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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2014 22:43:10 GMT -5
As he continued to talk, she kept eye contact with him. He had quite an eye for detail, to be honest. So when he started piecing every aspect together, a slow smiled started to creep into her eyes, first. It was tugging at the corners of her lips, but she had to keep straight for a bit. But his words were flattering, and if she knew it wouldn't freak him out, she'd emit that same sound she had before, in her mask; a purr.
But she didn't.
She nodded, sipping her tea, marveling at how keen he was. For so young. Despite the tragedies. She hoped, honest to God, that Bruce was damn well aware of him seeing the Graysons' death. That sort of shock could color everything that came after it.
After he'd finished his 'report,' one could say, she nodded, impressed. "Very nice. That was...exquisite, Tim. But I can see how it would be quite clear, if one knew what they were looking for. And yes. I finally invested in new gloves. See?" She held out her hand, palm supine. There was a light ridging there, but she'd hoped to erase it; just as he said. Lotion, manicures, and newer gloves.
"And no, I wont ask you to go into detail, but ...what do you think I could do, to make sure I'm not trailed?" Or...a different wording, not connected?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2014 8:58:15 GMT -5
Tim slurped up the noodles he'd stuck into his mouth, waiting until his mouth was empty again before speaking.
"So no one else figures out your identity, you mean? Well... I'm not sure. Small behavioral adjustments would probably be the most effective, since people would definitely notice if you changed anything too drastically," he mused. Selina had a lot of people around her all the time, including media - eyebrows would hit hairlines if she had a sudden personality overhaul overnight. "But small things are still good, and you can progressively build on that as people get used to one thing or another so that they never actually realize what you're doing. Alter body language, mannerisms, turns of phrase... It all has to be stuff you're comfortable with, though, or else it'll come off as unnatural."
Tim smiled ruefully.
"It's not something I've really had to worry about, personally. People don't pay much attention to me, most of the time. But I like to watch people. I'm also a good liar."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2014 9:21:57 GMT -5
She laughed at that. A good liar. "At your age, that could be either deplorable, or a fantastic thing. I like to think it's a bit of both. But considering I am thrust in the public eye most of the time, with my company, or events, or other bullshit, you know, the same crap Bruce engages in, I'm still so close to home. I don't think, in my case, I'd be able to modify things too much, because I truly am, what I am. Cheesy as that sounds, not many people would think the competent Ms. Kyle from Black Cat Securities," she smirks at the name, "Could ever be Catwoman, because I do so much 'good." Her fingers go in air-quotes, and she sips at her tea again.
"And you know Catwoman's reputation. Or at least everyone thinks they know. But I do like the input. It's nice to speak with someone who isn't an ass, and grunting at me when I ask questions, Tim. I really do appreciate it. Keep this up, and you'll be kicking Bruce out of the cave in a few years." A welcoming smile is given to him, her brow raised. If only he'd have his Selina by that point, he'd be set, too.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2014 16:05:47 GMT -5
Tim smiled, but shook his head, a little amused at the idea. Kicking Bruce out of the Cave, indeed - talk about unlikely, even if the circumstances were different.
"I'm just filling in until someone better turns up," he explained good-naturedly. "Batman needs a Robin, and right now, I'm all he's got. I'll do my turn in the uniform, and then my life will be going right back to - Well, not normal, exactly, if Dad never wakes up, but a semblance of it, anyway."
Not having his parents at home would be familiar enough, at least, for all that it would be harder. He'd always been able to look forward to his parents coming home before, and now he was starting to get used to always having someone around from living with Bruce. Maybe he'd still be allowed to visit the Manor once he wasn't needed anymore? And he'd be able to visit his mom's grave and his father in the hospital, so... That was something.
"I appreciate the compliment, though. Do people really just grunt at you when you ask them questions? That seems kinda rude..."
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2014 3:26:44 GMT -5 by Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2014 3:25:25 GMT -5
That was not the most hopeful of outlooks, she noted. "Well, as much as I hate to say it, he doesn't just pick 'fill ins.' Nor is he looking to replace you, hon. And once you go Bat...well, nothing is really normal, anymore." His words bring up a whole new slew of ideas.
"Was it hard, realizing he was Batman, and then the whole idea of that? Changing your world, expanding your horizon? That is part of my hesitance. It's fantastical, thinking about the fact that of all people, Bruce Wayne is Batman, consiering who he is in the public eye. And myself, the same. As Catwoman, though, not as Batman." She finished off her last piece of sushi, and then nodded.
"Bruce does. As Batman. And he's done it before without the mask. That is a different experience. When he is Batman, but..in Bruce's clothing. Personally, I find it creepy."
And she did. There was a whole density shift, if one could call it that, when he took on his other persona without the cowl.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2014 3:57:04 GMT -5
"I don't know," Tim said thoughtfully, gathering more noodles with his chopsticks, "I don't mind it when that happens. I don't think it's creepy at all."
