12894/Better Latte than Never

Better Latte than Never
Date of Scene:	26 September 2022
Location:	Gotham University
Synopsis:	What started as a terrible Tuesday ended up being an awful Monday with mistaken days, mixed identities, and ACME-brand fire supression systems -- but everyone got their Pumpkin Spice Lattes! ... OR DID THEY?
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Talia al Ghul, Stephanie Brown, Harper Row, Cain Marko, Gabby Kinney

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Tuesday Morning. Phoebe woke up in the Roost, panicked, got dressed int he most Basic of Outfits of leggings, an oversized pink-and-brown-sweater and a belt, her hair thrown up in a quick matching pink wrap, and she had used every physical skill she had garnered over the last three years of eating, breathing, and sleeping Gotham City crime fighting martial arts, freerunning and flipping, running across the hoods of some parked cards (and setting one BMW alarm off, those things are tricky), and managed to make it to her Tuesday Statistics class only to find that it was, in fact, not TUESDAY, but Monday.

    There was an internal groan as she sinks down in the hallway and covers her face, pushing her pink-rimmed glasses up as she gives a low breath out.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Somewhere on the campus, Talia Al Ghul is waiting. She's just had a quick exchange over from a courier. A small red stone over that had been left behind for her to pickup. As she gets it, there's a low grin over as she would move to then pop the stone and skip it along through a small pond nearby along the campus. Her work done for the moment, her holding up her side of the self-arranged 'restrictions' while she was in the territory of her beloved, she would go towards a location to enjoy something a litlte more sociable than was her norm. She presumed she was watched nonstop so she at least could get the small enjoyment of confusing those who were assigned to monitor her as much as possible.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
This morning had come earlier than Stephanie Brown had wanted. Extra time spent patrolling, looking for a particular Blackgate escapee, was catching up with her. Her grades had suffered a little this quarter as a result too.

Waking late, she'd availed herself of some special transportation to make it to class on time, and not for the first time in her head thanking Bruce for having made it available to her. Now that class is letting out, Stephanie walking out with a tall Latino and a rather stunning brunette.

"Just saying you look a bit run down, Steph," the Latino tells her, his voice deep, and tone kind of mild.

"Really?" asks the other coed in a slightly haughty voice. "Doesn't she always looks like that?"

Stephanie's teeth grind together a little bit. "Thanks for the concern, Francisco," she tells him. "Maybe I'll go grab some caffeine. I think PSLs are out again. And yes it's cliche but I'm a fan."

The other coed grabs Francisco's arm. "Well, we're going to the Union to eat. Come on Francisco," she says. The Latino gives a silent sigh and shrugs his shoulders towards Steph. "Catch you later, Steph," he says. He walks off with the beautiful coed, mumbling to her, "Why you gotta be like that to her, Jordanna?"

Shaking her head as she watches them walk off, Stephanie continues down the hall. Ahead she sees another familiar face, walking up to where Phoebe is sprawled. "You look like you need caffeine as much as me," she tells the Wayne ward. Stephanie offers a hand down to help Phoebe up. "Pumpkin spice?"

Harper Row has posed:
    Harper walks with the forward leaning, stooping form of someone that's a little too invested in whatever is on their phone. Like she's fully intent on using her forehead to open door for her, or act as the first line of defense if a street sign or lamp post is in her way. However she received her tip-off, she's not going to be late this time though. She left early, took the train with the benefits of her cubicle job, and fully intended to harass someone with smarts about a particular electrical Oopsie. Any chance to tap multiple birds with one visit is a welcome one.

    She eventually finds herself navigating her way towards a particular hallway, and when she spots those familiar profiles, she tugs her earphones out and gives them little idle clockwise and counter clockwise spin-aroonies in her bandaged fingers. Her lips form a few curling expressions and she pauses before approaching further.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe looks up as she hears a familiar voice, and she opens one eye, watching as Jordanna delivers what no doubt would be a crushing blow to Stephanie if Stephanie wasn't also a vigilante asskicker.

    -I can break her nose for you. I have the Traumatic Backstory and history of breaking noses- she signs to Steph, and gives a small smile and adds -Rough Week- in sign to Stephanie, and if offered she accepts a hand up. -Coffee sounds amazing. They still have the 'crush my heart with caffeine' size from the Med School finals?- she questions to the actual Batgirl, and then Harper arrives.

