016;

[digophelia]

[Video]
[The camera is cut off halfway, only to show a young woman with dark hair looking a portrait. A family. Their faces are cut off and Alice gazing at it. A clank of something out of her hands when she realizes this has been recording. Her precious dog walks into view as Alice scratches his chin before cutting it off.]

[Voice]

We won't be discussing it. I have things to attend to; it seems I am behind a few days of work.

Comments

[seventeenth]

Looks like you're back from the land of the short.

[digophelia]

[It's nothing personal- actually, it is. Alice is going to not answer that question.]

What sort of tea are we low on?

[seventeenth]

The Earl Grey, the Darjeerling, and the green one I can never pronounce.

[digophelia]

So the Earl Grey is popular with the apple cider after all.

Can you spell it?

[seventeenth]

M-E-N... uh... D... Hang on. [There's some shuffling, rustling sounds, and then:] M-E-N-G-D-I-N-G and then G-A-N-L-U. The Chinese one.

1/2

[digophelia]

[Alice isn't even going to try and pronounce that, too, that's how she remembers that one as well. The sigh she heaves is shaky, as if she's been crying and as much as Desmond is getting on her nerves, she concludes it's not fair to take it out on him.]

[digophelia]

I will see if I can find it.

[On the list it goes.]

[seventeenth]

[Desmond knows next to nothing about Alice, bit it's not too hard to spot someone tell if someone's had life kick them while they're down. And while Desmond may not be the greatest guy...]

You need help carrying it all back?

[... He can at least be nice to a coworker.]

1/3

[digophelia]

No.

[digophelia]

[Too snappy?]

I meant-

[digophelia]

I am not sure.

[CANNOT DEAL WITH YOUR KINDNESS.]

I- I don't know if there's much-

Or how much needs to be replenished, or if it...

[seventeenth]

[Woah, damn, Alice. Desmond side-eyes his bracelet a little before he speaks again.] Okay, okay, I got it. [Desmond can't say he's ever had someone react that way to an offer for help.] Well... If you need an extra pair of hands, let me know? I've finished most of my work at the shop today.

[digophelia]

Fair enough, I suppose.

[singlehandedly]

Welcome back.

[If she won't talk about it, he'll try not to ask. Respect over curiosity.]

[digophelia]

I am replenishing some of the tea for the backroom.

[singlehandedly]

A good idea. [Because running away into work is always a good idea. He does the same thing, after all.]

You know which we're short on?

[digophelia]

The Earl Grey, the Darjeerling, and the green one from China. [Alice cannot pronounce it either.]

[singlehandedly]

Yes. [Malik is beginning to think nobody can.]

Perhaps check on the spices as well, just to be sure. [Y'know. Sure that you've got something to do.]

[digophelia]

We're low on them?

[How kind of him to consider but for some reason, that makes Alice nervous. Again,]

[singlehandedly]

A few, I believe, but I do not have them all in mind. Best to be prepared should Caterina decide on feeding a lot of people for free again.

[That's said calmly, not very much in jest. Better safe than sorry in these cases, and spices don't exactly go bad.]

[digophelia]

I will fetch it, then.

[Someone has to tell Alice to stop pacing.]

voice;

[freerunning]

But there is so much to discuss! [on the upside, he's mostly joking. it's even in his tone.]

voice;

[digophelia]

I beg your pardon?

voice;

[freerunning]

We could start with your beauty.

1/2 - voice;

[digophelia]

[CAN'T TELL IF SERIOUS.]

I am not even-

voice;

[digophelia]

Which I am not about to indulge in!

voice;

[yoghurts]

What aren't we discussing?

voice;

[digophelia]

I have things to attend to at the shop.

voice;

[yoghurts]

Things you can't talk about?

voice;

[digophelia]

We're low on tea and spices and I have to pick them up.

voice;

[yoghurts]

Oh... then, do you want some help?

voice;

[digophelia]

It is not that heavy of a load. I shouldn't be stalling, I'll be late.

[Ignore the fervent pacing.]

voice;

[yoghurts]

That's good... oh, but you shouldn't rush too much! You might fall.

voice;

[digophelia]

I never fall.

voice;

[yoghurts]

...never?

voice;

[digophelia]

Never.

[She just needs to stop pacing.]

voice;

[yoghurts]

You must have really good balance!

[ or something. ]