4227/Truthseekers Podcast: WOOOooooOOOoonder GIIIIRL

Truthseekers Podcast: WOOOooooOOOoonder GIIIIRL
Date of Scene:	27 November 2020
Location:	April's Podcast Studio
Synopsis:	Cassie joins April O'Neil on her podcast for a good interview about Themyscira and her life in general!
Cast of Characters:	April O'Neil, Cassie Sandsmark

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April O'Neil has posed:
April's Podcast had taken off quite well since her interview with Harley Quinn LIVE AT ARKHAM ASYLUM earlier this year. Since then she'd started to draw in a lot more high profile guests, like a ladder that was beginning to get easier to climb with every rung up.

She has two employees that she pays the wages of as well, one of whom is responsible for booking guests, and as contacts would have it eventually CAssie was reached out to. As a representative of the Themysciran people, Cassie was a big deal for the podcast, and April had been quite ecstatic to hear about her agreeing to do the show.

The day had come, the address of the studio was given (a shopping Mall that was widely considered abandoned no less.) An exterior-facing door, however, was where Cassie had been greeted and welcomed to the studio. It's a nice place, maybe a little sparsely decorated still, but it's explained as a new location.

Once the show started, April was of course there prior to it, welcoming Cassie and spending a bit of time pre-show to get to know each other. But now, the two are seated across a table from one another and April's manager is rolling the intro out, a short catchy tune and a logo spinning on one of the wall-mounted tvs before their own pictures come up on said screen.

April, with headset on, and parked in front of a large microphone, stares over at Cassie similarly setup. "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the podcast. I am /thrilled/ to introduce all of you to our guest today, one who probably needs little to no introduction... Wonder Girl!" April grins then at the slightly younger woman. "Or do you prefer your real name? Or is that more 'hush hush'?" April asks now, with the show in full swing.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Despite being a part-time ambassador and genuine super person, Cassie is still easily impressed by this sort of stuff. Because, outside of Diana's shadow, she is still in a lot of ways not exactly a 'huge deal' hero to most folks. There's usually no one rushing to interview her after big battles, or inviting her around on their various talk shows and the like. Her boss, on the other hand, has to turn down dozens of those kind of invitations a week! And only because she doesn't have the time, or she'd probably do them all anyway. Maybe they Titans will warrant a news story here or there, but it's always one of the leader types talking to the camera.

All of which goes to say: she considers being on some semi-famous outlet like this podcast a pretty big deal!

So after she's parked her burnt sienna sedan and made her way across to the... mall? OK that is not exactly screaming high class production. But whatevah! The young woman is excited to do this, and any concerns she has disappear as she's met at the door. They've got employees and stuff: must be legit!

And because it's official, she shows up in the studio 'in costume,' more or less. Or a winter version of it, which has added an open zip-up hoodie over her Wonder-top and traded for thermal leggings worn under a skirt. But her bracers still show under the scrunched up sleeves of the hoodie, just to prove she's the real deal, here! ... Nevermind that this is a podcast so it doesn't matter for the audience, but she wants to make an impression here, as a proper super-person.

Aside from a little meet and greet with April (who she proved to be something of a fan of) she spent the warm-up time looking around the studio and getting familiarized with things, like the recording tech she'll have to use. She's got similar things at home for her computer, but they're not so fancy or professional!

"Hi April, I'm really glad to be here," she starts, when they actually start recording. "Oh. Well, it probably was a bit of a secret at one point, but it's hard to keep that up. Just like Diana, doing work in the public sphere means I can't really hide who I am. So you can call me Cassie if you want. People always end up trying to shorten my 'hero name' and it gets weird, like 'Oh hi Miss Girl' or things like that. Silly right?"

April O'Neil has posed:
Behind April is a brick wall that is adorned with pictures in frames, and a few other odds and ends like a series of shelves all cut out of wood that is arranged to look like the United States map. Each shelf is a different State and each has a different knick-knack on them, from Beanie Babies, to Pokemon, from action figures to jars with rare types of bugs inside of them. April herself is wearing a white tshirt with the word 'FORGIVEN' in big red letters on the chest, and draped over the back of her chair is a bright yellow hoodie. She has a smart watch on her right wrist too, and her dark hair is loose around her shoulders.

