9485/Bastet of Kittens

Bastet of Kittens
Date of Scene:	08 October 2019
Location:	Hellfire Club - Manhattan
Synopsis:	Catwoman and Selene start a beautiful friendship
Cast of Characters:	Black Queen, Catwoman

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Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio had grown curious about reports of the female catburglar in Gotham, this 'Catwoman'. She had always had an interest in ill-behaved women, those who wouldn't play along with the status quo. Rebels, bitches and whores. Those who did what they were told were rarely very interesting. Well, unless Selene was the one who did the telling...

It hadn't been hard to leak the presence of an extremely rare and ancient Bastet statue into the criminal underworld. Selene knew just the right corrupt jeweler to consult, just the right antiquarian who would tip off those interested in such items. She liked pulling strings and setting things in motion.

Which now lead her only to wait, clad in her Hellfire costume, all garters and stockings and corsets, her long black hair gleaming in the moonlight as she sits in shadows near the window. This is the only safe place to break into the Club and even that was stretching it. It would take a master thief to get this far. Selene had high hopes.

Catwoman has posed:
The Hellfire Club. A place Catwoman had known of but never really ventured into before. It wasn't quite in her neck of the woods, and Gotham City had its fair share of fancy places. She'd heard rumors that there was another side to the Club, but they were only that - rumors.

She'd even played nice for a while, limiting her jobs, especially around Gotham itself, showing Batman she could change her stripes (even if she had none in her costume). She almost did a job closer to home when she was annoyed with the Bat but she resisted, channeled her energy into something else. This time around, the itch is strong. Word got to her that the Hellfire Club housed something she just /had/ to have, something that would look great on her shelf rather than in a museum or resold on the black market. Trouble was, she didn't have a good idea of the Club's layout. Much of it would require her to go in blind, but she knew she was the best at what she did. Time to put that to the test.

She made her way over to NYC, a shoulder bag including a few tools of the catburglar trade. Sizing up the building, she first searched for an area that seemed like it'd be unoccupied. Perhaps there was a way in through a rooftop vent, as well.

Black Queen has posed:
Selene's mystic senses let her know that someone is coming her way, but doesn't reveal much beyond that. She could push it further, but keeps her distance for now, letting the burglar work through it.

Each floor had at least eight security guards, some as many as fifteen, all well-armed and capable. Electronics ranged from motion sensing lasers to weight displacement to countless security cameras. Getting through the gap between all of those measures are very narrow.

And would lead, inevitably, to the sinister spider of Selene Gallio awaiting her arrival.

Catwoman has posed:
So it would be a test. Some lights are out, but some not. Once Catwoman's slipped inside through some of the HVAC venting, it lets her out into a side room on the top floor. She didn't have much to go on, just a room a couple floors down where it was supposed to be on display. Crouch-walking to the door into the main hallway of the uppermost floor, she made use of her stealth to stay low to the ground and keep an eye on the movements of the guards as they passed through. That would be one problem. The cameras? Another, though she could see the red lights cycling on and off at regular intervals. That told her they weren't always 'on,' at least as far as she could tell. It took a good minute or so for the closest one to come back on, and that would buy her some time.

But that wasn't all. Lasers, she could spray around with a mist to illuminate them better. Pressure plates? Something she had experience with in the sense of some artifacts needing to be replaced with a comparable weight, but all of these things in one place would definitely prove to be a challenge. First things first, she sneaks into the hallway and positions herself behind an ornate pillar, sliding up against it with her back to minimize her profile. No guards in this spot, and a misting shows a few lasers she'll have to vault her way past. Once the cameras begin the cycle and she's sure she's got it timed right, she acts. A few guards just went down opposite hallways, checking side rooms. There was a stairwell ahead.

Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio takes note of all the progress, feeling Selina coming along easily enough. Even beyond her curiosity, it was good to test the limits of their system. Obviously there were too many openings to be exploited, even if Selene had nudged things just a little bit to make sure Catwoman ended up where she belonged.

She had sated herself, at least, so she wasn't too hungry. A few corpses drained and piled away, life sucked from their very spirits and leaving them pathetic husks. They died with the name of the Goddess on their lips. They should be grateful.

"Go faster," Selene mutters to herself. Even immortals can be impatient.

Catwoman has posed:
A good burglar does not rush, does not leave room to make mistakes. Catwoman would't have got this far in her life as what she is if she wasn't careful. The next floor down, much of the same. She got through it much the same, though it required more patience. The sequencing of the cameras was different, the patterns of the guards not the same, the layout of the other potential alarm-sounding traps in different positions. But, it was no real trouble although there was a spot or two where a camera came back on just as a heel was passing out of the screen. Nothing anyone thought to raise an issue with. Could have just been a guard walking by.

Then, down to the floor third from the top. Selene's floor. All that was left was to find the right room, the statue, and get back out with her prize. She'd come this far. Only a little more.

Black Queen has posed:
The statue itself was set carefully on a plinth, covered with a simple glass display case. It's a glorious thing, obsidian and trimmed with gold, emeralds and inset opals ringed around the throat. Dedicated to Bastet. Selene had always gotten along well with the cat goddess. She was a creature who liked her comforts, much like Selene herself.

When Catwoman enters, she draws the shadows stronger around her, wrapping them tight while waiting curiously.

