1236/The Bombshell Bird Returns

The Bombshell Bird Returns
Date of Scene:	19 April 2020
Location:	Archie Goodwin Airport
Synopsis:	Zatanna welcomes Zinda back to the Birds, and they have a short heart to heart.
Cast of Characters:	Zatanna Zatara, Zinda Blake

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Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Barbara would have sent Zinda the information on what hangar to use at the airport, and that someone would be waiting for her at the hangar to bring Zinda into the city proper and help her get settled. What she may have neglected to tell Zinda is that she had asked Zatanna to do the pickup without realizing the past with her. But Zatanna is one that's willing to help, and move on when she needs to.

So the magician waits at the hangar. She's dressed in a trenchcoat that protects her against Gotham's weather, complete with a head scarf and sunglasses, her raven black hair pouring out of the back of the headscarf and over her coat, only the hem of a skirt peeking out at the bottom of the calf-length long coat hinting at what Zatanna is wearing. A pair of sunglasses are set on her nose. It's a very post-1940s look.

And that may not have been done on accident.

Zinda Blake has posed:
She had been away for quite sometime. She never really told anyone the true reason she was returning to Blackhawk Island in the North Atlantic, she simply left with little explaination. She knew she upset some people, but her reasons were her own and would not be revealed. Yet, something drew her back. Something that had been eating at her to return, something she could not put her finger on. Thus, communication was made to the Leader of the Birds of Prey that she was returning and if someone would be able to pick her up at the airport it would be appreciated.

The flight was without incident, parking her plane in the hanger and making her way to the exit, hoping that Barabra had come through with the time she provided. There was a soft word spoken to herself as she exited the hanger into the bright sun. "Oh please let it be Tanna." It was more words spoken without much thought, but she had done a lot of thinking about her in her absence.
Her steps took her towards the figure standing by the car, her shin high boots clicking on the tarmac, her long bare legs taking purposeful strides. She was clothed in her traditional flight gear, the one piece suit with the short skirt and long sleeves. Afterall, one has to make a good first impression again. As her steps take her closer, her eyes narrows trying to make out who is standing by the car. It becomes clear to her it is Zatanna and her stride quickens a bit. "Tanna?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Honestly, Zatanna could have just spoken a couple of words, and teleported here. But she didn't want to do that. She wanted to drive. And give herself a chance to gain her composure. That's why Zatanna is standing next to a silver and grey Jaguar Lighweight E-Type. Yes, she's pulled out all the stops. As the plane approaches the hangar, the woman's skirt and coat are ruffled by the jetwash and she ducks her head to protect herself until the plane has come to a full and complete stop and it's lone passenger disembarks.

Was she prepared for this? She hoped so. When Zinda steps out, all legs and curves, Zatanna watches her approach, and she reaches up to pull off her sunglasses, showing off those brilliantly pale sapphire eyes. "Welcome back to Gotham, Zinda. Did you have a good trip?" she asks in a pleasant tone as she reaches into the pocket of her trenchcoat to fish out her keys. She's keeping things to the formal.

"Did you have a place setup yet?" comes the question. "Need a bite to eat?" She's trying to cover the bases, and she almost... almost offers the keys to Zinda to drive, but assuming that the pilot is probably tuckered from flying in herself, she's more than willing to take on the task of driving. "Oracle said she'd have a crew out to take care of the plane for you. Unless you already have one."

Zinda Blake has posed:
Those Sapphire eyes. For the briefest of moments they catch Zinda off guard and she is caught staring right into them. "What huh?" She switches the suitcase in her left hand to her right and brushes a strand of wind blown hair back from her face. "It is good to see you again Tanna. Yes. Is this your car?" She starts to walk around the car, circling it and running her free hand over the hood slowly as she comes back round to the front, looking back to Zatanna once more.

"It was a good trip. No issues at all. Just me and the open sky, just how I like it." She offers a pleasant smile and moves to place her hand on the hood once more, leaning lightly and pushing her hip out a bit. "I've not had lunch if that is what you are asking. I could most certainly eat if you care to join me. I'll even get the check." A small laugh escapes her and she winks.

Her eyes then drift back to the hanger, a shrug given. "It should be just fine. I know the crew in there. You sign a few autographs and let them take a selfie or two with you and they take good care of your plane." Once again she finds those sapphire eyes. "As to where I am going to stay...I have not gotten that far yet. I have a few hours to figure that out."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"No, I stole it just to pick you up." Zatanna deadpans, just to see her reaction. "Had to impress you somehow." Which is to say, yes, it's her car. "One of the few indulgences I allowed myself. I still have my dad's older cars." she admits with a rolling shrug of her shoulders as she watches that brief pose -- so 40s supermodel of her, and Zatanna ducks her head. Don't fall for it again, she tells herself, as she moves to the driver's side. "Passenger's side is unlocked."

