5512/Sad Demon in a Clocktower

Sad Demon in a Clocktower
Date of Scene:	09 March 2021
Location:	Historic Clocktower - Penthouse
Synopsis:	Dishonor on everyone! Dishonor on YOU.. Dishonor on your COW... Mulan, food, family. Assassins and Orphans.
Cast of Characters:	Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson

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Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
This has to be like the absolute worst three weeks in poor Charlie's life since the fire that killed her family.

Just when things were looking better for her. She had a home with someone mothering her. She was in with the Bats. She was being trained by some of the best in the world. She had a utility belt and while she didn't have a super cool armor outfit she was sporting a slightly upgraded costume.

Then disaster on an actual mission with Batman that the Justice League witnessed. She grabbed a demonic control artifact when Zatanna said to get it from Felix Faust and tried to teleport with it. Which worked. Her body teleported with it but her mind swapped places due to the chaos magic with the demon.

Then Superman threw her and the other demon literally towards the moon. Thank hecks the demon could teleport, which Charlie did, in a panic to Metropolis and her old burnt out apartment. Opting to not go try to find a payphone in Suicide Slums she decided to teleport to the motorpool in the basement of the Clocktower and just sit there and look sad until Babs told her what to do.

That was three sad mupper weeks ago.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
It had taken some explaining, but Babs is surprisingly receptive to strange. Her whole life is strange. She deals directly in strange, almost like it's a currency. So when Charlie had explained the grim details of her situation and it had been varified by Bruce, the demon child was allowed up to the safety and protection of the Clocktower's apartment.

Where, it should be noted, Babs had tripled security and begun to install automated guns hidden int he walls. That part wasn't even a joke. If she was letting a damn demon in her house, she was for damn sure going to be ready to defend that house if the demon went... well... demonic.

That was three whole ass sad mupper weeks ago.

Now it's just part of the day.

Babs rolling from the kitchen with a bag of peta chips dangling from her teeth because her lap was holding the cheese dip. On her way over to the couch. Scooting her chair right up beside it to work her way over after transfering the chips/dip sitch to the table beside the arm.

Once her legs were pulled over, she laid back with a sigh and flipped through the channels with an extended remote, "Charlie, you want something to eat? Uncle Alfred sent over some pasta, it's in the fridge."

Dick Grayson has posed:
The elevator chimes to announce a visitor arriving, not that this is likely news to Barbara. She probably knew he was arriving when he got within a block of the Clocktower. Dick steps into the penthouse carrying a covered dish, looking around he spots Barbara and smiles. It's got a special warmth in it - the crush is long over, but you never really forget the first girl you feel that way about, even if it's one sided. He holds up the dish slightly and announces, "Alfred is apparently determined to fill your refrigerator. This time it's a lasagna, where would you like me to put it?"

Spotting Charlie's current form, he hesitates just a second, but no doubt Barbara sent at least one picture along with the report on what happened, so it's not too much of a shock. He nods to her, still smiling and asks in a gentle tone, "Hi Charlie, how are you holding up?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Charlie doesn't even know the worst part. Rast is in her body while she is in the Demon Three's body. While the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath isn't able to command her spirit or her in this body thankfully. It is able to command the Demon Rath's spirit in Charlie's body.

Faust has a minion right now that is insanely good at teleporting and can still do magic, which is not something Charlie is even aware of.

The big jerkface has been making a bad rep for Charlie all over the mystic circles pillaging arcane stuff for Faust.

Meanwhile though at the ClockTower the Demon-Kid in the smallest form possible, which is honestly about the normal Charlie size, looks up from watching TV. "Very Hungry... " bouncing up to it's feet and starting towards the kitchen. Pasta is greeeeat.

Also her metabolism is still very high. She is ignoring the urge to eat cats or house pets.

The demon does smile, cringe, at Dick though and waves a clawed hand. "I... am awful but I am really trying not to think about it much. You know. We will totes fix this." at least Charlie seems optimistic.

Even now. Unsinkable.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Back then, it hadn't been one sided. Obviously, time sooths all those feelings, what could have been and what is, but Dick is still one of her favorite of the brothers. Which isn't a deep pool to fish in, but it's still important! They grew up together, afterall, and they shared a special connection for any number of reasons. The smile she has when he announces himself, even though he most certainly knows she knew he was coming, is a majestic one. "Hey, Dick." Turning on the couch, she points back into the kitchen.

Usually she'd have gotten up to take it herself. Only a few weeks ago, in fact. Now, she tries to pretend like it doesn't bother her she can't.

