Kate Kane

[ON HIATUS] I'm Kate Kane. I live in Gotham. Age 33. Jewish. Lesbian. What more could you want to know? (this is an rp blog)

[officialkatekane]

Hey I'm Kate Kane.

You may know me as 'the one Gotham heiress that got drunk and snatched the wig off of Mr. Brady' (heh no regrets), or maybe as Bruce Wayne's coolest cousin or perhaps even as the guitarist performing sporadically at The Belle; what can I say I'm a woman of many talents that the ladies just can't resist.

I'm feeling pretty bored and since most of the family is here i thought well why not right? Send me any asks and messages!

Very happy to announce that I'm now dating @cest-la-vie-de-diana.

[This is an rp blog I'm just here to have fun don't take anything too seriously

I have a separate blog for Batwoman @official-batwoman come say hi if you want]

[officialkatekane]

Hi it's- well it's B. With some changes, admittedly.

@bellawayne

Some changes, huh? You say that like you just got a haircut...which, alright, technically you did.

Jesus, B. You really do know how to make an entrance, huh?

Jokes aside, cuz, I like the new look. It suits you. Might have taken you a while to get here, but I'm glad you made it.

Also, Bella is a phenomenal pick. Nicely done.

[bellawayne]

Technically, I've stopped getting haircuts, but that's not really the crux of the matter.

I've been told I can be dramatic. I'm not sure how this can be anything but dramatic after all this time.

...thank you. I don't know if it does suit me; but I am happier for it, even with the uncertainties. The children are taking it well.

They've been calling me mama.

I can't take credit for the pick. That was Dick. So I would still be B. So I would feel- beautiful.

It felt- right letting my son name me, but there's a part of me that will grieve Bruce. It was a gift from my parents, and I've given it up. It was precious, but I can't keep it, and I can't tell them.

I kept Thomas though. I couldn't let go of Dad's name too.

[officialkatekane]

You being happy is all that matters.

And of course they are. You raised them well, didn't you, mama Wayne?

I hope you know I chuckled while reading that. Mama is the most adorable name they could've picked.

Huh, look at that, Dickie coming in clutch with the pretty naming. I'll remember to high five him for that. I could totally see you going about picking some dramatic ass long name. Thank goodness we avoided that timeline.

It is nice to still call you B. I think we've all attached your stubbornness and well you-ness to it.

I won't claim I knew Uncle or even Auntie Martha well enough to know what they would've thought. But I think the Auntie Martha I do remember would have been proud of you no matter what name you called yourself. I like to think they would have liked Bella too.

[officialkatekane]

Hi it's- well it's B. With some changes, admittedly.

@bellawayne

Some changes, huh? You say that like you just got a haircut...which, alright, technically you did.

Jesus, B. You really do know how to make an entrance, huh?

Jokes aside, cuz, I like the new look. It suits you. Might have taken you a while to get here, but I'm glad you made it.

Also, Bella is a phenomenal pick. Nicely done.

[officialkatekane]

Happy Pride 🏳️‍🌈

I came out by getting kicked out of West Point for refusing to lie about who I am. I didn’t get a rainbow cupcake or a corporate tweet. I got the boot.

Still wouldn’t change a damn thing.

Be loud, be real, be safe. Watch each other’s backs. This month is about survival and celebration. Both matter.

If you’re still in the closet, you’re still part of this family. You’re not late—you’re alive. That’s enough.

So celebrate. March. Dance in the streets. Kiss your girl on the sidewalk. Wear glitter like armor.

But remember who built Pride. Remember why we fight.

Look after the kids. Protect the trans community. Bail each other out.

And don’t let a rainbow-colored ad convince you they’re on your side.

Pride isn’t a product. It’s a protest.

Stay loud. Stay dangerous. Stay queer.

—Kate Kane, professional lesbian and part time chaos enabler

[kayjayo1227]

Batfam as B99

[officialkatekane]

The Gotham Natural History Museum loomed ahead like a relic from another era—grand columns, weatherworn gargoyles, and stained glass windows glinting under the city’s pale streetlights. Kate tilted her head, letting her eyes trace the arch of the entrance. Neo-Gothic meets crumbling ambition. Very Gotham.

Inside, it was all polished marble and vaulted ceilings, designed to make you feel small in the face of history. She remembered the first time she walked those halls—Beth's tiny hand wrapped around hers, both of them practically bouncing as their parents pointed out dinosaur bones and ancient armor.

She could still hear the echo of Beth’s laugh in the main lobby dome, where a reconstructed T-Rex towered over everything like a myth come to life. Their mom had snapped a photo. Kate couldn’t remember where that photo ended up. Maybe packed away in the boxes she hadn’t touched in years.

Now, the place felt like a tomb with mood lighting.

Her boots clicked softly as she stepped up toward the museum steps, exhaling into the cold. The city hadn’t changed. Not really. But she had.

She turned to her side addressing her still unnamed companion. "Well here we are. Her office is on the right through there." She said pointing it out as they walked in that direction, "Now do I get a name yet or should I just keep calling you That Girl in my head?" She teased.

@accidentaldccharacter

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Second option, I find it funnier." I think for a second. "Do you want to look around first? Maybe it matches to something nearby? Also, I hear they have a Robin costume made of all the discarded bits of old Robin costumes around here. I really want to look at the stitching on that. And, you know, see which Robins made the cut." I hope Kate got my pun. "Pun unintended."

I pick up a nearby pamphlet as I enter, advertising some hyperspecific vaguely historical event. The themed areas have been a little bottlenecked as they can't be too themed, like the Toys of Evil exhibit (Toyman broke in, or was it Clock King? Might've been Killer Moth, love that guy) and they can't be about anything too recent because the history books are too divided. That and, you know, living memory, all that. So there's more information on Aquaman at a SeaWorld than at Gotham Natural History. The last time the Krypton exhibit was updated, I don't even know. I'm not even sure if we have verifiable history, considering Wonder Woman flipped the whole history thing decades ago and apparently there's a whole exhibit on blue people that can alter history, so... I look at the dinosaurs, the one real piece of history Gotham has left, arguably. Never seen one myself. The donation box is only half-full. Since we got shut off from the mainland; I'm surprised we still get notable artifacts. We even have a bunch of Nth Metal, which is so cool and I don't even want to know when someone's going to repossess it. Or how we got it, entirely. Did we invade space? Did Batman? Oh, cool, a Swamp Thing rampage exhibit. And, ooh, Poison Ivy Zoom QnA. Seems like more of a zoo thing to me but eh, zoos, museums, galleries, they all have the same amount of walking; one just has cooler books. And they have a Green Lantern ride now here. Great. Definitely fine thing to have. Not like Coast City means anything anymore, he's back; we have to live with him being a permanent fixture of the cultural landscape, even with the other Green Lanterns, oh and they only need one apparently, so what are we, under bloody martial law from space? I'm getting too worked up on space politics, I should sit down.

"I think they have a light exhibit with a whole thing on the Speed Force; is that new? I don't go here often any more." There's a second pamphlet, an advert for some local magicians and escapologists which I take anyway, just in case. Something about a mistaken identity hotline that says something about marvels and a spider, I don't know, must be one of those cross-town adverts.

I take a breath that hurts and think about finding a bench.

Kate looks pale. "Are you okay? Oh no, did you- I didn't realise. There's literal exhibits on your family here. Carved in stone. How morbid of me."

[officialkatekane]

Kate huffed a breath of a laugh—dry and brief. “Honestly, I was more concerned about you starting an intergalactic incident over Green Lantern jurisdiction with the way you were staring at it.” She nudged your arm with her elbow, a faint smirk flickering at the corner of her mouth. “But yeah. I'm fine.”

That was only half a lie.

Her eyes drifted without intention, caught by a familiar face cast in bronze—Martha Wayne. Elegant and still, frozen in the careful polish of memory. A photo sat beside it, her aunt’s arm looped through Thomas’s like they were a story Gotham had told so many times, it stopped feeling real. It hit her like a distant dream—soft perfume, a warm laugh in a place full of bones and old glass cases.

