13171/The Demon's Daughter and the Mute

The Demon's Daughter and the Mute
Date of Scene:	25 October 2022
Location:	Wayne Estate - Bristol Township
Synopsis:	Talia Al Ghul goes to Cassandra Cain with a simple statement that has Cassandra's full attention. 'I know who your mother is and I will tell you.' For a price.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Cassandra Cain

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
She's not necessarily welcome over at Wayne Manor. But, for short occasions there are at least some small exceptions made. Talia Al Ghul expects that for all of those moments she'll be monitored. Everything she says. Heartbeat, vocals, anything hse has on her.. And probably a tracking beacon or two on the way out. it's the way they show thier love.
    But, of all people here she's not asked to meet with Bruce or Damian.. But rather the quiet girl.
    Cassandra Cain.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    And she's made to wait, as long as necessary. Cass doesn't give Talia anything, not even a prompt reply. There's nothing in it for her, so she completes her exercises when informed of the 'guest' waiting on her at the front. Not bothering to dress up, she wanders down the walkway toward Talia in an exercise shirt, no sleeves, and some black shorts.

    The scars that are clearly visible up and down all four of her limbs are testament to something, and the sweat on her body, to other things. She drapes a rolled up towel over her shoulders, eyes taking in the woman who waits.

    She looks like a monolith, a powerhouse of muscle. How is she so freaking short? Not a word, as she walks up. Just wary eyes.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Even while taking her time and not bothering to go stealthily, there's still something dangerous over about Cassandra Cain. Talia Al Ghul would have taken along one of hte flowers from the garden and would be sniffing it. "Ah, hello there. Thank you for joining me. I wouldn't have asked for you if I didn't think that it would have your attention."
    Talia would muse over then and spin the rose, idly taking a whiff of it. "One of the things upon my return to this city, and to.." Her voice would falter some as she would not say 'beloved'.. "My son has been the importance of family. Something that I have failed too much at." And is too late to make amends for. Her body language is stilted.
    "Your father.. I believe that he's in custody?"

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    Cass lets her eyes tilt a little bit, her brow furrowing. She isn't entirely tracking what Talia's putting down, since Talia isn't speaking with clarity and her English is, suffice to call it 'limited'. But she'll get there, it just seems as if she's thinking over her answers before opening her mouth. A rare thing in someone of her age.

    "Dead," she says, honestly believing that to be true. She doesn't know that he lives, or even if. "Damian is grow tall," she says. It sounds exactly as awkward as it looks.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would mm over at Cassandra, "Perhaps, perhpas not." She would muse over. "You have his name, which implies some level of significance for attachment." She would go on idly. "but I'll presume given your life that it's not necessarily the best one, is it?"
    She's extensively read Cassandra's files. Including those from the Red Room.
    Useful things, those.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    Cass wipes her forehead with the end of the towel as Talia talks. She looks as if she's watching someone skin a cat, her face kind of the low end of neutral and edging toward annoyed. But then...

    "Not good for talking," she says. Which could mean a couple of things. But from her expression it's likely that Talia's hit a nerve. She doesn't want to discuss her 'father' with a random lady who may or may not use it against her.

    She motions toward the mansion with her chin, a tiny thing but with eloquent meaning when she raises a questioning eyebrow. She's asking, something about the ones not here? Inside the mansion? Oh, she wants to know what brings Talia here, since she and Cass barely know each other. So much in a small thing.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    There's a low, veiled smile from Talia for politeness. "I can understand that therea re many things left.. Unresolved, that you do not wish to pursue." Actually she can fully understand it. And there's just a very, very faint tint of smugness to her. The type that really shouldn't show but is there just a little bit as her smile faintly widens, one leg cocks up over the other, and her hands slide forwards just an inch or so on her thigh. Flower tucked to the side.
    "I do wonder though.. Did you ever find out what happened to your mother?" That bit is put out inquisitively. She's interested in the answer. Her pupils dilate just a little, breathing picks up a shade. The type that's almost imperceptible. But she truly -doesn't- know what Cassandra knows here.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    Cass stops fidgeting, sensing that there's something being lured here. A mental image of a fishing line, and herself as the fish, plays in her thoughts. Cass looks left, her entire self screaming to run away, that there's more to this conversation than she likes.

