maskormenace | (no subject)

[ Trying to process the memories of a different life was difficult enough. She figured seeking out the people she'd lost there, one way or another, would help anchor her to the present, the truth of who she really was.

Instead, she's here on the network, face drawn and voice flat. She's years younger than her counterpart, and her hair is longer, but the look in her eyes right now isn't that different. ]

Cassandra Wayne and Stephanie Brown have gone home.

[ It's easier to say than disappeared, even if it's all much the same, at least for her. Cass is going back to a world where she's alone, drowning in grief and trauma and guilt. Stephanie, at least, has a version of Barbara who's there for her.

But when she's pulled back home herself, she'll forget that. She'll just believe that Stephanie died because she hadn't been looking. ]

If you were close with them, then - let me know what you need. Stephanie was - is - a friend. A protege. [ Family, but she can't explain that without giving away too much - for Stephanie's sake, if nothing else. Her own identity has been pretty badly compromised by whatever the hell that trip really was.

She takes a steadying breath. She needs to say this, needs to get it out. She can't let herself bury it, like that other Barbara did. ]

When I first met Cassandra, she didn't have a name. She didn't have anything, really, aside from a drive to help people. [ And in that other world, that drive was poisoned and warped. She was a weapon again.

Out of sight,, her fists clench, and it takes her a moment to shove down desperate rage. Whether it was just an illusion or another life they'd inhabited for a while, there's nothing she can do about it right now. ]

I gave her a first name. Bruce gave her a second. He's very much her father, but she's also...

[ Her voice catches, and her eyes sting. She hasn't really said it, not in so many words, not when she was herself. ]

She's my daughter.

And she's gone.

[ She ends the transmission. ]

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Yeah, you Goody Two-Shoes have a real habit of that.

[ She doesn't imagine it makes the loss hurt any less for those affected, and she has been, but it's cliche enough that she can make some flippant comment for the sake of luring Barbara away from that particular rabbit hole. The last thing she needs is to start thinking about death. ]

I'd try and give you the whole spiel, but you and I both know I'm no good at that. It sucks and, well, if you need someone to help with the distraction, I am still around. I'm real good at distraction.

Yeah, I've noticed. [ She's smiling, at least, strained but fond. ] Some things transcend universes, I guess.

...I'd like to compare more notes, speaking of that. [ Yes, especially about Cass and Steph. ]

Compare notes? [ Not the kind of distraction she was thinking of, but hey. If it helps. ] I can do that, although you'll have to keep in mind that I've been out of Gotham for a while. My information might be a bit dated.

What do you want to know?

[ She nods, before resting her chin in her hands. ]

...Stephanie is still Spoiler for you, right? And she hasn't...nothing has happened to her.

Still Spoiler, still very much alive and relatively healthy as far as I know. There's been some... messiness and I can't really tell you too much about all of that if only because I wasn't privy to exact details but it's sort of hard to miss everything going on around you when you're right in the middle of it.

[ Tim died and then Tim came back and there was all this alternate future timeline bullshit, look. She wasn't part of any of that. She just happened to be living at the manor at the time and she saw quite a bit during that year or so she and Bruce were engaged.

There's a pause and Selina hums thoughtfully, mentally rifling through her memories. ]

The last time I saw Stephanie was... hmm, the night before Tim left "for university"? At least that was what he told Bruce.