tampered | Log: Complete

Log: Complete

When; August 13th
Rating; PG-13
Characters; Veronica Mars

marsattacked and Lee Nicholas

killerdimples
Summary; Veronica makes a BFF upon arrival. Instant invite to dinner? Who's she to reject a free meal?

She had her messenger bag strung across her shoulders. She walked in a Rolling Stones shirt that said it all. Badass ostracized bitch, much? Oh, that’d be Veronica Mars. Now, where was she supposed to be meeting him— Square, right? Which square? Right. That square. The only square, duh. Veronica flicked her sidekick on in mundane wait for Lee, putting on a pair of sunglasses to get the glare out of her eyes.

Messaging didn't work, she found, fingers flying over the keys in practiced experience. They'd just keep coming back to her whenever she tried to place a call to either dad or Wallace.

What was up with this world? Why was it so hard to make a simple phone call or text? Veronica knew all those advertising for roaming calls made anywhere! were just a load of lies.

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It had been a bad night. Who terrorized their boyfriend who was coming down off shrooms anyway? Obviously Tony, but Lee wasn't thinking about that. Instead he was making his way through the square with a thick guide in his hand to meet a one very lovely Veronica Mars.

He spotted her across the crowd and grinned. She had that attitude, and Lee liked it; it reminded him of Amy, and he hoped that being in the City wouldn't be too much of a shock for her.

Then again, who knew. She could be an alien in disguise. Whatever. It was better than going home.

"Hey," he called, moving towards her. "You know, you really should consider getting a big fuzzy hat to meet people with. It makes it easier to find you."

Veronica snapped back her sidekick to a close at the sound of a voice addressing her. She careened her head in upwards inclination at the sight of the new arrival. Oh, there was Mr Pretty Boy. Surprisingly, he was very pretty. Not that Veronica ever went for any of those -- no, no. Just sometimes.

Here Lee was, and what exactly was he carrying? And he just had to be taller than her, didn't he?

"I thought the whole invisible, but impossible-to-miss 'Earth to Mars!' sign of mine was on! Damn!" She snapped her fingers in faux disappointment, like it was really all that disappointing. "I tried the whole big fuzzy hat thing, made me itch. So not worth the money."

He laughed and handed her the guide. "This," he said with an exaggerated sigh, "is your newest very best friend in the whole wide world." He nodded towards it. "That's the City guide. It explains everything."

He was taller than everyone. It really ruled, really. Well, not everyone, but most people, anyway. "So just let me know you're not a vegetarian, because that would break my heart."

She pocketed her sidekick, taking the guide --

And almost faltering when she finally got her hands on it.

"Woah," Veronica whistled, making a face, surprised. What the heck was inside? The world? "Uh, is it supposed to weigh like a library?" Didn't anyone know how to compile these things to downloadable text? Not to bind it it and make it weigh like three Lord of the Rings compilations in one. With the Hobbit and everything else included. Veronica didn't look too enthused.

Well, if it helped. It helped. Veronica drew a finger over her heart and back up again after she'd managed to steady herself. "Cross my heart, I live for meat. I live to see those poor animals be cooked and slaughtered for my own well-being."

Lee knew exactly how heavy the damned thing was and he nodded, "Well, it'll save your skin." He gestured the way and began to lead. "So let me guess....you're eighteen, and going to college? Unless you're a vampire, or something."

Le considered that option. "Please don't be a vampire." Vampires came with all sorts of nasty baggage, even excluding the fact that most were out to eat him. "I'd really like it if you weren't."

"I'm a freshman, fresh for the picking," Veronica confirmed, realizing that, no, that damned thing won't fit in her messenger bag no matter how hard she tried. Of all the things-- "Only a vampire in my dreams, or at night."

She looked up, sunglasses still on her face to look up at the sky. "Actually, hello, sun? I think it's good proof I don't do the whole blood-neck-drink-bite thing."

"You could be one of those daywalker things. We have those around here." He led her to a small steak place that he liked, especially because they served good beer on tap. Today he felt like he deserved one. "You'll have to read the guide, it'll all make a sick kind of sense, then."

He opened the door for her and remarked, "Now I'm going to drink because I'm a full ten years older than you, and I'm also going to tell you that as a Canadian, I don't really care about you drinking." He paused. "But I'll only buy you one beer, because I won't be accused of trying to get you drunk."

He led her to a table. "So which of the great 50 are you from, anyway?"

