Summary:Cessily goes wandering a bit afield in the Disaster Zone… Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Near the Disaster Zone there's a particular spot of land that not many people go near. Which is weird, really, because it's actually looking… verdant. Lush. Full of life, especially for the rest of it. But there's a lot of government signs warning people not to come in, do not trespass, etc etc etc. Trees soar to the sky here, and vines entwine the ruins of the buildings that have not been covered by a thin sheen of green.
Those coming nearby can also hear the faint strains of music. Classical, it sounds like, possibly Tchaikovsky?
Walking. Cessily didn't wander out of the mansion too much, but she'd taken a trip into the city to take a trip through NYCU after graduating from Xavier's to see if she might want to go to college there. A couple people had actually been nice - but, there had been others.
And now Cessily was walking. She'd been walking, thoughtful, for longer than she really was aware, walking past the 'do not enter' sign, walking past the disaster area, and towards the greenery where the music plays.
Dressed in her obcuring bright red hoodie with three 'white stripes' drawn across the front and her hood pulled all the way up, Cessily Kincaid has no idea just whose den she's wandering into, poor girl.
Inadvisably, and entirely counter to the government guidelines laid out in front of her in bold lettering, Batwoman is edging her way into the New Eden paradise just outside the Disaster Zone that Poison Ivy has been creating. She's already sprayed herself with special bat formula insect repellant to keep off the swarms of mosquitoes and more… exotic fauna… which tend to congregate around Ivy's experiments. For the most part, however, the black wraith splashed in crimson that is Batwoman is on a different mission. She'd like to talk to Poison Ivy about something…
But firs. What is that girl doing here? Shaking her head, Batwoman stalks after Cessily, silent unti calls out in that cold, haunting voice that all but defines her in the minds of criminals. "This is a restricted area. You could get hurt. Turn back. Now." She has to hide her concern. It's easier to get people to comply if they're frightened, after all.
A sultry voice echoes from a tree nearby, "What's this… a bat, in my belfry?" The branches rustle, and the tree actually lowers a branch, revealing Poison Ivy, her green skin contrasting nicely with her black and green bodysuit, her red hair hanging loose and free about her as she has a bit of a crooked grin.
One brow arches at Batwoman, "Now now, the government put those signs up because I do love my privacy, but in this case… well, I'm wondering why a girl of metal and a woman associating with flying rodents would deign to visit the likes of me." She tilts her head, a sly grin creasing her lips as she doesn't necessarily need pheremones. Besides, that's cheating.
Huh? Cessily looks up, blinking, and turning to Kate. It's only then that Kate can see that metallic face, darkened by the obfuscation of the hoodie, but nevertheless, her skin - even her eyes, are pure silver. Not even irises in the girls features. "What?" She asks. But before she can even come to her senses, where she is, someone else is talking to her, and the -way- that the other female voice words it sounds at least a little ominous, in Cessliy's ears.
She stammers, "Oh. Oh, crap. I'm so sorry. I was just - I didn't mean," she says, putting up her gloved hands defensively as if in apology. "I should go."
"You should before you get… Hurt." Cessily turns toward Batwoman and the cowled hero stalks forward, slowly. Red, spiked gauntlets. A black cowl and crimson hair. Blue eyes just visible past her mask. She pauses for a second. "…Why did you come here?" It's hard to make out any expressions on Batwoman's features, but she purses her lips at least.
And Ivy is speaking as well. She whirls abruptly, her cape flaring behind her in a manner that is far less intimidating when it involves being all but caught in brambles and undergrowth as a result. "Poison Ivy. We haven't formally had the pleasure. Look…" A pause. "I had some questions I wanted to ask you about a- florist." She rocks her weight slightly from left to right. "The girl has nothing to do with it. She's probably lost."
Poison Ivy actually laughs at that, "Oh, am I that frightening, truly? Maybe next time I should play Mozart instead, so you wouldn't think I was the floral equivalent of Smaug in the Desolation." She glances over towards Cessily, "I promise, you're not in any danger, at least from me."
