#did anyone catch the Carmen Sandiego reference?

[ducky-the-mucky]

I feel like the software department in the Watchtower is small, supper small. Like, so small that anyone who doesn't interact with them thinks the hiring process is extremely rigorous, and you have to be extremely professional and above Player-level skills to even think about getting in, let alone work with the Entire Justice League's software. And no one ever sees them, so one one ever asks about them.

But that's not it. At all.

You see, they get new employees every couple of months, all who barely ever last more than a week.

Why, you ask? Because Batman and the other heroes (but mostly Batman and his stupid batclan) don't communicate with the department when adding to and updating the software. Despite the fact there is a department to do and help with that.

So yeah, only a special kind of person can deal with having to make uncommenting code (with no clear purpose!!!) mesh with other code, having to go through and find unfinished code to either finish or get rid of (stupid batman coding off of 1 hour of sleep from the past two days), and still having to do collabs and stuff with the other departments.

All while waiting on HR to do something about it because they've all already given multiple complaints about it and HR is just sitting there, unsure what to do because not only is it their employers that are the problem but ITS SPECIFICALLY BATMAN.

The Software Department is the middle child of the Watchtower.

[snapbacksteven]

‘Doug Out’ - Steven Universe (2017)

[carmenxjulia]

do you ever just think about how carmen's first reaction after hearing julia's voice in the fashion caper went from mild surprise to a smile? or how after she quickly disarmed julia, she gently put her gun back in her coat. or how carmen grabbed julia's hand? or how she made julia iin charge of her group despite barely knowing her? im still thinking about it and i cant fully explain why these small moments are so good? can you, please?

Absolutely. You’re talking to a person who created a 20,000 word fanfic based on a 45 second interaction. You want a Carmen and Julia analysis? I’d say you’ve come to the right place.

Yes, I do think about that scene a lot.

Let us begin.

Last season, Carmen and Julia interacted for less than a single minute. In that time, Carmen came to know and trust her enough to pass off the Magna Carta to her for safekeeping. And Julia got to have a real conversation with someone who was an international criminal and by some, might have even been branded as dangerous.

But Julia had always believed in her innocence and clung to the idea that there was more to each theft that most people didn’t see. Carmen leaving the Magna Carta was solid proof towards her theory that Carmen was one of the good guys. And it was a show of goodwill, a symbol of trust, that Carmen was banking on Julia doing the right thing and not taking full credit for its safe return (at least among her colleagues).

Then we get to season 2. Julia has, almost inexplicably, doubled down on her insistence that Carmen Sandiego is doing good in the world and is not actually a criminal at all. From the very first moment that we see her, she is trying prove her innocence. She asks Chase to wake up so that he can clear her name. She tries everything she can to wake him, and we as the audience are made to think it’s because she is concerned for his well-being… until the scene ends with, “we need you to tell us that she did not do this to you.”

Now, while I’m sure Julia would never wish death or permanent damage to Chase, she’s not trying to wake him because she particularly cares about him. He was rude and selfish and constantly dismissed her and yeah, Julia is the type of person who would still care after all that (refer to the first sentence of this paragraph), but it’s really really important to recognize that she’s not there for him. She’s there on behalf of Carmen.

So, what does that have to do with “The Fashionista Caper”?

We, the audience, are privy to Julia’s private conversations with Chief and other members of A.C.M.E. We get to see her defending Carmen, over and over, in the episodes leading up to episode 4. It’s not just speculation anymore! In Season 1, Julia had her theories, but was actively open to being proven wrong when provided with evidence to the contrary of her hunches. In Season 2, she is certain she’s right, and she stands by her belief that Carmen is good.

Carmen doesn’t see/hear any of that. She has literally no idea Julia has been defending her behind her back. No idea just how hard Julia has been fighting to clear her name with A.C.M.E. Not a single clue how conflicted Julia actually is, with having a job to do versus wanting to stand by the facts right in front of her.

She doesn’t see Julia again after the train incident (“The Chasing Paper Caper”) until they meet in Italy (”The Fashionista Caper”). All Carmen knows is that Julia is not as hellbent on catching her as Chase was, and that the Magna Carta were returned safely.

We, the audience, have a front row seat to watch Julia go from shaky theories to boldly proclaiming Carmen Sandiego is not who everyone thinks she is, despite seeming to be the only person who actually believes that.

Legitimately, Carmen has very little reason to trust Julia other than a gut feeling. There is no explanation for not only roping her into the caper, but immediately giving Julia her gun back and fully trusting she wouldn’t use it. Any other agent would have ignored Carmen’s request for help and gassed her right then and there. Carmen just inherently knows Julia is different.