Opening the driver's side door, she slips off the headscarf, her hair perfectly coifed, and then the trenchcoat. She's dressed in a sweater that hugs her torso tight, the ribbed lines unashamed of their accenuation. It's coupled with a grey sweater, and dark navy stockings. Setting the items in the backseat, she waits for Zinda to get in before she does.

"What are you in the mood for?" comes the cheerful offer as she moves to settle into the driver's seat and starts the car up with a roar, then it purrs as the engine idles. "For dinner." She clarifies, before continuing. "If Oracle hasn't already gotten you a reservation someplace, I'm sure we can find you someplace to stay with reasonable rates. I mean, you can afford it?" She knows this, but she asks anyway.

Zinda Blake has posed:
"You stole this? I don't believe you. You probably have some sort of mirror spell on it and what it really is, is an old rusted El Camino." SHe winks and pushes her hand off the hood, stepping ever so elegantly to the passenger side and opening the door. She pushes the seat forward to slip her back into the backseat, setting it down and putting the seat back. Those long legs slide into the car and she leans back, exhaling softly. "Nice car. I could get used to this sort of ride."

Her hands clap once before her and she nods. "Okay food. Let me see here. Well, we have two options. We can go somewhere and sit down. I mean we are dressed for something slightly better than an Applebees. Or..we could find some good takeout and go...well I don't know." She shrugs and looks over to the driver with a smile. "Surpise me Tanna. I am hungry enough to eat just about anywhere."

She reaches into her side pocket and pulls out some lipstick, flipping the visor down and starts to touch up her lips. "Any hotel will do. I'll see what I have in my account. I have developed quite the late night online shopping addiction." She turns and sticks her tongue out."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Oh, Zinda, you of all people should know that I don't use my magic anymore for self-fufillment." Zatanna chides playfully, as she revs the engine. "Anyway. Not even my magic could make an old rust bucket sound like this." Yes, yes she could. But no magic here. Just a car she wanted, so she bought it. The smell of leather is heady and fresh - it's clearly not a car she takes out much. Why would she when she can snap her fingers and be damn near anywhere she wanted to be.

"As I don't want my car smelling of fast food, I offer a third option." she explains as she puts the car into gear. "We find you a hotel to settle into, make sure you're taken care of, then we can order room service, because I severely doubt you have made yourself so poor that you can't afford that."

Dropping the car into gear, she pulls out of the hangar and heads towards the merge ramp for the highway. She's already shifting gears, working the clutch a little uneasily as she does so. It's clear quickly to Zinda that A) She isn't accustomed to a stick or driving. B) She didn't cast a spell on herself to learn to drive this car -- she can't do that anyway. and C) the poor car is being tortured by Zatanna's driving and probably needs to be saved before she strips the poor crankshaft.

Zinda Blake has posed:
"A third option? I like option three. Now to just find a hotel that would be able to accomodate my taste." The funny thing is, she really does not have a particular taste. "Yes, I would like that. I could use some down time to relax a bit..and a bit of company." As the car purrs along, there are visible winces every time she shifts a gear, winces that are trying to be masked by a polite smile that all but seems forced. "You drive this a lot? It shows. You are.." Another wince given and she looks to the side window to hide it. "You must take it out a lot. I mean a lot."

Another gear is grinded a bit and ZInda finally cannot take it any more, any vehicle being subjugated to such torture is like nails on a chalkboard. Her hands go to the dash, palm down, and she looks over to Zatanna with amnother feigned smile. "Hey. Can I drive for bit? I have /always/ wanted to drive a car like this. Ever since I saw one...well 5 minutes ago." Her eyes are almost pleading. "I think we left our clutch at the last exit."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"I'm sure you could find some company..." Shift - grind. Zatanna doesn't wince. Not much. Okay a little. "I've been driving for //years//." she protests. She never drives. Ever. She did this to prove a point. And now, comically, that point is failing. Hard. Pulling over to the shoulder, she turns on the hazards. After fiding them. Which takes a few tries. The poor Jaguar. It probably wants to be put out of it's misery.