Then she looks over at Batwoman, and mmms, "A pity we haven't yet, honestly." Her eyes flicker over Batwoman, then she continues, "What about this florist, specifically? Now you've piqued my curiosity…" With that, she walks along deeper into the grove, beckoning to you both with a crooked finger.
"Oh, I doubt anything here could hurt me," Cessily assures Batwoman, "I just don't like invading on people's privacy. Or, … being a reason people fight." Still, she's never met a Bat-person before. She tilts her head at Kate, and then pulls the hoodie down to reveal her own shock of red hair, far more briliant against her silver skin than what it would ordinarly be.
"It -is- pretty here," she seems to realize, her observation and opinion earnest. Then, she ventures a little more boldly, "I'm Cessily. Hi."
"Batwoman," Kate offers neutrally. Naturally, she isn't going to share a real name. Still, she is spending a long moment studying Cessily from head to toe. That expression is inscrutable but some movements- the way she cants her head, or how her frame slowly relaxes, are unmistakable. Batwoman takes a deep, slow breath.
"The florist in question is-" Those blue eyes shift back to Cessily for a second, and Batwoman purses her blood red lips for a second before continuing to speak. "-Using some sort of rare floral blend to brew a new class of street drugs. It shares hallucinogenic and barbituate features, but we haven't been able to identify the chemical composition. I have a sample." A flask is produced from the utility belt on the bat's waist. She pauses here for a second.
"Cessily. I guess I can't complain about your presence here… Under the circumstances." That might be the closest to friendly acknowledgment Bats can manage. THey have a quota, after all.
Poison Ivy grins at Batwoman, and just says, "Yes, you certainly are." She then laughs softly, then mmms at her, "Certainly, I can take a look at it, and thank you Cessily." She pauses, then looks at the silvery girl, "You can call me Pam." A wink, and then she leads the way into a central part of the grotto.
The grotto itself is secluded from outside eyes, vines parting and then reforming to make a private area for conversing, or just relaxing. A few convenient stumps and chairs are spread about the place, as Ivy gestures, "Please, Cessily, make yourself at home, you have nothing to fear from me." She grins a little, not necessarily including Batwoman in that agreement as she extends a hand, "Do you need my analytical skills as Poison Ivy, or Doctor Pamela Isley, dear?"
Cessily's own inquisitiveness gets the better of her - perhaps she'd be less bold if she weren't made of metal and the bugs, pheremones they're talking about, and even plants didn't stand really any chance of actually hurting her. "Thank you, Pam," she says to Ivy then, equally as warm and friendly.
Her hands stuff themselves into her hoodie's front pockets and she looks between the two older women. "Why would someone do that? That's so uncool." It seems obvious enough. And Cessily is - well, she's more used to fighting other types of criminals. THe sorts that want to destroy mutants. Or, weird powered people trying to use those powers for nefarious, and usually selfish or self-righteous purposes. Street crimes? A bit beyond her.
"…Both, probably." Kate offers the vial over to Ivy slowly. As she does, she turns her head slightly so that she can watch Cessily's movements. She shifts her weight very slightly, still oriented so that she can react to violence on a split second's notice. She actually takes a half step forward when Cessily does. Like she's shielding her reflexively.
"They'd do that to turn a profit. ANd because it's even effective on metas and mutates. I don't have any clue as to who is behind it, other than that moniker. The Florist. They might be trying to move in on your old turf, Dr. Isley." Batwoman rises onto the balls of her feet and then lowers again, flexing her leg muscles. Staying this still seems to be hard for her, despite everything.
"If we have meta addicts on the streets of New York it could be a real problem down the road. But for now… It's more like particularly strong cocaine." A half step shifts Batwoman closer to Cessily again. Just a hair. Like she could actually protect a girl made of metal from an attack. Perhaps it is the thought that counts. "Thank you."
Batwoman doesn't try to take a seat. She apparently caught the distinction.
Pamela glances back towards Batwoman, "I swear if you don't relax I might start emitting some pheremones just to make you calm down. Please, unless Cessily there starts cutting into my plants she's not going to be in any danger. Nor are you." She makes a bit of a face, taking the vial and looking at it curiously.