Her gaze shifted slightly left—The Kane Legacy. Smaller. Quieter. A corner of the same wall, tucked in like a footnote. The photo was from some dedication ceremony: her father in full uniform, her mother with her hair pinned neatly back, both of them holding onto her and Beth like they already knew the camera would steal something from them. Kate looked at it for a second too long before blinking it away.

“I forgot this place went all-in on preserving Gotham’s grief in marble and mood lighting.” She muttered. “Trauma’s basically a permanent exhibit. Subtlety’s never been our thing.”

She straightened slightly, folding the thought away and turning back toward you with a flicker of dry amusement.

“Although I do want to see the Frankenstein-Robin costume. You had me at stitching.”

She wondered, distantly, if the kids even knew. That bits and pieces of their shredded suits had been picked up, catalogued, and sewn together—stitched into a museum-piece monument to everything they’d lost. A patchwork legacy. All their scars, repurposed for public display.

"Let's take care of our business first though, yes? Elaine— Dr. Rowe, that is— is a busy woman after all."

[officialkatekane]

The Gotham Natural History Museum loomed ahead like a relic from another era—grand columns, weatherworn gargoyles, and stained glass windows glinting under the city’s pale streetlights. Kate tilted her head, letting her eyes trace the arch of the entrance. Neo-Gothic meets crumbling ambition. Very Gotham.

Inside, it was all polished marble and vaulted ceilings, designed to make you feel small in the face of history. She remembered the first time she walked those halls—Beth's tiny hand wrapped around hers, both of them practically bouncing as their parents pointed out dinosaur bones and ancient armor.

She could still hear the echo of Beth’s laugh in the main lobby dome, where a reconstructed T-Rex towered over everything like a myth come to life. Their mom had snapped a photo. Kate couldn’t remember where that photo ended up. Maybe packed away in the boxes she hadn’t touched in years.

Now, the place felt like a tomb with mood lighting.

Her boots clicked softly as she stepped up toward the museum steps, exhaling into the cold. The city hadn’t changed. Not really. But she had.

She turned to her side addressing her still unnamed companion. "Well here we are. Her office is on the right through there." She said pointing it out as they walked in that direction, "Now do I get a name yet or should I just keep calling you That Girl in my head?" She teased.

@accidentaldccharacter

[officialkatekane]

Hey, can you come to the Elysium; I have something I want to talk about. You're the only person who I haven't tried and I can't think of anywhere else to meet. @accidentaldccharacter

Kate checked the text for the 10th time, with furrowed eyebrows as she sat at a table in the corner of the ground floor, at the Elysium.

She sent back a reply, letting them know she was there, before she dropped her phone on the table and peered out of the window.

She wondered what the reason for this sudden meeting would be. The tone of the text felt frantic and desperate.

The vines that wrapped around the window were still lush green and the beauty of the plants temporarily distracted Kate. She rubbed a leaf in between her fingers as she waited, letting the repetitive motion relax her mind.

[accidentaldccharacter]

I just sort of appear diagonally to the right of her, a few steps from a supporting beam. Obviously I walked but to anybody looking, which Kate wasn't, they'd think I teleported because a lot of people really aren't observant. You'd think Gotham would have more observant people. I don't tap her on the shoulder or anything because it's scary and the leaf rubbing looks pretty engrossing. I look at her hands too and her hair, having trouble keeping my eyes open. After a debate with myself about something or other, I force them open and walk backwards then fall forwards towards Kate's general direction, hoping to get some walking going. I also double-check my coat pocket for safety and start using my ears, which means I hear some odd high-pitched noise from nearby, which is probably one of those alarms from something or other. I hate those things. Those plants on the wall are so bright and vivid; the spore-like feeling on my skin makes me wonder what that beautiful plant lady put in them and whether it's toxic. Should I be breathing it in? My insides want me to turn away now. However, I don't, (I breathe in, a bad idea) and I certainly don't look behind me, despite the feeling in my back, I'm focused on talking to Kate. And she seems nervous. "I should stop her", I think to myself, my brain clearly knowing something I don't. I ignore it and focus my eyes again for conversation and polite staring. I take the second of break to glower at Kate's phone, hoping it explodes. I still can't believe she's real.

[officialkatekane]

Kate looked up as a figure hovered near her table. She looked nervous, and the way she was glaring at her phone made her eyebrows raise in question.

"Hello. You must be the one who texted me. Apologies, I seem to have trouble recalling your name. I'm Kate, but I assume you knew that when you texted me." She slipped into polite socialite mode almost on instinct.

"Please take a seat. How can I help?"

She was curious, undoubtedly so, but most of all she was wary. Getting texts out of nowhere from near strangers, especially ones that called for urgent help never tended to end well.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"I never told you my name." And I don't want to. Her voice sounds different, but not altogether unpleasant. I feel an oncoming malaise due to breathing earlier. "Yes, I know you're Kate Kane." I look at the wall beside her and walk left for a few seconds to get my bearings.

A bitter taste fills my mouth due to the breathing, which is only really told to the outside via my lip moving inwards a bit; I hear a faint image of the words "she's going to do something", in my head, which I ignore upon touching the chair, replaced with other random irritating words and babbling about Green Arrow forcing itself in my head when I (complicated) draw attention to the coherent sentence. I grimly take a seat, cross my legs atop each other and take the scarab out of my coat.

I lean away from the plants, expecting a half-sneeze any moment. I remember that the plants can't have pollen, unless it's evil pollen, but my body anticipates it and is reacting accordingly. "I'm- I found this thing and I need help with it. It fell from somewhere. I couldn't sell it to a magic person. It's mine, though, in case it turns out to be some Flash thing. Probably is. Most things are Flash thi-. (I perceive some distraction on Kate's face.) So, can you help me? Please?"

I wait for a few seconds, then in one movement, I grab a menu, pick up a fork and do not put it in my mouth, then I read the menu, holding the fork in my hand still. "Sorry, are we ordering? Because if we are, I might get food." My other hand is on the table, just in case.

Kate seems normal. I want to relax. Some part of me does. However, i ignore it and yawn, my brain forcing sleep into me. I still have to harden my brain, just in case she turns out to be like I expect her to be. "Also, could you please put your phone away. Not away away, just non-visible. I don't trust them." I can't tell if I'm talking fast or stilted. I hope she can understand what I'm saying. "Sorry if you can't understand me. And I'm talking too much." I want to touch her. My hand is afraid. My chest is not. My knee is apprehensive. My back is stuck in the chair. What this says about me I don't know. I hope- I tense up suddenly and touch her hand lightly, just the closest knuckle segment, near the nails. "Kate Kane, please help me." My jaw feels odd.

[officialkatekane]

She didn't offer her name, which struck Kate as strange but she decided to hear her out anyway. She chose to stay silent through most of her rambling, gesturing at her to go ahead when she wanted to order food and putting her phone away at the request.

Infact, she didn't say much at all till the very end, choosing to silently observe and analyze.

Nervous, panicking, anxious about whatever magical artifact she had run into, afraid.

There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, instead she stuck to the point, "I'm not sure how I can." She said simply.

"I don't know who you are, what this magical artifact is, and perhaps most importantly," She leaned forward, eyebrow raised and a piercing look in her eyes, "Why you're asking me for help?"

She titled her head slightly, "I don't see how billionaire, socialite Kate Kane is your first choice for help with a 'magic thing', as you put it. Im not sure how to help you."

Did she know? A part of her whispered, and if she did, then how much of a threat was she?

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Well, I don't know any other billionaires. Surprised I know you. From Tumblr. Tried everything else."

"You weren't my first choice for this. Sadly. Don't think I could get an Arkham day pass so I went with this." And I'm not sure who's even there to talk to about this. Sigh.

[officialkatekane]

She hummed, tilting her head, still unconvinced. "And what problem of yours do you expect money to solve? Since, I assume that you require a billionaire for that purpose?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kate wondered internally what could be so strange as to require an Arkham day pass for answers? This was getting interesting.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Oh, no I don't need money. I need museum connections. Something like that. It looks old and I can't carbon date it or anything, so..." Doesn't carbon dating require breaking the object or something? I know you need to cut the trees open... "I thought, seeing as effectively all the history buffs in Gotham are in Arkham..." I laugh to myself, hesitantly. "It's not like I can just message Hawkgirl on Tumblr." My back tenses at the thought unbidden.

