SARAH

Across the bar, Liz is sitting at a table with her back to the new door. She's laughing, hand cupped around a mug of coffee. "That's not even funny," she says (but note: still laughing a little bit, in the way where she's trying not to). At least making the attempt at disapproving: "You ought to be nicer to him."

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"Aww, that's what friends do." Red argues, sitting across from her and not bothering to even try and hide the smug grin. "Myers knows that."

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She pulls a disbelieving face (oh please, it says). "Friends sic lovelorn swamp things on friends."

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When SARAH's door opens, she immediately starts scanning the bar for a familiar presence.

"Liz?"

She doesn't know to address Hellboy yet.

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Liz stops short at hearing her name. She shoots Red a startled look -- she's been here a couple of times, sure, but not really enough to know enough people for being recognized to be a regular occurrance -- and she turns around. And there; the door. The set of her shoulders relaxes a little.

"Hey, SARAH," she says.

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Zoe still can't believe they are doing this. "Hi, I'm Zoe," she says.

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She really isn't sure how this is going to go. But she can -- and will -- put a good face on. If a slightly wary good face.

SARAH -- and the girl standing in the doorway -- are across the bar. Liz glances at Red again, and she gets up. Coffee in hand, looking at Red, she tips her head toward the teenager and the door. Coming? the gesture asks.

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"Guy needs to get--" He starts and then his head snaps up when he hears Liz's name being called out.

Hellboy has faced demons, sea monsters, witches and Chaos Gods without flinching. When he sees the girl in the doorway to the talking house he hesitates.

Narrowing his eyes he looks the girl over, measuring her up then nodding to Liz and standing to follow after her.

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Be nice, says the face Liz shoots up at him as they're walking over.

"Hey," she says to the girl, as they come up to her. "I'm Liz; this is Red." 'This' is accompanied by a gesture at the big red guy with sawed-off horns and a tail who's standing beside her. Her manner is a little short -- not always the best with new people -- but friendly enough.

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"Uh... hi," Zoe says. She can't help but stare at the big red guy. Sure, living in Eureka and coming to Milliways has introduced her to a lot of weird stuff, but this guy is beyond weird. "You want to come in?"

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"You'll have to duck walking into the living room."

Offered apologetically.

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"Hey." Red says by way of greeting, ignoring the staring because of the look Liz shot him.

At the invitation to come in and the warning from the house he gives a nod, "Thanks."

He let's Liz go in first. Because he's being polite, not because he's totally reluctant about what they're here for.

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Liz steps into the house first. She's hesitant to go much farther inside without someone leading the way (but will follow easily enough if directed), but she's looking around; taking it in.

It's a nice house.

She's a nice house?

However this works.

How does this work?

"So -- SARAH's the house?" she asks, and it's partly to Zoe, partly to the ceiling.

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"Yeah, it's a little disconcerting at first," Zoe says. "You guys can come in and sit down though. You want something to drink?"

Zoe has been well schooled in manners, though she doesn't always display them. She does know how important this is to SARAH though.

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"Nice diggs." He notes as he sits down on a chair, tail draping over the arm rest.

He's been schooled in manners too by his father but they're usually ignored. Today, since he's trying, when Zoe makes the offer he doesm't ask for a beer.

"Sure, thanks. Whatever you got."

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Zoe walks towards the kitchen, leaving Liz and Hellboy (mostly) alone.

"Where should we start?"

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"Um, nothing for me; thanks," Liz says when Zoe asks. She takes another chair; looks to Red.

"You have stuff you want to ask them, Red?"

(He has way more misgivings than Liz does about this.)

Edited Date: 2008-10-04 12:24 am (UTC)

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Hellboy looks in the direction Zoe went then back to Liz, nodding.

"Yeah. Got just a few for ya SARAH."

Digging into his coat he pulls out a stack of note cards. And a pen.

"All right, let's see here..."

He shuffles through them and finds and reads carefully from one of the cards.

"As the new house of a kitten will you be keeping it indoors or will it be given access to the outside, too? And, do you believe in declawing?"

Questions read he looks up towards the ceiling pointedly and waits for the answer, pen hovering ready to write.

Srs Red is srs.

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"I am located in the middle of a moderately forested area; I cannot calculate a scenario in which it would be advisable for a kitten to be allowed to wander outside.

