(no subject)

[uquars_gadget]

Helen has been sitting in the room she and Jamie have been living in, collecting bugs from the straw-stuffed mattress (she's not particularly impressed by their level of technology, but it does make a good habitat).

Jamie left, awhile ago, to--well, it's not like she cares, is it? Something about supplies, and self-important looks, and she ignored him as best she could.

She can't wait for the tug again, when she can get away from this ridiculous mess. Jamie seems to have a particular talent of making her feel stupid and frustrated.

Comments

[walksthebounds]

Jamie doesn't bother to knock, but he does take care not to look too pleased with himself when he comes into the room. Even Jamie knows that nobody was ever soothed by someone wearing a self-satisfied smirk.

"Afternoon, Helen," he says politely, and holds out his left hand, with a long-suffering waitrat sitting patiently in his palm.

[uquars_gadget]

Helen just glances up, nose parting her hair slightly. She sets the bugs aside and parts her hair with her right hand down the middle, and tucks it behind her ear.

"Hi," she says quietly, standing and tilting her head sideways as she puts out her hand. She's not actually talking to Jamie. She didn't think they had grey rats in Creema di Leema.

[walksthebounds]

. . . well, Jamie's not going to stand around all day waiting to see what she'll do.

So he drops down to a seat on the mattress, and waits to see what she'll do.

[uquars_gadget]

Helen's peering at the rat in her hand puzzledly as it squeaks, and takes her left hand and puts the rest of her hair behind the other ear.

Most rats upon seeing Helen, if they've met her before, have some sort of ramble about nice girl hi how is? yes today is tasty tasty bread things nice girl want bread things? no, okay, bread things for me! not a long stare and a You're the Helen he was talking about?.

"Yes," Helen replies, equally surprised. "Jamie--"

She turns around, and glares at him. "You never said you had a fixed traverse to Milliways."

[walksthebounds]

Jamie's usually pretty good about not letting things stun him for long, but - for multiple reasons - this accusation manages to flabbergast him for at least, oh, ten seconds.

"You never said you knew about Milliways!"

[uquars_gadget]

"Why should I say I knew about Milliways?" asks Helen, crossing her arms as the rat runs up to sit on her shoulder. "I haven't been there since I was exiled!"

Unlike you is the accusation she definitely doesn't say.

[walksthebounds]

"Well, I don't know," Jamie retorts, "after the hours you've spent ranting on about reality and traverses and rules, and nabbing me as your offworld guide, you might have mentioned that you'd been hopping off to a different universe in your off hours!"

[uquars_gadget]

"Milliways doesn't count," Helen says, "I did research and it's nothing more than a place between places, not a proper world at all. No one there knows what's going on when they arrive! And the Security are reasonable with answering questions, from my experience."

The waitrat squeaks something and she nods, saying, "Maybe when you were showing off you might've wanted to mention that there might've been a place like Milliways we could get to, hm? Especially since you've been going there so long, according to what he says."

Helen brushes off her hands and says, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have a doorway to find."

[walksthebounds]

"I couldn't get there," says Jamie, exasperated. "Before this world I'd never been able to get there except through the normal Bounds, all right? It may have been a bit peculiar, but I'd no reason to think it wasn't just a world with a peculiar set of Them."

And if you want proof that those exist, Creema di Leema's proof enough!

"And there's no need to get all huffy about it. I'll show you the door I found." With injured innocence: "I'd have shown you ages ago if you'd just mentioned."

[uquars_gadget]

"Of course," Helen snaps, "it's my fault for not being a mind-reader."

There's a long pause, and Helen moves aside from the path to the door way, tilting her head towards it so half of her hair slips out from behind her ear.

[walksthebounds]

The other interpretation is that it's Jamie's fault for not being a mind-reader, which Jamie considers at least as unfair!

But he contents himself with a put-upon sigh, before pushing himself off the mattress and heading out the door.

At least she's speaking to him again.