739/Going Public

Going Public
Date of Scene:	24 March 2020
Location:	Courtyard: Themysciran Embassy
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Cassie Sandsmark, Heidi Ingerdottir, Lois Lane

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Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
It's the middle of the afternoon, and Cassie's stomach is rumbling. It's not becasue she's got the mid-day munchies, it's becasue she skipped lunch. And she skipped lunch becasue right now, she's more nervous than she's ever been before; including facing the Gods of Olympus. Today is the day; the interview with Lois Lane where Cassie will reveal her secret identity and everything to the world. She's in the Embassy garden, forgoing her Wonder Girl costume, or even her professional attire she wears at the Embassy while working; instead, Cassie is wearing a more traditional Themysciran sleeveless chiton (tunic), belted at the waist by golden fabric, and sandals. Her long, blonde hair is done up in a braided 'crown' bun in the back. Overall, Cassie is hoping that it makes a good impression, rather than casting her as a giril with pretentions of being a hero or something, and why did she think that now her stomach is full of butterflies and....

Clenching her fists, Cassie takes a deep breath to calm down. Diana recommended Lois, and the world famous reporter didn't outright laugh at the email request that Cassie sent. Nothing to worry about here, right?

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"You must be Cassie." The voice comes from none other than the reporter herself. Lois steps out into the garden, a charming smile offered as she makes her way over. "I hope I'm not late or anything. I would hate to have kept you waiting." She lifts her purse from off of her shoulder as she helps herself to a seat, not waiting for the offer. Instead, she's relaxed and poised. It's intentional. She's done it plenty of times before. Relax, make the person you're with feel at ease, maybe a joke to make them laugh. Loosen things up.

"I'm glad you sent that email. Your story is one I think will be an interesting one." There's a 'but' hiding somewhere in that sentence.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie stands up as Lois enters, gesturing to the chairs and the refreshments on the table between them. "No, no...you're right on time," Cassie replies. "And, I can't say how much of an honor this is for me, Ms. Lane. When Princess Diana suggested that i reach out to you for this..." She takes a deep breath, trying to not become overwhelmed. "I mean...you broke the story on Superman. So, taking the time to come up here from Metropolis, just to interview me..." Right away, it's obvious to trained eyes that Cassie is really not used to being the center of attention. When she's not using her hands for gesturing, she's got them clamped together. "But...feel free to have soem water, or fruit...if you'd like some wine, there's also that..." For all of Cassie's youth and nervousness, the other women attending to the Embassy's business look at her for cues and seem to defer to her. "I...ummm...don't really know how this is supposed to work," Cassie admits with a nervous laugh. "So, I guess I'll just...let you do your thing and answer your questions..."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
The mention of Superman gets a small, warm smile from Lois, but she sits, watching Cassie closely. "You said you've already spoken to Princess Diana about this. Did she suggest coming forward with your identity or was that your idea?" She hasn't begun taking notes yet, right now she's just... listening, chatting the way you chat with a friend. Casual. She sits back in her chair a bit.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie thinks about the question for a bit. And now she's much less tense that she has something to focus her attention on. "It was my decision," she eventually says. "I recently returned from my training in Themyscira, earning my place in the Amazon Sisterhood. And Diana is rather proud of me, like a mentor proud of their student. I want to be more open, more of a symbol, like Diana is. I've been Wonder Girl for 3 years now, but mostly on a more quiet basis as I finished with school. But now, with my training and my heritage, I think that I can act as a bridge between America and Themyscira, helping to bring the cultures closer together. Diana and I talked about the situation, and we realized that with increased public exposure, people were going to notice how similar Wonder Girl, Diana's partner, and Cassie Sandsmark, Diana's assistant here at the Embassy. were. It wasn't an easy decision for me; I had to think about my mother and what having a public identity would mean for her safety and the safety of people around me. But, it's not the Amazon Way to live in fear of what might happen. And, while there are dangers, the greatest threats would be from certain persons on Mount Olympus; and they already know my identity and that of my mother. So, I decided to prepare as best I and my family can and to live openly."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois approaches the topic carefully. "You said you knew I broke the story about Superman. You ever notice how Superman never came forward as anything other than Superman? Surely he was someone who ate breakfast cereal like the rest of us, right? There's a very careful balance when it comes to having a public identity. I've seen both sides of it. I've seen people who hide their identity and I've seen those who publicly announce it. I just want to make sure before you do it that it's the right for you."

