed a certain amount of it every day or she wouldn't be able to feel normal. but she was here to help the girl, and making her unhappy as they walked went against that. "i am happy to talk about anything you wish." she said, thinking that did not mean she would be willing to answer any question honestly. but the redhead was free to ask.
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Post by Batgirl on May 17, 2017 18:54:56 GMT -5
Barbara smiled good naturedly and shivered a little, pulling her coat tighter around herself. She seemed to be fairly pleased with herself and her explanation. After all, even someone in the heat of fear would immediately want to get as far away from a situation as she could. And that's what she implied. Getting to a hotel room was logical, and it meant she would be harder to find. All she was doing now was upgrading hotel rooms behind her friend's back.
Great.
She did seem surprised, though, that Laura didn't work at the bar. She owned it. Laura couldn't be that old, and she owned the bar? Alright, so that meant Artie's love for his daughter was vast. If she was more of a criminal type, she would have made a mental note to exploit that if the situation ever arose. Then again, this situation was weird and she might have to do that anyway. But she didn't want to ruin a father daughter relationship if she could help it.
"I wouldn't have expected all that from you," she admitted. "Honestly. Maybe it's just because I'm always in contact with terrible people, but you're one of the nicest people I've met in a while." And that was the truth. She was always around criminals, and even the cops around her were dirty. Laura was one of the first ... almost decent people she'd met in a long time. Laura immediately dropped everything to help someone she presumed was in trouble, and that was an admirable thing to do. Especially in this part of the city, and in that kind of a bar.
She let the silence linger for a moment before she looked at Laura and smiled her famously warm smile. "I don't do small talk well, but ... I'd like to know you a little better." She stepped a little closer so they were walking in a little bit closer proximity, but not uncomfortably so. "Is there anything you like to do for fun? Other than own your own bar, which ... well, personally, I think is pretty amazing."
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on May 17, 2017 19:51:02 GMT -5
Laura noticed the other girl shiver and took a couple steps sideways until she was the other side of Barbara, between her and the direction of the wind. Laura was still shorter then the redhead but hopefully she would have helped a little. Laura herself felt the difference in temperature so assumed she'd done something at least. She felt annoyed at herself for having not thought to do that from the start.
And in the same train of thought, still couldn't for the life of her figure out why Barbara thought she was nice. "then you need to leave and never go back to wherever you call home. It can not be worth it." In Laura's mind a place where everyone was worse then her would resemble some kind of lawless hell on earth full of maniacs and mass murderers..... ironically Laura dismissed the idea as too unlikely.
"what do you do that puts you around terrible people?" It seemed almost impossible really. A girl this clearly innocent and sweet, who smiled at people she barely knew that warmly, would either be broken and dragged down to the level of those around her, or be made of steel on the inside. and that wasn't likely considering the situation that caused them to meet.
Well that was worrying because if it fell to Laura to be the one capable of small talk, this was going to be like pulling teeth. even though so far Laura had found it surprisingly easy to talk to her. Laura noticed Barbara step closer but didn't think anything of it. what surprised her was the idea Barbara wanted to get to know her, which Laura wasn't opposed to at concept level. Father was always telling her she needed more friends. or any friends her own age. Really there was no reason not to try. "I would. like that." Laura agreed, a little stiltedly. not because she was lying or anything such but because she was so unused to talking to new people like that. Her usual comfort zone being to stay closed off for as long as possible. the words felt unnatural on her tongue.
being called amazing so unexpectedly made Laura give a small, but clearly there, smile. A natural one that was rarely ever something she produced. Once again, Barbara was causing Laura to be exposed to things she wasn't used to but were pleasant enough now they were there. "thank you." Laura said, giving herself time on how to reply. The last time she'd been asked the question had been when she had met Mystique and had resorted to just rattling off a list. but that had partly been because her Father had been there to pick up a lot of the slack in the conversation and so it didn't really feel applicable here.
