Another Town, Another Tunnel
Louis followed the direction of the stranger’s gesture, glancing across the bridge - and chuckling anxiously at spotting one of the few buildings that had its lights off entirely. “Aha,” he began - ready to begin heading in that direction. “Thank you very m—”
He was cut off by a giggle and a coy look. Louis paused, suddenly all the more aware of how tired and dirty he was as this giggling young man continued to speak. This person, Louis took great care to notice, was well dressed and clean - and seemingly very fashionable, dressed for the winter weather with well put together patterns and a very nice coat. The owner of a new cafe, and possibly wealthy. What had seemed like a friendly chance encounter a moment before quietly escalated in the back of the inventor’s mind until it was clanging with anxiety and self-consciousness. Self-awareness slid into embarrassment - and Louis ran a shaking hand through his hair, wincing slightly at how caked with sweat and dirt it happened to feel at the moment.
"I’ll— h-have to drop in sometime, th-then? That s-s-sounds— very nice, ahah.” The inventor tried on an anxious smile, eyes narrowing with the weight of forcing the expression. “Maybe, ah— f-f-first thing in the morning. I’ve j-just— I need a shower, I’m af-fraid, and a good night’s sleep before, ah— hm. I w-wouldn’t want to, erm—”
His voice sank to a self-reproachful mumble, his eyes consistently averted from the stranger. “—get your poor c-cafe dirty, ahah. I’ll— see another time, hm? Thank you f-for— ah, for the directions.”
Louis gave one last smile and a wave before heading off in the direction of the inn, hugging himself over his thin lab coat and shuddering with the cold and with his self-consciousness.
Carl stared up with a doe-eyed smile as the stranger apparently devolved into a nervous fit - which was altogether more confusing than why the stranger would be out in the cold in the first place. Carl tried his best to keep his smile up, eyebrows drawing together with his confusing guilt. Had he said something offensive?
"Ah-- right, a shower--" the baker paused to blink over at the inn, sinking slightly. Well, the man certainly looked like he could use a shower or two - one to clean, and another to warm up - or perhaps a very long bath. And it wasn't unfounded to be tired after a busy day in the mines - assuming still that he had been in the mines. Where else could he have gotten so dirty and with so little clothing?
"Oh--" Carl's smile faded with a concern at the mumbled words, pouting now. It had crossed his mind that the man would dirty up a seat, and now he felt guilty as though the thought had transferred between them.
"Goodness, I wouldn't mind-- honest!" he hesitated, realizing already that he was calling after a retreating man and quickly putting his smile back on to wave back anxiously and call across the distance. "It's no problem! Please feel free to-- to come back later, alright? Get some rest and warm up, sir--!"
He paused to smile anxiously after him before sinking back very suddenly into his pout and huffing to himself in disappointment. "Goodness sakes, I must have been much ruder than I realized... I really must keep an eye on that."
