|
|
Post by Bixir on Aug 23, 2024 22:47:14 GMT
(A few days following this thread.) Bàofùxìng áoyè. Revenge bedtime procrastination. It was a Chinese proverb, representative of work culture in China. Fraught with the overwhelming demands of routine, workers would stay up late into the night in an effort to reclaim the time to themselves that society would not otherwise permit them. It had taken hold outside of China, and since been adopted by many different groups, all of them united in a personal spite against those with power over them. For Cassandra Cain, this control had turned inversely, becoming a daytime procrastination rather than a nocturnal one. For the past few days, she had not gone out on patrol. No one knew that anything was amiss. She had made sure that she would have duty here, and not out there. Even for someone of her abilities, sleep deprivation took its toll eventually. She slept, but not well, and only because of the limitations of her body. Whenever He was in dire straits, subscribing to a period of intense brooding and fasting had served Him well. It was the only way for Cassandra to absolve herself of the guilt that weighed on her. Until now. That image of Damian taking off into the night, and his communicator wedged into her hand, was burned into her memory. She could not do it anymore. She was not Him. Lying on the loft bed on the upper level of the Belfry, Cassandra shut her eyes tight as she held the stoic Batman plushie against her chest. She squeezed the thing as hard as she could, then slowly loosened her grip over the next several moments. She held back a sigh. Cassandra turned onto her back, reaching her arms up and around the Batman plushie so that he could watch her unlock her phone, and begin texting someone who could help her through this.  |
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Aug 24, 2024 2:24:40 GMT
It was a normal Thursday for Barbara Gordon. He went to classes, worked a little on her side project of her villain registry system, and now was getting ready for a night out with a handful of her friends. Something she learned from Bruce she didn't think he meant to teach- keep a balance. She's sure what he meant to teach was keep up appearances. That was what he was always doing, all those Gala's and dates. Barbara is in the middle of doing a rather fetching cat eye when she gets the text from Cass. She finishes the little point, tongue lightly sticking out, then appraises her work. Perfection, just like her. She has a very satisfied look on her face when she glances at the phone...
Her grin fades...
What is going on? Barbara is fluent in Cassandra Emojis- it is an issue with Damian, the new Robin... Something between them had made one of them sad... It is a secret... and Cassandra is asking a question of Barbara. Context, what little there is, Babs sighs, knowing that she needs to cancel her plans. It is alright- another lesson Bruce taught her, Gordon too... Family comes first.
Her friends are used to her flaking anyways.
Barbara gives Cass a quick text, letting her know she is on her way. In her townhome, there is a secret basement... a secret room... a secret teleportation circle... and Barbara is on her way. What is she going to find...?
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Aug 24, 2024 7:01:53 GMT
Cassandra's eyes glaze over the letters in Barbara's response. Reading was still a non-starter for her, but she had a feeling that her prompt reply meant that she would be here soon. She set Brucie aside and rose to her feet, dangling them over the bed. She looked over her PJs... she needed to be presentable. Cassandra practically glided off of the bed in a single, fluid motion, then flattened her soles against the Belfry's hardwood tile to continue her movement into the bathroom space.  By the time Barbara arrived, Cassandra would be sitting in the common area, fidgeting with her hands. When the local teleporter chimed, Cassandra scrambled to get comfortable on the couch. She looked anything but. Then, throwing caution to the wind, Cassandra ran at Barbara, full bore, before leaping into her arms like a spider monkey. The embrace didn't last long. She quickly climbed off to give her sister her space. She looked up at her, looking like she needed to apologize. Already she was regretting this. "D- D... Duh-" She stopped to gather breath, then sniffed. "Ran away." She tugged her arm, which was more like her sleeve - this bathrobe had always been too large for her. She frowned. "My fault." |
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Aug 24, 2024 16:29:51 GMT
Babs is taken a bit aback as Cass hug-tackles her, doing her bet to keep them up on her still weaker than before legs. She's so close to who she was, so close to how things were before...
