“They’re beautiful, darling. I’ll take five.” Words drawled as if they were almost a purr as fingertips with nails as sharp as claws flicker over a set of diamond rings. Selina Kyle’s smile was impish as she drank in the astonished expression of the clerk.

“Are you sure, madam?” he inquired, voice low and meek. “They are…”

“Expensive? Surely you don’t question my ability to pay?” she replied, her tone of speaking exaggerated to convey a state of disbelief. “I will have my lawyer draft an appropriate correspondence for your accusatory--”

“I-I do apologize, madam. Right away.” Sheepish and defeated, the clerk carried away the fine jewelry for processing and packaging. Selina wanted to grin widely, but decided to reserve the celebration for such a dramatic display until after she left the jeweler’s shoppe.

Manhattan was a beautiful borough, filled with shopping delights and a wide range of stores for those with expensive tastes. Sometimes one could do for a little change in scenery. Gotham, by contrast, was gloomy and bland. Here, Selina spotted such a wide array of people and places. New York City was a cat burglar’s dream, and this Cat intended to live it to the fullest.

She liked to call it a small vacation. Catwoman wanted to expand her reach and do a bit of exploring elsewhere. She certainly wouldn’t miss the imposing eyes of a brood of Bats and Birds on her tail.

“Your total today, madam…” the clerk tapped a button on the register, the sum of her purchase displayed on a small digital screen that faced her view. There were so many digits that the man still sweat, though he made no additional comments about her ability to pay. “Would that be check...cash...or credit?”

Cash. So this little boutique did hoard a safe for keeping physical monies somewhere. Ms. Kyle smiled sweetly. “Credit, darling.” Retrieving her card from her clutch, the exclusivity of the logo and platinum color gave the clerk a renewed confidence. She swiped with ease, an approval giving way only seconds later. Selina’s rings were boxed and bagged, and the clerk walked around the counter to hand the valued customer her goods.

“It was a pleasure serving you. Please do come again.”

“Oh, I intend to, darling.” An ominous statement, Selina carried her bag and her ill intentions out of the shoppe to head back to the suite she was renting for the time being.

She gazed at her watch--a dainty gold wristlet with a small clock face. Pretending to check the time, she really wanted to ensure that her recordings were saved. Using the pad of her finger to swipe the touchscreen, Selina could see that her video and audio footage were saved in their appropriate formats. Casing a place like that was a real risk. Security was tight, but perhaps no worse than the glaring eyes of the Gotham City Police Department and their street pigs. Cat felt confident about this one. Besides, if all went according to plan she’d more than make up for the amount spent on her glimmering rings.

Only a couple of blocks away, Selina made it to the niche bed and breakfast she rented by the week. A beautifully aged building surrounded by brick and icon accents, she found it quaint and appropriate to stay in for the duration. There wasn’t any need to live too far from her bounty of glory.