I go patrollin', they hatin'

[hellofist]

Who: Ellie + Cass | Joel + Cass
What: Cass meeting 2/3 of the last of us cast
When: At night When the lights go down
Where: in the city
Rating: rated E for Ellie's mouth!


[Ellie]
Maybe, possibly, she shouldn't be patrolling the night before Thanksgiving. Maybe she should be home and not preparing to be out all night in her Batsuit, but here she is, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with her eye out for people who are up to no good, for anything at all out of the ordinary that might give her something to do, maybe even someone to fight.

She's a superhero, but there just isn't a lot of crime in Paradisa. Still, free running is still a fun thing to do, so if Ellie should happen to look up on her walk through the city she might see a figure dressed all in black scaling a wall or swinging between buildings on a grapple line.

You know, a typical kind of sight. No big deal.



[Joel]
She spots him from the rooftops first, loaded down with weapons and making his way through the city late at night. It's as suspicious as it comes, there's really no topping this, and that's exciting. Finally a real bad guy, finally someone she can take down to make the city safe again.

Finally, something that resembles a problem that would happen in Gotham. Something Batgirl is needed for.

She tails him for a few blocks and stares hard at him, trying to read his body language from high up. Not a resident of the city, but someone from the castle is down here, which could make things a little more awkward if she has to knock him out and confiscate all those things he's got. He makes a turn that leads down an alley, it's a dead end there. As good a place as any for her to drop down to cut his escape off, standing right out in the open with her stitched up cowl, not even her eyes showing through.

In Gotham, they know to fear the bat emblazoned across her chest. Here, he'll probably think she's some freak with a weird fetish for black rubber, but that won't matter if he takes a shot and she lays him out. She's ready for a fight if he wants to start one.

"Don't suppose... you have good reason, to have those."

Comments

[threeweeksago]

Ellie liked wandering around Paradisa. Really, she did. It was such a far cry from her own world, where even places that could be considered the most comfortable areas to live in were rather shabby at the best of times. That's why she liked taking trips into town, too; so many buildings, in better condition that she's ever seen... it was a total trip, and it was great to just soak it in. Especially at night. And at some point during her aimless wandering, she does look up.

"Holy shit!"

She didn't get a good look at whatever-it-was that she had seen scaling up the wall of the nearest building she was passing by, but that didn't matter. With all the weird shit that's happened during her stay here, Ellie's first instinct is still to reach into her pocket and pull out her switchblade.

[hellofist]

A girl shouting holy shit is certainly enough to get Cass' attention, to stop her on her ascent up the building. Shouting is more important than climbing, so Cass just... lets go, free falls a few feet, and then shoots the grapple at the building closer to Ellie.

She probably looks pretty cool, she realizes, flying through the sky with her cape fanned out behind her. Landing a few feet from Ellie, she spots the knife she's got out and raises a hand, pacifying.

"Won't hurt you. Are you okay?"

[threeweeksago]

Ellie's silent for a moment, staring in surprise at the girl that just landed in front of her. Her brain is stuck between is this for fucking real? and this is so fucking awesome!, but thankfully, she doesn't blurt either out. She may be shocked, but she's not too far gone to make a total idiot of herself.

"Uh... yeah, I'm fine." She sounds a bit cautious, and doesn't put the knife away just yet, but she manages to relax her posture a bit. "I just wasn't expecting to see some costumed chick running up a wall like that."

[hellofist]

"Batgirl." She corrects it quickly, offhand, and shrugs her cape off her shoulders so Ellie can see the outline of a bat on her suit. She hasn't seen excitement directed at her in a long time, or maybe even ever. It's... kind of awesome for her, too.

"I'm, uh... one of the good guys. Don't need that." She says, waving a hand at Ellie's knife.

[threeweeksago]

With a well-practiced flick of her wrist, Ellie folds her switchblade closed and slips it back into her pocket, her eyes never leaving Cass as her brows raise in surprise.

"Batgirl?" Obviously some kind of codename. A codename with a costume that matches it. "What... you're a real superhero? Not just someone fucking around in the costumes we got from Halloween?"

[hellofist]

Under the cowl, Cass grins. She likes this girl already.

"Got a dress, for Halloween. This is mine, from home." For proof, she hands over the Batgrapple. It's heavy, real, not some plastic knockoff. "See? Not fake."

[threeweeksago]

There's only a brief moment of hesitation before Ellie reaches out to take the Batgrapple. She turns it over in her hands a few times, her grin growing wider and wider each time. She may know jack shit about fancy gadgets like this, but she can at least tell what the feel of a real weapon is like.

"Awesome," She says, the childish glee quite clear in her voice. "I've never met a real superhero before. I mean, I guess maybe I have here, with secret identities and all that shit. But this is different."

