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[LuckyDee]

While you were out, Barbara regained admittance to the kitchen and is recounting her dreadful rendez-vous to Ron. She's a good girl, really, just a little too soft to your tastes. Well, a lot.
Ron is soothing her half-heartedly - she's not the type to really listen anyway, especially when she's talking - but in his eyes you can see he's mentally lining up all the juicy details to entertain others with, possibly before the night is over. At least he has the sense not to start tossing these tales around  so close to his kitchen.
Neither of them seems to wonder or care how this could have happened.

As you are pondering the situation, letting your hands go through the all too familiar routine of scrubbing the plates and cutlery, Mellie leans through the door from out of the common room. She overhears the running conversation and casts an annoyed glance at Barbara, then says "Josie, over here, love, we have a new guest."

[LuckyDee]

 The Lock and Feather Inn, ground floor:

[LuckyDee]

Meanwhile in the common room, there's no sign of anyone having caught wind of the slight disturbance in the kitchen. It's going on 7 o'clock and the first regulars - the thirsty ones like Father Connolly and Cross-Eyed Joe - have already reported for duty. Besides them, there's plenty of people in the middle of their meal, including the nervous guy, who doesn't appear to be very hungry. He's had some of his soup, but half the bowl and half the bun on the side remain untouched. He's fiddling around with the spoon absentmindedly, and keeps looking about - throwing Hugo a glance every other minute, as if he just can't believe what he's seeing.

[Klear]

   Hugo notices the nervous guest is eyeing him. After a while, he gets the feeling it might be more than just intimidation and comes over to him.
   "Mind if I join you for a while?"

[LuckyDee]

The guy looks you up and down once, then seems to decide he has nothing to fear from you and visibly relaxes. A little. "Sure, have a seat," he says. Taking a good look at him, you notice his face seems like a paradox: he's still pretty young, somehwere in his twenties, but looks tired enough to seem nearly twice his age. His straw blonde hair, sticking every which way, adds to the impression that he's been through a lot before he came here, like being dragged behind a horse. His eyes contradict everything, though: they're bright blue, and seem to pierce you with an intensity unfitting for an otherwise helpless and frail - he's about 5'8" tall, and none too muscular - young man.

Looking for something to break the ice, he finds his unfinished bowl of soup. "Soup?" he asks, kind of hopefully, looking to please.

[Klear]

   "No, thanks," Hugo declines politely. "Mrs. Feather would have my head if she saw me taking food from guests. Ha! Anyway, I saw you looking at me all the time, so I said to myself, either he's afraid of me, or maybe he's got some proposition for me. Whatever the case, I thought it best to come over and introduce myself."
   He offers his hand in greeting, oblivious to the fact that he in fact forgot about the proclaimed introduction.

[LuckyDee]

Please roll Wits+Subterfuge for Hugo.

[Klear]

6 - fail. At least not critical fail

[LuckyDee]

The guest takes your hand, hardly able to wrap his own around it, and introduces himself: "Nice to meet you, I'm...Clock. Jonathan Clock." You completely fail to notice the slight hesitation, or the guest's swift glance over your shoulder towards the bar, where a rather elegant and hard-to-miss clock hangs on the wall. At Jonathan's expectant stare, you do realize you totally neglected to offer your own name.

[Klear]

   "Ah, I'm sorry," he suddenly realizes his mistake and sets to set it right, all the while shaking Jonathan's hand firmly.
   "Hugo the Magnificent. Prizefighter, enterpriser, and scholar of the fine sciences behind things alchemical, at your service."

[LuckyDee]

His face lights up in an almost childish smile of fascinated disbelief. "Impressive. And you practice all of that here at the inn?"

[Klear]

   "Oh, no, not at all," he replies, clearly delighted at the opportunity to talk about his grand plans. "This is just a temporary employment, until I can raise enough money to get my own show. But let me tell you this - when the day comes, it will be the best show it all London. Not just some sideshow attraction, but a wholly plusquamperfect experience that will attract people from around the world."

[LuckyDee]

"At least you seem to have it made in the meantime. This looks like a well enough establishment, anyhow, there's likely to be a lot of pubs where someone of your... qualities can make a lot less money for a lot more work, I should think." He looks around at the other guests, and continues "Or am I wrong?"

[Klear]

   "You're not wrong," Hugo frowns. "The pay is good, but I'll need a lot more if I'm to ever make my own show. And they allow me to compete in the prizefighting circuit from time to time. Well, they usually do," he adds, suddenly remembering his conversation with Mrs. Feather.

[LuckyDee]

"Incredible," he replies. "So tell me a little about this place..."