4071/Shine: News Break

Shine: News Break
Date of Scene:	08 November 2020
Location:	Gotham - Downtown
Synopsis:	Phoebe and Cassie stumble upon a press announcement -- Phoebe's biological parents were apparently found. What does this mean for Phoebe's residency in Gotham? What does mean for Cassie's intent to take her to Themyscira?
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Cassie Sandsmark

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    It had been all over the news. Local girl's house burned down, started b y an arsonist apprehended by Arsenal, Wonder Girl and Impulse. The fire was investigated by Wonder Woman. The Bats were probably in on its investigation as well. Conspiracy boards were alit wtith the possibilities all surrounding the once-abandoned 'Baby Doe' -- Phoebe Beacon.

    Who now was wearing a worn gray jacket that's been stitched back together in her life before the Outsiders (and before she had decent armor).

    Accross the street there was some sort of to-do. A Newspaper -- the Gotham Gate -- was about to announce some big breaking news, following a story titled 'Repeat Orphan Burns own House in sacrifice to Greek Gods' and the apology, retraction, and reward for finding the birth parents of the young woman. There are streamers, a big banner reading THE GOTHAM GATE -- HONESTY, INTEGRITY, ENTERTAINMENT.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
            It had been all over the news. Local girl's house burned down, started b y an arsonist apprehended by Arsenal, Wonder Girl and Impulse. The fire was investigated by Wonder Woman. The Bats were probably in on its investigation as well. Conspiracy boards were alit wtith the possibilities all surrounding the once-abandoned 'Baby Doe' -- Phoebe Beacon.

        Who now was wearing a worn gray jacket that's been stitched back together in her life before the Outsiders (and before she had decent armor).

        Accross the street there was some sort of to-do. A Newspaper -- the Gotham Gate -- was about to announce some big breaking news, following a story titled 'Repeat Orphan Burns own House in sacrifice to Greek Gods' and the apology, retraction, and reward for finding the birth parents of the young woman. There are streamers, a big banner reading THE GOTHAM GATE -- HONESTY, INTEGRITY, ENTERTAINMENT.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie is here for moral support and not to punch anyone! -- Probably!

In what is vaguely her winter non-costume costume, a skirt with leggings and a light brown front-zip hoodie-slash-jacket thing over her usual Wonder-branded top, Cassie walks beside her friend. Despite some of the crazier anti-Amazon headlines, she seems in a cheery mood and not all that bothered by anything. After all, she's used to the 'publicity circuit' with Diana, to appearing at public functions. And while Diana is mostly a hugely popular figure, they have occasionally been met by protestors: fundamentalists Christians outraged their 'pagan' religion, fringe anti-feminists, the usual slog of hateful sorts.

So, sadly, she's a little more used to it.

"So whats happening exactly, Pheebs? They playing nice now? Gonna help out?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Probably. It's such a strong word.

    Sure, the headlines were anti-Amazonian in nature, but the paper even made a concerted effort to give to the Wonder Fund, in honor of Wonder Woman, who came to help the orphan in need. Poor little orphan girl.

    Other than trying to turn Phoebe into a Little Orphan Annie figure (Which doesn't work, considering her long trail of martial arts classes and helping to instruct self-defense demos), the younger hero purses her lips as she pauses, looking at the the streamers and the whole shebang going on accross the street.

    "It'd be news to me." she mutters, crossly. Again, that aura of her powers doesn't let what she's feeling come through, not entirely. She's turning a wary eye to the media circus accross the way.

    That's when a man takes the podium. He's wearing a sharp, gray suit beneath a long coat, but one could see the white of his tie at his neck. There are some clapping noises as he takes the microphone.

    "Thank you for coming out, Ladies and Gentlemen. First and foremost, I wish to issue a very public apology to the Themysciran Embassy, for the assumption of my reporter that miss Phoebe Beacon comitted arson and nearly executed her own adoptive mother 'in the name of pagan worship'. As noted in the Police Blotter, that is just not true - a young hero apprehended the actual culprit, who made his attempt on her life and that of her mother widely known in the name of completing his collection."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie stands with her hands shoved in the deep pockets of the jacket, maybe just because it's a place to put them, although it does keep her bracers from showing- who knows what kind of people you might get with these sorts of crowds. If her experience makes her a little less sensitive, it also makes her a little more cautious. But the gesture is mostly reflexive: she's mostly there for her friend.

Standing back still, she turns her attention out toward the podium and the crowd gathered in front of it, curious to see just what kind of media circus this one is going to turn out to be. The front and center apology does cause her to smirk a bit. "Guess maybe they decided getting on the bad side of one of the world's most popular was a bad idea?" Although that's more Cassie's thinking than Diana's, probably. Its dubious her mentor -has- a bad side. "Or," she considers, more pragmatically, "just bad press after the Amazons helped out recently."

