Baby Showers and Cheap Hotels

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Characters: Percival and Titania
Date/Time: Late evening, Saturday August 24th
Location: A cheap but clean chain hotel in KC
Rating: Likely to be G but there might be shades of PG.
Warnings: Not hardly.
Summary: A spur of the moment trip to KC for Lilith's baby shower and Percival left the travel arrangements up to Titania. Bad move, bro.


With a sigh that rang only with very much put-upon and playful exhaustion, Titania dropped her soft-sided carry-on bag onto one of the double beds in the hotel room. Then she straightened, grounded her hands at the small of her back, and arched with another little noise until she felt the muscles loosen. Even as she focused on her body's reactions, she let her grey gaze roam around the room.

It was passable, she decided. Generally inoffensive and apparently clean. Decorated in various shades of tan, it left her longing for color but the price was right. Something she had to pay attention to since she was determined to be doing the treating when it came to the room.

"So... Not too bad, huh?" She smiled at her would-be roommate for the weekend. "Am I still awesome?"

Comments

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

At the mere mention of food, Percival's stomach let out an audible growl. He looked down, surprised. "Um, I think I'm hungry too." He sat up and rested his arms on his knees. "So where do you want to go? There's that diner next to the hotel, I guess. Did you notice anything else close by?"

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Nope, the diner works for me. I could go for something greasy and bad for me." Titania flowed upright again and then slid from the bed. Then she retrieved her purse. "How about you?"

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"Works for me too!" He stood and stretched again, then checked his jeans pockets for his wallet. Grabbing the room key from the top of the dresser, he opened the door. "After you, Your Majesty," he bowed with a smile.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Are you going to call me that all weekend?" she asked as she led him from the room. She flashed a grin of pure mischief over her shoulder at him. "Because I kinda like it."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

Percival shrugged. "Well, you are the Fairy Queen. I mean, I know there's Mab out there and all, but you're the queen I know. Besides," he grinned sheepishly as he pressed the elevator button, "I never know whether to call you Titania or Misha."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Oh, cutie, you can call me anything you want except late for dinner." Reaching over, she squeezed his hand. Just then, the elevator pinged and she dragged him within its cool metal confines. "But Misha is probably best when we're out in public or if my roomie is ever around when you visit."

She stated this as if, of course, he would visit her at her apartment some day. In reality, she was all a-glow inside with total smugness at his innocently stated opinion. Poor Percival. He had no idea how well she remembered things and how seriously his words could weigh in the court of power-plays. She was his queen. Fae Queen, at least.

"And what would you like me to call you, hm?"

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I guess you should probably call me Chance in public. Though I don't mind when Nyx calls me Percy or P." The elevator dinged and opened as it reached the lobby, and they headed for the hotel exit. Once outside, he turned to her. "I sometimes forget that Percival is my name too," he admitted, "even though I automatically respond to it. This is all still kinda new for me."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"You'll get used to it. I promise." She reached for his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "After all, it's not like you're suddenly a different person. You're still you. Just more you than you've ever been before."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"More me," he nodded. "That's a good way of looking at it. I'm going to have to remember that." He smiled and returned the hand squeeze as they walked toward the diner. "Thank you, Your Maj- I mean Misha."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Any time. That's what I'm here for," she returned cheerfully. "Just think of me as your personal Blue Fairy." With that silly joke, they reached the diner door and she stretched out her free hand to open it.

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

With a quick step, Percival reached the door first. "Oh no, allow me," he bowed slightly and opened it for Titania. "Ladies first, always."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I absolutely adore the way you think, Chance." Titania paused to touch gentle fingers to his cheek as she slipped past him. It was a gesture not lost on the bored hostess just within the door who, quite noticeably, looked less bored at their approach. The petite brunette smiled at her and held up one hand with two fingers extended. "Two, please."

The woman nodded, picked up two menus, and motioned them to follow her. Titania bit back a giggle and cast a bright-eyed look towards her companion. If he paid attention, he could not possibly miss the mischief there.

