𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 .

“If you manage to get me a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, silk sheets and an hour alone with a lovely bachelor from Milan, I would be set.” There was a crease on his brow, since trying to juggle the monetary expenses of the expedition whilst maintaining the illusion of luxury and elegance was a tightrope act on its own. This expedition needed to pay off, or it was drab suits in boring offices for him. Anthony would rather eat molten glass.

“Otherwise, little Berl? No,” he sighs, carelessly tossing the pencil to the side, trying to relax. “How about you? Is there any debauchery or preparation I can assist with? I’m very good with the latter, and we can roll the dice on the last bit.”

" I believe I can manage  one  of those things, ”  is the answer that comes perhaps a touch more sincere than the comment deserved. However, it was true. A glass of wine he could manage, but Anthony would have to talk to housekeeping at the hotel if he had any complaints about the sheets, and as far as who he should speak to about the third request.. well, frankly, Hal was unsure who one spoke to about finding a bachelor.

“ I believe we’re set on the preparation, ”  he says, giving a nod that he hopes looks confident, like he knows that they’re set and is just being polite. Truth is that he simply hasn’t been asked to do thing recently.  “ You’re probably better on locating the other than I am, ”  he admits, more honest words accompanied by a chuckle,  “ I’ve spent most of my time in Cairo with maps and books. ”  Plus his Aunt and her assistant who didn’t seem interested in him.

" You and Uncle Ben still working out details ? ”  Harold asks, glancing over to Anthony. It’s not that he minded the free time, usually he wouldn’t — he’d be happy to use it working on a new map, maybe his writing, but currently he was just anxious.  “ Need anything ? ”

" So what’s ...  what’s the plan here ? ”  Harold had agreed to this, but still had some apprehension, to say the least.  “ I’ve never been in a fight before. ” 

The soft clack of her boots on the stone floor echoes through the grand library. It was an easy place to to get lost in both literally in terms of direction and metaphorically in terms of the wonder that the grandeur that so many books inspired. So she didn’t blame him for getting a little distracted. “I was just there, not a sign of them,” At his words she fumbles around, feeling at the tangled mess of brunette hair piled on top of her head and tied back it what used to be a bun. Her fingers hit metal, and she struggles to to pull the thin frames out of the mop, “Oh goodness, oh goodness me,” she mutters arriving at his side as she manages to free them, “Well, that’s embarrassing. How’s it going dear?” 

When she comes into sight he sees that his guess is correct. It’s strange that something simple like that could make him feel a bit better about all this, even if for a moment, but finding similarities between him and his Aunt feels like a reminder that this is his family.  “ Hardly, I do it all the time. ”  His face changes somewhat, brow creased as he nods, thinking about the task at hand.  “ It’s good, going swimmingly actually. Although ... were there any particular volumes you were thinking about bringing ?  Want to keep it light, but I don’t know if I’m the best person to decide which history of Egypt deserves to be brought along, and which stays on the shelf. ”

         It doesn’t have a name yet – that means Hal is drawing a country that he discovered? Shawn’s eyes go wide, owl-like, deeply impressed. He hadn’t been aware that he’d be traveling with pioneers of that level.

“No, how did you get up high enough to know what it looks like from that angle?” he clarifies, fascinated. It doesn’t look like America – or, rather, it doesn’t look like the ‘America’ that Shawn has seen on maps. He disagrees with that America. It doesn’t look right to him. “You must have climbed a really tall mountain. You’re a mountaineer and you discover countries? Wow.”

Harold stops when he realizes the assumption Shawn has made. It leaves him stunned for a moment, but then he leans back in his chair to look up at the man.  “ It’s just in my head, Shawn, ”  he explains, then looks back at the paper and points out the scale on the left hand side,  “ That’s about a 1 to 250 K scale.. I don’t think you could get that high in a plane. ”

“evening to you too. what are you reading? does it have to do with the expedition?” ofrah replied, the greeting still carrying remainders of the frustration stirred by the interaction with the medic. eyes quickly glanced over at the novel, though she doubted it was information she would retain for later. “me? i am splendid,” she feigned a smile, though it lasted very little. then, she sighed gently. “do you really want to know, or is the inquiry just a formality?”

