(Untitled)

[nitro_is_ace]

Sometimes, everyone needs a break. Tonight, Ace is curled up in her comfy chair by the fire with a book she scrouged out of the mid-twenty-first century Earth, when she stopped in for a bit of shopping and lunch a few weeks ago

Comments

[shall_go_free]

Xas looks over at the laughing girl from his own seat by the fire.

"You're enjoying the book, I take it?"

[nitro_is_ace]

Ace looks over, still grinning broadly.
"S'nice t'read a book sometimes that manages t'be even more surreal than m'own life." Ace explains, cheerfully. "That, an' imaginin' a friend as a giant cucumber is terribly amusin'."

[shall_go_free]

Xas' eyebrows go up.

"Only, I would imagine, if you're not particularly fond of cooking cucumbers. Or eating them raw."

Then he smiles.

"But, yes, I can't quite disagree about the worth of a good book--or at least an interesting one."

[nitro_is_ace]

"Don't believe I've seen you about. I'm Ace, how do." She offers her hand, slipping a bit of scrap paper into her place in the book and tucking it away with the other.

[shall_go_free]

Xas takes her hand in his, grip warm and well-callused, almost like a cat's paw.

"I'm Xas. I'm no permanent resident, though I do enjoy visiting, on occasion. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[nitro_is_ace]

It's... nice. To be honest.

"S'a good place t'visit, lots of good folk here, excellent food." Ace agrees cheerfully. "Which is just as well, since I'm a horrendous cook, I'd starve if left on m'own."

[shall_go_free]

Xas laughs quietly.

"I don't need to eat, which saves time. And effort. Though I do enjoy wine."

[nitro_is_ace]

Ace blinks, re-assessing for a moment.
"So... not human then?" She hazards, curiously.

[shall_go_free]

"No. Angelic."

He smiles a little.

"Though I've learned to prefer human company."

[nitro_is_ace]

"Oh! There are rather a lot of angels here, aren't there? More'n I meet on the outside, anyway. D'you torture lawyers too?"

She only asks since he doesn't seem to have a possessed yo-yo. Not even one named 'Bentley'.

[shall_go_free]

Xas' eyebrows go up.

"Not more than anyone that has to deal with them. Do you have a particular grudge?"

[nitro_is_ace]

"Nah, s'just the last angel I talked to had sommat against lawyers. I don't bother with'em m'self. S'very hard t'do anything legal against someone who doesn't officially exist in most times an' places." She explains breezily.

[shall_go_free]

Xas' smile broadens.

"Is that a new skill your lawyers have developed, or are you referring to yourself?"

[nitro_is_ace]

"M'self. Don't have much of a record in my original time an' place for the last... handful of decades or so." She replies, sounding terribly pleased with herself. Even if it is almost entirely none of her doing.

[shall_go_free]

"Handful of--"

Xas stills, looking at her searchingly.

"Do humans age more slowly where you are from? Or have I misunderstood how quickly time passes, again?"

[nitro_is_ace]

"Nah, I've just gotten mixed up in some terribly weird things by way of earnin' a livin'. I've been around now for... seventy-odd years? Ish? It's kinda hard t'keep track, and honestly doesn't matter s'much any more, since it's not like I'm plannin' t'go to any reunions or the like." Is the terribly blithe explanation.