Fandom Island Museum, Thursday Daytime

[hasaknightjob]

The museum was quiet that Thursday. The spiders seemed to have moved on from geometric shapes to recreating star patterns.

The work seemed particularly detailed so Steven decided to leave them to it. He sat in his usual spot behind the welcome desk in case anyone needed him.

Did he spend his spare time looking through photos from his recent trip to DC? Yes, yes he was. Wasn't even being subtle about it, frankly.

[open!]

Comments

[flamesburned]

Liz had debated long and hard about whether she was ready to try and visit Steven at the museum, considering how badly her last visit had gone but she had been feeling like a bad friend and she hadn’t forgotten about doing the photo for Steven and Marc, even though she wasn’t even sure how to bring that up after everything.

She decided that maybe she just needed to take her time and see what happened when she visited him before making any other kind of plans, so after she had spent some time working at the store that morning, she stopped by the bakery and got a box of vegan pastries for Steven in what she hoped could be an attempt at a peace offering and she headed over to the museum.

“Um, hi,” she said quietly, “are you busy?”

She honestly wouldn’t blame Steven if he didn’t want to see her.

[hasaknightjob]

"Liz!" Steven was surprised to see her. Granted, seeing Liz show up at the museum with a box of pastries did bring up the unfortunate emotions of the last time she'd done that. But she was still Steven's friend so the brief sadness of the reminder was overridden by being happy to see her. "How are you? Everything all right?"

[flamesburned]

Well Steven did seem happy to see her so she tried to focus on that.

“Um … I’m doing okay,” Liz told him, which was true compared to how she had been a couple of weeks ago, “I’ve been busy, so that’s been helping, um … “ her voice trailed as she debated on what to say, “it’s … I wanted to stop by, it’s been a while … since I’ve been here I mean,” she stammered, realising that was probably going to make it worse since the last time she was here she had majorly messed everything up. “How … how have you been?” she tried.

[hasaknightjob]

True, the last time she'd been there didn't rank as one of the greatest memories of his life. On the other hand surely the cure for that was making more pleasant memories, right? Steven could try to focus on that.

"All right," Steven said. For anyone else he would have answered in a more enthusiastic positive. But considering that one of the things influencing that positive was Llewellyn it seemed cruel to bring that up while Liz was still missing Prompto. "What about the little one? How's she managing in there?"

[flamesburned]

“She’s going great, doing really well,” Liz did smile fondly as she put one hand on her stomach, still not quite believing her daughter was there, even after going for her first check up the other day, “I think she’s starting to get hungrier now though, I seem to be wanting to eat a lot of soft pretzels, apparently she wants carbs,”

Speaking of Llewllyn…

[hasaknightjob]

"She's a lot of growing to do," Steven said. Not that he had any idea what a baby needed during those nine months. And yes, he was trying not to comment on that obvious Llewellyn connection. "Perhaps you'll be craving pasta next."

[flamesburned]

"Maybe," Liz said as she considered, "well I'm living with Dr. Lecter now, I'm sure he wouldn't mind making me pasta if I do start to get a craving for it," she added.

The only thing Liz knew how to cook was a cake.

[hasaknightjob]

"And that's going well?" Steven asked. "Not too strange, living with your doctor?"

[flamesburned]

“It took a bit of getting used to at first,” Liz admitted, “but Dr. Lecter has been really great through this, I - I wasn’t capable of being on my own but it’s not as overwhelming as it was,”

[hasaknightjob]

Steven looked at her with concern. "Not capable? Why's that."

[flamesburned]

Liz bit her lip, “mostly with making sure that I’m eating correctly and I also can’t handle cat litter,” she paused, “and the new medication I’m going to be trying can be quite unpredictable and Dr. Lecter wants to monitor me while I start taking it, it could be a while before we find the right one,” she admitted

[hasaknightjob]

"I see," Steven said. "Makes sense it being your doctor then. Thought maybe you might need a hand getting things done at home. That's where friends could help, yeah?"

Like himself, for instance.

