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Typing the accent of The Count from Sesame Street isn't quite as effective as saying it. But you get the gist of the joke now that I explained it. Out of boredom or maybe a futile hope for inspiration I'm posting yet more of my unfinished fanfic. In chronological order, they are...
TITLE: Under Your Skin
SERIES: Azumanga Daioh
PAIRINGS: Kagura/Sakaki, Tomo/Yomi
TITLE: Starin' Down The Stars
SERIES: Firefly
PAIRING: Kaylee/Inara
TITLE: Gnothi Se Auton: Know Thyself
SERIES: Birds Of Prey (Comic/TV Show Fusion)
PAIRING: Barbara (TV)/Dinah (Comic Book)/Helena (TV) Love Triangle
Read on! If you want.
TITLE: Under Your Skin
SERIES: Azumanga Daioh
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
YAHOO/AOL IM: dreiser7
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Kagura/Sakaki.
SUMMARY: Kagura has to tell Sakaki something very important before they start their lives as college students. One that will help decide the path of their lives.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my Tomo-esque personality. I did it!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sorry all of you Kaorin fans. Even though I do find her cute as
a button I just think Kagura would be better for Sakaki. Mostly because she knows her as a person and doesn't worship her blindly. This is my second favorite couple after the tumultuous Tomo/Yomi pairing which I already have a fic worked out for. All I need to do is get around to actually writing it. Heh.
Under Your Skin
By: Dreiser
Sometimes the stupidest of people can be the smartest about the important things in life. At least, that's what Kagura thought. Especially after conversations she would have with Tomo during their forced snack food runs. This time Kagura found herself unwillingly dragged along as Tomo went to get ice cream.
While licking at her chocolate ice cream cone and managing to somehow look incredibly innocent as she made Kagura pay for her food, Tomo said the words that would make Kagura stop, think, and consider.
"Sakaki's leaving, you know."
Arching an eyebrow and heaving a sigh, Kagura shoved her hands into the pockets of her blue jeans. "What are you talking about, Tomo?"
"She's leaving this week for that Vet School," Tomo informed absently, taking a huge bite of her chocolate ice cream, making a mess all over her face. "To stay in a hotel while she looks for an apartment. Since it's so far away she's going to live on her own." Tomo paused to form a strange expression, then laughed softly adding, "Well... not alone. Maya will be there, I guess."
Sakaki.
There wasn't much that could or couldn't be said about Sakaki. The girl was simplicity itself in many ways but entirely complex in others. However, Kagura could say one thing about Sakaki that most did not know. She loved her. Loved her desperately as a person only could that first special time.
"You tell her yet, Romero?" Tomo's brash voice interrupted Kagura's thoughts and she frowned at her friend of sorts. Most did not know. Unfortunately for her, most did not include Tomo.
As stated before, sometimes the stupidest of people can be the smartest and when it came to romance, sadly enough... Tomo was very smart indeed. Although Kagura would admit to wondering exactly how she and Yomi had managed to work out a romance when it seemed all they did was fight. Then again, for Tomo and Yomi fighting was probably a perverse form of foreplay.
Wonderful. Now that mental image would be in her head all day.
"No, I haven't told her," muttered Kagura, shooting Tomo a dirty look and walking down the street, not caring if her friend was following or not. "And his name was Rome, like the city."
"What city?" Tomo blinked, rushing after Kagura and causing her chocolate ice cream to fly forward as if it was going to exit the cone entirely.
"The city of Rome," Kagura rolled her eyes. She came to a stop so Tomo could stabilize her treat before finishing off the rest of it. "That's his name too."
Stuffing the ice cream cone into her mouth, Tomo munched on it and squinted her eyes in a look of semi-lucid concentration. "You sure?" she asked as waffle cone crumbs stuck to her lips. "That doesn't sound right."
"Rome, Rome, where something you Rome," recited Kagura, sitting on a nearby bench and releasing a whoosh of breath. "That's his girlfriend's line."
"Nice," Tomo chuckled, wiping her mouth with her sleeve and plopping down next to Kagura. Bumping their shoulders, she continued, "You practicing for Sakaki?"
Instead of replying, Kagura looked off into the distance and a moment of silence passed over them. Heaving a sigh, Tomo rose to her feet and stood up on her tip toes then stretched her back as she spoke.
"Chiyo-suke is giving her that going away party tomorrow night," informed Tomo while she lifted her arms high over her head. "You should talk to her then. If I were you, I'd talk to her tonight even. There's no point in putting it off."
"I'm not you," said Kagura in quiet but strong tones.
Strong enough that Tomo took notice and turned to face her. Forming that insufferable smirk that only Yomi could possibly love, Tomo declared, "I know! If you were me then you'd know where you stood already. Just because I don't have the patience to play the waiting game like you." Her back facing Kagura again, Tomo's smirk grew larger then she said, "And I'm not a huge wuss."
The exact moment Kagura's new Nikes hit her in the butt, Tomo's cell phone broke out into the distinctive ring she programmed for one special person. Which meant that the first thing Yomi heard on pick up was, "Dammit Kagura! My ass!"
"Tomo...?" drawled Yomi in that distinctive way that only she could. In such a way that it sent simultaneous shivers of pleasure and terror running down Tomo's spine. Although it could appear otherwise, Tomo certainly was not the dominant personality in their relationship. At least, not in the bedroom. "What exactly are you doing with Kagura? I thought you were going to talk to her about Sakaki."
"I did," Tomo groused, rubbing her butt and glaring at Kagura. "She's still being her usual scaredy cat self about it. AND she kicked me in the ass for telling her so! I don't think I deserved that."
"So you say," Yomi chuckled in amusement.
Scowling deeply, Tomo stuck her tongue out at Kagura who tilted her head curiously at this action. "Yomi's taking your side," Tomo sniffed. "Maybe you two would just be better off together and I can confess to Sakaki like Rome did."
"You better not," said Yomi sternly before she paused then said in rather confused tones, "wait... Rome? What does a city have to do with this?"
"It's the guy from that play," said Tomo irritably. "Where something Rome."
"Wherefore art thou? Tomo... that's Romeo. You know, from Romeo and Juliet," said Yomi who now sounded as if she was going to burst into laughter.
"Really?" Tomo squinted, looking at Kagura. "Yomi says his name is Romeo."
Leaning back and scratching her head, Kagura murmured after a moment, "That seems right. I think she might have it."
"Kagura says you're right," Tomo declared grandly with a big grin. "My Yomi is brilliant, isn't she? I wonder why she had to take the entrance exam three times..."
"Shut up," growled Yomi. "I'll punish you for that later. Just tell Kagura to get it over with unless she wants Kaorin to get to Sakaki first."
"All right, all right," said Tomo, making a face. Looking at the sky, a mischievous grin spread across her features and she said in sing song tones, "Hey Yooo-miii?"
There was only the sound of a resigned sigh then Yomi said, "Yeah?"
