âI like that attitude,â Dick said with a smile, leaning against the table and crossing his arms. âSo⌠hear me out. The department needs more resources, but they donât have the funding. Bruce has the resources and the funding. Babs, if the SCPD had access to Bruceâs technology, they could solve cases in a fraction of the time. You know that.â He paused, trying to contain his excitement that Bruce had actually been receptive to the idea. âSo⌠I convinced him to share his resources with Gordon.â
As soon as Dick mentions the department and Bruceâs technology together in one place, her brow arches. The reasoning made sense surely, any police department would be lucky to have half the tech that they all had at their fingertips. Part of her is protective a moment-- sure, she doesnât think she knows every piece of tech that Bruce had locked away, but she liked to think she had a good grip after more than a decade. âHmmmm,â itâs not a bad idea, and she knew it would help her father-- something sheâs certainly a little more conscious of these days. Still... even if the tech isnât necessarily hers, sheâs protective of it right there with Bruce. She folds her arm and gives him a look, âAnd just who would be overseeing those resources? My dad would get maybe five screens in before throwing the computer across the room.â
Damianâs brow furrowed as Barbara instructed him to walk her through the events of that evening. That was the last thing he wanted to do, with anyone. Grumbling under his breath, he let out a âtchâ and folded his arms across his chest as he sank back into his seat. âI was out on patrol, looking for anything we could use to help turn public opinion against NOVA. I was on comms with you when I came across that funeral home that was being used as a front for illicit activity.â He stated.
âGetting inside was easy and the office wasnât guarded when I arrived. Everything was going so smoothly that I thought I could focus on both my NOVA patrol and finding information on the front company - splitting my attention between the two monitors in the room. I didnât want you to do any of the technical stuff - it was childâs play and I had it covered, so I just let my senses go into autopilot.â
âI never heard the hired hand enter the room and he wasnât on the camera feeds. By the time he spoke up and I was had, my body had reacted to the sudden threat.â His words slowed down and he was quieter now, glaring at the plate of treats. âI used the cremation furnace to dispose of the body; cleaned up the office so there wasnât any trace of an incident,and then made my way to your apartmentâŚâ He finished his account of that eveningâs activity..Â
Instantly, she recognizes the desperation in his statement, and though her face is kept carefully passive, a brow raising or nodding as he goes, her heart sinks a little. Itâs not like she didnât understand the stubborn need to help when it came to the job they all did. It was powerful, that much she knew.
And then, she recognizes the urge to take more on. Itâs annoyingly consistent, the train of thoughts they all got into during this. Why ask for help when you can do it yourself? Still, her face stays passive as she listens.
She clocks the shift in his tone, and part of her is grateful. She doesnât want him feeling badly of course, wishes all of this could go away, but the tone shift was in indication he didnât want it to happen again. Thatâs the part of Damian she needed to win out here, at the end of the day. âWhat does that mean, your body reacted?â she knows, of course she knows, but itâs more than that gut reaction that happens when you feel someone at your back. Itâs years of not just training, but conditioning to break through, âWhat did you feel? Not emotionally,â she clarifies, âPhysically. What did you feel in your body, in that moment?âÂ
Go there. Do this. Lucky I donât shove my wrist blades right through that pretty little throat of yours, Lieutenant. Issac thought to himself sourly as he traversed Star City. The man kept to the shadows of the alleyway as he moved, letting the darkness of the night and the deep black of the shadows blend with his suit. This was not the manâs idea of a fun evening, but he knew if he didnât do what Jihl had ordered him to NOVA would become far more than just a pain in his ass.Â
So he had made his way to the address she had given him. After casing the place, Issac found little that sparked any interest. What did NOVA want with a run-down warehouse building? There wasnât anything spectacular to see here - rusted tin sidings, graffiti on the walls, and broken windows were the show runners for tonightâs showcase. Still, Jihl had said there was surveillance inside and while he could have accessed the networks from outside the building, curiosity had him wondering just what kind of secrets NOVA could be hiding indoors.
 Slipping inside was easy and Issac had chosen one of the broken windows higher up as his entry point; slipping in with little effort and looking around for a few moments. Making his way to a series of office rooms in the back part of the building, Issac set up shop inside one with the most important-looking computer systems. Honestly, Issac was surprised to find the system was still operational - but, if Jihl and her higher ups were using the building for something then it made sense that they would have placed its systems back online. Surveillance footage was much easier to capture when it was handled digitally, after all.
