11792/The Diplomatic Approach

The Diplomatic Approach
Date of Scene:	28 June 2022
Location:	Donna's Office - Themysciran Embassy
Synopsis:	Gladys and Madison are invited to the Themysciran Embassy, where they meet with Donna, Caitlin, and Diana to talk about Madison's involvement with the Titans. Gladys reluctantly gives her approval of Madison's future as a super hero.
Cast of Characters:	Donna Troy, Madison Evans, Caitlin Fairchild, Diana Prince

---

Donna Troy has posed:
    It's easier for Gladys to have a meeting in New York than to trek over to Metropolis. While the Titans do not (yet!) have a New York branch, Donna does have an office at the Themysciran embassy to use.

    That, purely, is the reason Donna suggested the meeting there. Nothing about impressing on Madison's mom that there's a more serious side to the Titans than she has so far been witness too. Honest.

    Which all goes to explain why Madison and Gladys are picked up by a car with diplomatic plates and driven across Manhattan in the company of a pair of Amazons. Why they are ushered into the grand interior of the Themysciran embassy by the Embassy chief-of-staff Galatea. And why they are lead straight to the office of the assistant ambassador.

    "What they never seem to understand," Donna is saying to Caitlin as the door opens, "Is that if I find a two thousand year old ruined wall, it's not /necessary/ to dig it up. If I want to know about it, I just ask around to find out who built it and ask them why. We probably still have the architectural plans in the library. Yet every /day/ there's some university archeology department applying for permission to do a dig on Themyscira."

    The office desk is empty. Caitlin is seated in a sturdy sofa, and Donna is perched on the arm of a chair facing it. It's all quite cosy. When the door opens and Galatea announces the visitors, Donna hops to her feet and comes to greet the guests. "Maddie! Good to see you. Ms. Evans, thank you very much for taking the time to come here. Please, take a seat. Can I get either of you anything to drink? Galatea -- I asked Ferdinand to make up some pastries, could you ask someone to have them sent up? Thank you. Oh -- and when Diana comes in, please let her know to check her emails, I've sent her some preliminary results from the thing we were testing."

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison chatters nervously with her mother on the ride over - trying to include the Amazons in her discussion of the best way to create gooey brownies with the correct amount of crispy bits. Gladys, perfectly used to her daughter's chatter, listens and adds a few comments, but it seems to conclude near their destination with, "No - we're not getting the 'endless edges' brown pan. We have perfectly good bakeware as it is."
    So much for Madison's case for As Seen On TV bakeware.
    As they enter Donna's office, the woman approaches to offer her hand, giving Donna a polite smile of greeting. "Ms. Troy, kind of you to invite us. Ms. Fairchild, nice to see you as well. I assume this has something to do with Madison, and the Titans? Mr. Stone was kind enough to visit already."
    "Hi guys!" comes Madisons far more casually greeting. "Wait. Vic came over?" Did he tell her mother about the lightsaber?!
    Shoot.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin just mostly nods and smiles sympathetically in the face of Donna's woes. It's something she had to come to grips with as well; Themyscira's libraries are among the most complete in the world, mostly because the original authors are around to append clarifications whenever they feel so inclined.

When Gladys arrives, Caitlin stands up just behind Donna's shoulder. Her hands are folded neatly at stomach level, and a polite smile wreathes her face. Her hair's been done in a single braid that encircles her head like a small crown. In a modest purple dress with simple slipper-style shoes, she looks like she might have just come from teaching Sunday School.

The greeting catches her off-guard a bit; she'll never get used to the notoriety that comes with being a Titan. "It's nice to meet you, too," she bids Gladys. "And please-- Caitlin," she says with a smile. "We don't stand much on formality around here. But it's very nice to finally get to meet you. I hope it wasn't too far out of your way to come here."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "And likewise," Donna adds, "call me Donna. Or Troia, which is my real name. I really don't mind which." Donna smiles wide and ushers Gladys and Madison in to the seating area. "Coffee, Ms. Evans? Or a glass of Themysciran wine? Maddie, help yourself to something from the fridge if you want." She gestures to a small glass-fronted chiller by the drinks cabinet. " I recommend the Mexican cola."

