12158/Curious cat. You've heard about them right

Curious cat. You've heard about them right
Date of Scene:	11 September 2020
Location:	Bryant Park, Midtown
Synopsis:	Spike had a chance encounter with Catwoman. The two of them might have hit it off a little too good, but managed to find common ground between them.
Cast of Characters:	Spike, Catwoman

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Spike has posed:
     Not really feeling the bar scene tonight and not wanting to sit around the basement either, Spike opts to do something out of the ordinary. Out for a walk. It's not like he needs the excercise, but somtimes it's a good break. A cigarette hangs loosely at the corner of his mouth and he inhales nwo and then, not really smoking in earnest as much as out of habit.

Catwoman has posed:
It's a good day for a walk, it's a cool night and the park is empty for once. Which is good, because it means kitties get to play. She's out on the monkey bars, just sitting in the top, and it's a fairly big monkey bar set, the type that would give some grown ups trouble. But she's casually relaxed, munching on a steaks burger. She's got some fries and a second burger, which she *had* stolen for a friend although they had flaked out and not shown up.

Anyhoo, there are not a lot of people out tonight (probably due to it being a slightly more dangerous part of town) and she spies a familiar pretty boy blonde and she grins and waves to him. "Hey..Spike, wasn't it?"

Spike has posed:
     Abandoned park is good. He's used to causing it, but good with the pre abandoned too. Taking the cigarette from his mouth he ashes it on the sidewalk and pauses as he smells something moments before she calls out to him. Burgers carry on the wind. Yeah, that's it.

     He turns towards her as she calls out to him. He smirks a little and puts the cigarette back into his mouth and his cockney accent creeps around it,"Spike it was. Still is for that matter. I keep seeing you places people will talk."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman ooohs, she hadn't paid attention to the accent before but now she really hears it. "You know, I just looove the accent. You from London?" she shrugs and smirks, crooning her finger towards her. "Mmm, is that so? What can I say, I'm an action junkie.Wanna join me? I stole these burgers, and was supposed to meet a friend here but she chickened out..So now I have an extra burger..Might need some help with that." she wriggles her brows playfully.

Spike has posed:
     While not a gymnast by any means, he's pretty spry for a dead guy. Climbing up the bars take a moment and he ends up tossing the mostly uesd cigarette to the side,"Not enough action junkies in this town." Once he makes his way closer he takes a seat.

     The coat has to lay next to him for now since he would have a great deal of trouble sitting up there while wearing it. He eyes the other burger and he smirks,"Beautiful, adventurous, and she has an extra burger. Does it get any better?" His smirk a little cocky, but that's Spike,"So does the Catwoman have a plan for another jewel heist tonight?" The last muttered softly.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman grins and shrugs as she offers him the second burger, setting the tray of fries and dip between them. Oh she noticed the coat too, and the Billy Idol look. Plus he's pretty agile..Hmm, a mystery. She loves mysteries!

"Guess you just hit the jackpot, hotshot." she grins and winks, "However..I'm still curious about you. You're not your average guy. Those clothes, your movements..I suspect there's more to you than just average bystander, mmm..?" she practically purrs as she peers up at him with those cattish eyes of hers.

Spike has posed:
     Taking the burger offered he mutters softly,"Thanks. Been a while since I've had a good burger." he tells you. He isn't shy about taking her in at a glance either. He doesn't ogle so much as just mark the look. He studies you for a moment longer before answering.

     "Does seem like it." he agrees to the jackpot comment. He looks at his clothes and the coat and laughs softly,"I'm not one to make with the normal no." he agrees with you. He reaches opens the burger and looks it over,"You easily startled or put off?"

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman knows how to use her looks to her advantage. That sleek catsuit, with the zipper undone to her collarbone for just a glimpse of flesh sure helps too. And she clearly finds this guy intriguing. "I'm afraid the steak is a bit bloody, but can't be picky as a thief." she shrugs, "No plans for tonight, I only stole a bit of jewelry the other day, don't need to be greedy..However, I do have another job lined up a couple nights from tonight..Involving a warehouse and technology promised me.."