    Speaking of Multiple Birds. The split-supervision magical batling gives a wave to Harper, and then mimes a coffee cup with her eyebrows raised.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul has settled herself over in the coffee shop on campus. She's wearing more relaxed attire than her normal combat jumpsuit. She has on a set of thick rimmed librarian style glasses, her hair is up in a bun, and she's wearing a more demure outfit that doesn't make her stand out moreso than any other student or perhpas a TA on campus taking a bit of a break while they have a chance. She goes to settle in while taking a sip of whatever inferior horribly overpriced caffeinated concoction available while watching a news broadcast out of the corner of her eye.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown pulls Phoebe up, smiling to her and then glancing off the way that her friends - or at least her friend and his friend - have run. "Thanks. She'd just see it as an opportunity to get a nose job," Stephanie says. Then adds in a quieter voice. "Again."

She grins and nods. "Oh yeah. I think they sell it by the barrel now," she says. Her sign language has been improving with more opportunity to use it beyond just training. Though she still has to have Phoebe spell out a word now or then sometimes.

Spotting Harper, Stephanie gives a head movement as if for the other girl to join them. "Just going for some caffeine. Join us?" she offers.

Assuming everyone is on board with that, Steph heads for the exit of the building, and over towards Open Eye Coffeehouse. It sits just on the edge of campus. It was once a house but had some inside walls knocked out and a patio built outside so people can take advantage of nice weather. Or at least, not as dreary weather when Gotham affords it.

There are often musicians there, students earning tips by playing guitar or keyboard and singing. Today there's a local character, a homeless guy named Dante who students know and make enough donations to that he doesn't go hungry. He also has a guitar that is so beat up and scratched that it is a wonder it can still stay in tune. He's strumming along on it and singing Southern Cross, a Crosby Stills and Nash song. He doesn't have the best voice, but it's not bad background music, and it earns him a few dollars in a baseball cap he has set out.

Cain Marko has posed:
From down the street, in the distance, comes a couple new people. While they're both dressed normally, they still stand out somewhat. Maybe it's their respective heights. One is a burly redhead man that stands around seven feet tall. The other is a dark haired girl who's closer to five feet. Maybe it's the fact that the latter is sitting on the formers shoulder. Or the scars on her face. Whatever the reason, they're immediately noticeable even in a crowd. Gradually approaching the coffee shop while chatting with each other. They gradually approach, and eventually stop in front of the coffee shop. The big man peers inside, studying the interior. "This place looks okay" He lifts the short dark haired girl down to the ground, then enters with her. Glancing over the other patrons before making his way to the counter, eyes stopping briefly on Talia before moving on.

Harper Row has posed:
    Harper raises her eyebrows in return of the greetings. She's...slower, at responding for some reason. What in frig's sake she's even doing lurking, rather than joining immediately, might tip off to some new awkwardness in the girl. But when the circuits connect, she does a little mock-turn around, as if someone behind her were being addressed, and turns back with a wry grin and a more amicable nod.

    Harper double-times it down the hall, sneakers giving a bit of a squeak as she hustles her hoodied self on over. Her headphones get tugged out of their port and stuffed in her satchel and the tech manual follows suit. "Annoying some Profs can most definitely wait." she murmers and fumbles for the pause on her playlist that suddenly tries to roll some Ricks and raise some roofs. She is mercifully quick at least in putting a stop to an invasion of catchy earworms.

    Harper joins in step with Stephanie and Phoebe on their way towards sipping caffiene and socializing.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe snorts at the 'again'. Audiably. She fixes her glasses, and the serial-adoptee grabs her bag and shoulders it, and follows along to the impormptu Gotham Girls meeting and a barrel of coffee.

    -I want a coffee so big I can swim in it. I think I used up all my good luck getting to class a whole day early.- she states, finding both amusement and comfort with the very normal complaint.

    She does *not* mentionthe BMW alarm. Which is still going off in the distance. Some people just have no concern for others.

    Phoebe is pretty recognizable to Talia, and she pauses, in her very casual going-to-class-totally-normal-person get up, and she gives a wave to the Demon's Daughter, while giving a soft tap to Stephanie.

    Caine gets a Look, if only because he's so BIG -- but Gabs?

