Check-in May 15

[st_raighttovampire]

It was the 15th of the month and given the possibility of arrivals, Caroline decided that something should be done to make new people a little more comfortable.

So she was sitting in the lobby, wearing a bright yellow sundress and surrounded by a riot of materials. Her feet were bare, as her sandals were lying off to the side, and her toenails were blue. She was creating Inn survival kits. There was a little pamphlet of explanations: people call the guy at the desk Daryl; yes,everything is free; no, you can't leave; just be firm about towels. A basket of sundries - snacks from the gift shop, sunscreen, guidebook, toothbrush etc. There was a towel, because obviously.

She considered adding a bottle of alcohol, but not everyone drank - she'd noticed at least a few of the current residents who didn't - and if they did drink TOO much, she didn't want to encourage it.

Maybe chocolate?

Caroline jotted down that as a note and resumed chewing on the end of her pen. The lobby door opened shortly thereafter and she looked up with a smile.

Comments

Re: Assigned threads

[st_arrynight]

"Originally," Laynia said, unable not to smile back at his obvious happiness at being spoken to in Russian. "My father and I emigrated when I was small. But he made sure we kept speaking Russian at home. My accent is probably terrible."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_eelyourself]

"Do not worry. Your accent is better than mine when I use English." Piotr laughed before taking a small bite of pastry. "I did not emigrate until I was older, around 17, and learning the language was very difficult."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_arrynight]

"Those of us who had to learn young had it a lot easier," Laynia agreed quietly. "My father worked as a translator, so he drilled me."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_eelyourself]

"I will have to take your word for it," Piotr chuckled. "Growing up on a Soviet commune meant we did not learn much that did not relate to farming."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_arrynight]

"So how did two good Russian youngsters wind up in a place like this?" Laynia asked half-wistfully, half-frustrated. "Don't get me wrong, as limbo-slash-prisons go this one seems passable, but..."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_eelyourself]

"That is very good questions, though it is a very welcome surprise." He gave her a wry smile. "Between you and me, I had gotten to the point where I was just happy if someone I met had even heard of Russia."

The mention of prison reflexively made Piotr's jaw clench slightly, though he did not thing it would be too obvious. Shaking it off he added, "I have definitely experienced worse."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_arrynight]

"Me too, I suppose," Laynia said almost pensively. "But that's not a great commendation of here, is it? 'Oh well, we've had worse.'"

Re: Assigned threads

[st_eelyourself]

"You have experience with limbo-slash-prisons before?" It was only a heartbeat later that he realized that some might find it rude to ask such personal questions. "You do not have to answer if you do not want, I was simply curious."

Looking around to change the subject, his eyes fell on his sketchbook. "If you can overcome the fact that we are trapped, there are many good things about this place." He flipped through the book, turning it to show off the snippets of daily life at the Inn that he'd captured. Some were faceless scenes of residents lounging by the pool, sparing or meditating others were portraits - Kitty at the bar, River smiling and dancing about, Regina in the garden. "Is there something, a skill maybe, that you have always wanted more time to develop? This place can be good for that kind of thing."