16703/And Along Came a Paper (Master)

And Along Came a Paper (Master)
Date of Scene:	29 December 2023
Location:	Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	On the suggestion of two friendly bats, Charta comes to Titans Tower. She is met by Thunderbolt and Starfire and shows what she can do. And reveals her identity along the way.
Cast of Characters:	Clara Jennings, Mary Bromfield, Damian Wayne, Koriand'r

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Clara Jennings has posed:
    One does not just walk into Titan's Tower. Right? What is the procedure for this? Rook said to come here and well, that would be that. Tell them he sent her and to call for him. He said more, but that was all rather harsh. She is not stupid!

    So here she is. She will look for a door. Or a camera. Or something that is likely to get attention. And then she will knock.

    She is in costume, which is just a black bodysuit and a simple mask. It is just after noon, so that suit is very much NOT a disguise or a way to avoid notice. All she carries a briefcase. Should there be sensors used to check it, they will reveal paper inside. Just a whole bunch of sheets of paper. Nothing else.

    "Hello? Excuse me, a Mister Rook told me to come here. He said you could help me." Or at least keep her from getting beaten up by Batman. Apparently.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary... well, Thunderbolt, was actually landing on the roof of Titans' Tower, since she hadn't been around in a little while. Life was hectic, and now that she's got the Goddesses backing her up, she definitely feels like things are sorting out a bit for herself now. Which is when she got the alert about someone down at the entrance.

Pausing a bit to see the newcomer, she smiled a little, patching a message over to, "Rook, this is Thunderbolt. Did you recommend someone come here, because she's here."

With that, she takes off into the sky, and Clara notices a crack of thunder and lightning in the air, followed by the rapid descent of someone from the roof. Said someone quickly becomes seen as Thunderbolt, her skirt and cape fluttering in the breeze as she hovers a foot or so off the ground. Then she smiles warmly, "Oh hey, Rook sent you over here?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
> British girl? Black body suit? Kinda flighty? Yeah, I'll claim her.

That's Rook's texted response back to Thunderbolt. At Wayne Manor, he had just arrived in the Batcave to upload the report, when the message came.

> I'll be there in a few. Give her the nickle tour. She's a chartamancer.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara is not accustomed to meeting people who would be in a position to arrange dealings with Gods or Goddesses. She is, at heart, more of an academic than a super hero or agent or whatever her role technically would be. So hopefully Thunderbolt will understand that the sudden appearance is, well, a bit much.

    "I.. well yes, he did." She is stammering, but she tries to get herself back 'in character' as it were. She stands up straight and bows. It looks odd for her to curtsey without a skirt, as she's recognized before. "You can call me..." She sighs softly for some reason. If anything, she's embarrassed, ".. Charta."

    She really wishes she never used that name to begin with. Moreso cause it calls to mind her meeting with Rook. It did not go well.

    "But honestly, please don't think much of it, I'm just a normal person, not a hero. It seems if I come here, though, I can do my job and not be beaten up by Batman for it." She does feel a tad better about one thing, though. Thunderbolt seems nice. Then again this is Metropolis. There is sunlight here and that makes everything nicer. In Gotham it always seems to be dreary somehow!

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt smiles and lands then, "Well, if Rook suggested you come by, you must be special. Of course, most people are, but that's a personal opinion." She arches a brow, "Charta? I'm Thunderbolt, and it's nice to meet you."

She then continues, "I signaled Rook, and he should be here momentarily... don't worry, he's grumbly but he means well." She flashes the woman a smile, and waves her inside, opening the door, "Come on in, we can look around the Tower a bit while we wait. Might even see some of the other Titans. We tend to come and go quite a bit..." She pauses, but decides not to mention her own scarcity with other things going on.

Koriand'r has posed:
"A what-a-mancer?" another voice comes over the communicator, a rush of glowing green streaking like a comet towards the tower now diverting towards the front door with a sweep of gloing light that reveals a figure humanoid in shape...but not exactly human. Koriand'r touches down, the orange-skinned girl with the glowing green eyes tilting her head as she lifted a hand. "Hello new visitor. You were invited by a friend?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
A bit grumbly? Yeah, that tracks.

But you know what, it gives Rook the chance to use Batcopter. Which he totally is. As the craft arrives in the sky, it moves towards the helipad and comes in for a landing. As the copter settles into place, it is pretty much one of the older vehicles in the Batarmory, but it's easier to use for commuting from the Batcave to the Tower.

Once the engine has spun down, the youngest Bat steps out as he comes down the helipad to join the others. "Hello, Koriand'r." he greets her warmly, after all, she has been a friend of the family well before he was a member of the family.

Thunderbolt also draws a nod of his head and a smile. "Thunderbolt. It has been... a bit." A past life, it feels like, really. And then he moves his mask to face Charta. "You are efficent, I will give you that." he comments dryly.