We actually see an example of this just a few moments earlier. When Agent Zari tells Carmen to freeze, Carmen sets the gun off and turns it on her right away. When Julia shows up and demands more or less the same thing, the two have a little back and fourth banter. Carmen, no doubt, notes Agent Argent’s hesitation.

Carmen’s surprise no doubt came from her not expecting another agent, or at least, not expecting an agent to give her a chance to respond. Whereas Zari wasn’t afraid to get up close and point the gun directly at her face, Julia is standing quite far off. It probably took Carmen a moment to register who was speaking to her, and once she realized it was Julia, she relaxed, and smiled.

Julia helped her before, with the Magna Carta. So, why not seek her help more directly? Test the waters with the one agent who was willing to give her the time of day.

Not only that, but undoubtedly Carmen was re-formulating her plan to include Julia in it, right at that very moment. Honestly, the whole thing went far better with 4 people instead of the initial 3 (Carmen, Ivy, and Zack). So Carmen was probably like ‘oh hey that very reasonable agent from the train that I can probably count on to help me out if I also present myself as a sane and reasonable person.’ And then it actually worked.

But we can dissect this small change in her expression even further. Carmen is genuinely happy to see her/hear her voice. Not just because she knows Julia is raw and untrained and easily disarmed, no. Upon their first meeting, Carmen gave her the nickname “Jules”. In fact, Carmen has literally never spoken her full name, “Julia”. Even when passing off leadership in front of Ivy and Zack, Carmen still sticks to the Jules nickname. She doesn’t do this with anyone else. (Sure, Player is “Player”, but that’s purely upon his own request.) Maybe this is a reach, but, it feels like this indicates a completely different type of relationship and level of intimacy that Carmen shares with Julia and no one else.

Getting back on track.

Carmen probably took her hand as an extra precaution to prevent Julia from deciding to whip out her gun again. I mean, sure, it was also faster and easier to lead her by holding her hand. But also consider that the gun was holstered against her left hip, making it awkward to try to maneuver around her jacket with her left hand to try and grab it. With her right hand occupied, it would have taken too long for her to pull it out again, even if she’d tried. Honestly, taking her hand was the most practical action in this scenario, even if it was a bit intimate. It doesn’t have to mean anything, but it can.

It is also worth noting that although Julia believes Carmen is on the same side as A.C.M.E., she is probably rightfully confused starting from the moment Carmen takes her gun and then doesn’t gas her.

Julia’s orders from A.C.M.E. were to capture Carmen Sandiego in order to protect the Medici gowns. So when it turned out Carmen wasn’t planning to take the gowns, Julia had to decide that saving the dresses overruled the order to capture Carmen. The original mission she was given changed in a matter of seconds, making her have to pick a priority (Carmen or dresses). It also gave her an opportunity to work with Carmen and show A.C.M.E. she’d been right all along. But Julia, much like Carmen, had to trust her gut about this woman she barely knew, but had the utmost faith in.

As far as putting Julia in charge of getting the gowns to safety, that was probably the easiest decision of the evening for either of them. Carmen already knows Julia is one of the good guys. She doesn’t need to question her motives, at all. Not only that, but as mentioned above, Julia had already proven she could be trusted by ensuring the safe return of the Magna Carta.

Carmen knew V.I.L.E. wouldn’t be far behind, and dividing her attention could have been disastrous for the mission overall. I mean, she’s Carmen Sandiego, so, she could have probably handled it. But it was a much smarter move to put Julia in charge. She knew that Ivy and Zack were better at taking orders than giving them. She knew Player wouldn’t be able to coordinate well enough from his location. Carmen needed someone on the ground, right there, right then. Julia was available.

One final piece of this scene, that although it was not mentioned in the original ask, I feel is worth noting. Julia is actively worried about Carmen Sandiego’s safety. She outright asks, “what about you?” when Carmen instructs the others to get the gowns to safety. Why should she care? Her mission, saving the  Medici’s, is about to be complete. She’s about to really and truly prove herself to A.C.M.E. by being the agent responsible for saving the gowns. And yet she pauses, wanting to ensure Carmen is safe before she goes anywhere. A person that is supposed to be her enemy, although Julia has never truly believed that.

This is followed by Carmen pushing Julia back, not only urging her to leave with the gowns and Carmen’s own team, but moving her further away from danger as well as physically putting her body between Julia and potential harm. There are smashing sounds coming from the ceiling; clearly something bad is on its way. As usual, Carmen puts the safety of her friends before her own, which is a completely new experience for Julia. She is getting to see a caring and protective side of the super thief, one she was previously unaware of. Even for someone she barely knows, she’s willing to put her life on the line to save that of someone else.