Laur considered it. "i read a lot. or lapse into meditation which helps calm me, but you do not like silence so I doubt you would find it helpful." she offered, having tried to think of what Barbara might be interested to hear about, then realised she didn't actually know anything about her. so she had just guessed. She shrugged and figured she may as well be honest. "most of my free time is probably used for training. wearing myself out as much as I can helps stop my insomnia from keeping me awake." which wasn't actually the true answer, that no matter what she never felt like she was good enough and always wanted to be stronger and faster then she currently was. but it was still true.
"what about you? I do not actually know anything about you other then your first name." Laura asked, thinking it rude to count the girls current troubles as part of who she was rather then just what was happening to her.
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Post by Batgirl on May 30, 2017 14:43:20 GMT -5
It took Barbara a few moments to notice that Laura had switched to her other side, but when she did notice, it brought a smile to her face. Shorter as she was, it did help guard her from the wind, and she was grateful for that. It was curiously windier here in New York than in Gotham. Windier and colder. She smiled a little wider in thanks, stuffing her hands in her pockets almost nervously.
She couldn't imagine ever leaving Gotham, though. Not even the way Laura spoke. They were having two separate conversations, and she knew that, but at the same time, Gotham was her home. Her father needed her. Gotham needed her. "I'd leave, but I ... can't. I still have family and I can't just leave them behind." She glanced over at Laura, her smile dwindling a little at this line of questioning.
She didn't want to lie, but there was no way to tell the truth without arousing suspicion. She took a deep breath, as one might when they hated their job, and decided to compromise the lie with a bit of truth.
"I work as a secretary. I'm supposed to keep my head down and pretend I don't notice anything, but it's hard to do that when you see criminals come in and out of the office. I know they're criminals. You know how you can tell the type. The upscale kind of corporate slime." She stopped herself, as if she had said too much, and looked down. "I'm sorry. I really ... kind of hate them? I try not to hate anyone, but they have this attitude that they're better than everyone, and they take what they have by doing everything the easy way. It makes everything people like me do seem ... unimportant somehow."
She shook her head and sighed. "I don't hate them. I don't know why I said that."
She smiled, upon the approval that Laura would like to get to know her a little better too. Honestly, there was a part of her that wasn't sure why she was so awkward. Laura was pretty, but she was still involved with a suspect. The suspect's daughter, as a matter of fact. But here she was, getting a little excited about the possibility of making a new friend. Maybe it was because she didn't have many friends to begin with.
And then there was that smile on Laura's face. It was a beautiful smile, small as it was.
As she listened to Laura tell her about herself, she couldn't help but smile, only stopping in her tracks to reorient herself to go the right direction toward her hotel. But she was interested enough, she would have been glad to get lost with Laura. This was just not the time, nor the place.
"I read a lot too!" she said, almost excited. "Now, don't make fun, but I read a lot of Sherlock Holmes. His stories were always fascinating to me as a kid. The way he could solve the most complicated mysteries with just a little bit of evidence? It was .... well amazing! If I had the guts, I would have been a detective, but ... well, not a lot of police stations appreciate women working with them. BUT, Holmes did inspire me to play the violin. I'm not very good at it, but I play occasionally. Sometimes it helps with my insomnia, too." She chuckled. "My neighbors hate it, but it brings me some joy."
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Jun 1, 2017 14:46:26 GMT -5
"i understand that." Laura said easily. she couldn't imagine just moving away from her Father, it would be like expecting to leave a leg behind her and then wondering why she was not functioning at 100%. She listened to the explanation of Barbara's job and while sympathetic, she did give the red head a curious look. "Criminal does not automatically make someone bad." she said, a little defensively. it was an odd feeling. after all most corporate scum her Father mixed with held no fondness from Laura, slime had been the perfect word. But then Laura and her Father, and every friend she had was a criminal in the eyes of the justice system. Hell even Jessica had broken plenty of laws. Wherever she was now. still it held that if Barbara felt the ones she'd dealt with were terrible people, she must be basing it on the experience she had, and that Laura did not.
