(no subject)
I don't even know. Behind the cut lies steampunk!Wasteland fic. Enter at your own risk. It's all fryadvocate's fault anyway. See?
Anna shut the door behind her, carefully twitching her skirts to one side. It was getting colder out, and she had taken to wearing increasingly awkward layers. They would have to work out some more efficient source of heating. Perhaps one of the...gearheads at the shelter could help. She hesitated to use the term, but since they called themselves that, she could hardly protest on their behalf.
"Daniel? I'm back." No reply.
He hadn't been working in the yard, or even with the horse. She was outside, cropping the dead grass eagerly enough, her two metal limbs not impeding her progress at all. He wasn't in the front hall, examining their exotic collection of potted plants. Nor was he in the amphitheater, fiddling with any of the dangling wires and looking for parts to trade. Daniel always claimed he didn't have much of a head for mechanics, and would be of little use in town. But you couldn't get food out of steam engines, as Anna told him again and again.
That left only one place. She knocked quietly on the door, opening it only when a muffled reply came from the other side. "Again?" she said in a tone full of sympathy (and a certain amount of worry).
"Sorry I didn't hear you come in," was Daniel's only reply as he sat up, nudging the dial on the oil lamp to cast a better light. "It's good that the walls are thick here, but-" He broke off coughing, one hand over his mouth, the other arm curled around his ribs.
"You should go and see the doctor again," Anna said, frowning at the reddish flecks that appeared on his lips.
"The lady doctor despairs of my presence and reminds us that she cannot cure consumption. We're lucky these are enlightened times, or she might give up and declare me a vampire. I'll likely be better in a week anyway."
"You don't have consumption," Anna said, "anymore than the 'lepers' wandering the streets have leprosy. Leprosy doesn't make you yearn for the flesh of the living." She sat down next to him, gingerly reaching out to touch his forehead with the back of her left hand. "It's another one of the plagues, to be sure. You wouldn't have lived this long with it, otherwise. I'll go into town all the same. The least I can do is get you some tea."
"I'd be obliged." He laid a hand on her right arm and smiled when she didn't snatch it back. "Take the horse if you want, she'll carry you."
"Daniel, I've seen her stomp on lepers and snap at animus alike."
"She may be contrary, but she knows I trust you." There was an awkward pause.
"You shouldn't."
"Anna-"
"Daniel, you barely know me."
"We barely know each other."
"You might have liked me better before," she said in a rush. "I know I did. I was a poet, did I ever tell you? Before they make me like this. Like a weapon."
"It keeps you safe," Daniel said, staring just over her shoulder at the wall. They hadn't had words like this before, but it had been building for a while. He would be just as happy to let it lie, so long as she kept coming back. The two of them spent a few moments looking anywhere but each other.
"I'd best get into town, if I'm going," Anna finally said. It was a peace offering, for now.
"Be careful." She nodded as she stood, brushing off her skirts and heading for the door. "Anna?" She paused. "Did you reload?"
Pursing her lips, Anna made a sharp gesture with her right arm. Gears clicked and twisted and metal strained, until he was looking at the shiny metal of a gun barrel. With her left hand, she flicked a switch, opening the ammunition port. It was full of bullets.
The door closed hard behind her, and it was quiet again.
Anna shut the door behind her, carefully twitching her skirts to one side. It was getting colder out, and she had taken to wearing increasingly awkward layers. They would have to work out some more efficient source of heating. Perhaps one of the...gearheads at the shelter could help. She hesitated to use the term, but since they called themselves that, she could hardly protest on their behalf.
"Daniel? I'm back." No reply.
He hadn't been working in the yard, or even with the horse. She was outside, cropping the dead grass eagerly enough, her two metal limbs not impeding her progress at all. He wasn't in the front hall, examining their exotic collection of potted plants. Nor was he in the amphitheater, fiddling with any of the dangling wires and looking for parts to trade. Daniel always claimed he didn't have much of a head for mechanics, and would be of little use in town. But you couldn't get food out of steam engines, as Anna told him again and again.
That left only one place. She knocked quietly on the door, opening it only when a muffled reply came from the other side. "Again?" she said in a tone full of sympathy (and a certain amount of worry).
"Sorry I didn't hear you come in," was Daniel's only reply as he sat up, nudging the dial on the oil lamp to cast a better light. "It's good that the walls are thick here, but-" He broke off coughing, one hand over his mouth, the other arm curled around his ribs.
"You should go and see the doctor again," Anna said, frowning at the reddish flecks that appeared on his lips.
"The lady doctor despairs of my presence and reminds us that she cannot cure consumption. We're lucky these are enlightened times, or she might give up and declare me a vampire. I'll likely be better in a week anyway."
"You don't have consumption," Anna said, "anymore than the 'lepers' wandering the streets have leprosy. Leprosy doesn't make you yearn for the flesh of the living." She sat down next to him, gingerly reaching out to touch his forehead with the back of her left hand. "It's another one of the plagues, to be sure. You wouldn't have lived this long with it, otherwise. I'll go into town all the same. The least I can do is get you some tea."
"I'd be obliged." He laid a hand on her right arm and smiled when she didn't snatch it back. "Take the horse if you want, she'll carry you."
"Daniel, I've seen her stomp on lepers and snap at animus alike."
"She may be contrary, but she knows I trust you." There was an awkward pause.
"You shouldn't."
"Anna-"
"Daniel, you barely know me."
"We barely know each other."
"You might have liked me better before," she said in a rush. "I know I did. I was a poet, did I ever tell you? Before they make me like this. Like a weapon."
"It keeps you safe," Daniel said, staring just over her shoulder at the wall. They hadn't had words like this before, but it had been building for a while. He would be just as happy to let it lie, so long as she kept coming back. The two of them spent a few moments looking anywhere but each other.
"I'd best get into town, if I'm going," Anna finally said. It was a peace offering, for now.
"Be careful." She nodded as she stood, brushing off her skirts and heading for the door. "Anna?" She paused. "Did you reload?"
Pursing her lips, Anna made a sharp gesture with her right arm. Gears clicked and twisted and metal strained, until he was looking at the shiny metal of a gun barrel. With her left hand, she flicked a switch, opening the ammunition port. It was full of bullets.
The door closed hard behind her, and it was quiet again.