"Say that around the wrong people," Dairine says cheerfully from behind him, "and somebody's likely to take it as an invitation. Luckily it's just me."
"Since you're not into girls and I didn't say it, I think we're safe," Dick answers, equally cheerful. With a quick flip and twist of his arm, he grabs her and hauls her around in front of him to present to Dinah and to hug surreptitiously if she doesn't squeak away. "This miscreant--" He glances down at Dairine. "Is Dairine Callahan, Robin's second-in-command." In uniform, Robin was Robin, no matter who they're talking to. "Dairine, this is Black Canary, a friend from home." He trusts Dari with Dinah's name, but they're in uniform and other ears might be listening.
"Pleasure to meet you, Dairine." Dinah is outright grinning because there is something ridiculously funny about watching young girls flirt with Dick. It's his own damn fault anyway, so it's not like he can blame them. But it's nice not being the only one getting ogled all the time. "You look like you're enjoying the party."
If Dairine knew Dinah thought she was flirting? There would probably be A Scene. But she doesn't, and is instead occupied with being indignant at being grabbed. "Hey! Nice to meet you too. And yeah, it's good. There's always food at these things. You?"
Jill's a little tipsy and a lot happy, today. Okay, maybe a bit more then a little, which is why she's moved beyond trying to get people to eat and more wanting to hug them.
Not really the best of plans, but when she sees Dick, she still smiles. He was with Dinah, and the fact that Tim could even sort of relax was a miracle - and must have been his doing. "Nightwing!" She covered her mouth with a hand, realizing she said that a little loud. She couldn't stand out more, her dress bright in Arrow green, her blonde hair pulled up in a twist that seemed a lot more appropriate and grown up, at least if you asked her.
In all the time he's known her, Dick's absolutely sure he's never seen her this happy. Or this tipsy. Both are cute on her.
He nods, making sure she sees his head move, and waits for her to come to him before offering a brighter greeting. "Ol--" Shit. Dinah's missing him, he's sure, and it's the height of insensitive to bash Ollie now. "Robin Hood eat your heart out. You look stunning, princess."
Dinah catches the slip and it makes her heart hurt a bit, but she appreciates that Dick knows her well enough that he stopped himself. Still, he does have a point. Jill looks adorable in Arrow green. "It suits you, Jill. You should wear that color more often." If the girl catches the shades of meaning in that statement, so much the better.
Jill's not really sober enough to get subtle innuendo, and she opens her mouth to say hello to Dinah, but her voice lowers even as she moves to hug Dick with one arm, almost distractly. "What should I call you?"
She's not got another identity - a lot of people don't, and she's not sure she could handle it, but she knew that Dinah probably did. "Aren't those uncomfortable?" She was looking at the fishnets with wide eyes.
She hated going up to people. Sometimes, she bumped into them in places like this, but she hated going up to them, hated to start talking and having to worry that they'd stare at her blankly, or worse, act like they had back home. She'd noticed, though, that she stopped caring, and people started talking to her, and everything was just easier. She wasn't drunk, yet - not by a long shot, but there wasn't anything wrong with getting some air.
And then, there was somebody, and her mouth just opened, the words sort of falling out. "Hi." She was blushing, maybe, because the silhouette in the moon left not so much to the imagination and she was 19 but she wasn't dead. "Who're you?" It's the way she'd started greeting masks ever since the mess with Bart last year.
He feels her moving toward him before she catches his attention. Instinct, habit, practice, and he'd already started to slip into shadows to watch before he recognized Dairine's sister and stopped to offer a smile. This is one of the places he differs with Bruce and Tim on methods. Heroes should be charming and bright and accessible in uniform, inspiring confidence. At least some of them should be.
"Nightwing. But you can call me N, Nita Callahan." That way she knows she knows him, but he doesn't have to put his name with his uniform in case anyone else is listening.
"N." She grinned, the giggle escaping without any real effort, fingers slipping a lock of hair behind her ear. "You're one of them, right?" She laughed, then. "Them. I make you sound like a bunch of aliens. I'm sorry!"
"Them?" His mouth quirks, the oral equivalent of lifting an eyebrow when the spirit gum on the mask would pull. The hair slips free from behind her ear almost immediately, and instinctively, he moves to push it back again, fingers gentle in spite of the gauntlets. "No aliens in this bunch, at least not until Martian Manhunter shows up."
Anatoly had managed as long as he could, but the crowd of people had finally become too much for him to handle, and he wandered out to the periphery of the party. He needed some fresh air and a moment or two of quiet to regroup.
