#bmuse miriam

[battymuses]

Mary Dahl likes to be tall sometimes. Miriam just wishes she’d have phrased that differently.

[battymuses]

During one of Miriam's visits, she had her music playing in the background. When Mary asked the name of a song, curious about its length and genre, the redhead looked at her in horror.

"...It's Bohemian Rhapsody..."

Mary simply looked at her blankly.

"..by Queen..."

Silence.

"You know... Freddie Mercury?"

She shook her head.

"Oh, you're going to learn something today!"

---

Because of Mary Dahl's peculiar upbringing, constantly being trained for roles in genres of her elders' choosing, she was limited in what media she was allowed to consume.

This left her relatively clueless to much of popular media.

Even during her time as a recluse, when she spent a great deal of time watching television and listening to the radio, she mostly stuck to what she knew.

It wasn't until meeting Miriam that her media knowledge really expanded.

[battymuses]

Another day, another slog of paperwork and meetings. Such is the life of an office worker. At least, that was the case for Miriam. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid the bills.

Plus, being Wayne Enterprises, sometimes Bruce Wayne himself showed up. She supposed that was neat.

Better than seeing Ms Cates, at least. She was the epitome of a bitchy boss and Miriam dreaded stuffing her resentment down for a forced polite smile and a 'yes, ma'am'.

Seemed she didn't need to worry about the boss today, however, as she was busy chewing out another worker.

Who was it this time?

Ah, Jervis Tetch. Poor guy. From what little she knew about the man, he didn't seem to cause any trouble. She could respect that. Just be quiet and get through the work day.

Jeez, Cates was really going all out with this verbal beating... Was she incapable of saying anything positive ever? Did she get off on berating others?

Whatever the case, Miriam was getting annoyed. Peeking her head out from her cubicle, she made momentary eye contact with Jervis before retreating back into her cubicle.

Ms Cates was coming her way.

Time it right...

With a big stretch in her office chair, Miriam's legs tripped Cates over, sending her plummeting to the floor.

Feigning innocence, Miriam bolted upright and rushed over to help her boss off the floor.

If she was lucky, no one noticed her plan this.

@alicesought

[battymuses]

Ahh...the closest thing she’d had to fresh air in years... The heavy smog of Gotham was being traded for light smog of almost not Gotham. Was that a hint of sunlight? Maybe her freckles would darken. Miriam was in a fairly good mood, even sporting a hint of a smile. She had spending money and, for once, her boss mother wasn’t hovering over her. The farmer’s market may be at the edge of Gotham, but she was glad she made the drive. Perhaps she could get some cinnamon pecans or a homemade jam? If she was lucky, she’d find some of her beloved strawberries. It was always a pain to find a good batch further into the city. As she made her way through the stalls, the redhead caught a whiff of just what she was looking for. Following her nose, she found the stall of a very very tall man. Her eyes widened to take him in, but she was able to keep it brief enough to not be considered a stare. “Hello, sir,” she greeted briefly before turning her attention to the strawberries. The perfect shade of red and spell bindingly fragrant. “These are absolutely perfect,” she could barely keep from gushing, smile betraying her usual stoic facade. She just really liked strawberries, okay? “How much for the strawberries and is there a limit on how many I can buy?“ @king-crane

[battymuses]

Mary Meets Miriam (Part 2/?)

