3892/Wondersong!

Wondersong!
Date of Scene:	22 October 2020
Location:	The Sing Sing Karaoke Bar
Synopsis:	Singing ensues! Cassie channels her non-canonical past self and Diana asserts her right to fun. Also she knows Eminem and no one got thrown through a window. The end.
Cast of Characters:	Cassie Sandsmark, Diana Prince

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Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
It is a rare night when no gods, aliens, epic disasters, or other such trouble the city. There may be a bank robbery somewhere, and no doubt there's a couple dozen muggings, but frankly, that's all kinda below Wonder paygrade! Diana had her usual daily business to contend with at the Embassy, and Cassie had decided to swing by after her classes were done... even if she mostly sat around looking as animatedly bored as possible while waiting on the former. But with the end of the normal business day and lack of crazy in the evening comes a rare gift: free time! And with this miraculous confluence of events and subsequent time off comes a dubious exercise of judgment:

Cassie gets to pick where to go!

It actually ends up being a bit of a wandering tour, since they've got the whole evening (and divine stamina t'boot!). Avoiding the Museums (SORRY MOM) they head right into the park, past a few of the usual spots: the Alice statue (thinking of you, Terry!), over to the Boathouse and the Bethesda fountain to hang out (and get some pictures), down past the zoo (she's TEMPTED), and then finally back out into the city and onto Broadway via 7th. There's more ambling and rambling (again, stamina!), until finally they make it to what is now becoming 'Cassie's Neighborhood' down around NYU. By then, its gone from the colored dusk sky, so scenic in the park, to night, and the college crowd is all out swarming the many little bars and establishments that characterize the Village. Cassie has /threatened/ taking Di for some serious partying, clubbing and the like, but she saves that for another time (and doesn't mention not wanting to leave out Donna). Instead, they end up hopping between a few places for food and then finally...

"Ohmygoddesses this place has karaoke, haha, we HAVE to go in and try it." Apparently THIS stop wasn't planned, but the idea is just one that quickly overtakes the young Amazon apprentice!

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana was eager to get away from the Embassy, as often as possible. Not that she didn't enjoy her work and life there, but mostly because she enjoyed a variety of activities to occur in any given day, and being couped up in the Embassy all day, every day, leads to even the one known as Wonder Woman to grow a bit stir crazy.

The situation with Donna, the other Titans, had left an indelible mark on the recent times as well, one that needed to be fought back with happier moments. Getting to spend time with Cassie was one of these ways. No fights, no dramatics, just time out and enjoying the city that they all strive so hard to protect.

This is where they are today, roaming that city, together, and having the fun that was very much needed. Central Park was always a high point for Diana too, the Bethesda Fountain a great little plaza area to interact with random park goers who had no idea that they might bump in to not just Wonder Woman, but also Wonder Girl too.

Pictures were taken, fun conversations were had, but now, the duo end up at a new place. A laugh escapes the Princess at the idea of karaoke. She's visibly reluctant. "Look. Not to say 'no', and though I have trained many skills in my life time to a very satisfactory level... 'Singing' is not one that I would put on such a list." She tells the younger one with a grin. "Though, I suppose that is the point, mm?" She glances toward the bar's interior. "What is your first song of choice then?" She asks of Cass.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Pffft, c'mooooooon, I can't even begin to believe that as an excuse," Cassie immediately retorts, her expression at full strength 'Press X to Doubt.' "Remember, I've spent plenty of time out with our sisters partying like they do on the island... and if it showed me one thing, right from the beginning, even," since Donna did initiate her on that very first night, "it's that every culture sings, enjoys music, and loves dancing the night away. It's just different tunes. And you've had way more time to get to know ours than I did to learn yours. SO YOU'LL MANAGE." She doesn't highlight the fact that once anyone realizes it's them, this stuff will probably end up posted all over the internet: MINOR DETAILS!

