mingle log | the quad and elsewhere | we were young and drinking (coffee) in the park

[lamiaceae]

Characters: Gansey and whoever shows up
What: Interpersonal interaction! Meet each other face-to-face while nothing is on fire
Where: the quad, unless elsewhere seems cool to you
When: loop 1, day 10 (6/10 irl)
Content Warnings: nothing yet. please use and check thread subjects

It's a pleasant day outside. There's a nice breeze and the sun is doing its best. At very least, it's not raining and warmer than it was yesterday. This is, statistically, likely to bring college denizens out of their dorms and offices since rain seems to often be on Newcomb's horizon. Fall in not-at-all-New England is lovely that way.

Gansey, for his part, can be found throughout the day in several places! He likes hanging out near the clocktower to study, since he's found time works best there (at least for him). It's nice to have a watch that's doing something vaguely akin to timekeeping for once.

But he's an explorer at heart, so he can probably also be found in the library, the computer lab, and wandering the grounds. Gansey isn't sure he's interacted with anyone outside a classroom or on Fermii since the train crash, so he's more likely than usual to strike up conversation instead of waiting for it to come to him.

The real question is this: where's everyone else hanging out today?

[ i'll be throwing gansey at anyone who doesn't note that their tag is closed. please mingle! ]

Comments

[flippin_peachy]

In contrast, Alfred Pennyworth has barely touched the smartphone device they were all given when they arrived, except to check the network and respond to messages. He sees no point in it and instead has been wandering around the campus to better get the lay of the land, which is how he finds Iggy.

"Unless you're from a world where they've found a cure for cancer, you do realize smoking is bad for you right?" He asks as he comes up next to the young man, his shadow falling across his face.

"Or is that a fake candy cigarette?" It certainly smells like it is.

[dead_tongue]

Iggy inhales and expertly blows a series of smoke rings that all smell like sugar. Then he grins.

"Terrible habit. It's a vape. Best thing when you're claiming that you're trying to quit cigarettes."

His grins grows. "I've got real smokes, too. Don't tell me you're campus security."

[flippin_peachy]

"It smells awful." Alfred says with a look of distaste. "Like burnt sugar."

"And I am most certainly not, but that doesn't mean I approve of it either."

[dead_tongue]

Iggy looks at Alfred for a long moment. Then his face breaks into a delighted smile.

"Ohmygod. Are you Alfred? From the network thing?!"

[flippin_peachy]

"I am, sir." He says, giving Iggy a slight bow.

"And you must be Ignatius, or Iggy to your friends."

[dead_tongue]

Iggy screeches a little and claps his hands together, nearly dropping his vape in the process.

"Iggy to everyone, but yeah! How'd you know?!"

[flippin_peachy]

"A wild guess." He says and eases himself down next to Iggy on the grass.

"It's nice to meet you face to face, though I could do without the smoking if you don't mind." He says with a kind smile but nods towards the vape.

"Got enough of it back in my day."

[dead_tongue]

"Oh, sure." For anybody else he might not put away the vape, but Alfred was old. And cool! And old.

"You used to smoke? Was it hard to quit? Did they have, like, nicotine gum back then?"

Like Alfred is from a hundred years ago.

[flippin_peachy]

"I did when I was in the service, kind of goes hand in hand with it when you're there."

It was the easiest stress relief when he still had to be alert and on the job.

"And no, I just quit cold turkey. Figured I had survived going to war so I shouldn't piss it all away on a bad habit like smoking."

[dead_tongue]

"Yeah?" He has no idea, but it fits the idea he has in his head.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Iggy agrees cheerfully. "It's awful for you. And you were an active guy, it's like, why punish your lungs if you have to run and stuff? Totally nasty habit."

He knows all the reasons to quit. He cares about none of them.

[flippin_peachy]

It's not Alfred's mission to try and change Iggy's habits, he knows that it's near impossible to force people to do that. Most will just dig their heels in harder, especially if they're young like Iggy is.

"I can think of nastier but either way, I appreciate you putting it away for me." He says and stretches his legs out a little.

"So what brings you out today? Enjoying a little bit of nature?"

[dead_tongue]

Iggy grins. "Oh my god, the way you say 'nasty' is awesome!" It's the accent.

"Oh, yeah! It's so sunny! I love fall, it's the best season there is, in my opinion. What about you?"

[flippin_peachy]

He isn't expecting that and it causes him to break out into a smirk.

"There's something nice about each season but if I had to pick a favorite it would be spring, because of the gardening."

[dead_tongue]

"You garden?" asked with sincere curiosity. To Iggy, Alfred is the most fascinating creature on the planet.

[flippin_peachy]

"Yes. I don't take care of all the gardens at Wayne manor but I do tend to the front bits."

A pause.

"Or I guess I should say did, now that I'm here."

[dead_tongue]

"Wayne Manor," Iggy repeats. "That's so posh."

Iggy looks around at the well manicured grounds. "Looks kind they've got gardeners here already."

[flippin_peachy]

"That's because it was." He says with a chuckle. "The Wayne family has always been wealthy, their family was actually one of the first five families that ruled Gotham high society and helped build the city into what it was."

"But despite their wealth they were good people, very kind and giving."

[dead_tongue]

"Whoa. And you were their butler." Iggy is picturing Downton Abbey. "So you were like... head of the people under the stairs!"

[flippin_peachy]

Alfred lift an eyebrow at him, "People under the stairs? What are you talking about?"

[dead_tongue]

With perfect seriousness - because he really is serious - Iggy replies, "The, uhm, upstairs-downstairs kind of thing?"

[flippin_peachy]

Alfred laughs at that, it's a pleasant rich sounding laugh and he shakes his head. "There wasn't much of that, I was the only real staff member and the Wayne's treated me more like family than staff."

[dead_tongue]

"Huh." He grins. "If I were that rich I'd totally have a bunch of servants! Especially a cook. And a driver!"