when I'm worried and I can't sleep

[maskormods]

WHO: YOU.
WHERE: Heropa Pavilion, Heropa.
WHEN: Sunday the 23rd from 6PM to 11PM.
WHAT: Registration in motion alongside a Thanksgiving/Blind Date charity dinner event. Details here.
WARNINGS: None anticipated; please let us know if this should be edited.

★

( Please state your character's official status -- REGISTERED or UNSETTLED -- in the subject header of your thread. Please also read and state your character's official status at THIS post, considering not every character will post a starter thread! )

Comments

for barnaby brooks jr.

[boobwindow]

[ Reluctant and uncertain about this portion of the event, Karen still allows the busboys to lead her to her seat. She pulls out her chair, glancing around for anyone moving toward her assigned table before she takes a seat and props her arm up by the elbow against the table's surface.

She's still annoyed to no end about Booster being the culprit behind it all, although it's difficult to get up and walk away when the proceeds are going to those who need it. Being good sucks sometimes.

Why did it have to be a blind date anyway? ]

All I ask is that they're not creepy.

[attainment]

[Barnaby, on the other hand, had known exactly what he was in for when he signed himself up -- well, no, that wasn't quite true. It was certainly possible he'd get paired with the likes of Yuri Petrov or someone equally as awkward. Thankfully, he was fairly certain that it couldn't be anymore uncomfortable than some of the corporate-sponsored events he'd had to attend, which were all basically like water rolling off a duck's back to him by now.

When he sees neither a gangly teenager nor a stuffy-looking judge waiting for him, Barnaby decides that he probably lucked out in the date department. For one thing, they were close in age and were both conventionally attractive. Not that Barnaby would have minded too much otherwise, but he has to admit they probably make a better sight for the press cameras than some of the other lucky couples here.

Still, there's no reason to say that out loud. Instead he offers her a friendly smile, careful not to appear overly so, as he pulls out his seat.]

Good evening. I hope you don't mind my joining you for dinner.

[boobwindow]

[ It comes as a great relief to see the young man who approached her is just that: not a horny teenage boy or some pervert who's looking to take advantage of the situation. It also comes as a surprise for Karen, her eyes widening a touch and posture straightening when Barnaby appears across from her. Well, he's easy on the eyes. Perhaps Booster won't be flung across the state line after all. ]

Not at all. [ She removes her arm from the table. ] Hi. I take it you're the blind date.

[attainment]

It would seem so. [A beat.] I don't believe we've officially met. [He offers a handshake.] I'm Barnaby.

[boobwindow]

[ She hesitates for a split second before taking Barnaby's hand in hers. Her handshake is probably a lot more firmer than most would expect from a woman, even one as tall and built as she is. ]

Karen. I think I've seen your name around the network before?

[ The busboy is in and out of their immediate vicinity in a matter of seconds; he gracefully swoops in, lights the candle between the two imPorts and is off to "set the mood" at other tables. ]

... I'm not expecting anything out of this, just so you know.

[attainment]

[If he's surprised by the firm handshake, he certainly doesn't show it. Barnaby has shaken enough hands to instinctively match Karen's grip, careful not to squeeze too much softer or harder.] Yes, I'm fairly certain I've seen you around as well. Pleased to meet you, Karen.

[Barnaby's smile grows warmer for a moment before he lets go. He manages to thank the busboy before he leaves.]

That's fine. I'm not either. To be honest, the proceeds going to charity was the main reason I signed up. The free meal and pleasant company are just a nice bonus.

[In reality, he isn't terribly fond of socializing simply for the sake of it, nor does he truly enjoy most people's company. But Barnaby isn't opposed to helping out for a good cause, and he knows how to act like a gentleman.]

[boobwindow]

[ Karen's taken aback by how polite Barnaby is so far, unable to help a skeptical look when Barnaby insists his only intentions are altruistic. She leans back in her chair, folding her arms and giving him another once-over. Did she seriously lucky out tonight on her blind date? She's far too accustomed to men thinking they're subtle and charming enough to win her favour.

Among other things. ]

Flatterer. [ She chuckles softly. ] Alright, so... I've got zero idea what we're supposed to be doing. I guess twenty questions?

[attainment]

[Honestly, Barnaby feels like he probably lucked out too. It's much easier to act polite toward someone who doesn't make him want to pull at his face in frustration.

Of course, Karen's skeptical look isn't entirely lost on him, but he doesn't call attention to it. Insisting he's not trying to flatter someone he just met would probably come across as insincere, so he's fine with moving onto another topic.

He's not exactly sure what to do, either. Normally he'd dig up any info he could beforehand so he's not walking into the situation entirely cold, but a blind date makes that kind of difficult.]

Questions aren't a bad place to start. [A brief pause.] What made you decide to come here tonight?

[boobwindow]

Let's just say I have too many morons in my life and one of them thought it would be hilarious to sign me up without my consent.

[ Despite how sweetly she answers, there's an underlying threat in her voice directed at whoever this particular moron is.

For sure she will throw Booster state-side after this. It's justifiable revenge. ]

But I'd feel bad leaving so quickly. They want us to contribute in any way we can tonight, so I will. This is the kind of work they could try asking from us... instead of the playing hero act they expect us to do.