Then she hmms slightly, and actually pops open the vial, dabbing a bit on her finger. She doesn't seem fazed at all, but then again, plant toxins aren't exactly harmful to her in the slightest. "There. It'll take me a little while to break it down, but I think… hmmm, very intricate. I might need to take this back to my lab. But whoever did this is rather skilled, I can say that right now."
Cessily seems a bit confused, "Why would I cut into your plants? They're pretty." She frowns, thoughtfully, admitting, "You learn to appreciate things - how pretty they really are, when one day you look in the mirror and watch your face turn from a cheerleader skin into something out of an Isaac Asimov story." Her mouth twists, bitter for a moment but then it's gone.
"I'll tell my friends to watch out for it. And, we'll get word to the Morlocks too. They'll need to know." Do either Pam or Batwoman know who - or what - the Morlocks are?
"That would help. I don't have any inroads there," Batwoman replies seriously. "But if this drug is targeting mutants then they will need to know too." Batwoman gives a brief nod for Cessily's benefit and then takes a step forward. She doesn't actually relax, of course. That would be too simple.
"Anything you can do to help, Cessily." That rich, soft voice might have warmed a degree or two, teasing the ear by being just low and quiet enough to force one to really listen. She teks another step or two forward and comes to face a bush-like growth of brilliant blossoms that appeared all ato nce just moments before.
"I'll come back if I find anything else," Batwoman notes for the benefit of both other women. But for whatever reason she's… Staring. At the flowers.
Poison Ivy smiles, "Ah, yes, those are a personal favorite. Don't worry, Batwoman, they won't hurt you. Honest." She then looks over at Cessily, walking over and taking a seat by her as she tsks, "Well, frankly I think you're quite a lovely young woman. Anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly delusional and not worth your time."
Then she tilts her head, "Morlocks… those are the ones that live underground? Occasionally they scavenge food from the regrowth areas I've been making, I think. Which is fine, truthfully, because someone should be using it." She then turns back to watch Batwoman watch the flowers, a bit fascinated by the show.
"They're - mutants, who aren't able to live safely among people, because of how they look. Most have pretty severe mutations, like myself. Most are good people, but, they're angry, and I can't say I blame them. Some friends of mine have connections," she assures Batwoman and Pam, conversationally without giving them away. "I'll be sure they find out. It'd be bad, from what you're saying, if that got around to mutants. Especially if it got into Mutant Town." A grimace.
"I'm glad I came here. Even if it was completely by accident. I was just - thinking," she explains. She doesn't go into detail, but her silver lips smile at Ivy. "Thanks," she says, earnestly.
"I'm sure the flowers won't hurt anyone unless you want them to," Batwoman rwill reply conversationally to Poison Ivy's assurances. SHe reaches out a finger toward the blooms but stops just shy of actually touching one. The flowers seem to be of a similar red to Kate's own hair, as it happens. She nods once.
"I don't think I've seen them quite the right shade before," the masked vigilante finally admits before turning back toward the others present. "Thank you." She pauses for a second before adding, "I should probably go back now. New York is getting restless without me."
"Me too." She lifts her hand out of her pocket to finger-waggle in a friendly wave to Pam, and nods to Batwoman, "I'll tell everyone. Promise. I hope you catch the jerks doing this and put them in jail, or, wherever it is people like that need to be sent." She seems optimistic, at least, for the other women's chances of doing this. "It was really nice meeting you, but everyone will worry if I'm much later than what I probably already am. Thank you!"
Pamela hmms and rises to her feet, crossing over towards Batwoman, "Here." She grins a little, then gently plucks off a blossom that the caped vigilante was admiring, then offers it to her. "This, you can keep. I insist." Her eyes meet Batwoman's, and she adds, "Come back tomorrow, and I should have some answers for you."
Then she glances over towards Cessily, "You are welcome to stay as long as you need, of course. Though I wouldn't mind meeting these Morlocks, if they do need some measure of assistance." She doesn't think much of humans, but she does have a soft spot for outcasts.