15959/Walkies

Walkies
Date of Scene:	07 January 2024
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Kate and America take Lucky out for some needed exercise. Doggo shopping is planned because it's declared that Lucky is cuter than Kate and deserves new toys and outfits.
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Bishop), Miss America

---

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
The thing about co-parenting a dog is that they do need to get plenty of exercise. Lucky being the adorable mutt he is can't really just sit around and swipe left over pizza and watch his stories on the TV. Even if the weather still kind of makes getting out prohibitive.

Sometimes he actually has to get out of the house and run those calories off.

And with Hawkeye the elder off doing Hawkeye things, that leaves it to Hawkeye the younger. Kate Bishop to brave the colder weather, picking the first not so snowy and frosty day she can to brave the Park.

Wearing a snug but very warm purple parka and dark blue jeans. And likely layers yet under that. Sure the parka matches Lucky's coat. It's adorable but that's a thing when rich girls fawn over puppers.

Gloves, scarf, and a beanie in gray finish the accessorizing while a sports bag stays slung over her back. Sure it contains her quiver, bow and a few other hero type things. But it also has important things for walkies. The scooper, bags, spare tennis balls for the spring loaded launcher.

Which is being used to lob one slobber stained ball in an arc for Lucky to chase after. A darker blue and green, which is actually easier for anyone to track when it lands in a snow bank. Though that was never a problem for Kate, she had other colors as well in case of differing environs.

It's not a challenge for Lucky either since the balls smell like his slobber.

Miss America has posed:
Exercise is important. Even for dogs.

ESPECIALLY for dogs who eat the dangerous amounts of pizza that Lucky the Pizza Dog eats.

This is true even during (ESPECIALLY during) the winter season when the weather is plummeting and the carbo-loaded foods are plentiful. You might need to layer up, but you'll be happy you did.

Or, you could be America Chavez and ignore both things because you can, inviting seething jealousy the world over.

There's not so much jealousy today, though, as there are the odd look or two thrown the curly-haired Utopian's way: dressed in navy blue short-shorts buttoned up along the sides and her typical star-spangled sneakers, she doesn't bother to cover her legs with anything as the winter chill nips at her skin -- not even especially long socks!

She does, however, where a red hoodie emblazoned with a star-spangled shield under her denim jacket, though, so that's something (??).

Blue beanie hiding some of that thick mane of dark brown hair from the world mostly for the sake of fashion than function, America is currently joining Kate on her walks -- mostly because, in her words, 'Sure. Lucky's alright.' which to her is a glowing endorsement.

Watching as Kate loads up a tennis ball into a launcher and fires it across the chilly heavens, America arches a single brow, tracking the descent of that flying ball.

"You really gotta get him new tennis balls," she notes, with a frown. She's seen those balls. Even -she- knows they're potential health hazards, and she's been to the Trash Universe!

"Aren't you supposed to be rich?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
The tennis ball flies and Lucky chases after it at full tilt. Though missing an eye even his depth perception suffers for it. So when he gets close to the snowpile it landed it he skids after it a scooch too early and flings snow everywhere before chasing it again.

Kate with the launcher chuckles and watch the pup and every so often turns her blue eyes to her taller human friend. "I've got a few in the bag. I go through them myself when I practice hitting moving targets. But our little guy gets attached to toys sometimes and that includes bouncy projectiles. So her gets to play fetch as long as they're safe." There's a part of her home made target range down in the basement of her building that has a few tennis balls pinned via arrows.

"They'll get replaced eventually when slob and dirt get caked on too much you can't clean them." the brunette explains.

This one likely won't make it home.

Lucky soon has his quarry and starts trotting back to the women. "But familiar scents are handy when vision is hampered. So balance of accessibility versus safety. I don't throw sticks either. We don't want him doing that and then thinking an arrow is a stick." She does worry a lot about the not so little guy.

Miss America has posed:
Hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket, America watches as Lucky bounds, a soft snort flaring past her nostrils.