"If you hate them, I am sure you have your reasons. you do not have to justify anything to me." she admitted, taking another drink from her bottle as they got onto the block the hotel was on the end of. Laura was surprised when Barbara changed her mind on them, if they really did look down on her and treat her badly. even by a lack of actions rather then any unpleasant ones, that seemed reason to dislike them. "i find that the first impulsive opinion on a matter is what we have been told to think. our second option is who we really are." she offered her own thought. "When you had time to dwell on your feelings you were able to move past your anger. that is a good thing."
As they walked, there was a homeless man sitting at the mouth of an alleyway, staring at nothing. Without breaking stride she held out the bottle and gave it over to him, raising one hand to wave when he called out a thanks as they moved on. She was starting to feel better about everything, whether that was from the cool air, distance from the mess back home or the company. or all three. Regardless she hadn't felt like drinking anymore and that had been a convenient solution to things. he would need the feeling of warmth more then her anyway.
Laura found herself enjoying listening to Barbara talk about her interest in books, there was a sudden increase in passion in her voice now she was on a topic she enjoyed and so Laura made sure not to interrupt, wanting to let her keep going as long as she wanted.
When Barbara had though, Laura smiled not because she was making fun but because she was able to contribute more to things. "Me and my Father collect first editions of famous works. One of them is 'The Sign of Four.' I would happily let you read it if you wished, I believe I can trust you to be careful with it after all." Laura said, as she tried to make her voice seem casual. for some reason she did not understand, she'd felt a small burst of being pleased at the idea she could keep the other woman's interest in such things.
Everything else she'd said had been worth considering too. "if you want to do something do it. the opinions of others does not matter if you are capable." Laura had never once stopped to respond to anyone who thought or told her that she couldn't do it because she was a woman. such people were below her notice and instead of arguing she just went ahead and did it. At no point had Laura really considered that didn't work if the person offering the job was the one with the problem, her Father had prevented her from learning that lesson simply by being happy to let her do whatever she wanted.
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Post by Batgirl on Jun 7, 2017 13:15:27 GMT -5
"Criminal also doesn't make someone good," she half muttered. She knew she had to be careful in what she said. After all, this was the daughter of a gangster she was talking to. She would be defensive about the opinion of herself, her friends, and her father. She took a deep breath, trying to reorient herself to tread lightly. "I will say, your father was nicer than a lot of the criminals that came by my desk. Maybe I could stand to rethink some of my judgements. After all, Boss Cade didn't have to lay down the money to let me stay in a nicer hotel. And you're incredibly approachable," she chuckled, looking down at the sidewalk, "when you get past the really angry outer shell." She looked at Laura. She couldn't tell if she was flirting with Laura or not, which was always a difficult situation to be in.
She did breathe a sigh of relief that Laura seemed to understand her little slip. It did make her feel a little better to hear that her second instinct was who she was, rather than her first.
When Laura diverged her course to hand her bottle to a homeless man, Barbara stopped and thought a moment. It didn't take her long to decide what to do. She walked over to him and offered him a $5 bill, smiling her infectious smile. She knelt next to him and took her scarf off, wrapping it around his neck. She wished him well and jogged to keep up with Laura.
When Laura offered to let her read a first edition of her favorite book, Barbara's heart began to thump a little faster. Books were one of her only real vices, if they could be considered as such. "I'd like that," she said. She gave her next words some thought before finally saying, "If you'd like to borrow my copy of the complete Sherlock Holmes, I'd be happy to let you borrow it. It's not a first edition or anything, but it's special to me. My dad gave it to me when I was a kid. If you're willing to trust me with a first edition, I'd trust you with my childhood book."
She smirked and nodded along to what Laura was saying. She hadn't the heart to tell her that was exactly what she was doing. She was playing detective right now, behind her father's back. But saying so would be suspicious. She couldn't risk Laura suspecting her of spying. Not yet. "I might look into it," she said passively. "I don't know. I'd have to think about it. Being a detective requires a lot of training. I don't know if I'd have time for it."
