milliways_bar | (no subject)

There is a familiar giggle from someplace behind him and then there is a Lethe sliding into the next seat, watching the frozen figurines for a moment in silence.

"Are you feeling better today?" she asks with a smile.

"I am, thank you."

A gazelle trots obligingly towards her.

"I am not as disheartened. Though there needs be money soon, I fear."

[ooc: I am so sorry. I always seem to end up threading so unreliably with you. But life has been of teh ev0l recently, and you seem to be bearing the brunt of it :(]

Her fingers reach out to delicately pat the tiny animal on the head.

"Money?" she asks, head titled slightly. "For what?"

"Because we are supposed to pay off our tabs and I owe forty six dollars and nineteen cents."

He sighs, and the gazelle bucks, prancing around for her.

"That is probably not payable in raisins."

"Forty-six dollars and nineteen cents," she echoes, nose scrunching on one side. She honestly has no idea how money works precisely.

She claps her palms together in front of her and she opens them to spill a handful of gems and assorted nick-knacks onto the Bar top.

"How many trinkets do you think that is?" she asks, grinning.

"Oh my goodness."

He picks up something glittery.

"These are like my things. But not cold. What are they?"

"Stones and gems," she replies, playing idly with one of the baubles. "People bring many things to my river and then leave them all behind. After they are finished - after they forget - they generally do not need them any longer."

"I have all sorts of things," a smile. "But the shiny ones tend to be my favorites."

"How beautiful."

He very tentatively picks one up. A blue one, of course, because he is who he is.

"How alarmingly beautiful."

"You can keep some," she offers - Lethe is incredibly fond of giving presents. "And we will use the rest for the t-tab, yes?"

Jack is incredibly fond of both giving and receiving, especially something as pretty as the blue bit of sparkle he slides into his pocket with a huge smile.

"Yes. Thank you. I was going to try to work in the brothel as a helper-person for lack of a better idea, but I am happy to be able to avoid that."

[ooc: I'm currently suffering from flu, so may be sporadic. As though I'm not always, given my wireless, but I thought I'd warn you.]

"You are most welcome," and there is a pleased grin upon her face once more.

"Turquoise," a thoughtful pause as she tries to remember. "It is supposed to bring good fortune. It is said to be a symbol of peace - and friendship. A very good choice then."

"What about the clear ones?"

He picks up one and looks at her through it.

"They are like ice. What do they mean?"

"Diamonds?"

She giggles and crosses her eyes for a moment.

"They represent innocence and devotion. And they are supposed to bring clarity."

"I like those too, then."

He fiddles with one.

"They are like white roses. It is strange, how often people give colours strange meaning."

"People like to define things. I think it makes it easier for them to understand - to explain them that way."

"If you like them, you can have them." her smile twitches up on one side. "I have plenty and they really are not going anywhere."

"Thank you very much."

He does like them. ~~magpie.~~

"But I had best use the rest to go on my tab. Will they be enough?"

He glances up at the board with a worried look.

Her eyes follow his - and there are far too many words there for her to figure out on such short notice.

"I would think so," she murmurs. "How does it work?"

"Lady Bar? Please take all the ones that are not white or blue and put them on my tab."

They fade into the bar, and Jack points at the small negative number next to his name on the wall.

"If it is enough then... oh my."

As it turns out, his tab is rather more than covered.

By a lot.

Lethe giggles slightly at Jack's expression, fingers of one hand splaying over the grin.

"That is a good thing, yes?"

Her head tilts slightly and she arcs a curious eyebrow.

"That is a very good thing. I will most definitely not be working in a brothel."

He gapes for a moment longer, and then turns and belatedly pulls her into a delighted hug.

"Well, I certainly would not want - oh!" she blinks for a moment in surprise before hugging him back, edges of her shimmering once more.

She casts another curious look up at the board, "Now we know that they work."

"And are worth very much more money than I spent. Even though I did not buy much more than a bit of ethanol and a single glass of whiskey and a few raisins and then a few apricots. Will you share some food with me?"

The weight off his shoulders- not having to fret about it, it's put him in the mood for celebration. And how better to do that than with icecream?

"Of course!" she nods eagerly, settling back into her seat.

Lethe's never had ice cream before - well, to be honest, she hasn't had most things before.

He orders, from his newfound riches, a bowl of mango icecream to share.

"You might like it. But be careful, it is cold."

She takes one of the spoons carefully - utensils are still somewhat confusing - and scoops out a small portion, eyes closing as she considers.

"Mmm ..." a low, pleased sort of murmur. "It is sweet."

"It is. I think this is one of the very best flavours. That and vanilla."

But that part wasn't entirely unexpected.

Jack takes another spoonful.