"Kori, Thunderbolt, this is Charta. She is a stray that Oriole and I came across in the amusement mile. And considering she's not going to heed our warnings about Gotham, I assumed that she should at least make some friends somewhere. It was my suggestion she speak with Troia or Caitlin about the Titans. A chartamancer... someone who can control paper, Kori." he explains for her, "...could be valuable, especially if she has intellegence gathering skills."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta will start to follow Thunderbolt inside. "It's nice to meet you. And well, he did have quite a growl." Sigh. "And he kind of suggested that I'm stupid." Which stung. Honestly! He does not even know her!

    Charta is careful to stay close. She has no idea what this place will be like, and her experience with super heroes thus far has been something of a mixed bag. Oriole seemed to be somewhat friendly to her. Rook scary. Thunderbolt is nice so far, but also has this aura of, well, being vastly out of her league in every way. She can probably throw trains for fun and fly to the sun on a whim! Plus her hair is amazing. Charta really needs to ask how she maintains it.

    And then Koriand'r arrives. Charta looks rather overawed. She has stepped out of her world of books and dust-covered rooms into a place where everyone appears to just fly about and look amazing and different.

    Charta forgets herself and does curtsey this time. Which looks more than a little funny with no skirts. "Hello! I'm Charta, and well, that is to say, I was invited."

    Sensing Thunderbolt likely means for her to get properly inside, she rushes in, expecting Koriand'r to follow. Charta will look back, "I apologize, what is your name?"

    "What do you do here?" she asks curiously. "Do people live here? Or is this like a police station of sorts? A barracks?" A pause and she just cannot help herself. "Is there a library?"

    She barely has the time to register this and then Rook is here. Frankly, the academic is not sure what to express at his appearance. She is not sure if she is mad at him or what it is. It is irksome that she cannot decide.

    "I will take efficient over stupid," is what she decides is the best response. Would it have killed him to say hello first? Still, breeding and teaching bear out and she blushes. "I.. I am so sorry about that, Rook. That was rude of me. But yes, I did come here to learn more." She then hears about how useful she is going to be. Why is that pleasing, though? She is glad her mask covers up some of what is going on in her head.

    "I would like to stress that I do have a job already, as well, and I cannot do anything that comes into conflict with my responsibilities."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt smiles, "Hey, we were all new at this at one point or another, Charta. Oh hey Kori, it's see to good you... er, good to see you!" She coughs a little bit, looking a bit distracted for a second, then actually seems relieved when Rook arrives. Which, well, almost never happens.

"Yeah, it's been a bit, but I'm trying to change that around a bit. Plus I think you could use more help around here." She smiles a little, "But yeah, Gotham is... interesting. We tend to stay a bit clear so the Bats can take care of it, unless we get asked in." She then murmurs conspiratorially to Charta, "And they never ask."

Koriand'r has posed:
Having touched down on her way back from her 'day job' Koriand'r was actually dressed fairly casually, which did tend to mean she was a little more conservatively dressed than her normal costume. A pair of shorts wrapped around her hips and shirt with the 'N.A.S.A' logo across the bust, the redhead alien tilts her head to the side as she steps in behind the newcomer, folding her hands. "I am Koriand'r of Tamaran...although I am better known here as 'Starfire'."

More questions she'd have to ask, but controling paper makes her blink. That is a new one!

Up to Mary, she waves her hand lightly. "It's nice to see you too."

Damian Wayne has posed:
"You'll find, Charta, that many Titans have day jobs, from supermodel on down. I'm sure that there is even one that is a barista." Rook comments flatly at the idea that she would have to split her duties or somehow not carry out her regular job.

"And the apology is accepted." Does he offer one in return? No, of course not. Instead, he focuses on the question. "The library here is digital. Judging by your powers, and what you have presented so far, I assume that you are the type that wants their hands on a dusty tome."

With that in mind, he turns his attention back to Charta for a moment. "If you are looking for that, I would suggest meeting with Troia. Or asking her if you can visit the Themyscarian embassy. I believe you would find it uniquely qualified to your tastes."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta arches an eyebrow at Thunderbolt's issue with language. How odd. She has seemed otherwise quite smooth in speech. Still, it is America and all sorts of things are done here that mean things beyond her current understanding. Perhaps it was meant for the others. A kind of code.

    "It is not a matter of choice" Charta says in regards to Gotham. But before she gets into that, she smiles at Starfire. "A pleasure to meet you, Starfire." She really just wants to use her regular name, now, but in this growing cast of people, there is something she has to remember. She does not know any of them. Yet.

    "As I was about to say. When an organization raises you, provides for you, shares their mission with you, and asks you to go to Gotham to carry out your share of it, you do not have the right to step away. Not if you believe in that mission yourself. Not if you have any decency or loyalty in your heart. I appreciate that there is danger. I am not the first we have sent to Gotham. I would think that duty is something you can appreciate. I am not there because I think I am good enough. I am there because we have no one who is better. I am there because there is no one else." There. She has tried to explain it. And did not even reveal for a moment her emotions on that. Probably.

    Then back to Rook. He says nothing in turn about his own words, does he? Of course he doesn't. Charta is more irritated with herself than him. Why does it bother her that he is unkind. She is rather used to that since leaving home.

