in Milliways

[searchingfordistraction]

Rich Brook enjoys filming for The Storyteller. He honestly does. It may not be the role of a lifetime, but he could do worse than to spend the day reading fairy tales to kids.

He's always liked fairy tales.

Still, when Milliways pops up during a break in filming, he doesn't turn it down. He glances back over his shoulder first; then, when no one else seems to see anything amiss, he goes in.

At the Bar, he asks for a club soda with lime. He could have something stronger if he liked - with time stopped at home, no one would be the wiser - but it seems wrong for the Storyteller to drink while he's technically on duty.



[OOC: For clarity, Jim is in character as Rich, and will be making a much stronger effort to remain in character than he usually does in Milliways. And yes, he really is coming in from filming. DVDs don't make themselves.]

Comments

[halftwinkly]

"Oh, hello Skip!" It's Arthur, and he's dripping. "I was just visiting the squid."

A towel appears on the bar, along with a mug of cocoa. Arthur picks up the towel and scrubs his hair with it.

[captaincrieff]

For most people, visiting the squid does not typically involve swimming with it. But this is Arthur, and Martin's very well familiar with the way he works, so he says nothing.

"Er... Right," says Martin. "Oh, right. Rich, this is Arthur. We work together at MJN. Arthur, this is—"

[halftwinkly]

"Oh wow! The Storyteller!" Arthur stops scrubbing his head and looks delighted. "I mean, I think..."

He tries to look cool.

"I'd know for sure if I watched kid's television. But you know, I don't or anything."

Smooth.

[searchingfordistraction]

Rich was very confused for a few seconds - visiting the squid? is that a euphemism? oh, no, no it's not - but now he's back on solid ground.

There are three types of viewers who recognize him as the Storyteller most often: kids, obviously; parents, usually young mums, who want to have a flirt; and other adults, usually college kids but not always, who do watch kids' television for a variety of reasons, many of which tend to involve being high.

Arthur is, for some reason, triggering the responses to both the first and third groups. At least it's not the second group. Rich hates the second group.

At any rate, he's in poised Storyteller mode by the time Arthur has stopped talking, which makes this the first bloody time he's been anywhere near poised since he struck up the conversation with Martin.

"No?" he says. "You'd be surprised how many do. I've a few tell me I cured their insomnia."

[captaincrieff]

Oh, good. An excuse for Martin to stop talking, and hopefully stop making a fool of himself.

"You're really not fooling anyone, Arthur," he says. "I know you watch CBeebies. You complain about not getting it on the telly every time we're out of the country."

[halftwinkly]

"No I don't," Arthur says, unconvincingly. "Why would I watch Cbeebies? It's for babies!"

To show how grown-up he is, he picks up his cocoa. "Oh wow, whipped cream and a marshmallow! Thanks!"

[searchingfordistraction]

Definitely leaning more toward the first group now. He sounds like the older siblings of the Storyteller's target audience. He must be a bit - well. He seems nice, anyway.

"As you like," Rich says agreeably. "Nothing wrong with being a kid sometimes, though. Everyone likes to hear a story now and then."

[captaincrieff]

Martin laughs casually. It's the most casual he's sounded this entire conversation.

"And if I have to hear 'Igglepiggle ponk' one more time, I'm going to go sleep in the bath."

[halftwinkly]

"It's not igglepiggle ponk. It's iggle piggle niggle wiggle diggle," Arthur corrects. He's got cream on his nose.




"Or so I hear."

[searchingfordistraction]

Belatedly, Rich realizes he has not heard a single syllable, nonsense or otherwise, since Martin laughed like - that.

It is really time to go now.

"Right," he says. "Well, I should get back to filming. I'll forget which story I'm doing if I stay away any longer. It was, uh, good to have met you both."

[captaincrieff]

"Right. Well, I guess I'll see you around?" asks Martin, almost hopeful.

[halftwinkly]

"Ooh, yes please. What are you filming. Are you filming more stories?" Arthur is bouncing on his seat slightly.

[searchingfordistraction]

"Yes, uh, yes, I - 'The Valiant Little Tailor.' It's one of my favorites."

(It's one of Jim's favorites. Clever, scheming little bastard lies and manipulates his way into everything he wants, lives happily ever after. A true classic.)

That first, rather more stuttering part if his reply was actually in answer to Martin's question, if somewhat obliquely so given the lack of eye contact.

[captaincrieff]

And with that, Martin is convinced that he never even had a chance to begin with.

Oh well. At least he didn't get laughed at and told 'No' half a dozen times.

[halftwinkly]

"Oh wow, sounds great. When will it be out?" Arthur suddenly remembers he's a grown-up. "I have a... Cousin... Who might want it..."

[searchingfordistraction]

"I'm not sure yet," he says, turning his focus entirely on Arthur. "I could leave a note with the Bar when they tell us? I mean, assuming we're from the same world, we might not be."

(Though he intends to find out.)

[captaincrieff]

"Arthur, thank him and let him go. He has work to do," Martin says. It's sounds like the sort of thing he's told Arthur more than a few times.

And then, just for good measure, he adds, "Igglepiggle ponk."

[halftwinkly]

Arthur looks rather like all his Christmases came at once.

"Would you? Oh, brilliant! Thank you!" To Martin he says, "And he's the Storyteller, not In The Night Garden. It's different."

[searchingfordistraction]

"You're welcome," he says. "See you round."

That last is to both of them, with a quick nod to Martin, because he may be in a bit of a hurry, but he's not rude.

Then off he goes, trying to get his thoughts back in order and realizing, just as he opens the Door, that he managed to completely destroy his hair in what will appear to have been within five seconds. Chris is going to kill him.

[captaincrieff]

Martin nods to Rich as he leaves.

And then steals some of the whipped cream from Arthur's cocoa.