4767/Get New Prospects

Get New Prospects
Date of Scene:	17 January 2021
Location:	Exterior - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Billy Kaplan comes to the Tower, looking for a place in the team. Welcome to the team, Wiccan!
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Bart Allen, Billy Kaplan, Kian

---

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Saturday afternoon had been just your regular affair for the Titans and allies- light breakfast, hearty brunch, stopping a wannabe megalomaniacal sorcerer from taking over Metropolis Park via enchanted topiary golems...

Just an ordinary Saturday, all in all.

The aforementioned megalomaniacal sorcerer was going to spend some time away without practicing his magic, after being defeated by the concentated efforts of Impulse, Vorpal and Kian, where they contrived for the sorcerer to destroy his own staff on power by cunningly----

Ah, well, that's another story, to be told at another time. As the sun dips lower and the hour grows later, our trio of heroes makes its way back to the Tower for the appropriate pizza-laden celebration, as is the Titan custom. Impulse had gone in on his own, while Vorpal traveled with Kian, the bird-man carrying the Cheshire Cat who, for the moment, could not use his portaling powers of the Rabbit Hole, them being stolen his doppelganger.

"I don't care what Gar says," he says, speaking on his comm as the Titans Tower comes into view, "Pineapple doesn't belong in pizza unless there's a complementing strip of canadian bacon to set off the tastebuds..."

This discussion has been going on for a bit.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen is wearing his costume, but on his back, he has hedge clippers, and a weed wacker with the larger saw blade ends. They are strapped across his back like swords, and then swords. The boots, and the bottom of his uniform having a slight green tinge to them. "I don't know it is ok with pepperoni as well, the sweet accents and plays off the spices in the pepperoni." He offers back to the others "But no worries, I made sure to get a dozen different types, he says as he comes running into the lobby of titan tower. If anyone may have been taking notice, there lately seems a lot less aluminum cans and other trash and recyclabes around the city or two with the tower in the center.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy was nervous
Who knew there was more than one Titan Tower? But now, after a few unwanted trips to Conneticut and Utah he was at the right one.
Was the resume too much? Why had he put a suit on?? He should've been in his hero costume surely? But was that too informal?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
He was just about to change when he noticed a shape approaching in the sky. Was it a bird? A pla... Oh wait it was a bird man carrying a catman, of course.

Kian has posed:
    "I like pine-apple on pizza," Kían says mildly.  "Especially the Ha... Ha-wai-an one, wit' nuts an' spices.  An' we always get five or six--"  He glances at Bart.  "--or twelf wit' differen' toppin's, so it does not matter, some will not have it."  He deposits Terry on the ground, then touches down himself, shaking his wings out.  "An' I know to not eat the pizza mark Kori.  I haf made that mistake once.  I will not do that again."
    The birdman looks at the door.  He always hesitates before going inside.  He's very much a creature of the outdoors.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Of course, there /are/ multiple Titan Towers in the united states. All of them unaffiliated- a few were motels, one was a luxury casino, and one was, bizarrely, a church. But there is only one /Titan Tower/, home of the Titans.

"Well, getting your first dose of Koriand'r's mustard pizza is a rite of passage for a Titan. At least be glad she only had the regular mustard for that one and not her special three-alarm fire nuclear dijon one. We might have never peeled you off the ceiling."

The Cheshire playfully swapts Kian's shoulder as they fly down, and then he frowns as they set down in front of the door. "Guys, we've let hunger drive us too fast. We have a visitor." They must have flown over him in their haste to get food. The blur that was Impulse must have raced in with the pizzas! "Hey Impulse, come meet us outside, it looks like we've got a..."

The Cheshire's green eyes evaluate the young man up and down, noticing the nice suit. "... he's dressed like a lawyer. Oh my god, we're going to get sued by someone. Robin must have bitten someone."

Nevertheless, the cat reaches down and tugs at his spandex uniform to smooth out the wrinkles, and brushes it with a hand to brush away the grass that still clung to it from the topiary topocalypse they had endured. He steps forward, hand extended. "Hello! Welcome to Titan Tower!"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will take the time to munch a pizza, but for someone with superspeed that is barely noticeable. He comes back outside, and says "Oh hey, I thought he was one of the Titans, I had not met." He walks over rubbing his hand on a napkin making sure it is clean and then blurs back inside, and back out after throwing away the napkin. He extends a hand to Billy. "Hi, I'm Impulse, and this is Vorpal, and" He looks over to Kian "Um do you have a code name, or just your normal name, I mean I aint ever heard your code name if you have one."

