7484/Misfittings

Misfittings
Date of Scene:	22 August 2021
Location:	Historic Clocktower - Penthouse
Synopsis:	Babs comes home from the mission at Arkham and finds Charlie enjoying a computer game. She decides to get what's been on her mind out in the open and asks Charlie if she's still happy here.. and if so, would she like to become her legal daughter. The hug suggests that may have been a yes.
Cast of Characters:	Barbara Gordon, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe

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Barbara Gordon has posed:
    It's late when Babs gets home. That's unusual for her - patrolling is a sometimes thing after all. A quick check of the bat boards and it's clear something big was expected to go down in Arkham today. She's there, or was. Decked in full black with thin borders of gold, she pulls off her cowl and sets it aside.

    Whatever the mission, she has come home without even a scratch on her. A point of which she prides herself. She does, however, have a detonator in her hand. It's disabled but she places it on the work station desk and then calls out, "Charlie, are you home?"

    It's a strange thing to have a house guest who she intended to be much much more than that. A ward she is, but family she should be. That's what was in Barbara's heart at least - though she's kept the idea close to her chest.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
There are severala clues about the location of the teen redhead.

The first would be the stocking feet over the back of the couch bopping along with some unheard music. The socks are adorable, they are white and have little cat paws printed on the bottom of them in pink. She seems to be on her back on the set of the couch with her legs up over the back.

The next clue is the video game being played on the TV, it is a FPS with a deep sci-fi theme like Space Ninjas. Along with the "Hah... eat sword newbie!" shouted into her headset.

Yes she is playing the game upside down and kicking ass despite it.

Whatever the mission Babs was on, it didn't take backup or a side kick so Charlie did her training, some homework, and while she has the headphones she did set an alarm on the big TV so it would cut if there were any calls for backup or emergencies flagged as an all call.

That said she doesn't hear the ask if she is home.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
    The cowl is also tosses on to the table as she spies those footses bopping to unheard music. A small smirk flashes across her lips. Dark makeup shrouds around her eyes giving her a bit of a panda look now that the cowl is removed. She heads in to the bathroom and washes her face clean and then heads out to the kitchen.

    There's also some form of leftovers just in case she's not around and Charlie needs food, or if she's around and hungry.. like now. Some cheesy tuna pasta dish. That'll do. In to the microwave.

    Evidence of homework? check. Evidence of training? check. Evidence of Charlie being awesome? .. bat fingers tickle the nearest foot. "Charlie," she says with a widening grin, "How was your day?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Not to mention the 'care packages' that Alfred drops off so both of them eat.

All the evidence is there.

Heck it doesn't even look like she snuck out to do a patrol on this relatively quiet Saturday night.

The cat footed sock jerks at the tickle and there is a cry of surprise accompanied by a flail of her feet and arms as she goes off balance and slides right off the couch and ends up bonking down on the floor.

Legs now on the seat of the couch and her back on the floor.

She blinks slowly up at Babs and then pulls the head set off with one hand, thumbing to pause the controller. Despite the tumble she is grinning up at Barbara.

"Hey.. welcome home. How was ... uh was it a mission or just patrol?"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
    "A mission," she says with a chuckle. She steps away from the couch and starts to disassemble the Batgirl armoured suit from her body. It's a process and one that signifies the end of her duty for the night. "As predicted, some of the inmates at Arkham Asylum attempted to use the sewage and plumbing upgrade as an attempt for crime. Several very promising leads too."

    "We found a room filled with cash. The commissioner is going to have fun getting to the bottom of that one. One of the inmates attempted to blow it up - an anarchist. He brought in twelve Russian mercenaries. And by the looks of it, the room he was going to blow up would have taken out a big chunk of the asylum."

    "We also found evidence of a judge, Judge Fourier - she's been on the job for three years but somehow has a massive number of violent criminals sentenced to Arkham instead of Blackgate. Another thing to follow up there. Some of the inmates attempted to start a chivving contest, but Batwoman would have none of it."

    She's a touch sweaty in her leggings and sleeveless top underneath once she's free of being Batgirl. "Be right back..." she says and heads in to the bedroom to swap in to PJs. The true uniform of Oracle. Calling out from the bedroom she says, "Now tell me about your day Miss Sidesteps the question." Her tone is playful but really she wants to know how it went.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Charlie rolls her neck a little one direction, then the other, until she gets it to pop. Maybe she shouldn't play video games with that sort of posture. Still she is young and liable to be fine.

