[D1 Late evening] Scratch This (Scratch Bar)

[Jean Wellspeak]

Meanwhile, Jean was still clinging to the same beer he had had when Imogen had walked up to him. It seemed that he was in no hurry to finish his drink. "Uh. Yeah." he nodded, hoping he'd understood most of it. Chances were he hadn't. "Uhum." Jean nodded, figuring he had better to give her the idea he had understood, lest she think him someone untrustworthy.

Realizing that there was no use beating around the bush, Jean cleared his throat. "This world is both wonderful and terrifying." He added. "Um." he gulped. "I am sorry. I was a fair bit on the other side. This is all so new to me. Like witchcraft or worse." He took a sip of his drink. "Even the beer tastes nothing like it used to."

[Imogen Baker]

Imogen seemed to keep her sights trained on him, or at least one of her many eyes did. She imagined that talking about her line of work wasn't particularly interesting and it really shouldn't be to strangers, especially of their kind. There was far more fantastical stuff than making ends meet and getting the daily bread. "So yeah, that's how I found myself here..."

"You must have been gone for a while," she said with a flat tone. There were many reasons why he might have spent a while there, considering his looks, different but the same. More human than her, at least. "What you see around here is far from witchcraft but I guess they've found other witches to burn while you were gone, heh. Not real witches, of course. I've been gone for only five years but nothing how really changed other than smartphones getting a few more numbers on them."

[Jean Wellspeak]

"Well, beats my story. They didn't like me much back in Montreal, so, I figured I'd leave. Still walking." He had actually hitch-hiked here, accepting any ride that took him westwards. He had heard many tales about the godless west coast and was curious to see the place for himself. "Some six hundred odd years." jean admitted with a sigh. "This kingdom is no France, that I can tell." he shook his head, sighing again. "But, it is what it is." That was a phrase he had heard often in Montreal when he had complained how unfair things were. The world did not care how unfair things might have been. The world just was. With Arcadia looming somewhere out there. "I first saw cars few months ago. And now you only see horses in places like this. It's so strange."

[Imogen Baker]

There was a slight momentary grimace from Imogen when Jean mentioned that Montreal didn't like him. I made her wonder why, exactly. She mostly kept to herself in her freehold, not exactly making a splash for trouble or gain. After a beat, she merely gave an accepting and impressed nod. "Huh, six hundred years is a very long time to be away. That would almost make you almost like a Rip Van Winkle...or a Sleeping Beauty. After five years, everything seemed like the far future. I can't imagine what six hundred must feel like."

She took a small sip from her beer and took a pause to smack her lips together. "So...where do you plan to walk toward?"

[Jean Wellspeak]

"I do not know these characters, this Rip Wan Vinkle or this Sleeping Beauty. Whom might they be?" Jean asked earnestly, his eyes brimming with curiosity. "Well, to be honest, I am not sure this is the real world. There are devils and temptations everywhere. I think this might be Purgatory. I think we have been to hell." he added with a conspiratory tone to his voice.

"West. I've heard of San Francisco." Now there was a godly sounding name if any, though he wondered why the American kingdom used Iberian languages to name their cities. "I have heard that it is an evil place. I wish to see it myself to purify my soul."

[Imogen Baker]

Imogen glanced off slightly as there was a bit of patience that was starting to give. "They are very much like you, actually. You're Sleeping Beauty." With the way he was talking, she would have to consider off-loading him to another Changeling as soon as possible. She certainly didn't want him following her back to Los Angeles after she was done here. "Maybe they have Disney+ in the motel room but I think they barely have HBO, to begin with."

She tilted her head at her surroundings. "...Have you considered staying here? Maybe you could find something that works for you in Maize. Two churches...plenty of hardworking people. That must be like how cities are like back then, right?"

[Jean Wellspeak]

"But I am awake!" Jean protested, pinching himself. "See." He huffed and then sighed. "I don't understand. Could you explain?" His tone was earnest. "I have heard of Disney, tales for children, right? Happy tales."

"I guess." He seemed to at least consider the idea. "They look like decent folks. Not sure they need someone like me." Jean added, casually brushing few curls off his forehead. "Not sure I can offer anyone much."

[Imogen Baker]

Imogen held back the urge to chuckle at Jean's reaction. "I don't think I would do a very good job of explaining. I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty in its entirety and I think the last one I watch was probably Moana? But are you so sure that you're not dreaming? That seems more likely than the idea of heaven and hell. I'm pretty sure you're waxing poetic when it comes to purgatory."

She took another small sip from her beer. "Probably not so much now that it's winter but when it gets warming, farmhands are probably in need? They might even pay you cash and give you a stable to sleep in."

[Jean Wellspeak]

"No, I think we were in hell. Look at you." There was a mad gleam to his eyes. "No angel looks like that, even with the extra eyes. No, we have been to hell, call it by other name if you wish, for if you have seen half of what I did, you should have no doubt." he insisted. "What comes after hell? Purgatory, or so the priests say. How we got out of the eternal damnation, I do not know." Jean's view of the world wasn't entirely consistent with itself. He didn't see this as a problem, however. "Would be shame if a knight like me would have to work on a farm!" he interjected. "But, one has to do something to earn one's pay. " Glancing away, Jean shrugged. "But the summer is far away and I can feel the west calling me."

[Imogen Baker]

What a nutter... Imogen thought to herself as she glanced off and didn't feel like wanting to drink her beer anymore for show. It seemed more productive to get away from him than drinking more to dull this sort of talk that she was hearing from him. This almost seemed like the best time to slink away back to her hotel room and binge on the National Geographic channel.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Jean," she scoffed as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Just calm down for a moment, no need to get the local townsfolk upset. I'm pretty sure they're all God-fearing people who don't need to hear what you're saying. How about you give this place a try? Stay a week, attend church, churches. Then see how it pans out?"