[ussbansheec] Diced Tomatoes and Gutted Walleyes
- From: Andy Maluhia <CaptainAndy@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:17:51 -0500
_ Diced Tomatoes and Gutted Walleyes
_by Adam Laughing Eyes and Logan
***follows 'One of the Kits'
It was cool now during the day but Adam refused to close the doors to
the workshop next to his cabin. For one thing, it didn't let in enough
fresh air to keep the saw dust from his mouth and nose and it was
raining. Rain always made him smile. Picking up his pencil to sketch
in the design on a block of wood, he smiled even more widely. It had
rained when Jubilee was there and her merry laugh as he showed her the
many things he could do was still ringing in his ears.
"Combien mignon est-ce ?" he chuckled.
He would have rather taken one of the mini-jets, but Logan knew he would
need time to clear his head so he'd taken off on his motorcycle. 'Ro
would kill him if she ever found out how fast he'd ripped along the
ground roads between New York and Manitoba, but, even though he wanted
time to think, he wanted to get where he was going quickly. He only
slowed down when he reached the outskirts of the town and opted to take
back roads rather then go through the town it's self. It hadn't been
hard to find out where this schmuck lived so he rode the back roads
until he was far enough to finish on foot. He stood by his bike until he
caught a scent and then began to track it. When he got close enough he
caught the faintest lingering Jubilee's scent and he growled. Why the
hell couldn't his kidlets just stay kidlets?
Staying hidden in the trees Wolverine moved so he could watch the man in
the workshop. So this was the guy his kit had fallen for? Yeah, he was a
schmuck.
The job was an easy one: a commission piece for Mr. Janusson. The old
man wanted a wood relief scene for his newest grandchild's nursery.
He'd left the design to Adam, saying that he trusted him. "Gotcha now,
Mr. Janusson," Adam said aloud. It would be burned and carved in, a
piece of delicate and exacting detail. It was going to take time but it
would be worth it.
After watching the guy work for several long moments Wolverine began to
move towards the cabin. He would of course stop just short of breaking
and entering ('Ro'd use him as a lightenin' rode for sure) but he still
felt the best way to get to know someone was when they didn't know you
were doing it. People lied, their stuff didn't.
Adam hummed under his breath as he continued sketching the woodland
scene on the wood. Snickering to himself and to the rain, he sketched a
tiny raccoon with a hand shaped mark on its side. Jubilee would
appreciate the silly joke. "You're gonna be famous, Sparky," he
chuckled to the drawing.
Wolverine wasn't sure what pissing him off more, the lack of finding
anything to make this guy bad or the fact he was still in the rain
looking. Finally some of the common sense 'Ro'd tried so hard to get him
to use finally kicked in and he decided to just get right to the point.
His trademark smirk curled his lips as Logan pulled his cigar from his
pocket and stuck it between his teeth and then causally walked up to the
workshop. His claws announced his presence first with their unmistakable
sknit sound. "Gotta light, bub?"
As absorbed in his work as he was, Adam nearly jumped out of his skin.
He also almost ruined the wood sketch. "No, smokin's a nasty habit," he
said as he turned around. He blinked a few times as he saw the claws on
the strangers hands. Well now ain't that something, he said to
himself. "Makes things stink like hell."
Logan just leaned against the doorway and smirked. "So I've been told.
You Adam Laughing Eyes?" he asked if he didn't already know.
"Yeah but I bettin' that was a rhetorical question for two reasons," he
said as he carefully laid the pencil and wood down. Leaning back
against the wood bench, he fixed dark eyes on the much shorter man.
"First because I'm the only one of me with that name in this town and
I'm kinda hard t'miss and second because you have t'be the guy Jubilee
was telling me 'bout."
"What gave me away? My charming personality or the six inch claws?"
Logan replied. Yeap, schmuck and a smart ass schmuck to boot.
"The claws," Adam said with a wry smile. "She told me about the 'tude
but my dad used to have all sorts of folks show up at the house when we
were kids. You're alright so far."
"Ain't about me bein' alright," Logan replied as he slowly retracted
his claws.
"No but that's my considered opinion so far," he said with an easy
shrug. "But you tell me then, sir: what is it about? You standin' in
the rain and gettin' soaked? 'Cause you are."
If he weren't trying to figure the guy out he'd have laughed. "Gotta
wife and kid who can make it rain. I'm use to gettin' rained on," he
explained. "Like I said, bub. This ain't about seein' if I'm alright.
You know much about wolverines, boy?"
"I grew up mostly in North Dakota--of course I do. They're nasty
critters with a stench like something that died 'bout a hundred years
ago. Used to watch oe of 'em steal kill from bears a lot...pretty mean
lil SOBs."