"Did I just step into an Anita Blake novel?" Veronica looked confused, but didn't question it further at the mention of daywalkers. She followed, let the man lead the way. He'd know better.

She was surprised to find out how old he was. "You're ten years older than me?" Well, he certainly didn't look it. Veronica stepped inside the steak place with him. "And Canadian, that explains it. One beer, how nice. I wouldn't worry too much of you being accused about anything. Especially considering we're probably way out where anything legal applies." She set her bag and guide down as soon as they reached a table. Thank God. The thing weighed like five tons of bricks.

"Great 50?" Veronica palmed her chin, curious. "Is that a 40s reference I'm not getting?"

"You know Anita?" Anita, in fact, was probably plotting how to help Tony eviscerate him as they spoke. God damn it. He just couldn't win.

"Well, nine," he amended. "I turn 28 in December, and before you tell me I'm ancient, let me tell you, I've heard it all before. Old person cracks all over the place." He sat down and ordered two steak dinners and two beers on tap, and pointed to himself. "Well, you know I'm from the Yukon. You're an American, right? I know it's not polite to assume but I do it anyway."

He smirked. "Where are you from?"

"Should I?" She quirked a brow, wondering, what on earth was she missing exactly -- because as perceptive as Veronica was, certain things were just going over her head at the moment. Maybe she'd have to do some investigating or exploring later. Even both. It came with the territory. Or maybe, she was just losing her touch.

"28's not that ancient. My car's older than you." A car that she'd found hard to park here, thanks. Damn, LeBaron. "How'd you guess I was American? Is it the obnoxiousness? My dad's tried to get me to stop." Veronica kindly accepted the beer after it was served, cupping it in-between her hands.

"I'm from Neptune, California. I know, a Mars in Neptune. I laughed the first 50 times." Veronica rolled her eyes, in mock enthusiasm, gave a half-hearted smile about it.

He took his beer and drank a bit. "My boyfriend's a year younger than me. But he's convinced I'm ancient, and all his friends decided to call me the fossil last year." He took another sip. Fuck, Tony. Why the hell did he make everything so goddamned complicated? "You should get your car a slot in the garage before someone decides to toss someone into it."

He laughed a bit at her quip about Neptune and shook his head. "I can't say I was there, but when we were filming Turn the Hourglass we were in Sacramento, and that was my only venture to California."

A boyfriend? Surprise. Veronica hadn't seen that one coming. Sigh. It's always the goods ones. Well, he'd teach Logan a lesson, that was for sure.

"At least a put-together fossil. The guy shouldn't complain too much," Veronica added, taking a drink herself. She had breakfast earlier, but it was never too good to drink even in the afternoon. Veronica had bad experiences with that. She knew better. "If somebody does than I'll go Angelina Jolie on their ass. I just got my car fixed."

"So, you really act?" She looked at him curiously. Sure, he had the good looks of an actor, and the charisma of one. But if he was, why would he be here? Then again, why was Veronica even here?

The boyfriend-he-was-considering-dumping-again-because-he-couldn't-take-anymore-godamned-shit. That basically made him a free man, right? Right? Who was Lee kidding, anyway? It made him as much a free man as a tiger in a zoo was a free cat.

"You'd think, huh? I even went bi for him." He smirked, even though the complaint was real, he was a master of hiding things; that's why he was an actor. "Just consider it, a Jag got fucked up last month because someone had a temper tantrum." Not to mention the Bentley last week.

"I do. Syndicated television, which, by the way, I'm still not exactly sure what that means. I had a movie audition, but I landed here before I knew if I got the part." And he had been doing pretty well for himself, too.

If only Veronica knew what was running through Lee's head, she would be able to relate. Considering Logan could be just as impossible to deal with it as well. Always on and off, like a light switch, when sometimes Veronica just preferred the sun. It could get annoying.

"Maybe he'll get a prescription for his eyes later, who knows. Optimism makes the world spin." Veronica shrugged, her method of encouragement. She nearly frowned at Lee's comment. If anything were to happen to her LeBaron -- "Guess that means I gotta take it there. Point out the garage to me later, will ya?"

"How long have you been here?" She pulled away from the table after the question, the steaks done and served in front of them.

Lee was tired of having feelings disregarded when Tony went into one of his moods, and there had been a major disregard the night before. Lee was done being the one constantly comforting his long-suffering boyfriend. Granted, it would be easier to leave the City than to tell Tony that, but whatever.

