Lucinda wanders through the houses Drummer and Twist marked, picks up books and flips through them, weighs jewelry in her hands, shakes out packs and cartons of cigarettes from the NCR and some of the more lax border towns, dumps all the matches she can find into her matchbox.
Hears a brahmin behind one house, so she goes out to refill its feed trough and check its water tank.
As dawn breaks, Photo and Birdy head back to camp Twist and Runner escorting them. Drummer, Tooth, and Burn squat in front of the saloon, mouths shut, rolling the ceramic dice and marking their bets on their grid in the dirt. Tooth and Burn both have an ear toward the saloon, and Drummer stands to walk a circuit around the salon again, check the locks.
Lucinda paces the front gate, entertains herself by spitting bits of half-chewed jerky into the air for her bird.
The legionaries top the hill in the late afternoon, and Lucinda hails them. Drummer scuffs out their betting board, Burn tucks the dice away in a pouch around her neck. Tooth settles her back against the door.
Burn and Drummer putter over to Lucy’s place in the gate, watch the men approach. Tuck themselves out of the way as they get closer, settle against the wall to the left. Lucy stands in the gateway, arms crossed on her chest, her bird settled on the back of the sentry chair.
“Ave,” the decanus yells, when he’s close enough.
“Ave,” Lucinda calls back, drops her arms and inclines her chin.
“You had no trouble?” the decanus asks.
“None,” Lucinda agrees. “There’s one, perhaps, you need to watch, but most of them are frightened farmers. There’s a doctor, an old woman. Good knowledge, valuable asset, my scout said.”
One of the legionaries behind the decanus scoffs, a tiny snort, a flick of his eyes like he’s trying not to roll them. A couple of the other legionaries shuffle and glance at each other, try not to grin.
Lucinda doesn’t respond, but behind her Burn and Drummer glance at each other. Burn gestures with one hand, low, off to her side, out of sight of the legionaries. Tooth, on the saloon steps, snorts and rolls her eyes, exaggerates the movement so it can’t be missed.
“Where is your scout?” the decanus asks. “I want hi--her report.” Even the decanus’s face twists as he corrects himself.
“She’s back at our camp, resting. Doctor’s orders.”
“Weak,” the same scout snorts.
Lucinda’s jaw twitches, but she doesn’t say anything to him.
“The tall blonde woman is the one you need to watch for, she’s alone and she’s one of the guards on the road. Most likely to cause you trouble.”
“Thank you, Lucia,” the decanus agrees. “We’ll take it from here.”
Lucinda nods, waves Tooth over. Steps aside so the contubernium can trickle into town, Tooth keeps herself close to the wall as she walks to Lucinda, keeps herself out ofthe way of the men, who jostle and push at each other, bang elbows and shoulders, bounce off each other. Burn and Drummer lean closer together; Drummer digs her fingers into Burn’s jacket pocket.
“Let’s go,” Lucinda says, voice low, waves Tooth and Drummer and Burn ahead of her. “Let them deal with the town now.”
The other women nod, lead the way back toward camp. Drummer and Burn split, a few steps outside the gate, drift to either side until Lucinda leads and Tooth trails behind,
“Hey, Boss.” It’s Drummer who breaks the silence, voice rough.
“Yeah?” Lucinda asks. Turns her head just enough to watch Drummer from the corner of her eye.
“How d’you do it?” she asks. “How do you not let the personal things get to you.”
“Don’t let it get personal,” Lucinda replies. “The minute it’s personal, you’re fucked.”
“What if it is personal?” Tooth asks.
“Then stop being that person,” Lucinda replies.
“Can’t stop being me,” Drummer replies.
“Sure you can,” Burn murmurs. “Can always stop being one person so you can be another.”
“You got it,” Lucinda agrees, holds up her arm so her bird can land.
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timeasmymeasure
Say They Fear Her (f!courier/siri) (dubcon, referenced noncon) (22/?)
