8251/Talkin' Cop...Charity

Talkin' Cop...Charity
Date of Scene:	10 July 2019
Location:	Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Bruce Wayne hosts Selina Kyle to discuss a new idea for a charitable event.
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Catwoman

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Batman has posed:
The appointment was booked a few days in advance. Bruce Wayne's personal assistant framed it as though she wanted to give Selina time to arrange her busy schedule, but the unspoken and obvious truth was the Wayne Foundation's chairman was busy. But when the arrangements were finally made, they were at Wayne Manor itself.

Alfred waits outside the door with all the propriety of a grand old manor house from the turn of the last century, dressed in full suit and tails. Wayne Manor enjoys only one permanent member of staff, so the display is somewhat muted as it might otherwise have been. The master of the house is nowhere to be seen, but that's to be expected with Bruce Wayne.

Catwoman has posed:
Although Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne are friendly and have teamed up a few times in the past for social functions and charity work, she is not often given the opportunity to come to Wayne Manor itself. Receiving the invitation with an ability to make preparations, it left her trying to decide how to get there and what to dress up in. The catsuit was an obvious no, but that still left her with a number of options.

Alfred Pennyworth will see her decision first, as a motorcycle engine heralds her arrival. It's not one of those exceptionally loud ones, but it's loud enough. The selection is a study in blacks, except for one thing: leather jacket, jeans, short motorcycle boots, and a helmet styled with tiger stripes, orange and black. It's a reminder of the last event the pair teamed up on.

Pulling the motorcycle around to the designated spot to park it, she cuts the engine then steps off, removing the helmet to carry it along in her left hand. "Alfred! You look well!" she calls out, approaching for a polite embrace if he accepts one, her free hand pressing to his back.

Batman has posed:
"And you are as radiant as ever, Miss Kyle," Alfred returns, allowing himself a smile as he steps forward to meet Selina and her motorcycle, "Mister Wayne is waiting in the library, but there will be farineaux on the south lawn afterwards if you're hungry. May I take your coat?"

Alfred holds out his hands to take the jacket if it is offered before leading the way into the mansion proper. The place is truly immense in scope, with dozens of rooms it is more like a palace than a home. But the old butler knows his way around it with ease, and after a few turns he is standing in the doorway of a large room filled with old, leather bound books.

"Miss Kyle, sir."

Inside the room, Bruce stands looking up at a portrait in oils that hangs over the extinguished fireplace. A man, a woman, and a young boy. The curtains are half-drawn, allowing only a thin stream of sunlight into the room. He seems lost in thought for a moment, not looking up until Alfred clears his throat. All the gloom and melancholy falls away from the man in an instant, turning to face Selina with a warm smile: "I'm glad you could make it."

Catwoman has posed:
"Why thank you. Oh, have you been lifting?" Selina asks, making a show of squeezing one of the butler's biceps in playful awe. "Good thing I brought my appetite with me. Oh, yes. Here you go." Also a good thing she didn't bring anything suspicious in her jacket, so if Alfred checks it out once he's left the two by themselves, he'll find it to be clean.

Without the jacket on, she's in a black shirt that is a parody of the band Nirvana, just as 'Purrvana' instead. Once they've made it to the library, Selina having looked around at whatever she could along the way while keeping pace, she glances from Bruce to Alfred and back again as the painting is noted. Probably not hard to guess who's represented in it. When he smiles, she returns it. "Bruce. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Again, she'll offer a similar greeting as she did with Alfred, though she'd go a step further with a super-formal peck at both cheeks.

Batman has posed:
Alfred laughs kindly at Selina's joke, although he is the picture of professionalism and doesn't play into it too much. As much as his job is about as secure as any job can be on the planet Earth, Alfred Pennyworth maintains the standards of a butler that very few people appreciate in this day and age.

Bruce leans in to accept the pecks on both cheeks, well attuned to social graces even if they are entirely put upon for him. After they're done saying their hellos, he steps towards a writing desk by the window and leans back against it with both palms flat on the surface.

"Quid pro quo, actually. Every year the Wayne Foundation puts together a benefit for a different cause. My part as chair is overseeing the benefit. I was hoping to try and talk you into sharing that load with me ... you've got a knack for it, after all."

Catwoman has posed:
In truth, there's very little about Selina Kyle that is this formal. The trick is in making others believe that's the lifestyle she leads. When one goes from basically gutter trash to well-known Gotham City socialite with a love of felines of all types, one has an image to cultivate and maintain. If they all only knew the truth...

The motorcycle helmet was also left with Alfred, and with him departing she moves a few steps closer to lean a shoulder against a row of books, crossing her arms. Her black hair is cut short, not even a need for a bun or ponytail, and she didn't even bother with makeup today. The helmet would have made it a little pointless, so he'll see her skin is on the pale side.

Listening to the billionaire playboy getting right to the point, a soft 'ah' escapes her lips. "I did owe you. What's the focus this time? Orphanage? Housing for the poor? I was afraid we were a little /too/ successful with the big cat thing. I didn't expect so much money to come in. That's good for them, though. I saw their latest newsletter. They've been busy."

