Unpacking [Nina]

[Deleted]

Was it bad that she had told Liv she had wanted a bottle of wine open the minute she stepped into her own home?

Maybe.

Or possibly the glare she received from Jasper. Whatever, he was a cat. Even if he was Catwoman's cat, he was still a feline.


Her logic was lacking.

It didn't take long to get the remainder of her things unpacked, put away, and herself swiftly changed into something more...casual. At least casual for her. Europe always had a different notion of style. And while Gotham still held it's own palates, she had to be careful.

Then again, considering the FBI embargo, Bruce, Batman, China, and that whole lot, there was more than a bit she was missing on the homefront. Even with the buzz of voicemail and text messages ringing in- mostly personal, of course, considering Olivia had been maintaining the business front, she was still getting an odd piecemeal story.


One she didn't like.


From what she could gather, it seemed Eddie was acting more odd than normal, even post a breakup and a foiled mastermind scheme, there was some new Redhead on the prowl, Jon had some new paramour...and Eddie, again?

Shaking her head as she set the phone down, she knew there was one person to start with. A person that she could trust, well, as much as Selina Kyle trusted. Making sure that the small package was out from her other things, she made the call.


"Is Doctor Stenet there?"

[Nina Stenet]

"Yes, one moment please..." Shawty replies very formally, though by this point she recognizes the voice on the other end of the line. Nina doesn't get a lot of phone calls in general, and the ones that she does get are generally from the same people. Most of them are business contacts, though Ms. Kyle is an exception to that rule.

She quickly carries the phone into the lab, where Dr. Stenet sits concentrating over some test tubes. "Dr. Stenet, Ms. Kyle is on the phone," she says. Normally when Nina's deep into something, Shawty takes a message so as not to disturb her. But, again, Ms. Kyle is an exception.

Nina wordlessly holds out her hand, and quickly tucks it between her shoulder and ear when it's handed to her so that she can continue what she's doing uninterrupted but still talk to Selina. "Hello, Selina," she greets with only a small amount of enthusiasm. Which one shouldn't take personally, considering that even a little enthusiasm is a lot more than Nina normally feels these days. "How have you been?" she asks.

They've kept in touch while Selina has been away from Gotham, though it's been difficult to pass along news both because Nina's attention for the city's happenings is strong in some areas and not in others, and much of what she could have said is wiser to not say since there's probably a good chance that the feds are still making some attempt to keep an eye on her - international phone calls are a prime target considering just how easy they would be to monitor and how concerning they could be. Though all anyone would have heard is two ordinary women gabbing about their lives.

[Deleted]

Shawty, of course. At least with calling Nina, be it business or pleasure, there was not a lot of wishy washy crap to cut through. Her voice was more than recognisable, Shawty was more than capable of realising the inflection in which she used...and there it was. The transfer of the phone and then Nina's voice on the other line.

Now. How was she to respond to that sort of question?

"Conflicted, but glad to be home. Despite our little...talks now and again, it seems that I've been getting some odd...news." Her phone was still buzzing with a few random texts and voice-mails she'd rather not delve into without getting a few more facts straight.

"I thought you might be able to enlighten me over a bottle of wine, and dinner. My place. There is some interesting data you might even want to hear." She said quietly.

Not that she was trying to bait the woman, it was just there was a certain no-nonsense approach that she needed at the moment, and she was confident the scientific mind Nina possessed would be able to help her wade through it.

Clearing her throat, Selina paused. "That is, if you have the time. I don't mean to rush into things so quickly just because I'm back in Gotham."

[Nina Stenet]

"Home?" Nina asks quietly, though when she quickly remembers the date she adds, "Ah yes, that was today." She frowns to herself - she's used to having a good memory for these things, even if she hasn't lately.

She frowns silently to herself as Selina goes on to invite her over. In spite of Selina's attempts to encourage her with dangling the idea that there's something interesting of her own to say, she really isn't in the mood. But then again she hasn't been in the mood for pretty much anything for awhile now. And Shawty wouldn't let her hear the end of it if she found out that Nina chose lab work over a visit with a friend.

