14313/Punching Things is Therapeutic.

Punching Things is Therapeutic.
Date of Scene:	14 April 2022
Location:	Batcave - Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Catwoman, Batman

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Catwoman has posed:
     It was early the next day following the fundraiser that Selina had mentioned. By early Selina understood it to be around 10am, which was probably near Bruce's lunch time. Dressed in a black sports bra, spandex exercise knee-length pants and her work out shoes that were of course, black with accents of pink and white in them. Some of the only color that she usually adorns herself with.
     The long ponytail that was tied up at the top of her head is swinging around her shoulders as she spins into a round kick to send the punching back flying away from her. Sweat beaded her forhead and dripped down her back and toned abdomen.

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne had a long night last night. While Selina was at the fundraiser, Bruce had his patrol as the Batman. Mirror Master had been in Gotham tring to steal a quantum field generator to turn the world into a giant mirror, granting him a sense of omnipresence. He had to stop him and stop him he did. Rather than be tried in Star City as normal, Batman took Mirorr Master straight to Belle Rev penitentiary.

When he had woken up, he reaches over to an indent on the bed. Selina was gone. She was there when he returned...but she's gone now. She's likely off on a heist or out with friends, or helping someone. So, Bruce Wayne walks downstairs and the lift to the Batcave is audible. Bruce was wearing simple clothing. Practically pajamas, but not really. Black loose pants, a white tanktop.

He approaches Selina when he watches her train. "Good form." Bruce's deep voice rings into the air as he draws closer to her. He moves to the other side of the bag to steady it. "You've been at this awhile. How long have you been down here?"

Catwoman has posed:
     "I'm not sure." Selina pants her words out as she pauses in her antics since Bruce held her bag for her, "What time is it? I started around 7am.". The night before had not gone as planned and she'd woken up earlier than most days. A smile that always seems to happen at the mere sight of him lifts her face. Walking towards the punching bag to meet him, her hands wrapped for punching, there is some blood that seems to be leaking through. Showing signs that she'd taken it a little, if not too rough, this morning on the bag.
     But for now... she uses the bag as a separate between them, she was wet and sticky from sweat after all, "Thanks Batty." A wrapped blood stained hand reaches up and touches his hair on the left side of his head. "Did you miss me?"

Batman has posed:
"A little ways past 10am." Bruce tells her. Even as he's looking at her, his mind is at work. Her fists have been at this for awhile. She used wrapping instead of padding, causes the knuckles to peel skin when striking hard leather. Her sweat dripped down her body. Down her back, down her sides, and down her front. It was palpable on her forehead. She's been at this for hours and she doesn't look too tired. But Bruce looked at her with love in his eyes.

He moved around the bag then at her touch, reaching for her to pull her close for a deep kiss. He never minded sweat or body fuids like that. He was bleeding every night. Bruised every night. Broken every night.

She was the one thing that never truly hurt him.

"I did."

Catwoman has posed:
     It was 10am? How had that happen? Selina blinks at the information and its then that she looks down at her hands that were bloody. No, she didnt put padding, which says something about her, she was anger when she started all this. But instead of taking out on someone, she had taken it out on the bag. Something Batty would know by looking at her. Which might be why...
     She is pulled against him and she closes here eyes, "I didnt do it." she murmurs against him, "I wanted to. He deserved it. But I didnt do it." whatever happen last night has left she shaken, frustrated and wanting to beat something. At the same time, she'd resisted certain urgers that were normal for her.
     While in his arms, she softened, the tense was starting to fade away, his words... were like a sing song to soul. She closed her eyes and hide her face in his chest.

Batman has posed:
Bruce holds her tight, as if letting her go would mean that he could lose her. She was angry. Upset. Last night didn't go well. Nothing happened to her, clearly. She tells him that she didn't do it, as if she was about to be scolded. No scolding ever arrives. "I'm sorry." He tells her when she buries her head in his chest and holds him tight. She was left shaken. Something rattled her to her core.

"What happened?"

Bruce was the world's greatest detective. He could figure out what happened but...that defeats the point. He wants her to open up to him. To be comfortable with him. His hands caress her back in comfort, his hand reaching for her hair to massage her scalp.

Catwoman has posed:
     "I kept hearing your words in my ears, and seeing your face in my mind. You know the one I get when I do something disappointing?" Selina sighs as she turns her head so that her cheek rests against his chest inside. "I didnt take the jewels." In in harming, she should of, the person she was stealing from deserved it. "They ended up selling at auctioned for a half a million dollars." That kind of money use to make sure sick. But having met Bruce, she knew that money was one thing, a person was another.
     Selina falls limp against him, the strength she'd had was now gone from beating a punching bag that looked like someone else. Something she couldnt defeat.

Batman has posed:
Bruce looks at Selina with...an expression that is extremely difficult to read. That might be the expression she's talking about. Bruce's eyes tell what his face doesn't: a brilliant new story. He keeps his full attention on her. "I'm sorry, Selina." Bruce tells her. He's tried to make sure that financially Selina was more than okay. She didn't just live here, she had access.

Access that Bruce trusted few others with.

She falls limp against him and Bruce tries to pick her up in his arms in a cradle. He looks her in the eyes. Weary, exhausted, angry...well, maybe less angry now that she's gotten a bit of it out of her system.

"I'm proud of you. Sometimes they do deserve it. More than anything in the world, but what separates us from them is our ability to pick our battles and our targets. We have, but we don't use what we have for ill purposes. Do you remember the man's name?"

Catwoman has posed:
     It wasnt about the money, it had never been about the money, because... well, she never kept it. Even the money that Bruce had allowed her access to... there had only been a minor dent in to it. A small one that might not even register for a person like Bruce Wayne
     "Oswald Cobblepot" Selina sighs at the name. Allowing herself to rest against his tough exterior. Only picking herself up and smiling up at him when he tells her that he's proud, "I'm still trying to figure out who deserves it and who doesnt. My justice compass has had a learning curve for the last few months, and sometimes it makes me dizzy as to where it spins."

