agora | THROUGH A FRACTURED EXISTENCE, TO THE RHYTHM OF ETERNITY.

[ This pad is a mix of secondhand marketplace and deals. ]

The cafe opens at six in the morning, so employees will be here before that. I had the ceiling of the first floor padded with decorative pattern tiles, but it works for sound occlusion. It's still not completely soundproof.

[ There's that. Jacopo reaches into his pocket and tosses over a key ring with three keys: the cafe, the yard gate, and the second floor. ]

During cafe hours, come through the yard instead of the front to not draw too much attention if all you're doing is coming back upstairs. I know it's annoying.

[ BUT IMPORTANT, tries to think of more. ]

If you want the dogs out of your room, close the door at night. Not that they'll be up here all the time.

[ He wouldn't have known, honestly.

Adolphe nods with all those points, but then he realizes-- ]

My room? I'm not sleeping on your bed.

It's "your" room for now as you are sleeping on the bed.

[ What else... He demonstrates with the coffee table, because it's a rising table. ]

There's storage in the coffee table and you'll find the remote and the paper tv manual in here. There's also storage in the sofa.

[ After pushing down the coffee table, he opens up the larger side of the sofa to show there is storage space in here. At the moment just a bag of extra sheets and blankets.

Closes that up after demonstrating, too. ]

Let's go to the bedroom.

[ Adolphe stares at this coffee table. He has never seen a rising table before. Wow. He's fascinated. Storage in the sofa too?? Wow...

Then he just wordlessly follows Jacopo to the bedroom. ]

[ It's kind of like this. Jacopo truly tried to min-max a solitary space.

To the bedroom, it basically looks like this. The bed can easily fit two people and there are more pillows than the photo... The desk is cleaned up, though there is still a stack of realtor magazines on the floor, but in a storage box. By the desk is a guitar on its stand. Photos are the same as outside, of places and art but not people.

The other door is obviously to the personal bathroom. Jacopo goes to the bed, then crouches. ]

So there's storage under here.

[ He pulls out these from under the bed. ]

[ Min-maxing a solitary space would also be my dream...

It's a foreign concept to Adolphe though, who could barely make use of space due to the lack of anything that he has. He looks down at the magazines, the storage box, guitar, photos... then even more storage from under the bed. ]

... I think I understand why you won't be getting a cat anytime soon.

[ That thing would be impossible to find in this home of SO MANY SMALL HIDING SPOTS. ]

Another pet on top of what I have would kill me, honestly... Even if cats are low maintenance.

[ Four dogs is a lot. If you told him a couple of years ago he would have four, he would say you're crazy. Even now, he thinks it's insane.

He pushes the baskets back under the bed and stands back up. ]

Anything you want to tell me? Like... I don't know. Allergies. Any needs. Preferences. Any weird rituals that I should respect.

[ Jacopo says that, but Adolphe isn't sure what he should note. Being a decent roommate sounds like common sense, like not going through other people's belongings and respecting their wants. Still, he'll try to list some. ]

If you need something from me, like buying groceries, tell me several hours ahead of time. Also, knock first. If I don't respond in three seconds, you can just open the door.

[ These are reasonable. ]

Who doesn't knock first... [ asian family ] But I should open the door even if you don't respond?

[ ??? ]

Yeah. I could be sleeping, so feel free.

[ It would be funny if Jacopo just stood outside the door to wait for a response but never gets one because Adolphe is sleeping. ]

If there's anything else later, I'll let you know. For now, those are the only two things.

[ The thing is... He would just wait and wouldn't open the door, but now he's told he can. ]

All right. The bedroom has a lock, so use it as you want. I already took out the documents I need to review.

[ So he doesn't really need anything from the bedroom. ]

You should shower first.

[ Adolphe was about to say something, but hesitates. He wonders if he looks that bad. ]

... Alright.

[ He goes to drag the backpacks over to the corner. He'll set everything up later. He doesn't think of getting Jacopo's phone number, because despite having a cell phone, he doesn't really like using it. ]

[ At least Adolphe doesn't smell? But Jacopo just thinks it's efficient that Adolphe showers first, because... ]

I'll fix something store bought to eat.

[ So something quick and easy for when Adolphe is done showering. He'll excuse himself from the bedroom to return to the kitchen.

Even though he says store bought, he's cutting up some fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, etc. to add to the store bought tomato sauce... Thinning it out with some beef broth.

Salts the boiling water on the other burner until it's like the sea for the pasta. They're having spaghetti... And for veggies he will just toss a quick salad mix.

You can decide if you want Adolphe to finish and come in either at the middle or when the food is done. ]

[ Adolphe's shower is really quick--five minutes for washing, soaping, drying. He puts on fresh clothes, a large long-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of comfortable pants. He doesn't even use the hair dryer and picks up after himself, making sure the bathroom is clean after. He still has the same black gloves on.

He ends up walking to the kitchen while the food is still being made. ]

Spaghetti?

