Mar'i Grayson

“Not at all,” Morgan assured the other girl with enthusiasm in the words. “Mar’i if you need some sleep I’ll personally bodyguard your door.” She exclaimed. “I do have the new weapon to try out but that could wait for later, or for Jake or Peter- it’s okay I’ll figure it out.” She promised. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Mar’i really wished she was the kind of person who could just say no and mean it. Especially when her friends wanted something, and she was so tired. But she was Richard Grayson’s daughter through and through. That meant putting others before herself. “It’s okay. I can nap after. It’s too early to nap right now anyway.” she said shaking her head free of the drowses. “Jake is busy and it’s safer for me to test it with you than Peter.” she answered.

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     “They do sometimes..” Jake countered, although he knew that he was being childish. Mar’i was right, it would be selfish to unload such an emotional burden onto their parents just to make themselves feel better. It just felt wrong to be dishonest with them, even if it wasn’t technically lying. They were simply withholding the truth. “I don’t like it when you make points that make so much sense, you know” he pouted. 

Jake continued and Mar’i gave him the look. “Jake.” Mar’i wasn’t usually the serious sibling, even when she cared for Jake. But now and again, the generations of royal blood pumped through her veins surfaced, and her tone and demeanor changed into one that was not to be trifled with. It was a rare occurrence, but it was one that was never contested upon.  She sighed as he pouted, placing a hand on him softly. “I know it doesn’t seem fair. I miss them too. But even though they’re our family...they aren’t. Not yet. We have to wait until we can be more positive about the effect this would have.”

@ofstarshines​ liked for a starter

“There must be something I can do for you,” Komand’r said softly, not turning her gaze away from the window, where she was watching people scurry back and forth like the ants they were. “Considering it appears you are incapable of taking your eyes off of me.” She finally turned her gaze to the young woman she addressed, arching an eyebrow. “Yes?”

❛ Truths do not always set one free. Only a fool who has spent their entire life being fed lies believes that. ❜ Mar’i said to her brother when he asked her about telling their mom who they were. “It is bad enough we’ve had the contact we had. And you know that. Knowing who we are could place a burden on our parents that is not ours to place.”

❛ Would you be sad if I said no? ❜ Mar’i asked with a frown. she didn’t want to upset them, but she was exhausted from late night patrols. granted, as a bat she rarely slept, but even batkids had their limitations. “i really just want a nap.”

He heard a touch of drama in her tone and he gave her a bit of a laugh. “I doubt that. Girls like you can do a lot.” His mind went to Cass. She was small but the deadliest one in the group. So much so that they’d draw straws to see who’d be sparring with her. A girl like her could help people in a lot of ways. “Yeah, you’d need an I.D. for the application, but come by with it and I can help you out.” Dick offered. 

“Oh..uhm..thank you.” she tried to contain the smile that came over her lips, but it was to no avail. For the first time she’d been happy her powers had been well, dulled. If not she may have lit up like a Christmas Tree. “Oh alright.” she nodded when he confirmed. Maybe Peter could help. Get it pushed through or something. He’d been there a few months after all. “I’m sure I can figure it out.” she answered.

-

Cass’s head tilted as Mar’i told her that she loved boba, rather than she would love it if she tried it. It definitely struck a chord in her mind, but then again, she supposed that her grasp on English was perhaps more tenuous than she thought. Maybe she’d just misunderstood or heard it wrong. “I trust you,” she said, offering Mar’i a smile. She considered for a second. “Something sweet?” she suggested. “To try?”

“Ok sweet! I’m on it. Go ahead and sit and i’ll get us something.” she grinned. The one thing about what she’d gone through, is that her hair wasn’t prone to light up at every thought she had now. She wasn’t sure if that was a blessing...or just sad. “ I’ll be right back.” she said going to grab them both a drink. She knew she was taking a risk getting so close to her family, but she couldn’t help it. She missed them. She’d deal with Yara later. 

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        Touché. She had him there. They were strangers, and technically he was a murderer. When she agreed to the diner, Jason started leading the way. He figured if she followed they could talk and if she didn’t that he needed to eat anyway. A win-win for him. “Where are you from Mary?”

“Bludhaven.” she answered him. Also not a lie. She followed along, tossing the tire-iron behind a dumpster. She could get it later. It didn’t seem like a very welcoming diner accessory. “What’s yours?” she asked , head tilting to the side as she looked at him. He looked a lot younger, his frown lines hadn’t set in yet. “You shouldn’t scowl so much. makes you look older.” she said to him. 

It was a case he’d been working for a while now and one with a deadly time limit. He’d keep an eye on the girl’s families for a short while, just to make sure everything was fine before moving onto the next thing. It was a job that never let up but was infinitely rewarding. He supposed that went for both of his jobs. She asked if they took volunteers and he perked up. She did seem like a save the world type. She was already someone who carried around a first aid kit and asked to help people when she could. He couldn’t help but smile at her kindness. “Yeah actually. We do. We have a few programs, but mostly volunteers help to reduce stress for victims and citizens who come in to report crimes. It’s important for them to feel safe. Are you interested in that sort of thing?”

Mar’i nodded eagerly. It would give her access to the station and more importantly, let her be around her father more. Plus Peter was there. “I want to help people.But there’s only so much a girl like me can do.” she said, maybe a bit too dramatically. reel it in mar’i. She said to him. “Would I need an I.D? and things like that?” she asked. If she did she’d have to find a pretty convincing fake. Maybe Jason knew someone. 

