15632/Staying the Night

Staying the Night
Date of Scene:	25 September 2023
Location:	Library - Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Satana stays the night in Wayne Manor, though perhaps not in the bedroom originally planned.
Cast of Characters:	Satana, Batman

---

Satana has posed:
It was a simple matter to make Alfred see an injured damsel and activate his gallantry gene. And while seducing him would also likely be trivial--he's old, but not dead--he's not the target here. While Satana is not the most patient person in the multiverse, she does have focus. And her focus with Bruce is to find a book, not seduce his butler.

That can come later.

Thus it is that Alfred keeps his soul intact and Satana is in someone else's clothing in the library (carefully adjusting it to be as alluring as possible; succubus does as succubus is).

She takes the opportunity to look over the books, trying to find that book whose presence she'd felt.

Batman has posed:
The Wayne Family collection of books is considerable and while it is well indexed, it seems a little inscrutable. Even narrowing things down to just the section containing historical tomes or those focusing on the occult is something of a challenge.

Still, if nothing else Satana is given a little time in private to search. Once Alfred has looked over her 'injuries' and provided a change of clothing -- which surprisingly fits quite well all things considered -- he ushers her into the library, leaves a tray with a full tea service despite the hour and then discretely leaves her alone, promising to alert 'Master Bruce' that she is waiting within.

Still, it is a good fifteen minutes before the library doors open and the master of the house makes an appearance at last. It is a pretty big house afterall. Or perhaps he was otherwise engaged.

Either way, Bruce Wayne comes through those doors, closing them behind them, narrowed eyes immediately seeking her out and starting in her general direction before calling out. "Satana? Alfred mentioned that there was an incident. Are you alright?"

Satana has posed:
"Oh, Bruce!" Satana's voice drips with relief. "I'm fine, yes. The Batman caught the attack while it was in progress."

She steps toward Bruce as if about to hug him, but checks herself, straightening out and lowering her arms. Professionalism.

"I was out drinking and clubbing and ... well ... I thought a park was a nice shortcut to my hotel. Without the drink in my head I'd have seen how stupid that thought was."

She shrugs and grins sheepishly. "But I was drunk and I thought a stroll through the park would spare me five blocks of walking so..."

She sighs, spreading her arms helplessly.

"Here I am, a little shaken, a little scuffed up, but because of Gotham's very own knight-errant, otherwise alive and hale."

Batman has posed:
There is no doubt that she seems much more put together now then she did when he initially stumbled across her out in that park.

Of course, having that sort of run-in, being flooded with adrenaline might very well account for that particular fact. It might help that Alfred looked her over and attended to any injuries. That she once again looks somewhat like her usual self instead of someone who has been violently accosted.

Assuming that is what really happened. Bruce might still have a few doubts on that particular score. Not nearly enough to confront her about them -- and certainly not as Bruce Wayne given the circumstances.

So instead he listens quietly, a look of concern on his face -- he really is quite the actor, he probably could have had another career under different circumstances -- and nods when she offers up her explanation for her rooten, no good, horrible evening.

Reaching out, Bruce lays a hand on her shoulder. "Sounds like you've been through quite the ordeal. You certainly had someone looking out for you," he offers up, no idea just how ironic those sentiments truly are under the circumstances.

"I know Alfred would have brought in tea," he says quietly. Which, of course, he has. He knows his grandfather figure and oldest friend very well. "We can take as much time as you need to compose yourself. Then, when you're ready, we can either make you up a room for the night or drive you back to your hotel," he assures her.

Then, he not so helpfully, begins to steer her towards one of the couches and away from those bookshelves that are probably much more interesting to her.

Satana has posed:
Internally Satana curses as she's guided away from the bookshelves, but externally she smiles and, upon getting steered, edges just a little bit closer, more intimate, showing off her wares mostly visually, but with some tactile sales.

Bruce is a target too, after all, not just his bookshelves.

"Which would cause less trouble?" she asks. "Making up a room or preparing a car?"

She ponders, momentarily, before rejecting, suggesting that there was a way for her to stay that doesn't involve making up a room. She's going to have to move a little slower than that to land Gotham's most eligible bachelor before corrupting him, after all.

"Whichever is the least trouble, let's do that." Her physical presence next to Bruce suggests, however, that staying is her favoured choice, given the 'subtle' shiver she showed at the notion of going out into the streets.

"The Batman," she says conversationally on the way to the couch, "seems to know you. I mentioned your name and he immediately suggested driving me here."

Batman has posed:
Of course Bruce isn't the only rather good actor present it would seem.