    Donna starts the coffee machine going, continuing to talk as she does so. "Vic went to see you? He hadn't mentioned it. But I'm not surprised. I'm sure you have concerns and it's natural that we wouldn't be the only ones to want to address them."

    With the coffee on the go, Donna turns to lean lightly against the table and wait for it to brew. "Maddie has been visiting the tower quite a bit with Irie lately. She's a welcome guest and everyone likes her. However she has also been getting /involved/, and I'm sure that's something that concerns you greatly. We wanted the opportunity to discuss those concerns with you."

    "I know personally of three occasions when Maddie has been involved with more than just playing board games with the Titans. The first two were during the uh... Wonderland-related weirdness that Metropolis was entangled with recently. Madison was curious about someone from Wonderland who was hunting Snarks. We saw her and went to ensure she was okay. The second was... it's a long story. Generally the Wonderland business has seemed to be annoying but actually quite safe. She was by Met U when something happened that potentially was not safe, and we decided she would be a lot more safe with us than on her own. The other occasion I know she has been involved with the Titans was when she and Irie followed a school friend of hers after school out of concern that friend was getting in trouble. Their worries turned out to be true, and her school friend was kidnapped. Irie and Maddie very sensibly called us to resolve the situation.

    "I am aware that Maddie has been involved in a few other Wonderland-related situations since then. I cannot give a personal account of those, because I was away for a while. However I will reiterate that our dealings with Wonderland have /mostly/ been fairly lacking in actual danger. I don't consider it any more dangerous a place than say Manhattan, and I know my team-mates would have been taking very good care of her. "

    "Regardless of that... I'm sure you're worrying about where it goes from here. A very understandable concern."

Madison Evans has posed:
    At 'Mexican Cola' Madison brightens and starts towards th fridge - then pauses, and looks back towards her mother, who gives her a nod. Yesssssss! Mexican Cola acquired, she drops into a seat without waiting for an invitation, and proceeds to hunch a little further into her seat with each example of her adventurous nature - none of which she'd chosen to tell her mother about.
    "Well. Troia and Caitlin it is, then." However, she doesn't seem inclined to return the favor. "Coffee would be appreciated." She waits until she's invited to seat with a gesture, and then does so, listening gravely to the explination of Madison's activities. When Donna concludes her summation, she looks towards her daugher as she remarks, "It's a little unsettling to learn what my daughter has been up to - when I thought she was learning about colleges, and summer advanced learning opportunities," she remarks.
    "Sorry, mom," Madison mumbles contritely.
    "I am worried," she agrees. "When Madison developed her gifts, I told her in no uncertain terms that I wanted her to finish school before she considered putting her powers to use. That as intelligent and kind hearted as she is - we know, scientifically, that teenage brains are particularly poor at impulse control and risk assessment. She's still a //child.// My child - and it's //my// job to keep her safe."

Diana Prince has posed:
From the hallway there comes a light knock on the doorframe, before Diana gently pushes the door open and stands there within its threshold. She's wearing a royal blue sleeveless dress with a gold necklace hanging down over her collarbone. Her hair is done up in a braid on the back of her head, and she's wearing a light bit of makeup upon her sculpted features.

"Apologies for interrupting..." The Princess says as she holds a box in front of her stomach. She starts to walk toward Donna's desk. "I just need to drop these off for our lovely Donna..." She says with a smile across her crimson hued lips. That smile is given to the guests, and to Caitlin, before Diana looks to Donna. "These are those art gallery invitations that I wanted you to look over. All the options we have to choose from. I thought I would prefer you pick them this time." She says with a glimmering grin.

To the guests, Diana looks again. "I will not get in the way..." She says then as she turns to go again, offering a light wave.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin puts on a very concerned expression of maternal concern to echo Gladys' worries. Her fears aren't entirely warranted, after all, and the redhead's solicitous expression seems aimed at showing Gladys that they aren't dismissing the core of her concerns.

"When we started the Titans up, Vic-- er, Cyborg-- was the oldest of us, being seventeen. We had to learn a lot of lessons the hard way." She's about to continue when Diana steps in, and falls politely quiet while the Princess says her piece. She gives Diana's hands a brief squeeze of affection along with a smile, but doesn't try to stall her from her rounds.