Cassie's words do amuse her. "I've heard similar things. I had a young man on here last week who goes by Amazing Derek, and he says he's either fighting people calling him Mister Amazing, or Amazing Dork." She flashes a grin. "Cassie is a good name though. Cassandra, I assume. But yeah, Silly is a pretty common thing with super hero names. Admittedly... I kinda like it. It adds a bit of levity to some of the more dramatic sides of the whole thing."

With a light exhale then, April's hands reach out toward a drink glass on the table, Cassie was given a glass of her own and to her left is a wide variety of drink options, all manner of things, stored in bottles on a rack, right there for the guests to take what they want.

"So how long have you been at this?" April asks, her eyes going to Cassie's wrists. "I gotta say, those bracers you're wearing are freakin' sexy as hell too. For those who can't see it, Cassie is wearing-- what I'm assuming --are actual Themysciran bracers, like Wonder Woman's herself."

The young Brooklyn native leans forward and examines them for a second, even though they're two or three feet apart with the table between them. "Wow."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Cassandra, that's right. I guess we've sort of got a tradition of classically-inspired names in my family... and that was before getting made honorary Amazons. There's probably an argument that's one of those fate or destiny kind of things, that this stuff was always in the cards." Cassie seems to ponder it a moment, and then shrug off any deeper thought. "Oh, I don't think, it's not that I think being called Wonder Girl is silly. I mean I get that it can sound a little old-fashioned, but it represents the connection to my mentor," which, as always, she also wears printed all over her clothes, "so I'm proud of it. It's just funny when people try and use it casually, or remix it like that, it kinda breaks down."

Moving on to the next question, she pauses just for a moment. "Maybe about three years at this point, although some of that was uh, 'unauthorized.' Diana was a friend of my family and when she fought Doomsday, I was like 'woah! Aunt Diana is a superhero!' and then I kinda got it in my head to go help her. I knew where she kept some of her extra gear, so I borrowed it and just went out to find her." She laughs, and admits: "It was as ridiculous as it sounds. Total fail. But I made friends with some other young heroes, and ultimately got to meet my 'other' family, the Pantheon on Olympus. Which, lemme tell you, was pretty wild. After that Diana agreed to get me some proper trainig, and I took a year off after High School to train on Themysicra."

Which leads neatly to the bracers!

When April seems interested, Cassie makes a point of rolling back the sleeve on one arm and extending it forward so that April can get a look, even with the intervening space. "Yeah, they're just like Diana's. And pretty much indestructible, at least as far as I've been able to test. They survived a big alien spaceship blast recently, though I got a little uh, splashover from it. No big deal."

April O'Neil has posed:
Throughout Cassie's rundown of her initial 'entry' in to being the protege of Wonder Woman, April is left expressing a series of emotions on her face from shock, to amusement, to maybe even a bit of disbelief with some shaking of her head. Not that she doesn't believe the girl, more that she just imagines being in such a position herself...

"Wild." She eventually just says, her eyes on the bracers when Cassie rolls a sleeve up to show one off better. "They're beautiful up close. So there has to be more to it than you just picking up some of her gear and going at it as a Super Hero yourself though, right? I mean... if I raided her stash and went out to fight crime, I'm one hundred and fifty percent sure I'd still end up deader than a door nail." April states, following it up with a little nerdy laugh.

"You're a brave one, Miss Girl." She then hints at a grin. "But I'm guessing there's more to you than meets the eye. You say you've gotten some training now to help you? But fighting aliens... with super death rays aimed at your FACE? I mean, how does training even ... work for that? I get nervous standing in front of the microwave and heating up a plate of hot pockets..."

April smirks at herself and reaches for her glass of whatever she's drinking! "What does Amazon training consist of? At least in your case?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"There are a lot of people who save others without any powers," Cassie points out in the face of the host's disbelief. "And I don't just mean vigilantes. So I think you'd be surprised what a person can do if they try, if they push themselves to their limits. And that's without having magic toys to play with. But you're right, it was pretty dumb. I was basically asking to get myself killed, with how totally clueless and inexperienced I was. But Diana was there, and kept me safe from myself." As ever, there's clear affection in both her expression and her tone when she speaks of her mentor.