Plugging a couple of other devices into the system, he cracked his knuckles and went to work prowling what files were readily available. Much of it was useless junk from back when the building had been fully operational. Still, there had to be something more here for NOVA to be so interested in making sure it wasnât being used. He just needed to dig a little deeper. Any âfootageâ that did or did not exist could wait.
Another night, another NOVA problem, or so it seemed at this point. They had a few pinpointed at this point, the effectiveness of the Avenging League a pleasant result from everything. Sheâd had her skepticism at first, with so many people in one place, but it seemed to be working out quite well for now. She figured some inevitable big battle would decide that, but for now? Her job was to gather information, and hack into systems. Sheâd gotten a hit on a simple address, that was it So she spent the evening paying attention, trying to figure out what it may be for. She perked up when she noticed someone casing the facility. âOh, hello....â she hums at her computer,
On an instinct, she shields figure by going at the cameras. She canât recognize them, so she watches them closely, making sure the cameras passed donât read any movement to anyone that could be watching. Heâs not bad, thereâs a chance they wouldnât have seen anyway, but this was better.Â
As he settles and plugs is devices in, she straightens, âWhat the hell....?â she curses as the camera quality proves less than great. She can however piggyback off what he was doing in the systems. She set to it, and before long she was seeing the screen that was getting accessed. She wonders if this person is skilled enough to notice. She only does the basics to cloak herself, testing them, watching the files they scan through looking for any clues as to what the goal was here.
When: Present Day
Where: Wayne Residence
With: Barbra @the-orxcle
Stiff upper-lip. Words heâd lived by during his military service, his MI5 and MI7 career and several times while working as the butler to the Wayne household. Alfred had felt his resolve tested many times, heâd lost young people heâd thought of as his own more than once and every time heâd refused to let the state of the house deteriorate despite his own personal difficulties.
If anything it was a boon having the work waiting for him, something to set him up for the day until he could rest for a few hours and continue once more. Today he was batch cooking for Masterâs Jason and Dick to ensure they at least had decent food while neither were under his roof. He hadnât been expecting company but so often Master Bruceâs (or any of the othersâ) associates were not the type to phone ahead.
Reaching the door he felt a genuine smile on his fight at the sight of a young woman facing him, âMs Barbra.â he said warmly, bowing to the woman and gesturing her inside, holding the door wide for her chair to wheel through, âWhat a wonderful surprise.â Barbra would know Bruce and Dick werenât home, nor young Master Damian, so it was sweet of her to come especially for him. âI do hope youâve been keeping well, Maâam?â
Babs felt like sheâd spent the last few night alone, but hadnât actually realized until today. Sheâd been burying herself in work, and while she knew she could keep going in her own apartment, the work for tonight was rather light and easily transportable, mostly new scans sheâd calibrated to run. The prospect of spending it at the manor was appealing, whether it would be busy or not. The sight of Alfred opening was perfectly familiar, a sight that she hadnât realized until that moment was exactly what she wanted.
âHey Alfred,â she wheels inside with a smirk, though once sheâs inside she make quick work of standing, setting the chair to the side, and pulling the other in for a quick one-armed hug before she shoulder her bag. She breathes in the fragrant air, âMmmm, cooking,â she doesnât even need to ask, âwould you mind some company? I can help while scans are running, should only take a few minutes to get started.â Even if she had less and less time over the years, she really did enjoy taking a moment to simply enjoy cooking with Alfred. In fact, the desire to impress him may have been part of the reason sheâd become stubborn about learning to really cook lately.Â
Some nights involved approximately two liters of Chinese takeout, and there is simply no way around that. Babs sat on the ground (a clear sign that, to be blunt, meant there were no more fucks to be given) after a long week at the police station, one of her first now, with the freshly finished with the smorgasbord on the coffee table in front of them. She heaves a heavy sigh and leans back against the couch, satisfied smile clear. There was something about Steph that made Babs able to talk for hours, which is really the only reason she hadnât asked yet, but she didnât mind rambling for hours with the other. In fact sheâd come to look forward to these times.
