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drabble | riddle me this.
"r i d d l e m e t h i s..." Valentine's Day was an insufferable holiday for those doomed to singledom.
Beginning February 1st--perhaps even a week or two sooner--the moneyed public are bombarded with a variety of ways to show that special somehow just how much you love them. The bigger, more extravagant the gifts, the more you adored them. The loveless?
Well, there was the leftover candy on February 15th. Heavily discounted and a prime opportunity to dull the sting of loneliness by indulging in chocolate that needed to be sold quickly to make room for the next commercial holiday themed candy.
Selina Kyle always hated V-Day. When she was younger it was a holiday she barely acknowledged. Most of her time was spent in unconventional places. She was barely in a traditional grade school after her parents' deaths, so she never had the opportunity of tradition to trade novelty cards with Sweethearts candies. Selina thought hanging out and causing mischief was much more fun than sitting in any high school class...so there was no first official boyfriend. No prom. No homecoming, either.
Adulthood was a whole 'nother realm of disappointment. Between the Catwoman thing and the on-again, off-again co-mingling with the Bat...
Valentine's Day was the proverbial salt in the wound.
The kitten sat cross-legged on her plush king-sized bed, the television on the opposite wall blaring sound. She wasn't really watching TV. It was more for background noise to fill in the void of emptiness in her bedroom that was ironically deafening.
Reaching to the side without the need to glance over, Selina picked up a bottle of red wine. Half-empty. She was a pessimist tonight.
Drowning her woes in alcohol may not have been the most productive thing she's ever done, but she figured it was a fun activity one could do with no compant. She poured what was her third glass. Maybe fourth. Who was keeping count? Returning the bottle to its resting place on the bedside table, the Cat took a lingering sip of her drink. The sip turned into a full-fledged gulp, with the satisfying liquid disappearing within seconds.
Her cats enjoyed her company. Selina couldn't remember a time where she couldn't turn to her pet felines for comfort she couldn't get from any human. They were nonjudgmental--as much as a cat could be. They were warm, fuzzy, and adored snuggling so much that their purrs gave away their delight. As if on cue, a cat or two hopped upon her bed. "Momma's not drunk yet," she assured the small brood. Setting her glass aside Selina hoisted a cat into her arms, nuzzling the creature with affection.
After moments of settling in with the sounds of soft purrs and a Gotham News special, Selina was stirred from her zoning out by the jarring vibration of her smartphone next to her thigh. "Can't I be lonely in peace?" she muttered, reluctantly allowing her cat to slip from her grasp so she could check the text. Her brows raised and the frown that once graced her lips became a smirk. Really? Her thumbs tapped away, replying at the rather mysterious message. The number unknown, but the sender seemed...familiar.
Who is this?
It was a simple reply to a rather extravagant initial message. The beginning of the thread read:
Taking comfort in loneliness isn't a good deal,
when you could be indulging in a delicious meal.
First you need to find me, I've set clues all around--
so get dressed and scurry around Gotham abound.
Your first hint is in your usual home away from home,
where the aroma is strong and you always request extra foam.
The first hint was all too easy. Selina considered herself an aficionado of all things coffee--she lived and breathed for her favorite bitter drink, only second to red wine. Her usual home away from home?
The cute, quaint coffee shoppe only a few blocks away from her loft.
JUST DO IT KITTEN, the unknown sender replied. The Cat giggled to herself. She was almost sure this wasn't a plot cooked up by Nygma himself. The rhyme was too cheesy, and she doubted that he knew about her coffee habits. This narrowed the potential poets down to a few faces...
Selina hopped out of bed, deciding to don street casual clothing instead of a silk nightie going to waste with no eyes to gaze upon it. Once her makeup was in place, her hair presentable, and her clutch in hand, the Cat began her treasure hunt--wondering what this would all lead to. This was certainly a first.
She refilled the cat bowls with their food and water. Dimmed most of the lights, but left the television on. Checked for any detail that may be out of place. Satisfied that she could leave, Selina slipped out of her door--making sure it was locked before her heels clacked down the stairs and out of her towering apartment complex.
Her first stop? The coffee shoppe. If this were a dud, at the very least she'd be able to pick up a latte.
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