Costume Intervention

July 12, 2017:

Feeling that Cassie's non-costume isn't quite ready for prime time, Tim provides her with a new Wonder Girl outfit. Bart's impatience puts Superboy's hair in grave danger!

Operations Level - Titans Tower

One of the work spaces in the ops level of the Tower; this particular one is for costume and equipment storage.

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Superboy, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Fairchild

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

While the major workshops are in the sub-basement levels of the Tower, those are meant for large scale projects, working on vehicles and the like: The operations level, along with the ops center itself, has a variety of smaller work spaces, and room for more. Some of them have probably already been earmarked by team members… Surely Spider-Man wants some space of his own to do whatever a spider can, or Zatanna needs room to have an arcane library in this home-away-from-home that will definitely not end up biting them in the ass somehow.

The room that Cassandra Sandsmark gets called to has a very particular purpose: Around it are a series of transparent-fronted lockers, each with one of their codenames written on it. Storage for costumes, or maybe just spare costumes, and other equipment. Currently, none of them actually have anything in them, but there's a large table in the middle of the room, and on that, there are some… Items.

It's important, the message from Red Robin had read, and the vigilante certainly looks grim and serious as he stands there, in his black and red costume, the cowl obscuring his features and his eyes hidden behind the featureless white lenses.

"Cassie, we need to talk," he says, when the blonde demigoddess arrives. "It's about your costume."

He pauses, a beat.

"It's terrible, what were you thinking?"

".. Oooh, important." That's certainly one way to get Cassie's attention, as she had been neck deep in some serious Wonder Woman drama on the forums. Ever since the 'Amazon' incident in the southern isles, there's been all sorts of controversial or otherwise outright wrong statements that had been popping up, and it's been driving her a little crazy trying to set things right to be honest. It's been a real headache, but those magic words keep her from making it her highest priority any longer.

And so, several minute later the blond arrives, not as chipper is he might usually expect, but not exactly grim either. Following his statement, she raises her hand to her chest with a pearl-clutching gasp. "-What-? Ok, first of all, -you're- terrible. Second of all, do you know how much money costume makers are charging? How is it even terrible; every part of it has symbolic -and- practical value, it's like the most efficient costume you can get!"

"You've worn the same thing since we were, what, fifteen?" Red Robin says, and while the cowl hides it, she can probably picture the way his brow furrows behind the mask. "Even Spider-Man has something better, and I'm pretty sure I heard him say something about an all-ramen diet." Of course, Conner and Bart have seemingly kept the same, or roughly the same, heroic outfits for the past few years… But he'd probably argue that those are actually costumes, and Cassie's is more of a bad disguise.

It does seem to have fooled Helena Sandsmark for the past few years, though.

"Anyway, that's why I made you a new one."

Which is a pretty roundabout way to butter somebody up to accept a gift, but Red Robin's never been the type to do things the same way as everyone else, has he?

"The casual sort of thing seems to work for you," the detective says, gesturing to the table where the outfit is spread out: Red jeans with white five-pointed stars decorating up the legs, a babydoll black t-shirt with the double W logo in gold across the front, white sneakers… "They're all made out of a lightweight kevlar weave. You don't need real armor since you're… Well, kinda invulnerable-ish, but this will keep the stuff from falling apart in a fight. The belt buckle has a tracking device in it…" The buckle also bears the Titans' T-logo. As an acolyte of the Bat, Red Robin knows all about the importance of branding.

"There's also these."

'These' turn out to be a set of goggles, more high-tech than the stuff Cassie's been wearing, with red circular lenses… And a pair of silvery metal bracers for her forearms.

"The goggles network in with the computer in the bracers, which function as a communicator, and they also run off of a satellite uplink to the computer here in the Tower. You can get infrared, low-light vision, the goggles will also give you a kind of heads-up display. The right bracer has the communicator and satellite uplink, the left has a holographic projector for bringing up maps, or a haptic light keyboard interface, or whatever."

The costumed young man gestures with both hands at the table, kind of a hesitant 'ta-da?' kind of thing.

Cassie's cheeks suddenly flush a seriously dark shade of crimson. Has it really been three years already? "I- I sort of, w- well I mean, it's-" she quickly attempts to protests with her hands raised in surrender. And the comparison to Spider-Man. … Ouch. She's left crossing her arms with a rather pouty expression, at least until it's Tim reveals this is moer than just some sort of costume lecture. ".. Come again?"

