15079/Do they still stamp things

Do they still stamp things
Date of Scene:	13 May 2023
Location:	Coffee Shop, Mercutio's - Gotham
Synopsis:	Nadia Pym approaches Kate Kane and asks her for money. Lots of money. To set up a super science lab and change the world. Kate doesn't turn the idea down but intends to look over the paperwork when she's not hungover. Also some coffee is drunk.
Cast of Characters:	Batwoman, Wasp (Pym)

---

Batwoman has posed:
"Oh, Katie!"

"fmnfno"

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that. What'd you say?"

"i said hi, catherine."

These are the first begrudgingly rasped words of Katherine Rebecca Kane's late-morning/early-afternoon after dragging herself to the edge of her bed to fumble for her ringing phone only to find it was her step-mother on the other line. Her pounding head disagrees strongly with the rays of sunlight streaming in through the window, but it's not the only reason why she winces as she pulls herself out from under clinging covers.

"Oh gosh, I hope I didn't wake you! I was just wondering if you'd be interested in a bit of brunch. The girls just got into town and I was thinking--"

"I'm busy, Catherine," is Kate's kneejerk response before she realizes she'll need to come up with a reasonable excuse. "... I've got an... appointment."

"Oh? Is it for a job?"

"... Yeah. You could say that."

"Oh, Katie, I'm so PROUD of you--"

What happens next is five minutes of Kate trying to verbally riposte her stepmother into successfully hanging up the phone to drag herself out of bed and into her shower so she can look presentable for--

Meructio's is great for a few reasons. The first, they keep things kosher if you ask for it. Second, they're way out of the way of the throbbing heart of Gotham, and right now Kate really can't deal with throbbing when her head is doing enough of it as it is. And third -- Italo and Irena are always happy to let Kate play a walk-in gig, which means, technically, she -is- doing something job-related, even if she's not actually being paid!

So that's why Kate Kane is here today, dressed in her gothic best in a pair of gray pants, high-heeled boots, and a backless, sleeveless button-up and vest combo. Her eyes are covered by a pair of purple-tinted shades, filtering out the damning light of morning as she quietly strums out soothing notes on her guitar at a comfortable couch at the southern corner of the bistro, filling the shop with a gentle cafe ambiance. There's no one with her - the couch is otherwise unoccupied, as are the cozy chairs nearby it. Just her, and her music, and a lack of stepmothers.

She likes coming here, though. It's quiet, calm. A nice contrast to the bars she usually visits.

Besides, right now -- oh god could she really use some coffee.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
Quiet and calm might not remain for all that much longer. Because storm Nadia is on the way. Thankfully there is plenty of excellent coffee. Sweet coffee. Although it's probably better if a certain Russian drinks tea instead. It's way more calming...

Having ranked wealthy individuals known to donate money to charity, who also are publicly known to be disinclined to involve themselves in the actual 'work' part, and then done some background research. Followed up with a combination of Red Room tradecraft, statistical modelling and trawling publicly available information have given her this time & location.... A place Kate would probably be if certain circumstances played out.

In short Nadia made a list of billionaires who are naughty and nice. And Kate was high on the nice list. Which made her a prime candidate for this 'totally unscheduled accidental meeting'.

The petite young brunette breezes in, in a dress that's somewhere between business casual and a frilly party frock, and totally ignores the counter. Clutching a folder that, to a known philanthropist, can only mean one thing. Someone is here to ask for money.

"Good day Ms Kane! I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time?" She beams a smile. "My name is Nadia, Nadia Pym, and if you give me five minutes I assure you that you won't regret it."

Batwoman has posed:
Slender fingers with black-lacquered nails deftly dance between chords, filling the air with languid music as Nadia enters. At the very least, it makes Kate that much easier to find -- if the bright scarlet of her short mane of hair or 'just the way she dresses, in general' weren't enough of a giveaway. Kate stands out in a crowd; it's something she's learned to live with, especially given a past that's made her more notorious among the socialites of Gotham.

In some ways, it can be a minor headache. In others...