She starts bodly toward the entrance, dragging Diana if needed... ok, pulling on Di's arm, anyway! Which can end up looking sort of comical when it doesn't work. Challenged on her song choice before they're even inside, though, she pauses to consider. "Oh, I dunno, usually you have to look at what the machine has. Mostly people sing really, uh, famous songs, not necessarily the newest stuff. Like, I'm pretty sure Bohemian Rhapsody is the top karaoke song of history or whatever." Fact. "Newer stuff, like, female vocalists especially there's... I don't know, probably a lot of Adele? She's got some real bangers. Oh and that Lady Gaga one from the movie! But you can sing whatever, if they have it."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana doesn't need much pulling, as she's willing to come along in to the karaoke bar, even if she's not moving /quite/ as fast as Cassie to achieve this goal. The two are quite the sight though, and certainly draw attention whether they're recognized or not. Diana, dressed in a black leather jacket, over a white top and black jeans, heeled shoes making her stand over six feet in height, with her dark hair tied back behind her head. She generally always stands out though, no matter what she's wearing.

A lyrical laugh comes from the Princess as they make their way inside, she raising her sunglasses up to place them on her hairline now so that her eyes might roam the insides of the building itself.

"I am following your lead on this one then." She tells her counterpart on this adventure. "Adele?" She asks. "Oh yes, fire and rain, yadda yaddaa..." Even Diana can use the yadda yadda expression when she wants to!

"Something popular?" She asks in her smoky voice. "Like... John Lennon's 'Imagine'?" She tilts her head after saying that and then shakes it side to side. "No, I do not that that would suit me very well." A heavy sigh exhales from her, then she snaps as if she knows the perfect song. "I got it. Imagine Dragons. My favorite 'modern' band." She says 'modern' like it's a slight somehow for something to be modern! "And yes, that is mostly because of the name. I imagined dragons often throughout my life, especially when I was little." A grin is quick to accompany those last words.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Diana definitely turns heads as they walk in. Not that she doesn't anywhere and everywhere, but it is a night spot and the vibe is a little different than at the fountain. Meanwhile, Cassie blends in around here a lot better, where her fall-updated casual look is now hoodie and tights-based (But STILL WW-branded!), and thus melts into so many college slacker-chic appearances. But she's WITH Diana, so the camouflage is only worth so much. Either way, as a pair of verified 'hot chicks' (and/or superheroes, take your pick), there's not even any trouble about it technically being a bar and Cassie technically being nineteen. She looks around, then spots a table near the stage, and heads that way.

"Right, yeah," she agrees with the Lennon example, as her mentor seems to get the gist of the particularities of the karaoke genre. "Like you'll hear twentysomethings singing ABBA or Celine Dion. Chart topping stuff, the songs that everyone knows from the radio, that kind of thing. It's not really about, you know, uh, like showing off your obscure 'I knew them before they were popular' music knowledge. The opposite really. The point is that basically anyone could sing along to it. So also not stuff with really fast or complicated lyrics unless you're like, uh, PRETTY CONFIDENT you can do them without messing it up, more of the like, ballads and that kinda thing?"

Which does, in turn, cause her to do a bit of a double take on the actual band Diana comes up with. "Huh wow really?" Beat. "...right, of course you did. But sure, they're huge and on the radio allll the time," she sounds like she is politely avoiding saying too much! "I'm sure they'll have a couple of their popular ones. Wait you're not doing Thunder, are you?" IT WOULD BE KINDA FITTING.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana moves to one of the standing tables that they can occupy together while she lets her eyes roam about the bar itself. "This place is not very well maintained..." The Princess idly comments to Cassie, who is rambling very enthusiastically and might very well have missed that comment from the taller of their duo.

She does, however, look back to Cassie. "Mm? Thunder?" She asks. "Oh, yes, of course. That is a good one. Though, no, my favorite is 'Believer'." She now flashes a grin to the other. "I listen to it in the morning when I go out to jog, it is usually one of my very first songs I start on my playlist." Perhaps there are things about Diana that Cassie doesn't know about!

A server comes to get them some drinks, and Diana is quick to order an ice tea. They're also offered a notebook filled with all the available songs to sing from, which the Princess is quick to draw over to herself to flip over and start to browse through. "I imagine this is a lot easier if one is intoxicated." She comments with a grin. "But, yes, we will have to wait for a bit before /that/ can happen." She tells Cassie, sliding the book of songs to her.

"You are first." She decides!

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Just think of it as atmosphere!" Cassie declares, brushing off any concerns with the decor. "Plus, if the college kids are here, it can't be that bad." Also: they're superheroes. If anything, it would just be an amusing way to spice up the evening if someone actually made the hilariously ill-conceived decision to give them trouble.

