IC Inbox III

[ukan]

This is Lark, leave a message.

Comments

[ukan]

I did, we were both inmates. He was well behaved, I was a menace. Hard to say who influenced who in the end.

[citizendetective]

Well, you're a warden now, so...

[She shrugs.]

Is your husband Alec?

[ukan]

How'd you know? [Amused]

[citizendetective]

You're Lark Tennant, he's Alec Tennant - at least, according to you on the network. But according to the Admiral on the pairing announcements last month, he's Alec McDowell, so I'm guessing he changed his name and the Admiral hasn't caught up yet.

[Deductive reasoning!]

[ukan]

McDowell was never a real name. Tennant is. We even have it on our marriage license, which is the first legal document he ever got to sign.

Are you married?

[citizendetective]

Not married and not dating anyone. Totally single. Is McDowell an alias?

[ukan]

Something like that. He's had a lot of names that were temporary.

What's your type?

[citizendetective]

Interesting question! If you weren't married I'd think you were hitting on me, haha.

[She bends and picks up a dried leaf, crumbling it in her fingers.]

Um... let's see. Tall, muscular... good legs, good hands. Smart. Interesting... funny. Oh, gosh, what else; let me think. Why do you ask, anyway?

[ukan]

When I get bored I like to play matchmaker.

[citizendetective]

[She blinks in surprise, and turns back to study him, trying to suss out whether or not this is a genuine answer.]

Really?

[ukan]

[it's hard to tell. He's smiling, but that could be for many reasons]

I've had a lot of time on my hands.

For what it's worth I'm terrible at it.

[citizendetective]

Well, I already have an acquaintances-with-benefits situation, and my main priority is my friends at home, so--

[She gives a shrug, smiling cryptically herself.]

That's just as well! Anything else would end in tears.

[ukan]

Tell me about your friends back home.

[citizendetective]

[Oh boy, she doesn't need to be told that twice. She lights up.]

Sure! I've just recently gotten back into contact with three of them, actually; Shauna and Taissa have lived in the same area as me for a while, but they are married with kids, so they're pretty busy, and we couldn't really hang out much before now.

[Also Shauna literally cut contact with her and told her to lose her number, but details.]

So these days it's me, Nat, Shauna, and Tai. We've all known each other since high school. Nat's really cool, she's like this, um-- you know those people who really, honestly don't care what anybody else thinks of them? She's like that. Tough and cool and punky and badass on the outside, and really vulnerable and raw on the inside, but not in an insecure way; she's just, like, made of raw nerves. And Shauna - Shauna's a lot more buttoned up. She comes off as quiet and kind of mousy, but oh my gosh, I have seen that woman let loose and--

[Misty chuckles a little.]

If it's directed at you, watch out. And then Taissa's like a rock, you know, in the middle of the river, just standing strong and making everything either flow around her or break on her. Really forceful. It's no wonder she got into politics; she actually just won her state senate election.

[ukan]

The Senate? You're well connected. How did you meet these women?

[citizendetective]

High school. We were on a soccer team together. They were players, and I was the equipment manager.

[Which she sounds very proud about even now, two and a half decades later.]

[ukan]

You didn't like to play?

[citizendetective]

I never tried out.

[She says, shrugging.]

I liked being the caretaker. That's where I'm comfortable. You can see why I'd like to work in the infirmary!

[ukan]

I do, but I think you're missing the opportunity to help in new ways.

[citizendetective]

Okay, give me some examples.

[ukan]

Maintenance always needs help, especially with how often people burn down or tear up the Barge.

I could use some help on some side projects.

[citizendetective]

What kinds of side projects?

[ukan]

Let me ask you something. When everything we need is handled--food, water, shelter, medical care--what do people need next?

[citizendetective]

Safety. Protection.

[ukan]

What sort of protection can we hope for here, from each other? Knowing what you know about how this place works.