He let out a soft laugh at her words. “Adorableness does beat intimidation.” Dick replied with a smile. At her question, he glanced at her. Wondering how much he should tell her. “Traffickers.” He answered, “They were trying to smuggle eight little girls out of the country by boat. I had to jump from the dock to the boat to rescue them and I guess I just landed wrong.” Which was really rare for him. It was almost embarrassing. Considering how perfect his landings were normally. “But they’re safe now and back with their families.”

“That’s good. Not you landing wrong but that the girls are back with their families.” Mar’i frowned when he said that, heart going out to the little girls. She hadn’t head a thing about it on the news. She wondered of all the crimes they stopped, how many went unreported? How many girls didn’t have the heroes come in time. Who got taken and never noticed? Became damaged and cruel to the world? These were things that ran through her head all the time now. Worst case scenarios. Because every decision that was made here lead to their world ending. “Do you take like...volunteers? At the police station?” she asked. 

“Trust me. If it needed wrapping… I would have handled it by now.” He told her, “It’s sweet you care, though. And that you keep a first aid kit on you. That’s smart. Especially in a city as crazy as New York.” Sitting on the bench that she’d gestured for him to sit, he patted the spot beside him. “You’re right, it’s not and you don’t look very intimidating yourself.” He teased with a similar smile across his own face, “Sit. If you want to help me so badly, you can keep me company while I take a break.” 

Mar’i knew that if he was busy enough he would just shrug it off and not even check if it needed to be wrapped. One of the many traits she’d gotten from him was the need to take care of everyone else before themselves. Her younger self usually making up reasons to be catered simply just to get him to stop a moment. “I don’t need intimidation. I’m adorable.” she giggled. She took a seat beside him, resisting the urge to start wrapping his ankle. “So, who were the bad guys yesterday?” she asked curiously. 

Randomized starter for Aria

“oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my X’hal I’m SO sorry.” Mar’i apologized profusely, trying to help up the person she had bumped into. She’d been in her own world and hadn’t seen them turning the corner. “are you alright? Please be alright. Does anything hurt?”

A randomized starter for Bri 

“whoa look at this Baby. isn’t it crash?” Mar’i said holding up the VHS. She was on babysitting duty today and while on their walk had come across a Garage sale. Or considering they were in new york, a sidewalk sale. It was so cool being in the past and seeing such outmoded items. “I wonder what it is. Perhaps some kind of toy or crafting tape?” she wondered aloud to the child.

‘ here, let me help you. ’

@ofstarshines​

Hearing the girl’s voice, Dick glanced up. ​He’d met her before once or twice. Their meetings had been brief but strangely memorable. She reminded him of someone and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The tone of her voice, the curls in her hair, the dimples she had when she smiled… She was just some girl. No older than Damian, he guessed. But it still felt like he knew her from somewhere more than just those meetings. “I’m fine. I just landed funny last night while I was chasing a bad guy-” He could say that kind of stuff when he was in his Police Uniform and he was never questioned about it. One of the perks of the job- less lying. “I just need to walk it off.” 

“Still. At the very least you should wrap it” Mar’i frowned looking at his leg still. she dug through her bag, pulling out an ace bandage. She always kept a small first aid kit on her. You never knew what you would come across after all. “sit.” she said motioning to the bench near by. “this is not negotiable. you can’t look like a super intimidating cop with a limp.” she said sternly, but there was a smile on her lips. 

“Offering, telling, it’s the same thing.” Ethan waved, finding a bit more amusement with the situation with his previous annoyance diminishing. “You got a name, Miss Giving-Help-Without-Choice?” Ethan chuckled at her. “Don’t–” Well shit now he felt a guilt for it. “It’s hard for me is all.” Letting people help. He wouldn’t make a big deal of it, and he hoped she wouldn’t either. “i’m Ethan.” He relented. 

“No it’s not. People are allowed to make their own choices with how they deal with their problems.” she stated, despite doing the opposite not too long ago. “It’s Mary.” she said keeping her alias. She couldn’t take any chances. “I know. That’s why I didn’t ask.” she smirked. Mar’i had a slew of people in her family who were still learning how to let them selves be vulnerable. Herself included. She could see it a mile away. 

-

Cass’s eyes widened slightly as Mar’i spoke, and she shook her head with a little frown of concern on her face, not wanting the other young woman’s feelings to be hurt. “No, no,” she assured her. “Not too much. Just…” She put out her foot, as though she were a child doing the hokey-pokey, and gave it a little wiggle. “Sore feet,” she said, looking up at Mar’i with a giggle. Her head tilted a little as Mar’i described the drink. “Chewy…” She paused, considering. “Bubble things? Like…like gum?”

“Alright rest it is!” she grinned leading her to the drink shop. “Kind of but you actually eat them. They’re delicious trust me. You love them!” she smiled, too excited to realize her slip up. She normally tried to be more conscious of the things she said but she was excited. “okay here we are? What flavor would you like? Thai?” 

.

        “You think I should murder you for trying to steal my tires?” The laugh that escaped was one of humor. The longer they spoke, the more she sounded like a younger version of Jason. It was amusing, to say the least. “There’s a diner down the street. Does that work?”  He wasn’t going to oppose her on the safety that a public place provided. He was a strange man who had caught her in an attempted theft. It only made sense that she didn’t trust him. Why would she?

“Or maybe i accidentally picked a murder’s tires. I don’t know.” she answered him, a smile on her face. It felt good to hear him laugh. A sound she hadn’t realized she missed so much. She felt a knot forming in her stomach. “Okay. Yeah.” she nodded motioning for him to start walking. “So uhm...I’m Mary.” she said to him, keeping some space between them. .