Evelyn steps into a rift that looks like the City of Westminster without even hesitating. It being the central borough of London, she assumes that it belongs to her time period and crosses the threshold only to see a monstrous Ferris Wheel that looks a little too futuristic to be 1926.
But she continues walking anyway, because A) what on earth did they do to some of these places, and B) curiosity tends to get the better of her.
In the more residential districts, she actually does come across someplace inhabited, lights glowing in the windows, and decides to satiate her curiosity with a little harmless not-quite-breaking-and-entering. Five floors later, she knocks tentatively on an apartment door before trying the handle and pushing it open.
Somebody is home all right and she is just dying to greet Evelyn with the most excited of barks and a waggling tail! Now if that isn't all the invitation Evie needs then--
Well, then she's not going to get anything else, at least not for the time being.
Some of the lights in the apartment are on, but who left them that way is unclear. If Evelyn enters she will find a kitchen, meticulously clean with no sign of recent use except for an empty can of soda on the counter.
Further ahead there is the living room, adorned with a traditional landscape painting or two, as well as a number of framed pictures, speaking of a modest history in world travel. There is certainly nothing modest about the DVD collection found in this room however, even though it could perhaps stand to have somebody around to clean the dust off of it.
...Ah, there may be one more photograph of interest, one that instead of monuments or landscapes features a university class to the tune of fifteen people, posing to celebrate their academic success. One of them may
( ... )
"Hello there," she greets the dog, bending at the waist to scratch its head. The excitable little thing runs around her ankles for a moment before sitting and waiting to be picked up, tail wagging. Glancing around what appears to be the kitchen, she shuts the door behind her and lifts the dog into her arms before exploring.
The place is quite modern by her standards, and it isn't until she reaches the living room that she knows the reason why. Several photographs line a chest of drawers, one of which is startlingly familiar. The puppy squirms, Evie sets her down, and picks up the frame instead.
It's a younger, happier Philip.
She replaces the frame with a frown and moves on.
Other doors in the apartment lead to a bathroom and bedroom, tidy and lived-in, but not quite what one would expect from a professor. The last turn, on the other hand, to a study packed beyond capacity with innumerable books and binders, practically screams "I am a teacher" - and has said teacher currently flipping through something to prove it
( ... )
Evelyn is wrong in one aspect: Upon closer inspection - the kind that might require a colleague's knowing eye before making them go 'Oh.' - this is not the kind of study that screams "I am a teacher". This is the kind of study that screams "I am a physicist who is forced to teach as dictated by the university which is funding my research
( ... )
Athos found a rather fancy gold box on his seashore adventure, and has been debating whether or not he actually ought to open the thing. For now, it's tucked under one arm as he traipses back down the length of the never-ending beach, interest piqued as he recognizes one of the figures walking through the debris left over from the snowstorm.
Philip, and...a dog...significantly happier-looking than he had been the first time they met. Athos hails him with one hand in a polite gesture with a little nod. It's actually quite nice to see a familiar face.
Something cold runs down Philip's spine. The scenario reprise involuntarily brings back echoes of the circumstances under which they first met. It's not a pleasant sound.
"Afternoon!"
But in the end a sound is all there is to it, quiet and easily pushed into the background as Philip returns the gesture and nod and steers his gradually tiring puppy towards the musketeer.
The musketeer. To be perfectly honest there was a time when Philip wasn't even sure if he'd truly met the man or if their entire meeting was the result of his mind playing more obscure than usual tricks on him.
"I haven't seen you around in--"
In the end Philip decided that he didn't care, although looking back a little research couldn't have hurt. He's still very fuzzy on the details of Dumas' story.
"I haven't seen you around."
Period.
"I thought you might've gone."
An observation that carries little value judgement as to whether Philip thinks condolences or congratulations are in order.
"Still very much here, I'm afraid," Athos admits drily, a little amused by the small dog snuffling at the sand.
Very much here, and getting better at forcing himself to socialize. It's hard to do so when you've never been one for confrontation or making friends. Friends just sort of happened to Athos by default of serving in the Maison du Roi - Porthos and Aramis worked with him. They humbled him. They made him feel wanted.
Here, people are either too friendly (see Fig. A: Lord Buckingham) or off-putting (see Fig. B: Mademoiselle Lopez). Sometimes they're in the middle, which is a pleasant surprise, like the one who claims he's a country. Or the man in front of Athos right now.
It's...nice. To know people.
"Handling things in the way that one would, I suppose. Yourself?"
