18127/Building a Bear... Relationship

Building a Bear... Relationship
Date of Scene:	31 May 2024
Location:	Vasquez Home
Synopsis:	Billy and Divine hit the mall. Plushies were had.
Cast of Characters:	Divine, Billy Batson

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Divine has posed:
The shopping complex containing the Build-a-Bear store was pretty overwhelming. Divine had gotten off the bus at the entrance on the opposite side of the complex by accident, but had been early enough to stop for a smoothie - lots of fruit, ice, and protein powder, but no ice cream - and then for a cup of hot, fresh cookies. Mini chocolate chip, and she fully intended on sharing them with Billy. Speaking of... she looked around as she came to a stop near the benches facing the store, but didn't see him yet. There was still time before their planned meeting, however, so she took a seat on the closest empty bench and pulled out her phone, letting him know she'd arrived.

Billy Batson has posed:
There's a faint clap of thunder up on the parking garage that reaches her sensitive ears. Billy gets off the elevator, checking his phone, waves and grins when he sees. He approaches the tall, beautiful woman starting with an excited little bounce. In fact it is much like her bouncing in front of his door. He moves towards her like a steamroller for a hug. Hopefully she'll get up. He does watch out for possible snacks she may retain. "Sunshine!" He sighs happily.

Divine has posed:
Divine hugs Billy back easily, keeping the cookies in her hand steady. "I got us cookies to share," she says as she lets go of the hug and shakes the cup a little. "Mini chocolate chip, either for after we make bears or after lunch. I don't think they'd enjoy us going in with messy hands." She keeps one of Billy's hands in hers even after the hug drops, fingers tangled together. She's in fairly normal attire for herself on a day off. Boots, black jeans, and a cranberry red button-down with the top two undone, showing the top of a black cropped tank top.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. gives her a kiss on tip toes, getting an 'aww' from an elderly couple passing. "Small problem," he says. He points to a sign saying, "No Food or Drink!" He gives her hand a little squeeze and leans a little on her arm.

"Thank you for the snack but we better eat these here and make sure we go in clean." He takes a cookie nugget and after a moment holds it up for Divine to nosh.

Divine has posed:
Divine holds one out for Billy to take as she bites into the tiny cookie he's holding up. The cup had a lid, but no food or drink made sense. She wouldn't want to get stains on something. "What kind of bear do you think you want to get? Do you think they have zoo animals? Or maybe a shirt with zoo animals on it?" She picked up a second cookie, popping it into her mouth.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. holds another cookie out for Divine, then pops a second into his mouth. "Me? A bear? I thought I was going to treat you... monster fighter. And maybe help you put it together. I'm... really not into stuffed animals. I mean... my sleeping arrangements improved a lot lately." He eats another cookie.

Divine has posed:
"I am not the only monster fighter here," Divine points out logically, holding another cookie up for Billy. "We could treat each other, but I think I will get you something different instead." She pops one of the last two cookies into her mouth, then holds out the remaining one for Billy to eat and casts her eyes about for a trash can. Her fingertips feel a little greasy even after being rubbed on the hem of her shirt, so while they walk to the trash can she's also scouting for something to clean her hands with. Thankfully, there's a dispenser for hand sanitizer near the trash, so she makes that work for her, even if it doesn't feel as clean as a traditional hand washing. "Maybe you can pick out a second outfit too? Something that will remind me of you."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson grabs her hands. "Don't wipe your hands on your shirt..." He gets some sanitizer, rubbing it on both their hands. "What would your mom say?" He grabs some napkins from a pretzel kiosk, promising to come back. Eventually. Then he inspects Divine, and wipes at the corner of her mouth and smooths her hair. "Okay, you're beautiful. Let's go!" He slips a hand around her waist.