[officialkatekane]

Huh. That's a new one.

Kate blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well, I suppose I can get you the numbers for the head archeologist in the Gotham Natural History Museum and she can help you out or connect you to anyone you might need."

She let out a soft snort, "Best not to consult any experts in Arkham, I have a feeling that's not going to end well for you."

Kate couldn't help but feel a little curious about this mysterious object. Might be something worth looking into. After all, when were strange old artifacts appearing in Gotham ever a good sign?

"So, mind if I tag along with you on your...ah, quest? I'm a little curious to see where this goes. It'll be like an adventure." She smiled broadly, playing up the bored billionaire looking for fun.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Yeah, go ahead. Let's quest. You're... paying if we need to eat or relieve human needs, though." I look at her. She looks off. Is she human? She doesn't look it. But subtly, I don't think I want to know that fully. "I could handle myself against- not Calendar Man... Psyc-" I stop talking. I dread to think of what a billionaire could do with someone who knows of what Psycho Pirate remembers fragments. "Yeah, Dr Psycho." My voice gives the impression of a smirk but not my face.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll get to meet Batwoman!" Some deeper part of me shudders at the thought. The bit I'm not paying attention to jokes that they're probably exes. It doesn't work. I listen.

[officialkatekane]

Kate felt her lips twitch up into a smirk- at least someone seemed excited. "Of course. What use is my obscene amount of wealth if not to finance a quest?" She joked smoothly.

"I'm sure you could." She laughed, eyes dancing with quiet amusement. "The residents of Arkhma quake in fear of you."

She had to work hard to suppress a snort at her last sentence. Oh, they would meet Batwoman, undoubtedly.

"Alright then." She picked up her phone, "I'll send you the number and you can make an appointment. Let me know the date and we'll meet at the museum."

[accidentaldccharacter]

As well they should.

"I was hoping we could just do it now. I don't really have any other plans today." "Also, you know, all good quests have zero foresight by the main questers." "And if we rush, we can get to the museum at the sweet spot time for the gift shop."

I stand up with a little difficulty and tuck my chair in, if possible.

[officialkatekane]

Kate considered the offer, technically she was supposed to be at a meeting soon- but honestly she had been looking for an excuse to not go anyway.

She nodded, "Alright then, now it is." With a quick apology text to her investors she rose up from her seat.

This was turning out to be an interesting day so far.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"We are going to use the bus. If it's derailed, I am not responsible. Please do not put that on me." I prepare for the usual irritating gripes about a bus from a moderately wealthy person. After hearing Kate respond, I walk out first.

[officialkatekane]

Her bike was parked right behind the building, but she seemed determined to take the bus so Kate just smiled and nodded politely, hiding her amusement in her eyes and in the twitch of her lips.

"Alright, then." Was all she said, following closely behind.

Intresting day indeed.

[officialkatekane]

Kate and Bruce - circa 19XX

Remember this @officialbruciewayne ? We were cuter as kids I think.

[[ ooc: art credit to @impossiblepeacehideout thank youu for letting me post this]]

[officialkatekane]

Happy Siblings Day! @officialbruciewayne

[officialkatekane]

Hey, can you come to the Elysium; I have something I want to talk about. You're the only person who I haven't tried and I can't think of anywhere else to meet. @accidentaldccharacter

Kate checked the text for the 10th time, with furrowed eyebrows as she sat at a table in the corner of the ground floor, at the Elysium.

She sent back a reply, letting them know she was there, before she dropped her phone on the table and peered out of the window.

She wondered what the reason for this sudden meeting would be. The tone of the text felt frantic and desperate.

The vines that wrapped around the window were still lush green and the beauty of the plants temporarily distracted Kate. She rubbed a leaf in between her fingers as she waited, letting the repetitive motion relax her mind.

[accidentaldccharacter]

I just sort of appear diagonally to the right of her, a few steps from a supporting beam. Obviously I walked but to anybody looking, which Kate wasn't, they'd think I teleported because a lot of people really aren't observant. You'd think Gotham would have more observant people. I don't tap her on the shoulder or anything because it's scary and the leaf rubbing looks pretty engrossing. I look at her hands too and her hair, having trouble keeping my eyes open. After a debate with myself about something or other, I force them open and walk backwards then fall forwards towards Kate's general direction, hoping to get some walking going. I also double-check my coat pocket for safety and start using my ears, which means I hear some odd high-pitched noise from nearby, which is probably one of those alarms from something or other. I hate those things. Those plants on the wall are so bright and vivid; the spore-like feeling on my skin makes me wonder what that beautiful plant lady put in them and whether it's toxic. Should I be breathing it in? My insides want me to turn away now. However, I don't, (I breathe in, a bad idea) and I certainly don't look behind me, despite the feeling in my back, I'm focused on talking to Kate. And she seems nervous. "I should stop her", I think to myself, my brain clearly knowing something I don't. I ignore it and focus my eyes again for conversation and polite staring. I take the second of break to glower at Kate's phone, hoping it explodes. I still can't believe she's real.

[officialkatekane]

Kate looked up as a figure hovered near her table. She looked nervous, and the way she was glaring at her phone made her eyebrows raise in question.

"Hello. You must be the one who texted me. Apologies, I seem to have trouble recalling your name. I'm Kate, but I assume you knew that when you texted me." She slipped into polite socialite mode almost on instinct.

"Please take a seat. How can I help?"

She was curious, undoubtedly so, but most of all she was wary. Getting texts out of nowhere from near strangers, especially ones that called for urgent help never tended to end well.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"I never told you my name." And I don't want to. Her voice sounds different, but not altogether unpleasant. I feel an oncoming malaise due to breathing earlier. "Yes, I know you're Kate Kane." I look at the wall beside her and walk left for a few seconds to get my bearings.

A bitter taste fills my mouth due to the breathing, which is only really told to the outside via my lip moving inwards a bit; I hear a faint image of the words "she's going to do something", in my head, which I ignore upon touching the chair, replaced with other random irritating words and babbling about Green Arrow forcing itself in my head when I (complicated) draw attention to the coherent sentence. I grimly take a seat, cross my legs atop each other and take the scarab out of my coat.

I lean away from the plants, expecting a half-sneeze any moment. I remember that the plants can't have pollen, unless it's evil pollen, but my body anticipates it and is reacting accordingly. "I'm- I found this thing and I need help with it. It fell from somewhere. I couldn't sell it to a magic person. It's mine, though, in case it turns out to be some Flash thing. Probably is. Most things are Flash thi-. (I perceive some distraction on Kate's face.) So, can you help me? Please?"

I wait for a few seconds, then in one movement, I grab a menu, pick up a fork and do not put it in my mouth, then I read the menu, holding the fork in my hand still. "Sorry, are we ordering? Because if we are, I might get food." My other hand is on the table, just in case.

Kate seems normal. I want to relax. Some part of me does. However, i ignore it and yawn, my brain forcing sleep into me. I still have to harden my brain, just in case she turns out to be like I expect her to be. "Also, could you please put your phone away. Not away away, just non-visible. I don't trust them." I can't tell if I'm talking fast or stilted. I hope she can understand what I'm saying. "Sorry if you can't understand me. And I'm talking too much." I want to touch her. My hand is afraid. My chest is not. My knee is apprehensive. My back is stuck in the chair. What this says about me I don't know. I hope- I tense up suddenly and touch her hand lightly, just the closest knuckle segment, near the nails. "Kate Kane, please help me." My jaw feels odd.

[officialkatekane]

She didn't offer her name, which struck Kate as strange but she decided to hear her out anyway. She chose to stay silent through most of her rambling, gesturing at her to go ahead when she wanted to order food and putting her phone away at the request.

Infact, she didn't say much at all till the very end, choosing to silently observe and analyze.

Nervous, panicking, anxious about whatever magical artifact she had run into, afraid.

