So in my last entry I sort of glossed over last week. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, but I’m afraid of being long-winded, even though there is a lot to talk about and I’m sure it’s highly entertaining to some of you out there. Admit it, you love to laugh at other people’s lives. Anyway, while the last week was pretty low key business-wise, and we usually only stayed a half day, things were beginning to brew below the surface.

Take, for instance, the beginning of the Batdrama. From what I’ve heard this has sparked up at odd times before we came on the scene, but it’s new to us and involves us, which makes it more melodramatic. I wasn’t doing so hot as Padmé by myself, though in the latter half of the week I began to get chummy with Storm Trooper and Vader and they invited me to work with them. I didn’t want to just start hovering nearby and poaching pictures because they have a good thing going already, and I don’t want to be one of the crap characters. Yoda does that, I don’t. Anyway, they’re usually only around on weekends, so I needed a backup. I also needed something warmer, because it’s December and even in Hollywood it gets frosty. I decided to order a Harley Quinn costume because I love Harley and have always wanted a costume of hers, and I might as well use this job as an excuse to get or build all of the costumes I’ve ever wanted. She fell through, sadly, though maybe that worked out for the best (you’ll find out why later). So I ordered Batgirl.

While waiting for Batgirl to arrive, I still hung around Catwoman and whatever Batman was around when my Star Wars guys weren’t there, but a trend was emerging. Bat M would be there in the mornings when we arrived and we’d work with him, but Bat A would arrive around 1 or so and we began to switch over to him. At first it was a gradual thing, like a changing of the guards, but after a while we were praying and sending telepathic messages for A to hurry up and get there. As the days went on Bat M got more and more annoying, making it more and more difficult to stand working with him for even three hours. The Captain would also hang around because they got along, which was double the obnoxious. They would spend most of the time talking, or making awkward sexual innuendo, or staring at our asses, and we just wanted to make some money and have some fun doing it.

Catwoman, Flavor Flav, Bat M

l-r: Catwoman, Flavor Flav, Bat M

Bat A would show up, sometimes out of costume, and ask Bat M when he would be quitting for the day. Being considerate, he would wait until M was leaving to show up in costume so he wouldn’t be cutting in on M’s business. One day I pulled A aside and begged him to come out because we couldn’t stand working with M anymore. Later on I made it clear in no uncertain terms that M was making us lose business and very possibly our minds, and we would prefer to work with A from then on out if he wouldn’t mind. He seemed pleased, in his stoic way.

Around the same time, the days got very cold. My costume is tissue thin at best, and bares my belly and back, so I was freezing. One morning Denim Jack tucked me under his coat to warm me up, and after that Bat M took it as an invitation to step up behind me and wrap his cape around me whenever he even thought I looked cold. Maybe I’m being hypocritical, but I only want certain people touching me, and I’d like people to ask my permission before doing so. Denim is fine because I trust him, for all this wench jokes and eyebrow waggles, and I’m fairly sure he wouldn’t do anything to me while I was sleeping. Bat M, on the other hand, reeks of B.O. only half covered by a choking cologne, and I just would rather he didn’t touch me. He didn’t offer or ask either, which bugs. When you’re a scantily clad woman working around sex-starved men, you have to be firm with your boundaries as well. Another reason to not want to work around M all the time.

Eventually, M began to notice that we prefered A to him. Instead of asking why, or just accepting it, though, he began to follow us around, loudly complaining about A’s business tactics and the way he chose to portray Batman. On Sunday, after hearing enough, he said, “I just don’t really like A,” to which I tersely replied, “I know.” It’s already at the point where I have to have a talk with him, which is just so annoying. I feel like a kindergarten teacher, and I shouldn’t have to tell a man nearly ten years older than me how to handle his problems like an adult. And I know what thought crossed your mind: “Even a man who makes a living pretending to be Batman?”

