Wake Me Up When It's Over [Selina]

[Deleted]

Hood covering a majority of her face, the petite brunette gestured toward her home and the taxi driver brought the vehicle to a stop. It had been an exhausting evening. Not only had she required her ability to make a full transformation – but she spent nearly hours striking the deal. It was early, the hour nearing 1 in the morning. She had been up all day at the Lounge and she was expected to be there with the results of her meeting in a few hours. Linsey paid the driver what she owed him in addition to a decent tip before climbing out of the car. Pulling at the hood of her oversized sweatshirt, she walked to the back entrance of her home.

Fumbling with the keys for a moment, she effectively pushed open the door and entered. Closing the door behind her and locking it immediately, the woman ripped the hood off of her head and began to shed some of the layers as she walked through the home. Running her fingers through her shoulder-length brown curls, she immediately started toward the bathroom as she craved a hot shower. Her evening routine was simplified as she was eager to slip underneath the covers of her plush bed. Once she pushed the curtain aside, she met the gaze of a face that was far from her own in the mirror.

Her mission this evening had required a drastic transformation. It took nearly a half-an-hour to perfect and every inch of her was unrecognizable – even now. Reaching into the medicine cabinet, she emptied several pills into her small hand. They were sleeping pills and surprisingly strong ones at that. Rather than spending another thirty minutes in complete agony as she transformed back to her original form, she was going to do so in her sleep and hopes of not feeling a thing. Swallowing the pills and quickly following it with a glass of water she glanced upon her reflection once more before retreating to the bedroom.

Even though her current form had to weigh no more than 110 pounds, she felt her body growing heavy as she prepared for bed. She slipped into one of her usual nighties and the material practically hung of her petite form. Usually, the light silk would hug her curves and display them proudly, but now the fabric was so excessive that she looked foolish wearing it. In the morning that would all change and she would be back to normal.

Setting her alarms on an unusual loud setting to insure that she would wake up when needed, being late for work wasn’t an option. After her slip-up with that foolish reporter, Cobblepott wasn’t happy with her at the moment. She couldn’t afford another mistake. Turning off the lights, Linsey quickly surrendered to sleep, hoping that the immense pain would not wake her up.

[Selina Kyle - Catwoman]

Rumors in Gotham were usually rumors. Rarely did they have any substance, or merit. In this case, the petite woman with curly brown hair had been an oddity. Why was this women even in Gotham? And what the hell was she doing sniping one of her own contracts? It was irritating, and for once, it seems one of the many bullshit whispers was panning out, and in full force.

So when the petite mouse finally shook hands with the other party, Catwoman was keenly on her tail. Another cat and mouse game, yet this time, Selina only had a sprinkling of any leads to follow. And even when the taxi started heading to Gotham's Northern side, she was glad she was alone, because she audibly gasped at this turn of events. A ritzy area? Perhaps that is why she had not spotted this woman before. Still, she was able to narrow down the inhabitants that lived in this section of the neighborhood. And so far none of the visuals were matching the women before her. From her perch, she was able to narrow down which room would light up in time, after entrance.

And then, seconds later, she nodded to herself as the light lit the room, blinds obscuring most of the view. There was the bathroom...and then another room. Fantastic. And while the home looked secure, she was proficient in skirting most systems. Save for when she was trying to be caught. Intentionally.

That was not the case this time, and Selina watched the clock carefully, timing the light going on, until it was turned off, and then waited another good half hour, just in case. Considering how late it was, she always made sure to wait, as it lessened the chance of running into someone that rose from bed, for that 'one last thing!' or to grab water, or utilize the toilet one last time.

And then she moved. Shifting from her rooftop perch to shift in the shadows as black leather mingled with darkness, Catwoman yet again stalked the night, her prey in sight and in view. Not even ten minutes later she was at a window-an entirely different one that she had been observing, and had the sash raised enough for her to slip inside the posh home.

Closing the window quietly, she flicked a switch on her goggles, taking several photos that were automatically uploaded to her cloud. She'd learned the hard way that information could be lost, if it were in a more physical form on her. Batman had taught her that one. And she'd quickly learned her lesson. And so she adapted.

