7618/Accidental Samurai

Accidental Samurai
Date of Scene:	31 August 2021
Location:	Amusement Mile
Synopsis:	Helena meets a mute girl at the fair. They tell each other nothing, but somehow, everything.
Cast of Characters:	Cassandra Cain, Helena Wayne

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Cassandra Cain has posed:
The mute girl looks at the ring-the-bell game, and frowns. The hammer looks to be almost as big as she is, and she keeps getting asked a question by the kid running the display. She looks up at him every time he opens his mouth, a 'You gonna try it or not?' on his lips, and she looks away back to the odd contraption.

There's no line behind her, which is nice for a change, but she looks as if she doesn't really understand. She's asian, perhaps she's out of her element. But she keeps motionning something, to her mouth with asmall headshake included. The kid, having no idea of sign language, does not get it.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Huntress doesn't do all of her recon under the cover of darkness. Right now, Helena is wandering the various carney games as well. Wearing close-fitting jeans tucked into knee boots with a purple tanktop and jacket, she's sipping something in an oversized cup.

Spotting the asian girl by the hammer game, she lingers long enough to overhear the one-sided conversation. Then she steps up and speaks. "She says that she can't talk." the black-haired young woman offers.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
THe kid, I kid you not, actually looks at Helena and says, "Well why didn't she say so? Tell her it's three bucks to try." He's rude, he's young. The girl looks like she's halfway to making sense of all of this.

When you get close enough, you can see that she stands very oddly. Stable, ready to move eitehr direction. It's a readiness that comes of being alert, and possibly uncertain if they're safe.

You see it in abuse victims and martial artists. Which would this be?

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena nose-wrinkles back at the kid, shaking her head slowly. "Three bucks to try, hmm?" she echoes. Then she turns towards the asian girl, taking a step closer.

The ready-stance is tell-tale for those who recognize the signs and Helena certainly does. Deep breath, exhale slowly. She smiles. She points to the soda, then to the girl. Yes, that's it. Start with a gift.

Without looking away, she answers the kid. "Um, better give us a sec on that try. I'll see what I can work out."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
The kid, with the powers of a teenager, stops caring immediately and slumps against his machine with his arms crossed. He's amazing, he's stupendous. He's unimportant.

The female with the limited vocabulary makes an odd sideways look at Helena. She gets a tiny smile on her face, something in the expression suggesting amusement, and inclines her head away from the booth.

She then takes a few steps, away but slowly enough for Helena to keep up with ease, and gets the kid out of earshot. For all her lack of conversational skills, she definitely knows ow to get a message across.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Interesting. Encouraged by the smile Helena lengthens her strides, falling in beside the asian girl as she starts to move away. And once there, she resumes the conversation. "Don't pay any attention to the kid back there." she begins. Then again, they aren't that much older.

"Some people just can't see outside their own little world." the woman in purple continues. "I'm Helena, by the way. Sort of new to Gotham, so I'm still learning my way around."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra, given the opportunity to talk, does not take it. She looks at Helena when she speaks with intensity, but she's not exactly looking at the lips. So, not lip reading. She has tells, but they're all slightly odd.

A thumb back at the kid that's fallen behind them and a not so subtle eyeroll gives a message, and she shrugs the tip of her left shoulder while giving a headshake.

Then she points to Helena with a calmness, and gives a thumbs-up.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Okay, so no lip-reading. She can hear and she can understand. Check and check. Helena's upper lip twitches at the eye-roll and she lets out a soft chuckle as well. And when she gets the thumbs-up, Helena inclines her head in thanks.

For her part, the black-haired girl's movements are fluid and relaxed. A bit too controlled, perhaps. Not exactly like a coiled spring, but carrying more confidence than her age would suggest. And distinct. Distinct enough that someone skilled at reading body language would easily notice her again.

"So. Want to get a drink or something?" And again, she holds up the huge cup to rattle the ice around.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
This is becoming interesting. Cassandra, without words, shifts her weight slightly. It's tiny. It's not obvious. It's a step over something tiny on the ground, that wouldn't have been visible without her choosing to avoid it.

A glance back would show that someone's dropped a needle, on the park grounds. Tiny and nearly invisible, she avoided it without effort. She does however nod at the offer, then wobbles her head thoughtfully as if trying to figure out how to say something.

Probably true, she does have to do that a lot.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena notices the shift, if not the needle. Not right away, at least. A glance back, the metal catching the sunlight just so. Curiouser and curiouser.

Helena steers their path towards a food cart, offering along the way. "I'll order for us." Reaching the counter, she holds up the cup and then two fingers. "Two cokes, please." Slipping a hand into her jacket pocket, she pulls out a handful of folded bills to pay.

Only then does she turn towards her quiet companion. "You're alright, kid. And you don't have to say anything."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
But she does. The girl watches as a transaction is made, and when the server goes to pour she opens her mouth and actually says, "No." It's firm, she really means it. But she reaches for the server and puts a hand over one of the cups.

Then she looks at Helena, giving a headshake. She's not upset, not from the look on her face. She simply means negative on the coke.

Then she looks around a moment, and points to a bottled water.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena gets it, brows raising at the single word from the girl. The server looks confused, at least until Helena clarifies. "Make that one coke and one water." The asian girl gets a look and a smile.

While the drinks are dispensed and rung up, Helena turns to look more directly at the other girl while mentally checking boxes. She can understand alright. It's just an issue of vocabulary.

So many questions come to mind, none of which the girl can likely answer. Keep it simple, then. "You been around here long?" she asks.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
She doesn't answer that. She's weirder than that, apparently, because the asian lady with the one word vocab looks at Helena with that singleminded intensity, then shakes her head -before- Helena asks her question. Before.

She pauses as the question comes out, then seems to think a moment. Then she extends her right hand, wobbling it left to right in a 'sorta' gesture.

Then she gives a huge clue. She makes a fist. Have you ever seen someone make a fist, and do it slowly but with power behind it? The way their knuckles creak? The way they do it so that they're showing something of power.

She does that, and you'd swear that her hand is grabbing someone's skull and crushing it. It's just hanging by her side, but she's saying something. The motion outlines the muscles under her shirt. And her eyes smile.

Helena Wayne has posed:
The asian girl is anticipating the question. Now that's REALLY interesting. Helena lifts both brows, but then nods at the wobbly gesture.

Helena watches the fist, recognizing the gesture as someone with years of martial arts training would. That's when she gives the girl a closer look as well. The casual, controlled strength is unmistakable.

What the hell... why not?

Helena returns the gesture, just the deliberate and practiced clenching of a fist with a smiliar tensing of muscle. Just the way her father taught her as a little girl. She keeps her gaze and facial expression casual, however. Until she winks.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra grins at that. She doesn't wait, she gives a nod that suggests that she was expecting the response, and then upnods toward the drinks. THings said without words, and she reaches out to take her water-not-coke.

Then she leans her neck to one side, cricking it audibly into place, and gives another nod of a different type. She's glancing away when she does it, she's about to leave.

But there's a clear acceptance in her motions. No threat, just an undrestanding.

Helena Wayne has posed:
Helena tilts her head slightly at the nod, returning it. Only this time it's a more formal gesture; not quite a bow. Yes, they've managed to achieve common ground with just a few words actually spoken. A wave in parting follows, along with a smile.

And when Cass has turned to commit to the parting, Helena offers softly under her breath. "Be well, little sister..."