Glade 32nd, 120th AoS (Raellas)
The beds were fitted with fresh new sheets, the vanity wiped down, the floor swept, and of course the containers such as the chest and dresser checked. Patrick had finished cleaning up Room One of the inn, the day well spent as the sunlight beamed in at an angle. While somewhat late in the afternoon, the entire day prior had been spent thinking about recent events. Since the night the three brothers went out their way to share drinks, all three of them haven't had too much to say to one another since then; Connor especially.
Lately he seemed more and more distant from the clan, always looking for a chance to spend a bit of time alone. Patrick didn't normally question behavior patterns like this, but after the words that were exchanged beyond that night? He chalked it up to another 'rough patch' between him and his brothers, certain that within another week or two things would mellow out. Enough excitement has been brought to their inn lately, so maybe he had been getting worked up over nothing after all.
Thus with his task completed and the sense of accomplishment fleeting, Patrick leaned to grab the pile of used bed sheets on the floor. Once he had them bundled into a ball under his arm, he then walked towards the door to return downstairs to the lobby room. At the bar was Vincent and Dominik, who found the opportunity to gander at Patrick while he served a couple ales to patrons. Nora walked out from the office looking occupied by thought, her march behind the counter slowing to halt when she reached the reservation log. "Room One left an hour ago, has anybody gone upstairs to clean?" Her eyes moved from the log towards Patrick as he approached. "Oh, Patrick! Already finished?"
"Yep, room's all clear for another guest." He confirmed with a forced smirk, with a jiggle of the sheets rolled underneath his left arm.
"Excellent, thank you dear." The mother smiled faintly before grimacing fast, with a wrinkle of her nose at a peculiar smell. "What is that?" Dominik took notice and approached the two, while Patrick furrowed his brows curiously. Yet he could smell whatever it was their mother noticed, a particularly distinctive aroma as though copper burned within another room.
"I think it's from the kitchen, Connor might've accidentally burned another wash rag or something." Dominik tried to reason as he looked from the two towards the doorway to the back.
"Cloth doesn't smell like that when it burns though Dom." Nora proceeded to inform him as she noticed Rose approach. "Oh, Rose! Something the matter dear?" The mother asked quickly as it became apparent something was amiss, otherwise Rose would not have approached with a conflicted expression.
"I'm not sure ma'am," Rose answered briefly as she looked between the three of them, "I went into the kitchen to collect an order... but Connor isn't finished making it yet. The customer's been waitin' for almost half an hour now." Upon hearing this all three of the proprietors present were shocked, their eyes widened unanimously as they looked in direction towards the customer Rose hinted at.
"That's not like Connor at all..." Nora remarked as she about started for the kitchen, yet halted her advance to look to Rose once more. "I apologize Rose but could you apologize to the man on our behalf? Assure him that no charge will come with his food, it's on the house for havin' to wait patiently for it."
"Yes ma'am." Rose agreed politely with a concerned smile towards them, already quick to carry out Nora's request while the mother herself resumed entering the kitchen. Dominik looked back to Vincent to assure him he'd be back, as he and Patrick both followed along after their mother. On the counters was an assorted mess of ingredients piled in different spots, as well as the chef of the kitchen himself cooking over the hearth in almost a trance like expression.
"Connor?" Elinora questioned as she and Dominik watched him for a minute, alarmed to see him so spaced out while stirring the meats sizzling in the pan. Patrick on the other hand could tell what was going on, and it wouldn't take very long for the other two to figure it out. The youngest brother was strung out now, higher than a kite on the windiest of days. "Connor!"
"Yes Ma Ma?" The cook responded as he seemed to suddenly focus on reality once more. "Somethin' wrong?"
"What is going on?" Nora inquired with grave concern, while Patrick's eyes scoured the counters for clues. Off in the far corner was a smaller bowl, filled with a liquid white substance, with a spoon handle resting against the rim of the bowl.
"Nothin' Ma, just took a quick break is all. Forgot that I had another batch of beef I needed to cook up." The cook responded quickly with a casual, yet wary, look fixed upon the two of them. Little did he notice that Patrick had moved towards the counter, the spoon taken out the bowl as he examined the substance a little closer. "Oh that?! That's just another base I'm whipping together, you know how I like to try new things with food!" Connor eagerly tried selling them the bit, and when Patrick caught a whiff of the same coppery smell from the spoon; he then had an idea on what it really was.
"He's strung out on drugs." Patrick confirmed as he dropped the spoon back onto the counter, a disappointed look shot to the younger sibling afterwards. Right away the other two were astonished, and quick to jump Connor's case as he looked utterly confused now.
"By the Old Ones, are you serious Connor?!" Nora started first, with Dom weighing in after her.
"Do you have any idea how bad this is?!"
"Bad enough," Albert interjected as he entered the kitchen, "to think my own son would sully the business with his poison." The old man looked furiously Connor now, his eyes narrowed pensively on the cook as the others were lost with words. Not it lasted for very long however, when Rose came to see if another order had been readied; Nora asked if she could take over in the kitchen for a while. Dominik was to cover the bar as Vincent helped her out, and Patrick helped move Connor from the kitchen up to his room as the parents went into the office together. While a lot of bickering could be heard from beyond it's door, neither one of the other two brothers dared to disturb them in that time.