"I would love to," Nina says, trying to inject more enthusiasm than she actually feels into the words, and mostly succeeding, "Say, an hour? I'm in the middle of something right now, but I should be finished by then." Well, finish and psych herself up a bit.

[Deleted]

An hour. Closing her eyes she nodded. It'd have to work. Nina never stalled entirely on purpose. And if she was...an hour was enough of a buffer. She would have to handle it. This was no rooftop scenario where she usually got her way with a smirk and a look.

"Sounds good. I'll call ahead so they will let you up. I can snag a private table." As soon as a confirmation was heard on the other side, she hung up with a click, and another call to the main lobby. Yes, her own building had a main number to call, and yes, she was reserving a rooftop table for the two, or three of them.


Within the hour Selina was ready. She could have asked Liv to get things set up, but she'd rather do it herself. The table was casual, the chairs more lounge than formal. A platter of cheese, meat, olives, and other sundries had been laid out, a bottle of wine, and one of sparkling water included as well. She's moved from sitting casually, sipping her wine, to pacing as she looked over the city. Neither motion helped quell the questions that didn't seem to stop; one piling on top of the next the more she contemplated her time away.

Even as she had mulled over the different outfit choices, she'd gone casual. Or at least casual for her. A black tanktop, jeans, and a pair of nearly knee high boots. A deep purple throw was tossed over her chair just in case; her hair had been styled, plaited and pinned on the top of her head. Now, all she had to do was wait out her company arriving.

[Nina Stenet]

"I'll see you then," Nina says before hanging up the phone. Handing it back to Shawty, she informs her of their dinner plans but then goes right back to what she was doing. It really does take an hour to get herself to a decent stopping point, make some attempt to make herself presentable, and then the drive over to Selina's place. And even then it's only with Shawty's encouragement that it doesn't take longer, but Nina had factored that into her time estimate.

So it's almost precisely an hour later that they're arriving. Nina's dressed in what counts as casual for her - what she had on underneath her labcoat to be precise: a dark navy button-up blouse with black slacks and a pair of comfortable black flats on her feet. Shawty too is wearing what she wore to work that day, but looks considerably more cheery in a pale pink, floral-patterned top with light gray jeans and a pair of light tan, strappy sandals with a low heel. The two of them together make quite the mismatched pair at even the best of times with their different heights and styles, but their differing moods make the difference even greater.

Nina's mood has been pretty much the same all day every day since she began to get over the initial shock, sadness, and anger of her split with Edward: unhappy. It's not so much foul spirits as no spirits at all; a lack of excitement or passion for anything. Shawty, by contrast, lights up with a smile the second she sees Selina, even though they've never properly met before and she's also busy scanning their surroundings for any hints of danger. Unlikely, in this situation, but you never know and Shawty is nothing if not vigilant.

Nina's smile, on the other hand, is slow to appear, small, and carries the same low level of enthusiasm as the greeting over the phone. But, knowing her own mood and not wanting to be a drag on the energy that Selina practically exudes, she says, "Hello! Thank you so much for the invitation - we really do have a lot to catch up on. It can be... hard over the phone. How was your flight?"

[Deleted]

The wait only makes it so she is able to drain another glass of wine. But as soon as Nina and her bodyguard enter the rooftop she stands. Shawty's scanning doesn't go unnoted, but she'll deal with that in a second. Open her arms wide, she ushers the other two women to come sit, and eat.

"Long. Transcontinental flights always are. But..you know how things get to be, after...well, that whole F.B.I debacle." Truth be told, she wanted to get the hell away from Gotham after that whole episode, and the resulting episode in China.

Settling back into her own seat, Selina waves her hand about the rooftop. "There is a 4 story drop before there is even a ledge. Both of you just came through the only entrance, or exit, unless you want to make that 8 inch ledge below us. And-" She paused, before dramatically taking a sip of her wine. "-The rooftop veranda was free tonight!" Switching to a more serious tone, her hand drops. "So we're good to go for as long as need be tonight."

