It was too early to be waking up - I had spent the entire night, as per usual, between a healthy dose of nightmares, strange dreams, and staring up at the ceiling when I kept waking up. It was honestly normal for me at this point, so I didn't let myself think too much of it. But all the talking in the room was making it a little hard to get the extra sleep I wanted and needed.
I kept my eyes closed at first, though. I knew exactly where I was, but I wanted to pretend I was in some random inn with Nathaniel and Asmira. I'd even take being stuck in my jar in Lucy's flat over this. But Carter and Elizabeth's voice cut through my thoughts; the illusion was ruined.
Jay and Anna stayed behind as the four of them packed into the back of Mildred's car.
"So, how did you all meet?" Mildred asked.
Just then, Esther gripped Skull's hand. She realized she didn't know as much about the Depression as she probably should. Then, she realized she didn't need to. "At a library," Esther said. "Imagine that."
"What library?"
"Oh, you wouldn't know it," Esther said, continuing to hold Skull's hand. "It was back in Oregon."
Shortly thereafter, they arrived at Edith's place, where a short woman with red hair and freckles came to greet them. "I'm Edith," she said in an Irish accent. "We definitely need help in the kitchen, that's the main thing right now. You know, they say the worst of the Depression is over but we still have people every day looking for meals. But we'll let you know if anything else comes up." She smiled. "Come, I'll show you to your rooms."
All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them. -- Walt Disney
Queenie smiled and gave the appropriate thanks and words of confirmation, "Oh, that's alright," "Thanks for this," and all that sugary nonsense that people without much to say spat out at every opportunity. Mostly, though, she just kept quiet and held loosely to Carter's hand and gave him the occasional loving smile, look at this opportunity, look at these people's kindness, isn't is sweet.
Her muscles itched to do something more complicated than walking from room to room, and she felt naked without her knives. She didn't even have one of her usual array, which was, in her opinion, proof of that woman in the library's stupidity. On top of her choosing this particular batch for this particular purpose.
They were shown to their rooms. It was merely her imagination that caused rats to scurry across the floor just on the edges of her vision. Absently, she released Carter's hand and rubbed at her wrists.
She snapped out of it.
Painting on a smile, she turned on her heel to offer her thanks once again, then made up some excuse she wasn't paying attention to herself and ducked into one of the rooms, gently pulling Carter in after her.
The door clicked closed, and she dropped one act for another.
She tilted her head, listening for a moment to how much sound carried. Not too bad.
With a sigh, she tossed her braid over her shoulder and stalked to the window, "You can have the bed," she said to Carter, even as the idea of sleeping on the floor of this room made her stomach churn. Taking quick note of the view, mostly how easy it would be to climb out and where she could go from there, she turned away and leaned against the desk.
The room was too small. Too dim. Too cold.
Somehow, someway, she kept her breathing steady and crossed her arms, the second action having nothing to do with the slight tremble in her hands.
As Elizabeth and Carter disappeared into one of the rooms, I took that as my cue to lead Esther into the one that was set aside from us. It wasn't anything special by far, but it was okay. It was better than sleeping out on the streets.
With the door shut behind us, I finally let go of Esther's hand. I wondered what Elizabeth and Carter were going to be like now that they didn't have to do the couple act - I was pretty sure they'd be tearing each other apart.
I plopped down on the ground near the window, thinking about what exactly we were supposed to do. The librarian didn't seem like she was going to let us go home until we finished the task she had given us, but I didn't even have any idea where to begin. Were we supposed to spend time with Jay as a kid?
Carter was relieved to finally have some measure of privacy, even if it was with Elizabeth. At least they wouldn't have to pretend to be a couple anymore. Though he was perfectly capable of maintaining the ruse, it did get tiring after a while, even though Elizabeth played along seamlessly.
He looked at the small bed in the corner. When Esther referred to the time period as the "depression," it seemed quite an accurate statement of what the world was for common folk. Simple. Meager. Depressing.
He looked over to Elizabeth, watching her play with her long braid as she looked out the window. He wondered if she was looking for a way of escape - not that it would be wise to flee, considering how little they knew about their environment, and how uncertain their fate might be if the librarian decided they were "messing up" and whisked them out of it.
If he didn't care how Elizabeth perceived him, he would've gladly taken the bed - he preferred it. But she seemed to be of the persuasion that he was decent enough to not treat with the same contempt she showed Skull, and she was right of course, but Carter wanted to remain in her favor.
"Huh. Wasn't thinking we'd have to fight over who got the floor," he mused. "You can take the bed." He paused, before adding extra padding so she wouldn't fight him on it. He really didn't feel like arguing over it. "In the unlikely event someone pokes their head in, I feel like it would make more sense if I'm understanding things about this culture correctly."
Queenie expertly hid her relief at that. A little comfort to shoo the nightmare away.
She gave a dismissive shrug, "I'm not going to fight you for it, love. If you want to wake up stiff and cold that's your choice." It was hard not to wonder if, just maybe, her mask had cracked. If he'd seen through to her discomfort and compensated.
No. Of course not. She was better than that, and as good an actor as he was, he wasn't better at her job than she was.
She shrugged off her jacket and left it on the desk as she went to go sit on the bed.
Carter passed her and sat on the desk, watching her closely as she plopped down on the bed. Hm. So the "you can take the bed" thing was what, just another act? Was Elizabeth trying to present herself as stronger or tougher than she was? Carter also considered Elizabeth's previous wound and wondered if that had any part to play in the discomfort she seemed to be concealing.
He slipped his hands into the pockets of his overalls.
She rolled her eyes, "You know as well as I do that the 'lovestruck' act is the easiest one in the book. I'd better be able to take a day of pretending to be dumb housewife material." Of course, that act had earned her a job of 'helping in the kitchen'. She hoped that meant cleaning or something. Cooking was an activity she was best refraining from.
She studied Carter, watching him watch her. He looked like he was looking for something. She gave an uncomfortable shift and glanced away from him. If he was as clever as he acted, then he'd take that to mean she was uncomfortable with him staring, and if he was as nice as he acted, he would stop it.
Carter tilted his head a little as he noticed Elizabeth’s apparent discomfort and let his gaze drift to the side as if he lost interest, looking out the window.
“Sounds like you do this sort of thing all the time,” Carter commented.
"Sounds like you're overstepping the bounds of our little arrangement," she retorted. He was getting too comfortable. All because she'd stopped snapping at him. Her mistake for being nice, then.
“Technically, those bounds were never specified, Elizabeth,” Carter shot back, though his tone was still calm and casual. “But forgive me if my curiosity offends you so.”
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