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Midnight Rendezvous|| @felinesfury

As a rule Green Arrow did not often make appearances in Gotham City. For one, Batman had made it very clear about how he felt about other heroes being in his city. For another Gotham was on the opposite coast from Star, and while Oliver liked to ruffle the Big Bat’s feathers every once in a while, traveling across the country just to piss off Batman wasn’t really his idea of fun. 

None-the-less it was not the Dark Knight creeping across the rooftops of Gotham that night, but the Emerald Archer instead. Ollie jumped the slight gap between two buildings and marvel at the very fact that he was able to do so. In Star City that would have landed him a one way trip into a side alley dumpster. Truly Batman didn’t know how lucky he was; there was nothing quite like finding yourself upside down, face first in someone’s throw out chinese food.

Steadying himself after his jump he slowed his pace, and crept closer to (if his information was right, and it had better be) the place where the guns deal was supposed to happen. Which brought him to why he was actually in Gotham in the first place. A few weeks ago Green Arrow had started to notices there were a lot more armed idiots on the streets of Star City. As in about 10 times more, and getting shot at did not make Green Arrow a happy camper.  It took some time (and a lot of head bashing, but that was the fun part) but he eventually managed to find out that the people selling in Star were not the main distributors, and since Batman had apparently decided to take the month off, here he was. 

This was supposed to be a drop if new shipments, which the second in command of the dealer’s ring was overseeing personally. It seemed some poor schmuck locked up in prison wouldn’t be getting an additional visit from him, because as he got closer it looked and sounded exactly like it was supposed to. He was about to settle in to listen and maybe get some more unsolicited information before busting up the drop, when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. 

And imminently sighed as he caught sight Catwoman perched just one rooftop away with a look on her face that spelled murder. He considered trying to make his way over to her, but knew she would notice him far before he could get there, and potentially alert their would-be arms dealers to their presence. Instead he searched around until he found a sizable piece of gravel, checked to make sure the idiots down below were too engrossed in their conversation to notice a small disturbance, then threw it over to her rooftop and gestured for her to come over to him. 

Selina crouched on the rooftop overlooking the deal.  There had been a lot more murders around in her sections of Gotham, the ones she had a personal investment in, and that didn't sit well with her at all.  Three good acquaintances of hers were in the hospital after getting caught up in a little turf war that shouldn't have come anywhere near them.  It had taken Selina nearly a full week to get this location, and she wasn't going to let anyone here leave walking.

She shifted onto her toes, preparing to move when the time was right, when something skipped across the roof and hit her calf.  Her head snapped to the side, eyes searching for whatever had struck her.  It was then when she realized someone was watching her and... waving to her.

"For god's sake."

Silently, Selina moved away from the edge of the roof, slipping back into the shadows before leaping across the gap to meet Green Arrow.  "Was that your attempt to summon me?" she hissed, glaring at him from behind her goggles.  "Throwing gravel like you're trying to get your girlfriend to sneak out for the night?"

Kit and Cat

"He likes petting, you know," she said, gently lifting Morocco onto the arm of the sofa.  "He already seems to like you.  Have you ever had a pet?"

Getting to know each other, Cass echoed in her own mind, mulling that over for a moment. That was what was happening. She wondered, ought she really get to know someone like Catwoman in such a casual manner? Opportunities usually didn’t present themselves like this — then again, Selina wasn’t average by any means. Was it possible to have a friendly (or at least amicable) relationship with a foe outside of the work context?

She’d have to think of it, she reasoned. Weigh the possible outcomes and decide on her own terms. In the meantime, Cass followed Selina’s attention to Morocco moments before he lept up onto the couch. It occurred to her that she was still standing (and a little awkwardly, at that), but instead of sitting she stepped toward the end of the couch. A hand reached out, just a little tentatively — her fingertips brushed Morocco’s flank, just lightly enough to feel the cat’s spine curve away, before she gently rested her hand there instead. “No.” She considered for a brief moment. “Two dogs. Batman’s… and Robin has one.” Not that she had very often interacted with Ace much less Titus. Her arm was moving for her now, stroking Morocco’s fur with her palm. She was finding that was an oddly relaxing set of moments.

