Owner	Pose
Clara Jennings	The problem with metereology is that it sometimes feels more like nonsense than science. Which is why Clara found herself flying home in a sudden downpour. It left her walking the last mile. Thankfully there were no problems. It would have ruined her night to be forced to break someone's legs before going to bed.     With the governess miles away, Clara happily uses this as an excuse to crash with Daddy Teddy! So soon he will hear a soft knocking on the door. She has a cadence he can easily recognize. And just after she does this, there is the sound of thunder rumbling. For dramatic effect.
Ted Grant	There is no answer for a few moments, then Ted's gruff voice says, "Come." The door in unlocked. The lights are out. The room is dark except for a flash of lightning in the window. The only sound Clara's breathing and the drip of water to the floor. The light switch is on the right though.
Clara Jennings	"Daddy Teddy?"     That voice. She is not even trying. She sounds so small. And then she turns the light on, and he can see her. Without paper, she has nothing but her body suit, which is in a sorry state. Her hair, normally pinned back, is hanging lank on her, dripping.     She shivers and lets out a sneeze.     "Sorry to come back so late."
Ted Grant	Ted Grant is sitting in a recliner, in his costume, He is watching her intently behind his armored mask. Some vigilantes use black eyeliner to appear more menacing and better blend in darkness. Ted uses red eyeliner. It is a disturbing effect. He has his deadpan poker face. That lasts for a moment. The sneeze gets him. He takes in the wet body suit. But Ted never kicks anyone while their down... and not moving. He gets up and walks over to a cupboard, looming. It is hard to loom when you are not moving towards a person. Ted does it. He pulls out some towels, and off course her t-shirt. Then walks over to Clara and begins rubbing her hair dry. He's a little annoyed. If he was anymore annoyed Clara might be bald. "Ya never heard of a fucking Uber? Or a cab? Or calling me? Or an umbrella? What if you carried some laminated sheets around? Yer half drowned and you still should be resting!" Rubrubrubrub!
Clara Jennings	She cannot properly answer him when he's ... is he drying her hair or trying to rub her ears and face off? Still, when he uses That Word, she flinches, managing to look smaller yet. She is used to scolding, but it is a surprise.     "I am not allowed to carry a phone, and I had to dispose of my communicator because a flying man came to talk to me." Someone might be able to trace it back, after all! "Oh, and laminated.." She sneezes again. Shiver shiver. "They are very heavy and cannot bend properly."     She sighs softly. "I am sorry, I am trying to get stronger so that will not be a limitation." As in darn near everything with her, she is really good at taking blame for it.     She would try to suggest that she was okay without additional rest, but she is losing this argument badly enough. Ted does not need her to help him further.
Ted Grant	Ted Grant pushes the semi-dry hair back from her face. "I know. I saw the big mug. You take too many chances. Whatever you're doing, you need a partner!" He turns her around and aims her at the bathroom, piling the towels and the clothes on her shoulders. "Go get outta those wet duds before you catch a cold. Not allowed a phone... you are... in a cult or something. We're gonna discuss this when you aren't wet and shivering. Go get changed and I'll get you tea." He gives her a nudge towards the door and pulls his cowl back. Ted makes microwave tea, which is a punishment toan English person, then drops in the recliner. He doesn't watch to make sure she obeys. She just better.
Clara Jennings	Clara tends to be pretty obedient. To a fault. She darts off to the bathroom before Ted gets a chance to swat her on the way! And she does not take too long. Her body suit is hung up in the shower, where it won't drip all over the place. Then she can dry herself up. She would ask if there is a hair dryer, but she senses that she is pushing her luck as it is.     She opens the door and peeks out. Why she is peeking is kind of impossible to explain. Sneaking anywhere is rather absurd at this point. Clara draws herself up, lets out a sigh, and sneezes. She tries it again. It is impossible to carry one's self with any dignity while sneezing! Eventually she properly comes to stand in front of Ted, as if she were on trial.     Without prompting, she explains, "I need a phone I can carry but has no name. My usual phone is not allowed to come out when I am working. It would be too risky. I have money."     Even if Ted says nothing, she kind of wilts in front of him. She really does not handle failure very well!
Ted Grant	Ted Grant raises an eyebrow at this and says, "You want a burner phone." However, this is a sign of rebellion against her draconian guardians and he feels like this is a win for Clara and thus himself. He indicates the tea on the bale next to him and pats his leg. He also pulls down the blanket on the chair behind him. Hey the kid is sneezing!
