[GP/EP] You're not clear of story out here

[st_arkcrowblack]

Even before she knew for certain that it was the first of a month, Snow’s body had started bracing for it. She was wary and tense, preparing to cope with yet more people in the space of the hotel. It seemed that no sooner had she adjusted to whoever had showed up the last time, there was someone new again.

She didn’t want anything to do with the lot of it. That was what those busy women on the welcome committee were for. She didn’t think the committee was a stupid thing, not at all. Focusing on settling new people in kept the lot of them busy and away from her, and that was where she wanted them. They terrified her.

Snow White had only come into the main building to forage for food. The original plan was of course to turn right back around and escape before the expected rush (small or large) of new people to flood in.

But that was of course not what happened. When a universe was a pocket, it had less to focus on and fewer people to fuck with, and so Snow was entirely certain it was fucking with her when she was the one in the lobby when a new face came through the door.

Comments

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"Lute's a predecessor," Lindsey agreed. "You don't really hear or see lutes much anymore where I'm from. Except for re-enactors and musical history buffs. And there're different kinds of guitars and ways of playing them.

"Are you a musician? Or just interested in learning new things?" Either could've prompted the curiosity, and getting the guy talking about himself suited Lindsey's purposes. And it sounded friendly-like.

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_unning]

"I do play the lute," Alcuin said, "and the harp. Though I'm not certain I would think to call myself a musician." Just as he would not call himself a dancer, or a singer. These were things he learned because they were part of Naamah's service.

"My name is Alcuin," he added with a friendly smile.

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"Lindsey." He pulled the stool he'd been using close enough for conversation and began to play as they talked. No reason he couldn't enjoy both, and he had planned on playing tonight. Simple Man to start, and he could let one song bleed into another from there. "Wouldn't exactly call myself a musician either, but I play when I can."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_unning]

"It's nice to meet you, Lindsey," said Alcuin, as he settled more comfortably into his chair now that Lindsey was sitting as well, and listened. "Well I am glad we have music here. Thank you for sharing it."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"There's some music here, beyond my playing." But if Alcuin was more used to the lute and harp, and with a somewhat old-fashioned manner about him, recorded music might be something he'd never encountered.

"Just not much in the way of music played live. There might be some CDs in the gift shop – they used to have that sometimes for people with long drives to look forward to – and I know there are people who had music with them. Like how books can save words for someone to enjoy later, there are ways to record sound, to be listened to later, over and over again."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_unning]

Alcuin looked briefly puzzled by this concept, but then seemed to simply accept it. He nodded. "I think I would like to hear more of the kind of music that people here are familiar with," he said. Then he sighed softly. "I am very disheartened by the lack of books."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"Yeah, from what I've seen the few choices for reading material in the shop are mostly the kinds of fluff people might want while on vacation. Makes sense, but sucks for choice." It didn't mean Lindsey hadn't been working his way through most of what was there, barring the truly execrable ones, mostly romance and young adult fiction. Besides, his real reading was done in his room, from the source book he wasn't about to tell anyone else about. Not that he'd found the information he needed to get out of here yet.

"What I wouldn't do for a real library."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_unning]

"Same," Alcuin sighed wistfully. "I would love some history books, to learn more about the place that most people here seem to come from... I've read a few books from the shop, but it is difficult to know what is based on the true world and what is fantasy."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"Not sure there is one place most people here are from, even when it seems that way at first. From what I've picked up since being here, what's fantasy for one person is a regular ol' Tuesday for someone else, but with both of 'em being familiar with same sorts of geography or historical events or cultural touchstones." Or worlds where the more fantastical things existed but most people didn't know about them, like where Lindsey was from.

"I think we're stuck talking to people if we want to learn those kinds of things."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_unning]

"I think I fall into that category," Alcuin said with a little smile. "As far as I can tell from talking to some people... my world is similar in terms of language and geography, but seems to have vast historical divergence. I have never heard of France, but it seems I am from some different version of it."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"So you see how confusing it could become quickly, trying to put together a history, when we don't know if any of us is really from this world, or if there's anything here beyond the limits we can travel." It didn't occur to Lindsey to soften his perspective. Alcuin had been here long enough to know they were, as best anyone could tell, stuck.

"Could be an interesting challenge trying to put together the differences. Hard to know what you don't know, though."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_unning]

"All I know is that there is a great deal I don't know," Alcuin said. "And... that is a very uncomfortable feeling for me."

Re: Lindsey - OT3, then by arrangement

[st_ableandbar]

"It's uncomfortable for most folks. You get by, keep moving, learn more." Brusque, yeah, but no harsher than Lindsey was with himself, and there weren't many people who hated not knowing more than he did. Nobody'd held his hands when he was out of his depth, or they wouldn't have, if he'd let them see how lost he was, which he tried his best not to do.