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy takes Impulse's hand, focusing so much on giving the appropriate grip strength he almost forgot to speak, or breath
"Errr, hey, I'm B... I mean Wiccan. I didn't know if I should wait out here or inside. I know the door is open but I didn't want to impose"
Remembering he was still holding Impulse's hand he let go and took a deep breath. Trying to calm himself.
"I was hoping to speak to the Titans" he said, eperhaps a little too firmly.

Kian has posed:
    Kían's eyes get wide -- he didn't see anyone when he came in for a landing.  More accurately, he just wasn't paying attention.  Bad idea in general around the Tower, and especially recently when people might not be who they seem to be.
    He's satisfied to let Vorpal take the lead, and upon introducing himself, he doesn't offer his hand.  Instead he bows, spreading his wings slightly.  "/Kié/, Wik-kan," he says, stumbling over the name.  His accent is unplaceable, sharp and sibilant, each syllable carefully clipped off.  He glances once to Impulse, and nods.  "I am only ever Kían.  I haf no other name.  I can haf no other name."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal grins wider. He's good at that. You might say it's a trademark of his. "Wiccan... I believe the name is familiar!" as the cub reporter at the Planet, Terry had made his 'brand' to be the one to scoop out rumors of up-and-coming heroes, starting with America Chavez... who then became a Titan. Small world. The feline is not completely sure, but he's heard of a young hero by that name who had started to make a name for his own...

"You are very much in luck, Wiccan, because we are the Titans, my friend!"

He glances over at Impulse. "Well, Impulse is with the Outsiders, but the Outsiders are fam. Our tower is their tower, and our food is their food unless Starfire and Beast Boy have gotten to the refrigerator first." He squeezes Impulse's shoulder and grins, "And this is Kian, who is from outer space. Do you want to come inside and tell us the reason for your visit? We have pizza." He offers to lead the visitor into the lobby.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and does not seem bothered by the long hand shake, heck all handshakes are long to him "If we don't have a type you like I can go get something else." He offers, and nods Vorpal and Kian are cool guys if I was not an outsider, I would probably be a titan, or maybe young justice, according to someone else we met recently. He looks over to Kian, and head cocks tot he side, and says "Remind me to ask you about the name thing some other time ok?"

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy allows himself to be guided inside.
"I'm not that hungry thanks" the nerves of the situation had him feeling a touch nautious and the multiple teleports up and down the county hadn't helped
"Who do I give this to?" He asks, profering the papers in his hand.
"Is there like a HR or somthing?"

Kian has posed:
    "Iss easy to ex-plain," Kían says to Impulse.  "I haf choose my name, so it iss my name."  He follows everyone else in, lingering in the doorway before closing it behind him.
    "Iss Wik-kan your name or your... hero name?" he asks.  "I do not know the word, so I do not know what it means."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"HR? Oh. Oh!" Vorpal's eyes widen as Billy offers his curriculum vitae. He does a quick flip and his mind quickly puts together some things. The suit, the slight edge of nerves, the papers.

"You're here to interview for a position in the Titans!" the Cheshire cat says. It all made sense, and it was absolutely adorable. The Titans were not, in spirit, as formal as the JLA or the Avengers, but more or less the clubhouse of the young heroes. A found family of sorts.

A very /weird/ found family.

But far be it from him to burst his bubble or his expectations. "Yes, well, we don't have an HR department yet. We tend to handle interviews and interest in person... let's go have a seat and you can tell us all about you!"

The lobby of the tower is very spacious and it has a lot of areas in which to sit down. It's quite comfortable. The Cat sits down in a very cat-like manner, on the arm-rest of one of the chairs instead of the chair proper, and gestures for Billy to sit down.

"Kian's question, yes. Wiccan is your codename, right? I remember hearing of it... you are magic based, right? Why don't you tell us what you can do?"