She quirks a curious brow at him and smirks, "Can't say I'd have lasted in this line of work for long, if I were easily put off by things. Tell me..What's your big secret?"

Spike has posed:

     He takes a bite of the burger, clearly not bothered by the bloody state. Once he is around the first bite he hmms softly,"Bloody is good." he confides quietly and laughs softly,"A night off is probably a good thing if you have another job on the line."

     He turns towards you in the dark, the over head lights revealing his face. Why he is taken by this one is anybody's guess, but she does know how to use her looks to her advantage after all. A moment later his face shifts, the vampire's game face, the demon's true face is revealed. Curious to see how she reacts he waits.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman smiles, "Sure, good pay but I could use a second pair of eyes..And quick reflexes. What do you say...Partners?" she chuckles a bit at the blood thing, "Well I guess you're definitely not the squeamish type, hmm?" she grins and winks.

And then he goes and does that and her eyes fly open, jumping back instinctively, whip at the ready, eyeing him warily. But she doesn't attack. Not yet.

"What..The hell?! What...What ARE you?!"

Spike has posed:
     The idea of partnership in a job probably sounds good, but he will have to see how she processes this first. Taking another bite of his burger, he chews it thoughtfully and lets his face revert to hide the demon inside. He laughs softly,"I like a woman that knows how to use a whip."

     Studying your form for a moment and eyeing any tactical need he might need to deal with if she comes in swinging,"I'm the Big Bad. The wrost sort. A vampire. Demon in human form." he replies finally,"Dangerous and old, maybe not as dangerous as before, but you get the idea."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman doesn't attack. In fact she puts the whip away but still stands for a moment, watching him warily, thoughtfully..Analyzing him. "Of course..." she purrs, "And I know how to use it.." still, her smile is tight, wary..

"Wow. A real live vampire. Or are you dead?" she smirks, "I thought vamps were soulless monsters..But you haven't attacked me yet..Why is that? If you wanted to, you could have killed me.." slowly, cautiously she sits down again, watching him thoughtfully.

He showed his true face, and from a tactical vantage, it's like playing his hand ahead of time. A sign of trust perhaps?

Spike has posed:
     "Technically I am dead. I have been for a long time." he replies with a shrug,"Most vampires have the soul of a demon in them, including me. I'Ve just been around long enough my old personality influences the demon whether it likes it or not." he explains.

     He takes another bite of the burger and continues to eat it. Chewing thoughtfully he adds,"As for why I didn't kill you. Sure I could have tried, but the government kinda had their way with my brain and I don't attack people anymore." He's nothing if not forthright with her,"I wouldn't say you wouldn't be more than a little tempting, just....imagine a migraine, the add a taser's electrical discharge into the brain and mix in the worst hangover you ever had."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman peers intently at him in the darkness, trying to reason this out. She's kinda lost her appetite a bit by now as she watches him munching hungrily on that bloody steak burger. Well, that would explain his desire for bloody steak, but.

"Okaay, let me see if I got this straight: You're a vampire, who hasn't attacked me yet, because the government.." air quotes are given, "The government..Had their way with your brain, by which I'm assuming they did some sorta..Brain surgery on you? So you can't hurt people? Is that about right?"

She could laugh, she could mock but..No, Catwoman's smarter than all that. "Geez. That really bites. I mean, even if you ARE or...WERE..An 'evil vampire..Guess they kinda tamed you, huh. I mean, that'd just make me mad..Trying to tame something that's not meant to be tamed.." Catwoman sighs, taking another slow bite..

Spike has posed:
     "An annoying little microchip was placed into my head." he replies to you,"If I have intent to do a human harm or attempt to harm them it goes off. That's fighting or trying to feed." he explain softly. Maybe he's like the Catwoman a little bit. She is about as good of a distraction as a guy could as for.