"But sure, you want to be in charge. That's fine. You can drive." And her tone, in that moment, is as cold as the blue in her eyes as she slips out of the car and steps aside to let Zinda take over the driving responsibilities as she goes around to the passenger side. Sitting in the seat, she buckles up, arms crossed underneath her bust and she might actually be... pouting a little.

"I bet you don't even know where the hotel is that you want." comes the momentary sulking tone, before she waves her hand at the dashboard. "Ecivres moor dna sgnitar retteb ro rats ruof htiw ybraen sletoh etacol, SPG. And like that, the screen lights up, and several destinations pop up within the city. "Oh, that's one I usually recommend when I have friends in town." Friends that she can count on one hand.

But there's that magic again. She's easy to use it, just to make things easier. "But you can pick someplace else if you want."

Zinda Blake has posed:
There is a soft laugh as the car is pulled over and Zatanna starts to exit. "Tanna...are you pouting. Oh poor little Tanna." Her last words a bit mockingly and cute. "You were doing wonderful...expensive cars like this always make sounds like that when you drive them. It's what makes them so...expensive." Zinda settles into the driver's seat and buckles her seat belt. Just like a plan, the woman can drive more than just an aircraft and with a small squeel of the tires they are off again, shifting smoothly through the gears and speeding down a backroad.

Her eyes slide over to the magically produced directions and she nods once. "That will do just fine. What do I do..tap it?" Her finger extends and she taps the screen a few times..probably more than she needs to. The directions come up and she shifts gears again. "A good choice Tanna. It might even be in my price range." She reaches over with her right hand and pats the woman on the leg lightly. "Oh come on smile...tho you are cute when you pout."

She is driving safe, taking good care of Zatanna's car as they make their way towards the hotel. In no time at all, they pull into the parking lot and intp a space, turning the car off and handing the keys over to the passenger. "Come on you. We have food to eat."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Nothing like Zinda's tone to make her sink in the seat a little further, chin tucked against her bust as she shoots a look at the blonde. "Not like I can't afford to have it fixed." she responds in a sulking tone, but of course, Zinda is much better at handling the car than she may be at other things. The Jaguar responds like a kitten that was just offered fresh fish as the engine revs and happily shifts gears at the woman's command.

The directions respond to the touch and then beep angrilly at her when she presses the button a few more times than neccessary. "I'm sure you can handle it, Zinda." she offers from her spot next to the blonde as she drives. The mention of being cute when she pouts as he straightening up. She bites her lip, and waits for them to get into the garage.

Taking back the keys from Zinda, she slips them into her handbag as she walks with the blonde to the concierge. "Evening, Thomas. Is the penthouse available?" she asks cheerfully.

"Of course, Miss Zatara." he says with a smile. "Let me ring the manager to get your keys?" Zatanna shakes her head. "Not for me. This is Zinda Blake. She'll be staying there. She's going to insist on paying, so keep it reasonable?" she asks with a deceptively charming smile as she waits for the key cards. Once they are delivered, she hands them to Zinda. "This way." she explains, and heads over to the elevators.

Taking the card from Zinda, she slips it into a slot beneath the Up arrow, and it beeps. She pulls it out. The arrow illuminates, and with a ding, the elevator opens, and Zatanna steps inside to wait for Zinda. The lift rises, taking the pair to the top floor, where the elevator opens, and it's into a well-appointed apartment space, with marble floors, leather furniture, an infinity pool that looks out over Gotham, and stainless steel appliances. And she looks to Zinda for her approval.

Zinda Blake has posed:
What is she doing? Zinda stood beside Zatanna at the concierge desk with a raised brow as the Penthouse room was asked for. She almost..almost interuppted, but if Zatanna wanted to get her the penthouse, who was she to stop her. I mean she did have the money to pay for it after all and when was the last time she really pampered herself right?

Zinda followed her friend to the elevator, taking time to look about the lobby and giving a nod to a few other guests, another raised brow to a few passing business men that stare amoment to long to consider it a casual glance. "The penthouse? Really?" She laughs lightly. "Why not. I deserve it dammit." She leans her back against the elevator watching Zatanna as the elevator rises to the top floor, only pushing herself off the wall when it stops. She lifts her bag off the floor and exits into the space, dropping her bag and peering about. "This is..beautiful. It has a friggin pool Tanna. Can I live here?" She wanders the space like a child at christmas, running her hand along the furniture and the appliances. "This is amazing.."

