There is so little to do in winter--or you permit yourself the luxury of thinking so.

[glass_beddau]

[Mid-afternoon of Thursday, November 26 (day 179)]
[The Miskatonic Café]Not sure if it's the weather or the unsettling of moving, but I'm not feeling particular well of late. I've not quite slipped 'round to sleeping through the days again, with neither of them quite doing it, but all joking aside I've been particular disinclined to get out of bed

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[tess_thiess]

Mrs. Beddau gets my meanin' 'bout strangeness, and well she might considerin' her Pa. "Sense to that," she says, and then "How's Syl been?" I think back 'n I ain't sure I knew the two 'v 'em had met, though I suppose it makes sense with Mrs. Beddau bein' herb-wise and all. "She was good last time I saw her," I say. "She and some friends were workin' on somethin' that had her pretty worried," and I'd best not say more 'n that. I remember us talkin', and give her a quick look. "Who was you worried 'bout Johnny bein' 'round?"

Lannie comes back in a coupe 'a minutes, carryin' two plates 'a fried potatoes 'n lookin' a bit friendlier. "Here you go," she says, settin' the food down in front 'v us. "I must've wrote the ticket wrong and put in an order for two," she says with a smile, and that's nice 'v her though I ain't sure why she's doin' it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare before, you just seemed familiar somehow. Maybe I've seen you here or at the tavern before?" I shake my head. "It's no problem. I ain't bin 'round the Tavern much, but I do come by the cafe sometimes. You must 'a seen me here."

Mrs. Beddau invites her t'sit with us, 'n I move over t'give space 'n push my plate over a bit so she can share the food. There's power in sharin' a meal with someone.

[melania_lowell]

Glass thanks me for the tea, and Tess accepts my apology for my odd look at our introduction before. Good. "Had to have been here then" I smile, nodding in agreement. "Looks fine, Care t'sit, Lannie? If we're not keeping you from your customers." Glass asks.

I pause, thinking on it a minute. I know I'm new to town and they don't know me well. I don't wanna crash their chat or be a third wheel. Then Tess shifts over, making room for me, even pushing the plate to a place in the middle. "Sure, thanks," I say, taking the seat next to Tess. "Was about due for a break," I smile and my stomach rumbles again as if to emphasize the point. Glad I live with people. It gives a good excuse for all the food I buy for 'the roomates,' wouldn't make sense if it were just me. Grabbing a fork, I smile at them both and pull a bite of hash browns from the plate.

[glass_beddau]

"She was good last time I saw her," Tess says. "She and some friends were workin' on somethin' that had her pretty worried," and I tilt my head sideways, memory sparking off memory.

"The casting out of her?" I say, remembering talk in Kate's kitchen back and ago. "Well, long as Tez's keeping himself sober." Although with Verdi around, perhaps not long odds on that.

"Who was you worried 'bout Johnny bein' 'round?"

"Only the Shuck," I say thoughtful, turning my tea in circles as Lannie's back. It seems a small thing to worry about, now, given what I saw a week and a day ago. "He--" I shake my head again, trying to put it all aside, and take another sip. Even now it makes my eyes sting to think of it.

Lannie hesitates over the question of sitting with us--spit and staunchweed, is she shy? 'd not have taken her for so--and then Tess moves over to give her space to sit and eat and it's done. Poke absently at my own plate a moment. "Surprised you don't bring a book, 'r something of the like," I say mildly. Always had one for when times were slow at the Apothecary, myself.

[tess_thiess]

Mrs. Beddau turns her head a bit aside, thoughtful. "The casting out of her?" I nod. "'S why I was askin' after your worries. I'd know Kate, but - well, it can't hurt t'be sure."

Lannie nods. "Had to have been here then," she agrees, 'afore takin' Mrs. Beddau up on her offer. "Sure, thanks. Was about due for a break." She picks up a fork as she digs into the potatoes. Girl's got an appetite, and it makes me think she's a bit younger 'n I did, more t'Johnny's age. He's always eatin' like that. "Surprised you don't bring a book, 'r something of the like," Mrs. Bedau says, 'n I glance at Lannie. "Her 'r me? I ain't much fer readin', really, 'cept fer some family records 'n the like."

[melania_lowell]

"Surprised you don't bring a book, 'r something of the like," Glass says and I pause, reminding myself that normal people don't shovel food into their mouth's like I might be doing now. I heard them talking about the oddities in town before, Christ I don't wanna be on that list. May have forgotten myself a time or two in the tavern and be on it already for all I know.

"Her 'r me? I ain't much fer readin', really, 'cept fer some family records 'n the like."Tess says.

