[for Selina]

[daretodo]

There’s all of one reason I ever find myself on the beach, and that reason is Martha. I’m not a natural pet owner by any stretch of the imagination, but at some point, me and Martha fell into a kind of routine. She’s still dribbling water from an hour spent retrieving her favorite toy from the ocean, and I’m praying she’ll at least be somewhat dry by the time we get home. I’m trying to remember if I left the towels out in the living room when a sunbather catches my eye.

Except, as I realize when I get closer, she’s not just any sunbather. Even with the sunglasses hiding her eyes, I know that face.

“You!”

I was always taught it was rude to point, but I can’t help myself. Plus, I mean, in the grand scheme of things, I figure it’s probably ruder to rob a man blind — even if all his money is fake and he, let’s face it, kind of maybe deserved it.

The fact of the matter remains that Irena the Robbin’ Russian is apparently a real, living person and not some designer island trick.

“You!” I say again, stuck on that one word. I snap my fingers and drop my arm. “Why, I oughta—“

Oughta what, Parker? Report her? For a crime you can’t even prove, because everything disappeared? For getting the best of Tony Stark for one night? (Which, come on, you maybe got a kick out of. Just a little.)

I let out a breath, feeling my shoulders sag. I press the heel of my hand to my forehead, then wave off my accusation with a deflated gesture.

“Ah, forget it.”

Comments

[daretodo]

"It's a life. Some people are pretty happy here." I shrug, almost laughing because the thought seems absurd.

"I guess it depends on how you choose to approach it. Glass half-full or glass half-empty." A beat. "Also, there are an alarming number of bars per capita."

[purrloined]

"But no capital to speak of," she sighs.

"No roads, no actual commerce. Just a bunch of people, what, doing each other favors in exchange for home-brewed booze?"

Selina hasn't seen any violence since she's gotten there. No fights breaking out, no nothing. It's... strange.

[daretodo]

"Something like that," I say. "I mean, sometimes they're just doing each other, period, but that's pretty much the gist of it."

It doesn't hit me until a second later that I actually said that out loud. I promptly clear my throat.

"And then, when you least expect it," I continue, trying to rally, "something insanely awful happens to you, and you start praying for things to turn boring again for a couple of months. Welcome to Tabula Rasa. Hope you survive the experience."

[purrloined]

Selina raises an eyebrow at him but otherwise stifles any reaction.

"I'm notoriously hard to kill."

[daretodo]

"Then you'll fit right in."

Martha rolls onto her side, getting herself covered in sand. I'm already dreading having to wash her later. She barely fits into the shower at home.

"Disappearance is statistically more likely."

Not that I haven't been touched by both.

[purrloined]

"Good to know," Selina says, and is quiet a moment before venturing, "explains all the empty houses lying around, I guess."

[daretodo]

"Well, I bet they were empty after you paid 'em a visit," I say, not letting it go.

You'd think already knowing a cat burglar would've prepped me for this, but she's different than Felicia. Guarded in different ways. I guess there's no set personality type for the criminal set.

[purrloined]

She shoots him a frank and frankly sassy, close lipped smile.

"I have standards."

She doesn't go rooting around in dusty abandoned huts, that's for sure.

[daretodo]

"Doth my ears deceive me?"

I cup my ear, making a big show of listening. "Was that a teensy, tiny admission that you are, in fact, a thief?"

[purrloined]

"I don't think so," she says, tilting her head to one side, pouting, pursing her lips in thought and tucking her hands between her knees.

"If a house is abandoned and empty, how could someone steal from it? A lot of them could use some upkeep, though. I haven't found one, yet."

[daretodo]

"The nicer ones are in the Green Arrow Es--"

I catch myself before finishing the thought. I mime zipping my mouth shut. Jessica lives in the GAE. I might have some existential issues where she's concerned, but I don't want Catwoman to be her neighbor.

"There are no nice ones, you're right. It's all.. Rotting and gross. Better have a new one built in the middle of nowhere."

[purrloined]

Selina stares at him for a moment to discern if he's serious not. When she decides he basically is, she offers him a smile with no lack of edge, and stands, white sand shifting off her bare skin and leaving a faint shimmer in its place.

"Green Arrow Estates? I saw the sign a ways back. Excuse me, I have to go inquire about a vacancy."

She reaches down to the sand and lifts the dark purple, translucent caftan she'd found, and sweeps a broad rimmed straw hat onto her head. She's only had time to scrounge up a few pieces, but the ones she's gotten her hands on look good.

[daretodo]

I don't speak dog but the look on Martha's face says it all: you dumb ass.

I'm torn between chasing after and letting her go. Neither option looks all that great. I chase after her and it becomes even more clear that the GAE is the place to be. I stay put and maybe she'll get into all sorts of trouble I could've prevented.

I find an unhappy medium, calling out, "...I'm keeping an eye on you, Miss Kyle!"

[purrloined]

Selina lifts a hand without turning as though in a parting wave, and curls all her fingers down save the middle one. She continues unhurriedly up the beach and lets the gesture sit for an effortless three seconds before she drops her arm again, and disappears into the trees.