Selina kept her small smile as she watched Cass pet Morocco, her expression gentle, but her eyes sharp.  This Bat didn't move like any of the other members of her family, and that interested Selina to no end.  Bruce was smooth, but bulky, like a building that could sneak up on you.  Dick was all fluttery movement, graceful, but everywhere, always in motion.  Jason...  Jason had been such a bright little thing, full of energy and eager to please.  She'd really liked him.  Tim was quiet in his movements now, a far cry from the teen she had met years ago.  And Damian... the little bundle of joy.  He moved like his father, only smaller and less intimidating.  But Cass didn't.  Not at all.

Selina had known every Batgirl, but none of them had intrigued her in quite this way before.  She both could and couldn't read her.  Her body language seemed to open and yet it was confusing.  Maybe that was why.  Selina learned to read the lies in people's bodies, not their truths.  Blame it on the occupation.

"Do you live with them?  At the Manor, I mean.  With the dogs."

Ask my muse increasingly personal questions. See how far you can push them.

Headcanon Meme:

Want an excuse to crawl a little deeper into your character’s head? Wondering what other people find most interesting or confusing about your character? Feeling the muse and just want an excuse to write? Reblog the following and answer accordingly!

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Kit and Cat

She stretched out long on the couch, letting out a soft groan that sounded not unlike a quiet cat yowl before resettling to give Cass space.  ”Does it make you nervous?  Do I?”

Selina laughed, and Cass furrowed her brow. Was it amusing? She thought the vigilante business was plenty… Entertaining, in its own way. Something she thoroughly enjoyed doing. Or was she supposed to have answered differently, chosen something a little more mundane or, at the very least, something outside of the job? At that point, though, she let it go. Vocal misinterpretations were certainly nothing new to her, if that’s what it had been. Besides, why should it matter so much what someone like Selina thought?

The older woman had a point, though, she mused. Selina wasn’t like other, er, villains, for lack of a better term. She had always held a certain respect for the Batfamily that nobody else in her sort of line of work had ever bothered with. She was… Nearly in her own category. 'Why shouldn't I be friendly?' Cass didn’t really have an answer to that, she discovered, with mild surprise. "No." It was simple. She saw no reason to be nervous, and a girl like her could see everything. So much, in fact, that she found her momentarily distracted by the way Selina so much as stretched on the couch. Graceful, was repeatedly the word that came to Cassandra’s mind. Graceful, and lithe. She’d never seen anybody carry on with such a casual elegance. Cass was, by her own nature, involuntarily fascinated.

"No reason to be." She finally added, vocalizing her previous thought. She shifted her position where she stood just noticeably, and for a moment she let her sharp eyes find Morocco in the mass of cats before she returned her gaze to Selina.

Selina smiled wide.  "I'm glad.  I'd really hate to make you nervous, not when we're just starting to get to know each other."

Her eyes darted over in the direction Cass had glanced, her smile sliding towards a smirk.  She let out a short whistle and clicked her tongue.  From across the room, Morocco looked up, meowed, and trotted over to her, hopping up beside where Isis lay curled in front of her.

"He likes petting, you know," she said, gently lifting Morocco onto the arm of the sofa.  "He already seems to like you.  Have you ever had a pet?"

Kit and Cat

Selina gestured towards the sofa before settling on it herself, Isis immediately hopping up onto her lap.  ”So, tell me, what do you do to have fun, kitten?”

It was fascinating to someone like Cass, to see a well-reputed villain out of costume and as comfortable as someone might be in their own home (quite literally, in this instance). She’d never had too many run-ins with Catwoman to begin with — she always ended up running into Bruce, or on occasion, Dick, more than enough times for it to be a coincidence. Cassandra was always tuned into the body language of those around her, how they moved and the ways they behaved. But while she’d had inklings before, it was now striking to her how Selina didn’t move like anybody else she’d ever witnessed. Every step was graceful, lithe, confident yet not in any way any experiences martial artist or seasoned vigilante might be. She moved… In the closest way a human possibly could to a cat, she decided. Like a cat in a human’s body. she wore her title in all forms. It reminded her of Batman, and for a brief moment Cass could see why Bruce had always been so unadmittedly enraptured by her.