At the table, her attention lands quickly on the book when the server shows up, leaning in to get a look even before Diana relinquishes it. Of course, there is a notable and considered -pause- in regards to the drinks before, grinning wide, she declares "Make it two!" as if this was totally one-hundred percent the plan all along. She'd never threaten Wonder Woman's squeaky image by risking getting carded, right? Well, it probably is right. But if it were Donna... Nonetheless, all is legal and aboveboard, and eventually she is given the book to consider without intruding on Diana's space. "Oh, me first? Well..."

She starts flipping through the book in a little more of a rapid, purposefully fashion as if she definitely has some songs already in mind and just wants to see if they have them. There's some more mental calculation in her expression, as well... what is she thinking about so hard? She pages over the 'Ks', pausing briefly, then continues on...

"OK, got it!" There's definitely a confidence in Cassie's manner to suggest that she is quite used to this whole affair, and none too shy about getting up to show off. Climbing the stage, she gives the DJ her choice and then moves center stage. The music comes on, slow, understated, and Cassie starts swaying, like she's slow-dancing with mic stand. The crowd immediately gets it, though it's neither a current hit or Lennon-level classic.

No, she's gone to the /90s/.

"You and me, we used to be together..." comes the almost whispered, high, sweet lyrics. It might seem a little timid, admittedly, as despite her familiarity she's not a trained performer, it's a cold start, and the quiet intro of the song doesn't exactly break through the bar din. Not until she hits the chorus, anyway, when the girl suddenly goes full rocker, hugging the mic to her chest and belting it out to the back of the room:

"Don't speak, I know just what you're saying-"

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes are roaming over all the song names as well, there's about a gazillion of them! Most of them she's heard of, but not all of them, those ones she hasn't heard of often make her brow furrow as she has to quietly say the name. "I fought the law and the law won?" She asks. "That sounds fun..."

When their drinks arrive, is about the time that Cassie gets up on stage to sing her first (of many, don't you worry) songs. A big smile hits the Princess' red hued lips and she has to put her hands together to clap for the young woman. "Cassie!" She shouts with the otherwise indifferent crowd trying to offer some support too.

A playful laugh escapes Diana, bubbling out of her as she listens to the song start up.

Of course, two more drinks arrive at their table and Diana glances to the bar to see a few guys giving her the 'How you doing' looks. Diana offers them a faint smile and a nod before she takes both of the drinks and sets them on the far side of the table from where Cassie had chosen to sit.

Her eyes go back to the stage to watch, listen and beam with pride at Cass' performance!

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
While Cassie isn't a perfect singer, she proves, absent that quiet intro, to be a pretty fearless one, really getting into both the lyrics and the performance, whether it's clutching the microphone to sing out the heart-felt, only occasionally pitchy chorus, or with her dancing, taking her back and forth across the small expanse of stage, with some very era-appropriate moves. She's more confident physically, for obvious enough reasons- Amazon's don't trip over their feet! -and whatever lacks in terms of the amateurish vocal talents, she makes up for with that bold presence. And where she doesn't have much to sing, la la la'ing and cooing ooh-oohs at the end, she focuses even moreso on turning a bit of the sexy up, hugging herself in place of the song's lost love.

... and then it's over! She gets some applause and some whistles, and hops down with a grin, the performance ending almost instantaneously. Diana and the table aren't far, though she does a final little shimmy-shimmy as she approaches, grinning ear to ear.

"Tadah! Did you know it?" she wonders, returning to her prior place as some other performer gets a chance before Diana has to face the music. "I kinda figured you'd be good on the classic stuff, but I dunno if I see you as a 90s kind of gal. Donna maybe." Nevermind that she's lived through all of it, none any less than the other!

"Sooooooo..." and now she grabs her waiting drink for a needed sip. "You figured it out yet? You gonna sing about dragons?" None of their songs are actually about dragons! "Or found anything else interesting?"

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes are on that of Cassie as she continues her performance, she's quite enthralled by it, smiling ear to ear and looking like a proud older sister (Not mother! she doesn't look old enough to be Cassie's mother!)

The bits where Cassie starts to play up the sexiness garner a raise of Diana's dark eyebrows, and a sideways glance/glare at the men at the bar who whistle appreciatively at the young woman's efforts. But ultimately Diana's eyes shoot back over to Cassie as she wraps the number up and then bounds off of the stage back toward the table.

