VIDEO: campaign announcement

[peachykean]

Hiiii Genessia and friends.

[ The video starts with Barbara smiling, a little wave. She seems to have a little black dress on underneath a nice fur coat, and heels. Her hair is cropped and lightly curled, making her look rather professional and just a little intimidating. ] My name is Barbara Kean. Most of you don't know me yet, so I'll start with an eensy little intro. I'm from a place called Gotham City. I was born a rich socialite and Mommy and Daddy never really loved me. [ So sad. Boohoo. She almost says it like it's a joke, but it's true. She crosses her legs and sets her hands on her knees like a proper lady, listing off information like she were giving an eHarmony video profile. ] I found a way to get over it and went from being an art gallery owner to the owner of a very popular club in one of the roughest parts of town, which means we had to learn to protect ourselves. We did. I went through a lot in that time, from being kidnapped by more than one serial killer to becoming someone that murderers don't like to mess with. It helps that back home, I was engaged to one of the most daring, brave, and incorruptible cops in Gotham.

Now that you know a little about me, I've got to share what I've learned about this place. Do you know what people are saying here? About who's really in charge of this place? I'll tell you, because that's the kind of person I am. I don't hold back. Are you ready, Nova City, Attleton, Everglade, Fayren? The only one of the Guardians I was told that I needed to worry about while slumming it around with the criminals was Mr. Haller.

[ Her mouth is wide open like she just said something shocking, tilting her head and looking offended as she shakes her head. ]

How are the other cities supposed to feel about that? Your criminals don't fear your Guardians at all. They think as long as they don't mess around in Genessia City itself, they can get away with anything. My experience with the justice system tells me that the only kind of system that breeds is one full of corruption- full of politicians asspatting each other and tossing up propaganda that everything is A-O.K. because they think people are too stupid to ask questions if the news doesn't advertise it. But we feel it.

So here's my suggestion, fellow kidnapping victims: Don't vote for the same people who were in office as before. I'm running, so if you want someone who's got experience putting bad people under her heel, that's an option. If not, just do me a favor and don't vote for people you shouldn't have confidence in. I'm all about freedom.

[ She goes back to smiling. ] Oh, I almost forgot. I've always wanted to do this part. [ She sits up straight, looking directly at the camera. ]

My name is Barbara Kean, I'm running for Attleton City Guardian, and I approve this message.

Comments

[Video]

[redcinemareel]

[All the graceful applause, because words just won't do justice to such a lovely speech.

She should've though of a fur coat. Damn.]

Nothing but the truth.

[Video]

[peachykean]

I'm nothing if not honest.

[ Sort of. Honest in a dishonest way, anyway. ]

[Video]

[redcinemareel]

It seems as if very few are willing to realize the truth. Those that try to open their eyes often become seen as trying to cause trouble. It's rather a shame.

You're doing everyone a public service, really.

Re: [Video]

[peachykean]

Seriously. The first thing I got was some dweeb jumping down my throat about grammar and asking for my relationship history as if it's his business. Like what part of this was the important part? My fiance or the whole Guardian part? Someone's reaching.

Whether I win or not, that's fine. I just want to give people an alternate to someone who need bounty hunters to take out people breaking radiators as their MO.

[Video]

[redcinemareel]

Your intimate life isn't up for election. That's usually something people stick their nose in after you get into office.

[Because people are nosy and gossip tarnishes an image.]

In one way, dealing with petty crimes should be left to bounty hunters. On the other hand, it really does sound quite silly. Guardians should be willing to do even the smallest of tasks.

[Video]

[peachykean]

Besides, what does that have to do whether I can do the job or not? He's not here, there's no risk of distraction and Jim can handle himself. I wouldn't be worried.

[ Look, Jim gets into all kinds of messes and he comes out of them alive. Because he's Jim Gordon and Jim Gordon does whatever it takes, even if it means dipping into that darkness he doesn't want to admit he thrives in no matter how much Barbara wishes he would. ]

On the other hand, what big crimes are they dealing with exactly? Emergency response isn't the only thing the justice system is supposed to worry about.

[Video]

[aurabble]

[Jaune looks tense, his jaw tight as if he's attempting not to say something that would reflect badly on his employer and friend.

The whole kidnapping story only makes that more of a challenge.] You couldn't be more wrong, Barbara. I can't speak for the other cities, but Nova City isn't corrupted.

[Video]

[peachykean]

Maybe not yet. From what I can tell, no one wants to run against little miss sunshine even though she and half her team got murdered on live television and no one caught the guy. No offense, J. [ She's calling him J now, whatever. ] It seems more than odd that no one would try to do better though. I'd be happy to hear a case proving me wrong.

[Video]

[aurabble]

[He's beyond livid. Staring at her mutely, part of him is grateful she's speaking to him through video. He doesn't know how he would react if she said that to him in person. He holds his arm to get it to stop shaking, his throat constricting uncomfortably. He knows he can breathe. But his body doesn't want to abs the adrenaline only makes it worse, like he's dying again. He wants nothing more than to hurt Barbara. But he can't move and if he could it's not like they're in the same location.

