capencowl2020 | leave it to ya girl to take advantage of a bad situation

WHO: The Lioness and... YOU?
WHAT: Open prompts and a wildcard option
WHEN: For the duration of the event
WHERE: All over
WARNINGS: There's bound to be SOMETHING; will edit for proper warnings as necessary.

ONE: i got 'em asking 'what do she do?' i do everything. i move everything.
—for those who have business with the Lioness, those stupid enough to steal from her, or simply don't know any better.

[ The whip strapped to her hip is one of the last remnants of an old life. The Cat -- or what's left of her, skintight catsuit and diamond-tip claws -- sits in a vault along with all the other things she tries to keep out of sight but never quite out of mind. As the Lioness, she is more accustomed to the feeling of couture wool suits and silk dresses than the feeling of spandex or leather or vinyl -- whatever look of hers it was that you fancied the most. (If it's the Jim Balent catsuit I'm gonna throat punch you.) She's still got a thing for sparkly things and even the "modest" diamond stud earrings she wears tonight are worth more than some people earn in a year slaving away for the system, she has other ways of procuring such finery these days.

... nah, not these ones. She totally stole these ones. It was fun and the very uppity, entitled second wife she lifted them from was a real bitch.

But you're not focused on the earrings or the whip, are you? No. You're much more focused on the custom-made stiletto heel like a fuckin' dagger at your throat as you lie on the floor of what you thought was an abandoned warehouse. Or maybe you knew. Maybe you knew exactly what you'd find in here, you just weren't expecting her or the dozen men and women armed to the teeth that stand around her. Maybe you were taken by surprise, maybe you're at the end of a very long fight, maybe this is a complete misunderstanding, but one way or another, you're going down and it would serve you well to stay down. ]

Now, what do we have here?

TWO: oh baby, you know, she got them commas and them decimals.
—for associates, those who seek an audience with the Lioness, etc.

[ The Lioness sees very few guests at her estate, and by being in this place -- this fortress that she's built, nearly impenetrable to those she wishes to keep out -- you are here out of good faith and that doesn't come easily. Trust is a rare commodity in this life and even it does not afford one the luxury of walking into this place without the burning gaze of a dozen or so soldiers who'd all lay down their lives for their boss.

It can feel a little like being led to your death even if you've been here dozens of times. Maybe it's tall, Nordic, and menacing who seldom strays from her side or the leopard who lies his head in the lap of his mistress, seemingly as innocent as a kitten, but whose teeth never fail to remind you he would perhaps be the deadliest creature in this room. The key phrase 'would be,' because after all, she controls them both. ]

So lovely to see you. [ She strokes the leopard on the head, fingers scratching just behind his ear and to say he seems relaxed is an understatement. One might expect him to roll over like a giant house cat and present his belly to her to rub. ] To what do I owe the pleasure?

THREE: bailando aquí sola es mejor que con el diablo.
—for those who know her personally or with the means or pull to get this close to her.

[ She still leaps from the rooftops late at night from time to time -- another thing she hasn't quite let go of, one of the ones that she can't just stash away. It helps her sleep better, helps her clear her mind, and feel a little more like herself or the version of herself that she always liked the most. It's the only time that she's ever alone or close enough to it, because she's sure that Matthew is keeping a close eye on her; he can be a little overprotective like that.

Splitting her time between her estate upstate and the penthouse apartment in the heart of the city, she's spent the days since the Porter reactivated in the city to keep a close eye on things and maybe that's why she needs the breather. So much is changing so fast, all threatening to unbalance one of the many plates she has spinning just to make this work -- it all weighs heavily upon her now.

Her whip aiding her as she swings across from one rooftop to the next, her feet touch down in familiar territory soon enough, but she isn't quite ready to call it a night. She perches herself at the very edge of the rooftop, just taking a moment to realign with the sights and sounds of the city below her. It's not Gotham and because absence makes the heart grow fonder, it will never quite compare to Gotham, but her apartment does have a pretty sick view. ]

FOUR: wildcard.
—if you just ain't feelin' any of these.

[ Toss your own starter at me or hit me up at felinefatale and we'll plot a thing. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She cocks her head and swings one of her legs back over the parapet wall, gesturing for him to take a seat beside her. You bet she takes advantage of his willingness to give massages and the fact he has big, strong hands whenever possible. ]

I want our best men and women out there, on the streets, keeping an eye on things. I don't want anyone using all the chaos and confusion to their advantage. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention, but this isn't a time to start getting sloppy.

In the meantime, you and I will be staying in the city for a little longer.

[He has a seat close behind her without crossing the boundary into anything inappropriate. Matthew's feelings for Selina are a lot closer to awe than just simple respect. The reasons for this are deeply ingrained and have never once been examined; introspection is not Matthew's forte.

He thinks, slowly and methodically, as he works the knots in her shoulders.]