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

He was paying attention, and he grinned in return. Even the Fae Queen was impish and unpredictable, as most of her kind were. Even in mortal form. As far as he was concerned, that just made her a fun friend to have around. He knew she wouldn't cause him harm -- she was Seelie, after all.

The hostess directed them to a booth, and he slid into one faux-leather seat. "Man, am I hungry," he remarked as his stomach grumbled again. "I think I want a burger of some kind. How about you?"

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I wish I could." Titania sighed in her best overwrought, overdramatic manner. Then she smiled for him to show it was all fun and games. "I'm getting a little sensitive to iron in my food," she admitted. "Just a little bit so I'm being careful." She eyed the menu thoughtfully before adding, "Like I didn't already have to think about what I eat all the time, ugh."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"Because of being an actress?" Percival asked. He was still mentally processing the iron thing -- though he figured it made sense since she already was sensitive to the touch of iron and steel. He remembered that much from their time in Faerie.

Opening his menu, he went immediately to the burgers. "It must be tough, having to watch what you eat like that."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"A little but I don't notice it as much anymore. You get used to some things, I guess." She picked up her menu, opened it, and neatly lifted it so it would hide most of her face from him. Then she fluttered dark lashes expertly over the edge. "But I'll tell you a secret. I can never say no to soft-serve ice cream."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'll have to keep that in mind!" he laughed. "There's this place in the city I've heard of, down in the Village, that's supposed to be really good. Maybe I can take you there sometime."

Just then the waitress arrived at their table. "Can I get you folks anything to drink?" she asked, and Percival held out his hand to Titania with a nod, indicating that she should go first. Ladies first, after all.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Just a water with lemon, please." Titania turned the full charm of her smile on the poor woman and the waitress blinked back at her before looking down at her table finally and making a quick note.

Then she turned to Percival. "And you?"

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'll have a Coke, please," he smiled at the waitress. As she went off to get their drinks, he turned back to Titania. "I want to thank you for finding the hotel, and for finding that airfare for me for that matter." He ducked his head sheepishly. "That was the first time I've ever been on an airplane. I have a feeling I'm going to be racking up frequent flyer miles from now on."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I think you're right." Titania shook her head but it was a good-natured gesture, lightened by her wry smile. "My dad gets frequent flyer miles through work but I should probably get my own card or something. Otherwise, he's probably going to start asking some really awkward questions." Folding her hands on the table in front of her, she gave a little shrug. "At least you and Nyx are nice and close and Henry's just down in PA."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

Percival nodded. "You could always tell your dad you're flying for acting stuff, like roles." The waitress returned with their drinks and straws, and he took the paper off his and stuck it in his Coke, then grinned, "Yeah, at least you guys are only a roadtrip away."

He sipped his drink. "I wonder why there are so many of us in New York," he mused.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Because it's a happening place?" She giggled and shrugged, toying with her straw and watching him. "I don't know, really. I'm not questioning it. It's way more convenient than if we were all scattered. Though I suppose it would be nice to have our group even closer. At least a little bit."

Titania wrinkled her nose then and laughed once more. "Though Himself can stay right the heck over in California for all I care and Her Majesty in Chicago is plenty close enough."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"I'd like to meet more of our group," Percival agreed. "I can't wait to meet Ogma tomorrow. He seems like a really cool guy."

Before he could ask her about Oberon and Mab, the waitress came back. "You folks ready to order?" she chirped.

"I'm ready." He nodded at Titania. "You ready? You can go first."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Alright, if you insist." Glancing down at her menu, Titania wrinkled her nose and picked the first thing that stood out. That was what she got for spending more time talking and focusing on her companion, she supposed. "The Greek salad, please, and a dish of the fruit salad."

[piercethevale.insanejournal.com]

"Alright." The waitress scribbled down the order and turned to Percival. "And for you?"

"I'll have the cheeseburger, medium please." Taking Titania's menu, he bundled it with his and handed them both back to the waitress. "Thank you."

As she left, he turned back to Titania. "Do you think you'll ever work things out with those two? Mab and Oberon, I mean."