Batgirl swooped down to sit beside one of Gotham's oldest guardians. It was
nice to be with someone who didn't expect her to talk. She was here to
think. Others might prefer to bounce their ideas off of others, but there
were none around who truly understood her...primary language. Everyone else
spoke with words, not motions.
Words were strange. People told her clearly what they wanted in body language, yet denied it in speech language. Sometimes she wondered if they truly didn't know their own hearts, or merely wanted to deny what they knew.
Love was so confusing. She knew what they said audibly, but by
motions they all said something quite different. Tim had said he
loved Arianna and Spoiler, but body said he just wanted to blend in, have a girlfriend like everyone else. Dick and Babs were always silently crying "I love you," yet denied it when asked. She saw that Batman and Dinah loved each other, yet did not realize it themselves.
Certainly, there were other, smaller signals she could respond to in other parts of life. Babs didn't like others touching her beanie babies. Her body screamed GET AWAY! every time Cass went near them, even though she audibly said nothing. But to have to ignore so many things the others told her about the deeper things...
It was hard, sometimes, being the only one around who spoke a
different language. To have to quietly ignore so many things she
could fix, because the others would be angry if she ever let out
that she knew their secrets.
She looked to the watcher, to see what he was saying. So many of his kind were truly unreadable, but he had a message for her. He was determined, vigilant, fierce in his protection of those within his gaze. He would make no apology for those who did not like his methods. He was like her, like her clan.
She stroked his shoulder for a moment. There was no response, as she knew there would be. Then she swung away from him, leaving the lone stony visage to look down over that part of the Gotham nightlife.
Words were strange. People told her clearly what they wanted in body language, yet denied it in speech language. Sometimes she wondered if they truly didn't know their own hearts, or merely wanted to deny what they knew.
Love was so confusing. She knew what they said audibly, but by
motions they all said something quite different. Tim had said he
loved Arianna and Spoiler, but body said he just wanted to blend in, have a girlfriend like everyone else. Dick and Babs were always silently crying "I love you," yet denied it when asked. She saw that Batman and Dinah loved each other, yet did not realize it themselves.
Certainly, there were other, smaller signals she could respond to in other parts of life. Babs didn't like others touching her beanie babies. Her body screamed GET AWAY! every time Cass went near them, even though she audibly said nothing. But to have to ignore so many things the others told her about the deeper things...
It was hard, sometimes, being the only one around who spoke a
different language. To have to quietly ignore so many things she
could fix, because the others would be angry if she ever let out
that she knew their secrets.
She looked to the watcher, to see what he was saying. So many of his kind were truly unreadable, but he had a message for her. He was determined, vigilant, fierce in his protection of those within his gaze. He would make no apology for those who did not like his methods. He was like her, like her clan.
She stroked his shoulder for a moment. There was no response, as she knew there would be. Then she swung away from him, leaving the lone stony visage to look down over that part of the Gotham nightlife.