    Gabs is pretty much family. Gabby gets an excited wave. At least Phoebe's a bit more chipper than the last time Gabby saw her.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Cain is an individual that Talia recognizes. She may or may not have ever seen him in person, but he's a recognizable presence and one that she's most certainly read the file on. The woman dressed as a tired looking student librarian would give a look over at him in awe over at the man's size. "You should be on the football team." Her putting in a pronounced southern California accent to her tone. The short girl with him.. That one wasn't familiar to Talia. Filed away as unimportant for now.
    The entrance of Phoebe and her associates gets a hidden smile from Talia. Why, it's like life is giving her gifts for her own amusement. Phoebe's given a quick assessment; given the last discussion the two had. It's very subtle and hard to pick up but it is there, at least in passing. But there's no look of immediate familiarity in her eyes - well at least that's easy to pick up publically. One does after all need to keep a low profile here. Then the sudden direction over of Phoebe to Gabrielle definitely puts the younger girl as a priority 'identify later'.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Perhaps seeing the bit of hesitation from Harper, along the way if Harper allows her, Stephanie slips an arm about her companionably for a moment to say, "Coffee, in vats big enough to bathe in. And pastries the like of which mortal man has scarced dream." She lets the other go and then says, "Damn that was good, I need to write that down for poetry class next year," she mumbles, pulling out a notebook from her bookbag and jotting down while she walks.

Stephanie glances up at the nudge as they step into the very comfortably appointed coffee shop. Her eyes follow the wave that Phoebe gives, though Stephanie's face doesn't give away much reaction if she does recognize Talia.

"Ooo, the comfy couch is open," she says, hurrying over to an old leather couch, well broken in, but with nice soft cushions. She drops her book bag on it to claim it before moving back over to join the other ladies in line.

Cain and Gabby are difficult to miss. Not to mention the last time she saw Gabby there was a hand held rotary cannon involved. At a birthday party. Those kind of things stand out in one's memory.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney seems completely content and okay with being carried around in such a manner. Once Cain identifies the coffee shop as 'okay' she gives an audible sniff, and nods in agreement. "Only a few burned beans. I mean it's not top quality but I'm not really picky either," she admits as she's let down to her feet. Just in time to catch the wave from Phoebe. Her own hand shoots up into the air waving emphatically. "Phoebe! Hey! Have you met Cain yet? Oh wait yeah that one time I think..." Her attention trails off in favor of looking back to the coffee shop. "Open Eye Coffee. Huh. Reading too much into that name."

A glance is cast up toward the taller redhead once again. "At least the furniture here looks a little less breakable."

Harper Row has posed:
    The friendly way Stephanie tries to break the ice, is welcomed, though outwardly Harper is still a bit wrong-footed gremlin today. The poetry does summon a wider grin to her face, and she laughs quietly. On route to the couch singled out for the ladies, she takes more stock of the patrons. And if she had been chewing gum and blowing a bubble at the time, it would have popped dramatically in her face when she spies the large dude in the place. As such, the bubble is just a mental blip in her brain, a bit of distortion during a public broadcast. She tilts her head to the side and gives him a sidelong stranger-danger look. "Huh." she comments. "I hope they still have some coffee left."

Cain Marko has posed:
Whether because they recognize him or just because of his size, Cain is used to people staring at him. He doesn't pay any attention to the various looks he gets as he nods to Gabby, and orders the biggest coffee they have available. The words from Talia draw his attention back to her, and the corner of his mouth twists up slightly. "Is that so? I'm a few years too late for that. My college days are behind me." He says while in a college coffee place. Hanging out with what looks to be a college age girl. He studies Phoebe. Has he met her? It's hard to remember sometimes. He shrugs a shoulder, "Maybe?" And more and more people seem to be showing up. He makes his way over towards whatever the largest and most comfrortable looking piece of furniture available is. Which might be the comfy couch. If he does, he'll probably end up taking a large part of it for himself. Carefully lowering and waiting for sounds that might indicate it's going to collapse. When nothing happens he grunts and relaxes.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    No, no Phoebe has met Cain Marko. She straightens herself up a moment, and Gabby might be able to pick up on her sudden tenseness.

    -Have not met yet- she gives a bright smile to Cain, a, dthen makes an empressed face and mimes something being tall. That being Cain Marko, and she mimes an equally large cup of coffee for everyone who doesn't read ASL, and then points to herself.

    She wants a horrifically large pumpkin spice latte.

