[video]

[blessedarethebookmakers]

[It has been a little over twenty-four hours since the new-- well arrivals, and Aziraphale decides it is time to greet them. He has done this a couple times now for various reasons and is a bit of an old hand at this anyway. He situates himself in front of the window, the sunset is just beginning and tingeing his white wings with just the barest hint of pink. When he speaks, his voice is honey warm and welcoming.]


Hello, my name is Aziraphale. I am...well a bit of a guardian angel here. [well, he wasn't. Not technically, but he might as well be. And at any rate, there were children here and he supposed that might make them feel safer]

Welcome to the magic kingdoms. The place you are at right now is called Main Street, USA-- and from what I know of the USA, it's rather fitting. [everything is absolutely saturated with color, the food is swimming in grease, and the only decent thing around is a bar.]

I know it seems awful and strange. It's difficult to be wrest from your home and thrust into a situation that seems beyond your ken and ability to handle it. But, let me assure you, you can; regardless of age or ability. Moreover, we are more than just a disparate collection of peoples, but a community of individuals striving for a common purpose. [which, by and large, boiled down to trying to survive]

If you need assistance or just a friendly ear, I will be available in the chamber where we had our lovely [in the sense that it was sustenance and free and therefore made lovely by gratitude if not by quality] buffet at the posted hours.

But if you're truly in distress, feel free to seek my aid or the aid of any of the kind people around you. Remember, we rise together.


[that done, he clears the mirror and, with a few pokes, figures out how to make it private]

[locked to Dreamfinder]

If you have a moment, dear, I'd love to talk with you at the Carnation Cafe. It will only take a few moments.

Comments

[princess_weia]

[She nods.]

My mommy's Queen of Alderaan, and my daddy's the Viceroy. He's Alderaan's Senator too, so he gets to go to Coruscant and lots of other places on dippomatic missions.

[She's evidently quite proud of them too, judging by her tone.]

And it's not really that. Well, I mean that's part of it, but it's something else too. It's like... it's like some of the colors are missing, except I know they're not? It's just really weird.

Are you a Prince back home too, or just here? Merlin said that Princes and Princesses here don't have to be royalty, even if some of them are.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

Diplomatic. [he corrects it gently] So you must be very good at helping people get along.

[he doesn't quite understand what she means by the colors missing, so he just frowns and nods like he understand]

Oh, no-- I am hardly that. Back home I am just a helper. A guide really. Completely insignificant to human affairs. [and sometimes that feels entirely too true]

[princess_weia]

My mommy and daddy are. I'm not really old enough to help with their work much back home, but since I'm here by myself, I'm gonna do my best!

[Leia doesn't really understand the missing sensations herself, and so can't put them into words, even if she had the necessary vocabulary. All she knows is that something that has always been there now isn't, and that it's disconcerting. But since there's nothing really to be done about it, she moves on.]

Helpers and guides can be important too, even if most people don't see them. Nobody can do everything all on their own, after all, especially big jobs like being a Queen or a Senator.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

I believe in you. [said warmly. He believed she would try her best, but wouldn't hold it against her when she couldn't keep up]

Well, I do try. But you know? It's amazing how much humans will help each other in times of greatest need. I'm barely required.

[princess_weia]

Thanks!

[She looks a bit more thoughtful at his next comment though.]

I bet you help more than you think. I mean, yeah, maybe you don't do a lot of big stuff, but a lot of little things can add up to big things, especially if you do something to help one person, and then they go do something to help another person, and then that person helps somebody else too, and it just goes on like that. So a whole lot of helping could start with you, even if you don't always know it.

And besides that, now that we're all here, we can do even more stuff to help. Especially us Princes and Princesses, cause we're the only ones who can help fix the Corrosion.

[Granted, she's still a bit unclear about how they're to go about that, but she understands the importance of such a role.]

[blessedarethebookmakers]

Thank you. I can tell you will be a wonderful princesss, both here and later on. [though he isn't particularly cheered by her wisdom because his situation is a great deal moe complicated. On the other hand, he's been resigned to it for at least five thousand years. He learned early. Though not enough for some]

And you'll learn how to do that too. But you must be sure to stay close to those who will protect you.

[princess_weia]

[Leia nodded.]

I will. Getting lost or hurt would be a really bad way to start a dip-lo-matic mission. It wouldn't be any fun, and it would mean that the people helping me couldn't be helping the people here, like we're supposed to be doing.

And besides that, it would probably make Mr. Dreamfinder sad, and I don't want him to be. Him and Figment are really nice.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

Yes I am sure it will make him very sad. You are very precious to us, you know. [and she was. All children were. Which why he was probably never put in charge of them because mercy, he had enough just being a Gardner to one. Though he had been on Messiah duty once when he was a toddler and never again]

[princess_weia]

[Yes, probably for the best that he not be in charge of her, at least not on a solo basis. Leia is a handful at any age. She nods.]

I know. My mommy and daddy say that a lot back home.

[And show it even when they don't.]

I know lots of stories about adventures though, so that'll probably help. Some of them are just made up, but some of them that my daddy told me are about things that really happened to him and his friends. And even some of the made up ones might help, since we're in a place that has real magic.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

Well, we'll see. Don't place all your faith in stories. A happy ending isn't always guaranteed, you know. [perhaps it wasn't the best thing to tell a child, but caution was wiser than recklessness]

[princess_weia]

[Leia nods her understanding.]

I meant more the middle part of the stories might be helpful; the parts when all the weird or dangerous stuff is happening. Knowing what kinds of things might help, and what kinds of things might be trouble is important, even if it's things that normally wouldn't happen. Stuff like trees made of candy or rocks that can talk or things like that.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

Oh! That is actually a good idea! Talking about the dangers along the road. The pitfalls. The trenches of worry and the lost roads of fear. Yes. Of course. And more than that, a reminder that everything will come to well, if not a good end at least... perhaps a satisfying one...

[princess_weia]

Yeah. Every story has parts that are scary or sad, and those parts are important, but everything works out in the end. And if it hasn't worked out that just means you're not at the end yet, so you need to keep going.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

Exactly, my dear. Persistence is key. Well done.

[he is not sure what else to say, and there is a bit of an awkward silence]

Well! I am sure you have plenty to do... So perhaps we can catch up later.

[princess_weia]

[Leia doesn't especially have a lot to do, but she recognizes an awkward silence when she hears one. She nods.]

Alright. Have a good rest of your day, Mr. Azriaphale!