"But there is another side to it, and that's where that stuff I said earlier, about fate and all that, maybe comes in," Cassie starts to explain again. "See back then," and when she's able to get her bracer arm back, she makes a circular gesture with it to indicate the vast gap of time - 3 years! OMG so long! "I didn't have powers, or didn't have them yet. The gear made up for it a bit. But the truth was that I do have uh, a certain connection or heritage to the Greek Gods." She notably does not give the exact specifics of said 'heritage.' "Maybe they were waiting for me to show a little heroism of my own, before they'd let me grow into that birthright? I don't now. But after I returned from Olympus, I had powers like Diana does. Well, not as good, but I'm growing into it."

"So you're right, there's more. You can't train to get shot by alien deathrays and not die," she agrees. "Hear that? Don't try it at home, kids." She's getting into this podcast-y thing! "The training is about using power efficiently, in a non-dumb way. But it covers a lot of things. Some of it's just like, military boot camp, albeit turned up a few notches. Push-ups, laps, weapon drills, carrying heavy objects around, climb this, jump off that, shoot this flaming arrow through hoops, y'know, that kind of stuff." Totally normal.

"It was kind of a rushed experience for me," she adds. "Most of the Amazons have trained basically since forever, since they're immortal. And they do a lot more than fight. There's art and poetry, religious ceremony and practice, all kinds of things. I got the survival crash course first, but I'm -still- learning that stuff, a bit more every time I go."

April O'Neil has posed:
April is a good listener, almost like she does a lot of it. Her hands come up to fold over one another just beneath her chin while she watches Cassie, observing the younger girl's mannerisms whilst speaking.

There's little nods from the podcast host while the story develops. "I remember the reveal of Wonder Woman, and thusly this ... lost civilization of warrior women that came along with her. It was, as you said, after the Doomsday event... the Superman event. There was quite a lot inspiration in it, in a time that was pretty dark for the nation-- the world really. Not just because a society of immortal women had suddenly presented themselves to the world, but because... it's inspirational to know that we had these new guardians, new protectors, that were inherently /from Earth,/ our history. We'd lost Superman, which was terrible, but seeing the Themyscirans step in-- yourself, and Wonder Woman. It's a big thing to a lot of people. I hope you know that." April smiles, then pauses and laughs. "I mean, I'm sure you do, but I feel obligated to say it anyway."

The young host glances down at a tablet computer in front of her before bouncing her eyes back up across the table. "So what does Cassie the Wonder do for fun around the city? You're what... 19? I assume you're in college, which school are you attending?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"It was pretty inspirational to me too," Cassie feels she needs to point out, seperating herself somewhat from that initial moment, or rather, putting herself on the other side of it, with the uplifted 'people of Earth.' The inspired rather than the inspiring. "I probably have a weird perspective on it. I was lucky to have a little bit of an 'inside track' with Diana, to have known 'Wonder Woman' when she was still hiding what she was. So immediately, I was just amazed by all of that, and of course she became my very favorite of this new heroic era, my personal hero. I was every bit the superfan, and had all her stuff. I still do." She laughs. "Well, you can see that."

"I wanted to be like her. When I realized I could be, that was a huge shock, not anything I was prepared for at all. I'm really kind of still adjusting," she admits. "And to the idea of being anyone's inspiration myself, if I am. I like the idea of it, though. Especially of inspiring peple a little more like me, younger women and girls who are seeing that they hold an important place in the world and always have."

The abrupt change catches Cassie a little by surprise, although the question isn't really unexpected. "I just started at NYU this semester, since I took that year off for my training. I think I pretty much to do the same kind of things as all my classmates, at least when I have the time. There's a lot of schedule-juggling. But you know, hanging out in the Village, sitting in Washington Square Park."

