|
  |
Times Square is a hustling and bustling place, especially in the evenings. Even during the work week. As it is, Delphyne is standing near a pizza place, one of many purporting to be the best in the city. She has her snakes tied up behind her head with her standard scrunchie, and she idly studies the crowds going by as she waits. Fortunately, it's late enough that she's not attracting TOO much notice, aside from the occasional 'darn muties' comment, which she just ignores.
*
Here it seems Barbara was going to get herself a little less noticed than when she's dressed like a bat. The simple green dress she was wearing? It was less tactical, but it was still pretty comfortable and a little more fitting as she moves up towards the Pizza place. Seems she'd heard the same rumors of quality and intended to test them for herself. One hand thumbing the handbag she had slung over her shoulder, the redhead's approach is halted for a moment by the sight of a familier face…and familier green skin. This was unexpected, she'd never ran into the Gorgon as Barbara Gordon before…
*
The gorgon seems to sense the pause in the redhead's approach, and turns her head to look over at her. She tilts her head, but doesn't notice actual hostility in Barbara's stance, so she gives a slight grin, "Don't worry, neither I nor my hair bites. Just waiting for pizza." And with that, she takes an extra step back from the counter, just in case Barbara is nervous.
*
Barbara doesn't seem nervous…at least not in the reviled sort of way. No hostility, no fear. When the woman speaks she shakes her head with a wave of her hand, a gesture that might seem oddly familier when paired with the voice that follows. "No-no it's fine," she says quickly. "You're fine. I'm just…working out what to eat. It all smells really good after all."
*
Delphyne tilts her head, looking a little confused since… well, the hair and the voice… then she shakes her head, "Oh, well, I've been coming here quite a bit. The combo is pretty good, as is the pepperoni, or the mushroom, or…" She ahems, then looks at Barbara, "What is the saying, admitting you have a problem is the first step?"
*
"Something like that," the redhead laughs, reaching into her handbag and fishing out a few notes before she makes her selection. Plenty of meat, plenty of cheese, no pineapple but a little mushroom. A sidelong glance to the Gorgon and she raises an eyebrow. "So you're a regular here? The uh…looks don't bother you?" She questions. This was the first time they'd 'met' as far as she was trying to play it, but the question still stood even if it might come across a little familier.
*
Delphyne shrugs at that, "I'm going to get stared at no matter where I go. Even mutant town they stare, since… well, green skin isn't too weird there, but snakes for hair?" She hmms, giving Babs a curious look as she continues, "Maybe I should tell people I'll turn them to stone if they'll look too hard." Her eyes dance a bit as she looks amused at the notion, subconsciously recalling the joke she made to Babs before, when the latter was in costume.
*
The woman laughs at the joke, but a chuckle comes to a new noise of light concern, however feigned it might be. "Wait…you don't actually do that, do you? Because that's kinda terrifying…"
*
Delphyne leans a bit closer, grinning a bit, then laughs, "No, I don't. That was Medusa's line, not mine." She smiles, leaving off the helm that /can/ let her do that, since, well… not really worth mentioning. Instead she looks at Barbara, "So, ah, were you waiting for someone? I only ask, since, well, I would hate to eat pizza alone. It seems better when you have someone to converse with." She takes her two slices, finally ready… one pepperoni, one sausage, and smiles at Barbara, "It's not a, how you say, big deal, either way." Her accent is definitely less thick, as she's picked up some New York-isms, but it's still very Greek-like and Mediterranean.
*
The redhead shakes her head, although she does cast a sidelong glance at the few patrons in the store. Of course the girl in green chatting so casually with the greenskinned girl was going to draw an eye or two…but who cares? Barbara wasn't really going to be the sort to be cowed by a crowd anyway. "Sure," she says warmly. "It'd do me some good to share and not eat the whole thing myself." Having gone for more than a slice, the woman tilts her head to the side as she tucks her pizza box under one arm. "Were you wanting to eat them here or…?" she trails off. "I was headed to study back home, but I can walk back after."
*
Delphyne smiles a bit, "I have a little hostel room in Mutant Town, it's a bit cozy, but we could either eat here or there. I do have a few colas there, though." She blinks at the whole pizza, then nods, "Or if your place is closer…" She shrugs, apparently a little sensitive to the fact that eating in public is a lot of staring, and she doesn't want to deal with it.
*
Most people would be a little more nervous to the idea of inviting a living snake-woman back to their apartment, especially if it were ment to be someone she'd just met. Common sense had Babs knowing she should refuse for the sake of…well, her cover mostly, but the woman wasn't blind to the little signs of Delphyne's discomfort. "Sure," she says after a moment of shrugging shoulders. Gesturing for the Gorgon to follow, she catches that 'blink' and grins. "I was planning to stick the leftovers in the fridge, so I could study without going out for more food."
