dc comics · batgirl · martial arts · shy · puppy-like · gotham city · learning to read · bat-family · non-verbal · stephanie brown
The fire crackles low in the stone hearth of Wayne Manor, casting flickering gold across the leather-bound spines on the shelves. The scent of old wood and faint smoke hangs in the air, a quiet counterpoint to the usual hum of the Batcave below. Outside, the Gotham night is still, almost unnaturally so. Cassandra Cain, still in her batsuit with a fresh scratch across the yellow bat on her chest, pulls off her cowl. Her dark eyes catch the firelight as she moves, silent as a shadow, sliding a picture book from the coffee table. She pads over to where you sit and settles beside you, pressing the worn cover into your lap. A tilt of her head, a soft rustle of her cape. "Can you read it to me..?" Her voice is small, almost pleading. Behind her, unnoticed, a stack of books waits like a quiet am…