April O'Neil has posed:
April keeps her eyes on Cassie as she speaks, reaching a hand up to adjust her mic a bit to keep it closer to her face so her voice comes across the headset better. "I love Washington Square Park. It's lively in the summer, and a great place to just relax and watch the world go by. The tourism gets a little congested there, but what part of the city doesn't, right?" She grins more openly then. "I was a Berkeley girl, so... I don't have any fun stories to relate to you with, but I'm glad you're getting the college experience, locally no less."

"So back tracking a bit... admittedly I do that sometimes, a lot, actually." April states with a small smirk. "You mentioned that the Amazons are immortal, but that you were not... with them before? Does that mean you're not immortal, or was that something that was granted to you in your training?" She starts to grin then. "Bare in mind if it comes out that the Themyscirans have the ability to make people immortal, you might start getting a lot of strange requests from anyone and everyone out there."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Yeah I just love it!" Cassie exclaims. "There's always cool performers or something else going on, or just people laying around in the sun. That's usually me, just sprawled out in the grass or sitting up on the benches. I don't have any talents to show off," she adds, which is a funny thing for a superhero person to claim. But perhaps compard to the odd variety of musicians and other strange acts that the place draws, she can make an argument that her non-smashing related talents don't match up!

"The West Coast seems like it would be a lot of fun too. I'm definitely a summer gal, yaknow?" And no doubt suffering as the frost gathers! "I'd just love being able to go all surfer beach bum like they do over there. California's amazing, you know? Movie stars and celebrities!" Again, a strange thing for a superhero to be envious of. But a 19 year old girl? Maybe not so strange! "Coney Island's OK, and I like the boardwalk a lot, or even going down to New Jersey, but it's definitely not the same thing as the sun they get out there!"

Since there is back-tracking to be done, to important heroic details, Cassie reins in her overly effusive sun-worship and sits back a bit. Not a hard question, but one maybe not easy to get across. "Up until three years ago, when all that stuff happened, I lived a one-hundred percent normal boring teenage existence," she explains. "My mom's job is kind of cool, going on archeological digs, but normally that just meant me being left alone, or well, I actually went to a boarding school for a long time. But no, I had no idea of my... connection, nothing to do with their world." Which leads back to the more weighty question. "There's actually kind of two things you're getting at here..."

More explainin'!

"The Amazons are immortal because of a certain task set by the Gods. The details are kind of a long story to go into here, but they were tasked to live on the island and guard certain things, forever. So, boom, immortal." That explains the Aamzons. "Diana and I, and couple others, we're a little different than the average Amazon- although saying 'average Amazon' seems silly as heck to me, because none of them are average in the LEAST bit -in that we have a particular divine heritage, blessing, whatever you want to call it. It's like Perseus or Hercules, in the stories. And well... you know Herc is still around, right? So maybe that will be me too, but its kind of hard to say, you know? Like, how do I tell? I'm too young to get wrinkles - or notice that I'm not getting them!"

April O'Neil has posed:
The point of these podcasts is to hear the guest speak, in an interview that isn't heavily produced or overlorded by managers or TV rules. Cassie was invited here to talk and April lets her do just that, merely grinning or smiling at various things that the girl across from her says.

When she /can/ get a word in, April is holding one of those grins for the other. "There is legitimately no way in heck that our viewers and listeners believe that you're devoid of skills that would entertain people in a park to watch you perform for them." She says back to that initial part, for the fun of it.

Slipping onward though, April is lightly nodding. "Your mother seems like someone we would happily have on here. I love talking to archaeologists, I've had several on already and hope to keep adding more to the lineup. It's fascinating to hear them talk about their profession and insights."

There's a small pause then. "And you know, hearing you tell a bit of your story, Cassie. I get the sense that your mother knew precisely what she was doing when she let you be friends with Diana prior to Diana's coming out party. It seems like she set you up to join the Princess, but just let it happen on it's own, so to speak. Which it very clearly did. But yeah... Hercules would be another person I'd enjoy to have on the show."

