♪ Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend ♪

[victorysass]

Who| Adelaide and Giles
What| The new mentor is here a few weeks late and the first thing she does is give her old mentor a heart attack.
Where| District 1 suites
When| Middle of Week 6
Warnings/Notes| Adelaide has no sense of personal space. Giles disapproves.


The train ride to the Capitol, while comfortable as it's been for as long as she's taken it, felt it had taken weeks. By the time Adelaide is escorted to the District 1 suites of the Tribute Tower, three Avox in tow with her luggage, she's bored and restless. It's been over a year since she's been in the Capitol, she wants to go out and see just how much has changed in that year. The likely answer was nearly everything but that was part of the fun.

But first she had some business to take care of. Dear, darling, precious Ripper had come to the Capitol weeks ago, just before the start of this arena, and in her mind that was six weeks of lost pestering she needed to make up for. She instructed the Avox to take her things to her room but kept Conrad's covered cage with her. She gave it a small tap. Inside she could hear the rustling of wings and wet chewing sounds. Oh good, he'd found the strawberry she'd tossed in there on the train.

With any concerns about her fruit bat gone, Adelaide made her way to Giles's room. It wasn't hard to find, he hadn't changed rooms in all the years she'd been working with him. The only question, which wasn't even a question in her mind considering how well she knew his habits, was whether he'd be in.

Comments

[watchher]

She would find very few surprises, behind the door. Giles' room had hardly changed; it was clean but cluttered, and home to several shelves of books. A steel-string guitar, glossy and expensive, stood against the far wall; a tumbler of whiskey held a spot on the desk beside him. If it was too early in the day for that, he hadn't noticed.

He sat leaning forward, brow furrowed in thought, skimming through the pages of something leather-bound and heavy. Giles appreciated the chance for more casual dress, now that the Games were on and the spotlight somewhat off him; he looked, as Adelaide might have put it, boring, in dull slacks and a plain shirt buttoned up neatly. As per old habit, one earpiece of his glasses rested between his lips, existing to be fidgeted with.

At least, until he heard footsteps in the hall outside. A Victor's reflexes, the wariness automatic, had his gaze snapping to the door. He recognized the gait, the footsteps, but placing the memory took a moment too long.

[victorysass]

When she reached the door she didn't bother to peek in to check if he was in. She just shoved it open, cage in hand, and flashed a fanged grin at her former mentor.

Of course he would be in his room with a book. Of course. She had no comment to make on the drinking because she'd had two mimosas for breakfast on the train.

"Good morning, Ripper. Did you miss me?"

[watchher]

His expression crashed in on itself the moment she stepped through the door. Wariness to surprise to oh, hell in two seconds flat.

Still, politeness was reflexive, and he startled to his feet as though to take the cage, or welcome her, or-- something not involving the generally horrified look on his face.

"Adelaide-- of, of course." His expression said that he really, really hadn't. Or, at least, that he wasn't prepared to give up whatever shreds of peace and quiet his life involved. Not that he had much of that in the first place, but he had less when she was in town.

"I-- you're the new mentor?"