Cover Your Eyes

[olyabird]

Olga slips in the lakeside door, shaking the wet snow off her coat and heading for the fireplace.   There's a hint of a smile on her lips as she settles into one of the overstuffed chairs, peeling off her gloves and scarf.  A passing wait rat brings her her usual Turkish coffee, waiting to accept its tip in silver coins.

Her meeting with Eduard has

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[benloserz]

"Hey Olga. How are you?" Look it is a Ben Winchester, a quieter, more subdued one.

[olyabird]

"Ben, good morning. Not so bad, and yourself?"

[benloserz]

"Eh, so-so. Busy with school and work." He shrugs a bit. "Missed you, actually." He was wondering if a friend had vanished again.

[olyabird]

"Oh I've been around. The barn, mostly. You know, if you need me, you can leave a note with Bar. She can find me."

[benloserz]

He ponders a bit, and chuckles... shaking head. "I need all my friends. Friends keep me sane in my screwed-up world." He looks at the small sign, tilting head. "Fortunes?"

[olyabird]

She quirks an eyebrow at him, giving him a very cagey smirk. "I must pay my bar tab, somehow."

[benloserz]

"I could do it for you." And he means it.

Every word of it. "If you don't mind."

[olyabird]

This makes Olga laugh, a broad toothy grin that is at once genuine, and terrifying. The air around her fractures and reassembles itself in a heart beat.

"Do you use cards? Or perhaps, a crystal ball?"

[benloserz]

"No, I mean, pay your tab." He can not see the future, and is glad for it.

Not knowing how gloomy it is means he can still hope.

[olyabird]

Her brow furrows at that. She is touched, but wary.

"Thank you, Ben, but it is of no consequence, and I would not place such a burden on our friendship."

[benloserz]

"Not a burden. I have more money than I know what to do with, least I can do is help my friends." Ben shrugs a bit. "Been in a treasure hunt a while ago... came back with a lot of it, can can not really spend much of it back home or people would start wondering where it came from."

[olyabird]

"You are too kind," she says, and she means it.

"There are others here more worthy than I. Did you know there's fund for those who are Bound?"

[benloserz]

"Already donated half of what I've got in the hunt to the fund." He nods. "But if you prefer not, that's okay."

[olyabird]

"You understand, I don't want to be -- beholden to you."

She leans forward and rests a hand on his arm. "Where I come from, it's bad luck for a friendship."

[benloserz]

"Hey." He places a hand on hers. "I am not offering to hold it against you later. I just like to help my friends."

[olyabird]

"As I said, you are too kind, Ben. And I thank you. Perhaps I should ask you to wait until such time as I truly need your help."

She hopes to heaven and earth that day never comes.