(no subject)

[last_adam]

The sun's bright (well, in England terms, it is) and the air is fresh (aside from the pollution from the cars) and the food is fresh (okay, no, it's take-away, but that'll do).

They hadn't had hotel reservations, but you'd be surprised what miracles being the son of satan could bring about, and you'd be surprised how comfortable the beds at the Mandarin Oriental are, even if Adam and Alanna spent more of the night smiling awkwardly at each other than sleeping. (Yes, just smiling awkwardly. No, that's not a euphemism. They may not have a lot of tact, but there was another person in the room, you perverts.)

And after store after store (after store) of being subjected to Alanna and Lucy's retail therapy, Adam's more than pleased to be stretched out on a blanket near a small lake (pond, really) with the sound of traffic almost, but not quite, out of hearing.

"Would one of you mind passing me a biscuit?"

Comments

[called_lioness]

Lucy is appreciative that they smiled awkardly. Truly.

And as for retail therapy, do you know the last time she went to Harrods? It was over fifty years ago!

Mmmsmog.

Mmmpollution.

Mmmnoise.

...She really did miss it, is the strange thing.

"Only if you're willing to go to Marks and Spencer when we're done eating," Lucy says cheerfully, but passes him one anyway.

[the_lioness]

Alanna had been rather quiet throughout Harrods, probably because she was just there last month.

Possibly.

Which is not to say that she didn't leave with a large bag from the riding department. Currently examining the stitching on her new riding boots, she glances up with a distracted smile and nods.

"And Selfridge's." Flopping sideways, she reaches for her own biscuit. "Unless there's something else you would rather do?"

[last_adam]

Mouth full of biscuit-

"M'not really sure I have a choice.



Do I?"

He grins, though, smiling up at them through eyes squinting against the light.

"We could go exploring, though it seems like there are far fewer places to do so here than where I grew up.

...not that the quarry was all that fascinating, outside of our imaginations."

[called_lioness]

She flops onto her back and studies the sky.

"We might find something anyway. You never know, I suppose. Exploring is an acceptable alternative to shopping."

Quite likely one she'd enjoy more, really, but the stores are more for just going to right now than buying things at.

[the_lioness]

"There's always something to find."

The boots are summarily tossed aside, perhaps expressing best Alanna's views on exploration over shopping. She turns her face into the breeze and smiles.

"Quarries are endlessly fascinating, and you won't hear me say otherwise. But London is full of new sights and sounds. For me, at least."

Blushing a little, she kicks at Adam's foot.

[last_adam]

He kicks back and laughs.

"Like London Tower? Too bad there aren't any heads there, anymore."

He winks a bit, and closes his eyes again, toeing off his own shoes.

[called_lioness]

"You're morbid," she informs him matter-of-factly, for all she's grinning.

"Or we could go find an old furniture store and see if there are any wardrobes to peek into. London Tower might be more exciting."

Only might, mind.

[the_lioness]

"I can just see it now. The proprietor would try to toss us out on our ears for spending the better part of an hour inside his wardrobes, knocking on the backs."

She giggles.

"They have swords at the Tower." Apparently that's a yes.

[last_adam]

"Perhaps there wardrobes in the Tower."

See? A compromise!

He wiggles his toes.

"Later."

[called_lioness]

She laughs and rolls onto her stomach, reaching for another biscuit. "Tower it is, then. And a bookstore? I bought Caspian something already, but I thought I'd get him a book, too."

[the_lioness]

Alanna watches Adam's toes, but doesn't give in to the urge to tickle.

"Are there bookstores in town where they actually let you purchase something? Extraordinary."

Since they are obviously staying put for the moment, she stretches out on her back and folds her arms beneath her head.

[last_adam]

"Believe it or not, there are some people who will sell off their books.


...Barnes and Noble, perhaps."

[called_lioness]

"As long as I don't have to fight anyone for them," she grins and looks out at the pond.

"...It hasn't changed as much as I thought it would have."

[the_lioness]

Turning her head, Alanna watches Lucy with a small smile.

"Did you have a favorite place to go when you were young?"

[called_lioness]

"I always liked it here. Especially before we went to the Professor's," Lucy answers, still watching the water. "We didn't go to the country very often, then, so it was rare to see so much grass and trees. I always did like to ride the tube and the train," crash "too. Not so much to go anywhere in particular, but I liked the ride."

[last_adam]

He turns a bit to look up at Lucy.

"Has it changed much, here? It's hard to imagine what it was like fifty years ago."

[called_lioness]

She looks around for a moment.

"I think they changed the benches. And a few trees are different. Other than that? Not really. Fifty years isn't all that long, I suppose."

[the_lioness]

Quietly, "Thom and I didn't know where we were going. We just got on the tube and rode until something sounded interesting."

My, those clouds are fascinating.

"Parks should always stay the same."

[called_lioness]

"I'd rather it changed," she says after a few moments. "It's too easy to feel like you still belong if it hasn't. Fifty years really isn't any time at all, in a way. But I," a little wryly, "am slightly biased in that regard. Either way, it's still lovely."

[last_adam]

"It's not, really, when it comes down to it. But for humans, it's nearly forever."

He pauses, as if to wonder what the world would be like when he's fifty. It's perhaps a bit too difficult to imagine.

"It's comforting, really, when things stay the same. Though perhaps not always good."

[the_lioness]

A lifetime, she doesn't say.

Alanna likes the park here and just the way it is because it's the closest thing to home. Which is funny, really, considering how excited she gets about everything new to explore in London.

"It is better, perhaps, that things stay similar. Grow, rather than stagnate."

[called_lioness]

"Even after a thousand years, you can still recognize some things about home," she agrees.

[last_adam]

"Well, aren't we a cheery bunch?"

[called_lioness]

Lucy very maturely chooses the response of throwing a wadded napkin at his head.

[the_lioness]

Smiling, Alanna tosses the rest of her biscuit in his direction.

"I'm rather fond of the zoo, incidentally. I'm sure this surprises no one."