She looks over sideways. "I never really heard what fire-dude was on about, since Roy snagged him before I got back out of the building. Collection?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Apparently," Phoebe states with a quiet voice, "he was responsible for the fire that ended up killing my father."

    The dusky-skinned healer just stares at the media circus accross from where the two stand. "I mean, the reporter did kind of say it straight to Diana's face that I burned my home down on purpose. Were she a lesser woman, she might have punched him into the next neighborhood."

    Phoebe gives a wry smile. "Good thing it was her, and not you, huh?" she jokes dourly. She's at least trying.

    The Editor/Owner Apparent of the paper, however, straightens his papers a moment, and begins to speak again.

    "Because w ehave caused such undue harm to the BEacons, and their adopted daughter, Phoebe, we have taken it upon ourselves to quitely put out the alert, through our ingenious paper, to locate the real, and blood-beholden parents of 'Baby Phoebe Doe', who fourteen years ago was abandoned here in Gotham, to the owner of a spirits shop."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Oh huh. So like there's a family link, albeit of like, the disturbing kind," Cassie considers. "You know I'm far from the detective of the bunch, but I gotta figure there's more to the connection, yeah?"

But since she doesn't have too much insight on it, she focuses on the crowd, and the speech, and grins back at the little joke Phoebe makes. "Good thing," she agrees, turning to offer a cheeky smile. Phoebe knows her only too well on that account!

"Course, Diana knows what she's doing. The media stuff is tricky, and it's important to keep public perception on our side. Apparently, punching reporters is the sort of thing the press loves to report negatively on." She holds out her hands like this is somehow a shocking or confusing fact. "Who woulda thunk?"

There's a bit more to listen to, and she gives a kind of 'huh' at the last. "Guess its the sort of thing the press loves. Mystery oprhan, like something out of a movie. What about you though? Looking for them, that is?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "They dropped me off at a liquor store and hoped for the best. What kinda life is that for someone to grow up to?" Phoebe bemoans quietly, "Middle school was *not* easy with that fact easily researchable." she adds quietly, and stuffs her own hands deep into her pockets, though she appears tense.

    "Also punching reporters is frowned upon, Cassie. What if you accidentallied Lois Lane? Or Vicki Vale? Not good things would happen."

    "And I am pleased to announce," the editor continues, his faded blonde hair sticking out from under a warm watchcap, "that we have a pair of people who are being tested, at this very moment, in the building behind me, who claim to be Baby Phoebe Doe's parents."

    The crowd partially gasps, though a few people start clapping. Apparently, this is news to Phoebe as well, who tenses up significantly.

    "... that's not good."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Ah, so that's a big old 'no,' I take it," Cassie surmises, her lips screwing into a lopsided twist at one side of her mouth. "Yeah doesn't sound great. I'm lucky, I know. Even by herself, my mom always did her best." It's rare to hear Helena Sandsmark spoken of in anything but whining, complaining fashion, but the moment seems to force some honest appreciation, however reluctant, from her daughter.

She spreads her arms to show acceptance of a non reporter-punching policy, and then turns to listen again. And there's news.

"Oh wow."

Immediately she looks over at Phoebe again. "These guys sure took it on themselves to stick their nose in your business, huh?" That scrunchy half-frown reappears. "Whaddya wanna do? I got your back, regarldess."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "That's a 'no'." Phoebe confirms. "Would you want to be around someone who didn't want you?" she questions, looking back to Cassie before the news is annoucned.

    And she hesitantly stiffens. "... I don't suppose I could get you to punch everyone up there?" she asks, "Can I recind the 'no punching' policy?"

    The crowd is cheering and clapping -- hey, Gotham loves an orphan story, ask anyone who follows the Wayneses.

    And she's about to open her mouth further, when the door opens. A woman with braids walks out, dark-skinned and smiling. A man with close-cropped hair and a short, well-kept mustache behind. They hug each other, holding paperwork aloft.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"What I'd want in a purely hypothetical version of reality doesn't really matter," Cassie points out. She has her own version of this, and its weird. Because technically, she does have an absentee, deadbeat dad of a sort. He just happens to be a womanizing Greek god and his own 'interest' in her comes in a very different form to how 'mere' mortal parents tend to involve themselves. So she concludes: "Your 'no,' that's the important thing here."

But they're clapping up on stage, and Cassie has a feeling she knows where this whole thing is going. "Its an awful lot of them to punch," she answers, glumly.

