are you safe? === Considering I'm in an isolated cabin without advanced technology and have been left singularly in charge of four small humans, I should hope so. You? === four small humans...? oh. well, i'm alive and a little bit super charged, so. === So..? I'm not certain where that thought naturally leads. === how are you doing? how are the kids doing? uh. well, last night was kind of a mess, and i had to fight my cousin earlier this afternoon. my earth cousin, i mean, not one of my kryptonian cousins. but i'm safe enough for now. === I've survived them for approximately 7 hours and counting. And vice versa. I think we're faring well enough, under the circumstances. I gave them ice-cream. What was the fight about? === make sure they (and you) get some actual food, though. which fight? last night's or this afternoon's? === You hadn't specified that 'kind of a mess' referenced a fight as well. Now that you've clarified, I suppose I have to ask about both. === last night's fight looked more like this, or so i'm told. today's fight was...well, that demon thing that was flying around the harbor? that was my cousin. got a new space ring and a demon possession all at once. === I'm not sure why I expected that to link to an animation of two teddy bears play-punching till one fell off the bookshelf. Have I mentioned that my host has been quite an interference lately? Incalculably more so, now that one such as myself has been left in charge of his offspring... Who won the fights? === if only. we went to that creepy hotel that appeared out of nowhere, just to check things out. got into some fights with some demons. has he? in what way? it makes sense though, i think. well, the weird hotel is still there so i think that was a draw. and my cousin is, uh, tied up right now, so it's safe to say that he lost. === It does, to an extent. I haven't concluded if the interferences are in relation to the time he's had to build up a certain resistance, so to speak, or if it's more a reciprocal correlation to the fact that he's been sharing a bed with Misty's host. The latter would corroborate quite nicely with my current theory of this additional...offspring attachment interference. Tied up literally, may I assume? Your earth cousin isn't Kryptonian? === um, i was just thinking that he wants to be there for his kids and just that, so... huh. did not know that. anyway. tied up via telekinesis. no, he's not. he's the lantern with the blue ring performance anxiety. === Well, yes, that's another way of putting it; I'll have to write it down for future explanatory occasions. Ah, that fellow. And ah, telekinesis. Would that work on Kryptonians as well? Asking for a friend, as they say. 'They' being the general populace, as reflected on Twitter, and not Kryptonians or Lanterns or demons or whatever else that's been referenced in this conversation.. === that's probably more helpful. doesn't give away as much of the guy's business, you know? well, the guy performing the telekinesis is kryptonian...sort of. he's a clone of my other cousin. and his TK is technically how he flies, i think. we haven't mentioned the wolves yet. or the handidog. === I had assumed these conversational interactions were meant for bidirectional divulging, but I suppose I was mistaken. Is there anything else you're here to inform me of that isn't already in the news? === i'm not sure. he tells me a lot of stuff but it's not always equally traded. which isn't a bad thing, he just has his own boundaries, that's all. um, no, i don't think so. avoid sketchy hotels and casinos. === Right. I'm speaking to a hybrid now, one who quite possibly knows him better than I do. I'll have to leave him a cupcake or something as apology.. I'll take that advice about demon-hexed venues as well, thank you. === *cupcake and a puppy. === They have three dogs in addition to the four kids. I think the cupcake will have to suffice on its own. === blackbird donuts. get a dozen. === If there's an establishment left un-demon-hexed and open for business, I'll mention your tip in the note. === hmm. try playska in cambridge or union square donuts in somerville. they're probably safer bets. === Kara - do I still refer to you as Kara? - I'm not actually getting him a cupcake. Or donuts. If you're right about him, and I'll assume that you are, it's probably better we sweep this under a rug. Ignorance is bliss, et cetera. === you can call me nora. i'll keep my mouth shut. === You're going by her name now? === my name. === Yes. Nora. You're not the alien I knew. === we're the same person! === Without getting into the theoretical physics of it, one plus one does not equal one - it's elementary mathematics. === i'm too tired to do this. have a good evening. === Fighting demons on the streets of Boston's far more exciting than fighting your own, I understand. === what exactly are you trying to say here? === I might be misconstruing your tone, but I don't believe that you're asking to hear the honest answer.. === actually, i am. === Well, then. The fight isn't out there. When we first met.. When Kara and I first spoke.. Close to a full Midgardian year now... I probably failed to tell her that she'd become quite quickly considered my friend. Still one of the unfortunate four people on this planet to know I'm even here, to the best of my knowledge. There was hope in her. Quite an abundance of it. She had hopes, and a remarkable drive, and an energy that seemed as tiring as it was admirable. I perhaps missed something.. I'm not a very good 'friend' in that respect. I may have missed the bit where something changed. That turning point before each week, she started to.. Be bitter. Angry. If it had something to do with that ring, or if it's just what this world does to aliens like us in the long-run... I'm relatively ashamed that I chose not to address it. And now I don't know who I'm speaking to, but I think I can safely say that the fight is not out there. === well, we're both here, i guess. and that's...a lot. and it cuts deep. you're not wrong. === I'm exceptionally intelligent, yes. And that was quite exhausting. Are you feeling better? === honestly? not really. === I wasn't expecting it. But I thought it might make you laugh. A little bit ironic, don't you think? Pop culture icon for anger issues, attempting to ask why so angry? Which is, a bit of pop culture Joker mixed in.. === ♫ it's like raaaaaaaaain on your wedding day ♫ === And a free ride when you've already paid. More apt for the situation, I believe? You're already on a set course, only way out is through? I disagree, for what it's worth. Unless the light's bright enough at the other end of the tunnel, sometimes there's no shame in going backwards for where you started from. === i guess that's kind of the problem, isn't it? i don't really know what i'm working through, or where i'm going. and i'm not really sure if going back is the answer either, and if it is, how do i get back there? === All very good questions. When you-- Kara. When Kara first arrived here, what was the hope? Were there specifics, or was it just the concept of a fresh slate? === a fresh slate, maybe a hope that i could feel wanted and needed for once, like i could be part of a team. to feel like i actually had a home. === From an observer's perspective, you do seem very much like you're part of a team. At least one, if not many. I don't recall a week that's gone by without you up to your chin with superhero duties and the like.. Might that be part of the issue? Not part of the root of the issue, but at least part of why you may have not.. Been putting out the right signals, so to speak? Even from an observer's perspective, I personally tend to keep an eye open for other observer-types. The quiet heroes on the fringes, if you will. Say, for example, if I were putting together a team of tights, I'd scout around the outskirts first, rather than try to pluck out someone already deep in the fold. === well, then maybe that's the problem. i don't really know what i want or what i'm looking for. === Singularity would be my conjecture. You already have your team, you've already flown solo, and now you perhaps want a duo. The Robin to your Batman? === er...you've never met batman, have you? or robin, for that matter? === We've traded a few punches. I didn't go through his psych profile, no.. === er...yeah, don't. but maybe you're right. === I mean this as a compliment. You give off an incredibly independent vibe. I apologize on behalf of the male superhero community that our fragile egos don't often know what to make of it.

