[ota] sleeping under strange skies

[thepupthatmatters]

He's ready for this. Of course he's ready for this.

He wouldn't be here if he weren't ready. Holló wouldn't have sent him through without being prepared. This isn't, after all, the sort of place a person gets sent without it being purposeful. Even the people who wander here 'by chance' are the people who need to be here, he's been told.

So it's the right time for Aleksei Volkov to be stepping out into the cold sunlight barely warming the walls of the Castle Spades, newly minted and processed and told he'll have to start working his way up from Two now.

The few things he'd brought with him have been settled into the cramped quarters he'll be sharing with a few other recent arrivals. What's stuck from his grandmother means he'll be starting off under the apparently quite severe Spade kitchen staff.

Hopefully it isn't the end of the world that he needs to pause when he's sent out to Town to pick up a few extra bottles of truffle oil and vanilla extract. Hopefully being 'ready for this' doesn't mean he can't take a moment--take a deep breath--as he lets settle into his bones the fact that he's here.


{ooc; He can be bumped into at the castle or being lost in Town. Also tag plz?}

Comments

[theacethatmatters]

[ooc: You can haz tag!]

New arrivals weren't so notable as to be something Julien had ever paid particular attention to, unless they'd done something to earn it. As such, Aleksei only registers as a new face among the kitchen staff.

Hence the raised eyebrow when he catches the boy obviously on a kitchen errand and just as obviously pausing in the middle of it. "Iollan Chives would not be pleased to see you dawdling," he comments, mildly.

This first, and then the one who doesn't cause stuttering.

[headfollowheart]

Hopefully, he's not so distracted that he doesn't hear the sound of high heels clicking against marble floors. But even if he does, Zoe's lived in Spade Castle long enough to take her eyes off her phone and see a boy in her path. "Oh, excuse me," she says, stopping short. "I didn't see you there."

She's about to go past when she pauses, light blue eyes settling on his face. She tilts her head. "Are you new?"

[wilderhearts]

Jake was up and about early, as he was most mornings, taking one of his horses on a brisk ride down through Town. It was a treat, the animals liked a bit of variety in their routine, and Jake always enjoyed it when there were yet few people milling about. It was Lizzie Bell's first time through Town since she'd arrived a few weeks ago; Jake was already in love with the beautiful mare. Her gait was smooth, she was smart as a whip, but prone to nervousness, hence her outing this morning.

He kept her up on the bit and tuned to his heels and hands, letting her walk briskly down the paved streets sussing everything out. Mojo was nearby as always, sniffing bushes and anything else that caught the pup's interest. Jake waved to the folks he knew, turning in his saddle to wave back to one of the shopkeepers who'd just stepped outside, and jolted a bit when Lizzie balked, planted her feet and snorted. He slewed around to see what she was spooking over, spied someone on the sidewalk not far away, and sighed, already marshaling apologies.

[maidenthespade]

Poor zaichik. New ones always looked so lost in early days. Katya stops beside the new Card whose mind appears to be far, far away. Bad habit in Spade Castle, but he would learn that if he meant to last long.

"It is confusing at first, yes? Corridors all look same."

It is perhaps pity Deck royals do not wander about wearing crowns. For him. For Katya, it is good way to take true measure of newcomers.

[falsepretences]

Jordan's not buying truffle oil. He wouldn't really know what you really did with truffle oil, actually, but contrary to what most people think - he can cook.

A little bit.

He can cook enough to pick out a box of portabello mushroom ravioli out of the refrigerator section and then try to decide what of the ten olive oils on the shelf he should use with his ravioli.

He just picks one up at random, and glances over at the boy. "Unfortunately they don't levitate off the shelf when we stare at them."

after he returns from errands?

[cutslikeaspade]

Normally the Castle staff kept the Royal floor very well stocked with coffee, tea and the sort of niceties one would expect in Spade Castle. This morning, however, the Ace took it upon himself to mosey downstairs with his almost empty mug--scandalous, yes, his younger brother would Frown most Ferociously--but he needed to stretch a bit and there was always the chance that said sibling would be available for a spot o'tea in a quiet corner.

Stepping through the archway, however, Ethan blinked to see a unfamiliar face busy putting things away. Ah, yes. The new Spadelet. He'd been meaning to send for the boy later in the day, but this would work just as well. "Morning," he said cordially, setting his empty mug on the counter. "Aleksei, yes?"

[longingforthenight]

He'll probably hear her before he sees her. As she rounds the corner in the store, she's speaking into a phone irately in hushed, but rapid Tamil, not looking very happy at what she's hearing. Casting a glance at the shelf, she nearly bumps into him as she grabs one of the many brands of vanilla essence off the shelf - then properly takes a look at him before pulling the phone away from her ear.

As someone's words come out of the phone, too faint and jumbled for either of them to hear properly, Kritika raises an eyebrow at the boy. "Need help?"

[oneirophiliac]

Now, see, the problem with pausing in Spade Castle is that it can so easily be mistaken for idling. And idling is an easy target for pouncing on.

"Hey- are you tired out 'n' resting, or could you stand to do some heavy lifting? Well, I say heavy lifting, but it's more like, mid-to-light lifting. Just not single-person lifting." Annie raises her eyebrows at him.

IS IT TOO LATE, GRANDSON? IS IT TOO LATE FOR ME?

[old_dog]

Whilst any Chives would not tolerate any hint of idling, idling was exactly what Aleksei would find at the Ivy. It had been busier while they were preparing for dinner service, but things have quietened down after everything had been sorted. The calm before the storm, so to speak.

Michael was seated in a corner at one of the tables with benches, looking rather intently at whatever was on the screen of his laptop. There had been a neat tower of wallet, smartphone, cigarette box, lighter, keys and one cigarette at the top sitting next to the laptop on the table, but it was just a haphazard pile now, likely knocked over because of the now-empty glass on the coaster.

"We're closed," he said without looking up when he heard Aleksei open the door.