Already Babs can tell something is very wrong. She clocks a number of comfort items on and around Cassandra. Without thinking, she moves back to her, enveloping her in another more gentle hug. "Hey, its alright. Whatever this is, we can get to the bottom of it," she says, using more of a soothing, slow tone for the younger woman. If she is allowed to give and extend the hug, Babs also takes the time to stroke Cass' hair.
Barbara frowns slightly at the admission, considering it all. She pulls out her phone and texts Damian- all of the numbers she has associated with him. Nothing crazy, just a checking in message. Maybe he will get back to her, maybe he won't. She is hoping he will- going to be a bummer of a weekend trying to track him down. Babs may not be a fighter like Cass and Dames, but she can find anyone.
"Can you try to explain? Maybe I can talk to him."
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Aug 26, 2024 5:44:16 GMT
Cassandra melts into Barbara's arms. She leans in, squeezing her... not too tightly. She has learned from previous visits. She lets Barbara attend to her hair. It is more soothing than anything she may have expected. For a moment, she loses herself in this calm feeling. Then, she is ready. ... sort of. There are no tears in her eyes, but there is a familiar expression. Guilt. The fear of disappointment. Every member of the Family knew such things, in their own way.
"Umm... I, did a mission. Other, team. I... missed home. Came back. Just for a little. Saw Rob- Day..." She buried her face under Barbara's chin for a moment. "He was... upset. Tried to make him feel better. I... I told him about other, team." She sniffed, then ran a bathrobe sleeve across her nose. "I did, I did not mean to! It just- happened. Then, he wanted to join it. Panee... Paaaancked." Cassandra's face scrunched into a pout, frustrated at herself. Slower. "Freak, out. Said Gotham needed him. Other team was something you did for me. I, I did not want to do something wrong. But... still did something wrong. Made him feel alone. Alone, like I did."
She moved to hug her sister again. Now there was something in her eyes. She couldn't let Barbara see it. "...like I do now. Alone. my fault. I- I do not know what to do."
|
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Aug 28, 2024 0:22:03 GMT
Ahhh... Yes. The Boy wanting to feel a part of things, a part of a whole. With Bruce... yeah. It makes sense. She should have seen this coming. "Hey, hey, that isn't your fault," Barbara says, letting go with a hand to start quietly texting Damian. He has already responded, which is a good sign. Time to make him feel like he is in something. The poor kid has enough on his place in terms of abandonment and rejection. She doesn't expect Cassandra to understand that- nor does she expect her to know what to say to someone like Damian. He is... complicated. Barbara loves him deeply, and that makes it easier for her to take the time to approach things from his perspective. Cassandra is so smart, but sometimes she limits herself. Like this- thinking it is her fault, thinking all there is to this is feel guilt...
"It is okay, really. It sounds like Dames was in a bad place, especially for thinking he can leave Gotham. Leave him to me, I'll keep him safe. He can keep me safe, too, in New York. Maybe that's what he needs, Cass, just a change of scenery. Give him time to think and miss Gotham," Babs says, still soothing the other woman. Between texts with Damian, she continues to stroke her hair. She's just a kid, too. That's okay. This is the time to make mistakes.
"What about you, Cass? You aren't alone, I'm here. How can I make you feel better, too?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Sept 4, 2024 4:45:42 GMT
Cassandra nodded, slowly. All of that made sense to her. She had not thought about any of these things. This was why Oracle was Oracle, and she was Batgirl. While Barbara continued to stroke her hair, Cassandra squeezed her again. This was nice. She did not hug many people. Of the people in her life, Barbara and Stephanie were the only ones that she allowed to hold her like this. She missed this sensation more than she realized.
Finally, she took a step back, letting her damp face see Barbara's, and vice versa. She made a sniff. "This... help. It is hard, being away." She waved her oversized sleeves at their surroundings. "Home." She turned back, gesturing at the couch before walking over to it and making herself comfortable. She weakly patted the empty space next to her.