She levels a stare at the blonde, not an unpleasant one, more... knowing. She did this just before she wanted to ask people close to her things, taking a moment to guess at how they may react, but she doesnât give enough time for any questions. She leans forward, arm resting on the couch as she stares the other down with a smirk. She goes for the more straightforward option, despite the fact theyâd just been ragging on a dumb officer that had got on Babs nerves just moments before. [ @clickforspoilers ]
âSo. I want you on Birds of Prey,â her pause is less than half a second, only enough for her smirk to grow slightly, âSay yes?â They could certainly talk details, but she couldnât deny that she had a certain personal investment in bringing Steph and Cass in. Itâs more than clear in this moment, but Babs couldnât bring herself to care too much when itâs just them.Â
There hadnât been that much time to settle into having Barbara as part of the SCPD. The place never slowed down, and Jim went in every day expecting some kind of crisis. Nine times out of ten, it felt like he got it. So his focus stayed elsewhere. His daughter was more than capable of doing her job, so he stuck with his, and it didnât take long for the new tech and resources from Bruce Wayne to start making a difference. Barbara was more than holding up her end of the deal when it came to handling it, and the time it took to close most investigations was halved (at least). It was a little aggravating how much theyâd had to flounder before they got a break, but Jim didnât have time to let it eat at him.
He left his office during a rare and uncharacteristic break to check in with his daughter. âHope Iâm not interrupting,â he said, announcing himself while he was already walking through the door. âThis is the first fifteen minutes Iâve had free since I took this damn job, I think.â
Babs had to admit, she missed a job like this. Sure, Oracle gave her plenty of thrills, but she hadnât become Batgirl all those years ago because she necessarily enjoyed doing nothing. Sheâd be the first to admit sheâd been craving more lately. Even if the SCPD gig proved to somehow be dull (a thing she doubted in this town) she would privately admit to herself the advantages of such a position. Besides, sheâd also admit she was protective of the tech she was using. It was Wayne tech, sure, but the sense was still there, she wouldnât want anyone else doing the job other than her. There were times, deep at work, that sheâd forgotten sheâd once worried about taking a job with her father, even tangentially. It proved to be moot, which is why her brows raised in pleasant surprise when she saw him.Â
âNope, just cleaning up actually,â she removed her gloves and tossed the ball into the trash, smirking at him, âyou know, Iâm sure thereâs some small thousand-person town out there just drooling to take you on as sheriff,â she teases, âsince you hate the work so much,â as if she didnât get her work ethic from him. âWe can run now while no oneâs looking for you.â
It wasnât unusual for Babs to think of others while she was shopping, picking up things for... pretty much anyone she knows, if sheâs being honest. The fact that she picked Cass out a sweater while sheâd been shopping for herself just seemed normal. It was black, knit, and quite cozy. Besides, no one had enough sweaters, that was simple fact. It didnât even have anything to do with why she was visiting, that was a whole other matter. [ @fcrayear ]
Reforming the Bird of Prey now was certainly something that had started to take up quite a bit of thought. She did know for sure that there were some people who she wanted on her team, and Cass was one of them. She knocked on the door a couple minutes before she said sheâd be there, earliness not uncommon for her to the point where she didnât even notice the time. No, though she wouldnât call herself nervous, her mind was certainly preoccupied with what she wanted to talk about.
[ @helenahuntsâ ]
âOkay, hear me out on something for a seoncd,â Babs sets down her fork and folds her fingers together with her elbows rested on the arm of her chair. She had Dinah, so it was only natural that Helena came next in this reforming mission she now found herself on. If she didnât have both of them, she may have to rethink some things, so this was important. Itâs only half the reason Babs took her out though, first and foremost sheâd just wanted to see her friend. It just so happened that Babs had been scheming as well. âMe, you, and Dinah are all in one place, and I have a few others in mind, too. And Iâve come across what looks like it could be a pretty interesting little puzzle for us to piece together,â she arches a brow and smiles, measuring the otherâs reaction while also clearly excited in her own way, âThoughts? Since I wouldnât want to do anything without you there, too.â
WHO: Barbara Gordon & Dinah Lance [ @killervcice ]
WHERE: A small-time drug den & Barbaraâs apartment
WHEN: July 7th 2020
WHAT: Oracle and Black Canary tackle a small time drug den to confirm a hunch that Oracle has had. They talk about reforming teams and transforming relationships.