The beds were fitted with fresh new sheets, the vanity wiped down, the floor swept, and of course the containers such as the chest and dresser checked. Patrick had finished cleaning up Room One of the inn, the day well spent as the sunlight beamed in at an angle. While somewhat late in the afternoon, the entire day prior had been spent thinking about recent events. Since the night the three brothers went out their way to share drinks, all three of them haven't had too much to say to one another since then; Connor especially.
Lately he seemed more and more distant from the clan, always looking for a chance to spend a bit of time alone. Patrick didn't normally question behavior patterns like this, but after the words that were exchanged beyond that night? He chalked it up to another 'rough patch' between him and his brothers, certain that within another week or two things would mellow out. Enough excitement has been brought to their inn lately, so maybe he had been getting worked up over nothing after all.
Thus with his task completed and the sense of accomplishment fleeting, Patrick leaned to grab the pile of used bed sheets on the floor. Once he had them bundled into a ball under his arm, he then walked towards the door to return downstairs to the lobby room. At the bar was Vincent and Dominik, who found the opportunity to gander at Patrick while he served a couple ales to patrons. Nora walked out from the office looking occupied by thought, her march behind the counter slowing to halt when she reached the reservation log. "Room One left an hour ago, has anybody gone upstairs to clean?" Her eyes moved from the log towards Patrick as he approached. "Oh, Patrick! Already finished?"
"Yep, room's all clear for another guest." He confirmed with a forced smirk, with a jiggle of the sheets rolled underneath his left arm.
"Excellent, thank you dear." The mother smiled faintly before grimacing fast, with a wrinkle of her nose at a peculiar smell. "What is that?" Dominik took notice and approached the two, while Patrick furrowed his brows curiously. Yet he could smell whatever it was their mother noticed, a particularly distinctive aroma as though copper burned within another room.
"I think it's from the kitchen, Connor might've accidentally burned another wash rag or something." Dominik tried to reason as he looked from the two towards the doorway to the back.
"Cloth doesn't smell like that when it burns though Dom." Nora proceeded to inform him as she noticed Rose approach. "Oh, Rose! Something the matter dear?" The mother asked quickly as it became apparent something was amiss, otherwise Rose would not have approached with a conflicted expression.
"I'm not sure ma'am," Rose answered briefly as she looked between the three of them, "I went into the kitchen to collect an order... but Connor isn't finished making it yet. The customer's been waitin' for almost half an hour now." Upon hearing this all three of the proprietors present were shocked, their eyes widened unanimously as they looked in direction towards the customer Rose hinted at.
"That's not like Connor at all..." Nora remarked as she about started for the kitchen, yet halted her advance to look to Rose once more. "I apologize Rose but could you apologize to the man on our behalf? Assure him that no charge will come with his food, it's on the house for havin' to wait patiently for it."
"Yes ma'am." Rose agreed politely with a concerned smile towards them, already quick to carry out Nora's request while the mother herself resumed entering the kitchen. Dominik looked back to Vincent to assure him he'd be back, as he and Patrick both followed along after their mother. On the counters was an assorted mess of ingredients piled in different spots, as well as the chef of the kitchen himself cooking over the hearth in almost a trance like expression.
"Connor?" Elinora questioned as she and Dominik watched him for a minute, alarmed to see him so spaced out while stirring the meats sizzling in the pan. Patrick on the other hand could tell what was going on, and it wouldn't take very long for the other two to figure it out. The youngest brother was strung out now, higher than a kite on the windiest of days. "Connor!"
"Yes Ma Ma?" The cook responded as he seemed to suddenly focus on reality once more. "Somethin' wrong?"
"What is going on?" Nora inquired with grave concern, while Patrick's eyes scoured the counters for clues. Off in the far corner was a smaller bowl, filled with a liquid white substance, with a spoon handle resting against the rim of the bowl.
"Nothin' Ma, just took a quick break is all. Forgot that I had another batch of beef I needed to cook up." The cook responded quickly with a casual, yet wary, look fixed upon the two of them. Little did he notice that Patrick had moved towards the counter, the spoon taken out the bowl as he examined the substance a little closer. "Oh that?! That's just another base I'm whipping together, you know how I like to try new things with food!" Connor eagerly tried selling them the bit, and when Patrick caught a whiff of the same coppery smell from the spoon; he then had an idea on what it really was.
"He's strung out on drugs." Patrick confirmed as he dropped the spoon back onto the counter, a disappointed look shot to the younger sibling afterwards. Right away the other two were astonished, and quick to jump Connor's case as he looked utterly confused now.
"By the Old Ones, are you serious Connor?!" Nora started first, with Dom weighing in after her.
"Do you have any idea how bad this is?!"
"Bad enough," Albert interjected as he entered the kitchen, "to think my own son would sully the business with his poison." The old man looked furiously Connor now, his eyes narrowed pensively on the cook as the others were lost with words. Not it lasted for very long however, when Rose came to see if another order had been readied; Nora asked if she could take over in the kitchen for a while. Dominik was to cover the bar as Vincent helped her out, and Patrick helped move Connor from the kitchen up to his room as the parents went into the office together. While a lot of bickering could be heard from beyond it's door, neither one of the other two brothers dared to disturb them in that time.
