((Cross Posted in Hope))

As Alain and his people came to Forgotten Layers to start work on the village for the refugees, Izira opened her inn to all those who would care to take shelter there during their hours of rest. On the first morning, as many went straight to work, Izira made available a large bunch at the inn for the afternoon. And though, Alain had told her to only expect a few, Izira made food enough for that and many more. It was a good idea on her part, for many more there was to feed. Perhaps Izira saw something Alain did not?that many people would come to aid him in this task of his. She was but one woman among those many.

Morning of Monday March 10th

Alain, already fully dressed, jacket hoisted over his shoulder, creeps quietly from his room in the peaceful early morning hours of the Forgotten Layers Inn. He can hear muffled breathing, snoring, and the occasional cough, but not a word within earshot, nor any light in sight. Depending on the dim pre-dawn light to get around, he makes his way to the bar in the common room to start a cup of coffee. He sets his jacket and his tool belt on a table and rubs at his bared arms - black undershirt, work jeans and boots are as stylish as he's getting today.

It would be a while until Izira appeared. When she did it was at the heals of a large orange tabby that sneaked out as she opened the door to the kitchen. Izira seemed to have been up for a while, long enough that her hair was dry and she was dressed. It was a white blouse that covered her bust and arms - a black corset and skirt starting just under her bust and ending just above her knees. Simple black heels as was customary for her. Today her hair was pulled back into a bun - though, a few wisps of curls escaped. Her smile as soft as the pre-dawn light. Perhaps the wait was due to her knowing it was Alain moving about the inn and not sure about going to see him. Imagine her, hiding in her own inn. But it had been her plan to make another spread for those going to work another day... and so, since he'd hear her in the kitchen anyway, she showed herself. "Morning."

"Good morning," he answers her softly - a tone that might be taken in another context to be intimate, but he doesn't want to wake anyone, yet. His smile matches hers, one of the gentle expressions only dear friends can elicit from this man. "I thought I smelled something good in there... Do you want any coffee?" He crouches a little, holding his hand out for the tabby while looking up at her.

Silas of course moved eagerly towards the attention. His master lingering near the door. She gave a nod to the comment on the scent of breakfast, his people seemed eager and willing to eat... and she was ready and willing to feed them. Her smile cracked a little at the offer of coffee, "Actually I don't like it much." Now how many times had she had it with him? She nodded towards the kitchen, "I have some juice in there."

He seems briefly surprised... but understanding dawns quietly, and he masks it well. He rubs Silas for a few moments and straightens to pour himself a cup. "I'm not really sure how you survive without it..." He takes a seat at a table, his chair turned more towards the bar so he can speak to her. "Do you drink tea?" His first sip is careful.

As he moved, she moved towards the bar - leaning against it. "Tea, yes. Coffee is just... "She didn't really continue. Thoughts wandering to the wizard, her standing to his back holding the coffee ready for him. She smiled in apology. The cat wandering off to amuse himself with attention gone. "Would you like your breakfast now?"

"You expect me to say no?" He grins slowly.

"I expect you to tell me what you want." She chuckled, leaning over the bar top.

"Whatever's ready. There's little I won't eat." He watches her, his grin steady, and scratches a stubbly spot on his cheek.

A nod as she considered, "I'll see what there is then." Standing upright and vanishing into the kitchen. It was a while before she returned and when she did she bore a tray full of good things. True, he had his coffee, but she also supplied a glass of juice and a glass of milk. Seasons scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon - not too crisp, toast and jam. A small cup of cut fruits - all of that set before him. "Here you go!"

He blinks at the offering, and smiles. "You're too good to us, really..." He picks up a piece of toast to spread some jam on it, but looks up from it at her and nods to the kitchen. "You want to grab yourself something to eat before the others wake up?"

"I've been picking at things while cooking." She confessed with a smile, "Don't worry about me." Making her way back to the bar. "Do you need anything else?" Was spoken over her shoulder.

He shakes his head. "I'm good, thanks..." Alain can be very subtle in many ways, but his appetite is the same it was when he first arrived in RhyDin, and the same it's been since his teenage years - ravenous. While maintaining decent manners, he demolishes the meal pretty quickly. "I'm hoping to get the last surveys done today," he says to her, well before he's done.

Sneaking into the kitchen long enough to grab her glass of orange juice. She returned in time to hear his comment and back into leaning against the bar. Happily watching him enjoy his food. "What after that? Building?"

"We'll get the sewer piping started, and at the end of the week, start laying some foundations - leave the herdsmen to mind the livestock and keep building those pens." He spears some egg and a piece of fruit, pulls it off with a piece of toast, and eats it. He never really separates his foods. "By next week, it should start looking like a proper village."

"That's amazing Alain." And she sounded to truly mean it.... about what he was doing, not what or rather how he was eating. Of course, that was mildly interesting as well. She'd never considered that combination. Juice in hand, though forgotten for the moment as she watched and spoke with Alain.

He grins. "I won't be amazed until we get all the infrastructure finished before summer." Aaaaand, he's finished. He returns to his coffee. "The people can afford to continue living in tents until they have their own homes built... The weather will be warm enough for plenty long."

"With so many helping you, I think it a very likely goal." She moved from the bar again, leaving her drink behind and moving to gather his plate. "Do you want anything more?"

"No thank you... That should last me until after noon." He takes another sip of his coffee, thinking a moment. A few moments more, and his notebook comes out - money, resources, labor, and other calculations related to this project. "There's another wealthy noble that's taken an interest in our work. It'll certainly help if he makes good on it."

She set the dishes in the wide sink behind the counter, "Money isn't much of an issue is it?"

"The problem is making sure we convert that money into the labor and resources we need, and that they're made available by the time we need them."

"Let me know if you have either running short. I would think someone I do business with would be able to find a way to help you. At a fair price, of course." She smiled, business was still business for some.

"What kind of resources do they have available? What we really need is someone who knows a lot about converting magic into power - like electricity..." He hears noise at the stairs, and looks up in time for one of the refugees who's been working there the last two days place his hand on his shoulder and greet him, speaking in their odd mutual dialect of French. They exchange words for a moment, and Alain says something that makes the man chuckle, who then looks up at Izira and bows his head, deeply grateful to this generous woman.

"I think I might be able to find you one such as you speak." Spoken to Alain as she gave a kind smile to the man. "Tell him I will have a plate out for him in a moment." And into the kitchen she slipped again. She had been paying attention to the people, there were many of them - but she focused her attention... knowing something as simple as a favorite breakfast gave more energy to the people than perhaps even the food did. Alain had thrown her off though with his willingness to eat anything and everything - well, there were others such as him and she feed them that way as well. Returning with another tray of what the man had fed himself the previous days.

Merci beaucoup, the man says, and tucks into his meal. The others begin to stir upstairs, doors opening, people yawning and chatting quietly in a mix of English and French, and Alain looks up at Izira. "I think I'll go ahead and get the horses ready and get the tools together." He collects his belt and his coat, and pauses once more to smile at Izi. "Thank you for breakfast."

"You're welcome." She offered softly, before picking up the tray from the sink and moving to set the food out for the others. Her eyes lingered on Alain a moment before she disappeared behind the kitchen door once again.