Ephemeralencounters - Blog Posts

ꪆ ⋆⁺₊ Eyebrows shot up at the mention of the new Italian restaurant. It had been all the new rage in Gotham since its opening, pictures of it splashed across the lifestyle pages of the newspapers with Gotham's highest elite in attendance. Selina didn't doubt for a minute that if Zatanna was bringing it up, then she knew a way to get in. After all, the words "justice league" held a lot of weight. It wasn't a world that she was interested in, but being friends with a member had its perks.

"La Salita?" she asked, though it was entirely rhetorical. "Well shit, Zee. You sure know how to show a girl a good time." Getting up from the arm chair, Selina made her way towards the balcony. It was the best exit when she was dressed in her cat suit. "I'll pick you up at eight?" she said as she turned her back to the balcony, shooting her friend a grin. It had been far too long since she'd done anything just for the fun of it. No covert operation or ulterior motive. Just her, her best friend, and some expensive wine.

"Sounds like a plan. It's always a fun time to remind the men of Gotham that we're out of their league."

There was a smile plastered on the magician's face as she was already thinking up what she'd wear tomorrow night. It was warm out right now so there was no need to worry about trying to keep warm. Of course, if they were going to stop at a nice restaurant for dinner, they'd need to make sure they met the dress code for there.

"Wanna hit that new Italian restaurant that opened last month? The one that's at the top that tower and slowly turns so you can see the city from every angle?" Apparently, that restaurant already had a waitlist that was months long. Zatanna knew a few people though. Being a famous magician and an on again, off again member of the Justice League had its perks.

ꪆ ⋆⁺₊ The promise to turn a blind eye earned Zatanna a wink from her friend. Selina was well aware of their differing politics on certain topics, but she also trusted her friend more than anyone else she knew. It was the mention of a "girls night out" that brought forth a sigh of yearning. "Tell me about it, Zee. Between your heroics, your magic shows, and my... extracurriculars, there's hardly been any time."

While it was no secret that those extracurriculars involved a good heist from time to time, Selina had also found herself busy with trying to figure out the enigma of the Batman. Not his true identity, perse, but she wanted to know what made the crusader tick.

"Tomorrow night, what do you say? We both get all dolled up, show the lesser sex of Gotham what they're missing and paint the town red?"

With how often Selina stopped over at her place, Zatanna should probably just put her name on the arm chair. The burglar sat in that exact one every single time she visited. It was like a cat settling into its favorite spot, a visual that she had to stop herself from laughing about. The cat motif matched her friend exceptionally. Was Selina cat-like from the get-go or had she started acting that way after taking on the name Catwoman?

"Since you saved my stage career from turning into a magic show on the corner of some street corner, I'll pretend to have no idea that you took all that jewelry." It wasn't the first time that Zatanna had turned a blind eye to Selina's criminal acts. She'd always been the type to believe in getting justice by any means necessary, even if it meant bending the rules at times.

"You just let me know when you have time for a girls night. It'll be the two of us in a fancy restaurant as a thanks for dealing with that jackass. Plus, it's been a while since we actually went out."

ꪆ ⋆⁺₊ When the brunette turned to reveal her expression to Selina, the latter could see just how distraught she was. There was disappointment in those big brown eyes, but even deeper, Selina could see heartbreak. Whatever happened really got to Zatanna and the Catwoman felt a surge of protectiveness directed against the group of "goody two-shoes".

Yet when the magician described what sort of villain it was that she went up against, Selina's blood ran cold. Violence against women was a sore spot for her and that protective feeling turned into anger. In that moment, she didn't even care what her friend did with her powers. Whatever it was, it had to be justified and the group of self-proclaimed heroes would be blind not to see it.

"Fuck them," Selina said. She lowered her head to level her gaze with Zatanna's, determination and reassurance etched into her features. "Fuck them," she said again, her voice low but steady. Then she offered a soft smile. "I'm proud of you, Zee. In fact, I think this calls for a celebratory shopping spree." Her smile grew into a mischievous smirk.

"Apparently, I overstepped the line as a hero. I made a decision on something with the hopes of keeping people safe. Next thing I know, some of the others are arguing that what I did could be considered on the same level of the actions of a villain."

A soft sight left her lips and she relaxed slightly when Selina squeezed her hands. She was still upset over the whole situation but the comfort was appreciated. The magician turned her head to face the cat burglar, a frown on her face.

