She didn’t let it show.  Instead, she smiled and started walking, hands clasped behind her back, darts clasped in one hand in case of trouble or ambush.  The gorilla crossed the yellow line and sort of half-ran, half-loped to catch up, move beside her.  It slowed to a plodding, gentle walk.

“Hi, I’m Lily, and I like long walks along suspended strings together with girls riding 12-foot-tall plush gorillas.”

Flechette was secretly relieved.  She knew she’d manage for the duration of her stay, now.  She’d made a connection, even if it wasn’t with someone on her team.  She wasn’t in this alone.

😀

“So, you’re a fashion student?” she asked.

I hope you both have a good time! 🙂

Cute, the thought struck Flechette.  Funny to think she’s older than me.

She’s totally into her and it gets more obvious by the paragraph.

“Nice to meet you, Sabah.”

“I’m still not letting you over the line,” Sabah warned.  She looked so small, up on the gorilla’s broad shoulders, the threat held little gravity.  Maybe, Flechette considered, it was intended more for Sabah than for her.

Hehe. Yeah, gotta stick to the deal, even if the would-be intruder is cute and gave you her number.

“Okay,” Flechette donned her visor once more, “But maybe you want to walk with me?  Do a patrol of the perimeter of your territory?  I’ll stay on this side.”

Gotta hand it to Flechette, she’s kinda smooth.

Sabah put her mask back on, and for a second, Flechette thought she would say no.

“Okay.  Thank you.”  Parian dropped her legs down to either side of the gorilla’s neck as it moved forward. To stay decent, the girl pressed her hands down on the lap of her dress, leaning forward a little.

This is the most romantic situation I’ve ever read about with one party sitting on top of a twelve feet tall gorilla.

It was a little thing, that bashful modesty, but Flechette felt as much of a rush watching that as she did running across her chain/tightrope with a five-story drop below her.

Yeah, the narration isn’t even trying to be subtle about it anymore. 😛

I need people I can trust, she tried to convince herself, even as she knew she had other reasons.  Stuff like this could get her in serious trouble with the Wards.

Other reasons, eh? 😉

And qualifying Parian as someone you can trust this much might be a little hasty, but she does seem trustworthy.

Parian hesitated, then reached up and removed her mask.  Though her clothing style was western, her wig all blonde curls, her face was dark, middle eastern.

I guess that’s what you call multicultural.

Maybe. She could be entirely western, culturally, despite having Middle Eastern ancestry.

There were bands of metal extending from the edges of her face to the middle of her cheekbones, her chin and her forehead.  Mounts to keep her mask in position?  She had full lips and large, dark eyes. “Sabah.”

That’s a nice name. Quite… royal.

“I hate fighting.  Hate confrontation.  Even this, being here, having just thought I might have to fight you, fight anyone, it makes me feel edgy.  My teeth are chattering and I’m not even cold.”

Aw.

“You faced down Leviathan.  You did better than a lot of people.”

True, but that doesn’t mean she liked it.

“Do you know how long it took me to get my head together?  To actually step up and help?”

“But you did.  You stepped up.  Give yourself credit.  You’re strong.”

I don’t really think this is about ability.

“I want this to be over.  I’m so, so scared that someone’s going to come and try to loot this place and I won’t be able to do anything.”

“You’ve got my card.  I can’t promise I’ll arrive immediately, but I’ll be staying at the Wards headquarters, which isn’t too far.”

“I’ve got your back.”

I like these two.

Parian nodded.  Quietly, she spoke, “That helps a lot.  More than you know.”

“And I can come by on my patrols, if you want.  Check everything is okay, give you an update on what I can do about supplies.”

Yeah, Flechette is totally into Parian. She’s practically coming up with every excuse she can to spend more time with her at this point.

The gorilla lowered his raised fist, reached forward with palm upturned, and Flechette fished in her belt for her cards.  Slightly damp, but readable.  She placed it in the center of a sopping wet hand crafted out of black denim.

What isn’t slightly damp or sopping wet in Brockton Bay right now?

The gorilla’s palm was surprisingly firm.  Hard.  Its shape was a little too humanlike, in comparison to a real gorilla, maybe.  Not that it mattered.

