Cassandra Cain | 001 | Video

[hellofist]

[The first thing visible when the feed clicks on is... an eyebrow. Well, two actually. Two eyebrows that are drawn together with a look of confusion. Clearly, someone isn't the best at tech-like things.]

Is- working? [Here have some button pressing and nope, that just turned off the video. The audio is still working though, picking up the sounds of Cass pushing more buttons and muttering quietly before it snaps back on. This time, she grins and her face is framed better, the comm held out to show she's still in her Batgirl costume, she's just taken off the cowl and her gloves.]

Oracle? Are... you here? In weird place. Lots of cameras, so... you must be here.

[With a frown, she rubs at the back of her neck. Maybe she should talk to the general population, figure things out...]

Um, I'm Batgirl. [Wait, pause a second. Maybe the actual name would be a good thing to go by? It's not like she's ever been careful with her identity in the past so why start now?] Cassandra. New here. Found big house, no one's here. Gonna... stay.

Well, in house. Will take walks. Could use... tour? Information.

... That's all.

[Yep. She sucks at communicating in like every sense, sorry. The feed cuts off completely this time, but Cass can be found on the porch of house 17 if anyone feels like coming to see the new kid in person.]

Comments

[hellofist]

[Okay but you don't look like you're made of iron so what gives? Also, a quick look around and a peek at the sky confirm something else.]

It's daytime. Not... twilight.

[Sorry Tony, her exposure to TV is a recent thing, she doesn't know all the good shows yet.]

[manofiron]

Well, no, you're right. That's a figure of speech.

[ The way she takes him literally reminds him of Steve. Or Thor. Which means either alien or another person out of time. ]

Are you from the Forties? Or, you know, not from the twenty-first century?

[hellofist]

No, just... New. Was isolated. Just learning... most stuff, now.

[She's kind of out of time, but comparing her to Thor would be closer. At least Steve grew up with other humans. Cass might be one, but she still doesn't really know how the work, how to fit with them. She's doing her best, though.]

So... Tony? Lived here long?

[manofiron]

I can sympathize with that.

[ He's been isolated too. Not to the extent that she has, of course; he simply doesn't know that. ]

Nope. A couple weeks. Got drafted just like you. Before this, I was in New York.

[hellofist]

You're... a hero too, right? [There's got to be a better way to phrase that, but hey.] Iron Man? Do you... know what's going on? Any tips?

[manofiron]

So I've been told. Put on a metal suit and fly around, people'll call you anything these days.

[ He wouldn't call himself a hero, not seriously, but others have. ]

Far as we can tell, we've been abducted by scientists for some kind of experiment. What that is, we don't know. We don't know why either. Attempts to break out haven't been very successful, and this place seems determined to drive us nuts.

[ He smiles brightly. ]

Best vacation ever, right? Point is, you're not alone. And as long as we're here, you won't be.

[hellofist]

Is it... working? The driving nuts part.

[He's nice, she doesn't like the idea of people torturing him at all. He only drives the point home when he does that, promises she won't be on her own. It's sweet, he doesn't have to say that.]

Wouldn't know, never had vacation.

[manofiron]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. You missed the big hallucination extravaganza. Which, I should note, is a good thing.

[ Never had a vacation? He looks horrified at the notion. ]

Okay. Well, obviously I can't promise palm trees and relaxation. But, we'll try to have fun when we can, okay? It won't be a twenty-four hour shithole. Least not if I can help it.

[hellofist]

[Cass has never really been part of a we before that didn't involve some sense of obligation, free of a feeling that she was a burden taken on because that was the only option. But Tony just keeps saying it, we over and over, and... she likes it. She wants to be a we.]

Have feeling, you keep things... from being boring.

Every played rooftop tag?

[manofiron]

Can't say I ever have.

[ Tony's grin is wide and carefree, brimming with playful mischief. He tries to keep things entertaining. Because Tony? Tony hates boredom with a passion. ]

If you're willing to teach an old dog some new tricks, I'm willing to learn.

[hellofist]

[They have a hatred of boredom in common, then.]

Not that old. It's easy. Like normal tag, just... don't fall off roofs.

[manofiron]

Would you believe I never played it?

[ As far as childhoods went, Tony didn't have much of one. Of course, he does still know how to play the game. ]

But I think I can keep up just the same. Even without the rocket boots. Before you know it, I'll be giving you a run for your money.

[ He winks. ]

Pun intended.

[hellofist]

It's okay. I hadn't, either. Sometimes, have to wait... for right teacher, before you learn something.

[Unfortunately, that goes straight over her head. Sorry Tony, Cass sucks at most puns.]

Don't have money, though.

[manofiron]

[ Tony has to laugh at that, a quiet chuckle under his breath. She's right. He learned that the hard way, deep in the caves beneath the Afghan desert. For him, that teacher had been Ho Yinsen. ]

Don't worry. I don't have any money, either. Not here. Back home, I've got more than I know what to do with. But here? I'm back to the barter system just like everyone else.

[hellofist]

Was always bad, with money. Paid for rose with fifty, once. Just walked off. Was good tip, I guess.

[The things that happen when you give people who have never had money... money.]

What do you have... to trade with?

[manofiron]

[ Being inappropriate and flirtatious is something Tony's practiced for decades. To not do it now takes some effort, but he manages. ]

Well, mostly me. I'm a genius at, well, everything. But especially engineering. You know, buildings, machines, energy sources. It's kind of my thing. I invent stuff. Right now I'm a little short on materials, this place isn't very high tech, but I'm working on it. Sort of.

[hellofist]

[It's kind of funny to watch him tamp down on the natural urges he has, to see him want to say something and picking something else instead. She has to wonder, how often does he actually bother to do that, to filter himself? It gains him a little more respect in Cass' eyes.

And his body language tells her he's not lying, not really exaggerating his abilities. He really is all those things.]

Kind of... understatement, saying not high tech. [She's caught somewhere between still being amazed about running water and hot showers and being used to giant computer terminals in batcaves, so she can kind understand how he feels.] If you tell materials, will... keep eye out.

[manofiron]

Metal, mostly. Wires. Basic tools, though to be fair, if I have enough metal, I can make some of them myself.

[ The problem with that is if too much metal goes into the construction of the tools, there won't be enough to make anything else.

He rubs his hand over his eyes, feeling tired and worn out and too stubborn to admit that maybe this time, he's shit out of luck. ]

We need—We need a lot of things here, really, and that's not just me complaining about no takeout or cleaning services. Weapons are a big thing. And a way out. Maybe a computer to help with both of those. So really, anything that can go into constructing any of those things.

[hellofist]

There's... broken building, right? Would have metal, wires. Can take apart... stoves, break cameras, maybe? Use those parts?

[He's probably thought of all that, but Cass likes to feel helpful, like she can contribute in some way.]

Not good at... brain stuff, but can break things. If you need help.

[manofiron]

You're absolutely right. I can use that stuff. The problem's getting to it before it repairs itself, which I know sounds weird and impossible. But it's not. Here, Humpty Dumpty puts himself back together all the time.

But you bet I'll take the help. And hey, there's nothing like a little localized destruction to deal with stress, am I right?

[hellofist]

[Her nose wrinkles up when he says that name, confusion clear in her face. The rest of the conversation is completely forgotten for now.]

Humpty what?

[manofiron]

Dumpty. Humpty Dumpty. It was an egg that fell off a wall and broke and king of the region couldn't put it back together again. I never could figure out why a king would care if an anthropomorphized egg-man broke or not, but maybe it was such a novelty to have an anthropomorphized egg-man in the kingdom that losing him affected tourism or something.