Before she knew it, they were back at her original hotel. Helena was sleeping in the room next to her own, so she knew she'd have to come back for her. She'd have to think of something to tell her. She wouldn't worry about it right now, though. She quietly walked in and went straight to her room, grabbing her few belongings that were still packed, and packing whatever was laying out. She met Laura at the door and quietly led her back to the entrance.
"Alright, so how far is the new hotel from here?" she asked.
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Jun 19, 2017 18:59:21 GMT -5
Laura watched Barbara with a considered expression. "Laws bare no relation to right or wrong." in her mind, the red head's problem was the perspective she looked at things with. To Laura 'laws' were just threats everyone pretended to respect, and then broke as soon as they thought they could get away with. Unaware just how jaded towards the system her Father had raised her to be, Laura genuinely didn't realise there were people that actually believed in the legal system. least of all the people that moved within the system.
But any such thoughts were pushed away by a chance for Laura to talk up her Father, and she did so with enthusiasm. "Father wanted to make sure that bastard can never get the chance to hurt you again. Moving you further out of his reach was the best way to do so. He is kind to people that deserve it." She explained easily, only tripping over her words when Barbara gave her an unexpected compliment. several replies to that almost became spoken aloud but died as Laura overthought them and silenced them internally. "you are the first person to call me approachable." she finally decided on, having to agree that most strangers became worried she would hurt them in short order. Laura had no idea what she'd done or said that had given Barbara this idea of her, but was pleased. for some reason. strange.
It took Laura a second to realise she'd walked off without Barbara, and another to turn around to try and find her. By that time the other woman was handing over her scarf to the homeless man, and it made Laura stop in her tracks to watch. if she was honest, she had barely thought about the bottle. She had given it him because she had been homeless once too, and could remember how much difference even a little thing like that meant.
She could count the number of people who had shown as much sincerity on one hand, and have more then one finger left over. Certainly no one but her Father had ever actually been willing to give something up to help. Her opinion of Barbara raised considerably as she waited for her to catch up, but didn't say that. Laura just gave her a far less guarded smile then she had up until this point as they continued onwards.
After all that, being able to hear the excited way Barbara's heart increase its beat, made Laura certain she had done something good. it wasn't a reward or anything silly like that, Laura just felt like trying to make Barbara smile the way she had before again. It was a nice surprise to hear the return offer and Laura nodded. I appreciate that. I still have not read the full works, and it is starting to seem I should. Thank you."
It seemed unfair for someone to not be able to pursue their dreams, and Laura had to remember not everyone could simply have their Father hand them the money for anything they wanted if they asked. "That is a shame. but understandable." she agreed as they moved into the hotel.
it wasn't much to speak of at all, and apparently there wasn't much of Barbara's things to speak of either, as it felt like Laura had barely begun leaning against the wall outside the room before Barbara was coming back out and heading off again. living out of a suitcase was do-able, but Laura was sure the sooner her Father was able to make it safe for Barbara to go to her home, where she assumed the rest of the woman's belongings were, the better.
"it is only a few blocks." Laura answered, glancing down the road to re-establish her bearings in her head before taking the lead towards the next and final stop. "I can carry your belongings for you, if you wish." she offered as they started to walk, holding out a hand in case it was accepted. After all Laura's near limitless stamina meant they'd make far better time if no one was being tired out.
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Post by Batgirl on Jun 27, 2017 11:21:24 GMT -5
Barbara cringed a little bit at the way Laura talked about laws. Laws were there to protect people. Laws were there to make sure the dangerous people could be weeded out and put in a correctional facility. After all, drug dealers made a profit on the suffering of others. That wasn't okay. They had to be removed. The mafia, too, was dangerous, with their habit of murdering people that got in the way. Murderers were an entirely other ball game. Killing was literally the worst thing that could be done, and murderers had to be put away.
Laws were there to protect.
But she decided not to push the subject. She wanted to get close to Laura. She didn't know when she was going to need a favor, if she was going to need a favor. She needed to be as close to a friend as she could be, given how little a time they'd known each other.
Instead, she smiled when Laura explained Artie's behavior. She supposed it made sense, from a strategic standpoint.