    Pheobe is running into all sorts of people this week. Last time she saw Cain Marco, she was just another face in the crowd, trying to divine what Bane had hidden in his basement. There was a fight. It got weird.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
There's an 'ah' from Talia, even as she gives a peppy, "It's never too late to go and get a degree. You'd win the Heisman." She would offer in her California accent - definitely somewhere that'd come a far way to go to Gotham.
    Stephanie is not recgonized over by Talia in her current state, but is filed away over as an associate of PHoebe, and by the seeming sense of familiarty amongst the duo is likely one of Bruce's proteges. Quite a few individuals here seem to be. Which, for faces that Talia doesn't recognize is incredibly useful if only for her to backtrack later on if she has any need. There's some interest from her over now and cheerfulness.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown looks to Phoebe's signs to follow the reply to Gabby and the large man, and then her order. Stephanie waves a hand towards Gabby in greeting too, having seen her not just at the birthday, but at Tim's movie night some time before that.

The blond coed looks over to the clerk behind the store. Not one of the owners, an older couple, but a student. He doesn't seem to follow the ASL from his expression. "A trio of your largest pumpkin spice lattes please," she tells him. "I'll take extra whip cream and cinnamon on mine." She gives the names Phoebe, Steph and Harper for them, and then pulls out some money to pay.

Harper Row has posed:
    The smells and warmth in the place are appealing, and a nagging sensation tickles and then stings Harper's bandaged fingies. A visible wince and she's giving them a shake like they're too damp. She raises her voice, which doesn't make her feel comfortable doing at the moment and passes it off. "Snag me a mug?"

    Another sensation that makes a few of her fingers feel like they're being slowly deep fried in a greasy spoon restaurant. "I'll be right back!" And there's the jiggle-rattle of a bottle of something pharmaceutically contained as she twists past patrons and companions. It's embarassing as heck to look like she needs to hit the restroom but it's better than looking like she's walking on lego barefoot in front of an audience.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney pauses a single moment as she lets her eyes skim over the crowd of people there. Most of whom it seems Phoebe knows one way or another. Stephanie is recognised, but only just, as one of Tim's friends. A grin is flashed toward her. "Oh hey, been awhile," she offers cheerily.

"Cain this is Phoebe," she introduces of her friend with a gesture her way. "Pumpkin Spice Latte addict and a demon ate her larynx. And," she adds, her ADHD ways causing her train of thought to veer off track toward the woman that was chit chatting with Cain, "He wouldn't be on the team, he'd BE the team. Think that kind of ruins the game play."

Back to the coffee issue at hand. While everyone orders pumpkin spiced this and that she deadpans, "Give me a peppermint mocha with ..." She pauses. "How many espresso shots can a large hold? Nine. I'll try nine shots."

Cain Marko has posed:
Cain notices the way that Phoebe is signing but not speaking, a brow quirking curiously for a moment. Then he turns his gaze back to Talia. "Heh. I suppose that's true." He is technically a wanted felon. Probably. It seems to get strangely fuzzy with supertypes for some reason. Even ones who have committed dozens of crimes and killed people can suddenly decide to reform and for some reason aren't sent straight to jail. Hmm. So, that girl Gabby mentioned seems to know those other girls. So they're probably either friends or about to be friends of the badger. And this lady over here is probably just friendly. So far nobody seems like a particular threat. That's nice. He enjoys a fight, but not right now.

Then Gabby actually introduces them, and he nods his head to Phoebe from where he's seated. "'lo there. Nice to meetcha." He rests his head on one giant hand. For those who ARE aware of who he actually is, he doesn't SEEM like he's going to flip out and level the campus. So that's good for them?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe was happy about getting the coffee, she was even trying to mime for oat milk on hers when she caught what Gabby was saying.

    She opens her mouth, and she gives an audable HRK sound as Gabby *just randomly tells people* about why she can't talk. Her left eye twitches as. She. *Stares* at the youngest Kinney as her body freezes up, and she looks to Stephanie, to the retreating Harper (and how Phoeb wanted to help Harper, that lal looked painful!), to Talia to the giant person of a man.

    -She's such a kidder.- she signs, and then mimes laughter.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
However this exactly works is debatable. But at the exchange between Gabby and Phoebe Talia Al Ghul can't help but giggle, to match her persona. Even if she weren't exactly whom she was, there might be something coming forth. She would go to glance over amongst the group, having another titter over. As Cain goes over along with Gabby to speak to the gaggle of Bat-folks, she just goes to fold her hands together while watching over curiuosly.
    At Gabby's 'nine shots' she would blink, "It's too early to be time for midterms. And it's not dark out. You don't have tos tay that awake."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie gets the trio of drinks in hand, passing one over to Phoebe and taking Harper's for her. She looks over and sees that the immense Cain has taken up much of the comfy sofa. No worries, there are a loveseat and ottoman on one side and a pair of mismatched chairs on the other.

