2839/Bring Your Daughter to Work Day

Bring Your Daughter to Work Day
Date of Scene:	14 October 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Questions are answered, and possibly a few fences mended, between Norman and Sarah.
Cast of Characters:	Sarah Osborn, Green Goblin

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Sarah Osborn has posed:
The problem with approaching someone like Norman Osborn is he is rich, powerful, and busy. It took almost a week to get an appointment to see him. She did not want to claim to be family, they would probably think she was a kook. So she made the appointment just like anyone else and waited. Now is the time, so she walks up to the front desk, "Sarah Osborn, here for my 10:00 with Norman Osborn."

Green Goblin has posed:
Sarah might notice a few changes since her last time here in-costume. Visibly more security. Video cameras, running feeds and storing them on multiple servers. A response to the recent break-in? To the countless threats? Either way, the process to get up to Norman Osborn's penthouse office waiting room is... more extensive than it was a week and a half ago. The perils of running for public office with a shady career, I guess.

As Sarah speaks to Osborn's personal assistant, the secretary doesn't even need to pick up the phone to inform her boss. Instead, the massive, thick metal doors leading into his private office suddenly swing open. Standing in the dim, shadowy light and cold, conditioned-air of his personal office, an usually rested-looking Norman holds his arms open.

"Sarah. I've been meaning to speak with you. Please, come in, let's talk..."

He turns without waiting for an answer, hoping she follows him into his soundproofed office and closing the door firmly behind her if she does.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah observes the increased security...well she knew the way she did it last time was a one-shot thing. For some reason, anyone who gets their place broken into tends to become more security conscious. She could still get in...but it would take a lot of computer hacking in advance to set up and extreme caution not to have the hacks noticed.

She follows Norman into his office...as she is known to be here it is unlikely he is going to do anything fatal to her...even is he is crazy.

Green Goblin has posed:
Throughout the whole act, Norman wears an air of politeness and familial attachment... that is, under the door is shut - at which point, his face drops and he walks back over to his massive, wooden desk, speaking quietly as he rummages around a drawer for something. "So, it's clear we need to discuss a few matters..." he says, his tone growing more serious, less familiar, as he pulls out the birth certificate Elizabeth handed to him on her meeting with Osborn days ago.

He drops it on the table between them. It gives the correct name of the mother and father. Information buried deep, so deep Norman honestly never thought anyone would bother going through the trouble of digging it all up. A moment of sloppiness, maybe - but such was a... bizarre time in his life.

"I'm sure you've heard the news. You have to understand, Sarah, everything I did was to PROTECT you. There are people out there, who HATE Norman Osborn. HATE me, for who I am. For the things I've done for this city."

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah is actually stunned for a moment, she had reached the convlusion that Norman was her grandfather, that her mother was likely an illigitimate child of his from before his marriage. It was a rational conclusion, but wrong. Instead, she herself is the bastard child, one born while Norman was married to another woman. Part of her mind points out that this may increase the chances she will become insane at some point.

It does not take long for her to get her thoughts together and state, "It seems more likely that you did it to protect yourself. At that time you were only Co-owner of this company, if word got out you had a bastard child, you might have been sued for divorce and it would have weakened your position in the company. After you took control from you former partner Dr. Stromm about 8 years ago, your current excuse may make some sense...but before then you simply were not important enough to have they kind of enemy you would need to protect me from."

Green Goblin has posed:
Norman can't help but grin at his duaghter's break-down of his motives - it's much the same train of thought that he himself woudl take. She seems to have the inborn Osborn ability to see through the polite excuses in the world, and cut straight to the heart of an issue. There's a certain look of... fatherly pride on him, before he finally shrugs, pushes the certificate further across the table (for all he knows, the Detective has already provided her with a copy, but he offers it all the same).

"You are an Osborn," he says with a laugh, as he begins to move around the table towards his daughter, finger tapping on the oak surface as he steps forward.

"Why can't it be both, Sarah? Hm? I'm a... dangerous man to be around. Even before the media targeted me with their lies and slander, before my own Board of Directors BETRAYED me and removed me from the company I built... I've always had business rivals, Sarah. Now I happen to have far more dangerous individuals after me. Spider-Man. That CLOWN who attacked me in your apartment. There was a break-in here, just a week ago.." he says quietly, his green eyes glinting momentarily as he regards Sarah carefully, "So yes, I was protecting myself. But I wonder if you realize what your life might have been like, if not just you - but EVERYONE - knew that you were the daughter of Norman Osborn. Don't you think, they would come after YOU, to get to ME?"