"I like the way you think. Sweet and smart," he said, tipping the bottle towards her. "I'll make sure to do that, it's where I keep my bikes."

He snorted as he took another sip of beer. "A year first week of September. There are people who've been here longer."

"Amen." She rose her bottle to Lee's, letting the bottoms clink appreciatively as glass do. "You drive? What models?" Plural, by how it sounds. She was interested. She liked bikes. If only she could drive one.

"Damn." Veronica made a face. "How fun! This means I should get comfy? Oh, if only I brought my sleeping pack. I'll bring it out and camp under the stars with my trusty LeBaron." Sarcasm was Veronica's middle name. The prospect of being here any longer than a few days? She didn't appreciate.

"A Honda Fireblade and a Harley Softtail. They're my babies." He could see the interest. "Do you ride?" He'd teach her, if she wanted it.

He shook his head. "I would offer to take you home, but I don't think Tony would like that. I might be able to find a place to stow you, though, provided you're okay with a studio apartment. There's a place with cheap rent, and I can loan you enough to stay there for a couple of weeks while you get your feet on the ground." And read the guide, he didn't add.

This drew an appreciate whistle from Veronica's lips. "Nice." She cut into her steak as they talked. At the question of whether or not she rode, she just looked innocent. "Not.. yet?" Veronica didn't mind being taught. No, no. Veronica was always eager to learn if someone was more than willing to teach.

"I'm guessing currency here's different then? Really?" Veronica frowned, looking thoughtful. Whilst she appreciated the offer, a lot, it was too much of an imposition, too much of a favor. Veronica wasn't too good with favors. "You don't have to. You're already paying for dinner. You've got me head over heels as it is." A joke. Oh, no worries about reading the guide. Veronica'd read it, for sure without prompt. Maybe she shouldn't act so high and mighty though, she might just need that apartment later on.

Lee laughed. "Thanks. Really." He cut a bit of his steak and ate it, then nodded and swallowed, "I figured as much. Do you want to learn?" It would be nice to be able to hang out with someone.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a coin purse. "I know, it's really manly," he began with a chuckle before drawing out a set of bright, multi-colored coins. "But they pay the bills."

"And if you'd rather, I can set you up with a job - it probably won't be glamorous, but my boss is always looking for new employees, and at least it'll get you up and running this month."

"I definitely wouldn't mind," Veronica said at the opportunity. She tipped some beer into her mouth. "Teach me, young Jedi master."

Veronica didn't laugh when he pulled out the purse. That would've been rude. "It's okay. My dad has one too. Keeps his keys in them, or so he says." She smiled at the though, glossing over the currency that looked more like game tokens than anything else. Ah well, why question authority in a place so new? Best not to piss anyone off while she can help it.

"What sort of job? If anyone's interested in hiring an amateur P.I.? That'd be sweet." Not that Veronica should talk. Any job's good as it goes.

"Don't laugh too hard," he said with a smirk, "We have those. Three of them in fact." He finished his beer and scooped up the rest of his coins.

"Serious? P.I? Well there's the police force but they barely pay, I don't know how anyone lives off them, really. But if you go on the Network and look for either Mr. Brocklehurst or Mr. Styles, they're both always on the lookout for new talent." Lee pulled a pen from the edge of the table and wrote both names, along with network handles, on a napkin. "There."

He finished his steak, and gave her another smile. "They're good men. Intense men. But they're both pretty cool."

Veronica's eyes would've boggled. That is, if she were the boggling sort. Instead, she looked taken aback, and amazed. "No way. Which? Oh, god. Please tell me we have a Luke. I love Luke!"

She wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, she actually couldn't tell. Sleuth skills? Fail. He was a bit hard to read. Must be all that actor's charm. But seriously? This world was that weird -- so why the heck not, right?

"For serious," Veronica said with a smile, nearly done with her beer herself. "Well, amateur P.I. Haven't taken the test yet." She took the napkin and gave it a glance over, intrigued.

Veronica tucked it into her messenger bag, safe and neat. "I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for this, lifesaver. You just keep pulling me up, don't you?"

(OOC: Redirect handles, please? ♥)

Lee laughed. "We do have a Luke, and he's really friendly as long as you don't go on and on about the movies. But he's a great guy, I bet he'd like to meet you." Her enthusiasm was catching.

He was being serious, which was probably the best part of the entire thing; he genuinely liked her. He thought she was charming, and Lee could use a bit of charm in his life.