[attainment]

I know the type. [He says it with a wry smile, although in truth Barnaby is guilty of roping people into things they never would have agreed to. He wouldn't sign someone's name on a form without their consent, of course -- partly because of how improper it is, but also because other people are clearly juvenile enough to do it for him.]

You're right. Not everyone is cut out for hero work. I've already suggested allowing registered imPorts to affiliate with other organizations outside of the military, but you can probably imagine what the government would say to that.

[boobwindow]

I think it's also dangerous to encourage it. Where I'm from superheroes seem to never catch a break.

[ Like her. ]

I'm not against it, but there's too many of us who've never had super powers or, you know, taken down criminal masterminds or whatever before.

[attainment]

It's the same where I'm from too. That seems to be one thing that doesn't change, regardless of what universe we're talking about.

[He understand her line of thinking all too well. There was a reason why Hero Academy students were strictly forbidden from getting involved in matters better left to professionals. Unfortunately, that didn't stop some people, leading to deadly consequences.]

That's true. I can understand people wanting to use their powers for good, but good intentions can sometimes make a situation worse, particularly when lives are on the line.

[boobwindow]

[ She's been in the business a long time and there are still countless lives on her shoulders. ]

What are the superheroes like in your world?

[attainment]

Being a hero requires mostly two things: funding and the Justice Bureau's blessing. Consequently, there aren't as many of them as there are here -- about 6 or 8 people, typically.

[boobwindow]

Justice Bureau?

[ So it's regulated, is what he means.

Tony Stark would probably love that. ]

[attainment]

That's right. Funding, liability issues, and so on, make government oversight a necessity in our world.

[boobwindow]

[ She leans in with renewed interest, but it's evident she's not buying it entirely or having difficulty picturing how it functions and if it could ever work in her world.

After mulling over it, she concludes there isn't a possibility of that. The government has tried to put strings on capes and masks before. They've often failed. ]

So it's similar to how this government functions with Registered and Unsettled?

[attainment]

[Her doubtful expression doesn't surprise him. Considering the problems registration can bring, people's varied backgrounds regarding the matter, and numerous issues in Heropa itself, Barnaby doesn't expect anyone to be completely on board with the idea.]

In some ways, I suppose. We're considered heroes by trade, though, so there isn't any need to find work elsewhere. This also makes it a little easier for heroes concealing their identities to balance their lives, since they don't need to hide their names from employers or co-workers.

[boobwindow]

"We".

[ The surprises just keep rolling in tonight.

She straightens in her seat, eyes widening a touch. ]

You're one of them? [ If only she could be as open about her superhero identity, but the risk that comes with it means she can never. ] It doesn't work against you with your enemies? Or criminals in general?

[attainment]

[Maybe he should have mentioned that sooner. Sometimes he forgets that people here don't necessarily know who or what he is. But Barnaby continues to wear a polite, patient smile.]

Admittedly, I'm the only one who's gone completely public with their identity from the start. But since heroes do hero work for a living, it's not always practical or possible to conceal their names from co-workers or bosses. Consequently, anyone doing clerical or managerial work for a Hero Division needs to pass a thorough background check. Security is also very tight.

[boobwindow]

That sounds too perfect to be true. Seriously?

[ It can't be foolproof. Maybe she's just negative.

But then she wonders, what about people with misdemeanors or other crimes who've seen the error of their ways? ]

[attainment]

It's not a perfect system by any means. [That's an understatement, considering what happened before his arrival here.] But it's the only socially and legally acceptable way for heroes to function where I'm from, and it works well enough for heroes to at least do their jobs most of the time.

[He says "most of the time" because there have been rare instances where he and Wild Tiger were temporarily removed from duty for promotional work. Even then, though, trouble had a way of finding them anyway.]

Breaches in security, at least, can easily be traced to the source since such a small pool of people knows everyone's identities in the first place.

[boobwindow]

Why not allow heroes to do their thing as long as they are acting within the law?

[ It's more curious than judgmental, but it's still there. ]

It sounds... weird, like there isn't much faith put into heroes. Where I'm from there are no programs or sponsors like that. Unless your name's Booster Gold, apparently.

[attainment]

To be honest, the stigma attached to those with unusual powers was quite bad in the program's early days. But the system was put in place for the benefit of heroes as much as it was for the public. For example, if someone accidentally smashes a car while pursuing a criminal, who's held responsible, and who pays for the damages? If I'm injured while on the job, who covers my medical bills? If a co-worker is permanently disabled while trying to save someone, shouldn't they receive some kind of compensation?

[Quite frankly, he's a little surprised more places don't have that kind of system in place, but to each their own.]

Booster...Gold? [He didn't quite catch that last bit.]

[boobwindow]

[ The JSA actually covered damages wherever they could. Clean-up wasn't uncommon for superheroes to partake in, especially where heavy damage had occurred. She's wrecked a few things herself in the past couple of months in Manhattan, but it's why she uses the tech from her work to fix it.

She frowns, however, feeling slightly bad to hear that superpowers weren't favoured once upon a time. ]

Property damage would depend on who did what, wouldn't it? I'm no judge, but I imagine the one who did it should be held responsible for the damages.

[ She makes a face. ]

Oh. He's one of the superheroes back home who always seems to care more about the spotlight than anything else.

[ Well, it isn't entirely true, but she can't give away how much she does know. ]

... but I've seen him helping people on TV. Guess he's not so bad.