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Lenore has been out back by the kraken pond for some time, now.

Sitting. Watching.

Smoking.

Mostly thinking, though.

See, she thinks he's being distant because of the cigarette.

"If you don't like the smell," she says, eyeing him, "you can just tell me to put it out."

"Huh?"

Oh. Right. She's smoking.

"I didn't even notice," he confesses, shaking his head. "I don't mind at all."

Okay, no freakouts or accusations of murder forthcoming. It is therefore safe to leave the bowl of ham bits by the side of the pond and sit on a convenient rock, watching the water for signs of Spots.

She's almost done with it, anyway.

After one final drag, she snuffs it out on a nearby rock, then turns her attention to the... bowl of ham.

"It eats ham?"

"Yes?"

What else is it going to eat, Lenore? Huh?

"Weird," she remarks, looking at the lake.

"Is it friendly?"

She hasn't actually seen the thing, yet.

"Very."

The grin can only be described as proud-fatherly.

"His name is Spots."

And he's somewhere between pet and interspecies adoption, leaning heavily towards the latter.

This is when Lenore stands and carefully walks to the very edge of the lake, peering into the murky water.

"Are there any other lakes like these around here?"

"It's not a lake, it's a salt pond," says Gabriel, because he's a pedantic ass. "I don't know if there are any lakes, I've never looked, but this one was made by my-- my friend. For spots."

GODDAMMIT HE ALMOST SAID MY BOYFRIEND'S SISTER WHY WHY.

The panicked inner flailing doesn't show as much more than a blink and a slight blush.

Eyebrow.

"Uh, okay."

Beat.

"I'm Lenore."

"Gabriel."

He... tries to look friendly?

Just not very successfully.

It's okay, Gabe.

Lenore's not good with the friendly thing, either.

"And let me guess. You're from some galaxy I've never heard of, right?"

"No. Unless you're from some galaxy I've never heard of, that is."

With an apologetic smile, "I was born in New York."

"Maine. Moved to D.C. when I was two."

Gabriel nods.

"This is the farthest I've ever been from Queens, myself. This whole world, that is-- I showed up in California."

Soft smile.

"Which is where I met Spots."

"I showed up in some city near here," she says. "Came here with a kid. Bridgette."

"I haven't seen her."

Shrug.

Any kid who's not Spots has a slim chance of garnering Gabe's attention.

"Neither have I, since we got here."

Beat.

"Kid's got some weird... gift or something. She can talk to dead people."

...huh.

"Huh," says Gabriel, intelligently.

"I don't think that's the weirdest thing around here, to be honest."

Amidst the kraken and the girl with tentacles and the jetpack and the CASTLE WITH A BOAT STICKING OUT OF IT.

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