5196/V-Day, Z-Day

V-Day, Z-Day
Date of Scene:	15 February 2021
Location:	Sherwood Florist, First Floor
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Dinah Lance, Zatanna Zatara

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Dinah Lance has posed:
It's the day after Valentine's Day, and in flower shops all over the country the scene of carnage is the same. All in all, Sherwood Florist didn't fare too badly. The stock is pretty well trashed, but at least the register is full. The latter is something that Dinah is all too aware of as the woman does her morning clean-up and prep for the day. She's -technically- not open yet, and is anticipating being only able to take future orders today.

And the banks don't open for another hour. Yes, Dinah still believes in hand-carrying her cash deposits. She's old-fashioned that way.

The blonde is wearing comfortable jeans, boots, and a white peasant blouse with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Valentine's Day is probably the busiest day of the year for a florist. Pretty close to madness, and on that basis, Zatanna Zatara comes bearing gifts.

A pair of foamy, fancy lattes from a local coffeeshop in a recycled cardboard carrier promise to be environmentally friendly as well as tasty. The cold might be reducing them from scalding hot to just molten. A slightly heady rose fragrance emanates from one of the cups, bringing a smile to her lips. That long black coat doesn't disguise a comfortable buttoned-up shirt under a corset. Fishnets can wait for spring. A pair of smart black trousers and boots brave the Gotham cold.

"She sleeps, she sleeps upon the sea,
Beautiful Venice alone,
Dreaming of happy days when free,
Sighing for pleasures gone." She's humming and singing to that old ballad, famed across northern Italy, and it's not half-bad. Possibly heard in the fading strains, when she knocks on the door of the flower shop.

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance isn't looking when she hears the knock, starting to call out of reflex "We're not op-...." Then she looks up and blue eyes brighten with recognition. "Just a sec!" The blonde doesn't quite scamper over to open the old-fashioned bolt, nostrils flaring as she takes a deep breath of the warm, steamy aroma.

"Oooh, coffee." Her gaze shifts to Zatanna's face, then, as she swings the door wider. "Which one is mine? And c'mon in from the cold."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Not open, but for the herald of caffeine? The story might be a bit different. Zee's hair floats in a black wave tinged blue in the cold, her breath steaming slightly. That smile grows bigger as Dinah approaches. "It's cold as the Arctic out here! Just a case of the Mondays."

The coffee is held out as she steps in, not about to hang out in the frigid air when it's warm inside the shop. "I got a cafe con miel, which comes with honey and cinnamon, and this latte has rosewater, vanilla syrup, and a bit of marshmallow. It's called Eros' Kiss, but mostly I couldn't resist. It's whether you want something floral or something calming. The honey one is a bit more traditional. Take your pick."

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance closes the door quickly, flipping the latch and adding an hour to the 'Open' time. Just because. She gives a little shiver, hesitating only long enough for the explanation before plucking up the floral scented option. "Considering I spent Valentine's Day watching rom-coms by myself and gorging on chocolate, I could -use- a little Eros' Kiss." she offers wryly. Turning, she takes a deep breath and mmmms before trying a slow, and careful, sip.

"Thanks very much for this, by the way. My inventory's been pretty severely pillaged, so it's looking to be a slow day. How are things in the magic world? Anyone planning any extra-dimensional invasions or something?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Just because. Zatanna looks over her shoulder to make sure no early-morning guest tries to slip in behind her. There's always one, demanding that business hours don't apply to them. The coast is clear for the moment. "Rom-coms and chocolate?" Blue eyes widen in mock horror, and she puts her hand to her throat. "Why didn't you call me? We could have been indulgent in our single status together! At the least we could have turned up somewhere and caused a small storm." She's content to take the cafe con miel herself, the cinnamon bite a little peppier than straight up coffee.

