(no subject)

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

A black Ford F-350 pickup truck moves along a narrow unpaved road towards the Cooper Farm. The exterior is a mess of cracked glass, dents, bullet holes, scratched paintwork and mud spatter, but it seems to be running smoothly. In the back, a more pristine-looking motorbike is held in place by bungee cords and a large pile of duffel bags, gas cans and other outdoor survival gear. There's also a tool box behind the cab, containing a sizable arsenal of guns, explosives and ammunition, and one very hi-tech bow. It's clear that this vehicle has been on the road for quite some time.

Jamie's at the wheel, keeping a sedate speed and tapping along lazily to a Steve Miller Band song. Eleanor is dozing in the passenger seat, feet up on the dashboard.

Since their arrival and subsequent alien encounter in Nebraska eight months ago, the two of them have conducted a fairly thorough tour of the United States: northerly parts in the fall and warmer climes during the winter. In that time, Jamie has learnt how to drive automatics and stick shifts, and Eleanor has figured out what his 'episodes' are, and how best to control them. They've roughed it at times, at others they've taken advantage of civilian abandonment, and there've been plenty of monsters, fights and adventures along the way. It was only a few days ago that Jamie accidentally tuned in to Barbara's automated radio transmission and discovered the existence of the Kansas safe-zone. They decided to check it out.

The truck hits a deep pothole as it enters the main yard of the farm. Eleanor's head thumps against the side window, jarring her awake.

"...Ow," she mumbles, eyes still closed. "Nice road. Are we there yet?"


[OOC: Two pups, two muns. Tag either or both.]

Comments

[land_lover]

Eyes on the windshield, Jamie pipes up just long enough to sing "I'm a grinner, I'm a lover and I'm a sinner" in a loud, smooth voice as he lets the truck roll to a stop and idle. He's of the opinion that 'The Joker' suits him. Eleanor's heard a lot of that song lately, though she's gotten quite good at distracting him long enough to grab her iPod back.

"We're somewhere," he answers, draping one arm over the steering wheel and turning his torso just enough to grin at her, apparently unconcerned with what they might find when they exit the truck.

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

Eleanor stretches languidly and pops her neck. She then yanks the auxiliary lead out of the truck's stereo, remorselessly cutting off Jamie's anthem mid-refrain.

"Seriously," she mutters.

After a shake of her head and a quick check of the pistol in the nearby cupholder, she peers through the spidery windshield glass, taking in their latest surroundings.

"Huh. It does look pretty civilized around here. Maybe it isn't a trap after all."

She sounds a little disappointed.

[land_lover]

Well we can't have that, can we?

"You're the cutest thing that I ever did seeeeeee," Jamie continues, looking unrepentant at both needling her and skipping a few lines to do it.

The next line, of course, goes without saying. Or singing. He's laughing too hard at her face to finish it, anyway.

"Steve Miller must have been a great American poet," he adds solemnly, hand at his heart and lips twitching. "Shall we look around?"

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

"Mmmhm. If you ever want to shake my tree again," Eleanor deadpans, "you'll stop torturing that damn song around me."

For what it's worth, there's a hint of amusement behind her dry gaze. Taking up the gun, she opens the passenger door and hops out, affording Jamie a nice view of her peaches en route.

"Let's do it."

[land_lover]

"Lady, you wound me. I've been told my singing voice rivals that of Josen the Bard. Mind you I never did ask the lass if she was referring to before or after Josen was kicked in the throat by his donkey."

Jamie addresses that last bit to the steering wheel, frowning slightly over the memory. Moments later he laughs it off and palms the keys, then opens the truck door, kicking it in the bottom right panel as he pulls the handle. The driver's side had taken a direct hit in Mississippi. Now it sticks.

Only when he's finally standing outside does he look around. "Could be promising," he decides.

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

"You're so full of shit," Eleanor snorts, mostly in response to the joke.

"Daytona Beach was promising, up until the harpies attacked. And you said Tucson was promising too, right before you fell into the Sarlacc Pit."

She pauses in order to snicker at that memory.

"So, yeah, I don't care how the place looks. How does it feel?"

[land_lover]

"That's because you took off your shirt," he points out, coming up beside her and tucking a piece of blond hair behind her ear. "Which is, incidentally, why I wasn't watching where I was walking."

His grin suggests he has no regrets. They both managed to get away. Eventually. After she fished him out.

Considering her question, Jamie rubs at the day-old stubble on his chin. "It feels like we aren't alone, but I don't see anyone."

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

Eleanor swats half-heartedly at his hand once the hair adjustment is complete.

"That's no excuse," she replies. It was hot. She wasn't stripping to distract him on that particular occasion. "You shouldn't have been ogling me when we were supposed to be doing a recce."

In his defense, the pit was covered and camouflaged. He probably would have fallen in anyway.

She scans around the area.

"Maybe there's someone in the barn," she suggests, waving her gun at the nearest open building.

[land_lover]

"Then, by the same token-"

He hooks his thumbs into his faded black t-shirt and pulls it away from his chest.

"-you probably should have seen that walking Venus Flytrap last month."

Though he occasionally acts like one, Jamie is no fool. He and his large smirk quickly take two large steps toward the barn. Once he's out of her reach, however, the smile slowly fades and he drops down to run his fingers over a patch of dirt.

[divisiblebynone.livejournal.com]

With the weather warming up (and possible disaster on the way), Clark is working on the farm. Which is why there's a man with a plow strapped to his shoulders making his way smoothly down the fields.