He lifted the noodles out of the broth and let the excess drip back into the bowl for a few seconds before stuffing them into his mouth. When he finished his mouthful, he shot Selina a crooked smile.
"So, um. What else are we doing tonight? If you're keeping me late, I doubt we're just doing a Q&A session all night. Uh - not that I mind answering more questions."
Tim didn't want to give that impression. But he really was just so curious! He doubted Catwoman would be bringing him on the same kind of mission that Batman would usually pick. Even if Batman's missions could be pretty fun, sometimes. It was always extremely satisfying, being Vengeance From on High - okay, apprentice Vengeance From on High - and coming down hard on some deserving lowlife. Tim had recently been developing a taste for suspending his captures upside-down from the highest possible points available to wait for the police. Drug dealers dangling from lamp posts, muggers from flag poles, would-be rapists from precarious fire escapes over open dumpsters... So on and so forth. It made him happy.
Also, it was nice for when he needed to interrogate someone after capture: they were already disoriented and terrified. Convenient. Efficient. Easy to terrorize into spilling the beans. Sometimes they even peed their pants when Batman was around, which... Was just gross, actually. Blegh.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2014 20:45:05 GMT -5
She raised a brow to the teen, shaking her head. "Then again, you live with him. When you know Bruce, andBatman as close as I do, it's just...eerie and unnerving to see the Bat in a suit."
She finishes her own meal, and sits with her tea cupped in her palms before she slides a wink and a smile to him. "I'm going to demo you. And you're going to tell me where I suck on the job." Which, was an offhanded way to put it. But she needed his opinion, dearly, on what she was lacking. She was no Batman, and she did have a different routine, but there was still the foundation of working as a duo-not just solo. And she had said she was never a team player. It was time to fix that.
She turned to him again, watching him. She did that quite a bit. Sometimes what people weren't verbalizing, and were saying with their body spoke volumes more than words.
"But first, do you have any more questions for me?"
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2014 12:08:14 GMT -5
Questions for Selina? Tim considered it for a couple seconds, chewing his way through another mouthful of noodles.
"Aside from questions about what the demo will be," he started slowly, once he swallowed his food, "I think I've only got one."
A kind of embarrassing one, at that, but this was probably the best opportunity he was ever going to get to ask, and he really did want to improve. The worst Selina could do was say no, right? And if she did say yes, then Tim would be that much more useful to Batman.
"Um. When you have time - if you have time, and if it's not too much trouble, would you teach me more about lock-breaking and stuff? Maybe pick-pocketing?" Tim ducked his head a little, sheepish. "I'll understand if you say no, since you're planning on taking an actual apprentice soon, but I... Nothing wrong with asking, right?"
Though on second thought... Tim shook his head. Yeah, he probably shouldn't have asked after all. "Never mind, I don't want to be a bother. What's the demo?"
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 23:19:14 GMT -5
Now they were getting down to things. She had a few questions, he had a few, and now, the not-so-big reveal. "We're going to go out together. I need to see...how I will do acting as a team, I guess you could put it." Her nose crinkled slightly. She was used to solo, well, everything. Having someone at her side will be interesting. "And I need you to call me out on things. We're not doing a whole lot of what I would normally do; you know, the theft and stealing aspect, but we'll be moving. Where you and Batman deal more with offense, I try to keep in the background; the less contact, the better. But there is still, I guess, a benefit to having more than one person while on the move?"
The last sentence was more a question than a solid statement. But she nodded to the next question, and broke into a bright smile. "I have time for that. I'm guessing it's one of the few areas that I excel in, over Bruce. And if he was better than me, he's an even better liar than I thought." She reached out to bring his chin back upright with a gentle touch of her fingertips.
"I have time for this. And just because I'm taking her on doesn't mean I don't, or won't have time to help you out. And pick-pocketing, when how could I turn down an interest in one of my favorite pastimes?" Or the fact she'd been doing it for longer than he was living. A lot of how he was responding reminded her of a new child being brought into the family. And in a way, Charlotte was. But just because another sibling was added didn't mean the love, and care diminished. "Do you think Bruce will spare you for a few more afternoons with me? Or maybe even a possible weekend?" She didn't live far, and had an extra room as well. Sometimes it was easier to access the city from her place, than the mansion. A vehicle could slow you down at times.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2014 11:05:36 GMT -5
So, what, just a run around Gotham, then? That was simple enough; it would be like running patrol with Batman. Only with Catwoman instead of Batman. And probably less kicking criminals in the head. Tim could do that. He offered Selina a pleased, shy smile at the promise of lessons.
"I'm sure he will," Tim responded with quiet pleasure. He'd ask Bruce first thing in the morning, before he went to school and Bruce went to work. He was pretty positive that he was going to get a yes - training with Selina would make him so much more useful as Robin, and that wasn't something that Bruce could really argue with. And if, for some weird reason, Bruce did say no, well...
Tim could find a way to work around that.
