OOM: getting Away from it All and Into a Whole New World...

[withamagicword]

In a quiet room, in a house of Paris, a closet door opens.

Out step two people, a tall woman and a tallish young man. Billy grins at Melpomene and nods.

"Welcome to Paris."

The hall was well-furnished with rich accouterments. And it was large. When you had a friend like Bruce Banner, who loaned you a house, it was generally a very good house.

Billy grins as he looks around.

"Looks just like he described it."

Comments

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene looks around, marvelling.

"Just like old times."

She slips out of her jacket and lays it on the bed, presuming that this is her room. If not, that can surely be rectified.

[withamagicword]

He nods.

"I was thinking we could get ourselves ready and then go out to the malls and stores tomorrow morning. Was there anything you would like to do tonight?"

His voice is a little strained. Recent events have worn him thin as a reed.

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene makes a non-commital movement.

"I do not know what you have planned to begin with."

[withamagicword]

"Tonight, I didnt make any plans. I figured when we arrived we could decide whether to wander out or stay in. I havent been here myself before, but I have directions to a restaurant nearbym if you would like dinner. Otherwise, we can simply adjourn until tomorrow morning, and hit the malls then."

He smiles at her.

"You are my guest. I want you to enjoy yourself here."

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene actually feels alive for the first time in a while.

"I would like to get out, if you don't mind."

She wants to see how much has changed in these few hundred years she's been gone.

[withamagicword]

He smiles a little.

"Sure. Any ideas where you would like to head first?"

He raises his voice as he moves out into the hall and opens the door to his room, putting down his bags and slipping his travel wallet into his pocket and slipping his coat on. He pops back out and grins.

Maybe this wont be so bad. As long as he doesnt think of... and he firmly shuts his mind on those things.

[tragic_mask]

ooc: Do tell me if this doesn't make sense or if I go too far. But Mel can read minds, so.. here goes.

Melpomene tries not to wince at the bright, overwhelming waves of hurt eminating from Billy's mind. She can see his thoughts clearly-- not so much in words, but in rows of pictures, like a storyboard.

She shakes these off-- they are not hers. And says-- "There is one place to which I would like to go back..."

She puts her hands in her pockets and looks out the front door. "Paris is unfamiliar to me in this age. I think we're going to need a map."

[withamagicword]

ooc: that is fine

He nods and arches an eyebrow. He concentrates on her and now.

"It hink we can manage that. There is supposed to be a shop just outside and down the street that caters to tourists. Those usually have maps."

He grins a little.

"Whenever you are ready..."

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene does her smile-that's-not-supposed-to-be-one.

"Perfect. You seem to know your way around for someone that's never been here before."

She walks down the spiral staircase, booted heels clicking on wood and one hand on the spiral railing. Then she looks up.

"You coming?" Her eyes spark, and then she's out, slipping into the stream.

[withamagicword]

He bites his lip and nods, following her and even opening a door for her.

The early evening air is warm, but a breeze rolls in and whirls about them for a moment and he smiles, eyes going soft.

"I studied a bit and accessed the Rock's archives on Paris. I am no expert and even with my spell, my french will be slow, but I wanted to be at least able to keep up with you some."

[tragic_mask]

Her lips curve upward with the breeze.

"I wouldn't expect you to be fluent, in any case. The gift of tongues is one I was born with- for good or for worse."

They pass a couple talking rapidly about the new house they want to buy in the Latin quarter. Melpomene smiles gently on them and slips past.

"I speak languages that have been dead for a thousand years. It's not a very discriminatory gift, if you catch my meaning."

[withamagicword]

He nods.

"Sounds like it could be fun, or a real burden for you."

The block stretches out and some people walking by nod. Billy smiles and nods back, thinking.

"I wonder how I will feel in time, if the languages I know now, die out."

[tragic_mask]

She shrugs.

"Everything changes."

It's cryptic, but true. Typical Mel.

[withamagicword]

They get to the end of the blokc and a large market is set up outside a store. Billy eyes the name and nods.

"This is it."

Outside the front door are all kinds of tourist-y kinds of things and Billy goes hunting before coming up with several maps. They are everything from a city map to neighborhood maps and he brings several to her.

"Ah, you know better than I... which of these do you think would be useful?"

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene unfolds the maps at stares at the color-coded lines criss-crossing the page.

"Things have changed so much since I was here..."

She looks up. "We should find Le Procope." She pauses, then adds for Billy's benefit: "It's an old café."

[withamagicword]

He grins and pays for the maps, then makes a bow to her, eyes glinting.

"After you, Melpomene. I am in your hands."

[tragic_mask]

It's not an empire, but it's a start.

She nods to him, and takes off, looking up at the brooding clouds.

[withamagicword]

He follows, looking around and just, letting go a little, trying to just not think of things and let himself relax a little. THis is, after all, supposed to be fun.

Paris is colorful and he grins as he watches he streets.

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene turns a corner.

"If we take the Metro down to this stop, then get off at Monge..." she mutters to herself, trying to navigate streets she has not seen in about two hundred years.

[withamagicword]

He follows, and listens, and watches the area around him. He hasnt been to Paris much, not more than a stop-through once on a mission. It is much like an American city and yet seems entirely different.

He glances at Melpomene and follows her, confident she will lead them to the right place.

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene, on the other hand, is not so confident. But she pretends to be-- that's the way she's been doing things her whole existence.

"You have some euros, don't you?" She glances at him, patting pockets that only have lint and a dull pencil in them.

[withamagicword]

He nods.

"I came prepared. I did a little creation before we came. I should have enough for travel and fun and costumes too."

He glances around then nods.

"Just let me know when you need them. Or I can give you a wallet of them now? This is supposed to be fun for you."

[tragic_mask]

She shrugs and holds out a hand. "It may come in handy."

And then she realizes something, and gives him a pat on the shoulder, clumsy from lack of practice.

"Don't worry about my fun. I am old, and have many memories behind me."

[withamagicword]

He hands over one of the carefully and laboriously created wallets. It contains quite a few Euros and American dollars.

He smiles faintly.

"Everyone deserves to have fun, no matter their age. And besides, you are cool."

He nods firmly.

[tragic_mask]

She looks at him, a wide, happy smile on her face. She's in Paris.

"I appreciate the sentiment."

She unfolds the RER map, carefully, and looks at it. Then back up at the street.

"Okay, let's go." She disappears into a tunnel marked Metro de Paris, apparently trusting that Billy will follow behind.