But seeing newcomers to the farm, Clark makes his way over with what he thinks is a reassuring smile. He's not very good at reassuring.

The fact that he's shirtless, and his chest is scarred with the 'Superman' S probably doesn't help much.

[land_lover]

Jamie has come to accept that here, in this bizarre dream of a world, possible disaster is always on the way, every direction they turn. And with that acceptance comes a certain calm; some things just can't be changed.

If he allowed himself to think of everything that was wrong rather than handle each new development as it arises, he'd go mad.

There's something of this single-minded focus on his face as Clark approaches. The smile and the scarred chest are noted and put aside for later thought. It's the plow and Clark's very presence that capture his attention.

He lifts his hand in a wave, aware, as always, of Eleanor at his side.

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

Eleanor watches the man's approach as well.

"Yummy," she murmurs, guiltlessly.

The chest scar is more familiar to her than it probably is to Jamie, and it goes some way towards explaining the feat of strength with the plow. Having an Olympian father and a Fable for a mother, and having spent a fair amount of time in Milliways during her youth, she's not too fazed by fictional character meetings.

There's a easy smile waiting for him when he draws close. "Who needs a tractor when you have Superman?"

He might not be Superman, of course. But she took a shot.

[divisiblebynone.livejournal.com]

Oh, he's Superman all right. The only real Superman, damn it. Clark leans on the fence, studying the two. An interesting couple all right. "Welcome to the Ke- Cooper farm." He knows it's not his anymore.

[land_lover]

There's the faintest of smiles at Eleanor's reaction, but Jamie's eyes are still watchful. If she's going to be distracted, he'll need to be the one looking for hidden trouble.

Again, his lips twist in a grin.

"Thank you. We heard the broadcast." He glances at the plow. "Are you Cooper?"

His voice goes a bit hoarse over the name, as he can't help but think of George.

[divisiblebynone.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm Clark" offering his hand. "I just, uh, generally do the hard work around here."

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

Seems like Eleanor was on the right track.

"Clark... Kent?" she ventures, grinning now, but not entirely ignoring Jamie.

[divisiblebynone.livejournal.com]

"That's right." He turns his gaze on the girl, almost absently peering through her clothes to see what she may be hiding. X-ray vision is a blessing. "Have we... met?"

[hippos-purros.livejournal.com]

Should they happen to look over at their vehicles at some point after they arrive - not a long time, but not a short time either, but instead somewhere in between - they will notice a woman wearing dark red jodhpurs, a lighter leather jacket, and matching riding boots, kicking the tyres of the truck thoughtfully. For someone who seems to have been riding, at least judging by her attire, she looks remarkably un-ruffled - not one hair on her (red, what else?) head is out of place.

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

That truck has gotten Jamie and Eleanor out of some seriously tight spots. And Eleanor has put a lot of work in under the hood to keep it running. The last thing she wants is someone messing with it. Or with her bike. So she wanders over.

"Um. Hi. Can I help you?"

[hippos-purros.livejournal.com]

No need to worry, there's no messing.

Red turns and leans on teh side of the truck, eyeing the other woman from under her eyelashes. Black-cherry-red lips purse into an amused smile, framing dentist-perfect white teeth (although no dentist has ever seen the inside of her mouth).

"Maybe you can," she drawls, seemingly thoughtfully.

[land_lover]

The sight of a red-haired woman makes Jamie's heart turn over in his chest, no matter that she's too tall, too beautiful, too much. He freezes in place, lower lip caught between his teeth, until she turns and-

(Red like fire, red like blood)

-he sees the woman's face. It's nothing like his mother's. Nothing like you'd expect to see on someone who has lived to adulthood and been marked by life, as all humans are in one way or another. And yet there's something about it that draws Jamie in, makes him want to touch that red hair and ask-

Ask what?

Air hisses out through his teeth as he stares. It's weird, but he feels like he should know her.

[alls-fair-in.livejournal.com]

While not as striking or well-maintained as her mother's, Eleanor's golden blonde hair starkly contrasts all that deep red. In her opinion, there's something too perfect about this woman. She doesn't comment on it yet though.

"Okay," she responds, patiently. "We're new here. What's up?"

[hippos-purros.livejournal.com]

If you could look any way you wanted, would you not want to appear perfect? Red does.

She taps one forefinger slowly against her lower lip, appraising both of them. Hm. She can't really lay a claim to either of them - the boy is a peace-lover, and the girl - well. She's more interesting, but someone else already has a claim on her. Which is a real let-down, because War could really get into that hard-hitting attitude. The package it comes in would just be a bonus. Pity, they're a couple of cute kids and she'd enjoy setting them on a rampage and leaning back to watch the show.

"Not much, this place is dullsville," she says, shrugging.

[land_lover]

He is a peace-lover, which makes the chaotic images flashing through his mind all the more confusing. And disturbing, because there's a thrill under the usual shock and horror. He'd been learning to deal with this weirdness, compartmentalize the things he sees so he can sleep at night, but something just busted that wall wide open.

His vision goes red, like a spray of blood across broken glass, and he shakes his head to clear it; it doesn't help much.

"Who are you?"

[hippos-purros.livejournal.com]

"The name's Carmine, but most people call me Red. I don't mind either."

She pushes away from the side of the truck and cocks her head at him. There's something intersting going on behind those pretty eyes of his, but she's not sure what. And that makes him fascinating - which isn't always a good thing around War.

"How about you two?" She asks. "I mean, I don't mind calling you Gorgeous and Sexy," flicking her eyes from one to the other, "but I'm assuming you have given names?"