A thirteen year old girl, black hair back in a low business-like ponytail walks into the room. She stops, black booted feet planted solidly on the floor, and glares around
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"Likely he has got a different name to you," she says, though the admission sounds like it must be dragged from her. "You look very much alike. You are all right?"
She has not been distracted from her original line of interrogation, but she hasn't seen him for months. He almost certainly has done something stupid, but he might have done something stupid that got him hurt! This is a risk of having friends.
He blinks at her again, and swings his boots off the table to sit up straighter and eye her. "He looks like me?"
Waving a hand: "I'm fine, I haven't gotten married in months and I got to help with a Vegas heist. What've you been up to, and why does it involve accusing me?"
"I'm not accusing you," Helen says, statement as defensive as it is untruthful (though admittedly she is refusing that truth!). "Jamie freed Uquar, and we defeated Them and destroyed Their Real Place, and I went Home. I have been very busy with sending out messengers and speaking to the Hands determining the affects of the reestablishment of the weather patterns on agriculture.
"Quite a bit like you," she continues, guardedly. "Not identically, I mean, just very similar. I should think you were related. And..." Helen hesitates. a little embarassed, "his name does mean before-sight."
There are some things even Helen tries to handle with tact. Unfortunately there are some things that can't be handled with tact, especially not by Helen.
Carefully: "I do not know how the worlds work. Maybe even great gods have reflections. But...has your brother," she cuts off, uncertain, and then scowls at her own uncertainty, "ever got imprisoned for exceptional lengths of time because he knew things while being--attacked by a bird?"
"Oh," Helen says, absently, "I broke down Their wall with my arm, and then we--the Homeward Bounders--attacked them, as the rules let us kill one each.
"Some people were stupid though, and the rules got broken because they were mad and now Jamie is being an idiot and--"
She breaks off, and her mouth goes flat. "It is stupid."
"They always are," Helen mutters, habitually putting her hand up to push nonexistent hair behind her ear. "If they hadn't cheated and Uquar hadn't--been so stupid--Jamie wouldn't--"
She breaks off, jaw stiffening. "Anyways," she says, frostily. "What is a Vegas heist?"
They're brown, though. And the soles probably do not bear too close an inspection.
Their owner is making the acquaintance of a shot of whiskey, with his eyes closed to enjoy it better.
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Because Helen is polite, she waits until he has swallowed to say "You know Uquar, don't you?" accusingly.
They look too much alike to not be related in Helen's (not so humble) opinion.
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". . . No?"
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She has not been distracted from her original line of interrogation, but she hasn't seen him for months. He almost certainly has done something stupid, but he might have done something stupid that got him hurt! This is a risk of having friends.
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Waving a hand: "I'm fine, I haven't gotten married in months and I got to help with a Vegas heist. What've you been up to, and why does it involve accusing me?"
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"Quite a bit like you," she continues, guardedly. "Not identically, I mean, just very similar. I should think you were related. And..." Helen hesitates. a little embarassed, "his name does mean before-sight."
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And . . . now he's not.
Now he's just looking at Helen very closely.
"My brother has never gone by Uquar," he says. "That I know of."
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Carefully: "I do not know how the worlds work. Maybe even great gods have reflections. But...has your brother," she cuts off, uncertain, and then scowls at her own uncertainty, "ever got imprisoned for exceptional lengths of time because he knew things while being--attacked by a bird?"
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Emphatically.
"Yes."
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"I am sorry," she says, voice very quiet, inspecting the table. "I should not have asked."
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"Your Uquar. That's what happened to him?"
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"And him. I like Them less and less."
Beat.
"What was that about defeating Them?"
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"Some people were stupid though, and the rules got broken because they were mad and now Jamie is being an idiot and--"
She breaks off, and her mouth goes flat. "It is stupid."
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"Yeah," quiet. "People often are."
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She breaks off, jaw stiffening. "Anyways," she says, frostily. "What is a Vegas heist?"
It's like a subject change!
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