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transition into the future (for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
not_a_conartist)
[[continued from this log]]
Vala bit back a pontiff smile, because if there was anything a con artist knew, it was not to give away all of her secrets right away. She tried to remember the Earth saying Mitchell had taught her; "Don't show all your cards." Vala would, most decidedly, be keeping her cards away from Neal for a while.
It was funny, in a quaint sort of way, how humans had all these hang ups about time travel and whatnot. Vala learned quickly that the SGC was far from the ordinary, and most humans didn't have half the idea how utterly insignificant they were in the scheme of the universe. It was absolutely endearing.
"Come along," she chirped, turning back to the door. "We should drop by my room and pick up some supplies. After all, we don't know what we're getting into, and the first step to adventure is to always be prepared."
Mostly, Vala wanted to make sure she had everything she needed in the case that there was something shiny, rare and/or valuable that she may need to, er, liberate. "Some water," she chatted idly, "a first aid kit. And, oh, some of those delicious granola bars from the kitchen. Have you tried those? They're really good."
Vala bit back a pontiff smile, because if there was anything a con artist knew, it was not to give away all of her secrets right away. She tried to remember the Earth saying Mitchell had taught her; "Don't show all your cards." Vala would, most decidedly, be keeping her cards away from Neal for a while.
It was funny, in a quaint sort of way, how humans had all these hang ups about time travel and whatnot. Vala learned quickly that the SGC was far from the ordinary, and most humans didn't have half the idea how utterly insignificant they were in the scheme of the universe. It was absolutely endearing.
"Come along," she chirped, turning back to the door. "We should drop by my room and pick up some supplies. After all, we don't know what we're getting into, and the first step to adventure is to always be prepared."
Mostly, Vala wanted to make sure she had everything she needed in the case that there was something shiny, rare and/or valuable that she may need to, er, liberate. "Some water," she chatted idly, "a first aid kit. And, oh, some of those delicious granola bars from the kitchen. Have you tried those? They're really good."
no subject
It was already filled with all of her tools and usual supplies. She nabbed some extra clothes from the closet, including the fatigue's she'd come to the castle with, and shoved them into the top of the bag. A girl could never be too prepared, after all.
"We'll just try to avoid going back in time. Besides, if it's an option, I would find the future much more interesting."
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Apparently Neal was some sort of art buff. Or, you know, a very talented forger. That part though, well he didn't see any reason to share. As she stuffed her bag full of clothes, Neal suddenly had regrets over his packing. If they were indeed heading to the future, it would probably be even harder to find the vintage suits he so loved! They were going to have to pit stop again on the way to the time room.
"As for the crashing, it wasn't like I wanted to hurt the Jag. Never that Jag. I just sort of... passed out? I don't know it was... weird."
Neal knew he was being ineloquent but as no one had explained what had happened to him when he wasn't concussed it had been a major hang up. It was as if his body had betrayed him, something that had never happened to Neal.
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"There's some kind of field around the castle grounds. It's not a force-shield, but it disorients anyone who tries to cross it and eventually you lose consciousness. You probably went out to far." She offered him what was, really, a comforting smile. Even if she didn't know what she was thinking, Vala knew an awful lot about being betrayed by her own body. Quite literally, when it came to memories of Qetesh, anyway.
"If Samantha were here, she'd be able to figure it out and probably deactivate it. She's a friend of mine from back... Well. From back home." She grinned again and adjusted the bag on her back before adjusting her hair, and then she moved back out of the room and shut the door behind her.
no subject
The comfort Vala tried to provide didn't go unnoticed and it certainly helped to keep him from just dismissing her as crazy. They headed back down the halls at a quick pace, both being tall and with long leg strides. Holding up a hand at his door, an unspoken request for a quick stop, he ducked into the room. A few shirts, suit pieces, and ties were tossed into his bag, which was now bulging on the sides, before he turned back.
On their way out he grabbed his hat from the nightstand, twirling it one handed onto his head. Neal had long ago taught himself to be ambidextrous, so the motion came with ease despite his main arm being broken.
"Okay Vala Mal Doran, let's go check out this 'time room' of yours." Again with those air quotes.
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"It's not mine," she replied, leading him down the hallway and following the directions she'd been given. She wasn't sure she quite believed any of it either, of course, but that gave her even more reason to think it should be tested.
The approached the room, and Vala gestured to the doorway with her hand before winking at Neal. "Go on, you first."
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Again with the charming comments and sweet remarks. Boy could Neal lay it on thick. Though, in some ways, it wasn't totally an act. Vala was cute, smart, and amusing. Something about her was drawing Neal in, much as he tended to do with others. The writing was on the wall but his own con was blinding him.
"Oh sure, send the cripple in first," Neal complained.
Peter tended to do the same thing, though without the cripple part. Send Neal in ahead and see what happened was sort of his lot in life these days. Admittedly though, when it came to the work the FBI was doing, Neal liked being right in the fray. Since he didn't truly believe the claims people had made of the room, despite his complaint Neal strode right in.
The art on the walls caught his eyes first. The paintings were all foreign to him, which was unexpected. They were all clearly done by the same artist, a lefty by the looks of it, but the generic look and unusual scenes were baffling. Stepping up to a few, Neal was unconsciously began doing his appraisal, hoping for clues within the art.
no subject
Her voice faded as Vala was equally bowled over when they entered the room. It was not at all what she had expected - decadent, not unlike the Goa'uld palaces she had spent a fair amount of time in as Qetesh. She raised her head to get a good look at the surroundings, skimming her eyes over the drapery and artwork and doing her best to puzzle it out in her head, much as Neal was.
After a moment, the smile still stuck to her face, she dropped her eyes and looked at him. Oh, Vala knew men like Neal. Handsome, and quirky, and ridiculously likable, and usually jerks beneath the surface. He was everything Daniel wasn't and Vala had, legitimately, tried to leave guys like that behind. Well, all guys, to be fair. But she couldn't help feeling attracted to Neal, anyway. There was something genuine about him, maybe, that drew her in.
Giving her attention back to the artwork, she sighed loudly. "Look at this. The artwork in here must be worth fortunes... To someone anyway, heh," she added quietly.
no subject
"No kidding. I can't imagine how much this room must be worth. You'd think with all that money the owners wouldn't need to play creepy phantom kidnapper. Though, it's usually the most wealthy who can afford the most... unusual... hobbies."
Underneath the pictures, Neal's eyes caught buttons. Shiny pretty buttons that probably opened secret treasure rooms! The whole 'time room' thing must have just been a metaphor for all the time periods the paintings captured. Underneath a particularly odd picture, a classically styled painting of what looked like a sci-fi future, Neal felt his finger itching. The curiosity that drove almost all of his motivations was practically screaming that he should push it.
So he did!
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She examined a painting nearby, a spooky scene filled with dark colors and textures that filled Vala with slightly less adventure and a little more dread. Vala saw Neal spot the button under his painting, and she, in turn, took a look at hers. She leaned forward, examining the red button carefully. Vala frowned. Maybe the buttons opened up to a room with a time machine in it or, hell, as far as she knew, the castle had a Stargate and the type of technology needed to predict solar flares.
"Neal, I think..." she turned again. And, of course, he was gone. Huffing a sigh, Vala made her way over to his painting. It wasn't nearly as creepy as hers at least, and for someone like Vala, the style of the picture reminded her of the things she remembered. Readjusting her bag on her shoulder, she sighed. Whatever the button did, Neal had apparently already figured out, and Vala had absolutely no intention of abandoning him. And she definitely had no intention of letting him have all the fun, either.
Holding her breath, Vala reached out and pressed the button.