"I love you," Tomo said softly and earnestly, leaving the other girl no room whatsoever to doubt the truth of what she was saying. There were a great many things Tomo didn't take seriously in this life, herself included, but their relationship was not amongst them. In fact, it was probably the singular thing that she held sacred. "See you at the windowsill?"
"Always," replied Yomi in a gentle whisper, "and in a half an hour. My parents will be asleep by then."
"That's my girl," Tomo grinned before disconnecting the call. Putting the cell phone back into one of the many side pockets of her cargo pants she looked to Kagura who wore a solemn expression on her features as their eyes met. Not sure what to make of this, Tomo wore a blank face and said, "What?"
"You make me jealous sometimes," admitted Kagura reluctantly. "Even though you're a dumbass beserker you got the girl. I can't do that."
"Sure you can!" exclaimed Tomo exuberantly before her face screwed up in a heavy scowl. Giving Kagura's new Nikes a light kick, she said, "And don't call me a dumbass beserker! I passed the entrance exams even before my Yomi did."
"You're still a dumbass beserker," Kagura replied with a sigh. Leaning her head back, she stared up at the night sky then asked, "How did you do it, Tomo?"
Sitting down next to Kagura and folding her legs underneath one another, indian style, Tomo peered curiously at her friend. "Do what? Pass the exams? Well, for the most part I studied when none of you guys knew it. Plus I made these really cool flashcards. I mean, if I want to be an ICPO officer I have study, right?"
"Not that," said Kagura, although partially amazed that Tomo had somehow made herself study when others weren't around. "How did you get Yomi?"
"Get Yomi what?" Tomo screwed up her face. "Get her Valentines presents? I mostly bought anything plush and pink. She goes nuts for girly stuff like that."
"No! Not Valentines presents!" Kagura proclaimed with a great deal of exasperation. Rubbing her forehead in an attempt to fight off the huge migraine she felt forming, she continued, "How did you get Yomi... as a girlfriend?"
The expression that Tomo wore on her face at this question was perhaps the most blank expression on the planet. She truly looked like an empty slate that did not comprehend one little bit of what Kagura just asked her.
That being said, Tomo turned to her companion after a very long moment then said with a questioning look on her face that made it seem as if she didn't quite get what she was about to say. "I asked her?"
"I give up," said Kagura wearily. "You'll never understand what I'm going through. But maybe that's the good thing about you Tomo. You're totally fearless."
"I gotta be if I want to work for the ICPO," Tomo beamed widely, proud of the unexpected compliment she had just recieved. Really, she honestly did get so very few of them even from Yomi.
-------------------
End of that fic! Onto Firefly fanfic.
-----------------
TITLE: Starin' Down The Stars
SERIES: Firefly
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Inara/Kaylee.
SUMMARY: Post Serenity. Happy endings don't always turn out the way we expect them to.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my happiness over my new job as a court clerk.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After finally giving in and watching Firefly I found myself loving the series, mourning its death, and really loving the chemistry between Inara and Kaylee. While I think Mal and Simon suit them well in canon I also think Inara and Kaylee could've been set up just as well as Wash and Zoe as the humorously cute steadfast couple on the ship. Hence this fic.
The title of this fanfic comes from the song lyrics for Jealous Of The Moon by Nickel Creek. I'm going to link it and a few other songs by the band just because I hear them appearing in certain parts of the fic. In fact, I listened to nothing but Nickel Creek writing this entire story. The band just seems to fit the series perfectly in my opinion.
Starin' Down The Stars
By: Dreiser
They were supposed to be happy after Miranda.
All four of them were supposed to be happy. Inara and Mal, Kaylee and Simon, that was the unspoken promise. For them to be the happy ones, to somehow heal the emptiness in Serenity caused by the absence of Wash and his love for Zoe and their love for one another. It's funny how things that are supposed to be sometimes just never quite work out.
Kaylee knew why it couldn't be with Simon, she knew just one month into it. She didn't love him like she should, he wasn't first in her heart, always on her mind. He was more like a wonderful afterthought, something that drifted in and out of her conciousness that made her smile when she could recollect it.
It wasn't right to stay with a man when she couldn't really love him. Least ways, not if he didn't know it. That's what she figured. So she told him that, gentle as she could and left the decision up to him. Then one night, while everyone was in their bunk sleeping away, he came to her and said they should just be friends.
They spent that last night together. Maybe for old times sake, Kaylee couldn't say. She could say that it made her wish she was in love with him, that she could be in love with him, considering how sweet and tender he was with her. And as she watched him climb away, just before chow, turning back to look at her with those sad eyes that almost pleaded for her to love him, she cried.
Wasn't right that she couldn't love a man like that. It wasn't right at all.
Inara and the Captain, they lasted a bit longer. A few months, in fact, near coming on a year when it ended. Somehow them ending struck Kaylee harder than the ruin of her own romance with Simon. She couldn't figure why, lying in her bunk, crying into the silky fine and downy soft pillow that Inara had given her the first month they had known each other.
Breathing in the scent that was distinctly Inara, a lingering spell of honey and sweet spices, which caused your head to swim just from a whiff of it, Kaylee wondered why she was crying so. Sobbing was more like it, clinging to the pillow that Inara had given her, that smelled of her so, when she wasn't the one who had broken up with her sweetheart.
She hadn't cried this way when it ended with Simon. Tears had been shed but nothing of this magnitude, not ones that ripped through her soul and made her body shake and shake. Through these muffled sobs into that sweet smelling pillow Kaylee kept wondering. Why would it bother her so that Inara wasn't with the Captain anymore? She kept on wondering, long after the tears had dried up and she had gone about her business of fiddling and fixing things on the ship.
Kept wondering for hours turned into days turned into weeks. Until she was sitting smack in the middle of Inara's shuttle, perched terrible comfortable on her bed, hair being brushed slow and smooth, when it finally hit her. She wasn't just sad for Inara and the Captain that day, she was sad for herself too. Thing of it is, why was she feeling that way? It wasn't her sweetheart she had broken up with that day, Kaylee knew that all too well. She also knew things between Inara and the Captain weren't her business and it didn't make a lick of sense for her to be caught up in them so. But maybe that was the point of it all, Kaylee reasoned.
Love didn't make sense, not a penny.
Elegant fingers sifted through her hair, combing gentle and sweet, treating those hairs like they were the finest silk in the 'verse and Kaylee knew why she couldn't love Simon right. Why she couldn't put him first in her heart. Because she already had someone there, had them there for years without even knowing it was so.
She was in love with Inara and that's why she had cried so when things ended between Inara and the Captain.
Even if you don't know who your sweetheart rightly is, in your heart of hearts you still want them to be happy. That's what Kaylee figured anyhow. Inara ending things with the Captain, that surely wasn't a sign of happiness, which is why it tore at Kaylee, kept tearing at her for months on end. Getting lost in the sensation of those hands in her hair, that fine scent enveloping her, Kaylee thought back to what Inara said when she asked why it was over with the Captain.
