[jp] complicated
Dec. 7th, 2009 10:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
priceonmysoulHe didn’t use the number often, but he was still able to dial it from memory. Kicking back on the sofa in the rec room of the station, he brought it to his ear and took a deep breath, trying not to feel shaky or scared, trying not to ache for the place that was always going to be his real home.
The line clicked as someone picked up on the other end, voice tinny and snowy with distance, but still painfully familiar.
“White Arms Pub.”
“Loretta!”
“…bless my soul, Lance Dulac?! How *are* you, love? How is America treating you?”
In spite of his discomfort, Lance had to smile at the familiar blend of Yorkshire and London accent, the hollow throb in his chest growing even with his best efforts to stay focused. Hearing Loretta Hyde, his old childhood friend, always did it to him.
“Well as can be expected, but hell if I can find a decent cuppa in this shithole…’scuse the language.”
“Lookit you, still such a gentleman! I work in a pub, love, not to fret.”
“Thanks…uh, listen, I need a favor.”
“Always, darling.”
Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I need an audience.”
There was a long pause, then a deep sigh. “Is it bad, then?”
“Nah, just…can she be summoned?”
“Lance, many making this call might have a problem, but there’s only one person she’ll never deny. Bless me, she’s got standing orders that she be summoned if ever you should ring. Just…a moment, love?”
“Sure thing, toots.”
There was some shuffling, then a clack as the phone was set down on the old scarred bartop. He could almost see the handful of patrons already in, knee-deep in their usual stack of mugs and shot glasses.
“Lance?”
As always, she came unbidden, her voice an unexpected and heartbreaking taste of the warmth of home. He couldn’t breathe, could barely think…and for a moment, his questions didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but hearing her talk and feeling like he was back where he belonged instead of this life he led by duty and devotion to people he would never know as well as he knew his Lady.
“Hello, Mum.”
He could almost hear Nimue, the Lady of the Lake , smile through the phone. “I can hear you, my sweet little soldier. Your heart aches for home as much as home aches for you. When will you come for a bit and see me, hmm?”
The crisp, delicate English accent made him smile as he straightened just a little, as if she could see him. “Well, that’s kinda why I’m callin’, actually. Me ‘n some buddies are gonna head across the pond for a few days.”
“Goddess be praised, are you truly, darling?”
“Yeah…me and my buddy Artie Penn. Hope that’s okay. ”
“Of course, your friends are always welcome in Lakeshire.”
“Well, uh, that’s the thing. Artie…he ain’t just comin’ to see the town. He needs your help, my lady.”
“Oh my…when you use titles, it’s bad.” she sighed. He could see her in his mind’s eye, slipping onto a barstool. “Tell me, love.”
He couldn’t answer at first, growing quiet as a wall of silence formed between them, so thick he feared it would choke him.
“You could’ve told me.”
“Told you what, love?”
“That he’s the one.” Lance replied, quiet tension in his voice. “Artie Penn. It’s him. He’s havin’ all these dreams, and…well, he’s the guy from yer prophecy. Seventh born three times over.”
Once again, silence fell, only this time it wasn’t Lance that bore the burden.
“Arrangements must be made, but he is welcome…as is his sister.”
Lance blinked, gaping. “How’d you…”
“As I saw his coming, so I have seen hers. Little escapes me, love.”
Which had been his point entirely…he hated when she did that. Rolling his eyes, he nodded. “Okay, so Gwen’s comin’, too.”
“She is welcome in Avalon, as is her brother. Lance, my sweet boy…I can explain everything, but not a word until you arrive. How soon will we see you?”
“Soon as possible. Any second…Artie’s impatient when he wants to be, and he’s real ‘right now’ about this.”
“Then I will see you as he wills it, little soldier.”
He couldn’t help but smile at the childhood nickname, nodding into the phone. “Yeah…see ya soon, Mum. Love ya.”
“Less than I, you, my dearest.”
He never heard the receiver click, but he knew when she hung up. Sighing, he let the phone slide from his fingers and sagged back further into the sofa, eyes shut and mind racing with a million different thoughts.