He scoffs, "Don't be a child, Sarah. You're an OSBORN. You should know the way this world works. A daughter of mine, will ALWAYS be a target for those who hate and fear me."

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah decides to try something else she thought of, "You are currently running for Mayor. Did you think perhaps you might be better portrayed as a family man. Revealing myself and Gabriel as your children and begging public forgivness for your indiscression would make for great publicity. Possibly far better than the Pathos from the death of your wife and son."

Sarah inquires, "Tell me about my mother. What was she like? How did you meet her? How did she die?"

Green Goblin has posed:
"Well, well..." says Norman, finishing his path around the wooden table and sitting back against it, now only a step or two away from Sarah - assuming she doesn't move herself to keep some distance. Just a nice family moment! "I must admit, Sarah, I wasn't sure about you. Living in Sunnydale. Consorting with Bludhaven detectives. Sending investigators to sniff out my business..." he says, not a hint of malice in his voice - he's simply giving the facts.

"But you are an Osborn, after all. You've survived without parents, just you and Gabriel.." there's a hint of regret to his voice, as though he were genuinely sorry to leave his illegitimate kids alone for so long. Whether it's an act or genuine, who can tell but Norman himself? "And not only did you survive, you hunted for the truth. Like an Osborn would. And like I would expect of my own flesh and blood, you've found what little truth a woman like Ms. Greene could gather... and I'm sure, a bit on your own, as well..."

"Now," he says, reaching out to put an arm on Sarah's shoulder unless she pulls back, "About your mother. It was... complicated. I met her when I was already married. I knew we were meant for each other. And then, she was taken away from me..." his voice is honest-sounding enough, but from a professional liar like Osborn, that's hardly proof in itself, "Since we are being so honest, Sarah... And since, apparently, Ms. Greene did not see fit to inform you - to her benefit, I should add, as it is HARDLY her place.." his voice rises in tone a bit, before settling back down with a few breaths - obviously the Bludhaven detective's approach frustrated him in some way. He's not used to being put on the spot like that by an outsider.

"There are some things, you might be ready to hear about what happened to your mother. Some things I've kept from you, for fear of... upsetting you. If you're interested..."

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah points out, "I am a grown woman now...and I do not know how much you know about Sunnydale. Let us just say, in Sunnydale, what you do not know can most definately hurt you." Being an assistant to a group that hunts vampires and other supernatural monsters, she is speaking from experience. She adds, "Sunnydale being a distract in Bludhaven, who ELSE would I go to but a Bludhaven detective. I was fortunate to find an Honest police officer, they are rare in Bludhaven. A Dishonest one would have tried to extort both of us, it was a risk."

Green Goblin has posed:
"Given my... brief experience in your town, I believe it," he says - referring to his run-in with the Joker and that other, strangely-customed individual when he first attempted to contact his daughter. Shrugging, it's fairly obvious that the matters of the supernatural - strange creatures in the night around Sunnydale - are beyond his usual scope.

"But you understand, I have pressing matters in THIS city. This is where I met your mother, Sarah. This place holds a special place in my... heart." His grin at the last word is wider than usual, that same shining brightness passing over his green eyes for just a flash. Norman Osborn: Heart of Gold, sure thing.

"Don't mistake my frustration with Ms. Greene for disapproving of your actions, Sarah - it's the Osborn way to seek answers rather than wait for them to arrive. I made my FORTUNE, looking towards the future."

He looks away from Sarah for just a moment, into that darkened corner of the room that he often spends hours staring into during his free time... there's nothing there, not even a potted plant - just a corner of the room where the light never seems to hit.

"It's been difficult. I never wanted my... work, to effect my family. It did. I lost your mother. My wife, as well. All because of those who wanted to TEAR me down, out of JEALOUSY... I wouldn't... I couldn't let the same thing happen to you. A niece makes a far less appealing target than a daughter, Sarah. I never wanted you to GET HURT."