Moving soundlessly through the rooms, she was given a picture of the woman that lived within. Sending a query through her handheld computer system, she was finally able to snag a name...that seemed to fit the some of the pictures within.

...and why did it seem so familiar?

Crinkling her nose, she went about snooping through the bathroom, checking the first place even novices snooped. The medicine cabinet. Smirking, she knew she was going to be in for a long, but fruitful night. Two prescriptions were present, one of them seriously strong. Well, if her little mouse was going to sleep, she might as well lay preparations.

So onto the kitchen it was, filling a glass with one of the bottles of sparkling water, and bringing both with her as she finally made it into the bedroom. Thankfully there was a semi-comfortable looking chair in the corner she could utilize.

She was curious, green eyes narrowing at the form that was...shifting as the woman slept. And it was not a movement of restless sleeping, as her breathing was soft, and steady. It was a peculiar movement that seemed to be on a more molecular level. Was that....yes, it was. The once petite, mousy woman was physically changing, and right before her eyes. Even the bland hair was growing more lush, and shifting color as the woman slept. From a nondescript brown, to a red. Red?

Blinking, she took a sip from her water, before sitting back down, making sure to snap several photos as the women's bodily characteristics melded between her false, and true selves. Wracking her brain, she had to wonder where she knew this woman. Not in the guise, but ....she almost swore, the sound escaping her rouged lips as a harsh exhale of breath.

Oswald.

It had to be. His...manager, or whatever. Who she'd had to deal with when she brought in fenced goods, now and again. Linsey? Linsey something or other, which she had guessed had to be a fake name. Of course Ozzie would adore a woman with a avian themed moniker. But a ..meta-human as well?

Catwoman smiled again, asinine cat and bird themed puns and jokes skirting through her mind and just as quickly leaving. She had hours to contemplate exactly what to do with Ms. Finch. And a solution to a problem that had been harassing her for quite a while as well. She could hopefully strike a deal, with both of them coming out ahead.

[Deleted]

Whatever medication this was – it worked wonders. She was out in no time at all. Of course, it had taken ages for her to convince Cobblepott to help her obtain it. He was very clear that he didn’t care in the slightest how bad her transformations hurt. He was cruel, but it got to the point where some of her more drastic changes would affect her work. Sure enough, when she arose in the early hours to prepare for her day, she would spent the following 24 hours wincing as he bones and joints ached. Still, she would be expected to show up on time and prepared to work. Linsey couldn’t afford another mistake.

Her teeth were grinding as she slept as her body slowly returned to its normal, voluptuous form. She stirred constantly throughout the course of the next few hours, oblivious that she was being watched or recorded. It took hours before she awoke, and only because the alarm next to her was blaring. A groan flew from the redhead’s lips as she moved to shut it off. Linsey felt as though her weight had tripled, her arm was so heavy. She managed to turn all of the alarms with heavy-lidded eyes. It was so tempting to simply close them and return to her slumber, especially seeing how dark it was outside and the limited amount of rest she had.

Closing her eyes once more, she ran her hands down the length of her hourglass frame to insure that everything had returned to normal. She moaned once more as if a bit of pain might leave her lips with it. Linsey rain her hands through her red curls, slowly sitting up while contemplating how she was going to get through the day. Linsey hadn’t even noticed the woman that had been watching her until her bright green eyes adjusted to the dark. There was a figure, seated in her bedroom across the way. Instantly she began to fear that her work the previous evening had followed her home. And here she had been so careful – even going to the lengths of switching cabs and appearances twice.

Slowly, she reached for the nightstand behind her. Plunging her hand into its contents in search of the compact 9mm that had resided there for as long as she could remember. Linsey was a fair marksman but nothing special. She was hoping that the threat alone might result in the person backing off if it came to that. She was reminded the pain with each passing moment and her skeleton was on fire. Pretending she hadn't even realized the intruder shared the same room as her, she waited for them to make the first move, either way she was going to make sure her back was covered.

[Selina Kyle - Catwoman]

The hours passed slowly. Thankfully she was able to keep herself occupied with her mobile computer, and her curious mind. And the hours upon hours of time she had spent watching a location in her years of stealing. It was just a bit different when you were watching someone else. A bit awkward, even.