     "It bites the big one." he agrees with a nod and looks at the burger,"They definitely fixed me." he admits,"The demon inside me was tamed a great deal by the pain. Make no mistake, part of me is always wanting blood and the source is the most desirable, but it is what it is." Is that Spike code for he'd like to taste her blood? Probably. He adds,"I'm still able to do most anything else I want...like helping a beauty fight a vigilante and steal jewels. I'm far from a saint love."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman nods and sighs, staring up at the stars that are starting to come out. It's a full moon too, quite a beautiful view from up here, all shiny and bright and silver. "Yeaah..I know how it's like to have someone try and tame you like that. I mean, I've never met a vampire before, and if they hadn't interfered with your brain, I guess we'd be having a totally different conversation right now, but.."

She shrugs, "I could never imagine someone trying to 'tame' me, although people have tried." But he is right, it is what it is. And she should be thankful for that, because she'd probably be dead right now.

"Well...Guess this is your lucky day, cuz these steak burgers are plenty bloody, eh?" she grins at him. and nods. "Can't say I'm much of a saint either, but..I still think we could help each other, chip or not. That is, if you're interested in teaming up with a catburglar?"

Another charming smile is flashed his way. Oh yes, she does enjoy the compliments, especially when they're not demeaning at that.

Spike has posed:
     "I don't think you could be tamed easily no." he replies with a shrug and gets another bite of the burger, finishing it off. He chews it up and after,"I highly don't recommend the chip fix no." He considers the next words he admits,"I'm not going to lie that biting you might have been appealing to the old me. I don't know about that now honestly. In some degrees I'm capable of keeping humans close to work with not wanting to kill them. Might be the chip. Might be something else."

     He wads up the package and smirks,"It was a good steak for sure." he admits. He studies your features a moment and admits,"I have to admit if you were a saint you'd be a might boring. We don't want that. As for the other. I could see the opportunity of pilfering with a legendary catburglar as a good time. It's been a while." He smirks when she smiles at him.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman laughs and nods. "I definitely wouldn't try it. Everyone knows that a cat can never truly be tamed, even a 'domestic' cat. Of course I'm not a real cat, but I like to live the ways of a cat." besides they always seemed to follow her wherever seh went.

She nods with a slight frown, still trying to figure him out. "So. If you're like the vamps in all those stories, does that mean, you're allergic to sunlight, holy water and all that jazz? And..Do you get the whole, superstrength, super senses and all that too?" Because..That might be a problem as far as her secret identity goes.

But there is something else she needs to think about too. "You know..I guess a good thief doesn't need to worry about even fighting. A GOOD thief is never even seen. They just have to be fast, stealthy..And supersenses would be a great bonus. Mind, I usually work alone, but the streets are getting dangerous all the time..Especially with this new..Cat creature on the prowl.."

Catwoman frowns softly as she speaks, idly rubbing her left forearm in the same place that he might have noticed the last time they met.

Spike has posed:
     "Tame is boring." he tells you and reaches into his coat to get a cigarette,"If you weren't who you were you wouldn't draw attention when you want to." There is a soft laugh and he adds,"Yeah. Pretty accurate really. Stupid poofter Dracula wrote the book on how to take us out. Bloody idiot." he adds.

     "I'm out of practice on being a good thief. It's been a while, but I'll wager it's about like riding a bicycle. Just need to get back at it." He smiles and places the cigarette in,"Stealth is good and my senses are pretty sharp." Looking at the arm he cants his head to the side a little lighting up with the sliver zippo,"I guess I've missed that. The only cat I've seen around of late is you."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman grins and nods. "I gotta bike, naturally. Makes a good, sneaky get away vehicle. Maybe I'll take you for a ride some time.." she winks at him and shrugs.

"Yeaah, not exactly sure what to make of it, but Mr. Dresden said he sensed some sort of magic coming from this creature.." oh wait, if she tells him what happend at the charity, she'll have to reveal her true identity but..since he already can probably sense her scent regardless of what guise she wears..

Catwoman sighs, pulling off her cat hood and pulling up the goggles. It does get a bit stifling at times, even if they let her see in the dark and all that. "Guess there's no point in hiding my identity from someone who'd recognize my scent regardless." she grins, running a hand through her short dark hair, which ruffles slightly in the breeze.

