God damn stairs

[urfuckingfired]

[He stumbles in, breathing heavily and clutching his chest with his free hand. The room is only on the third floor, but twenty years behind a desk hasn't exactly done wonders for his physique, and the stairways were just a little more than he could handle. He drops his luggage onto the more than ample double-bed and looks around, taking a breather

Comments

[damselinthesky]

[She only has one suitcase, albeit large and packed to the brim. Elizabeth bemoans not looking into attire more suited for travel, but meandering to the opposite end of the city didn't feel like much a trip at all. She nearly tripped twice on her dress and already smashed her finger tips while closing her luggage. To think this vacation had barely started. Still, she hoped that the trip would come to fruition without her knocking some sort of appendage askew.

Elizabeth pulls a piece of paper from her breast pocket and checks one last time if she has the right room number. Pocketing it again, she extends her hand and gently knocks on the door.]

[urfuckingfired]

[Clutching his head, Gil slides off the bed and staggers towards the door. His room mate couldn't have chosen to arrive at a worse time, as he feels awful and is sure that it is noticeable. Before opening the door, Gil wipes his forehead in the sleeve of his suit jacket, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to smile. So, this is it.

In the second he opens the door, his smile falters. Not out of disappointment, but out of pure surprise.]

H... hello!

[Gil smiles again, and this time, it's genuine. He is so relieved -- so relieved -- that he didn't get Sofia, or some bloodthirsty splicer as a room mate.]

You must be awfully tired. Please, come in, come in.

[He reaches out a hand, offering to take her suitcase. It looks heavy, and the poor girl all too tired.]

I seem to have a spelling issue today.

[damselinthesky]

[Elizabeth meets his gaze with surprise of her own. She gingerly passes the luggage case off to him by the handle.]

Oh, thank you so much, it was awful dragging that up the stairs. Did you notice how packed that elevator was?

[As she's letting her eyes wander about the room, her eyes fall on the bed.]

I... think there may have been some mistake with our room.

Re: I seem to have a spelling issue today.

[urfuckingfired]

It wasn't all that crowded when I arrived, but admittedly, that is some time ago. It seems that you were stuck in the rush hour traffic.

[He smiles, closing the door behind them with his free hand. Gods, this briefcase really is heavy. He's having trouble carrying it, even using two hands. As he passes Elizabeth, he notices that she is staring at the bed.]

I agree. Though if the hotel is as packed as the elevator indicates, the chance that we will be given another room is probably small, especially if we are looking for another room of this size.

[Gently resting the luggage on the floor, Gil straightens up, a hand on his back.]

Eesh. If it's, ah... any consolation, I will have no problem sleeping on the sofa.

[damselinthesky]

Oh... [She trails off, taking immediate notice to the way he slowly leans up.]

...no! No, no, that's really alright, sir. I don't mind sleeping on the sofa!

[She places a hand on her luggage and pushes it up against the wall as to get it out of the way.]

It looks like you could use a goodnight's sleep more than I could.

[urfuckingfired]

[First when the Protector has left does Gil seem to come back down to earth. He shakes his head, wiping his forehead with a trembling hand before turning back to Elizabeth.]

Well, that... that was quite unexpected.

[He leans back against the bed, feeling even more faint now than before. Breathe deeply, he tells himself. Breathe deeply.]

No, please, I insist on sleeping on the couch. You deserve better than I. Besides, I have slept on... worse.

[damselinthesky]

[Her lips are pressed into a thin, tight line as she stares at the doorway. She has to tear her eyes away to look at him. Elizabeth wrings her hands together in a nervous fashion, but smiles.]

Thank you, sir... that's very kind of you. It won't go unappreciated.

Oh, I'm sorry, but I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Elizabeth. Some people call me Liz, though. Or Lizzy or Beth--you can call me anything though.

[urfuckingfired]

[Genuinely happy to see that the Daddy's sudden appearance didn't frighten her away, Gil nods, getting up from the bed. She took the surprise much better than he did, and that is saying a lot, especially seeing as he was involved in developing the infernal things.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth.

[He steps forward, extending his hand with a smile. He is already starting to like her. She's so young and enthusiastic, and is a nice change from the crowd he usually mingles with.]

I'm Gilbert. You may call me Gil. Most people do, including my colleagues.