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah states persuasively, "People get hurt, it is a fact of life. Secrets can not stay hidden forever. One is better off knowing the truth, even if it hurts at first. Only by facing up to painful truths can you grow strong."

Green Goblin has posed:
Norman is pleased as he could possibly be with the way his illegitimate daughter has turned out, even in the abscence of proper parenting on his part. Maybe there really is something in the Osborn genes that make someone... more focused, more single-minded, able to endure all that life has to throw at them. He eyes her up silently for a moment, remembering that blood transfusion years ago... and wondering. Regardless, he opens his arms up wide and attempts to embrace Sarah in a short, brief fatherly hug. Of course, he'll hardly be surprised if she pulls away - they haven't exactly been close the past few years. He's objectively failed as any kind of father. But still... in an odd way, family is one of the few things ASIDE from power he cares about. And he doesn't have much family left.

If Sarah allows the hug, Norman will pat her hair lightly and release the embrace - if she pulls back, he just shrugs it off with a grin as per usual.

"You're right, Sarah. Look at you, how far you've come. Painful truths, then. Your mother... even if Spider-Man and that lunatic Goblin..." he says, his voice getting darker as he continues, the light in his eyes going out as a shadow seems to fall over his face, "The police informed me, after some investigation at the time, there was a bomb planted under the car. I can only assume it was a business rival, looking to strike at me through the ones I love. Hardly a new tactic by the low-lives and 'heroes' who so frequently oppose my efforts," he says, smoothly covering over who really planted that explosive - there's no way, short of torture or psychic probing, that Norman would ever let that slip. More people know about his alter-ego as the Goblin, than about him... disposing of his troublesome mistresses.

"Do you understand now? They were targeting her. They targeted my wife, as well. Anyone, directly connected to me, seems to be fair game for my enemies. As my niece, you've grown up into a strong, capable woman. As my daughter... you may not have HAD that chance."

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah allows the hug, though she has multiple reasons to do so. For one thing, she is looking for signs physically to prove her theory that Norman is the Goblin. She has already noted the signs of paranoia and mental instability. The way a person who has greater than human strength hugs another whom they do not think an equal is well known to her...given her strength has been superhuman for years. It is subtle, but someone looking can spot it.

Sarah says, "I have not been told yet much about my mother's death, do you care to tell me more, as it appears you do know about it."

Green Goblin has posed:
What a coincidence! Norman has his own reasons beyond a show of parental support for the hug - such as the small strand of loose hair he pulled away from his daughter as he patted her head. The wonderful thing about the human scalp is, if you know what you're doing you don't even HAVE to yank a hair out - there's all kinds of dead or otherwise loosened material one can pull up without it being felt. He moves away almost immediately from the hug, circling back around to his side of the table as Sarah begins to talk. He's prepared another little document here, hopefully enough to sate her curiosity. He'd HATE to have the issue pushed any more than it's currently being... blood or no, there's some things he's NOT comfortable with Sarah knowing. As he deposits one of her hairs inside his desk drawer in a pre-built, sealed compartment for later testing, he also pulls out another file folder. Thicker, with a 'New York Police Department' header on the tab. Official.

"I've told you most of what I know - and I understand, you might have little reason to trust me. Maybe that Detective from Bludhaven told you stories - maybe you've heard some yourself. Just know, I've spent my share of money looking into things myself, with no concrete evidence pointing to any one individual," says Norman, putting on his most sincere face - and he's not lying, for the sake of appearances he DID hire numerous private investigators to 'look into' his mistress' death quietly, if only to appease the NYPD who, for a time, considered him a potential suspect.

"Take a look, at your leisure. Satisfy your own curiosity, straight from the source - the NYPD. They looked into it extensively, they interviewed me multiple times. Inside this folder.." he says, dropping it on the table between them, "You'll find all the evidence they gathered. Details on the bomb's construction and details, the lack of DNA evidence on the scene, eyewitness reports of the battle between the Spider and the Green Goblin... My interviews, about your mother. Everything I knew, I told them," he says - a lie, obviously, or he'd be in some kind of asylum... but hopefully enough to keep the girl busy reading for a while, so he can consider what EXACTLY she should know from the man himself.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Not having a convenient storage place, Sarah did not try for a sample that way (though she may see what she can find out from what is left on her clothing later). She takes up the police report and pages through it, apparently just glancing at each page. She is very good at assimilating and comprehending information...possibly Norman can tell that she is actually reading each page in those short glances, perhaps he can not. She says, "It appears to be a quite comptrehensive report, thank you for getting it for me."