And finally, even after Julia runs after Ivy and Zack, she turns back one last time to see how Carmen is doing. She doesn’t want to leave her behind, but ultimately realizes she has no choice. She certainly wouldn’t be any use in a fight. Plus, her number one objective is to save the gowns. Carmen Sandiego is probably going to get away. But the items she was sent to protect are now in A.C.M.E. hands. Job well done.

But Julia is left with the knowledge that Carmen Sandiego played an integral part in the success of the mission. She and Zari could not have saved the gowns alone (especially with the knowledge that Carmen was being attacked). Carmen Sandiego did in fact steal things- but it was to get the jump on another person or organization before they could do so themselves, smuggling the valuables away and returning them at a later date. Just as was the pattern Carmen laid out in Season 1.

Julia not only had her long-standing theory validated, but she got to see just how self-sacrificing Carmen could be. Putting herself in harms way while everyone else was encouraged to find somewhere safer. For someone labeled as a criminal, that was probably completely unexpected. Among a multitude of other unexpected things that had just happened. But that one may have been the most surprising.

All in all, there is a lot to say about this scene, and I could honestly go through it frame by frame and write a comprehensive essay. But hopefully this will sufficiently answer your query, and if not, feel free to send another ask.

[carmenxjulia]

You Never Did Get My Name Ch6

Title: You Never Did Get My Name, Chapter 6

Description: How do you view the world in shades of grey when a shade of brilliant red just won't go away?

[Read on AO3]

Everything about this felt crazy.

Well, maybe crazy was an exaggeration.

Julia considered herself a logical and level headed person, most of the time. She always thought things through, always tried to look at situations from all sides and angles. Usually it led to her being commended for her keen observation. At the moment, her need for thoroughness had gotten her into a predicament. She was torn between wanting to do what she thought was right, and what her superiors told her was right.

Her job was to help hunt down and capture Carmen Sandiego, because she was a criminal. But she wasn't really a criminal, as Julia had recently found out. The obvious solution should have been for her to contact A.C.M.E., inform them of her recent discoveries, and await further instruction. But her previous inability to sway Chase Devineaux to examine evidence that Carmen Sandiego might be innocent caused her to reconsider. What if Chief didn't want to listen to her, either? She could easily have her removed from the force for conducting her own rogue investigation.

It didn't help that Carmen had been seen at the scene of Agent Devineaux's kidnapping. Julia now knew her motives had been to save him rather than cause him harm, but the means by which she'd acquired this intel were not exactly within protocol. No interrogation room, no handcuffs, not even any recording devices. She really didn't have any concrete proof other than her own word, which was based on what she'd been told by a supposed thief.

She would have had no problem keeping her secret talks with Carmen from Chase, if he was still her superior. Agent Devineaux consistently refuted any evidence that contracted his personal bias, blatantly ignoring the presence of other criminals at the scene of a crime in favor of blindly blaming Carmen Sandiego. It was frustrating. He called facts "dull" and "boring", and more often than not dismissed Julia's own findings. How could a detective as seasoned as Chase not care about facts? Time and again, it was clear he did not see her as any kind of equal, even when her knowledge trumped his own. Especially when her knowledge trumped his own.

Chief was different. Julia knew Chase would call her foolish and attempt to have her stripped of her position immediately for not capturing Carmen when she had the chance. But Julia didn't work for Interpol anymore, so Chase's authority over her was much less daunting. Chief, on the other hand, had previously praised her for her intellect, and actually listened when she wanted to investigate further, instead of jumping to baseless conclusions.

While Interpol wanted to catch her because she was a thief, for A.C.M.E., Carmen was meant to be a means to gain access to V.I.L.E. As it turned out, she wasn't working with them, or so she had led Julia to believe. The agent could only guess the mysterious enemies Carmen had referred to at their meeting were somehow related to the organization.

Perhaps her trust and belief that Carmen's words were genuine came from the fact that she'd always believed in her innocence. She wanted it to be true, and ate up every shred of information that validated her theories. Perhaps her bias blinded her, and she was being duped by the nefarious scoundrel.

But that didn't make any sense. Why would Carmen Sandiego go so far out of her way and craft so many lies just to convince Julia she wasn't at fault? Julia was not in any position of authority to clear her name, and she must have known it wouldn't be as easy as showing up and claiming she wasn't responsible for all of her crimes.

The problem was there was no right thing to do. The right thing for Julia, for her job, her career, her future, would be to turn Carmen Sandiego in. Be applauded as a hero, and show Chase Devineaux she was capable of apprehending lawbreakers. On the other hand, Carmen Sandiego had trusted her, and betraying that trust definitely wasn't the right thing to do. Especially since they were technically both on the same side of justice. Carmen's questionable methods had simply caused her to be mislabeled by the authorities.