Because some people have it a whole lot worse. Like her poor sweet Charlie. She doesn't get cross eyed at the teenagers new appearance, but she can understand how she feels. "Eat up, kiddo. We were going to watch Mulan, you want to pull up some couch with us?" Periodically, she glances at her rather heavily modified cellphone which connects directly to the Array up on the higher levels of above the kitchen. An alarm here, a signal there. She can do almost everything remotely and let the automated systems handle the rest.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson heads into the kitchen with the dish, opening the fridge and finding a spot Alfred's latest donation to the growing demon fund will fit. That done, he comes back out into the main room, "Sure, figured I'd swing by and catch up now that I've moved back to Gotham. Haven't gotten to see you in a while." He moves over to Barbara, leans down and gives her a peck on the cheek. "So it sounds like I took a little too long to decide to come back, huh... I have to wonder if things might have been a little different if I had been around."

He moves over to the couch and sits down, settling back comfortably, "Anyway, I'm back now, so if there's anything I can do to help either of you, I'm only a comm away, any time you need me." He glances at Barbara, "Mulan, huh? Cartoon or the new, less musical one?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Charlie has a soft spot for all sorts of Cartoons with strong women heros. Mulan. Brave. Owl House. She-Ra.

She is really obsessed with She-Ra.

"Lasanga..." the young woman in a demon's form stalks Dick to the kitchen then as soon as he is stepping back out she pops the fridge open once more and fishes out the lasanga."

Mostly because it has way more meat in it.

"I'm eating the Lasanga!" she calls out as she moves to heat it back up for the devouring. Following the post-it instructions on the lid of the tupperware though to reheat for best results.

Alred has such neat handwriting.

"I need a wizard or something to undo this, do you know any. Maybe Merlin?"

Pause.

"Is Merlin real?"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
As it turns out, Babs is wearing a pair of She-Ra pajama pants. She has an infinite collection of colorful pajama pants. Legit, over 300 pairs. Some of them quite vintage... Has since she was a kid, now she's got considerably more money to spend on them. It's kind of an obsession.

She's also wearing a colorful pink shirt with a big ol rainbow on the front with her hair up in two red pigtails and red framed glasses on the bridge of her nose.

When Dick leans over, she wraps an arm up around his shoulder and gives him a noisy kiss on the cheek MWAH she says and pats the seat between her and Charlie. "The cartoon, and we're going to sing all the songs. Don't pretend for a god damn second you don't know them either.." Playfully scolding him with a little smirk on her face.

"I was hoping Kate would be here, but she's probably doing important Kate business that supercedes family movie night." Charlies questions, however, distract her. Temporarily, "Yes, yes, enjoy the lasanga, you're a growing young girl in a demon body..." In this household we make jokes.

This is a joke to avoid reality household.

"mmm..." Sucking on a peta chip, glancing up at Dick with a scrunched face, brows raised, lip kind of kiltered, mouthing IS Merlin real?... "Probably? I'm like .. seventy... seventy five percent sure he is."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson sat where he was suggested to, of course. He grins back at Barbara and sticks his tongue out at her playfully, "Of course I know them, why do you think I asked? The new one is boring without the songs." He looks over towards the kitchen where Charlie is heating the lasagna and raises his voice a little to be heard, "I've heard he is, and even if he isn't, there's a bunch of ones who are. If it comes down to it, I'll go camp out on the Avengers lawn until that Doctor Strange guy agrees to take a look at you. Cause you're right, we will fix this. We don't leave family in bad situations."

Lowering his voice a bit, he looks back to Barbara, "And what about you? Is the walking thing fixable? No doubt Bruce is all over it, but if there's anything I can do to help, I meant it, any time, any reason."

Thinking of something, he calls to the kitchen again, "Hey Charlie, when you come back, can you snag me a bottle of water? Thanks."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
"I just miss my body... I mean... thankfully nothing really bad seems to specifically be happening to me like this yet right?"

How healthy is it to be in a Demon's Body though really.

There is a ding and Charlie comes back out and offers Dick a bottle of water in one clawed hand and settles with a flop with the lasagna and her drink already by her from earlier.

"I am hoping they can wave their magic wands and fix this... Zatanna isn't on planet which sucks because I bet she could just allakazam this thing away.... She is like totally amazingly awesome!"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs glances towards the kitchen when Dick mentions her not walking, then looks back to him with a little shrug, "I'm trying not to make a big deal out of it until we get Charlie back into her body." She murmurs quietly, sucking on the peta chip for a second. "I've been to every doctor that was involved in the surgery, they tell me there's nothing wrong with the implant, but can't explain why I'm unable to use my legs." Then the ding and all the apprehension that was on her face a half second earlier just vanishes. Replaced by her usual bright smile. There's even a little sparkle in her green eyes when the demon child flops on the couch.

