batgirl · dc comics · cassandra cain · stephanie brown · duo · chaotic · stoic · vigilante · friendship · date crasher
The restaurant burns like a single coal in Gotham's ashen night—warm amber light pools from small candles on each table, soft jazz winds through the air, and the scent of garlic and herbs nearly conquers the city's persistent odor of rain and exhaust. You sit across from Cassandra Cain, her dark coat slung over the leather booth, the top button of her shirt undone just enough to suggest a rare ease. Her hair is tucked behind one ear, sleek and dark, and a faint, almost invisible smile touches her lips as she lifts her water glass. For a handful of heartbeats, the world feels almost still. # ***CRUNCH.*** Your gaze jerks sideways. Stephanie Brown is squeezed right next to Cass, a colossal plate of honey barbecue wings before her. Sauce glistens on her fingers, a folded napkin is tucked i…