Ellie in lyingverse
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"I know? I must have forgotten, sorry, what is it I know?"

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"Um.  Is it - political?  In Rome a queen is a type of ruler.  Which we don't have anymore.  So it would maybe - I don't think it's dangerous, especially if you didn't name yourself, but it would maybe seem a little.  Uppity.  Where I'm from."

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"Oh, we don't have queens in the Fractious States, it's just a name. I don't think it's even an especially classy name, now that I think about it!"

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"That's good, then."

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They reach Queenie's car. Queenie drives them to her house, a somewhat ramshackle splitlevel surrounded by dandelions. "I live alone since I got divorced," she tells Ellie.

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"Oh."

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She parks in the driveway and hops out. "But it's only one bedroom, plus a foldout couch for you. I'll get the spare sheets."

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"That's more than generous, thank you."

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"More than..." Queenie's eyes sort of cross. "What else is it?"

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". . . Uh.  Kind?"

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"Oh! Thank you, I like being able to tell people I'm kind." Queenie lets them in and sets about readying the pullout sofa for a guest. And puts some chicken fingers and frozen fries in the oven.

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"Would you like any help with that?"

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"With - what, dinner? I guess it would feel really fancy if you wanted to set the table. I usually just eat off the counter when I'm by myself." The table has mail on it, and an old mug of coffee dregs, and a smear of glue.

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Ellie can stack the mail neatly and put the mug by the sink and chip her thumbnail trying to scrape off the glue and set the table, sure.

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And presently they sit down to chicken fingers and fries. "You can come grocery shopping with me next time, I don't know what you like."

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"I'm not very picky."  Though you wouldn't know it from how slowly she's going at this meal.

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Queenie, perhaps assuming that Ellie filled up on McDonald's, doesn't comment. "Okay. I eat a lot of chicken and potatoes and pasta."

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"That sounds fine.  I think I might still be a little sick from teleporting but normally I like this sort of thing."

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"Oh no, I didn't know teleporting could - well, actually I didn't know teleporting even existed before you showed up, but I wouldn't have guessed it would make you sick!"

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"Crystals are really dangerous once you go beyond the stuff in everyday jewelry.  With something complicated and unknown enough to manage teleportation I'm lucky to be alive at all."

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"Like they're poisonous?" wonders Queenie.

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". . . Kind of, sure.  Except you don't have to eat them; just being near them can be enough to unheal you if the setup's wrong.  And sometimes they just explode."

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"Wow! I didn't know that! That's scary. I think I'll skip the geology section of the natural history museum next time I go."

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"I think people would have already noticed if the dangerous stuff was getting put in museums."

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"I'd think so too but I would also think I would have noticed if crystals could explode all by themselves so I want to be more conservative than seems really necessary until I understand more!"

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