lightconductor | IC Inbox

"Sure did, few months ago now I think. Wasn't much sure what to do with it, I've got my aches from the crap I've pulled over the last few years but no need of it for support, yet. An' I tried to pick up some of Bastrop's cane fighting from memory but it just ain't my thing, y'know, more of a fists kinda woman." An idle shrug. Not needing it makes carrying it around conspicuous, anyway. "So with all this grim business lately, I sorta... had another thought."

She swings it idly once more then catches it by the body, giving her the grip to toss it his way and hope his reflexes kick in.

He catches it with his free hand automatically, and lifts it to look at, almost gingerly for fear for setting it off automatically. Just in case. Watson looks from the cane to Crabb, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What thought would that be?"

Because it seems presumptuous in the extreme to assume something so important would be a gift.

Crabb gives him a bit of a 'really?' look and rolls her eyes fondly, gesturing loosely at him. "You'll make better use of it than I ever could. With me it's just been sitting around gathering dust, and... look, it's like I've said, you guys are like family, y'know. If anyone around here deserves it, it's you."

"I can't ask for that, Crabb. This is... it's very kind of you, but don't you want it? Surely this is something you'll want to keep for yourself?"

Still, Watson turns it over in his hands, admiring it. "I'm... touched. Truly, I am."

"You ain't asking it, I'm offering. And it ain't like it's going far, is it? Feel much better about it going to someone I care about that'll get use of it than just keeping it around for sentimentality alone. Feels more in the spirit of its creation, actually."

She rests a hand on her hip, loosely. "Look, I miss Ferrier. I really do. Ferrier, Marguerite, Ducky, Bastrop—I miss 'em every day, but they ain't here, you lot are. And I get plenty of other random stuff from home to remember 'em by. So."

"Thank you." His voice catches slightly with emotion, and he clears his throat. "Thank you. I will aim to use it well. Let me see if I can manage the trick myself."

Because it would not do to trigger that effect by accident. Watson gives the cane a once-over, and strikes it three times on the ground, in the way Crabb had shown him. The light bulbs in the front of the nearest slot machine shatter with a loud bang; he laughs, disbelieving.

"Good heavens, but that's... rather satisfying."

Crabb's built up such a tolerance to things just exploding around her by now, even after all these months away, that there's not even an instinctive jolt of surprise at the shattering, she just grins.

"Really is, ain't it? Practice as much as you like in here, it'll all repair second we're out anyway. Never seen Ferrier trigger the thing by accident, mind, but..."

It is satisfying.

"Hm. I suppose if it were easy to set off by mistake, it would be a poor design, and I would not dare cast such aspersions on Bastrop, after all I've heard."

Destroying the casino is probably one of the better uses of his time in here.

"He takes more care to make sure his tech works right than he takes care of his own body, sometimes, I swear. Love the man but he don't half push himself."

Says her, who regularly used to throw herself back into fights when she probably still had a concussion. They're as bad as each other really.

"Only thing to really beware of is if any ally around you's got their gun in their pocket or hand when you have reason to use it for real. Johnny, say."

Last thing they need is blowing their family up.

"Mm, or myself. So, do not carry this cane and my gun in my pocket at the same time, then? Good to know that it works on firearms, though." Watson shakes his head. "Of course, it won't do much good against people who point magic at me, but a cane that can disarm a revolver sounds damnably useful."

He shoots her a smile. "I am liking the idea of diversifying my personal armoury, though."

"Bastrop used it on guns almost more than anything else, he never has been a fan of the things. Not that he could ever actually keep them outta Johnny or my's hands considerin' we ain't him with all his... fancy-pants martial arts training."

She's really a master of sounding stupidly fond of someone while also sounding like she's dragging them.

"We make use of what we can, yeah? And no one ever expects something like this," she gestures at the cane, "the first time around, that's for damn sure."

"Sometimes a gun is a convenient answer!" He shakes his head. "Or perhaps that's just the soldier in me. I've often felt better with a gun in my pocket, but I certainly never had time for the fancy martial arts some men get up to."

Watson considers. "A surprise, then, not to be used prematurely. I suppose that's fair. There were any number of people who had no idea that I carried a cane with a blade inside it, I'm sure."

"Nah I'm with you, and the only soldier in me is whatever my old man passed on. Ain't like shooting someone's my first choice, but sometimes you get charged at by some undead bastard and punching 'im feels like punching a brick wall, so. Y'know."

Johnny absolutely has her beat on willingness to pull a revolver out at any given provocation, but...

"Reckon you're right though, lot of people won't catch that sorta thing, and a good trick up your sleeve's a lifesaver sometimes. 'Course Johnny'll know what it is soon as he sees it, but family knowing's a different matter."

"Well, of course Johnny must know. I rather hope I'm not in the position to be using it against him. Perish the thought."

That's... actually rather upsetting to think about.

"I am a straightforward man, but I have ever found it useful to be underestimated, particularly in the sort of work Holmes and I did. Holmes always had a way of attracting all the attention in the room, and it suits me to be unnoticed or dismissed until a key moment. A cane like this... fits with that."

She hadn't even meant to put that implication out there and flinches at it, because yeah, perish the thought. Except God only knows around here. The shadow of her possession still hangs over her.

"Exactly, should serve you well. Funny, really, Ferrier... for how striking a woman she is, she was always good at attracting exactly as much attention as she wanted to." She leans against a nearby pillar and shakes her head. "...Christ to imagine the two of 'em in the same room. Ha."

"Mm. From everything I have heard, the two of them had much in common, and much that was different. I think Holmes would admire her, but it would be a fascinating meeting to witness."

Watson pauses, and gives a little laugh. "Though God help anyone else in the room at the time."

That gets a huff of a laugh out of Crabb, too. "Right? Fascinating as anything but God's teeth..."

She shakes her head, look on her face fond. What frustration she developed with Ferrier after finding out she'd been withholding information hasn't entirely dissipated, but it feels less and less important the more time that passes. She just... misses her.

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