"Jer-noll?" Every month, Cassandra gave an oral briefing to Barbara about her experience with the Champions. Things she had learned, new information she had learned about her peers and the world that they were living in. It was its own form of therapy, in a sense. It was usually a one-way conversation. Here, they could have a more in-depth conversation. It was nice to talk with Barbara about these things. She needed a mentor in her life more than she realized. It was hard not having someone to confide in. Maybe...?
|
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Sept 4, 2024 21:30:36 GMT
It is not lost on Barbara that this hug is something special. She can count on only her hands how many times she has gotten one of these before, and Steph has probably gotten around the same amount. Babs understands- it is a safety and security thing. If Cass had not initiated it in the first place, Babs wouldn't be pushing for more. She really seems like she needs it...
When it ends, Barbara places her hand on the younger woman's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. In her other hand, her phone buzzes. Always the multitasker, she answers it quickly. "Damien will live with me for a while, okay? I've already offered him some space with me, and I think he will take me up on it. Don't worry- this is normal. All of us leave Gotham, for a bit or for a while," she says, trying to cheer up Cass. "I am really glad you reached out to me. If you hadn't, he may have gotten really hurt."
Babs sits next to her sister, lifting her arm to offer Cass some good cuddling if she wants it. "I am proud of you for branching out, Cass. Now it is his turn to figure out where he belongs. Tell me how things are going. I've got some time before I'm needed elsewhere," she says, settling in for the briefing. She's found she looks forward to this time with Cass. "Then, you and I are going to eat something, your pick," she adds, smiling softly. That was always something her father would do, get food with Babs whenever something emotional happened. It shows more on her father than her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Sept 5, 2024 1:54:03 GMT
Cassandra nodded. That was... good. It was good. She was not sure what she had expected, but she knew that Damian needed someone watching over him. Not because he was a child (though, he was), but because, to Cassandra, he seemed like he needed guidance in separating the lessons of his upbringing in the League of Assassins from his new life that had come afterward. Cassandra had fled that life when she was eight, and in a fit of self-actualization over what she had done. Damian had been carefully tutored by Talia al Ghul and her retainers within the inner circle of that brotherhood. Not... the same. As Barbara continues to hold her, Cassandra leans into her sister, letting out a couple more quiet cries. Each one feels like someone is drawing blood.
It took much less time for Cassandra to recover this time. She leaned back into the back of the couch, and takes a couple meditative breaths. She was ready. "They're great. Friendly. Talk a lot." She smiled, sheepishly. "Not like our brothers." Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Cassandra had been there for a while now, but she still wasn't sure. Maybe it was both. "The missions are... different. Not like Gotham at all." She shook her head. "New York isn't, either. You..." She paused, apprehensive. "...and Damian, live there now?" She wanted to ask more, but did not. Her eyes were another story.
|
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Sept 5, 2024 21:10:18 GMT
Barbara listens along, giving Cass a little space now unless she quietly asks for it back. Every so often, she pulls out her phone, quickly shooting a text to Damian. This is how Barbara always has been- multitasking. There is always something that divides her attention, even a little.
"They are a good group, Cass," Barbara says, finally putting her phone down. She has to make sure Damian gets to her place in one piece tonight. "It is why I hoped you would join. Different people- you were ready, to get out there. Widen your horizons," she says, tilting her head to the side. She huffs a laugh. "I only think Dick is like them, to be honest... when he isn't trying to be Batman 2.0," she says, laughing a bit more. As much as there was drama between the two... she loves him. Deeply. Not in the same way as before, but it never really goes away. Not even after what he did.
"Gotham is its own beast. Sometimes I miss it, other times... I really, really don't," she says, looking away. This city has taken enough from her. She is worried for the day it takes more, because it will. It has a hunger for pain, misery, and blood. It is why she had to get out. Babs told Damian leaving wasn't giving up as long as he came back- she never wants to come back. Being here, like this, it brings up painful memories she would rather just outrun.
"Yeah, Dames is going to be with me for a while. I think he just needs perspective," she says, frowning a bit in concern. "I will take care of him. Keep him on the straight and narrow. Well- as close to it as I can, at least," she says, trying to joke her way out of that frown. She is partially successful.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Sept 11, 2024 5:41:00 GMT
Suddenly, Cassandra's arm was on Barbara's. She looked into Barbara's eyes as... well, a little sister would. It was still something that Cassandra was getting used to. "You will." She smiled. There was no doubt in her mind. Her sister could do anything. That brought something else to mind. The other thing she wanted to share. "I- I think I have a friend. On the team. Her name is..." She remembered a recent conversation. Recent conversations. Some things were best kept between friends. "Ghost Spider. Like Spider-Man." Cassandra's eyes widened, cat-like. She resisted the urge to further invade Barbara's personal space.
