LOG: Sarah and Darcy
Apr. 7th, 2022 08:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsSarah wanders outside and runs into Darcy. There's sun, there's cookies, and there's no drama.
Spring was briefly visiting, or perhaps it was actually here to stay. Darcy wasn't sure which, but she was absolutely certain she wanted to take advantage of it and get some time outside. Sunscreen was applied, then snacks, tablet, and blanket were added to her bag. She made her way downstairs, bypassing the more common gathering areas and making her way to the boathouse. Darcy plopped down and tipped her head back after she found the perfect spot for her blanket, soaking in the warmth of the sun with a happy sigh.
Even the walls of the mansion started to close in when you couldn't go anywhere. Sarah decided that the sunny day required a walk outside to find a spot to pretend she wasn't stuck. Grabbing her notebook, she slipped out a door she hadn't been through yet, and wandered her way towards what looked like a lake. She didn't see the other figure until she was too close not to say hello without being rude.
"Oh, hello.... Darcy?"
Darcy startled at the sound, hand flying up to her chest as her head whipped around. "Sarah, hi! Would you like to share some blanket?" She scooted closer to the edge, leaving plenty of space for the other woman to sit. "Trying to enjoy the sun a little while you can?"
Sarah smiled apologetically. She hadn't meant to startle anyone. "I needed some time away from the same four walls. Or the other four walls on the other side of the house. Or the three walls in the kitchen. You know?" Settling in on the opposite end of the blanket, she set her notebook to the side. "So I went looking for somewhere I hadn't been yet."
"Being cooped up is fine when it's what you want for yourself, but it's stifling when you have to be? I understand that." Darcy's smile was kind. "I was confined to the grounds for a while when I first arrived too, although it was less cops after my head and more a bunch of angry randos. At least there's plenty to explore."
"If it's worth doing, do it big?" Sarah shrugged, leaning back on her palms. "This mess turned out even more complicated than I expected. Last I heard they were still fighting it out in court, trying to figure out how to drag us all in for questioning."
"Or do it quietly enough to not get caught," Darcy agreed. "Mm, I bet that courtroom is a delight. I can't imagine that your family has a bunch of amateurs on retainer. Very glad I went into contracts and international instead. Just as bloodthirsty, generally less media shit."
"My dad tried to keep me out of the courtroom if he could help it, so I honestly have no idea what they're like. But they're all fucking card sharks at Thanksgiving." She paused for a moment, and added "One of them won a horse farm off a guy last year. One of the horses came in second in the Derby."
"Given the way the average mutant is treated and how obvious your mutation is, it might've been for the best. Granted, some of those assholes need a nice skewer, and your bones would work as well for it as anything else. Working for Kevin and Marie-Ange is far more interesting. Not sure if you've met her yet, but I know you've met Kevin." Darcy leaned back on her elbows, closing her eyes into the sun for a moment.
"I'm a big fan of kicking people's asses, but I think they frown on doing it right in front of a judge. Even we don't pull that shit." Sarah was tempted to flip through her notebook to see if she had met this Marie-Ange-- people were beginning to blend together-- but she felt like that might bring too much attention to it. "I'm not sure that I have. I've been mostly just meeting people as I run into them."
"Redhead, eyepatch, impeccable shoes. You'd probably remember her if you had, even if the rest of us blur together," Darcy offered. "So what do you do when you're not on the run? For fun, for work, whatever."
"Well, you know about the boxing," Sarah considered for a moment what exactly to tell her before continuing, "I work for my dad and run errands for the business. I spend a lot of time getting to know people." Yeah. That seemed innocent enough.
Darcy looked over at Sarah slowly, raising one disbelieving eyebrow. "I bet you do. And Snow Valley is just a political think tank, and I'm just a policy wonk." Her voice held the same polite disbelief that being offered a bridge for sell might generate. Still, it was an early meeting, and not everyone was as open about their lives as Darcy tended to be. "I'm not much of a boxer, which is why you didn't see me in the ring the other night. I'm having to learn some close-range, but Maya and Matt are still a little out of my element. Which.. I'm not going to apologize for her because she's an adult and can do it herself, but I am sorry you got the asshole introduction from Maya during what was supposed to be a friendly match."
