His other hand comes up and squeezes John's wrist gently, giving him a warm, steady look. It's not hard to miss John's anxiety, though whether it's his own familiarity with his partner or the way he wears it transparent on his face, he can't quite say.
Regardless, Arthur starts talking.
"We're in a large community hall, in the town of Milton. The roaring fire in front of us is packed largely with pine, lending the smoke that escapes the chimney an oddly refreshing edge to the smell - it's about halfway down the narrow hall, behind us being the kitchen door. There's a raised stage at the far end of the hall, though right now it's being used to store crates and piles of supplies more than its intended use, making that entire end feel like a shed, especially with the large, curtained-off area before it blocking the view. I know it's filled with beds, but at this time of day they're largely empty except for a few infirm."
He glanced around, looking for more to just- say. "The hall is busier than usual at the moment - it always is when new people arrive, but you coming by so late means it's largely the stragglers, and John's rather abrupt takeover of the fire means we've got ourselves a bit of space to breathe. Not that anyone can really see you at all, with how rugged up you are in John's layers," he adds with a warm fondness, giving Charlie another look to check on him.
Re: arrival
Regardless, Arthur starts talking.
"We're in a large community hall, in the town of Milton. The roaring fire in front of us is packed largely with pine, lending the smoke that escapes the chimney an oddly refreshing edge to the smell - it's about halfway down the narrow hall, behind us being the kitchen door. There's a raised stage at the far end of the hall, though right now it's being used to store crates and piles of supplies more than its intended use, making that entire end feel like a shed, especially with the large, curtained-off area before it blocking the view. I know it's filled with beds, but at this time of day they're largely empty except for a few infirm."
He glanced around, looking for more to just- say. "The hall is busier than usual at the moment - it always is when new people arrive, but you coming by so late means it's largely the stragglers, and John's rather abrupt takeover of the fire means we've got ourselves a bit of space to breathe. Not that anyone can really see you at all, with how rugged up you are in John's layers," he adds with a warm fondness, giving Charlie another look to check on him.