"Sometimes love isn't enough, mei mei," Inara had murmured, looking up with kind eyes over her cup of tea. "Our hearts did meet but our spirits remained in opposition and while differences create a spark for the fire of attraction, it doesn't feed the flame of love. Not enough to sustain it indefinitely. We agreed we are better to remain as ever bickering friends."
Telling words, all of them, but the only thing that stuck in Kaylee's mind was Inara calling her mei mei. Of course, she always called her that. Dear sister, little sister, something you called a girl younger than you, one that was close to your heart but not somebody who you loved with a deep passion and desire. Not what you called somebody who could be your lover.
That was a person you called bao bei, like Inara had once done for the Captain.
Facing down death at the hands of Reavers, hearing the fumbled confession slip past Simon's lips that he fancied her too, that was what made her finally take a chance with him. That wasn't something she would ever get with Inara and Kaylee knew, much as it pained her so, she had to forget this. Inara wasn't going to come to her with a confession of love, not the romantic sort anyway, and Kaylee could scarcely imagine going to her with such things.
Even knowing how she felt for Simon was perhaps nothing but her mind playing tricks on her heart, she recalled how she had been too frightened to go to him with her feelings. He was smart and wordly and ever so handsome and the idea he would want her romantically was beyond her. Despite all that happened between them, Kaylee still didn't understand it. How a man like him had loved her and though she knew it wasn't right to him she wished it hadn't ended because how could she ever possibly be with someone better than Simon? Hell, if you asked her it was like finding a whole cargo bay of platinum to have him fall in love with her. Ain't no way something like that would happen again, someone so fine and educated falling for somebody like her.
Inara couldn't love her like Simon had. Not real and true and romantic, eyes dark and burning with lust, pulling her clothes off careful but swift and eager. She couldn't do that because she couldn't love Kaylee that way and maybe that's also why she cried that day.
It's easier not wanting something when it's kept far from your reach. That's why when she was a child her mother had always put those rare pieces of fruit on the highest shelf. When they were well beyond her reach it helped to keep the temptation at bay. Inara being with the Captain, kept things the same. But now they were apart and Kaylee wasn't sure how she could be around the companion without resisting the urge to reach out and take her. To taste that tan skin that surely had to be as delicious as the smell of the other woman.
Forgetting was the easiest solution, she reasoned. Forgetting and keeping a distance from Inara. Least for awhile, until she could control her urges and bury these feelings. Which is why Kaylee abruptly stood, giving a stammered excuse about having to fix some engine part or another, trying her best to ignore the look of confusion and that flash of hurt in brown eyes.
This hurt was something Inara would forgive and the feeling would pass. But if the companion was to find out the truth and if she was to give the rejection that would follow, kind and understanding as Kaylee wagered it would be, the mechanic wasn't sure that was a kind of hurt that would ever pass. No, it would be something she would carry with her forever and it would make her heart heavy, the pain of it dragging her down until she couldn't be around Inara at all.
Better to keep quiet and hope these feelings would fade. Of course, it didn't feel better as she skittered into her engine room, aching to return to the place she had just left, to feel Inara's fingers in her hair, close her eyes and pretend for a moment the other woman loved her the same. But it would feel better eventually.
Or so she hoped.
---
Mal looked around the table and a frown pulling at his features, he sat in his chair and said, "Kaylee's not comin' for chow again?"
"Food becomes kinetic energy. And energy is important, even though energy is expelled making feces. But feces nourishes the soil only there's no soil in space, so feces nourishes nothing. It just floats," River remarked, shoving a forkful of protein into her mouth and grinning at Zoe around her fork. "But Kaylee should still eat. People need to expel floating feces."
"Disgusting as that assessment might've been I'm thinkin' I agree with River," drawled Zoe, lifting an eyebrow in droll amusement.
"I'm inclined to agree myself," said Mal with a nod.
A clear purpose in his body language, the captain started to rise but paused when a clear voice called out, "I'll fetch her, Mal."
Cocking his head slightly, Mal considered Inara for a moment, taking in the worried look in her brown eyes, and the anxious way her fingers gripped the edges of the doorway before making his decision. "Much obliged, Inara," replied Mal, dipping his head in a gentlemanly manner. "You just remind little Kaylee for me that ain't no ship in the 'verse can run proper without it's best mechanic runnin' that way too."
-----------------------
I just stop in the middle of nowhere it seems. Time for Birds of Prey fusion fic.
-----------------------
This is a combination of the Birds of Prey comic book and the television show. What does that mean? Transplant comic book Dinah Lance into the television show. Along with a few storyline ideas from the comic book.
TITLE: Gnothi Se Auton: Know Thyself
SERIES: Birds of Prey
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
YAHOO ID: dreiser7
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Barbara/Dinah (Comic verse). Barbara/Helena (TV verse).
SUMMARY: Barbara recruits a new operative, Dinah Lance, for her work as Oracle, causing unexpected conflict with Helena.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my love for an endless amount of cancelled television shows.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although the television version of Dinah did grow on me I've always thought the Birds of Prey show would've been so much better with the actual Dinah Lance as a member of the team. Hence this fic. The title of which comes from one of the phrases inscribed at the temple of the Oracle of Delphi.
Originally I had this story take place right after Barbara's shooting with Helena as a teenager. Then I realized that Helena as a teenager is just about as fun as Dinah as a teenager. So I started the fic right back over and here we are. Hopefully this version is better. At least it's a version I'm happier with. That's something.
And for those who are unfamiliar with the Birds of Prey comic here's a nice link to the Wikipedia entry about Dinah.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canary
Gnothi Se Auton:
Know Thyself
By: Dreiser
Prologue…
For many years in the city of New Gotham, a secret war raged by night. Unknown to the everday world, a battle for the very heart of the city was waged between Batman and Joker.
But one night the final battle was fought, and Joker lost. Joker's revenge was taken not on Batman himself, but on the ones he loved.
Helena Kyle didn't know that her father was Batman, nor did she know that her mother had once been Catwoman. Helena Kyle's life was forever changed that night, but the Joker's revenge didn't end with the murder of Selina Kyle.
Batman had trained many proteges over the years, and one of them was Barbara Gordon, who called herself Batgirl. The Joker took his revenge on her with a single bullet, meant to kill but instead resulting in permenant paralysis.
Dinah Lance was a hero being brutalized and tortured, living far from New Gotham in the port of Seattle. Her throat slit by a sadist named Jankowski, her Canary Cry taken from her.
And so seven years later, our story begins.
---
Being an information broker wasn't a job that one could do alone. There had be contacts made, those who traded information with a perpetual string attached, people you couldn't quite trust except for their information which was always true. Barbara Gordon, once Batgirl but now known as Oracle, a mysterious information broker to superheroes, had many of these contacts. Simply because not everything could be discovered through the use of computers.
