2015-07-21 - A Picture is Worth

Having spent the night taking care of a rather ill Leah, Kara found herself alone in the morning. Leah tried to 'sneak' out when she was feeling better, though it didn't fool Kara at all. But Kara was too polite to do more than make sure that she was healthy and safe to go.

The next day however, Kara gets a phone call from the selfsame. "Busy? Because I don't want to intrude on saving Somalia or something."

Kara Zor-El talks into the phone. "Oh I'm not busy or anything. Just finishing up some little stuff...." Kara says as there's some sort of machine gun fire, followed by a scream of pain from some guy, "Augh! Get the rocket launcher!"

Kara turns the phone away from the noise. "It's nothing that I can't be done with in a minute or two. Is everything okay? You got home okay right? I didn't want to intrude when you were um.... sneaking out."

There's the sound of an explosion as Kara stops the rocket with her hand, catching it as it explodes. When the smoke clears, she's unharmed as she covers the phone. "On. The. PHONE!" she yells at someone, as she flies down amidst the white slave ring, punching the ground, causing the entire area to have a mini earthquake. The 20 armed mercs lose their balance and fall down.

Then there's a sound of blowing.

Kara looks back at the phone while the men are all frozen to the ground. "Is the hangover gone?"

Technically, it wasnt Somalia anyway - it was the Congo.

"Close enough, and whatever's still there I totally deserve," Leah says warmly. She still has a bit of a headache but she considers it a fair trade for the night she'd had previously. "When you're done, hon. Meet me outside the Dairy Queen on Fourth and Madison." She's a cheerful person, really.

And sits down on one of the seats in the shade at said establishment, with two milkshakes ready for her and a guest. Who hasn't arrived yet. "I'll hang up, kiss." click.

Kara smiles as she says into the phone, "I'm practically done here, sure thing! Speaking of which I have a present for you that I-"

"YAAAAAH!" yells the last merc standing in his new armored exoskeleton as he attacks Supergirl from behind, slamming his titanium fist into her back. Which doesn't do anything to the Girl of Steel.

"One second." Kara turns around to look at him with the busted gauntlet covering his hand, and gives him a backhand, sending him flying into the wall. A short burst of superspeed and his armor is off, and the guy's standing there in his heart-decorated boxer shorts, still wobbly from her backhand. She waves at him, then just puts her finger on his forehead and gives a light tap as he falls backwards onto the ground, out like a light. "Actually I JUST finished. And yeah... present for you." she says as she walks over to the cages where the women are being held, ripping off the door like tinfoil and saying something to them in Swahili, letting them know they're free and that Interpol was on its way to take them somewhere safe.

A 15 minutes later (as she had to wait for the helicopters to arrive to arrest the slavers and treat the women, Kara's walking over to the Dairy Queen at Fourth and Madison in her civilian clothes. "Hey!" she says, waving at Leah.

Leah is reading some James Bond novel when Kara flies up. 'Licence Expired', by Jamie Mason, a British Columbian author. She has two milkshakes, both kind of having gotten warm, and a small package that looks kind of like a picture in a frame. She's sitting at the Dairy Queen, out front on one of the hard tables, and humming pleasantly to herself.

She doesn't see Kara til the kryptonian calls out, and puts her book down carefully so as to not damage the spine. Sticks out her hand toward Kara, smiling. "Your milkshake is all melty. Hey hon."

Kara Zor-El sprints over and sits down at Leah's table. "Sorry, sorry. I had to wait on some people to arrive before I could go and they took a while." Honestly, it didn't need to take 15 minutes for Interpol. Kara had taken out all of the anti aircraft defenses before she went in to save the women from slavery. She grins at Leah and sips the milkshake. "Oh... and like I was saying on the phone, I got you something. I thought it was important after that guy at the bar thought you were Supergirl..."

