milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The door opens and a familiar face comes in... but for the time being, it's not Michael Guerin in the driving seat.

By mutual consent between him and Michael, Rath of Antar has just come to Milliways as more than just a passenger.

Have at.

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...

"Wow. He never did give me his full name."

Something of a mouthful.

"He prefers not to use it. For obvious reasons, I think."

"Mmm-hmm. Poor boy."

Still. It's possible Shelley is memorising the name. Just, you know. In case.

"Also, it's far too unwieldy for everyday use. To address him, at least. Referring to him is a little different."

"Well," Shelley shrugs.

"I know now. You know who I mean, anyhow."

"Of course", he acknowledges, with a rather un-Michael-like tilt of the head.

He is acting oddly, though the voice is the same.

Shelley nods back, puzzled.

He chuckles.

"Have you not guessed yet? Michael and I have made an arrangement, for this visit."

...

Wait for it...

Click.

"Oh! Right! I thought you seemed... different. Er. Hello!"

"Hello. Again."

Distinct amusement, but warmth too.

"Sorry," she says sheepishly.

"I was distracted. You said it was an arrangement?"

"Yes. I have full control, for the duration of this visit. To see the place and talk to its people as he does."

"Oh..." she says curiously.

"How are you finding it? Spoken to many people?"

"You, Fainothi, and Lyrae. So far."

"...You've met Lyrae?"

Sorry, cross-communication. Having just come across Lyrae Addam the other day, she's on Shelley's mind rather.

"Michael has met both Lyraes, yes", he tells her. "But I was referring to the younger."

"Oh, right," Shelley says, suddenly pensive.

"I hadn't known the older one was here, see. I only ran into her yeaterday. Bit of a shock for both of us."

Nearly devolved into a full-scale fight, in fact.

Rath looks at her curiously.

"How so? Apart from the obvious physical resemblance."

"Do you remember-?"

She frowns, thinking. Yes, Michael had been there.

"I went through the door by accident and fell off a cliff. I couldn't remember a thing for a while until I hit by head my mistake and came back through. Lyrae was one of the people who took me in and looked after me during the time I was there. She was the Restorer - the Healer - in the nearest village."

Fucking, fucking Milliways.

"...this place does seem to lend itself to very awkward situations. And that would mean, her son...?"

She nods.

"He found me. I had no clue who he... was going to be at some point in his future. That was pretty lucky, especially considering who else was there."

Inwardly, she kicks herself for bringing him up. But it was true. The thought of the perfectly normal, if slightly irritating student Elan Morin gives her chills.

Rath doesn't miss it.

"And who else was there?"

Shelley rubs her forehead to cunningly disguise her expression.

"Er. Elan Morin was. Apparently they were friends as students. This was before the evil thing. Um."

"Well, I... before the evil thing? Is this Milliways doing odd things with time again?"

"Yes. A-and yes, it is. They were about the same age I am, I suppose. Still young, by their standards. J-Joar was living with his mother while composing, and Elan came to stay to catch up on his reading and then I got thrown off a cliff into the middle."

Only at the time, if worrying, the memory loss had been a blessing.