Kim notices the dark haired boy and is glad she's not drinking anything when she realizes he looks very familiar - like someone she's seen in a picture, like a picture she has a home and --
She prays she's wrong when she calls out his name, "Chase?"
Chase jumps at the sound of his name, tearing his gaze from the window. "Did my dad send you?" he asks worriedly. He knows he's supposed to be cleaning his room, but he'd ended up here instead, and he can't think how else this lady would know his name.
Kim swallows and tries to think of an explanation. A younger version of Behrooz had been in the bar, this is simply a younger version of her husband-to-be, nothing malicious here.
At least she hopes that's what going on and there's really no way to check.
"No, I've never met your dad," she attempts a smile, trying to make him less worried. "How did you get here?"
"I dunno." He relaxes a little once he realizes that his dad has nothing to do with this, but still, if everyone keeps asking him where his parents are, it must be a big deal that he's here alone.
"I got sent to my room, but...then I came in here instead." It sounds kind of stupid when he says it out loud. He's suddenly rather self-conscious about sounding stupid. He even forgets to ask how she knows his name.
He shakes his head. He has no idea; he just knows it's way more entertaining than his room. The view out his bedroom window never involves shit getting blowed up like that.
"How come you know who I am?" he asks, finally remembering.
No, really, he's being polite! He likes the Special Ed teacher at his school. She gives him candy sometimes. He just occasionally has to remind her that he isn't mentally challenged.
Kim wonders how Aes Sedai could never lie and thinks she should probably ask Moiraine about ways to avoid questions.
"Sometimes," she inwardly winces as she knows she's digging herself deeper into a hole. "I taught a little boy who looked a little like you this year."
Her smile falters at his answer. "We usually call them mentally challenged, not retarded," she gently corrects him. "And most of them only need a little help."
In this area Kim knows very little, but she figures the kid in front of her probably won't be able to tell. "Edmunds, huh, that's a cool last name. My Chase is named...Chappelle. Chase Chappelle." The key to a lie is to keep eye contact.
She prays she's wrong when she calls out his name, "Chase?"
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...but wow, is she pretty.
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At least she hopes that's what going on and there's really no way to check.
"No, I've never met your dad," she attempts a smile, trying to make him less worried. "How did you get here?"
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"I got sent to my room, but...then I came in here instead." It sounds kind of stupid when he says it out loud. He's suddenly rather self-conscious about sounding stupid. He even forgets to ask how she knows his name.
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"How come you know who I am?" he asks, finally remembering.
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Lying would be okay, wouldn't it? Just a small one about how he's dreaming and none of this is real and he's perfectly safe.
Okay, that's more than a tiny white lie, but she's not sure what version of their world he's from and telling him too much could be disasterous.
"I don't - where I'm from all little boys are referred to as Chase." She smiles, trying to keep the doubt out of her expression.
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"...Do you teach Special Ed, ma'am?" he asks.
No, really, he's being polite! He likes the Special Ed teacher at his school. She gives him candy sometimes. He just occasionally has to remind her that he isn't mentally challenged.
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"Sometimes," she inwardly winces as she knows she's digging herself deeper into a hole. "I taught a little boy who looked a little like you this year."
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He plops down into a chair. "It's weird that that kid was named Chase too, huh? What was his last name? Mine's Edmunds."
He's rather talkative now that he's comfortable, although now he worries that he's sounding stupid again and promptly shuts up.
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In this area Kim knows very little, but she figures the kid in front of her probably won't be able to tell. "Edmunds, huh, that's a cool last name. My Chase is named...Chappelle. Chase Chappelle." The key to a lie is to keep eye contact.
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He fidgets more. "What's your name?"
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"I'm Kimberly, but everyone calls me Kim," she sits down across from him. "You've somehow wound up in Milliways Bar."
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"This is more like a hotel than a bar, but with very special rules."
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