The shiver is a pretty good note to interject, and no matter what little suspicions that the dark haired billionaire might harbor, he's not likely to send her back into that dark night that lays so heavily over Gotham. He has some measure of responsibility here afterall. He's the one who persuaded her to stay on as his secretrry. Not to mention tabloid stalking horse. No matter how many oddities might exist in her situation, he is cognizant of that particular fact..

"We'll have Alfred make sure one of the guest bedrooms is ready for you then. I'm sure he'll be able to find anything that you might need for an overnight stay," Bruce says confidently, moving to that couch and the table with the tea service on it.

It is pretty impossible to ignore her presence of course and while the clothing that his butler laid his hands on might not have been intended for her specifically, it does little to diminish her allure. Still, the first son of Gotham continues to show that unusual strength of character, resisting pawing at her despite her being right there, leaning against him.

"Don't feel the need to come in Monday either, or until you're feeling up to it," he adds quietly before giving a small shrug. "I'm not sure that there are many in Gotham who don't know of me, for one thing or another. He has certainly helped a lot of people in this city as well -- including myself -- no matter what his reputation might be," he adds.

Satana has posed:
"Oh, no, I won't shirk my duties..." She smiles weakly. "...both the original and the new ones. I was dumb. I'm a little shaken up. I'll be fine tomorrow."

She snorts briefly.

"Also, imagine the joygasms of the paparazzi who camp outside your home when you and I come out. That will lead to THOUSANDS of column-inches speculating what we were doing together."

And is that a wistful tone in her voice as she continues?

"It would be fun to read their speculations and compare it to the reality."

She perches herself on the sofa and pauses a moment, seeming to wait for tea pouring before it clicks and she remembers she's the 'PA' and starts pouring herself.

"Sugar? Cream? Lemon?"

Batman has posed:
It is possible, even likely, that Bruce has considered the same thing.

There is the distinct possibility that his offer to allow her to stay the night might have multiple purposes. Oh, he has already decided to keep a little closer eye on her to be sure, so having her under the same roof is certainly an advantage from that particular standpoint.

But why accomplish just one goal when you can manage multiple at the same time, right? There is little doubt that it will not take much to get the word out that his rather beautiful assistant ended up spending much of the weekend at the Manor. And there are probably not many who will believe that they spent the entire time 'working'.

Bruce smiles briefly and dips his head as he settles on the sofa beside her. "I wouldn't want to take advantage of your unfortunate situation, but it is an excellent opportunity to start to put that plan into motion," he admits. "If it was followed by some suitably uncomfortable public display of affection it would certainly lock in what we're trying to achive," he adds. "But I can certainly understand if there timing is not ideal for you."

The offer of tea is waved aside and Bruce gives a quick shake of his head. "No, just take care of yourself. I would pour for you, but I would surely make a hash of it and the Alfred would be in here shaking his head at me," he says drily.

Satana has posed:
Satana smiles upwardly gratefully and pours out her own tea, drinking it straight, not even waiting for it to cool down. Showing no signs of distress at the boiling liquid, she settles in the sofa.

"Your public persona and your private reality are very different, Bruce," she comments. "You're being very nice to me, letting me stay here, and you didn't even..." She chuckles with a wide grin, as if laughing at ... something unclear. "...suggest that I could stay overnight without making up a room. Nobody in the tabloids is going to believe that, even if I swore to it under oath while connected to a lie detector."

She tilts her head curiously. "Why do you keep that image up?"

Batman has posed:
The question is ever so slightly awkward, though he certainly considered the possibility -- even likelihood -- that it would eventually come up.

A small shrug graces that broad shouldered frame and Bruce smiles briefly. "In my position it helps to be underestimated. To be thought of as a frivilous playboy only interested in his own debauched lifestyle and nothing else," he says, a flicker of amusement sliding over his features.

"There is also the matter that I've pretty much been the Prince of Gotham since I was born. The tabloids were always going to write about me, one way or another. I find that I prefer to give them stories before they can simply make up whatever they please," he adds. Like, say speculating that Bruce Wayne and the Batman could be one and the same? He definitely doesn't want people thinking about how much sense that happens to make.

He gives a low laugh before his expression grows a little more serious. "You have had a rather rough evening by any measure. Trying to take advantage of that would be... distasteful," he admits.

Satana has posed:
Satana sighs (with the distracting side effect that entails from Bruce's angle) and nods her head wryly. "I should have thought better of you. Even your persona is playboy, not pig." A glint of mischief enters her eyes. "I guess I'll have to wait for your public persona to come into effect."

Tea finished, she stands up and looks around. "I think the adrenaline has worn off. The world is beginning to ... well, not spin, but sort of wave a bit." She gently holds Bruce's shoulder for support, as an unmoving object in a world that's sliding around a little.

