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It takes a long time to get the smell of the sewers off Lucy's skin. Laura looks miserable and, by morning, Lucy is a bit desperate. Eventually, she resorts to burning the smell off — after a fashion — by taking the bracelet off down in the cellar and lighting herself up as bright and as hot as she can. When she's clean, a few rare bruises show on her. Those rocks were thrown hard.
"Better?" she asks Laura when she pops back into their apartment. "I hope it worked this time." She stands there, wrapped in a towel, waiting to be inspected.
*
« Seems fine from here. »
That's not Laura. Jono's sitting in the window with a leg left to dangle outside, and thankfully, perhaps, that's where the young brit's eyes currently are: he's peering out at the neighborhood through half-lidded eyes. Not at the mostly-naked young woman who has just wandered back into view.
He stopped by his own room downstairs to freshen up and change clothes, but notably, he has no bothered replacing his scarf. His face — or lack thereof — is in plain, fiery view.
*
ROLL: Karolina +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 49
*
Poor Lucy, she's probably going to have to endure it, too. Laura bounces a pillow off the back of Jono's head on her way to inspection. "The smell, yes," she concludes, holding one of Lucy's arms up for a closer inspection. Bruises. Frown. "I hope someone regrets these," she notes in a sort of offhandedly-ominous fashion. She is of course not put off by Jono dropping in. One of these days she'll learn how privacy is supposed to work. Maybe.
*
"Not enough," Lucy says, a little petulantly. She manages not to drop the towel when she's startled but she's resentful nonetheless. She submits to the inspection, then reaches out for Laura's hand. "I'm glad you weren't there, though. It would have been bad if they'd pushed too far." Too far, like hurting her. "Sorry I didn't get the milk. I can try again."
*
Jono makes a non-vocal « owf » noise when the pillow bounces off the back of his head, and that is what causes him to shoot a vaguely sour look over his shoulder. « What was that — » Blonde in a towel. The words cut off abruptly and he blinks twice, looking for what is probably a little too long before quickly turning his face back towards the view outside. He is not flustered. He refuses to be flustered. « Y'should stay put where it's safe. I can run to the shop if y'need it. »
*
Laura decides Lucy hasn't incurred any particularly worrisome injuries. Thus satisfied, she lets the girl have her hand and pecks her cheek lightly. "It is fine. You should let us handle it, though. No one would notice." She, or at least some(most?) of her, is a trained super-assassin, after all.
"In any case, I am glad both of you are alright." She was somewhat suprised to discover that was true of Jono. But he's likeable enough. Quiet, most of the time.
*
"We can't kill people who are annoying, though…" Lucy squeezes Laura's hand, kisses her cheek in turn. "Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be strategic. I'm glad you're all right, too, Jono. I was worried about you — maybe I should have let them have at each other and pulled you out. Maybe I should next time."
Next time. "I'll go get dressed," she says, heading to the little walled-off alcove that's their bedroom. "You shouldn't be out and about, Jono. They could really hurt you." She doesn't know better.
*
To be fair, neither does Jono.
« As long as I'm not bein' surprised by a whole bloody mob, I'll be fine, » Jono says in a low grumble, running both of his hands back over his hair. Once Lucy's voice is that slight little bit muffled by the alcove's wall, he glances over his shoulder again, letting his eyes settle on Laura. « But, er. Thanks fer worrying. »
*
Laura giggles a little at Lucy's response before letting her go. It still sounds a little out of place with her. Less than it used to. "I meant they'd never even see me. But either interpretation is true enough," she allows, depositing herself into a corner of the room's couch, where she has a book she's been working through.
*
"People are on edge," Lucy says. She's already bagged and discarded last night's clothes, more's the pity. Once she's wriggled into some appropriate Fall clothing, she emerges again.
"Did you know that man from last night? The pretty one who was with you?" Not that Jono isn't pretty, too. Once you get used to Jono's face, it's kind of interesting. She can't imagine him looking any other way.
*
The true travesty was the death of Jono's beloved leather jacket. He feels vaguely naked without it, but he knew damned well that the stink was not going to come out. At least he can afford to replace it, assuming he can get out of the bloody neighborhood long enough to do it. In the meantime… t-shirts. In November. This is fine.
Jono gives Lucy a rather flat look at the response, head cocking to one side. Someone was pretty? « …d'you mean the bloke who got us out? » he hazards, his brow furrowing. « No. Never seen 'im before. The screaming ginger neither. »
*
Laura doesn't have anything to add to their conversation, so she settles into her reading. At least until something in her book bothers her and she makes a vaguely disgusted noise.