So Catwoman sat, poised to watch Ms. Finch finally stir from slumber, the once tiny, petite woman now in her, what Selina assumed, was original form. The teeth grinding was enough to drive her up a wall with the noise, so she tuned that out. But those alarms? Selina was a bit shocked it took her that many to wake up. Then again, taking the powerful medications would keep one groggy. So when Linsey shifted to wake up, she kept her body still, not moving, and silently counted the seconds until the busty redhead took note of her nocturnal visitor.

It didn't take long for the once sleeping beauty to wake, and once the recognition set in, Catwoman smiled, reaching finally for her glass of water she'd refilled time and time again through the night.

As Ms. Finch shifted, going for some sort of weapon, Catwoman had to inwardly smirk. At least while working for Oswald she had learned a trick or two. To keep a weapon handy. But even with her shapeshifting notions and haphazard way of getting home, she had still been trailed. At least it was by someone who was firmly in possession of a sound mind, unlike, oh, well, most of her contemporaries.

So when the woman did a half-decent job of ignoring Selina, and keeping the 9mm trained on her, she had to give her at least a modicum of respect. But the slight stiffness to her movements gave away her pain. And that was an ametuer move.

And to start, Catwoman laughed. A deep, rich sound that echoed lightly in the bedroom. Waving her hand at Oswald's right hand woman, Catwoman dismissed the weapon.

"Oh honey, you don't need that. I doubt Oswald would be pleased that you'd even want to shoot one of his best procurement specialists. He gets a killer cut on the merchandise I bring in for him to fence. And even you know that, Ms. Finch."

Slowly she crossed her legs, reaching to her glass of water once more. It's not like she'd been shot before. It stung, but usually ended up as a flesh wound.

[Deleted]

She had been followed – that had to be the answer. She had been foolish to let her exhaustion get the best of her and now she was paying for it. Still trapped underneath her plush comforter, she tried to make her movements subtle as if reaching for a pair of eyeglasses. However, the redhead began to grow uneasy as she failed to feel the familiar cool tough of metal of the device in her drawer. Had this person been so clever as to sift through her things? It made Linsey curious as to how long they had been there and what all they had noticed. Her stress level began to rise, wincing as she forced herself to act as quickly as possible now that she realized her gun was in the back half of the drawer.

The sudden laughter caused Linsey to sit back up with the gun in her hand, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. With a rigid motion, she turned on the light that sat on the end table beside her. Now that she was no longer in the dark and that portion of the room was bathed in light, she could match a face with the voice. The redhead blinked in surprise, but didn’t say anything at first. Of course she did lower the gun slowly, placing it beside her on the sheets.

Feeling both underdressed and vulnerable considering that Catwoman was in her full, costumed attire, Linsey might have blushed if only her skin was able of such a thing. Instead she rose her eyebrows, her tone clearly annoyed at the situation. “Catwoman.” She spoke clearly, though obviously irritated. “What a surprising and unwanted visit. Tell me why exactly are you trespassing in my home?” She asked, moving from the comfort of the covers. Linsey tried to hide her pain as she stood up, reaching toward the robe that hung from one of the ends of her bed. Slipping into the fabric and fastening it tightly around her waist, she felt much more comfortable than she had while wearing nothing but her nightie.

Despite the urge she had once had to shoot the intruder, she smothered the desire now. It was obvious that she was angry, but Catwoman was right. The second she did anything to deter Cobblepott’s business he would find a way to punish her severely. At the moment, Linsey wasn’t quite willing to take that risk. Seeing as now even on his ‘good side’ she could hardly walk without wincing, one could only imagine what his idea of a consequence would do to her.

Her face scrunched up in annoyance as she noticed the woman still perched in the seat, sipping a glass of water. “Glad you could make yourself comfortable.” She replied sarcastically. “Is this your new niche? You’ve steered away from the whole cat burglar theme to become a Peeping Tom? Really, Iceberg opens in a matter of hours. What was so important that you couldn’t bother to wait.” Though she was curious to figure out how long she had been watching her, she didn’t want to seem too anxious as if she had something to hide.

outfit: take a peek

[Selina Kyle - Catwoman]

Selina blinked slowly at the question. Really. An employee of Oswald's even ventured to ask her such a stupid question. Really? Another slow blink, that was much like an interested feline, save this one had a perfect, dark cat-eye done in kohl around her green eyes, kept her eyes closed for a fraction of a second before answering the woman.

