(no subject)

[trickswithsticks]

Leah could, if she wanted, call up any number of people and ask them to do her a favour by giving her a lift to the farm.

She chooses to take a cab because that's one step closer to independence, and she's weird like that.

Which is why, one afternoon, said cab pulls up alongside the farm and deposits a blonde woman in sunglasses and carrying a white cane, who tips generously before it heads off. She takes a few seconds to orient herself before heading up the path towards the farmhouse.

She's hoping to find a person in particular, but anyone who gets in her way will be spoken to.

Comments

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

Val is sitting by the pond, arm-wrestling with Spots. This is an activity that involves a lot of splashing and a lot of tentacles. The sound of her laugh might or might not be familiar; she's only spoken to Leah just the once, after all.

[trickswithsticks]

And Leah's not got Babs' memory. Still, there's laughter, and she's addicted to laughter. Careful as she ventures off path onto icy mud, she follows the noise.

"Whatever you're doing sounds amazing."

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

"Looking after my brother's kraken. Spots, say hi."

Spots says: "burblebrblub Hi! blublublrbl"

[trickswithsticks]

"Oh good," says Leah, with a bemused smirk. "There's a Kraken. Hi, Spots."

She stops couple of metres away - not out of rudeness or anything, but because she's pretty sure there's a lake or pond she could accidentally fall into nearby, and she's not planning on tempting fate.

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

Spots waves, sprinkling everyone with droplets of cold salt water. Val laughs.

"Guess you're new around here, huh?"

Because you can only walk past the salt pond so many times without meeting, or at least glimpsing, the kraken.

[trickswithsticks]

"Well, I live in Metropolis," Leah says, waving vaguely in that direction with the hand that's not holding her cane in front of her. "I don't visit that often, though.

"I'm Leah."

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? Val. Good to meet you."

[trickswithsticks]

Thoughtfully, Leah hazards, "with the shiny tentacles?"

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

"--Yeah. What, do I know you from somewhere?"

Normally people don't have to ask about the shiny tentacles when they're already on display. This is the point where Val notices that Leah is blind.

[trickswithsticks]

"I'm friends with Rach and Babs," Leah offers. "Actually, I'm kind of here to talk business with you, if you've got the time?"

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sure," she says absently, retracting most of her tentacles and patting Spots on the head with a splash.



...'Rach and Babs'? A few things click.

"Hang on. Innovator?" She laughs. "Oh, man, don't tell me. Rachel's got you in on the flesh city gig?"

[trickswithsticks]

"Guilty as charged!" Leah says with a quick laugh. "To both, actually. You don't mind?"

[selflesslight.livejournal.com]

"Nah, saves me figuring out how to work Stevie's radio again. I was gonna ask you myself. So what's up?"

(in case you wanted her to talk to him)

[neraiutsu.livejournal.com]

Some time after the thread with Val, Neil can be found sitting out back of the bunker, looking at his robot. There's an empty plastic bucket perched beside him on the edge of the low roof, and his fingers are drumming absently on the rim.

[trickswithsticks]

Leah's hanging out at the farm for now, intending to spend the afternoon exploring. Right now, it includes a track around the bunker, her cane running in smooth motions across the round in front of her, touching the wall at the far left of every swing.

She hears his drumming long before she gets close enough to talk. But then, he probably see her approach, as well.

[neraiutsu.livejournal.com]

Whhen he glances up and sees her, the drumming stops. Not for any dramatic reason; he's just temporarily distracted.

[trickswithsticks]

Not that Leah really knows why it stopped.

She smiles. "Hey, I interrupting anything?"

[neraiutsu.livejournal.com]

He laughs. "Just my boredom. Can't say that I mind."

[trickswithsticks]

Leah, who hates boredom, is glad for that.

"I'm Leah," she says, slowing as she draws closer to him, and eventually placing her hand on the bunker wall.

[neraiutsu.livejournal.com]

"Neil," he offers in return. "Nice to meet you."

[trickswithsticks]

"The Neil with the great big fucking robot?"

She pauses to find herself a place to sit on the bunker - it probably means poking his thigh a couple of times, sorry - and heaves herself up like a swimmer getting out of the pool.

[neraiutsu.livejournal.com]

He's too busy laughing to mind.

"Yeah, that's me. Let me guess, you got my name from Val?"

[trickswithsticks]

"She's got a way with words."

It's true, and it's one Leah approves of.

"I've got experience in field tactics, so I got talked into coordinating the Detroit shenanigans."

[neraiutsu.livejournal.com]

"All right."

What he thinks, and keeps to himself: damn is he ever glad Val isn't running this show.

[trickswithsticks]

"I just need the specs on the 'bot, then," she says. "Can't play chess if you don't know how the knights move."