With a start, the young woman realized she’d been thinking much too deeply and off in her own space — not entirely uncommon for her, but certainly not acceptable while wearing her costume and in an unfamiliar place. Her body had moved absently for her, over the threshold and into the apartment. The cat count had been surprisingly accurate. Certainly more than enough to make a call to animal services, if they weren’t all so healthy-looking that Cass felt no reason to bother. Despite the welcoming gesture toward the sofa, she hesitated to sit quite yet. Instead, she hovered a few feet away, getting a wary feel for the place and wondering how long it would take to actually count each cat. "This." She made a general gesture downward at her costume. Anything she did recreationally was usually Steph’s idea, and she allowed herself to be dragged along because she enjoyed the company. The reply was dismissive, however. Something else was weighing on her mind. "You’re…" She paused, what word was she looking for? "… Friendly. Toward me." She watched Selina carefully, ready to gauge her response. It wasn’t every day that a villain invited a vigilante into their house so comfortably. Even if it was someone like Selina. "Why?"

Selina couldn't help but laugh at Cass' answer.  That was the kind of thing she expected from Bruce, not one of his children, all that "no play, only justice" kind of thing.  But then, of all the various bats and birds, this one did seem the most like him in her own way.  That was alluring, somehow.

The question threw her.  "Why shouldn't I be?" she asked, shrugging.  "I don't hold any kind of animosity towards you.  Or your family, in spite of what some might say.  Why shouldn't I be friendly?"

She stretched out long on the couch, letting out a soft groan that sounded not unlike a quiet cat yowl before resettling to give Cass space.  "Does it make you nervous?  Do I?"

"Would you like to come in?" she asked, finally.  "It’s much warmer inside and much more comfortable.  I promise I don’t bite."

Strangely for Cass, she was only vaguely aware of the eyes on her — rather, she felt them, but wasn’t particularly concerned. Was she letting her guard down? No, that wasn’t it. Selina’s body language was relaxed, casual. There wasn’t any threat. It was simply a matter of keeping alert just in case a threat did arise that required her attention. But it was an unexpected leap to go from being watched to being invited inside, and certainly one she hadn’t been expecting. She hadn’t felt cold, or particularly uncomfortable (then again, she reasoned, that didn’t mean everybody else could tell by body language just because she could). There was a long pause as she, ever-cautious, took a moment to weigh her options. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t as if she felt that there was any threat indoors, either. In a single movement she had moved from her prior perch on the balcony ledge into a standing position, looking from Selina to Morocco to the door before offering a small nod.

Selina smiled again, only this time it was much less cunning or feral; it was warm, almost motherly in a way.  She opened the door, letting Morocco walk in first before gesturing for Cass to follow.

She had not been exaggerating the number of cats around.  Although the apartment was quite neat-- and that only half of the cats seemed to be present-- there were cats nearly everywhere.  Some lounged on the chairs and tables around, others wandered in and out between rooms, and some simply ignored the people present and continued with their grooming or playing or sleeping.  It was a cozy place, if nothing else.

Selina gestured towards the sofa before settling on it herself, Isis immediately hopping up onto her lap.  "So, tell me, what do you do to have fun, kitten?"

Selina smiled.  ”Exactly.  It all depends on what’s right to you.  I’d never steal from a working family, but I’d take something from a Wayne.”  She flashed her a smile, gleaming white teeth between red lips.  ”Well, one of the male ones, anyway.  But that would be strictly for fun.  If he didn’t have such a good family, I’d do it to make a point.”

Stealing wasn’t something that was meant purely for fun, Cass mused to herself, and perhaps that was the fault in Selina’s lifestyle. There was no point in saying it aloud, though. Something in the way the woman carried herself let on that she knew. She simply didn’t particularly care.

So Cassandra let it slide, only offering a sidelong frown at the mention of robbing anyone named Wayne. She thought perhaps to speak again — far too much effort in talking, too hard to get the thoughts articulated when simply body language could express so much more — but a soft meow distracted her. She tentatively reached out toward the pretty brown cat sitting between her and Selina, hesitating only briefly when her gloved palm met Morocco’s head. Then she found herself lightly petting the cat and wondering exactly why she was hanging around on Catwoman’s balcony, and what was keeping her from whisking herself away and back to work. She’d never been one to take a break.