Nice. I guess Parian wouldn’t necessarily have had the chance to study a real gorilla hand.

“Okay,” Parian spoke, as the gorilla handed her the card.  Her voice was a little softer.  “Phone lines are down, but cell phones work around here.”

Sounds like Parian’s becoming more at ease, which is good. 🙂

“You guys need anything here?  I don’t know what the situation is with supplies, just got into the city a few hours ago.  Don’t know how that stuff is being distributed, but I could see about making sure you guys have something.”

Parian sat down cross-legged on the gorilla’s shoulders.  “Yeah.  We’re low on fresh water.  This stuff we’re wading in has too much salt content, and you couldn’t even boil it clean if you wanted to, I don’t think.”

Ironic, isn’t it. All of this trouble is caused by a kaiju bringing in too much water, and the one thing they find themselves lacking is water.

It makes a lot of sense that tap water would be out of order, given Leviathan’s ability to easily fuck up the pipes even without the sinkhole.

“Okay.  Fresh water.”

The doll girl shifted her weight to put the card in the front pocket of her lacy apron, fumbled with it.  Flechette spotted a tremor as the girl put the card away and moved to clasp her hands in her lap.

Nervous? Or maybe sick due to some other deficiency?

She’s shaking.

“Hey?” Flechette asked.

I suppose cold is another option…

“What?”

“Seriously, are you okay?  You holding up?”

Parian turned, looked behind her, as if checking anyone was listening.

I guess she doesn’t want any of the residents she made the deal with to hear her complain/vent.

And I’d almost definitely win, Flechette thought. You may even know that, but you’d fight me anyways.

She certainly seems like the type to.

“Okay,” Flechette replied, trying to sound reassuring, “I won’t step over the line.  I heard you were around here, you’re one of the only recognizable faces for me here, I thought I’d stop by, see how you were doing.”

Yes, good 😀

“Coping,” Parian answered.

“Good, good,” Flechette sheathed her arbalest, hoping the rogue would feel safer.  “Look, I’m here if you need anything.  If people make trouble and you’re not strong enough to protect that neighborhood there, or if you need resources that you couldn’t get otherwise, like names or medical services, call me.  Can I give you my card?”

“I’m a hero.  Member of the Wards.  I’m in town for a little while.”

“Doesn’t matter.  I made a deal.  Me, my friends and my family get a place to stay here, a fair share of the food and water.  In exchange, I keep people from entering.”

Oh, I see. That seems like a reasonable way to survive as a rogue in these circumstances.

“I’m a hero,” Flechette stressed the word.  “I’m not going to cause trouble.”

That word doesn’t always count for as much as it should. Hell, just look at Shadow Stalker.

“I don’t know you’re telling the truth.  Nothing saying you couldn’t be lying.”

“I have ID.”

Parian shook her head.  “It doesn’t matter anyways.”

A deal’s a deal.

Anyway, Flechette, you came here to see Parian. If she won’t let you in, maybe you should ask her to come out? Or just stay where you are.

The frocked rogue climbed up to stand on top of the gorilla’s shoulders.  She added, “I made a deal.  I’m keeping to it.  One hundred percent neutrality.  You trespass, I fight you.”

Fair enough!

“Stay back,” Parian warned.  She peeked out from behind the gorilla.  Her mask, a doll’s face, was smudged, and a crack ran from the corner of one eye to the ear.  She wore a frock, different than the one she had worn for the Leviathan fight, but it was wet, dirty, and some of the lace had torn.  There was a wood chip in the damp golden curls that were otherwise too perfectly coiled to be real hair.

Huh, I like that last detail.

“I’m staying back,” Flechette assured the girl.  “Remember me?”

“Yes.  You talked to me before the fight, pulled me away from that horrible little girl.”

“Yeah,” Flechette smiled, shrugging.  She stepped forward.

Right, Parian was stuck in a conversation with Bambina.

“Back!”  Parian called out.  The Gorilla slammed its knuckles against the ground again, then lurched forward, one fist raising as if to deliver a massive punch.

Flechette obeyed, backing up another two steps, hands raised.  The gorilla’s fist stayed where it was.

Nobody’s harmless at a time like this, and Parian seems rather aware of that herself.