support group one: no one left behind

[hearnospeakno]

When: Friday 6:00 p.m.
Where: Attic Observatory
What: Community Support Group

As Nick promised on his open advertisements, there are chairs and coffee in the Attic Observatory. There's even a table laden with what food products Nick and co could round up.

The process of setting up for a group meeting felt enough like Boulder that Nick took a short break to lean, palms first, against a wall. It was a short, easily displaced moment, and he has no intention of lingering on it.

This is about everyone, one way or another. For all the people stuck here, and everyone new, and all those in-between. Nick left the purpose of the group intentionally vague. In the future, he assumes it'll have to be narrowed down and split up for the sake of different needs, but for this first coming together of the displaced in any non-official capacity he wants it to be open for everyone. It wouldn't be right, otherwise.

So all newcomers will find Nick by the attic observatory door, nursing a cup of black coffee next to a clearly printed sign:

Hi, I'm Nick. Welcome to the first Nexus Hotel Support Group. Whatever your problem, we'll listen. Help yourself to coffee and food.

Underneath the words, Nick has drawn and crossed out a mouth and ear, leaving an arrow pointed at himself. His pad of paper and pen are obvious on his lap.

Comments

[hearnospeakno]

It can't hurt. Nick shrugs, then gestures at the chair next to her with raised eyebrows.

[vampire_shield]

"That's what I was thinking." Bella beamed a smile back at him when she saw what he'd written, then nodded her agreement. "Of course, please have a seat. Have you been here long?"

[hearnospeakno]

No. Just a few weeks.

She makes his heart pound, no matter what he tells himself--and isn't that strange, in a way? It might be. Nick just wants to keep watching her talk, in a dreamy, gentle way. Sitting down next to her feels like a privilege.

[vampire_shield]

"That makes you a veteran compared to me," Bella laughed. "I haven't been here a week and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and that's saying something considering I've been told before that I'm very good with weird."

She tried not to frown but it was hard not to when she heard his pulse rate change and get a little faster. Unfortunately, it was making the scent of his blood more acute and soon she was going to need to start holding her breath.