milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Cait at least got enough warning: she woke up from a nap already in costume, and it is a good one.

Coming downstairs, she finds and empty table and sits down, watching the other costumed people around the room.

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Toby is patient. Can't find what he needs from one person, try someone else.

"Excuse me please. Can you tell me how to get home?"

"Hmm. I think so." She offers a hand, first. "I'm Caitlin. Do you see a door on that wall?" The very tall girl indicates the wall where the door normally appears.

Toby shakes his head.

"People keep asking that."

"Someone did tell you about how Milliways works, then?" That is another point to consider. "Your door, the door you entered, the door that leads back to your 'home', moved... it will come back, but it might take a while."

"But what about my work? I've already been gone three days, Adam's going to go mad."

He sighs. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Toby."

"For most of people, time is not passing back 'home'. That's how it works for me, at least, I don't 'lose' time while I am here, when I go back I go back to the exact same place and time." She nods. "Nice to meet you."

"Really?" He looks very relieved.

"A gerbil brought me some food and a key on my first day, is that normal?"

"It's not a gerbil... it's a waitrat, and yeah, that's normal. I have a room here too, being in Milliways is sorta like a vacation for me." Cait smiles a bit, nodding. "You should relax and try to enjoy the place; worrying too much will not help."

"What is there to see here?"

"Hmm, there is the lake, and the woods, out that way... there are stables out there too, a greenhouse, a garden and a forge. But I think the most interesting here are the people."

"How did it all get here?"

"I do not -know- for sure... not the details. What I know, is that Milliways connects to everywhere in the universe. And people just 'stumble' in, finding the door at places where a normal door should be. I heard that someone called The Landlord built Milliways, but I don't know how or why."

"So it picks people at random?"

"I think so. It picked me, but not any of my friends, they can not even see the door here..." Cait nods, indicating the chair. "Sit?"

"Yes, thank you." He smiles awkwardly.

"Sorry if I disturbed you."

"It's okay. So, the bar decided on a vampire costume for halloween, for you?" Cait smiles more, tilting head and watching him.

"Yeah."

Beat.

"I don't really get it. I mean, a few people at work have been calling me Dracula, but how does the Landlord know?"

"Hmm, no idea... I don't even know why I woke up dressed like this." Cait indicates her costume.

"It looks nice. What era is it from?"

"I think the 1600... the european renascence, or something like it." Cait smiles, standing up and turning around. "I like it."

"It's not at all scary." Toby says. "You got off lucky."

"Yeah, for once it's good to have luck working my way. I hope it holds on for a while still." Cait makes a face, sitting down again.

"You're not lucky?"

"Hmm, no, I am not." Cait shakes head, not wishing to elaborate right now, it is a long and complicated tale of woe and strangeness; it fits the day with the scary parts, but would do nothing but ruin her mood.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

He doesn't ask. She'd say if she wanted to.

"I'm more lucky than I deserve, maybe someone should invent transplants."

"You mean, luck transplants? Nah, they might cut wrong, and not make me lucky while leaving you unlucky." See, she can make jokes! Good way to get rid of the bad feeling of her woes.

Toby laughs.

"I need luck, balances out my lack of skill."

"I bet you are not as 'unskilled' as you think. I learned nobody is most of the time people are just a bit afraid of acting, deciding..."

"I'm not very good really, but thanks."

"Aw, come on. Why you say that?" Cait is puzzled, she could come out of her shell and take her challenges head on; insecurities can be faced.

"Because I keep screwing up and forgetting stuff and people have to keep bailing me out."

"You do it on purpose? I think you just need some more self-discipline, pay attention to details."

"Of course I don't do it on purpose." Toby says a little defensively. "I just... my mind goes a blank."

"So it's just a matter of some self-discipline... I am sure you can do it." Cait smiles reassuringly.

"I don't see how dicipline will help."

"Not sir yes sir discipline, but self-discipline... make yourself more careful with detail, so you don't zone out as easily?"

"I think my brain's always been like that."

"Well, it does not mean it an not change, does not mean you have to be that way forever." And Cait pokes him, recognizing there a lot of her own insecurity of months past.

Toby grins shyly.

"I guess I'm just a silly."

"We all are; and sometimes, we stop being silly unless we want to be silly for fun." Cait nods and smiles to him.

"I guess. But even when I am concentrating I'm still useless."

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