Clara Jennings	Clara is on his leg so fast one might think she picked up a new super power. It is a relief that things are still okay, even if she does things wrong.     "Yes, a burner. Something that only we know about." Clara says it quietly, as if she were trying to keep it hidden from someone who might be listening. "I know the director and my governess can read all my messages. Well, he can, anyway. My governess and I just talk. She listens."     Her only previous experiences with a man involve knowing she has no privacy from her director, essentially. Only her thoughts remain sacred. Assuming he does not hire a mutant to grab those, too!     She takes a drink of the tea. It is hot, and it is for her. That is more important than anything else about it.
Ted Grant	Ted Grant throws the blanket over Clara as she draws in and leans into his warmth. then he gives a yelp! A yelp? Ted looks immune to pain. He bite off another f-bomb and says, "Your feet are like two blocks of ice! How do you walk on them?" He wraps the blanket under them as well. Then he settles back down and rests his chin on top of her head and smells the rain in her hair, along with tea that she sips silently. "That is the most refined sucking of tea I ever saw. You a are a veddy refined, miniscule English lady," he says in a terrible English accent. "Also, I'm giving you a B-6 and B-12 shot before bed. Keep ya from getting sick."
Clara Jennings	Clara laughs at the yelp. "Sorry, they are not usually so cold!" She keeps her hands warm on the cup of tea. Ted might really worry then! She curls her toes, trying to work some life back into them.     She keeps drinking, but his comment makes her break into giggles. "I was taught to drink like a lady. It is funny, though. When I see American women drink tea like they are..." She cuts herself off with another drink.     "Sorry, that was about to be quite rude." She does NOT say that the college girls drink their tea like horses at a trough. She just thinks it frequently.
Ted Grant	Ted Grant settles in, grabs the mug from Clara's hands as she dozes off and sets it aside. His phone rings. Stretch. "Yeah? Send her up, it's okay. Uh if she's got a bike you bring it in next to mine and treat it like a lady, same goes for the owner... dude, watch your mouth before she plugs you!" The scene unfolds: Ted Grant in his Wildcat costume sits in a recliner. A sleeping Clara Jennings in a proposterously large t-shirt is curled up on him, snoring.
Inez Temple	And up Inez comes, dressed as usual in cowboy boots, Stetson hat, and a pair of shorts, this time coupled with a crop top and a leather jacket with a waterfall of fringe along arms and yoke. She stops when she hits the threshold, eyebrows sloooowly climbing towards her hairline. "Well, now..." She says a bit awkwardly, taking off her hand and running a hand through her hair before putting it back on, "Ain't that mighty cozy... an' a mite bit awkward y' send someone up to."
Ted Grant	Ted Grant gets up, scooping up the sleeping girl. He brings her into the guest room. "It is cozy, and nothing more. She neds help and I helping her." He lays her in bed and closes the door. "C'mon, I'll get you some java. see she's in some kind of cult I'm investigating. I'm playing daddy to her, but I'm encouraging her to rebel. The more she trusts me, the less she listens to them. Anyway some guys with military grade gear tried to kill her and I was wondering could you take a job guarding her and shoot any more that come looking around?" He reaches into his tunic and pulls out an envelope. "What'll ten G's buy me?"
Inez Temple	"I'm sure she calls you daddy alright, Champ." Inez smirks, but keeps her voice down from it's usual boisterous volume for the sake of the sleeping girl. "Met 'er on NYE, lurkin' outside o' a club upstate. Poor thing, it's clear she ain't 'xactly worldly." And is there a hint of a warning furrow to the cowgirl's eyebrows at that when she eyes Ted in his Wildcat uniform? Perhaps some warning about playing cowboy and indians with the wrong little Pocahontas? And could this metaphor get any more racist? Yikes. If Ted is expecting her to turn down the money because of friendship and having necked each other once or twice, he's going to be disappointed. She takes the envelope, frowning in consideration... And her body language goes less languid and sexkitten, and more serious as she takes a seat. "Mmm. 10k'll get you 'bout 200 billable hours. Round it up t' a week o' 24/7 surveillance. Usually I take a retainer o' couple thousand an' expense t' rest out at t' end o' the gig."
Ted Grant	Ted Grant points at the envelope. "Well a week has 168 hours so that's a hell of a way to round but I'll take that. You can stay here, food and gym membership included. I kin sleep on the couch..." he starts chuckling. "Yeah right and you're Doris Day. Anyway, thanks. No, you get it all up front. I may ask you to take her shopping if we get her away, only at least, please, nothing edible. Baby steps to start."