"Anatoly Sergievsky. Chess grandmaster. Lex's lover," he tells Dinah while he tracks the figure stepping out to catch some air. He's already filled her in on Lex, on the fact he claimed not to be evil here and seemed to be behaving himself, so this is just a visual orientation.
He's been meaning to meet Anatoly, both as Dick and as Nightwing. Now's as good a time as any. He nods to the figure and flickers finger-sign for Dinah to go ahead. "You first. Your uniform doesn't scream vigilante."
"You have got to be kidding me. What the hell am I supposed to say to a guy who's fucking one of the most evil men on Earth?!" Sure, Dick said Lex wasn't the same man, but how many times had Lex tried to sell that line before? He was a liar. "You are going to owe me big time for this," she adds with a scowl before stepping out of the shadows.
When she knew she was in a spot where he could see her she stopped and called out softly to him. "Everything Ok?"
Anatoly started, completely unaware there'd been anyone else near him. He managed a polite smile, and carefully did not stare too long at the fishnets or any other part that was not her face.
"Yes, I'm fine," he answered. "I just needed some air. The noise and people - it was a bit much, that's all."
"I wouldn't dare!" Kon said, lifting his glass at the pair of them. He pouted a little when he realized that Dinah was in uniform. "Damn. And here I was hoping to get a dance from you, beautiful." His grin was perhaps a little wider than normal and he took a long sip of his drink, glancing at Dick. "Don't suppose Dad'll let you off for a few minutes for good behavior?"
He started to move and realized that maybe, just maybe, he needed to think before moving. He couldn't remember having to do that before.
"Yes, you would. Without thinking twice about it," Dick answers Kon's tipsy protest, but he's smiling as much as he ever does with family while wearing the mask. "I'd tell you to watch it, but Canary's more than capable of taking care of you herself."
Arms coming up to cross casually over his chest, Dick cocks his head toward Dinah. "All you, pretty bird."
Dinah is grinning like crazy watching the two of them, but when the attention turns back to her she cocks a hip and tones it down to a flirty smile. "I don't know, handsome. I might have to give you a rain check on that dance. But hey, you never know. The night's still young."
"Uh uh," Kon said, looking at Dick again. "Not when you're within grabbing distance at least. So there's thinking twice." He didn't deny that he'd do it without Dick being there, though. It would just depend on the person. "I'm not about to get smacked around by you."
He winked at Dinah. "Oh, I'll collect one way or the other, beautiful."
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Not really the best of plans, but when she sees Dick, she still smiles. He was with Dinah, and the fact that Tim could even sort of relax was a miracle - and must have been his doing. "Nightwing!" She covered her mouth with a hand, realizing she said that a little loud. She couldn't stand out more, her dress bright in Arrow green, her blonde hair pulled up in a twist that seemed a lot more appropriate and grown up, at least if you asked her.
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He nods, making sure she sees his head move, and waits for her to come to him before offering a brighter greeting. "Ol--" Shit. Dinah's missing him, he's sure, and it's the height of insensitive to bash Ollie now. "Robin Hood eat your heart out. You look stunning, princess."
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She's not got another identity - a lot of people don't, and she's not sure she could handle it, but she knew that Dinah probably did. "Aren't those uncomfortable?" She was looking at the fishnets with wide eyes.
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And then, there was somebody, and her mouth just opened, the words sort of falling out. "Hi." She was blushing, maybe, because the silhouette in the moon left not so much to the imagination and she was 19 but she wasn't dead. "Who're you?" It's the way she'd started greeting masks ever since the mess with Bart last year.
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"Nightwing. But you can call me N, Nita Callahan." That way she knows she knows him, but he doesn't have to put his name with his uniform in case anyone else is listening.
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He's been meaning to meet Anatoly, both as Dick and as Nightwing. Now's as good a time as any. He nods to the figure and flickers finger-sign for Dinah to go ahead. "You first. Your uniform doesn't scream vigilante."
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When she knew she was in a spot where he could see her she stopped and called out softly to him. "Everything Ok?"
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"Yes, I'm fine," he answered. "I just needed some air. The noise and people - it was a bit much, that's all."
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He started to move and realized that maybe, just maybe, he needed to think before moving. He couldn't remember having to do that before.
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Arms coming up to cross casually over his chest, Dick cocks his head toward Dinah. "All you, pretty bird."
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He winked at Dinah. "Oh, I'll collect one way or the other, beautiful."
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