Turning to Nina, she wants to embrace the woman in a hug, but decides against it. Nina...just doesn't look right. It may be a problem at work...but she senses it's more than that. So...she'll avoid the most glaring topic, and move on to other things.


"I guess...I've been away for a while. I just have a few ...curiosities. I've been getting a few ...odd texts. Phone calls. The normal 'Hey, Selina, can you get this for me' calls, but...a few odd ones." Setting down her wine glass she starts ticking them off on her fingertips.


"First off, there is some redheaded woman, new to the scene, running around. I just hope she isn't into stealing things...because that's my gimmick. Secondly both Crane and Edward left the weirdest 'Call me if you have a minute, Selina.' messages. Do you know that Crane creeps me out, and Edward...this is not his standard M.O."

Taking a breath, Selina shakes her head while popping an olive into her mouth. The next question, she had no real want in asking, but ...should.

"Also, any word on what the 'good guys' have been up to? Nightwing, Batman, that whole slew. I know it would help me getting my bearings now that I'm back ...home, you could say." Not that she hadn't kept up with her extracurricular abroad, but...Gotham was entirely something else.


Shifting about slightly, she waits to bring up the topic of Edward at all.. that...she just has a feeling will be opening more than floodgates for the time being.

[Nina Stenet]

Nina nods easily when Selina mentions how things were after the FBI. The city had been a mess and not the most pleasant place to be at the time. After all of that, and especially after her split with Edward, Nina herself had considered moving elsewhere. It would have been nice to have taken a vacation until the city had settled back into business more, but Nina had really needed to rebuild her lab immediately and Gotham has become home to her. "I don't blame you for wanting to stay away for a bit," she remarks.

Both she and Shawty sit at the table, and Nina nods again as Selina explains about the security of the location. "Ah, good - that means we can really talk this time," she comments as she picks up her own glass of wine - though, predictably, she only takes the smallest of sips as even in her current mood Nina doesn't drink very much. Someone would have to be trying ridiculously hard to be able to either get here or listen in then. Still, though Shawty nods gratefully at Selina's words, her watchfulness only eases just a little bit. She's overprotective of Nina well past the point of paranoia, and after both Mr. Cobblepot and especially "Dr." Crane so blatantly informed them that they're very aware of Nina's existence, she's being even more cautious than normal. For all she knows Selina's fallen in with one of them and this is a trap. Highly unlikely, of course, but possible.

But Nina doesn't pay Shawty's manner any mind - she's used to her doing that whenever they're out and about anywhere. Instead her attention is on Selina, and she nods quickly as Selina gripes about her texts and phone calls. "I can imagine," she says with a slight frown as she picks out a cracker and puts some cheese on top of it to nibble on. Even though she herself is hardly aware of what's going on, she's willing to bet that there's been a lot of maneuvering around since the FBI left.

Nina's lips purse in thought as Selina asks about a red-headed woman. "That would be 'Poison Ivy', I think?" she says, looking at Shawty for confirmation. Shawty has a better head for these things than she does.

And, seeing Nina's look, Shawty immediately adds, "Yeah, Poison Ivy. Real name, Pamela Isley. Has all these freaky, moving plants and kills people with poisons - a lot bottom-feeders in east Gotham that ticked her off and a few bachelor millionaires: she took their money. When the FBI left they gave all sorts of excuses, but I think that the real reason was that she almost killed a lot of people with some infection. And yes, she steals things, but mostly plant stuff and clothes, apparently."

Nina purses her lips slightly, "Now I remember - they had a cure for the infection by the time we got back to Gotham, but I looked at it. The woman must know her stuff to make an algae that dangerous to people." She shakes her head, looking a bit disturbed. There are few things that she hates more than science being used for entirely the wrong reason.

"Hmm, but I can't tell you much about Crane and Edward. I haven't heard from or seen anything of Edward since..." Nina trails off, and her face contorts slightly as she suppresses the emotions that so easily threaten to flood her when her mind touches upon her last talk with Edward. Normally she handles it better than that, but being here and with Selina seems safer. But she seems to quickly thrust that thought away from her mind by forcing herself to continue, "Apparently Crane was arrested by the FBI not long before they left, and he and Edward escaped from the asylum together a few weeks after it reopened and they were sent there. Not surprisingly, we heard that he stole some money shortly after that, but ever since he's been strangely quiet. And you know how much attention he likes - either he's already gotten himself buried into something big or something's wrong. I'm worried..." She frowns, and shakes her head. It's very hard for her when she wants so badly to know that he's okay to know so little.