"I will take your word for it," she grins around another scoop. "This certainly is very good."

"Have you done anything interesting lately?" her eyes are curious once more. "You asked me, and I would like to know as well."

"No. I have been sleeping a great deal because it is spring. I might have to call Belial soon."

He shifts in his seat.

"I find myself more and more despondant."

And cue the worried face.

"We will have to find a door, yes?" she nods decisively. "To someplace that stays cold. I would say that you could stay with me for a while, but it is awfully unpleasant - and you would have to stay away from the water. Because I certainly would not want you to be forgetting things."

She lets out a discontented sigh, "I am sure we can think of something. I do not want you to be sad - not ever."

A bit of hope crosses his face.

"I would be allowed to stay with you. Because water cannot touch my skin, Lethe, it becomes ice and ice I have power over. Is it very cold where you are from?"

"Yes," she nods - a tiny, uncertain smile crossing her face. "Very cold."

"I have to warn you though - it is dark always, a terrible, unhappy sort of dark," she chews her lower lip, tangling fingers in a curl. "And there is the Line."

"What is the Line?"

He takes a bite of icecream, contemplatively.

"It sounds rather ominous. Should I ask Belial to get rid of it?"

"The Line is - it is where people wait after they are finished. They drink from my river to return the memories of their former lives," she flinches slightly. "That is what I am - forgetfulness."

"I do not think that it can go away, it is needed. It never ends and it never gets shorter," she smiles though, grateful for the offer.

"Oh. Well I shall tell you"

He reaches for her hand.

"I have never had much of a memory. I was not created to have one. Forgetfulness is not an entirely terrible thing. It can keep you safe."

She squeezes his fingers slightly, and places light peck on his cheek.

"You are lovely - you know that right?"

A pause as she looks down at their hands, "I just - I think it is unfair sometimes. My river takes all things and they are always so empty afterward. No one should have to lose everything."

"But why not? They loose everything and they go back and are allowed to live all over again."

He sees it as a gift.

"It is better than having to remember everything always. It would ache."

Lethe has never really thought of it that way - what happens after is not really her jurisdiction.

"Sometimes you are right," her nose scrunches in thought. "It is good to start again - to get a second chance. But sometimes it is just an ending - or they are left that way, empty."

The fingers of her other hand press lightly where her heart is.

"Yes," the small smile falters. "It does."

"Forgetfulness."

He nods, convinced, and trying to reassure.

"Even for those who are left, it is better to risk everything to gain everything."

"And I remember for them, I suppose," she glances up once more. "Because if I do not, who will?"

She hugs him one more, smile grateful. "Thank you - you can stay with me for now, it will be nice to talk to someone who is not petrified of me."

"May I truly?"

He asks it very carefully.

"You need not. If you do not like it to be so, I will try to find somewhere else but, oh, I would love to."

[ooc: and my *@!#*$ connection decides to crap out. Sorry about that. Also, if you don't mind, please toss me an email at underwater.owl@gmail.com ? I'd like to chat about some of the details if you actually feel like trying this out.]

Her grin brightens at his enthusiasm - she's never really taken anyone back with her before, but it's Jack and she would much rather he be safe, even if it does mean he has to go to dark places.

"Oh! Yes of course you can," she nods. "I just would not think that you would like to stay there for a very long time - it is rather horrid sometimes."

"If you are there I have no doubt it will be alright."

He can't help but laugh, and cools the melting icecream again with a flick of his fingers.

"And I will not be unhappy. I must ask Belial, though, because it would not do to unleash other parts of things into his places accidentally, and I am unseperable from some ideas that are darker."

[ooc: my connection is flickering far too much to sustain aim at this point, but if it works later I'll ping, I'm UndrwO]

She laughs in return, bright once more. "We will try it then - I can show you all of my treasures."

Lethe picks up her spoon once more, smiling at the sweetness.

"I do not think that your Belial is exactly the same as the Lord of my realm," she twirls her spoon around two of her fingers. "The Lord Hades is married to the Lady Persephone - and she will be returning above soon, so he is not in the best of moods. But I am not often spoken to, so I cannot be entirely certain."

"It is different names and everything but I will still talk to him about it."

He folds his arms, setting them on the bar and resting his chin on them.

"He is my friend. It would be unkind not to at least tell him when I will be away."

"It might be helpful," her nose crinkles in thought. "Someone told me that Hades becomes Hell in their world - perhaps. The whole thing is rather confusing, to be honest."

"And you certainly can tell him, you are supposed to tell your friends such things," she shoots him a crooked, reassuring grin. "I will try to bring you here whenever you would like."

"Thank you. I think for now I will be off- there is much to do, but I will find you again and speak to you all about it, certainly."

He smiles, shyly, and hugs her once more before he goes.