Date: 2016-03-18 02:30 pm (UTC)Lucinda wanders through the houses Drummer and Twist marked, picks up books and flips through them, weighs jewelry in her hands, shakes out packs and cartons of cigarettes from the NCR and some of the more lax border towns, dumps all the matches she can find into her matchbox.
Hears a brahmin behind one house, so she goes out to refill its feed trough and check its water tank.
As dawn breaks, Photo and Birdy head back to camp Twist and Runner escorting them. Drummer, Tooth, and Burn squat in front of the saloon, mouths shut, rolling the ceramic dice and marking their bets on their grid in the dirt. Tooth and Burn both have an ear toward the saloon, and Drummer stands to walk a circuit around the salon again, check the locks.
Lucinda paces the front gate, entertains herself by spitting bits of half-chewed jerky into the air for her bird.
The legionaries top the hill in the late afternoon, and Lucinda hails them. Drummer scuffs out their betting board, Burn tucks the dice away in a pouch around her neck. Tooth settles her back against the door.
Burn and Drummer putter over to Lucy’s place in the gate, watch the men approach. Tuck themselves out of the way as they get closer, settle against the wall to the left. Lucy stands in the gateway, arms crossed on her chest, her bird settled on the back of the sentry chair.
“Ave,” the decanus yells, when he’s close enough.
“Ave,” Lucinda calls back, drops her arms and inclines her chin.
“You had no trouble?” the decanus asks.
“None,” Lucinda agrees. “There’s one, perhaps, you need to watch, but most of them are frightened farmers. There’s a doctor, an old woman. Good knowledge, valuable asset, my scout said.”
One of the legionaries behind the decanus scoffs, a tiny snort, a flick of his eyes like he’s trying not to roll them. A couple of the other legionaries shuffle and glance at each other, try not to grin.
Lucinda doesn’t respond, but behind her Burn and Drummer glance at each other. Burn gestures with one hand, low, off to her side, out of sight of the legionaries. Tooth, on the saloon steps, snorts and rolls her eyes, exaggerates the movement so it can’t be missed.
“Where is your scout?” the decanus asks. “I want hi--her report.” Even the decanus’s face twists as he corrects himself.
“She’s back at our camp, resting. Doctor’s orders.”
“Weak,” the same scout snorts.
Lucinda’s jaw twitches, but she doesn’t say anything to him.
“The tall blonde woman is the one you need to watch for, she’s alone and she’s one of the guards on the road. Most likely to cause you trouble.”
“Thank you, Lucia,” the decanus agrees. “We’ll take it from here.”
Lucinda nods, waves Tooth over. Steps aside so the contubernium can trickle into town, Tooth keeps herself close to the wall as she walks to Lucinda, keeps herself out ofthe way of the men, who jostle and push at each other, bang elbows and shoulders, bounce off each other. Burn and Drummer lean closer together; Drummer digs her fingers into Burn’s jacket pocket.
“Let’s go,” Lucinda says, voice low, waves Tooth and Drummer and Burn ahead of her. “Let them deal with the town now.”
The other women nod, lead the way back toward camp. Drummer and Burn split, a few steps outside the gate, drift to either side until Lucinda leads and Tooth trails behind,
“Hey, Boss.” It’s Drummer who breaks the silence, voice rough.
“Yeah?” Lucinda asks. Turns her head just enough to watch Drummer from the corner of her eye.
“How d’you do it?” she asks. “How do you not let the personal things get to you.”
“Don’t let it get personal,” Lucinda replies. “The minute it’s personal, you’re fucked.”
“What if it is personal?” Tooth asks.
“Then stop being that person,” Lucinda replies.
“Can’t stop being me,” Drummer replies.
“Sure you can,” Burn murmurs. “Can always stop being one person so you can be another.”
“You got it,” Lucinda agrees, holds up her arm so her bird can land.
Drummer snorts, but doesn’t argue.