Gathering: New Guest Reception

[concierge]

The black sign positioned in front of the Dining Hall's main entrance reads:

New Guest Reception
TODAY
6 PM - 8 PM

All guests welcome

In the Dining Hall itself, the chairs have been pushed up against the walls and the long dining table turned into a buffet stocked with finger foods. At the far end of the room is a small bar serving beer, standard cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

Comments

[iwillnotsettledown]

"It always feels like home when you hear someone that sounds like it," MacKenzie agrees. "My friend Will always said I was a magnet for English ex-pats wherever I went."

Still is, apparently, if Martha is any indication. "You're lucky, to have traveled. Where all have you been?"

[legendthatwas]

"Um," says Martha. "Well, New York, obviously. And I went on a round the world jaunt once. Took me the better part of a year." Admittedly, that wasn't sight-seeing, and the world had been in a pretty sorry state of affairs, but it was something more mentionable than hung out with Shakespeare.

"And...well. You'd probably think I was mad, all the places I've been."

[iwillnotsettledown]

"I love traveling, it's not that mad," MacKenzie says with a quick little laugh. She misses being able to just pick up and go the way she used to.

"Then again, you're talking to a woman who voluntarily went to a war zone because she had a bad break up so I'm not the most reliable source on that subject."

[legendthatwas]

"That sounds about like something I would do," Martha admitted, smiling a little, though she obviously couldn't go into detail. "If given the opportunity. Did you want another drink?"

She gestured towards the open bar, grateful to be making conversation in this place.

[iwillnotsettledown]

"God, please. I'm a complete lush but I don't care." It's a hotel in the middle of nowhere filled with people she doesn't know. MacKenzie thinks she's justified.

"It's been a stressful few days. The knots in my back have knots, I think."

[legendthatwas]

Martha nodded and subtly steered them back over towards the table with the drinks, setting her own empty on a table with trays apparently left out for that kind of thing. "Stressful in the sense of you turning up here?" she inquired. "Or stressful back in the real world--not that this isn't the real world, it feels pretty real to me."

[iwillnotsettledown]

"Little of both? My job is inherently stressful," she explains.

"And I don't ever really disconnect from it except when I come here, only it's a forced disconnect and I can't help but wonder what the hell's going on back home."

[legendthatwas]

"Exactly," said Martha, "though I don't know how worried I am about back home...I keep thinking about it, then not thinking about it, in stages. Probably not the best coping mechanism, but it's not like I can go get some therapy."

[iwillnotsettledown]

"Oh, therapy. Sounds good in theory," MacKenzie says, laughing lightly. "But I can imagine I'd run a therapist off within a week. Too much insanity going on in this brain of mine for one mere mortal to handle."

[legendthatwas]

Martha raised her glass to MacKenzie in salute and utter agreement, wry smile playing over her lips. "Truer words were never spoken, sister, I feel your pain."