"More than welcome. After last night's performance, I need to feel a little more myself. All the couples cuddled up were the last thing a girl needs to remember come day after." If there's any recycling bin to push the flattened drink carrier into, she will dispose of it. Otherwise, she can carry it. "Extradimensional invasions usually wait until March. That whole 'in like a lion' thing, they take very seriously. Or if you mean the awards ceremonies starting up, they're the /worst/. Trust me, I'd rather take on some monster trying to eat all the world's magic than deal with sitting there as some celebrity in a too-tight, too-low dress sobs and thanks every last costar for the past ten years. So, dangerously quiet." That's almost Zee speak for dull. But never speak of the...

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah rolls her eyes and groans at the subject of Zee's last performance. "Really? Single girl like you doing a couples show? Damn, and I thought I had it rough with 'Pretty Woman'..." Blinking a little after the first, hot sip she takes another and then offers the cup. "This is really, really good, by the way. Wanna try a sip?"

"And yeah, next time we'll do a bar crawl together or something. In costume. Guaranteed to get attention, even if it's probably not the best kind."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"A select performance. Trust me, I didn't know my agent planned on selling them as a package deal or I'd have flipped. He got an earful on his voicemail." Zatanna breaks into a flat smile, her eyes hardening a little. No, she's not too pleased. "I think he's hiding from me. Or his assistant. You should meet her, I think you'd like her. Hazel -- I suspect she's going to give him an earful. Money's money but I want mindless self-indulgence for putting up with that. You look like you could use it too. Making the world beautiful with blossoms, and stuck mooning over Richard Gere?"

Putting out a hand, she pretends to swoon. "I love Julia Roberts in that, but you deserve a much better day." Catching herself means dropping the act, and she breaks into a laugh. "I'd love a sip. If it's any good I can stop by and get another later. Want to try mine? It's not too sweet." Her lipstick hasn't left a mark, thankfully. Nothing wrong with popping the lid off the cup either if Dinah wants. "Music to my ears, trying a pub crawl. Mm, long as we avoid the really divy ones. With my luck, history will show up."

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance nods eagerly, the two women trading coffee to exchange sips. "Yeah, I know what you mean. And I was hoping I'd get to try both." She doesn't bother to pop the top, and Dinah rarely wears much in the way of lipstick anyway. "Oh, this IS good. I might have to try them both another time." She shifts her weight, cocking a hip to one side as cups are passed back. "Hazel? She sounds like a spitfire, yeah. Hope he gets what's coming to him."

"And yeah, I was sort of in a mood and couldn't decide between Richard and Julia, so I went for the best of both worlds." She takes a sip of the floral coffee, planting her butt against the counter and crossing one foot over the other with a knowing smile. "I didn't know that anyone could hide from a magician very long, though."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The quick sip gives Zatanna a pretty good idea of how rosewater and vanilla blend, and the slow expression of pleasure comes out in a rolled note. "Oh, that is good. No wonder it's a specialty drink. I might have to convince them to make that out of season." A smile grows as she watches Dinah's reaction and nods, encouraging. "The place is right by the diamond exchange. I've got no idea what magic they put into their coffee, but it beats anything coming out of my pot. I've never been much good at making it myself, either." Helps when you have a magic house that prepares most of the food for you, anyway. With the honey-cinnamon brew back in her hands and relinquishing Eros' Kiss most reluctantly, she gives a little swirl of the contents. Foam flecks the inside walls, but it's all good.

A low laugh ripples away. "You know, those crazy high boots were so cool when I was young, watching that movie. I wanted to look that good. Except without the crazy hairdo. No thank you for frizzy curls." The tweak of a loosely styled lock doesn't unsettle the whole smooth wave. "And my agent can hide, mostly because spending the time chasing him down isn't worth it. He can tell me numbers and I'll remind him he stuck a single woman in the love shack. Not cool. So how about you, any dazzling creations you made yesterday that beg to be admired? Or are we both in dire need of some excitement? I was thinking..." Oh dear. "About popping up to the space station. It's been a while and nothing like a gorgeous view of the earth or the moon, right?"

