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[oom: One disastrous dinner party later, Lady Mary is still without a fiance.]

Mary is avoiding her family.

The Duke of Crowborough left on the morning train, and Mary didn't rise to see him off. (She's learned by now that Bates did not depart. Anna says Bates is "not very lame", and it's clear Papa must agree.) She skipped breakfast as well, feigning a headache in order to avoid facing her sisters. It's not that she can't put on an act of being unaffected by it all; it's that today she doesn't feel like bothering.

For once, when she goes looking for a door into Milliways, she actually finds it.

Today she's found herself a table in somewhat quiet corner where she's enjoying a late breakfast of eggs, ham, and melon. She also has a full carafe of coffee, should anyone care to share.

[ooc: Expect probable slowtime since I'll be in and out today, but I wanted to throw Mary back in.]

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Asami had to leave the garage eventually. When she does, she may smell a bit like ozone, but her makeup remains intact, and when she pulls her hair out from under her jacket, it falls perfectly over her shoulders as always.

She's passing Mary's table when she notices the scent from the carafe. It's not something she can place, and it's enough to make her curious. Asami glances up to the woman at the table, however, and adopts a formal tone.

Pointing to the carafe, "I'm sorry, do you mind if I ask what that is?"

Formal as it is, Asami's trousers and driving jacket may still seem a bit... well, modern.

Mary looks up to see an attractive young woman approaching. Mary's noticed an odd affinity for trousers among some of the women of Milliway's, but at least this young woman's clothing is clearly fine.

"It's called coffee. It's a hot drink made from roasted beans."

Asami looks foreign to Mary's eyes, so it's not shocking to Mary that Asami doesn't recognize it. Do they have coffee in the Far East? Mary's not sure.

"Would you like to try some? The waiter"—it may be a rat, but that doesn't mean Mary must acknowledge the fact aloud—"left me two cups."

Asami couldn't really blame her for not wanting to acknowledge the rats. But acceptable rodent infestation aside, this place hasn't disappointed her yet, so she agrees, "I would, thank you."

She even inclines to a very small bow before taking a seat at Mary's table. What with the drink, the woman's appearance, and that it seems to be the case with just about everyone here, Asami can guess that Mary's not from her world, and so doesn't hesitate to use her full name when she adds, "My name's Asami Sato, by the way."

(Though usually, when she's speaking like this, she doesn't need to introduce herself.)

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sato. I'm Lady Mary Crawley."

Mary's only slowly becoming accustomed to meeting people in Milliways without formal introductions. Obviously manners and customs are not the same in every world, but Mary is still more at ease when she meets people who show recognition of and deference to her rank

"Do you care for milk?" she asks, gesturing to a small pitcher on the table. Asami may never have had the drink before, but it seems only polite to ask.

Asami has no noble lineage, but has both the wealth and self-assurance to have spent time with those who do, and become accustomed to it. It means she can recognize Mary's rank, even if she's not sure exactly what it must mean in Mary's world.

"It's a pleasure for me, also - Lady Mary." It's apologetic, but Asami doesn't hide that she's not entirely sure what the proper address is. Last names are uncommon enough in her world, particularly for anyone with a noble title.

"And no, thank you."

As it's new, she figures she ought to see how she likes it alone, first.

They may be from different worlds, but Asami's instincts have served her well. Though Mary has a last name, she's not Lady Crawley, nor is there a Lady Crawley in her family right now. Mary does does notice Asami's hesitation and states, "Lady Mary will be fine."

Mary pours a steaming cup of coffee and passes it to Asami.

"It's rather bitter," she warns. "If it's too much, you can add some sugar."

When one's mind is unsettled, there can be comfort in these social rituals.

"Than you, Lady Mary."

She takes the cup, turning it delicately so she can drink a very small sip. Mary wasn't lying about it being bitter, but Asami just presses her lips together, trying to make her mind up.

"It's... interesting." At the moment, she's pretty sure she prefers tea, though that might change once she gets a sense of how much more caffeinated it is.

