(no subject)

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

Date: April 21st, 2003
Status: Public (Aphrodite)
Setting: The Manor (Outside and In)
Summary: This looks like a good place to stay for the night... do they have a phone?



'Dite cursed and smacked the steering wheel of her little rental coup, miraculously not chipping a nail in the process. The little white dove sitting on her shoulder screeched in surprise and decided that perhaps it would be better to ride shotgun, abandoning the temperamental woman to sit on its cage next to her. 'Dite ignored it and started to plead with the vehicle to keep going. She was pretty sure the engine wasn't supposed to be making that odd popping noise, and smoke was never a good sign. Finally, with a mighty 'clunk' the car stopped its slow forward crawl, steamed profusely, then died. Aphrodite's forehead hit the top of the steering wheel with a dull thud.

"Why now? Why me?" she grumbled, throwing the door open and stepping out of the red vehicle, her heels clicking on the pavement. She bent over below the dash and fiddled with a lever to pop the hood. Moving to the front of the car, she flung the hood upward and stared blankly down at the engine as if that would help her determine what was wrong. She hadn't the foggiest, though. With a groan, she ran her manicured fingers through thick blond tresses. Mechanics were never her strong point.

Frustrated further at her own inability to understand what made the car do what the car was supposed to do, she whistled for her pet and glanced around to get her bearings. There was bound to be somewhere nearby that had a working phone. She had long since lost her cell phone when, during a fit of temper at her lover, she threw it into a lake in the middle of an argument. She had realized in retrospect that it would have been just as effective to merely hang up on Ares as he could not actually see her throw the phone. Hind-sight was always fifty-fifty.

No far away sat a building with some promise. Large, hotel-ish, lots of windows equaling lots of rooms... if there wasn't a phone in that building she would eat her lipstick. With a brief word to Bird to watch the car (not like it was going anywhere but it was the principle that mattered) 'Dite trudged through the gate and down the lane to the front door. Poking her head in, she glanced around at the lobby.

"Hullo?" she called, stepping fully in and moving toward the reception desk.

Comments

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

Aphrodite took a moment to consider her response. "The third floor would be lovely," she said with a nod. "I'll just need to go get my things." 'Dite turned to walk out of the lobby then paused and looked over her shoulder. "Is there a pool, by chance?"

[mcleod1592.livejournal.com]

Duncan had been outside for a bit of training. The rec room in the hotel was occupied by that moron Michael far too often for his taste, so he preferred to take his own workout elsewhere.

He threw open to door to enter the lobby, and very nearly walked into--

--the most beautiful woman he had seen in a few hundred years. He stopped in his tracks and smiled, nodded to the girl behind the counter, then bowed slightly to the woman.

"Accept my apologies, lady," he said. "I wasn't looking where I was going. I am Duncan McLeod. Are you a new guest here?"

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"Third floor it is, madam. And no, I don't think there's a pool at the manor." It would have to be very well hidden indeed, or she would have found it by now. Or at least smelled it.

Rose went to the board where Ms Hodges kept alle the keys and selected one for a third room floor that she knew was clean.

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

'Dite took the key graciously from Rose, not showing her disappointment at the lack of a pool, and then turned to the man who had just entered the lobby. She took a brief moment to thank the woman behind the counter before regarding Duncan with a curious gaze. She held up the key with one hand and wiggled it a bit. "I am, indeed, a new guest," she murmured before pocketing the key and moving toward the man. Holding out her hand, she introduced herself.

"'Dite Papadopoulos," she supplied. She knew how these humans liked to be given last names. She had chosen long ago to use one of the most common Grecian surnames available, the Greek equivalent to the American 'Smith.' People tended to ask questions when she had introduced herself merely as 'Aphrodite.' Most of those questions involved the location of the mental hospital she had escaped from. "And there is no need to apologize. I take it you're staying here, too?"

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

That woman just took the key and turned around without even stating her name. Rose was perplexed for one moment and then followed the newcomer.

"Excuse me, madam, but I need your full name still to check you in. Could you spell it for me so I get it right?"

Rose honestly didn't think she'd spell the strange name right without any help.

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

'Dite blinked at Rose for a moment then laughed and put a hand to the side of her wavy blond locks. "Goodness, I must have left my brain with my luggage!" She turned partially toward Duncan. "Excuse me a minute, I completely forgot to check in!" Still chuckling at herself, 'Dite moved back toward the reception desk to do any of the last minute paperwork, payment, etc needed to rent a room.

