hotel: lup

[shaft]

Comments

week 0, saturday, restaurant

[shaft]

[ After the Thing, Claude wanders into the restaurant and... lifts a brow. ]

Is there a party?

[evocationary]

[why is he shirtless in this icon.]

There was! [wiggles a champagne bottle at him.] Want some?

[shaft]

[ it's about... the expression

He gets a weirdly fond look looking at the champagne, but smooths it over. ]

Depends. Did you get good news?

[evocationary]

[uh huh]

Eh. No. But I got good booze? The kitchen did a dance for me, and now I'm allowed to cook. Which uh, which really just benefits all of you, because I cook when I'm stressed!

[shaft]

[ ... Interesting. ]

What's your specialty?

[evocationary]

Like, in food, or magic. [food, obviously, you dingus]

[shaft]

I'll accept both.

[evocationary]

Uh, all, and evocation magic!

[shaft]

Evocation magic, huh? I wouldn't mind hearing about it.

Over drinks, if you're still sharing.

[evocationary]

That is very polite of you, you charmer. [she's amused. anyway, she waggles the champagne bottle again.] I'm not drinking alone, so we can share.

First off, do you uh, have magic, where you're from?

[shaft]

[ He will lead them to the big table! Drinks! ]

We do. It's mostly elemental: fire, wind, thunder, dark and light. As well as healing magic.

[evocationary]

Oh, oh, okay! Yeah, okay, so evocation is the elemental stuff. Uh, not dark and light, that's something else, but... it's basically manipulated stuff, something out of nothing. So lightning, fire, water, ice, like... magical chemistry.

I can basically make fire from the magic around me.

[shaft]

Chemistry? A student of science, are you?

[evocationary]

Fantasy science, for sure.

[shaft]

I just didn't take you for a nerd.

[evocationary]

[SHE IS TAKEN ABACK BY THIS

and then she like, laughs? loudly, like it got startled out of her.]

I'm the coolest nerd you'll ever meet, boy.

[shaft]

[ He grins back at her. ]

I think nerds are cool as a general rule, so you might need to prove it to me.

[evocationary]

Yeah? And what exactly do I have to do to prove it? Or is that a surprise?

[shaft]

Be yourself.

[ hehe ]

[evocationary]

Oh, that was sickeningly sincere. [she says, with a little grin.] Can do.

[shaft]

You called me a charmer, I should live up to it.

[ this only happens in a blue moon. he will inevitably put his foot in his mouth again.

for now!! he raises a champagne flute. ]

Cheers?

[evocationary]

Cheers!

[she clinks her glass against his and just downs the whole thing in one go. that's not how you're supposed to drink that but ok]

To uh, to avoiding death until at least week five.

[shaft]

[ He doesn't comment, even as he sips his champagne a little more delicately. ]

Assuming we're here that long. Could be one of those shorter ones. [ ... ] Though they sound kind of hellish.

[evocationary]

It could be. I don't know if our terrible overlords are going to get enough entertainment out of a short run, though.

I'm also not uh, exactly an optimistic person. So you know.

[shaft]

I don't think there's any reason to be optimistic.

[ grimly drinks champagne ]

They know we've all been through this before, which is why... they arranged for additional bargaining chips. Speaks to intention and foresight.