*
Delphyne ahs, "Saving some for later. Good idea. I don't really have that at my place." She smiles over at Babs, "I guess I should ask you for your name, since we're heading to your home. I'm Delphyne." She takes her pizza slices, walking alongside Barbara as she still looks a bit curious, but seems more grateful that she's talking to someone that isn't treating her oddly.
*
"Barbara Gordon," the redhead offers as they continue their walk, miming a handshake with her free arm while she balances the pizza box in her other. "I suppose I should be fair and asking you if you're okay with walking to a stranger's house. Just because you're a Gorgon doesn't mean that stranger danger isn't a thing where you're from, right?" she questions before smirking. "Or is the pizza -that- good you don't care?"
*
Delphyne smiles, "It's pretty good pizza, but I'm very capable of taking care of myself, Barbara Gordon. Don't worry about that." She grins, "But I don't mind walking to a new place with a new acquaintance." A bit of fearlessness there, to be sure, but Del /does/ know how to fight pretty well.
*
"It must be re-…" Barbara begins, trailing off for a moment as something catches her eye. A hitch of her breath, that pizza box is lowered slightly and suddenly as a figure moves out of the shadows from the mouth of the alleyway the pair had been passing by, one of three men waiting. The sound of metal punching into cardboard is perhaps the first warning of what Barbara had seen, a knife pulled and intended to be stabbed into her reptillian companion's side. Mutant haters didn't take too kindly to non-humans talking to their women, much less the sight of what looked like a romantic intention with another woman. Some people were a little more direct about in than others.
Cover had pretty much been thrown out the window the moment Batgirl had decided to parry a switchblade with her dinner, but that doesn't stop the redhead from bringing her heel hard into the kneecap of the lead attacker, the other two momentarily startled by having been detected and intercepted so viciously.
*
Delphyne blinks in surprise, "Damn! I'm getting sloppy." She snarls a bit, almost hissing like a snake as she does a flying kick at the mutant-hater to the left of the lead, her heel connecting with his jaw and sending him sprawling while she shouts, "HOLA!" Then she lands in a crouch, and looks at the other one, eyes almost looking like they glow yellow in the light of the streetlamp, "Do you know what it's like to turn to stone… to feel your skin, your muscles stiffen, until they just don't respond at all?"
Sure, she can't /really/ do that, but this guy doesn't know that!
*
Barbara hadn't killed the knife-man, that was against her code. She had however, really hurt him if that screaming was anything to go by. Still trying to balance the knifed and bent pizza box, the young woman turns on her heel and brings her knee around in a motion that's rather familier (even if it was lacking the blinding cape) to the Gorgon before she slams her foot into the attacker's head, knocking him out cold.
The third man? He'd been keen to follow the others, plenty gung-ho about 'being a real man' by getting in on beating down some mutie, even if he was going to let his friend knife them first to take the fight out of her. Now things had gone poorly and he was about to be turned to stone? The would-be lyncher turns and runs for it, scrabbling and slipping on trash as he tries to make his way away from his fallen companions. Barbara herself is left frowning, but she couldn't go after him yet…not dressed like this anyway.
*
Delphyne actually smiles, then looks back at Barbara, "Well, definitely got an appetite worked up for pizza…" She frowns as Babs' pizza is stabbed, "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?" She saw the kick, but even if she's added it all together… this isn't the time or place, as she steps closer to Barbara, actual concern on her face.
*
Frowning, Barbara pulls the knife from the box and inspects the contents before she casts the speared piece down into the alleyway. No idea where the knifeblade has been, better not to risk it. "He cost us a slice," the redhead complains before looking up, cheeks flushing a little at the concern. Right, she wasn't in costume, she was just another civillian save for that little display. "Oh uh…no I'm okay. We really should get the hell out of here though."
*
Delphyne nods, a bit of a wry smile on her lips, "Alright, that's probably for the best." She takes Barbara's hand in hers, if allowed, and grins, "A brisk walk, but you're leading the way." Del's packed slices didn't even get dropped, which is probably why she did the kick in the first place.
*
The handholding is indeed permitted, if anything? It's used to lead the non-human back to her appartment a little quicker, although perhaps mercifully it seems the young woman's neighbours aren't home as she jiggles the lock just right and the door swings open to the rather moddestly furnished house. It wasn't fancy, but it was good enough for the daughter of a cop who worked in the DA's office. Of course, there were quite a few books all over the place, one such used as an impromptu stand for the pizza-box as she moves towards the kitchen to try and secure some plates. "Do uh…do you want something to drink?"
*
Delphyne smiles, looking curiously at all the books, "Sure… um, what do you have?" She tilts her head, then glances back at Barbara, giving her a questioning look, "Are all these books yours? It's… impressive." And she sounds like she means it. "I've been reading a lot of literature of this world, to figure out more about it."
