Milliways Again

[her_imperial_radiance]

It lurks. Oh how it lurks.

Comments

[prima_sequentem]

She grins back.

"On a more personal scale, I suspect you grew up with a much stronger sense of close community than I did. Places like this are pretty small and friendly compared to living in New York City, and I didn't have a big family to offset that."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Yeah," Orfeo says. "I don't remember this part, but when I was really little, the sense of community was magically enforced. The Princess tore the fake parts of that down as part of the takeover, but there was a lot left, and after all that time people were used to it. It stuck. I don't think I want to claim we're Communists or anything - we use cash, Jake's in charge of our pack and Becky and Rachel are in charge of theirs, and we don't go around calling each other Comrade. But someone has to be really determined to not be involved with us to get to the point where we wouldn't all swoop in to support them if they needed it. That's another reason Elena wouldn't really want to go to your world. She's used to all these people and hasn't got an astronomically higher priority."

[prima_sequentem]

"That's a nice thing to have," she says. "I wouldn't want to take her away from it unnecessarily."

[her_imperial_radiance]

Orfeo nods. "So hopefully you can fix the packlessness issue, or it turns out it's a nonissue for imprinted wolves."

[prima_sequentem]

"Hopefully one of those," she agrees.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Have I mentioned I'm glad you speak English?" Orfeo remarks suddenly. "My dad was only barely starting to learn Italian when he met my mom, and to this day she's nearly monolingual."

[prima_sequentem]

"You haven't mentioned that, no. And now I'm tempted to start speaking German just to tease you."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"You can if you want, but I know you'll understand me if I talk English," he laughs.

[prima_sequentem]

She blinks at him in exaggerated mock-confusion and asks, in German, "Are you sure?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

He snorts, and replies in Italian, "The weather is divine today, don't you think?"

[prima_sequentem]

"Good one," she says appreciatively. "I can tell we're going to get along."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I wonder how long this is going to amuse you," he replies.

[prima_sequentem]

Libby giggles. "You're cute."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I kind of expected you'd be able to understand some of this from the French. Maybe you can and aren't letting on."

[prima_sequentem]

She grins, which isn't informative either way, really.

[her_imperial_radiance]

It's really not. He raises an eyebrow at her, smiling.

[prima_sequentem]

She looks terribly innocent.

Which is kind of informative, isn't it.

[her_imperial_radiance]

If it is, he's not getting it. "Having fun?" he asks in English.

[prima_sequentem]

"Yep. I like you," she says. "You keep up. That's an important quality in people who are going to be spending a lot of time around me."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"It's really good that you like me," he says. "It'd be... inconvenient. Otherwise."

[prima_sequentem]

"That's one way to put it."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"It's been known to happen. But not as often as it could, which is good."

[prima_sequentem]

"The fact that it's been known to happen at all is kind of upsetting."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Sometimes it's temporary, like Emily and Sam," he says. "They're happy now."

[prima_sequentem]

"Well, that's a little better."