Since birth, he’d prepared for this day, and now that it was here, he wasn’t sure how to feel.
He just hated that he was so relieved.
Muse: Lance Dulac
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 824
The line clicked as someone picked up on the other end, voice tinny and snowy with distance, but still painfully familiar.
“White Arms Pub.”
“Loretta!”
“…bless my soul, Lance Dulac?! How *are* you, love? How is America treating you?”
In spite of his discomfort, Lance had to smile at the familiar blend of Yorkshire and London accent, the hollow throb in his chest growing even with his best efforts to stay focused. Hearing Loretta Hyde, his old childhood friend, always did it to him.
“Well as can be expected, but hell if I can find a decent cuppa in this shithole…’scuse the language.”
“Lookit you, still such a gentleman! I work in a pub, love, not to fret.”
“Thanks…uh, listen, I need a favor.”
“Always, darling.”
Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I need an audience.”
There was a long pause, then a deep sigh. “Is it bad, then?”
“Nah, just…can she be summoned?”
“Lance, many making this call might have a problem, but there’s only one person she’ll never deny. Bless me, she’s got standing orders that she be summoned if ever you should ring. Just…a moment, love?”
“Sure thing, toots.”
There was some shuffling, then a clack as the phone was set down on the old scarred bartop. He could almost see the handful of patrons already in, knee-deep in their usual stack of mugs and shot glasses.
“Lance?”
As always, she came unbidden, her voice an unexpected and heartbreaking taste of the warmth of home. He couldn’t breathe, could barely think…and for a moment, his questions didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but hearing her talk and feeling like he was back where he belonged instead of this life he led by duty and devotion to people he would never know as well as he knew his Lady.
“Hello, Mum.”
He could almost hear Nimue, the Lady of the Lake , smile through the phone. “I can hear you, my sweet little soldier. Your heart aches for home as much as home aches for you. When will you come for a bit and see me, hmm?”
The crisp, delicate English accent made him smile as he straightened just a little, as if she could see him. “Well, that’s kinda why I’m callin’, actually. Me ‘n some buddies are gonna head across the pond for a few days.”
“Goddess be praised, are you truly, darling?”
“Yeah…me and my buddy Artie Penn. Hope that’s okay. ”
“Of course, your friends are always welcome in Lakeshire.”
“Well, uh, that’s the thing. Artie…he ain’t just comin’ to see the town. He needs your help, my lady.”
“Oh my…when you use titles, it’s bad.” she sighed. He could see her in his mind’s eye, slipping onto a barstool. “Tell me, love.”
He couldn’t answer at first, growing quiet as a wall of silence formed between them, so thick he feared it would choke him.
“You could’ve told me.”
“Told you what, love?”
“That he’s the one.” Lance replied, quiet tension in his voice. “Artie Penn. It’s him. He’s havin’ all these dreams, and…well, he’s the guy from yer prophecy. Seventh born three times over.”
Once again, silence fell, only this time it wasn’t Lance that bore the burden.
“Arrangements must be made, but he is welcome…as is his sister.”
Lance blinked, gaping. “How’d you…”
“As I saw his coming, so I have seen hers. Little escapes me, love.”
Which had been his point entirely…he hated when she did that. Rolling his eyes, he nodded. “Okay, so Gwen’s comin’, too.”
“She is welcome in Avalon, as is her brother. Lance, my sweet boy…I can explain everything, but not a word until you arrive. How soon will we see you?”
“Soon as possible. Any second…Artie’s impatient when he wants to be, and he’s real ‘right now’ about this.”
“Then I will see you as he wills it, little soldier.”
He couldn’t help but smile at the childhood nickname, nodding into the phone. “Yeah…see ya soon, Mum. Love ya.”
“Less than I, you, my dearest.”
He never heard the receiver click, but he knew when she hung up. Sighing, he let the phone slide from his fingers and sagged back further into the sofa, eyes shut and mind racing with a million different thoughts.
Since birth, he’d prepared for this day, and now that it was here, he wasn’t sure how to feel.
He just hated that he was so relieved.
Muse: Lance Dulac
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 824
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
OOC
Date: 2009-12-08 08:29 am (UTC)