Logan smirked. "Damn right they are. Get even meaner when they're
protectin' their kits." He put his cigar back in his pocket and came
further inside the workshop. He might be on the short side of things but
it was more then clear that this little man could take down a bear and
in someway had. "They get all riled up when there's a strange scent on
one of 'em."
"You don't strike me as the mama wolverine sort but I get the idea. Do
you think I took advantage of Jubilee? Is that was this is about?" he
asked.
"This is about makin' sure you didn't and makin' sure you won't," Logan
replied. "If she told you 'bout me then you know she means a lot to me
and my wife and our whole family. I've taken bits outta men who've
crossed me and hurt my kits and I ain't the type to stop doin' it now."
Adam shook his head. "If you knew anything 'bout me, about my family,
then you'd know just how off base the idea of me takin' advantage of a
lady is," he said with a snort. "There's no point in standin' out here,
though. Come in the house and have coffee but leave the smoke off. It
gets int'everything."
"Gettin' to know about you is why I'm here, bub." Logan was protective
but ever since that Blake Davis mess with his precious little rose he
was extra careful. The only reason he hadn't gone to see the schmuck she
was with now was cause he was giving the guy time to recover from Emma.
No fun scarin' someone who's already been scared.
Adam unconsciously shortened his stride, something he always did with
shorter people. He had expected the arrival of somebody from his
sweetheart's family sooner or later but this was rather sooner than
later. The back door was unlocked as it always was when he was home.
It led straight into the kitchen, to a small area covered in absorbent
throw rugs. Adam kept them there for guests and for himself when he
didn't feel like making sure he himself didn't get wet. As it was he
was as dry as if he'd never been outside.
Offering Logan an innocent smirk, he said, "Hooks're over there t'hang
things."
It was the type of place that Logan himself would feel comfortable in
but not one of his girls, especially Jubilee. The girl needed gadgets
and technology, the city and most of all a mall. She wasn't gonna get
any of that out here. After hanging up his jacket Logan followed the boy
in. Noticing that the boy was bone dry he snorted. "Nice trick for
someone self taught."
"That's all that really was, y'know: a trick. It comes in damned handy
when I'm carrying delicate stuff, though," Adam said with an easy shrug
as he went to see to the coffee. Real coffee, he told himself, none of
that replicated stuff for guests. "Helps on fishing, too, and sure as
hell made me real popular with the water critters."
Logan nodded a little as he scanned the room carefully. "That all you do
then, tricks and helpin' out otters?"
"I live my life and I like it," Adam said plainly. "I spoil my nieces
and nephews, I love my dad and the my sibs--except my one sister, and I
get along with my neighbors. Life's good."
"That's all fine and good for you but where does that leave Jubilee?"
Logan asked with a grunt.
"Here with me if she wants," he said with a slow smile. Just thinking
about her caused that reaction. He made himself busy gathering cups,
sugar, and milk but he continued the answer. "I love her. I asked her
t'marry me."
Logan's knuckles suddenly started to itch. "If you asked her to live out
here with you then you don't know her as well as you think."
"Why d'you say that?" Adam asked as he took the coffee off the stove and
sat down at the table. "Because it isn't big city life?"
"Or even suburbia," Logan replied. "She ain't the livin' in a cabin in
the middle of nowhere Canada type."
"Well, no kiddin' but that's why I have a truck, a garage, and access to
transporters," Adam told him. "I knew right off that she wasn't like
the women from here just by looking at her. I asked her about all those
things, y'know, simply because it's a bit of a hike to the nearest mall
but she was okay with it. Said the distance would make the shopping all
the more worth it." He snorted outright in amusement. "She's gonna
love my niece."
Logan grunted. "She's good with kids."
"Tessa's all of four and drags my brother an' his wife all over the
place. Like t'have run me ragged last time she stayed over," Adam
chuckled. "My point being that anything's possible if we want it
enough. No, I haven't spent my life fighting assorted nutcases and
weirdos but that doesn't mean I'm unfit you know. I'm just living life."
"Would you be willin' to live it in her space if she asked?" Logan asked
pointedly. "Would you give up what you're askin' her to?"
"It'd be like dropping a Klingon in the middle of Betazed but..yeah, I
would. And, no, my manners're way better'n a Klingon's," Adam told
him. "It in't like I've never lived anywhere but here. Lived in San
Fran for a bit once."
"And you're so positive you'd do all of this for a girl you've known for
what a week?" Logan asked again as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You know, my dad's a widower," Adam said, the sentence not seeming
anything like an answer. "Yet he's got himself a lady friend. Been
friends, really close friends, even when my mother was alive. Except
Talibah's home's on Dorvan V. Pop knows all that and yet he still loves
her and it works damned well for them. Hell, ain't neither of 'em home
right now because they're out waitin' for Banshee t'come home."
Logan nodded slowly. "So you think it's a meant to be thing?"