Someone she doesn't recognize enters the cafe with the gentle jingle of welcoming bells. This isn't really notable in and of itself: there's plenty of people Kate doesn't know in Gotham. What -is- notable is the fact that the newcomer seems to completely ignore the counter in favor of--

Coming right up to her and greeting her by name, with a delivery, and a smile, and a Folder of Possibilities that all speak to a certain thing.

To Kate's credit, she takes it all in remarkably confident stride; the strum of her guitar barely even misses a note as she slowly looks up, red brows climbing just so over the rim of her shades. 'Pym,' she said. Huh.

"I don't know," she begins easily, "I do a lot of things I end up regretting. The odds aren't in your favor." Despite her words, a lopsided, teasing smile touches the corners of her lips. Her head tilts towards the counter.

"Go get a drink. And pick me up something, too; you can put it on my tab. And then you can have as many moments as it takes for me to finish my coffee." Her strumming stops as she looks at Nadia, head tilt. "Deal?"

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Wonderful," Nadia says with a nod. No hesitation. A coffee is about all the time she'll really need if she's got the right person anyway. She puts the folder down on the table. Marked with a GIRL logo. And heads over to order two coffees. She seems to know exactly the order Kate usually gets, she's done her homework it seems, and gets herself a double espresso.

Once she returns she slips onto an empty chair. Tucking her leg underneath her she opens the folder up and puts it down next to Kate's coffee. "So the very short pitch is that I want you to give me a big pile of money with no expectation that you'll get any back, outside of not inconsequential tax benefits, and once you know why I think you'll consider it money well spent."

She pauses to let that sink in. Beaming a smile.

"I'm trying to set up a science lab. With the aim of supporting scientists who wouldn't normally receive conventional support. And we're going to change the world. Improve access to education, find ways to restore environmental damage, work on clean energy projects and pretty much anything you can imagine. Probably a whole bunch of things you can't. A group which can help superheroes save the world but also fix things that punching or kicking can't. Famines, diseases, lack of access to education or healthcare. The world needs fixing. And we're not going to sit around and wait for anyone else to do it."

She offers a little shrug.

"That is my sales pitch. Do you have any questions?"

Batwoman has posed:
The needs and wants of Kate Kane are complex and often self-contradictory, but at least in the case of Mercutio's coffee, it's pretty simple -- on days like this, where she's obviously nursing some kind of hangover, the houseblend, medium roast is her preference.

And that's exactly what she tastes as she sets her guitar aside on the couch to pluck up her cup, blow on it, and sip. She tastes notes of caramel and chocolate in the otherwise bitter sea of the roast, and blinks once behind those sunglasses, red lips parting.

"Huh. You know what coffee I take," she begins slowly, as she sets that coffee aside. "I don't know whether to be flattered or concerned."

The opened folder, however, invites her attention; vividly green-but-bloodshot eyes are just scarcely visible past the sloping rim of Kate's sunglasses as she leans over to pin papers beneath her index finger and rotate the folder a bit more explicitly her way. She pours over the contents wordlessly as Nadia talks; to her credit, as difficult as the sunglasses make it to tell, she seems to be genuinely listening - AND absorbing the content she reads - instead of just putting on a front of interest. The redhead is a good multitasker, it seems.

"Mm," exhales the ghostly-pale Kane heiress. She lifts her cup of coffee to her lips, a wry smile briefly touching them before she takes another sip. "Someone needs to tell you to work on your short pitch, Ms. Pym. Most people need at least fifty percent more flattery and a hundred percent less honesty."

She looks up from that folder, a lopsided smile on her lips.

"As for the formal sales pitch... it's ambitious, that's for sure. I do have a few questions, though. Let's start with this first."

A black nail taps on that 'GIRL' logo.

"I love a good acronym, but what's this stand for? Have something to do with those scientists lacking conventional support?"