Batman has posed:
It was never about the money. The money was just a tool, no more important or insignificant than one of Bruce's batarangs. It had it's uses and there was a right and wrong way to use it, like with any tool. Bruce hears the name of Oswald Cobblepot.

Bruce knew him as Oz. A friend of the family...too bad the Cobblepot money and fame drove him insane. Bruce frowns a moment. "Criminals like Oswald Cobblepot are safe to steal from. They use their materials for crime. Criminals can be stolen from. Never be ashamed of that. I would be a hypocrite if I told you not to. But Oswald Cobblepot is a crime lord. Him, you can steal from."

Catwoman has posed:
     Selina pulls back from Bruce and tilts her head up to him, her ponytail falling down her back as her chin tilts upward, "You aren't making this spinning of a justice compass that much easier, batty." she says, keeping her arms around him, even sliding them upwarm to link around his neck.
     A feline like grin pulls at her lips as she looks up at him, "So I /can/ steal?" she asks, "There was a warning in your voice when I hinted at it yesterday." To be honest, that warning in his voice had followed her through the evening, and it was that look and tone that had made her stop in her actions, trying to think of another solution to get back at the criminal.

Batman has posed:
Bruce looks at Selina and he seems to be largely amused...at least if his eyes can be trusted. He watches you as you raise your chin to look at him, your arms still around his neck as his hands still hold your hips.

"Only from criminals for as long as it has a purpose. Not redeemed criminals, active criminals." Bruce tells Selina with a small smile touching his face. She was the only one who could do that. The only one who could make him smile. The only one who could remind him truly that he was still human.

Bruce has stolen before. It'd be truly hypocritical. "But innocents, civilians where even if they are ill-mannered towards others, will be safe from your hands." Bruce offers her a breaking of the impasse. A compromise.

Catwoman has posed:
     Finger tips walk up his neck and separate as they dive between his strands of hair. Selina shakes her head at him, "I would never." her eyes crinkle at the corners and her nose wrinkles upwards, even as the smile plays on her lips. Within his hold, she pushes up and presses a soft kiss against that smile that she made form on that chiseled face of his. "The innocents have nothing I want. They deserve everything they have. People like Oswald have things he doesnt deserve and is greedy."
     To say that she was feeling regret is understatement now. The light in her eyes brightens as her mind turns and twists with other ideas on how else she could pay him back, now she was actually looking for a reason. Being pulled back to the present, blinking a few times before looking back up at Bruce. "I'll figure this whole hero thing out one of these days..." Raising a single eyebrow, "I couldn't convince you on joining me on a little B & E could I?"

Batman has posed:
Bruce seems to smile at her then. "Good." Bruce's lips embrace Selina's own when she pushes up against him. Oswald Cobblepot really was a piece of shit, though it must never be allowed to let the enemy get into your head...it must be the other way around.

He still holds her in his arms, though he raises a brow at her when she asks him about a potential B & E. "Depends on who's home we are breaking into." Bruce questions. Though something tells him its the residence of Oswald Cobblepot...or whoever he sold a particular trinket to.

He seems to...approve of her actions.

"I already know you have the heart of one." A hero, anyway.

Catwoman has posed:
     As he stands there and tells her that she already has a heart of a hero, Selina smiles shyly, having to look away from his gaze for just a moment. This, this was one of the reasons why she found herself falling in love with him. He could see the best in her, the best that she wanted to be.
     The idea of giving herself to him was still hard to comprehend, so she plays off the emotion that builds inside her by laughing at his inquiry of who's house it would be. "Oswalds." she confirms, "The person hat bought the jewels... well, I dont' know them and I don't believe they deserve to have something they just purpose stolen. At least... Not yet."
     There is a soft sigh, it was amazing that he would even consider it and support her in her efforts, support was not something she was use to and still struggled to grasp. "Mm, I'm going to need a shower soon." she murmurs, against his lips even as she nuzzles him again.

Batman has posed:
It was a gift of his. Bruce could see the best in someone. He had his flaws, to be sure. He was arrogant (or acted like he was), stubborn as a mule, and no-nonsense. Sometimes he pushed the limits of humanity, other times he needed to be reminded that he was still human in this battlefield of gods and monsters. She reminded him that despite what happened in that alley, despite what his training had made him?

He could still be happy.

"Figured." Bruce replies with a straight face. Though his tone has some mild humor involved. "We can trace it back. Cobblepot is fiendish with his recepts." Bruce comments, only to hold Selina closer to him, to catch her lovely scent despite her sweat. "I can join you."

Oh my.

Catwoman has posed:
     Drawing a hand to his cheek, Selina strokes the stubble that was forever there on his cheek. The rough exterior, the stubble and the man's, did nothing to deter her. A smile on her lips. "I love it when you talk stealing to me." her tone flirtatious and teasing. Though she loved many things about it, she said such things to remind him that he was good. That he was human and that he was her first choice in all things.
     "Oh?" she asks him at his offer, "You think you have time for that?" speaking of the shower of course. The sweat on her body had nearly absorbed back into her skin, though it left her feeling tacky and sticky.

Batman has posed:
"I have time."

Bruce's words are sincere. Honest. To the point. He keeps his full attention on Selina when she talks, when she flirts with him. Herh and on his stubbly cheek makes him smile on her ever so softly. Even if her skin was tacky and sticky, Bruce's skin was fresh. Like he had just awoken, but Bruce kept himself in good, proper hygiene. He's in a suit all day, after all.

"As long as you'll have me."

Bruce adds that last bit at the end.