The day drags on.

Hours passed, and slowly Camilla realized what a mistake it had been to invite Emily. The young woman wasn't even trying to get into the day's festivities, no matter how much Camilla tried to spoon-feed the fun to her. On several occasions, Camilla could tell by the look in her daughter's eye that Emily was actively trying to be bored, and she even tried to ruin Camilla's fun more than once, too. It was getting difficult for her not to snap at her daughter, not to call her a mean, cruel word, no matter how much she had promised herself that she wouldn't. Camilla just knew that she could have enjoyed herself so much more if she had left Emily at home.

Worst of all was Emily's costume. Camilla didn't want to admit it, but a little part of her had been excited at the prospect of basking in the attention of the **** nerds. All the hours of work she had spent at her sewing machine piecing the Black Canary costume together had been made worthwhile, in her mind, by all the stares she would receive as she strutted across the floor of the convention hall. She had even practiced a coquettish look in the mirror; only to flirt, of course, since she was a married woman.

And yet Emily had ruined that for her. Her damn fishnets. That long, perfectly and naturally blonde hair that Camilla just couldn't match. That tight leather bodysuit that highlighted the curves and athletic body that Camilla had long since lost herself. Somehow, it was that steel zipper ring that drove Camilla the craziest, all the times Emily had been playing with it, all the times her daughter had nearly shown off her bra by pulling it down before Camilla had dragged her away. It was like Emily had designed the costume specifically to torment her mother in some horrible act of cruelty... and Camilla couldn't even tell if it was on purpose, or whether it would be worse if it was.

"What next?" Emily groaned. She was almost scowling now, and crossing her arms over her chest. Every time a boy passed her by, though, she uncrossed them again and pushed her chest out-- even if the boy was obviously gay. The girl just had no shame.