She's met with a big smile and an affectionate laugh from Diana. "You uh... really got in to that a lot more than expected." She notes, because well, even if Cassie's mother isn't here, Diana's well aware of what Helena would think if she were! "You were wonderful though." Her smile lingers a moment before she drops her eyes down to the 'menu' of songs and options.

"I uh... nineties? No... not really. I did like the eighties quite a lot. Their music was... freeing, in a way, and always trying new things. Even if they often hit the cheesiness levels, they did it without any regrets, and I admire that. By the time of the nineties, things started to get 'darker' in a sense. Which was less appealing to me, though of course, there are exceptions."

She flips a page in the book and then smiles at one of the songs. "Girls just wanna have fun. Eighties to the extreme..." She glances up at Cass and shows a smirk.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
The admittedly brief pause in Diana's initial reaction causes Cassie's brows to stitch briefly, as if a little disappointed, or maybe just thoughtful of how to approach this topic. Because, as very much noted, Diana is the older sister- albeit also a mentor, and a woman who, like it or not, sets a very high standard by her very presence. It can even leave her #1 fan on uncertain footing, at times. "More than expected?" she wonders, then, before taking a courage-bolstering breath and then offering a little more of a conspiratory wink. "C'mon, Di, its just us out, right? And this is what we go out for, to sing and dance and laugh and have fun, and yeah, maybe see if we can't turn a head or two, sometimes? I figured you'd understand."

"Annnnnnd, if you want me to continue with my earlier anthropological analysis," yeah, even as much as she pretends not, she's VERY much Helena's daughter, "I could go into how those universal loves of music and dance have to do with finding socially acceptable venues for courtship, or even how dancing can be used as a safe stand-in for more intimate-"

Then she sticks out her tongue. OK, no anthropology.

"Mmm, I can see that," she admits about the eighties-nineties music comparison. "All that synth pop and hair metal was maximum ridiculous, and then you had grunge. Though there's a lot of great 90s pop and dance stuff." Be thankful she didn't pull out the Spice Girls. But it's Diana's ultimate choice that brings the biggest reaction. "Ohhhhh haha, wow. Well, that is pretty much the definition of that stuff. But gee, I wonder what THAT song is about... Still, it fits you kinda, haha."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes come up again to look to Cassie and she shows her a big grin. "Your performance was fantastic. It just surprised me how... good you were at it, that is all." She tries to explain before picking up her own tea drink to take a simple sip from the edge of its rim. When she sets it back down she leans over toward Cassie then to speak softer.

"This person is not nearly as good." She says, in a moment of being honest about the man in a suit who stands under the lights on the stage and is singing nervously an Eminem song, Lose Yourself. He's definitely not quite as up to snuff on this stuff. "Marshall Mathers." ??? Diana knows that name?? She glances to Cassie after speaking it. "I met him once, a year ago, out in Los Angeles, at an auto-show of all things. I was invited to represent women in auto racing, even though I've never really raced an automobile before... But still. He was there, to sing a few of his song. He was a very nice man."

She glances down at the book of songs again before it is her turn, and she's quick to look up and smile brightly. "Excellent!" She grabs the two alcoholic drinks that the men had sent over to their table and walks toward the stage carrying them both, which... well... she, and the drinks, get a few reactions out of the crowd who watch her on the way to the stage.

Diana, on the stage now. "Hello." She says in to the microphone. "My name is Diana, and I will be entertaining you this evening." She gets a wolf whistle from someone out in the audience which makes her smile brightly. A crass comment is shouted up at her and she shakes her head. "Oh shush, or you will be leaving this place on a stretcher!" She's kidding, of course, probably.

The drinks are set off on the stool beside her on the stage, and Diana starts to prepare herself as the song starts! She... even starts to jive to the music, its happening! Whe the lyrics come up, she holds the mic cloes to her lips and starts to sing them, taking a few seconds to settle in.

Oh girls, they definitely just wanna have fun!

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Well, if you are so surprised that I've got some /moves/, all the more reason you have to come out clubbing sometime. Clearly, all the Amazon hard living has given you the wrong impression of me," Cassie boasts, both brazen and a touch silly. "Life can't be all bracers and ropes." Easily miscontrued statements for 200, Alex! "Donna knows. But I guess you've always got so much going on, maybe you don't have as many chances to just cut loose with us, even if it's back on the island." Of course, she'd probably be shocked by the Adventures of Young Diana, if she had any clue...

