[thankfully, Ava had been kind enough to tell her that Jenny's been at the desk in Friday's absence - otherwise, she would have been wandering around just looking for her. okay. time to be on her best behavior.]
Miss Jenny, do you have a moment of free time? I know we've never met, but...I believe I found something that belongs to you.
I wish it was, but it's instead something less tangible.
[setting the proper notebook on the counter, she opens it at the bookmark, for her own reference - the transcript of the memory she had witnessed.]
I believe I accidentally fell into one of your memories, via these rifts that are scattered around, and I came to apologize for the intrusion. You were...quite angry at someone, for the manner of help they wished to offer you and...hadn't yet. Something about a ship... [just in case somehow there was a discrepancy there, to explain it.] It didn't seem fair to keep this from you.
[the tiniest pause.] They called you Your Grace. Should we be doing that as well?
[when you're terminally polite, you're going to ask about that.]
Oye, these fucking things better not start showing people embarrassing memories... [if anybody comes up to her talking about 1615 she's killing them until they stop coming back.] Ah, no, no... That lady's just weird about my godhead. Britishers, y'know? Just call me Jenny.
[what people ask to be called, she respects. whether that's dropping a title or adding in an entirely new one. she takes a breath, and for half a second, she's struggling with something as she takes her notebook back.]
...Oh, there's no way to go about this that isn't at least a little rude, so I may as well be direct. What I heard you two speaking about, it gave me questions, about this place and about you. And I want to ask them, except most of the gods I've spoken with in my life have killed me and they aren't the right barometers for how to have a good conversation.
I'm sorry. I don't know why I said all of that.
[because you rolled a 2 in composure when you're already stressed with reality full of holes.]
[someone having a pet dinosaur wouldn't be hidden information with this group.]
Is her being an explorer why she wanted to trade for your ship?
[apart from the fact that she'd heard about Jenny potentially dying. this is the more graceful way to approach it, instead of bringing up that particular bruise.]
... Yeah. She. Collects things. Magical artifacts, things like that. Brings them back to her reality to display them. Like I said: Britisher. Typical shit.
But that's just ridiculous! A ship should be sailed, not just sitting somewhere!
[Helena might not understand the British history of colonialism, but she can understand how stupid it is to have a ship just...not being sailed. she shakes her head. this Miss Victoria, she doesn't seem full of common sense.]
So why give it to her in the first place?
[yes, she heard it was a trade, but what Jenny got in exchange? utterly unknown.]
[a chance, that other voice, Victoria, had called it. of course it's not enough to satisfy her, but even if she would let it lie, it's not just asking for herself. it's asking for Ava's sake as well.]
...I did. And I find it peculiar that this council she spoke of couldn't see the problem at hand. But perhaps they've never been caged in their lives.
[it's a careful, careful line she has to walk here. there are things she understands and things she doesn't, but a few things are becoming clearer, a few calibrations clicking into place.]
[the semi-hysterical little giggle she gives is probably a good sign that she should reconsider that notion.]
Oh, they couldn't see it, alright. Not wouldn't! Couldn't. That bastard has some sort of... weird magic bullshit keeping this place hidden from outsiders. They couldn't take me seriously if they'd wanted to.
[magic that makes something unable to be seen by an outsider, huh...wonder where they heard that before. certainly not raising secret alarm bells in Helena's mind at all.]
That isn't surprising at all, considering what we know about him... [she shakes her head, fingers twitching on her cane in the way that just says she's thinking.] No one gets in, no one gets out. Just another endless loop.
[beat.] For what it's worth...I'm sorry about your brothers.
[she says it calmly, with a note of understanding. as if to say that such a thing is unimaginable - the agony of that loss, and the depths of the answering rage.]
Who even are these people you spoke to? The ones that were prevented from understanding you. Are they other gods?
They're a little like... auditors, in a way. Of reality. They should be interested in stopping anyone who's going around and fucking with it, like he is... And yet.
[does this mean this is tax evasion on a reality bending scale
Helena can only shake her head.]
And you can hardly replace someone in such an important role, even if they're not doing their duty...
[which is kind of a secret relief, because if reality auditors start crashing through the ceiling, the idea of convincing the Captain to undo things on his own end becomes a lost cause.]
It's all terribly frustrating, and I've not even been here half a year. How you managed to stay sane is nothing short of a miracle.
[this is where she pauses, lets some of the nerves show again, a flicker.]
...You said Miss Victoria had something that interested you. And from what I heard, it helped you survive. What was it?
[and before she can be interrupted.]
