milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Jake comes downstairs with Oy at his heels, freshly bathed and looking for the first time in months as if he's had a decent night's sleep. He's even got that content expression back on his face, and the long-absent journal under his arm.

He takes a seat at the bar and orders a sandwich.

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"It's good to see", Angelo says warmly, smiling. "You won, then?"

It's gotten so whatever shadow may have passed over his face several months ago now doesn't even touch the boyish features. Just the cobalt eyes.

"Fair and square. He kept my memory for awhile but Roland and the others got it back ... and now it's his turn to be stuck out in the darkness. Although I think whatever's out there may take more of an interest in him than me."

His smile is more than a little unpleasant.

Funny, that. So is Angelo's.

"No more than he deserves."

"He still got off easily, considering."

Jake takes a bite of the sandwich and chews for a long moment.

"What happened to him?"

"Kneecapped and shot in the head. And then at least part of him ended up outside of the bar where I came through."

"It's not very pleasant."

He pauses and pulls something out of his pocket. It's a black stone in the rough shape of an oval with a red flaw in the center. The way the light catches it as he turns it around in his hands changes it from an eye to a key and back again.

"The other half moved to a place he's been before, on a different level of the Tower."

Angelo looks curiously at the stone.

"What's that?"

"It's his sigul in that particular world. He gives it to his followers and left it behind when he passed ... but now it's more than that. I can tell where he is through this."

Angelo nods, knowing what he'd do in Jake's place, if he could.

"You're going after him?"

"When the Bar lets me go," he says, nodding.

"Any idea why you're Bound, other than being dead?"

"Probably for the purpose of going through what happened. And ... maybe for the others that're here. Other than that, I've no idea."

"Have you told your friends yet you're planning to leave?"

"Roland knows. I don't know if he's told the others. I doubt it'll be for awhile yet," he says, grim.

"But he can't get far without me finding him."

Angelo nods.

"Because you've got your stone?"

"His stone," he says, with emphasis.

"I don't think he intended for that to happen. And if he did ... so much the better."

He tucks the stone away in his pocket with care and turns a little on his stool.

"Anything interesting happen while I've been gone?"

"His stone", Angelo acknowledges with an apologetic dip of the head. "And as for interesting things... this is Milliways. Interesting things happen every night."

Jake reverts back to the real smile.

"As long as it's still here, I'd expect it's a good day."

"Ah, the place always survives", Angelo answers with a lazy grin. "Somehow."

"A testament to the power and possible restraint of the Landlord."

"Absolutely."

"Anything new on that front?" he asks, raising his eyebrows a little.

"The Landlord? Not since the last group came back. You still interested in trying to find out more?"

He shrugs.

"I'm not so sure."

"Yeah, I guess, if you don't know how long you've got..."