"Mr. Cobblepot, who seems to have noticed that I exist and asked me out to dinner for a chat, said something vague about Edward acting strangely and past dealings catching up with him, though for all I know he was only trying to manipulate me by saying so," she adds with a concerned frown. All bad signs, no solid information - and it's driving Nina crazy.

"And Crane seems to have found out about the past between Edward and me - he also asked me out to eat. Said all sorts of vague, threatening things, but from what I gathered he's planning something and intends to involve me somehow. Something to do with brains and electricity maybe - I don't know, the man was being more cryptic than Edward," she explains with a frown and a bit of anger in her expression. She has absolutely no intention of being a party to anything that Crane does, ever.

"Don't forget the woman," Shawty prompts idly.

"Oh, yes - there was a young woman with him. She was acting very strangely: perfectly comfortable but easily bored by the conversation - thought it was hilarious when Crane frightened off a waitress. I'm sure she was drugged," Nina adds with a frown.

Shawty says, "Her name is Heather Glass - a radio girl I used to listen to a lot, called herself VerMillion. She was kidnapped by Crane a few weeks before that - don't ask me why."

Nina nods and adds, "Someone needs to help that poor woman. I would have, but the risk seemed too high at the time." Of course, Nina's level of acceptable risk is a lot lower than a lot of people's in this town.

But on the subject of the city's vigilantes, Nina frowns for a moment before saying, "I haven't really heard anything - they like to keep out of the spotlight, you know."

But then Shawty pipes up again and says, "Well, Batman's been doing his thing, though I haven't heard about him taking down anyone major recently. But Robin disappeared and then reappeared - though it's probably a new kid: someone younger or at least shorter. And Nightwing seems to have moved most of his operation out of Gotham - keep hearing about him being in Blüdhaven more often. And Starfire has been showing up in the city a lot."

Nina peers at Shawty and asks, "How do you know all these things?"

Shawty snorts at that and says, "It helps if you read the news instead of just watching it and pay attention to more than just one rogue - one of us has to."

Nina frowns and goes quiet, picking out something else from the platter as Shawty goes on to say, "Oh, and there's a new vigilante running around by the name of Wulfen - werewolf costume. I actually ran into him on my last day off. Very nice guy, but ridiculously new. I think that I could take him. Apparently he got kidnapped by the Scarecrow awhile back, was interviewed by VerMillion - very embarrassingly I might add, you should listen to the broadcast sometime - but apparently he escaped somehow since he seemed fine when I talked to him." She shrugs that off, picking an olive off of the platter and popping it into her mouth.

[Deleted]

Selina sipped on her wine, she wasn't as ready for the slew of information that she was just hit with. Leaning back, she finished her wine, only to sit forward and refill her cup as Nina and Shawty started a delicate dialogue between the two. Her head shook back and forth between topics, shocked at some, bored by others, and horrified at a few topics. She joined Nina as she peered at the blonde curiously; she did know quite a bit. And while Nina was right in being chastised for only really following one person, Edward, Selina's own cheeks flushed as well; she was just as guilty for tracking Batman with such single-minded determination as well.


After the two fill her in, Selina just shakes her head, moving to grab a few more olives as she mulls over the info, to somehow digest everything before saying her piece on it all. Another shake of her head, and she looks to the two women, and lets out a bit of a laugh.

"You know, Nina, if you are ever willing to let me borrow her, I'd be happy to. She's a damn good friend, bodyguard, detective, whatever you want to call it." She waves her hand at Shawty, clearly in admiration. Finishing the last olive she'd procured, she shifts a bit in her seat, looking at the two women.