The affection, if not for the body, certainly for the teenager using it, is real.

"Dick's right. This aint nothing but a thing, babe. We'll get you flopping around with your ratty ginger hair in no time." All about the teasing, she reaches for the remote to start the movie in the background. "Mm... You know, we could try and get in touch with Rachel?" Who better to know about girls in demons better than the girl with a demon in her, amirite? She shrugs and glances at Dick. "I wanted to talk to her about ..."

She waves at her legs expressively. Maybe she could help with both?

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson smacks his forehead, "I should have thought of that myself. I just haven't seen her even though I've taken three or four trips over to the Tower this past week, so she didn't leap to mind right away. I'll see if I can catch her, I know Troia is taking the girls on a trip to Themisciyra this week, I'll see if I can catch her before they leave. Don't know where my head is, that should have jumped right to the front."

He accepts the bottle from Charlie with a smile and a "Thanks" before looking to the TV, "Ok, let's do this. It's been a while since I've had the time to sit down and enjoy a movie. Trying to do too much and accomplishing too little, you know?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
The food, delicious delicious meaty pasta from Alfred, is being devoured with a teenage demons hunger. Honestly it is a little disturbing to watch too closely. Not that Charlie realizes it at all.

She isn't that self-aware thankfully for her current optimistic self esteem.

She does look up and blinks a couple of times though. "Raven of the Teen Titans?" she has some idea about that really. "That would be awesome!.. Or this Strange Doctor .. or like.. you know whoever wants to help. Begger Demons can't be Choosy Demons."

In this house they joke, sometimes badly.

"We do a movie night every week... barring crime waves or Arkham breakout."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
"Aint that the truth." Do too much and accomplish too little should be the Gotham Motto. Babs reaches for her own drink, which is wine, and takes a sip. Peta chips, dip, and wine. This is cheat day, obviously. "I'll see who else I've got in my contacts, too. Just incase they girls are gone before you get to them." crunching through a chip covered in hummus dip.

"For now, we feast and enjoy the wonderful entertainment provided us by Disney plus. Only nine ninety nine a month for unlimited viewing of all your favorite disney and star wars films, except Rise of Skywalker, but who cares about that garbage." Mandatory sales plug.

"Usually Kate is here, we can bring Stephanie, Damian, and even Tim's nerdy ass next week." Said with the utmost of affections.

She nudges Dick with her shoulder and grins. "I'm glad you're home."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson smiles at Barbara, "Me too. Even moved back into my old room at the mansion... Steph helped me move in return for one of my sweatshirts that she had already snagged. So you actually get Damian to watch movies? I just had a long talk with him, he seemed to be pretty firmly in his normal overly mature mode. I wouldn't think you could get him to" air quotes " 'waste time with this childishness'. You must be awfully persuasive. I might need to have a talk with you about him if you've figured out a way to reach him."

He glances over as Charlie ravages.. um, eats, the lasagna. It doesn't phase him, he's lived with Gar. "And yeah, Teen Titans, after all, not only was I the leader, we're a family there too. If she's around, she'll come and try to help. Come to think of it..." He pulls his T-Comm out of his pocket and punches a couple buttons on it. "I put in a request for her to contact me as soon as she gets the message. She could be doing one of those dimensional things, so can't guarantee it'll be right away."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Charlie notes helpfully "I dunno, I kinda like the new movies. Rey is pretty awesome. Like She-ra you know."

The empty container is set aside and she snuggles into the arm of the couch snagging a blanket to bundle up in and pretend she isn't a demon right now.

"Well so far just Steph and Cass." about the movies. I mean really now. No one should be surprised.

"Oh and Kate."

"That is cool." having watched the T-Comm. "I hope she can sort it out...." then she waves a hand at both of you "Shhh... dishonor coming." probably on someone's cow.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
"Dishonor on everybody... Dishonor on YOU... dishonor on your COW..." Babs makes the hand motions as she quotes the movie, laughing around her chip with a grin spread across her lips. Ear to ear. After shaking her head and letting the giggles subside, she looks at Dick with a shrug. "Technically, no. But I can be pretty damn persuasive. See, the trick with Damian is to treat him like he's a normal kid even though he's not." Crunching through another chip, she points a pinky out at Charlie without saying anything.

At the demon, bundled up beneath a blanket, watching a cartoon with a demonic grin on her face. As if to prove her point on the matter. She doesn't say anything, but it's proof positive her method works. At least where it pretains to demon children.