She folds her hands in her lap. "If you go public, it /is/ being a celebrity. People will recognize you where you go, which is nice sometimes, but sometimes you want to have dinner and not be bothered. People will target those you love and you claim you know the greatest threat... but you don't always know. Even Superman was killed. If you meet someone and you grow to care about them in any way, they're now associated with you. I know you said you'd thought about this and that you don't want to live in fear. It's not always fear, though, and the right path isn't always the straight one. Just remember, you can't change your mind with something like this."

Opening up her purse, she pulls out her phone so she can take notes, making the assumption that Cassie's still willing to go for it.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"I know," Cassie says in a somber, serious tone. "And, I would never ctiticize or question the decision Superman made, or any other hero that chooses to keep a secret identity. And I realize how much of an opportunity and a privledge I have to be able to live more openly than them. Everyone has to judge their own circumstances, make their own risk assessment. And at first, having a Secret Identity was good for me. I was still in high school at the time." Cassie laughs for a moment. "I used to wear this horrible black wig when I did go out as Wonder Girl. But now...I think I can do more good living openly. Diana has every bit as much to risk as I do, yet she makes no secret of who she is. And this is who I am. This is my truth, and I'm glad to share it. And hopefully, my living a public life will lead to good things for others. Carrying a secret, hiding who you are, yes; it is a safer path for many, and it's the right path for them. But carrying that secret around...it's a big weight. You can't share parts of yourself with people that you care about. Sometimes, you even have to lie to them. Like I said, people in a situation like this, whether it's being a hero or having to hide your sexuality...everyone needs to make their own risk assessment. And if you think it's dangeorous to be out in the open, then don't. Think of the safety of you and your loved ones first and foremost. I guess what I'm saying is, I know how heavy that secret side can get. How it wears you down. And I'm extremely fortunate to be in a position where I can set that weight aside, and maybe give hope to others that someday, they can be in a possition to set aside the weight and live their lives on their terms."

Lois Lane has posed:
The weight of a secret. Lois looks down for a moment in thought before looking back up. She speaks no more on it. Instead, she focuses on the interview. "Alright, so what I'll have you do is write me a little bio and email it to me. Give me the details, anything and everything. Where you grew up, your family life, that sort of thing. Pretend I know nothing about you and you have to explain your life story. Nothing fancy, just the details. I'll use that to sort of shape the story."

She pulls out the stylus on her phone. "So I'm going to just ask you some questions and I want you to answer them, ramble on however long you want, I'll find a good quote in there. But I want you to remember something here. Heroics are well and good and all, but people want to see the heart of someone. So, to that end, I'll start with something related. What's something you're passionate about? Remember, you're going public, so this doesn't have to be related to what you're doing to bring good into the world. It's just, specifically, something you're passionate about."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
It doesn't take Cassie that long to answer. "Mythology. And History." She takes a glass of water and has a long drink. "My mother is an archaeologist, and she took me around Greece and the Mediterranean on digs when I was a child. So, that was moslty my early education; the Olympians, the Illiad, the Odyssey...the Labors of Hercules..." Cassie smiles a bit bashfully. "The Amazons... And even though I'm a bit more personally involved in all of it, I still love mythology and history. How our tales and legends shape us and mold history and society. Finding the little pieces where history and mythology are one and the same. That's actually going to be my college major: Classical Studies. It still thrills me to read the stories, and it's an added level of excitement that I can actually talk to people and beings that were there when history was happening."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois nods, looking at her phone as she jots a few things down, a mix of freeform writing with the stylus and typing a few things out on the built-in keyboard on the screen. "So you'd say that your love of history is personal? Maybe shapes the way you look at the world in some fashion?" She taps the stylus against her chin.

"Also... what are you most excited about with your becoming public? Again, personal answers are better than sounding heroic for the sake of sounding heroic. Follow your heart with these."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Oh, absolutely my love of history is personal. And now, it's even more personal." Cassie laughs a bit, hoping that the joke was funny. "I mean...I get a different insight now to alot of things that I read. Like...Zeus. You read about his affairs and his philandering and...yes. That's him. And he can be arrogant and headstrong. But...there's also bits that don't get recorded in the mythology books. Things that can't be recorded. Like...small glance he gives his children from time to time; glances where he's trying to appologize for not being a perfect father as well as trying to say how proud he is. Moments where this King of the Gods can be like...well..." Cassie smiles and lets out a giggle. "He can be a little like Homer Simpson trying to reach his children. Maybe clueless, but making earnest attempts."

