strangetrip | [GP/EP] You're not clear of story out here

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[GP/EP] You're not clear of story out here

Even before she knew for certain that it was the first of a month, Snow’s body had started bracing for it. She was wary and tense, preparing to cope with yet more people in the space of the hotel. It seemed that no sooner had she adjusted to whoever had showed up the last time, there was someone new again.

She didn’t want anything to do with the lot of it. That was what those busy women on the welcome committee were for. She didn’t think the committee was a stupid thing, not at all. Focusing on settling new people in kept the lot of them busy and away from her, and that was where she wanted them. They terrified her.

Snow White had only come into the main building to forage for food. The original plan was of course to turn right back around and escape before the expected rush (small or large) of new people to flood in.

But that was of course not what happened. When a universe was a pocket, it had less to focus on and fewer people to fuck with, and so Snow was entirely certain it was fucking with her when she was the one in the lobby when a new face came through the door.

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"What was your life like before the hotel?" Jane asked and then paused with a sheepish smile. "Sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, I totally understand."

"Oh I don't mind," From what she knew of some of the people here at the inn her life had been relatively uneventful. "I'm from Melbourne, in the 1920s."

She paused in case the other woman wanted to react to that, it did seem to elicit some response from people from what Dot thought of as the future.

"I went into service when I was seventeen, I was a maid. One of my former employers was killed by his wife, and I was arrested briefly." Not that the man hadn't deserved some sort of punishment for what he'd done to Alice. And what he probably would have done to Dot had he lived.

"That was how I met Miss Phryne, she's here too, she hired me to be her companion, maid and assistant. It was a much better job, I honestly don't know where I would be now if not for her."

Jane was a little taken aback at the reveal of the decade but she was just as much out of place if not time. "I didn't know that people were taken from different time periods." Her lips curved, "not that I know what time period I'm from anyway compared to this one." Though to her uneducated eyes, what she did recognize was 'unfamiliar'. Like looking through a skewed lens. What she recognized but not.

"That's nice that you're friend is with you, too." She was curious as to why she'd been arrested. Dot didn't seem the type that would commit a crime. Not that Jane knew that or what the type would be. "Did she work for the police? Your friend."

Because John Andrews was poisoned by his breakfast. And Dot prepared it. Then that awful Mrs Andrews had fired her, when she knew Dot was innocent since she'd killed him herself.

"Oh no, there's no female constables in Melbourne, but Miss Phryne works with the police sometimes." She paused to consider. "It is nice to have her here, she's the bravest person I know and she makes it easier to not be afraid when everything is new and unfamiliar and... when we may never get home."

"Do you have family back home?" Jane asked hesitantly. "And I bet someone figures out a way to go back." She hoped so anyway. She was curious as to who Kurt Weller was. Molly had found his name on her back. The only in your face clue that they had to her background. She really wanted to talk to him someday.

"There's a lot of really smart people here." She shot her a quick grin, "and really stubborn ones that want to find answers."

"My family is Catholic," she said this as though it answered the question, a smile creasing her face. "There's any number of us. My mum and dad, my sisters and brothers and their families. Cousins and aunts and uncles."

She hoped they found a way home, but then she saw Miss Phryne and the inspector and she wondered what would happen if they went home and worried that they wouldn't want to go, if anyone discovered how.

There was a dim flash of something. Not an image or anything like that, but something, when she'd said mum. Almost as if it had a familiar ring to it rather than mom. Though that phrasing did as well when others said it. It was a little confusing to Jane.

"Wow, it sounds like you have a lot." She laughed a little self consciously. "Though it could be the average for all I know and I might have just as many." To be honest, it felt like she didn't, like her life was more about a small nucleus than extended outward.

"It's average in my neighborhood. But not everyone has a house full. Not everyone can afford to." Not that her family had strictly been able to afford a house full themselves, but they'd always made do.

That actually threw up a lot of questions about money in Jane's mind. "I know, no one came here with money, besides what they had with them." Which in her case was literally nothing.

"And everyone is pitching in here, but is this normal? I mean, is what is happening here with ..." She tried to think of the word and found it or at least she thought it was the right word, "bartering, what it's like outside of this hotel?"

"As far as I know, there isn't anything outside the inn. You go out a certain distance and you end up back here. But it's not like this at home." Having money, or generally not having money, was a big deal where she was from.

Jane tried to process what she was hearing. She hadn't tried exploring. To be honest, she was afraid, she'd get cut off from the hotel and it was all she knew right now.

"I think I'm going to have to start taking notes about the different things that people know of their world to see what might be familiar to mine." She shrugged, "if something is familiar to me. Since this place seems to be different than what people are used to." At least the few people that Jane's met.

"That might help," Dot agreed, wondering again what could have happened to make Jane lose her memory. "You can ask me anything, and you can always get a notebook from the gift shop. They have some pretty ones, if you like pink."

Jane found that amusing and laughed softly, "I think I've learned since being here that too much pink isn't something I like. But my room isn't that bad really." She actually thought it was nice but she was getting kind of tired of the flowered wallpaper.

"And you might regret offering to answer my questions, but thanks."

"You can't be nearly as bad as my brothers kids." She laughed too. "And my room isn't too bad either, it's a lovely green wallpaper and Curier and Ives prints on the walls."

Dot rather liked it, but she'd seen a few rooms that she didn't think at all would suit her.

"Mine has flowers on the wallpaper. It feels like I'm in a garden. Sometimes it's a lot of flowers but it's actually peaceful when my mind can't rest." The edge of Jane's lips curved up, "and that's a lot of nights."

"Well," Dot said after a long moment of consideration, this woman who didn't know who she was needed a friend. Dot was good at that. "I'm in room 176, if you can't sleep and your flowers aren't helping come and wake me. I'll make you some cocoa or hot milk."

Jane was pleasantly surprised with the offer and her expression showed that. "Thanks. I wouldn't disturb your sleep with my insomnia, but I do appreciate the offer. If I can't sleep and I see your light on, I'll knock."

She then added, "I'm in room 216, if you ever can't sleep." Jane laughed softly, "I can guarantee that I'll probably be up so don't worry about waking me."

Dot laughed, pleasantly amused. "Oh I sleep like a log, unless Miss Phryne is out doing something dangerous, which is often enough that I can make do with missing a bit of sleep."

"Has she found something dangerous here?" It was asked mostly out of curiosity as Jane still hadn't taken a grand tour of the hotel's surrounding areas.

"Not really," she admitted. The inn was fairly safe and lacking in intrigue. And Phryne was a bit wrapped up in her new relationship with the Inspector.

Exciting enough for her, Dot supposed. For now.

"But she does have an uncanny ability to find herself in situations."

"That sounds like it can be both fun and tiring." There was a little bit of wistfulness in her voice at the thought. Jane's life was complicated enough but she could admit that the quiet of the hotel could also get on her nerves.

It wasn't like she had anything to compare it to, but she did feel restless sometimes, like a caged animal.

Fun and tiring, Dot nodded and poured herself more tea.

"That sounds about right, but I wouldn't change a thing."

"She sounds like a really good friend to have." Jane was a little wistful but she'd made friends with Molly and there was silent acknowledgement that they'd probably be fun and tiring friends, too.

"She is," Dot agreed. "She changed my life."

Whatever else happened, Phyrne would always have a friend in Dot because of that.

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[GP/EP] You're not clear of story out here

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