"What was I saying? Oh, right--" Caitlin turns her focus back to Gladys. "Well what I was tryin' to drive at is that, we know how it is to be a teenager dealing with a bunch of weird new powers. And we've learned a lot in the ten years since we got started as a team. Maddie's -going- to keep stumbling into trouble. She's got a big heart, and wants to use her powers to help people." Caitlin smiles approvingly at Madison, then focuses back on Gladys. "And the Titans want to help her be the best she can be, at... whatever she wants to be. She can learn self-defense, engineering, history.... theology, archaeology, whatever piques her intellectual interest," Caitlin says. "And she'll learn it from the people who-- well, arguably, the people who understand her situation better than most any other group or school could do."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "I can assure you Ms. Evans," Donna says with a smile, "That the vast majority of time Maddie has spent at the tower has been doing her homework with Irie, and then playing games afterwards. But as you know... she is enthusiastic. I can promise you the Titans will not get in the way of her education. On the contrary, she's getting a unique opportunity. At the tower she has access to extraordinary research facilities. She seems to have a strong interest in science, and has been spending time in our extremely well-equipped labs where she gets to ask questions of some of the world's best scientists. And Caitlin here is actually a part-time teacher at her school. "

    Donna's fetching Gladys her coffee when Diana arrives, so Donna greets her sister with a smile while Caitlin goes for a more physical greeting. Things have been a touch fraught recently, but that doesn't seem to effect the sheer hugeness of the smile Donna gives her big sister.

    "Diana! I'll take a look at them this afternoon. Would you like to join us?" she gestures towards one of the seats. "Ms. Evans, this is my sister Diana. Diana, Ms. Evans is Madison's mom. Ms. Evans, perhaps Diana can give you a little insight into the situation you find yourself in, and tell you what she went through when her headstrong seventeen-year-old kid sister got it into her head to fight alien invasions and help start up a super team."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Ms. Prince," Gladys greets the woman with some surprise, rising to her feet, and offering her hand as she's introduced.
    Madison, for her part, lets out a quiet giggle. "Oh com'on, mom. They're all just people, and they're really //nice// people, too."
    "That's no reason to forget your manners, Madison," Gladys chastizes the girl - who looks a little cowed, and sits up a little straighter. She needs to be on good behavior, she knows, if this is going to go 'her way' - and she's very worried that it won't.
    Once introductions have been made, Gladys resumes her seat, picking up her coffee, and adding a little cream and sugar to lighten it. "Yes, Mr. Stone told me he and Madison have been designing a lightsaber." The look on Madison's face can only be translated as 'oops, busted.' "Which strikes me as a particularly dangerous thing to put into a child's hands."
    "But- Mom!" Madison protests. "It doesn't even work yet, and we're making it with a stun setting - which is how I'm going to be using it like, almost all of the time unless I need to like burn through a car engine, or open a locked door. And I've been learning sword fighting for //months// to be safer!"
    "...and why would you need to burn through a car engine or a locked door?" Gladys asks with a disapproving look.
    "Uhhh... options?" Madison tries hesitantly, looking to Donna, and Caitlin for help.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana returns the soft squeeze to CAitlin's hands before she stops to greet Gladus with a shake of her right hand also. A smile remains on the Princess' lips as she over hears some of the discussion being given, and her eyes look from the Evans toward Caitlin and Donna, then back again. She grins softly toward them.

"If it would help, Madison is more than welcome to get further training with swords from our people. Though, we have little experience with 'light sabers' we do... adjust quickly to new types of weapons. I am sure we could make the needed adjustments to further ensure her safety, should they actually accomplish creation of such a thing."

All of this is said with a hint of a playfulnessn, considering the subject matter is one of theory yet still anyway.

"But yes, it is a pleasure to meet you, and I promise you that the Titans is the right place for Madison to learn how to ... acquire the skills she needs to flourish as a powered person in this world..."

A look is sent to Donna, before Diana motions toward her. "Donna got a headstart over me as a public powered figure, in fact, so it's entirely possible that she's even more qualified for helping your daughter than I would be." She tells the two, before glimmering a grin to Donna.