[flamesburned]

Liz nodded, “I don’t know how long I’m going to be living with Dr. Lecter but I know I will need help at home, especially getting the nursery set up,” she paused, “ I mean I would like help,” she added.

[mylandmyrules]

Since Nell didn't have classes or work today and she definitely wanted to do some research on Egyptian history and mythology, she decided that her long put off trip to the museum should happen today. Surely they'd have something there to go with the books she could get from the library later.

Imagine her surprise when she walked in and found Marc there behind the welcome desk!

"Why, hello," she said cheerfully. "Nice to see you'un again!"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had kept his promise not to share any of Nell's secrets with Steven. But he had shared who Nell was, which was why Steven was still able to smile with recognition when he saw her.

If the smile wasn't enough to offer a clue to it not being Marc, the British accent probably helped as he said, "Hello! You're Nell, yes? Or - are you? Realizing I shouldn't assume. Me of all people."

[mylandmyrules]

The smile didn't quite clue Nell in, but he didn't move the same and the accent, yes, that was definitely not Marc. Still, she was caught a bit off guard since she hadn't been expecting to see, well, either one of them.

"Steven?" She forced herself not to take a step back in surprise. "Um, yes, I'm Nell. Sorry. Marc didn't tell me that he - you -" Oh the pronouns! "That you were here."

She was going to look and sound stupid wasn't she? "Not that that's a bad thing. And I never said I was coming to the - ... Sorry," Nell stopped and took a deep breath. "Let me start over. I'm pleased to meet you'un."

[hasaknightjob]

"Starting over, good idea," Steven agreed. He took a breath and held out his hand to shake. "I'm Steven. With a V. Steven Grant. Hello."

[mylandmyrules]

"Hello, Steven with a V Grant," Nell said back with a smile and shook his hand. "So, Marc told you'un about me, I see." She wasn't surprised or bothered by that, just hadn't thought that he'd recognize her on sight, though she supposed if they could share memories... And she was probably staring off into space and looking addled as her brain ran through things.

[hasaknightjob]

"He did, yes," Steven said. "I can break the news he did mention he met you in class. I do promise not to be smug about that."

Steven was totally going to be smug about that. Just not to Nell.

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh really?" Nell said lightly. "That's awful nice of you." She didn't believe him for a second, but she wasn't saying anything.

"Does this feel strange to you'un? It feels strange, doesn't it?" Maybe she needed to sit down with him over a cup of tea. Maybe she should just treat them like identical twins - two separate people. "Well, if you'un is as nice as your - Marc - I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Why was she here again? Oh yes. "So... Egyptian mythology. I was hoping there's be something about that here."

[hasaknightjob]

"It is a bit strange, yeah," Steven agreed. But he was smiling since she called Marc nice and well he certainly thought so. Steven liked when people agreed with him about that. "We're still figuring it all out, really. At least you know. That saves time. Egyptian mythology? Yeah, we've got something for that."

Steven pointed at himself. "Me."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell thought Marc was very nice. And caring. No matter what he thought. So clearly she and Steven already had something in common.

"I can imagine it takes time to, you know, sort everything out, but yes, I'm glad I know too."

She looked at him a little oddly. "You are... Egyptian mythology?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Oh, no, not that," Steven said, realizing how that sounded. "Though I suppose maybe yeah? I mean being an avatar and all. But no, I meant I know Egyptian mythology. Bit of an interest of mine, you see."

[mylandmyrules]

"You are both avatars?" Nell asked. "I mean, well, you are both, um, you so I suppose that should have been self-explanatory.

She waved her hands in front of her, as if washing away what she'd just said. "Anyway. Is that, you'un's interest, I mean, because of your being an avatar?"

Be grateful Nell had never seen a certain movie or she'd be imagining them as very tall blue long-haired beings.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven had thought of the exact same movie when he'd first heard the idea. Then he'd thought of a certain anime. So he wouldn't have blamed Nell in either direction.

"Both of us, yeah," Steven confirmed. "It was sort of mostly Marc at first? But then we both agreed to it so bit of a package deal now, him and me. And you'd think that, right? But no. All my life I've been interested in it. Don't know why. Amazing coincidence, admittedly."