[Lord John would not quite say that he hasn't been sleeping well, but. Well, he supposes he has not truly been sleeping well, of late. Perhaps it is the unfamiliar room, although truth be told he has slept in plenty of unfamiliar rooms in his life, and unfamiliar tents while on campaign, and he hasn't had quite the same trouble then as he is having now. No, if he were asked to put a finger on the matter, it would be a more specific matter of his environs. The land itself. And the owner of the mansion, for that matter.
The house is relatively quiet, at this hour of the night, despite the alarming number of people staying in it. John finds himself wandering towards a sitting room in search of some refreshment to help him calm his wandering mind -- perhaps some more of that whiskey Jamie's shared with him before? Stepping into the salon on quiet feet, only to find that there is someone else in the room already.]
I -- forgive me the interruption. [He offers her the dip of a bow in greeting.] I did not realize the room was occupied.
[ Miraculously tonight, she's managed to wake on her own without panic, but she can't fall asleep again. That's why she's wrapped in a blanket, tea beside her as she sketches in a book. At the voice, she looks up and puts her pencil down. ]
No, it's alright. It's a large room and I'm only one person.
[He glances down at the pencil she sets aside, but politeness has him keep his curiosity to himself for now. And his desire for a good stiff drink keeps him from giving in to his politeness and fully excusing himself from the interruption entirely. Offering her a smile instead in turn.]
Perhaps it is. Perhaps in time I will finally adjust to the idea of it as well.
[He steps across the room, reaching for the decanter and taking down a glass before turning to glance at her over his shoulder. Thinking of offering her a glass in turn, but then she already has a mug herself.]
I will be out of your hair, if that is how you would prefer it. Though I do apologize, I do not know your name.
[ It might keep her out of her own head for a while. ]
I'm Brianna.
[ She keeps her last name out of it; 'Randall' isn't popular in this house, after all. She doesn't stand, though, to be formal about the introduction. ]
My father has told me about you, though, Lord John Grey.
[ Not everything, and not much, beyond she need not be worried to have him in the house with her. ]
[Lord John raises his eyebrows in response to that.]
Has he indeed?
[Well. She did say that the company was welcome. Grey takes a couple steps forward before moving to take a seat close to her, offering her a slightly embarrassed smile.]
In my experience as a soldier, to have one's reputation precede them is not necessarily a positive thing.
[Lord only knows what Jamie Fraser has said about him, for that matter, given the history between them.]
[All good means he almost certainly left some things out. Which is probably for the best, for both Jamie and Lord John's sakes. He figures he'll just err on the side of caution as far as sharing any of Jamie's secrets are concerned. He would hope the same could have been said for Mr Fraser himself.]
Well. Then there is that, I suppose.
[He raises his eyebrows again, offering her a somewhat awkward smile, though he means well.]
It's an interesting position to find oneself in, I will admit. The idea that everyone should know my future but myself. And that now I am here, I may never live it.
[ Bree won't make the same mistake she did with Fergus and assume John knows anything about time travel. Instead, she uses her own experience back to stasis to try and relate. ]
I'm further ahead now than my mother, and I can't tell really, where Jamie's from. I know I was traveling to their home from Boston, but when I came back from stasis, mama didn't even know about North Carolina yet.
[ It's confusing, really. How did the world not end for all of them at the same time? ]
The same thing could happen to you, maybe. A return trip to stasis.
[Lord John can't help but be somewhat alarmed at the thought of it. To have to get back into that pod. The thought that he might not wake up again.]
Do you mean to say that such a thing can happen? [he asks, wary but trying to hide the tone of it in his voice] Waking up to find yourself with memories you had not known before, despite your physical person not having traveled anywhere?
It just happened to me. I've been here for months, and a few days after Jamie came out of stasis, I went back in. According to mama, I was there for three days.
[ Brianna looks at John and shrugs a little helplessly. ]
But I have years worth of memories now that I didn't before. Before my return to stasis, I was studying in Boston. Now, as far as I know, I'm on my way Fraser's Ridge to visit my mother, except I'm here again.
[Three days in stasis, only to wake up with years more memories you had never had before? Lord John shakes his head at the thought of it, so caught up in trying to wrap his head around the idea he nearly misses the rest of her words. Studying in Boston? He frowns slightly in puzzlement at the phrasing of it, before filing it away for later.]
Well. I can't say that the thought of it is comforting. Nonetheless, I'm pleased to hear that you have returned to us from stasis. To your family.