"I don't regret my actions. That villain was a different type of evil; the type that every woman fears when walking the streets. It just... It was the first time that I saw my so-called friends scared of my powers."

Zatanna knew that she could just go back to being an average stage magician. She'd adored the job before getting brought onto the Justice League. She'd just wished that she'd left the Justice League on better terms; there was no turning back now.

"Guess that means I can always help you out if you need it," she joked, trying to lighten her own mood.

ꪆ ⋆⁺₊ Finding Zatanna alone on the rooftop wasn't a surprise to Selina. What took her aback was the state that she found her friend in. It looked as though the whole world weighed on the magician's shoulders and it pained her heart to witness it. She only hoped that the situation could be remedied as easily as beating some punk to kingdom come.

Hearing the words 'justice league' dashed any of Selina's hope of helping. She sighed and moved to sit next to Zatanna, her legs dangling off the edge of the building as she leaned back on her palms. "You know I've never been their biggest fan. A bunch of goody two-shoes, if you ask me," she said with a smirk. Then she pulled off her knit cap in a show of sympathy. "But I thought you loved being one of them. What happened, Zee?"

Noticing the way her friend anxiously picked at her nail polish, Selina covered her hands with one of her own, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Those losers were lucky to have you, baby."

Response to @felin3fatal3 -> "what life choices brought you here?"

"Well, it's a little hard to stay an average stage magician when people from the Justice League start asking for help. I assume that's not what you're asking about though."

Still dressed up in her regular stage show attire, the woman had taken to the rooftops of Gotham to escape the world for a while. She should've known that it would only be a matter of time before someone found her here. Heroes and villains alike were constantly gallivanting from building to building as if they were crossing the street. Zatanna would've had a better chance of having some alone time if she'd hidden under one of the many bridges throughout the city.

The magician was sure that she looked like a mess. Windswept hair, nail polish that had been absentmindedly picked off had turned into a small pile in her lap. She wasn't even attempting to stop Catwoman from whatever scheme had her running around the city at this late hour.

"Let's just say that the Justice League and I are going our separate ways. It's probably for the best."

ꪆ ⋆⁺₊ Zatanna's answer elicited a smirk from Selina's lips before she even finished talking. Pulling off her woolen cowl, the cat burglar slunk gracefully to one of the chairs in Zatanna's living room. She sunk down on it, ankles draped over the arm rest in a completely casual pose. There was no reason for her not to feel at home. The magician was an old friend of hers. They'd both worked a fancy, high end private party at the Iceberg Lounge one night (Selina never understood adults who hire magicians, but with Zatanna's curves and flowing locks, she could see how the male persuasion were swayed). They hit it off and had been friends since.

It was Zatanna's last comment that made Selina snort in amusement. "That loser? Definitely a Star City type," she agreed. "I may have had my eye on him since he first rolled into Gotham, but it wasn't until I heard what he had planned for you, honey, that I pulled the trigger. So to speak." Then she lifted a gloved hand to look at the giant rock that glittered on her finger. "Besides, he might have shit for brains when it comes to social cues, but he sure as hell has good taste in jewelry." She smiled, admiring the diamond, not bothered about whatever arm candy it was originally meant for.

As though coming out of a beautiful day dream, Selina's eyes focused on her friend across the room and she finally lowered her hand. "You won't have to worry about that blowhard anymore. I promise you that, sweetheart."

Response to @felin3fatal3 -> "The least I could do was rob him."

"You did that for me? Sounds like I owe you dinner."

Zatanna couldn't help but grin at the idea of Selina robbing the rich businessman that had tried to run her out of town. The businessman thought it would be a good idea to set up an entertainment area in the city - like a tourist attraction. Animal tamers, fire dancers, magicians. The whole shindig. In Gotham, the best way to attract attention was to chase out the competition that'd staked their claim on the clientele years ago.

The fact that Zatanna couldn't just use her magic to deal with the businessman had been frustrating. However, with Selina robbing the man of every cent he had, that meant the businessman would never even have a chance to try and be her competition for the stage.

"Unless you already planned to rob the guy from the get-go? Guess he was a great target, especially since the man has been flashing cash since he stepped into the city. It was obvious that businessman wasn't from around here."