11622/(Hardly) Working Stiffs

(Hardly) Working Stiffs
Date of Scene:	15 June 2022
Location:	Warehouses
Synopsis:	Vanessa gets reacquainted with Thomas in her own special way. Thomas beat up some guy. Warning, it gets a little salty.
Cast of Characters:	Thomas Blake, Vanessa Carlysle

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Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake has several revenue streams. One is playing cards at the Hellfire Club (you can hardly call it gambling the way he plays). Another his very low profile operations in Zandia and several other countries. Those revenues go into several accounts that pay regularly and handsomely. Then there is his semi-legit courier service. He carries all manner of stuff from point A to point B for... reasons. What kind of stuff? He couldn't tell you. Usually. It's better that way if he gets stopped by the cops. Tonight his shoulder bag was full of bundles of cash for... someone. He was asked to verify the cash by someone. So we find him walking down the street and wondering should he go to the Black Market for a beer to celebrate the near end of the workday and a four-day weekend.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Near the front door of the Black Market is a young woman in a very heated discussion with a fairly slimy, weaselly man in a leisure suit with a twitchy nose. Vanessa is wearing working clothes: a figure hugging black short dress with thigh high boots and a long jacket that brushes the top of her boots.

"I told you, Reggie, I don't *want* a pimp." Vanessa tells the twitchy nosed little man, shoving hangs into her pockets. "You're harassing me. Stop."

Reggie's nose twitches all the harder when Vanessa puts her hands in her pockets. "Stupid cow. It's Reginald, not 'Reggie'." He says, last word said with a mocking, nasal tone. "Last chance, copycat. You either join up with me or it's just what you can make on a pole for a living, you stupid whore."

Vanessa shakes her head in answer, and then gasps when Reggie gives her a slap across the face, hard enough to make her stumble back.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake continues walking at peace wwwwwhat the fuck? He hears the slap. He recognizes the face from.... somewhere. Well we can get into Thomas' psychology and history... TL;DR His dad slapped his mm around a lot. Whatever failings he might have, Thomas is never cruel to women... okay, there was that one who got a knee in her butt, but she deserved it. Trust him.

Really amazing how fast Thomas Blake can move when he wants to. And that's not wearing his uniform. It's something psychological or something.

This is why Reggie finds a hand clamped around his slapping hand. Thomas' hand exerts enough pressure to make an ordinary guy wince, normally. He exerts more now.

What was her name? Pretty sure he knows her from somewhere. Did they...?

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
It's unsure what they did or didn't do. Both were fairly tipsy from the combination of cool pool waters and a lot of drinks offered by the Hellfire Club. What they did or didn't do is as much a mystery as Vanessa's name.

"Fucking /hell/." Reggie whimpers, turning to stare wide-eyed at Thomas while Vanessa leans back against a wall for a moment, one hand going up to what already promises to be a beat of a shiner.

"Talk shit, get hit, Reggie." Vanessa shakes her head in mock sadness at him, before squinting up at Blake's face. She can't quite place him either, although she'll except any help she can get and is not too shame-striken as to expresss appreciation for help. "I don't want to be one *your* girls. I'm my own woman."

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake nods to Vanessa, "Yes. It's obvious you're not a girl, but a woman, and an impressive one."

Reggie sneers, "Why don't you get a room, BATMAN!"

"What dd you call me?" Thomas drops reggie's hand in shock.

"BATMAN! Where's your mask,. creep?" That gets Reggie shoved into a wall.

That's about when the police cruiser shows up.

"Police ! Freeze!" The younger cop was doing the driving and he's out and running at Thomas, baton extending.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Well. Shit.

Vanessa has (had) a criminal past beyond the prostitution charges she's fought a time or two and been acquitted from. When the police arrive, her response is not the near-faint of relief Reggie had, but rather wariness and a bit of distrust. "Don't worry, officers." She says as she shoots Blake a 'just work with me here' look. "My husband and I were just leaving the bar when this guy." And her thumb jerks towards Reggie, "Attacked and implied I was a prostitute and my husband did nothing but watch."

She shakes her head, and puts a hand on Thomas's shoulder. "Thomas, hon, let him go before the police get involved." She says soothingly, even as she picks his name up via her powers and shakes her head slightly to settle the rainbow fields forever.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake does release Reggie, judging the cop with the baton to be a greater threat. His eyes flash cold and hard. Not exactly the right look to give a cop. The older officer grabs his partner by the wrist. "Stop. Now. We're not supposed to be here. Orders." He looks at Thomas who nods and makes a vaguely mask like gesture with his hand, realizing this practically happened in the foyer of the Black Market. Yes... the Black Market makes sure that local law enforcement steps lightly for such minor stuff.

Thomas slips an arm around... "Sorry, Vanessa. You know how I get when people disrespect you. Sorry officers, I have a little bit of a temper. We can just let this little rat like man go his way. No harm done." He gives Reggie a quick look that promises harm to come.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
"I'm sure everything will work itself out." Vanessa says with a smile that could be genuine if there weren't a slight tightness around her nostrils. The cops? They're beat guys. And it IS the Black Market... or at least it's doorway.