He finished off his udon, gathered all the nearby trash, then hopped off the stool. One nice thing about take out was the relatively quick clean up. He returned to the counter with a damp paper towel, climbed up to wipe down the area where he'd been eating, and that was his cleaning done. Easy.
"I'll go get suited up," he told Selina cheerfully as he finished up. "Is there any prep work or anything you'd like me to take care of while you finish eating?"
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 17:06:23 GMT -5
Finishing her last bite of her meal, she set down her chopsticks and finished her drink. Easy enough. She went to the small sink and washed her hands as Tim responded. Nodding as she dried her hands, she ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't as confident that Bruce would allow such a thing, but, she had ways to counter his refusal. Education, counter blah blah. She had ways and means to get him to see her side of things.
As she watched Tim finish up and clean she had to smile. He was a good kid. Perceptive. Astute. A bit too smart for his britches, if she were being honest. Thinking for a second or two, she shook her head.
"I think we're good to go. There is a bedroom you can change in, or the bathroom." She offered. He could change first, then she'd suit up. They'd have to make a few tweaks to his costume, as it wouldn't exactly be kosher for her to be seen with 'Bat-spawn.'
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2014 15:33:07 GMT -5
"Cool," Tim said cheerfully, shouldering his backpack. Easier just to bring the whole thing than try digging his uniform out now. "I'll take the bathroom, then."
Selina would probably be more comfortable in the bedroom, after all. It wouldn't take him long to change anyway - he could do it in less than five minutes in an emergency, and rarely took longer even when he dressed in the Cave - so the location he did it in hardly mattered to him. Shifting his bag more comfortably into place, he offered Selina a small, crooked grin as some of Robin's confidence began to settle into place. Robin didn't really trip over himself the way Tim did, wasn't so awkward and unsure. It was nice.
"Be right back," he promised, and trotted off down the hall. The apartment was only so big; the bathroom wouldn't be that hard to find.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 16:37:21 GMT -5
He was a bright one. So as she watched him meander off in the right direction, she waited a moment or two before heading off into the 'bedroom.' It was sparse, but homed a bed, closet, and a few other sundries. Her own suit was under the bed. Perhaps a peculiar location, but one familiar to her. It wasn't hard to strip her outfit off and slip into the custom made supple leather suit. It wasn't nearly as combat-ready as the Batfamily's things, but she was not a huge one for facing off against people. Her motto was to get in, get out, get gone. And the less confrontation, the better.
But there was always an exception. Going to a mirror in the room she added a bit more eyeliner and mascara to her eyes, before she fixed her hair and slipped her cowl on. It was not only about the suit, but the image. All of it came together. Sitting on the bed she tugged on her boots, and slipped both belt, and slender sidebag on, her gloves in hand as she left the room and went to perch on the stool she had been occupying prior to wait.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 2:19:42 GMT -5
Selina didn't have long to wait at all, considering Tim was already back in the front room, setting his bag back down by his shoes. He was fully dressed in his Robin attire but for his mask and cape - the latter of which was folded over his arm. Carrying a backpack could get a little awkward while wearing a cape sometimes, and it hadn't been worth dealing with just for a walk down the hall. He looked up at Selina as she came in and grinned.
It wasn't like he hadn't known, but seeing Selina in costume and everything? It really made it sink in that he was going to be playing test-partner for Catwoman tonight. Seriously. Whoa.
"Good thing it's winter, huh?" he asked, swinging his cape over his shoulders and securing it into place. "Gets dark earlier, so we don't have to wait. Any orders before we head out?"
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 2:36:28 GMT -5
Peculiar was a good word for this. But as she saw the teen, well, almost-teen emerge, she shook her head slightly, a small lurch in the pit of her stomach as she wondered how Bruce did this. Tim was...she didn't want to say child, but he wasn't a teen. He was somewhere in-between, and still so young. For a moment or two she contemplated not even doing this. But he was smart. And Bruce, well, Batman had trained him. So the kid knew his stuff. And well, her? She knew her own things.
So as he donned his cape she slipped into her gloves and made way for a small door set into the wall of the apartment. It may have been a closet to the naked eye, but it was concealing an older elevator. "It was included with the air-conditioning," she joked, ushering him inside while the wire and chain door raised, then fell behind them as she punched in the top level. "But it's got fantastic access to 42nd Avenue." She laughed lightly and clucked her tongue as they were ejected to the rooftop level. "Orders...are to help me out on what I'm doing well, and not well. I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this. We're not looking for crime, but looking on how to execute it well. And I'm used to doing that solo, not with a partner." She stated perfunctorily. A total paradigm shift for the sidekick no doubt.
"Any questions, kiddo?" She asked in that sultry tone she adopted while donning her own mask. The night air was already calling to her. She could feel it calling to her in the depth of her bones. She wasn't quite aware if they were going to run in to any of the Bat-family, and that aspect even sent a bit of a thrill down her spine. Out-running Batman with his own sidekick as she was about to up her own game? Meow.
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