Kara reaches into her dimensional pocket and pulls out a little watch. "My cousin has this best friend who he gave a watch to which can emit this really high pitch signal that pretty much only Kryptonians and maybe a few dolphins can hear. It's around 165 kilohertz and pretty distinct. So I made one for you too. You know..." She hands over the watch. "In case you're in trouble or something - it stands out even more than a person's voice does. Cuts through the other 7 billion people on the planet."

Leah puts aside her milkshake while Kara talks, offering her a...watch? She looks warmly bemused by the gift, having already been happy to start with. Taking on a slightly more serious expression, she takes the watch gravely and says, "I've got immense respect for pagers. I get the idea, Kara. Just in case, and hope it's never needed." She pauses, then adds after a bit of thought, "Not sure I can actually wear it when I'm in costume though. A watch on Supergirl's wrist is a bit out of place."

Kara Zor-El rubs her head a bit. "I could probably redesign it to put the signal in something else? I mean... I don't wear earrings or a bellyring either because of the whole invulnerability thing though. Um.... Maybe a belt buckle? Like... for the skirt? I dunno?" she asks with a shrug.

When the urge for ice cream hits, no one is immune. Not even interdimensional sorceresses. Though, for some reason, rather than conjuring it on her own, the gothic being simply known as Raven decided she needed to go out for it. Perhaps it was just an urge to get away from her usual trappings, or a need to change her surroundings. Nevertheless, she steps into the Dairy Queen in her usual manner...which, of course, is highly unusual for normal people. A dark shadow takes shape, an oval seemingly floating in front of the counter, just a little to the side. Then, from this pool of inky darkness, the cloaked figure of Raven emerges, hovering just inches above the floor. The portal flows seemingly into the floating magess, becoming her own shadow.

Imagine the shock on the front line worker's face.

There is a soft murmur...the tell-tale monotone of Raven. "Two Dilly bars, please."

Leah listens to what Kara says, nodding as she thinks. Her design-focused brain is on the job, and she looks at the wristwatch intensely. "How small could it be? I mean, I do wear earrings and a stud earring fits with damn near anything. I could even wear one to work, which is actually pretty difficult to manage at a hospital."

She thinks about the last time someone wore a hoop earring to the burn ward and shivers visibly. That poor girl. "Can't do a belt buckle either unfortunately, I'm in scrubs at work. No belts, no actual clothing to speak of. I'd be leaving it in my locker for ten hours a day or more."

Being outside the front of the Dairy Queen, she misses Raven's grand entrance save for seeing something odd going on inside. Tilts her head. "Umm. Speaking of paging Kara..."

Kara Zor-El nods. "Well... if earrings wouldnt mess up your whole costume thing I guess I could..." She tilts her head. "Wow, guess Raven had an ice cream craving." She takes the milkshake in one hand and Leah's hand with the other. "Hey... want to meet a friend of mine?" she asks as she heads over to Raven. Leah picks up her present in her hands, having not given it to Kara yet, and follows. "I was ...okay, actually yeah I do!" She grins openly as she's led toward the dour one, having no idea what she's in for. But hey, it can't be worse than karaoke night and daquiris.


 * shudder*

When the two Dilly bars are delivered to Raven, albeit with a shaky hand, Raven murmurs her thanks while paying. Somehow....as her ensemble does not seem to incorporate pockets. Questions as to how are promptly solved, as Raven takes one and performs what seems to be a sleight of hand trick, causing the ice cream treat to disappear. Of course, it was merely a small portal opened into a pocket dimension, but try explaining that to the poor clerk behind the counter. The second bar is then held in one hand as Raven begins to partake.

Turning, she catches sight of Kara and...someone else with Kara that Raven is unfamiliar with. Kara herself is greeted with a nod, and no smile. Just acknowledgement. "Kara."

Kara Zor-El looks at Leah then at Raven. "Um... Raven, this is my friend Leah. Leah, this is my friend Raven. We're in the Titans together. And Leah does cosplay and is a nurse." She pauses. "Cosplay is where people dress up like superheroes at comic book shows."