Even by a system as advanced as Delphi.
One of her contacts was dead. Jimmy Marco, technology expert to the New Gotham underworld, a man who could hack nearly any computer he touched. He did this so well that Barbara often thought if he had the time and the inclination could make some serious problems for Delphi. But Jimmy was lazy and didn't like doing anything he wasn't paid for, even if the idea probably interested him and sounded like great fun.
Now Jimmy was dead. Murdered to get to her. Of this, Barbara was certain. Staring at the official crime scene photographs, her mouth set into a grim line as she focused on a small business card left on Jimmy's bullet ridden body.
Green.
The avatar she used consulting her peers online. Those she asked the rare advice on her system and possible invaders. Jimmy was among those. He was also among the few she trusted to let her know what was truly going on within the ranks of the New Gotham mafia.
Staring at the card and sighing, Barbara removed her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. "I'll have to find a new psuedonym," she remarked, loathing the idea of it. There was nothing more troublesome than coming up with a fake name for yourself. Particularly if you wanted the name to have any sort of significant meaning. Which Barbara usually did. She tried to focus on the stupidity of needing a new name online. Not the fact that this boy, barely a man at twenty one, was dead because of his association with her. An association that was supposed to be secret. She was Oracle, someone whispered about, no one knew if she was a man or a woman, how old she was, where she lived, or even if she was a human being. But somehow one of her contacts had been discovered. A contact, that however minute the percentage of the chance, could possibly lead someone back to her. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Barbara muttered, "Fuck."
That was the only recrimination she would allow herself. Work had to be done, work to find out who did this to Jimmy, work to protect her other contacts, and work to protect the new life she had managed to carve out for herself. Reaching for her glasses, Barbara perched them on her nose and activated the communication system.
"Huntress," she began, keeping her voice as even as possible. "There's been a murder. I need you to investigate the scene." A moment, then two, and still silence. "Huntress," Barbara tried again, growing slightly agitated.
More silence then the click of the communication line going dead.
Frowning, Barbara pushed her annoyance away as her eidetic memory took hold, reminding her this was Helena's time with the court appointed psychriatrist. Something the dark woman wasn't at all happy about. The judgement of her needing anger management only came about because of the damage Helena had done in pursuing a criminal at Barbara's call.
Still, she couldn't help being annoyed. But the annoyance couldn't last, not if she wanted to find Jimmy's killer, a person who could be after her as well. Looking to her list of operatives, most of which she mainly brokered information to when they were on a mission or it pertained to the area in which they operated, Barbara settled on the newest. She was done with her mission in Metropolis and Barbara doubted there was anything to prevent her from taking the call to come to New Gotham.
Helena wouldn't like it but it would be good to have someone else here. Someone close to her base of operations, someone she could trust, someone she could rely on. Surely it wasn't good to rest it all on Helena's shoulders. It simply wasn't fair. And besides, Dinah wanted this chance. Barbara knew that the second she contacted her in Seattle.
A chance for redemption, a chance for a new life, a chance to put together your broken pieces and build something stronger. It was something that Barbara understood all too well since she had gone through the very same journey herself.
So Barbara switched on the communication, smiling to see it remain on perpetual activation, and murmured, "Canary."
"Oracle," Dinah's sunny voice greeted her. "Why is it you never use my first name? You don't really think I'm black, do you?"
"I know you're not black as does most of the world. We've seen your picture on the Justice League website," Barbara chuckled, falling easily into the playful banter on which Dinah seemed to exist.
"Damn!" Barbara heard the loud snap of Dinah's fingers and then an exaggerated sigh. "The internet always gives my secrets away. Next you'll tell me that you know I'm not a natural blonde."
"For the sake of your fragile ego, I won't comment," said Barbara, smiling brightly and chuckling as Dinah groaned loudly. It was so very strange. For years it was Helena alone who could make her feel this way. Who could make her heart light and her mood cheerful with only a few words and a well timed wisecrack. But since the first day she contacted the Black Canary, she found herself smiling whenever they spoke. More than that, she looked forward to their conversations, sparse and work filled as they often were. Though she honestly didn't want to think about what that meant. "I have a job for you, Canary."
"Spiffy," Dinah drawled and Barbara heard a muffled thump. "Hear that, Oracle? That's me packing my bags. So where am I headed this time? Please tell me someplace sunny. My tan needs work."
"Sorry to disappoint," said Barbara, smiling despite herself. "But I need you to investigate a murder in New Gotham."
"A murder?" questioned Dinah, curiousity evident.
"He was one of my contacts," murmured Barbara, trying once again to keep her voice even. "They left my calling card on his body. The one I originally sent him when I…" Barbara couldn't continue on, swallowing hard and ducking her head.
"It'll be okay, Oracle," Dinah's voice echoed throughout the clock tower, comforting and low and almost loving. "We'll find who did this to him and we'll get to them before they hurt anyone else." There was a slight pause and Barbara heard the blonde woman clear her throat, then Dinah's voice returned, rougher than before. "I'm probably going to sound stupid for saying this but I don't really care. You saved my life, giving me this job, it got me out of my depression about Ollie. Made me see I was worth something again. And I'll be fucking dead before I let anyone hurt you, Oracle." Strained laughter, then Dinah said in self recriminating tones, "I do sound stupid. Saying this to someone I've never met. Thing is, I feel like I know you, and because of that and all you've done for me… hell, for countless people, I'll catch this guy. So don't worry about a thing, all right?"
"All right," said Barbara quietly, a feeling of reassurance surging through her, warming her soul. She listened the slam of a door then she said, voice slightly teasing, "Canary?"
"Yeah?" said Dinah.
"How do you plan on getting to New Gotham?" asked Barbara, knowing that Dinah had set out of her hotel with nothing more than the determination to help her.
"Uh… rental car?" Dinah offered weakly and Barbara could practically see her adding up her savings inside her head.
"I have a faster mode of transportation," began Barbara with a chuckle. "Just pick up your ticket at Metropolis Airport for TWA Flight 171, nonstop travel from Metropolis to New Gotham. But you better hurry, the flight I booked leaves in one hour."
"You're the best!" exclaimed Dinah and Barbara was sure she could hear the evident bounce in her step.
And while she wasn't sure she could agree entirely with Dinah's words, all the same she found herself perhaps believing just a little bit in them. Just because of who they came from.
---
Barbara wasn't sure how things ended up in a fight. Well, not a fight but instead a back and forth bickering match between herself and Helena. It wasn't what she wanted. She just came to The Dark Horse to talk with the other woman, to tell her about Dinah's imminent arrival in New Gotham and about Jimmy's death.
But here they were, debating the worth of saving people when it seemed the world as a whole didn't care and you often got punished for your efforts. Much like Helena being stuck in her psychriatry sessions. Or Barbara, forced into a wheelchair.
Though anyone would agree Barbara's punishment was more severe because unlike Helena's it didn't end.
