Ninteenth Unused Utility Belt | Video, backdated to after the breach ends (cw: fire damage)

[hellofist]

[The feed comes on to show Cass... well, she kind of looks like crap. But more than that, behind her her room, her real room on the Barge, seems to be confused about what it wants to be. In some places it's a replication of what Merlin's room looks like - there's his bed in one corner, a large wooden table with a red rose in a pot, for example.

Other parts are what the inside of a burned down building would look like. There's smoke damage, blackened walls, the remains of a dresser. The big computer is halfway melted and warped, the screen cracked and beyond repair. Looks like the Barge couldn't recreate what home is for Cass because she doesn't even know herself anymore.]

I'm back.

[There's not... that much to say after that, really. She's back, yay, no she doesn't want to talk about it.]

It was... about a week? I think. Learned... lots of things. About me, about... what I'm for. Why I... was made. It's funny, how you can... be so sure, who you are, but be... completely wrong.

Anyway. Back.


[Private to Merlin]
Are you... working? Or in room?


[Private to Dean, Chris, and Cassel, sent separately]
Have... to give you something. Can I come over?


[Private to Stephanie]
I understand, now. Why... I'm not Batgirl. Why you are. I didn't really, before. But... I'm glad you are.


[Private to Kon]
[After far too long passes with no answer to Steph, Kon gets a slightly panicked message from Cass.]

Where is Stephanie?


[Private to Dick Grayson and Tim Drake]
I know... that you won't see this. You can't. I just miss you. I shouldn't, but I wish... you were here.

Comments

private

[patheticvillain]

[His voice is a strange mess, so messy he won't even attempt video because he doesn't know what his body would be saying to her now. He's angry, sad, confused, so confused after breach, but - he's happy, too, desperately happy to hear her voice. The happiness brings the grief he felt at her absence to clear light for the first time.]

[Cass.]

Yeah. If you want.

private

[hellofist]

Good. Coming now.

[Not much time passes before she's knocking on his door, and then just to be sure he'll answer-]

It's Cass.

private/video

[tolaywaste]

[Alex's face is screwed up, pleased to see her but concerned with what's behind her, what she's saying.]

You . . . want to talk?

private/video

[hellofist]

[She doesn't. She'll have to eventually, and she trusts Alex, but it's all still so fresh she's not sure she's ready.]

About you? Sure.

Video

[bodilesswarrior]

Oh thank God. [The words are a breathless rush, and her eyes are bright.]

I - that's your room?

Private Video

[hellofist]

[As soon as she sees Barbara, she knows it was stupid to not immediate go find her. It's a little strange, seeing her now after what happened with Shiva. This is what a real mother is and that's never been more clear.]

Bludhaven... Dick's deal fixed it, but not... when I went back. It's gone, now. Everything, everyone...

[It was one thing to hear about Bludhaven being destroyed and another completely to see it for herself. She didn't remember until she returned the Barge what Dick had done, how he saved it, and even though she knows now that Bludhaven will be fine, it's still fresh in her head.]

[Private]

[mistconduct]

[On a similar line with Cassel, Chris has slunk back to his room after the breach to mull over the confusing thoughts in his head. Still, Cass is important, and he's relieved as hell to see her back]

Jesus, Cass, you know you don't have to ask by now. Come on, come over.

[Private]

[hellofist]

Just figured... warning would be good. Be there soon.

[She comes around quickly because waiting is stupid, it's painful when she wants to see him so badly, check on him and try to fix what the barge messed up by taking her away when she only wanted to stay. When she knocks, it's a little more insistently than it really needs to be but he really needs to open the door, okay.]

[ Private : Video ]

[surfaceshine]

[Dean has no idea what his emotions are doing right now; he's relieved and excited to see Cass again, but the state of her, the distance he can hear in her voice and see in her face is worrisome, almost as much as her being here again at all. No one comes here because their lives are going fantastic.

He's smiling, but it's an uncharacteristically complicated one, pleased and concerned, his voice warm.]