Batman has posed:
"I don't think there's such a thing as too successful with charity," Bruce opines, although the smile on his face suggests it's only a light tease, "But I know what you mean. Foundation benefits in the past have netted such massive amounts of donations we've had to bring in new administrators just to cover it all. But I'm glad to know the lions and tigers are comfortable."

There's nothing to suspect about Selina Kyle. Not really. Rags to riches stories are not that uncommon in the days where most old money families like his pissed it away a generation or two ago. He doesn't watch her all that closely. In his mind he is already considering his patrol route for the evening, the social side of him almost operating on a smiling, debonair form of autopilot.

"I was thinking the GCPD. Their equipment is ... well, sub-par. Their pension fund could use a boost. With vigilantes running roughshod over everything, they obviously need a shot in the arm."

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle hand-waves at his thoughts on charity work coming out better than expected. "You have a point. When it's all for a good cause like that, it's better to do more than you're hoping for rather than less, even if every penny helps." But, still. There were some hefty dontations. "All I know is some people are going to have some big tax deductions coming up."

As chummy as Bruce and Selina are, the paths they've taken to get where they are couldn't be much more different. Bruce was born into the life, then tragedy hit and it all became his. She was born into something average, then tragedy hit and she had to claw her way up from the streets, somehow.

Then, she grimaces. "Really, Bruce? The police? You know they're probably in the top five of the most corrupt PDs in the country, right? Why do you think they aren't upgrading their stuff or there's nothing there for pensions?" The idea actually has her frowning, sounding completely skeptical. "I've lost track of how many times I've called them to report drug deals and shootings, and I'm lucky if they even come out at all."

He's going to have to sell her on it, favor owed or not.

Batman has posed:
"That may be, but they'll never change without a push," Bruce says, obviously quite intent on the idea despite the lack of commitment usually so prevalent in everything the man does in the public eye ... or the untrusted private one, "There are good cops in the GCPD. Men and women striving to make Gotham a better place. A cash infusion might be what it takes to shake the rust loose. Even the most corrupt officer in Gotham is going to think twice about trying to make off with that money. Not only will the Wayne Foundation have its eyes on it, but the entirety of Gotham's elite will be watching and waiting for them to put it to a good use. Think of it less as rewarding corruption and more as tying their hands with a golden rope."

He takes a pause, considering his next words: "If someone like you can't put your trust in the GCPD, why should anyone? If nobody is looking to them to be the shining light Gotham needs, then what makes them want to try? Maybe if we can invest a little hope in them they'll feel as though they have to rise to meet us or sink so low that they'll never get out."

Does he truly believe it? He's had his own run-ins with the police, albeit for good reasons.

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle crosses her arms, a general look of skepticism lingering in her doubtful expression. "There are good and bad people in anything. Most people can be corrupted if the price is right, if someone is compromised, or whatever. I get what you're saying, that there would be too much attention on them for the bad apples to get away with something. Don't be surprised if some of them try, whether it exposes them or not."

The question she asks next comes from a different point of view. "What does my trust of them have to do with it? I've seen some of them do good things, and I've seen some of them do bad things. Sometimes it's the same guy. I know the way things are in this city can make it hard, and maybe some of them believe they have to be in on things with the Penguin or somebody else."

Seems she's trying to work through her thoughts on this, to figure out where even she is going with them, as she allows a pause in her words to pop up.

Batman has posed:
"Then let them try something," Bruce says with a wave of his hand, "Maybe it'll have the added bonus of helping identify just whose up to no good in the GCPD. If they can't keep their hands out of the cookie jar even when the spotlight's on them? That sounds like an easy win for the good guys."

"It's not just your trust. It's everyone's. If we just accept that they're a lost cause, what's the point? What stops the rot from setting in even deeper and poisoning it even further? A tumor like that is one Gotham couldn't walk away from. You know my father was a doctor. I think we ought to treat it now before the cancer spreads."

Catwoman has posed:
"I swear, if I see one more video of a cop playing basketball with kids for thirty seconds, only to find out later he's helping move drugs and guns.." Selina makes a disgusted sound at the back of her throat, a shake of the head following.

Then she directs her attention toward Bruce again, gesturing with a hand. "What did you have in mind? Black tie dinner? A show of some kind? We just did the costume masquerade idea for mine." She isn't sold yet, but on the path to be.

Batman has posed:
"Black tie's the obvious knee jerk reaction," Bruce admits, the corner of his mouth twisting slightly as his pitch gains a little more traction, "But the masquerade was such a success, I feel like some sort of theme is necessary. The high and mighty of Gotham can go to a black tie dinner anytime they like, so it needs to have some novelty to sell them."

He clicks his tongue, looking out the window for a moment before venturing: "What about something like winter in the summertime? Ice sculptures. Fake snow."

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle offers with a hint of sarcasm, "Should I bring a parka? I don't even think I /have/ one. And before you ask, let's not have it in the Iceberg Lounge. Something about that place gives me the creeps." Whether truth or lie, it's hard to say right now. "It's not a bad idea, though," she allows. But, she didn't say it was a great one either.