Sarah adds, "Have youy given any thought to my suggestion, about how acknowledging Gabriel and Myself might be good for your campaign?"

Green Goblin has posed:
Norman chuckles again - as unpleasant as some of the topics might be, his daughter is proving to be quite the confident young woman, displaying that same mind and cunning that seems to run in the Osborn line - no doubt boosted by that old blood transfusion... yes, Norman will be looking forward to running a few tests on that sample of her hair he just procured.

"You certainly don't disappoint, Sarah. You've got a mind for these matters, just like your father..." he says, turning around to stare out the massive, heavily-tinted, one-way glass window that looks out from behind his desk onto the NYC skyline from a great distance up. He seems to ponder in silence for a moment, "With Harry... gone, I must admit, it is an interesting suggestion. And something sorely lacking from my campaign. With no wife, no other family I've acknowledged.."

He turns, his face back to the usual smile - blank eyes looking over his daughter from his new spot near the window. "This city, could be so beautiful, Sarah. I know you may find yourself at home in Sunnydale - who am I to judge? We all have to find our own PLACE in this world... I hope, though... when the time comes, you will stand by my side," he says, a note of pride in his voice as he continues, "You're an Osborn. You're capable of great things. If you can accept the price that comes with greatness, then I welcome you... into the FAMILY."

There's a certain, odd tone on that last word. Not menacing, but... foreboding, perhaps?

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Of course, Sarah is brilliant in her own way. One thing she figured out a long time ago was that someone might try getting a sample of shed skin or hair to try to prove she is Goblin-Girl. What can you do? Well create a body and hair wash that removes all trace of the unusual biochemical found in her blood from such shed tissues for several hours. Sarah, suspecting Norman might try something, took the precaution of using it before coming here. One thing heroes get good at, finding ways to hide their identity.

Sarah has an ulterior motive or two for the suggestion. First is a test for Norman, but second is that Gabriel is still missing, she is hoping an announcement like the one she is suggestion will draw him out of the woodwork.

Sarah says aloud, "There are advantages to knowing your place in the world. though you are right there are troubles as well. No matter who your family is, eventyally everyone has to make their own way and find out who they are themselves."

Green Goblin has posed:
His mind obviously working much along the same lines as Sarah, Norman brings up the unspoken issue of her brother's odd abscence as of late, "I've had my men looking for Gabriel, though I'm sure you could assume as much. Maybe you've been conducting your own research into the matter." He sighs heavily. In a way, he wishes he could have been a better father to his illegitimate children - but the stresses of his company, his affair, and the madness of the Goblin stood in the way of such domestic issues.

"There's little I'd like more, Sarah, than to have what remains of the family back together again. I hope you can believe that," he says as he moves his eyes between Sarah and the view out his tinted office window, "And I do hope you can understand why I lied to you all those years, even IF I don't expect forgiveness."

"I would... appreciate it, if you stayed somewhere close to the City. If you have your own business back in Sunnydale, I understand - but do try to be close. I expect I'll be making another announcement in the coming week, as things progress... I will want you at my side. Please, read over the Police file at your leisure... do whatever is NECESSARY to satisfy your curiosity. But be prepared, to leave the past in the past... and look to the future."

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah says, "I think we both need some time to think over our discussions. There has been a lot of new information, I think for the both of us. I think we can both agree, if the past stays in the past, then it is best left there...but as the man said, 'Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.' I have a lot of studying to do, if you will excuse me." She takes the file and prepares to leave, then pauses, "Perhaps, you should let your security know that I am allowed to visit, coming to see you can be a distinct pain."

Green Goblin has posed:
Norman pauses to think about it a moment, tapping his chin in thought as he regards Sarah through suddenly cold, brighter-green eyes than previously. Finally, he says - quietly and slow, "It will be done. Do not abuse the privilege, my dear daughter. Remember, now, I AM your father. But please, come see me whenever you wish - and I'll be in touch to schedule something... public."