The Park, Tuesday Afternoon

[crimson_sister]

After her class in the morning Lucille had decided to go for a walk, and after wandering through town she had ended up in the park, on a bench, reading a book. The ducks and flamingos received an occasional glare, but she wasn't going to let birds interfere with a good novel.

[Open park]

Comments

[soniaroadsqueen]

The weather was great. Not that bad weather often kept Ringo from going out of doors, but nice weather often served to pull Ringo's AT rides through some of the more natural, and less building-y, parts of town.

So she was leisurely gliding along the walking paths of the park, moving just about at an average person's running speed. Slow enough to actually enjoy the scenery. The high-pitched whine of AT motors may have served as enough warning of her presence to anyone who recognized it.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille recognized that sound. She muttered a curse under her breath. Why did Ringo always show up at inconvenient moments? Not that there weren't any convenient times for her to appear.

[soniaroadsqueen]

It was a gift! Like her friendly and likable demeanor. And her skills at understanding subtle conversational cues.

And her huge, friendly smile. Which she was totally directing at Lucille as she rounded the corner and spotted the other girl.

"Hey!" she called, waving excitedly and beginning to slow down.

[crimson_sister]

Ringo had so many talents.

"Good afternoon, Ringo," Lucille greeted her, with significantly less enthusiasm. "I see you are out on your Air Treks?"

Perhaps you would like to continue doing that, Ringo?

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yep!" Ringo grinned. "You should join me sometime, you know? It'd be fun!"

For Ringo's definition of fun, anyway.

[crimson_sister]

"I'm sure it would," Lucille replied with very little sincerity. "But I'm afraid I'm busy reading today."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, well, no worries." Ringo grinned. "Maybe later this week?" They could nail down a day!

[crimson_sister]

"I'm not sure. I'm having a very busy week," Lucille replied quickly.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"That's okay! I can make time next week, too!" Ringo's schedule was totally flexible!

[crimson_sister]

"Perhaps we can discuss that later," Lucille suggested vaguely. For Ringo, her schedule wasn't flexible at all.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, sure. Whenever you want." Ringo grinned.

She tilted her head to one side, suddenly curious. "What are you reading, anyway?"

[crimson_sister]

"A novel," Lucille replied. "Cassandra recommended it to me. We share a room now."

That was wonderful. Possibly a little awkward at times, but wonderful.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh?" Ringo leaned forward nosily curiously. "What's it about?"

[crimson_sister]

"It's a story of love and adventure." Lucille tried to not show Ringo the cover, which had a girl in armor on it, her arms wrapped in a protective pose around a boy.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Sounds fun!" Ringo didn't ask to borrow it herself because, well, she was Ringo. Not a big reader.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille wouldn't have let her anyway. "Cassandra and I share an interest in literature. She recommended me this one."

See Ringo? Lucille had better friends than you.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, that's neat." Ringo grinned. "It's pretty awesome to have a roommate who likes some of the same stuff as you do."

[crimson_sister]

"Yes, it is, isn't it? Do you have anyone to share your passion for Air Trek with?"

Lucille supposed not, but there should be someone who Ringo had more in common with.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, lots of people back home. Here on the island?" Ringo's face fell just a bit because Kathy had been her major partner in crime for most of her time on the island. She managed to recover a bit of a grin. "Like, Alluka and I get together to practice quite a bit."

[crimson_sister]

"Alluka? I'm not sure I have met her?"

Perhaps Ringo could go and bother her instead.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, really?" For a moment Ringo seemed surprised, but then she nodded. "I guess she does spend most of her time in her room. I mean, she's a real sweetheart, but she's not always the most social."

[crimson_sister]

"I imagine you try to tease her out of her shell, then," Lucille replied, nodding.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo grinned. "I don't really have to. Like I said, she's super nice. So usually all I have to do is stop by her room and see if she's around. Then we go out and have fun!"

She was so much easier than Lucille that way!

[crimson_sister]

"It sounds like you have a lot in common, then," Lucille concluded.

A lot more than Lucille and Ringo had, most likely.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Really?" Ringo looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I think we're very different."

Not what Lucille was getting at, Ringo.

[crimson_sister]

"You have fun together," Lucille pointed out.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, I have fun with most people." Even you, Lucille!

[crimson_sister]

"You do?" There was a lot of irony there, if Ringo picked that up.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Sure!" Ringo beamed. "Everyone's got something fun about them!"