There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, instead she stuck to the point, "I'm not sure how I can." She said simply.

"I don't know who you are, what this magical artifact is, and perhaps most importantly," She leaned forward, eyebrow raised and a piercing look in her eyes, "Why you're asking me for help?"

She titled her head slightly, "I don't see how billionaire, socialite Kate Kane is your first choice for help with a 'magic thing', as you put it. Im not sure how to help you."

Did she know? A part of her whispered, and if she did, then how much of a threat was she?

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Well, I don't know any other billionaires. Surprised I know you. From Tumblr. Tried everything else."

"You weren't my first choice for this. Sadly. Don't think I could get an Arkham day pass so I went with this." And I'm not sure who's even there to talk to about this. Sigh.

[officialkatekane]

She hummed, tilting her head, still unconvinced. "And what problem of yours do you expect money to solve? Since, I assume that you require a billionaire for that purpose?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kate wondered internally what could be so strange as to require an Arkham day pass for answers? This was getting interesting.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Oh, no I don't need money. I need museum connections. Something like that. It looks old and I can't carbon date it or anything, so..." Doesn't carbon dating require breaking the object or something? I know you need to cut the trees open... "I thought, seeing as effectively all the history buffs in Gotham are in Arkham..." I laugh to myself, hesitantly. "It's not like I can just message Hawkgirl on Tumblr." My back tenses at the thought unbidden.

[officialkatekane]

Huh. That's a new one.

Kate blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well, I suppose I can get you the numbers for the head archeologist in the Gotham Natural History Museum and she can help you out or connect you to anyone you might need."

She let out a soft snort, "Best not to consult any experts in Arkham, I have a feeling that's not going to end well for you."

Kate couldn't help but feel a little curious about this mysterious object. Might be something worth looking into. After all, when were strange old artifacts appearing in Gotham ever a good sign?

"So, mind if I tag along with you on your...ah, quest? I'm a little curious to see where this goes. It'll be like an adventure." She smiled broadly, playing up the bored billionaire looking for fun.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Yeah, go ahead. Let's quest. You're... paying if we need to eat or relieve human needs, though." I look at her. She looks off. Is she human? She doesn't look it. But subtly, I don't think I want to know that fully. "I could handle myself against- not Calendar Man... Psyc-" I stop talking. I dread to think of what a billionaire could do with someone who knows of what Psycho Pirate remembers fragments. "Yeah, Dr Psycho." My voice gives the impression of a smirk but not my face.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll get to meet Batwoman!" Some deeper part of me shudders at the thought. The bit I'm not paying attention to jokes that they're probably exes. It doesn't work. I listen.

[officialkatekane]

Kate felt her lips twitch up into a smirk- at least someone seemed excited. "Of course. What use is my obscene amount of wealth if not to finance a quest?" She joked smoothly.

"I'm sure you could." She laughed, eyes dancing with quiet amusement. "The residents of Arkhma quake in fear of you."

She had to work hard to suppress a snort at her last sentence. Oh, they would meet Batwoman, undoubtedly.

"Alright then." She picked up her phone, "I'll send you the number and you can make an appointment. Let me know the date and we'll meet at the museum."

[accidentaldccharacter]

As well they should.

"I was hoping we could just do it now. I don't really have any other plans today." "Also, you know, all good quests have zero foresight by the main questers." "And if we rush, we can get to the museum at the sweet spot time for the gift shop."

I stand up with a little difficulty and tuck my chair in, if possible.

[officialkatekane]

Kate considered the offer, technically she was supposed to be at a meeting soon- but honestly she had been looking for an excuse to not go anyway.

She nodded, "Alright then, now it is." With a quick apology text to her investors she rose up from her seat.

This was turning out to be an interesting day so far.

[officialkatekane]

Hey, can you come to the Elysium; I have something I want to talk about. You're the only person who I haven't tried and I can't think of anywhere else to meet. @accidentaldccharacter

Kate checked the text for the 10th time, with furrowed eyebrows as she sat at a table in the corner of the ground floor, at the Elysium.

She sent back a reply, letting them know she was there, before she dropped her phone on the table and peered out of the window.

She wondered what the reason for this sudden meeting would be. The tone of the text felt frantic and desperate.

The vines that wrapped around the window were still lush green and the beauty of the plants temporarily distracted Kate. She rubbed a leaf in between her fingers as she waited, letting the repetitive motion relax her mind.

[accidentaldccharacter]

I just sort of appear diagonally to the right of her, a few steps from a supporting beam. Obviously I walked but to anybody looking, which Kate wasn't, they'd think I teleported because a lot of people really aren't observant. You'd think Gotham would have more observant people. I don't tap her on the shoulder or anything because it's scary and the leaf rubbing looks pretty engrossing. I look at her hands too and her hair, having trouble keeping my eyes open. After a debate with myself about something or other, I force them open and walk backwards then fall forwards towards Kate's general direction, hoping to get some walking going. I also double-check my coat pocket for safety and start using my ears, which means I hear some odd high-pitched noise from nearby, which is probably one of those alarms from something or other. I hate those things. Those plants on the wall are so bright and vivid; the spore-like feeling on my skin makes me wonder what that beautiful plant lady put in them and whether it's toxic. Should I be breathing it in? My insides want me to turn away now. However, I don't, (I breathe in, a bad idea) and I certainly don't look behind me, despite the feeling in my back, I'm focused on talking to Kate. And she seems nervous. "I should stop her", I think to myself, my brain clearly knowing something I don't. I ignore it and focus my eyes again for conversation and polite staring. I take the second of break to glower at Kate's phone, hoping it explodes. I still can't believe she's real.

[officialkatekane]

Kate looked up as a figure hovered near her table. She looked nervous, and the way she was glaring at her phone made her eyebrows raise in question.

"Hello. You must be the one who texted me. Apologies, I seem to have trouble recalling your name. I'm Kate, but I assume you knew that when you texted me." She slipped into polite socialite mode almost on instinct.

"Please take a seat. How can I help?"

She was curious, undoubtedly so, but most of all she was wary. Getting texts out of nowhere from near strangers, especially ones that called for urgent help never tended to end well.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"I never told you my name." And I don't want to. Her voice sounds different, but not altogether unpleasant. I feel an oncoming malaise due to breathing earlier. "Yes, I know you're Kate Kane." I look at the wall beside her and walk left for a few seconds to get my bearings.

A bitter taste fills my mouth due to the breathing, which is only really told to the outside via my lip moving inwards a bit; I hear a faint image of the words "she's going to do something", in my head, which I ignore upon touching the chair, replaced with other random irritating words and babbling about Green Arrow forcing itself in my head when I (complicated) draw attention to the coherent sentence. I grimly take a seat, cross my legs atop each other and take the scarab out of my coat.

I lean away from the plants, expecting a half-sneeze any moment. I remember that the plants can't have pollen, unless it's evil pollen, but my body anticipates it and is reacting accordingly. "I'm- I found this thing and I need help with it. It fell from somewhere. I couldn't sell it to a magic person. It's mine, though, in case it turns out to be some Flash thing. Probably is. Most things are Flash thi-. (I perceive some distraction on Kate's face.) So, can you help me? Please?"

I wait for a few seconds, then in one movement, I grab a menu, pick up a fork and do not put it in my mouth, then I read the menu, holding the fork in my hand still. "Sorry, are we ordering? Because if we are, I might get food." My other hand is on the table, just in case.

Kate seems normal. I want to relax. Some part of me does. However, i ignore it and yawn, my brain forcing sleep into me. I still have to harden my brain, just in case she turns out to be like I expect her to be. "Also, could you please put your phone away. Not away away, just non-visible. I don't trust them." I can't tell if I'm talking fast or stilted. I hope she can understand what I'm saying. "Sorry if you can't understand me. And I'm talking too much." I want to touch her. My hand is afraid. My chest is not. My knee is apprehensive. My back is stuck in the chair. What this says about me I don't know. I hope- I tense up suddenly and touch her hand lightly, just the closest knuckle segment, near the nails. "Kate Kane, please help me." My jaw feels odd.