Divine has posed:
"To not wipe my fingers on things that can't be washed, and to use a napkin instead if they're available," Divine replies, giving him a little frown. "Which is what I did, but thank you. Can we just hold hands instead? It's more comfortable for walking." Waist snuggling was nice sometimes, but less so when they were moving. She smiled at Billy. "It's easier to move around."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. lets go and takes her hand again. "Don't wipe your hands on your shirt. It's a pretty shirt. I don't think Emma would approve of this. Your appearance does reflect on her. Listen, if you have to wipe your hands, wipe them on my shirt. No one will notice me when I'm with you." He beeps her nose.Billy holds the door for her. Then he allows, "Maybe... if they have a tiger. I like tigers..."

Divine has posed:
"It's cotton and I know how to use the stain stick. Your shirts are nice too." Divine drops the subject after that, turning to the thought of different stuffed animals. "A bear or bunny, maybe, unless they have turtles. Turtles are really cool." The store is almost overwhelming, and she spends a long time staring at the animals available. There is a turtle, but the shell is very small, and she shifts from foot to foot before turning to the other options.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. ponders as well. His pondering is more nonlinear than Divine's since he is also noting her shifting of weight. He puts his arm around hers and says, "Take your time... hey they got tigers!" He points.

Divine has posed:
"Do you want a tiger?" Divine was leaning elsewhere, she thought, eyes drifting between a Kuromi doll and a white bear that had roses as a fur design. She kept looking between the two. "Maybe we should make your tiger, and I'll figure out which one I want while you're doing that."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. waves to a staff member to get their attention and says, "We'd like the polar bear with the roses, that little goth doll, and the tiger."

"Nonono... this is being done. I got on your nerves before. I'm sorry and more importantly, I can see the conflict. Let me do this for you, please?" He leans into her a little and nuzzles her neck. "You can buy me the tiger."

Divine has posed:
Divine thinks about it for a minute, but ultimately accepts the offer. "Okay. But if you sneak buy the tiger, we're going to have frowny words," she says a little sternly. "And you can only buy one outfit for each. I buy the extras. And two outfits for your tiger." Fair. Fun, too. They go through the process of getting each one stuffed, and then end up at the walls of outfits and accessories. She gravitates to a Rosie the Riveter outfit - Emmom had gotten her some books about the women that worked in the factories during the world wars, and she thought they were really cool. It was an easy decision to have her white bear decked out in the little top and bandana, along with a pair of black jeans and mini combat boots. "Pick out an outfit for Kuromi?" she asked Billy with a shy smile.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. grins and specifies a black belly shirt, black jeans and boots. A black skully is chosen, Much like Divine's hair. "Since we're sharing... Miss, do you have a Shazam outfit for the tiger?"

"Who?" "Shazam... from Philly. Red Thunder, Captain Thunder, Captain Sparkle Fingers? High Voltage? The Big Red Cheese?"

"Oh. the guy who let the bridge fall. No. We have a flash outfit. Aren't they the same?" He waves her off and turns to Divine.

"Please pick an outfit. Words fail me. HE GOT 125 people off that bridge!" he says heatedlly.

Divine has posed:
It's the "aren't they the same" that has Divine looking at the sales clerk like she's a few crayons short of a box. "No, they are different people," she says slowly, then turns away from the woman. "I like the bear hugs shirt or the dinosaur pajamas. Both of them? And some pants and shoes?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. just nods. He watches the clerk walk away. There is no more words but, he has a tangle of cold steel wool in his belly. "Shazam caught the Statue of Liberty and saved it. You let one bridge collapse..." He holds her arm a little tighter, glad he can't hurt her, wishing he could rip up a doll or something. He counts to ten and it fades. "Sorry. So tired of hearing about that bridge."

Divine has posed:
"People get mad about damage," Divine replies. "Well, anything they can get mad about, really. Do you want to leave?" They could. Bears didn't actually NEED clothes, and Divine could probably get some made. Or maybe learn to make them? Learning something new could be useful. "We could go get lunch now."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson. stands on his tip toes to hug and says, "I am not giving that person power over us. We'll stay for the clothes. Bad enough she gets a commission. Where do you want to eat?" He hands his new credit card to the clerk. "You pay me for the tiger during the week. I am getting hungry now." Small exaggeration. He can still eat or wait. He finds it hard to lie."