"Have you met Spider-Man?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Sept 13, 2024 0:35:13 GMT
Ghost Spider. Barbara knows that name, has a dossier on it. "She seems kind," she says, nodding along, proud of Cassandra for branching out like she is. Sure, she had facilitated it, but... It means so much that she is doing so well. As Cassandra looks into her eyes, that is all she can see: pride.
"I have! He is- well, he certainly has quips. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Dick," Barbara says, trying to be diplomatic in that. She does everything she can to avoid men like Dick, now. Sure, she can work with the guy, but... that is really about it.
"You know who I met recently? The Human Torch! He is joining the Justice League," Babs says, getting into sisterly gossip mode. "Would you believe he asked me on a date before he even knew my name?" she says, a touched flattered by it, but ultimately humorous about it all. "You'll have to meet him. He is so charming, he might even get you to blush, Cassaaaaaandra," she says, bumping shoulders with the young woman as she says her name in a silly way. Barbara doesn't care about personal space with a sister. Not now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Sept 13, 2024 6:05:52 GMT
Of Dick. Cassandra nods, understanding. That deeper meaning was familiar to her by now. She doesn't pry any further, though it makes her think. Did Ghost Spider know Spider-Man? She had to, surely... but, Cassandra did not know Him for a long time. And then there was... that.
There was no time to think on it any more. Shoulders are being rubbed. Cassandra rubbed back. Her expression was somewhere between utter surprise and anger. It was not righteous anger, but the kind that sisters fostered towards those who infringed upon their loved ones. This Human Torch could not be that smooth. She had never heard of this hero who Oracle saw fit to join the Justice League. Could he even fight three ninjas with his eyes closed? Cassandra had her doubts. "He sounds... hot." She was grinning from ear to ear. Out of everyone, it seemed that Cassandra inherited Bruce's sense of humor. For better or worse.
Cassandra stayed close, even going so far as to start cuddling with Barbara, gingerly wrapping her overlong sleeves around her sister's upper body. "I could take him."
|
|
|
|
Post by Countess on Sept 13, 2024 21:53:59 GMT
Barbara has a giggle, then a full throated laugh at Cassandra's joke. "You are... not wrong..." she says, somehow getting the words out between laughs. "Look, look," Barbara says, pulling out her phone. It only takes a quick Google, and there he is, in all his glory. She moved through a few pictures, pausing ever so slightly on the Sexiest Superhero of the Year spread... "I would love to see you take him. Someone has to defend my honor, no?" she says, still giggling.
"What else... oh, I have a meeting with Tony Stark in a few days. His... personal assistant? I think? Well, she reached out to me, set up a time for me to come over. Offered to cover transportation and lodging, but I'll just pop over to LA in the telepads... I am a little anxious, it is our first time seeing each other... in the flesh. He is also famous for his womanizing, and I really don't know if I can deal with Johnny and Tony in one week... Men, Cass, sometimes can only think with their lower head..." Barbara says, rolling her eyes.
"And this personal assistant? Desiree Allard. Ugh, I hate her..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Bixir on Sept 16, 2024 6:45:15 GMT
Cassie pouted. She scrunched her eyes at these men, stepping up to her sister. As if they were her equal. Could either of them even do a set of push-ups? Their bodies appeared impressive, but Stephanie had been teaching her about flawed beauty standards. Perhaps... she did not have to go back yet. "Clearly you need..." Cassie looked away from the phone and up at Barbara. She had a mischievous smile on her lips. "...a bodyguard."
But, the moment passed. She knew that Barbara would hear no ifs or buts. She wouldn't have, either, in her position. She needed to be responsible. This Dez-Err-Ray All-Urd, on the other hand...
"Why?"
|
|