[officialkatekane]

She didn't offer her name, which struck Kate as strange but she decided to hear her out anyway. She chose to stay silent through most of her rambling, gesturing at her to go ahead when she wanted to order food and putting her phone away at the request.

Infact, she didn't say much at all till the very end, choosing to silently observe and analyze.

Nervous, panicking, anxious about whatever magical artifact she had run into, afraid.

There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, instead she stuck to the point, "I'm not sure how I can." She said simply.

"I don't know who you are, what this magical artifact is, and perhaps most importantly," She leaned forward, eyebrow raised and a piercing look in her eyes, "Why you're asking me for help?"

She titled her head slightly, "I don't see how billionaire, socialite Kate Kane is your first choice for help with a 'magic thing', as you put it. Im not sure how to help you."

Did she know? A part of her whispered, and if she did, then how much of a threat was she?

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Well, I don't know any other billionaires. Surprised I know you. From Tumblr. Tried everything else."

"You weren't my first choice for this. Sadly. Don't think I could get an Arkham day pass so I went with this." And I'm not sure who's even there to talk to about this. Sigh.

[officialkatekane]

She hummed, tilting her head, still unconvinced. "And what problem of yours do you expect money to solve? Since, I assume that you require a billionaire for that purpose?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kate wondered internally what could be so strange as to require an Arkham day pass for answers? This was getting interesting.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Oh, no I don't need money. I need museum connections. Something like that. It looks old and I can't carbon date it or anything, so..." Doesn't carbon dating require breaking the object or something? I know you need to cut the trees open... "I thought, seeing as effectively all the history buffs in Gotham are in Arkham..." I laugh to myself, hesitantly. "It's not like I can just message Hawkgirl on Tumblr." My back tenses at the thought unbidden.

[officialkatekane]

Huh. That's a new one.

Kate blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well, I suppose I can get you the numbers for the head archeologist in the Gotham Natural History Museum and she can help you out or connect you to anyone you might need."

She let out a soft snort, "Best not to consult any experts in Arkham, I have a feeling that's not going to end well for you."

Kate couldn't help but feel a little curious about this mysterious object. Might be something worth looking into. After all, when were strange old artifacts appearing in Gotham ever a good sign?

"So, mind if I tag along with you on your...ah, quest? I'm a little curious to see where this goes. It'll be like an adventure." She smiled broadly, playing up the bored billionaire looking for fun.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Yeah, go ahead. Let's quest. You're... paying if we need to eat or relieve human needs, though." I look at her. She looks off. Is she human? She doesn't look it. But subtly, I don't think I want to know that fully. "I could handle myself against- not Calendar Man... Psyc-" I stop talking. I dread to think of what a billionaire could do with someone who knows of what Psycho Pirate remembers fragments. "Yeah, Dr Psycho." My voice gives the impression of a smirk but not my face.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll get to meet Batwoman!" Some deeper part of me shudders at the thought. The bit I'm not paying attention to jokes that they're probably exes. It doesn't work. I listen.

[officialkatekane]

Kate felt her lips twitch up into a smirk- at least someone seemed excited. "Of course. What use is my obscene amount of wealth if not to finance a quest?" She joked smoothly.

"I'm sure you could." She laughed, eyes dancing with quiet amusement. "The residents of Arkhma quake in fear of you."

She had to work hard to suppress a snort at her last sentence. Oh, they would meet Batwoman, undoubtedly.

"Alright then." She picked up her phone, "I'll send you the number and you can make an appointment. Let me know the date and we'll meet at the museum."

[gothamcitycentral]

Cousins!

[terriwriting]

Kate, Pre-Batwoman, looking at her idiot himbo cousin: “This makes no sense. He’s rich, good looking, loves to party, treats women with respect... Why can’t he hold on to a girlfriend?”

Kate, Post-Batwoman, brooding on a ledge as the Gotham rain washes away her tears under her mask, mcr playing in the background: “I understand now. I understand everything.”

[incorrectbatfam]

[officialkatekane]

Did you have an awesome costume for Purim last week?

Ah I'm glad you asked! I was particularly proud of the costume I whipped up. I went as Queen Esther, of course. It's a classic choice, but what can I say, I'm a classy woman.

[officialbruciewayne]

Kate's bike screeched to a stop, her tires smoking as she got off and rushed towards B, she had broken several laws for him so he better not have done anything stupid-

"I'm here! I'm here- please tell me I'm in time to stop you from your stupidity-"

@officialkatekane

It spoke to how stupid Bruce felt that he immediately tossed both his phones to Kate, one after the other. "I swear- K- chain me to the radiator, or something," a ragged groan. "Or we can take the lambo to town."

Bruce dragged his hand down his face. "I can safely say I did not text Selina-" he gestured at the two phones. "But I definitely texted some other people."

[officialkatekane]

Kate caught the phones and swiftly tucked them into her pockets with a sigh, dammit she was late. "The amount of effort it would take me to chain you and keep you chained would be far more than just taking the lambo and drinking our sorrows away like the sad white men from pop songs. Plus you make for a terrible hostage."

She sat beside him, awkwardly patting his shoulder, "There there- your awesome cousin is here to fix things now. Tell me who you texted and what- really hope it's nothing too inappropriate but don't worry I have protocols for those too."

[officialbruciewayne]

"That's true." Even Bruce's best batcuffs were ones he could escape in under three minutes; the trouble was designing something without knowing how to subvert the design. "And the lambo and Elysium seem more fun-" although breaking restraints was a fun exercise.

A smirk. "I am the worst hostage. I'm so high maintenance and my children never pay the ransom," a teasing elbow jostle, more disguised as a chance to drop his head onto her shoulder with a light thunk.

Not putting his complete weight on her, of course. But... Kate could bear some of it.

"Harv, Khoa, Talia..." Bruce ticked off his textees aloud, wavering between final disclosures, before saying even more exhaustively. "I texted Clark too. He's not even an ex, K."

A pause. "Nothing... too inappropriate..."

[officialkatekane]

Kate nodded, "The bars already done and there won't be anyone else around, should be fun. I will be seeing you on 5th for the opening, that wasn't a question just making sure you remember it and i don't have to drag your ass there."

She snorted, "Uh huh half the time they just cut the call. One said 'you should keep him actually, thanks'" She teased, chuckling at the memory.

She adjusted her shoulder, letting more of his weight drop onto her, it wasn't too heavy- more comforting then anything else.

Kate grimaced at the list, patting him again with her free hand, "Damn-" She shot a quick look at the end, "...uh huh I'm not sure I wanna know what 'not too inappropriate' means here. Anyway- there's a lot you can do now- I'm assuming deleting isn't an option. So either a 'oops that wasn't meant for you' which well the chances of that working are- uh low, mainly because its you. Or a 'sorry I wasn't in my right mind' which will lead to a lot of questions."

She sighed, "Or you could pull one out of my book and avoid them? I call it the bury you head in the sand method- works great but will permanently effect your relationship."

Kate looked at him with barely hidden concern, "...Let's get the lambo- we're too sober for this."

[officialbruciewayne]

"So I'm not getting a private showing tonight?" Bruce joked, but hummed and gave a small smile. "I haven't forgotten, K. I'll be there. In my best," and now there was that light glint to his eyes, "you must be very excited."

Bruce made a rumbling chuckle, "I recall. I'm very lucky that the Robins and Batwoman showed up to save me. I just don't know what I would have done. Abandoned by my own children."

He shot her a look back, eyes narrowing, "and I was sober. This is why nobody should have feelings. Quit them. Cold turkey. I'm going feelings free." Still, he resettled his head a little, eyes closing restfully. "I call them by name. I think I'll need to ghost to get out of it. Or be taken hostage by a rogue. Think we could arrange that- you and Ivy seemed to be hitting it off..."

"Lambo," Bruce agreed, straightening so he could fish out the car fob. "I'll drive."

[officialkatekane]

Kate smirked tilting her head, "Well you can roam all you want- I'm still working on the lower floors with Ivy so I really would suggest not going around tripping on random vines."

