shatterverse | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Chicago: still crumbled, still broken. Expedition Katara skirted it without needing to consult.

They've found a quiet field, sloping gently down to the shores of the lake. It's dry enough to set up camp again, all of them thankful to be finally out of the cars.

Katara is sitting by the water's edge, watching movement in the water, quiet and thoughtful. She hasn't said more than two words to anyone since the encounter with the cannibals, since healing Mel.

Steph, as per usual, is anything but quiet, chattering to Hana about everything and nothing as they set up the fire in preparation for roasting whatever the hunters find. Loo still won't leave Mel's side and Hana is grumpy about it, but willing to be distracted.

There's lots to be done now that they've finally reached their goal.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"She did." Babs does not feel the need to point out that Mel did not.

Mel hasn't been much for talking to anyone about anything since then. She does, however, assume that Steph told Babs more than she did, and therefore comes to the wrong conclusion regarding why she is calling.

"I'm OK, Oracle."

Babs knows when she's stumbled into something interesting. Which is why she takes half a heartbeat to make sure her ignorance doesn't come through in her voice when she responds.

"If you're sure. Just... if you ever want to talk about it? Well, I've heard it helps." Not that Babs subscribes to that theory for her own problems...

"My brother's here," Mel points out. "And I don't have anything to say in front of my daughter, anyway."

The last thing she wants to do is to start talking about what happened to Erin while Loo's listening. The kid's already upset.

"Sure you have a lot to say though, right?"

"Heh. Only when I'm feeling maudlin or preachy." Babs snorts, it's an odd sound through a voice distorter. "You know me..."

"...yeah," Mel confirms. "You never call someone up just to check how they're doing. Feeling maudlin or preachy today?"

Loo struggles out of Mel's legs, only to fall over and start crying, until she's pulled into a hug.

"Not today," Barbara snorts. "I try to steer away from those two when I can."

Which means Mel's neither going to get a pity party nor a telling off for revenge - which she personally doesn't think it was.

"So you buzzed 'cause you're worried about Steph?"

Not this time, at least.

"All of you, really. I mean, I can't imagine this trip would be easy under the best of circumstances." Which these definitely aren't.

Barbara can't see the shrug. It's not likely she can hear it, either, with the steady flatness Mel's been maintaining.

"Gotta be done. 'Sides, it's good to get out of the farm sometimes."

"I can imagine," Barbara says not-quite-wistfully. "Run into anything else interesting out there, or has it been pretty quiet?"

Mel has no pity for Babs. She'd just tell her to get out anyway, in her chair.

"Nothing we couldn't handle," she says. "Couple people we sent towards the farm, few monsters and beast-types. Just enough to keep us from being bored."

"Boredom. There's something I don't really remember. Not since I got here, anyway." Not that Barbara minds... precisely.

"Higher threshold than me," Mel decides. "Or you've not read the caterpillar book as often."

"I've definitely not read the caterpillar book as often," Barbara laughs.

Mel laughs too, but there's not mirth behind it.

"I'm going to have tasks for you when we get home."

"Oh?" Babs sounds curious even through the voice distortion. "Do I get a preview now, or do I have to sit on the edge of my seat until you get back?"

"I can tell you that it starts with an apple and two pears."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only