She's fully aware that there's a stupidly huge grin on her face right now, but frankly, Ellie doesn't care.

[hellofist]

Okay, this is kind of amazing for Cass too and she's finding herself wishing she had more gadgets on her, more things to show Ellie to see her get more excited, but she's never kept much in her utility belt. She must be from a world like Cass', one where vigilantes are a real thing, something people respect for their good work.

Finally. She was starting to think costumed heroes didn't exist anywhere else.

"You might have. There's more than me, here. Whole team." That's impressive, right? Something anyone would find cool, right? "What's your name?"

[threeweeksago]

"A whole team? Oh man, that is badass!"

She'll definitely have to keep a closer eye out during her wanderings now. If this Batgirl chick roams the streets like this, maybe the others do too, and she can catch a glimpse of one...!

"Oh, uh. I'm Ellie." She holds a hand out. "Nice to meet you. Seriously."

[hellofist]

Cass reaches out too, but presses her fist into Ellie's hand instead, a fistbump against her palm in place of shaking hands.

"Nice to... meet you too, Ellie." And she really does mean that too, tonight is turning out to be the best night of patrolling the city she's had so far. "See anything suspicious, lately?"

Besides costumed girls climbing up buildings, of course.

[threeweeksago]

Oh. Was handshaking not a thing with her? Awkward. Oh well, no biggie, right?

"Nah, not really." Nothing out of the ordinary, at least. "Looks like things have been pretty calm after this place finally turned back to normal."

[hellofist]

It's still a thing she hasn't quite gotten used to, no. Doesn't really matter though, she's pretty used to seeing the "bwuh?" kinds of reactions from people. That answer kind of sucks though, and Cass' shoulders droop a little.

"Figures." Stupid boring city. She almost wishes something like the Gentlemen would happen again. Only, you know, with way less murdering actually happening. She just misses things to punch that are actually a threat. "Were you safe, during all that?"

[threeweeksago]

Ellie gives an amused snort as Cass's shoulders slump. "You're that bored, huh? I guess things are a little too peaceful here, when there's no weird shit going on."

Not that she was complaining. She was beginning to like the peace. But she totally understood not being used to it when she first arrived in this place.

"I was stuck in a shitty one-room house with a whole bunch of other people. It sucked big time, but at least they were people I got along with. So yeah, I was safe. Just... not all that comfortable."

[focusrighthere]

He knows when he's being tailed. He's been on the other side more than enough times to know. Something tells him not to underestimate whatever's tracking him, despite being thrown off by her reveal when he turns to face her and she pops into his line of sight. Unless he's getting so old that his eyesight is going, it looks like fucking Batman is here to get the drop on him.

Well, fine. Joel's got a rifle locked on her before she can open her mouth, easing back a few steps just to keep his distance. He handles the weapon and the option of shooting her with ease, no hesitation, but underneath that practiced fury is real fear. One wrong move, and death waits.

"Reason's right in front of me," he gruffs. "The hell are you followin' me for?"

[hellofist]

That's something that hasn't happened to her in awhile. A human pointing a gun at her, it's so much like home that she has to grin a little under her cowl. She's got him trapped though, he's nervous. She stays very still, hands held out to her sides so he can see them, see they're empty.

"For answers, mostly." He's killed before, it's easy to see. She won't have this in the city she's adopted as her own, some gun nut running around with a miniature arsenal. Her voice is stilted, like she's struggling to get the words out, isn't sure which word should go where. Like she has to take a second to think about how to form her sentences. "Leave the weapons, then go. There doesn't have... to be a fight."

[focusrighthere]

"Right, just drop my stuff off with you and leave," he huffs, offended by what sounds like a very stupid idea. He does notice the way she's talking, slow, not to mention the way she's dressed. Like a vigilante hero or something. He is vaguely aware that walking around with a giant pack of weapons isn't as commonplace here as it would be back home, but there was no way he was gonna take chances without it while out on his own, alone. "Trusting you won't kill me."

It seems like she's trying to make a gesture of good faith, but like fuck Joel is going to take that bait right off the bat.

"Ask your questions if you got 'em, I ain't takin' my eye off you first."

[hellofist]

Funny, it seemed like a good deal to her. He gets to walk out of here, she gets to be sure no innocents get shot in the face. So far, as far as Cass is concerned, that's the only way this is going to end.

"What are those for?" She asks, because that really is the important question. If they're for protection, it's one thing. Even if he was a collector it would be fine, just as long as he didn't intend to go around murdering people.

