13290/The Hawk and the Lion

The Hawk and the Lion
Date of Scene:	06 November 2022
Location:	Blake House
Synopsis:	Zinda tries to help Thomas through a dark period on a sunny day.
Cast of Characters:	Thomas Blake, Zinda Blake

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Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake new a boat was a great way to get your mind off your troubles. Something was always in need of bailing, painting or repair. In this case it was the radio. Easy fix, replace it? Theme criminals had to be fair with repairs and tinkering.

It is unseasonably warm and he's bare chested and the rest of him isn't fairing much better. Catman doesn't do tan lines. Having fixed the radio he treats himself to a beer and sits at the wheel. He could cast off from his slip and just cruise. Maybe the last cruse of the season in a swim suit. Though there seem to be some clouds the sun won't drive away.

Zinda Blake has posed:
Zinda Blake hasn't seen Thomas in some time, so she decided to exercise her rights as his aunt and just show up without warning. The rumble of the Jeep's tires announces her arrival, but just in case she also lays on the horn. *BEEP*BEEP*BEEP* Swinging it around in a bootleg turn before skidding to a stop, she kills the engine by letting out the clutch and hops out.

Zinda is wearing her trademark boots and skirt along with a crisp, white t-shirt. She grabs a picnic basket from the passenger seat and waits for the security tiger's greeting. "C'mon, now, critter! Let's get the inspection over with."

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake yells from the boat, "That basket ain't for you motherflower! Go eat the zebra I scored for you. Morning Zinda. I hope you got a swim suit on under that rig. Fine day for cruising. Hey, go grab a suit inside. You know where they are by now. This cruiser is just crying for a beautiful blonde on her for'ard deck. I'll show you the Bootlegger Run int Gotham."He reaches a hand out, for the basket or Zinda if she decides to be modest and ignore his offer. Modest? Zinda?

Zinda Blake has posed:
Zinda Blake laughs and passes up the basket. "Sure that thing'll float?" she quips. "I'll be right back, now." Of course after getting pushed into the water that one time, Zinda has kept a spare swimsuit at Thomas' place. "And no eatin' the biscuits until I'm back, now!" Turning towards the house, her skirt swishes as she strides quickly up the front steps. A short while later, Zinda bounds out of the house in a small, yet tasteful black bikini. With yellow polka dots. Mirrored aviators are perched in her blonde locks as she steps up to the boat to climb aboard.

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake has a big fat rib in his mouth and can't reply. Rasputin is in the boat and finished one, judging by the BBQ sauce. Thomas' wipes his hands, then grabs the aviatrix, war hero etc under her arms and lifts her into the boast where he bear hugs her. "I gisshed 'oo," he says, finally removing the rib to land one on her cheek. One arm remains around her. "Float? Hun, this may not look like much but it can have the harbor patrol running in circles. I guess. No way I would know for certain. I mean, I don't do that. You boat at all?" While he waits for a reply he casts off the lines and goes to the helm.

Zinda Blake has posed:
Zinda Blake whoops as she's so easily hoisted up onto the boat, returning the bear hug with a full-body hug of her own. She kisses his cheek, then wipes off the barbecue sauce with another laugh. Zinda rests one hand on his shoulder, lingering in the embrace the way that Blakes do. "Well sugah, there's only one way t'find out..." She looks over to the wheel at his question. "Can I boat? It's got a tiller an' a throttle, don't it? How hard can it be?" And without asking further, she disengages and steps over to the controls. "Hope that cat can swim, jus' in case."

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake indicates Rasputin, licking the rib he'd discarded. "Tigers can swim fantastic and love the water... Oh." He grabs for the other line and casts it off just in time as the boat departs her slip with a jerk. Blakes live for speed. He makes sure the basket is in the cabin and the hatch shut. Then he stands behind his auntie watching over her shoulder. "You slow cooked those ribs. When do you find the time to cook like that? You run your company, do secret stuff, hit the gym. Take it easy with the wakes from the other ships. Head into them, then swamp the jerks for messing with us." He actually boated a lot at one time, even faking his death with a power boat once. That was a sweet boat too. Pity.

Without realizing it, his body language changes. His chin rests on Zinda's shoulder. He touches her arm and breathes out and in slowly. "Kill the engine. Let her drift a little." Yeah, like him.

Zinda Blake has posed:
"Gym? What's a gym?" Zinda replies, navigating the boat slowly out of the slip. The blonde stands up at the controls, nodding at his advice on managing wakes. She's a pilot but this is a boat. Turns out she's pretty good with it anyway. Getting out of the slip and into the channel, she cuts the engine and then leans back a little against him.

"It ain't as complicated as you make it sound, Thomas. My company wants to keep me OUT of the boardroom as much as possible. As for the secret stuff? Well, that's just a weekend here and there." She closes her eyes as well, and for a few moments it's quiet. "So how you been lately, nephew?"

Thomas Blake has posed:
Thomas Blake is silent, just shaking his head after a moment. "Not good. How do you handle... normal? Don't you want to be shooting down Zeros and 109's? Or at least those Hydra guys? I feel like... Rasputin. Everyone wants to pet him and hug him and... he rather be killing and eating stuff. But they gotta show the love -so they try to domesticate him, pretend he's a pet. I was... pretending to be normal pretty good. I even fooled myself. Then I met this little girl and in a few seconds scared the bejeezus out of her. I had fooled people into thinking I was a pet. She took a look at me and cried: killer. I should send her a muffin basket for reminding me what I am. I never should have gone to a damn album release party. What was I doing there?" Stop talking. Stop talking, Tommy. The dark is just pouring out of you and you're going to deflate.

Zinda Blake has posed:
Zinda Blake reaches up and back to pat his cheek, still facing forward. "Honey, that was war. All that domestication stuff? That's what we were fightin' for. But I get'cha. We were jus' doin' a job, but there's no goin' back. I -killed- over a hundred pilots an' crew who, under different circumstances I would've bought a round a drinks." She turns her head to kiss his cheek, then. "That's why I bake, Thomas. It's an outlet. Y'all need to find an outlet that don't involve hurtin' people." She grins, then. "Course for me there's always boxin' and bar fights, too. And I fly whenever I can. You jus'...." She shrugs, lifting his chin in the process. "... gotta find your own way. An' keep good people around you."