648/Headshots

Headshots
Date of Scene:	20 March 2020
Location:	The studio of a famous fashion photographer, NYC.
Synopsis:	Lia takes her newest find to get headshots. Then
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Lia Briggs

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Billy Batson has posed:
Victor and Rosa Vasquez were in bet listening to the thunder that seemed very close.

"Vic, you think the kids are okay... maybe Darla is scared?"

"Nothing scared her so far as I ever saw. they're fine. Try to sleep."

In Freddy and Billy's room, merry Hell was commencing. Shazam and King Shazam were wrestling sort of. That is King was trying to pull Shazam's cape off with little effect.

"It won't come off. None if it. What happens when you gotta you know..."

"I change back. Ow, leggo!"

they are interrupted by a female voice. Mary Bromfield looks down at the two on the floor and says, "Boys. Give me some Lightning Billy and let me do it. Girls are better with fashion."

Victor sits up in bed and looks at his wife, "Thunder buddies, right?"

Back in the room, the littlest foster daughter, Darla looks at the tableau, King Shazam pulig on Shazam's boots, Mary on his cape.

"Can I please get some sleep. Also, Mary, you're choking Billy. Use the wisdom you dipsticks," Darla grumbles then stumbles back to bed.

Mary Shazam lets go of Shazam and says, "We can choke each other?"

"Apparently! <koff> Use the wisdom." All three fall silent then there is a quiet chorus of "Aaaaah."

Three blasts of lightning later and Shazam is flying to meet Ms. Briggs in a muscle shirt and sweats entirely too short for him, his cheeks burning. He lands on her terrace looking around.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia's apartment -- well, her New York apartment -- is a palatial affair, high up on some well-known apartment building where she can enjoy her privacy and the best available views of the city. The outside terrace has all sorts of plants and flowers and living things to make it feel much more wilderness-y than something in the skies of Manhattan really ought to. And, of course, it has Lia.

In this particular incarnation, she's got that attractively rumpled look down pat; her clothes might possibly qualify as 'casual' with a sufficiently broad definition of the term, but it still probably has someone's name on it, and she's still got jewelry and perfect makeup and such. Definitely not 'someone having a quiet night in' clothes. She comes out onto the terrace shortly after he arrives, looking, it must be said, entirely too curious. "How in the world did you get up here?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam tugs his shirt down, trying to hide his six pack and says, "I can fly. I thought you knew that."

"I was calling myself Red Lightning but I think I'm changing my name to Captain... Thunder. Whoo, I almost didn't make it. Sorry about the clothes, I'm kinda... always in costume. I grabbed what I could." He adjusts his sweats, that are actually skin tight on him and splitting where they end at his knees. Flip flops complete the ensemble.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia apparently did /not/ know that. Maybe she thought he was just trying to get better tips doing ... whatever it is he was doing? At any rate, she's surprised, but pleased: "Even better. Photographers love that; they can save hours of retouching."

Yes, her eyes travel up and down the newly renamed Captain Thunder. It's the sort of expression that, if it showed up in a cartoon about a friendly dog, would be accompanied by a thought bubble of an enormous juicy steak. "I'm /sure/ we'll manage," she says, smiling. "You don't have any trouble changing them, do you? If someone provides other clothes for you?" She's checking her watch, straightening her jacket a miniscule fraction of a degree, and then walks briskly toward the edge of the terrace; when she gets there she'll walk straight off it, and begin a pleasantly relaxed descent toward the streets below.

Billy Batson has posed:
Blame the impetuousness of youth. Captain Thunder sees a woman, who he is begining to like, step off a terrace. He acts and Mercury trumps Solomon. "Holy Moley!" Maybe she's high, maybe she's testing him? He doesn't see her descent slow as he shoots over the parapet to scoop her in his arms without thinking.

Captain Thunder snaps, "If you wanted a demo you could have just asked... " He trails off as holding a supermodel in his arms feels quite nice. She smells nice. She looks nice. She sounded nice, before she did this stunt. Well that's four of the five senses she's working and really it isn't like he's going to lick her but he ... never mind.