Reggie doesn't say a word, but looks down, up, side, side... anywhere but at Thomas, Vanessa, or the two cops. "Lets let these two fine men get back to work." Vanessa finally offers, giving Reggie a smile that has a little more canine than it did before... "Right, Reggie?"

Thomas Blake has posed:
The older officer looks intently at his partner. Slowly the baton is lowered. He doesn't look happy as he walks back to the car.

The other officer follows him. Thomas relaxes by inches. He glances at Reggie and says, "Do we have anything else to discuss?" He doesn't wait for a reply before turning back to Vanessa. He puts a palm on the wall of the building, not intimidating so much as protective and steps a little closer to peer at her.

He assesses the bruise on her cheek. "You need a little ice on that. You ever get hit by a man before? Tonight doesn't count." He kind of hopes Reggie will try something and raises his voice for that last snark.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Reggie might yet attempt to salvage his pride. He might yet! He is currently giving the wealth of his attention to the pair of cops as they make their escape, with enough fish-eye to spare for Vanessa and Thomas. But he's still cowed. For now.

"Well, there *is* a bar over there and I'm sure I can find an enterprising man willing to buy a girl a drink that just got hit." Vanessa points out in a tone of innocent practicality, a wry smile on her lush lips. Curiously, when most women might submissively shrink in when a taller, broader man crowds them Vanessa seems to raise herself to her full height in go go boots, shoulders back, chest forward, in near perfect military parade position.

A contemptuous look is given to Reggie. "Yeah. Been a john or two that liked to play with their food. But even they understand *I* get paid, and don't fuck with that." She sniffs, turning her back on Reggie and sliding out from under Thomas by ducking through the arm with the palm against the wall. Her perfume is rich and smoky, with an almost caramel bite on top, amber, and woodsy dry down that's more exotic than just saying 'musk'. Along with the lingering scent of sweat. Hey, it's a hot night, if you know what I mean. "Well, Thomas? You like to play with your food, once it's had some ice and maybe a few drinks?" And she tosses her dark hair over her shoulder and turns to walk towards the Black Market front doors.

It's too much for Reggie, and with a shrieky, unpleasant noise that sounds like a kitten on helium attempting to roar he is rushing at Vanessa. "You bitch! Tear your face off and see who finds you pretty enough to tolerate that fucking mouth!"

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake is a practiced fighter. Despite what you see in comics and media, such fighters practice an economy of motion. No beating of chests. So thomas merely throws his arm out clotheslining the pimp wannabe. Thomas is hardly moved. His shirt does pop a couple buttons. With a practiced ease he places his foot on Reggies throat to preclude screaming and watches the cruiser leave. His eyes flit to the struggling man, then to Vanessa.

With a wocked grin he grabs Reggie by the fleshy part of his chest near the arm and hauls him up. Then he backhands him across the face. He loks back at Vanessa for further instruction. Reggie is stunned.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Know who else is probably stunned? Thomas Blake as Vanessa twirls and casually reaches into his hidden sheathe and pulls out a knife. If met with no resistance, it's placed against Reggie's twitchy little weasel nose. "If you ever mess with me again, Reggie, I'm going to cut your dick *and* balls off." She threatens him, and then adds, "That's a threat. This isn't." And she slices him across the nose, making him howl with pain.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake releases Reggie and sends him on his way with another shove. Reggie builds up a fair speed as he flees and turns a corner.

He looks at his knife in Vanessa's slim hand, recognizing the style in which she holds it. He reaches out to take Vanessa's hand as she still holds the weapon, but instead of recovering it, he comes in close to her, eyes about level and kisses her on the wrist.

"You are a phenomenon. He doesn't precisely crowd her but he's in he personal space, seeing if she'll meet him halfway. "I'll be glad to buy you a drink... a couple... and make breakfast. You smell incredible."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
There's something dark and animalistic in Vanessa's eyes for a moment, like an apex predator trying to decide if something is prey or not. It's a mirror of Thomas's eyes in all but color if he'd ever chance to see himself in this state after a little fist fight.

Reggie is sobbing as he runs, blood pouring down his nose where Vanessa sliced it and stumbling with wheezes from the thrashing Thomas gave him right before that. Leaving the two of them alone but for anyone peeking out their windows. Rare thing for New York!

Vanessa, emboldened by what she'd unconsciously tapped into with Thomas Blake, doesn't just meet him half way. Oh, no. She steps forward with the slinky walk of someone that does that often in heels, and tilts her head slightly as she stares him in the eye from mere inches. He can feel his own knife slide along his spine... before she takes another step forward, pressing her lithe but generous form against him with only strained buttons and the barely-there fabric of her dress separating them. "Breakfast, huh?" She murmurs just a hair's breath from his lips, "Never did answer my question, Thomas." And one hand raises the back of his shirt while the other slides the knife into place again.

She steps backwards out of arms reach a touch mockingly, "Are you the type to play with your... food?"