She takes a moment to eye some of the titles on the shelf closest to her, curious about what Bruce Wayne finds to be interesting reading.

Batman has posed:
The books on the shelf are a strange mix. A number of old first editions that may well be worth several thousand dollars to the right collector. Others look to be paperback novels of the sort one buys in an airport while waiting for their connecting flight. Yet other are treatises on all manner of disciplines, from forensic science of the early twentieth century to aeronautical engineering. There's no true rhyme or reason to the collection, save that it is meticulously ordered by author's name.

"No, not the Iceberg Lounge. They'll probably want a cut and it's a charity ball, after all. What would you add, Selina? If you had to come up with a benefit for Gotham's police force against your better judgement?"

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle can see Wayne is a very well-read person, if the books are meant to be more than just for show. Wide variety of authors and genres, making it tough to narrow him down to favoring any one thing over another.

"Celebrity auctions usually go over well. How much would someone bid for dinner and a show with Bruce Wayne, Gotham City's most eligible bachelor, I wonder? You /are/ still unclaimed, aren't you?" the visitor teases, hiding a half-smile, half-smirk.

Batman has posed:
"Unclaimed and untethered," Bruce admits, holding his hands out in a plaintive gesture despite his face showing no such remorse at that particular state of affairs, "But I suppose I could do that. Mount myself on the auction block like so many pounds of meat. It's for a good cause, after all."

He thinks on that for a moment, standing up to pace across the library, "What about you? I'm not sure I have that broad a range of appeal. Would you put yourself on the block, too, in the name of charity?"

Catwoman has posed:
"That's almost a shame," Selina seems to lament. Or is it? "And if I had to guess, we're looking at at least 220 pounds of meat there," she muses playfully.

Then, a hand rests against the front of her mock-band shirt. "Me? Are we going to have a bidding war to see which one of us is more popular with the masses? What if we both won?"

Batman has posed:
"Two twenty-nine," Bruce answers, patting his stomach as though there were even an inch of excess body fat to be found there. The cut of his suit is not overtly revealing, though, and he could potentially get away with it: "Too many after hours trips to Peter Luger, I think."

Moving back to the topic at hand, he shrugs his shoulders: "Well, then we both end up spending a pleasant evening out on the town with someone who has more money than sense. It wouldn't be the first time for me, nor you I'm sure, and we'd have the pleasure of knowing the money went to a worthwhile cause."

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle makes a show of whistling softly, that grin lingering a big longer rather than fading back away. "If that ended up working as an excuse, but I could just ask you without going through the whole charade first. I don't know if I could afford what you might go for. Trust me, I know how many old hags around Gotham City dream about nothing but getting you in between the sheets," she points out, playing up the possibility. "They have /very/ active imaginations, you know."

Batman has posed:
"Who knows?" Bruce asks, laughing off the suggestion, "Maybe I'll meet a nice old spinster and I'll never have to work again!"

Does he work now? A number of directors on the board of Wayne Enterprises might argue that he doesn't, even if he does hold the top job.

"And I suppose it would be easier to just ask each other here and now," his tone not suggesting that this is his plan, treating it more as a thought exercise, "But then what's the point of a charity auction if we're giving the goods away for free before the hammer falls?"

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle rolls her eyes. "Yes, and my idea of a nightmare is some old horndog who thinks he's going to get me in bed but can't even get it up," she remarks dryly, throwing in a shiver for added effect.

She steps away from the bookcase and makes her way around the room at a slow pace, taking in everything she can look at before settling her attention back on the man himself. "That doesn't mean we can't, of course, but I'm expecting others to want photos if there's a date from the auction. For proof, of course."

Batman has posed:
"Well, it's going to need to be well documented, of course," Bruce admits, "But don't worry, I'm fairly sure I can outbid any of Gotham's old money. Tony Stark or Lex Luthor may give me a run for my money if they show up, but then I don't suppose either of them is an old horndog and if they can outbid me then the auctions a roaring success and your ego is going to be big enough to register on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram."

He claps his hands before himself, nodding his head, "Alright, I think we've got some ideas going. I'll put some feelers out, you do the same, and we'll meet back here later to see what we've got?"

Catwoman has posed:
Nodding briefly, Selina remarks, "Proof and all that, but these things aren't supposed to go beyond dinner and hanging out for a couple hours or so anyway. That's all I'd be signing up for. I don't know about you. And both of them showed up at my thing, so it wouldn't surprise me if they came by again if the price was right."

The woman offers agreement to the plan so far. "I can poke at a few of my friends and see if they have anything they'd like to donate. I could see someone like Janet Van Dyne offering some fashion services for a winning bidder, for example. Maybe you should try to win that one," she finishes with a tease.

"Shall we do lunch before I get my things from Alfred?"

Batman has posed:
"Absolutely," Bruce says with a smile, holding out a hand to allow Selina to exit the library first, "I'll trust you to make headway with the celebrity guests and I'll secure some donations and a venue."

The mention of lunch brightens him up somewhat, and he follows her out of the library, their voices fading as they go: "You need to try this pasta. It's an old Italian recipe. He uses two cloves of garlic too ... "

And, just like that, the room is empty and alone once again.