"Well..This cat..It's huge, more like a panther, appears and vanishes as it pleases. I guess it must really be magical, some sort of demon perhaps? Dunno, but I've never met anything like it. And it scratched me up pretty bad the first time we met..In fact, the wound isn't healing.." she frowns, pulling up her left sleeve so he can see the three angry red claw marks across her forearm. They're not bleeding but they look fresh.

Spike has posed:
     "Gotta love a woman that can ride." he replies with a smirk,"It is a fast get away for sure." The comment about a ride gets that devil may care smirk,"Can't say I'd be against you taking me for a ride." he replies. Oh the master of innuendo. She she pitches a slow ball down the middle he's gonna swing.

     Watching you remove the gear he raises a brow as he mutters,"The famous and gorgeous Selina Kyle. I must have done something right." he muses,"Though I have no idea what that would have been."

     Looking at the wound he raises a brow thoughtfully,"That is an impressive battle scar starting to rock there love. This thing was pretty bad and it just comes and goes on its own. That's not terrifying at all." He lightly touches the contour of the wound and nods,"You're a tough one. No question."

Catwoman has posed:
"Ooh, you did NOT just say that!" she says with a smirk as she elbows him playfully, although honestly, she hasn't had this much fun with a guy in a long time..Usually they're trying to assault her, or arrest her, or..Or...They just totally ignore her.

"Mm, so you've heard of me." she smiles and nods. "One and the same. But if you tell a soul about my secret identity, I may have to punish you..Especially now that I know of your weaknesses." she does bat her eyes at him, smiling playfully as she says that.

When he touches the scar though, she flinches and even yowls, as if she were truly a cat. "Ouch, it hurts!" odd, since she only received it a week or so ago..

Spike has posed:
     He laughs softly at her reaction to the comment,"I told you love. I'm bad. Unrepentant too." he teaess. He leaves it at that though as she muses about hearing of her,"Oh yes. I may not keep up with much, but I have heard of Selina Kyle." He pauses and considers,"So you'll punish me if I talk. Are you wanting to get outed." he teases a little.

     Studying the wound, he lets go and withdraws his fingers quickly when she yowls. His head turns ot the side again and he takes a drag off the nearly forgotten cigarette and exhales away from you,"There's not a good reason for that to still hurt. You really have been exposed to something magical."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman grins, "Guess that makes two of us, although at least I'm not of the evil undead variety.'" she makes more air quotes as she says that, but smiles lightly, totally teasing him it seems. And even if he IS an evil undead..Well, looks Catwoman sure enjoys living life on the edge.

That scar though, it really bothers her. She nods and frowns, pulling her sleeve over the scar. "Yeah, it's not healing, and it has me worried. I've been feeling..I dunno, irritable, tired, one edge a lot lately since the attack. If it's something magical, I might have to call up that Dresden guy. But I wonder.."

She peers at him thoughtfully, "Say, you have super senses right? Think you can track down the demon cat thing that did this to me? Maybe we can get some answers if we can catch and study that thing.."

Spike has posed:
     He smirks again, the cigarette is taken from his lips again. Holding it to the side he winks,"You hang on to that non undead variety. It's a little too life changing and while I wouldn't change things, some tend to regret it for years."

     He looks at the wound again and frowns thoughtfully,"I might be able to get a scent on it sure." he admits and looks at the wound for a long moment,"How long ago did this happen?" He is at least interested in helping and probably does enjoy her living on the edge.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman tilts her head, peering at him curiously, "Well gee, this is certainly weird..Talking to an undead vampire, although.." she instinctively reaches out to touch his face if he'll allow her, as if to reassure herself that he really is how he appears to be - just a normal, if handsome, human. Is his skin cold? Rough? Pasty like dracula?

"Funny, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were just a very handsome, if punkishly dressed Billy Idol wannabe." she smiles, "Guess you hide that demon well."