--------------------------
That's it folks!
TITLE: Under Your Skin
SERIES: Azumanga Daioh
PAIRINGS: Kagura/Sakaki, Tomo/Yomi
TITLE: Starin' Down The Stars
SERIES: Firefly
PAIRING: Kaylee/Inara
TITLE: Gnothi Se Auton: Know Thyself
SERIES: Birds Of Prey (Comic/TV Show Fusion)
PAIRING: Barbara (TV)/Dinah (Comic Book)/Helena (TV) Love Triangle
Read on! If you want.
TITLE: Under Your Skin
SERIES: Azumanga Daioh
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
YAHOO/AOL IM: dreiser7
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Kagura/Sakaki.
SUMMARY: Kagura has to tell Sakaki something very important before they start their lives as college students. One that will help decide the path of their lives.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my Tomo-esque personality. I did it!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sorry all of you Kaorin fans. Even though I do find her cute as
a button I just think Kagura would be better for Sakaki. Mostly because she knows her as a person and doesn't worship her blindly. This is my second favorite couple after the tumultuous Tomo/Yomi pairing which I already have a fic worked out for. All I need to do is get around to actually writing it. Heh.
Under Your Skin
By: Dreiser
Sometimes the stupidest of people can be the smartest about the important things in life. At least, that's what Kagura thought. Especially after conversations she would have with Tomo during their forced snack food runs. This time Kagura found herself unwillingly dragged along as Tomo went to get ice cream.
While licking at her chocolate ice cream cone and managing to somehow look incredibly innocent as she made Kagura pay for her food, Tomo said the words that would make Kagura stop, think, and consider.
"Sakaki's leaving, you know."
Arching an eyebrow and heaving a sigh, Kagura shoved her hands into the pockets of her blue jeans. "What are you talking about, Tomo?"
"She's leaving this week for that Vet School," Tomo informed absently, taking a huge bite of her chocolate ice cream, making a mess all over her face. "To stay in a hotel while she looks for an apartment. Since it's so far away she's going to live on her own." Tomo paused to form a strange expression, then laughed softly adding, "Well... not alone. Maya will be there, I guess."
Sakaki.
There wasn't much that could or couldn't be said about Sakaki. The girl was simplicity itself in many ways but entirely complex in others. However, Kagura could say one thing about Sakaki that most did not know. She loved her. Loved her desperately as a person only could that first special time.
"You tell her yet, Romero?" Tomo's brash voice interrupted Kagura's thoughts and she frowned at her friend of sorts. Most did not know. Unfortunately for her, most did not include Tomo.
As stated before, sometimes the stupidest of people can be the smartest and when it came to romance, sadly enough... Tomo was very smart indeed. Although Kagura would admit to wondering exactly how she and Yomi had managed to work out a romance when it seemed all they did was fight. Then again, for Tomo and Yomi fighting was probably a perverse form of foreplay.
Wonderful. Now that mental image would be in her head all day.
"No, I haven't told her," muttered Kagura, shooting Tomo a dirty look and walking down the street, not caring if her friend was following or not. "And his name was Rome, like the city."
"What city?" Tomo blinked, rushing after Kagura and causing her chocolate ice cream to fly forward as if it was going to exit the cone entirely.
"The city of Rome," Kagura rolled her eyes. She came to a stop so Tomo could stabilize her treat before finishing off the rest of it. "That's his name too."
Stuffing the ice cream cone into her mouth, Tomo munched on it and squinted her eyes in a look of semi-lucid concentration. "You sure?" she asked as waffle cone crumbs stuck to her lips. "That doesn't sound right."
"Rome, Rome, where something you Rome," recited Kagura, sitting on a nearby bench and releasing a whoosh of breath. "That's his girlfriend's line."
"Nice," Tomo chuckled, wiping her mouth with her sleeve and plopping down next to Kagura. Bumping their shoulders, she continued, "You practicing for Sakaki?"
Instead of replying, Kagura looked off into the distance and a moment of silence passed over them. Heaving a sigh, Tomo rose to her feet and stood up on her tip toes then stretched her back as she spoke.
"Chiyo-suke is giving her that going away party tomorrow night," informed Tomo while she lifted her arms high over her head. "You should talk to her then. If I were you, I'd talk to her tonight even. There's no point in putting it off."
"I'm not you," said Kagura in quiet but strong tones.
Strong enough that Tomo took notice and turned to face her. Forming that insufferable smirk that only Yomi could possibly love, Tomo declared, "I know! If you were me then you'd know where you stood already. Just because I don't have the patience to play the waiting game like you." Her back facing Kagura again, Tomo's smirk grew larger then she said, "And I'm not a huge wuss."
The exact moment Kagura's new Nikes hit her in the butt, Tomo's cell phone broke out into the distinctive ring she programmed for one special person. Which meant that the first thing Yomi heard on pick up was, "Dammit Kagura! My ass!"
"Tomo...?" drawled Yomi in that distinctive way that only she could. In such a way that it sent simultaneous shivers of pleasure and terror running down Tomo's spine. Although it could appear otherwise, Tomo certainly was not the dominant personality in their relationship. At least, not in the bedroom. "What exactly are you doing with Kagura? I thought you were going to talk to her about Sakaki."
"I did," Tomo groused, rubbing her butt and glaring at Kagura. "She's still being her usual scaredy cat self about it. AND she kicked me in the ass for telling her so! I don't think I deserved that."
"So you say," Yomi chuckled in amusement.
Scowling deeply, Tomo stuck her tongue out at Kagura who tilted her head curiously at this action. "Yomi's taking your side," Tomo sniffed. "Maybe you two would just be better off together and I can confess to Sakaki like Rome did."
"You better not," said Yomi sternly before she paused then said in rather confused tones, "wait... Rome? What does a city have to do with this?"
"It's the guy from that play," said Tomo irritably. "Where something Rome."
"Wherefore art thou? Tomo... that's Romeo. You know, from Romeo and Juliet," said Yomi who now sounded as if she was going to burst into laughter.
"Really?" Tomo squinted, looking at Kagura. "Yomi says his name is Romeo."
Leaning back and scratching her head, Kagura murmured after a moment, "That seems right. I think she might have it."
"Kagura says you're right," Tomo declared grandly with a big grin. "My Yomi is brilliant, isn't she? I wonder why she had to take the entrance exam three times..."
"Shut up," growled Yomi. "I'll punish you for that later. Just tell Kagura to get it over with unless she wants Kaorin to get to Sakaki first."
"All right, all right," said Tomo, making a face. Looking at the sky, a mischievous grin spread across her features and she said in sing song tones, "Hey Yooo-miii?"
There was only the sound of a resigned sigh then Yomi said, "Yeah?"
"I love you," Tomo said softly and earnestly, leaving the other girl no room whatsoever to doubt the truth of what she was saying. There were a great many things Tomo didn't take seriously in this life, herself included, but their relationship was not amongst them. In fact, it was probably the singular thing that she held sacred. "See you at the windowsill?"
