(Untitled)

[themanclion]

He will never understand this place. Time moves in ways it bloody well shouldn't. It's only been twenty minutes since he was last here, only now it appears to be Christmas, if the decorations are to be believed.

He walks to the bar. 'You're tryin' to tell me somethin', aren't you?'

There is no reply. He waits a moment, then sighs. A pint appears.

'

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[areyoumyjolly]

There is a slightly airy blonde in a chair by the fireplace. She is wearing a flimsy dress, thick socks, and a large blanket around her shoulders. She's nursing a thick mug that contains seriously spiked tea, from the smell.

Her eyes are calm and in human as she looks at Gene, her attention drawn by his muttering.

[themanclion]

He catches her eye eventually, on one of his glances up at the room at large. She's hard not to notice, wrapped up like that. And being a bit tasty, of course, though that's the last sort of thing on his mind at the moment. Especially as she doesn't look exactly...right.

He nods at her as he pulls on his cigarette, looking back at her calmly enough.

[areyoumyjolly]

She smiles at him, watching his cigarette. It smells a bit like the pipes some sailors smoke. Perhaps this man is a sailor?

She tilts her head.

[themanclion]

He frowns.

She doesn't look right at all.

'What?'

[areyoumyjolly]

"Where I come from, they use a pipe to smoke that herb," the blonde says.

[themanclion]

'Oh.'

Yeah, he's going for the deadpan approach today.

'...well, some people do in my time, an' all. What of it?'

[areyoumyjolly]

"Is this way more fun?" she asks.

There must be a reason why the man does it that way.

[themanclion]

'Fun?'

He's literally never been asked that before.

'I don' think it makes any difference, either way. I've never smoked a pipe, so I couldn' tell you.'

Pipe tobacco is too sweet for his taste. He can tell just by the stench of it.

'You cold?'

She looks cold.

[areyoumyjolly]

"Oh yes, it's so terribly cold here at this time of year," she says. "Every time I come out of the lake, I feel as if parts of me were freezing off!"

She shudders.

[themanclion]

He forehead creases.

'...what're you on about?'

Because no part of that really made sense.

[areyoumyjolly]

"It's cold as a siren's titty!" she says, shuddering again.

She finds it very obvious.

"It's warmer where I'm from."

[themanclion]

'Well, I gathered that much.'

He frowns, and has a drink.

'Spend a lot of time swimming, or somethin'?'

[areyoumyjolly]

"Oh yes, of course!" she says. "In a warm sea!"

[themanclion]

'Right.'

Of course.

'Well, there's a beach out there somewhere. On a part of the lake. An' no, I don' know why.'

[areyoumyjolly]

"Yes, that's where I come in," she says. "From the Caribbean sea. Home."

[themanclion]

'Oh.'

OK.

...no wait, that doesn't help.

'You mean the Caribbean is your home? Or the sea is?'