She nods, pulling her hand away again quickly, no need to linger, give him ideas. She doesn't know him that well yet afterall, although Catwoman does seem intrigued by him. "Hmm, about a week or two ago? An' what would you need to track this panther demon? I do still have the collar it was wearing during the charity event..Looks like it slipped out of it, probably has its scent, its fur on it.."

Spike has posed:
     He smiles a little as you reach up and touch his face. He doesn't lean into it this time, just lets you touch him. His skin is cool to the touch, but not overly cold. The skin is smooth to the touch and a little pale, but not overly.

     "Comparing me to the interloper." he muses softly,"I meet him one time and the next I know I see a cheap version of me on the telly." A shrug as he admits,"Sometimes it is more of me than I am, other times it's just a shadow." he explains.

     Considering the amount of time he has been away from her it seems a little strange,"I'll see the collar sure, but I will want to see something else." Since they are all in each other's space currently he takes another step forward, really in her space. He puts his face near her, getting a scent whether just hers or maybe trying to get the panther's too. It's difficult to be sure. Regardless he moves to the other side of your face to scent again,"I see." he muses and eases back a little,"So yes. THe collar might help as well."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman laughs and shrugs, "We'll...Yeah, most vamps on tv are kinda melodramatic, all 'I vont to suck vor blood!' with the stupid accent and black cape." she peers at his black duster. Okaay, not far from drac's duster maybe? "But at least you have more style?" She quirks a surprised brow, "Woah, you met the *real* Dracula? Sooo he's real?" Catwoman seems bemused.

And then he leans in and starts sniffing. And Cats is a pretty private person and this is certainly invasive. She frowns, and tries to shove him away instinctively. "What the heck are you doing?!"

Of course the panther had only scratched her arm about a week ago, so it's unlikely the scent is still on her.

Spike has posed:

     "There is a trace of something other worldy on you, but not strong." he tells you and eases back when pushed. He really does have problems with comfortable distance when the mood strikes him,"Get the collar, maybe it will hold more scent than you do."

     Then he is back to a comfortable distance again, snapping the Zippo open and lighting a new cigarette. It's not like they can kill him. He takes the first drag and exhales before talking, a click closes the Zippo once more and it vanishes into his coat,"Dracula is real yes. An amazing..." he pauses to consider,"...what do the kids say? Douche?" he finally picks out of the air. Another drag and he exhales again,"I'd like to think I have more style yes. He doesn't know how to find a way to get with the now as far as wardrobe. Easy to spot in most circles since he's dresses like he did when he became a vampire."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman frowns, "Otherworldly? What's that even mean...Like, an alien?" really, she's never dealt with aliens or demons or anything truly out of the ordinary. His admission is pretty eerie, but then he's a real life vampire too. For that matter, Dresden claimed to be an actual wizard who sensed 'magic' in the room when the panther attacked Selina.

Honestly, she should be used to this by now.

"Okay..Well I left the collar back in my apartment, about a 20 minute walk from here.." she hesitates, wondering if she should be inviting a vampire to her personal home but there aren't many other options.

Spike has posed:
     "Less alien. More demon." he replies and leans against the jungle gym. He takes a long drag and exhales again. He's really good at eerie. Lots of practice at it,"Strange comes with the territory love. I can't say you get used to it."

     "A trip to the apartment? Only if you're up to it." he replies with a shrug,"Otherwise you can meet me somewhere else. Might not want the vampire knowing where you live right?" Sometimes he can be unbearably difficult to deal with even when he doesn't try to be.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman nods slowly. "Riiight. Then we can leave the collar bit til another day.." she's not overly eager inviting him over but Cats is anxious to find the demon panther or whatever it is. "Alright..You got a phone, right? Why dont you give me a call..We can meet up here again in a couple of days, unless you have a better place in mind?"

And she pulls a business card with 'Catwoman's logo written on it, and her business number underneath. Of course she could give him her Selina Kyle card but she'd rather not have someone trace it back to her alter ego, or worse discover they are one and the same. This card has no words, just a cat logo and a phone number that's not easily traceable.