"Believe what you like," Sarah said blandly, and rolled over to stretch out on the blanket and get some sun on her back. Today there was patches of bone along her spine that disappeared below her tank top and above into her hairline. "Part of the reason I am here is my aunt believes that I will use my mutation against regular folks like her. Maya isn't the first person to dislike me, and I'm sure she won't be the last."
"Oh, I'm sure it's technically correct. After all, Snow Valley is a political think tank, and I'm one of their policy analysts." The truth as a polite fiction for the deeper truth. It was a fun game to play sometimes. "I couldn't possibly comment on your aunt, although I can't imagine why she'd think ratting you out would keep her on the good side of your mutation. People don't like to act with logic, though." Darcy shrugged to the comment about Maya, although with Sarah rolled over a verbal response was probably necessary. "I'm not sure if she dislikes you specifically or if she just felt contrary the other night. Hard for me to tell sometimes. You work with a few geniuses, you start to forget what politely socialized looks like."
"She's just being petty," Sarah sighed and turned her head to face Darcy, "she's willing to take her entire Family down if we don't see things her way. She has a shiny new Family anyway, what does she care if the old one rots in prison?" She sat up on her elbows. "What I do requires me to play nice with people who are so hung up on niceties that it's like being in a goddamn historical novel. It also means I have to turn around and get dirty with everybody else. I've never met someone who's just "politely socialized"."
Darcy waggled the fingers of one hand at the other woman with a smirk, unable to resist the tease. "Darcy Lewis, somewhat politely socialized. Pleasure to meet you." She sat up, digging in her bag for a notebook and pen. "Seems a bit extreme to take out people over a disagreement, but well.. I went to college in Virginia, I've met people who've had family feuds started over something like who's bringing the layer salad to the potluck. I would of course never suggest using contracts as a way to be petty, but it does make me wonder if your aunt is signatory to anything that might put her in breach of contract. I'm sure your Family has someone who can look, but if they're all focused on the potential imprisonment... well, it's a thought. Excellent way to burn bridges, makes people extremely nervous if they didn't read the fine print very well."
"In my experience, Southern manners are generally about as far away from "politely socialized" as possible." Sarah laughed, thinking of all the times she had watched grown men deal with nerves before going to talk to some of their contacts from the south. Those conversations often past salvaging before you even realized there was a problem. Fucking Southern manners. "My dad is old-school. He would never throw his own sister under the bus, no matter how badly she hurt him."
Darcy nodded along, absolutely in agreement about the manners. Amazing how many ways some of the women she'd met could imply that someone needed to fuck off and die without ever dropping their smile or ability to be a surface polite host. "Even after what she's done to all of you? Oof. That level of loyalty... it looks great on film, but it's dangerous in life. Especially when you operate in the grey areas."
"When your entire existence is wrapped up in as many generations of tradition as his is, I guess it's hard to let go." Sarah paused, and quietly pushed the worry aside. He wouldn't want her to worry over him. "Plus he's stubborn. Not at all like me." She grinned, and tapped a sharp finger on her own notebook. "I see you're a notebook person too... reminders? Poetry?"
"Little bit of everything. Notes, reminders, low quality doodles, random ideas, grocery lists. I transfer most of it to my phone or tablet, but there are times where a notebook comes across less rude than getting my phone out. What about you?" Darcy asked, nodding at Sarah's own notebook. "Well. He's an adult and old enough to do what he thinks is best, but at least you're here and mostly safe from it for now. I hope that's a small comfort."
"Mostly I write down things I need to remember. Writing it down seems to help, and being able to go back to it later is worth the strange looks I get when I pull out a notebook at a boxing match." Sarah wondered, did she really feel better knowing she would live to fight another day? Knowing her father was out there somewhere, probably being hard-headed and making Sebastian's life miserable? Not really. She wished she was right there with them. "It isn't, really. I know they'll keep him safe but I wish I knew for certain that he was. I'm a lot harder to hurt than he is."