So that leaves them to face the music of the supposed DNA test, while the crowd is left blissfully free of any punchings. "Oh boy." Cassie doesn't seem to know how to react "Uh, what do you- you know if there's any chance that someone is faking, we could get Diana to bring the lasso. That'd square it for sure." But that presumes this is a fake. If they're real- then what? "Sorry, I don't uh- whats the play here? This is a new one to me."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... this is where I wish Tim were here." Phoebe admits quietly. "He's way less nice than I am. In a manner of speaking." the dark-haired woman replies, and she purses her lips, crossing her arms as she leans against the wall accross the street. The reverb from the microphones makes it hard to ignore the gasp the woman takes as she hugs presumably who must be her husband, and the editor takes the podium again.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Johnsons -- and I would encourage Miss Beacon, in light of the horrific happenstance, reach out to us in order to know her birth parents better, and lighten the burden on her adoptive mother's recovery. I'll be taking wuestions on our internet forum on Gotham Gate-dot-Com." he announceses, and turns to usher the two back into the building.

    Phoebe seems peturbed. She's tense, and her shoulders rise up.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Me too," Cassie agrees. Although maybe it's not for any relative niceness related reasons. "He's just better at handling this kind of stuff, or he'd probably have some useful intel already. Like, other than being kind of jerks with that headline, I dunno how legit these Gotham Gate people are." Her tone suggests dubiousness, but there's hardly any certainty to it. Gotham's not really her turf, and she hardly knows its players like the Batlings do.

However, all of that is pretty moot, because Tim is not there with them. The pair are on their own, and Phoebe perhaps even moreso. It actually kind of seems like Cassie has stopped paying attention to the spectacle on stage. Ultimately, that situation is out of their hands. So why bother with it? She turns back to her friend instead.

"You wanna get out of here?" she wonders. "Like, go grab a bite, just relax a little? Heck, could get out of Gotham if you want."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I have half a mind to take up with you in the Embassy." Phoebe admits, "Scout's chafing at being in such small quarters and it'd be nice to get out of the city for a little bit." Phoebe turns to Cassie, pulling her hood up as if she wouldn't be rexognized as she turns to walk away.

    "Diana offered to at least temporarily become my guardian while my mom recovers. If she recovers. She's still in isolation."

    Phoebe frowns. "For some reason there's some new protocol that prohibits even family visitation. Something about infection controls." she remarks quietly to Cassie.

    She knows Cassie can't punch the doctors, either. That would have been useful.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
We got lots of space," Cassie is quick to point out when the Embassy comes up. "Heck, you could have my room for a while if you wanted, I don't usually use it other than to like, crash if I stay late at one of the big fundraisers or events. Not like, that there aren't plenty of other rooms, but like, the default furniture scheme is a little... it's more like some fancy hotel than a real room, but I've got some stuff in mine to make it a little more bearable."

And then, she seems to strike on another idea. "Screw it, why don't you take a vacation to the island? We've been talking about getting you some training."

Yet this whole topic gets quickly derailed when Phoebe explains the situation with her mom. "They won't let you see her? You could help her, right, if you got in there?" She's not one hundred percent on how Phoebe's stuff works, but it seems like it should be in the general area of what she can do. "We gotta get you in. I'm sure if Diana talked to them, explained the situation, they could make an exception. Or heck, worse comes to worse, we just do it sneaky like."

At least she's not suggesting a full-blown assault on the hospital!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "If I could be within ten feet of her? My aura would heal her slowly. Touching distance? I could..."

    Phoebe looks to her hand a moment, and frowns, thenc loses it.
    "She's been through so much. Dad's death, now finding out it wasn't an 'in the line of duty', b ut a purposeful murder?" she quietly states to Cassie. In the back of them, more people cheer, but Phoebe keeps walking.

    "It's more complicated than that. If I could get in there without people witnessing my powers, that's one thing. But if they see that I can heal others... what's to stop them from calling on me every time there's a hopeless case? How will I be able to triage who lives and who dies in every hospital in Gotham? In New York? Can I contend with everyone who wants me to save their child but I can't get there in time -- or with enough 'oomph'?" she asks Wonder Girl, and she turns to her as they walk.

    "In a manner of speaking, it'd be difficult to decide. Like -- right now. You're within a certain distance of me. I have an aura that's healing you. It's not quite on purpose, but if you were particularly hurt it would weigh heavily on me, so to speak. I'd be carrying your wounds to exhaustion. I was supposed to do some training to come to some understanding of the extent of my power -- buuuuut it's a little dangerous. What point does it hurt me to heal?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"I get it," Cassie answers immediately, "but you gotta realize, what you just described- that's one hundred percent part of the hero gig, and everyone faces it." Though hardly a great veteran, she seems to try and add whatever weight her relatively tiny bit of experience might to the statement. "Maybe there's not a lot of us with healing powers, but even Superman can't be everywhere at once. And that means picking and choosing." She gestures around. "The two of us standing here, having a conversation, means we're not off in some war-torn place fighting to protect people, not out patrolling. Y'know?"

