Dancing Fox In XII: Dance If You Want To

[Recaiden]

"You can give her invitations, even if it's to something as simple as spending time together. Take some initiative off her shoulders. I'm sure she'd love a ring, even if it doesn't signify anything; she lost the old one in a solar flare outside Riverside. Actually, if you could find that... And if it did... Plus, since, no, we don't communicate so well, when she makes an effort to say something, be sure to respond, even if you think nothing needs to be said. Leah isn't reading your mind."

Leah smiles; it might have been embarrassing, but it was a good question.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist gives her a smile, giving her one quick hug.
"Thank you. I won't forget that."

[Recaiden]

"Good night."
And now, Leah gets around to that disappearing thing.

[McBish]

Cait walks into the inn looking like a different person than she did the night before. Her long hair is shorter dyed black and pulled is currently pulled back into a ponytail. She is wearing a business jacket and tight long skirt both a light gray. She pulls her suitcase behind her with the ease of someone who has handled it in many different terrains. Every part of her looks like some sort of executive. Except maybe the tired look behind her eyes. That has changed since last night. She walks up to the bar leaning up against it.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist is at the bar as always, flicking his long tail.
"What can I get for you, Miss?" he asks.

[McBish]

Cait smiles without thinking about it or really feeling it, just a reflex. "I was hoping to get a room. And maybe... She stops herself reconsiders and then finishes the question. "Do you have anything that can help a person sleep?"

[Deathkeeper]

Mist rummages through a cabinet under the bar.
"Several varieties of alcohol, cold medicine, warm milk, I think there might be some sleeping tablets lying around somewhere. Nothing strong, though."

[McBish]

"I'll take a botle of wh...wine. Red and spiced if you have any. And I would love some sleeping pills if you could find any thank you. She stops herself from getting a whole bottle of whiskey knowing it has never helped her sleep before. She also pulls out a few crisp new 100 dollar bills and places them folded on the bar.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist looks down at the money, and then up at the lady.
"Well, sure, but you know you're never supposed to take both of those things at the same time, right? Don'tcha know?" he asks, adding a trio of notes from some song.

[McBish]

"As long as they are over the counter it really shouldn't be a issue, as long as you don't make a habit of it." She replies knowingly. And by the looks of the bags under her eyes she doesn't look like she makes a habit of anything that helps her sleep.

Mist might also notice the brace on her right wrist/hand. The kind that you would see someone with carpal tunnel would be wearing. Though she is wearing hers to cover up the bandages on her damaged hand. "Don't worry I'll be careful with them. I just have some trouble getting to sleep sometimes."

[Deathkeeper]

Mist shrugs and gives her the order. A decent amount, given the pay offered.
"Well, you know best. Have a good night." he says uncertainly as he passes them across the bar.

[McBish]

"I don't know if I would say that. But I am really good at ignoring advice and not dying. At least so far. Thank you."

The pay also was for the room. Cait doesn't really have a plan on how long she is staying so she figured she would show some cash now so they know she isn't a deadbeat.

-----------------------------

Cait is a pretty quite guest since she checked in. She comes and goes fairly often seeming to do a lot of shopping judging by the amount of shopping bags she carries in and out. She goes out in a different stylish dress each night not returning till around bar close, once not till around sun-up. A constant pattern until tonight.

Tonight she comes back only a few hours after leaving looking upset. She has a shawl wrapped around her that she didn't have when she left. It does a decent job covering the rapidly developing bruise on her left upper arm. The little make-up she was wearing is streaked from tears. She heads up to her room immediately.

She doesn't stay there for long. A few minutes later she comes back downstairs. Her face washed and wearing a pair of cargo pants and a large heavy sweater instead of the slinky dress she had been wearing. Her feet in gray wool socks instead of high heels. She slumps into a seat at the bar with a sigh.

[Recaiden]

Sweep-sweep-sweep, brush-brush-brush, it's the inn's robot janitor, dusting a bit before the evening's busiest time. Got a broom in a few hands, a mop in another couple, and a polishing cloth in a seventh.
It gives Cait a wave.
"Bad time tonight?"

[McBish]

Cait glances over at the robot janitor. She wonders if she knew it's name, maybe she overheard it but she is coming up with a blank. She gives a little nod, "Yeah, some unexpected and unpleasant turns tonight. Followed the wrong crowd as they say."