"I guess I missed quite a bit. You're right, I did...have to leave. I really didn't want to deal with the aftermath of China, and maybe it wasn't exactly -right- of me to bail so quickly...I just ...couldn't stay." It was a sticky situation for all of them. With Edward, her, Nina, Batman...all of them. She felt bad, especially for Edward, but partially not, mostly considering he had been planning to blow up cities, and eradicate stable economic structures. But that was what he did. Then again, she didn't like the idea of selling out someone she would call a friend. Or the idea of something stable..for an unstable friend...going awry. Like their courtship.

Sighing, she takes another swig of her wine, before retorting on the information. "I've listened to VerMillion's show a few times. It's entertaining. I'm shocked she hasn't gone after Batman, or Bruce Wayne yet, or even Catwoman. But as for Ivy...it's funny. I've met Pamela. And she never...struck me as a psycho wanting to feed off men and being vengeful for the planet. She just...had really good taste in shoes." Clearing her throat, she continues.

"Or that she would try to kill off that many people. She didn't seem dumb when I spoke with her...and now that I think about it, she had given me a perfume sample. I wonder if you could maybe give it a look, see how she had concocted things, if you were curious, or even had the time." She knew Nina tended to immerse herself in her own work, and didn't want to force the issue, especially considering she, herself, was almost in the same boat as her ex-boyfriend.

Nina barely touches on Edward, before jetting off in an entirely different direction. Hm. "Sounds like Ozzie..wants something from you. And if Jon is asking you out for dinner...it sounds like he is wanting to get back at Edward, through you. But Ozwald...will want something. He is calculating like that. Always has been. And he's a cheap bird, too, sad to say." Spinning the stem of her wine glass between thumb and forefinger, she's thinking hard. Ozzie wanting something, and Jon wanting to get back at Edward. It seemed like a rather adult version of high school theatrics. She rolled her eyes. And to think she had missed this while overseas. What a pity.

"Nina, honestly, I've never really liked Crane. I tend to steer clear with him. I got a whiff of his speciality once...and never again. It's horrible. Ozwald is ...like..think of a crime boss..with a bird theme. And the woman with Crane? Probably hopped up on something. No woman, unless drugged or possibly deranged would hang out with him willingly-trust me on that one."

Wincing at Shawty's comment, she nods. "Well, maybe this Ms. Glass has a thing for danger, or heavy drugs. Who knows. Those in the entertainment industry do get hooked on those sorts of habits. Not to stereotype, considering what I do..but you know." She might have to look into this radio show a bit more. And hope that the Scarecrow doesn't show up with some sort of henchwoman sooner rather than later.

The news about Batman et al is a bit shocking. He's been on the down low since the FBI, and a new Robin? Hm. Peculiar. And Nightwing...Dick..has finally fled the nest. That made her smile, almost spurting a bit of her wine all over herself, and her guests.

"Good for Nightwing. He deserves his own city at this point. But I haven't really heard of Starfire...Hm. " After a few more seconds, she bites the bullet, and brings up the unspoken topic.

"I know...what you're saying is right on, Nina. I don't know where Edward is, or why he's been so quiet, and even more oddly cryptic. This isn't his standard puzzles and riddles. This is something more. And I don't like that he just...dropped you. Something is going on, even with the flat out weird voice-mails I've been getting from him. It seems we're both having men issues since Tiff came, and respectively left town, and the whole China debacle. I'm sorry you got dragged into this world. It's a whole lot of complicated, with no clear cut answers, really, ever." She concedes, offering up an apologetic, yet dejected shrug of her shoulders.

"I just wish you hadn't been brought into it. You're one of the few people I trust, that doesn't steal, or seek to mete out your own personal view of 'justice,' and it's not fair...to taint your life like that. I even consider you a friend, Nina." She turns to Shawty as well. "You're included," she nodded. "And just because I'm good at doing something..well, what some would consider 'bad,' doesn't mean I'm a villain." She feels she's bordering on the side of ranting...but continues anyway.

"Why else would Batman ask me for help to get rid of the FBI? Sometimes two opposing sides must team up..to get rid of the greater evil..or something like that." She laughs, realizing her point may have been lost in the trainwreck of explanations.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not a malicous, bad person. Despite making a livehood out of stealing." She says quietly.