She moves with a bit of a scramble up to sit on the couch, near one of the arms so she can curl in and watches you working the armor off.

"I mean... is there anything that happens in Gotham that some criminal isn't going to at least try to use for some sort of crime?" she smiles though. "I am a sad panda though that I missed fighting Russian Mob types and breaking up a sewer crime ring.. okay maybe not totally sad.. sewer missions are the totes worst.." there is a pause from her "Okay.. what is chivving?"

"Oh and how did the new armor parts work.. it is totally badass looking.. but did the mods work like you wanted them too?"

Wait is that side stepping.

"Well... I got all the stuff done I was supposed to do.. like homework.. training... video games.. sleeping in some because I was out super late beating up the Penguin with Tim and Damian last night at the Paradise club..."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
    Babs chuckles and then her eyebrows raise, "A shiv is an improvised stiletto. Inmates tend to make them from tooth brushes, brushes, any old piece of scrap that they can whittle in to a point." Ah, to be that young and innocent again. "To shiv someone, or shivving, is to attack them with a shiv. It's how most prison assassinations happen."

    "You were busy preparing to save the world one day," she suggests given the training and the studying. For just a fleeting moment she thinks off in to the distant future, at being as old as Bruce is now. Her eyes widen just a touch and she shakes her head to dispel that train of thought.

    "The new armor worked perfectly. I haven't tested out the anti-EMP mask," a faraday cage; the whole armor is one but with the face half open and eyes exposed it's not quite fully closed. She hasn't tested it for _very_ obvious reasons. It worked in simulations and lab testing - but out in the field?

    "Tim had an EMP with him," she says in a slightly quieter voice betraying the fear she still has. "I need to talk to him, I was unreasonable snippy at him about it. It's time I explained myself to him. So he understands the dangers of the psychos we work so hard to capture."

    She stops staring off in to the distance for a moment and then looks back as Charlie's day is described. A look of surprise, "Really? how is that place still open." Oracle has a few more bank accounts to close down tomorrow it seems. "You know video games aren't the stuff you're supposed to do..."

    Finally she joins Charlie on the couch with her food, sits cross legged. "You know you don't need a legal guardian any more.." Not since May "I don't know if I've really said said it, but I really appreciate you sticking around. And agreeing to learn.. and go back to school."

    Shifting on the seat to Charlie, "I want to know you're happy with everything. That this is what you still want. Because I consider you family now."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
"Oh... shivving.. like in the TV shows. I saw one show where they made it out of a toothbrush. Do they even give them anythign they can make shivs out of in Arkham. For some reason I always pictured them all just sitting in straight jackets because .... well TV. I guess that isn't very realistic..."

Charlie is of course listneing to the breakdown on the suits performance but it takes a second for her to realize what was said about Tim and the EMP. "He had a what now...." her eyes going wide, with concern really. I mean yeah sure he evidently might not you know ... know all the details.. and everythign but....

The teens eyes flick over to one of the many items on display in the penthouse, the bullet in the small case then back to Barbara. It was a very pointed lesson when Barbara was making sure Charlie knew how serious this whole thing is.

But then the subject is moving on "Well.. I am mostly sure that still having fun and doing normal stuff and not just patrolling or training every night was sort of an order." she has a point to be honest, she was hitting all that a little too hard when she first got here to prove herself.

The part about not needing a guardian since May well, she goes very still. Like for a minute there she is genuinely worried that this might all be tossed turned upside down because she is technically not a kid in that sense anymore. When Barbara gets to the part about being glad about her sticking around and happy though .. the tension she may not even realize she had eases back out of her.

"Babs.." she blinks. "I am really happy.. I ..." she shakes her head a little bit. "There is no where I would rather be and ... you and ...everyone are the only family I have." which is true, another stray orphan. The way she says it though is really sincere, it isn't because she has no one else so she is settling. She means what she is saying.