I have no wish to take it from you. And even if I did, I'm sure you'd kill me so clearly that even this place couldn't bring me back. But where I came from, I'm not sure if I count as living or dying myself. It'd be enough to know that somewhere in reality, there's hope - so I can pretend somehow I can find something like it in my realm, if that me ever gets out of her own cage.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jenny, somewhere mid-march, time is fake
Miss Jenny, do you have a moment of free time? I know we've never met, but...I believe I found something that belongs to you.
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no subject
[setting the proper notebook on the counter, she opens it at the bookmark, for her own reference - the transcript of the memory she had witnessed.]
I believe I accidentally fell into one of your memories, via these rifts that are scattered around, and I came to apologize for the intrusion. You were...quite angry at someone, for the manner of help they wished to offer you and...hadn't yet. Something about a ship... [just in case somehow there was a discrepancy there, to explain it.] It didn't seem fair to keep this from you.
[the tiniest pause.] They called you Your Grace. Should we be doing that as well?
[when you're terminally polite, you're going to ask about that.]
no subject
no subject
[what people ask to be called, she respects. whether that's dropping a title or adding in an entirely new one. she takes a breath, and for half a second, she's struggling with something as she takes her notebook back.]
...Oh, there's no way to go about this that isn't at least a little rude, so I may as well be direct. What I heard you two speaking about, it gave me questions, about this place and about you. And I want to ask them, except most of the gods I've spoken with in my life have killed me and they aren't the right barometers for how to have a good conversation.
I'm sorry. I don't know why I said all of that.
[because you rolled a 2 in composure when you're already stressed with reality full of holes.]
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I mean. I don't want to kill you right now. Usually questions are not enough to change that, but... y'know. Shit happens.
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[okay. take a breath, and try this again, this time without looking like the village idiot.]
Who were you talking to, at that time?
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[someone having a pet dinosaur wouldn't be hidden information with this group.]
Is her being an explorer why she wanted to trade for your ship?
[apart from the fact that she'd heard about Jenny potentially dying. this is the more graceful way to approach it, instead of bringing up that particular bruise.]
no subject
... Yeah. She. Collects things. Magical artifacts, things like that. Brings them back to her reality to display them. Like I said: Britisher. Typical shit.
no subject
[Helena might not understand the British history of colonialism, but she can understand how stupid it is to have a ship just...not being sailed. she shakes her head. this Miss Victoria, she doesn't seem full of common sense.]
So why give it to her in the first place?
[yes, she heard it was a trade, but what Jenny got in exchange? utterly unknown.]
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[and maybe that will be enough to satisfy her??? hopefully????]
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[a chance, that other voice, Victoria, had called it. of course it's not enough to satisfy her, but even if she would let it lie, it's not just asking for herself. it's asking for Ava's sake as well.]
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If you saw that memory, you also know what was happening to me every. goddamn. time I reached out to anyone for help dealing with him. Sí?
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[it's a careful, careful line she has to walk here. there are things she understands and things she doesn't, but a few things are becoming clearer, a few calibrations clicking into place.]
I don't think you're crazy at all.
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Oh, they couldn't see it, alright. Not wouldn't! Couldn't. That bastard has some sort of... weird magic bullshit keeping this place hidden from outsiders. They couldn't take me seriously if they'd wanted to.
[and they didn't.]
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[magic that makes something unable to be seen by an outsider, huh...wonder where they heard that before. certainly not raising secret alarm bells in Helena's mind at all.]
That isn't surprising at all, considering what we know about him... [she shakes her head, fingers twitching on her cane in the way that just says she's thinking.] No one gets in, no one gets out. Just another endless loop.
[beat.] For what it's worth...I'm sorry about your brothers.
no subject
no subject
[she says it calmly, with a note of understanding. as if to say that such a thing is unimaginable - the agony of that loss, and the depths of the answering rage.]
Who even are these people you spoke to? The ones that were prevented from understanding you. Are they other gods?
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[here they are.]
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Helena can only shake her head.]
And you can hardly replace someone in such an important role, even if they're not doing their duty...
[which is kind of a secret relief, because if reality auditors start crashing through the ceiling, the idea of convincing the Captain to undo things on his own end becomes a lost cause.]
It's all terribly frustrating, and I've not even been here half a year. How you managed to stay sane is nothing short of a miracle.
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Yeah. A miracle.
[yes.... because she's.... she's sane..... yes.....]
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[she can say no, of course. it's the principle of asking, though, allowing Jenny the choice of it.]
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...You said Miss Victoria had something that interested you. And from what I heard, it helped you survive. What was it?
[and before she can be interrupted.]
I have no wish to take it from you. And even if I did, I'm sure you'd kill me so clearly that even this place couldn't bring me back. But where I came from, I'm not sure if I count as living or dying myself. It'd be enough to know that somewhere in reality, there's hope - so I can pretend somehow I can find something like it in my realm, if that me ever gets out of her own cage.
(no subject)
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