She goes over, sliding her bookbag onto the floor from where it was on the couch, and taking a seat in the loveseat. "Oh I need this so much," she says, setting Harper's beverage on an end table and then taking a sip of her latte. Stephanie dabs a finger in the whipped cream to get a taste of it.

Stephanie pulls out her phone, miming reading something that was sent to it. She gives a grin, holding it up to read what she's typing as she taps away on it with her thumbs with all the skill that one expects of a kid with a phone these days. Though she's still miming and instead snaps a photo of Talia and then sends it off to the Batcomputer for distribution to the rest of the team so they are aware of her presence.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't seem at all phased by the sudden panic from Phoebe at her utterance. If anything, she just grins broader. "Oh come on, it's a much cooler explanation than what really happened. Besides I owed you for the lovely hair color change while I was asleep the other night," she adds, giving a toss of her hair over her shoulder with a wink. Hey. Sometimes it was easier to hide the truth in plain sight by making it sound utterly ridiculous.

The coffee is handed over, complete with whipped cream and cracked up bits of starlight peppermint candies ontop (which gets an exhaled 'yissss' beneath her breath), and she holds it in both hands like a cherished item. It's carried over to the grouping to join in claiming a seat.

"Actually, I do have to be up most of the night. Got a family thing I need to be awake for."

Cain Marko has posed:
Cain gives Phoebe a look. "No idea what you're trying to say, darlin. Sorry bout that." He shrugs again, shifting in his seat. The couch doesn't collapse. But there is noticeable creaking. "So. Demon ate your throat, huh. That's rough. Have you tried hitting the demon until it gives it back?" Elegant solutions from an elegant guy. His own drink is brought over to him and he accepts it with an absent grunt before sipping it. Hmmm. Drinking coffee with a bunch of super twenty-somethings instead of trying to knock them through a building. Odd. He reaches out to Gabby once she sits, since he can reach pretty far, and rubs her head. "You do?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe looks at Gabby. She stares. And she motions at Gabby, motions to herself, and then motions to her watch.

    Phoebe does not look very happy.

    She goes to drink her coffee, and automatically starts choking on it, sputtering the hot milk and coffee contraption and reaches for a handful of napkins as her phone buzzes, and she has to try and tend to that, while knocking over a container of straws and napkins with her elbow, and reaching to try adnd adjust THAT she accidentally capsizes herself off her seat.

    At least the Floor will always be there to catch her.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Well, we can't have that. And Talia is going to get up and over very smoothly, despite the small distance between the tables and Phoebe's position. She's going towards the girl that's moving to play bumper cars, and moves to lean forwards.
    It's not quite a hip check, but it has Phobe hitting her side and bouncing softly. A smoother 'stop' rather than simply catching her or getting fully in front of her. So a bit less disorienting and rough on her.
    The drinks are, however, not saved. And are likely to go tumbling and exploding everywhere if not stabilized by some other showoff.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Woops. Phoebe down. PHOEBE DOWN! No sooner had she sat and placed her own drink on the safety of a side table, and received the little noogie from Cain, than she starts to say, "I was kidding about the--" Ah but it was too late for the flustered Phoebe to start going down.

The shorter girl leaps from her seat arms outstretched intending to try and grab Phoebe. Intending to. The appearance of the woman there makes a tangle-up seem immient though, and she's forced to at the last moment shift to grabbing the drinks before they spill.

She spins on her foot to bring the drinks away from the fallen Phoebe so that she doesn't end up scalded at least, and glances down at her friend in concern.

"Shit, Pheeb, you okay?"

Her outstretched arm keeps the coffee safely away. It didn't stop the spill though. Instead it has doused over her hand, her arm, and is dripping down completey unnoticed by her in her concern for her friend.

Cain Marko has posed:
Cain watches the tumble taken by Phoebe without making any move to try and catch her. It's not like he could have gotten over to her in time anyway, and it's not any of HIS business if she takes a tumble. The out of nowhere... hip check? By Talia catches him a little by surprise. The move by Gabby, on the other hand, makes him frown. He grunts a little then says, "You okay there, Gabby?" He means, he knows she can heal from anything. But still.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoeb down!

