Laurel Lance (i_crylikeabird) wrote in we_coexist, @ 2013-04-08 20:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | dinah lance, enigma, zz:status complete |
Bridesmaid? (Dinah/Enigma log, complete)
There was finally a lull in the seemingly nonstop action over the last few months. The Sherwood Florist had stayed open, but Dinah hadn’t had much time to actually work full days at the shop. She was glad that she had a rare day where she could drop by work and spend the day doing something that almost resembled normal. She was worried about how Dean and Sam were both coping in the aftermath of Sam getting his soul back, but she believed that the best thing she could do right now was give the two space.
Thus, time to work. The shop was buzzing with early orders for Mother’s day and the usual business. It seemed like everyone wanted flowers this week, which was good for business. There was something so cathartic about creating floral arrangements that would be used to express love, affection, or simply to beautify someone’s home or special event. This wasn’t just her cover story, but a job that she loved and Dinah was happy to throw herself back into it for now.
Once she’d done some of her arrangements, she thumbed through the appointment book and spotted a familiar name. She winced as she remembered the wedding invitation that she hadn’t yet RSVPed to. She really needed to talk to Enigma, though she still wasn’t sure how to react to the fact that the tip she’d followed from the younger woman had led to a less than pleasant confrontation with The Riddler. She didn’t know what Enigma’s part was in that and if she’d purposely sent Dinah into a trap or if it had just been coincidence, and Dinah had yet had the chance to figure out how to react to that and how to get the truth.
She supposed that this appointment would be as good of a time as any.
----
The bell above the door gave a happy chime as Marcus stepped into the shop, searching it for threats before taking position next to the door, staring at Dinah, just waiting for her to make a move against Enigma.
The woman in question entered shortly after Marcus, her now brown hair left long and swinging, off setting the casual dress she wore. She looked...different. It wasn’t just the hair or the fact she was wearing more clothes then Dinah had ever seen her in...or that the wounds Joker left her had healed without a trace, but there was a way she carried herself, a confidence that went beyond her inherited narcissism.
“I need thirty dozen white roses, fifteen dozen green, hand dyed, three purple boutonnieres, a bridesmaid that can blow out eardrums and three bridal bouquets,” Enigma said with a wide grin, resting on the counter.
--
Dinah didn’t have time to greet the former redhead before she launched into her order. The changes in appearance were noted silently, and she grabbed a pad of paper and started to scribble away to make note of what was ordered. She didn’t comment on the choice of coloring, though her eyebrows did raise at the bridesmaid part of the order.
She looked the younger woman over, still trying to figure out if this was some sort of trap. She didn’t believe that Enigma was innocent, but she did believe that she was trying to change. That she had the potential to come back to side of light. She hoped that Bruce would be a good influence on her, and she was trying to do her part. That didn’t mean that she was going to just blindly trust.
“Bridesmaid?” she repeated, flattered and a little dumbfounded. “Enigma, I’m happy for you two, but I’m not so sure that being around your dad is a good idea for me right now. Last time I ran into him, he tried to kill me. I’d rather not have your wedding turn into any sort of confrontation.”
She watched for any sort of reaction-surprise or a lack thereof. She was curious how much Enigma knew about her father’s actions, and how much she approved-or didn’t approve-of them.
----
“According to daddy, you tried to hurt him,” Enigma said blandly, before shrugging. “Daddy hates Bruce, Jonathan hates me, I’ve slept with my maid of honor’s fiance and tried to seduce the best man, you’d fit right in,” she added cheerily. “Besides, you’re the only reminder of my past in this city besides daddy and if he did anything I’d kill him. He promised me a drama free event.”
Not that she would completely trust her father on that, but she would hold him to the promise even if she had to beat him upside the head to get it done. “I don’t have anyone else to represent my past and I don’t have my mother anymore to be there...you’re like...the perfect stand in, you care about me, okay, not as much as she did, but still. You can come armed if it makes you feel better...I will.”
----
That was... a whole lot of complications that Enigma was explaining. Dinah softened as she explained why she wanted Dinah to be a part of the wedding party. She couldn’t say no to that.
“I don’t need weapons,” Dinah said softly.
Her body and her voice were all the weapons she needed.
She sighed. Explaining this to Dean was going to be difficult. Especially with her history with the Nigmas. All the same, she couldn’t just turn her back on Enigma.
“I’ll do it. As long as you make sure that you tell Edward ahead of time. I don’t want to be the surprise guest. And if he does try anything, I will fight back. I also promise not to start any fights myself.”
She assumed that those terms would be acceptable, and there was the slightest of smiles on her face.
“What am I going to be wearing?” she asked, her tone lighter still.
----
“Of course I’ll tell daddy first! He doesn’t deal with surprises well,” she said, not mentioning that she hadn’t told him about her hair yet, cutting out the Nigma specific symbol. No one, not even in Gotham, had hair the colour of fresh spilt blood like they did.
“Oh the gowns are gorgeous she said, hopping onto the counter and pulling a photo from her purse, sliding the image over to Di, revealing a deep emerald green gown that was more see through lace then anything else.
Just what you would expect from an eighteen year old who considered chemises actual clothing.
“Like?”
----
Considering that Dinah wore fishnets to fight crime, she wasn’t as bothered by the prospect of wearing something that sheer as others might be. It wasn’t what she would have picked, but there was a small smile as she looked over the dress and then looked back to the bride-to-be.
