back in black

dependent dinah lance.

[canrycried]

   hit the heart for a lil something new from miss dinah !!  i need to start new stuff. 

[canrycried]

DAMIAN WAYNE / ROBIN. 

Damian holds the cowl in his hands as though it’s both the greatest gift and heaviest burden. He has no fear about picking up the mantle of Batman - it’s his goal, his purpose, to become Batman, to take over from his father one day. He did not anticipate it would be here so soon. “I suppose it’s time.” He murmurs softly, more to himself than the other in the room. Whether anyone believes he’s ready or not - people will need Batman.

   “ we might need to find you a tailor, ” dinah says.  she’s not on board with this, obviously, but she gets the anxiety damian wayne must be feeling in his father’s absence.  she knows how important legacy is to some of these heroes.  connor had taken green arrow, once, in ollie’s absence.  dinah thinks it might just be part of the mourning process.  “ will you join the league ??  or do the teen titans get their own batman now? ” 

[canrycried]

LANTERN CRUZ. 

   “how’s that saying go?” her smile is strained, but no more than usual. it’s been an exhausting few weeks for everyone. “you know - what am i? chopped liver?” she and simon are the grunts of the justice league, to be fair, but hey - the title’s definitely still there. “i think i might have missed those meetings. i, uh, would offer to fill in, but i don’t think i do a very convincing batman.”

   “ no, no -- of course not. ”  she’s less chopped liver and more foie gras.  she and simon are invaluable to the justice league, but dinah’s still adjusting to the new roster.  or she was before half the roster disappeared.  she puts a hand on her hip and surveys jess.  “ i don’t know.  i heard lantern gardner telling someone you do a pretty decent batman impression. ”  dinah mimes throwing a punch for emphasis. 

[canrycried]

RAVEN:

    ☽. ❝ Don’t think I’m being JUDGEMENTAL - I’m not. ❞ Yes, Rae, you are. Admit to it. Hands cross over one another as they sit in her lap, and Raven takes a breath as she tilts her head. She can see her own face in the mirror for a few seconds - …never looked that nice to her. So she clears her throat again and directs her gaze to Dinah once more. ❝ But there’s a chance botox may go … TERRIBLY wrong. I think the fact it’s short for BOTULINUM TOXIN is a red flag in itself. ❞ She sounds harsh. She adds, in an attempt to save herself, ❝ I don’t see anything to worry about. …On your face. Nothing to worry about on your face. ❞

dinah isn’t sensitive, and she’s joking, but then again -- if they’re being a little judgmental together, raven doesn’t precisely look like she knows how to take a joke.  there’s a pause while dinah decides exactly what to respond with, but honestly it’s not important.  so she just laughs, gives a gracious shrug of her shoulders.  “ maybe you’re right.  i’ve been told i’m aging beautifully. ”  once.  by ollie.  who got smacked for implying that she aged at all.

[archdruidkeyleth]

birds of prey week: day three ♦ favorite inter-team relationship 

[lucifergifs]

Lesley-Ann Brandt for Women’s Health South Africa

[canrycried]

STARFIRE. 

“ and what exactly do you think you are doing? ” she tries–and fails miserably–to keep a straight face. in the absence of the justice league, in the oddness of merged worlds, perhaps she should be more stern–like she is with the teen titans. firm, but gentle. but something is stirring within her and the sun is warm against her skin and honestly, today, kori can’t manage firm but gentle. 

   “ i don’t think i’m doing anything, ” dinah says.  yes, she knows her current position is a little funny.  fishnets and all, dinah is lodged firmly in the rafters.  until a moment ago, a pair of pliers were firmly between her teeth.  the taste of metal is still heavy on her tongue.  “ i’m inspecting, looking for any unapproved surveillance devices. ”  so far, nothing sinister, just a camera she suspects was placed by one of their more paranoid residents, but she’ll send it off to oracle to confirm.  “ not all of us can fly. ”

[canrycried]

   a frown creases dinah’s face, and she glances dubiously in the mirror for a few seconds.  “ i think being around all these baby-faced heroes has me paranoid.  i’m considering botox. ”  it’s a joke, but barely.  mostly, dinah is feeling some sort of anxiety about the lack of adults in her life.  there’s babs, sure, but everyone else may as well be an infant.  “ the justice league is usually here to talk me down. ”

[canrycried]

BARBARA GORDON

   a delighted laugh escapes and, without much thought to it, barbara accommodates dinah as easy as anything. “ very innovative. ” she teases, rolling her eyes. “ that came to you a little quick. are you growing out of the heels, finally ?? ” she arches a brow and taps dinah’s knee with her hand, “ if i’m going to be your uber service, i expect a full star rating, mind you. ”

   “ am i growing out of the heels ?? ” she demands, aghast.  sure, maybe when she’s forty she’ll have to rethink her look, but she’s still got a few good years left, and babs should be busy appreciating them.  “ no, i love the heels almost as much as i love my current arrangement. ”  she gently tugs on a lock of babs’ hair.  “ a five-star rating, just for the ride ??  where are the snacks ?? the music ??  you’’re looking at three stars, tops. ”

[canrycried]

ROY HARPER

It does make him happy to see Dinah again, especially given the circumstances of everything. “Canary!” The little girl says as she reaches forward to hug her. Which just has a fond smile spread over Roy’s features. “I’m hanging in there. I just can’t help feeling … I don’t know.” He rubs the back of his head for a moment. “We didn’t even get to fix our relationship, I still had stuff to say, and now he’s just gone.”

Dinah accepts the hug and then hoists Lian up with her, too, situating the girl on her hip.  She kisses the top of Lian’s head before giving her attention for more readily to Roy.  The way he feels is no surprise, but it awakes a very specific, very old ache in her chest.  God, Dinah knows more than most that Ollie is an imperfect man, but she knows better than most, too, how much he loves Roy.  (It doesn’t make the things he did acceptable, though.  Doesn’t change that a few fateful, cruel decisions can change the way you look at a man forever.)  

     “I’m so sorry, Roy.”  There was a time, once, where she could have put Roy on her hip, too, and peppered him with affection, but that might break her back now.  “But we’re not giving up.  He’s not gone for good, okay?  I’ll bring him back just so you can read him the riot act.”

[canrycried]

BARBARA GORDON

    “ contrary to popular belief, i don’t think this sidewalk is big enough for the both of us. ” she cracks a brief smile, fingers tapping the side of her handles as it weren’t obvious enough what she’s referring to, “ it’s a nice saying. bit unrealistic in small picture things. you mind if i squeeze by first ?? ”

“i’ll make room.”  which means that dinah drapes herself casually across babs’ lap, mindful to keep most her wait on the handles of babs’ chair.  she wouldn’t do it if she didn’t know babs could throw her on her ass if the mood struck.  casually, confidently, she crosses one leg over the other.  “see?”

[canrycried]

ROY HARPER

Roy bends down to pick up the toy on the ground, and smiles up at the other. “I’m sorry, my daughter must have dropped this.” He apologizes as he holds the stuffed animal in his hands. The little girl comes running up to take it from him though, and not budging from his side once she does. “I interrupted you didn’t I? Did you want something?”

    dinah brushes off the apology with little more than a roll of her eyes.  she gives his cheek a fond little pat before dropping down to her haunches effortlessly to get eye-to-eye with her favorite little girl.  “how’s my princess?” she asks, ruffles lian’s hair.  “i don’t want anything.  just checking in.  i wanted to see how you were...handling all of this.”