[Arkady Vasiliev]

Location: Arkady's room • Date: November 21
Time of Day: 8:43pm • Weather: Chill winds

When Arkady walked into his meagre rooms after work, chilled to the bone with his threadbare coat wrapped about his thin frame, he was not expecting visitors. He never had visitors. True, he had placed an advertisement in need of someone to share his rooms, but having received no reply, he was not inclined to receiving visitors either.

And thus, when Arkady walked into the first of his two rooms, smaller than a study, his cheeks pink with cold, he froze on the spot at the site of the woman before him.

[Irene Lee Holmes]

She stood in the center of the room with no particular care or concern of Arkady's presence. A quick inspection of the residence told Irene everything she needed to know. "Yep. This'll do," she said with a tired sigh. After having replied to twenty three other advertisements printed in the paper and finding them all but unsatisfactory it was a relief to find somewhere she could comfortably inhabit.

[Arkady Vasiliev]

Arkady cleared his throat. "Beg pardon. Why are you here? Who are you?"
It would be just his luck if his landlord decided to kick him out unannounced for a wealthier tenant to move in. Wouldn't be the first time either.

[Irene Lee Holmes]

"Only idiots ask questions they already know the answers to," drawled Irene Lee Holmes as she turned around to face Arkady.

Only after she did a look over from head to toe did she decide to approach him. "Thankfully, though, you don't appear to be one."

She produced the torn out newspaper ad from the and shoved the scrapping in his hands.

[Arkady Vasiliev]

Rather put off by being called an "idiot" and then...not...Arkady took the paper from her hands and saw his advertisement.
"You are looking to share rooms," he confirmed. Well, there were worse people to live with. "There is one more room there, if you wish to see," he added, pointing towards a small door against the east wall.

Arkady frowned, now taking in her full appearance. HIs eyes were first drawn to her hat. Was she a woman cowboy? Did those people exist? He'd heard tales of American cowboys when he lived in Russia, but she looked different....and she didn't have a horse.

Granted if she were looking for lodgings here, horses were probably too precious for her purse. Even still, her coat was well-kept and her clothes were, perhaps not new, but certainly whole. Surely she could afford better than these. "Ah, these lodgings are....perhaps you not like them. I know of nicer ones, only little pricier. They like Americans there. Here is immigrants. Refugees."

[Irene Lee Holmes]

Irene raised a brow before producing money from her coat pocket. “First month’s rent,” she said, completely ignoring Arkady’s suggestion that she might be more comfortable elsewhere. “Now tell me. Do you have a cat?”

[Arkady Vasiliev]

Taken aback by her abruptness, it was a moment before Arkady registered the money held towards him. Did she not want to see the second room? As for the other question....
"Ah, no. No cats. No animals." Except for him. "Animals...they do not like me."

[Irene Lee Holmes]

Something sparkled in her eyes. “No?” She reached out to pluck a corse animal hair from off of Arkady’s shoulder. “Interesting.”

“Girlfriend?”

[Arkady Vasiliev]

An involuntary shudder rolled up Arkady's skin as she pulled off the coarse grey hair form his coat. This was a bad idea. "No. I am alone." An idea belatedly caught him, and he pointed to the hair. "Ah, I work in factory. Adler Textiles. There is cat in factory, to catch mice. He jump on me sometimes. I play balalaika. Will that bother you?" Hopefully this would turn the conversation away.

[Irene Lee Holmes]

Irene narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She was skeptical of his story but decided it wasnt worth her time in pursuing. “Bless you,” she said, mistaking the word balalaika as a sneeze.

“Will what bother me?”

[Arkady Vasiliev]

"B...balalaika," he said more slowly. He pointed towards the triangular stringed instrument sitting against the back corner. "I play sometimes. Not loud. Will that bother you?"

[Irene Lee Holmes]

Irene glanced over at the instrument Arkady pointed to. She smiled. “Well aren’t you just the cutest and considerate little man.” She pat his head in reassuranc before excusing herself from the room to bring to her things.

Yes, this place was perfect.

[Arkady Vasiliev]

Arkady stared at the place where Irene had just been, touching his head where she had pet him. A mix of utter disbelief, complete indignation at her condescending behaviour, and complete bafflement occupied the place where his brain used to be.

Mary Mother of God don't let her be the new tenant.