    "I do prefer books, though the dust is not something I enjoy. And, well, this visit is not about my hobbies. It is about... the Titans, and how this works."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt shoots Rook a *look* at the mention of baristas, but doesn't say anything about it. She does seem a bit more in command of the English language as she smiles at Charta, "Well, that's definitely understandable, and I'm sure that there's some sort of accommodation that can be made in that regard." She hrms, "So, what exactly /can/ you do with paper. Is it just animating it, or does it also involve spellcraft, or..." She smiles, "Forgive me, Charta, I just have quite a few questions regarding what all you can do, I suppose."

Koriand'r has posed:
Funnily enough Kori was probably the one most likely to be fine with her real name being used, but she wasn't going to correct others. Instead she simply follows alongside, nodding a little. "It is quite a lovely place to visit," she affirms of the Embasy before shrugging her shoulders. "But then, I am not one who is to most involved with the keeping of records."

Damian Wayne has posed:
So she finally asked. "Alright. Short version. You're looking at this as a business or a paramilitary organization. Set that aside. Yes, the Titans do go out to save the day. But at it's root, when they were created?" Rook starts as he folds his hands behind his back. "The Titans were created because they were a group of teenage superheroes that felt overlooked by the adults and wanted to do their own things, and have to the ability to be social with each other without the need to have to seek someone's permission."

There's a glance to Kori at that, she is one of the originals after all. "If you want to help out with a mission? If there's someone in trouble and you can research or provide a unique insight? We welcome you. We will even help you when you are in a pinch. Want to drop in for a pizza and conversation? Got you covered there."

"The Titans give you the chance to be something you're not when you're in costume. Not a hero, but a person. With peers. With those that understand what and who you are and can even provide the unique insights of their own experiences."

"What the Titans are not is a military group. We help people, that's part and parcel. But we are not on a quota. You do not have to save one person a month or anything like that. You just have to be willing to share your experiences, help out if you can, and not be a jerk."

A pause.

"I get a pass on that." he adds. A glance to Mary and a small smirk. "Not a word, Thunderbolt."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta considers this all carefully. Things she knows, at this point. Or recognizes. She is in the Titans Tower. There is herein every manner of scanner, microphone, camera, and sensor one could imagine. Probably several more that are beyond her imagination.

    "I will be happy to show you what I can do, if there is a place I can do so safely. I would rather not damage anything. And I can introduce you to a friend!" It is the most pathetic thing about her!

    Now, on that whole sensor thing. On the whole matter of friends and being one's self. Without explanation, she reaches up to remove her mask. Her face is young, of course. She is 19, though some might guess two or three years in either direction. Her auburn hair tumbles free. Not as nice as Thunderbolt's. She will ask her for tips. But it manages not to look so terrible considering things.

    "I would appreciate it if we can drop the Charta business. Please call me Clara. I... am told I suck at the secret identity. A lady does not accept a dance if she does not know the steps."

    She lets out a sigh. "I apologize for the secrecy. And for the... well, putting on of airs. I am not here to save the world, like I said, but if I can help in some small way, I will try."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Thunderbolt smiles, "Clara, then. Secret identities can be a bit of a pain, but there's definite use in them. And we do have a training room that can take quite a bit of punishment. Just this way." She leads the way along, looking over at Clara, "And don't apologize for the secrecy. We all have secrets, even if they aren't necessarily IDs. And Rook is right, we're not some government organization or anything like it. Just a gathering of like-minded younger heroes... or once-younger heroes. I mean, I've been a little scarce lately with some personal issues." What they are, she doesn't exactly clarify.

Damian Wayne has posed:
When Clara removes her mask and introduces herself, Rook manages to keep in his surprise. Or rather, that aha moment. Because he had already puzzled together who she was from the prior meetings with the young woman. But admitting that would give Clara a clue as to who he was beneath the mask.

There's a nod to Thunderbolt as she reiterates the point. "There is no reason to feel like you need to hold secrets if you do not. I do not share my identity because it would effect many others." he explains.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara nods thoughtfully. She is relieved, at least, to have the mask off. And not just because it is uncomfortable. She falls quiet for a time, until they reach the training room. Or whatever it might be called.

    "Well, then. I suppose it is my turn to show you." Now that the point is reached, she is very uncomfortable. She has little doubt that what she does it not normal, but it also is just rather outclassed. Still, here she is.

    So Clara does demonstrate what she can do. Both physically (she has a remarkable set of skills in moving about and the kind of martial abilities that you just do not see in most librarians these days!) and with her supernatural powers. She will explain they are not spells, but she is, apparently, magical in origin. Or so she was told.

    The paper in her briefcase can take any form she can come up with. Walls, blades, armor, rope, all manner of weapons (she likes swords, it seems). Finally, she shares her friend!

    The friend is a creature made of paper. It is a kind of mix between canine and warthog. She calls it Dickens. Hopefully nobody realizes she actually talks to it, or they may not let her stay after all...