<i>"My dear what a fabulous dress. Awfully chilly for this time of year, I imagine, but beautiful nonetheless. Wherever did you find it?"</i><br/><br/>Anne Marie’s words brought a crimson crawl to Mercedes olive skin. “I picked it up in Paris while we were there, about a month or so back. I’ve been traveling about Europe, performing in all the big cities.” No need to mention how William had whisked her out of the country after she agreed to turn states evidence on her mob boss husband. “I was performing at a club in downtown, and I didn’t think I needed to bother changin’ outta it.”<br/><i><br/>
Samantha offered both the new guests a mug of coffee. "Here, warm yerselves up. Ah'll see 'bout graphin' a garage in a minute." She took her seat, looking both of them over. "Y'all sound like Americans, if'n y'don't mind me sayin'. Where y'from?"<br/>
</i><br/><i>"Chicago," William said, sipping his coffee.</i><br/><br/><i>Samantha's expression changed suddenly, becoming softer and far more sympathetic. "Oh. Ah see. Yer people from there? Originally, Ah mean?"<br/>
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William looked at her curiously. "Well, yes. There have been Stones there practically since Fort Dearborne was built, back in 1803."</i><br/><br/>“My folks came over from Italy by way of Sicily in the 1880’s, but I was born there.” Mercedes filled in, sipping her coffee to shake off cold from outside that lingered in her bones.<br/><i><br/>
"Ah'm so sorry ta hear that," Samantha breathed. "Ah mean, you musta been one o' th' lucky ones. Ah mean, damnit, Ah'm..." She took a deep breath. "Did... did any of yer people survive? Or was it jes' you?"<br/>
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"What?" William drew back a little, curiousity turning into concern. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"<br/>
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"Well, not that Ah've heard." Now Samantha was looking at him curiously as well. "Ah mean, Ah'm pretty sure th' city's bein' rebuilt still. But if yer people been there since 1803, well..." She shrugged uncomfortably. "Ah mean, th' Martians fair destroyed th' whole o' th' city back in '98."</i><br/><br/>Mercedes laughed nervously, brushing her hair back behind her ear, “Is that some sorta joke?” But the look in Sam’s eyes was anything but playful.  “I dun know nuthin’ about Martians, but Chicago was just fine in ’99 when I was born.”<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/>Mara didn’t recognize the man who answered the door, nor the language he spoke, but after moment, she picked up understanding in the force.<br/><br/>"Entschuldigung. Ich suchte jemanden. Ein paar, eigentlich...” She explained, trying to figure out what exactly she was going to say. Conversation echoed down the hallway, another unfamiliar language, different from the one she’d been greeted in. A dozen voices, but not the familiar voices she’d hoped to hear."Ich bin vielleicht nicht am richtigen Ort, aber ich habe nach einem Mann und einer Frau gesucht. Die Frau würde irgendwie wie ich aussehen, und der Mann ist größer, mit blonden braunen Haaren und blaugrünen Augen, wie meiner. Oder wären sie vielleicht grau?"<br/><br/>Finally, she was able to decipher the language those on the inside were speaking, picking up some last of conversation,<i>"Ah mean, th' Martians fair destroyed th' whole o' th' city back in '98."</i>Through the force, she was able to gather that Mars was the nearby planet, and this planet was Earth, neither planets she recognized.<br/><br/>"In welchem System sind wir? Wie weit sind wir jenseits des Outer Rim? "<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/><br/>Suddenly she was somewhere else, with Lady Ari and Matthias, and the Onyx Queen (or her descendant?) and “her consort”. With the redheads who weren’t Thora, and their respective husbands, and the thing that called itself Puck, and the cat that was clearly Verrier. Clara didn’t think about how she knew that fact, or how she knew she was an older version of the girl who had traversed time and space in the first place. No one else would know, not with her hardly looking any older. She picked up cat Verrier.<br/><br/>“So?” She demanded, glancing around at unfamiliar scenery. Great metal constructs with glass eyes lined the streets, guarding the uniform houses in neat rows. Finally she turned towards the one called Puck, “Why are we here?”<br/><br/>“Oh good, we have arrived in a time with rudimentary electricity,” one of the redheads said. Jenny? No, Kaydia. She’d helped her husband to his feet. Unlike the rest of the group, they wandered a bit, heedless of the metal guardians.<br/><br/>“Wait,” Clara cautioned, waiting for the steel beasts to awaken, “How do you know these won’t attack?”<br/><br/>Kaydia laughed. When no one’s expression changed, she stopped, “Oh, you are serious...No, these are just primitive vehicles, requiring a pilot to operate. None of these has the technology to self-activate. Nor do they seem to possess any weapon systems. Now, let’s see, where are we?” She was quiet for a time, before her head and eyes parked, “Quentin, do you feel that? There is another force user nearby. A strong one too. There is darkness in them, but they are striving for the light.”<br/><br/>“Yeah, that’s all well and good, but where are we?” the Onyx Queen –er, Aurelia demanded.