" Uh,  no.  Just something I picked up from the library to keep me occupied. ”  It was a fantasy novel he had picked up at a bookstore he had found. Something short enough to finish before the trip began and that he hadn’t read before, which was enough to keep him occupied. He doesn’t expect the straight forwardness of her question, and he stumbles for a moment before saying,  “ Well, I had heard there was a little bit of a disagreement. Just wanted to make sure everything’s alright now. ”

Harold had taken a break from either assisting his Aunt and Uncle, trying to psych himself up for what was going to happen in the next few days, or, alternatively, pretending it wasn’t by reading a good book in a secluded corner of the library. Adventurers, willing or otherwise, needed to eat; thus, he finds himself at the hotel restaurant for dinner, and did so around the same time that Anthony had arrived. Harold knew Anthony  better than most of the others on the trip, thanks to his connection to his Aunt, but that wasn’t to say the two were exceptionally close. 

“ Have you done something like this before ? ” Hal inquired, looking over at the other. It seemed like everyone else had more experience with this under their belts than he did.

They’ve begun the process of packing the office in relative silence. It’s broken in certain moments, though broken is not quite the right word; it’s something closer to a bend, just enough space for exchanges of ‘ Do you think ... ? ’  ‘ Yes. ’  or  ‘ Have you seen ... ? ’ ‘ Behind here. ’  Truthfully, Harold would not mind the silence usually, but here it just seems like another reminder of what he cannot do — the first Berl in three generations who’s not built for adventure, and also he was unable to hold a meaningful conversation with Violet Oldfield. 

However, what conversation can be made here he’s unsure of. Despite the number of conversations he’s played out in his head, he still struggles with dialogue.  ‘ Have you gone on a trip before ?  I mean, a trip like this. Expedition. ’  He looks at her for a moment longer, before deciding that was a terrible start, and busying himself with the box of books he was supposed to be going through.

@dreamsmapped​

“ harold, ”   meryem greets pleasantly as he comes through the door.   “ i did not expect to see you until the expedition started; i expected that edith would be keeping you very busy prior to setting out. ”   she is not unhappy to see him, even if she is busy herself. she is procuring, currently, for a few different types of roots that she has lost amongst the various herbs, utensils, and other oddities amongst the countertops of her shop.   “ is there something that i can help you with? ”   she asks before a pause naturally settles itself for a moment, a thought flickering through her and a delicate arch of an eyebrow to accompany it.   “ you’ve not hurt yourself before we have even begun, have you? ”

One wouldn’t expect a man of Shawn’s build to be terribly stealthy, and yet, he’s honed his craft over a childhood of trying to sneak up on unsuspecting (and highly venomous) cool looking bugs. So he manages to observe the map drawing for a solid five minutes before he’s discovered.

Hal asks a question, and Shawn doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he cranes his neck to look directly above them, peering confusedly into the bright blue sky. Seeing nothing, he looks back down at Hal, baffled. “How are you doing that? Is that America?”

“ No .. ”  Hal replies somewhat cautiously, unsure how to explain this exactly. “ It doesn’t have a name yet. ”  If he was satisfied with the layout when it was completed, he’d likely give it one, but at this point it wasn’t worth it yet. He frowns, squinting at his own work — he tried to avoid shapes that were reminiscent of actual landmasses.  “  Does it look too much like America ? ”

It’s not a productive endeavor, but it was calming — meditative, even. Harold had begun sketching out a map of his mind some place new, and then had lost track of time. He’s brought back to the present by the feeling that someone is standing over him, and his hand stills.  “  —  Do you need something, Shawn ?  ”  he asks, somewhat uncertain, when he looked up to see one of the twins, though he’d yet to learn how to tell the difference between them.

"  Evening. How are you, Ofrah ?  ”  he asks, having looked up from the novel he was reading and seeing who had entered the hotel lounge that had turned into a camp of sorts. Frankly, Harold would prefer not to get involved — considering he had heard some discussion of a conflict earlier in the day, details left out — but he was raised to be polite.

" So you’re the guide, correct ? ”  Harold inquires of Ramses, after a brief introduction. He’s was still trying to get his bearing on this trip, and it seemed new members were being added by the moment it seemed.  “ Do you have recent maps of the areas ?  I’d be curious to see them. All of mine are...  well, I’m afraid they may be slightly outdated.  ”  His plan was to get a few new ones before they left, on which he could add his own notes — building upward, layer by layer — but if Ramses was already familiar with the area, perhaps he had resources already.