milliways_bar | (no subject)

Mia hasn't spoken to Guppy in a while.

She hasn't exactly been happy with herself about that, but with everything going on (with her and her mun), it can be hard to keep track of who she's spoken to outside of the muddled mess that finally seems quiet.

"A silver piece for your thoughts?"

He looks up and blinks.

"Hm? Sorry Mia, miles away."

"It's okay."

She looks like she's had a few times recently where she's wanted to be miles away.

"How are things, Guppy?"

"Things are great, thanks." he replies, with far more confidence than he feels.

"How are you?"

"A bit confused, but at least things seem to be peaceful."

At least it's only standard teenage problems as opposed to standard Mia problems.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Ideally no, but if and when the day comes when the two men in love with me meet, it might be a good idea to have a doctor on hand. Wizards tend to do a lot of damage when they've lost their tempers and both of them lose theirs quickly."

"Ah. Um, yes. Catch me if you need me, you know where to find me."

She shakes her head.

"I'm sorry. I have nothing to do but mull over this for the time being and I imagine everyone's getting an earful about it. I just have to remember that I don't need to make any decisions yet."

Take it slow. Take it slow.

"Thinking about it all the time probably isn't good for me."

"Hey, I'm always happy to listen. People do it enough for me."

She laughs a little and puts her hand to her head.

"But if I keep focusing on my problems, I'll become as pompous as..."

It's funny how it always comes back to both of them.

"As Nash or Draco. I guess I just like the ones with confidence to spare."

"Having problems and venting them doesn't make you pompous." Guppy says with a laugh. "It's healthy to not bottle them up."

"True. I just don't want to end up self-centered."

"Well, that's a good way to be. But still, as I said, the offer stands."

Thank goodness for people like Guppy.

"Okay, but over tea. But you've already heard most of the problem. The only part I haven't told you yet is that I love both of them. Nash and Draco. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to choose."

"Oh, I see." He orders more tea. "Love as in deeply or as in crush? And how do they feel about you?"

"It might just be a crush with Draco, but I feel like there is love for him, something stronger than I'm used to with someone who is just a friend. That could be due in part to his similarities to Nash, which isn't really fair to him. And I know that Draco loves me."

A little sigh.

"And Nash has always been my dearest friend at school, my first friend there really and my closest, even before I thought of him romantically. I trust him with my life, with everything. I always have, even when others wouldn't, and I always will."

"Well, if you turn Nash down, it sounds like he'll still be there for you as a friend, whereas you might lose Draco if he misses out."

"I almost lost Draco once already. He had surprised me with a kiss a while ago and we had a quarrel after because I didn't really know how I feel for him. Only now do I have a better idea."

"Well, my only advice I can give is don't go out with someone just to see what it would have been like and tell them that. It happened to me once, and I just felt like a spare."

"I would never want to make a person feel that way."

And in Mia's mind, Guppy could never be a replacement to anyone, nor could he be replaced.

"That's actually kind of why Draco and I fought. I thought he was moving too fast while my mind was still on Nash. I didn't think it would be fair to him as long as I kept comparing the two. But I understand him a little better now and, while he does have some things in common with Nash, I've found that Draco has a few things in common with me too. If nothing else, we both tend to confuse each other."

"Well, don't rush, but don't string them along either." Guppy says, sipping his tea. "Otherwise you'll lose them both."

She nods.

"I guess I'm not sure if I'm stringing either of them along since I'm interested in both of them. No matter what, I intend to be honest with them."

"Then I'm sure it'll work out just fine."

"Thanks. It's good to hear that."

It really is.

And she finally tries out her tea.

Sooraya watches him watching the sandwich, bemused.

This is Milliways. There might actually be a valid reason why he seems to be expecting the sandwich to do something?

Well, if she doesn't ask, she won't know.

"Are you alright, sir?" Awkward Conversational Opening # 4.2, yes indeedy.

He blinks and looks up.

"Sorry, yes, miles away." He smiles. "I'm Guppy, I don't think we've met."

[ooc: Mun has to add that Sooraya is one of her fave X-folken. Not to put any pressure on, just fangirling :)]

"Sooraya Qadir. Pleased to meet you, Guppy. No, I don't think we have," she agrees.

(

He extends a hand.

"Nice to meet you too Sooraya. Have you been here long?"

She clasps his hand in hers. "A week or so. The door is being obstinate."

"I'm sorry." he says sympathetically. "Being Bound is tough at any time, but especially when you're new. Has someone told you about this place?"

"I...think so? That it's a sort of crossroads for different worlds and time periods. One that people can't find deliberately, or not on their first arrival, but that may bring them in for some reason.

And yes, I know about Bar, herself." She shrugs. "Not the oddest I've ever encountered, if in the top ten as some say."

"Yes, that's pretty much the basics." Guppy says with a smile. "There's more to it, as with everything."

He points to one of the doors. "That leads to Security's office, and is where people are taken temporarily if they don't obay the rules. No fighting in the bar, no nudity in the bar, and no outside business. There's a good security team here; if you need help in that direction, they have shiny star badges and are easy to spot."

Pointing to another door. "That's the infirmary, where I work when I'm here. I take it you found somewhere to sleep."

"Yes. I met--not someone from my world, but close enough that we got on," with a thoughtful smile. "She told me I could take a room here and she'd help with the costs, until I'm unbound or can find work.

Oh." at his outline of the rules. "I'll remember that.Thank you. Outside business meaning, old business?" she hazards. "I knew there was Security, but hadn't thought they--I'm used to fighting my own battles."

"Meaning things like if you're were a Bounty hunter or a vampire slayer and you came across your target in here, this is a neutral zone and you wouldn't be allowed to kill or capture them." Guppy explains. "Some forms of business, like me being a doctor, are okay. It's really a common sense rule to keep people safe."

He nods and smiles. "Many people here are, but if you want to sort something out without security, best to take it out back. Otherwise you and the person you're fighting may both get hauled in. You're allowed to defend yourself of course."

"I'm more likely to have people chasing me, than the opposite.I sometimes think X-Gene should have 'trouble magnet' as part of the definition," She remembers what she originally wondered. "You're not eating? You looked as if you thought YOU might get bitten," waving at the sandwich.

"Actually I know several X-gene positive people here, and they don't seem to have as much problem as they do at home." Guppy says reassuringly.

Glancing down at his sandwich. "Oh yeah, I sort of forgot. I was just thinking."

He picks up the sandwich and takes a bite.

Sooraya's relieved to see that the sandwich doesn't attempt to retaliate. With all the weirdness of the past few days, she's not sure she'd be surprised.
And Guppy passed a sort of test, though he doesn't know it, by not reacting badly to the mention of X-genes(i.e., being afraid or oh, trying to SHOOT her.). Sooraya's polite, but not always the most trusting of people.
"Rachel Grey, you mean. Are there others?" wistfully.

"Actually I didn't know Rachel was, I've only met her once or twice. Yes, there are others."

Putting down the sandwich.

"But since being X-gene positive seems to attract such degrees of racial hatred back home, I treat the information under medical confidentiality rules. Which means I'm afraid you'll have to find them yourself, unless they give me permission to disclose it to you. I can however assure you that you are certainly not alone here. And as I said, there isn't as much trouble anyway. So many different people from different backgrounds."

Sooraya mutters something, annoyed at her own indiscretion. He's right, and she isn't about to argue the point.

"It'd be almost easier if it was race, maybe..." she trails off, shakes her head. "Don't ask them, even if you can.
We'll find each other if that's what's meant to happen."

He nods, smiling.

"Okay. Good luck."

[ooc: Sorry for vanishing, mun is a brit and had to go sleep]