(Untitled)

[stubborn_annie]

Much as Annie would like to sit and see whether or not engaging in a contest of wills with the blank wall of the Bar would result in the door ultimately appearing, she's just as prone to feeling stupid as anyone else. Sitting and staring with no results will do that to a person. She's had her breakfast and her morning tea, so she's gone outside to

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[general_lando]

There's something familiar about the face. It's one Lando has seen before. Not at home. Here. Sort of.

And while it's the kind of face Lando might find of interest, that nagging familairity means he'd better not be quite so charming.

"Good morning, miss. Not to be too foreard, but you seem familiar. Have we met?"

[stubborn_annie]

Annie glances over her shoulder, arms crossed against the perceived chill. After a moment's considering look, she shakes her head. "I don't think so," she says. "Not unless you're in the baked-goods business in England. I just got here two nights gone. My name's Annie Wells."

[general_lando]

"Wells." Immediately, everything clicks. "You're Sergeant Wells' wife. He showed me your picture." Lando pauses to think about the sergeant, and realizes something.

"He's not around now, is he? Did he send you here? Is he okay?"

[stubborn_annie]

She smiles, a little, but it's more politeness than anything. "Harry's not about, no," she says. "We were supposed to be meeting, and I wound up here instead. I've been looking for him since, but no one's seen him in weeks-"

Which is still more recently than she's seen him, and that rankles, whether she admits it or not.

"He was all right last I heard," she says. "Who're you? He mentioned a lot of people from here, but that was ages ago."

[general_lando]

"Ah. Yes, I suppose this must be overwhelming. I'm Lando Calrissian. I...gave him a bit of help." Lando hodls back the details, not knowing if she knows about Wells and the big explosion. And the armor. Though.

"So he made it home safely when he left here, I assume?"

[stubborn_annie]

"Yeah, that's about the word for it." Annie looks back at the lake, the trees. "He mentioned you, I think. You got him the armour... thank you for that. Very much."

She sighs, dropping her arms. "Safe as could be expected, I suppose. That was two years ago. He's been trying to get back here since."

[general_lando]

Lando gives a small smile. "It was the least I could do, Annie. He's a good man, from what I could tell, and it was about time that stormtrooper armor did some good somewehere." He then considers the passage of time.

"The last I saw him was a few weeks ago. I didn't even know he'd gone home. But it's good that he made it back to you, if nothing else."

[stubborn_annie]

Annie nods, expression softening a little. "He did. Just as soon as he was able to. Had to leave again almost as soon as he came, but he made it through all right."

He'd spent weeks here, unwilling to come home until he'd conquered his- disease, or condition, or whatever it was- or at least brought it under control-

"How much did he tell you about what happened?" she asks softly. "I mean, that night in Scotland. Just before he wound up here."

[general_lando]

Lando thinks back to the conversations. "He told me that he was part of a team that was bait for some rather vicious creatures - some sort of wolf-monster, I think? - and that the second he went through the door, he would be caught in a explosion.

"Other than that, he just talked a little about his men. And you, once or twice."

[stubborn_annie]

Annie nods. "All right, then," she says. "He and one of his men made it out alive. The Army thinks Harry's dead, though. He's gone on to investigate the whole sorry mess, so they can't pull it again. He couldn't do it from the inside, 'cos they'd drum him out of the corps for telling stories like that. It's why he's tried to get back here so long- there's people here who can help him, he said. Says. Only, well-"

She makes a vague gesture with one hand, as if to say, I'm here and he's not.

[general_lando]

Lando nods as he takes it in, and is not at all surprised that Wells would take the route he did.

"The same people could help you as well. It might be as direct, but anytihng they would offer him, you could learna nd take to him."

[stubborn_annie]

She'd laugh, if she could.

"Can't see the bloody door, I'm afraid."

[general_lando]

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." He pauses again. And knows what to do.

"Then let me offer you any help you need here. I think your husband would want me to do that." And just to be clear, help in this case means jsut that. While Lando considers the concept of marriage flexible, he doesn't consider the concept of friendship that way at all.

[stubborn_annie]

Annie's had to learn suspicion these past two years, but she's had to learn people-reading as well. There's only so many you can trust when your husband's on the run from his own people, after all. And this man... well, he seems like he'll be right enough.

"Thank you," she says politely. "I wish I knew where to begin. I mean, I know the basics about this place, and I know what Harry was trying to do if ever he got here, but I really don't know much, when it comes right down to it."

[general_lando]

"I'm not sure anyone really does, Annie. It seems to operate on magical principles, and serves as a gateway to multiple versions of reality. But I have no idea how either thing is possible.

"It might be easier if you perhaps don't overthink it." Which works for Lando.

[stubborn_annie]

She nods. "Andrew- Harry's cousin- said a few things the other night, but I could only follow about half of it. I feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one who's stymied by the whole bloody affair."