“It’s pretty,” she said. “What about your dress? Any pictures of that?”
She also looked down at her notes on the flowers, thinking about the colors and getting a few ideas about arrangements herself. She would defer to the bride of course, but she couldn’t help but make suggestions.
“Are you set on all roses in the bouquets? We can do that, but there are also some other flower varieties in those colors that might accent the roses, if you’d like.”
----
"Of course I do,” she said and pulled out another photo, sliding it to Di. “And you can accent them if you want, I just want predominantly roses in yours and my bouquet...whatever’s cheap for Elena,” Yes, she adored Elena, was her...third best friend even, but she was still annoyed the girl had arrived and twisted Damon around her finger when he should have been wrapped around Enigma’s.
Such was the thinking of a selfish, conceited girl who never actually had to deal with not getting what she wanted until arriving here.
“What were you thinking?”
----
The wedding dress was gorgeous. Dinah might have had her personal issues with marriage for herself, but she could be happy when two other people found each other and felt strongly enough to make that commitment. And you could bet that she enjoyed the fashion and all of the little details that went into a wedding just as much as the next girl.
She decided it was best not to dig for further information on whatever the situation was with Elena, and she resolved to make Elena’s bouquet just as nice, even if she had to give a discount of some sort. Beyond that, she was going to stay away from whatever conflict there was there.
Dinah lit up at the fact that Enigma was open to other suggestions. She reached for a book of her own-a catalogue of the sorts of flowers available to her in the City.
“Well, orchids for one,” she suggested, opening to a page displaying all types of orchids. “There’s a certain drama to orchids that I think would stand out for your bouquets.”
She thumbed through a few more pages, settling on a few flowers that were naturally green, as well as a few non-floral leaves and other types of sprigs that she could add to the bouquets.
----
“I do love drama,” she said with a beaming grin. “So long as there are roses, green and white flowers, I give you full reign, I know nothing about flowers,” Enigma said with a shrug. “Gemstones and money, that’s my game...and shoes, I know shoes.”
Which probably created a giant neon sign as to who had been robbing some of the high end shoe stores in Gotham the last time both of them were there.
“So how are things with you and the hottie you brought to visit?” Enigma asked with a grin. “Pity I was injured, couldn’t flirt at all.”
----
Dinah laughed softly and gave Enigma a mock-severe look.
“It was probably for the best that you couldn’t flirt.”
She trusted Dean quite a bit, so if someone decided to flirt with him, it wouldn’t bother her all that much. Not to mention that she didn’t think flirting from Enigma would have gone over well, considering the whole history with her kidnapping Dinah once.
“Things with Dean are good,” she said with a grin. Whatever else was going on externally, they were in a good place and that much was clear from the calm happiness in her expression.
----
“Ah, but everyone likes flirting from a cute redhead...in fact, I think that’s why Tony hired me...well, that and Bruce is his best friend and he wanted to keep me from running around stealing things,” She said, toying with one of her curls before grinning. “Good, I’m happy enough to want everyone to be happy...mostly.”
She slipped off the counter, stretching her arms over her head. “I guess I’ll leave you to your work, wouldn’t want to distract you. Come by Stark Tower sometime for a fitting, the seamstress is nearby and is used to my calling her at all hours.”
--
Dinah took that all in silently. It was news that Enigma was working for Tony, and not exactly news but interesting information that Bruce was trying to keep her away from stealing things. She hadn’t missed the mention of a love of shoes and jewelry, though she would have to do some digging on recent thefts to see if the younger woman was still breaking the law.
She did smile again at the bride-to-be. It was perhaps an odd wedding to be a part of, but Dinah’s life was very rarely anything but odd.
“I’ll stop by Stark Tower as soon as I get the chance. And I’ll see what I can work up for those bouquets and boutonnieres of yours. Are you having a bachelorette party or a shower? Is Elena planning them, or do you need my help with those?”
----
Enigma shrugged, looking a bit sad. “No idea on either, no one’s mentioned it and Elena’s been wrapped up in Damon so we haven’t really talked. Of course, I’ve been so busy with the R&D department blowing up a floor that I haven’t thought about it.”
She wanted to be normal and have a normal wedding, but so far they were lucky if the wedding actually happened that she hadn’t really thought about the other things like showers and bachelorette parties.
“Would be fun to see Bruce’s face though if I got a stripper...” she teased, imagining Bruce’s ‘I’m highly annoyed with you but trying not to show it’ face. He wore that face a lot when she was bored.
“You can help plan them if you want, uh...here,” She pulled one of her business cards out of her wallet, writing down Elena’s cell phone number. “That’s Elena’s number, maybe you can get a hold of her and see if there are any plans?”
--
Dinah took the card and stuck it in her purse. She wanted to try to help if she could. Especially since she was only one of two bridesmaids and she wanted to give Enigma the chance at something ‘normal.’ Something happy that didn’t have to do with breaking the law.
“I’ll give her a call,” she promised. “Just let me know if you need help with any other wedding plans and I’ll call you about stopping by Stark Tower tomorrow, okay?”
She was going to have to figure out how to explain this to Dean, but she would work through it. It wouldn’t be the first time they argued over something because he was concerned about her and she doubted it would be the last.
----
“Okay,” Enigma said brightly, before leaning in to kiss Dinah impulsively on the cheek before skipping out of the shop, humming happily. Marcus followed silently, but quickly, tired of his young charge being kidnapped and harmed when she wasn’t in his or Bruce’s sight.