[EP/GP] Today is Check-In Day

[st_illunsmeared]

When the fifteenth of the month came and went without any new arrivals, most people logically supposed that there would be no new arrivals that week, or that the pattern they believed they'd found was false after all.

Kitty Pryde, Caroline Forbes, and Phryne Fisher were decidedly not most people.

Between them, they agreed it would be best to keep a watch for a few days following the fifteenth, on the grounds that, often enough, holidays interrupted regular schedules, which would reassert themselves again at the next instance. If "keeping a watch" had required them to do anything out of the ordinary, they might have been somewhat less sanguine about it. Might have, as they were not, after all, most people. Yet since their routines, almost invariably, had them in public places, working and people-watching, it required no special effort on their part to be alert for new arrivals.

So it was that Phryne had taken up a table in the lobby cafe to read and hold court, while Kitty took an extra shift tending bar, and Caroline tidied up and labeled the boxes of decorations from Valentine's day "for next year's residents" on the morning of the sixteenth and again on the seventeenth--and not one of them were surprised when, in early afternoon, newcomers began to arrive.

Comments

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"I... it's possible." A second of thought turned I don't think so into it's possible between one word and the next. Given how many powerful daemons had been converging on the Palace to stop Noctis... could he be sure that he hadn't simply been swarmed too quickly to know it? "A cruel one, if so, considering I know for a fact that one of my companions would have died just before or just after me, and he's not here. On the whole, I would rather think not."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin hesitated, partly because even thinking of Anafiel made him feel on the edge of breaking down into sobs. But he managed to say, his voice a bit shaky, "Same. I... someone died with me. I mean, if I... well. You see. I asked. He's not here."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"My condolences." Most people had left someone behind, but very few were dealing with leaving someone behind immediately before or after their deaths. After a bare second to consider, Ignis reached out a hand to - he hoped - rest briefly on the other man's arm. Sympathy via light physical contact.

If it was a bad idea, no doubt he'd find out in short order. "I never asked about mine. If he was here, I'd know. If any of them were."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Physical contact was second nature to Alcuin. D'Angelines were, as he'd heard someone put it in a derogatory manner once, all about touching. He appreciated the gesture. In fact, he reached over and laid his hand on top of Ignis'. "Thank you," he said. "You asked me if I was lost earlier. I don't think I've ever felt so lost in my entire life."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

How odd, not to be making obvious missteps or repelling someone. Generally, the other person in conversations like this had already attempted escape once. Alcuin took steps to keep him in place. "I imagine not. Any change as substantial as this one is... difficult." Shattering, he wanted to say.

Though it didn't compare to actively dying before arriving, Ignis offered (complete with a gesture of his free hand to the dark glasses and not-quite-hidden scars), "When this happened, I... froze, I suppose. Everything seemed impossible, for a while."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin had not wanted to ask him anything about his eyes, but with this opening, he said gently, "How long ago?" Then, intending it as a compliment to Ignis rather than a boast, "I did not even notice straight away, and I'm... unusually observant."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"Ten years, give or take. More than enough time to adjust." More than enough time, as well, to accept and even take advantage of his new reality. "It was to my benefit, during that time, that I make my deficiency as unobtrusive as possible." At first, he simply hadn't known where Gladio would draw the line between 'pulling his weight' and 'liability to be discarded', and later... it was rather satisfying.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin could not help but think how impressed Anafiel would be, and even moreso, the use he could have put Ignis to. Alcuin had always been useful because people underestimated him because of his beauty. He was decoration. No one suspected he understood five languages and could read lips. He inspired loose tongues. Imagine how they might overlook a blind man.

"Perhaps it is not so much a deficiency then," Alcuin said.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"At this point, for all practical purposes, it's a very small one," he agreed. Certainly far less than anyone, including Ignis himself, had thought in the early days. And for impractical purposes... he'd had greater deficiencies for longer, so disabled and disfigured were simply drops in the bucket.

Considering that, Ignis was tempted to retrieve his hand from underneath Alcuin's, but ultimately decided to leave it. If the other man wanted his hand back, all he had to do was move it.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

The touch was welcome, and so he did not move his hand yet either.