"Always," replied Yomi in a gentle whisper, "and in a half an hour. My parents will be asleep by then."
"That's my girl," Tomo grinned before disconnecting the call. Putting the cell phone back into one of the many side pockets of her cargo pants she looked to Kagura who wore a solemn expression on her features as their eyes met. Not sure what to make of this, Tomo wore a blank face and said, "What?"
"You make me jealous sometimes," admitted Kagura reluctantly. "Even though you're a dumbass beserker you got the girl. I can't do that."
"Sure you can!" exclaimed Tomo exuberantly before her face screwed up in a heavy scowl. Giving Kagura's new Nikes a light kick, she said, "And don't call me a dumbass beserker! I passed the entrance exams even before my Yomi did."
"You're still a dumbass beserker," Kagura replied with a sigh. Leaning her head back, she stared up at the night sky then asked, "How did you do it, Tomo?"
Sitting down next to Kagura and folding her legs underneath one another, indian style, Tomo peered curiously at her friend. "Do what? Pass the exams? Well, for the most part I studied when none of you guys knew it. Plus I made these really cool flashcards. I mean, if I want to be an ICPO officer I have study, right?"
"Not that," said Kagura, although partially amazed that Tomo had somehow made herself study when others weren't around. "How did you get Yomi?"
"Get Yomi what?" Tomo screwed up her face. "Get her Valentines presents? I mostly bought anything plush and pink. She goes nuts for girly stuff like that."
"No! Not Valentines presents!" Kagura proclaimed with a great deal of exasperation. Rubbing her forehead in an attempt to fight off the huge migraine she felt forming, she continued, "How did you get Yomi... as a girlfriend?"
The expression that Tomo wore on her face at this question was perhaps the most blank expression on the planet. She truly looked like an empty slate that did not comprehend one little bit of what Kagura just asked her.
That being said, Tomo turned to her companion after a very long moment then said with a questioning look on her face that made it seem as if she didn't quite get what she was about to say. "I asked her?"
"I give up," said Kagura wearily. "You'll never understand what I'm going through. But maybe that's the good thing about you Tomo. You're totally fearless."
"I gotta be if I want to work for the ICPO," Tomo beamed widely, proud of the unexpected compliment she had just recieved. Really, she honestly did get so very few of them even from Yomi.
-------------------
End of that fic! Onto Firefly fanfic.
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TITLE: Starin' Down The Stars
SERIES: Firefly
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Inara/Kaylee.
SUMMARY: Post Serenity. Happy endings don't always turn out the way we expect them to.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my happiness over my new job as a court clerk.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After finally giving in and watching Firefly I found myself loving the series, mourning its death, and really loving the chemistry between Inara and Kaylee. While I think Mal and Simon suit them well in canon I also think Inara and Kaylee could've been set up just as well as Wash and Zoe as the humorously cute steadfast couple on the ship. Hence this fic.
The title of this fanfic comes from the song lyrics for Jealous Of The Moon by Nickel Creek. I'm going to link it and a few other songs by the band just because I hear them appearing in certain parts of the fic. In fact, I listened to nothing but Nickel Creek writing this entire story. The band just seems to fit the series perfectly in my opinion.
Starin' Down The Stars
By: Dreiser
They were supposed to be happy after Miranda.
All four of them were supposed to be happy. Inara and Mal, Kaylee and Simon, that was the unspoken promise. For them to be the happy ones, to somehow heal the emptiness in Serenity caused by the absence of Wash and his love for Zoe and their love for one another. It's funny how things that are supposed to be sometimes just never quite work out.
Kaylee knew why it couldn't be with Simon, she knew just one month into it. She didn't love him like she should, he wasn't first in her heart, always on her mind. He was more like a wonderful afterthought, something that drifted in and out of her conciousness that made her smile when she could recollect it.
It wasn't right to stay with a man when she couldn't really love him. Least ways, not if he didn't know it. That's what she figured. So she told him that, gentle as she could and left the decision up to him. Then one night, while everyone was in their bunk sleeping away, he came to her and said they should just be friends.
They spent that last night together. Maybe for old times sake, Kaylee couldn't say. She could say that it made her wish she was in love with him, that she could be in love with him, considering how sweet and tender he was with her. And as she watched him climb away, just before chow, turning back to look at her with those sad eyes that almost pleaded for her to love him, she cried.
Wasn't right that she couldn't love a man like that. It wasn't right at all.
Inara and the Captain, they lasted a bit longer. A few months, in fact, near coming on a year when it ended. Somehow them ending struck Kaylee harder than the ruin of her own romance with Simon. She couldn't figure why, lying in her bunk, crying into the silky fine and downy soft pillow that Inara had given her the first month they had known each other.
Breathing in the scent that was distinctly Inara, a lingering spell of honey and sweet spices, which caused your head to swim just from a whiff of it, Kaylee wondered why she was crying so. Sobbing was more like it, clinging to the pillow that Inara had given her, that smelled of her so, when she wasn't the one who had broken up with her sweetheart.
She hadn't cried this way when it ended with Simon. Tears had been shed but nothing of this magnitude, not ones that ripped through her soul and made her body shake and shake. Through these muffled sobs into that sweet smelling pillow Kaylee kept wondering. Why would it bother her so that Inara wasn't with the Captain anymore? She kept on wondering, long after the tears had dried up and she had gone about her business of fiddling and fixing things on the ship.
Kept wondering for hours turned into days turned into weeks. Until she was sitting smack in the middle of Inara's shuttle, perched terrible comfortable on her bed, hair being brushed slow and smooth, when it finally hit her. She wasn't just sad for Inara and the Captain that day, she was sad for herself too. Thing of it is, why was she feeling that way? It wasn't her sweetheart she had broken up with that day, Kaylee knew that all too well. She also knew things between Inara and the Captain weren't her business and it didn't make a lick of sense for her to be caught up in them so. But maybe that was the point of it all, Kaylee reasoned.
Love didn't make sense, not a penny.
Elegant fingers sifted through her hair, combing gentle and sweet, treating those hairs like they were the finest silk in the 'verse and Kaylee knew why she couldn't love Simon right. Why she couldn't put him first in her heart. Because she already had someone there, had them there for years without even knowing it was so.
She was in love with Inara and that's why she had cried so when things ended between Inara and the Captain.
Even if you don't know who your sweetheart rightly is, in your heart of hearts you still want them to be happy. That's what Kaylee figured anyhow. Inara ending things with the Captain, that surely wasn't a sign of happiness, which is why it tore at Kaylee, kept tearing at her for months on end. Getting lost in the sensation of those hands in her hair, that fine scent enveloping her, Kaylee thought back to what Inara said when she asked why it was over with the Captain.