    She doesn't. Lifting her jaw, Cass accepts the threat and the challenge, and looks Talia straight in the eyes. Her demeanor and stance both say 'go on' as she waits, silently. Apparently Talia isn't getting anything out of Cass...in words. Though her lack of an answer is an answer. She doesn't know much, and is staying because Talia has something that she wants to hear.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
It's enough of a response. Ther'es another little flit of Talia's eyes. A light rising in a smile over as she would entwine her fingers together over. Her behavior is not that of a predator. Her intents are not murderous. Ther'es bemusement and veyr much a showcase of light indulgence at awareness of the response..
    Which, by Cassandra standards is rather blatant, no doubt to anyone not wholly familiar with her. Talia goes to take the rose up to her nose to take another sniff of it. "I believe I know who your mother is." Point blank. Eyes relaxed. Heart rate steady. Light flutter in her posture from the enjoyment of the flower's scent and the relaxing atmosphere of the estate. Talia could lie well.
    But there wasn't the slightest hint of lying here. She was being completely sincere. The total and honest truth.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    Cass actually bites her lower lip a little. Her body stills; the small motions that suggest thoughts being 'elsewhere' go silent. There is a noticeable difference in how a person stands, when they're thinking about something else, and when their full attention is on YOU.

    Talia's words have done that. Cass has stopped entertaining other thoughts, and is waiting. It's a powerful force, a person's entire attention. It's also...a threat. There's a very, very slight lean-in that has Cassandra on edge. Pre-combat.

    You'd better not be fucking with me, bitch. In body language.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul goes to lightly twirl the flower and put it dwon to the side. "Ah, I see I have your undivided attention." now there's definitely a smile she's not trying to hide. That smugness radiating out from her over. She puts her hands over on her lap, then goes to turn them face up. She's wholly vulnerable and Cassandra could take ehr in half a heartbeat.
    There's no spike in her heart rate. No tenseness. No surge of adrenaline. Just casual in and out breathing. Aloof. Reserved.
    And amused. Completely, completely amused. Eyes twinkling with it over behind her hair folded over the front of her face.
    "I'm reasonably sure I know who your mother is, pending a DNA test for confirmation." Allowing for the slightest possibility she was wrong. If this was a trick she definitely would say 'certainly'.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    The very slight flexing of Cassandra's right hand into a fist is her answer. The muscles, and the bones, creak audibly under terrific pressure. She can't lay a finger on Talia, not and have her keep talking. But she can make her tension known.

    The asian girl's stance is something else, standing there, waiting. Years ago and I do mean years, Talia saw someone else stand like that. Just, exactly, like that. It's the strongest confirmation of her theory she'd ever need.

    It was, also, just before Lady Shiva put her fist through a person's skull and out the other side, so perhaps it might be time to cut the theatrics slightly. If she takes that much after her mum, there may be limits to patience.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And Talia Al Ghul would lean back and cant her head over to the side. "But that's rather much a formality at this point." The way she speaks, evaluating the way Cassandra moves. The perspective in her face, the light crinkling in her cheeks. Comparing. Analysing. Looking in her own mind for a memory that's strong. Comparing it to the here and now. COnfirming.
    If that is the conclusion, she's had it confirmed to herself now to the point of totality. Murmuring.. "Exquisite." Whatever it is that Cassandra has done fully matches the image over in her mind. She relaxes even more as she's soothed by the fact that she was right. Which is reinforcement to the smugness.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    The girl's eyes narrow, as she sees the small shift in attitude. The knowledge in Talia's eyes that she has her fish on the hook, and it's trapped. It doesn't sit well with Cass, so she lets a tiny smile blip into place on her lips.