Leah doesn't bat an eye at seeing someone dressed up like a superhero. And Kara's explanation is probably why; she actually sees a dozen Ravens a week. Some of them really good. But few have a special effects team or the ability to do pocket dimensions. Well, there was that one guy...blocking that memory now.

Leah sticks a hand out to Raven, smiling, and says, "Nice to meet you. Seriously! You aren't here to get mad at me for cosplaying as you are you? Because I swear i was twelve and nobody would help me with the stitching."

Raven blinks in stoic silence as the introduction to Leah is made. As Kara tries to explain what cosplay is, there is a lift of Raven's hand. "I know what cosplay is, Kara. No need to explain."

The attention turns to Leah, as Raven, unusual for her, actually takes the hand gently. "I needed a repose from Titan's Tower. Kory threatened to take me shopping. Also, I wanted ice cream." That seems an appropriate answer to give, as there isn't any additional explanation. There is, however, a curious expression, complete with a raise of the eyebrow. "You....dressed as me? I would not imagine that to be a desirable option. However, it is good to meet you, Leah."

Leah nods her head, giving Raven's hand a squeeze. She's not a big energetic handshaker. And has something giftwrapped in her other hand. "You're actually quite popular, mostly with the goth crowd. I was a kid once." She gives Kara a smile that's actually quite real and warm, then holds out the gift. "I don't care what else happens, you're getting this tonight."

 Raven actually ducks out now. see you later. Raven has disconnected.

Kara Zor-El watches as Raven suddenly vanishes. "Um... she does that sometimes. Sorry." Then takes the giftwrapped rectangular present. "Ohh thank you! You didn't have to." And opens it.

Leah looks at her hand, having been holding Raven when she poofed. "Never seen anyone do that one before. She was the real thing. I owe Steph fifty bucks." No explanation, though I'm sure the story is thrilling.

Inside Kara's package is a picture in a frame, which is totally what it looked like before it was unwrapped. The frame's alright, but the picture? It's a pic of three Supergirls, pulling on a cable (which is attached to a tank, off-screeen).

One little tiny one in front is MAYBE eleven and is pulling with all her little heart. The one in the middle looks very much like Kara, in that she's holding the cable with one hand and looking happy, but not reallllly trying hard. The one in behind has Leah's grin and is howling with glee, and looks like she's going to fall on her butt soon. Having the time of her life.

And Leah looks up at Kara, with a bit of a blush. "Hope you like it?"

Kara Zor-El smiles, hugs the picture, then gives Leah a hug as well. "I love it. It's from the day we met at the Comic Con!"

Leah rolls her eyes a little as she's hugged. "No, it's from the OTHER time we played tug of war with a tank." Giving Kara a little kiss on the cheek, she says, "Now. I have to work the graveyard shift tonight at the hospital and need sleep. Don't lose that, it's a photoshop original." She winks, having spent at LEAST ten minutes on the whole project. "See you tomorrow?"

Kara Zor-El smiles. "Definitely. And I'll make sure to fit the signal in an earring. You sure that it won't be bad with the cosplay thing? I mean.... I don't have pierced ears."

"Cosplayers have come to cons with tattoos, piercings, amputations, wheelchairs, guide dogs, the wrong gender entirely for the character, and I once saw someone play both superman and batman at once." Leah smiles at the concern, completely content. "I think I can get away with it, and I've had an earring in my right ear since you met me. Nobody even notices the obvious stuff. Yet for some reason a watch ruins the image. Go figure."

She shakes her head, then takes her milkshake back. "Oh, tell Starfire if you see her that I'm working on a version of her that'll rock the world. And for heaven's sake, smile. You look like you just had to beat up a Somali warlord again."

Kara is smiling, though in her defense...it WAS the Congo. Somalia is a totally different...ah, nevermind.

"Gnite!"