"Pretty sure half those balls are biohazards already," is her dry, teasing retort.

"Upscale him a bit. Get one of those super science balls." -Are- there super science bouncy balls here? She considers, and then changes her stance:

"Or just, y'know. A better one."

It might be for the best that none of them ever find out what warcrimes superscientists could make out of tennis balls.

But as Lucky trots back, America considers Kate's words for a second, before ultimately shrugging; once Lucky is close enough, she drops down into an easy crouch before him, offering him a far warmer smile than she offers to, well -- just about most people.

The fact that she's -smiling- is rare enough!

"You're not gonna chew on an atomic arrow, are you, big guy?" she wonders, her voice a more gentle sort of deadpan.

And here, she holds out her hand palm up, in offering to Lucky to drop the ball into it.

"Cute matching outfits, by the way."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Pretty certain anything I get for him can become unhealthy after a while. Drool and Dirt can only wash off so much. And making sure anything he swallows isn't gonna wreck him. And isn't left lying around. He's due some new toys for home, so we can go shopping for them together if you wanna pick something out for him yourself." Kate considers and does actually agree with America before making another going out invite.

The pooch happily fawns over America with the ball in his mouth. Kate already pulling a tissue to wipe it and America's hands clean if she tries to retrieve the ball. At least once he lets it go into that hand to boof and snuggle against the pan-planar woman. "Lucky totally loves his Aunt 'Meri" she says and grins with her head aimed down at the pair.

The outfits do get a soft laugh to go with a grin. They also earn America a good view of Kate twirling on the spot like a model. Sure she's tall and pretty enough. The whole being a socialite thing did leave some impressions on Bishop even if she normally tries to avoid it. Which is usually the only way to get Kate to wear a dress. That or gunpoint. "Gotta keep styling and flying the Hawkeye Flags. Think he wears it better than me!" she admits defeat when it comes to cute doggos.

Miss America has posed:
"He better," America Chavez asserts firmly.

"I'm a fucking delight."

Ball relinquished, America takes it in one hand; the other is busy ruffling Lucky's head in understated affection before the stoic young woman rises smoothly onto her feet once more. She rolls one shoulder, than the other, and then eyeballs the horizon as Kate talks on the impossible hygiene of dog toys.

One eye is closed in consideration of distance as Kate makes her offer for toy shopping.

"Mm," exhales the Utopian. "Yeah, okay."

Simple as that.

And just as simply, America hurls that ball not a second later; it goes flying, though thankfully not until it's a twinkle in the distance doomed to crash cataclysmically into the moon. No -- America measures her strength to get a fair bit more distance than the launcher, to give Lucky a good workout, before she turns her dark brown gaze back on Kate, one brow lifted as she twirls. Lucky wears it better than her?

"Yep," she states matter-of-factly. "No contest."

She turns to face Kate fully, expression as poker-faced as the greats save for the ever-so-slight hint of a smile.

"But you do okay. You know. A-Tier."

Because a good friendship is defined by the ribbing that occurs when someone's tee'd up at the bat for it, of course.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Chica, you get no complaints from me!" Kate says back with a wink. Once more Lucky is wagging his tail and watching the ball in America's hand before she lets it fly. A gentle throw decidedly when someone could throw a tank into orbit.

Though even Kate herself could out throw the launcher, if not to even a fraction of America's capabilities. The launcher designed so if it hit a kid or dog, even they wouldn't be hurt if one ran in the path.

Blue eyes keep watching on Lucky sprinting off. He sees and smells the ball but it'll take a bit to catch up with it. "I think he drools less than me as well when I sleep." which is likely very true but it's kind of hard to be scientific about that. "When Lucky gets back, we'll go grab some corndogs. I saw a stand a little ways back. Guy deserves a hot snack running around in all that cold. Should probably find some booties for those paws when we hit the stores." she suggests and hmms back to America, adding another grin and wink.

"There's probably a doggo fashion montage in our future!"