(Untitled)

[35_minutes_ago]

There are definitely parts of the city to be avoided as the afternoon winds down, and evening approaches.  Not everywhere in Gotham is the Narrows, however.  This is a nice little park in one of the richer neighborhoods.  It's not very crowded on account of it being a colder Monday evening, and a bit out of the way

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[ducttape_hero]

It's been a long Monday, for Peter. His after-school activities don't usually take him this far afield, well outside the Narrows. Far enough outside, actually, that he's not sure of the precise direction home. That's what he gets for not paying attention while stalking a carjacker he couldn't stop, trying to follow them to roost. He lost them when they abandoned the car. Joy-riders then, not chop-shoppers. Not as bad. In this neighborhood, the police will even find the car before the scavengers do. They might even return it to the original owner.

He could find his way home afoot, and probably without too much trouble, either, but the light's just begun to shade golden, evening coming on, and he'd never make it home by dark. And he promised Aunt May. The park, with its ornamental bushes and sheltered nooks, looks like the perfect place to hide for just a moment to change.

Until he almost runs into the only other person here. And their- "... Geez, what is that?" asks the boy in the duct-tape mask.

[35_minutes_ago]

In theory, it's a good idea to be in a place without many people because the chance of something like this happening is slim. Of course, then it goes and happens, anyway. Instead of a startled person further off, now there's a startled person and a startled cat. The cat's reaction and the man's reaction aren't quite equally fast, but that was definitely a quick shift in grip to allow the animal much less of her lead. Fortunately, the lynx's initial reaction is to jerk back.

"Easy girl," Adrian says, quietly, to the cat, and keeps his gaze on the masked teen. The most likely scenario in his mind, right now, is that a mugger didn't expect the exotic animal and is caught off guard. That's what you get for wearing duct tape on your face, Peter. His expression is calm and somewhat stern. That's his answer, until the boy says or does more.

[ducttape_hero]

It takes Peter a moment, staring at the cat, to realize that he's still wearing the mask, and that's probably why there's no answer. His eyes flash up to her handler's face, and he takes a few good steps back, holding up his hands. "Man, sorry. I'm not gonna pull a knife or anything. I'm just... that's really not something you expect to see in a park, in Gotham, right? A bobcat, yeah?"

[35_minutes_ago]

The staring means the lynx is staring right back, and tries to move forward, again checked by the lead before she goes anywhere. "Easy," Adrian says, again, and puts his hand on the cat's head. Her ears swivel forward, more curious than wary. "You startled her, but she's used to people, and I've got her. She's a Siberian lynx. What are you doing?"

[ducttape_hero]

"Sorry, I didn't mean to jump out right in front of you like that. I'm just..." Man, how do you explain the mask? "Uh, on my way to a costume party. I'd take it off, but duct tape's a real pain to get out of my hair."

[35_minutes_ago]

A costume party on a Monday night, in April. Sure. Adrian keeps his hold on the lead as the lynx relaxes into wide-eyed curiosity. She is still fairly young, and eager to investigate, but isn't getting any slack. Smaller kittens get more leeway, unfortunately. Life is hard.

He smiles. "That's all right. I put myself in a strange situation. I can expect the consequences." SO maybe that's actually a smirk. It's a pretty benign smirk, if it is. Not really smug. Amused. Curious.

[ducttape_hero]

Yeah! Costume parties are not a sometimes food, after all.

"Yeah... Can I, please, pet her? She's gorgeous."

[scratch9]

Oh, look, two of Selina's favorite things (in one of her favorite places, no less.) Billionaires and big cats. It's the cat that catches her attention first, naturally. Even from a distance she's entranced, cooing low in her throat to no one in particular.

"Hey, pretty."

Seeing as how she's come from a long day of apartment-hunting-- having an alternate address is never a bad thing in her line of work-- it doesn't register at first precisely who it is walking the big beautiful beast. Or the kid with the duct-tape mask.

At first.

When the penny actually drops, she tenses up, edging in closer. Thief she may be, but senseless violence has always been distasteful to her. And amateur muggings often go bad.

[35_minutes_ago]

Sure, there are a lot of reasons to wear a silly mask. In the evening. In Gotham. He won't press the issue.

"That's up to her." Just because he trusts himself to have the cat around doesn't mean that he expects a cat to not be a cat. He's hesitant, but Bubastis is curious and not acting edgy, now. "You could let her sniff your hand." He holds his fist closed to demonstrate. Please do not offer your fingers like so many wiggling sausages. Thank you. "She's dreadful. If she decides she likes you, she'll demand all of your attention and make you late to your party."

He doesn't notice that they're being watched, or, at least, he doesn't turn his attention to the woman further away. He's keeping tabs on the person closer to the cat. His posture is not the sort you'd expect from someone afraid of being mugged, or of being seen in an odd situation, which is apparently the far greater danger.

[ducttape_hero]

And Peter looks less like a mugger when he crouches to offer his fist to the big cat, the way he'd offer the back of his hand to a strange dog. "I didn't know you could keep lynxes."

[scratch9]

Well, that is much more reassuring, isn't it? And if she happens to be strolling a wee bit closer, hey, she was going this way anyway. She walks like she owns the whole damn park. It's almost a sort of sashay.

Inside, she is very definitely not going KITTY.

[35_minutes_ago]

He becomes warier when Peter crouches. Well-behaved as she is, it would be terrible if she got playful and took a swipe at the mask. He kneels, as well, then, to keep track of her. She's being good, though, and sniffs at Peter's hand, cautiously, very much unlike a dog. After a moment, her head drops a bit and she bumps her forehead against his hand.

"There are regulations and permits, and they're not house pets. She decided she likes me, and I already warned you about how that goes."

[ducttape_hero]

Cautiously, wonderingly, he strokes her head.

"What's her name? Ah- I'm sorry, I bet you get all this a lot..." Sheepish he may be, he's still petting a lynx.

[scratch9]

And this would be about the point that Selina strolls up. Cautiously, because let's not frighten the billionaire. Or the kid in the mask. Or the kitty.

"Hurh." It's a catlike noise in and of itself.

[35_minutes_ago]

The lynx will allow this and -purr-. Look, you made the giant kitty purr!

"This is Bubastis." The lynx's ears flick at that, and she looks up... or just leans up her head to try to get her chin scratched, giving her handler squinty, happy cat eyes. "It's her job to meet people, so she will get this all the time. In a more formal setting. Hello."

[ducttape_hero]

Aunt May has cats, so this , at least, is body language that Peter knows. He smiles behind the mask, scratching under her chin instead. But when the new woman comes up, he draws away, taking a few steps away.

"Thanks, a lot. It was great meeting you, Mister, uh... and Bubastis. I've got to go, but thank you."