Babs: saying babs had a one track mind isn't fair. truly, she she could have several tracks in her mind that went so deep they could come off as one-track, but she felt like she always had room for more. that was exactly the thought process that was going through her mind as she ruminated about the bird of prey. it had been a few years, sure, but with steph and cass a bit more experienced, she gets excited at the idea of bringing them into the fold, too. of course, it's all just thoughts until anything happens. when she notices weird activity on a block she walks by daily and decides to pay closer attention from a different point of view, she finds the action.Â
she made quick work on contacting dinah, sharing her suspicions about a small drug factory in this building. it was only natural to call out her oldest friend, and if it turned out to be nothing, that was fine. still, something nagged.Â
"alright, if you go around back of the building, there's a fire escape and a set of stairs that goes down into a basement. that's what we want." she instructs, "i recommend that, unless you want a nice pleasant bell to give your arrival away."
Dinah: it had been a point of joy for dinah once that she and babs had been strong enough to have their own team. they didn't need the league, they just needed each other and the family they made for themselves. honestly, she missed it. even though her and babs had hardly grown apart in the time since. it was just a little different and she's had plenty of time to think about it with the league now being back and frankly larger than ever, it's something that she's just simply come to accept now that she would have gone back to the birds of prey in a heartbeat if she could.Â
dinah was always going to go when babs needed her, all too happy to help out her partner and when sheâs already suited up and on patrol, then a small detour wasnât exactly going to be too difficult to manage.
she nods as babs speaks careful to keep moving. "i don't know, people are usually pretty agreeable when you use the doorbell," she jokes with a grin. sure enough babs was (as usual) spot on and she finds the door without much hassle. "i hope you know we're getting food after that, that's the price of the great black canary," she smirks before starting down the stairs. "hopefully this wont take too long,"
Babs: "oh, yeah, we'll just let them throw a load of white powder over you to find out what it is they're making, too." she chuckles as her eyes glide over the camera system she now had access to. it was already playing back in a still loop for those that thought they controlled it. dinah was going in without them any wiser. "ooh, I could do food. i'm feeling breakfast at midnight... but we seriously need to talk about your salary negotiation skills if I can get you for the price of a dinner." she chuckles, "wait just a second before opening..." two men were sauntering away, just annoyingly slow. when they turn into a room and close the door, she speaks again, "okay, now. two guys in the closed door on the right. you want the trap door in that room."
Dinah: "sometimes you've just gotta take one for the team," dinah laughs with a smirk. it's a testament to just how synchronised they are that they could joke the way they did, even though dinah was indeed still careful to keep an eye out. oracle's abilities were impressive and dinah trusted babs not to miss anything, but things could go south quickly if she didn't pay attention. "breakfast with my favorite person, what else could i possibly want?" dinah waits as instructed before moving in. "we wouldn't want this to be too easy would we," luckily, dinah was able to get the two out of the way quickly, although they'd likely have a headache when they woke up. she moved to the trap door then pausing for direction form babs.
Babs: babs smirks as dinah makes her progress, letting her focus on the fight for the moment, though it was clear those two creeps were no match for her. "okay, so down those stairs is a pretty open basement. it looks like their big guns are actually on a table to the left when you go down. i would guess they have weapons on them, but you can get between them and the big ones. all you need is a sample of what they're working with, i have the images saved and running. i want to figure out where these guys are coming from, because this is too casual to be any sort of headquarter setup," she was half reasoning aloud, "there is a bunch of gasoline to the right if you wanna screw up the rest of their product after you have a sample for me."