Spike has posed:
     "Another time is fine." he agrees,"Yes the old one has a phone." he teases mildly and reaches out to take the card she offers. He studies it a moment and smirks a touch,"Catwoman has a calling card." he comments,"That's...surprising really." Placing the bard into his coat he takes another drag and exhales,"Here's fine. Two nights from now. I'll be here."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman peers intently at him as he calls himself an 'old man'. "So tell me..How old exactly are you, Hmm? You don't look much older than me, honestly." she sighs, "must be nice, looking that young forever. Not so sure I'd want to live forever though.." Cats shrugs, "But I suppose you had no choice..Or did you?" oh, she has sooo many questions for him.

As for the calling card she smirks and shrugs. "Is it really so surprising? Afterall, people will pay a handsome price for an incredibly skilled and talented cat burglar who has a good track record!"

Spike has posed:
     He considers her question for a long moment. After a drag he exhales slowly and looks towards you again,"Let's see. I was born in the summer of 1850." he starts out,"I became like this in 1880." he explains,"So a little over...175." he muses working out the math. A last drag and he tosses the cigarette down and steps it out,"There is a price to look this good this long."

     "I had a choice. Not really an educated choice, but a choice." he finally admits,"Let's just say my life was pretty worthless the first thirty years and Dru came along with the promise to make my life better. She just didn't mention the details." Considering the card again he nods,"Stands to reason I suppose. Better the burglar, higher the price and demand."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman frowns, "Wow..175 years, guess you're a pretty old man, heh. You got kids? A family? Maybe a significant other? Are you vampires even capable of love?" Shes not mocking him, she is sincerely curious. Hey, it's not every day you meet a vampire, right?

Still, his story seems kind of sad. "Geez, that's pretty lousy. This Drusilla vamp, is she still around? I don't imagine she'd care much for a...Tamed vampire.." ok ok so she's too curious, probably touching on sensitive subjects.

Theres a reason they say curiosity killed the cat.

Spike has posed:

     "Upside to never aging." he replies with a shrug and crosses his arms to consider her questions,"Drusilla is still around somewhere. I haven't crossed her path in a long time." There is a bit of sad in his voice, but not much,"As for the rest. Not really. No kids to my knowledge and they'd be dead by now anyway. I don't get to make with the children. One exception I ever heard of and it was...complicated."

     "As for love. I've had two great loves in my life. Dru is one despite the way things started. She was less than impressed when she found out about the chip. Granted she tried to help me, but there's no help so she left. That ship has sailed. The other...never really felt back that way. I've pretty much given up on her. Move along as they say." Not terribly convincing on some levels, but on others it sounds like the white flag has gone up.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman sighs, "Geez, that's really sad.." no really, she seems empathetic to what he's going through. "I'm sorry, must be a lonely existence.." Catwoman shrugs, "I was orphaned when I was pretty young, ran away rather than deal with an orphanage. Figured I'd strike my own path, not depend on anyone because people tend to let me down a lot.."

Her own sad smile seems to echo Spike's, staring up at the sky. "I never really had any great loves, save one. I guess I've always pined over him, been obsessed about him, heck, maybe unhealthily so but..I doubt those feelings are mutual. He's so cold and distant, and yet, even though he's my polar opposite, as good and self righteous as I am an evil villainous thief..,I dunno, I suppose it'll never happen."

She shrugs and smirks, pulling her mask over her face and rises to her feet. "Well, that was probably more info than you needed to know..I should head home.."

Spike has posed:
     He listens to your story and nods, letting you get it all out there. He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly,"Lonely comes and goes. It depends on the day." He touches his head and shrugs,"This magically makes me a bit less desireable to my own kind and most human sorts...they're too breakable." he comments.

     When she talks about the unrequited love potential he nods,"I feel your pain there love. Opposites attract, but usually we hide from it or fight it too long." When she rises he pushes himself from the monkey bars and tells you,"No more than I told you. Enough information dump for both of us." He looks down the street and back to you,"I'll see you in two nights. Days make it complicated of course."