And suddenly, something occurred to him... "You... don't know what I look like," he said, blinking. "My apologies, that's obvious. I'm just accustomed to that um, mediating my interactions quite a bit."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

If Alcuin's appearance was such that it affected every interaction he had... he was at one extreme end or the other of beauty versus ugliness. His tendency towards casual unthinking touch was certainly a habit of beauty - with that, a touch to the hand or a kiss on the cheek would carry more weight than otherwise. A clever person would use that, get used to it, account for it in all their dealings.

Even if reason hadn't backed it, just by his voice Ignis would have been willing to believe that Alcuin was very beautiful indeed. But saying so was unlikely to go over particularly well. "I understand. I apologize for throwing you off, however unintentionally."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"Oh no, please don't apologize," Alcuin said hurriedly. "I didn't say it was a bad thing. Not at all." It was kind of nice, actually. He'd learned long ago that even D'Angelines, who were accustomed to beauty, treated him differently. It was a great asset to his role as a spy.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"Too late, I already have. But I shan't repeat it." Good enough, hopefully, because the last thing someone as lost as he'd ever been in his life needed was one more thing throwing off his balance and that much deserved some apology.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"All right," Alcuin said, and even managed a little smile.

He'd finished off the omelet now, having taken a bite whenever Ignis was speaking. He felt better after eating.

"How long have you been here, Ignis?" he asked, thinking that a change of subject might help too.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"Six weeks, give or take." It had been winter, or so it seemed, when he'd arrived, and the air was now warming up towards the label 'spring'. "As far as it goes, the worst thing to contend with here, so far, is boredom."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Six weeks. That actually did not seem like that long, in the grand scheme of things. But how much longer might it be?

"Will you tell me more?" Alcuin asked after a moment. "I'm afraid I was, ah... too busy dying, and then being relieved at not dying, to ask Vax'ildan many questions. I have gathered only that people come here from many places, and that there seems to be no way to leave."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"I'm afraid I don't have much to tell." He wished he did, suddenly, but there wasn't all that much. "I've been spending most of my time here. I can tell you that there's another chef, but don't expect to get anything other than chicken from him. There are a few others like him - the fellow at the front desk, for one - and it's next to useless to talk to them. They do their jobs and there doesn't appear to be any more to them."

He considered, then added, "The pantry and refrigerators seem to be restocked regularly, so we're in no danger of running out of food. And I hear that the entire Inn is nearly enough to make people's eyes bleed."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin's eyes widened at the last bit. "Oh Ignis, my room. It's hideous. Hearts and flowers everywhere, bright red paint, velvet furniture. It looks like..."

He nearly said it looks like someone's idea of where a Servant of Naamah might entertain if they think poorly of us but found that he was skittish of telling Ignis this part of himself.

"It's hideous," he finished.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

Ignis had to laugh. "I've been told it's lucky for me that I've never seen mine. In tones of deepest pity and horror. With just a hint of 'thank the gods it's not mine.'"

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"Oh dear," said Alcuin. "That makes me intensely curious. I think I'd like to see it at some point."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"Of course, if you like." He'd have to find the lightswitch, and it was always awkward having someone else in his space, but perhaps it would make Alcuin feel better about the red monstrosity he was living in. "I expect room-showing to be a hobby eventually. Similar to tasting something horrible and immediately insisting someone else try it too."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin nodded. After a moment he asked, "Are you... becoming close to people here?"

When he had a moment to stop and think about it, the idea of being so alone was utterly terrifying to him. He was D'Angeline. They were not built for loneliness.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"Ah...." For a moment, Ignis was nonplussed. It seemed like an odd question, but given that Alcuin was new perhaps not. "Not especially, no. I don't expect to, honestly, I've no knack for people."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin frowned. "I... really? You seem to be doing just fine." He wondered if this meant that Ignis was not actually enjoying talking to him. Typically he was better at reading these things.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"At the moment, yes." This was easily the longest conversation he'd had at the Inn, Ignis thought, and if it wasn't that it was at least the one that had managed to begin and so far stay not-dire. "Either I'm relaxing or you're unusually understanding."