"Would you... I think that's something we could probably find out for you? Discreetly." Darcy wouldn't promise, because she'd have to ask Kevin at minimum, but she thought it was likely they could get some sort of brief message passed along the way and back.
Sarah sighed. "I would love that, but they would have to let you close, and I hope like hell they've got better security than that. Otherwise we're all fucked."
Darcy nodded. "There are ways, and we wouldn't be... well, we wouldn't be able to do anything at all if we weren't a little stealthy. Kevin's probably the best to ask. If Matt's doing actual lawyer stuff for you, he might be able to arrange something too. I think it's worth asking, at least. Several of us could probably play assistant or courier well enough to at least pass some notes."
"I think they might let Matt in, if he's willing." She opened her notebook to a clear page, and jotted down a few things to think about. "And if he has a legitimate reason to be there, I don't have to worry about what they might do to someone who isn't sneaky enough. I don't want anyone hurt on my behalf."
"And in the meantime... it's been a while, but I do remember how overwhelming things were when I first ended up here. So if you need a quiet space or a comfort meal or someone to watch trashy TV with so you don't have to think for a while, just ask." Darcy gave her a polite smile. "I've got cookies in my bag, would you like some? Peanut butter with chocolate chunks."
"I will not pass up cookies." Sarah smiled brightly, a genuine smile, and shifted so that she was sitting up again. "Even bad people need good food sometimes."
"You haven't tried to kill me yet, it's fine. No cookies for people that try to kill me on purpose," Darcy joked, grabbing a small plastic container and pulling the lid off. She grabbed one, pushing the container to Sarah to get her own. "If we have weird shit go down, there will definitely be more cookies. And food in general. A few of us stress cook."
"You've seen what happens to me when I get stressed out." She gestured at her shoulder, where the bone had pushed through the first time they met. "Or an adrenaline rush, or angry, or the vibes in the room are just off for whatever reason." She rolled her eyes, and grabbed a cookie from the container.
"Lights and other electronics explode around me now. Real embarrassing, everyone knows when I'm losing my shit and it's not because I've baked four dozen cookies and a bunch of muffins," Darcy admitted with a grimace. "Nobody's gonna begrudge you some angry bones unless you skewer them... and well, you backed off instead of hurting Maya, so forgive me for not being overly concerned about your temper. Kyle and Logan might be useful for helping with that. Jean-Phillipe too. His powers are closer to mine, but he's an excellent teacher. Lot of reading between practical exercises so you know how and understand why."
"I think I will pass on the homework part. I was never very good at that stuff the first time around." She had gone to college, but only because her Father wanted her to have a degree. He wanted her to have achievements outside of the Family's sphere. "And imagine me, being the cool-tempered one. There are folks back home that would swear you are talking about a different person."
Darcy let out a burst of laughter, eyes crinkling with amusement. "Oh gracious. Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, just... do you stab people with your extra bones on a regular basis, then? If so, I appreciate your restraint the other night."
"Not unless they ask me very nicely." Her expression did little to clarify her meaning. "But I don't take anybody's shit, and I look like their worst nightmare, so my reputation proceeds me."
"Idiots," Darcy scoffed, shaking her head. "Always scared of strong women who can back it up."
Sarah laughed. "In all fairness to them, I'm also the boss's daughter. That's a lot of levels of 'Oh, holy shit' to unpack."
"I guess. I see it more as an opportunity, but y'know. Politics and law. We're always looking for opportunities." Darcy was a little surprised more of the people working with or for Sarah's Family hadn't gone for respectful but fairly honest instead of fearful. Unfortunate for them, since Sarah seemed to be an interesting person. She rolled over onto her stomach, pillowing her face on her arms as she let the sun warm her back. "Their loss though, if they aren't looking past the reputation."
For Sarah, those 'opportunities' we're connections. You never knew when you would need a friend somewhere else in the city, or with a specialized skill set, or with more money than God. So it was best to know all of those people. "Definitely their loss. I am a joy to be around."