Dinah Lance has posed:
"Popping up to the station? Been a while since I've had my atoms scrambled." Dinah drawls casually, between sips. "But I definitely can't argue with the view." She looks around at the near-empty shop, then shrugs. "I can afford to be closed for one day, especially after yesterday. Valentine's Day is always a huge turn-around in roses, which don't have much margin outside of the wholesale pricing. I do much better during prom season with the arrangements and corsages."

Another sip, and Dinah is savoring this one. "So the shop's by the diamond exchange? I think we might have to stop by before zapping up into orbit." She tilts her head, a small smile forming. "Wanna ride, or....?" And with the last she makes a magicky-finger-wiggling motion.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"It's beautiful and saves me the difficulty of opening a door. It's never free. Technology doing that for us makes for a nice trip." Zatanna licks foam off her lips thanks to the disturbed drink, though the veneer of cinnamon on her tongue is too good to worry about. "Arrangements for weddings and corsages must be the thing. I know how over-the-top some of those ballrooms get downtown. When was the last time the Waynes held a major party? It's been a few months."

Dinah's offer to ride is too good. A wide smile blooms, and she tips her head. "Unless you absolutely want the finger-wiggling to get us there, I'm not turning you down for a chance for a ride. Can't wait for spring and the endless rain-slicked streets. I had the chance to see a gorgeous red and black bike the other day. My God, it's enough to make me spend recklessly and impulsively, but I'm pretty sure the customizations there aren't available anywhere outside a lab of some kind. I'll have to find out more because a girl has to dream."

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance's boot heels click-click-click as she steps over to change the Closed sign to reflect the rest of the day. "Well I don't have one of those West Coast custom jobs, but my bike is one hundred percent original. And there's room for a passenger, but you'll need to hold the coffees. I can balance a cup-holder between my knees for a short ride, but the uplink is kinda far from the coffee shop. Especially with a passenger."

Taking another sip, she tilts her head towards a door behind the counter. "The garage is right through there. Hope you don't mind the chill, with this weather."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"You don't need to. Yours is all octane." Zee grins, waving a hand. "But it's always good to see someone in this city getting ideas about colour. I'll hold the coffee just fine, or put them in the hat." Speaking of that hat, it's no where on her person until it is, plucked out of... it's best not to guess where. Apparently a coat pocket.

With a smooth brush of her hand fondly over the brim, she inverts it. "Here, put it right inside. The best part, it will stay warm." Her own will go in after, a laugh shining warmly in the air. "Dad sometimes used to hide hot cocoa in here when I was young, especially when we had to work early in the morning. My reward for being good."

Buttoning up her coat isn't too bad; it's heavy enough to be stylish and resist the cold.

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance grabs her leather jacket on the way, pausing to give Zee a curious look when the hat just... appears. "I'd ask if you can teach me that, but I already know better." she replies with a wry smile. All the same, there's no hesitation as she eases her coffee cup right down into the top hat. Then it's out to the garage, with Dinah leading the way.

It may be technically a 'garage', but it's really only about a 'half car' capacity addition to the building. Which means it's just about right for one person to park and maintain a motorcycle. In this case, the bike in question is a custom built Triumph based on the Bonneville chassis. It's otherwise an unassuming street bike in black and gray, at least until Dinah swings a leg over and starts it up.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Zatanna offers a little bow after stopping midstep to the garage. "One of the small side benefits of the role." Not that she flips the hat over or jostles it. Carrying it on her hip is much easier until they get to the motorcycle. An admiring look sweeps over the Triumph and she utters an approving sigh. "See? One day the sun will return and you'll be on the road all the time. I would, with a getup like this."

First, though, the hat and getting settled in. She doesn't banish it, but she does pull out a pair of gloves from her coat pockets and pull them on. "Do I need my own helmet? It's not a problem if you want me to grab my own, it'll just take a moment. No 'accio safety gear,' here."

