tushanshu | 1 ☆ Video

[Well. Barnaby has certainly Seen Some Shit, but this easily takes the cake for the most ridiculous. Still, he can't argue against what's in front of his very eyes, even if he's still skeptical about a lot of the explanations he received earlier.

The only option is to proceed to the best of his ability, which is why he turns to network of people who have already been in his shoes. He wears a neutral, polite expression as he address the public.

By the way, he pretty much looks like a pink Iron Man, though he has the sense to show his face by lifting his face plate up when addressing a large group of people for the first time.]

Hi, my name is Barnaby Brooks Jr. A couple of things:

First, has anyone seen a Japanese man with a dark complexion, a beard, and in his late thirties/early forties? We were together before I arrived here, and I would like to confirm his whereabouts if possible.

Second, as I understand it, we're expected to find employment. My question is, does anyone here work at a bar? My prior work experience was as a hero, but I'm under the impression there isn't much money to be made from that here, so I'm considering becoming a bartender.

Also, I heard there were a lack of clothing designers here. Tailoring and sewing aren't my expertise, but I did create my own clothing line back home. Is there a demand for that sort of thing here, or would it likely be on a strictly voluntary basis?

I'd appreciate any assistance.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh good, one of these. Back home, he probably wouldn't bother giving someone like this the time of day since this way of thinking flies in the face of reality. But, they're on the back of a giant turtle, and it feels like most of the people here know what's going on better than he does. That's why Barnaby is feeling remarkably patient with ignorance today. To do otherwise would be pot calling kettle black.]

Maybe because people need money to eat and pay their bills? Personally, I'd never expect the engineers who maintain my armor, much less the doctors and nurses who care for my injuries, to forgo a paycheck just because I happen to be a hero.

Besides, it's unrealistic to expect most heroes to be able to pay for any property damage if no one's even sponsoring them. They also ought to be held accountable by someone if they do break something.

That's because those are careers. [His mind immediately goes to his mother, working at the hospital. Sure, she's getting paid for it, but being a full time worker isn't the same as what he's always known, and believed, a superhero to be. (And honestly: the pay, if any, here cannot be anything like what it is at home.] Besides, the best of those never do it for the money, no matter how much or how little they get. [His father would never have kept his garage if he'd been expecting a big profit, either.] It's a responsibility, but not a job. At least not one that should come with a paycheck.

[...okay, the property damage thing kind of makes sense, but sponsors?]

Dude, are you a hero or a race car driver?

[Barnaby isn't offended, and it shows in the matter-of-fact way he addresses him. It's almost fascinating how this stranger draws a line between heroes and then people like doctors, firefighters, and policemen -- like they ought to be above worldly concerns like rent, food, and clothes simply for being blessed with the talents and powers to do hero work. Congratulations, this is the first time he's met someone who takes this kind of thinking to more of an extreme than Kotetsu.]

It's interesting that you assume someone working for a paycheck means they're just in it for the money. The public would never trust me unless they knew I was on call 24/7, which means it's a full-time job. On top of that, some heroes have families, and you get into thorny issues like who pays for their armor and medical bills, how they're going to send their kids to school, who helps compensate them if they're forced to retire due to an injury, and so on.

That's where sponsors come in. You could compare it to race car driving, but good luck getting a race car driver to help you if a terrorist bombs a bridge.

[The more that Barnaby explains, the more that it actually sounds... reasonable. It's all a very practical system, he has to admit-- even if he hates to admit it.]

So, it's... more like you're an actual officer, or something, then. [Jaime doesn't like it, but he's trying to understand.] Where I'm from, we're like volunteers, because there are so many of us.

[Superhero insurance. That would actually be awesome.]

We're authorized by the government to make arrests, and we cooperate with the police department, but we're technically a separate institution.

[Barnaby doesn't personally understand the idea of doing hero work on a voluntary basis, nor does he think it's a good way to live. Even so, he recognizes that it's still a possible way to do hero work, so he doesn't outright judge this kid for it if that's what he legitimately wants to do with himself.]

If there are so many volunteers where you're from, does that mean the public is comfortable with people who possess unusual powers or abilities?

That's... different. [Jaime vaguely recalls some rumor about the police in Gotham he'd heard one day-- no GCPD employees are allowed to touch the Bat-signal for some kind of bureaucratic reason, or something else arbitrary like that. The politics at work here are clearly very different.]

Uh huh. The public's comfortable-- um, mostly, anyway-- but I think that technically we're only making citizen's arrests? I don't think we're actually officers of any kind. Just well-intentioned people who can shoot lasers from their hands sometimes. [God, he should really know the actual details behind this.] It depends on the person, and the location. Some people like superheroes more than others; same for the cities.

Not all the heroes have powers, either. Batman doesn't have powers, he's just a guy with a utility belt. And a lot of conviction.

Edited (now with the relevant Gotham Central #11 page because omg world building) 2013-11-06 08:31 (UTC)

[Interesting. Of course attitudes would vary from person to person, but it still seems that most people are okay with someone who shoots lasers from their hands -- as long as they're "well-intentioned", anyway, whatever that's supposed to mean.]

Batman?

[Wow. Batman's such a well-known cape that, even now, meeting people who DON'T know who he is still throws Jaime off a bit.]

Yup. Just like it sounds: a man who dresses up like a Bat and fights crime with Batarangs and a Batmobile and a lair he calls a Batcave filled with lots of other stuff prefixed with "Bat".

He does this on a voluntary basis?

[Without getting paid? The guy is either filthy rich, or maybe just a little bit crazy. Probably both, because really...]

Why bats?

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