"Trespassing? Please tell me you haven't been spending quality time with Batman. Because that is the sort of asinine question he'd ask. Why do this, you ask?" She tsk'ed lightly at the 'henchwoman.' "...Because I can." She purred. A beat. Then another. Then the smartassed, attempted self-assured retorts came.

"I'm glad you at the very least noticed me. I am a rather good contact to your boss." Shrugging with the ease of someone who was perfectly at home, despite it not being her own abode, Catwoman continued. "No, only the trash goes in this early. I use the side door if I have something good to fence. And the important fact is that while you are good at what you do-" she waved a clawed hand at Linsey's figure. "You're not good enough to elude someone who does disguise as well as me. It is impressive. And if you need something to take the edge off, I know someone. Rather than depending on the pills."

While she was playing her hand openly, there was no clear cut explanation as to why she was here. And was there ever a reason for a cat to do what it did? There were a few, but those reasons seemed to always invite more questions. Curiosity, why not, and because she could.

[Deleted]

Linsey tied her mess of tangled red curls into a high pony-tail. Several of her choppy layers cascaded into her face. She was obviously exhausted, not even bothering to use her ability to hide the dark circles that had formed under her eyes. “Oh yes, we are dear friends actually. I’m surprised you of all people didn’t know already.” Linsey said, her voice trailing off slightly though the obvious venom in each word did not. She didn’t like being toyed with. Selina didn’t exactly invade homes for no reason her diamonds were nothing compared to the scale of the ones that were sure to be in the woman’s collection.

“I would recognize you anywhere, Ms. Kyle. It's the eyes. All the colors are tricky to replicate.” Linsey replied, as if she had tried to duplicate the unique mixture of green and gold on her own person. Her expression hardly changed when she referred to her ability to disguise incompetent compared to the cat burglars. Maybe she didn’t know the extent of her abilities or perhaps she was merely being condescending. Regardless, Linsey didn’t play into it. She sucked in her cheeks at Selina’s offer concerning the medication. Hands on her hips, it was almost tempting to play into such a suggestion. “Who might that be? My condition is….unusual. Cobblepott could get me anything I ask for to help deal with my condition, but he and I both know I can’t take anything that clouds my head or I lose control of it easily. Which leaves my options fairly limited.” The redhead admitted.

“I need to get ready for work. Feel free to…hang around I suppose. Or you can start giving me answers and that way I won’t have to wonder which of my drawers you are going through while I am in the shower.” She tried not to sound entirely irritated with her situation, but there had to be something more to this visit than Selina was leading on. Regardless, the clock was ticking and everyone knew all too well that her employer waited for no one.

outfit: take a peek

[Selina Kyle - Catwoman]

It was a shame that so many thought she only went after feline-themed items, diamonds, and Batman. It was a helpful assumption to hide behind, as her expert skills had been turned to a slightly more lucrative effort in the past few months. Information. It was not always a tangible product, but it was one that spoke a language more clearly than cash did.

Once Linsey spoke again, Catwoman did raise a brow. What a backhanded compliment! It was the few she knew that could tie the thief to the socialite. And in this case, she was clearly flattered by the compliment.

"Then I can drop the act. And the compliment is appreciated. And I have trusted connections to those that don't bat an eye at costumes and other gifts." It was true. When she had been severely injured, she'd made contacts that were longstanding, and trustworthy. And with what Selina had watched progress through the night, she wasn't shocked at the purple and grey shadows beneath the redhead's eyes. Or the lack of restful sleep. "Muscle relaxants. You take one of those, in conjunction with your sleeping medication, and you should be fine; as long as you take the prescribed dose, and nothing more. Morphing in the way you did has to ache through the days after, as well."

