[GP] Check-In Day: Tol and Smols

[st_andingtall]

Caroline's see you around had turned out to be more like I won't see you if I can help it, and Sam had more or less accepted that was how it had to be for the time being. That didn't mean he wouldn't try to be around when he knew she would, just to say hi. Which meant that being around on Check-In Days was just plain smart.

Today, he happened to be reading a history of Asphodel Station, trying to understand this place that they'd found themselves connected to. So, if Caroline had come through, he actually hadn't seen her. He did see Regina when she came through to get her usual chicken Caesar salad, mostly because she stopped beside him and looked down at the book he was reading.

"That doesn't have an enchantment on it," she said, in a way he assumed was a question about its provenance. The implication there was that if it was from the library, it would have one of Illyana's enchantments on it.

"No," Sam answered her. "It's from the station. A history."

Regina frowned and crossed her arms. "How are you reading it?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Psychic paper or something? It seems to be English."

Her gaze scoured the page and lit on the header which read, The Field of Flowers: Volume 1, Asphodel. "When you're done with it--"

"Yeah, I'll leave it in your office."

She nodded, walked off, and then turned back to offer, "Thank you," and continued on her way.

Sam shrugged. If she wanted to tangle with Illyana over the proper procedures for new books, he wasn't going to get in the middle of it. He was just an acquisition agent, nothing more. And today he wasn't even that. He was just a guy reading a book, waiting to see if anyone new showed up today.

Comments

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_arkintern]

"I haven't found one, but I haven't seen anyone here yet with an instrument before you," Peter admits. It's actually kind of sad. "There's Curnen, though. She does a lot of singing, so she should be pretty easy to find."

He only uses her first name because he hasn't ever heard her surname.

"If you find her, she might be able to help, even if it's just vocal lessons or something."

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_recuerdame]

"I'll ask her." Miguel assured him. "She's the one that found me when I first arrived. We talked about music and singing but I never thought about asking her to teach me."

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_arkintern]

"You should," Peter says, encouragingly. "I'm sure she'd be willing to help. Oh, and I haven't seen any instruments there yet, but you might want to check out the gift shop. Sometimes some really weird stuff shows up there."

A beat, and then: "I'd really like to hear you play sometime. Even if it's not right now." Peter's willing to acknowledge that not everyone feels comfortable with public performances, and there's a chance that any sort of music would be likely to draw other people out in the hallway, even if it was to check out the commotion. Peter himself wasn't terrible fond of public performances, but at least being in marching band meant he wasn't the only one playing, and if he managed to flub up, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as if he was performing a solo.

"My girlfriend Liz also found a boom box with a CD and a tape player. We don't have many of either of them--" CDs or cassette tapes "--but I'm sure she'd be willing to share it if you asked. She's nice. You'll like her. I like her."

Immediately, Peter mentally facepalms. What a stupid thing to say.

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_recuerdame]

Miguel had no trouble playing in front of people, he enjoyed it actually. Well after the concert in the Land of the Dead, and even then he'd enjoyed it after the first few lines of the song.

"I'd like to play for you sometime." He said excitedly, "and if it's okay with Liz, I'd like to hear the music she has." Miguel didn't say girlfriend because ugh. Kissing. That was gross.

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah, I'll let her know you're interested." Peter smiles widely. "This your room?" he asks, gesturing to the door. He's pretty sure it is, but a lot of people go in-and-out of people's rooms.

Or so Peter's noticed.

"You think you're, uhhhhhh--" That uhhh goes on a few seconds more than Peter intends, but it takes a little bit longer than normal for him to figure out how to broach this. "-- going to be okay? I mean, someone else filled you in on everything already, right?"

Peter presses his lips together pensively.

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_recuerdame]

Miguel missed his family, a lot. More than before, because he at least had his relatives there, even if he had been avoiding them. "I'll be all right." He assured Peter. "I have my best friend Dante here and the people here are nice." Sure he'd only met Curnen and Peter, but they were nice.

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_arkintern]

"Okay," Peter says, giving Miguel what he hopes is a reassuring smile. "I actually have Physics in a few minutes, so I should probably get going. Stop by my room if you ever need anything," he says, gesturing over to the door to his room. "And if I'm not there, feel free to leave a note."

He's never really gone long.

Re: Miguel Assigned Threads

[st_recuerdame]

Miguel's gaze followed Peter's gesture toward his door. "Gracias." He said with a shy smile. "I will, if I have questions and don't see you." People were nice here, like back home in Santa Cecilia.