"I can't believe I'm the first person to call you approachable," she said, a sort of chuckle in her voice. "I mean, yeah, you're a little intense, but ... I don't know." She kind of looked down awkwardly, as if she wasn't sure where she was going with the statement. In truth, she wasn't. She blushed, glad for the cover of night, and looked at her. "Some people find that attractive."
She looked down at the sidewalk again. What made her say something like that? It wasn't untrue. Some people did find it attractive, but did she? She must, if she said it. She looked at Laura again. She must. She said it. She managed a smile, and said nothing more on the subject.
Maybe that was what made her go off on her own to give her scarf away. Maybe she just needed a small diversion to think about her actions and wonder what exactly she was trying to achieve. Was she actually flirting with a criminal? Well, it wasn't the first time she'd done so. But this was ... different. She might as well have been a suspect. She didn't know anything about Laura. She had no idea what she was doing, and she didn't know if liked that feeling.
She didn't even think twice about giving her scarf away. She did it because she knew she could deal with a bit of cold for a short while until she got to the hotel to get another one. The homeless man might not survive much longer in this cold. It would have been heartless not to give him something. And to give him a scarf and not a little bit of money for food? That would have been even worse.
After they'd gotten her things from the hotel, she grabbed a fresh scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her neck before looking around, suddenly caught off guard by Laura's offer. "No, there's not much. I can carry them." She smiled. She was stronger than she looked, after all. And she thought of it as a small exercise. Carrying weights from one place to another. After the beating she took from Rorschach, she needed to improve. Carrying the weights was a way to get in a workout.
But it wasn't like she could just say that.
"Really. They're not that heavy." She hoisted one of the bags onto her shoulder and trotted along next to Laura, keeping up easily. Her exercises meant her stamina was slightly above average, which meant she could at least give the illusion there wasn't much to actually carry. She didn't want Laura to worry about anything.
"Thank you, by the way," she said. "For walking me. I've enjoyed talking to you."
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X-23
Heroes
There are two types of people. you are weak, or you are me.
Posts: 120
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Post by X-23 on Jun 27, 2017 17:11:51 GMT -5
Laura understood the label of intense. that was something that made sense to her. the number of people that had told her they thought she was glaring at them, when she'd just been standing around staring into space was enough to do that. but it was odd to watch Barbara try to explain herself, as if the red head was overthinking her opinions rather then just making observations.
and again she was caught off guard when she was called attractive. well it wasn't just that, but the way Barbara looked away, as if embarrassed. It made Laura feel strange. like there was something to be pleased about from the compliment that was more then her just being nice. really though, there were people who found everything attractive, so it was no great leap to what Barbara was saying. Laura opened her mouth to say this, but caught a glimpse of the way the other girl was smiling and was struck with a strange urge to not disturb the expression. so while she most certainly kept what Barbara said in mind, she let it drift away without a reply, suspecting Barbara would not mind too much.
why did her face feel warm all of a sudden?
Whatever oddness that was faded, both from her face and memory by the time they were leaving the hotel with Barbara's surprisingly small amount of things. Laura shrugged at the polite refusal of help, "As you wish. you certainly have less then I expected at any rate." or at least less bags, she had no idea how much was in each of them after all, perhaps they were bulging to the brim and Barbara was lying about the weight. but that would be an odd thing to do and she was one of the more normal people Laura had needed to deal with lately so she dismissed the thought.
as they headed onwards, this time with Laura taking the lead, Laura nodded at the thanks. "you are welcome Barbara." Laura answered simply, "you are pleasant company." again was that odd surprise and feeling of being pleased at simple compliments. Without really considering why she spoke, Laura added "you are welcome at the bar whenever you wish. Father is forever telling me I should have friends my age. or at all." there was an odd moment where Laura was lost in thought of trying to think of why Barbara would actually want to go to the bar. Laura knew it was far more rough then she was probably used to, and failed to consider herself as worth that much due to her lack of self worth. "you wanted to see my collection after all." was her final suggestion. it came out awkward and Laura trailed off into silence after it.
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