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance does have an extra helmet, in fact. "Nope, I've got one." She offers it to Zee before pulling on her own. There's an automatic garage door opener, and Dinah looks back curiously to see how Zee will manage the hat with everything else. "I'll drive gently. Wouldn't want your nice hat to smell like rose-flavored coffee, and it's probably not good for the rabbits."

Once the door is up, she slowly walks the bike forward until she can close it again with the remote. "Hold on if you want, or there's a sissy bar in back if you'd rather."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Perfect. Wouldn't want any accidents or bugs in my teeth. Even if it's winter, ugh. Just imagine." Zee takes the helmet and nods. "Thank you." Pulling it on is pretty easily done, tugged on despite the slightly snug fit. Pulling her hair back around to her collar gives a smoother fit, and then she quickly pulls the pieces into three segments. Weaving a single-tail braid comes quick to her nimble fingers, and she twists one of her bracelets off to act as an elastic. It's messy but will do.

"They'll stay fine in there. Things don't move around the way you expect, otherwise I'd have nothing but rabbit stew and a tangled pile of jewelry."

Out into the cold air is a reminder, yes, it's still winter. No matter what Gotham pretends to be in its tourism campaign, it sure makes damp and wet a regular ordeal. She looks over her shoulder at the garage and nods smartly. "I'll be good to hold on. Give me just a moment."

A flick of her hand accompanies an invoked, "nruteR ot tsercwodahS." And one puff later, the hat's vanished.

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance looks back over her shoulder, making sure that the garage door actually does go down as intended. Always pays to check. Then the hat vanishes and she grins through the full-face visor. Twisting the throttle a few times, the bike has a deep, throaty roar that is somehow more smooth than an actual rumble. "Okay, so I'm not hiding the fact that that is very cool."

She waits for Zee to get secure, then eases out into traffic. The bike responds well, accelerating smoothly.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Down goes the visor, cutting off sound somewhat. Perhaps there's a chance of microphones syncing up, otherwise it's going to be a fairly interesting attempt to converse. Zee knows her way around a motorcycle well enough to ride or sit tall and pretty in the back. Leg swung over, she gets balanced and drops her heels to the pegs. Flex of the foot for good measure, and she gives a thumbs-up. Communicating in sign will work plenty well. Once Dinah starts up the engine and that low, resonant thrum vibrates through them, she leans forward against the blonde lightly. Not enough to upset her weight or balance, but it's a fine art.

"And this isn't?" Probably barely heard through her visor but the laughter is warm, adding to the thrill building. The world is free, for once, without demands of stage or shop. Or Superman. Because alliteration.

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah Lance has an old-fashioned analog headset built into the helmets. After a little initial crackling, the communication is pretty clear at the close range. She accelerates into traffic. At first it's a smooth and steady ride, but then Dinah continues to accelerate and starts weaving in and out between cars she passes. "Yeah, it goes without saying that riding a bike in a leather jacket is cool."

"But it would be a lot more cool if it was 70 degrees and sunny." Pause. "So where does the hat and the rabbit... and the coffee... go when you sent it away? Or is that a trade secret? I'm a member of the fishnet club, so you can tell me."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Analog headsets work! No need to shout in someone's ear, then, or break down without a laugh. "Riding in leather is cool and practical. I don't care what anyone says, road rash is awful." Her braid snaps around behind her, coiled up against her collar, but not particularly willing to stay there. The lean of the motorcycle she echoes in movement, mimicking Dinah's own motions to some degree. In this much, there's an unspoken language, a familiarity espoused in the streaming cold air and tangled skyline moving by.

"Italy this time of year is lovely. I wish someone would give us an excuse to get away," she sighs. "Sunshine. Beach. Short sleeves? A girl couldn't ask for more." She's not pining too much. They've got a base in space, that's pretty much better than most. "Where does it go? Right now it's sitting on a shelf in Shadowcrest because I asked it to. The coffee inside stays in its own, nicely contained pocket dimension. That old 'bigger on the inside than the outside' trope? We've been using it for years."