Who: Selina Kyle adaptable_cat & Death deathiskind What: Their Random Pairing When:Wednesday, May 13; early afternoon Where: Wandering around Downtown Test City Rating: Audience Discretion is Advised Warnings: Well she is Death so there will be talk of that. Duh. Mentions of the Necromorphs. Status: Closed/Completed GDoc
~*~
Death was simply being. Which was to say she walked alone, avoided running into people and tried to avoid having to do her job here. It was awkward for her to say the least that she was stuck here. She stretched lazily as she walked, fingers running through her hair, changing it lazily from black to blonde and back again. She was feeling bored and that was a new feeling for her to have. Death wasn’t human.
Humanity came with time. She learned emotions the longer she was around them. And when she got scared of them, she reverted to being what people called creepy. And stoic. Which was never good, Death was personable. Cheery. Nice. Kind. She wasn’t supposed to be creepy. But sometimes…. it just happened.
She turned a corner and walked into someone. She blinked at the woman before her. An eternity of faces flashing before her eyes before she settled on the right one and a smile curled her lips. Death knew everyone (she was just too polite to usually greet those she hadn’t met as adults/children by their names), she was there at their births and their deaths.
Even gods couldn’t escape her touch.
A little smile curled her lips, dark eyes glittering a little bit. There was sometimes a human that tugged on her a bit. That made her curious. The one before her was one of those. She wasn’t mean enough to wish she could test out that nine lives theory, but she couldn’t lie and say the thought hadn’t run through her head before. “Oh, I know you”.
Which was an entirely creepy way to start a conversation.
~*~
Selina liked Test City. It was the fresh slate she’d wanted while stealing Bruce Wayne’s fingerprints. A reset button didn’t exist in Gotham, and though Bruce promised her a way out, she’d never really be free. Sure, he had the money to fund their disappearance and new identities, but could either of them really walk away? Test City was heaven, as far as she was concerned. She got a laptop, mobile device, two grand, and an apartment to live in rent free that was a hell of a lot fancier than her digs in Gotham’s more run down areas. Even if there was a weird roommate to consider. Selina was more than adept at sliding in and out of buildings, sight unseen.
She’d yet to be assigned a job, which wasn’t a bother to her at all, so she’d taken to roaming the streets to acquaint herself with the city. It was quaint and had a bit of everything, including a wide variety of people for her to amuse herself with watching. Selina stopped at the General Store to enjoy the view of the broad shouldered man who seemed more comfortable inside the store than out. Even paid for the apple she wanted for a snack, which was worth it just to smile at him in a way that made him visibly uncomfortable. He was as old fashioned as a grandmother, or perhaps a Republican, she mused, making her way around the corner.
Selina hadn’t expected another person round that particular corner, given her previous walks, but she wasn’t too off balance after someone walked into her. She adjusted her grip on the half-eaten apple and arched a delicate brow at the woman.
“Right, because that’s not creepy at all,” she replied, giving the woman a once over. Though there was something familiar about her, Selina couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “How are you, exactly?” Cool and aloof was generally the way to go. If the woman turned out to be an old mark, Selina was confident she’d be able to evade her rather easily. Most marks didn’t recognize her, though. That was just how good she was.
~*~
Death just curled her lips upwards into a grin. “You’ve been close to meeting me many times. It’s rare I meet people more than twice in their lives.” she smoothed her hair out and her features - giving herself the look that Selina might recognize more. It was subtle changes, not big enough to really severely alter her look. But she was slightly more familiar looking now.
“I’m Death. How are you settling in here?” she asked. Some days she was a sweetie. Some days she was a freaking creeper. Today was creeper day. She was feeling like some people deserved a little bit of a shake up. Sorry, Selina, she was feeling that kind of mood today.
This place was rubbing off on her. She really wasn’t someone who teased people, or mentioned she’d known them. But she couldn’t help herself. She was entirely too curious for her own good. “And before you ask if I’m joking, I’m not.” she smiled a bit.
~*~
The woman was as cryptic as she was weird. Selina pondered that as she took another bite of her apple, considering the validity of the woman’s words. She was Death? It was true that she’d had more than one brush with death, but Selina merely chalked that up to the validity of the rumors that floated around about her. She was Catwoman after all, and so it followed that she had nine lives.
“You might not think you’re joking, but it’s a little farfetched to say you’re Death,” she replied, disbelief coloring her tone. “If I were to believe you - a bit ‘if’ - then you’d be right in saying we’ve brushed elbows two or three times before. I’ve been known to survive stickier situations.” Of course, it was just her luck that there was someone in Test City who knew of her past history in Gotham. So much for having a blank slate.
Selina tossed her apple core into the trash can on the corner and fell into step beside Death. “You know me, then. Selina Kyle. Catwoman. Didn’t know Death’s a real actual person. Cute look though.” She could be nice, when she wanted to be. Being nice to Death seemed like a no brainer.
“I’m settling in well enough. It’s not Gotham and that’s all I was looking for, before this mess.” Selina was nothing if not adaptable. “Doesn’t this put a damper on the whole collecting souls thing?”
~*~
Death shook her head at the woman and touched the apple before it was tossed, then watched it disintegrate into little apple core pieces before drifting into the bin. “Nope. Was born to fill the role of Death and I’ll be here when everyone, gods included, are dead and gone.” she shrugged a bit. It didn’t matter. She didn’t need belief to remain. She was.
That was all that mattered.
“I appear, normally, as whatever look the person I’m visiting expects me to look like. It is, I suppose, a way to set people at ease. You are hardly the first to escape fatal situations, although you are more inclined to it than others have been.” she said idly as she walked along, steps silent.