"Tut tut. No touching. Not yet. She can be yours, but only after we've gotten to know each other."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman finds the room. She finds the statue. Her eyes widen at how pretty it is, how valuable it looks. "Oooh." She allows herself one quiet moment of audible appreciation, then she strides toward it, a hand boldly extending toward the glass. With all the security measures in place just to get here, it didn't seem as if there were any around the statue itself.

The gloved, clawed hand pauses inches from the case. Her head turns left, then right. "Who..?"

Black Queen has posed:
"A Queen," the voice says. The shadows slip away a bit more, revealing the porcelain-pale woman in the comfortable chair, plush and royal purple, her lushly figured body clad in lingerie.

"My name is Selene Gallio. I am one of the proprietors of this Club and the owner of the statue you see there. It's been in my personal collection for nearly 2000 years. I would not call it a sentimental piece, but there are memories attached," she says with a soft laugh, husky and knowing.

"I wanted to see you in action. The Catwoman. They say you're the best. Well. Some people say. I needed to see for myself. I must say, I'm impressed."

Catwoman has posed:
"Is that so," Catwoman answers, remaining closer to the statue than not, that hand sliding down to rest at her side near the hip. The room is empty save the two of them, the statue, and whatever other furniture is there. The shadows seem..excessively deep in places.

The feline fatale muses, "I've heard of the royalty hierarchy in here. That must make you..hmm, no. Certainly not the White Queen. The colors are all wrong." Unless, of course, it means the skin, which seems even more pale to her than her own can be. Black-painted lips shift into a thin smile and her arms spread out to the sides. "Well, I beat your little security system, not that it wasn't a good test. What do I win?"

Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio flicks her tongue over her own red lips, "An interview. I might have work for you. And position, access. Status. I like your style. The suit is...lovely," she says with a sharp inhale, clicking her teeth for a moment.

"You're athletic, clever. Prone to wicked proclivities. A sinful, greedy thing, serving her own needs and her own wants."

"In other words, my kind of woman."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman listens to all that, and it's a challenge even for her not to let it show just a bit. Cats do love their attention, and she is no different. Still, she plays at being aloof. "You say all that, but you aren't telling me anything I don't already know," she remarks with a hint of a grin. "And thank you. Made it myself." She doesn't exactly strike a pose, but it comes close. She knows how she looks in it. It was made that way for a reason.

"But, work you say? A position? Before you ask, I don't give out my name. I'm just Catwoman." So the woman has secrets she wishes to keep. Doesn't everyone? Eyes, behind tinted lenses, study the woman in her own attire.

Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio smiles, "Self-confident, as well," she adds. "Your craftsmanship is impeccable. Not a seam out of place," she says, steepling her fingers.

"You may keep your anonymity, although others may not respect it as much as I do. This is a place of magic and mind-readers, monsters and madmen. And CEOs, who might be the worst of the lot," she says with a laugh. "But I can shield you, keep you under my wing. Give you opportunities as my...agent," she says.

"I'm not requiring any oaths of fealty. Merely the ability to offer you opportunity. You may turn it down if you like...but I tend to make my offers impossible to resist."

Catwoman has posed:
"I've had time to perfect it," the 'cat' remarks, and is that another thin smile at the observation of the cut, the seams, the rest? It just does appear so.

She adds, "I take care to guard my thoughts around most people, but I've had my share of encounters with CEOs. Or rather, some of their property that became mine. You know how it is." Or does she? A few steps bring her closer to the woman and she points out, "I'm not usually one to follow someone else. Cats are very independent creatures, after all." She does, however, raise a brow at the last, the talk of making offers impossible to resist.

Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio nods, "Neither am I. But then, I'm a goddess. Doubt that if you like, I can prove it easily enough, if I've of a mind," she smiles.

"No following. More...letting me open little cat doors through which you might peek. Doors you don't know about. And yes, perhaps retrieving a thing or two. But I'll pay a pretty penny for what I seek," she says.

She stands up and walks around the statue, tracing a finger along the glass, "No obligations, no fealty. Just business. Well. And a little pleasure, perhaps, if you're of a mind. Do you prefer red or white wine?"

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman muses "Money is green, is it not?" one black-clad woman says to the other, watching the way Selene moves, the way she carries herself. There is definitely power and strength in her demeanor, and as she mulls over what to do...she's already here. Already in the Black Queen's lair.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious," she admits. "A peek into this or that, and I do enjoy my leisure time. Money helps with that, too." A pause before she adds, "I'm feeling like red."

Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio opens a nearby cabinet, opening it wide and selecting a bottle, pouring a goblet for each, "Again: after my own heart. Red is always the way to go. I suppose if they had black wine. Maybe I should try and fund such a thing. Who knows, with modern techniques," she sighs.

"Curiosity and cats can be a dangerous thing. But I like a little thrill. And money I have no shortage. A useful lubricant, to getting what one wants."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman accepts the goblet, swirling the red liquid around before sniffing and sipping it. "I always liked the flavor better," she muses, rolling her shoulders in a mild shrug. "Perhaps..we should spend a little more time discussing what we have to offer each other, hmm?" she suggests, though she's still eyeing that statue. Whether she gets it or not, she certainly wants it. All in good time...

Black Queen has posed:
Selene Gallio smiles, "I'm sure we can come to a mutually satisfying arrangement," she smiles, clinking her goblet against Catwoman's in a toast before taking a long, long drink, her shadowed eyes closing contentedly.

"And don't worry. The statue is yours, regardless."