Spring was briefly visiting, or perhaps it was actually here to stay. Darcy wasn't sure which, but she was absolutely certain she wanted to take advantage of it and get some time outside. Sunscreen was applied, then snacks, tablet, and blanket were added to her bag. She made her way downstairs, bypassing the more common gathering areas and making her way to the boathouse. Darcy plopped down and tipped her head back after she found the perfect spot for her blanket, soaking in the warmth of the sun with a happy sigh.
Even the walls of the mansion started to close in when you couldn't go anywhere. Sarah decided that the sunny day required a walk outside to find a spot to pretend she wasn't stuck. Grabbing her notebook, she slipped out a door she hadn't been through yet, and wandered her way towards what looked like a lake. She didn't see the other figure until she was too close not to say hello without being rude.
"Oh, hello.... Darcy?"
Darcy startled at the sound, hand flying up to her chest as her head whipped around. "Sarah, hi! Would you like to share some blanket?" She scooted closer to the edge, leaving plenty of space for the other woman to sit. "Trying to enjoy the sun a little while you can?"
Sarah smiled apologetically. She hadn't meant to startle anyone. "I needed some time away from the same four walls. Or the other four walls on the other side of the house. Or the three walls in the kitchen. You know?" Settling in on the opposite end of the blanket, she set her notebook to the side. "So I went looking for somewhere I hadn't been yet."
"Being cooped up is fine when it's what you want for yourself, but it's stifling when you have to be? I understand that." Darcy's smile was kind. "I was confined to the grounds for a while when I first arrived too, although it was less cops after my head and more a bunch of angry randos. At least there's plenty to explore."
"If it's worth doing, do it big?" Sarah shrugged, leaning back on her palms. "This mess turned out even more complicated than I expected. Last I heard they were still fighting it out in court, trying to figure out how to drag us all in for questioning."
"Or do it quietly enough to not get caught," Darcy agreed. "Mm, I bet that courtroom is a delight. I can't imagine that your family has a bunch of amateurs on retainer. Very glad I went into contracts and international instead. Just as bloodthirsty, generally less media shit."
"My dad tried to keep me out of the courtroom if he could help it, so I honestly have no idea what they're like. But they're all fucking card sharks at Thanksgiving." She paused for a moment, and added "One of them won a horse farm off a guy last year. One of the horses came in second in the Derby."
"Given the way the average mutant is treated and how obvious your mutation is, it might've been for the best. Granted, some of those assholes need a nice skewer, and your bones would work as well for it as anything else. Working for Kevin and Marie-Ange is far more interesting. Not sure if you've met her yet, but I know you've met Kevin." Darcy leaned back on her elbows, closing her eyes into the sun for a moment.
"I'm a big fan of kicking people's asses, but I think they frown on doing it right in front of a judge. Even we don't pull that shit." Sarah was tempted to flip through her notebook to see if she had met this Marie-Ange-- people were beginning to blend together-- but she felt like that might bring too much attention to it. "I'm not sure that I have. I've been mostly just meeting people as I run into them."
"Redhead, eyepatch, impeccable shoes. You'd probably remember her if you had, even if the rest of us blur together," Darcy offered. "So what do you do when you're not on the run? For fun, for work, whatever."
"Well, you know about the boxing," Sarah considered for a moment what exactly to tell her before continuing, "I work for my dad and run errands for the business. I spend a lot of time getting to know people." Yeah. That seemed innocent enough.
Darcy looked over at Sarah slowly, raising one disbelieving eyebrow. "I bet you do. And Snow Valley is just a political think tank, and I'm just a policy wonk." Her voice held the same polite disbelief that being offered a bridge for sell might generate. Still, it was an early meeting, and not everyone was as open about their lives as Darcy tended to be. "I'm not much of a boxer, which is why you didn't see me in the ring the other night. I'm having to learn some close-range, but Maya and Matt are still a little out of my element. Which.. I'm not going to apologize for her because she's an adult and can do it herself, but I am sorry you got the asshole introduction from Maya during what was supposed to be a friendly match."