A hand is put on Cait's shoulder then. "Plus, our lovely Caitlin will personally see to it that your child is ever as safe as can possibly be, just as she does with all of the other Titans... who have achieved so much, since they formed their ranks together, their bonds together..."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin pinks at Diana's praise, looking modestly abashed. The kind words aren't unwelcome though and she flashes a grateful smile at Diana.

"Ms. Evans, Maddie is... well, her abilities are giving her unique opportunities. To explore new realms, to discover new things. To defend people, or help them. Perhaps a runaway car that needs the engine disabled, and a tool to cut through seized-up door locks," she suggests. "Or there's debris raining down and she needs to knock it away from bystanders? The point is," she says, cutting past the speculation, "whatever she's willing to do, we're ready to train her until *she's* ready to do the job," she explains. "Being a professional superhero, it's... there's no comparable line of work. A lot of people have tried to do the solo thing, and it didn't work out great for them. Madison's really quickly becoming part of our little family. We don't want to see her hurt, and we don't want to see her talents squandered. That means we won't put her in a situation we think she can't handle. But I'd be lying if I said that the gig is completely risk free," she admits. "But that's probably true of everyone who is making the leap into being an adult."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Diana is being very diplomatic," Donna says with a smirk to her sister. "But she raises a point. One advantage she had when I was starting out is knowing that her headstrong kid sister had the best possible preparation. Before I ever came to America I was trained by the Amazons to know how to protect myself and those around me. "

    "We're not going to pretend to you that what we do isn't dangerous, Ms. Evans." Donna nods her head in Caitlin's direction. "That would be disingenuous and dishonest. It /is/ dangerous. Sometimes people die. But we all know that Madison is a good and kind person with a huge heart, who has gifts she can use to help those in need. She /is/ going to do this anyway, one day. You cannot protect her forever, but you can ensure she has the best possible start."

    "We can ensure that Maddie is as well-equipped as possible for her future. There are all too many people in Maddie's position who try to go it alone, and we don't want to see that happen in Maddie's case. We know all too well how dangerous that can be. We can offer her support, and resources, and our experience. We've been at this a decade. But most importantly, we can offer her training."

    "As Diana says, we're prepared to offer Madison specialist one-on-one combat preparation training by Amazon trainers with literally thousands of years of experience. Not just how to swing a sword, but far more important things. How to evaluate the danger she is in, how to defend herself, how to consider the situation strategically to reduce the danger she might face in her future life. How best, if necessary, to run away even. Furthermore at Titans Tower we can provide her with training in a safe, holographically-simulated environment to prepare her for any eventuality. We can equip her with the skills she needs to be as safe as it is possible for anyone to be in the path it looks like she wishes to follow in her future. And when the time comes, we will be there to catch her if she falls. We can promise you regular reports on her progress, and of course you would be more than welcome to oversee her training with us yourself."

    "My recommendation would be to start her off training three evenings a week." She glances at Madison, grinning slightly. "/After/ she has completed her homework. But of course, if you accept, we will work to your timetable."

Madison Evans has posed:
    At the idea of sword training from actual Amazons, Madison's expression absolutely lights up, before she shoots her mother a pleading look. She follows this with, "You should see the Danger Room, mom! It is sooooo cool! And- I mean. It's not a //dangerous// room. It's a safe room. It's a really, really safe room. I got to practice in there! It can run whole simulations, and make you see people, and buildings and- everything. I mean, how does that even work?! It's like the most immersive video game or RPG ever, and lets you practice everything!"
    For just a moment, even Gladys can't help but smile in response to Madison's enthusiasm. "I- I have no problems with training. I know this is something she wants to do, and I'd be a fool not to allow her to be as prepared as possible. In fact... I'd be grateful." She nods gratefully to Diana for her offer, before looking between Caitlin, and Donna. "It's the missions that worry me, naturally. And it's not just the very real threat of physical harm. There's the emotional harm of running into danger, and seeing people hurt, or killed, time and again - which is a danger that I think Madison understands now more than she might have before." She looks towards her daughter, and Madison frowns, looking down at the thought of what happened recently in Egypt.
    "So... yes. I accept the offer of training. I don't want her to feel forced to do this alone. I understand just how dangerous //that// would be. But as for actual missions..." Madison goes from smiling hopefully at the thought of training to a downcast frown at the anticipated refusal. "Can you give me any sort of briefing, or warning, //before// missions?" she asks.
    Madison gapes at her mother for a moment, then turns back to Diana, Donna, and Caitlin with an excited, hopeful smile.