She then turns to check out Mr. Suit's performance. Oh boy. "Remember what I said before about staying away from, uh, hard lyrics? Any kind of rap is a real risky choice." She shakes her head. Rookie fail. "Like a lot of stuff, people don't really know all the words even though they think they do... but that's why you've got the screen. But you can't do that with stuff like this. It'll just rush you by too fast." And Lose Yourself is the one EVERYONE knows! She gets through most of this explanation before it dawns on her-

"-wait you know who he is-" ??? indeed! "-wait you know HIM?" She updates her incredulousness in real time! "Car show? Well, I mean, still, that's cool! I dunno that I've ever been much of a fan but like, it is pretty impressive some of those songs, just how fast he is." More reasons not to immitate!

Then it's time for Diana to go up, and Cassie is quick to take the lead in forming a cheering section. "Woo!" She is definitely a classic woo-girl. However, in comparison to Diana's playful response, the Young Wonder is not quite so forgiving or friendly about the outbursts. A whistle is one thing, comfortably inside whatever sociological framework she was discussing previously. But the remark is not, and he gets a very meaningful glare from Cassie. "She won't even have to get off stage for it to happen, buddy."

Ahem. Singing! Cassie resumes her excited encouragement, and is among more than a few who can't help from joining in on the choruses. In fact, in what can only be called typical Diana fashion, she probably has close to every woman in the place singing along before the end.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana has dealt with rude comments for a long time, and she's come to learn that a lot of them aren't said with real seriousness behind them, but a desperate attempt to connect with her through crass humor. MOST who've ever commented to her like that, were instantly backing down from it if she showed any real distaste toward what they said, most... not all. Some did have to be put on the ground.

In this moment, though, Diana's not focusing on anything like that. She's far more focused on the song, and her own motions-- albeit not as sexiness as Cassie's --are still showing that the Princess can loosen up when she wants to. With side to side struts on the stage, hand motions and even pointing at the happier faces who are looking up at her, she sings to the lyrics through to the end before she just holds her hands up on either sides of her to a melody of ... well... fairly happy applause!

The mic is lowered again and she points then to Cassie. "This is for my dear sister, Cassandra." She speaks. "I am very pleased to get to spend the evening with you, I am very pleased to get to spend any and all time with you. You are a source of great happiness for me, and I love you more than words can describe." She states it with sincerity, then follows the honest admirations up with a happy little nerdy-almost-even laugh.

"Okay, who's next?" Diana puts the mic back after asking that and turns around to grab the two drinks she sat down, then moves to step off stage and carry them back with her,, apparently planning to just carry them around all night rather than drink them?

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie, on the other hand, has a hell of a mean temper, and lacks considerably in her mentor's effortless poise under stress. For the moment, things pass without anyone getting thrown through a window... but they probably get a lot closer than Mr. Dude realizes.

However, the good-vibes chorus pretty much drowns out any negativity, and Diana, charismatic as ever, manages not just to sweep them all along, but to make many of the individuals feel part of it. In a more grumpy teenage moment Cassie /might/ slightly resent the totally different feel of it... except she's a victim of the Wonder Magic like everyone else, swept up in that same emotional current. Plus its kinda hard to be mad when you get a personal shout-out like that! The latter does leave her blushing and ducking her head slightly in sheepish embarassment as it brings a bit of the focus of the room back to her and encourages a couple saccharine "AWWWS" from the crowd. OMG.

Mutter mutter "-iloveyoutoo-" mutter (and yes, she knows Di's hearing will pick it up fine!).

Cassie's a little more composed by the time Di makes it back, and does give the pair of drinks in her hands a sort of strange look, but doesn't actually ask. "That was really great. You were saying something about being a bad singer?" This is a little accusatory, in the 'haha I am not buying your false modesty about not being amazing (some might say /wonderful/) at literally everything' sense. "So what do you think? About, you know, the whole experience," and she gestures around the place.

In the meantime, Cassie gets the song book again and starts researching some more of the night's line up. Outside her 90s throwback, it's more in-line with what one might guess she'd like- there's some TayTay (neither of them is 22, but it's a good 'fun with your friends' tune), while the earlier K proves itself to be a Themyscira-appropriate mildly suggestive Katy Perry number. All in all, it's quite the karaoke intro for Diana, with plenty to laugh about, and no one even gets sent out on a stretcher.