Room 508, Thursday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

So...prom was tomorrow. And almost the entire contents of Kathy's wardrobe was strewn about her side of the room, as she tried to find something--anything--that she could wear and still look Ms. Adler in the eye if she were there to chaperone. Even knowing that most of this stuff hadn't started off as her wouldn't make up for actually wearing it. In public. Where people could see.

She knew she ought to be more grateful. Most of the clothes in her closet came from her neighbors who had wanted to make sure that she'd have plenty of clothing when she went away to school. And nobody in her neighborhood was rich, so handmedowns were the best most people could do. But...still... There was a reason that sometimes she dressed like someone out of the late seventies. It wasn't her aesthetic. It was just what was in her closet, especially when it had been awhile since she'd done laundry.

But even sternly reminding herself to be grateful wasn't helping her prom dilemma any. Not when she was staring at someone's weird obsession with short skirts and detachable trains. In various colors. Because that was a thing she needed, yes.

She should have taken Ms. Adler up on her offer of ordering a gown from class on Tuesday. Or maybe she should just try fashioning something out of her curtains and a flat sheet. It couldn't be any worse than some of her other options, after all.

Dammit, she really missed Minako. Between her and Sparkle, they could have salvaged something out of this wreck of fabric. And even if they couldn't...well, she still missed Minako.

Ah well. Once more into the sartorial mines. Maybe she'd missed something? No not that.

[Mostly silliness, because Kathy's PB wears some FUCKING RIDICULOUS CLOTHING. Either way, open door, open post! And a link to Hanna's conversation. DAMMIT, LJ!]

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[spin_kick_snap]

"Ooooh!" Kathy said with a nod, because she couldn't actually swear that she wouldn't use mind-reading powers to ace her classes if she had them. "Is that why he's interested in genetics? To figure out why we are the way we are?"

[tigerundercover]

Raven nodded. "We're the only two we know, back home. But he's been convinced since he was little that we couldn't be alone in the world. Me coming here basically just proved it for him."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I wonder how many there are in my world," Kathy mused. "People with extraordinary abilities only just started popping up before I left for Fandom, but in the case of at least one guy I know, it's not because he's a mutant, exactly. More like...he inherited his powers from someone else."

And as for Dragon and Regenerator, Karla didn't actually know what their deal was.

[tigerundercover]

"There are probably a lot more than you think," Raven guessed. "If it's so new, then it's likely a lot of folks are still hiding. Not every place is like Fandom, where people see you do something incredible and don't freak out."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy nodded. "When the Might Dragon first started flying around, people were convinced it was some kind of publicity stunt. Which is kinda fair, since we live in LA. And I know he's really secretive about his identity, even from the rest of us, just to be safe."

Okay, not that anyone else was leaping to share their civilian identities with him, either. The only reason Kathy knew Nick's was because of their time on the island.

[tigerundercover]

'Publicity stunt' was a damn sight better than what people had thought Raven was, back home.

"A secret identity, huh?" Now why hadn't Raven thought of that? "Do you have a codename, too?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm Banzai, out on the rooftops of Baltimore and LA," Kathy said, trying not to grin. "A bright ball of rainbows striking fear into the hearts of evil-doers everywhere."

[tigerundercover]

Raven's eyes went wide. "Wait, does that mean you have a superhero costume, too?" She was torn between giggling over it and goggling in awe. Superheros were still considered rather silly, in her era.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Sorta?" By which Kathy meant 'yes.' "Not, like, tights or a cape or anything." She ducked into her closet, removing a set of folded clothing. A bright white gi and karate pants, the the edges of both hemmed with bright rainbow fabric. The belt and her mask--another length of wide fabric with eyeholes--were also rainbows. "I didn't want to be another grimdark hero clinging to the shadows or whatever," she said. "So I went the other way. Yeah, everyone sees me coming, but they usually don't think to take me seriously until I start to kick their butt."

[tigerundercover]

"That is so neat." The goggling had won. "I don't know if I could be a full superhero. I like helping my friends out when they have stuff to deal with here or back home, but running out to save strangers?"

She wasn't sure she had that in her. Too many strangers had burned her too many times.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy shrugged, a little self-conscious. "I can do stuff most people can't," she said. "I'd feel unbearably selfish if I didn't use it to help people who needed it. And...I love being Banzai. It's completely different from being Kathy."

Kathy was still the shy, studious girl who struggled to live up to her parents' expectations. Banzai was a superhero who flung herself off buildings at ninety miles an hour and ended in a backflip.

[tigerundercover]

"Well, I'm the last person to argue with having more than one identity," Raven said. "I once spent most of a Vegas vacation as Frank Sinatra." Well after Frank's death, even. "I didn't mean to tease. I think it's impressive. I just don't think I'd be able to do it."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I wasn't sure I could, either," Kathy said, giving Raven a smile to let her know that all was well. "But then, there's been a lot of things I never did because I wasn't sure if I could or should or whatever. And then I figured that, well, if I did fail at it, no one would know it was me. I can take risks as Banzai as I never did as Kathy."

Which was why her alter-ego was so damn important.

"Not that I'm trying to convince you to pick up a mask or anything," she said quickly. "I'm just explaining why I do it."

Kathy would so be an X-Men if she lived in Raven's world.

[tigerundercover]

She would. And it would be very sad when she and Raven ended up on opposite sides of something.

She nodded along. "Taking risks is so much easier when no one knows who you are. Heck, if I'd had better control over my powers when I was younger, I could possibly be ruling my whole world right now."

That wasn't even remotely what Kathy was talking about doing, no.

[spin_kick_snap]

Not in the least, nope!

"Is that your ultimate plan?" Kathy asked, not thinking Raven was serious. "Ruling the world?"

[tigerundercover]

"Not really," Raven said. "It sounds like it'd be way too much work."

She wouldn't mind having the general run of the place, though. Just so long as no one tried to make her be in charge.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Good," Kathy said, trying to look intimidating. "Because otherwise you'd have to answer to Banzai and nobody wants that."

You'd be bounced at, Raven. Aww yeah.

[tigerundercover]

"Definitely not!" Raven said, pouring on the earnestness. "Bonzai could bounce circles around little old -- I need a good name."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Don't worry if you don't get one the first time," Kathy said, speaking from experience. "My first night out, I was Social Justice Warrior. That, uhh, didn't work out so well."

She'd been told she was one unicorn short of a Lisa Frank Trapperkeeper. Harsh.

[tigerundercover]

". . . I'm not even sure what that means," Raven admitted.

[spin_kick_snap]

"It's a Tumblr thing," Kathy said. "Supposed to be a derogatory term for anyone who argues on behalf of feminism, or against racism, homophobia, stuff like that. Basically, someone who fights for social justice. I'm into that in a pretty big way, so...I thought it was kinda fitting."

[tigerundercover]

"That is --" Raven shook her head angrily. "Because it's so terrible to want people to have an equal chance. Ugh."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Welcome to the internet," Kathy said, making a face. "Like, in real life, people usually try to at least hide their general racism and misogyny? But not so on the internet, where the anonymity just means that they can say whatever they want without consequence."

[tigerundercover]

"When I'm from, people don't even try to hide it that much in public," Raven said. "So, well. At least you guys have made it that far."

[spin_kick_snap]

"When?" Kathy asked. "Time-traveler, then? When are you from?"

Not too far back, considering Raven was fairly modern in her sensibilities as it was.