Luke's Diner, May 17

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael was at the diner, but had found it impossible to write a specials board due to the hooves.

It was open anyway.

[No OCD today! Have at anyway, if anyone feels like it!]

Comments

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He was hungry. And horses did not go in the kitchen, even when they were Horses.

As such, he wandered into Luke's diner for the first time ever.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael blinked at him, trying to figure out who it was.

"Hi."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Hello," he said. "How does this work?"

There's a broom and Witch's hat on his haunches and a pair of pegasus wings on his back. His hair is black, with green tips, and the green eyes were bright.

...

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't go to these places much."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"You... ask for food and I give it to you", Michael told him.

For his part, he was blue, and the imprint on his haunch was a pattern of five stars.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"All right then. May I have some food?"

He pulled at the bag he'd slung over his head.

"I should be able to get the money out of this thing."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"No hurry", Michael assured him. "What kind of food?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"...I don't know. Probably best to stick with vegetables, if possible. I'm a horse at the moment, after all."

There was a brief pause before he looked over and asked--

"Michael?"

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Vegetables we can d- yes." Beat. "Liir?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He nodded.

"Yes.

"........at least we can speak."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, that's definitely a benefit. Never been anything where I couldn't speak."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I was a kitten for a weekend," he said. "And I could cuddle, quite happily--"

He stopped there.

"But I couldn't speak."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Did you think like a kitten?" Michael asked curiously.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I thought like myself, for the most part. There was a bit of bleed, but I wasn't a kitten, if that's what you mean. But at least whatever these are, they're Animals."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"...yeah, I got no idea", Michael admitted, looking down at himself.

He'd managed to avoid exposure to My Little Pony. Not having known any girl-children except Isabel would do that.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Nor I, so I assume they're native to some planet that is neither Earth or Oz," he said.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Seems a fair guess. There's a lot of worlds out there."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"So I'm learning. How have you been, Michael? Other than this, obviously."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Not bad", he said with an equine shrug. "You?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"...I'm alive, right?"

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"...better than nothing, I guess, but that doesn't sound so good."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Andrew would like some time and some space."

He couldn't help the next.

"Apparently, two weeks wasn't enough. I'm sorry. Forget I said that. I'm being petty."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

It got a sympathetic wince.

"See, this is why relationships are a bad idea."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Yes, but then they become a part of your life. The head and the heart don't work on the same principles."

He shook his head.

"I didn't mean to trouble you on this score."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael shrugged.

"No trouble here. Just, you're not happy."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"And I doubt I will be in the near future. As I'm planning ask Professor Ambrose to accompany me back to Oz next weekend."

Whether he'd meant it or not, what Andrew had said had sunk in well. And while he didn't think he could find Nor exactly, his responsibilities to Princess Nastoya meant that he had to at least try to help the old Elephant.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael gave him as close to a sharp look as he could, hearing that.

"Just the two of you?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Just the two, yes. I won't risk bringing a non-Ozian; they stand out like sore thumbs and stealth is of the utmost importance."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"I'm good at blending in", Michael said grimly. "One way or another."

At not being overly noticed, anyway.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He looked Michael over for a moment before realizing it was rather ridiculous with them both as these strange Pony creatures.

"Your hair would betray you, for one thing. As would your clothes."

He sighed.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't trust the Emerald City with you. Not at all."

There was just something to someone from outside the sands, someone from Earth.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"I can change my hair, and I can wear different clothes." He was being stubborn. "I'm going with you."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"But you can't change that you're not from Oz," he said gently.

"There's something about outsiders. Something that almost... it's hard to describe, but I'm starting to understand it now after so much study. Oz is a place apart."

"In the future, for, well, for another trip, I will ask you to come. I have no doubt I will need you."

He thought about it for a moment.

"Also, we'll be traveling on the broom and it can only carry two at the very most."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"What other trip?" Michael asked suspiciously. He was almost prepared to concede on the broom issue.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I'm going for two reasons: to see if I can learn enough about someone's condition to help them with their problem and... to see if I can find my sister."

There. He'd said it.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"That's this time?" he pressed. "Or this future time?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"This time," he said. "I won't know what to look up if I don't know what's been done, so I need to try and figure out what my mother did to change her from Animal to human."

And if Michael is paying attention, he'll notice something important in what Liir just said.

"Nor is secondary, to be honest. Mostly because I don't have the first clue how I might find her. Also, because she's proved herself well able to take care of herself."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He was paying attention. He looked carefully at Liir.

"Your mother and your sister?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Do you recall a couple of weeks ago when we all had children appear?"

It was the only way to explain it.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I got two girls. You did too, huh?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"A girl and a boy," he said.

"The girl was green. The boy was pale."

Michael can do the math.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"...your mom was green", he finished quietly.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"The Witch was green," he said with a nod.

"It's as much proof as I'll ever get. Denying it after that would just be cowardice."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael just nodded.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir breathed out and gave Michael a smile.

"Vegetables?"

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Vegetables", he agreed and trotted into the kitchen to get a plate made up.