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[sign_seeker]

*Will trots down the stairs, and makes his way to his brother James's room. It's easy to tell that James is in there, even though the door is shut; he's practicing his solo in one of the songs they're doing in the school choir. And consistently failing to hit the high note, and halting to try again, and failing again. Will suppresses a wince, and knocks.*

Comments

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

"Come in," James calls, and attempts to put his music down on the stand, and promptly knocks it over.

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will opens the door as the music stand falls, raising an amused eyebrow at the clatter. Letting the door swing closed behind him, he moves to help pick up the scattered papers.*

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

James rights the stand, with a bit of a huff, then smiles ruefully at Will. "Sorry - you startled me, a little. Usually you're asleep by this hour -"

He stops, the uncomfortable look on his face expressing that perhaps he's not as sure of that as he used to be.

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*easily* True enough. *mock-sententiously* I'm a growing boy.

*He rises, and hands the stack of gathered sheet music to James.*

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

James takes the music from Will's hands and stacks it carelessly on the stand; one leaf threatens to slip off again, and he pushes it back into place.

"So what's keeping you up so late, then?" He grins. "Not thinking about a girl, are you?"

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will makes a face at him, and does not dignify that with an answer.*

*Then he sobers.* Wanted to talk to you, actually.

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

"You did? Huh."

The paper wobbles precariously again; James firmly rights it. "That's a bit of a change."

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will looks confused, then rather rueful.*

Good lord, have I been that bad? I'm sorry. Just preoccupied, I guess.

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I guess."

James sits himself on his bed, gestures to Will to take his desk chair.

"What'd you want to talk about?"

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will drops into the chair with a teenager's disregard for grace or furniture, and pushes his hair off his forehead.*

Well. About Milliways, actually.

*He sighs a little.*

...How do you get there, by the way? Through the barn door, you said?

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

"Not too soon, either," James mutters, not quite to himself, then looks up again. "Sometimes - I mean, I always get in through the barn door, but not every time I open it. Otherwise, you know, I'd never be able to feed the chickens and rabbits at all, and Mum probably wouldn't be too pleased.

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

Mm.

...Do you think you could not, for a while? Go into the barn the back way, or something?

*His face is sober, and rather worried. This is not a "please avoid my favorite hiding place" request.*

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

James' brow furrows.

"It'd be rather a nuisance - why?"

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will blows out a breath, and absently shoves at his hair again.*

Remember what I said about watching for the White Witch? Narnia, and all.

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

James looks at Will. It's a very older-brother look.

"You spend too much time talking in metaphors. This isn't Mrs. Farley's English class, you know."

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will is surprised into a grin.*

And I had such a nice extended one, too.

All right. There's someone who's come to the place who's very dangerous. And I'd really rather you didn't meet him.

*The grin has faded, back into sober warning and concern.*

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

"You'll live."

James looks at his brother, hard. It's a different older-brother look, this time.

"And you're planning on staying away too.

Right?"

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*sincerely* Oh, I plan to avoid him too. Believe me.

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

James looks at him some more.

"Avoiding him and staying away aren't exactly the same thing, you know."

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will's lips twitch in rueful acknowledgement. He sighs.*

Much as I can. But I have friends there, now, and I can't just turn my back on them while he's there.

But as much as I can, honest.

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

James scowls. He does not like this one tiny bit.

"So what exactly can this fellow do that's got you so scared?"

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*Will eyes him for a moment.*

Has anyone told you about the ways that Milliways isn't exactly an ordinary place? Er, besides the way you get there?

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

"All I know," says James, with a puzzled look, "is that it's not in England or in Scotland or in Wales. Anything else you and Mrs. Rowlands have sort of together managed to avoid telling me."

[sign-seeker.livejournal.com]

*A snort, a little amused and a little rueful.*

All right. Well. It's... It's not just our barn door that happens to open onto it, nor Paul's flute nor any of that. It opens onto all sorts of worlds. All times, all the universes there are, so far as anyone can tell.

And so one finds all sorts. Not all of them just ordinary human people.

[sixth-son.livejournal.com]

Carefully, as if to make very sure he'll understand, James asks, "What . . . other . . . sort of people . . . are there?"