Diana Prince has posed:
Gladys gets a lingering look while Diana considers what the mother is saying. The concerns make plenty of sense, so much so that they're sounding an awful lot like the same concerns she's heard from other good parents worried for their child entering in to such a lifestyle.

Of course, in this instance, it's a matter of the Titans, so Diana mostly is letting Donna and Caitlin handle it. Mostly.

"Ms Evans... you will always be welcome here, at the Themysciran Embassy any time you would like. Especially if your daughter embarks upon this journey. Should you ever feel worried for her, you can come directly here, to get the latest on whatever mission that your daughter would go on, at the behest of Donna, and the other's decisions. I know that they would only bring her along on things that they truly believe she is ready for, as well."

Diana summons up her soft smile again then before she falls quiet again, as she can only offer so much insight in the moment.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin hesitates, glancing at Donna to gauge her feelings on the matter of 'briefings'. The redhead turns back to Gladys and waits patiently for Diana to say her piece. "Madi's a minor, Ms. Evans," Caitlin says. "We're of course operating on your terms. I would-- hrm. ... briefings might put you in an awkward position," she suggests. "You'll need a secure line of communication, for one. My bigger concern is the impact it would have on you. I don't mean any disrespect," she prefaces as sincerely as she can. "But we've found that, um, /civilians/, sometimes don't have the same clear sense of risk that we've developed. Being a team, I mean," she clarifies.

"If you tell her 'you can't go', that might not be the end of the world. But if you tell her to go on a mission, and she does get hurt-- however slight-- I'm worried that you'd take on more than your share of the blame. If it's a choice between you being mad at us, and you being upset with yourself-- well, we'd rather take the hit."

She smiles ruefully. "We're a little short on parents around here. We don't like the idea of anyone having a falling out with their family if it's remotely preventable."

Donna Troy has posed:
    There's a knock at the door, and Donna gets up to go and answer it as Diana and Caitlin make their comments. Diana, Caitlin and Maddie will recognize Ferdinand's voice, but all Gladys can tell is that whoever it is has an extraordinarily deep voice. She may meet the Kithotaur on some other occasion if she takes Diana's offer of future visits, but right now that would only be a distraction.

    When she's finished dealing with the caller, Donna returns from the door bearing a tray filled with a range of warm, delicate, honeyed pastries. The tantalizing aroma arrives well before the tray, but eventually the tray too arrives. Donna places it on the coffee table with a "help yourselves" before retaking her seat.

    "Nobody would be /telling/ Maddie to go on a mission," Donna counters to Caitlin's point. "Except for Maddie herself. The only question is whether Ms. Evans wants to tell her /not/ to go on a mission. I have no problem with ensuring Maddie only goes on missions with her mother's express permission. It has to be her choice how much oversight she requires before saying yes."