*
"I'm uh…kinda a nerd. Like to read," she offers in explination as she retrieves a pair of plates in one hand and a two bottles of cola from her fridge. No booze for Batgirl tonight it seems. "I'm sorry about all that, the stuff walking home. That guy coming out of nowhere with a knife just seemed so…sudden and random…." she speaks as she opens up the damaged box and starts to secure a slice for herself. "Was that, I mean- Does that happen often?"
*
Delphyne looks blank at the mention of nerd by Barbara, then smiles, "Oh, yes, I don't see where that is a bad thing. I actually enjoy it quite a bit myself. I just finished… ah, Frankenstein. Fascinating story." She looks warmly at Barbara, looking actually more relaxed… probably since she figured out Babs secret. Then she hmms, "I don't think so, at least not too often. To be honest, I don't always track minor skirmishes like that." She sits down next to Barbara, holding up her slice of pizza, "You did really well, I must say." Her eyes seem a bit amused, as if she's waiting to see what Babs will say in response.
*
A pause, a moment's thought. It's not that she thought Delphyne was stupid or anything, but she wasn't really accustomed to the idea of letting people in on her big secret. Most of the people who knew, knew because they were trained by the same source afterall. "My dad was in the army. He wanted me to be able to look after myself. I've been learning since I was in pigtails." Close enough to the truth, certainly not a lie, but she just…wasn't sure how to go about this and so settled for eating her pizza instead till she worked it out.
*
Delphyne smiles, "Well, good for him then. I have been too… though pigtails are a bit difficult for me to manage." She gives her 'hair' a wry look, "Makes them testy." She also settles in to eat her pizza, occasionally taking a sip of the Coke provided.
*
That's enough to have Babs laughing, almost choking for a moment on her food before she clears her throat. "I had wondered that, how you uh…style your hair? I mean, you obviously can't go cutting it, right?" It truely was something she'd been wondering since her first meeting, but now without the masks it made for good smalltalk.
*
Delphyne hmms, "I don't, really. I mean, I just keep it tied back so it doesn't get too weird for most people. Ah, do you mind?" She smiles and reaches back for the scrunchie holding her hair back, though she waits for Barbara to okay it or not.
*
A shake of her head, Babs sips her drink and gestures with her hand for Delphyne to go ahead. "Do they eat?" she asks suddenly, a question she wasn't sure if she'd asked before when they ran into each other on the rooftop. "Or do they just bite and inject venom?"
*
Delphyne blinks, then grins suddenly, "I thought it was /you/." She gives Barbara a satisfied expression as she pulls off her scrunchie, the snakes suddenly shaking out a bit, looking around curiously but thankfully not hissing or anything. "Your fighting style is very distinct, but I never mentioned that they are venomous. At least, not to Barbara Gordon. However…" She smiles warmly at Barbara, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Actually, I'm not sure who I would tell even if I wanted to. But I don't."
*
Well…shit. "Anyone could guess that snakes are venomous," Barbara counters, but she doesn't deny it either. Instead the woman sighs and leans back in her chair, shaking her head. "And now I've shown you where I live…Jeez, was I really that obvious?" she questions of the snake woman. "It's harder than you might think, keeping all this to yourself." Yep, all pretending had gone out the window.
*
Delphyne smiles a little, "Not /that/ obvious, no… but I think you were dropping some hints. To be honest, if I hadn't seen you fight, I wouldn't have known, Barbara." She tilts her head, and gently places her hand over Babs', "I swear by Hera, I'm not going to tell anyone your secret. Promise." And Hera really hates oathbreakers. Which is probably why she's got such a troubled marriage, but that's neither here nor there.
*
A laugh, a shrug of the redhead's shoulders. "Maybe I was even if I didn't mean to. I guess my heart wasn't in it. You don't really get the same chances to hide that I do." Another bite of her pizza, the woman tilts her head to the otherside and then chews her bottom lip. "Still, I think part of me is kinda glad you found out. Weird, huh?' she questions absently. She'll take the oath at face value, apparently trusting of the Gorgons ideals."
*
Delphyne looks curious, keeping her hand over Babs' as she tilts her head, "You wanted me to find out?" Her eyes look over at Barbara, "Um… do you mind if I ask why?" Considering that she's an Amazon, the fact that she actually looks a bit nervous is a bit odd, with how she always appears confident in what she can do.
*
"I wasn't really thinking about it, or doing it deliberately," Barbara answers, looking down at the hand placed atop her own with a smile. "But uh…it's kinda nice. Easier to share, to understand..I dunno…" she trails off, a flush to her own cheeks. For such a smart woman, her words are kinda failing her in this moment.
*
Delphyne blinks at the flush, and looks a bit sheepish, giving Babs' hand a firm squeeze with her own fingers. She does seem pretty strong, but doesn't squeeze too hard. "I… think I understand, Barbara." Her own cheeks color a bit, looking a bit darker green as she looks at the other girl, eyes meeting hers. Not turning to stone, either. Well, not literally anyway…
*