[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]

"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."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"I would not say that I need to be around someone relaxed in order to have a good conversation," Alcuin said after a moment.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"Indeed?" Alcuin was a rarity, then. "In my experience, most people find the, ah, stiffness off-putting."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"I do not find you stiff," Alcuin said. "I find you cautious but kind."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"I... thank you." Perhaps it was more circumstantial than he'd thought, or perhaps it was just a side-effect of being in a different world. Or, most likely to Ignis's mind, his original thought that Alcuin was just special was correct. "I find I quite enjoy your company as well, thus far."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"Well I dare say I am not at my best at the moment," Alcuin confessed with a weak smile.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

"I'd be surprised if you were. But fortunately, 'not your best' is still more than good enough." Hopefully that would be taken as a compliment; Ignis meant it as one. Being pleasant, polite, and helpful when not at one's best was not a skill to be sniffed at.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

"That's very kind," said Alcuin, and his pleasure shone through the words. He was clearly someone who very much liked to please other people.