"Believe what you like," Sarah said blandly, and rolled over to stretch out on the blanket and get some sun on her back. Today there was patches of bone along her spine that disappeared below her tank top and above into her hairline. "Part of the reason I am here is my aunt believes that I will use my mutation against regular folks like her. Maya isn't the first person to dislike me, and I'm sure she won't be the last."
"Oh, I'm sure it's technically correct. After all, Snow Valley is a political think tank, and I'm one of their policy analysts." The truth as a polite fiction for the deeper truth. It was a fun game to play sometimes. "I couldn't possibly comment on your aunt, although I can't imagine why she'd think ratting you out would keep her on the good side of your mutation. People don't like to act with logic, though." Darcy shrugged to the comment about Maya, although with Sarah rolled over a verbal response was probably necessary. "I'm not sure if she dislikes you specifically or if she just felt contrary the other night. Hard for me to tell sometimes. You work with a few geniuses, you start to forget what politely socialized looks like."
"She's just being petty," Sarah sighed and turned her head to face Darcy, "she's willing to take her entire Family down if we don't see things her way. She has a shiny new Family anyway, what does she care if the old one rots in prison?" She sat up on her elbows. "What I do requires me to play nice with people who are so hung up on niceties that it's like being in a goddamn historical novel. It also means I have to turn around and get dirty with everybody else. I've never met someone who's just "politely socialized"."
Darcy waggled the fingers of one hand at the other woman with a smirk, unable to resist the tease. "Darcy Lewis, somewhat politely socialized. Pleasure to meet you." She sat up, digging in her bag for a notebook and pen. "Seems a bit extreme to take out people over a disagreement, but well.. I went to college in Virginia, I've met people who've had family feuds started over something like who's bringing the layer salad to the potluck. I would of course never suggest using contracts as a way to be petty, but it does make me wonder if your aunt is signatory to anything that might put her in breach of contract. I'm sure your Family has someone who can look, but if they're all focused on the potential imprisonment... well, it's a thought. Excellent way to burn bridges, makes people extremely nervous if they didn't read the fine print very well."
"In my experience, Southern manners are generally about as far away from "politely socialized" as possible." Sarah laughed, thinking of all the times she had watched grown men deal with nerves before going to talk to some of their contacts from the south. Those conversations often past salvaging before you even realized there was a problem. Fucking Southern manners. "My dad is old-school. He would never throw his own sister under the bus, no matter how badly she hurt him."
Darcy nodded along, absolutely in agreement about the manners. Amazing how many ways some of the women she'd met could imply that someone needed to fuck off and die without ever dropping their smile or ability to be a surface polite host. "Even after what she's done to all of you? Oof. That level of loyalty... it looks great on film, but it's dangerous in life. Especially when you operate in the grey areas."
"When your entire existence is wrapped up in as many generations of tradition as his is, I guess it's hard to let go." Sarah paused, and quietly pushed the worry aside. He wouldn't want her to worry over him. "Plus he's stubborn. Not at all like me." She grinned, and tapped a sharp finger on her own notebook. "I see you're a notebook person too... reminders? Poetry?"
"Little bit of everything. Notes, reminders, low quality doodles, random ideas, grocery lists. I transfer most of it to my phone or tablet, but there are times where a notebook comes across less rude than getting my phone out. What about you?" Darcy asked, nodding at Sarah's own notebook. "Well. He's an adult and old enough to do what he thinks is best, but at least you're here and mostly safe from it for now. I hope that's a small comfort."
"Mostly I write down things I need to remember. Writing it down seems to help, and being able to go back to it later is worth the strange looks I get when I pull out a notebook at a boxing match." Sarah wondered, did she really feel better knowing she would live to fight another day? Knowing her father was out there somewhere, probably being hard-headed and making Sebastian's life miserable? Not really. She wished she was right there with them. "It isn't, really. I know they'll keep him safe but I wish I knew for certain that he was. I'm a lot harder to hurt than he is."