She honestly wasn't trying to talk down to the woman. Thief she was, but she had a genuine heart beneath the layers of facade. She may walk the greys and shadows of morality, but that didn't make her a bad person. Everyone had to atone for their choices in the end. "Well, if you need, talk to Ozzie. But you are extremely gifted. And a muscle relaxant wouldn't cloud your judgement. I'm surprised you'd even put yourself in a position to take something while you sleep. It does leave you rather vulnerable." Waving a hand between them clearly demonstrated that factor. Claws retracted, Selina was now hovering between woman, feline, and thief. It was as if the socialite was sitting in a chair across from the woman, just clad in something entirely different.

Laughing gleefully, she shook her head. "Get ready. And I didn't go after your things. Sometimes I just like to keep tabs on those that I've never seen around. New faces mean new secrets." Curiosity, and finding a solution to her own problem as well, but they could discuss those topics later. Shrugging, Selina took out a card, and withdrew a pen from her bag.

"And considering I hadn't been expecting-what you do, I stuck around. If you're willing, I'd like to meet. If you would be willing to indulge me in a favor, I would certainly make it worth your while." Setting the card down on the small table, she stood.

"The Liberta del Mar. 7pm today. Show that card, say you're meeting with Ms. Kyle, and they'll bring me to your table. I'll make sure Ozzie gives you the evening off. I am trusting you know how to keep something quiet, considering who you work for" A beat, a length of pause, and she spoke again. "And that should give you time to think of your price." It didn't matter if it was drugs, money, jewels. If Linsey could pull this off, Selina would honestly be in the woman's debt.

[Deleted]

The remedy that the woman suggested sounded even more desirable with each passing moment. It was hard to get up in the morning, but the idea of Cobblepott’s umbrella to the side of her face certainly provided her with enough motivation. “I’ll have to request some, I’m sure Cobblepott is more than capable of supplying me with them. Though he isn’t too happy with me at the moment after recent events.” She admitted flatly. In fact, the last thing that she might consider at this point would be to ask him of a misplaced question – much less a favor. “Besides, he doesn’t much care if I am in pain as long as what he wants is accomplished and I am not passing out on the Iceberg’s floors.”

Linsey continued with her morning routines, leaving the door to her bathroom open so that she could continue to communicate with the woman seated in her bedroom. Without as much as a sigh, she crouched down to retrieve some things out of the bottom drawer of her dresser. The gun still sat abandoned on the silken sheets of her bed. “Well now it appears as though you have my biggest secret in your hands, I’m eager to know what you plan on doing with it. Considering my line of work, my ability isn’t exactly one I am open about.” Her body tensed slightly. Though Catwoman didn’t appear intent on shouting the statement from the rooftops, it was still a present concern for Linsey.

A favor. Of course, she was almost expecting it. A short laugh fell from the woman’s lips. Taking the card from Selina, she looked at it and gave a nod to show understanding. “I’ll see you then.” The promise of a night off was honestly the best sounding part of this arrangement. However, what exactly this favor entailed would surely be the main subject on her mind until the anticipated meeting.

outfit: take a peek

[Selina Kyle - Catwoman]

"Well, he won't be alerted of you being followed last night, trust me on that. And he has much to lose if he gets on the wrong side of me. Honey, you work the books. You know what I bring in for him to sell. He wouldn't be able to afford a good amount of that top shelf liquor if I didn't supply him with objets d' art and other erstwhile articles." Winking to the redhead, she hovered near the table.

Pursing her lips, she hadn't been aware of his foul treatment of coworkers. He didn't always follow all the rules for decent behavior and treatment of employees, but what she had as a skill was more a boon than a bust. And if he wasn't going to keep her ready and free of pain, well Selina was going to make sure she was. "Mmm. Oswald is always about the up keeping of appearances, you know. Doesn't matter as long as you look good, so on, so forth." She didn't entirely believe what she was saying, as she knew Oswald did have good intentions. Even if they went ary at some times.

Walking to the door to leave, Selina turned to glance over at Linsey. "And you hold my own secret. With my friends, if you swap delicate things like this, it is a form of unspoken contract. You break that, you are suddenly on the wrong side of someone who could really, really hurt you. Dress comfortably, yet appropriately for dinner. I'll have a room for us afterward."

A wave of her claws, and she was out the door. She had a few stops to make to ensure the evening would go well, and that her peer would make it. And a nap. A nap sounded really fantastic before a long day at the office, and a longer night to come.

[Onward to Favors?]