Glade 12th, 120th AoS
Business had slowed down not long after the lunch hours had passed, the common rabble which lingered around for their dinner finally stirring to leave. Patrick had finished helping Connor clean up the majority of the kitchen, and returned to the bar where Vincent and Dominik worked. That was when he noticed someone had entered, a blonde woman who wore a teal blouse over coffee brown pants; with a grey wooly jacket hung at her shoulders. He knew who she was by face but not by name, mainly because she often came around when she wanted to read or write.
Which is exactly what he expected this woman to do, so when the blonde walked up to the bar where they were; Patrick's eyes locked on her as she came to approach. "Hi there," she greeted with a friendly grin, "Reyna Portova. It's an honor to meet you." She held out a hand for Patrick to grasp, which the bartender reluctantly did as he offered her a friendly smile of his own. Reyna wasn't afraid to grasp his hand firmly, giving it a proud shake while he introduced himself to her.
"Patrick Barnell, somethin' we can do for you?" As if on queue she released his hand and moved to sit, the nearest bar stool pulled over so she would sit in front of him.
"Are you the youngest or oldest Barnell son here?" Reyna proceeded to ask as she leaned forward onto the bar.
Patrick on the other hand took the washcloth off his shoulder, throwing it down on the counter between them as he leaned against it. "Is there a reason why you're askin?"
The question induced an interesting reaction, as Reyna's smile widened when she started to answer the question. "I would like to do an article on you. Well, on the Inn more or less; but you're family is an important part of it."
"Can we ask... why you want to write an article about us?" Dominik interjected as he joined in on the conversation, with the same stance that Patrick had taken as they both talked to her now.
Reyna's smile faded somewhat as she looked to the both of them. "Well, you mean you haven't heard?" She proceeded to inquire, almost with a slight tilt in her head no less. "Seems the Barnell clan has been busier lately, even so busy as to host for foreigners from distant lands."
"You think we're the reason why people from other regions stop in Alfsos?" Patrick presumed curiously as he rose to a full stand once more, his arms brought in to cross over one another as they continued.
"Well why not?" She argued. "Clearly your family's found a recipe for success. I'd just like to shed light on where that success was born from, and what direction does your family plan to take it in seasons to come?"
"Wow," Patrick emphasized on that word as he looked to her with mild offense, "so because we're so 'successful' you want to publish an article about us. You might want to reconsider your stance on that just a little."
Patrick's tone must've confused her, for Reyna briefly shook her head in disbelief. "Excuse me?" She looked at him almost in shock, while even Dominik seemed a little baffled by Pat's sudden shift in attitude.
"Success isn't a recipe, it's a quota you have to work for. The fact you clearly approached me, instead of one of the other proprietors, tells me that you've likely been sourcing others for information."
Reyna drew back on her stool a little, intrigue found in her alarmed expression. "Okay, which is?"
"That we've been generously hosting to outlanders, namely two that have come from the northern region. Fact is everyone else is already aware of it. So when you come in here with the audacity to use that 'thriving success' lingo, it really gives the wrong impression as a journalist; Miss Portova." He held nothing back, no trace of mercy in his bitter tone near the end.
"Wow." Reyna suddenly looked rather glum, as if his words were a bit too harsh to for her standards. "Okay perhaps I came off a little too strongly, and I apologize for anythin' I've said to offend you." Then came the moment of hesitation, before she finally rose to walk away without even a "good day" thrown his way.
"What was that about?" Elinora's voice cut in as she walked out of the office, confused as to what she had apparently missed just then.
Both brothers looked to her a little surprised, with Patrick mulling over everything with a minor frown. "...We just had a guest from the Front Page. She wanted to interview us about our recent guests, as well as the Inn itself." He then explained to her, hopeful that she'd see where he came from in his defense.
"Oh dear," Nora's brows furrowed as she seemed suddenly apprehensive, "and you refused to give one to her?"
"Could've been a lil' more polite about it." Dominik threw in before Pat even had a chance to respond.
"Look I'm sorry. Privacy has been one of the most important principles of our inn, we respect our guests privacy and in turn have our personal privacies to keep." The second son reiterated as he looked between the two of them, both of them slowly came to nod in agreement over the matter.
"Yes indeed, but if it's for the Page..." Nora remarked as she then shifted gears, her eyes directed towards the ceiling as she contemlated the issue. "I'll need time to think on this matter, thank you Pat for defendin' these values; even if it were a little too brazenly." She added tactfully with a minor hint of a smile, leading Patrick's cheeks to turn a little rosy as he diverted his gaze. Nora then returned to her work in the office, while Dominik and Patrick resumed running the bar front together.