"There is no need for declawing."

One of the wall panels dissolves of color. The picture that returns is of the schematics of a contraption similar in makeup to a standard pet nail trimmer.

"Plus, there is little to be concerned about in the way of clawing at curtains."

An attempt at a joke.

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Liz's tasks for this conversation:

1) Sit back and let Red find out what he wants to find out.
2) Step in if anyone gets testy.
3) Don't laugh.

So far, she's doing better at the first two goals than the last one.

In her defense, she turns the fond, strangled laugh into a cough, hidden behind her hand.

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Zoe returns from the kitchen and offers Red a soda.

She can't quite believe that he is taking notes and treating this quite so seriously. A glance at Liz makes her suspect that she's not the only one, though Zoe bites her lip to keep from smirking too much.

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Red writes down a few things, the curtain comment gets a quick look around and a wry smile. He gives Zoe a nod of thanks when he takes the soda and opens it up without drinking just yet.

If he notices the contained laughter from the two ladies he isn't showing it as he flips to another card and reads off of it as carefully as before.

"Are there going to be any other animals present in the house? Dogs, cats, monkeys? Do you have a veterinarian yet or anyone around with experience in animal health care?"

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"There are currently no other pets at home. This will be the Carters' first cat, to my knowledge.

"Eureka has some of the finest veterinarians in the United States, in my universe. Plus I keep up-to-the-minute readings of all lifesigns at home, so I am able to know if a problem is developing."

SARAH pauses, in case Zoe wants to throw in anything.

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"Um, well, I had a goldfish when I was six," Zoe says. "I won it at a carnival. But... I kind of overfed it."

Probably not helping, but it's her only pet experience.

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SARAH adds quickly: "I have already begun programming regulated and measured feeding patterns, and am working on having a litterbox installed."

Jeez, Zoe.

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Red makes a little note then stops writing suddenly and looks over at Zoe after the mention of the goldfish.

"Overfed it? Was it fat or dead?" He eyes her critically then asks, "How old are you now?"

Before his concern gets the better of him SARAH's input comes in and fixes things.

"So you're gonna feed and look out for the kitten ?" He asks SARAH.

He likes the monitoring thing she mentioned. Kittens are crafty and curious so it's good to know she can keep track of one.

Edited Date: 2008-10-08 08:28 pm (UTC)

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"Yes.

"Zoe is here because I thought I would not be taken seriously because I am not human."

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"I'm fifteen," Zoe replies indignantly. "And I'm only responsible for giving the kitty snuggles. SARAH will be taking care of everything else."

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Red snorts and shakes his head, "I feel better knowin' it's you and not the fish-killer there."

So much for polite. He's still being cordial with SARAH though as he strokes his goatee and pulls up another card.

"I got just one last question for you, SARAH. Have you ever been haunted? Inhabited by any spirits, poltergeists or demons or had any episodes of possession, cursed by any wandering gypsies, or found any portals into unknown realms in your uh, self? Not counting Milliways, of course."

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Very flat: "Only fish-killers."

Not-polite with Zoe means not-polite with SARAH. She's not programmed to hold the simulation for long, though, and goes back to her pleasant if flat tone for the question.

"I have never been haunted, and know of no supernatural creatures living here. Doctor Stantz could verify this for you independently if necessary."

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Liz, who has been watching this last exchange with something of a resigned face (she rolls her eyes at nothing in particular), steps up for self-assigned task #2.

"Ray Stantz? He seemed pretty reliable," she says. When in doubt, distract with cuteness: "I have some pictures of the kittens, if you guys want to see." She sits up; pulls a couple Polaroids out of her back pocket and bypasses Hellboy to offer them to Zoe.

The kittens are a pile of ten-week-old orange tabby furballs with one gray-and-brown one thrown into the mix. In one picture, the littlest cat is crawling all over his sister, nipping at her ear; in another, an orange-and-white kitten is sitting on a pile of records, staring into the camera with her head tilted inquisitively. There are several more shots of the kitten-pile at large.

Edited Date: 2008-10-09 09:09 pm (UTC)

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Even a teenager as cynical and jaded as Zoe has to squee over the kittens.

"Aww, they are so cute!"

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