[Nina Stenet]

Shawty is very quick to shrug off Ms. Kyle's praise. "Good memory," she acknowledges, but won't call it anything more than that. She knows that she has a good set of useful skills, but she's not truly amazing at any of them. At least, not in her own opinion.

Nina nods in understanding as Selina explains why she didn't stay. And she's quiet as Selina mulls over what they said out loud, looking mildly surprised as she talks of knowing this Poison Ivy woman. "Of course I'll look. If she's that dangerous, I wouldn't want to hang onto something she gave me without it being checked out at least," she replies easily. She hopes for Selina's sake that it's completely benign.

But then Shawty speaks up to add, "And she's crazy all right. The news this morning said that Nightwing caught her overnight - she broke into the botanical gardens. She was sent straight to Arkham." Which, given the amount of legal red tape involved, hints that Poison Ivy must have been clearly crazy enough that nobody was going to argue that she belongs anywhere else.

As the conversation shifts over to her recent, unwanted meetings, Nina frowns thoughtfully. She doesn't want either of those men to be aware of her existence or to have anything to do with either. But it seems that she just doesn't have any choice in the matter, and what can she do but wait to see if anything comes of either? "Edward warned me about 'Ozzie' a long time ago, but I'm a bit more concerned about whatever Crane is up to. I don't like these people seeing me like a pawn in their game," she says, shaking her head.

She's quiet as Selina comments on the vigilantes, as she hardly knows a thing about that side of the coin. Though when Selina starts talking about Edward she grows even more quiet, looking down at her hands though she's clearly listening in spite of Selina's rambling about her own place in all of this. "I know, Selina, I know..." she reassures, though her voice is strangely quiet.

The reason why is quickly apparent as she glances up again, because her eyes are overflowing with tears. "I don't like this, Selina. I know you're a decent person, and I appreciate what Batman and the other vigilantes do, but I don't like being caught up in this. But it would have been worth it... so worth it for Edward. And so easy to deal with these people if only..." She stops, not knowing how to finish that thought and moves onto another one.

"He was very cruel. Told me that I was boring. That's it. And when I asked if we could talk about it later, he laughed at me," she adds, the sadness in her expression suddenly flaring into anger, "He laughed and told me he doesn't expect to ever see me again!" She takes a shaky breath as the anger suddenly gets overwhelmed by sadness again, and her eyes refill with tears.

Shawty quietly hands Dr. Stenet a napkin, looking troubled. She wants so much to help her boss, but she hasn't the slightest idea what to do about it and ran out of ideas for things to try quite awhile ago.

Nina takes the napkin and attempts to keep up with the moisture leaving her eyes as she adds, "I don't know what to do with myself anymore. I've been depressed - I know I am - the only thing I'm living for is my work, but it doesn't make me happy anymore. Instead I wake up everyday just wishing that I could see him, wondering if he's okay. But even if I did... I don't know what I'd do. A part of me wants to kill him. But more of me just wants him back. To rewind the clock..." She frowns and shakes her head at that, "Oh, but Selina - he used to look at me with so much love in his eyes, but the last time I saw him there was nothing there. Nothing at all. Like someone flipped a switch. And I don't think that I could bear it if I heard him laugh off the way I feel about him like it's meaningless again. What I want is a fantasy."

She frowns and looks at her hands again. "I wish I could forget him. But I can't because I don't really want to..." she adds, shaking her head. She's a mess, and she knows it. So many complicated, conflicting emotions. Never mind how long it's been, how much time she's had to get used to the new reality - the wound is still fresh, still acutely painful. At best she's learned to get used to it, but she knows that there's been no actual healing to her heart.

[Deleted]

This was a ball of shock. Closing her eyes, Selina took a brief moment before replying to Nina; the woman's tear-stained cheeks hitting a bit too close to home. But there were a few topics to touch on before ..the bigger ones. "Mmm. I guess...Pamela, Ivy, whatever she's going by did..seem a bit hoity-toity. Fame obsessed. Like most of Gotham's socialite crew, I guess. I have that vial of her 'perfume' or whatever it was in my purse still. Don't let me forget to give it to you before you both leave." She glanced at Shawty, more confidant the blonde woman would remember the small detail more than Nina would.