It's the most embarrassing reaction he could possibly have. He opens his mouth, trying to scream at her or insult her, but he can't.

He'd like to see her fucking do better.]

[Video]

[peachykean]

[ Well, people deal with their trauma differently. Whatever. ]

Anyway, I've got something for you. Let's meet up.

[Video]

[aurabble]

[There's a flicker of confusion. He starts fumbling with his weapon, trying to ground himself. His voice sounds a little pathetic, but also pissed.]

Why?

[alwaysimpaled]

You say you were engaged to the cop. What happened there? Not to mention you hanging around criminals kind of throws your intentions in... dubious lights.

And as far as Attleton goes, nobody's afraid of us because nobody has started enough trouble to get Blaze and I really mad. If nobody starts trouble, I don't get to show them why they should be afraid of me.

[peachykean]

Past tense is what you use to refer to a place you used to be and aren't anymore. [ Hey Dante, not everything is suspicious. ] As far as this place is concerned, Jim Gordon doesn't exist. I already checked. So I'm not engaged. Also why would anyone interested in criminal justice avoid getting to know their local criminals? Or their deputy guardians who apparently believe in sloppy research.

Really? Because I just stopped a guy who was breaking people's heaters the other day so he could rob people. It took Ed and I less than a day to track him down. Gee, that sounds like your job.

[alwaysimpaled]

Just going off what experience I've had here, people don't tend to abandon that kind of commitment just because they showed up here. [No, everything is definitely suspicious.]

Gee, pardon me for being on my daily rounds in the Midnight Channel where I make sure nobody got thrown into the place that tries to kill and replace people who get thrown in there by shadow reflections of themselves. Y'know. My job.

As for the heater breaker, Blaze and I thank you for your service and have already started the process of replacing those heaters at no cost to the victims. As for knowing the local criminals, you can learn quite a bit about them without "slumming it" with them.

[peachykean]

[ She's literally done nothing wrong here dude? At all. Calm down. ] Who said I was abandoning it? You're making an awful lot of assumptions about my life because I used grammar. Even if we weren't, you're kind of judgey if you're that worried about me not being [ she clasps her hands together like a prayer ] a pristine little angel when you don't know me or my intentions.

So how come you haven't done anything about them if you know all about them?

[alwaysimpaled]

[He rolls his eyes.]

If you're running for office, better get used to the assumptions. Especially when you're so new here.

We have been doing things about them. Just because they're not locked up for life doesn't mean we haven't been busting our asses to keep things orderly.

[fade_to_black]

[Blake can't say that the kidnapping comment hasn't rocked her a bit. But she doesn't like someone who knows next to nothing about this place showing up and calling Weiss incompetent. It's not like David has managed to capture Battler either and she hasn't forgotten her run in with Frieza some months back.]

That's all well and good to call everyone in power incompetent, but I don't see where you mentioned what you plan to do about it. Unless you're hiding some serious powers you're going to have the same problems everyone else has had. Can you take down someone who is the equivalent of a demi god?

[Battler is hardly the only criminal, but right now he is one of the untouchables. Politicians can babble all day about how they would do a better job than this one or that one, all it is at the end is bickering over a position.]

[peachykean]

Ooh, who's a demi god?

[ She sounds more interested in that than answering the question. ]

Who would lay all of their cards out on the table before they're ready to play them? I hope the other guardians aren't going around announcing all of their plans and powers.

[fade_to_black]

You don't know as much as you claim if you don't know that. [So the woman only knew there were kidnappings, assumed it was a normal criminal and then had the nerve to imply the guardians weren't doing their job.

She might just have become a bitter skeptic as off late, but Ms. Kean smells of bullshit.]

So you say.

[peachykean]

No, just no one mentioned a demi-god before you. That's the whole point of me asking, I'm trying to find out and learn. I'd really be stupid if I claimed to just know everything or that there were no improvements to be made whatsoever.

[ Bullshit might not be the right word for it, but certainly something. ]

[Video]

[black_black_heart]

Iiiiinteresting! Didn't you just arrive a bit ago? That's quite the research you've done on such short notice.

I'm all for naughty boys and girls being put under heels, but I have to say, as an honest business owner in the main city... I just haven't seen that much criminal activity!

[Probably because when he isn't engaging in it, he's eating it.]

[Video]

[peachykean]

Not like it's hard, people are big sharers here.

[ Really, Tannusen. Really. But she'll keep your secret. Not like she's really in it to put the criminals under. More like.. organize and run. That sounds like much more fun. ]

[black_black_heart]

Well, some people just don't care what others know. Can't be helped.

[Really, it's all just a game to him. And she doesn't know much of anything, in the end. So he disappeared with a shopkeep? The fake people of this world regenerate even quicker than the real ones.]

[peachykean]

[ Like hell if she cares. She may think his little stunt wasn't all that thrilling on her end, but she's not about to rat someone out. Still, being the boss would be nice. ]

It really makes it easy to catch up.

[black_black_heart]

[Attempt to collar this tiger and you'll lose your hands. Tannusen smiles.]

I suppose there's that. Good luck!