She dashes back to Tanna and grabs her hand, dragging her. "You have to see the bedroom. They put rose petals on the bed. It looks like a flower got murdered."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna watches Zinda's reaction, and she smiles. She feels better about it all, but when the blonde comes to grab her hand to drag her towards the bedroom, she freezes worse than that Jaguar did on the interstate. Her kitten heels dig into the floor and she stops herself. "Zinda..." she whispers, biting her lip, and she shakes her head. "No. It's okay. I don't need to see it." She lifts her head to the blonde, and she sets her jaw in grim determination. "We've been here before. I mean, not in this room. But we've been here. You get excited, happy, and the next thing you know, you're flirting with me and I melt."

She crosses her arm across the middle and grabs her elbow on her other arm. "Then when we end up in bed together, and the next morning, you're asking me to leave." she says quietly, that tone of her hurt in her voice. "I had to move on, Zinda. I assumed you weren't coming back. There's someone else. And I can't hurt her like this. I did that once already. And I won't let that happen again. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression..." she closes her eyes, the tears forming. "I didn't do all this to rub it in your face. I genuinely wanted it to be okay. But at the same time. This..." her hand gestures towards the bedroom. "I can't."

Straightening herself up, she draws in her breath. "You're still my friend, and I'm totally going to spoil you that way. But my heart is with someone else. I won't let that be hurt again. Anyway. There's a birthday party for her tomorrow night at the Hellfire Club. All the Birds are invited. That includes you." she says and smiles sadly. "I'm sorry for giving you the wrong impression. I... should go."

Zinda Blake has posed:
Heels dug in. That's new. She really just was excited over the bedroon, it was the icing on the cake of what was a beautiful and luxrious hotel penthouse. Zinda does not let go of the hand, but she does stop tugging, turning fully now to face her friend. There is a moment where she is completely silent, just staring into thr sapphire eyes, not a word spoken as Zattans pours her feelings out to her and explains how she feels. It is a genuine moment and one that effects the blond woman immensely..

When Zatanna is done speakong, a gentle hand rises and with the back of a finger, a tear is wiped away from her face and a comforting and warm smile given. "Come..sit with me. On the couch." Zatanna is led to the couch and Zinda sits on one side, gesturing to the other side for Zatanna to sit upon, not forcing her to sit close unless she chooses. "You didn't give me the wrong impression Tanna and you have nothing to be sorry for. You don't need to apologize to me...ever. A heart is a delicate thing Tanna. To play with someone's heart hurts more than a bullet. I would never do so intentionally. It is not my intention now."

She leans against the arm of the couch, pulling her knees up before her and starts to unlace her boots. "I don't regret many things Tanna. Not many at all. The number of women I have widowed..I have no regrets. And yet...I regret us. Not the fact that there was an /us/, but the fact that I treated it so poorly. It has haunted me. It will continue to haunt me. And no amount of fancy flying and fame going to fix that." Her voice is soft, barely a whisper, her own eyes welling a bit with water. "I don't fault you. And I would never do anything to inhibit the love you have found or sabotage it in any way."

Her boots are removed and she hugs her knees now, fully facing her friend. "Perhaps I will consider making an appearance tomorrow evening if that would not make you feel to uneasy. I promise you there will be no awkwardness." She reaches back and releases her hair from the ponytail she flew with, letting the blond locks spill over her shoulders. "Please stay. I hate to eat alone. I could use a /friend/."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna stands there for several seconds, her mind on the situation, digesting it all. Fine, she may feel a little foolish for gushing on and on about things. But the line had to be drawn. But Zinda's words don't fall on deaf ears. She nods finally. Drawing in her breath, she moves towards the couch. "I don't think it would be awkward, or I'd not have invited you." she points out.

"But yes, I'll stay." she responds with an exhale of her breath. "I just didn't want you to think..." she shakes her head, and laughs. "Gods you make me a teenager." she grumps, as she takes off her coat to take a seat and wait for Zinda to decide what to order for dinner.

Zinda Blake has posed:
"Want me to think what? You brought me up here to rekindle a fire we once had?" She smiles andtilts her head back to look at the ceiling, her hair falling freely before raising it again. "We are a complete mess." She giggles and reaches for the room service menu on the coffee table and opens it. "Well let me see here. I'm going to go for the salmon and rice. You?" She extends the menu to to the woman. "Oh and a bottle of wine."

Her gaze does not leave her companion, eyes lingering on her with a tiled head, a strand of hair falling before her own blue eyes. "I am glad you have found someone to make you happy Tanna. You deserve it more than anyone I know. It makes me happy...really it does." However, those last few words are said with the slightest hint of untruthfullness. Not so much because she does not wish Zatanna happy, but Zattana's happiness is at her expense."