As the two conversed about movies and plays and musicals, time seemed to fly by. The man called to repair the door was soon there. “Hhh. Shit,” Mary grimaced as she heard the knock on what remained of her door. She wasn’t looking forward to being seen by someone else. She doubted whoever this was would be as respectful as Miriam had been. But it had to be done. With a sigh, Mary hopped down from the couch and headed off to address the situation. While Miriam stayed on the couch, she could hear Mary conversing with the man. All seemed normal until… “Hey, yer that Baby Doll kid!” “Mary Dahl,” the blonde corrected. “And I’m not a kid.” “Right, right,” the man waved it off. “Yer just some kind of dwarf. I forgot.” Mary bristled. At least he didn’t go for the m-slur… But this was still going to suck. “Can we please just get back to my door?” “Yeah, yeah. In a minute. Hey, can I get your autograph?” The blonde’s eye twitched. “With how you’re talking to me? No.” “How I’m talkin’ to ya? The fuck are you talkin’ about?” The conversation was interrupted with the sound of intentionally loud footsteps. “Disrespectfully,” Miriam responded firmly, arms crossed and glaring daggers at the man. “I highly suggest you leave this woman alone and do your job.” Mary looked over to Miriam with wide eyes. She couldn’t believe someone was defending her for once. It was a good thing she let the redhead stay… “Oh, please. She’s a has-been! What do I gotta respect?” “We are not having this conversation.” Miriam spoke through gritted teeth. “Drop it and do your job.” The man scoffed. “Or what?” “Or you’ll see what I did to that door happen to your skull.” The man raised his brows and looked at the door. “Yer bluffin’. No way you did that.” Miriam stepped closer, scowling at the other. “Try me.” “You think you can intimidate me, bitch?” WHACK! A right hook to the face caused the man to stumble and yell out. “Ow! Bitch!” he hissed, rubbing his cheek. “Oh, darn. You called my bluff. I can’t go full force on you if I want you to fix the door.” Miriam grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and yanked him up. “The only reason I didn’t break your nose was to avoid blood on her floor.” The man glared at her… but stayed silent. “...Good.” She let the man go and turned to Mary. “He won’t give you any more trouble.” Mary simply nodded, face pale and hand to her chest. Miriam’s face softened to worry and she guided Mary back to the living room. --- “Keep it together… Keep it together…” Mary repeated through shallow shaky breaths. She clasped her head, unkempt fingernails digging into the flesh of her scalp. Miriam watched as the blonde shook in place, tears pricking at her eyes. The poor woman seemed on the verge of a breakdown and she really didn’t want that to happen. Of all the skills Miriam had, handling a mental breakdown was not one of them. “Shit! Shit! Shit!” Mary chanted, nails digging further into her head. “It’s happening again! Because I let someone see me! It’ll never end! They’ll never treat me right! It’ll be like this until I die! When will I die?! How long will this body last?!” Oh… this breakdown was happening. “Mary,” Miriam spoke firmly, trying to grab the woman’s attention. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she had to try something. “I’m here. It’s okay. I know it doesn’t feel that way, but it’s okay. I need you to breathe for me. Breathe for me, okay?” Mary turned her gaze to Miriam, eyes focusing on the redhead and ending her thousand yard stare. There was someone here. There was someone here… But she wasn’t judging her. This one was okay. For now. Just this one time. It would be back to normal soon. Breathe. Breathe. “Slowly through your nose, remember?” Miriam pointed out as the blonde’s breaths were still quick and shallow. “Then out through pursed lips. Iiinnnn… and ouuuuuut…” It took a few tries, but the blonde’s breaths became more steady. “You’re doing great, Mary! Keep it up!” Miriam encouraged. “Maybe sit down now? Let yourself rest a bit.” Mary nodded a bit shakily and made her way back onto the couch, Miriam joining her soon after. “Yeah… You’re gonna be okay, alright?” Miriam sighed, partially asking Mary, rather than informing. Mary sniffed as the tears came rolling. “Y-yeah… I just need to get the feelings out of me. I can breathe now… It’ll pass.” Miriam was worried about the tears, but took Mary’s word for it. She was a grown woman. She knew her own mental state better than someone else would. “Okay,” the redhead nodded, leaning over to grab a tissue and hand it to Mary. “Than you,” the blonde hiccuped and wiped her eyes. “No problem,” Miriam assured and relaxed back into the sofa, folding her hands on her stomach. “Take all the time you need.” “Oh, I will,” Mary managed to laugh ever so slightly. “It’s my apartment and I’ll cry if I want to.” Miriam couldn’t help but snicker at that.