"Well if you're serious, they'll like you. Just be honest with them, okay?" He laughed again. "And don't let them intimidate you. They were both politicians, once, so they have that sort of air, although Brocklehurst is a lot nicer than Styles."

His laugh gentled to a smile. "It's good to have friends around here."

[ooc:

razrsharp Brocklehurst and

under_secretary Styles!]

"I won't stalk him too much, promise. Just get an autograph of one or three hundred. Then maybe sell one or two on eBay." Veronica broke into a grin from behind her bottle. If Lee was telling the truth -- Dude. Luke. Skywalker. This place mightn't be half-bad, after all.

The way he geniunely liked her, Veronica genuinely liked him. In Neptune, she might've been turned off by his status automatically. Rich, good-looking actor-types? She sort of had enough of that. But even Veronica's prone to bouts of maturity. And yes, was Lee ever charismatic and deserving of such maturity.

"Oh, I'm hard to intimidate. And people tell me I'm too honest, I just say they're too soft." Veronica went back to eating her safe, rather satiated already.

She smiled, quirking a brow at his words. Friends? He had a point. "So that means I can go back to re-braiding our BFF bracelets?"

(OOC: Thanks so much, Mici! ♥)

Lee laughed again. "Well the Millennium Falcon is parked out on the beach, and I think Obi-Wan Kenobi's around, and Anakin. It's sort of a circus," he admitted as he left the change on the table for the waitress.

"So let's go, I'll show you a place you can crash the night and a place to stash your car. Trust me, you'll be fine." He offered her a hand. "And as for those bracelets, just don't make mine pink or purple, okay?"

"Oh shi-" Veronica's jaw dropped, her eyes wide. "Anakin, pre or post Darth Vadar? And damn, do we have a Leia?"

"Aw. That means I'll just have to re-braid." She gave a poor imitation of a pout at Lee's words. "How about green and brown? Is that manly enough for you?"

Veronica looked at the proffered hand oddly after she reslung her bag over her shoulder and carried the guide in her free hand. It was sort of awkward at first. Veronica didn't usually go around holding people's hands, ever. So she took a moment longer than she should before declining with a polite shake of head. Thanks, but no thanks. Habits don't change, unfortunately. Veronica appreciated the thought though.

He had only intended to help her up, but whatever. He tucked his hand back into his pockets. "Pre, I guess. And I've seen Leia around, too. It's probably good I'm warning you about this, isn't it?" He had seen fanboys go after the little cluster of Jedi and he had seen it both end well and end badly.

"Those are perfect colors, thanks. I hope you're not cranky, now that you've eaten."

"What about Princess Amidala? Man, the force must be all messed up because of that." Veronica tugged her keys out of her pocket as they walked over to find her LeBaron. Dude, if Veronica saw Anakin, she'd be hard-pressed not to spoil and wreck anything for him.

She looked up, because he was far taller. (Of course.) "Oh, very uncranky, thank you. You've just done the world a service, Lee my boy."

"I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it's okay." He watched her get the keys and pointed her way over to the car. "I'm a regular hero, you know."

He gave her directions to the garage. "I think it's being run by a guy named Racer X - just don't ask - or Jack Harkness. If you ask one of them, I bet they'll be able to help you out."

"I'm taking your word for it," Veronica gave him a disbelieving look. She stepped into her LeBaron after getting it open, and took to the directions easy. She waited to see if he had anything to add.

(OOC: How should it go? End soon, or should he take her to the apartment?)

"Because you're a smart girl. After you figure out where the garage is, there's a set of apartments closeby; studios. Just talk to the lady that works there and tell her that I'm asking for a favor, just until you get your bearings. She'll give you a key." He closed the door of the car for her. "Drive safe, okay? And check in with me soon.

[ooc: You want to wrap up?]

"Got it, sir." Veronica gave a mock salute up at Lee, doing herself a favor and memorizing the garage location before she forgot.

She looked up at him,just before she backed up and drove. "Hey, it was a good dinner," Veronica said honestly, giving him a smile. "You definitely know how to wine and dine a girl, I have to say."

(OOC: Wrap up sounds good!)

"Years of practice," he said with an open hand. "I'll make sure to tell my mother we're taking your name, by the way."

He grinned as he watched her drive away.

"You know that Lee Mars would so pretty darn cool," was what Veronica said last before she drove away. Rather proud that she finally made a friend first before an enemy. And a cool friend at that.

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