"So where do you see yourself in 10, 15... 20 years?" April asks then. "Balancing a career and a super hero life? I mean, I assume you're still training your skills to further emulate Wonder Woman's own too? Maybe in 20 years you'll be Wonder Woman." April says then, giving another fun grin to the blonde across from her

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Uh, no seriously," Cassie insists, still fighting the lack of talent-show worthy gifts. "Zero talent. Like what would I even do? I don't juggle or play an instrument. And standing around using superpowers is just like, showing off? Nah I like going there to watch other people. Its such a wonderful display of culture. And that's something- I guess maybe seeing the Amazons and learning about theirs, and how strange it is for them to understand ours... it makes me appreciate that stuff more, pay more attention to it?"

And while she's happy to talk youthful culture, Cassie soon detects a certain pattern in the following questions. She addresses them, yes, but in far more succinct fashion than before. "Maybe they knew something, that's possible. But, ahh, I don't think my mom's really the podcast type. She's pretty busy with her work, and she's not too fond of being dragged into all the stuff I do. I'm not even sure she's too fond of me doing it!" That's probably MORE than she intended to say, so she just changes topics. Goals are way easier.

"I'd like to keep doing what I'm doing, although I don't think Diana is going to be retiring any time soon," Cassie begins to explain, dimsissing the idea that she'll be taking the mantle. "But I hope to be able to expand her work. There are things I can't do now, just because, everything else aside, I'm still a teenager and I don't have the kind of experience or gravitas that she does. I'm talking our diplomatic work, or what the Wonder Foundation does, all of that. I haven't really decided on a major yet, but I'm taking some courses on public and international relations, and I hope that after I graduate I'll be able to help her lighten that load, at least."

Then at last, she holds her hands apart. "Other than that, I'm not totally sure. College is supposed to be a time of discovery and I'm still discovering."

April O'Neil has posed:
April lays her hands on either sides of that tablet computer that is laying on the table in front of her, her eyes are on Cassie though and she's showing a hint of a smile at that continued debate on her ability to be a park entertainer, but she ultimately lets that lie for now.

The bit about Cassie's mother gets a light nod of her head as she understands that, not everyone is up for a Podcast interview, especially if they know it could be going out to a lot of potential listeners-- and there-by critics.

"Have you heard of this group online who are trying to form petitions to allow other people to join Themyscira? I was browsing around last night for topics I thought might interest you, and this one came up." She glances to the television on her studio wall and her engineer pulls the website up for Cassie to see. It shows a picture of people all standing together in what looks to be homemade Amazon armor, some entirely based on Diana's and some more unique and personal in style, not all of the people are female either, some are very clearly male too.

"Is this something Themyscira has any intentions of doing someday, you think?" April asks then. "I realize this might be a bit of a heavy question for you to answer, as you've indicated you're still pretty new for all of this. But what are your thoughts on something like this? After all, Diana openly resides in the United States. Do you think US citizens will ever be able to openly reside on the shores of ... this island of paradise?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Actually I'm glad you asked that question," Cassie declares, a phrase that makes her sound like an interview expert - or at least someone who has seen a lot of these interviews on TV. "I'm not sure if I've seen the exact petition you're talking about-" But they are kind enough to bring up a graphic for her, and the young woman smiles. "I think I've seen that page, yes. I really like the armor! But getting back to your question and theirs, the idea of inviting outsiders to the island IS something we've been thinking about, talking about a little. But you have to understand that it's a- well, I'm not sure that heavy is the right word, but that it's a complicated matter."

But fortunately, April has a Cassie, who will try and make it all clear!

"Due to the circumstances of the creation of the Amazons and their history," she explains, although passing over those details, "they've always lived apart. And as you probably know, even more specifically, they've lived apart from men. That rule is very strict on the island, with only a very few exceptions, dictated by exceptional circumstances, exceptional people... or, well, both, most likely. For instance I think Superman is allowed to visit, or I imagine he would be, given his uniquely virtuous character, as well as his role in protecting the world."

"But yes, its true that there are Amazons living here now, and not just Diana," Cassie points out. "The embassy includes some of them. So I think it's natural that we want to continue that exchange process, it's just a question of how it can be done. Once, a teamate of mine from the Titans came with me to the island, and the idea of training other female heroes in Amazon techniques is something I think that appeals to them, so more of that might begin to happen. But there's also a lot of interest in cultural exchange. If we were to open up for some kind of... public delegation, it would probably start there, with people who could represent the diversity of culture and knowledge of the planet and help re-introduce Themyscira to the context of the world around it."