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"It wont take more than a few minutes."

Rose was glad the newcomer cooperated. She wanted to have everything in order when Ms Hodges took over later. She wanted to show she could do this right. So she took out everything she'd need to properly check in Mrs Papo... Papa... whatever she was called.

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

"Now, do you require payment in advance or afterwards? I'm afraid I'm not entirely certain how long I will need to stay." 'Dite dug through her purse to pull out her wallet. She passed her an International Driver Document card with her name spelled on it to make things easier.

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"You can pay in advance or when you leave. As you don't know yet how long you'll stay I'd suggest you pay when you leave. Or, if you stay for a longer time, each week or so."

Rose wrote the name down, still doubting she'd be able to pronounce it correctly. Well, the guest would probably correct her.

After writing down anything important Rose remembered something else

"By the way, if you want your room cleaned, please leave a sign on your door stating that wish. Some of our guests are very private persons so we don't enter occupied rooms without express permission."

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

"I'll pay when I leave, then, if it's all the same. Thank you, Miss." 'Dite turned from Rose back to Duncan. "Now, I do believe we were becoming better acquainted?" she asked with a thick layer of charm.

[mcleod1592.livejournal.com]

Duncan had waited patiently while the stranger - Dite - had checked in. Now he put on his most winning smile.

"I believe we were," he confirmed. "To your earlier question: Yes, I will be staying here for a while. Do you have luggage that needs carrying upstairs?"

He had probably just volunteered to wrestle an insane number of suitacases up the stairs, but if that would get him into her good graces, he'd gladly do so. This hotel was terribly short on women. Rose was young enough to be off limits to him, and while Mary Hodges wasn't his type anyway, she also seemed to have something going with one of the other guests. Duncan had seen her look at him at the Easter party.

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

"I would love your help," 'Dite replied, clapping her hands together before heading out the door. She led him up to the road where her dead rental car sat on the side. Bird flew over as they arrived, landing on 'Dite's shoulder. She rubbed him under the wings in greeting before going behind the car and opening the trunk.

There was a rather ordinary suitcase inside and not much else besides what usually resides in a trunk. "If you could carry that, I'll get Bird's cage. It's difficult to carry both at once. It would probably end badly if I tried it myself."

'Dite moved to the passenger side and pulled the cumbersome wire bird cage from the seat, holding it between both her hands. She smiled at the handsome man and waited for him to indicate he was all set.

[mcleod1592.livejournal.com]

Duncan hoisted the woman's suitcase. It was surprising how little she had by way of luggage. Amanda wouldn't have been caught dead with a single piece of baggage, he was sure of that.

Or if she had been she would have proceeded to relieve him of his credit card so she could stock up on things.

He smiled at the bird. "Is that a dove?" he asked. "It's very pretty! Have you had it for a long time?"

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes, he's a dove," she confirmed as they walked back toward the manor. "Bird and I have been together for, oh..." she paused on the threshold of the lobby, thinking for a moment before moving on to the stairs. "I'd say we've probably been together for something close to five or six years. Do you like birds, Mr. McLeod?"

[mcleod1592.livejournal.com]

He followed her first, then sped up his steps so that he could hold open the door to the manor.

She seemed to be looking for something as they entered the lobby. He waited, then followed again as she moved on to the stairs.

"I like animals in general," he said. "In particular peaceful ones such as that. He seems very tame. Do you keep his wings clipped? He seemed to be able to fly fine."

If she thought carrying a suitacase up the stairs would leave him breathless, she had misjudged his stamina. He kept up easily and continued to talk: "And please. My friends call me Mac. Or Duncan, if you prefer."

[thinksexy.livejournal.com]

"Duncan, then," she said as she carefully ascended the stairs. One had to be extra cautious about steps in stelleto heels. "Mac makes you sound like an American truck driver," she told him honestly. "Unless you are an American truck driver?" she added a bit hesitantly. She really did not want to offend her new acquaintance.

She pushed on in the conversation in order to try and cover up any fauxpa she had just committed. "Bird is imprinted on me, I raised him from an egg. So I don't have to keep his wings clipped."

[mcleod1592.livejournal.com]

"I didn't know such birds stayed with their mothers their whole life," Duncan commented. The bird was singularly cute, though. What did doves eat? He could not imagine the pretty lady feeding it either insects or chewed-up seeds as a hatchling.

"And don't worry. I'm neither American nor a truckdriver, though I've lived over there for a while. I'm Scottish, orig'nally. From the clan McLeod."