002. there's no place like home

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

It's one of those absolutely beautiful days when the sky outside is clear blue for a change instead of grey and the rain from the night before actually cleaned things instead of adding to the layer of grime.  Outside, the people passing on the street don't seem quite as in a rush or beat down as usual and there's a feeling of faint relief in the air, almost as if you can inhale deeply and it will be okay.  Down one of the quieter streets, there's a building with a sign over its front door that proudly proclaims itself to be Seventh Heaven.  The door's locked and the sign on it reads 'closed'... but just to the side of the building, tucked away and private, is a little garage attached to the side of the building.  That door is wide open to let the fresh spring air into its cramped interior.

It's a small space and a great deal of it is taken up with stacked boxes and bits and pieces of things that might be useful items or just might be junk.  There's a washing machine and dryer tucked into one corner and that area is the only neat one in the entire place.  A child's bike and a faded ball lay near the front of the open garage door.  What takes up most of the space however is a monster of a motorcycle, glistening black as a beetle's shell after a rain storm and even parked it looks like speed on wheels.  The air is full of the smell of oil and wax and a hint of gasoline.  And there's a long, lean pair of legs sticking out from under the back of the bike where it's been cranked up, the soft sounds of metal on metal coming dimly from underneath.  There's a tool chest nearby and a decent amount of dirty rags to show that this has been an ongoing process.  Somewhere back through the closed door on the wall that connects this with the rest of the house the faint sound of a radio can be heard playing.  The body attached to the legs under the bike might, or might not, be humming - poorly - snatches of whatever song it is that's playing.

Comments

[lilgreasemonkey.livejournal.com]

[ She laughs. ] I know my way 'round but the last piece of tech I touched 'fore today was on Serenity. An' her engine's bigger'n Fenrir here.

I don't wanna go makin' a mess outta him so there ain't nothin' wrong with a lil' demonstration.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

[her laugh wins the smallest of grins from him, a feat in itself and he shifts over to where the spark plugs are on Fenrir.]

It's easy.

[a practiced move of his long fingers and one of the plugs is loose. Cleaning it is a quick process and then it's back in place again with a simple motion. He hands her the cleaning rag and steps aside, obvious open invitation to take over.]

[lilgreasemonkey.livejournal.com]

[ She watches intently, a part of her still marveling over how tiny some of the parts on Fenrir are. She's always doing something on Serenity and is used to crawling into very confined spaces to go ripping at something as big as her arm. ]

Real easy [ she agrees as she accepts the rag and steps into place. She gets a plug loose and sets to cleaning it. ]

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

[his guess was right. She obviously knows what she's doing and it makes him smile just a little bit how comfortable her hands look dealing with the plugs. With a grunt and a nod, he shifts around to the other side of Fenrir and slides himself under it again, back to messing with what he was before. His voice doesn't have to raise to carry from the bottom of the giant bike.]

What are you in Edge for?

[lilgreasemonkey.livejournal.com]

[ She carries on with the task. It doesn't phase her to talk while working. She does it all the time on Serenity. Or she'll be sitting somewhere on the ship tinkering with some part she's aiming to fix up, just chatting away. Her hands are steady. ]

I was just walkin' for a spell. Don't get a lot of chances to do that.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

[her airship must have put down close to here, he guesses. It makes sense. Edge might be a mess - but it's still the largest city on the planet. If she hasn't heard of Rocket Town than she must be new and since he's never heard of Serenity, he guesses the ship is too. Cid's probably already heard of it but Cloud thinks he'll enjoy mentioning it to the pilot anyway. Because if he hasn't heard about it yet, the reaction will be worth it all.]

There's a lot to see. They're putting up new buildings every day as people come back to the city.

[and then, not because he's social but because he likes the sound of her voice, he prompts himself to ask:]

See anything interesting while you were walking?

[lilgreasemonkey.livejournal.com]

Come back? [ She tilts her head a bit as she looks down at the little plug she's cleaning. ] What made 'em all leave in the first place?

I did notice that when I was walkin' along. All the buildings lookin' shiny an' new. Or newer than the stuff 'round them. 's a lotta activity goin' on.

[ Her hands still stay steady as she speaks. It's obvious that, despite working on a vehicle she's never seen before and talking with someone who's only a new acquaintance still, she's completely in her element. ]

That's 'bout all I saw. I didn't go in shops. Don't got 'nuff cashy money on me for much. But I like watchin' all the people' goin' 'round anyway. 's real fun. Tryin' to guess their stories. Where they're goin'. Maybe they're gettin' all dolled up like 'nara when she's headin' out with a client for a party.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

[he has to blink, staring up at the underside of Fenrir. What made them leave...?

He thought Nibelheim was backwater but to have no idea about what Meteor did to Midgar...?

Before Meteor ShinRa had been the only group to have enough money to build an airship. Maybe she'd been part of a crew stashed somewhere in the corner of the world and unaware of what was going on outside. Coming back now with no idea and trying to integrate must be hard. He'd mention the second airship to Reeve later tonight. For the moment though he was far too relaxed and comfortable with his new companion to worry about employees of a dead company.]

City was mostly destroyed when Meteor almost hit. Everyone's rebuilding now.

[her talk of making up stories for strangers had him smiling a little to himself as he worked the wrench to loosen one of Fenrir's bolts. Why did that sound familiar?]

There's a stool if you'd like to sit. Who's Nara?

[lilgreasemonkey.livejournal.com]

Well that ain't too nice at all. 's good the folk are comin' back though after all of that. People movin' on an' up.

There is? [ She looks around until she finds it. After carefully setting down her things she goes to scoot the stool closer to where they are. She makes sure she's good and settled on it before getting back to work. ] Xie-xie.

Oh Inara's on Serenity too. She's a bona fide Companion an' rents out one of the shuttles so she can entertain her clients. Some real rich men ... an' women too!

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

['ain't too nice' is an understatement but it doesn't see inappropriate when she says it. He also doesn't understand the chiming sounds she makes once he's heard the stool being dragged over but there are a lot of things she's said that he hasn't exactly understood and so he just rolls with it. He's never heard of a 'companion' as a job. Is that like a nurse? ]

Life is tenacious.

[and precious because of that]

What's a companion?

[lilgreasemonkey.livejournal.com]

Oh a Companion can be a bunch of stuff to their clients. Some of the men just like talkin'. Others have her escort them to real fancy parties. 'nara can play a bunch of instruments an' dance.

There's the real good sex too.