But the rifle is still trained on her, ready to shoot. He expects the worst from people, she thinks. Hands up, the universal signal for I'm harmless, she takes a step toward him. Maybe he'll agree and leave the guns, but maybe he won't. If he won't, she'll have to take them. It's been awhile since she's ran head on at someone who shot at her, a small part of her hopes it might come to that.

A very small part. The rest of her knows if she gets shot Stephanie will probably yell at her and she'd like to avoid that the inevitable fussing if she could.

[focusrighthere]

If he was new, Joel might wonder why she bothers to ask. As things are now, he's able to catch onto the notion that he's as suspicious as some girl in a cape that decided to trail him. This late in the night the streets are quiet and vacant, so he'd figured he wouldn't catch too much attention venturing out with everything that he needs in order to venture out-- needs, he's not giving it up for a second.

Doesn't matter that he could just wish it all back when he returns to the Castle. It's a long way back. She's got her hands up and she appears to be unarmed, but she's taking steps closer and that makes him nervous. Joel steps back as much as he can at the same time, irritatingly aware of the dead end behind him. He keeps his rifle pointed straight at her and steady.

"Protection." It's a growl, spoken with nothing but gravel. "And what's that for? Your getup?"

What's your aim here? He's not used to meeting anyone interested in doing actual hero work, not anyone who wasn't a Firefly, at least.

[hellofist]

"Protection too. It stops bullets. Might as well... just lower gun." There's that option again, and she really does hope he'll take it. He isn't lying so that at least gains him some points, but that gun is still leveled at her and if he decides to shoot, the stray bullets could go anywhere. That's something she'd like to avoid just as much as Steph's yelling.

"In my world, there's... lots of people, dressed like this. We help people." See, Joel. Good guy, definitely not someone you have to point a gun at. "You're out late. Why?"

If these weapons are for protection, what's with the sneaking?

[focusrighthere]

Bullet-proof rubber outfit. Joel shoots her a careful look, measuring out her words.

"Feels safer," he offers back. It's true enough, he barely leaves his room or Tess' side. The idea of making his way through the city during the day without a pack full of supplies sets him on edge. "Easier to carry all this without raisin' eyebrows."

That plan failed, didn't it? He could always just conceal carry a couple of things, but this far out on his own, it doesn't feel right not to have everything. And the longer he stays inside, the more he feels like he should get to mapping out the areas he hasn't been to yet. He's got smokebombs, too, and if she gets too close he won't hesitate to try and use them to run, but after a moment he lowers the rifle without putting it away.

"Is that what you're doing out this late? Lookin' for trouble?"

[hellofist]

You know you want one too, Joel. Full body suits means no chances for infected to get you.

She watches the gun point down and relaxes a little more herself, glad he can at least respond to reason. So many people can't listen when girls tell them what to do, he's a pleasant change from that. Yay, logic.

"Looking to prevent it. You're suspicious, with all that."

[focusrighthere]

It's a fair point about him being suspicious. He can tell she's from the Castle, the people there with all their wildly different backgrounds. This is the first person he's encountered who dresses up to fight crime, though. Like something straight out of one of Ellie's comic books.

"Yeah, alright." He lets a sigh loose, the gun still in his grip but lowering another inch. Joel prefers to prevent an altercation if that's at all an option, but he's still kinda nervous, watching close. Too used to a shanking or a shooting following up on scenarios like this. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I don't want trouble," he adds. It's the truth right now. Not to cause it or prevent it. "Just tryin' to get a sense of the city."

[hellofist]

There's just honesty in his body language now, that gun is low enough that it's not a threat anymore. To Cass, this could be a friendly conversation now. It's certainly not her way to cause trouble for people who don't deserve it, and now she's closer to helping him carry his weapons home than knocking him out to take them away.

"Generally, city is quiet. Not much crime." And very boring because of it, but that's her problem. "I'm Batgirl."

[focusrighthere]

... Batgirl? Joel attempts to take that in stride, but it's difficult.

"Vigilantism, huh?"

It's a gentle observation, but there's a hint of something cynical there. Sorry, Cass, he had a hard falling out with the last group of vigilantes he knew. "What's the point? If the city's so quiet and all." Compared to back home, place like this has a crime rate of about zero. "Gotta be dedicated."

That's not a bad thing, not necessarily, it's just not what he's used to. After another pause, he holsters the rifle and crosses his arms over his chest. "Joel. I'm guessin' Batgirl ain't your real name."

[hellofist]

"I'm Batgirl," she says again, giving a one-shouldered shrug. "It's my job. Can't really... just stop."

More accurately, she doesn't know how to stop. She's been a fighter, a weapon, her entire life. That doesn't go away just because you happen to live somewhere safe. She watches him as he puts the gun away completely, smiling a bit under her cowl. Good, they can be friends now.

"Funny thing, about masks. They hide... your real identity."