[He offers her a soft smile.] Your father is especially pleased to be able to make your acquaintance. As odd a sentiment as that may be. He has told me something of the circumstances.
[And he is familiar with some of them of his own accord, having been at Culloden, the warden at Ardsmuir, and then Jamie's parole officer at Helwater.]
[ Bree isn't completely sure what John knows or doesn't. Of time travel, she's sure he knows nothing. Still, she smiles softly and with nothing but fondness. ]
My mother told me so much about him once she realized he was alive, but it was nothing like seeing him for the first time.
[ That first hug that felt safe. It wasn't what she thought it would be; awkward and not knowing what to do, how to act. ]
I think he's been nervous; he doesn't know what to do with an already grown child.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sometime before disaster strikes;
The house is relatively quiet, at this hour of the night, despite the alarming number of people staying in it. John finds himself wandering towards a sitting room in search of some refreshment to help him calm his wandering mind -- perhaps some more of that whiskey Jamie's shared with him before? Stepping into the salon on quiet feet, only to find that there is someone else in the room already.]
I -- forgive me the interruption. [He offers her the dip of a bow in greeting.] I did not realize the room was occupied.
no subject
No, it's alright. It's a large room and I'm only one person.
[ She smiles softly at him. ]
Please, it's your space as much as mine.
no subject
Perhaps it is. Perhaps in time I will finally adjust to the idea of it as well.
[He steps across the room, reaching for the decanter and taking down a glass before turning to glance at her over his shoulder. Thinking of offering her a glass in turn, but then she already has a mug herself.]
I will be out of your hair, if that is how you would prefer it. Though I do apologize, I do not know your name.
no subject
[ It might keep her out of her own head for a while. ]
I'm Brianna.
[ She keeps her last name out of it; 'Randall' isn't popular in this house, after all. She doesn't stand, though, to be formal about the introduction. ]
My father has told me about you, though, Lord John Grey.
[ Not everything, and not much, beyond she need not be worried to have him in the house with her. ]
no subject
Has he indeed?
[Well. She did say that the company was welcome. Grey takes a couple steps forward before moving to take a seat close to her, offering her a slightly embarrassed smile.]
In my experience as a soldier, to have one's reputation precede them is not necessarily a positive thing.
[Lord only knows what Jamie Fraser has said about him, for that matter, given the history between them.]
Dare I ask?
no subject
[ In truth he hasn't told her much, but what Jamie has told her, was in high praise. ]
He did mention that you're from far in his past, according to your own timeline, so all the praise he sings may not make sense to you now.
no subject
Well. Then there is that, I suppose.
[He raises his eyebrows again, offering her a somewhat awkward smile, though he means well.]
It's an interesting position to find oneself in, I will admit. The idea that everyone should know my future but myself. And that now I am here, I may never live it.
no subject
I'm further ahead now than my mother, and I can't tell really, where Jamie's from. I know I was traveling to their home from Boston, but when I came back from stasis, mama didn't even know about North Carolina yet.
[ It's confusing, really. How did the world not end for all of them at the same time? ]
The same thing could happen to you, maybe. A return trip to stasis.
no subject
[Lord John can't help but be somewhat alarmed at the thought of it. To have to get back into that pod. The thought that he might not wake up again.]
Do you mean to say that such a thing can happen? [he asks, wary but trying to hide the tone of it in his voice] Waking up to find yourself with memories you had not known before, despite your physical person not having traveled anywhere?
no subject
[ Brianna looks at John and shrugs a little helplessly. ]
But I have years worth of memories now that I didn't before. Before my return to stasis, I was studying in Boston. Now, as far as I know, I'm on my way Fraser's Ridge to visit my mother, except I'm here again.
no subject
Well. I can't say that the thought of it is comforting. Nonetheless, I'm pleased to hear that you have returned to us from stasis. To your family.
[He offers her a soft smile.] Your father is especially pleased to be able to make your acquaintance. As odd a sentiment as that may be. He has told me something of the circumstances.
[And he is familiar with some of them of his own accord, having been at Culloden, the warden at Ardsmuir, and then Jamie's parole officer at Helwater.]
no subject
My mother told me so much about him once she realized he was alive, but it was nothing like seeing him for the first time.
[ That first hug that felt safe. It wasn't what she thought it would be; awkward and not knowing what to do, how to act. ]
I think he's been nervous; he doesn't know what to do with an already grown child.