Swallowing my last bite, my stomach growls in protest as I set my fork down and push the still half full plate away. I'll get more later when no one can see. Looking at Glass, I shrug, "I would, but I like to stay busy, so I usually find cleaning or something to do," I smile and look at Tess, "So is your family from here then?"

[glass_beddau]

"'S why I was askin' after your worries. I'd know Kate, but - well, it can't hurt t'be sure."

Nod at that, and hesitate a moment and Lannie's there, but... "Think that's less of a concern, of late," I say, thinking of that skeleton wired to the fence in the rain.

"Her 'r me?" Tess says over my suggestion of a book. "I ain't much fer readin', really, 'cept fer some family records 'n the like."

"Nor I," and'm quietly ignoring the book I've pushed to one side. That's a rare enough thing. "Mostly meant you," I say to Tess, nodding to mark Lannie's preference for staying busy. "Bluebeard's got some fine works on spagyrica--herbal alchemy. Decent reading, when he leaves them at the store."

"So is your family from here then?" Lannie says, looking to Tess. She's put one hell of a dent in the hash browns, can see that.

[tess_thiess]

"Think that's less of a concern, of late," Mrs. Beddau says, and there's more t'it but I get that she dunt want t'say in front 'a Lannie. "Mostly meant you," she says. "Bluebeard's got some fine works on spagyrica--herbal alchemy. Decent reading, when he leaves them at the store." I shake my head. "I ain't seen 'em, but I'll take a look. It'd give me somethin' more fer trade with Syl, 'f I read 'em." I sit back, watchin' Lannie eat. "No one's ever said why some folk call Lord Hughes that name - d'you know?" I'm sure it's not meant well since I've never heard it used t'his face, but it's not like I'm plannin' on callin' him that neither.

Lannie's pushed the plate away though her stomach's still growlin'. Poor girl, though I can't think she's doin' such hard work that it's got her eatin' like a farmboy. "So is your family from here then?"

I nod. "Yeah, from way back. I'm guessin' you just came into town recent? Are you one 'a those as come in from the Carnival?"

[melania_lowell]

I look from one to the other as they talk, unsure of what they're talking about. Almost like some sorta secret code, but not. I'm thinking of being polite and making an excuse to get up and leave them to it when I blurt out. "What's less of a concern?" I ask, and I swear if I was a wolf, my ears would be pricked forward and head cocked to the side. Curiosity and cats, my ass. Something really fucked about this town, even though Verdi told me some, I saw it one night. Better to seem nosey and live, I guess.

Then Glass mentions a Bluebeard at the Apothecary and Tess calls him Lord Hughes, asking about his nickname. All I can think is a Lord works at the Apothecary and a goddess owns a bar? ....The Fuck?

"Yeah, from way back. I'm guessin' you just came into town recent? Are you one 'a those as come in from the Carnival?"

"Huh?" I say, still caught up in thinking of the fucked up shit I've seen in this town so far, not including me. Of course I say it before I realize I did hear what she said. "Yeah only been here a few weeks," I nod and then shake my head, "Not from the Carnival,no,I came in from the North West," I smile. "Met Zann, but haven't been to the carnival yet."

[glass_beddau]

"What's less of a concern?" Lannie says, and I know the spark that's in her eyes; she'll be having answers now, I think. Still, how to set this out...

"There was one in town for a few months," I say slow and thoughtful, turning the cup on the table. "A mockingbird bitch, liked passing herself off as others. Few folk fell into the habit of asking questions particular to be sure of who they were speaking to, you see?" I take a sip of the tea, gauging her reaction.

"Anyway. It's of less matter now as it seems she's dead," at least for the moment. "Near as can tell, some bastard--" oh, mind your teeth, Glass-- "peeled her corpse and left her bones hung on the graveyard fence." Oh I was not pleased with that, I truly wasn't.

I shrug and manage to take some of the edge off my teeth, turn it into a smile. "Strange town, sometimes."

"I ain't seen 'em, but I'll take a look," Tess says of the books. "It'd give me somethin' more fer trade with Syl, 'f I read 'em." She sits back a little. "No one's ever said why some folk call Lord Hughes that name - d'you know?"

"Old story," I say. "Not of him, I mean--old story of a rich man with a wicked cruel streak, saw himself fit to take whatever he pleased and lord over those around him. That along with those few he takes up with being chewed up and spat out..." I shrug. "He picked up the name."

"Yeah, from way back. I'm guessin' you just came into town recent? Are you one 'a those as come in from the Carnival?"

"Yeah only been here a few weeks. Not from the Carnival,no,I came in from the North West." Nothing to add to that, but I listen; don't think I've heard Lannie speak of where she came from afore. "Met Zann, but haven't been to the carnival yet."

"Cheerful woman, that one," I say. Hellish bad taste in those she'll keep company with, but cheerful.