So, there’s the beginning of the Batdrama. There are other facets to this soap opera, though. Some only Catwoman can give you, because she’s worked with both of them all day when I’ve been hanging with the Star Wars crowd. What I can give you is the love triangle. Well, I guess it’s a love triangle. I’m in the middle of it and I’m not quite sure what’s going on. Here’s what I do know:

Bat A is a pretty good looking guy. Not really my type, but I’m at that phase where I’m coming out of the woods after a bad relationship ended on the worst note possible, and maybe I just want a little fun. Either way, we get along and have fun together. The three of us went to lunch one day and it was nice to sit and talk with someone out of costume and character, and he genuinely likes us both without being a jackass or a pervert. He kissed us on the cheeks one night when we still didn’t know him that well, and I guess I looked startled, because he explained, “I’m Italian. Sorry, that’s just what I’m used to.” To show that there was no hard feelings, I kissed him back. Anyway, I’ve just been enjoying our time on the boulevard and with him, but apparently someone else hasn’t been.

One night when we were working fairly late, a new group of characters showed up that we hadn’t seen before. They were all from Batman, with Poison Ivy, a new Joker, and Harley. I was a little disappointed because I thought I was being clever by being Harley, but maybe it was a one-time thing. This group was different, however, and very exclusive. They didn’t acknowledge us at all and worked without even trying to include Catwoman (very odd, since all the themes try to work together to help each other out), and they just seemed very sneering in general. After working for only an hour or so, they left. The next night we were there after dark and we were talking with the Dutch Marilyn Monroe. A car stopped in traffic rolled down a window and someone yelled, “Catwoman sucks!” Rude! Without even thinking I shouted back, “So do you!”
Dutch Marilyn looked more closely at the car and said, “Those are our people!” Meaning, characters. “There’s a Batman there, and the cop,” and she listed some other characters I didn’t catch. What became clear later, though, is that it was that group from the night before who had put Bat A up to hurling insults at us. He came and apologized the next morning, but it gave me a bad feeling.

A few days later Catwoman left midday for an audition and I was left to my own devices. I went and stood on the Metro grate, which blows up warm air from underground, and Sexy Cop was there. I’d never really talked to her before, though we’d worked some of the same days. She and the other sexy outfit girls seemed to keep to themselves and didn’t seem interested in us anyway. By this time I’d been putting a long-sleeved white shirt under my costume, aesthetic be damned, but it was still cold. She was wearing a short blue cop outfit and fishnet stockings, and must have been absolutely freezing. I said something to that effect and she pointed out cleverly hidden stockings all over to keep her warm. After looking at her a moment, I realized that she was the one who was Harley Quinn the other night, and the pieces were starting to fit together. A certain group of people didn’t seem to like Catwoman and I, for whatever reason, and she was in the middle of it.

A moment later Bat A came up and said, “Let’s go, Padmé.” Since I wasn’t doing well by myself, he was going to work with me and help me out. I said okay and started to walk away when Sexy Cop said, “I can’t believe you just did that!” Confused, I turned around, thinking I’d done something wrong. Instead she had been talking to Bat A. He walked back to her and they had a low conversation I couldn’t make out, and frankly didn’t want to. It wasn’t for me to hear anyway. After arguing for a minute or two, during which he laid a hand consolingly on her arm, he turned and walked away and we went off to work. He didn’t say a word about it and I didn’t think it was my place to ask, and while we worked together the rest of the day, she left shortly afterwards.

Despite this, A seemed to be getting more affectionate with us. He would always hug us hello and goodbye, and after a bit he would kiss the top of my head when he hugged me. It’s very cute. I mentioned this on Sunday to Davy and MJ after hours, when we were out wandering, and Davy let it slip that Bat A and Sexy Cop are married. “Well that explains why she doesn’t like me,” I said. I felt a weird vibe off of it all, and Davy was acting strange about it too. He made an offhand remark about doing stupid, rash things in Vegas. I asked him why Bat A lists himself as single, and he just said, “That’s the way A is.” I don’t want to be mean, but I get the feeling that they got married so A could get a green card, though of course I have no proof.

I haven’t seen any of the gang since Sunday night and Davy broke the news, so it’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, happens next. I’m sure Bat M will still be complaining, but I’m wondering if Bat A will act any differently . . .