"He might have been raised to be this perfect little killing machine, but he's still a kid deep down inside that rough exterior. Look how he is with Ace." She bounces a shoulder, "Besides, it's hard to say no to big sis. Sisters have magical powers. If I wanted to braid his hair, he'd let me.. he might complain the whole time and threaten to stab someone, but.. he'd let me. Maybe.. okay probably not, but it'd be pretty damn funny if he did."

In this household, they stay positive about their negatives.

Mention of Kate has her grinning and she takes her phone off the table to shoot off a text. There's definitely hearts in that text. Way too many hearts. She's clearly in a good mood.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson nods, "Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong. I mean, I can talk to him, but I tend to do it like he's another adult because of the way he acts... although I did offer to have water balloon fights through the halls of the mansion if he wanted. I really want to pull his kid self out to the front and get him to enjoy life a little, he needs it. Hell, if he had a tenth of what Charlie here has, we'd be golden. He's always so serious, and seems like just looking for excuses to be offended." He grins, "I would pay good money to see Damian watching Mulan and letting you braid his hair."

Glancing away from the screen to Barbara, "Had you heard he walked away from the Titans? I've been talking to them for the past four days, then talked to him, now I have to talk to them again. Such a mess." He opens his water and takes a sip, "How's Kate doing? I haven't really been able to catch up with everyone yet. Ran into Cass out on a rooftop, visited that new one Bruce has tucked away, Strix.. she's nice, for an ex-assassin."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
"If a kid was trained to be a warrior or killer pretty much from birth. I imagine there is a whole lot going on upstairs that is hard to let go and just be like.. a kid. I have trouble imagining Cass letting go and being a kid either. Sometimes though things get through to her and she just like... you know has fun."

She looks over at the other two on the couch "If he opens up around Ace, maybe use that. Animals. PRobably cause they can't betray him or spill his secrets."

Then she is back to watching the TV.

"It would be pretty damn boneheaded to walk away from the Titans. Also Strix is pretty nice. She just needs to figure out how to not be an assassin too. Also needs to be fed and housed and kept safe TBH..."

Suddenly she looks over again "There are... like way to many ex assassins around here. What the hecks is up with that?!"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
It is with genuine honesty that Babs was waiting for Charlie to come to that ultimate conclusion. Like she was patting Dick's arm, nodding towards the demon child, expecting it at any second. A grin slowly creeping onto her face as she worked through all the points, then, suddenly, she looks over and asks about all the god damned assassins in this god damned town.

And she almost loses it. There's a laugh fit, leaning her forehead in against Dick's arm to keep from wheezing, "Oh god, thank you." Said to Charlie with a hand running alonger her cheek, thumb against the underside of her eye to wipe away a tear. She's got her face pulled kind of tight with a giggle laugh still echoing in her throat. "Worth it."

After she's collected herself...

"She's good. Kate, I mean. Worried." About Babs, obviously. Fondness engaged. She raises a brow though and looks between them, "She's right, though. I don't think he needs water balloons in the halls, he just-" She shrugs, "-He needs someone to let him rant. To bitch about shit that's bothering him. Because that's something he's never had before... I want you to think about it though. Like really think about what you said." Green eyes focused on Dick, "He walked away from the Titans. Damian. Wayne... That kid? The one who follows rules as if they're actually written in stone. He made a conscious effort to walk away. Whatever his reasons were, I bet they were pretty important to him."

She nods once, "Maybe start there."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Barbara's little gigglefit puts a big smile on Dick's face as well, even as he pats her head with one hand when she leans it on him. "I know, right? We're like the escaping assassin's clearinghouse or something. Then again, could make the same point about vengeful orphans, we kind of collect those too."

He nods, taking another sip of water "Oh, I am. As I said, I spent a couple days talking to them to see what they thought of it, then I talked to him and got his viewpoint of why he left, what he saw as the trouble. Now I'm gonna take his complaints to them and see what we can do to compromise." He sighs, "The one huge problem I see is Vorpal.. Damian absolutely loathes him. I don't know how I'm going to fix that one." He shrugs a little, "Ah well, I'll come up with something. It's my job."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
"I mean.... I am only kinda vengeful." muses the demon girl at the end of the couch bundled up in the blankets.

I mean bundled so they are literally up over her horns now.

Also yup, another orphan.

"Assassins and Orphans. Could be a cool movie. Assassin Orphans would probably be what some movie producer or studio forced an ambitious young director to shorten it too."

She has no idea about the Red Room. Would blow her mind.

"Vorpal is pretty cool, why would you hate a cat guy... I mean he is a furry but he seems very nice."

She slinks up to her feet abandoning the blankets. "Little demon room back soon!"

Off she goes.