Business had slowed down not long after the lunch hours had passed, the common rabble which lingered around for their dinner finally stirring to leave. Patrick had finished helping Connor clean up the majority of the kitchen, and returned to the bar where Vincent and Dominik worked. That was when he noticed someone had entered, a blonde woman who wore a teal blouse over coffee brown pants; with a grey wooly jacket hung at her shoulders. He knew who she was by face but not by name, mainly because she often came around when she wanted to read or write.
Which is exactly what he expected this woman to do, so when the blonde walked up to the bar where they were; Patrick's eyes locked on her as she came to approach. "Hi there," she greeted with a friendly grin, "Reyna Portova. It's an honor to meet you." She held out a hand for Patrick to grasp, which the bartender reluctantly did as he offered her a friendly smile of his own. Reyna wasn't afraid to grasp his hand firmly, giving it a proud shake while he introduced himself to her.
"Patrick Barnell, somethin' we can do for you?" As if on queue she released his hand and moved to sit, the nearest bar stool pulled over so she would sit in front of him.
"Are you the youngest or oldest Barnell son here?" Reyna proceeded to ask as she leaned forward onto the bar.
Patrick on the other hand took the washcloth off his shoulder, throwing it down on the counter between them as he leaned against it. "Is there a reason why you're askin?"
The question induced an interesting reaction, as Reyna's smile widened when she started to answer the question. "I would like to do an article on you. Well, on the Inn more or less; but you're family is an important part of it."
"Can we ask... why you want to write an article about us?" Dominik interjected as he joined in on the conversation, with the same stance that Patrick had taken as they both talked to her now.
Reyna's smile faded somewhat as she looked to the both of them. "Well, you mean you haven't heard?" She proceeded to inquire, almost with a slight tilt in her head no less. "Seems the Barnell clan has been busier lately, even so busy as to host for foreigners from distant lands."
"You think we're the reason why people from other regions stop in Alfsos?" Patrick presumed curiously as he rose to a full stand once more, his arms brought in to cross over one another as they continued.
"Well why not?" She argued. "Clearly your family's found a recipe for success. I'd just like to shed light on where that success was born from, and what direction does your family plan to take it in seasons to come?"
"Wow," Patrick emphasized on that word as he looked to her with mild offense, "so because we're so 'successful' you want to publish an article about us. You might want to reconsider your stance on that just a little."
Patrick's tone must've confused her, for Reyna briefly shook her head in disbelief. "Excuse me?" She looked at him almost in shock, while even Dominik seemed a little baffled by Pat's sudden shift in attitude.
"Success isn't a recipe, it's a quota you have to work for. The fact you clearly approached me, instead of one of the other proprietors, tells me that you've likely been sourcing others for information."
Reyna drew back on her stool a little, intrigue found in her alarmed expression. "Okay, which is?"
"That we've been generously hosting to outlanders, namely two that have come from the northern region. Fact is everyone else is already aware of it. So when you come in here with the audacity to use that 'thriving success' lingo, it really gives the wrong impression as a journalist; Miss Portova." He held nothing back, no trace of mercy in his bitter tone near the end.
"Wow." Reyna suddenly looked rather glum, as if his words were a bit too harsh to for her standards. "Okay perhaps I came off a little too strongly, and I apologize for anythin' I've said to offend you." Then came the moment of hesitation, before she finally rose to walk away without even a "good day" thrown his way.
"What was that about?" Elinora's voice cut in as she walked out of the office, confused as to what she had apparently missed just then.
Both brothers looked to her a little surprised, with Patrick mulling over everything with a minor frown. "...We just had a guest from the Front Page. She wanted to interview us about our recent guests, as well as the Inn itself." He then explained to her, hopeful that she'd see where he came from in his defense.
"Oh dear," Nora's brows furrowed as she seemed suddenly apprehensive, "and you refused to give one to her?"
"Could've been a lil' more polite about it." Dominik threw in before Pat even had a chance to respond.
"Look I'm sorry. Privacy has been one of the most important principles of our inn, we respect our guests privacy and in turn have our personal privacies to keep." The second son reiterated as he looked between the two of them, both of them slowly came to nod in agreement over the matter.
"Yes indeed, but if it's for the Page..." Nora remarked as she then shifted gears, her eyes directed towards the ceiling as she contemlated the issue. "I'll need time to think on this matter, thank you Pat for defendin' these values; even if it were a little too brazenly." She added tactfully with a minor hint of a smile, leading Patrick's cheeks to turn a little rosy as he diverted his gaze. Nora then returned to her work in the office, while Dominik and Patrick resumed running the bar front together.