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Genius In action Research Lab," Nadia explains promptly. Thankfully she got a graphic designer on hand to make a cool logo (well she thinks it's cool) long before she started recruiting people. "And primarily it'll be helping female or female presenting scientists. Or anyone who doesn't fit into conventional support structures." Aka super science is a bit of a boys club. "We'll be making educational content available for free online. I've already picked out several education grants we can take advantage of for additional cash. But they tend to want to see a physical building before they give you the overly large novelty cheque."

She giggles at the comment about flattery. "I didn't think it'd be worth wasting your time with flattery. Besides I would not have approached anyone who would be so easily swayed. Ideally I want someone invested in the idea enough not to want to interfere or turn up demanding to see results."

Nadia chews at her lip thoughtfully for a moment then adds "Practically speaking some projects will fail and others will take decades to come to fruition. Global change will need time."

Her brow furrows. "One thing I do need to be sure of though. My engineer comes from Gotham and she said we can't allow a 'Mommy Warbucks' to 'shove her tits into our work'... I think maybe this is a Gotham socialite with a reputation? Anyway if you are interested she can't be involved. I hope that will not be an issue."

Batwoman has posed:
"Playing a little fast and loose with acronyms, huh?" wonders Kate, teasingly. That smile of hers blooms into a brief, magnetic grin.

"I like it."

Holding her coffee at her side, her free hand moves to pluck that folder up to get a better look at it as Nadia explains the driving intention behind GIRL. As if to cement that lackadaisical reputation of hers, Kate's first cogent thought is: "Cute logo, too," as she flips through.

"So you're going all in on girl power," she concludes, far from disapprovingly. Super science, a boys' club? Doesn't she know it. Her index finger taps on the spine of the folder once, twice, as she reads, listens, and sips her coffee -- and then Nadia invokes the term 'Mommy Warbucks.'

It's completely unexpected. That's why there's a brief moment where Kate's breath hitches, and she suddenly coughs, having the good foresight to put her coffee aside as some of that liquid goes down the wrong tube. "Hhh-haha--" she teeters somewhere between coughing and laughing for several seconds, holding up her hand in the universal 'PLEASE WAIT' sign for the duration. And when it finally tapers off...

"Aah -- sorry, okay--" One hand combs through the short, undercut muss of her red hair. Her shades have fallen further down the bridge of her nose, revealed mirth-filled, kohl-lined eyes as those bright greens turn Nadia's way once more. "I'll be... very sure to keep her out of it." How does she explain to someone the concept of a Mommy Warbucks? Or Annie? ... Maybe later. For now: "So, let me see if I've got this right. If you know about the kind of coffee I like, I'm guessing you also know about my sordid reputation," she invokes a low key, salacious tone here, "and figured I would be the perfect person to dump money into your laps while making sure I keep my tits to myself."

She lets her assessment sink in for a few minutes, brows lifting just so.

"I have to admit, my tits are feeling pretty hurt right now."

Despite the jokes, despite her effortlessly glib tone, she is thinking, though. Considering. She's heard enough about someone claiming to be the daughter of Pym through the grapevine to have some small idea of who Nadia is. And something like this...

"You have anything in mind for an initial project?" Kate asks, abruptly.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"They did not really cover English acronym creation in my schooling," Nadia admits wryly. Shifting slightly to the side in her chair as someone passes a little too close. Seemingly reflexively. Maintaining a certain level of personal space. Not the sort of thing you'd expect from a typical scientist. "I don't intend to exclude any scientists who wish to contribute. But I want my members to feel like they're being told what to do by more established figures."

Her brow furrows. "It would be foolish to ignore sources of knowledge simply because of gender. But also I want the freedom to approach problems from new angles too." She pauses at the laughter. Sipping at her own coffee now that she's confident she's past the sales pitch deadline. The reference or the joke seemingly lost on her.

"Honestly I consider that part of your reputation to count in your favour," she notes. A grin of her own forming. "Firstly the continuation of that behaviour shows you are unlikely to be influenced by public opinion. So if we do something unpopular you won't immediately pull the plug. And finding you playing music also leads me to believe you aren't really keen on corporate politics and paperwork."

A lot of words but really. That's a yes.

