[Chiraptora: For Bryce Wayne]

[serinusniger]

The book launch Dinah so much wanted to go to is taking place in the ballroom of the Gotham Hilton, and the guest list is long and illustrious enough to warrant a large media presence in front of the hotel lobby, parting occasionally to let cars arrive.

It's into this crowd that Dinah, dressed to impress in red, with impressive slits up both sides, pulls her matching red Ferrari. She grins at the snapping photographers, pulls on her heels while still sitting in the convertible, and offers the keys to the valet who opens the door.

Then she offers a hand to her passenger, because coming out of this door will still be easier than fighting the other side.

Comments

[serinusniger]

Dinah shrugs. "It's only technically illegal really.

"Not saying he isn't insane, of course."

It was a quick ride up to the penthouse, and the elevator pings as it arrives. "Welcome home."

[gothamsheiress]

"I know it's the pot calling the kettle black, but really."

She sighs, takes off her heels, and follows Dinah into the penthouse.

"Glad to be here."

[serinusniger]

"Dinah!"

The babysitter is a teenage girl; blonde, cheerful, and sitting on the large couch in full view of the front door. Her feet on the armrest, a handheld computer game in her hands.

"Good night?"

Dinah grins. "It was great until Firefly crashed the party. Thanks, Cassie. Oh, this is Roberta. Roberta, Cassandra Sandsmark."

[gothamsheiress]

Roberta gives him a grin and a wave. "Good to meet you."

[serinusniger]

Cassandra waves back. "Hi, nice to meet you."

"How's Sin?" Dinah asks, retrieving out a wallet from a dresser and pulling a handful of cash from it.

"She's good. Went to bed at eight, but I'm pretty sure her light was on until thirty minutes ago."

"Well, being in her room counts," Dinah replies.

Cassandra grins in thanks for the money, puts it in her jeans and glances at Roberta, shooting a question to Dinah.

"You can go out the normal way," Dinah says. Cassie nods and disappears out of a pair of French doors to the balcony.

[gothamsheiress]

Bryce's eyebrows go up, and she cranes her neck to see what exactly the "normal" way is.

[serinusniger]

The normal way is to pull the door closed behind her, give Bryce a puzzled look that suggests she's uncomfortable with being stared at, and then to turn around and lift her arm.

And then literally to fly up into the night sky.

"You haven't met Diana, have you?" Dinah asks. "Cassie's her protege."

[gothamsheiress]

"No, I haven't."

Well that's.

Unusual.

[serinusniger]

"Long story short, Cassandra is an honest to goodness child of Zeus demigod," Dinah says cheerfully. "Goes by Wondergirl, and flight and superspeed make her and Supergirl particularly useful when you need a babysitter on short notice.

"Coffee?"

[gothamsheiress]

"I think I could use a cup of coffee," Bryce says, rather rueful.

"I won't lie, this has been a strange evening."

[serinusniger]

"Just when you think your life is the weirdest, huh?" Dinah says, putting on coffee for two.

She's about to say more when one of the doors down the hallway open and a small face peers out. A girl of about eight years old, with black hair and almond eyes, wearing a blue nightdress with a specific S as a logo.

She doesn't have a view of the kitchen from where she is, and can only see Bryce, not Dinah.

"Sister?"

[gothamsheiress]

"--Hi, sweetie," Bryce says, faintly surprised. "Dinah?"

[serinusniger]

"Hey, honey," Dinah calls, leaving the coffee to brew and coming through. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"I heard voices."

She walks through, actually carrying an actual teddy bear with her, and wraps her arms around Dinah's hips, looking at Bryce with a child's curiosity.

Dinah wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Sorry, we didn't think we'd wake you. I brought a friend over for the evening."

She actually doesn't give Bryce's name. It feels wrong to be introducing 'Roberta' to Sin.

"This is Sin."

[gothamsheiress]

"Hi, Sin."

Smiling, Bryce offers a hand down to the girl. "My name's Bryce."

[serinusniger]

Sin manages not to look at Dinah and shakes the offered hand.

"Hello, Bryce," she says. "Are you a sister of my sister?"

Dinah doesn't translate right away, and waits to see Bryce's reaction.

[gothamsheiress]

Her eyebrows go up.

"That depends on what you mean by sister."

[serinusniger]

"She means, do we help people together," Dinah says. "And the answer is sometimes, Sin. But tonight we're just going to sit in and watch TV."

"Can I watch with you?"

"It's past your bedtime."

"But."

"Go."

Sin scowls at Dinah, a healthy I'm-not-tired scowl.

[gothamsheiress]

Bryce cocks her head and glances at Dinah.

"Alfred used to let me stay up just for a glass of milk, and then straight to bed."

[serinusniger]

"You know Alfred?" Sin asks, wide eyes fixed on Bryce.

Dinah rolls her eyes, and pats her shoulder to steer her into the kitchen.

"C'mon. I'll get the coffee as well."

Before she does, she points an accusing finger at Bryce. "Terrible influence."

[gothamsheiress]

"Straight to bed," Bryce repeats, grinning.

"I know Alfred, sort of. It's complicated."

[serinusniger]

"Complicated how?" Sin asks, still speaking from the kitchen as she pours milk into the biggest glass she could find.

Dinah hands Bryce a cup of black coffee, and quirks an eyebrow. "Better tell her the truth, Bryce."

[gothamsheiress]

Bryce mouths Sorry to Dinah, but she doesn't look terribly regretful.

"You know Bruce Wayne, right, Sin?"

[serinusniger]

"Of course I do."

Sin rolls her eyes in Dinah's direction but Dinah ignores her in favor of her coffee.

[gothamsheiress]

"Okay, well."

. . . What's the best way to explain parallel universes to an eight-year-old?

"I'm from the world next door, and there, instead of Bruce Wayne, it's Bryce Wayne."

[serinusniger]

"Oh," Sin says, sipping her milk thoughtfully. "Okay.

"Does Bruce know you're here?"



"No," Dinah says. "But it's not a secret. I'll tell him when I speak to him."

Sin addresses Bryce again. "So you are my sister's sister."