And since she's here giving her opinion, Cassie is happy to editorialize a bit: "Personally I'm all for it. And I think Diana is in favor of working toward this. But her mother, Queen Hippolyta, has final say on it. So there may be requirements she'd raise, as well."

April O'Neil has posed:
April's arms fold together atop one another on the edge of the table as she leans forward against them slightly. She nods her head to Cassie's words, and then is quick to show a light smile. "My grandparents didn't even really like us coming over for Thanksgiving. So I can't imagine what a culture-- that has been separated from the world for thousands of years --would think of having 'guests come over'." There's a pause then, along with another grin from the host. "That being said, if they do open up a bit, give me a shout? I'd love to do a podcast from the legendary beaches I've heard about there. I'd be a completely well behaved visitors, I promise." She laughs softly before glancing down at her tablet once more.

"The Queen, that's right..." April says as she looks back up to Cassie. "The world finally got their first glimpses of her at the event in Metropolis. You were there too... riding on a... my god, a Kangaroo of all things. I have so many pictures of that, believe me. But yes, to stay on my point though. Queen Hippolyta. She was... is... beautiful. Like a character from Lord of the Rings. I tried so hard to get a chance to get on to the fields to see her while your people were in the Metropolis area, but they weren't letting anyone near, due to the aliens element of it all..."

"How is the Queen in person? Do you get along well with her?" April ultimately boils her question down to.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie grins a bit at the Thanksgiving reference, as it's probably a pretty universal notion for those who observe the holiday, that people can have a bond but still be a little uncomfortable being forced to interact! "It's a process, but they're getting used to it. My presence on the island, and like I said I'm not the only one, but basically any of us even among the smaller heroic community who've had a chance to travel there, either as visitors or as new honorary sisters... we've all brought something of ourselves along. I have friends there now, and we share what we've been up to, whether it's my classes or their slaying a stray chimaera. I'm sure you've seen my social media, and even if I can't reliably post from the island, I've managed to sneak out pictures of us all together." She is definitely cashing in on the Themyscira fever for likes!

And realizing she's drifted a little, Cassie brings it home: "The point I'm getting at is that the gap isn't as far as one might think. To a lot of people, they're 'from the past,' but their own civilization has flourished in the meantime, and they're fast learners. They'd give you some amazing interviews!"

Then, a necessary correction: "Amazonian kanga are related, but larger, smarter, and bred and trained for war. They use them alongside horses, and they're very formidable." The more you know.

"But yes, as you were saying, the battle outside Metropolis was a turning point, I think. It was the Amazon's chance to show the world their power and their purpose, that while they lived in hiding, it was in preparation for moments of need like that one." Here, Cassie draws a steadying breath, as she thinks about it. "For me personally, it was my first time really fighting with them as a sister-in-arms, experiencing war the way they have since ancient times. And afterward, even if it was just briefly, people could see them for what they were, warriors of Earth who had helped secure it against foreign invaders."

Yet the battle itself isn't even the main point, and Cassie eventually stops stalling: "Queen Hippolyta is... well you hit it. Even to me, she's like something out of a movie," Cassie admits. "Except, you know, the real deal. That sense of awe is justified. She's strong, wise, and... firm. Kind of like moms are, haha." For her, it's the most obvious comparison, something that she and Diana share: pure terrors for maternal figures!

April O'Neil has posed:
"I have indeed." April says cheerily to Cassie with regard to having checked out her social media presence. A quick glance given to the shows technician, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) whose already pulling up some footage from the battle. Now on the monitor is footage from what looks like a helicopter, of the Themysciran Army charging on to the battlefield out of the portals summoned by Zatanna Zatara.