"I do not believe this person understands their own intent. The hare's failure is lack of focus, not speed. 'Slow and Steady' does NOT win the race. 'Unable to complete an objective in a reasonable timeframe when factoring in one's abilities' loses an otherwise easy race. Those are not the same thing." She makes a face. One gets used to this kind of non-sequitor from Laura. Eventually.
*
"The older man, the red-head, could have been nicer." Lucy pouts slightly, remembering the criticism. "Then again, I am still terrible at fighting."
Lucy comes over to kiss the top of Laura's head and give her a hug over the back of the sofa because Laura trying to work out how normal people work is adorable. "Teaching average children not to rush is more important than the other stuff. Most people never learn the things you did, which is good, because it means they're worse at fighting and such than I am." She lets go of Laura with a heavy sigh, mostly at herself. "I guess we can have tea without milk for now," she adds, before going to put the kettle on.
*
« Could have let us get our arses kicked too, » Jono notes in a non-commital voice. « Beggars can't be choosers, luv. »
From his perch in the window, Jono peers towards the pair with a somewhat odd expression. It's difficult to figure out what it is, exactly, with only half a face to work with and a churning bit of psionic fire where the rest should be. But between Laura's critique of Aesop's fables to the notion of a proper cuppa (that he, alas, cannot partake in)… there's a lot going on for him to absorb, here.
In the end, Jono quietly 'huh's and settles a very thoughtful look on Laura.
*
Laura is used to being eyed strangely, so it doesn't bother her that Jono's doing it. She frowns, absorbing the explanation. "Tea is good either way," she opines, and then adds, "It would be better if they learn to finish what they begin regardless of the speed with which they do it. There is a better lesson in this story than is being offered."
That said, she frowns, but still flips the page. She does, however, offer an opinion on the other topic. "Combat is not the time to be nice, Lucy. It was probably for the best."
*
"Just being critical when someone is doing their best is counterproductive," Lucy protests. "No matter when it is. Either suck it up and take what someone has to give or tell them how to do it better. Good advice counts as nice, no matter how it's given." She runs hot water into the teapot to warm it, then rummages for the box of tea.
"That said, I am a little tired of being the one who doesn't know what they're doing out there."
*
« You could try just… staying out of trouble, » Jono suggests, but his tone of voice is resigned. He knows the reaction he's going to get, but someone has to try and be a voice of reason, here. And it damned well won't be the girl with knives in her hands who can't correctly grasp the meaning of children's stories.
Jono is developing some very confusing, conflicting opinions about his new neighbors. He loosely folds his arms over his chest, just beneath the base of the flames. « But I thought y'did fine. »
*
"Trouble is very likely to come looking," Laura notes mildly. "Otherwise I'm sure we would." And then her eyes slide over to Lucy. "You are learning quickly. But it takes time. We only know of two people likely to know enough about what you can do to make it faster, and I don't believe they are an option. So we are left being the tortoise, one supposes."
*
"I was going to buy milk," Lucy points out reasonably. "And I wouldn't have stopped except people were hurting each other. I really don't like using my abilities on people."
She looks slightly queasy about that, actually, as the thought that she might end up like her parents crops up. Maybe they started out being decent people, too. Maybe they just got used to doing whatever needed to be done — and whatever needed to be done eventually ended up being sacrificing children on a regular basis. Queasy turns to miserable very quickly.
"But you're right. I should be more careful," she says to Jono.
*
Jono does not miss the dip in Lucy's mood. It would be difficult to, with how bright and bubbly that girl's default seems to be. His brow furrows slightly and he shifts where he sits, still in the window but bringing both legs inside, putting his back to the neighborhood.
« I mean, defend yerself when y'have to. But do keep yer head down. Playin' hero's a good way t'get hurt. » Jono's not trying to be unkind or anything. Just practical.
*
Laura doesn't miss the shift, either, and deals with it in the fashion she's kind-of learned how. Which is to say, she sets her book aside, gets up, and drapes herself against the back fo Lucy's shoulders the same way Lucy did with her just a bit ago. "It sounds like you did fine. Sometimes you're going to step in. Even we do that from time to time," she points out.
