yeah

[bedlamsbard]

Seriously, after a year, Golden Age Narnia suddenly returns and says HI HI HI I DO IN FACT HAVE MORE STORIES TO TELL. I mean, it's lovely, don't get me wrong, I now want to write Peter/Osumare after this and Jaisen Ettore's origin story and fortunately that is all I know of right now, but this is on top of other parts of my brain going, "TWO MORE RILIAN STORIES" and also, "Aha, the third Jill story!" and also, "Now would be a great time to write that DVD commentary on The Land of Silent Seas!"

Look, brain, I appreciate the effort, but now is not actually a good time. I'm willing to reschedule for next week, though, and also, please let me know what's happening in the next chapter of Dust, as that appears to be the one thing you aren't plotbunnying wildly. Unless you count that JP thing, but I have no idea where that's going.

Comments

[bedlamsbard]

Susan looks up as she comes in. "What did you find?"

*

"Who's Constantine?"

*

"Papa," Jack says, and clutches at him.

[aella_irene]

"A lot of dead villagers. Graynor says Calormenes."

*

"A long dead Emperor from our world," Peter says.

*

"Jack," Peter breathes again, and holds on as tightly as Jack is holding onto him.

[bedlamsbard]

"They're not supposed to be here," Susan says, frowning. "I'll speak to King Eian when we get back to Anvard."

*

He changes the subject. "You were with Helen, Richard?"

*

Richard and Helen emerge to see what the fuss is about.

[aella_irene]

"You'll have to explain all this, won't you?"

*

"I started off with the Black Fleet."

*

"Jack," says Helen, and runs, Richard on her heels.

[bedlamsbard]

"All of -- oh, you mean Victoria."

*

Peter blinks. "That's quite a ways away."

*

She nearly bowls him over.

[aella_irene]

"Yes."

*

"They sailed in to Cair Paravel, to treat with Confesor."

*

He holds onto her like he'd hold a piece of glass.

[bedlamsbard]

Susan waves a hand. "He'll deal."

*

"Ah."

*

"Helen?"

[aella_irene]

"If you say so."

*

"Yes. It's me. I'm here."

[bedlamsbard]

Jill eyes Victoria dubiously. Asleep, she looks harmless enough.

*

She hangs onto him.

[aella_irene]

"She was fifteen," Susan says. "The last time I saw her. But she's still my baby."

*

He kisses her hair, soft, and then looks up, at Richard.

[bedlamsbard]

"I didn't know you had children in Narnia," Jill says eventually, neutrally.

*

Richard steps forward towards him. "You --"

[aella_irene]

"Yes. We all did. Peter and I, and Ed had four, and Lu had four as well." She strokes Victoria's hair again. "I had granchildren. Alambil and Eddard and Cottia and Piotr."

*

"Dicky," Jack says softly.

[bedlamsbard]

"You and Peter," Jill says awkwardly. The words are sour on her tongue; she doesn't want to think about it.

*

"Jack," Richard says, and crushes him in a hug.

Edmund tugs Peter aside. "There's something you should know," he says softly.

[aella_irene]

"And Helen, Dicky and Jack. It was-- different then. We were all-- Peter had seven fiancees, by the time we married."

*

"What?" Peter asks, tensing up, looking over at his children.

[bedlamsbard]

"At the same time?" Jill says, sidetracked. "And -- married? You were married?"

*

"Jack said he killed himself."

[aella_irene]

"Sequentially. And yes, we were. We married while I was pregnant with Helen, I admit--"

*

"Oh, Gods."

[bedlamsbard]

"That's not --" Normal. Or right. Or good, or anything --

*

He makes a jerky motion towards his children, then stops.

[aella_irene]

Susan looks at her. "You're judging me. I judged me, when I looked back, and oh, gods, the things I said when Helen said she wanted to marry her brothers, but-- we trusted each other. Absolutely. The perfect partnership, and an heir for Narnia."

* ('I judged me' is in reference to London, I think)

"I don't know what happened, after we left," Edmund says softly, "But it can't have been good."

[bedlamsbard]

Jill stares at her. "That doesn't make it right. Or -- or anything."

*

"Dickie said -- I --"

[aella_irene]

Susan looks at her.

*

Edmund bites his lip.

*

...the urge to have Cal pop out of a bar somewhere is almost unbearable. Care to make this a little more bizarre?

[bedlamsbard]

Jill looks back, defiant.

*

"Jack said his son died."

*

Oh, why not. At which point one of the Pevensies goes, "Well, I guess that answers that question."

[aella_irene]

"It was different, then."

*

"Oh, gods-- how old were they?"

*

The first anyone knows of him is when he leans over Helen's shoulder at breakfast and snaffles her bacon. She screams, and hits him.

[bedlamsbard]

"Apparently," Jill says frostily.

*

"I don't know."

*

"Hey!"

[aella_irene]

Victoria shifts, snorting.

*

"I don't think Helen was very old. When she died."

*

"Cal! --but you're-- Cal!."

[bedlamsbard]

Susan strokes her hair.

*

"I haven't asked," Peter says softly.

*

"And you're Helen," he says, or tries to say, before she tackles him into a hug.