* [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]

Susan shakes her head - it's not his fault. "You needn't continue fasting," she says, instead. "If I've calculated it correctly, there ought to be food enough from the tower alone. It mightn't be tremendous food, but it ought to be enough to sustain us all for some good few weeks."

[onthewillowsthere]

He trusts her, so he nods. "Thank you." And then, "I found soap. In the tower."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan laughs, incredulous. That explains the box of it, then. "Soap, truly?" She shakes her head. "I mean, that's massively useful, but it does seem rather unexpected. ...though I suppose much here is."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you think the tower is done? Should we look again?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

She blinks. "Do you know," she says, "I hadn't considered that. I just assumed that when the closets and kitchens stopped producing new items, the tower would, too, but I've no true basis for that conclusion. Good idea. I rather think we should."

[onthewillowsthere]

It's a good small purpose for the day, something besides the wine to keep him from going back to bed and staying there.

"Now?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

All of Susan's regulars have come and gone, so she nods. "Yes," she says. She does a quick mental assessment - she hasn't seen Galahad drinking at any of the group events she's been to, so it's likely fine if he knows where she keeps the stores. "Help me carry these back first?" She'll leave out a bottle or two of wine just in case anyone new comes looking.

[onthewillowsthere]

He nods. "May I have a bottle of wine afterward?" as he gets to his feet.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

...or perhaps Susan just hasn't noticed him drinking. "Of course," she says. "Have you got a favorite variety?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"No. It's for Claudius."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

This does make more sense. "Does Claudius have a favorite variety?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Dry reds," immediately. He has listened to Claudius extol the virtues of a single glass of wine at length. He doesn't need to reflect.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"We've plenty of those. You can pick out one from the stores." Susan pauses. "Will you want a bottle for him regularly?" They've got enough for it. Especially if Claudius wants the wines. Most people tend to gravitate to the liquors.

[onthewillowsthere]

That takes equally as little thought. Claudius will be glad for a regular supply of wine. "Yes. Please."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I can bring a bottle out every morning, if you like," Susan says. "Or you can find me other times, too. ...I'd rather you not take one from the stores on your own, unless you can't find me at all, if that's all right. I'm trying to keep careful track of inventory."

[onthewillowsthere]

"I won't." He contemplates. "I'll come. That would be better." Another reason to get up in the morning.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Very good." Susan slips her notebook into her pocket and gathers up an armful of bottles, then nods at Galahad to follow her.

[onthewillowsthere]

He collects the rest, and follows her.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan leads him to the room with all the rugs. "This is my favorite place here," she admits, as she nudges the door open with her hip. Not a single rug has disappeared with the change in the season: she's unrolled each and every one in her time here, just to look at the designs. The alcohol she mostly keeps tucked under a monstrosity in the corner: enormous and garish and too loosely-woven to easily roll up (neither she nor Galahad will recognize the make of it, but it's a hot pink and electric orange shag rug), it makes a lovely cover for a lot of bottles.

[onthewillowsthere]

As he helps her tuck the bottles away beneath it, he asks his favorite question: "Why?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Have you got a favorite color?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Blue."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"And you like flowers, yes?" She's noticed he tends to wear florals and actual flowers with regularity.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Yes."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan goes and selects three rugs to unroll. One, a medium-sized rectangle, has a blue background, with trailing vines and birds woven in greens and yellows. One is clearly meant for children: it's small and tufted, in the shape of a flower itself, done in shades of blue yarns. The last is large and looks like Delftware in rug form: intricate blue flowers curl around each other on an ivory base. Once they're laid out, she looks at Galahad, wondering if they'll speak for themselves.