“Not in the least. I am everywhere I am needed at all times. It’s a perk of being Death - I can be everywhere and anywhere at any given time. Handy when the world is so populated.” A slow shrug as she looked around.
“An interesting place, this.”
~*~
Selina watched as the apple core disintegrated just from one touch. Obviously it wasn’t like that for everything Death touched, otherwise she wouldn’t be fit to live around other people. Still, she made sure there was a decent space between them as they continued on walking in the direction Death had been going. Selina was merely wandering, so she didn’t mind the change in direction.
“I’m surprised you don’t look like a cat to me,” she murmured, a smile playing on her lips. “Who will collect you, when all the other souls have been passed over?” Though she’d sent her fair share of souls into Death’s waiting arms, Selina only killed those who tried to kill her. Batman had a thing against killing, which would only ensure that they’d come back to try again another time. They might not agree on a lot of things, but they’d always disagree on his no killing policy.
“It’s new enough, but that’ll fade with time. I will definitely not be getting used to creatures running amok in the city, that’s for sure. It’s a good thing my apartment is so nice, but I’m not one for staring at four walls.” Selina had gone out to get herself some supplies, but otherwise stayed indoors so that she could avoid the mess and disaster that had ravaged the city. “Did you have fun, bringing those creatures over to the other side?”
~*~
Death had substantial powers. She could control them quite well. So it was mostly for show. She wasn’t a big fan of showing off but sometimes you needed to do so. Just a little bit. She noted the space between them and shook her head a tiny bit. Amusing. Death stuffed her hands in her pockets.
“I’m not here to collect your soul, so I choose what to look like. When your time comes, I am sure that is what I shall appear as.” Death smiled gently. “No one. When the last soul has crossed over, I will be the last standing. As I’ve told others before: When the first living thing existed, I was there. Waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I'll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave.” she smiled a bit and shrugged.
“I have a feeling this place’s weird things will keep you entertaining for some time to come. I doubt we’ve seen the last interesting thing.” she smiled gently at Selina. She knew the woman had a good heart down inside, trying to do what she felt was necessary and never sending anyone to Death that didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t up to Death to judge if her activities were correct or not.
“I did not. I do not enjoy stepping into an active role of sending souls to death. It is not what I was meant for. But it was necessary and I would do it again if necessary.”
~*~
“I’m pretty sure I’d be doing something much more fun if you were here to collect my soul,” Selina countered with a slight smile. “No sense in dying over something boring, like old age or disease.” Dying could happen at any time for anyone, and she wasn’t about to stop living her life just because there was a little risk involved. As far as she was concerned, more risk was better, since the reward was always that much sweeter.
Selina chuckled, amused by the reference to closing down and locking up after everyone was gone. “Sounds pretty boring, if you ask me. You’ll be the only one left, and then you’ll what? Move on to the next universe that isn’t dead yet?” Being immortal or having an unnaturally long life wasn’t necessarily something Selina wanted, but she could see the benefits of having as much time as she wanted. Eventually, she’d get bored, same as always, though. Probably a good thing she had a finite number of years on her clock. Selina wasn’t keen at all on finding out just how much longer she had, so she didn’t ask if it was something Death knew.
“Well, at least you’re willing to help. I know plenty of people who would say it’s not their business and lock their doors. Hell, I was one of those people, though I did get a few on a supply run. Sounds like you were actively helping. That’s good. We need more of that, I think.” That was what Bruce was for. Batman. He’d be able to convince her to risk her tail for everyone, just because it was the ‘right thing to do’.
~*~
“I am inclined to agree with that statement. You don’t seem like the type of person to just let old age take you in your sleep.” she grinned a little. “Might as well go out with a bang, as it were.” she laughed a bit. Death could see the appeal. As well as the desire to be known for something other than living a long life.
“I would imagine so. I do not know what will happen then. I do not think it will be for a very long time, so I am not going to worry about it.” she said after a moment of thought. She wasn’t concerned. She would do what she was meant to do and move on if that was what called to her next. She mostly figured, though, she’d be stuck hanging around until life kick started again.
And she wouldn’t have told Selina if she’d asked. Death does not tell. Or share. When someone is going to die. She will tell them, of course, it’s not their time yet. She’s nice like that.
“If we are to remain here, and for me to not have to do my job on the residents, it is best that I assist in removing threats. It is the right thing to do in a situation out of our control.” and it proved she was there to help and not hinder people. She had no desire to do her job on those who were pulled here.
~*~
“If there’s a choice, always go out with a bang. A metaphorical one, that is. Loud noises tend to mean you’re going to get caught and that’s something I try to avoid as much as possible.” Selina had already been to jail and that was an experience she wasn’t interested in repeating ever again. There was a part of her that was glad she’d gotten that particular experience, but it hadn’t been the least bit pleasant. It was a weirdly principled and political place, both of which annoyed her more than anything.
Selina regarded the deity walking alongside her. “Seems an awful lot like a curse, if you ask me. All of eternity without really interacting with people? I’m not exactly the biggest fan of ‘people’ as a whole, but they have their uses. Amusements, for the most part. I’ve passed a good amount of time, just watching the people that’re here. It’s a lot more fun than Gotham ever was. Here, there are people with skills to rival mine, if I were interested in testing that theory.” She wasn’t, of course.mostly because she was confident enough in her abilities and making a show of them would only inhibit her down the line.
Deciding she’d spent enough time around Death to last her for a good little while, Selina inclined her head toward the other woman. “Seeing as you know what my skills are, consider it an open offer. If you need me, just ask. No strings attached.” That wasn’t usually how she worked, but Selina was willing to make an exception just this once. It seemed like turning over a leaf wasn’t the worst thing for her. With that, she turned around the corner and left Death to her own devices.