'Course, sweetheart. You don't have to ask - or I can come to you.

[ Private : Video ]

[hellofist]

[She looks behind her, careful not to move the camera around too much, and then looks back at him. Is he serious?]

No. Your room. Have something... for your locker.

[And she turns her feed off after that, knocking on his door right after.]

Private

[takeyouapart]

Cass -

I'm in my room.

[He'd say he'll come to her but honestly he doesn't want her in that mess of a cabin any longer than she has to be.]

SPAM

[hellofist]

[She doesn't really want to be there either, so she nods.]

It's okay. I'll be right there.

[And she runs, to get to his floor. She can't waste time now, not when it's Merlin. Not when she knows how badly this time apart must have been, all of the things he must have imagined happening to her. She almost just throws the door open, but knocks instead. It seems better to give him time to answer the door, collect himself if he needs to.]

[youwillgotohell]

[Hey she knows a feel like that, but she's also pretty good at knowing when people don't want to talk about things.]

What's happened to your room? [Her body says it, even if she doesn't: she's glad Cass is back.]

Private

[hellofist]

[It's okay Morgana share your feels with Cass it might help you AND her.]

Bludhaven, my city... was destroyed. It was my home, before here. The one place... that was mine.

[inexactitude]

You're back! [What is up with your room. Seriously though.]

We were like a day away from sending a search party. [She doesn't know how to ask if everything's okay, given they're not super close, but she will worm her way there.]

[hellofist]

[That almost gets a smile, her eyes brightening a little. Being rescued would have been good, she thinks. She made so many stupid mistakes, so many people could have been saved, but-

No. She can't think of those things now. She's on the barge, everything else is behind her.]

We was... you and Merlin?

video;

[notdreaming]

[ This is kind of a disturbing thing to see when you've just arrived and not gotten used to the weirdness of the barge. Though from her own history she's hesitant to ask about it. Although, her own room was in perfect condition, as though Argo had never been blown from the surface of the planet into the orbit of a dying star. ]

What, um...

[ Nope she is not quite comfortable asking. ]

Where did you go?

video;

[hellofist]

Bludhaven? It was home, before Barge.

[And you... look very familiar.]

Must have... missed you coming here. I'm Cassandra.

private; video

[fridgetothefire]

[Softly.]

Why somebody else made you doesn't need to have anything to do with what you're for.

private; video

[hellofist]

[It'll never stop being amazing, the way Anya's voice just makes Cass feel better. And she almost believes her when she says that, too.]

It does, though. Sometimes.

[silvestris]

Welcome back. I almost thought there'd be a parade ready for you.

[hellofist]

Glad there's not. Not really... in parade mood.

[Private]

[wedonot]

I completely understand if the answer is no, but if you want to talk, you know I'm more than happy to listen.

[Private]

[hellofist]

It's all... still fresh. Feels like it was... hours ago, because of breach. Not ready.

... Thank you, though.

private

[velocette]

About every seven years you've pretty much got a new body you're in, and your brain never stops developing. You think you get to a point where you're who you are, but then you age and the world's different again.

So who do you like better? Person you were, or the person you came back as?

private

[hellofist]

[That question hurts more than Cass really expected a question could hurt, but it's not a bad question. It's just very hard to think about.]

Person before.

Private.

[an_abomination]

[Kon came across her entry a good hour ago, but he needed more time to decide what he wanted to say to her.]

Hey, Cass. Welcome back! We all missed you a lot. Where are you? [Hopes that's not her room...]

Private.

[hellofist]

[He doesn't answer her question and the time has only given her time to worry, to guess. No one has mentioned her yet, but if Steph was still here she would have said something. Someone would have told her. She's guessed, she just hopes so much that she's wrong.]

My room. You're... avoiding answer.

[darknessb4me]

Made?

[hellofist]

Born. That word... works too.

[strangehistorian]

Oh, hello! I know some people who will be very happy to see you again! Welcome back.