Wasn't this exactly how she was supposed to think? "View the world in shades of gray", as Chief put it. Nothing about this situation was black and white. Julia, operating on her own accord, taking risks, defying authority. All in the name of proving her theories right and clearing the name of an outlaw. Maybe that's how she'd justify her actions to Chief if she ever got caught.

The more she thought about it, the more Julia convinced herself it was too late to turn back now. She briefly consider gathering a DNA sample from the hoodie Miss Sandiego had carelessly left behind. It sat, folded neatly on the back of the couch where she'd placed it after their afternoon together. Even if it didn't match to any known persons, they'd at least be able to match the sample to others collected at future crime scenes.

Come to think of it, Julia had never known her to be careless. Her vigilance kept her from being caught, and leaving behind such a conspicuous item seemed almost… deliberate. She frowned at the idea that leaving the jacket behind might have been on purpose.

What did Carmen Sandiego want with her? Julia had been so focused on her own intentions and questions, she hadn't even considered why Carmen wanted her to contact her in the first place. She wasn't the type to take hostages or threaten law enforcement, and in all of her heists authorities and civilians came away unscathed. Aside from the antics of Chase Devineaux, which could more so be attributed to his own incompetence rather than on the direct actions of the woman in red.

She'd mentioned she was lonely, but it couldn't be as simple as that. Could it? Carmen Sandiego had accomplices, Julia was almost certain of it. Did her relationship with her partners in crime stay purely professional? Did she prefer to keep her work and personal life separate?

Why pick Julia, of all people?

The burning desire for answers was maddening. She paced back and forth across the living room of her apartment, head spinning as she sifted through the pieces of information she'd been able to compile over the last several months. Digging for a reason that would explain her current unprecedented actions.

"Now she's going to know where you live!"

"You really think she didn't already know?"

"Then why did she ask?"

"Probably to not seem creepy by knowing everything about you."

"Does pretending not to know somehow make it better?"

"I don't know, does it?"

"Stop talking to yourself, Julia."

She flopped down on the couch, pressing her face into her hands, fingers sliding up under her glasses. The jostling of the furniture caused the red sweater to fall forward, gently brushing against Julia's shoulder as it unfolded.

She glanced at the clothing item next to her, picking it up with both hands and holding it out in front of her. It was so plain. So ordinary. It could have belonged to anyone. She brought the fabric to her face, inhaling, the sweet scent of orchid hitting her senses. So that's what she smelled like.

What are you doing, Julia?

She threw the sweatshirt to the side, to the empty space next to her. Traces of the phantom scent lingered on the edge of her mind. She glanced around her quiet apartment, all at once acutely aware of just how few people she'd ever invited to visit. Outside of work, she tended to keep to herself, but the lack of close relationships had never really bothered her.

But wouldn't it be nice to have someone to come home to? Someone who wouldn't be driven away by her passion for her career and semi-regular trips out of the country. Someone who delighted in listening to her tales of far off places and wouldn't mind her frequent absences. Someone who would appreciate her fondness for history, and would delight in her randomly spouting facts every once in awhile.

Not that that had anything to do with Carmen Sandiego.

Chase Devineaux was the one who had been obsessed with Carmen Sandiego for months. Julia could only imagine the sleepless nights he spent trying to anticipate her next move. Trying to outsmart her. Reimagining every escape he had witnessed, over and over again. No wonder he seemed a little crazed in his pursuit of Le Femme Rouge.

And yet, it was Julia's life she had chosen to waltz right into. Julia, a fresh face on the force and coincidentally the only person who believed in her innocence. Did the Crimson Phantom have some kind of sixth sense that drew her to Julia? Some inner instinct that she could be trusted above all others?

Or maybe they were just two lonely, work obsessed women fate had brought together. Would things have been different if Julia had never become a government agent? Would she feel bad about being friends with someone who was on the run from the law? Would they have ever even met if Julia hadn't accepted the mission from A.C.M.E.? There were so many scenarios where their paths would never cross, and yet, they were both traveling down one in which they had. It must be for a reason, Julia decided.

Sitting around her apartment puzzling was turning out to be less fruitful than Julia had hoped. She'd have to figure out later what she was going to do once A.C.M.E. called her back into action and she had to pursue the Scarlet Outlaw again. Well, Carmen had still been recovering when they'd met, so Julia would have plenty of time to decide on a plan of action. For now, she had a more pressing matter to attend to.

What on Earth am I going to wear?

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