Selina rested her cheek on her palm, watching Cass almost languidly.  There was something about the girl, something in the way she moved and held herself that drew Selina in and fascinated her.  She wholly reminded Selina of a cat, suspicious and wary, but not hostile, not vicious.  Curious.  Wise.

And she earned Morocco's trust.  That was quite a feat for strangers.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked, finally.  "It's much warmer inside and much more comfortable.  I promise I don't bite."

"Why?  It’s fun!"  And that was a very Cat answer.  She leaned on the railing, steadying Morocco as he hopped up beside them.  "It was something I was good at, and then I met people who were very cruel and didn’t need all the money they had, and so I simply took it from them.  Now, it’s just fun."

Cassandra frowned, silently rolling the answer over her tongue, determining it’s weight. One of the things she’d found fascinating about people, once she’d learned to get to know anybody, were their gray areas. Nobody, she had discovered, was simply black or white. Catwoman had always done what she pleased: sometimes it was for the better, others simply for her own pleasure. She wasn’t right, or wrong. Just… gray. And the younger woman wasn’t quite sure how to categorize that, when it wasn’t a specific incident to be dealt with. So, she chose not to. "Not always the right thing… to do," she commented, frown still evident, "but it’s not always wrong."  She repositioned herself on the balcony, accidentally finding herself in a more comfortable pose but deciding to stay there anyway. "It’s different."

Selina smiled.  "Exactly.  It all depends on what's right to you.  I'd never steal from a working family, but I'd take something from a Wayne."  She flashed her a smile, gleaming white teeth between red lips.  "Well, one of the male ones, anyway.  But that would be strictly for fun.  If he didn't have such a good family, I'd do it to make a point."

Motion from below caught her attention, and she looked down from her perch on the balcony in time to see a brown cat approach. She watched it for a moment. Animals weren’t something she’d spend a lot of time around — apart from Ace — and for a brief moment, she found herself still and observant. Then that moment passed, and her attention went back to Selina. “Not my problem.” 

Selina pursed her lips.  ”Why did you decide to do that?” she asked, nodding towards where the Batsymbol would be on her chest.  ”To uphold the law or to do what’s right?  You know they’re not always the same thing.”

Cass stopped for a moment. Why she… took on the symbol? “Accepted me,” was her initial statement. But a moment later, she realized that no, that wasn’t all of it. She modified her statement. “At first. Now… it’s family.”

She wondered, for a brief moment after the fact, why she would even bother answering so thoughtfully — or, realistically, why she felt the need to answer at all. Maybe she’d see if she could even the score. “Why do you do… What you do?”

She liked that answer, Selina decided.  It seemed like a very Bat answer.

"Why?  It's fun!"  And that was a very Cat answer.  She leaned on the railing, steadying Morocco as he hopped up beside them.  "It was something I was good at, and then I met people who were very cruel and didn't need all the money they had, and so I simply took it from them.  Now, it's just fun."

"I know I’m not, kitten, but I haven’t done anything really illegal in a while.  Honest."  Selina smiled almost sweetly as a speckled brown cat wandered up to Cass.  "Besides, you wouldn’t make me get rid of Morocco, would you?"

Motion from below caught her attention, and she looked down from her perch on the balcony in time to see a brown cat approach. She watched it for a moment. Animals weren’t something she’d spend a lot of time around — apart from Ace — and for a brief moment, she found herself still and observant. Then that moment passed, and her attention went back to Selina. “Not my problem.” 

Selina pursed her lips.  "Why did you decide to do that?" she asked, nodding towards where the Batsymbol would be on her chest.  "To uphold the law or to do what's right?  You know they're not always the same thing."

Cassandra frowned. “There would be…. Other things to arrest you for.” She took a moment to look the older woman over, ignoring the hint of intrigue. “You’re not… above the law.”

"I know I'm not, kitten, but I haven't done anything really illegal in a while.  Honest."  Selina smiled almost sweetly as a speckled brown cat wandered up to Cass.  "Besides, you wouldn't make me get rid of Morocco, would you?"