A kind of helpless shrug. "But most folks eventually learn to accept that being able to save some people is worth it, and trying to save everyone would drive us nuts. Maybe its a little more literal for healing powers, but it's OK for you to choose. And in this case, it's double OK to choose your mom. Cuz, y'know-" And she holds her hands apart like there's no other way to explain it. "-she's your mom. Her. Not that lady up on the stage."

Here, Cassie shoves her hands away again, back inside her jacket. "But anyway, if you're worried about secrecy, I'm sure we can figure something out. Just sneak you in there or something. More a Tim job, but we can think of something."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I dunno. Think if I ask Roy and Bart, they could create a big enough disturbance at one end of the building to cause security to kick them out? Then we'll need someone to hack into the keycodes, or lift a security pass from one of the overseeing doctors or nurses -- pretty sure that could be Laura -- and then we can get in. I'll wear ark clothes, it'll be a ninja thing." Phoebe states with a wry smile to Cassie.

    "... and yeah, there's a difference between 'Mother' and 'Mom'. My *mom* is the one who made me tofu noodle soup when I was sick -- it's better tasting than it sounds, I promise -- and my mother? If that is her?" she questions, and gives a tilt of her head to the stage set up, which is being broken down.

    "... I never knew her. She abandoned a two year old me." she takes a deep breath, and looks back.

    "... I'd still like to know why."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark brings a hand up to her chin, doing what might be an impression of a serious and thoughtful plotting face. "Sounds like it could work." Like she'd know! She's definitely not the stealth expert, which does have her latch on to one particular part of the plan: "If Tim's busy, Laura's a good person to put it together. So long as we make it double clear that we don't need any of the doctors eliminated." She's even worse than Cassie in that department! "But yeah, something like that. Distraction, sneak you in, sneak you out."

As for the way Phoebe reflects on the differences between the two titles, the history she remembers, her friend just smiles big. "So just think of this as your chance to bring her the tofu noodle, hmm?"

Finally, she glances over toward the building where the other woman disappeared. "You can always ask her. Talking to her doesn't mean you're accepting her, or making her part of your life. But you've got the right to some answers. And depending on what you get- well, you decide what you want to do from there."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Mm." is all the answer Cassie gets from Phoebe for a moment, the other girl's dark eyes looking out over the street a moment.

    "Two types of people scare me now. Redheads, and Cassies." she jokes, and runs a hand slightly over the back of her neck before she walks again.

    "So, you mentioned 'The Island'. I'm guessing you don't mean Hawaii." she gives a bit of a wry smile.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Me? Scary?" Cassie makes a show of looking a little offended, but breaks into a grin again quickly.

But she's quick to take up the other topic, especially as it might provide a bit of a nice mood-lifter compared to the rest of the situation. Which Phoebe seems like she could use as much as anything. "Nah, not Hawaii. Though, I mean, there's no reason we couldn't go there if you wanted, it's basically all the same to the invisible-" Which seems to remind her of where she was going with her thought process in the first place. "-right anyway, what I was saying, is Di said it would be OK if I used the jet, mostly I think because if flies itself and there's not much chance of me crashing it. But like, I was thinking that you and and a couple other people who've talked about wanting to do some Amazon training, well, it might be a good time to finally do it."

She cocks her head. "So whatcha think? Might be a nice way to forget some of this stuff, and with the plane its a fast ride, so it won't disrupt anything you need to do here. Can make 'em weekend trips, or whatever's convenient."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Terrifying, really. I remember being threatened to be punched up through a second level window at the idea of training against you." Phoebe gives a grin. "You're a bit out of my league in more ways than one."

    Feebs walks a little on, and she purses her lips. "Any other time I would probably hesitantly jump on the chance to go to the island. I mean, I've only been reading about it and studying the language for six months, ins and outs of protocol and courtly happenstance from the last hundred years --" she purses her lips a moment, and takes a deep breath.

    "... I'm told they have flying horses. Is that part true?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Its not that bad!" Cassie protests, laughing, and holding up her hands. "And there's plenty of training you can do that isn't 'arm wrestle a demigodess' or whatever. Just basic skills stuff, for starters, conditioning, drills, all of that."