"Look, man, I'm hardly conceited but don't y'think there's been ladies
after me in the last few years? Hell, I'm thirty-six and this is the
one. First time that bolt of lightning or spark of fireworks in this
case, struck me and I knew," Adam said, a small smile on his face. He
took a sip of coffee and said, "Yeah, she's the one."
Logan stood there taking in the much younger man for several long
minutes. The kid was sincere and up front and though he'd never admit it
he was starting to like him. Finally after what passed for quite some
time in silence he added, "You hurt her and I'll gut ya faster then a
walleye."
"I have no intention of doing anything othern' makin' her happy, sir,"
Adam said frankly. "And no offense, but my dad and my brother'd get
t'me long before you ever did. Hell, Talibah would."
"You'd be surprised at how quickly I can get to someone," Logan smirked.
"Got people back at the mansion that don't even need to leave the house
to get to ya."
"Is that the old man in the wheelchair?" Adam asked curiously.
Logan snorted. "Yeah, that's Chuck, but he's only one. Got Jeannie and
Frosty too."
"He's the one I met," Adam told him. "Him and a pretty lady Jubilee
says is your wife."
The short feral man seemed to beam as he smiled. "That be 'Ro, and don't
ask me how a guy like me ended up with a woman like her. Even after all
these years it's still got me wonderin' what I did that was good."
"With one exception, most women I know got better taste than most men
and certainly better sense," Adam said with a soft laugh. "I know I'm a
decent person but the fact that Jubilee thinks so makes it all the more
true."
"She's a good kid with a big heart." Logan nodded.
"So this mean you aren't going t'gut me like the dinner I caught last
night?" Adam asked with all innocence.
Logan let his claws slide from his hands slowly. "Not unless you hurt
her in any way shape or form."
"I already told you I had no intention of such," Adam said pointedly.
"She inspires her name, y'know? It's wonderful and so's she. I
couldn't ever do her any harm."
Logan gave the boy what passed for a accepted smirk. "Good to hear, bub.
Now is wooden rodents all you can do with that talent of yours or do you
more?"
"Rodents? I've done a few squirrels, I guess," Adam said carefully. He
chuckled then, adding a grin afterward. "She showed you Sparky, eh?
Well, yeah, more'n rodents. I do commissioned pieces but also just
plain carpentry work, all by hand I might add."
Logan looked around the cabin again. "It's been a really long time since
I've seen craftsmanship like this."
"Wish I could take all the credit but I can't. My neighbors up the road
helped. The Bylers're all carpenters, going on generations. I've
learned a lot from them, though."
"It's been even longer time since I've seen a community like this,"
Logan noted as he picked up small wooden carving to look it over. "You
know what a wolverine looks like?"
"Used to watch 'em as a kid. Funny lil cusses look like a miniature
bear an' weasel mixed together," Adam said with a nod.
Logan couldn't help but chuckle. "Good, then you'd be able to make a
couple for me. I think my girls would get a kick outta a couple little
ones."
"More than happy to, sir. Maybe some nice strong cedar..." he mused,
already seeing a design in his head.
Ok for now Logan would give the boy the benefit of the doubt, but he'd
be keeping his eye on things. "You can bring them down when you come to
the mansion."
"Jubilee did invite me to an open house. It was next week..." Adam said
carefully. "I was going transport over because the drive's forever."
"It's not so bad on a bike," Logan replied with a shrug. "You ride,
you're welcome to come back with me."
Adam looked at the shorter man with a healthy dose of skepticism. "That
bike of yours tall enough? You wouldn't believe how hard it is t'get
into some things."
Logan laughed. "You ain't the tallest I've ever seen. You're down right
short compared to Hank and Pete."
"I'll take your word on that. I've seen taller folks but they usually
weren't Human," Adam said with an amused shake of his head. "You wanna
give me a few t'get some things together? I can have the wood uploaded
to a transporter chip and take it that way. Makes it lighter by a lot."
"Sure." Logan replied as he leaned against the wall. "Traveling light is
one of my general rules. Easier to get where ya goin' if you ain't
bogged down. Can't seem to get my women to understand that."
At that, Adam laughed out loud. A grin on his face, he said, "Did you
/see/ all the stuff Jubilee left with? I offered t'have it all shrunk
down for her but she said something 'bout it being more fun that way."
"She was going for shock value," Logan laughed.
"It worked," he said, shaking his head fondly. "Give me a bit and I'll
get some things up."
Logan nodded. "Sure bub."
"Be right back." With that, Adam loped of toward the rest of the
house. A few minutes later he came back with a knapsack over one
shoulder and a hand full of data chips. "These," he said, holding up
the chips, "are pure uncut blocks of wood. And my hand tools."
"Then let's go." Logan smirked as he put his cigar back in mouth.
"Before the kid thinks I diced ya like a tomato."
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