A few seconds paused before she started on the next...criminal. "Crane. I hate to say it, but he's not a favorite of mine. Never has been, never will be. He gets competitive, and likes to hold grudges. He's a bit...creepy for me, if that makes sense." As Nina started to talk, and weep about Edward, it struck Selina oddly. The Edward she knew was a fickle man, egotistical, fanatical, and brilliant...but even then, what Nina was describing was...odd.

"That doesn't sound...at all like him. Hm." Taking another hearty sip of her wine, she stared through the garnet hued liquid. "I just...." She stammered. What? Edward had been utterly thrilled with Nina in China, even though he'd been foiled, and even prior to that with his sly smile when Selina had teased him about having a girlfriend. Maybe it was because she herself was in the same boat. Since the China incident, she really hadn't ran into Batman. No rooftops, no temporary partnership. Nothing. In a way it was like a breakup, but...there had never been a relationship. Nothing as concise as Nina and Eddie... but still.


Setting down her glass, she looked Shawty, and then at Nina squarely. "I'll find out what the hell is going on with him. Don't forget him...but he does get flighty at times." She didn't want to sit and think on the words Nina had said. How it had been like a switch had been flipped...something missing. Especially if Eddie, and Crane, and even Ozwald were now using the Doctor as a pawn. That just wasn't right.

[Nina Stenet]

Catching Selina's glance, Shawty gives her a slight nod. Yeah, she'll remember. Dr. Stenet has been as brilliant as always in the lab, but an absolute flake at remembering other things, especially the small stuff. It's as if the woman is constantly distracted... which is probably completely accurate. Shawty has been picking up most of the slack on that, however, nudging her boss whenever needed.

Nina nods vaguely about the perfume, but the movement is repeated much more distinctly when Selina mentions Crane. "Perfect sense," she replies. She would describe the feeling that he gave her as much more of an irritation than calling him 'creepy', but she definitely disliked the man and would rather not see him again.

After explaining more fully about Edward and her own state of mind since, Nina is very quiet. She feels like she's fallen into a deep pit - it's cold, miserable, and yet she can see no way out of it. Whether she talks to Edward again or not, and no matter what else happens she sees no realistic way to end up in a situation where she feels happy and... whole again. But she knows enough about psychology to recognize the depression in those thoughts - there really must be a way, but her mind is presently unable to see it.

Which is why, when Selina says that she'll find out what's going on, Nina opens her mouth to protest against it. What's the point? But she catches herself - she trusts Selina with this, doesn't she? She finally nods and says, "You don't know how much I'd appreciate that Selina. Just knowing that he's okay would be a load off of my mind." Anything more than that she doesn't dare ask for.

Taking a few deep breaths, Nina tries to calm herself. It felt good, very good getting all of that out, but she doesn't really like to cry in front of people when she can help it. Besides, she's already cried enough about Edward, even though there seems to be an unlimited supply where those tears came from. And it's much easier for her to carry on with her life when the sadness is a dull ache deep inside rather than a flowing river on the surface. At least the pain isn't inflicted on other people that way. After a moment she's wiping away the last few as she says, "And I'm very glad that you're back in town. The only other person that I have to talk about these things is Shawty, and she's... well, she's 22."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shawty asks instantly, pretending to be offended but smirking to show that she understands. Ten years younger than Dr. Stenet, nearly the same compared to Selina, and with a certain youthful perspective that Dr. Stenet just doesn't appreciate hearing when she's upset.

[Deleted]

"Worldview, Shannon," Selina says rather jovially, with a wink. She means no disrespect, but Nina, as well as herself have nearly a decade on the blonde. And a bit of hard-knocks experience between the two.

It's not that she didn't like hearing the brutal details of what sort of vile schpiel Eddie fed her, but it stung nonetheless. Eating a wedge of cheese, another olive while she listened, she was already forming a plan before Nina ended her story.

