14495/A Particular Expertise

A Particular Expertise
Date of Scene:	25 March 2023
Location:	Atlantis Press
Synopsis:	Kate recruits mystical help
Cast of Characters:	Kate Kane, Jennifer Kale

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Kate Kane has posed:
Kate doesn't stand out /entirely/ as she browses the bookshelf she's picked for a meeting spot, the books an extensive selection of tomes on Witches and the history thereof. Not that Kate's really focusing on the books. She's mostly trying to be a contradiction of unobtrusive and easily recognized. Going for a meetup in full on cape and cowl mode seemed like overkill. A bad idea.

And while Kate's all about bad ideas usually, she's not about massive amounts of public attention. And so she's thrown on her typical dressed down outfit, fitted jeans, ribbed white tanktop, and a comfortable leather jacket with short boots. Casual, a little badass, and totally ignorable on her bike, even if the bike itself is expensive enough to draw eyes. But it's parked a few blocks away in an alley, so she's not worried about that. Her fingers lift to her collar, touching a small silk fake rose. IS it ridiculous spycraft to have an instantly noticeable signal for whoever she's meeting? Totally. But sometimes it's fun to play Jane Bond.

She draws a slow, deep breath and exhales it as a sigh. This is far more awkward than meeting up with a known ally. They get used to the 'Meet me on this rooftop' thing.

But it's important for Kate to get out and socialize. Even if it's on 'business' of a sort. It's not pressing business, no one escaped that warehouse fire. But that big monster kept healing back up /before/ the grenade and the roof collapsing. And she's sure he won't be the only thing she ever runs into that heals up quickly. Magic seems like a good way to deal with that, and she doesn't have any magician friends right now.

Time to fix that. Unless whoever she's waiting for doesn't show up.

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale got the word through usual channels, which meant a friend of a friend of an acquaintance who knew a witch with a bound demon who used to know Jen. She was scheduled to work tonight, which complicated things more than a little bit. But that's what magic was for, right?

Midnight is a little early for Jen to leave the dance club, but she tags out of the rotation and changes with minutes to spare. She knows the bookstore well, which certainly helps, and it's only across town.

There's a flash of soft, pink light from behind a row of shelves as she teleports in, then slowly steps out into the store. She's looking for someone wearing a rose... dammit, knew she forgot something. Jen is wearing low rise, close-fitting jeans tucked into black knee boots. A pink crop-top shows all of her toned abs, with a leather jacket worn loosely over it. Her blonde hair is damp and her skin is still flushed. She smells like cheap perfume and baby powder, and a small duffel is slung over one shoulder.

Jen spots Kate across the bookstore, and with a subtle sparkle of pink energy a matching rose appears in the button hole of her jacket.

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate's not exactly vibrating with tension, but she's been wracking her mind for a good twenty minutes about how she's going to recognize a... witch, sorceress, magician, whatever... she figures they don't all wear fishnets and top hats. Her teeth are worrying her lower lip when there's a brief flash of pink light and the book Kate's making a very visible show of considering is slid directly back into its spot on the shelf.

Because what are the odds that someone's making a light show and /not/ being her intended appointment in the middle of the night at the Occult book store?

Her eyebrows perk as she walks towards that shelf, only for Jennifer to come walking out and... Kate almost stumbles for one step. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. But it definitely wasn't a stylih, leggy blonde looking like she just stepped in out of a spring rainshower.

One eyebrow perks, as... she'd swear that rose wasn't there a moment ago. But her lips quirk in a little grin. Magic. Right.

she taps her own little lapel flower, eyebrows perking high, head gently tilting to one side, towards a portion of the store's rows of bookshelves that are abandoned. Not that Kate figures her mysterious friend would be ashamed to be seen with her.

But having someone overhear her questions about counteracting a healing factor would just be all kinds of awkward. Being able to relax for the conversation? So much better.

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale tilts her head and offers a playful smile as she taps her own lapel flower. She steps up closer, boot heels loud on the wooden floor. Not everyone is as stealthy as the Bats, after all. Adjusting the duffel on her shoulder, she offers a hand. The nails are short but neatly manicured, with red polish. "I'm Jennifer, and I heard through the grapevine that you're looking for me."

This close, the blonde is definitely sweaty and flush. Fresh from the gym? Yeah, except she smells more like stale cigarette smoke, booze, and cheap perfume. "We can talk here, if you like."

With that, Jen makes a two-handed gesture and for a moment the air inside the bookstore sparkles pink. "Zone of Silence." she declares, voice becoming more authoritative. Oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the bookstore.

Jennifer gestures towards one of the seating areas. "Unless you'd prefer to talk somewhere else, of course."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate Kane is visibly a little tense, but her eyes darting, appraising, aren't so much nervous as they are /curious/. She doesn't seem too worried about Jennifer's steps drawing attention, after all, they're just two women who must know each other meeting at a bookstore. A bookstore of mystic and occult information. Totally normal. As Jennifer offers her hand, Kate reaches out to take it, her own nails short, manicured and unpainted. Her lips quirk in a little smirk as she nods her head, even as her shoulders shrug.

"I think I am. I mean, I wasn't aware I was looking for /you/... I didn't uhh... get a description or anything." Her nostrils flare ever sos lightly, she drinks in that scent. It's familiar. Kate's certainly no stranger to less than reputable bars. And it's not something that sends her recoiling... no matter /how/ linked that sense memory is to bad decisions. Fun decisions. But bad ones.