"Would you... I think that's something we could probably find out for you? Discreetly." Darcy wouldn't promise, because she'd have to ask Kevin at minimum, but she thought it was likely they could get some sort of brief message passed along the way and back.
Sarah sighed. "I would love that, but they would have to let you close, and I hope like hell they've got better security than that. Otherwise we're all fucked."
Darcy nodded. "There are ways, and we wouldn't be... well, we wouldn't be able to do anything at all if we weren't a little stealthy. Kevin's probably the best to ask. If Matt's doing actual lawyer stuff for you, he might be able to arrange something too. I think it's worth asking, at least. Several of us could probably play assistant or courier well enough to at least pass some notes."
"I think they might let Matt in, if he's willing." She opened her notebook to a clear page, and jotted down a few things to think about. "And if he has a legitimate reason to be there, I don't have to worry about what they might do to someone who isn't sneaky enough. I don't want anyone hurt on my behalf."
"And in the meantime... it's been a while, but I do remember how overwhelming things were when I first ended up here. So if you need a quiet space or a comfort meal or someone to watch trashy TV with so you don't have to think for a while, just ask." Darcy gave her a polite smile. "I've got cookies in my bag, would you like some? Peanut butter with chocolate chunks."
"I will not pass up cookies." Sarah smiled brightly, a genuine smile, and shifted so that she was sitting up again. "Even bad people need good food sometimes."
"You haven't tried to kill me yet, it's fine. No cookies for people that try to kill me on purpose," Darcy joked, grabbing a small plastic container and pulling the lid off. She grabbed one, pushing the container to Sarah to get her own. "If we have weird shit go down, there will definitely be more cookies. And food in general. A few of us stress cook."
"You've seen what happens to me when I get stressed out." She gestured at her shoulder, where the bone had pushed through the first time they met. "Or an adrenaline rush, or angry, or the vibes in the room are just off for whatever reason." She rolled her eyes, and grabbed a cookie from the container.
"Lights and other electronics explode around me now. Real embarrassing, everyone knows when I'm losing my shit and it's not because I've baked four dozen cookies and a bunch of muffins," Darcy admitted with a grimace. "Nobody's gonna begrudge you some angry bones unless you skewer them... and well, you backed off instead of hurting Maya, so forgive me for not being overly concerned about your temper. Kyle and Logan might be useful for helping with that. Jean-Phillipe too. His powers are closer to mine, but he's an excellent teacher. Lot of reading between practical exercises so you know how and understand why."
"I think I will pass on the homework part. I was never very good at that stuff the first time around." She had gone to college, but only because her Father wanted her to have a degree. He wanted her to have achievements outside of the Family's sphere. "And imagine me, being the cool-tempered one. There are folks back home that would swear you are talking about a different person."
Darcy let out a burst of laughter, eyes crinkling with amusement. "Oh gracious. Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, just... do you stab people with your extra bones on a regular basis, then? If so, I appreciate your restraint the other night."
"Not unless they ask me very nicely." Her expression did little to clarify her meaning. "But I don't take anybody's shit, and I look like their worst nightmare, so my reputation proceeds me."
"Idiots," Darcy scoffed, shaking her head. "Always scared of strong women who can back it up."
Sarah laughed. "In all fairness to them, I'm also the boss's daughter. That's a lot of levels of 'Oh, holy shit' to unpack."
"I guess. I see it more as an opportunity, but y'know. Politics and law. We're always looking for opportunities." Darcy was a little surprised more of the people working with or for Sarah's Family hadn't gone for respectful but fairly honest instead of fearful. Unfortunate for them, since Sarah seemed to be an interesting person. She rolled over onto her stomach, pillowing her face on her arms as she let the sun warm her back. "Their loss though, if they aren't looking past the reputation."
For Sarah, those 'opportunities' we're connections. You never knew when you would need a friend somewhere else in the city, or with a specialized skill set, or with more money than God. So it was best to know all of those people. "Definitely their loss. I am a joy to be around."