So -that's- what was on the table. Her eyes instantly light up at the sight as she rushes over, then wastes no time holding up the jeans. "Oh wow! Look at these, they're so cool! Oh no -way-, look at this top!"

An excited squeal follows the goggles and bracers as she claps her hands over her cheeks. Cassie's not as eager to pick those up, a reaction not unlike one being afraid to touch a collector's item. "Oh my gosh.. Oh my -gosh-, -Tim-!!" The gesture toward the table is intercepted with a semi-pounce, as she attempts to snag her teammate into a great big hug right over the shoulders. "I can't believe this!!"

Red Robin wouldn't say costume lecture, of course.

He'd say costume intervention.

The only concern the vigilante had was that, since Cassie was a girl, she might have a very particular idea of what she was actually going to wear. He'd hardly consider himself some kind of fashion expert or anything, and really his current costume is one that he stole from a villain. And then got his butler to alter.

He has a litany of responses ready, just in case: They can redesign it, they can totally change whatever, it's just an initial design, it…

Wait, she seems to like it.

Red Robin is both bewildered and relieved, and the bewildered part only ratchets up when Cassie leaps at him and hugs him, a situation that keeps happening! Why do people keep hugging him?!

"I'm glad you like it, Cassie," he says, hoping that nobody who isn't supposed to know his secret identity - which at this point is basically just Spider-Man and Fairchild - happens by the open door to the costume and equipment storage room. "Now we just need to convince Conner to ditch that jacket, and the sunglasses…"

It's a room that Bart hasn't been shown yet, and only because the person who had intended to give him a tour got completely derailed from that in favor of experimenting in semi-illicit activities regarding their high tech training room's super fancy and expensive computer. Apparently today is the day he decides to remedy that, as can be told- or not, depending on how distracted the two within are- by the slight wafting of a breeze. Are their air vents in this closet? Then again, who wants smelly costumes?

"Eyew, what're you two doing???"

The voice is probably familiar, the figure it belongs to even more so as Bart stands there, tugging down his yellow goggles and the half-hood from his head. Fully decked in his own costume, all white and red.

It's hard to be a hero, such prime targets for huggage.

For Cassie it only takes a glance to rationalize that Tim actually put thought into the personal aesthetics and that, for the most part, is really all she needs to be ecstatic. Mind, it would have blown her mind if it were Conner's doing but, well, maybe in another universe. But if there's one thing to shake up the excitement and cause her to lean back with a raised brow. "'Jacket'? Ditch his -sunglasses-?"

Before she can ask what's wrong with their fearless leader, Cassie nearly leaps out of her sneaks when she feels the newest arrivals' presence. She does actually let him go away to turn around, with her cheeks once again deeply flushed. "Wh- N- Nothing!" she sputters. "There isn't anything to 'ew' about, it was a light-hearted 'broment', ok? You have a problem with that?!"

Defensive much? Just a tad.

It was fine when they were just Young Justice, Red Robin would say. They weren't really a real team or anything, more just a group of friends (and their extremely beleaguered android chaperone) who did superhero stuff.

But the Titans are the big time.

It's possible, just maybe, that Red Robin is concerned about the group making a good first impression.

"I made her a new costume and she started hugging me," is the cowled vigilante's explanation to Bart, because oh man does he not need someone else getting it into their head that there's something between him and Cassie. That would be weird. Like… Kissing your sister.

And he's no Lannister.

With a heavy sigh, Tim reaches up and pushes his cowl back, letting it settle on his shoulders like a hood. He shakes out his dark hair, longer than it was back when he was the Boy Wonder, and fixes Bart a look.

"Yours might need some work, too," he says to the speedster, pensively. "Not the look, but maybe a few tech enhancements…" Nothing Bart is liable to break, hopefully.

Cassie's response is nothing short of what should be expected, and it definitely doesn't fail to amuse. Bart grins. "Nope! No problems here. Also heya Cas'- TeeDee said you missed me."

It's nice to be missed. And now that's one less person to greet from old times. All that's left is Conner. Where's that guy anyway?

"Oh, cool stuff. You sew?" he asks Tim, glancing towards the red and black wonder. As expected, Bart does look a little defensive at Tim's suggestion for costume work, but that eases up rather quickly with the amended. "Sweet deal. What sorta enhancements, you think?"