Thankfully she's not so oblivious as to assume Kate's tits are actually injured! "You would be welcome to attend any gathering which is not confidential in nature. But your opinion would be judged entirely upon merit and your position as our backer would have no bearing on the outcome. I hope that will go some way towards relieving the sting?"

After all it's not just Kate's reputation for parties which came up in her research. Someone capable like Kate is, in her opinion, partying because she's bored. Not because she's incapable of doing anything else.

"Firstly we'll be setting up a space. Getting a building prepared and installing all the equipment we'll need. Presumably we'll need to be certified by various bodies to work with superhero teams in an official capacity. As for things we intend to research? I know Ms Row intends to expand upon her robotics work. Also our xeno-studies expert was going to make a lot of research material available to us." She's still not entirely clear the best way to define Kara's field of study. But whatever it is probably has a xeno in there somewhere.

Batwoman has posed:
Someone passes by. Kate raises her cup to them in a nonchalant greeting exchanged between regulars. Nadia, though...

It's a mild thing, the way the scientist shirks just so by instinct. One would have to practically be looking for it to see.

But Kate does. It inspires a second or two of quiet thought, but at least for now, she doesn't bring it up. They barely know each other, after all. And besides...

She has to maintain appearances, for now.

And so the professional layabout just slumps back into her chair with that loose sense of easygoing confidence; her cup, half-filled, manages not to spill because as mentioned, she's a -pro-. Past the rim of her shades, hooded eyes watch Nadia as she works through her thoughts.

"You want your people to get the chance to shine on their own merits," Kate concludes, bringing that cup of coffee to her lips, "right?"

'You have as long as it takes to finish my cup of coffee' is, to Kate's mind, a wonderful compromise because it's so variable. If the meeting isn't going well, well -- she can chug with the best of them, as her years and years of history can attest to. And if it is...

She's still slowly working on that coffee as Nadia offers her an olive branch. She considers; that bright green gaze falls back down towards the folder, considerate.

"The Kane Family owns a lot of properties here in Gotham and on the fringes, too," she points out, almost off-handedly. "A few of them haven't been in use for a while. It wouldn't be a huge undertaking to repurpose them."

"You drive a hard bargain," she notes with dry amusement. "And here I thought I was the one you had to be won over. If you want assurances, though... I'm not really interested in running things, and I'm not really the science type to begin with," the latter of which isn't, technically, true, but one'd have to pry into her school records to know that much. (The former? Absolutely true. Responsibility is her kryptonite.) "But if I'm going to recklessly toss my family's money into something, it's going to be something I think has real promise - or at LEAST has real potential to scandalize my step-mother - which means occasionally I am gonna want to drop in and be impressed by all your super science and confused by all your technical jargon. If you can agree with that, I think we can work together."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
An enthusiastic nod. "Exactly," she agrees. "I'm picking the best people I can. No concern for formal educations, background or scientific field of study. The only things I'm really picky about are they need to think for themselves, not be actively a criminal, and no weapons research. Reformed villains I intend to give the benefit of the doubt. And probably will try not to label as villains because honestly it doesn't do anyone any good..."

She taps her fingers a few times on the table. Considering options. "Ideally I was looking to site myself somewhere between New York and Gotham. As I have recruits from both areas. One from Metropolis too but she's probably going to be fine commuting." Because gosh can Kara fly quickly. "So much our of equipment will be bespoke so any sort of fixer-upper site will do fine. I'd taken the liberty of scouting a dozen or so suitable locations. Estimates for power requirements and other utility connections are detailed in the folder." A flutter of her lashes. "As well as the security requirements. We'll need to be capable of repelling super threats. But that's less of a concern as I intend on remaining on site most of the time." When she's not engaging in science adventures anyway. "A compromise is when all sides to a deal are equally unhappy. But if you make a truly good deal everyone gets what they want."

Funding for GIRL. An excuse for Kate.

She holds out her hand for a handshake. "Provisionally then I believe we have an agreement? Lets fix the world."

Batwoman has posed:
One long leg hooking leisurely over the knee of its opposite number, a shiny-polished shoe heel bobbing too and fro as Kate enjoys her coffee and conversation.