"You want to go to my place. I got a bunch of hamburgers and fries and some salad kits. I can cook." He smiles at the prospect.

Divine has posed:
"You're doing that thing where you're going to be rude about letting me pay back later, so I'm buying lunch for us now," Divine replies with a stern look. "I want something with rice. What sounds good to you?" She gives him a peck on the cheek with a soft thank you as the bears are handed over and they leave the store, reaching out for Billy's hand as they stroll down the building full of stores or spaces for rent.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson shakes his head. "That's fine. Lunch is on you. But, I was serious about you paying for the tiger as we said. Because you are wonderful. You can buy us lunch. Uhmmmm hey you pick as you are paying and you can see which one has the cleanest kitchen." The last part was whispered.

Divine has posed:
"Alright, I'll choose then." Divine could get cash out later or something. In the meantime she was scanning the food court restaurants and finding the cleanliness wanting, so they passed through the area without stopping. The fusion restaurant at the end of the walk smelled good, and when she let her vision scale she was pleased to see a clean kitchen. "Here," she said confidently, walking up to the hostess stand and asking politely for a table. They were seated in a few minutes, and she studied the menu seriously. "The kitchen looked very nice," she said quietly. "Very good at washing and prepping, from what I understand about kitchens." Admittedly not much, but she had watched some documentaries on TV. That counted, right?

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson smiles, holding a chair for Divine. He traces his fingers along her back as he goes to his seat and then moves it next to her. "Interesting... Mexican, and Chinese. I'll tell you what, let's get appetizers, and rice! and share. Like we did with the cookie bites. Do you like your bear and your... other thing?" He sets his menu down and slips an arm around Divine, cuddling a little.

Divine has posed:
"They're nice, thank you for getting them for me," Divine said with a smile. "That sounds good. Appetizers, rice - or maybe one of these sharing menus?" She pointed at the page, which would let them try just a few bites of several appetizers and a smaller portion from the two lists of entrees, along with shared sides and a dessert. "It would let us try quite a bit compared to just an appetizer or two and separate entrees."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson looks where she indicated. "That sounds good. We can eat quite a bit.Does spicy food bother you? Do you like it? Rosa does spicy stuff. I developed a taste for it. Moreso than the others. Anyway I know Mexican food. If you have any questions ask away. We have to order plaintains, though why don't you order? Have fun with it." And cuddle me some more... he says silently.

Divine has posed:
"As long as it doesn't set my mouth on fire. Medium spicy, maybe? I like Thai food?" The Thai chilis were pretty spicy. "I don't think I've had anything hotter than that. Plantains? What are those?" She hadn't had them before. "We should both order. You know more about Mexican food than I do, so maybe you pick those and I'll pick the Chinese? Is there anything on here you know you don't like?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson says, "That sounds good. I'll have a go at anything. Don't worry about me. Medium it is. Some people refer to plaintains as fried bananas. Plaintains are a little different. You need to cook them. They carmelize and are very sweet.Yeah, I'll eat anything doesn't try to eat me first." He ponders the Mexican portion of the menu.

Divine has posed:
"Hm. I like bananas. Good potassium source." They were sweet, too. "What about the pad thai al pastor? And these... empanadas? They look like little pies." Divine smirks once Billy started blushing. "I don't think any of this can actually eat you, it's not alive. I'm not a cannibal, either."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson takes her hand and says, "It sounds good. You can order for us. Empanadas are good. Most Mexican food is served with spicy sauce on the side. So don't worry about the heat. I'll gladly sample anything first for you. Get the server and order for us?" He waves at the server in question. Gods, don't let there be another scene like in the Bear store. He was really on autopilot right now and letting Divine call the shots.

"Oh, get nachos please?" Her hand feels big and warm wrapped around his with strong slender fingers.

Divine has posed:
Divine puts in their order, and they chat quietly until the table is full of food before digging in. It's as good as it smelled - and the kitchen looks - and once they're finished she gives Billy a wide smile. "I'm very full," she says, slipping her card back into her wallet once she's paid. "Would you like to fly back to your place to watch movies?"