She keeps fidgeting in her seat like she can't get comfortable. Her fingers drumming on the bar in a uneven rhythm on the bar.

[Recaiden]

'Kestrel'. It's got a little name tag, magnetically attached on the front left, below the speakers.
The janitor's a little asymmetric ball of a machine with 20 mechanical manipulators, one end dotted with cameras and sensors, the other with solar panels.
"Well you know, you're always safe here."

[McBish]

Cait glances around the inn and nods. "Safe, yeah I guess I know that." Her glance turns to a glare as she seems to notice her hand drumming on the bar. She stops by making a fist and then slowly relaxing it. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths before opening them back up. "Safe. Thanks Kestrel. How is your night going?" She tries to stop fidgeting with only a little success.

[Recaiden]

"The work is proceeding according to schedule."
It stoops to sweep a little collection of dust motes into a pan.
"Things did not go well at my first job tonight. Too much coming in. I look forward to the routine, moving forward."

[McBish]

"Where else do you work?" Cait asks surprised. She wouldn't have guessed the robot janitor would work at two different places.

[Recaiden]

"Choice Chance Clinic and the New Peacefield Observatory." The janitor replies, not mentioning the fact that it does very different work at these different enterprises.
"Somehow I always seem to be on deck here when a customer bursts into flames or a tornado comes through. The work gets done."

[McBish]

"Two other jobs? I guess a robot doesn't need to sleep. You do a excellent job keeping the place free of ashes and squished witches." Cait compliments him. Though she may be teasing him a little bit. Then again she hasn't seen anyone burst into flames here so maybe she thinks he is teasing her.

[Recaiden]

"Thank you." It replies, taking Cait at her word.
"What is it that you do to get by?"

[McBish]

"I am an accountant who specializes in real estate finance." Cait lies easily enough. That was the last job someone hired her for, even if it isn't really how she supports herself or considers her vocation. "I am on something like a vacation right now. I am waiting for my next job to pop up and have been trying to enjoy myself."

[Recaiden]

Kestrel bobs in a manner like a nod. Humans have lots of special jobs they need because they can't keep track of their information well enough. Perfectly respectable.
"Well, don't let one bad surprise spoil the vacation."
It starts to move on. There's a lot of floor that could theoretically have a speck of dust on it.

[McBish]

Cait won't stop him from going off to do his job. Shouldn't let any dust have a chance to settle down. She continues to fidget in her seat for awhile. Then her eyes fall on an empty booth and she goes still. Her eyes dilate and her mouth moves just a little like she is about to say something but stops herself. She just stares into empty space.

[Recaiden]

Kestrel goes on its way,sweeping, mopping, drying. It's a few minutes later, after he's circled around the inn, that he comes by armed with a can of wood polish and an armful of cloths. If Cait is still staring off at an unexpectional table, he stops to say some more.

"You don't seem well, Miss. Can we be of any assistance?"

[McBish]

The thinnest sheen of sweat can be spotted on Cait's forehead once the robot janitor returns. She tears her eyes away from the empty booth she has been staring at. "Yes. Please tell me that booth is empty. It is empty right?" Her voice seems on the edge of panic and she refuses to turn her eyes back to the booth. Instead flicking a finger towards the direction of the empty booth.

[Recaiden]

"It appears empty to my passive sensors. For context, that is what you might see out of the corner of your eye. Allow me to take a closer look."
The janitor turns to focus all its senses on the booth: the color-sensitive high-fidelity cameras, the directional microphones, the laser rangefinders, the sonar. Anyone there?

[McBish]

To all his sensors the booth appears completely empty. The two booths around the one she vaguely motioned at are also empty. Whatever is freaking out Cait seems to be entirely in her head. She is pretty sure that is the case but she has been having a harder time convincing herself of that.

[Recaiden]

"Correct. The booth is empty."
Kestrel strolls over and waves an arm through the space above the seats and around the table, to demonstrate.
"Nothing there."

[McBish]

Cait watches him keeping the booth in her peripheral vision. She nods at him like that is totally the anwser she would give to. That booth is totally empty, just her going crazy. Still some paranoia leaks out.

"There hasn't been anyone here asking about me? I mean if someone did no one would say anything right?" There hasn't been anyone.