"Reformed villains, huh," says the tattooed redhead, one brow climbing just over the horizon of her shades. "Sounds risky. -And- controversial." And a dealbreaker for most people. Kate even clucks her tongue in faux-admonition.

"Another reason why you'd want someone with a gift for controversy in your corner. Really, I feel like such a golden goose right now I should be leveraging it for more. Like first rights to any and all GIRL swag."

Ever-magnanimous, Kate -doesn't- push for more; her glib commentary aside, she seems to be shockingly easy going about all of this. The benefits of being richer than God with nothing to do than party and play guitar at your favorite cafes and dive bars, maybe. A snow-pale shoulder bearing a Green Beret tattoo rolls upward in a little shrug as Nadia muses on locales.

"I've got a few ideas, but I'll need to double check a couple things. I'll send you a list of possibles, if all goes well. How's that sound?"

And, at least for now, it -does- seem to be going well. Coffee lifting to dark red lips, Kate drains the last vestiges of her coffee as Nadia speaks; the throb behind her eyes has been a duller thing thanks to the wonders of an interesting distraction, and if nothing had come of this exchange than that, she'd be grateful. Still...

A hand is offered. The scarlet-haired heiress looks down at it for a second.

"Looks like we managed in the nick of time, too," she remarks, casually and demonstrably shaking her coffee cup as if it were fate and she didn't just choose now to finish it off. A lopsided smile forms on dark lips as she sets that emptied cup aside, shifts on her couch --

And leans forward, to take Nadia's hand in hers. Her posture is languid; her handshake, though, is firm. 'Let's fix the world.'

"Deal," she agrees, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. The black-lacquered nail of her free index finger taps against the surface of that folder. "Got spares of these? I'd like to keep hold of it to look through it a bit more later."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Oh well," Nadia says when Kate talks about how good an offer it is. "I was saving the 'bad' bit for last." She coughs. "Do you have a personal security detail?" Her eyes flick to the tattoo, then she adds "I appreciate you're not exactly a stranger to risk. But..." The petite Russian glances around the room. "A list of possible locations would be ideal," she agrees. Side tracking for a moment. "We will of course need to do bug sweeps before we move in."

"Because well..." She gives the room another glance. "Long story short once the details of your involvement become public you might find you get targeted."

Nothing in the room seems to set off alarm bells and she continues the hand shake with enthusiasm. She's got a remarkably strong grip for her build although she doesn't try do any sort of a power handshake.

"Feel free to keep it," she chimes in. "My upbringing was... Unusual? But you should tell your security detail to be on the look out for Russian spies and possible kidnapping attempts."

Batwoman has posed:
"Saving the bad news until after we shake hands?"

Katherine Rebecca Kane wags a finger before she flops back into her seat.

"You're a sneaky one, Ms. Pym. I'm gonna remember that."

Pale arms stretch high over Kate's head after these teasing words. When they fall back down, they settle into a comfortable position laced behind the back of Kate's head as the pale woman looks sidelong towards Nadia. Lots of little glances around the room. Lots of wariness. It lines up with the things that Kate had observed earlier about the woman. Cagey in a very particular way.

Someone feeling cautious, and for good reason.

"Sounds like one of those short stories that should be told long," is the first thing she has to say on the matter, but she doesn't push about it. "... But maybe not here, huh?"

'Possible kidnapping attempts.' For a rare moment, that lackadaisical smile on the goth heiress' lips fades into something more neutral. "I've had to deal with kidnapping attempts before," she says, simply, without expanding... but it's not like it's a part of her history she can hide, either. The stern, soldier's mentality she inherited from her father shines through in the plain matter-of-factness of her voice as she continues,

"It's not going to happen again."

And just like that it's gone, as she offers a reassuring smile to Nadia. "I appreciate the heads up. I'll make sure to handle it." No mention of security details, but -- maybe that's just something that comes implied, with people above a certain wealth threshold.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
Nadia Pym shrugs. "People tend to get alarmed when you begin a conversation with 'there are evil Russian spies who are after me'," she points out earnestly. "It's not something I am keeping a secret from prospective members. Of any sort. But yes it's not really a conversation to be had in detail... here." Or with someone who is possibly hungover. "I just hope that you will take it seriously. They are not your typical kidnap someone for money gang."