One of the kids is threatening to defecate on the campfire. I may or may not be exaggerating, but I'll be back shortly. === uh, good luck? if you need a fire extinguisher in the form of super-breath, don't hesitate to call. === That's not how you nab a member of the male superhero community. Don't come save us, let us come save you.

At the beginning. A few months into it, you'll have to switch up your game entirely.. It's quite a complicated process, we'll get you through it. === so i'm not supposed to help you stop brandon's kid from setting his own ass on fire...? === Well, in this specific context, given that a child's rear end is at stake and is only being used as a conceptual teaching aid.. You may. But in general, when nabbing members of the male superhero community. Let them set their asses on fire. They're most likely trying to draw attention to and accentuate the size of their external male organs. === ...there is so much imagery here and i'm not sure what to do with it.

i'm not really sure how i feel about the male superhero community. or the male non-superhero community, for that matter. === Be mildly repulsed and consider your options sorely narrowed.

Oh, that'll save us entire conversations. Frankly, I can only think of one fella I'm aware of who might be worth your interest. From your world, part cyborg, but that's neither here nor there. === they're pretty narrow as it is, i think.

...i really hope you don't mean dick grayson. === A sizeable factor in the problem, yes.

Is he part cyborg? I never would've known. === you're telling me.

i think he has implants. had implants? something like that. i'm guessing they're in his butt. === Your universe is odd. === because yours isn't? === I'm trying to think of which of my people have cybernetic implants in their butt... And, no. Your universe is odder. === maybe. but this universe takes the cake, i think. i just got dating advice from bruce banner. === Almost. You almost got dating advice from Bruce Banner. Thank heavens we sidestepped that disaster. === hey, you're the one surrounded by kids right now. all i've got are pets and popsicles. === It took quite a few universes - and disasters - to get here. But I suppose I can't argue. === i was about to say that you have your age as an advantage too...but i think i'm actually older than you on my planet. === Oh are you now? And how does age factor into things? === how old are you. i don't know, i'm exhausted. i've lost my train of thought. === Get some rest.. Still a long week ahead. === why aren't you answering my question?

i didn't even get to tell you about my demon slaying! in HEELS. === The sliding scale of time between worlds confuses me. A scientist. Is that what you want to hear?

Tomorrow. After I've had my espresso injections. === no. i don't have an agenda here.

okay, okay. don't poop on any campfires. fire goes up. === You're wonderful. Don't lose sight of it. Goodnight.

A scientist. === good night.

look, i'm just saying. i've treated too many flame farters to assume that people know better. === I laughed. You made the scientist laugh. Goodnight.