Tea Party

[smallestopener]

She pulls Quinn through the painting and into the family dining room, that is set up for tea. They've already been to the common room, the playroom, Megwyn's stable, and the kitchen (to get sandwiches and pastries).

"...And this is where we have tea! You can sit down and I'll pour."

Comments

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn's doing quite a bit of staring, meantime. He's not really used to magical place transitions other than the trip to Milliways. "All right," he says, because it's easier to agree. "Fine place you've got here..."

[smallestopener]

"We have lots of rooms. My grandfather Arch made it first. But I didn't know him."

She pours the tea very carefully. If Quinn looks around the table, he'll see that there are more than just two places set.

[twoeyesonthesky]

"Did he build it himself?" Quinn asks, interested. "My mum dug tunnels under London for her living, but I never studied architecture myself."

He glances at the other plates, but doesn't say anything just yet.

[smallestopener]

"He didn't build it. He found the first rooms and made the paintings to hook them together. That's what we do. We look for rooms that get forgotten or get lost in London Above. Then we put them into our house."

She takes a cucumber sandwich and nibbles it daintily. Then she remembers she's hungry and eats it fast.

[twoeyesonthesky]

"Huh," says Quinn, picking up one of the sandwiches. "Quite the family you've got..."

It takes him a minute to recognise the vegetables. Cucumbers didn't really make it through the dragon years.

[smallestopener]

"Who's in your family?" Ingress moves on to a biscuit. Or two.

[twoeyesonthesky]

"I'd say most of the people at my castle, really," Quinn says after a bit of thought. "Since my mum's gone, and my dad, and I never had any brothers or sisters. There's Jared especially, 'cos I found him when he was three. And there's Creedy, too- known him most of my life. But I think the whole castle counts."

[smallestopener]

"That's what it's like for us, too, I guess. We have lots of family we picked. Amy's going to come to the tea party too. Do you know her? She's a queen and she's going to have a baby soon!"

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn chuckles. "I don't think I do, no," he says. "I don't know nearly as many people in the Bar as you, I don't think. You've probably been there longer than I have."

[kitchen_maid]

"Hello, Ingress dear, sorry I'm late," says Amy, coming in through the painting in a trailing gown of dark green brocade.

She left the tiara at home, though.

Ingress gets a hug before Amy turns to Quinn with a bright smile. "Hello," she says. "I think we met once before, some time ago?"

[twoeyesonthesky]

"It's possible," says Quinn, rising to his feet in order to bow. "I've been away for a while, I'm afraid."

As he gives his small, wry smile, he finds himself feeling (not for the first time since coming to Milliways) remarkably underdressed for the occasion.

[smallestopener]

Ingress could care less how her guests are dressed. She pours Amy's tea, tiptoeing up to reach the table.

"Quinn's nice. He lives in a castle, too. I'm giving him stuff to take back to the kids there."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy feels overdressed most of the time in Milliways. When she thinks about it.

"Thank you," says Amy, taking her tea.

"You played music for me on little earmuffs," she says. "I looked a little less . . . regal in those days."

And she wasn't pregnant.

"And what sorts of things are you collecting?"

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn snaps his fingers. "Ah, right, I remember now. That was when I was here the first time. I went home and couldn't get back for a good several months. I've been told there's only been a week or two since I left, though."

He smiles a little. "Books, mostly, and toys and such. We've had a few rough spots along the way, but we're working on it."

[smallestopener]

"He's got lots of kids at the castle."

She puts biscuits on each of their plates because she is a good hostess.

"Tom and Door said they'd try to come, but they're busy so they'll be late. They're always busy now."

[kitchen_maid]

"It seems to happen that way," says Amy. "I was home from July to October, and only a week of so went by here.

"If there's anything from a world centuries behind yours that would be useful, please do tell me."

A smile for Ingress. "You're being a very good hostess, Ingress. Did you get into trouble for slipping into the bar the last time I saw you?"