    She opens her lips as if to speak, then moves. Talia's vision is in the right place; Cassandra knows where the blind spots in vision are. She uses Talia's to let her move, right in front of the woman, invisible. To Talia's eyes she'd just vanish. It's a trick that Talia knows, but DAMN is it hard to pull off! Holy fuck hard.

    Then, from behind Talia Cass' voice finally is audible. "So? Who?" So simple, but with that show of force? So damn perfect.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia is fast, well trained, and experienced. She's good. She's elite. She's far from the best of the world, but she's still a warrior that few can match that has fought many, been trained hard her entire life..
    Then Cassandra has her before she can -track- the girl. She knows the way the trick works, the speed required, the sheer skill and stamina.. But having it -done- to her is still jarring. A surprise and a remidner that when one has the prey at their teeth..
    That she's just as much the one going to end up clawed over as anyone else.
    "Why, then? Why do you want to know? Why do you care, then?" Her heart is racing for a few seconds before it calms down. Surprise. Made to relax. This is what one gets for disturbing the lioness at her den.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    Cass lets the position of advantage slip away, walking to the right til Talia can see her. She's made HER point. This isn't so one-sided after all. She's willing to allow Talia to have her position of control back, so she can be calm.

    But it's a gift, and one clearly, blatantly given. As she walks back into vision, hands empty. No threat. Now.

    "Every person want to know mother," Cass says. She sounds slightly confused, like 'why would you not know this already?'. To be fair, she may have a point. Who wouldn't want to know their mommy?

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would go to fold her hands together then and muse. "I presume that you would have a great many questions for her, then." She would go over. "And that perhaps unlike your father, you would not be so disappointed." Her tone is actually sad for a moment. Features softening over from Cassandra's response as just a little bit of her smugness fades away to that of sympathy.
    Then it goes away as she moves back to focus and she returns her attention over to Cassandra. "I'm willing to let you know who I'm almost completely sure it is and all the information I have.." The unspoken bit being..

Cassandra Cain has posed:
    BUT YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FIRST.

    Cass has seen that shit before. It's a tilt of the head, and a way of the breath catching. It's something held back, it's a small lean forward. It's a feeling inside, of losing all of your power over yourself, and Cass hates it. Oh, she fucking hates it.

    I'll tell you, if you do something for me first. Talia doesn't even have to SAY it. She never needed words in the first place. Not for this.

    There's tension in Cass, before she turns and walks away. Not. A. Word. Nothing. She walks in the direction behind Talia, forcing Talia to either rise, or to lose her.

    Shit. Shitfuck.

    It's not that she doesn't know how dangerous Talia is. It's that she DOES know, and if Talia is asking her for something?

    Shit. I gotta talk to Steph about this first.

    Fuck me.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And there's that trace of low end smugness again. "It will be something simple, for one of your skillset. I picked it out just for you. Something that won't even go against your code of ethics. OR those of the Family." In other words, something that she could more than easily handle on her own. "It's not time sensitive so you can take your time."
    She didn't need Cassandra to handle it in the slightest. Virtually anyone could. Her tone light and sincere. Honest. Breathing even. Easy.
    "So do it and you'll get all that I have." Talia just goes to wait. "And you'll get the chance to ask her those questions yourself. And to see for yourself." Her tone is casual now. That of a woman leavign it to Cassandra to fully decide whether she would take the bite of the apple.
    And that she was doing it purely because she could. Not even to taunt or belittle the girl.
    But because she presumed Cassandra was so wholly paranoid of her, that everyone around Cassandra was so wholly paranoid of her.. That having it be done for an exchange, for a favor, of virtually any level..

    Was something that fit within their worldview. Their expectations. And that would instill -far- less paranoia than if she had given it up for free.