"… Impulse!" Cassie's jaw drops as if it had just hit her. It's kind of weird that, in the moment, it really didn't feel like they were apart for all that long! But now she's embarrassed that she lost her cool at him; which she attempts to make up for in the lamest way possible. "Missed you?" … "Ooonly because you were -moving too fast-!" she holds her hand up for a high-five, with a far-too-large grin. Don't leave her hanging!

.. Please?

"But seriously, his jacket is essentially vintage. I'd sooner you cut his hair. Which I also would never condone, by the way."

Now that he's not being hugged anymore, Tim has to resist the urge to sweep his cape around himself for some kind of protection from any further displays of affection; instead, he focuses on something else, one gloved hand lifting to cup his chin as he steps towards Bart. His dark blue eyes study the Impulse suit critically, only listening to what the others are saying with half an ear.

"You don't?" is his distracted response to Bart's question about sewing. "Never know when you might need to fix your own costume, or stitch somebody up… But Cassie's new costume is made out of a lightweight kevlar mesh, it's put together in a machine rather than stitched, and…"

He reaches to tug Bart's goggles forward, looking at the insides of the lenses. Hmm.

"Maybe just a communications rig," Tim says, thinking out loud. "Heads up display on the goggles, linked with the Tower computer… Bart, do the antenna things on the side of your head actually do anything? If not, could rig them up as actual antennae…"

He blinks owlishly, furrowing his brow as he looks at Cassie. It's evident that Tim has completely forgotten what he said that she's referring to.

"What? Oh. Why would I cut his hair?"

Staring at Cassie's upraised hand for far longer than he'd normally allow himself to, or at least little longer than an instant response that normal people would give when presented with such a gesture, Bart's grin is renewed as his expression seems to go from confused to 'oh!' and he brings up his own hand to slap. "Well, it figures, everyone misses me."

He looks at the both of them now, head tilting, his long bangs curtaining his eyes. His attempt to brush them back does absolutely nothing. "We giving Superboy a new do?"

He steps back from Tim, blinking. "What? Oh. I think it's like…. wait, no. Um. Electricity runoff? I'll go ask."

Ask? Ask who? No chance in asking because as soon as he's come, Bart's…gone.

Extremely satisfied with her delayed high-five, Cassandra clenches the slapped hand into a fist then pumps inward with a mental 'Yesss'. And when it comes to the idea of Impulse getting an adjustment or two for becoming Americas Next Top Supermodel, she's far more receptive toward it. 'Why would I cut his hair?' "That wasn't what I meant. That wasn't even the point! I was trying to say- Look, his apperance is fine as is, ok?" she asks in her completely unbiased opinion.

'Giving Superboy a new do?' "NO!" Did he get that answer before he rushed off to do the other thing? Uncertainty strikes, as she raises her hands to her cheeks that are now slightly drained of color. "Oh no.. Oh no, please please please let him have heard that 'no'."

And… There goes Bart.

"I guess I'll work on some stuff to show him later," Tim muses, while Cassie panics over the possibility that Superboy's look might change. Possibly even against the Metropolis Kid's own will! Though probably if he kept his tactile telekinesis field up, the scissors would just break.

"Cassie, I think you might be biased," the detective directs at the demigoddess… Teasingly? Even if Superboy is oblivious to Wonder Girl's crush, and even if Cassie herself thinks she's keeping things on the downlow, it's hard to hide that sort of thing from him. Especially when it's super obvious. Incredibly obvious. Just… The obviousest.

"Anyway, you should try the new costume on. Give it a test run. Maybe call Wonder Woman, see if she likes it."

That last part is, of course, him teasing her again.

"Pfffffffffffff, come on." Cassie dismisses the suggestion of so smoothly with a wave off of her hand and a grin, that it may suggest she's convinced herself that she wasn't long, long ago. Bias is unfitting of Wonder Woman's protege, you see. She claps her hands together again, clearly on board with the idea of trying on her new duds as soon as possible- Where she'll likely come to the slightly uncomfortable realizatio that it all fits a little.. -Too- comfortably.

"Hey great idea, I'll do that right nowwww-oooOOOH!" Call Wonder Woman, he says. If she could, she would, but the idea that Diana would see it suddenly strikes her very core and shakes her up. Would she like it? What would she think of the braces? They wouldn't be insulting, would it? What if she says she liked the old one better? .. but then again what if she LOVES it? That, and tens of other questions run through her mind, with the next logical step eventually being the devision to show Caitlin first and getting her input. In nearly a blink of an eye, she races out of the room, new duds in tow.

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