Step 1. Call. If that fails, like it already had, she was paying him a visit. At his apartment. Where he better be. Nodding to herself, and to the other two women, she uncrosses her legs and leans over, finally setting down her wine glass.

"He's a friend of mine, too, Nina. He ..this just isn't right. But I'm glad to be back, too. Born and bred in Gotham, and while it was nice to ...reconnect across the pond, it's good to be home. We should do something, soon," noting that Nina is a bit worn from all the emotional admissions, Selina motions to the door. "Shall I grab that perfume sample?" She almost stands, then frowns for a second.


Quietly, she starts, "I feel bad, Nina. I hope this doesn't pile on to your other works already. Me giving you the sample is just...almost doing the same as what the guys were doing; pulling you back into this circle." Sighing, Selina shakes her head. Nina can try to get out, but she'd have to leave Gotham. The sooner she realizes she's either going to have to live with this...oddity of villains, or move, the better. And she's betting her friend is going to go with the former, and not quite give up on Edward.

[Nina Stenet]

"Oh!" Shawty says with an exaggerated lift of her eyebrows, as if it all instantly makes sense now. She smirks slightly to herself, just glad that the mood is lifting slightly. After all Mr. Nigma did to her, she can't imagine why Dr. Stenet still doesn't just get over the guy. Then again, she never liked Mr. Nigma all that much to begin with.

Nina's lips purse as Selina once again comments on how this isn't like Edward. She'll admit that her vague information seems to indicate that he's not been acting like himself, but she doesn't dare read anything into that beyond worrying about his overall well-being. Yes the way he informed her that his feelings changed was rather abrupt, but the fact that he hasn't tried to contact her again seems to be very cut and dry to her.

But she forces her thoughts away from that quickly, not wanting to tear up again now that's she's solved that problem. Instead she focuses on Selina. "Yes, we should," she replies to the idea of doing something, though it's a bit lacking in enthusiasm. But if she didn't agree, she knows that Shawty would harass her until she did. Her assistant seems to think that she needs to get out more in order to try to help her mood. She really wishes that she could argue with that and spend the extra time in the lab, but she really can't.

"Sure," she adds, as Selina mentions the perfume. She does suppose that it's about time that they left. It's good to see Selina, but she's also told her everything that's important for her to know, and she's definitely feeling more tired than she already was. Though when Selina second guesses asking for that favor, she actually smiles slightly. "No, it's completely different. You're nicely asking for my help with something I'm actually interested in doing, not coercing me into anything I want no part of. And I doubt analyzing a perfume pulls me any further in than I already am," she says, quickly waiving off Selina's worries. Of course, the latter point greatly depends on whatever the perfume is tainted with perhaps, but it would have to be extremely strange for it to matter that much.

[Deleted]

"Keep away from the boys. Especially if they like to dress up in tights at night, Shawty." Selina winks back at the younger woman before brushing a bit of non-existant fluff from her jeans before standing. "Thank you for understanding, Nina. I just...as much as I am engrained with the 'boy's club,' I'm not exactly one of them. " Selina smiles, almost contemplative. "But I can, and do outplay them often."

Leading the way down the elevator to her own home, she wonders if she has had Nina over before. Not that she can easily recall, but then again, it's been a hectic few weeks. The door is opened, the three women enter, and ...there is her home. The door opens to a rather plush seating area, the kitchen off to one side, and a hallway, bathroom, and another two rooms which house Liv and an exercise room.

"I'll be right back, so make yourselves at home!" Selina calls over her shoulder as she hot-foots it to her room, and digs through her purse for the small vial. Palming it, she returns back to Nina and Shawty, Jasper shadowing her through the rooms.

Opening her palm and deftly holding the vial between her thumb and forefinger, she offers it to Nina. "Never been opened, Pam said she was hoping to get it out to as many people as possible as a 'sample.' No idea exactly what that connotates. " Shrugging, she hopes Nina can make something of it. Even though now she knows more about 'Pamela' as Poison Ivy, she's a bit more wary about it than she would be.