The small dog quickly moves on from the sand to Athos' boots and Philip reels her in, deciding that for now only the footwear of close friends should serve as a chew toy.
Philip also offers a shrug.
"It's been over a year for me. If nothing else I'm past the worse."
His tone is lighthearted, oblivious to the meta-ly smirk elsewhere, accompanied by a whisper of CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. He nods towards the golden box under Athos' arm.
"Something of yours?"
...and instantly frowns, hurriedly adding:
"Sorry, it's just that I've seen some things lying around here, I was wondering if those were the presents again."
Notice the snide emphasis of presents, elaborated on to the tune of this:
"Wonderland got us some things from back home last year, though I guess it didn't think putting them into stockings was quite interesting enough anymore."
Comments 112
But she continues walking anyway, because A) what on earth did they do to some of these places, and B) curiosity tends to get the better of her.
In the more residential districts, she actually does come across someplace inhabited, lights glowing in the windows, and decides to satiate her curiosity with a little harmless not-quite-breaking-and-entering. Five floors later, she knocks tentatively on an apartment door before trying the handle and pushing it open.
"Hello?"
Evie pauses, listening.
"Is anybody home?"
Reply
Well, then she's not going to get anything else, at least not for the time being.
Some of the lights in the apartment are on, but who left them that way is unclear. If Evelyn enters she will find a kitchen, meticulously clean with no sign of recent use except for an empty can of soda on the counter.
Further ahead there is the living room, adorned with a traditional landscape painting or two, as well as a number of framed pictures, speaking of a modest history in world travel. There is certainly nothing modest about the DVD collection found in this room however, even though it could perhaps stand to have somebody around to clean the dust off of it.
...Ah, there may be one more photograph of interest, one that instead of monuments or landscapes features a university class to the tune of fifteen people, posing to celebrate their academic success. One of them may ( ... )
Reply
The place is quite modern by her standards, and it isn't until she reaches the living room that she knows the reason why. Several photographs line a chest of drawers, one of which is startlingly familiar. The puppy squirms, Evie sets her down, and picks up the frame instead.
It's a younger, happier Philip.
She replaces the frame with a frown and moves on.
Other doors in the apartment lead to a bathroom and bedroom, tidy and lived-in, but not quite what one would expect from a professor. The last turn, on the other hand, to a study packed beyond capacity with innumerable books and binders, practically screams "I am a teacher" - and has said teacher currently flipping through something to prove it ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Philip, and...a dog...significantly happier-looking than he had been the first time they met. Athos hails him with one hand in a polite gesture with a little nod. It's actually quite nice to see a familiar face.
"Good afternoon."
Reply
"Afternoon!"
But in the end a sound is all there is to it, quiet and easily pushed into the background as Philip returns the gesture and nod and steers his gradually tiring puppy towards the musketeer.
The musketeer. To be perfectly honest there was a time when Philip wasn't even sure if he'd truly met the man or if their entire meeting was the result of his mind playing more obscure than usual tricks on him.
"I haven't seen you around in--"
In the end Philip decided that he didn't care, although looking back a little research couldn't have hurt. He's still very fuzzy on the details of Dumas' story.
"I haven't seen you around."
Period.
"I thought you might've gone."
An observation that carries little value judgement as to whether Philip thinks condolences or congratulations are in order.
Reply
Very much here, and getting better at forcing himself to socialize. It's hard to do so when you've never been one for confrontation or making friends. Friends just sort of happened to Athos by default of serving in the Maison du Roi - Porthos and Aramis worked with him. They humbled him. They made him feel wanted.
Here, people are either too friendly (see Fig. A: Lord Buckingham) or off-putting (see Fig. B: Mademoiselle Lopez). Sometimes they're in the middle, which is a pleasant surprise, like the one who claims he's a country. Or the man in front of Athos right now.
It's...nice. To know people.
"Handling things in the way that one would, I suppose. Yourself?"
Reply
Philip also offers a shrug.
"It's been over a year for me. If nothing else I'm past the worse."
His tone is lighthearted, oblivious to the meta-ly smirk elsewhere, accompanied by a whisper of CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. He nods towards the golden box under Athos' arm.
"Something of yours?"
...and instantly frowns, hurriedly adding:
"Sorry, it's just that I've seen some things lying around here, I was wondering if those were the presents again."
Notice the snide emphasis of presents, elaborated on to the tune of this:
"Wonderland got us some things from back home last year, though I guess it didn't think putting them into stockings was quite interesting enough anymore."
Reply
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