I talked to Prodigy already - we'll have intel on the rumoured bioweapons we've been seeing pop up by the end of the week. I suspect that the sudden influx has a lot to do with the Porters working again. More imPorts means more metas taken directly into custody. That means an awful lot of subjects for gene testing. Probably still the same guy in charge of that as when I was on the payroll.

[His indifference to the lives of others remains the same as it always has. Human or meta, he doesn't really care what happens to them. In that way he is truly a complete monster. But if Selina cares, it's a different matter.]

Fine by me. I found a really good donut shop. Don't have that shit in the country.

[ It takes a moment for her to loosen up, but it all comes out at once, like releasing the steam valve on a pressure cooker, her head and shoulders dropping as she exhales. Her breathing slows as her eyes close and Selina leans into his touch, guiding him ever so slightly with the way her body moves. She's not so worried about what's inappropriate, she's inappropriate, but she's only ever trying to get a reaction out of him. Whatever they have, it runs deep, but it doesn't work like that. Maybe it's better that way. Maybe it's only a matter of time.

His line of thinking isn't far off from hers, though, and as hard as Selina tries to be there are things that eat at her Despite everything she's tried -- everything she's done -- that's one thing she can't seem to cut out and there isn't a single person she's removed that didn't deserve it, but her conscience isn't clean. ]

Only you can transition from gene testing to donuts so seamlessly. [ A beat, then: ] I expect donuts in the morning.

[ Well, the... later end of the morning. Afternoon. Her new life has done nothing to make her a morning person and she has no intention of changing that if she can help it. ]

All these years without so much as weird noise, a blinking light...

[Thoughts are not actions. A telepath would no doubt have some very interesting things to say about Matthew's feelings towards his boss.

He shrugs.] You know what I am, Miz Kyle. [He smiles as his fingers tease at hard knot where her neck meets her left shoulder.] I'll get coffee, too.

I know. Something is causing it. I don't like it. It feels like a threat. [He falls quiet again, not sure how to put his unease into words.] But I won't let it hurt you. When all this shit blows over, you're gonna be fine, and I'll still be right beside you.

[ He says it and, somehow, she actually finds herself believing -- the end of the world and it'll be them and the cockroaches. It's weird being able to trust someone like that -- to be someone who has never had anyone but themselves and find yourself in a position where dozens who have killed for her, who would die for her and somehow Matthew's more than that.

They linger in silence for a long time and Selina lets her head fall forward as he continues to work on her shoulder, her breathing slow and deep and even as though she were meditating-- but she has never been very good at that. Can't turn off her brain like that or at least not for any extended period of time. After a long moment she reached behind her back, her cold fingers finding his hand to silently relieve him of his duties as masseur. ]

Do you ever think about home?

[ She hasn't in a long time, but the Porter back online? She's been thinking about it a lot. ]

[He lets go of her shoulders and moves to be more to her side. He doesn't even have to think about his answer.]

No. I've thought about it probably... twice? Since I landed here years ago. I didn't realise I wasn't home for a while. Then after that, I only had reason to be reminded once.

[He never talks about why he left the enforcers. Most people assume he simply got tired of it. Selina would know more - he threw away a prominent position over a single incident. He's never specified what it was, but the clues all point to it having been sexual.

That's the last time he thought of home.]

You miss it?

[ That's the difference between the two of them, perhaps. He can say something like that and mean it but she could only ever pretend. It's something of an unspoken rule not to talk too much about the past. Selina's never been one to live in the past or get hung up on things she can't change, but she carries it with her hidden away like an old family quilt tucked away in a chest. That pain goes where she goes and she tries to keep it out of her mind, tries to live her life, but she can't ever truly rid her self of it. Talk about baggage.

But this is a world and a life that she's settled into. She's managed to be very comfortable here. She knows better than to long for something she can't have. ]

I miss my cats.

[ There's more there. She's holding back. She breathes in and breathes out, letting that silence linger. ]

I miss my sister. I miss Holly. I miss-- [ Him. God, she misses him, even when he's there. Even when she still has all the little marks and bruises from the last time he was here, even when they have a whole new convoluted history to replace what he lost. It won't ever really be the same. ] I didn't have a lot of people back home. You could count them on one hand and they were all better off without me. Black cats are a symbol of bad luck and that's all Catwoman ever brought them.

The Lioness is different, she protects her pride, and she gives me the power to do just that. I have more than a few people, I have a family. I have a city.

I shouldn't ever want to go back.

[ And, yet... ]

Edited (gently tweaks this) 2020-02-18 09:45 (UTC)

[Matthew listens. He may not be emotionally intelligent, but he does know how to listen. He feels a swell of pride when she talks of having people, of having family, because he is a part of that. Finally, after so many years, there is someone who cares about him beyond just the power he provides them.]

But you want to anyway.

[He shrugs, taking time to consider this fact.]

You know... Feelings don't usually make a lot of sense, Miz Kyle.

leave it to ya girl to take advantage of a bad situation

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cw: allusions to sexual trauma

god feel free to ignore this i just realized i never came back to this thread

you know I don't mind