"I think I learned a lesson today. Don't walk around Gotham drunk without protection. I think I owe this Batman character a special night or something." She lets that sit a moment. "Oh, no, that came out wrong. I meant like a fine dinner or the like, not..."

Her blush is fetching and ... goes far. Cheeks. Neck. Decolletage...

Batman has posed:
It is ever that contridiction with him, one that has caused issues from time to time.

He clearly recognizes that she is dangerous on some level, that there is something a little off. He is determined to learn more, to delve deeper into just who this Satana Hellstrom is and what she really might be doing here in Gotham. There are undeniable risks to attempting that, especially in this particular way.

And yet he is doing it anyway.

While it would be nice to say that she has no effect on him what so ever, he can't do that. The fact that there is a certain amount of danger to her only seems to make it that much worse, that much harder to ignore.

And yet he is going to keep her close anyway.

When she reaches for support, Bruce is only too happy to lend his shoulder, to let her lean there, his other hand coming up, sliding to grasp her wrist, to offer another steadying hand. And he tries to ignore the way her skin feels beneath his fingers.

"Don't worry, I understand what you mean," he assures her, that smile again creeping across his expression slowly, eyes dipping for just a moment as he checks just how far that blush goes. All the way it seems. "It might prove difficult to track him down and offer your thanks, I'm afraid. And fairly unlikely he would be in a position to accept it," he adds drily.

Satana has posed:
"And now you're checking me out," Satana says in a dry voice that almost sounds sober until a giggle eliminates that illusion. "Which is alright. I can't say the attention isn't flattering. And the fact you're being a perfect gentleman punctuating it by checking me out means I can breathe a sigh of relief and know that I've still 'got it'."

That expressive mouth of hers twists into mischief again.

"Though I can't really claim to be that insecure about it; I was in the clubs and I saw how people were watching as I danced."

And in the outfit she was wearing when the Batman saw her? They were probably glued, eager for a wardrobe malfunction that always threatened but never delivered.

"Oh, listen to me. I sound like I'm in heat! I'm not usually this way." If Bruce has any talents at spotting lies in interdimensional beings, this talent would be registering HOT right about now. "It's the booze. I think I should sleep this off before I embarrass myself worse."

Batman has posed:
He is not a human lie detector. Though he is awfully good at reading other people.

Admittedly it works a little better on human beings. It is their psychology he has studied in so much depth, that he has applied to criminal after criminal so that he can anticipate them. Can anticipate their actions and reactions. It is one of hte many ways he remains one step ahead of his foes.

Of course not everyone is human. BBut so many of the observations that apply to them apply to others as well. Some motivations, intentions seem to cross all recognizable beings.

One might even consider them universal.

If Bruce is dismayed at being caught, he certainly gives no sign of it. He might not be the degenerate playboy that the tabloids would portray him as, but apparently he doesn't exactly have any sort of sense of shame when it comes to looking at beautiful women. Then again, shame does not appear to be a big part of his makeup regardless.

It probably doesn't hurt that she hasn't exactly been shy it letting him know that all of this doesn't just have to be for public consumption. That it could go on behind closed doors as well. It does make it rather difficult, even unlikely that he would feel bad under those circumstances.

Even with the night she's having.

"Somehow I can't picture you as insecure, no," Bruce agrees drily. "You don't seem to lack for any sense of confidence. Trust me, that is part of your charm," he assures her, steadying her and turning towards the door.

"If I know Alfred, he already has a room made up for you. When you are properly recovered we can see if we can project the right sort of chemistry in public," he says archly, shooting a smile her way.

Somehow he suspects that chemistry will not be the problem.

Satana has posed:
"In public, yes," Satana says with a slight smile, following Bruce to the door. Alfred, of course, knowing his ward well, has the room made up. (And the car readied. He pretends to be telepathic. He's not really that. It's just old age and treachery in action.)

"I have the young miss'..." Against Alfred even a cougar like Satana is young. "...room prepared, Master Bruce." The grandfatherly diminutive makes Satana giggle, quickly choked off. "I have taken the liberty of laying out a nightgown." Not answered: Why is there nightgowns for laying out in a bachelor's mansion? "And all toiletries are laid out as well for use tonight or tomorrow morning at need."

He gives Satana a smile that wouldn't be out of place on the face of that guy who sold oatmeal on TV ads so many years ago: like a watchful grandfather that is worried about a grandchild.

"My, Bruce," Satana purrs, "Alfred is efficient. Be careful or I might hire him out from under you..." She winks at Bruce and impulsively leans forward, going to her toes, to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you," she murmurs, before turning to Alfred to be led to her night's rest.