Turning back ahead, she falls in apace with the other young woman. "I know you've been prepping. If it hadn't been for all the stuff that's been going on, we'd probably have done it sooner. Hippolyta has always been a little hesistant about outsiders, but someone came with me, just by chance, the last time I went- we were kind of in a rush. I think for people like you and her, once she sees you trying to adopt a bit of the local culture, she'll be thrilled to have you there. After all, the Amazons don't usually get a lot of new friends."

The final question causes a bit of a measured look. "They have horses, normal ones. And kangas, which are like... battle kangaroos." Because why not. "There's truth to a lot of the mythical creatures, though, and for sure Pegasi are a real thing but like, still kinda rare, probably? They don't have whole stables of them anyway."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Darn. That was one thing I meant to bring up at the celebration, but it seemed like the Wrong Time." Phoebe replies, and she gets a little hesitant.

    "Hippolyta is the reason why I wanted to learn all I could before going, to be a good Outsider." PUN PUN PUN "And I've asked Ferdinand what to expect, a little, and broached the subject on the sideways with Diana. I do go to her for advice, when it doesn't feel like I'm intruding."

    she gives a slight smile, thankful for the distraction.

    "... so, do they ride on the backs of kangas, or in a pouch? That's valuable knowledge for if I ever pick up a bow and arrow again."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Hippolyta is a lot like my mom, I've decided." Which, given their rocky relationship, may come off as a good or a bad thing at first. But Cassie explains: "She's kinda strict, very professional, used to being in charge and having her way." Granted of a kingdom, versus just a museum. Details! "But, you know, I think that's all stuff that shows how she cares about the island. And it doesn't mean there's not a kind side underneath. So I think- I'm sure you'll be fine. All that stuff you're studying, that's -way- more than I knew, the first time I went there."

Kanga-wise, she makes a face. "No, on their backs, same as with a horse. I've ridden 'em, like when we launched the cavalry charge during the whole invasion thing. It's fun! That's definitely something you can learn. And yeah, archery, other skills like that, I figure would be handy. The other person I wanna bring back is real good with a bow, so she can give you some tips. It was kinda my -worst- subject, when I did my training."

They probably conflict with her punch-y preferences.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I admittedly haven't touched one since middle school, and pretty sure the Amazonian bows aren't made with plastic and vinyl." Phoebe gives a small smile as she walks. "I mean, with my aikido background and my staff work, those pare pretty much my strongest combat skills. I'm much better at the whole 'not letting people get killed' thing." she replies wryly to Cassie, and she takes a deep breath.

    "Archery is, after all, a task of 'I want to stab that person, but they're waaaay over theeeere." she whines for dramatic affect.

    "And, truth be told?" she pauses, "... even if I wasn't interested the least bit in combat training with Amazons, I'd still be studying. A culture can't survive on warriors alone -- gotta multi-class." she states, and tosses a weak shadow-punch at Cassie.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"The Amazons have a pretty old-school approach to warfare," Cassie does feel it prudent to point out, grinning back at her friend's jokes and fake jabs. "Hence the swords, and the spears, and the 'far away mini spears aka bows.'" Stabbing people when they're far away is, indeed, a great hassle! "But it all depends on how you want to approach it."

Which, as a sort of preface, seems to lead to exactly where her friend is thinking. "They have their healers, and their poets, and priestesses, scientists, and basically everything else. I think you'll be fine, and if you don't really want to embrace the warrior stuff, well- I mean some of it is pretty core to their identities, in terms of self-defense and all, but no one is going to bully you into being a warmonger."

And after all of this, she adds: "Plus, there's great beaches. If we go, it won't -just- be to study. Plenty of other stuff to enjoy."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yep, just what I'm afraid of. An island full of warrior women and I'm going to have to work on my tan." Phoebe states. Tight lipped.

    She glances at her phone. "I should head back to the Roost. Gotta take Scout for a walk and decide if I want to meet the Johnsons." she states. "You heading back as well, or heading elsewhere?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Have to?" Cassie wonders, making a face. "Look, if you wanna stay in the library, that is your personal choice!" she declares quite boldly, albeit a little ridiculously as well. "But I think it'd be a real shame to go and not enjoy the natural beauty of /paradise/ for at least a little. And the relaxation is good when you have other stuff worrying you. Gotta keep ourselve sane, or we're no good to anyone." There's serious advice in that last bit, echoing what she said earlier, but she plays it off quite lightheartedly.

"I'll head back wit'cha, since I'm here anyway," Cassie decides, in the last. It might be an excuse to avoid leaving her friend alone after the night she's had, or just pure laziness at flying back to New York or Metropolis. Either way, it seems Phoebe is stuck with her for the night.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Good. You can help me walk Scout. He likes both the Cassies."