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[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

[OOM: There'll always be an England. It's just that eventually, it's REALLY going to suck.]

The door opens, and for a moment the ruddy-gold light of candles and lamps can be seen on the other side. Not for long, though. The blue-clad, bearded fellow who trudges through closes the door behind him.

And then stops, two paces in, and stares.

Quinn Abercromby hasn't got any words at all for this.

Comments

[creator_raven]

There is a skinny man with dark eyes staring at him in return.

Well, watching, at the least.

He tilts his head and blinks.

"You have, perhaps, not been here before?"

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

Quinn's head jerks sharply in the direction of the voice. It takes him a moment to get his own back. "No," he says a little hoarsely. "Can't say that I... where is this? What happened to my - what's going on here?"

[creator_raven]

"Mostly the universe is ending, I think."

Raven tilts his head toward the illustrative window, but does not look himself.

"Though there is also a brisk business in food and housing, yes?"

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

Quinn looks in the direction of the other man's gaze. He'd meant to look back straight off, but the display...

His knees come quite close to buckling under him, but he grabs a chair-back and balances himself just in time. "Bloody hell," he murmurs. "I've gone mad, haven't I? Must've inhaled something when we were out planting."

[creator_raven]

"Going mad it not a thing it is easy to mistake, perhaps."

Raven manages a grin.

"And while I have heard it said that 'we are all mad here', it is not entirely true."

Blink.

"Mostly what we are is odd, I think. It is useful."

[pendragon-son.livejournal.com]

Well, he's caught the attention of one of the Pendragon twins.

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

In his- let us be honest- rather boggled state, it takes him some time to realise he's being looked at. He turns-

"Jared?" he exclaims without so much as thinking.

[pendragon-son.livejournal.com]

Melehan frowns, taking a step back.

"No, sir."

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

Quinn blinks-

"No, you're right," he mutters. "Sorry, kid. You look... damned like my foster-son, only a few years younger."

[pendragon-son.livejournal.com]

"It...it happens like that, I think, sir. Um. I'm Melehan, of Camelot."

[reluctantcleric.livejournal.com]

And there was likely staring back from the dead Cleric sitting nearby.

Preston with so much facial hair??? That can't be right.

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

Quinn's used to very little personal space; there's a lot of people in the castle. Being actively stared at is a bit different, though. He turns, looking for the source of the weird feeling at the back of his neck.

The fact that he recognises no one at all in this place is really more than a little weird by his lights.

[reluctantcleric.livejournal.com]

Partridge was positive it couldn't be him.

Yet there was still that shocked remarked, "John??"

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

Quinn blinks, and shakes his head. "Nah," he says. "My name's Quinn. Who're you?"

If he'd been a little older when the dragons came, maybe he'd have seen more Sean Bean movies. But he wasn't, and by his time there's just no point in VCRs any more. So. Look of total lack of recognition for the dead Cleric.

[reluctantcleric.livejournal.com]

Awww, no love for the Bean Collective.

Of course, that seemed to make sense. An amused light flickered across his features as he thought of how Preston would react to this bit of news.

"Errol Partridge."

[jusa-littlelion.livejournal.com]

Child!

Sitting in a table close to Quinn, completely absorbed in what he's reading.

It's "Saint George and the Dragon" complete with very colorful illustrations.

However Robbie's appreciation of Illustrations is sadly lacking so he soon slams the book shut with a bit of a loud bang and glances around-spotting Quinn.

Cue a bit of staring.

"....John?"

....Since when does his dad have a beard?

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

The still moderately shellshocked man looks up and over. "Nah," he says. "My name's Quinn-"

The book is noticed, and gets a small, wry smile. They have that edition at the castle. It's completely wrong, of course, but it's popular with the kids anyway.

[jusa-littlelion.livejournal.com]

Cue a bit of a very serious Robbie stare. The accent.

"Are you an Entropian?"
No. Of course not. Entropia's mostly gone.

Robbie hesitates again, shutting the book and pushing it behind him.

"What's funny?"

There's no malice or sarcasm in that, Robbie's just pointing out Quinn's smile at the ineffectual piece of literature. Hey-

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

"Never heard of 'em, kid," says Quinn. "I'm English, as far as there is an England any more."

He shrugs. "Sorry. We've got that book you were reading, back home. All the pictures are wrong- the dragons don't look like that at all. They're bigger, for one thing."

[jusa-littlelion.livejournal.com]

Dragons.

At any other time he would have said the man was delusional.

Now he just kind of-frowns, tilting his head, "....Dragons don't exist."
Hey-it's the party line.

"A fictional being created to represent a monster or demon in pre-librian mythology."

This is indeed a creepy kid.

[fathers-cleric.livejournal.com]

The power of tea.

"Anything you'd like." Preston waves another hand and calls over a waitrat, "...I'll have a..."

He frowns, "What is it-meat-tomato-lettuce-bun and sauces with onions-"

The rat almost (almost) rolls his eyes before scribbling something down and turning to Quinn.

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

Quinn looks at him. "You mean a hamburger?" he asks. "Even I know what those are..."

There's a pause, and a brief but significant mental readjustment to his expectations.

"Tell you what," he says to the rat. "Can I have what he's having?"

It squeaks in acknowledgment and scampers off. Quinn shakes his head. "Damn. I can't even recall the last time I had beef."

[fathers-cleric.livejournal.com]

"Beef is terrible for you." Preston murmurs, "Proteins were supplied in my world via other sources. Robbie's gotten me attached to these-ham-burgers though."

He shrugs, "Most of my food has been salad for a long time."

[twoeyesonthesky.livejournal.com]

"Lucky bastard," says Quinn fervently, and means it. "At least you get vegetables. I dunno how I'm going to keep the castle folk from doing something stupid if the mulch doesn't ripen the veggies fast this summer. The wet got into the stores last winter, and mold took a bunch of the seed before anyone knew it. There might not be enough to feed everyone and save seed for next year-"

He grimaces, pushing his forehead against the heel of his hand for a moment.

"Bah. Never mind. I'll figure it out as we get closer. No sense borrowing trouble."

[fathers-cleric.livejournal.com]

Preston frowns, "Do you require anything?"

He suddenly wishes that he could go back because he's damn sure that his world would have seeds. And-maybe more food.

"I mean-the bar can give it to you-provided you can pay."