Secretive. Inquisitive. This one was a real piece of work. Erskine just smiled and made a mental note to keep an eye on the man. The rules prevented violence in the Hotel, and Erskine well knew that Anton could look after himself--for the most part--but that didn't mean some industrious arsehole couldn't go mucking things up for all of them. Possibly a well-intentioned industrious arsehole, but all the same.
"So you know angels, Fair Folk, and demons," he mused, looking back down at his own hands as he toyed with them. Suddenly he wished he had a length of string for a cat's cradle. Those always helped when he was feeling anxious or fidgety. He'd have to remember to keep a bit of string in his pocket from now on. "Is this by personal choice, or is your world just lousy with supernatural creatures?"
Not that he was expecting an answer to the question, but it would be interesting to see how the man ducked around it.
A dangerous question indeed, though probably not in the way Constantine imagined. Not because of anything Shudder might do. If anything the danger came from John himself, though both sides were still keeping too many secrets for any of that to be visible.
"What, you don't think Grand Mage of Ireland to janitor of the Midnight Hotel is a step up in the world?" Erskine asked, laughing quietly. "I like to think of it as a lateral move, myself. Always cleaning up after everyone else."
The smile and the laughter faded, and his expression returned to something more neutral, more solemn. "I earn my room and board. Anton puts up with me when he doesn't have to. It's a better deal than I'd get elsewhere." Not the whole truth by a long shot, but more than he strictly needed to offer.
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"So you know angels, Fair Folk, and demons," he mused, looking back down at his own hands as he toyed with them. Suddenly he wished he had a length of string for a cat's cradle. Those always helped when he was feeling anxious or fidgety. He'd have to remember to keep a bit of string in his pocket from now on. "Is this by personal choice, or is your world just lousy with supernatural creatures?"
Not that he was expecting an answer to the question, but it would be interesting to see how the man ducked around it.
A dangerous question indeed, though probably not in the way Constantine imagined. Not because of anything Shudder might do. If anything the danger came from John himself, though both sides were still keeping too many secrets for any of that to be visible.
"What, you don't think Grand Mage of Ireland to janitor of the Midnight Hotel is a step up in the world?" Erskine asked, laughing quietly. "I like to think of it as a lateral move, myself. Always cleaning up after everyone else."
The smile and the laughter faded, and his expression returned to something more neutral, more solemn. "I earn my room and board. Anton puts up with me when he doesn't have to. It's a better deal than I'd get elsewhere." Not the whole truth by a long shot, but more than he strictly needed to offer.