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[devoutish]

WANTED: 1 courageous soul willing to run weekly shopping errands for this week and the next. Buyer will be compensated for purchased goods and for time spent. Must be able to follow a list. Must have more patience than I do for the modern American custom of swarming the shops en fucking masse during the week before Christmas. Thank you.

Comments

[devoutish]

[Alfie steps back, gesturing for him to come in. It's a pretty standard imPort house - it's one of the individual ones, so it's on the small side, and the personal touches are minimal.]

Well, that'll depend. Have you ever had it before?

[cadbane]

Tried some in a bag once. Didn't much care for it. But I did hear there are different types.

[devoutish]

I do make it with bags. Have you had it with cream or sugar?

[It's at this point that two medium-sized dogs come plodding out of a back room, tails wagging, coming to greet the visitor.]

Ah, right; I hope you don't mind animals.

[cadbane]

[The alien gives the dogs a narrowed red glare, brief but not very pleasant.]

As long as they stay out of my way.

[A little ominous. He then answers about the tea.]

No, tea's never been a priority for me.

[devoutish]

I'll put some in, then. See how you like it.

[Alfie snaps his fingers at the dogs, pointing sternly towards the corner of the living room, where they have a big dog bed. They're reluctant - a visitor! A new person! They want to say hi! - but they're also well-behaved, so they both slink off to lie down, quietly and out of the way.]

[cadbane]

[Wise of them, and if they can sense anything about Bane it's that it's best to keep out of his reach. Not that he'd go out of his way to hurt them without cause but he also would think nothing of doing it at the slightest provocation.]

Fine.

[He glances around. He's also in individual housing so this, at least, feels familiar.]

So you somebody afraid to go out or something?

[Since he just did the man's shopping.]

[devoutish]

[Once the water is warming in the kettle, Alfie sets about putting the groceries away, glancing at Bane over his shoulder.]

I'll be honest, mate; I was just not in the fucking mood today.

[cadbane]

Because of the holiday crowds?

[devoutish]

Yeah. I'll never get used to it.

[cadbane]

I've been in worse situations.

[devoutish]

[Alfie raises an eyebrow.]

If you hadn't, I'd think your life very sheltered.

[cadbane]

This was bad enough you paid someone to fetch your needs.

[devoutish]

Yeah, but it's the sort of bad that's just irritating, that's all. Here you go--

[He hands Bane a cup of tea on a saucer. It's very milky, with two lumps of sugar in it.]