Dinah: dinah nods as babs gives her her instructions. it felt good didn't it, getting to do this again. dinah is certain that there's no one she wanted to do this with more than the other. "useful," she remarks as she notes the big guns were out of play, though babs was right that didn't exactly mean she was exactly out of harms way."right, one sample and fire coming right up," she grins before making her move down the stairs. "alright boys i'm giving you an out, anyone wants to leave now you can the police will be more than happy to help you out," of course no one takes her up on her offer and what follows is a flurry of movement and one good scream. babs was right the big guns were out of the way, so she's able to get what she needs whilst also fighting off the men. "got it!" she remarks stuffing the small collection of powder into her jacket whilst making another roundhouse kick to an opponent. she retreats then until she's close enough to the barrel to knock it over, being careful not to get any on her clothes. "well fellas this has been fun, but i have a date you understand," most of them seem to have gotten the hint now and are busy racing towards the exit. so, there's no harm in her dropping her lighter into the puddle now growing on the floor, before she was racing towards the door. "there, another win for the dream team,"
Babs: babs can't help but smirk as she watches dinah go, careful to watch for any moment of vulnerability for her, but as always she's practically infallible. m'gann's words once again run through her head, along with the slew of people that asked her about dinah... it's the comment about a date that sealed the deal in her head. she had to say something. even that thought process was pushed to the side though as dinah finished up the guys, "well, we know they're not super specially trained...." there's a bit of amusement in her tone. she hums for a moment, clearly pondering, "but it was only a minor house. this is... bigger. i don't like this, and NOVA would make the perfect cover for smaller groups to set up shop majorly." she sighs, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed as she watches dinah make her way back to her bike. she's careful as she speaks, her idea only being spoken for the first time now. "this isn't something i want to bother the league with. bigger fish and all.... but i have been thinking... helena and ted are here, and cass, steph, damian... they all have the skills... i feel like the birds could be of some use around here. what do you think?" sure, she didn't need dinah's blessing, but the whole dream team thing didn't come from no where. her opinion definitely mattered here.
Dinah: "always good to rule out," dinah jokes playfully. of course she's in a good mood, how could she not be when this had gone so well. she is all but seconds away from claiming babs as her good luck charm when babs continues and really all barbara was doing was highlighting the same things she was thinking. when you'd been in this game as long as the two of them had you simply learned to trust your intuition. "it's nothing we can't handle," she speaks quickly and she really does mean it because having babs in her ear even after all this time was one hell of a confidence boost. then babs continues in a tone of voice she knows far too well at this point. she's careful to keep her eyes on the road as she makes her way back to babs but still a smirk pulls at her features. "are you asking if i want to get the band back together? because you know you don't need to right?" sure, she was a member of the league but the birds of prey had always always been her team, her and bab's anyway. if the others didn't like that, well she wasn't exactly asking for permission. "a whole new team will be... interesting, but i think we can handle it," when had they not been able to over come a challenge or two? besides, babs had a very strong point. many of the teams strongest players were already here so really it felt like it was just a matter of time. it wasn't something babs needed to question. "you know i'd follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked. except y'know please don't ask that of me or do that if you're taking suggestions,"
Babs: babs cant help but chuckle a little as she listens to the other. she even smirks as she basically echoes her own thoughts. "i know i don't need to. it's almost like i value your opinion," she teases. as she listens to the other, she's a little relieved that expressions can't be shared. the conversation with m'gann basically flashed through her head on repeat at this point, and she silently puts a hand over her brow. dinah just... said these things, these really genuine things that she knew she meant, because dinah didn't know what the word subtle meant, that made babs feel downright giddy. "i know you would," she says gently, and for once, too preoccupied with other thoughts to give anything more detailed. so she takes a breath and hums as she brings herself back to the moment, "alright, you focus on coming here, i'll order something. i feel like i have a thousand things i want to talk about." it may have been the understatement of the century, but she wasn't about to spill everything over coms.
Dinah: dinah smirks as she drives. luckily it wasn't going to take her too long to get back to babs' and she knew the streets like the back of her hand she's all too happy to multitask."really, who would have thought it," unable to stop herself from beaming. her good mood is only further reinforced with barbara's affirmation because really, what would have been the point of hiding her emotions from someone who'd known her for as long as she had? in that moment the only thing she wanted to do was celebrate a pretty clear win with her favorite person while discussing their team. after all, after giving up the mantle of black canary there had been a time when she'd been convinced she'd never be a member of the birds of prey again. "when you say stuff like that i feel like i should stop to get some wine on the way," she teased gently. "which is totally an option," she really only joked around like this with babs, it's a sign of just how relaxed with the other. "i won't be long,"
Babs: "i'm almost hurt you don't think I'm prepared enough to have a stock of wine by now," she fakes offense in her voice, but the smile is clear in her tone. "let yourself in, i'm setting up everything." only when Dinah was around the corner, does babs rise from her desk and goes about setting up an area to test the substance that was on its way. to say she was more cautious since damian and then dick's incident... well, that would be an understatement, which is why she keeps the mic on as she goes about her business. it didn't matter how capable anyone was, "i almost wish i could bring this into SCPD and test it there, but i feel like that'd be frowned upon if i'm not sharing the case. yet, at least. we'll see once we know what we're dealing with," she only pauses a moment before her mind wanders back to the possibility of the birds of prey, "i may have to wait a bit with damian... but i'm worried. that's a dangerous anger and im not sure if bruce is helping or hurting at this point. and honestly i don't even blame him..."
