fatemarked | oo1. video. / let's get this party started;

oo1. video. / let's get this party started;

[ There's a young person on the screen of the first broadcast since the new batch arrived. Other older members have used the network for their own communication, of course, but this one has all the hallmarks of a freshfaced, uncomfortable but trying newbie. ]

Um... so, what are we supposed to do here? I had a job back home... and I know—once we're assigned we might have more to do, but as it is, I'm just...

[ Beat. Casey's face turns a little red. ]

Right, my name is Casey. Everything here is a little weird for me — from what I understand, nothing here is powered by magic? Ah, but I guess I might be the weird one. No one else has said anything. My point was, it feels a lot like coming into something halfway. Where do we start? Is this it?

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[He nods slowly, then smiles at Casey.]

See, if I were going to pick a vacation dimension, I think I'd pick yours, rather than this one. It sounds like there would be a lot there to keep me busy learning.

[ They tilt their head, then nod almost mischievously. ]

Yeah, you'd definitely have a lot to catch up on. Guess it's pretty neat, though. I like the city I was living in, anyway.

What was it like?

Pretty diverse. Shops open all hours of the night but if you find the right neighborhood, it isn't so noisy that you can't get to sleep. You could lose yourself in a crowd if you wanted and no one would care... And, I mean it's—

[ Where they met Gabriel. For a moment, a look of pain crosses their face before they shut it down. ]

It's got all kinds of people.

[Oops. Tim can be kind of an ass sometimes, but even he notices when he's tripped over a sensitive subject... Which he supposes home would probably be for... well... all of them who aren't expecting Batman to turn up and drag them back to their own reality at any second.]

That sounds nice. A lot nicer than Gotham--where I'm from.

[ It's to be expected, so Casey isn't too tangled up over it. Just so many small things popping up and reminding them... ]

What's Gotham like?

[wry smile]

Well, there's a lot of crime. And you could lose yourself in a crowd, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

[ That's a grimace of both understanding and sympathy. ]

Not somewhere to go for a walk at night, then.

[Tim actually looks faintly horrified, because honestly Casey just sees so nice. He doesn't recommend Gotham for people who are nice.]

Uh. No. Really no. I mean, some neighborhoods are okay, but a lot of it isn't, and when the psychos are out it can get really bad no matter where you are.

[ Casey is indeed very nice, would not last the day in Gotham, do not pass go, do not collect $200. ]

Psychos? What?

[Wow, how do you explain Gotham and the fact that crazy there is practically a trademark to someone who has never even heard of the place?]

Um. The criminals. Some of them are your garden variety bad guys, but there are a bunch of people that are just... completely crazy. When they're out, it can get really dangerous, until Batman and the rest of them get them under control again.

[ There's so much to take in there that the gears turning are almost audible. Clinking, clanging, struggling to get through that. ]

... Batman?

[Aaaand this is how Tim felt about the magic thing, so at least they're even now?]

Our local vigilante. There are others who work with him--Robin, Batgirl and so on, but Batman's sort of... the big one. I guess.

[He says like Batman isn't sort of his dad.]

Is he... a yokai?

[ Dragon doesn't seem possible, but yokai come in much more esoteric forms while retaining the same almost-humanoid qualities. Otherwise who would go with the name BATMAN??? ]

[Confused look.]

A what?

Er, draconic?

[ Confused look back! ]

Er... like a dragon?

[ Casey pauses, rolls their lips together to keep from saying something probably not all that nice overall. ]

No, um... dragons are draconic, but so are yokai. They're different draconic races.

[Well, it's been a pretty long time since he had time to play Elfquest, or Wizards and Warlocks, so he's not totally up on the different races of dragons.]

...I did not know that. There aren't all that many in my world. If there are any at all.

[He hasn't met any, but... the world is weird. He won't rule it out.]

Maybe they're hiding.

[ More likely than you think, Tim. ]

Guess that means no, though... But—Batman?

Could be. Stranger things have happened.

[A lot stranger.]

Well, he dresses up in a bat costume. I guess she could be a draconic [no], but from what I've heard he doesn't have any special powers or anything...

Like what?

[ Not to say that dragons hiding is strange. It's really not. Now, though, they're curious. ]

And no magic, either... Why, uh, why a bat costume?

[blink] Oh. Uh. Well, things get pretty weird for the Justice League, I guess. Alternate earths, aliens, ageswapping... stuff like that.

As for Batman... I don't know. I guess criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. [I literally cannot help myself.] I think it's just to be scary.

Justice League? You mean, like... the police...?

[ That sounds rather... exciting... ]

Oh. I guess bats could be scary.

Um. More like... an organized group of mostly sanctioned vigilantes. [He says 'mostly.' Because... technically they're extralegal, but the government doesn't really have anyone else to deal with the things that the League and Titans and so on deal with, so...] The police are separate.

To some people, I guess. I... well, Batman's been around and taking care of my city for as long as I can remember, so I guess I don't find bats all that scary at this point.

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