Room 324, Arms Hotel, Tuesday Morning
Aug. 9th, 2011 01:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bitten_notshyJack was doing nothing in particular in his hotel room when his phone rang. He blinked as he glanced at it, surprised to see Sebastien was calling. For one, he hadn't exactly been in regular contact these last few months. For another, Sebastien generally claimed the privileges of his age and relied on letters (or, when time was key, email), not the telephone.
But. He was glad to get the call, and they chatted for a few minutes about the recent disease on the island and what Sebastien had been doing in Mumbai. However, it was clear Sebastien had something else on his mind.
"You're going back to school in a few weeks." It wasn't really a question, and the blunt way Sebastien said it took Jack aback.
"I planned to, absent other instructions," he admitted, slowly. "I like the program, and -- when they aren't killing your kind -- I like London. Would you prefer I not?"
Sebastien sighed, and his crackling voice sounded wry. "I know better than to limit you to only what I'd prefer, Mr. Priest. You have your own life. I will not stand in your way."
"Thank you," Jack said, though the wording niggled at him. "It still isn't the life I want without you in it. I've made that more than clear."
"I know," Sebastien said, and seemed to leave it at that for a moment. Then: "I will join you. Although perhaps not immediately."
"Aren't they still after the dread Sebastien de Ulloa?" Jack asked, voice a bit arch to cover his concern. "Wouldn't do to join me and then get hauled off as David was."
"The case has been closed." From the way Sebastien said it, Jack understood he'd seen to it, pulling strings, laying out bribes, working through the power channels -- whatever he had to do to make the city safe for both of them again. "Besides, I won't be Sebastien, if I come back."
"Ah." Jack thought this sounded harebrained, but a lot of Sebastien's ideas sounded harebrained until he understood them. "Who will you be, then?"
"John Nast," Sebastien said matter-of-factly. "An Englishman. The papers came through last week."
"Sebastien," Jack pointed out, "you barely remembered to speak English when you were in England." In fact, their conversation to this point had been in Spanish, as most of their private discussions were.
"Well, this will give me an incentive," Sebastien shrugged. "And look, I said that in English."
"You did. Perfect received pronunciation accent, even," Jack sighed again, and rubbed a temple. He still didn't see how Sebastien would pass for British. He also recognized that a lecture on fitting in coming from pupil to tutor would be more than a bit rich. "So ... when will I see you?"
"Later this fall," Sebastien promised. "After I've wrapped up a bit of business between here and there."
"And you're sure?"
Sebastien laughed. "Perfectly sure."
And that, such as it was, seemed to be the end of that. Now Jack just needed to figure out what it meant.
[OOC: For anyone who'd call or go looking for him.]
But. He was glad to get the call, and they chatted for a few minutes about the recent disease on the island and what Sebastien had been doing in Mumbai. However, it was clear Sebastien had something else on his mind.
"You're going back to school in a few weeks." It wasn't really a question, and the blunt way Sebastien said it took Jack aback.
"I planned to, absent other instructions," he admitted, slowly. "I like the program, and -- when they aren't killing your kind -- I like London. Would you prefer I not?"
Sebastien sighed, and his crackling voice sounded wry. "I know better than to limit you to only what I'd prefer, Mr. Priest. You have your own life. I will not stand in your way."
"Thank you," Jack said, though the wording niggled at him. "It still isn't the life I want without you in it. I've made that more than clear."
"I know," Sebastien said, and seemed to leave it at that for a moment. Then: "I will join you. Although perhaps not immediately."
"Aren't they still after the dread Sebastien de Ulloa?" Jack asked, voice a bit arch to cover his concern. "Wouldn't do to join me and then get hauled off as David was."
"The case has been closed." From the way Sebastien said it, Jack understood he'd seen to it, pulling strings, laying out bribes, working through the power channels -- whatever he had to do to make the city safe for both of them again. "Besides, I won't be Sebastien, if I come back."
"Ah." Jack thought this sounded harebrained, but a lot of Sebastien's ideas sounded harebrained until he understood them. "Who will you be, then?"
"John Nast," Sebastien said matter-of-factly. "An Englishman. The papers came through last week."
"Sebastien," Jack pointed out, "you barely remembered to speak English when you were in England." In fact, their conversation to this point had been in Spanish, as most of their private discussions were.
"Well, this will give me an incentive," Sebastien shrugged. "And look, I said that in English."
"You did. Perfect received pronunciation accent, even," Jack sighed again, and rubbed a temple. He still didn't see how Sebastien would pass for British. He also recognized that a lecture on fitting in coming from pupil to tutor would be more than a bit rich. "So ... when will I see you?"
"Later this fall," Sebastien promised. "After I've wrapped up a bit of business between here and there."
"And you're sure?"
Sebastien laughed. "Perfectly sure."
And that, such as it was, seemed to be the end of that. Now Jack just needed to figure out what it meant.
[OOC: For anyone who'd call or go looking for him.]