*
"Things are getting worse out there," Lucy says miserably, turning her head so she can nose Laura's cheek like a puppy looking for reassurance. "Time to time is going to be all the time if this keeps up. I don't like how it feels," she admits. "Sometimes I feel like anything I do would be okay if only things would just stop. Why are people so awful?"
She doesn't expect Laura to have any answers but it would be nice if someone did. "I don't want something to happen and you — for them to have a reason to find you. Or stop you. I just want us to be normal and happy. You don't even know what that looks like."
*
Laura may not have answers, but Jono does. Or, well, he thinks he does. He slides to his feet, turning around to close the window behind himself to banish the chill. « People are inherently selfish and afraid, and it makes them do stupid things to anybody they can convince themselves it's safe to do them to, in order to make themselves feel better. » There isn't even any judgment in his tone, or resignation. It is what it is.
Jono rubs at his own arms as he wanders further inside, trying to warm back up. Skinny may be fashionable but it isn't terribly insulating. « I probably don't want an answer t'this question, » he says slowly, peering towards them through half-lidded eyes. « But who's lookin' fer you, and what would they be stopping, exactly? »
*
Laura gives Lucy a little squeeze of support, then turns to Jono, looking throughtful. She has spent some time working out how to explain this properly. Others may have helped. "I was created and raised by a government black project seeking to produce and market living weapons with unusual abilities. They are not very good at retaining assets," she says, matter-of-factly.
*
Lucy figures if Laura trusts Jono enough to say, that's good enough for her. Laura would tell him it was none of his business if she didn't want to say. "That's why I was worried," she explains to Jono. "And why I wanted to go home."
"It's probably stupid, but…I didn't want you to realize something was wrong and come to find me, not with people being so violent and unreasonable out there. I didn't want you to think I was in danger," she admits to Laura. "I didn't want to ruin anything because I couldn't just keep walking."
*
Hands tucked into his pockets, Jono keeps that same half-lidded stare aimed towards Laura and Lucy as they explain, silent for a long moment. « … right. My fault for asking, » he muses dryly, slowly shaking his head. Well, whatever. « Though I s'pose that makes about as much sense as anything does around here. »
*
Laura patpats Lucy on the head, while she shrugs at Jono. He asked, and it is what it is. "You worry too much," she informs Lucy seriously. "I would come looking to make sure, but it is expedient to pass unseen and unbothered in such situations. The objective, remember. Engaging in unnecessary conflict with another matter to hand is what hares do," she notes with a slight, wry smile.
A pause, and she looks thoughtful. "We should acquire a telephone. Then you could have called."
*
"I do worry. I wasn't thinking clearly. I was upset." Lucy exhales slowly. "A telephone would be a good idea but it's a bit expensive. I'll get smarter about these things, I promise. I could have spent time doing things a lot more productive than cheerleading that would come in handy right now." She turns a little more so she can look at Laura's face. "It was easier when we didn't have a nice little life to be ruined. Not that I'm sorry. Just. It was a bit easier because I didn't exactly have a favourite sidewalk grate to sleep on."
*
Jono casts a brief look around the apartment before peering towards the pair again. He can't sigh, not really, but his shoulders slowly rise and fall as if he had. « Right. Well. Crisis averted, lessons learned, » he says, giving a dismissive wave with one hand as he starts for the door. « I'll let the two've you be confusing in peace. And if I see any black vans or blokes in suits outside, I'll try t'run 'em off. »
*
Poor Jono does not escape without being intercepted by Laura, who takes a brief break from comforting Lucy in her own, admittedly strange, way. He gets a brief hug, because… okay, Laura's still working on social cues, really. "Thank you for helping, Jono. You did not have to. Just let me know if you see something of the sort. It would probably be better not to catch their attention, if they ever turn up at all."
*
"Yes, Jono has as much to worry about as anyone. Maybe more." Lucy doesn't know what's happening with Jono but he's probably "useful" to someone. "You should be careful, too, Jono. We'll help you if you need it, too, you know."
*
This is unexpected. People do not just hug him anymore. Jono is caught entirely off-guard when he finds himself with a Laura wrapped around him, however briefly, a very quiet « wot » sounding in her head as he awkwardly tries to keep his chest away from her without dislodging her.
This, somehow, seems to have him even more flustered than seeing Lucy in a towel did.
« Oh. Erm. Yer welcome. I'll be careful, » Jono promises, blinking as he slowly backs the rest of the way towards the door. « I'm usually good at keeping me head down. Was just a spot of bad luck yesterday. Not usually dealing with mobs. »