"Sometimes love isn't enough, mei mei," Inara had murmured, looking up with kind eyes over her cup of tea. "Our hearts did meet but our spirits remained in opposition and while differences create a spark for the fire of attraction, it doesn't feed the flame of love. Not enough to sustain it indefinitely. We agreed we are better to remain as ever bickering friends."
Telling words, all of them, but the only thing that stuck in Kaylee's mind was Inara calling her mei mei. Of course, she always called her that. Dear sister, little sister, something you called a girl younger than you, one that was close to your heart but not somebody who you loved with a deep passion and desire. Not what you called somebody who could be your lover.
That was a person you called bao bei, like Inara had once done for the Captain.
Facing down death at the hands of Reavers, hearing the fumbled confession slip past Simon's lips that he fancied her too, that was what made her finally take a chance with him. That wasn't something she would ever get with Inara and Kaylee knew, much as it pained her so, she had to forget this. Inara wasn't going to come to her with a confession of love, not the romantic sort anyway, and Kaylee could scarcely imagine going to her with such things.
Even knowing how she felt for Simon was perhaps nothing but her mind playing tricks on her heart, she recalled how she had been too frightened to go to him with her feelings. He was smart and wordly and ever so handsome and the idea he would want her romantically was beyond her. Despite all that happened between them, Kaylee still didn't understand it. How a man like him had loved her and though she knew it wasn't right to him she wished it hadn't ended because how could she ever possibly be with someone better than Simon? Hell, if you asked her it was like finding a whole cargo bay of platinum to have him fall in love with her. Ain't no way something like that would happen again, someone so fine and educated falling for somebody like her.
Inara couldn't love her like Simon had. Not real and true and romantic, eyes dark and burning with lust, pulling her clothes off careful but swift and eager. She couldn't do that because she couldn't love Kaylee that way and maybe that's also why she cried that day.
It's easier not wanting something when it's kept far from your reach. That's why when she was a child her mother had always put those rare pieces of fruit on the highest shelf. When they were well beyond her reach it helped to keep the temptation at bay. Inara being with the Captain, kept things the same. But now they were apart and Kaylee wasn't sure how she could be around the companion without resisting the urge to reach out and take her. To taste that tan skin that surely had to be as delicious as the smell of the other woman.
Forgetting was the easiest solution, she reasoned. Forgetting and keeping a distance from Inara. Least for awhile, until she could control her urges and bury these feelings. Which is why Kaylee abruptly stood, giving a stammered excuse about having to fix some engine part or another, trying her best to ignore the look of confusion and that flash of hurt in brown eyes.
This hurt was something Inara would forgive and the feeling would pass. But if the companion was to find out the truth and if she was to give the rejection that would follow, kind and understanding as Kaylee wagered it would be, the mechanic wasn't sure that was a kind of hurt that would ever pass. No, it would be something she would carry with her forever and it would make her heart heavy, the pain of it dragging her down until she couldn't be around Inara at all.
Better to keep quiet and hope these feelings would fade. Of course, it didn't feel better as she skittered into her engine room, aching to return to the place she had just left, to feel Inara's fingers in her hair, close her eyes and pretend for a moment the other woman loved her the same. But it would feel better eventually.
Or so she hoped.
---
Mal looked around the table and a frown pulling at his features, he sat in his chair and said, "Kaylee's not comin' for chow again?"
"Food becomes kinetic energy. And energy is important, even though energy is expelled making feces. But feces nourishes the soil only there's no soil in space, so feces nourishes nothing. It just floats," River remarked, shoving a forkful of protein into her mouth and grinning at Zoe around her fork. "But Kaylee should still eat. People need to expel floating feces."
"Disgusting as that assessment might've been I'm thinkin' I agree with River," drawled Zoe, lifting an eyebrow in droll amusement.
"I'm inclined to agree myself," said Mal with a nod.
A clear purpose in his body language, the captain started to rise but paused when a clear voice called out, "I'll fetch her, Mal."
Cocking his head slightly, Mal considered Inara for a moment, taking in the worried look in her brown eyes, and the anxious way her fingers gripped the edges of the doorway before making his decision. "Much obliged, Inara," replied Mal, dipping his head in a gentlemanly manner. "You just remind little Kaylee for me that ain't no ship in the 'verse can run proper without it's best mechanic runnin' that way too."
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I just stop in the middle of nowhere it seems. Time for Birds of Prey fusion fic.
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This is a combination of the Birds of Prey comic book and the television show. What does that mean? Transplant comic book Dinah Lance into the television show. Along with a few storyline ideas from the comic book.
TITLE: Gnothi Se Auton: Know Thyself
SERIES: Birds of Prey
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
YAHOO ID: dreiser7
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Barbara/Dinah (Comic verse). Barbara/Helena (TV verse).
SUMMARY: Barbara recruits a new operative, Dinah Lance, for her work as Oracle, causing unexpected conflict with Helena.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my love for an endless amount of cancelled television shows.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although the television version of Dinah did grow on me I've always thought the Birds of Prey show would've been so much better with the actual Dinah Lance as a member of the team. Hence this fic. The title of which comes from one of the phrases inscribed at the temple of the Oracle of Delphi.
Originally I had this story take place right after Barbara's shooting with Helena as a teenager. Then I realized that Helena as a teenager is just about as fun as Dinah as a teenager. So I started the fic right back over and here we are. Hopefully this version is better. At least it's a version I'm happier with. That's something.
And for those who are unfamiliar with the Birds of Prey comic here's a nice link to the Wikipedia entry about Dinah.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canary
Gnothi Se Auton:
Know Thyself
By: Dreiser
Prologue…
For many years in the city of New Gotham, a secret war raged by night. Unknown to the everday world, a battle for the very heart of the city was waged between Batman and Joker.
But one night the final battle was fought, and Joker lost. Joker's revenge was taken not on Batman himself, but on the ones he loved.
Helena Kyle didn't know that her father was Batman, nor did she know that her mother had once been Catwoman. Helena Kyle's life was forever changed that night, but the Joker's revenge didn't end with the murder of Selina Kyle.
Batman had trained many proteges over the years, and one of them was Barbara Gordon, who called herself Batgirl. The Joker took his revenge on her with a single bullet, meant to kill but instead resulting in permenant paralysis.
Dinah Lance was a hero being brutalized and tortured, living far from New Gotham in the port of Seattle. Her throat slit by a sadist named Jankowski, her Canary Cry taken from her.
And so seven years later, our story begins.
---
Being an information broker wasn't a job that one could do alone. There had be contacts made, those who traded information with a perpetual string attached, people you couldn't quite trust except for their information which was always true. Barbara Gordon, once Batgirl but now known as Oracle, a mysterious information broker to superheroes, had many of these contacts. Simply because not everything could be discovered through the use of computers.
Even by a system as advanced as Delphi.
One of her contacts was dead. Jimmy Marco, technology expert to the New Gotham underworld, a man who could hack nearly any computer he touched. He did this so well that Barbara often thought if he had the time and the inclination could make some serious problems for Delphi. But Jimmy was lazy and didn't like doing anything he wasn't paid for, even if the idea probably interested him and sounded like great fun.