Inez Temple	"God. If y' gunna make me stay in Gotham, there'll be a surcharge." Inez grimaces, rolling her eyes as she settles into a chair, flipping through the money. "I'll send y' my usual contract f' CPO work. Got a gig w' some friends in t' mutant scene." As far as her little warning? She snorts. "No shit, my ass is much nicer'n Doris Day." She says archly, and adds, "But I'm also upfront, Grant, when I'm just playin', an' never with someone that don't understand how it works. If y' fuck her an' break her heart, that'll be my business since I'm gunna be running protection if she throws 'erself offa cliff like that Twilight bitch."
Ted Grant	Ted Grant walks over to Inez and says, "If you thought there was any chance of me breaking her heart you'd have laid me out by now. Anyway... she... does call me daddy and means it. I'll accept that because if I tole her fuck off... she might get some sleaze for a daddy. But... you're my type -Slam Bam Thank you ma'am and get on with other shit. Oh... and your momma calls me daddy too, wiseass." He sits on the arm of her chair and pulls his cowl and mask back. "She was hanging with that dope Shazam. See what you can suss out about that and you get a bonus."
Inez Temple	"I mean, ain't seen much more'n her in your lap nekkid in y' tee while y' wearin' y' Hello Kitty Fetish-wear." Beat. "Nice ass, though. Glad t' see y' ain't skippin' leg day." Anywho. "But I'll reserve judgement until I see how she interacts w' y'." She dusts her hands off, and throws a leg over his lap as he settles on the arm of the chair she claimed, grinning at him. "Shazam, eh? NYC or she drift over t' Metropolis? An' y' said 'cult'. We talkin' 'Drink T' Koolaid And Croak' cult or 'I Married M' 12 year old Cousin' An' All I Got Were This Shirt' cult? Or 'Oh god t' demon's gnawin' in my leg!' magic cult?"
Ted Grant	Ted Grant gestures, "She's got underwear on! Ain't naked! She showed up looking like a drowned rat. What did you want me to do? The poor kid goes on missions for this cult. I'm trying to find out what but they seem to be more an organization like Hydra or AIM. Not sure about the magic... chica, any demon sees you coming will climb up on a chair and shriek. But your way with the vernacler is growing on me. You know, screw the coffee. He gets up removing her leg, slowly. He goes to a bar and returns to her bearing a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He pours her a generous libation. He sits down on the arm again and puts her leg back over his.
Inez Temple	"Boy, y' musta got y' clock rung *good* if y' think I'm peekin' up a girl's shirt when she's sleepin'." Inez gives Ted a kick in the ribs at that, and none too terribly gentle either. Even if she isn't going to send him flying off the chair. Especially when he returns with whiskey. She brightens up, grinning beneath her hat. "Aaah! Now this's what I call a good welcome." She enthuses, looking at the bottle. "I'll draw more info outta 'er." Inez pauses, and considers Ted seriously, "Listen, Ted... I ain't judgin'. What people do behind closed doors ain't none o' my concern 'less I'm there with'm. But she seems like a good egg but just a chillun, an' someone needs t' think w' their head." And she gives his... thigh... a light whack with one heel in emphasis. Good thing she left the spurs at home, eh?
Ted Grant	Ted Grant shakes his head. "I deserve that. I been known to nail anything in a skirt. But listen, since you're being serous a minute... I messed up a lot of relationships. I got some kids out there don't know me. It's one reason I done a lot of charity work for kids and social work. So maybe she got dumped in my lap so I could make up for it. I'm thinking with my head. I give you my word. I want to help her. She's a sweet girl. You got let me work her some more, my way. I'm getting results. These assholes don't allow her to have a phone... but baby girl asked me for a burner phone, she's finding some backbone. We're gonna help her... and stop hitting me ya tease!" he tips her hat down.
Inez Temple	"Never heard o' givin' someone backbone by bonin'm." Inez teases, and gives him one last nudge with her foot across his cheek before she calms down... As much as Crazy Inez ever does. "But I'm t' last person t' throw stones fer daddy issues." She smirks and leans in to hand him the bottle, playfully withdrawing it for one last sip if he accepts it. "But like I said, I gotta bit o' a mission t' do later'n the week down in Madripoor. Ain't nothin' that lil' girl needs t' see, either. 'Less y' got more friends in t' Tights Brigade?"
Ted Grant	Ted Grant says, "Well finish Ay-Sap. I can watch her a while. Ya wanna stay here tonight, shitty weather for dressing like a pole dancer. Yeah she don't have to see nothing... uh, she's a meta. Can manipulate paper, cut things, make killer origami. This is between us. We got confidentiality. Anyway, finish yer contract and give me that bottle. I need a sip." his concern is written on his face. Also his thirst. He abruptly tries to yank her boots off. Those kicks sting a little.