[OTA] Space dementia in your eyes.

[semper-serviam.livejournal.com]

New Year's Day was the same every year, really. For one night everyone seemed to have forgotten their limits when it came to drinking the night before and the Castle stirred late in the morning, groggy and hung over.

Where the Spades' butler might have busied himself cleaning up after some of last night's drunken debauchery, Iollan ventured out of the confines of the Spades' kitchen to replenish empty jugs of water and bring more alka seltzer to some of the Castle's residents.

He'd no doubt be in the kitchen as well should those hangover-induced pangs of hunger bring some people down there before lunch.

Comments

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

Annie isn't hungover, but she's still wandering in during that segment between breakfast having been served and lunch still being prepared. Usually she makes her own breakfast, so it's a small surprise to have her coming in instead.

At least she's made herself marginally presentable today?

[semper-serviam.livejournal.com]

He acknowledged her presence with a short glance in her direction. Coordinating a meal for an entire Castle should have his undivided attention. And yet he seemed quite capable of handling small disruptions to the otherwise seamless flow in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Miss," he finally greeted once he was done slicing up what looked like components of a salad.

She was a rare sighting among these parts. But not an unwelcome one, nonetheless. Especially given how much time the butler was spending with her.

"Can I prepare you some brunch?"

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

"M- Good morning, Mr Chives, sir." She couldn't help the sir despite their difference in ranks; it'd been ingrained since childhood. No matter how she actually felt about the man, it always slipped out.

"Just something light'd be good. I can do myself a sandwich no problem." Which he'd probably not allow her to make herself, but it was worth a try.

[semper-serviam.livejournal.com]

He gave her a sidelong glance. Do herself a sandwich. Really. Iollan thinks not. Not in his kitchen, at least. Partly because he had an almost obsessive need to be In Control of everything that went on here, and partly because he would like to do something for her.

Though not of course in any way different from how he served any other Spade.

"What would you like in it, m'lady?" he asked as he sliced some bread that had been baked freshly this morning.

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

She had to bite back the short snap of protest, the insistence that really she could do this herself. It wasn't wise to do that, though; she knew that. The Chives clan had their pride.

So she settled herself into a small smile and shrugged. "Whatever you've got extra, I'm not picky. You've already got everyone else planned, right?"

[semper-serviam.livejournal.com]

The kitchen had plenty of things in abundance despite the mishaps with malfunctioning doorways to the Outside, but Iollan didn't press. He put together something fairly simple for her - cheese, lettuce, tomato, slices of chicken, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

Something fairly light, as requested, served on a plate with a serviette, for he didn't fill the sandwich to the point where the fillings were spilling out the sides.

"Had much to drink last night, Miss?" She looked to be in much better shape than many other Spades he had seen in the morning, but it didn't hurt to ask in case he ought to start preparing a liquid remedy for a hangover.

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

"Thank you. And not really, no. Didn't get much into the party atmosphere this time round." She'd gone out to one of the bars, sure, but it had only been one drink and she hadn't stayed all the way to midnight. There had been the faint thought that Declán would be missing her. Kind of. If he weren't wrangling the Spades into positions of dignity (and not choking on their own vomit).

"Guess you didn't either?"

[semper-serviam.livejournal.com]

"We're not the partying sort, Miss." Wasn't exactly something that any Chives did unless they were the ones organising the party or doing something in the background. Someone has to run the kitchen after all when everyone else is too far gone.

"Could I get you something to drink?"

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

Hah. Of course. Silly to ask, even. Not one drop for a Chives, no matter how old. She took a big bite of the sandwich to keep from saying the wrong thing- which of course was just when he asked.

At least this shaking of her head wasn't frantic. Just a little less subdued than the average person.

[semper-serviam.livejournal.com]

"Very well, m'lady." He would leave her to eat her sandwich in peace, then. After all he was Not Completely Oblivious to the fact that she was somewhat... tense, around him. Or at least, not at ease.

"Please excuse me." There was a Castle's lunch to see to. He'd continue to stay in the kitchen, staying almost within arm's reach should she need him.

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

It's sometimes nice and sometimes uncomfortable that he's observant. Certainly there had been times she'd stood beside Declán under his gaze and squirmed internally.

She was polite enough this time not to let her relief show, she thought. And even to settle in a corner to finish her sandwich as she watched the clockwork movements of the kitchen staff.