first entrance!

[abar_starclog]

(And now, a pre-Milliways mini-saga: Sometime in the post-tofu fleeing, a couple of conversations are had. One of these starts some gears turning, as these things happen.
On a more immediate note, Murphy's Law would of course dictate that the worst possible person sees the gears in question.)

"Just let it drop, Mother, will you? Not everything

Comments

[empath_wiggin]

A woman with blonde hair and a purple streak looks up from her laptop. "Is it a new find, or is it just a re-find?" She pauses. "And you somehow look like you work with Mark."

[abar_starclog]

"Oh, um. Someone I work with found the place a few months ago. I've been trying to get here myself since he brought his girlfriend back with him. Who's Mark?"

[empath_wiggin]

"Ah. Sounds like Mark, but isn't." She shrugs. "Mark Cohen. He makes films. Mostly he walks around with a camera plastered to the front of his face, but he's nice enough about it." She grins a bit. "So, it's your first time here, then? Have a seat if you like. There's tea on the table, or order something else if you'd like."

[abar_starclog]

Consider for a moment the mental image of Whistler trying to film something. That would be Carl's first thought, and really, it's kind of amusing.
But the girl seems nice enough, and he's not one to turn down a free drink. "Thanks. I'm Carl."

[empath_wiggin]

"Valentine Wiggin-Skywalker." She smiles gently. "Nice to meet you, and welcome to Milliways."

[abar_starclog]

Even with Whistler's forewarning, Carl can't do much more than squeak at her name. Apparently, Wiggins require a separate mention.

[empath_wiggin]

She raises an eyebrow. "Wiggin or Skywalker?" Pause. "And yes, before you ask, I am married to Luke, and yes, Mara knows about it."

[abar_starclog]

"Wiggin."
He hasn't, so much, read the Star Wars books, for all he thought the movies were pretty cool. And anyway, the Skywalker part's a little bit secondary to where he sat down at Valentine Wiggin's table.

[empath_wiggin]

She chuckles a bit, shaking her head. "I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised when I'm recognized. Frell, I've been living in my brothers' shadows for years, but it's just strange, really." She smiles, and shrugs. "Don't believe everything you read, though. The sequels read like IF propaganda. Peter's a bastard."

[abar_starclog]

Okay, now he's recovered some.
"Sorry about that. Whistler said there're all kinds of people here, but hearing it and meeting someone... little bit different."

[empath_wiggin]

Val smiles. "Don't worry. Seriously." She waves a rat over. "Demosthenes, I think Carl here needs something to drink." Smile. "Get whatever you'd like."

[abar_starclog]

...She would call one of the rats Demosthenes, wouldn't she.
"Um. Could I just get a soda?"

[empath_wiggin]

Of course she would. It's, as they say, a thing.

"Course you can." The rat nods to Val, then scurries off, returning eventually with a fairly large glass of soda. "So, where are you from, Carl? And what do you do there?"

[abar_starclog]

"San Francisco. 1993, just barely. I work for a security testing firm - basically, we get paid to find the holes in other people's security systems and tell them what to fix. Usually after breaking it enough to prove the point."
Carl's grinning, now. He loves his job.

[empath_wiggin]

"Oooh. That sounds interesting." She's not just saying that. "So, basically, you break things down to tell people they're not as secure as they think they are."

[abar_starclog]

"Pretty much. I get paid to hack into people's computers and occasionally pretend to be other people. It's great."