Dinah: "what if i thought i'd drank it all?" dinah questions with a laugh before nodding. she was only a moment or two away so soon enough she was parking her bike outside, taking her helmet off, tucking it under her arm and making her way to the other. all while babs was still talking in her ear. it was a comfort though wasn't it? she's all too used to being babs' person for such sound boarding and it's something she treasures. "i think we have to play this carefully," dinah hums in agreement. she avoids making a joke for the moment knowing that this was serious. "listen if there's one thing i know we can handle it's anger issues," her mind turns affectionately to some of the other team members for a moment as she gets into the . "i'm sure bruce means well but," she sighs then. "i'm sure we can help, if nothing else he might just enjoy knowing the door is open," she makes her way to the other's door then turning the com off before stepping inside. "honey i'm home," she calls out with a laugh before walking to the other and pulling the sample from her pocket."one special delivery for a special lady,"
Babs: as dinah comes into the apartment, babs can't help but sigh a little. she smiles, of course she does. how can she not with dinah sweeping into the apartment like that? honey im home? the wry smile babs has on is not exactly normal, nor is the little sigh she lets out as she takes the sample. "you are, once again, the best. if you want to get changed, I'll set this up." she turns to go about her work, trying to just focus on that until she can leave it for a few hours.
when the test is running, she moves to sit on the couch, smiling when dinah comes into the room again. "'c'mere," she pats the couch next to her, clearly with something on her mind. she sighs a moment before she launches in to a speech she'd been turning in her head for... a while now. "so... i had an interesting conversation with m'gann recently. told me that, when i talked about you, i got this... feeling. consistently. and, you know, people ask about you enough and have said, joked... you know," she smirks a moment, and moves to grab the other's hand, "i wouldn't really believe them. but... i can't really argue with my own feelings, can i?" the smirk melts into a wry smile and a shrug, "and, if i'm being honest... i knew they were there. i've known i have feelings for you. I don't know since when. but... they're there. and man, you don't make it easy to ignore them, you know."
Dinah: "i do my best," she grins. dinah doesn't really even notice the change in the other's mood because she's so fatigued from the mission, but she nods patting the others shoulder. "okay, i'll be back in a minute," luckily she kept plenty of clothes in babs' apartment just so that moments like these weren't an issue.
it's not a surprise to see that babs has moved to the couch, right now all dinah wanted to do was flop down beside her. something about the look on babs' face makes her pause however and she can't help but raise a brow. "oh boy, you've got your thinking face on," still, she nods as the other mentions m'gann thinking that it couldn't be anything too stressful surely. something lurches in her chest as the other mentions feelings however. talk about a bad time for butterflies. "people being ted," she offers in an attempt to be helpful more than a little curious and confused all at once. then babs mentions her feelings and dinah just feels her heart racing further. was she saying what she thought she was saying? "wait babs just hold up a second," she breathes with a shake of her head clutching at the other's hand like it was a lifejacket in the middle of the sea. "i need you to be real clear with me, are you saying feelings like romantic feelings?" she doesn't want to risk being wrong but a grin spreads onto her features regardless. "it's okay if you are, great even i just... want to be sure,"
Babs: the feeling of Dinah clutching her hand too... that felt nice. a solid reassurance in a moment where she actually needed it. "oh, it's more than Ted...." she chuckles a little, but nods at the next question. Babs finds herself analyzing every twitch of Dinah's face, looking for any bad turn, any hint she should veer away... but she finds only the opposite. Dinah's smiling, grinning even, and clutching her had and... Babs realizing her heart is feeling light in a way it hasn't for a long time. it's like a breath of fresh air, almost, the way her heart seems to race, "that's exactly what I'm saying," she nods gently, but shrugs again, "dunno when it started. but I swear you've gotten sweeter since you showed up here-- not complaining," she clairifes, but her head tilts, brow arching a bit with a little smile, "great you say? that... sounds promising." she stays where she is, but inside she feels like her heart could beat out of her chest in this moment. she's nervous, but also... she can only feel so nervous with Dinah at her side. she finds herself running a thumb over the other's hand, "you're my partner, dinah. it's just... it's that simple. basic logic." and, to Babs, that said it all.