Now Jimmy was dead. Murdered to get to her. Of this, Barbara was certain. Staring at the official crime scene photographs, her mouth set into a grim line as she focused on a small business card left on Jimmy's bullet ridden body.
Green.
The avatar she used consulting her peers online. Those she asked the rare advice on her system and possible invaders. Jimmy was among those. He was also among the few she trusted to let her know what was truly going on within the ranks of the New Gotham mafia.
Staring at the card and sighing, Barbara removed her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. "I'll have to find a new psuedonym," she remarked, loathing the idea of it. There was nothing more troublesome than coming up with a fake name for yourself. Particularly if you wanted the name to have any sort of significant meaning. Which Barbara usually did. She tried to focus on the stupidity of needing a new name online. Not the fact that this boy, barely a man at twenty one, was dead because of his association with her. An association that was supposed to be secret. She was Oracle, someone whispered about, no one knew if she was a man or a woman, how old she was, where she lived, or even if she was a human being. But somehow one of her contacts had been discovered. A contact, that however minute the percentage of the chance, could possibly lead someone back to her. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Barbara muttered, "Fuck."
That was the only recrimination she would allow herself. Work had to be done, work to find out who did this to Jimmy, work to protect her other contacts, and work to protect the new life she had managed to carve out for herself. Reaching for her glasses, Barbara perched them on her nose and activated the communication system.
"Huntress," she began, keeping her voice as even as possible. "There's been a murder. I need you to investigate the scene." A moment, then two, and still silence. "Huntress," Barbara tried again, growing slightly agitated.
More silence then the click of the communication line going dead.
Frowning, Barbara pushed her annoyance away as her eidetic memory took hold, reminding her this was Helena's time with the court appointed psychriatrist. Something the dark woman wasn't at all happy about. The judgement of her needing anger management only came about because of the damage Helena had done in pursuing a criminal at Barbara's call.
Still, she couldn't help being annoyed. But the annoyance couldn't last, not if she wanted to find Jimmy's killer, a person who could be after her as well. Looking to her list of operatives, most of which she mainly brokered information to when they were on a mission or it pertained to the area in which they operated, Barbara settled on the newest. She was done with her mission in Metropolis and Barbara doubted there was anything to prevent her from taking the call to come to New Gotham.
Helena wouldn't like it but it would be good to have someone else here. Someone close to her base of operations, someone she could trust, someone she could rely on. Surely it wasn't good to rest it all on Helena's shoulders. It simply wasn't fair. And besides, Dinah wanted this chance. Barbara knew that the second she contacted her in Seattle.
A chance for redemption, a chance for a new life, a chance to put together your broken pieces and build something stronger. It was something that Barbara understood all too well since she had gone through the very same journey herself.
So Barbara switched on the communication, smiling to see it remain on perpetual activation, and murmured, "Canary."
"Oracle," Dinah's sunny voice greeted her. "Why is it you never use my first name? You don't really think I'm black, do you?"
"I know you're not black as does most of the world. We've seen your picture on the Justice League website," Barbara chuckled, falling easily into the playful banter on which Dinah seemed to exist.
"Damn!" Barbara heard the loud snap of Dinah's fingers and then an exaggerated sigh. "The internet always gives my secrets away. Next you'll tell me that you know I'm not a natural blonde."
"For the sake of your fragile ego, I won't comment," said Barbara, smiling brightly and chuckling as Dinah groaned loudly. It was so very strange. For years it was Helena alone who could make her feel this way. Who could make her heart light and her mood cheerful with only a few words and a well timed wisecrack. But since the first day she contacted the Black Canary, she found herself smiling whenever they spoke. More than that, she looked forward to their conversations, sparse and work filled as they often were. Though she honestly didn't want to think about what that meant. "I have a job for you, Canary."
"Spiffy," Dinah drawled and Barbara heard a muffled thump. "Hear that, Oracle? That's me packing my bags. So where am I headed this time? Please tell me someplace sunny. My tan needs work."
"Sorry to disappoint," said Barbara, smiling despite herself. "But I need you to investigate a murder in New Gotham."
"A murder?" questioned Dinah, curiousity evident.
"He was one of my contacts," murmured Barbara, trying once again to keep her voice even. "They left my calling card on his body. The one I originally sent him when I…" Barbara couldn't continue on, swallowing hard and ducking her head.
"It'll be okay, Oracle," Dinah's voice echoed throughout the clock tower, comforting and low and almost loving. "We'll find who did this to him and we'll get to them before they hurt anyone else." There was a slight pause and Barbara heard the blonde woman clear her throat, then Dinah's voice returned, rougher than before. "I'm probably going to sound stupid for saying this but I don't really care. You saved my life, giving me this job, it got me out of my depression about Ollie. Made me see I was worth something again. And I'll be fucking dead before I let anyone hurt you, Oracle." Strained laughter, then Dinah said in self recriminating tones, "I do sound stupid. Saying this to someone I've never met. Thing is, I feel like I know you, and because of that and all you've done for me… hell, for countless people, I'll catch this guy. So don't worry about a thing, all right?"
"All right," said Barbara quietly, a feeling of reassurance surging through her, warming her soul. She listened the slam of a door then she said, voice slightly teasing, "Canary?"
"Yeah?" said Dinah.
"How do you plan on getting to New Gotham?" asked Barbara, knowing that Dinah had set out of her hotel with nothing more than the determination to help her.
"Uh… rental car?" Dinah offered weakly and Barbara could practically see her adding up her savings inside her head.
"I have a faster mode of transportation," began Barbara with a chuckle. "Just pick up your ticket at Metropolis Airport for TWA Flight 171, nonstop travel from Metropolis to New Gotham. But you better hurry, the flight I booked leaves in one hour."
"You're the best!" exclaimed Dinah and Barbara was sure she could hear the evident bounce in her step.
And while she wasn't sure she could agree entirely with Dinah's words, all the same she found herself perhaps believing just a little bit in them. Just because of who they came from.
---
Barbara wasn't sure how things ended up in a fight. Well, not a fight but instead a back and forth bickering match between herself and Helena. It wasn't what she wanted. She just came to The Dark Horse to talk with the other woman, to tell her about Dinah's imminent arrival in New Gotham and about Jimmy's death.
But here they were, debating the worth of saving people when it seemed the world as a whole didn't care and you often got punished for your efforts. Much like Helena being stuck in her psychriatry sessions. Or Barbara, forced into a wheelchair.
Though anyone would agree Barbara's punishment was more severe because unlike Helena's it didn't end.
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That's it folks!
no subject
And if they wanted to keep Lori Loughlin as Dinah, that would have worked too.
Sincerely, Allaine
P.S. Skeet Ulrich has now made out with both Ashley Scott and Erin Daniels in the town of Jericho. Therefore, he is God.