"I know I can't possibly be the easiest kid to train in all this.. and I know I am not like most of the others..." she is happy loud chaotic "But... I'm here for as long as everyone wants to keep me around."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
    Babs looks mildly disturbed by how much Charlie is mislearning from TV. She shakes her head, "Arkham isn't like that. At least, it's not meant to be. It's not even meant to be filled with violent criminals. The goal is to help those people live peaceful lives, to get over whatever trauma put them in that state."

    The background banter between Tim and Lonnie would have been quite educational for Charlie this evening. "He doesn't know," is all she adds to the conversation about the EMP. She'll correct that. He's family too and deserves to know just what kind of knifes edge Oracle walks on every time she goes out.

    A small roll of her eyes and she grins, "Yes. It is definitely an order. You can't only be training." You'd think someone who can 'bounce' around like her would be able to take on Babs and Bruce with absolute ease. One day. Definitely one day.

    Her face lights up a touch as Charlie says she's really happy with their arrangement. "Great. And ah. Don't judge yourself like that. Every one is unique in their own way. They have their own strengths and weaknesses, trials and tribulations. My journey.. different to Steph's journey.. different to your journey. Any issues you have are more a reflection on me than you... It's as much about me figuring you out as you figuring yourself out, you know?"

    "So.. I have a slightly selfish question for you. It's been on my mind of late and every time I think about what Bruce does..." She's rambling a little bit and staring off in to the distance again. "Yeah..... Do you want to become my daughter, legally?"

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
The kid is good. Thing about Bruce at least is he is preternatural at being able to find patterns. He would probably just have a fist or foot waiting where ever Charlie bounced. Heck a lot of the family would.

Which is why she needs a lot of training to get that good.

"Oh.. I mean I don't think I've done anything that would reflect badly on you or anything like that..." eyes wide at the thought. Yeah she went down the wrong path in her head on that. "I even managed to out detective Constantine on that Jack the Ripper quest in London a couple weeks ago." did she file an AAR on that. She probably did. Maybe. Okay maybe not. Dangit Charlie. Speaking of chaotic unpredictability. "Just sort of meant .. I know I don't exactly have the whole serious brooding and scowling thing down..." okay maybe she is teasing at the end there. "I definitely don't want to reflect bad on any of you.. I think Cass would beat me with a practice staff..."

She does focus in when you say you have a selfish question. Head tilting a little bit as she goes silent to actually listen. Far as she has experienced Barbara isn't selfish. The question though makes her whole brain short out though. Charlie bot 2.0 needs a reboot really. She just stares wide eyed.

Earth to Charlie

"Like.. for real .. really real?"

Barbara Gordon has posed:
    Fingers snap in front of Charlie's face. "Charlie? Are you still there?" She's kidding of course about that, but not about the question. She smiles and nods her head, "Yes. For really real. Nothing at all has to change, not even your name if you don't want it to. It'd just be.. for us. You and me. And I suppose lawyers if I ever died."

    "I know you're not a little kid who needs a mother or anything like that. You're your own person too.. I just." A hand goes to the back of her neck to rub it and she pulls her hand away from there quickly like a bee stung her. She drops her hand down. "Well I thought it'd be nice. So you know, without a shadow of a doubt, where your home and family is."

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe has posed:
Wow okay. Charlie thought the whole official foster kid and ward thing was something else and trippy.

This is a whole other level of woah.

She blinks a little bit watching Barbara be all well not sure for once about something. Which porbably means it is a pretty serious thing if you stop to think about it right.

The teen scoots a bit along the couch, eyes flick to make sure the leftovers are safely on a side table, then flings herself the rest of the way to hug Babs.

It isn't really a verbal answer but it does seem to be an answer. She probably should verbalize eventually but right now she is hugging. That seems important.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
    It doesn't take much for Babs to return the hug fully too. Resting her head a little to the side. She gets it, why Bruce kept adopting. Having her own kid would be one thing - but these people that come in to their lives, their wards, they already align with you and they need you and you have so much you can give them.

    The smile on her face is blissful and a hand gently rubs Charlie's back. It's important to her that because they must show such indomitable strength when they're out on the streets that here in the sanctuary of home they can truly let their guard down and just _be_.

    No pretence, here they are a mixture of themselves, their personal lives and their vigilante lives. Here they don't have to choose, all forms of themselves can live harmoniously. It's a very different vibe to the Wayne mansion. For the moment Babs knows words have no place in this conversation.