"Yes, I'd say that my love of history shapes how I see the world. Everyone has their own story, their own epic. And no-one's tale is greater or lesser than anyone elses; it's just that some people's story get more attention. But everyone of our individual tales is worth telling. I believe that."

"Most excited about going public?" Cassie asks herself while she thinks. "Not having to wear that black wig anymore?" She laughs, turning her cheeks rosy with merriment. "No, seriously, it was aweful. You need to see it to believe it....here...." Cassie brings forth her cell phone and opens up the photo gallery, quickly navigating to a picture from 3 years ago of Wonder Girl, Robin, Superboy, and Impulse all in their costumes and taking a group selflie; then she shows the picture to Lois.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois laughs as she looks at the photo. "Yeah, that's a pretty bad wig. I was thinking of getting a blonde one for when I go undercover, so hopefully I can find one better than that." She jots some more notes down, nodding a bit. "Okay, this is good, I can work with this." She looks back up. "Alright, so here's where we get ambitious. I think I'm going to sort of angle the story on the idea of history on a personal level... you're a link to history and you're linking that to the people around you. An idea of legacy."

She taps her chin again. "Okay, so let's look at the future. What's the legacy you'd like to leave behind for future generations. When they look back at what you did, like you look back on those before you, what do you hope they see?"

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Wow. That's...that's a serious question," Cassie says. And she thinks on this for a good minute or two. "I'd like to think that at the end of it all, I made a positive difference," she finally says. "That I not only protected people, but I helped them improve their lives. That I inspired others to be brave and kind. That I acted as a bridge between two very differnt cultures and helped them become closer." Cassie's smile turns to a warm fondness, instead of radiant optimism. "That sometime, 10 years or more from now, a young woman opens up a scrapbook and re-reads this interview that she cliped out, and remembers and believes that anything is possible for her. I hope that in the future, people will see that despite whatever mistakes I may have made, I always tried to do the right thing, even if I didn't always succeeed. And that maybe that example gives them a bit of a push to doing the right thing, or even something, despite the potential for failure."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois points the stylus at Cassie. "Now you're thinking of the story. That's what I'm talking about, that's perfect." She jots some things down, taking note of the quote with a broad smile. "It's the touch of personality, heroics, and a story. It's what touches people. That's why I write. Writing a story isn't just about giving the facts, or expressing your own opinion in an article, it's about shaping the way we view things. That's why getting to a story first is so important. The first thing people read sticks in their brain... so if they hear about something from us, we know they're hearing from a source that's not trying to mislead them in some way. We know they not only have the truth, but they know what to /think/ about the truth."

She slowly tucks the stylus away. "That should be more than enough for me to get some good quotes in mixed with whatever you send me. If there's a photo of you that you particularly like, preferably recent, I can run it with that, otherwise I'll have one of our photographers come by and snap a picture of you in whatever attire you think suits best. I kind of like this one, though. It really brings out the link-to-history side of things."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie thinks for a bit. "I don't know how writing up a soty and puting in pictures works for a newspaper. But....maybe three photos? One of me in this..." she gestures to her current garb. "One of me in my hero costume. And one of me in my everyday clothes that I wear here at the Embassy? That sort of ties in with the whole theme that you're writing, yes?"

Feeling that things are winding down, Cassie takes a deep, relaxing breath. "Thank ou, and I'll get that information out to you today. I really can't tell you what an honor this has been for me, Ms. Lane. You're one of the biggest reporters in the world, and that you'd help me start my 'public story'...It's amazing." She smiling, much more relaxed. "I guess you get to be my Hypatia, or Hestiaea."

Lois Lane has posed:
"I can see if I can get it in. Depends on how much space they give me for it," Lois says in regards to the pictures. The phone is tucked away back into her purse, and Lois slings it over her shoulder before she gets up to her feet. "Thank you. I'm glad that you're happy with your decision and I hope it suits you, and the rest of the world, well."

There's a warm smile. "I appreciate being called one of the biggest in the world. I'll have to go brag about that in the office. But you've done well for yourself. Thank you for allowing me to tell your story for you."