If you prick us, do we not bleed? [open]

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

In some ways fainting had been a blessing to Chaucer. Medically, it was nothing but a nightmare, but he hadn't had to deal with the doctors or healers, or whoever had patched him up in the end. Whoever it was had done a brilliant job; Geoff had been terrified that he'd lose his arm at the very least, probably die. Instead he'd woken up to a splint and some heavy sort of wrapping. He couldn't move his arm, but it wasn't missing. A few minutes of checking it over had passed before he'd even noticed the odd pulling in his side and noticed the bandages there.

The relative lack of pain was a marvel in itself.

He needed to find out who had helped him, thank them, eventually. When he got out of the medbay. For now he was propped up slightly in his bed, struggling with the stylus for his comm. Left-handed writing was ridiculously difficult, made even more awkward by the unfamiliarity of the surface, but it was something to do. A way to write Philippa, one he could transcribe into legibility later.

Comments

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"There are parts which are spectacular, parts which are breathtaking in their beauty. Home, however, is often the most appealing, and everything tends to resemble it in one way or another."

He's not going to ask where she's from; he's almost certainly not heard of it.

[staturity]

"Yeah, what I'd give to go home. Uh, if you don't mind my asking, when are you from? The year."

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

Now there was a question no one had asked yet. Geoff blinked at her for a moment before saying, "The year of our lord, 1373."

A strange but useful question, however; he'd have to start asking people. Sometimes.

[staturity]

Yep, that explained a lot.

"I'm from about 600 years in your future, well, a possible future, or at least a related timeline. Time travel gets confusing. That uhm, wow." She wondered what Europe even looked like back then. Hardly any pollution too, she imagined. And no robots.

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps you've heard of me, then?" Because who didn't want to know how long their work lasted. "Geoffrey Chaucer?"

If he were still known in six hundred years time? That would be entirely awesome.

[staturity]

Geoffrey Chaucer, Chaucer wasn't that-

Oh GOD. Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, English class. THE PAIN.

She tried to keep from twitching reflexively. "Yeah, actually."

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"Really? Did you read my work? The Book of the Duchess? What did you think?" When in doubt, one ought always tell the author 'no.'

[staturity]

Aw man, what all did they learn about Canterbury Tales and Chaucer. Think, Cassie, think!

"The Book of the Duchess? No, I..." Well this was awkward. Should she lie and say she hadn't read any of his works or tell him that she had and lie about liking it?

Had he even started writing it? Oh man, she never thought she'd need to use anything she learned in English class. "I don't think I should say too much, just in case, but you do get known for one of your books."

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"Is this about those Canterbury Tales again?" Geoff tried his best not to sigh and roll his eyes. This resulted in squinting at her. "I really must see if those are in the library."

[staturity]

"Oh you've heard all ready? Well, I guess you would have. You haven't written it yet?" Wait, wasn't it unfinished? Or was that some other book? Darn, this was confusing.

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"I've been told I've written it. It's hard to say whether that's true or not when I've never heard of such a title, but it's difficult to argue the case."

[staturity]

"Oh, well good. Maybe-" Cassie bit her tongue before she finished her sentence. Telling him that if he looked it up and read it then maybe he could write it better this time around was not polite.

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"Maybe?" Geoff prompted, leaning forward as best he could - which basically meant craning his neck - to get a better earful.

[staturity]

Busted. "Well, maybe if you haven't written yet and if you can read it in the library, maybe you can improve it. Not saying it's bad, just that everything can improve, right?"

[godimgood.livejournal.com]

"Certainly." He saw nothing wrong with such a plan. "I do not know the nature of the work, but many can be improved here or there by a writer's eye detached by some time removed. Imagine what might be done by such a writer whose eyes have never seen his work before?"

It's really rather an interesting thought. He'd never considered it before too heavily, preferring to wait and see if it ever came up in his own lifetime, when he had better chance to write it than aboard Stacy, but then again, when else would he get a chance like this?

Just like that, a potentially paradox-forging monster created.

[staturity]

"Exactly." Cassie smiled.

That went a lot better than she expected. And hey, what was the harm of changing one little book? Well, more like one big book.