Day 35: Main Street

[mrmewmaker]

Shiki was a little disappointed. When she heard the words 'field trip', she had expected the town to be a whole lot bigger. How could you even go shopping properly in a town like this? There needed to be a whole lot more stores, she decided. Two department stores, boutiques, and a record store, at least

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[secret_orchard]

[from here]

"In fact," Armand went on. "I am very fond of exercise. I miss Sir Percy's wonderful horses. Do you ride?" The first shop they neared was indeed the bookstore, though there were plenty of enticing signs further ahead.

[notaleaf]

"There are horses," Wash said. "I'm better with flying, though."

You couldn't navigate a horse as well. Oh wait, he'd mentioned the flying thing again. He wasn't going to have to go through the entire space explanation another time, was he? Not that he minded talking about the thing he loved best, it was just...strange if the person kept staring at him blankly.

[secret_orchard]

Armand almost stopped in his tracks, until he remembered how cold it would be standing still. Flying? He tilted his head to make sure Wash didn't seem likely to sprout wings. "I'd prefer horses," he said, without really knowing what he'd prefer them to. They were familiar, after all.

"Umm... what do you fly?" he eventually asked after what was likely a rudely long silence. They'd progressed further up the street, despite Armand's hesitancy. As they passed Tasty Burger, Armand peered at the sign and checked his memory. Nope, his roommate's meeting was the at the Twin Pines restaurant. Now where was that? He didn't see it up the street they were on, but he supposed they'd have to walk further to be certain.

[notaleaf]

He was being looked at. This was slightly uncomfortable. Wash decided just to keep walking, even though he didn't quite know where they were headed. There wasn't much in the town, but it seemed very neat and tidy and much too normal.

"A Firefly," he replied. "It's a spaceship. You know." He moved his hand a short distance through the air. "A ship that flies in space."

[secret_orchard]

That was an explanation. It was no stranger than various things that Morrison had explained to him over the last several days. "You're not a clone are you?" Then he winced. "Sorry. The only friend I have who talks about such things says he's a clone. I didn't mean to get so personal."

Something about Doyleton made Armand feel edgy. He'd never seen a town so nice and clean, even in peaceful England. He tried to attribute it to modern practices, but he couldn't explain why there didn't seem to be anyone who left refuse on the streets or didn't clean their shop windows or neglected to sweep their front steps. There were always lazy people anywhere one went.

"Why is it called a Firefly?" As far as he knew a small bug that glowed wouldn't have much in common with a ship that flew through space other than the flying part. But if that was it, why wasn't it called a hawk or something like that?

[notaleaf]

That was another odd question. Wash wondered briefly if he should start keeping count. But at least it kept things interesting. He hadn't ever been asked stuff like this before.

"I'm not a clone," he said. "And it's okay, it's not personal. I'm very comfortable disclosing this information."

He swept an autumn leaf absently off his head as it floated down from a tree. "It lights up, like a firefly." He paused abruptly, suddenly catching up to what Armand had mentioned.

"Did you just say there are clones here?"

[secret_orchard]

Armand studied the intersection before deciding it would still be better to see what still could be found on this street. It looked like the principle one for the little town. He wished fervently he could remember more about the last visit.

"Oh, that must be very pretty. Have you seen one from the outside when it was lit?" He presumed that if Wash flew them, he was usually inside them, like the passengers of a coach or the buses they rode to town.

He shrugged about the clones. "Well, there's one at least. He's not from around here either." He held his hand about half a foot above his head and waggled his fingers. "He's about so tall, dark-skinned and could break you or me in half with one hand. But, don't mistake me, he's a very honorable gentleman, just awkward around people. He's possibly one of my best friends here, other than Bridget." Another person to worry about. He hadn't seen him at all today either.

[notaleaf]

"Maybe once or twice. It's the last of its class, so you don't find too many Fireflies around anymore."

Wash glanced over at Armand curiously at the description. He didn't really mind people who could break him in half. He married one, after all.

"You mean you haven't found anyone you actually know here?" he asked. "People from your...world, that is."

[secret_orchard]

As Armand kept walking, his eyes shown with the ideas that Wash had sparked in his mind. "Oh, I don't know anyone from home. There's one man from my home country, but he's from about forty years after my time. My family--my wife, my sister, her husband--are all not here." Then he did stop, staring unseeing at the sign in the window of Pearl's Beauty Salon, as an unhappy, closed frown crossed onto his face. "Dr. Landel's people sent me someone like my sister, last Sunday. She looked so much like her, but it wasn't her. It couldn't be, unless they did something to her mind."

"Beware of the visitors, Mr. Wash. They are tricks. Who from your... world is here?"

Then he shook his head as if clearing it and peered further down the street. "Let's turn here? I don't see anything much interesting up that way." He vaguely recalled looking through the windows on his last trip.

[notaleaf]

Wash glanced back and forth between Armand and the beauty salon, wondering if there was something inside there he was supposed to be looking at before realizing that Armand had stopped for another reason.

"Tricks?" he asked, turning where Armand had pointed.

[going here]