Dinah: she's being wary, at least subconsciously, for a long moment. dinah didn't exactl have the best track record when it came to luck in romance and babs well she's too special to even come close to loosing. she can't breathe for the moment out of the pure shock of the moment but it's not like dinah would want to be anywhere else. barbara gordon felt the same way about her that she'd felt about her for a long time now. it didn't seem real. "i'm asleep," dinah blurts out looking at the other with raised brows. her mind is racing at a thousand miles a minute in an attempt to try and comprehend what it is the other was saying. "there's no way i'm awake right now," her other hand moves to trace over the other's cheek then as if to test that she was real, although she doesn't move it with the contact. "oh yeah?" she questions playfully. she wants to be cool even in that moment but really she's not sure she's pulled that off. "basic logic," she echoes. "you know i think you might be onto something there," there are so many things she wants to say in that moment, but there's something else she wants more in that moment. "do you think you can come here please," she's sure for a moment her eyes are fixated on the other's lips. "been wanting to do this for a while,"
Babs: a trill of laughter pours from Babs mouth as the other blurts out her comment, and shakes her head fondly. "you're not," she teases, but her face freezes and softens at the contact on her cheek. she leans into it, pressing her cheek into dinahs hand. she can't contain her grin at the moment, and arches a playful brow of her own, "well, they tell me I'm pretty smart." she's more than amused as they both try to play this cool, but dinahs next statement makes Babs laugh a little breathlessly. the comment of waiting a while didn't hit right out of the gate, instead she was a little too preoccupied with how Dinah was staring at her lips. she feels like her heart could just jump out of her body as she shifts closer to Dinah, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and presses their lips together in a kiss. at first, Babs is soft and maybe even timid, but it only takes a moment before she realizes this is exactly what she's wanted to do for a while now. she can't help but sigh into it, pulling them closer together as she deepened the kiss. she feels like they're floating together, like nothing could stop either of them. it's only when they pause for air does Babs pull back just far enough to tilt her head in curiousity as the previous statement hit, "what do you mean a while? Dinah. did I really beat you at something?" she can't help but tease.
Dinah: the contact between the two of them is grounding in that moment. the way bab tilts her head into her palm is a welcome reminder that she wasn't doing this alone. it's a big deal baring your heart to someone but at the same time babs was babs. she hums in agreement at her next comment. honestly just too distracted to focus on anything else. she puts her all into the kiss happily, not really ever one for wasting time. babs had opened the floodgates now, the least she could do was show the other how much she appreciated it. still, with passion she's also careful, wrapping her free arm around the other in a hopefully settling manner. she just wants babs to feel loved in that moment more than anything else. they were in this together as if that was not the most thrilling thought possible. she flushes at the other's words still breathless from the kiss as she shakes her head. "just this once" she breathes gently thumb tracing over the other's cheek. "don't let it go to your head okay, we're a team we're supposed to figure things out together," she wants to kiss her again and as a result doesn't even hesitate before moving in to peck her lips gently. "you know, i think we might need to practice this like we do everything else,"
Babs: feeling dinah's arms wrapped around her like this is... well, babs can't deny that it's a warmth she doesn't want to end any time soon. she settles in dinah's lap happily, a familiar place to be at this point, now better than she could have imagined. the feeling of the hand at her cheek and the arm holding her, along with the left over tingling sensation on her lips... it's all enough to make babs want to melt. but at the same time, she's not sure there's anyone more solid and stable she can think of. sure, dinah had just come back from tour with a kid but... as far as people being there, dinah lance never backed down, never hesitated. there wasn't a day she was gone that babs didn't think dinah would drop everything if she needed her to. she lets out a little bit of a giggle, but falls silent with another grin as they kiss again, even if it's just a moment. she looks at the other earnestly, fingers trailing through her hair, "there's no one else I want to figure things out with," she says earnestly, melting into a bit of a giggle, "well, i do love studying...." and even her cheeks burn at the joke. perhaps another time she'd comment on her utterly awful humor in the moment, or on just how distracting the other was being, but instead babs had simply had enough of not kissing dinah. so, she pulls them together again, this time with no intent of stopping.
