Out By The Milliways Lake

[argyle_princess]

She's not dressed for it, and it's cold, and she ought to go back to history class, but some days, after some conversations, a girl just has to run. This is one of those days, and that was one of those conversations.

And so Hannah is running. She's running and she's not thinking about anything but running and that suits her just fine.

And if her eyes are watering, it's just from the cold air out around the lake.

Comments

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah," she says.

"You're gonna get cold if we just stand around, you know."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

... Not that he would really admit if he was, but Wellard still nods.

"We could go to the bar, or to the Pearl, if you'd like. Either or."

There are not really a lot of options for places to go, here.

[argyle_princess]

"I don't think I'm ready to go back to the bar," she says. "Sometimes it's a little . . . too much to take in?"

It's sort of like a decision.

Kind of.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Too much noise, too many people, all at once." He nods.

"Would you like to go out to the Pearl, then?"

[argyle_princess]

"I think I'd rather walk, if you don't mind."

Or run, but that makes conversation difficult.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Not at all." He turns, to both motion to the path along the shoreline, and to offer her his arm.

"... Apparently this whole place, back here, that's supposed to be Scotland? Was made by magic."

[argyle_princess]

Hannah takes his arm.

"I wonder why anyone would go to that much trouble, and then pick Scotland."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Maybe that's where they were from, and felt homesick." He smiles a bit wryly. "That is the best explanation I can think for it, picking a place you missed, like that."

"Though someplace warmer may not have been a bad choice either."

[argyle_princess]

"I guess everywhere is home for someone," says Hannah. "Accept places that are uninhabited."

And then smiles, because there's something absurd about that statement.

"What do you think of as home?"

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

He opens his mouth to reply-

Then closes it, thinking.

"I- well, I grew up in London, but... The house in Bloomsbury has long since been sold off by now. Then I lived in Kent, at my great-uncle's." Wellard shrugs, biting his lip.

[argyle_princess]

"I've been to London, though I think it's probably very different now, but I don't know anything about Kent.

"Home can be more than one place."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"I would guess so." Quietly.

"Its... a place you're from, and seek to return to, I warrent. At least, so it seems."

[argyle_princess]

"My parents are divorced," she says. "I don't think that's real big in your time, but it's pretty common in mine. And they sold the house I grew up in when they split up. So when I say 'home,' sometimes I mean Mom's and sometimes I mean my dad's. And sometimes I still mean the house I grew up in."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Its not that common." He shakes his head, then takes a deep breath.

"They died when I was eight. First my father, then my mother. My grandparents- my mother's parents, were lost at sea about a year before that, and my father didn't have any family, nor did my grandfather, really. My grandmother's family, the Brights-" Wellard bites his lip, thinking of how best to explain this.

"My grandfather, Henry Morrison, was self made. He was in the navy and saved a duke's life. He ended up with being knighted, and awarded some money, which he used to start his company." He smiles a bit wryly.

"Not high born. A commoner, starting a shipping and trading company, free from the East India Company- and even worse-

"He did quite well at it. He then met my grandmother, and they ran off to Gretna Green, against her family's wishes. They didn't have much to do with her, after that- I only met my great uncle after my parents died." Quietly. "My mother contacted him, after she fell ill."

[argyle_princess]

"I'm so sorry, Henry," she says. "I'm so sorry."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard shrugs, shaking his head.

"It is just... that it happened, is all. My uncle sold off my grandfather's company, and put the money in trust for me, then made sure I had a tutor well versed in mathematics so I would know the basis of navigation when I went into the navy. Uncle did take care of me- I do think he had been fond of my grandmother. The rest of my family there, however-" His lips twitch.

"Thankfully, I went into the navy when I was 13, and never had to deal with them since."

[argyle_princess]

"Thirteen," she repeats. "That's . . . isn't that kinda young to be in the military?"

She was in the eighth grade, at thirteen. It's mind-boggling.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

He blinks, and shakes his head. "Not in my time, at least. That's the proper age to join, at least as an officer. Some of the boys were younger, but they would only be sailors."

Wellard takes a deep breath. "Just... that my uncle's place in Kent, that was his, and his children and grandchildren made it clear that I did not belong there. Then, I was on the Worthington, then the Renown- and then here."

[argyle_princess]

"It's hard, to not belong some place you ought to feel like you belong," she says quietly.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"The only place I remember belonging to, is long since gone, now." He sighs quietly.

[argyle_princess]

"Maybe you belong to here," she says. "To now."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Its sort of odd to think of finding that sort of place after-"

He bites his lip.

"... Afterwards."

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah," she says. "But, I don't know, maybe that's why your afterwards is here. I mean, obviously everybody's isn't, or there'd be a lot more people here. So maybe that's why you here instead of, you know, pearly gates and harp lessons."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"... I didn't expect that, after I died." Quietly, with a wince.

"Milliways was a surprise, yes. I-"

("... Its not hell then, sir?")

"I certainly wasn't expecting some place like this."

[argyle_princess]

"This would be a hard place to expect, I think," she says.

That same sideways glance, and a moment of silence, and she doesn't ask what he was expecting. Because there are really only two options, and if you aren't expecting Pearly Gates . . .

No one should have to say that out loud.

"Anyway," she says, instead, "I'm glad you wound up here. I'm glad both did, or we wouldn't have met, and that would be . . . I'm glad we did."