[battymuses]

Mary Meets Miriam (Part 1/?)

The living room was dim, the main illumination coming from the flickering of the television and the softly blinking string lights on the out-of-season Christmas tree. Mary Dahl hadn't intended to sit in this darkness, but the sunlight had simply gone without her say or notice. Not that it mattered. It wasn't like she needed to move from her spot on the couch until- Knock knock. "Your groceries are here." Groceries already? How did the day drone on and move so fast at the same time? Oh well. At least she'd finally get her neopolitan ice cream. She'd been hoping to satiate this craving for days. Guess she'd need to turn on the light... Shifting position on the couch, Mary reached for the lamp. Click. As the bright light flooded the room, the blonde caught sight of something falling onto her hand from inside the lamp shade. Letting out a yelp and flinging herself back, Mary didn't have much time to realize it was simply a clump of dust before her Christmas tree toppled on top of her. "Ow!" --- Miriam had yet to reach the elevator when she heard the yelp of a woman and a crash. Rushing back and placing her ear to the door, she listened for any sign the resident needed help. "Ma'am?! Are you okay?!" Inside the apartment, Mary rubbed her head as she tried to regain her bearings. She was lying flat on her stomach with weight on her back. Oh, right. The tree. Figures something meant to bring joy would hurt her. "Do you need assistance?" Uch. People... "No. I think I'm okay," Mary called out as she attempted to push the overly decorated tree off of her. Why did she have to be trapped under the heavier ornaments? Screw it. She'd just wriggle out. ...if something wasn't wrapped around her ankle. "Hang on!" Mary called back out to the woman outside, just in case. Miriam listened to the assorted grunts inside, growing worried the woman may be hurt. It seemed the more Mary tried to untangle herself, the more tangled she became. First the string lights, now the tinsel! "Ow!" And the ornament hooks! Oh, forget it... "I need help! I'm stuck!" Wait, how would this lady even get in to help? The door was locked. Thoroughly. There was no way she could- "Hya!" WHUMP. Was she seriously trying to- "Hya!" WHUMP. She really was. "Hya!" WHUMP. Poor sap. "Heeyah!" CRACK! THUD! Well, she'd be damned... --- Miriam flung open the broken door and rushed into the apartment. The place was dirty, both in mess and actual filth. Everything was dusty, take-out boxes littered the floor, nothing was in its place, and there were things that shouldn’t be there at all. This woman needed help in more ways than one… “Where are you, Miss? I’m here to help you!” Mary grunted as she tried to give one last wriggle, hoping to free herself and avoid this whole interaction. Alas… “I’m under the Christmas tree in the living room! Ow! The hooks keep poking me!” Miriam raised a brow at the concept, but followed her voice all the same. Sure enough, a Christmas tree in the living room at this time of year… “Hup!” the redhead lifted the tree to free the apartment’s resident… who was now dangling in the tangled mass of lights and tinsel. “Ahhhh! Put me down! Put me down!” the small blonde flailed about in a mixed attempt to free herself, hang on to the tree, and lower herself safely down. She was a bit too panicked to make a logical choice and follow through with the idea. “Shoot! Hang on! Hang on!” Miriam panicked momentarily, but quickly took hold of the situation… and the small woman. Hands under the other’s arms, Miriam rotated the blonde to be upright and slowly lowered her to the floor, untangling her as she went. Upon being placed on the floor, Mary fought to catch her breath. That was far more excitement than she needed in her life. “Try to breathe slowly, Ma’am,” Miriam offered as she plucked a stray ornament out of her hair and placed it back on the tree. “In through your nose and out through pursed lips.” Mary nodded and took in a few shaky breaths before managing to slow down. “Okay,” she held her hand to her chest. “Okay. I’m fine. Thank you...” Now that things were relatively settled, Miriam had a moment to realize who the blonde was... not that she would say much about it. “It’s not a problem… though I’m afraid you’re without a door right now.” Mary’s eyes widened and she darted towards the entryway. “Shit,” Mary uttered, witnessing the wooden carnage. “I-I’ll pay for it,” Miriam assured, following after her. “And I’ll keep an eye out until it’s fixed… Can’t be too careful in Gotham City.” The blonde dragged a hand down her face as she groaned. She was right. At least she didn’t comment on being unsafe at her size. Damn it! She really didn’t want company… “I can afford to pay for it just fine… but I’ll take you up on your offer to stay.” “Only if it’s okay with you, Ms Dahl.” Shit. She knew who she was… Her eyes widened and she braced herself for a barrage of questions and quotes and requests… but none came. “Is… that okay?” Miriam asked. Mary let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and let out a hint of a laugh. “Yes. Yes, that’s fine.” Miriam nodded. “I can take care of your groceries while you call someone about your door,” the redhead informed, already grabbing the bags and bringing them in. Mary wasn’t about to argue any help and simply went to retrieve her phone. As she went about her phone call, Mary watched Miriam going to and fro, putting groceries away, propping the door up the best she could, putting the ornaments back up on her Christmas tree… The redhead did not seem keen on standing there and doing nothing. “Someone should