15S R4 W1 Wednesday Afternoon

[joinhands]

[So Krone has been walking through the hallways of the mansion and in her edgy infomod way she already suspects she hears a certain pair of cutting edge boots so she's going to just throw caution to the wind and cup her hands around her mouth all sing-song like.]

Red Rover, Red Rover! Let Eric come over~!!!?

Comments

[joinhands]

Hmmm-mmmmmm?

[Wait, that's actually a kind of good idea she hadn't completely anticipated herself. She has to think - there's a subtle set to her teeth that makes it clear she used to nervously bite her lips and nails - but her eyes are glittering.]

They're easy to shake off, and there's not a whole lot of them...

[She snaps her fingers at Eric, like she's firing one last shot from a gun.]

We'll use dry ashes as a test in each room—and then dump an ashy bucket of water once we have locked onto a target! To think I'd be happy about not getting that spring cleaning started—but, well, that can be the second time.

[Second... what???]

[yonosoymaria]

The second time?

[He is very politely puzzled. But he's also pleased that he managed to come up with a decent idea! His eyes aren't quite glittering, but there's a significant warmth to them now, and to the reserved, almost-shy smile on his face.]

But nevermind that, if you'd rather not speak of it now that we have a professional criminal to catch! Shall we start with the dining room, and then work outwards?

[joinhands]

The second time we join hands, of course!

[With this she grabs his hand - it's in a very American way, there's not the nerves of impropriety about her approach or even a lingering of her eyes - and off they go down the hallway.]

Now, to that place! Exactly like you said!

[yonosoymaria]

I - yes, of course!

[Eric's not so young or from so far back in time that he'd blush simply from having a woman take his hand - but it's familiar, this way of being pulled into a plan that he helped make. That confidence reminds him too well of someone he was never meant to care for as he did. But her hand is not nearly so rough, and she tugs him along with an unyielding grace that person lacked... no, lacks, because he isn't dead, not yet. Not yet.

Krone is confidence incarnate and he needs that right now, needs someone to rely on, who may yet rely on him. There's a feeling like the first tentative flutter of a wing just removed from a splint, somewhere in his chest. He feels like a clumsy boy, attempting to put words to it -

and so he doesn't, he holds back, holds on to her hand even once they've arrived.]

It occurs to me that we may not have many options for transporting ashes around this place, short of tableware... I didn't see an ash-can by the hearth, but I might have missed it.