But she does reach for the sugar bowl as she says, "I don't think I've had anything like it at home before."

Mary also prefers tea, in general, but usually drink either coffee or cocoa with her breakfast.

"Where is home for you, Miss Sato?"

Clearly she must be from a different place, if not a different time as well.

"The United Republic?" By this time, Asami's gone through it enough to add - "It might not be in your world. I haven't met anyone here from mine."

Or even one like it.

With exception of Miss Austen, everyone Mary has met has also been from other worlds. And even Miss Austen lived a century before her.

"No, I suspect it is not."

Unless they're another revolutionary colony.

"I'm from a country called England."

She watches to see if Asami recognizes the name.

Asami shakes her head.

"There's nothing called that in my world."

She tries the coffee now that the sugar is added - it is an improvement.

"But we don't have that many countries, either, from what I've heard about other worlds."

"Yes, mine does have a great many—more than I can keep track of sometimes."

Mary's had a good education of course, but geography is not an especial interest for her.

"What is your home like?"

"Oh - well, there are only really five, in my world."

It does probably make geography class a little easier.

"And the United Republic was only established a few decades ago. I live in its capital."

"Goodness. England's been around for centuries."

Learning history takes some time as well!

"My father has a house in our capital, but we live mostly in the country."

And because of the family's mourning, exclusively in the country for the past months.

"The other nations are much older. The need for the United Republic was more a ... recent development."

Well, there's a euphemism for a century-long war if ever one existed.

Asami nods - the notion of a country estate isn't exactly unfamiliar to her, but -

"My father's factories are in the city, so we don't leave too much."

And Asami personally prefers places with a lot of paved streets.

It sounds like there are politics involved... a topic Mary would just as soon avoid.

"Oh, what a pity. I always find that when I'm in the city I yearn for the peace of the country. Of course, when I'm the country, I often wish for the excitement of the city."

The variety makes life more interesting.

"What kind of factories does your father own?"

Asami seems quite well bred for only the daughter of a tradesman.

It's not totally lost on Asami. They might not have coffee, but her world does have the concept of 'new money.'

"They mainly manufacture cars. That's his biggest business."

It's not calculated, exactly, though she does add, "But in my world they're mostly called Satomobiles."

Of course, new money's not so bad when it comes with the right sort of connections.

For now, she simply nods her approval.

"They really are such useful machines, especially in the country. We use the car so much these days that we no longer need to keep a coachman."

Mary's not being consciously snobby, it's just that it doesn't occur to her that anyone would drive themself. Anyone wealthy enough to own one can certainly afford a driver.

"It's getting like that in my world, too. It wasn't that long ago that everyone was still using ostrich horses, but you don't really see them in the city now."

She takes another sip of the coffee, apparently unaware that she's seen anything strange.

"But driving is still pretty new for most people."

And the rich, like Mary, largely hire drivers.

Mary pauses, coffee cup raised nearly to her lips. After a moment she sets it back on the table.

"I'm sorry. Did you say 'ostrich horses'?"

It's strange, having to remember that all these things you take for granted... really seem to bother others.

"Yes, it's - a kind of animal in my world? A riding animal."

Or, you know. Like a horse. A little apologetic, "Sorry, sometimes I forget that my world seems to be really different from others here."

"No, no. It's not your fault. I've heard of worlds with magic and other strange things, I just hadn't considered..."

Ostrich horses.

"In my world we ride horses," she says, more steadily. "There's nothing birdlike about them."

Thank goodness.

Asami's honestly having trouble imagining what such a thing would look like. No stubby wings? Or bird-like legs?

She decides not to ask, for now at least.

Instead, sticking with something she can imagine, "Do you still use them a lot, when you have the car?"

"Yes, of course."

She says this like it's the most obvious thing in the world because, to her, it is.

"If I were going into Ripon—that's a town nearby—I would take the car, but I go riding on the estate nearly every day."

Life would be dreadfully dull if Mary could not ride.