be here in about forty five minutes to take measurements on the door,” Mary informed as she put down the phone. “It will probably take a few hours to replace, plus the time it takes to get all the materials in order.” “I’m very sorry, Miss Dahl. I feared you could be in danger and didn’t know if there was time to spare.” Mary sighed, finding it difficult to fault someone so worried for her well-being. “It’s fine. It’ll all be over in less than a day.” Miriam nodded and went about tidying up some more. “...You don’t have to do that, you know,” Mary remarked with a raised brow. “Oh?” the redhead stopped what she was doing to look at Mary. “Sorry. I didn’t even really realize I was doing it. Force of habit.” “It’s fine,” Mary assured, taking her place on the couch once more. “You don’t need to do anything. I’m just going to watch TV while we wait.” Miriam nodded and kept her distance. “I’m not even here.” --- Mary tried to watch the TV as per usual, but had difficulty shaking the unease. Her home was no longer safe and there was now some new woman just… standing behind her… eerily silent. “You can sit down,” Mary found herself offering, patting the empty cushion next to her. Maybe being able to see her would put her a little more at ease… Miriam nodded and silently took a seat next to her, thankful to rest her feet. That was a little better… but she was still too quiet. “I should probably know your name.” Miriam raised her brows a moment, then realized why she might need her name. “Miriam… Campbell. I can give you my number if you’ve changed your mind about paying for the door.” “No, Miriam,” Mary replied flatly, “I just wanted to know what to call you.” Miriam simply nodded and shifted positions slightly, hands neatly folded in her lap. Yeesh. This woman was so stiff it was unnerving… At least she responded when spoken to. “I was in one of these commercials before,” Mary commented, not necessarily expecting a response. “For Lucy’s Diner?” Miriam perked up a bit. “I used to go there with my dad all the time! Was it back when they still had that jingle? What was it-?” the redhead snapped her fingers a few times trying to remember. “Lucy’s Diner! With burgers so juicy you’ll pine ‘er!” Miriam recalled in a sing song voice. “That’s the one,” Mary pointed. “And not bad, Miriam. You sing?” Miriam smiled sheepishly and averted her gaze. “Haa… Sort of? I took lessons when I was younger and I like to sing, but I don’t really perform for anyone anymore.” This was better, Mary thought to herself. Seeing Miriam bashful made her feel more like a real person, rather than a presence. “You took lessons too?” “In more skills than I can count. Mother insisted.” “Oh, tell me about it,” Mary flopped back with her fingers to her temple. “Acting, singing, tap dancing…” “Piano, French, baking,” Miriam continued. “Voice training, poetry, Spanish,” Mary added on. “Sewing, typing,” Miriam sighed. “...I think we may be sisters because our mothers sound like the same person.” Mary laughed at that, finding herself partially agreeing. She certainly wasn’t expecting to relate to anyone today. “Did yours want a perfect little angel?” Mary asked. “Oh, good lord, yes. Act proud of you in front of everyone else but berate you for not being good enough when alone?” Mary breathed in through her teeth. “Yeah… Speak only when spoken to?” “Yes. Except for when expected to magically know when to perform instead.” Miriam sighed. “Auuggh!” Mary groaned. “This is too depressing! Change the subject!” “Ahh…” Miriam exhaled, fumbling for a subject. How did this start anyway; singing? “What’s your favorite song to sing?” Mary looked ahead blankly a moment, then replied with, “Huh. I’ll have to think about that one… What about you?” “Recently? Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!” “Oh! I know that one! Jitterbug… Jitterbug…” Mary began singing in a low voice. Miriam accompanied her with rhythmic snapping. “Jitterbug… Jitterbug…” And then… “You put the boom boom into my heart,” Miriam joined in. Mary smiled and didn’t miss a beat as they continued. “You send my soul sky high when your lovin’ starts! Jitterbug into my brain! Goes a bang-bang-bang ‘til my feet do the same!” The song went on for a few more lines before Mary started laughing. “I’m sorry! I can’t remember the rest of the words!” Miriam snickered. “No problem!” After catching her breath, Miriam added, “That was fun…” “Yeah, it was.” Mary sighed wistfully. It had been so long since she’d sung like that, however brief it was. She was singing from her heart, something that had been trained out of her through years of strict performances. “It’s different when you don’t have to sing,” Miriam remarked, seemingly reading her mind. Mary agreed with a nod. Miriam thought for a moment before adding, “I suppose the classes weren’t all bad, in hindsight. Some have proved useful. Plus, I asked to take karate.” “I do like being able to properly appreciate theater and understand Shakespearean plays.” “You know, most people think Romeo and Juliet when they think Shakespeare. I think… The Lion King.” Mary looked at Miriam as though she’d lost her mind. “...You’ve never heard of The Lion King?” “I know it’s a Disney movie that got turned into a Broadway musical. I’ve never seen it.” “Oh, man,” Miriam exhaled in a slight laugh. “You have got to see it. The movie, I mean. It’s basically Hamlet with lions and beautiful animation and music.” “Ohhh! That’s why Shakespeare makes you think of it!” Mary uttered in realization. Miriam chuckled and nodded. “I’ll have to look into that,” the blonde mused aloud. “You really should. It’s really good.”