She laughs softly in surprise at the display of magic, "Oh! Well then. I'm Kate. It's nice to meet you. Sorry I was so... vague. Oh god, they did tell you what I'm looking for right? It's like a game of telephone."

She grins crookedly, "Well, maybe once we deal with the... main question I have. It might only take a few seconds." She slowly strolls to the seating area to sink onto one side of a loveseat, eyebrows perking high, hand gesturing to the other half invitingly. "I don't need... a charm or talisman or whatever. I just need to know if there's something /like/ that to... impede someone who can heal incredibly rapidly. Like 'Shoot him in the chest and by the time he walks to the door there's not even a bullet hole' fast. Like... slitting his throat seems to be a joke to him fast."

Her lips press into a thin line, her already pale cheeks look more pale, almost gaunt as memories run through her mind. But no, this is all hypothetical, Kate. For the future. For some other monster. You killed that other one.

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale laughs at the assessment, shrugging lightly. "I could make my nose crooked, grow some warts and put on a black hat, if you're into that." she offers playfully. "And my chain of contacts was a little... vague. Demons can sometimes be either too literal or too metaphorical." Jen unslings the duffel, which makes a few soft, metallic sounds as it settles onto the floor beside her.

She sinks into the other end of the loveseat, half-turning towards Kate and crossing both legs. She lifts a blonde brow, regarding Kate in a new light now. "My first question would be to ask why you'd be shooting someone in the chest. But that's not my business, of course. I'm also guessing that this isn't a theoretical exercise." She pauses for a moment, watching Kate's face.

"I suppose the real question is -how- this individual heals so rapidly. Is it natural regeneration? Some demons can do that. Maybe resistance to whatever you're shooting? Sometimes specific ammunition can help." Like silver bullets, right? "If it's a mutant power, then there's very little you can do without shutting down their power."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate Kane quirks an eyebrow and grins, "Well, the hat might be interesting, but... I think I can handle you as you are." She sighs out and rolls her eyes, "They didn't deliver the message in /rhyme/ did they? I tried to make it straight forward." Her eyes dart to the duffel, eyebrow quirking slightly... though, she's used to her own duffels making metallic clinking sounds. Usually from Batarangs, but hey, she's not going to judge. Sisterhood of mysterious duffels and all.

She shrugs lightly and sighs out, "He was trying to murder an.... innocent citizen? Well, nominally innocent. I mean, I kind of knew he could heal by that point, I busted his lip open and he stopped bleeding a second later. The gunshot healing was... a surprise."

She sighs and nods her head, "Yeah, from what I could dig up, it's a mutation thing. Apparently he heals up incredibly fast. From near fatal injuries. But he's also... well, he suffered what had to have been a /fatal/ fatal injury. Or five. He got caught in a collapsing building that was on fire. Gotham fire code's a bitch."

And then she clues in to those last words and sighs out, groans really. "Well... damn. Yeah, he wasn't a werewolf. Although..." She grins lopsidedly, because what else can she do? "Hey, at least I know someone who can clue me in on fighting werewolves and demons. I have a feeling that they're going to be more and more common and... I'm a lot more... down to Earth in my approach. Bunch of wanna be tough guys in three piece suits and fedoras who end every sentence with 'See?' I can handle. Ghosts and goblins and the like? Way outside my wheelhouse."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale laughs softly. "You mean a 'Gotham' citizen. Yeah, I understand that 'innocent' is a subjective term." she replies, mostly deadpan. Sitting like this, Jen is less flush and her breathing becomes more even now.

"So you want the -effect- of something short of several tons of burning rubble, is that right?" Jen taps her chin thoughtfully, casting a curious look over at Kate.

"We haven't discussed -why- a pretty lady like yourself is out mixing things up with Wise Guys and monsters, but you mentioned Gotham and I can do the math." She gives Kate another once-over, then adds. "I'm also gonna go out on a limb that your -usual- evening attire involves a cape as a fashion accessory. I'll tell you what, Kate. For something like this, I'm gonna want to see it up close. I'm pretty good at improvising, and I assure you that I can take care of myself. So the real question is whether you trust me enough to take me along."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate Kane grins lopsidedly and shakes her head, "Oh, no, I mean, the city's full of perfectly good people, but... he was wrecking up this bar full of... less than legally-minded people. I imagine it was pretty disorienting for them being on the /receiving/ side of a total asskicking. But he went /way/ too far."

She shrugs and sighs, "Or, just something that makes, you know, punches and kicks and... throwing stars... more... effective than they usually are against that kind of healing. You know, level the playing field at least, short of me having to hope that the Justice League has an eight hundred number for 'Help, help, a werewolf is on my ass'."

She lets those intent green eyes wander up and down Jennifer again, appraising, lips quirking in a sly little grin... it might not be a grin of 'Okay, I'll take you on the rooftop run', but it's... some sort of approving. "Well, like I said, right now as far as I know it's no imminent problem. So if you want me to take you somewhere we're going to have to come up with another plan. Drinks?" Eyebrows perk playfully and Kate's suddenly rising up smoothly, offering her hand and murmuring dryly, "You're not afraid of motorbikes, are you?"

And then she's slowly turning to begin the walk out of the store. She has a feeling Jennifer's not afraid of bikes. Or at least, not afraid enough to not just deal with it by hanging on tight.