(Untitled)

[npwa]

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

Sitting. Watching.

Smoking.

Mostly thinking, though.

Comments

[clockwork_son]

It's the kraken pond. Naturally, there is (after, let us say, an hour's pause) Gabriel.

His unconsciously adopted attitude around people he doesn't know is submissive and apologetic, so it's no surprise - or shouldn't be - when he greets Lenore with a shy smile and a wide berth of polite avoidance. No offense meant. He just doesn't know if he's going to have to drop the ham and run when she sees his face.

[npwa]

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."

[clockwork_son]

"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.

[npwa]

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?"

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph has a baby! Steph loves babies.

Not so much the kraken ones, though. She's helping Hana toddle around on the snowy grass. (The little girl's footprints steam.)

Upon spotting someone else out there, Hana tries to lunge at her, and ends up being saved from a fall by Steph's grip on her hands. "EEEEEEE BAAAAA!"

"Hey, no, stop that. The nice lady doesn't want you biting her."

"FAAAA!" Hana's eyes are on the smoke, and she lunges again happily and protests loudly when Steph doesn't let her. But they toddle slowly over to say hi to Lenore.

[npwa]

Blink.

There are babies here?

"Uh."

Lenore smushes the cigarette into the ground. She knows better than to smoke around kids.

"... hi."

[i_spoiled_it]

Hana watches the cigarette fall -- and with it goes her face, big gold eyes filling with tears and tiny lips turning down.

Steph picks her up and tries to comfort her, bouncing her on her hip. "Hi! I'm Steph, and this is Hana. I haven't seen you around ... I think?"

[npwa]

... oops.

"Probably not," she says, eyeing the pair.

"I'm Lenore."