{Everyone thinks that we're perfect

[waytodie]

WHO: Yelena Belova, Dick Grayson, Octavia Blake, & Cassandra De Rolo (+Others?)
WHEN: During Mission 004
WHERE: Grayson-Belova family unit house; otherwise noted
WHAT: Family shenanigans
NOTES\WARNINGS: Dysfunctional family dynamics; heavy family-related emotions; will otherwise be marked where needed.

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Yelena

What are we doing for dinner tonight?

Octavia

Tacos?

Dick

It's not even Tuesday!

Cassandra

Ohmygod. 🙄

Octavia

Ugh Dad, stop.

Yelena

Yes, please, no more dad jokes.

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Comments

[littlestderolo]

It's not paranoia if they're actually doing what you're worried about, is it? Or not simply paranoia. Cassandra has been suspicious since she's arrived. It's not going to change any time soon. (Except for the worst.)

She's studying things thoughtfully as she wanders around the room. "Everything seems a bit more... technologically focused, at least in the cities we've been in, so I don't think they'd lean towards more magical means of surveillance? Doesn't mean they can't. Doesn't mean they don't. Just that magic doesn't seem to be their first resort. Which means we might be able to devise methods to give ourselves a bit more privacy."

[waytodie]

"I have a feeling your father and I can handle tech bugs if we find them in the house," she glances at him for confirmation, there, but what she does know of him... seems like he might be the tinkering type, and that is only in their favor.

"Magic is pretty prominent where you're from, yeah?" she focuses on Cass again, curious. She's learned bits and pieces here and there, but Cassandra is almost more closed off than some adults Yelena has known.

[littlestderolo]

That simple little sentence makes the tangled snarl of emotions in her chest tighten and for a moment Cassandra can’t breathe. She hides it, she always hides it. But it hurts. And she hates the people who did this even more. “It might be more than that sort of bug. Or not just that sort of bug. They might not need to plant anything in the house.” This place is advanced enough that it might not be necessary for them to bug the houses they’ve assigned to those brought here. And she's used to things that can be used to find others with the only limitation being that they're on the same plane of existence.

“It is, yes,” she answers. “Both arcane magic and divine.” This she offers easily. There’s no need to hide it; it’s not something she’s tried to hide. No, she’s keeping other things close to her chest.

[waytodie]

She hums thoughtfully at that point. She's not sure about it, but she can't ever be completely sure of anything in this place. "Maybe, but we can still do a sweep of the house, just to be sure." If nothing else, it might help ease their minds at least a little bit.

"Come, come," She gestures for Cassandra to come closer and, telegraphing her moves with enough time for her to dodge it if she isn't feeling it, she tries to put an arm around her shoulders. Yelena won't be offended if she doesn't particularly seem fond of it.

"Tell me more about it?" She guides them through the house, now just checking the layout of the whole place. "Would I be able to see evidence of it? Feel it somehow? Or do you have to be particularly magically inclined for those things?" At least explaining how magic works in her experience might take both of their minds off of some of the other swirling thoughts attacking at the moment.

[littlestderolo]

Cassandra wonders if they couldn’t manage a sort of… technological silent spell. So that way anything or anyone that might be trying to keep a surreptitious eye on them won’t be able to hear what they’re saying.

Yelena, is, perhaps, one of the only people here who she might let put an arm around her shoulders. And the fact that she telegraphs the move, making it clear to her what she’s going to do, helps. It helps a great deal. (But it doesn’t help the tangled snarl of emotions in her chest at ALL.) She tries very hard to not think about it as Yelena puts her arm around her shoulder. As she lets her put her arm around her shoulder.

Focusing on her question is good. She’s going to do that.

“Most spellcasting in my world requires different components in order to cast. Verbal, somatic, and material. Spells don’t necessarily need all three. It depends on the spell. But verbal and somatic are noticeable components, that you can see and hear the spellcaster use. You can’t really sense magic being used, though.” A pause, then she adds. “There’s a spell to be able to detect magic, although that’s more to see objects and creatures that bear magic.”

[waytodie]

Yelena knows none of this has been easy, and that Cassandra has as many issues with trust as anyone else, but there's a sort of warmth that spreads inside her chest when she accepts that simple gesture. She's someone Yelena has been looking out for since she got here, and it's nice to know, in any minor way it can be shown, that it's appreciated. That the trust is being built here between them.

She will continue their walkthrough of the house as they talk, taking a moment to pause and check out each room as they go, "So then... we could only know if we saw them cast the spell?" she's just trying to follow, and this is pretty well outside of her general realm of understanding. Magic might, to some extent, exist in her world– the Asgardians and Scarlet Witch do come to mind– but it's never been part of Yelena's life at all. No need to study up on that when she was doing the dirty work behind the scenes, usually involved with more politically or similarly minded types. Assassins and magic? Not so common a cross-over, actually.

