milliways_bar | (no subject)

Susan comes out of the staff hallway and heads toward the bar herself, likely for hot chocolate-- but upon seeing Cuthbert, she smiles brightly and moves toward him.

"Goodeven, 'Bert."

Cuthbert nods to her, smiling.

"Evening, Susan."

"How do'ee fare?"

She is deliberately not commenting on the state of any hats that may or may not be missing, and her smile is still bright-- and she seems happy, or mayhap at least less tense than she's been at times in the last few days, say true.

Cuthbert adopts a mournful look.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. Haven't gone outside all day for fear of getting a sunburn on the back of my neck. Possibly even my ears."

She gasps slightly, and endeavors to look very concerned as she reaches out one hand to him.

"Say not so-- surely thee has some way to prevent such? I know thee have a hat--"

Cuthbert sighs deeply, taking her hand in both of his and bringing it to his chest.

"Oh, Susan. Surely you haven't forgotten all the times you've cautioned me about wounding my poor hat by showing favor to others?"

"Nay, I've not forgotten," she says gravely, "but I'm sure that yer hat will understand, mayhap."

"It's forgiven ye before, after all, and this-- it's a special situation, say true."

Cuthbert shakes his head sadly.

"But now that we've been seperated by outside forces, it's more important than ever that I remain faithful. And my ears will simply have to pay the price."

She reaches up with her other hand and ruffles his hair.

"Ye could always let yer hair grow longer, to protect them-- it's worked for me before, do'ee ken? Or mayhap-- I saw Roland had a range-rider's hat for ye, before, and that's not a Fair-Day hat, mayhap yers would understand."

"Yes, but it's not my hat." Cuthbert points out, with what might be a bit of a pout.

She stretches up to press a quick, gentle kiss to his lips, murmuring,

"It is yer hat, just not the same hat, do'ee ken?"

The mischief in her glance is very, very clear.

Cuthbert wrinkles his nose at her. "Exactly. Not the same."

Her smile is bright still-- but also understanding, and she softens.

"It's safe, 'Bert, I promise thee that."

Alain is sitting at the bar eating dinner too.

You'd think these two had similar habits, or something.

At any rate, he is now carrying his dinner over to where Cuthbert is sitting, with a quick smile of greeting.

Cuthbert returns the smile briefly. "Hile."

"Not seen you in a few days. How do you fare?"

He settles onto a barstool, and dunks a piece of bread in the soup.

Cuthbert shrugs. "Not bad. You?"

...Bert's not setting a personal best for enthusiasm there, although he doesn't seem truly upset over anything currently.

No, he's really not. Alain has an idea why not, but he lets it go for now.

"All right."

Well, no sense beating around the bush.

"You hear about Crouch?"

He blinks. "Had you not -- Aye. I was there when Bigby came to tell Susan of the decision. Told Bigby that if he was to be set to stable work, I'd take watch and supervision."

Cuthbert blinks as well, then nods. "That's right, Susan said you knew."

At the time, he'd been a bit more fixated on what she was telling him than on who else knew.

"I haven't seen Bibgy to speak to him about it in any official capacity, but I'd planned to make sure he was watched, myself."

There's a detectable hint of bitter humor in his voice--Cuthbert's always liked Bigby, but he's absent from the bar far too much of the time.

Alain nods, once. He's not remotely surprised that Cuthbert planned to watch too.

"Seems it was mostly Bigby's plan?"

He's not trying to put Cuthbert in a hard place between friends and duty, which is why it's a genuine and neutral question.

Cuthbert knows him well enough that he can probably guess how Alain feels about this plan of Bigby's, of course.

Cuthbert can guess. He also notes the neutrality, and is grateful for it.

"I think the original idea was Tim's, but--have you heard about Tim?"

It's not a story he's looking forward to telling another gunslinger, what with wizards and betrayed trust, but Alain should know all the facts.

"Roland said."

Succinct.

Cuthbert nods, and moves on. He's not looking to discuss Tim any more than he has to.

"So, his idea originally, but what happened with him happened before he could put it in motion. And with everything Alanna's had to handle with taking over, seems Bigby decided to handle this on his own."

Bert's tone makes it clear he's dubious about the wisdom of that.

Alain nods.

With a fair bit of dubiousness of his own.

"Have any of the other magicians from Barty's world been consulted? Sai Tonks, or Tom Riddle, or any of the others?"

"Not as far as I know."

A pause, then, "Alanna's called a meeting soon for Security to talk over everything we've been having trouble with lately. I'll find out then, if not before."

He nods.

After a moment, "Spoke to Tom, on my own. Thought I'd best know, in case this goes as Bigby planned it."

Bert nods.

"What'd he have to say?"

"Said he can't do much magic, wandless. Small everyday things." Everyday is a quote -- it's not everyday for Alain, but Tom didn't seem worried.

"But the Legilimancy -- what he did to Bernard. Only eye contact, for that. If he feels it worth the risk, and the other person doesn't have the trick of blocking it."

Very matter-of-fact. It's only his eyes that are hard.

Because, really, the fact that Bigby didn't check on this first speaks for itself.

Cuthbert curses under his breath. Creatively.

After a moment, "If he feels it's worth the risk. I can't think of any information he could get from Susan--or anyone in the stables--that'd be worth the risk he'd have to know there would be."

"Nor I," Alain admits.

Pause.

"But I'd not have thought there was any risk worth doing such to Bernard in the main bar."

Bernard, who is dinh of this place, and whose fiancée is an Auror.

Cuthbert sighs, and shakes his head.

"We'll just have to watch him. Carefully."

It's not as if they weren't going to do so already.

Alain nods. "Shìa."