"Right." Even if not entirely sure of what that must be like, Asami supposes that it makes sense.

"That must be lovely, in the country."

"It really is. I'm biased of course, but I believe Downton is one of the most well-situated estates in all of England.

"When I'm riding, there are places I can look out and see nothing but greenery, with not a single soul in sight."

Beyond the beauty of the country, one of it's cardinal virtues is the opportunities it provides to be completely alone.

"I don't think there's any way to get that in the city," she concedes.

Even with the size of the Sato estate, there was almost no way of being completely alone. If that's what she wanted, Asami preferred to hide in a crowd.

"Are there very many of you, who live on the estate?"

"Not very many," she answers. "My mother and father, my two sisters, and I live there. Granny lives in the Dower House in the village, but she joins us frequently."

The Dowager Countess still takes a strong interest in the running of the house that was once her own.

"And the servants, of course."

In fact, the servants by far outnumber the family.

"It's only my father and me at home. And the house staff."

Though it's a little easier to outnumber two.

"No siblings? Sometimes I think that would be a blessing."

It seems tactful not to ask what happened to Asami's mother.

It also doesn't seem tactful to ask if Mary doesn't get along with her sisters.

Instead, she shrugs, and allows, "It probably means being the center of attention more of the time. But that's not always a good thing."

She doesn't. Well, not with Edith, anyway.

"It can mean quite a bit of pressure." Something Mary, as the eldest, is well acquainted with.

"Everyone has so many expectations."

Expectations like: Marry the heir, marry a lord, just for the love of God marry somebody.

Fortunately, while many would probably be interested in who she would marry, not quite so much would ride on it.

But she still nods, and answers, "And sometimes they assume a lot about you."

'Daddy's helpless little girl' and all.

Edited 2012-08-18 02:47 (UTC)

"Indeed they do."

Mary knows that people assume that because she keeps her emotions to herself, she feels none.

"I find it freeing, coming here, where no one knows anything of me, and thus assumes nothing in advance."

"Have you been coming here very long, Lady Mary?"

Maybe it's because she's spent... quite a bit of her time here in the garage, but Asami hadn't even thought of it that way yet.

"To be honest, I'm not sure of the best way to measure it. Several months have passed since I first visited, but I've not been here many times. The door seems to come and go as it pleases."

Not that she would spend much time there, but Mary doesn't even know there is a garage, or anything else outside the bar proper.

She nods.

"I'm just still getting used to the idea that any door I could open could take me to this place."

"It can be very disconcerting," Mary agrees.

"You have not been coming her long, then?"

It's nice not being the online who seems somehow adrift.

[ooc: Sorry for the ultra-slow. Apparently Mary is hard to play when I'm overtired.]

She shakes her head.

"Only once before. Now I'm a little more certain I didn't just dream it somehow."

"I was assured on my first visit that it was not a dream, but I admit I didn't believe at first either."

What reasonable person wouldn't have some doubts?

"One of the maids caught me examining doorways at home and was clearly suspicious. I'm sure she enjoyed gossiping about how Lady Mary'd gone round the bend."

What a blessing that Anna, not the odious Miss O'Brien, serves as Mary's maid.

Asami smiles.

"There are some things in here I'd love to tell my father about, but I'm sure anyone would just think I'd lost it if I couldn't prove it.

"Proof? No, I don't think I could manage that. Unless I simply brought my family with me..."

She grimaces slightly at that thought.

"... and that's not what I want at all."

It would completely defeat the purpose of coming here!

"Then you'd have to hope they're nearby when you find the right door."

With a slight, sympathetic quirk to her mouth, "Or not, I guess."

Mary lowers her voice somewhat conspiratorially.

"I'm hiding from them. It's not too ignoble of me, is it?"

She reflects, as she had when speaking to Lady Thayet, that a woman from another world can hardly tell tales about her. At least, not to anyone that matters.

Edited 2012-08-24 00:05 (UTC)

Asami presses her lips together, and shakes her head.

"This is the place to do it. No one even notices you're gone."

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