She peeks into bedrooms as they walk through halls, "So, if there are magical recording devices, that detection spell could possibly pick up on it, yes? Would you be able to do it?" Or is her knowledge more strictly of the academic sort? These would be good things to know.

swoops in late to the party to ramble about.

[cohero]

From the beginning, Dick has kept the majority of his thoughts to himself. He showed up here with a large bag slung around his back that he dropped off neatly in the strange suburban living room they were given. Dick hasn't felt particularly comfortable since he ended up in Etraya, but this time there aren't any battles to be fought or plushies to be destroyed. He's here to be a house husband, whatever the hell that is.

At least he's familiar with Yelena and even though they spent a short time together, his senses tell him that she's more trustworthy than not. He also knows that she's skilled. Thankfully. The young girl named Cass -- Dick wonders if that's the one that she asked Dick to keep an eye out for in the labyrinth.

As for the rest, he agrees that they are probably meant to share a room. He's not so worried about it. He's shared plenty of rooms over time with people. They can play whatever role is carved out for them. Moving along through the house, Dick keeps his eyes open. He too believes that there's very little they can do to keep out of the watchful eyes of the powers that be, but he's always kept his eyes open for every sort of tech he knows of. Fingers travel over surfaces, above and below as they move.

Listening carefully to the questions Yelena is asking, Dick is fascinated by the answers that the young girl gives. There's a wealth of wisdom in her young eyes. He recognizes the eyes of one who has lived through too much already, because he's seen them reflected not only in the eyes of others, but in the mirror itself.

"It would be rather helpful to have eyes on both fronts. I'm good with technical pursuits, and will be able to keep an eye out that way. If you are able to reach out magically, it would be a terrific help. Although, it's completely understandable if you don't feel comfortable enough to do it. This is hardly any normal situation, and living with strangers isn't easy for any one here, I imagine.

\o/

[littlestderolo]

“Yes. Unfortunately. It’s the best way to know if a spell’s being cast. The only way.” For non-spellcasters, anyway. “It should. Probably. I don’t know if any magic they might use would be different enough to not register. It’s possible.” So much is unknown, and it bothers her greatly.

Cassandra hesitates, at Dick’s words. Despite her best attempts to hide it. She hasn’t used what spells she has in… a long time. She hasn’t dared. Not that that mattered much. Because she hasn’t wanted to touch it. Magic has felt… wrong. So very, very wrong. Because of the Briarwoods. It’s… besmirched. After everything they’ve done. Everything she’s witnessed. Everything she’s suffered.

But it’s something she can DO, here. It means she can be useful, for more than just the other wealth of roguish skills her mother had taken care to teach her from the moment she first learned to walk, as has come to use as easily as breathing. She nods, answering them both. “I can.”

And she doesn’t mean to add more. Doesn’t mean to say anything, but this whole situation has her… distinctly uneasy. So she adds, she can’t help but add, “This isn’t my first time.” Living with strangers, she means. “I think I prefer this, honestly.” Not the entire situation. But the situation in this house. These strangers. She might not know any of them well, save for perhaps Yelena, and even then she doesn’t know her that well, yet. But she’s almost certain that none of them will hurt her. None of them will torment her. Torture her. Or feed on her. (Her scars are well hidden, now. Beneath sweater and cowl neckline. Always higher necked pieces of clothing.)

She’s far safer here than she’s been in Whitestone in… years.

[plangona]

Octavia already knew what they were getting into from the start of the mission but that didn't make it any easier. It only added to the discomfort and other feelings it brought up from being thrown into these fake families. From looking at the names on the piece of paper that had their roles all lined up for them, she was at least familiar with some of the names so she wasn't completely thrown into being grouped with all strangers but she still hated the whole idea of this.

Technically one could argue that this mission seemed more doable and had some level of familiarity for people but she didn't fall into that category. She would much rather be dealing with fighting monsters or other people any day of the week because as she walks through the streets, the seemingly picture perfect houses were way too eerily normal and not just because it isn't what she is used to.

Octavia doesn't have too much on her aside from her sword at her hip and a backpack she carries over her shoulder but as she steps foot inside, she does marvel at the interior slightly because while she may have seen the inside of an apartment that is way different than being in a house which happens to be a first for her. She is listening and partially paying attention to the conversation but does speak up "We're already being watched in Etraya so that part might not be much different here either. It's not my expertise for something I can help with much but yeah it could be worth a try to see if anything can be detected magically or otherwise"

[waytodie]

"Worth a chance to try, at least," she says to Cass, tilting her head slightly to one side in consideration. She is letting the younger girl take point on this particular discussion because it seems she's easily the most knowledgeable person in the room on the subject.

Octavia has been mostly quiet, but it isn't so unusual for what experience Yelena's had with her so far, she's not an overly chatty sort of person. "True enough," she nods her agreement. "It feels like they might take it much more seriously here, keeping eyes on us." Maybe that's just the spy-assassin paranoia talking.