He gives Billy a gentle, friendly smile, trying to put the young man at ease.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen hmms and nods a bit at Kian's explanation and does cock his head a moment to the side, subvocaling something, he tries to be subtle but it is not his strong point luckily he is a bit odd himself so odd behavior is a bit of the norm. He will head over to get himself another few pieces of paper, and moves to have a seat and blinks "Oppps be right back." And he is off, and a moment later he is back in the chair but the lawn instruments are gone, and he is wearing a clean uniform. Is his hair damp? Na couldn't be.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy takes a seat, relaxing slightly but still quite obviosly nervous.
"Err, yeah, Wiccan is my hero name. I went through a bit of a Thor phase and went by Asgardian but I changed it. Cultral approriation and all that (and a friend said it sounded like Ass-Gaurdian)"
"Should I give my real name? I was kinda hoping to have a secret identity, I don't think my folks would be happy with all the life endagerment"
"But yeah, magic. Sort of. Like I never learned any spells or anything, I can kinda just do it"
"The more complicated magic I have to concentrate and like say what I want to happen, but if I've practeced it or it's simple I can just think it"
"Although if I panic I will still shout "Magic Missle" when I would probably look more badass if i kept my mouth shut"
He takes a breath, realising it might have been his first one since he sat down.
"And it can kinda go a little wrong if i'm not specific, like trying to teleport here I went to some rock in Utah that's also called Titan Tower"

Kian has posed:
    "A chosen name iss a good name, Wik-kan.  If it iss meanin'-ful to you, it iss a good name."
    Without much warning, he flits over to the fridge and gets his usual: purple Kool-Ade.  And then flits back, to perch on the back of a chair.
    He tilts his head inquisitively, peering close at Wiccan with dark eyes.  "I am sorry that you are not familiar to me... but not much of this world iss, an' I haf been here for... for... I do not know how long now."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Ass Guardian... yes. I can see how that could be- I can see why you'd want to change the name. Although, to be honest, I can also see why you /wouldn't/ want to, just purely on the advertising front." He does his best not to crack a smile.

"You don't need to reveal your secret identity. Robin hasn't revealed his identity, and most of the new members don't know who Nightwing really is. Most of us tend to be casual about our identities, but we respect and protect those who have the need to keep theirs private. Even if at one point you feel comfortable enough to reveal your identity to /us/, we won't reveal it to anyone else without your permission."

Having said that, the Cat crosses his legs at the knee and rests his hands on it. "That is awesome! Your power, I mean. As you may or may not know, I am /the/ Cheshire cat... you know. From the books," he doesn't know that Billy is a superhero fan, although Vorpal doesn't consider himself a celebrity, some evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. In his mind, he's still That Guy Who Dates Beast Boy in the eyes of the public. To his discomfort, that isn't really true anymore- there's more attention to what he does, especially since he became the first superhero to also work for a major publication like the Daily Planet. "So I am actually a creature of chaos magic... I'm not a wizard like you, and your power sounds a lot more versatile. I definitely appreciate it!"

He turns to look at Bart. He reaches over and tries to run his hair through the speedster's hair, to satisfy his suspicions. "Did you really just take a microsecond shower? Man, Bart, what do I need to do to get super-speed? I can barely get /anything/ done in an /hour/!" he laughs, and then turns his attention to Wiccan once more.

"That's a very nice interview suit by the way. I assume you also have a set of 'work clothes', you know..." he gestures to his own outfit, "Something for the field? Unless of course you wear that suit. Nothing wrong with that, Zatanna Zatara and her cousin wear something similar... well. Zatanna wears fishnets. I believe those are strictly optional for magicians, especially during winter." He chuckles.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen smirks, a bit and says "Well, I was born with mine, you would need to ask Wally, see if he will let you in on it but think you would have to hero worship him or something, so not quite sure it would be worth it." He mentions Wally's real name since he has a public id. He smirks a bit at the tussled hair and says "You want to know the worst part about super speed showers? you have to move yourself through the water, instead of the water going around you. It is one of the few things I have found better at normal speed, but I had sap and grass stains so needed it."

Billy Kaplan has posed:
"Oh yeah, I know what you do, like illusions and stuff and little portles?"Billy says, loosing some nerves to the excitement of talking about super heros.
"And I do have "work" clothes" He stretches his arms to the side and his suit is replaced by a one piece hero costume of blue and grey, with the cosmos reflected down the sides, finished with a red cape/scarf/hood/cloak thing.
"Thats one of the tricks I have practiced, saves time haha, and speaking of speed showers" He waves his hand at Vorpal, casting the same shower, shampoo and teeth clean spell he casts on himself every morning.
"Hows that?"