[ Smells good. ]

I thought you were going for store bought.

[ It is very aromatic even though he cracked the kitchen windows open, though it's also to let cool air in as the kitchen warms up... He even has his tie loose and shirt unbuttoned a bit.

He startles a bit when Adolphe appears, not used to having someone around— ]

You sure shower quick.

[ Jacopo thought he'd take longer...

When Adolphe points out the discrepancy, he looks at the state of his kitchen and... Yeah. This isn't exactly store bought, even if the salad mix is from a sizable bag and the pasta sauce is from a jar. He's adding fresh ingredients to it which is more effort than he intended to put in. It's more than he would put in if he was just making food for himself.

... ]

I'm not using a homemade tomato sauce, so it's basically store bought.

[ Yeah? Yeah! Don't question it. He takes out three slow feeder doggy bowls and one regular small one while the pasta sauce continues cooks. Italians call it gravy but that is too confusing to me, an American. ]

[ today i learned italians call it gravy ]

Store bought is just... buying it ready-made from a store.

[ Jacopo. Please. Suddenly, he remembers that Jacopo owns a cafe and probably has a hand in how the food tastes with the trial samples that he tested. He wonders if those are his own recipes or tweaked from existing ones, but either way, it makes Adolphe's own cooking skills feel very... lackluster.

But it's fine, since he always cooked for sustenance rather than flavor. ]

You put in a lot of effort for something "store bought", so I was surprised.

[ He didn't have to see Jacopo preparing the ingredients, but he can tell by the state of the kitchen. Adolphe is impressed. ]

[ probably just sauce or gravy... ]

Adding things didn't take that much extra time. [ Why are you (rightfully) criticizing him? He knows that he's going a bit beyond, but it isn't that beyond. ] It's also your first night here. We might as well indulge in freshly diced tomatoes.

[ Adding so much attitude to this words to try to shake Adolphe off on overthinking it. It isn't worth overthinking (Jacopo can overthink by himself). It Isn't A Big Deal.

He shakes kibble into the dog bowls, then moves back to the stove to sample the sauce. His expression is lukewarm, unimpressed, and he adds another hit of black pepper before covering it. ]

It's almost ready. [ He opens the cabinets to plates, which Adolphe can see there aren't a whole lot of dinnerware. Probably only enough for 1-3 people. ] Can you bring the dogs up? There's a door stopper by the shoe rack.

[ To keep the door open so Adolphe doesn't need to key fiddle more than he needs to. ]

[ Adolphe's entire reaction to Jacopo's attitude: k ]

Sure.

[ He goes over to the door, takes the door stopper, keeps the door open with it-- ]

It's dinner time...!

[ Will he expect to see a swarm of dogs running at his direction?? ]

[ YEAH SHUT UP GOOD

The dogs know what time it is....... But they see Adolphe and they're more curious and happy to see him instead of eat. He's new? Familiar, but new to the routine!

So they do bombard him, but don't jump on him. They're just crowding around him when they come in, instead of rushing up the stairs. Olive and Vera nose his hands while Harold stares at him expectantly from the ground.

Rocco is watching behind them, tail also wagging. ]

[ The dogs are all great. Olive will feel that the hand is the same as usual. Vera will feel as if the nose walked into a wall. Smoosh. After petting those two with his right hand, he bends over to give Harold some pets too and gestures to Rocco to come over. ]

[ These dogs do not understand... They are going off vibe. If Adolphe has good vibes, then they're happy for him even if one hand is incredibly stiff. Rocco comes over for his turn, ears pinned back but tail still wagging. The dogs continue to crowd... New person new person new person new person.

Distantly upstairs, ]

Hey, dinner! Dinner.

[ skdjgdsjh they're SO cute......... Adolphe feels like he hasn't been this loved since... forever, really. But when Jacopo's voice is heard, Adolphe laughs a little. ]

Come on. It's time for you guys to eat.

[ After one more pat for everyone, Adolphe leads the dogs upstairs. ]

[ The dogs seem to know they've loitered for too long by the sound of Jacopo's voice and with Adolphe's lead they will climb up the stairs. In the kitchen, there's a mat rolled out and the dog bowls set upon it for each dog. They go to their bowl and start munching.

For them, a familiar kitchen stand holding condiments and liquor has transformed into a small kitchen table. Two plates of spaghetti and one large bowl of salad for them to serve themselves. ]

I didn't know if you wanted to eat on the couch to watch some TV or here, but we can move. [ Hand on his hip. ] There's more if you want second servings.

[ Adolphe is, once again, fascinated by the furniture. ]

Here is fine. Thanks.

[ He goes over to the kitchen to wash his hands and walks over to the table. Wow. Spaghetti. This is so much better than how he makes it for himself. After sitting on the chair, he looks down at his food and waits for Jacopo to sit too. ]

[ Also glasses of water, me forgetting... He is about to sit, but then. ]

You have any plans tomorrow?

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