Who will tell your story?

[solomonjihad]

[Sometimes after the trial, Astarte decides to burn her anger off in the kitchen. That's a good idea, right? Right?? This trial really opened her eyes. Monsters - real monsters - they could be in any form.

The voice would be enjoying the anger, if it had not been so suppressed beforehand. If the anger hadn't been real, righteous anger like Astarte feels.

At some point, the small of cooked pumpkin wafts through the air, and soon enough in the first floor lobby, there's a little paper at the merchandising booth.

CAKE AND COFFEE IN THE TEA ROOM.

Its not a crazy recipe - its just pumpkin bread. Where did Astarte get the pumpkin to make it? Who knows? In any case, at least one loaf is a little burnt on the bottom. There's also a large thermos of coffee on the table. Feel free to help yourselves.

Astarte, for her part, is sitting in the tea room, staring at the fire as she drinks her cup of coffee. Staring, and thinking. Ruminating.

There are more question than answers that have come up, after all.]

Comments

[inforapenny]

Tell that to the heroes league. For them it's all about maintaining the status quo - no matter who gets hurt.

[robitussin]

Well, that's dumb. You should just make a league of your own.

[inforapenny]

You think so? I-I mean, I'm not really a leader or anything. Not like Ba-[FUCK]-aaaaat...man?

[Batman's probably a superhero right #nailedit]

[robitussin]

[She gives him a look.]

You're a really bad liar, you know that?

[inforapenny]

...I've, uh. I've heard that before, yeah.

[robitussin]

Batman isn't even a leader. He works alone.

[somehow this is what she takes issue with]

[inforapenny]

[bullet dodged]

He-he does? I...I guess he's never come to visit, uh, my city, so...

[robitussin]

...Wait, Batman actually exists? What?

[inforapenny]

Uh. I dunno, maybe? I-if he does, like I said, I haven't... Haven't met him.

[robitussin]

...You don't know if he exists?

[inforapenny]

No? I'm from California, not...

Uh. Where- where is he from?

[robitussin]

[Hm.]

Remember earlier when I said you were a really bad liar? I take it back.

[inforapenny]

Huh? Why? I mean, not that that's not a good thing, but it's kind of, uh. Well, you just said.

[robitussin]

I am retracting that statement, because you're not just a bad liar. You are, like, the worst liar I have ever met.

[inforapenny]

Oh.

[robitussin]

I mean. A for effort? Kind of. Not really.

[inforapenny]

Uh. Thanks?

So just, uh, just to be clear, what- what exactly do you, um, believe?

[robitussin]

I'm not exactly sure. The car thing seemed honest enough, but after that it kind of went wildly into the "that sounds like bullshit" category?

[inforapenny]

Well, the car thing totally happened.

...And Captain Hammer is an enormous tool.

[robitussin]

Do you want to give me context that isn't completely bullshit?

[inforapenny]

[Billy looks at her, and then looks away.]

I'm- I'm not-

[He sighs half in frustration, then checks to make sure nobody is listening.]

I-I do have a...secret identity.

[robitussin]

Okay...?

[Looks like you might have to spell this one out for her.]

[inforapenny]

...I'm not a superhero.

[robitussin]

Yeah, I got—

[Waaaait for it.]

...Dude, what the fuck!

[inforapenny]

SHHH!! Not- not so loud!

I'm not- ugh, it's complicated. All the so-called "heroes" are total self-absorbed jerks who just- just happen to have really good PR and absolutely no desire to help anyone beside themselves.