Lia Briggs has posed:
"My goodness!" Lia exclaims, suddenly finding herself cradled (rather fetchingly) against Captain Thunder. Surprised, yes! But not entirely disappointed. And certainly not about to pretend otherwise. "And if you wanted to carry me down," she says, her eyebrows elevating slightly, "/you/ could have just asked. Though I shan't complain. I can fly on my own but this is /so/ much more pleasant."

She does have a fetching perfume. Her outfit gives her a kind of supermodel trying to be the girl next door vibe, which is in its own way rather charming. And she /is/ soft and warm. Yes, despite the undead thing. Don't think too hard about why she's so warm. "We're headed over there," she says, pointing to a location. "But there's no need to hurry on my account." She's resting her head against his shoulder, which would be more sweet and charming if it didn't give her a lovely view of his neck.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam swallows and nods. "Okay, will do." Mercury's flight is in use but at far less than his usual speed, though she wouldn't know this. The head on his shoulder feels so right too. Hey he might be getting the hang of these adult feelings, Play it cool. Far too early to tell if you like-like her, the wisdom says at the back of his head. He breathes in perfume and thinks life is pretty good. He has a gorgeous, superheroine in his arms, she smells great and he's going to get headshots. He can be forgiven if he flies around the building twice before landing as indicated... and keeps holding Lia in his arms.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Of course, Lia is not ignorant of the effect she has on people. She's also not above playing up to it when she has the opportunity. On the contrary, it's kind of her trademark. You don't call yourself 'Looker' because you're self-conscious about your looks.

"Perfect," she says, when he makes to circle the building; "that'll give people time to see you approaching. If you land *right* there" -- she points -- "you'll get the best possible backdrop. Can't buy this sort of publicity, you know. If only the cameras would show both of us, it'd probably go viral. But c'est la guerre."

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam finally realizes he's landed and disengages Lia. The wisdom is still itching though and sudden he has a deductive leap! Shazam peers at her and it's the hero who held a Bridge up, fought the Seven Enemies. He asks, "What do you mean... why wouldn't the cameras show us both, not like you're a ghost or a ... omigosh!!!" The shirt rips a little as he assumes a defensive position. Can a vampire hurt him? Wait... she felt warm... electric blanket,,, hunting socks... whatever.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia slips free and lands gracefully on her feet; whether or not she had a telekinetic assist in doing so or just her natural good balance is something she'll never tell. By now the expected small crowd of onlookers is here, and she steps smoothly to one side, so that her newest find can be photographed in all his rippling-muscled, ripped-shirt glory. Smiling all the while!

"No cameras, no mirrors, darling," she says (hiding the teeth for this particular smile. She also seems to have mastered the art of talking out of the side of her mouth, or without moving her lips. Or is she actually /talking/ at all? "Not to worry, though. Nothing to fear from me as long as you're not doing anything naughty." Then, out loud again: "Handsome, isn't he? You'll be seeing this face again, I dare say. Yes, I'll be happy to take your calls once we're finished here. Do excuse us, in the meantime." She gently steers the Captain toward the door and inside, safe, for the moment, from paparazzi and/or adoring fans.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam says out of the side of his mouth. "You better not try to bite me. You will not like it, and we are so going to talk." He is in a bit of a quandry. Most of what he knows about vampires he learned from Hammer Studios. This one is not like Dracula at all... and she smells nice... and she cuddles for Moley's sake. Trick... she's a girl vampire. they trick you. He needs a stake. No punching this time... he can't punch or stake her. So talk... the wisdom says.

Lia Briggs has posed:
"The very thought!" Lia says, somehow managing to sound affronted while still appearing all smiles and pleasantness and good cheer and so forth. "Just because I'm undead doesn't mean I haven't got any manners at all. Biting someone wouldn't be much of a way to treat someone doing you a favor, would it?" Of course, any passing telepath could read in letters a yard high: Unless they're into that. And, let's face it, some of them probably would be.

Inside everything is cool and softly lit and pleasant and they're being admitted to a fancy suite by security guards and Lia is /thrilled/ to be introducing Captain Thunder to some of her business associates. "Isn't he delightful, Marco? That bone structure!" She puts a hand to her forehead like she's about to faint. "Have a seat and Marissa will get you made up. Won't take long!"

