(Untitled)

[realmrsreynolds]

[OOM: Sallie Abigail Reynolds.Sallie enters Milliways with a plain satchel over one shoulder and a freshly-made pie in her opposite hand. The pie needs to get dropped off first, so Sallie climbs a barstool, dropping the satchel to the floor and letting Bar whisk the pie off to the ether where everything stays when she has to hold something, and

Comments

[themidnightson]

His arrival is soundless, at least to anyone with normal hearing. Even the two fingers he presses to the bar, and the cup that appears right in front of them, is silent.

But he chooses two quiet words, against the maelstrom beside him. "Good morning, Sallie." He deliberated over the name, but the formal would perhaps be too unhelpful a reminder of things she's already not in need of remembering.

[realmrsreynolds]

Her return greeting is almost entirely muffled into the bartop.

Still, eventually sitting up, Sallie can smile at Edward pretty sincerely.

"Mornin'."

[themidnightson]

"Should I suggest that you do have a room where you can sleep, that was well decorated by my mother?" It's a cool set of words, less suggestion and more almost a well coded we can or can not talk about this, to where he won't even ask. It's not his place to know even if he can't help it.

[realmrsreynolds]

"I wasn't sleepin'," is the answer that comes, right in front of a "Is that for me?"

Pointing to the cup.

[makesmeatease]

Inara is there in almost inhuman speed, crossing from the other side of the bar. She is never comfortable when her mother-in-law shows her exhaustion, or any sign of weakness...Sallie Reynolds is one of the strongest women she knows.

But she's there, regardless of how it makes her worry. Bracelets on her arm jingle as she reaches out to touch Sallie's arm. "Are you okay?"

[realmrsreynolds]

There is a rumble and an unceremonious grunt.

(It's too soon to be seeing her daughter!)

The grunt sounds something like 'Long night'.

[makesmeatease]

Inara's fingers touch Sallie's hair, carefully. "Let me get you some tea."

[realmrsreynolds]

"'Nara," Sallie sits up, picking up a Shadowite twang when she does so, "It ain't necessar--"

[52_dropoff]

"Sallie?" It doesn't take a genius to know something is wrong.

[realmrsreynolds]

Charlie.

Into her arm on the bartop: "Made you a pie."

[52_dropoff]

"Er, thanks?" He's touched. No one has ever made him a pie. "It's a good pie, right?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"'Course it is. It's practically my calling."

It's dry and forced, but it feels better than thinking about what's waiting back home.

At least she sits up with this, lightly brushing her hair out of her face. "Wèi."

[tavar_of_alera]

In a change of pace, there's a boy in medieval clothing, completely unknown to Sallie, trotting up to the Bar. What is visible at first glance--besides his being at that awkward stage of growth where nothing looks quite proportional--are the split lip, darkening eye, and scrapes on him and the somewhat contrastingly placid expression on his face.

Clearly he's been on the wrong end of a fight.

Dropping the book under his arm on the Bar with a thump and laying the other, free hand on the counter, he starts, "Bar, could I have a--"

Pop.

"...I was going to say 'cup,'" he says with a little aggravation as he prods the steaming pot of tea. Promptly a cup materializes next to it, making him scowl. "Very funny."

(Nowhere in Tavi's demeanor does it show that a scan of the Bar on first entering had made him note the woman's defeated posture. It doesn't show that he'd fully intended to get a little extra.)

[realmrsreynolds]

"She's like that."

Quiet, but not really able to resist the commentary.

[tavar_of_alera]

"I've noticed," Tavi comments dryly, rolling his eyes a little as he pours himself that cup of tea.

When a cold compress for his eye appears a moment later, though, he has the good grace to look a little embarrassed. "...Always been nice to me, though," is the rueful addition. "I keep trying to think of better ways to thank her than taking a shift every so often."

[realmrsreynolds]

"That's enough," Sallie replies, sitting up.

"...I know you, then. Somehow. From the shifts."

[blowupthefloats]

"Sallie? Everything all right?"

There's another hand, gently (and slightly hesitantly) covering hers as John sits down beside her.

[realmrsreynolds]

"Nnngh. No."

Hard not to smile at the hand on top of hers though.

"Hi John."

[blowupthefloats]

"Hi, yourself."

He smiles back, though not before frowning a little when her answer to his question is no.

"Wanna talk about it?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"Yes. No. Maybe?"

She's choosing to camp out on the bartop still.