"Look at that. Ladies and gentleman, I'm sure you've already seen it, but we're watching some of the video of the charge of the Amazon warriors in the Metropolis event. It is... stunning... to see, live and in reality." April looks back to Cassie then and smiles at her. "If you're not already following Wonder Girl on social media, you have to. She's got some great stuff up, including some sneaky pictures taken on the paradise island itself."

April looks back to the monitor as shots of the Kanga are shown with Cassie on it, then on to shots of the Queen helping Diana fight. "Unreal stuff, truly." April looks back to Cassie then. "You know there was a large number of people who called BS on all of it up to this--" She motions toward the monitor on the wall to her left and Cassie's right.

"I think those numbers of disbelievers have fallen now, Or I hope so at least. I mean there's always going to be those hold-overs who just hang on because they're grumpy curmudgeons, but still. Sign me up. I would be beside myself to have had a mother like her." She motions to the Queen again whose riding valiantly upon her armored horse. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved my mother-- God rest her soul --but just seeing that? I can see how Wonder Woman turned out like she did."

Another smile is given to her guest though. "I want you to come back on the show periodically, if you'd be interested, Cassie. I think everyone would like to go on this journey with you. Because, I mean look at it... you're... 19. /19!/ and you're embarking on this ... path ... to becoming one of them." Another motion to the television is given then. "We're all going to get to watch you grow and go with you on this journey, so to speak. You're the first American to become a Themysciran after all, right? That's a ... big deal. A lot of envious people out there, myself included. I'm just a shlub from Brooklyn, who once tried to jump off a stack of hay when she was a kid, to prove she could fly. All I proved was my arm was /very/ breakable."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
When the footage is brought up, Cassie turns to watch with curiousity. She's seen news footage of the event since, but it's always strange, never quite something she can totally... just accept, incorporate into her worldview without it feeling just a little bit strange. There's superhero stuff, and she's been doing that for a while (a while by teen reckoning, anyway), but the battle is absolutely something else. And so is Cassie's role in it. She's not punching some beefy supercriminal and then tying him up, but rather taking her own turn at the Lord of the Rings-esque insanity, riding at the tip of a cavalry wedge into a wall of things that are a whole lot worse than orcs. Into them beside her sisters, before they all dissolve into a collective kind of violence.

And that's not even getting to the part where she's got her lasso on full power, lashing swathes through the enemy army from the sky.

"Yeah it was..." Actually here, the fluffy, lighthearted voice has faded a little, her peppy radio-esque persona falling away. "It was different for me too. Different from the stuff that came before it, anyway." She doesn't falter long, but there is a slightly more somber tone to everything. "I can understand how people might have had some doubts. If you asked me about any of thise when I was fifteen, it would have sounded unbelievable." She doesn't seem to worry about any nay-saying beyond that, because it's... obviously very real to her.

Continuing to lighten back up again, she smiles as April suggest she make a return visit. "I'd like that, April, I've had a lot of fun doing this. It's nice to be able to talk about this stuff, and I think it's great to be able to inform people about it. And obviously, there's all kinds of news reporting, but I think for my own demographic, the sort of people I'm trying to reach most, to help inspire, this is a lot more relevant."

There is a brief pause when she considers the question of that 'first,' but she's not really sure what Caitlin counts as. Clones are weird- and she knows a few! So instead she sort of sidesteps it. "Yeah it can feel weird sometimes, to think about this stuff, and try and fit it into my other life, into just trying to be a teenager and get through school and do all of those things. I know my story is a unique one. There's pressure that comes with that, but it's also pretty exciting, and I do feel like I have a responsibility to share. Because people are going to follow, in one way or another." She sits up a little straighter. "If there's any message I want to get out, it's that one- that the Amazon ideals I've been exposed to have value for everyone, especially for young women my age. Whether or not you have superpowers, we all have power to change the world."

April O'Neil has posed:
April lets Cassie's last words there sink in for a moment before she just smiles sweetly to the young woman across from her. "Words to live by." April then softly adds on before she sits up straighter in her chair then and proceeds to talk a bit further with Cassie, the show rolls on for a little while longer before they wrap it up, and April offers to take Cassie on a tour of the small podcast studio to explain where some of the knick-knacks and oddities on display had come from, different guests and the like!