    "However I can assure you, Ms. Evans, that we will not be taking Maddie on any missions for now unless we are confident we can keep her safe. She has a lot of training to do first. However she also has some unique talents, and a drive to use them. And she would be with people who will be looking out for her. Caitlin could lift this entire building and throw it into the Hudson. I am fast enough to catch bullets out of the air before they hit people. We have people on the team who can project force-fields, or teleport Maddie home if things get too dangerous. We have grown very fond of your daughter, and we are determined to see that she has the opportunity to thrive and grow into the truly exceptional woman we know she can become."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Believe me," Gladys says to Caitlin, "whether or not I 'okayed' a mission ahead of time - if anything happens to Madison, I'll blame myself for giving permission for any of this. She's //my// daughter. She's a minor - and she's my responsibility." She glances aside at Madison who dares to look hopeful - and she's so intent on this that she doesn't even reach automatically for the pastries. Instead, she stares at her mother, with hands ball tightly into her lap.
    "Please, mom?"
    Gladys gives the barest, fraction of a nod, earning an excited, beaming smile in response. Madison is practically quivering with excitement, as she gives Caitlin, Donna, and Diana an exhuberant grin. Gladys likewise turns her attention back towards the three woman. "I expect to be kept fully informed about everything - ahead of time, as much as possible, with a report about anything that might have affected Madison, physically or emotionally, after missions." Her attention turns to her daughter as she adds sternly, "You will not keep anything from me in the future, and if you do you will be //grounded// and that will include no access to the Tower. Am I perfectly clear?"
    "Yes, mom," Madison confirms immediately.
    Shifting her attention to Caitlin and Donna once more she adds, "And if I think she needs a break from missions for a time, I expect that to be honored."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana watches Donna bring those tastey honey treats in to set them out. It makes her grin softly before she just wipes it away to listen to Gladys' response for her daughter. Diana places her hands together in front of her lap as she glances toward the door when her assistant Greta peaks in to find Diana, no doubt. Diana nods softly to her assistant before she looks back to the mother with the worried acceptance.

A smile shows again upon the Princess' visage, and she nods a single time. "You will certainly have that." She reassures Gladys then. "And again, any time you have concerns, you are welcome here, or may contact us here to voice those worries."

The Princess nods once, looks to Cait and Donna who get a smile before she turns partway toward the door. "I need to attend to something, so please do enjoy the rest of your time here. Madison?" Diana smiles to the young girl. "Never hesitate to come to me if you need anything either to help with all of this. My door is always open." She gives a little wave of her left hand then, before poking Caitlin's ribs for the hell of it, and heading toward the door to join Greta.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"That's more than fair," Caitlin says to Gladys, gratefully. "And we'll keep you up to date on activites and the progress she's making. Like Donna said-- we want to see her thrive," she promises.

There's an *eep!* as Diana jabs Caitlin in the ribs; she flashes a look of startled bafflement, but Diana's gone before Caitlin can voice any complaint. "Rude," she sniffs, and gives Donna a Look that speaks volumes of disapproval.

/Princesses/. Right?

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna hops to her feet to engage her sister in a one-armed hug and whisper "Thanks for calling in, Di," before Diana is able to escape the room with Greta. She returns to the seating area, pulling a pair of yellow disc-shaped devices out of her pocket. Madison will recognize them as T-Coms of some kind. She places one down in front of Madison, and the other in front of Gladys, before retaking her seat.

    "These require a thumb print to lock to your bio-signatures before they are active - place your thumbs on the depression at the back. That's also how you unlock them. They will allow you both access to Titans' Tower whenever you wish it. You will be able to contact members of the team directly at any time with them. And Ms. Evans, you will be able to contact Maddie, or look up her current location, via yours whenever her own one is active. Which it will be at all times when she is at the Tower, or if she goes on any missions with us."

    "Now, please do try a pastry. They're Themysciran specialties, and our chef is extremely good. Any questions?"

    Donna leans back and gives Caitlin an amused shrug. Big sisters. What can you do?

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Thank you, mom, thank you thank you thank you!" Madison suddenly exclaims - throwing herself into her mother's arms, and getting a hug in response. With Madison unable to see her mother's face - for just a moment, Gladys lets it show how difficult a decision this was, as she hugs her daughter fiercely.
    "You listen to them, Madison - and if they order you out, you get out. You don't take unnecessary risks. Alright?"
    "Alright, I won't," she promises - pulling back to grab a pastry. She takes a massive bite, then jams her thumb onto the T-Comm, studying it. She turns her attention briefly towards Diana's departure, chirping out a cheerful, "Yes, ma'am!" before she asks, "Does it only send voice messages? Can you text people? I want to send Irie a message!"
    Gladys accepts the T-Comm with a grateful nod, also pressing her thumb onto it, before the takes one of the pastries. She nibbles at it with less enthusiasm than her daughter - even if they really are genuinely good. "I'd like a more proper tour of the Tower as well - when that's possible."
    "The Tower is soooooo cool, mom. You're going to love it there!"