Billy Batson has posed:
The Wisdom of Solomon is of no avail against papparazzi. Even the Stamina of Atlas is blinded by the lights. Zeus is fine with bright flashes of course. Shazam gets through the headshots, somehow and finds himself with Lia, spots before his eyes and... the shirt ain't making it. He stalks towards the former model, tearing the remains of the shirt away. "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. The Seven Deadly Enemies. of Man sent you, right?" He jabs a finger at her... good grief, he has chest hair.

He has an /eight/ pack!

Lia Briggs has posed:
Yum. Shirtless male model! Trying be angry with her! Maybe even succeeding! It's enough to charm the socks off even a woman as -- how to put it? -- blase' as Lia is. By now she's enjoying a beverage that she keeps in one of those Starbucks non-spillable thermos mugs; this one has a Japanese Rising Sun flag design on it.

Her eyebrows lift again. "The who?" she says, and she certainly sounds sincere in her confusion. "Now, I'm the first to admit I have more than my share of vices. Especially the fun ones," she adds, looking momentarily impish. "But calling them /enemies of man/ sounds a bit harsh. Not to mention sexist, don't you think?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam is keeping the serious tone. Why is she amused by this? "They are Enemies. They want to destroy us... why am I explaining this to you... Lust probably sent you." And he's blushing a little. What is going on? The Wisdom of Solomon replies: //Vampirism is a curse. People deal with it in different ways. Some become murderous beasts. Some live on the blood of animals or drink but lightly and still value life and their humanity. Listen, I met and married a bunch of women... a few drank blood. Not going to lie to you. Some were nice women considering.//

His gaze and voice soften. "Please tell me what happened to you." The finger drops.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia is genuinely taken aback by this accusation. "Lust? Now just a minute," she says, losing a little of her oh-so-polished facade. "You're a good-looking young man but that is /not/ what this is about. This is business, and if I come off as if it's anything else that's because giving people that impression /is/ my business." She tosses her head slightly, making her hair ripple. Why do vampires have to look so ... so ...

She looks peeved. She looks on the verge of stalking out of the room and setting this whole arrangement on fire, metaphorically speaking. But ... whether she's reading his thoughts, or reading his body language, or just perceptive enough to see that he's doing it because he's legitimately worried, not just to screw with her ... she squares her jaw a little. "It wasn't my idea. I was ... I was just trying to help my friend Brion. It turned out that his problems were less alive and more undead. And now here I am."

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam drops his hand fully. He says slowly, "That's rough... being one thing and pretending to be another. . Keeping secrets, Having to act... That is so lonely. I think I misjudged you. I'm sorry. I'm no one to judge." Without thinking he holds his hands out to her. He'll chance a bite, but he doesn't think she will do him like that. Evil creatures... have a feel to them. He gets none of that feeling from her.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Evil? No.

Self-absorbed, yes! Vain, yes! Occasionally thoughtless, yes! Narcissistic, yes! Evil ... well, no. Not except in the small and occasional ways in which most of us, after all, occasionally are. Still somewhat on the defensive, emotionally speaking, she gives him a moment of side-eyed hesitation, trying to figure out if he's sincere or if this is all some sort of elaborate joke at her expense. Because underneath the superhero turned supermodel (or is it the other way around?) there's still the mousy little thing she used to be a lifetime ago.

But he is, she decides, sincere, and so she's willing to take him up on the hug. And she /does/ feel nice. The red hair sweeping across his bare skin, those delightful curves pressed up against him, her --

AHEM. Anyway. But no biting. She wasn't lying about that, at least. "All life is acting," she says, "but some parts moreso than others."

Billy Batson has posed:
Not evil. No. She'd be mac'ing on him if she was. He does feel sorry for her. He can go back to being a 15 year old kid, with a roof over his head, three squares, and family with one magic word. Wait...

He swallows hard and says, "Just between us... I'm actually fifteen years old. This isn't going to be a problem is it?"