Still Kate seems very serious about her ability to stay safe. And a big part of letting someone make an informed decision is you respect the choice they make when you give them the information.

"If after hearing more you decide to back out I would very much understand."

And then the serious expression is gone and she's beaming another smile. "Oh it's not a short story to be told long. It's a sixteen-ish year story to be told short. Something for a follow up meeting. I included my contact information as well as brief biographies on some of my prospective members." Carefully edited to avoid revealing any personal info that might be used to identify anyone but herself. "Plus everything you'd need to connect to the virtual meeting place we're currently using. On the off chance you wanted to chat with anyone from the group."

Her own biography page is included and is shockingly casual about how she's also 'The Wasp' (No not that one! The /other/ Wasp).

Batwoman has posed:
It's a pretty novel feeling, delving into the world of investments and grants. Kate's not sure how she feels about it. Fundraising gladhands are an ordeal she's much better acquainted with (and much more inclined to drink her way through) but this is... different. She wonders, distantly, if this is how Bruce feels, juggling the world of Wayne and Bat.

It's not so bad. But not something Kate could handle making a habit out of. But for something worthwhile?

What's the point of all that money if you can't use it for something like that, after all?

The world of looming threats of spies and kidnappers and all around skulduggery is infinitely more familiar, even if not in a way she's going to be revealing any time soon. No; she just leaves it at that expression of gratitude, as far as looming threats go. At the very least -- the normally flippant heiress seems to take it seriously enough. With the warning delivered and accepted, Kate lingers and listens for a while longer, a soft scoff slipping past her dark lips at Nadia's suggestion to delay her tale. "Maybe another time when my eyes don't feel like they're about to burst out of their sockets in protest," she agrees ever-so-evocatively. And as she does, Kate rises smoothly onto her feet, backless shirt providing the briefest glimpse of the nautical star tattoo emblazoned on her pale back before the shouldering of her guitar conceals it anew. Leaning over, she plucks up that folder -- and then digs into her pocket, to pull out her own phone.

"I've got a bit of a date to get to," Kate says, off-handedly. "I'll see what formal hoops I've gotta jump through and what paperwork we'll have to formalize and... stamp, do they still stamp things? ... to make things all official like, but but here: my phone number. You get direct access, Nadia Pym. Just try not to abuse it. If you want to call to tell me how amazing I am, try to keep it to the evening hours when I'm more coherent and more able to indulge in praise." Beyond the rim of her glasses, Kate winks. She'll make a full, thorough perusal of those documents and possibles later, when she can actually, properly research without putting up a front. It does feel a little strange, brushing shoulders with a super hero in her civilian identity, but, well.

"Looking forward to seeing all the ways you can excite and astound, Ms. Pym."

Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best possible strategy.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Do not worry," Nadia assures. "I save my most shocking revelations for places I have scanned for surveillance."

She pauses and beams that smile again. Cheeks dimpling. It's probably a joke. Probably. But with all the hints she dropped and her wariness? Perhaps it's based on a core of truth.

She looks at the number for barely a moments glance and then nods. "I'll remember it in case I need to get in touch," she promises. Her expression turns blank at the talk of stamps. "I have no idea? I grew up in Siberia. All I know is immigration law is /very/ boring."

"And do not worry I am /far/ too busy to contact someone simply to tell them how great they are. Unless you happen to publish a paper on how to extract limitless clean energy from quantum foam. But honestly I hope you'll send me an advance copy for peer review if that was something you just so happened to be working on..."

She pauses just on the off chance Kate is about to chime in with ground breaking physics research. "I'm sure we'll do wonderful things by working together. It's been a pleasure making your acquaintance." She grins. "And I hope your date goes well! But if they start talking in Russian I'd recommend not leaving them alone with your drink..."