[battymuses]

Miriam's experience with consuming alcohol is limited, but she has prepared drinks since she was a teenager.

While not allowed to drink any, Miriam was taught by her mother how to prepare and serve alcohol to help with her mother's cocktail parties and other occasions.

When she reached drinking age, her mother encouraged Miriam to drink very lightly at social occasions, lest she appear uninvolved.

She rarely took more than a few sips, knowing better than to lose composure in front of her mother and remembering the fact the people around her were not her friends.

While she is free to drink as she pleases, Miriam prefers to be in control of her actions and only drinks rarely, not allowing herself to go past a buzz. She mostly drinks with her father, but has been considering finding a gay bar.

[battymuses]

During Mary's first night in Miriam's apartment, she fell into the terrible nightmares she had been having since her time in Arkham.

When she woke up screaming and broke into tears, things were different as Miriam was quick to check on her and comfort her.

In the time it took for Mary to fully calm down, Miriam let her stay in her bed for the night.

Having her friend right next to her and knowing she was safe helped Mary fall back asleep.

When she had the same issue the next night, she started to join Miriam in bed by default.

As time passed and Mary improved, Miriam offered to get Mary her own proper bed. Seeing as they had grown used to the other's presence at night, however, they just decided to continue sharing a bed and avoid the hassle.