"I am VERY excited" She said, her grin brighter and unlike the usual confident or vicious grin- it was more akin to the look of pure joy from when she was younger and wanted to show him any 'cool' pebbles she'd found on the manor grounds.

She nodded, smiling, "Very lucky indeed."

Kate sighed, internally she knew that was unhealthy but a part of her was in agreement, "Yeah emotions are- too much. Amen to that I suppose"

She groaned, "No no no- I think Ivy might actually be on the path to redemption- I'm so not ruining her reputation for your schemes. I can have Owlman kidnap you? He'll do anything to 'spend time and bond' with you really- plus he hates me so I'll annoy him into it."

Kate got up and rolled her shoulders, "Alright let's hit the road, we'll continue this conversation slightly less sober."

[officialbruciewayne]

"So we are headed there," Bruce confirmed, eyebrow raised, then hummed. "I wouldn't want to provoke your botanist," a handwave, "I'll mind my footing. Or just stay in the upper floorspace."

It was a bright spot to see Kate so lit up. Confident, yes, but enthused. A passion project could be renewing in all meanings of the word. "Hope you'll be ready by your opening night," he teased.

"Ehumen," Bruce repeated back to Kate in complete agreement, sounding extremely exhausted by his own emotions. "I'll be lucky if Talia doesn't slap me," he said wryly, before quietly remarking, "but I trust her. And I miss that feeling."

"Do you find it strange that I trust her, even after everything that happened with Damian?" Bruce timed his question so that they were getting into his car, conscious of keeping this discussion from his son's earshot. "You trusted Ivy that night."

Then snorted as he let the engine warm, "if you want; personally, I'm more secretive when I'm sloshed."

[officialkatekane]

"I will be." Kate nodded confidently, smiling at him.

"Heh if she does then I'll make sure it's captured on camera- it'll be a cherished memory or something" She chuckled.

Kate hummed instead of answering as they got into the car, as soon as they were inside the car and out of earshot she turned to him and slapped the back of his head with a deadpan expression on her face. "Everytime you say or do stupid shit tonight, I will be hitting you in hopes it brings you back to your senses."

She sighed, "I'm not even sure what to say B. You're-" She inhaled, "Just drive. I will say this now and as many times as it's needed to get through to you- Do not get back with any of your exes or I swear." She shook her head, "What have you even been texting them to make you go like this- you know what" She pulled the phone and unlocked it with some difficulty, going through his last few texts her face fell into utter disbelief, "..." She reached towards him, hitting him once again.

"Bruce- B- darling cousin of mine- what the fuck." She said with a pained expression.

Kate switched off the phone, head in her hands as she practiced some breathing exercises, resisting the urge to chuck the phone out of the car. "I've done a lot of stupid things B, you don't even wanna know why Renee blocked me- but holy shit."

Kate was glad they were almost at the bar, honestly she could not imagine dealing with this mess sober anymore.

[officialbruciewayne]

"Well so long as you send it to all the kids..." Bruce murmured, and shot Kate a side look as her hand connected with the back of his head. He looked just as deadpan. "I don't think head trauma is an effective way of making me do less stupid things." Then raised an eyebrow, "if it was, I think by now I'd be the smartest man in Gotham."

He sighed, losing his token amusement as he started the drive away from the manor. Bruce didn't cringe as Kate opened his phone, but there was a moment of hesitation, and an awkward throat clear.

"...I don't suppose I got any replies?" Bruce asked, because really what was there to say about all of that.

He grunted faintly, "I wasn't planning to get back with any of my exes. It was- a request for temporary company to people I trust."

[officialkatekane]

"Maybe if I give you enough head trauma it'll fix the rest of the stupidly- you never know" Kate snarked back, her expression deadpan yet leaking exasperation.

She pursed her lips giving him a look, tucking the phone back in, "No replies and we will not be looking at the phone till you're out of this" She waved her hand over at him, "whatever this is."

She sighed, something she felt she was doing way too often, "That is not the kind of company you need right now B. That's the kind of company that will make you think 'i can't believe I did this' and 'I really need to stop making stupid decisions in the spur of the moment'. This is like the 'Romeo killing himself immediately without taking the time to do anything sensible like cry' of bad decisions. Don't be like me."

"And if you need company of people you trust, then you call me or the kids, you do not go around texting your exes a glorified 'you up?',do you understand me Bruce Thomas?" She pulled out her disappointed voice at the end, feeling like she sounded exactly like her mother.

Kate climbed out of the car, waving at B to follow her to the back entrance.

[officialbruciewayne]

"Okay, but it's on you if all it does is worsen my mental faculties," Bruce replied with a shrug in one shoulder. Deadpan, a little snarky, teasing in contrast to the genuinely wary look he followed it up with. Tracked where she put his phones, and filed the information away in the part of his brain that tracked such things.

"Hn." Whatever this is. Bruce suspected it was uncommonly akin to a request for help, but didn't voice the point immediately. Instead weathering Kate's assessment that this was the worst idea he could have. He'd agreed with it too, and invited Kate over to keep an eye on him so he wasn't stupid.

Just- now that she had the phones, he wanted them back. He wanted to confirm for himself he had no replies. Wanted to-

He asked quietly: "is getting drunk that much better of a plan than rebound sex?"

Bruce half-turned in his seat, reversing the car into the space. One hand braced on the back of the shotgun seat as he craned his neck, not looking at Kate as he admitted, "I'll grant my exes are complicated people. But I am too. And they know me."

The engine hummed and idled into quiet, warming down slowly from the drive as Bruce unclipped his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. Finally, he met her eyes, over the top of the car, looking- feeling bereft, and said outright, "I don't know why I feel so lonely right now but I do. It doesn't make sense, I'm surrounded by family, but it's the truth."

And since that had been honest, too honest by half, Bruce moved to head in the direction of the back entrance.

[officialkatekane]

Kate sighed, stopping near the entryway, turning around to spring a hug on B, she didn't know what to say- and maybe she didn't want him to see her face- how much she could relate- how she was being a hypocrite with every word she said even when she'd said the same things to herself.

"I know you B and I know your exes- it's not going to be a one-night-stand, it won't be just rebound sex- not with any of them." She grimaced, "Just- just give it tonight. Let's drink, watch some movies, critique shitty TV and just- have fun, forget about everything else, and if you still feel like- this- tomorrow, well then you're an adult, you can handle yourself- mostly." She broke off from the hug, finally looking at him, "Hm? How about it?"

With only a slightly strained smile, she opened the door, "Come in, grab those two chairs will you, I don't think we've set up the chairs upstairs yet."

Kate climbed the stairs, two at a time, rushing behind the bar where she stuffed the phones in a hidden drawer, she had the feeling B might go after them. She swiftly turned around with two bottles in her hands as Bruce entered with the chairs, "Vodka? Wine? I've got pretty much everything-"

She smirked, "Actually- let me make you the Kate Kane Special." She grinned grabbing two glasses, "It's raspberry vodka, sprite, a few drops of lemon cordial and a green chilli if you feel upto it." She handed him the drink with a smile, "Try to not think about all the other stuff tonight yeah?"

[officialbruciewayne]

The hug didn't surprise him exactly; he tensed momentarily before seeping into the hug. A stiff sort of melting like a glaciar giving up on itself. Quietly, he patted Kate's shoulder, grateful for things both said and perhaps more for what she didn't outright say.

"You're right," he said, wry but admitting it. "As usual. My exes don't do casual. I don't. Not with them-" an interesting dilemma; to want both someone he trusted but not the full weight and consequence of that trust.

"You're right. You can say you told me so," Bruce nodded into Kate's shoulder against her grimace. "Drinks. Food. Maybe we can watch Antique Roadshow," a habit he'd picked up from Alfie, "take shots for how close our guesses are," a chuckle as they broke apart, "and for every easily concealable bit of silver that was absolutely given as a gift from some old Duchy."

Grabbing two chairs easily, Bruce headed up after Kate more sedately, taking his time to look around and note exits. As well as Kate disappearing his phones somewhere back of house.