    Phoebe looks like she might cry. She straightens up, looking to Talia and giving the tiniest nod in acknowledgement, and then she takes off her sweater.

    Beneath it she's wearing a T-shirt with a twenty-sided die showing a natural one, and the phrase FATI MERDAM!! on it. It's a pajama shirt. She was not having a good day. She just sits on the floor, and uses her sweater to try and mop up -- and cover! -- Gab's arm. Gotta keep the secretsy up!!

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shake her head over, and then see Phoebe resisting a cry. She would shake her head ever so lightly while glancing out of the corner of her eye at Stephanie. No immediately hostile reactions nor gaguing her maneuver as a threat to the other girl, hopefully. With Phoebe braced up, she would lance over at Gabby, voice once again filling the air, "Are you two all right?" Gabby was the one that had scalding hot water blasted everywhere on her. She's paying interested attention over to the sweater. She moves to if she can try and get Phoebe up and over if permitted and lside the girl over towards her seat once more. Now time to see how the others would respond. Accepting of her assistance or to rally in a defensive formation in case she was hostile.
    A good way to see how well Bruce was teaching his wards and to how much he had warned them of her.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Am *I* okay?" Gabby looks marginally confused at the question by Cain, shooting him a glance. It's then that she sees the red scalding on her arm with a quick, soft, "Oh," let out. It's Phoebe's response which helps hide the severity of the burn from sight of others.

"It's okay, I'm okay. You know I've got that thing where I can't feel pain," she assures the near crying Phoebe as she shifts her free arm around her shoulders intending to hug the other girl.

Intending to, but suddenly there's the other woman encroaching trying to usher Phoebe toward a seat. For just a moment she could almost feel the proverbial hackles on the back of her neck rising in response to someone she didn't know trying to pull Phoebe away.

"She'll be fine," she assures with a quick grin. "I think we should get going though. I could use a ride to the hospital," she adds looking at Phoebe. "If you're up to it." What she let slip earlier aside she did get the importance of keeping secrets.

Cain Marko has posed:
Cain raises to his feet. Is he taller than he was before? Must be an optical illusion. He looms a bit over the gathered girls, including his scalded friend. "Hrrmn. If you're alright then." He also glances over Phoebe. She doesn't look hurt. He also eyes Talia. Reaching out and resting a hand on Gabby. "Heading to the hospital? Well. I guess we're separate here for now then. Gimme a call if you need anything, okay?" Apparently he isn't intending to try and join in on whatever family stuff she means.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe keeps the sweater on Gabby a little bit longer, long enough for the salding to fade off, before she lifts it.

    -Should run that under some cool water. Doesn't look like there was much damage.- she signs, but allowas Talia to guide her back to a seat.

    This does not look like a natural movement, but she doesn't look to Steph or Harper, to Gabby or to Cain.

    -Should get to class.- she signs. -Going to be late.-

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And the way Gabby responds.. Fascinating. There's no flinch or instinctive wince. No quick twitch over from the contact. That level of self control would be nearly impossible to maintain in one so young. So perhaps she truly was as she had said..
    Phoebe is guided over to her seat by Talia, who then lets her go while lgancing over at Gabby, "Sure, it doesn't look that bad. She's right." Over at Cain, "Do think about joining the football team. I'm sure you'd do amazingly." She would go to slide away from Phoebe and head back to her original seat.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh, good," Gabby lets out in a breath as a smile is flashed. The mostly emptied coffee cup is placed down so the staff that was coming quick with a roll of paper towels and the like to clean up the spill could take over. "I'll get it looked at just in case. I'd never hear the end of it otherwise." From whom she doesn't say. Instead she reaches out with her good hand to lightly punch Cain's arm. "Thanks. Could have been a lot worse. I'll catch up with you later, okay? Just got that darn moonlight dinner thing tonight." Whatever that was. Maybe that was the 'family thing' she mentioned. Looking back to Phoebe with concern she asks, "You sure? I can hang around awhile more."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    And that's when the fire alarm goes off, and the sprinklers turn on.

    "Everybody out! Looks like there's a fault in the system -- Last time I trust an ACME brand product!" one of the managers calls out as students and faculty alike start scrambling to save their drinks, books, notes, and selves from getting rained upon!

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Wait, this location bought something designed to prevent fires from ACME!? Talia wouldn't even have to break character to flat out -stare- over at the manager. Before more than just a -little- too quickly grabbing at the few things she had brought with her and fleeing. Just a litlte too quickly. But, again, justified life experience.