Kian has posed:
    Kían would be shocked to learn he has any sort of public profile on Earth, although he probably does by now, just from being observed here and there.  Certainly he doesn't think of himself as a 'superhero' -- they haven't anything like the role on his world.  Even if he probably is one by now, at least as far as observers of metahumanity on earth are concerned.
    He watches Wiccan's cleaning trick with interest.  "Can you teach me how to do that?  We haf done the bes' we coul' wit' Eart' systems, but that looks much easier."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Aah yes!" Vorpal nods as Billy's costume manifests, "I /have/ seen you around. I've gotten a few tips about you at the Planet-- that costume is very distinctive. Making a name for yourself is definitely a good way of getting to the Titans. In fact... I am going to ask you if you'd like to be interviewed for my feature at the Planet, so think about it." He leans back and blinks, suddenly feeling Billy's magic coursing through him.

His fur is impeccable. He always keeps it closely-trimmed, and he cleans it as often as he can, but not even in his most assiduous baths has he ever come out quite looking like this. "Well, damn, Wiccan..." he says, touching his mane. It feels like Vidal Sassoon touched it with a magic wand, "That's... impressive. You are doomed now, I am going to come to you before my date nights, I spend hundreds of dollars on specialized fur shampoos and I can't get this sheen. Look!" he moves his arm, showing Impulse and Kian. The fur is glossy. He could pose for a magazine cover now.

"That certainly beats moving /through/ water... which must be quite an experience. But Kian, I am afraid he won't be able to teach you... it's /magic/, which is the anti-science." He winks at his bird friend, and then turns back to Wiccan.

"Well, Wiccan, the Titans are a very welcoming fold. I'm not one of the team leaders, but I /am/ one of the founding members of this incarnation." The story was known to the world now- the Titans had disbanded after Doomsday, scattering to the four winds. And then, a chance encounter between Terry and Beast Boy had somehow resulted in it snowballing towards the return of the Titans. Terry had published a lengthy feature with the Planet titled 'Titans Together', the definite story of how the broken family had come back together, dealing with the grief of their lost teammates Dove and Kohle, and reconnecting again as if they had never been gone, with Vorpal and Kian as the first of the new generation of Titans. It was a pity that such a good article had become immediately eclipsed by the Warworld Invasion, which hit the /very next day/.

"You've expressed interest, and I have heard a lot of good things about what you do. So what we will do is we will get you a limited T-Comm and you will have access to a good chunk of the tower by yoursef as a Prospective member. We'll go on missions, training, and then you will become a full member if all things go well. And I have a very good feeling bout you, Wiccan." the Cheshire grins. "I'll clear it with Troia, but I'm going to go ahead and offer you a Prospective membership with the Titans, and I have confidence that you will earn your permanent position in this family without trouble. Do I have any nays?" he turns to his friends, glancing at Kian and Bart. Although Bart was an Outsider, he was still an ally and his feedback was always welcome.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen hmms and says "Seems a good fellow, and to be honest it is good to have a magic type around, something we might want to work on in the outsiders." He admits." He studies the new guy, and says "Sounds like you have an inn, but I would suggest asking some of the guys to work our with you some to get a bit of experience working with others compared to working alone it is rather different.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy takes the T-Comm, slightly in awe.
"So I can just like hang here now?"
"So is it like a hotel mini bar type deal? Do I get given jobs and chores to do? Do I have to take the trash out and work my way upp to fighting villains? Is it a salary deal or like paid per hour worked? Do I get dental? What do I put on my tax returns??
He continues rambling.

Kian has posed:
    "It iss that easy some-time," Kían offers, taking a sip of his purple sugar water.  "I barely speak Engliss when I firs' come here.  It was bes' place for me to be to learn to use my powers better, an' not haf to be hidden."
    He glances at Bart and Terry, and shakes his head.  "Even if it iss *very* weird some-time."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal smiles, "You can totally hang out here in the common areas- the lobby and main room and the roof are all yours. As a prospective member, you need to be accompanied by other Titans to visit the other areas of the tower BUT- everybody comes to the common area and the lobby. We don't have a paid salary- but I think Nightwing is looking into that. What we do have is free food, a copious kitchen, friendship, video games, and when you become a member you get to have your own room in the men's dorms!"

He waves, "None of the menial task apprenticeship thing. You'll be coming with us on missions when you're available, and you'll come to trainings when you can. We'll of course respect your civilian life balance and we are always aware that everybody has things to do and can't wear the tights twenty four seven like some of our team members do."

The Cheshire cat stands up, "So... welcome to the team, Wiccan! Why don't we go up to the common room and have a celebratory lemonade?"