"Give me the Kate Kane special, chilli included," a grin at memories of building his spice tolerance in his travels. Cheap beer cut the fire but water spread it. Adjusting his grip on the chairs, he took the drink with a smile that was more Bat than Brucie. Reckless and a little thrilling. "Ta, K."

[officialkatekane]

Kate had smirked at the 'as usual' inspite of herself. She laughed at the Antique Roadshow suggestion, "You know what? Yeah, let's watch it. Gods we're going to get so smashed."

She chuckled as she made her drink, tossing Bruce the TV remote and then handing him the drink. She felt a wide grin overtake her face, she was enjoying herself more than she'd anticipated. She was as competitive as Bruce was and the night was bound to get interesting.

Ah how she'd missed drinking games and getting shitfaced. The memories of her youth flooded her mind and she smirked, "You know, I bet I hold my liquor better. More experience." She clinked her glass against his, switching on the show, "Alright, let's get this party started shall we?"

[officialbruciewayne]

"Absolutely. Let's get soused," Bruce agreed, and caught the remote with the same graceful ease he handled batarangs with. An easy, comfortable catch and swivel in the palm of his hand, before turning the set directly before them on. He swapped the remote for the glass, letting Kate put the show on.

Cheering his glass against Kate's, Bruce lifted it towards the screen, where a rather fetching painting was being examined. "Fake. Guarantee it." A scornful pull of his drink, before he amended, "frame looks real though."

[officialkatekane]

Kate smiled as she settled in next to him. Taking a sip from her glass, she hummed in consideration. She was no connoisseur of the arts but the painting looked rather bleak to be the original. "It does look fake." She admitted, grinning.

She pointed at the 'antique' cupboard that was in next, "See, no way that's older than the 40s. Look at those screws, they didn't even have those in the 1880s." She snorted, shaking her head as the people ooh-ed and ah-ed over it. Ridiculous.

"I've gotta say, I did not expect this to be as fun as this is." She said smiling at the screen, "We could make a game out of this. See how many we get right, one who gets it wrong takes a shot?" She suggested, a competitive smirk pulling at her lips.

[officialbruciewayne]

Bruce nodded, pointing to the upper right corner, "and there, the orange. I don't think that particular pigment was available due to turmeric shortages at the time." A piece of trivia that had been crucial to deciphering a cold case from Belgium, but otherwise hadn't been very useful to Bruce personally. He was almost pleased to be using it now, rather than just having it rattle in his head.

He hummed. "You're right. Good eye," Bruce chuckled, pleased when the evaluator informed the owner of just that. "Well at least it's a fake from the 1930s."

Smiling like a hoarder who had finally justified his collection of vintage crotchet hooks, Bruce was about to take a deserved sip when Kate proposed a game. He arched an eyebrow, a smirk curling in the corner of his mouth. "Sounds fun. Though we're both even right now."

[officialkatekane]

Kate let out a soft "huh" at the unexpected bit of trivia. It was classic Bruce—his mind a trove of obscure knowledge, much of it gathered from the strangest cases. The fact that one of those tidbits had come in handy again? That was a rarity. She chuckled, mirroring his amusement, and pumped her fist in victory as their educated guesses were confirmed.

Grinning, she leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming with mischief. "For now, sure. But not for long," She promised, tapping a thoughtful finger against her chin as if already scheming. Then, as the next exhibit was unveiled on the screen—a striking bronze sculpture with an oddly pristine patina—she tilted her head.

"Speaking of which," She mused, eyes narrowing slightly, "that oxidation looks a little too even, doesn’t it? Either it’s been touched up, or someone’s been playing fast and loose with the aging process." She smirked, glancing at Bruce. "What do you think? Another fake, or am I just getting paranoid?"

[officialkatekane]

Hey, can you come to the Elysium; I have something I want to talk about. You're the only person who I haven't tried and I can't think of anywhere else to meet. @accidentaldccharacter

Kate checked the text for the 10th time, with furrowed eyebrows as she sat at a table in the corner of the ground floor, at the Elysium.

She sent back a reply, letting them know she was there, before she dropped her phone on the table and peered out of the window.

She wondered what the reason for this sudden meeting would be. The tone of the text felt frantic and desperate.

The vines that wrapped around the window were still lush green and the beauty of the plants temporarily distracted Kate. She rubbed a leaf in between her fingers as she waited, letting the repetitive motion relax her mind.

[accidentaldccharacter]

I just sort of appear diagonally to the right of her, a few steps from a supporting beam. Obviously I walked but to anybody looking, which Kate wasn't, they'd think I teleported because a lot of people really aren't observant. You'd think Gotham would have more observant people. I don't tap her on the shoulder or anything because it's scary and the leaf rubbing looks pretty engrossing. I look at her hands too and her hair, having trouble keeping my eyes open. After a debate with myself about something or other, I force them open and walk backwards then fall forwards towards Kate's general direction, hoping to get some walking going. I also double-check my coat pocket for safety and start using my ears, which means I hear some odd high-pitched noise from nearby, which is probably one of those alarms from something or other. I hate those things. Those plants on the wall are so bright and vivid; the spore-like feeling on my skin makes me wonder what that beautiful plant lady put in them and whether it's toxic. Should I be breathing it in? My insides want me to turn away now. However, I don't, (I breathe in, a bad idea) and I certainly don't look behind me, despite the feeling in my back, I'm focused on talking to Kate. And she seems nervous. "I should stop her", I think to myself, my brain clearly knowing something I don't. I ignore it and focus my eyes again for conversation and polite staring. I take the second of break to glower at Kate's phone, hoping it explodes. I still can't believe she's real.

[officialkatekane]

Kate looked up as a figure hovered near her table. She looked nervous, and the way she was glaring at her phone made her eyebrows raise in question.

"Hello. You must be the one who texted me. Apologies, I seem to have trouble recalling your name. I'm Kate, but I assume you knew that when you texted me." She slipped into polite socialite mode almost on instinct.

"Please take a seat. How can I help?"

She was curious, undoubtedly so, but most of all she was wary. Getting texts out of nowhere from near strangers, especially ones that called for urgent help never tended to end well.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"I never told you my name." And I don't want to. Her voice sounds different, but not altogether unpleasant. I feel an oncoming malaise due to breathing earlier. "Yes, I know you're Kate Kane." I look at the wall beside her and walk left for a few seconds to get my bearings.

A bitter taste fills my mouth due to the breathing, which is only really told to the outside via my lip moving inwards a bit; I hear a faint image of the words "she's going to do something", in my head, which I ignore upon touching the chair, replaced with other random irritating words and babbling about Green Arrow forcing itself in my head when I (complicated) draw attention to the coherent sentence. I grimly take a seat, cross my legs atop each other and take the scarab out of my coat.

I lean away from the plants, expecting a half-sneeze any moment. I remember that the plants can't have pollen, unless it's evil pollen, but my body anticipates it and is reacting accordingly. "I'm- I found this thing and I need help with it. It fell from somewhere. I couldn't sell it to a magic person. It's mine, though, in case it turns out to be some Flash thing. Probably is. Most things are Flash thi-. (I perceive some distraction on Kate's face.) So, can you help me? Please?"

I wait for a few seconds, then in one movement, I grab a menu, pick up a fork and do not put it in my mouth, then I read the menu, holding the fork in my hand still. "Sorry, are we ordering? Because if we are, I might get food." My other hand is on the table, just in case.

Kate seems normal. I want to relax. Some part of me does. However, i ignore it and yawn, my brain forcing sleep into me. I still have to harden my brain, just in case she turns out to be like I expect her to be. "Also, could you please put your phone away. Not away away, just non-visible. I don't trust them." I can't tell if I'm talking fast or stilted. I hope she can understand what I'm saying. "Sorry if you can't understand me. And I'm talking too much." I want to touch her. My hand is afraid. My chest is not. My knee is apprehensive. My back is stuck in the chair. What this says about me I don't know. I hope- I tense up suddenly and touch her hand lightly, just the closest knuckle segment, near the nails. "Kate Kane, please help me." My jaw feels odd.

