* [semi-closed post]

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan is still struggling, but she's established a little routine, specific to Dark: every morning, she goes to her favorite room - the one with all the rugs - and retrieves several bottles of alcohol. These, she ferries down to the cafe and arranges them on a corner table, where she sits for the next hour or so, passing bottles to anyone who needs a full one, and measures from the bottles to anyone who would prefer just a drink or two. By now, she's got a sense of the regulars, their preferences (though she cannot always accommodate these - it really is the queerest assortment of libations), and how much they require, but she always brings an extra bottle or two just in case.

Today, she's tireder than normal, and moving slowly. Her tea was running low, and so she's rationing it. She's even on the verge of capitulating and getting a cup of coffee to tide herself over.


[Primarily intended for Dionysus and Lan Wangji, but if anyone wants to play out the awkwardness of the daily alcohol retrieval I'm all in!]

Comments

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I do now," Susan nods. "The mansion stopped producing new ones when it stopped producing most food and alcohol."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Which one is your favorite?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

It's a colorful one, predominantly green, depicting a hunt, but in rather a stylized fashion. There are dogs and foxes and people on horses and horns, all done up in spirals and curls and - marvelously, deftly woven - no straight lines. It's not of Narnian make but it reminds Susan of the golden heydays of Narnia. She can't look at it for very long, so it stays here, but she does unroll it every other week for the space of a cup of tea.

She unrolls it for Galahad now.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad reaches into his pocket and clasps his fingers around the little bone frog there. The rugs remind him of that -- he knows that rugs have purpose, but these ones feel more like something meant to be beautiful for beauty's sake. He wants very much to touch this one, so he does, crouching down to run the fingers of his other hand over the grain of the weave.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"It's lovely, isn't it?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Yes. It's good."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan smiles, small and genuine. "You can take any of them, if you like. They're not mine, and they ought to be used."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad, who had absolutely been planning to ask if he could have one, looks at her mouth for a long moment and then carefully smiles back. "Thank you. I would like one."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I can help you, if you'd like to take it and the wine now. Or we could come back after the tower." She's happy to let him take one without her there, if he'd prefer, but she does want to note down the wine he selects.

[onthewillowsthere]

"We should take it first." He kneels down by the bottles of wines and selects a Merlot, after some time looking at labels. Then he gently wraps the bottle up in the flower-shaped rug.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan takes out her notebook and makes note of the wine. "Would you like help?

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you know where our room is?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan hesitates - she knows where everyone's room is. "Yes."

[onthewillowsthere]

He nods, unperturbed. "Yes. Come with me."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Would you like me to carry anything?" But it looks like Galahad's got that well in hand.

[onthewillowsthere]

"I have it," aimply.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Very well." Susan falls into step with Galahad as they make their way to his room.

[onthewillowsthere]

Letting people who aren't Magnus see their room always feels a little strange, like opening the door on some secret, fragile part of himself and Claudius together -- but he knows the space is neat and organized, which he thinks she'll approve of, and there's nothing to see except a space that two people have made a home in together. He's proud of that; he doesn't mind if she sees it.

He puts the bottle of wine down on Claudius' desk, and the little rug on his side of the bed, where his feet can touch it in the morning when he gets up.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan does look around once, curiously - she's sorted out where everybody sleeps, but she hasn't snooped inside any rooms she's not been invited into. She had no expectations for what Claudius and Galahad's room might look like inside, but if she did, this would meet them exactly.

[onthewillowsthere]

"All right," he says, when he has the rug arranged exactly the way he wants. "Let's go."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Shall you need a coat?" Susan ought to nip by her room and get her own, now that she's thinking about it. "I suppose I might want mine."

[onthewillowsthere]

She's right. He goes to the closet and gets his long coat and scarf, carefully knotting it around his neck the way Claudius would, and then glances at her -- he doesn't know where her room is, but he's willing to follow.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

And Susan is willing to lead the way. She nods at him - her room is actually just one hall over. It's tidy, too. Less obvious is the fact that Lancelot is staying with her regularly, now, but Galahad might spot a familiar pair of shoes next to the door, and when she opens her closet to fetch her coat and change into outdoor shoes, some of his clothes are hanging next to it.

[onthewillowsthere]

He does notice, but he knew they loved one another. It isn't a surprise, only a confirmation.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"There," says Susan, once she's ready. "To the tower, then?"