[officialkatekane]

She didn't offer her name, which struck Kate as strange but she decided to hear her out anyway. She chose to stay silent through most of her rambling, gesturing at her to go ahead when she wanted to order food and putting her phone away at the request.

Infact, she didn't say much at all till the very end, choosing to silently observe and analyze.

Nervous, panicking, anxious about whatever magical artifact she had run into, afraid.

There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, instead she stuck to the point, "I'm not sure how I can." She said simply.

"I don't know who you are, what this magical artifact is, and perhaps most importantly," She leaned forward, eyebrow raised and a piercing look in her eyes, "Why you're asking me for help?"

She titled her head slightly, "I don't see how billionaire, socialite Kate Kane is your first choice for help with a 'magic thing', as you put it. Im not sure how to help you."

Did she know? A part of her whispered, and if she did, then how much of a threat was she?

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Well, I don't know any other billionaires. Surprised I know you. From Tumblr. Tried everything else."

"You weren't my first choice for this. Sadly. Don't think I could get an Arkham day pass so I went with this." And I'm not sure who's even there to talk to about this. Sigh.

[officialkatekane]

She hummed, tilting her head, still unconvinced. "And what problem of yours do you expect money to solve? Since, I assume that you require a billionaire for that purpose?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kate wondered internally what could be so strange as to require an Arkham day pass for answers? This was getting interesting.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Oh, no I don't need money. I need museum connections. Something like that. It looks old and I can't carbon date it or anything, so..." Doesn't carbon dating require breaking the object or something? I know you need to cut the trees open... "I thought, seeing as effectively all the history buffs in Gotham are in Arkham..." I laugh to myself, hesitantly. "It's not like I can just message Hawkgirl on Tumblr." My back tenses at the thought unbidden.

[officialkatekane]

Huh. That's a new one.

Kate blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well, I suppose I can get you the numbers for the head archeologist in the Gotham Natural History Museum and she can help you out or connect you to anyone you might need."

She let out a soft snort, "Best not to consult any experts in Arkham, I have a feeling that's not going to end well for you."

Kate couldn't help but feel a little curious about this mysterious object. Might be something worth looking into. After all, when were strange old artifacts appearing in Gotham ever a good sign?

"So, mind if I tag along with you on your...ah, quest? I'm a little curious to see where this goes. It'll be like an adventure." She smiled broadly, playing up the bored billionaire looking for fun.

[officialkatekane]

Hey, can you come to the Elysium; I have something I want to talk about. You're the only person who I haven't tried and I can't think of anywhere else to meet. @accidentaldccharacter

Kate checked the text for the 10th time, with furrowed eyebrows as she sat at a table in the corner of the ground floor, at the Elysium.

She sent back a reply, letting them know she was there, before she dropped her phone on the table and peered out of the window.

She wondered what the reason for this sudden meeting would be. The tone of the text felt frantic and desperate.

The vines that wrapped around the window were still lush green and the beauty of the plants temporarily distracted Kate. She rubbed a leaf in between her fingers as she waited, letting the repetitive motion relax her mind.

[accidentaldccharacter]

I just sort of appear diagonally to the right of her, a few steps from a supporting beam. Obviously I walked but to anybody looking, which Kate wasn't, they'd think I teleported because a lot of people really aren't observant. You'd think Gotham would have more observant people. I don't tap her on the shoulder or anything because it's scary and the leaf rubbing looks pretty engrossing. I look at her hands too and her hair, having trouble keeping my eyes open. After a debate with myself about something or other, I force them open and walk backwards then fall forwards towards Kate's general direction, hoping to get some walking going. I also double-check my coat pocket for safety and start using my ears, which means I hear some odd high-pitched noise from nearby, which is probably one of those alarms from something or other. I hate those things. Those plants on the wall are so bright and vivid; the spore-like feeling on my skin makes me wonder what that beautiful plant lady put in them and whether it's toxic. Should I be breathing it in? My insides want me to turn away now. However, I don't, (I breathe in, a bad idea) and I certainly don't look behind me, despite the feeling in my back, I'm focused on talking to Kate. And she seems nervous. "I should stop her", I think to myself, my brain clearly knowing something I don't. I ignore it and focus my eyes again for conversation and polite staring. I take the second of break to glower at Kate's phone, hoping it explodes. I still can't believe she's real.

[officialkatekane]

Kate looked up as a figure hovered near her table. She looked nervous, and the way she was glaring at her phone made her eyebrows raise in question.

"Hello. You must be the one who texted me. Apologies, I seem to have trouble recalling your name. I'm Kate, but I assume you knew that when you texted me." She slipped into polite socialite mode almost on instinct.

"Please take a seat. How can I help?"

She was curious, undoubtedly so, but most of all she was wary. Getting texts out of nowhere from near strangers, especially ones that called for urgent help never tended to end well.

[accidentaldccharacter]

"I never told you my name." And I don't want to. Her voice sounds different, but not altogether unpleasant. I feel an oncoming malaise due to breathing earlier. "Yes, I know you're Kate Kane." I look at the wall beside her and walk left for a few seconds to get my bearings.

A bitter taste fills my mouth due to the breathing, which is only really told to the outside via my lip moving inwards a bit; I hear a faint image of the words "she's going to do something", in my head, which I ignore upon touching the chair, replaced with other random irritating words and babbling about Green Arrow forcing itself in my head when I (complicated) draw attention to the coherent sentence. I grimly take a seat, cross my legs atop each other and take the scarab out of my coat.

I lean away from the plants, expecting a half-sneeze any moment. I remember that the plants can't have pollen, unless it's evil pollen, but my body anticipates it and is reacting accordingly. "I'm- I found this thing and I need help with it. It fell from somewhere. I couldn't sell it to a magic person. It's mine, though, in case it turns out to be some Flash thing. Probably is. Most things are Flash thi-. (I perceive some distraction on Kate's face.) So, can you help me? Please?"

I wait for a few seconds, then in one movement, I grab a menu, pick up a fork and do not put it in my mouth, then I read the menu, holding the fork in my hand still. "Sorry, are we ordering? Because if we are, I might get food." My other hand is on the table, just in case.

Kate seems normal. I want to relax. Some part of me does. However, i ignore it and yawn, my brain forcing sleep into me. I still have to harden my brain, just in case she turns out to be like I expect her to be. "Also, could you please put your phone away. Not away away, just non-visible. I don't trust them." I can't tell if I'm talking fast or stilted. I hope she can understand what I'm saying. "Sorry if you can't understand me. And I'm talking too much." I want to touch her. My hand is afraid. My chest is not. My knee is apprehensive. My back is stuck in the chair. What this says about me I don't know. I hope- I tense up suddenly and touch her hand lightly, just the closest knuckle segment, near the nails. "Kate Kane, please help me." My jaw feels odd.

[officialkatekane]

She didn't offer her name, which struck Kate as strange but she decided to hear her out anyway. She chose to stay silent through most of her rambling, gesturing at her to go ahead when she wanted to order food and putting her phone away at the request.

Infact, she didn't say much at all till the very end, choosing to silently observe and analyze.

Nervous, panicking, anxious about whatever magical artifact she had run into, afraid.

There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, instead she stuck to the point, "I'm not sure how I can." She said simply.

"I don't know who you are, what this magical artifact is, and perhaps most importantly," She leaned forward, eyebrow raised and a piercing look in her eyes, "Why you're asking me for help?"

She titled her head slightly, "I don't see how billionaire, socialite Kate Kane is your first choice for help with a 'magic thing', as you put it. Im not sure how to help you."

Did she know? A part of her whispered, and if she did, then how much of a threat was she?

[accidentaldccharacter]

"Well, I don't know any other billionaires. Surprised I know you. From Tumblr. Tried everything else."

"You weren't my first choice for this. Sadly. Don't think I could get an Arkham day pass so I went with this." And I'm not sure who's even there to talk to about this. Sigh.

[officialkatekane]

She hummed, tilting her head, still unconvinced. "And what problem of yours do you expect money to solve? Since, I assume that you require a billionaire for that purpose?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kate wondered internally what could be so strange as to require an Arkham day pass for answers? This was getting interesting.