Ivanna wandered awkwardly around the Chatin-whatever-it-was called. Everyone else seemed to have paired off quickly. Or maybe she was just slow. She’d really liked talking to that one woman, Millicent. Renee too. Ivanna knew she should try and talk to the others as well. 

But as she walked around she thought about her life back home. She would perform shows. She would win and get praise and admiration and audience members walking up to her after the show to tell her how she served and slayed, and then she would go home. She didn’t talk to people, not really, not actual conversations. Unless the person was Superfetch. She fought the urge to try and call Superfetch. She didn’t know if the call would go through, but even if it did, what would she say? She wasn’t meant to tell anyone where she was, and there was no way Superfetch wouldn’t insist over and over that Ivanna tell her. 

She headed back towards her room, stuffing her phone under her pillow so she’d be less tempted to try and call Superfetch. She needed to branch out, talk to other people. It had actually felt good to talk to Millicent and Renee and Felix, but it had also felt…weird. She felt some discomfort in her wig. She thought again about the weird things going on. How she’d gotten that weird note. Something was up but she couldn’t handle thinking about that right now. 

She wasn’t drunk anymore. Or maybe she was. She exited her room to wander and talk to someone, anyone, before she completely forgot how. 

Felix was checking on things. Making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. When he saw Ivanna he paused in what he was doing. “Hello mademoiselle. Are you enjoying yourself?” 

Ivanna looked up and smiled. [color=910A1C] “Felix!” [/color]. She stumbled on words and paused for a second. Was she enjoying herself? She wasn’t sure how to answer.  [color=910A1C] “I mean, I am, mostly,” [/color] she thought, before realizing she’d said it out loud too. 

He nods. “I understand. I know the night has been chaotic. I wish I could do something about that. Is there anything I can help with to improve your stay?”

Ivanna wondered how she’d even explain anything that was going on, or if she even could. She thought about the things Felix did know had happened, with that one dude, whatever his name had been, who’d been insulting her earlier. [color=910A1C] “Um…I don’t know, just…it’s very nice here, but I’m not usually in such big groups…anyway, um, how are you?” [/color]

Felix smiled softly. “Ah, I understand. Follow me.” He waved Ivanna along to follow him into the kitchen. “Gordon, my friend, would you be so kind as to make us two hot chocolates. Ivana, anything special you like in your hot chocolate?”

Ivanna waved slightly to Gordon and smiled. [color=910A1C] “Oh, uh, Fetchie would put in marshmallows or candy canes, sometimes, that was good.” [/color]

“Can do,” Gordon said and set about the kitchen to make the hot chocolate. He put a pan of milk on the stove and started shredding some chocolate. 

“Chocolate or tea are my usual go to’s for comforting drinks. You seemed like a hot chocolate person.” Felix explained. 

[color=910A1C] “Thank you,” [/color] Said Ivanna, watching with amazement as Gordon made this fancy version of hot chocolate that did not involve microwaving water or powder packets. [color=910A1C] “Yeah, me and Superfetch, um, that’s my best friend from back home, if one of us was upset we’d call the other and go to their house and drink hot chocolate til late at night.” [/color]

“Then my gut feeling was correct.” Felix smiled. “I know a large crowd can be overwhelming. Especially this family.” Gordon snorted at the stove. “They are an intense bunch. Add that to the others, who are also unknown. Please sit.” He gestured to one of the bar stool chairs that were gathered around a counter. 

[color=910A1C] “I dunno why it feels so overwhelming,” [/color] Ivanna said, sitting, [color=910A1C] “I’m used to crowds cos of the drag competitions, I never get stage fright or anything like that…but actually talking to people as myself feels different. It feels weird going somewhere without Superfetch, too.” [/color]

“I think you have done wonderfully. Interacting with the others I saw you chatting with them. It does help sometimes to have an anchor person with you, but if you don’t it really helps you stretch your socializing muscles.” 

Ivanna smiled. [color=910A1C] “Thank you, Felix. I do want to talk to the others, I just didn’t realize how un-used to it I was…I guess a butlering job means you have to talk to a lot of different people, at least at work.” [/color] She paused for a moment. [color=910A1C] “Do you talk to a lot of people outside work? What do you do on your days off?” [/color]

“I get Wednesday and Thursday off, usually anyway.” Felix explained. “Not this week. But I will next week. I go to the mainland and I spend some time with friends.” 

Gordon was making progress with the hot chocolate. He had pulled out additional ingredients and had them set on a tray. There were marshmallows and candy canes and assorted other things on the tray to add to the hot chocolate. 

[color=910A1C] “What do you do on the mainland?”[/color] Ivanna asked, [color=910A1C] “Do you have drag shows in the part you go to?”[/color]

“I have never seen a drag show. They do sound interesting. Not super common in this area of France unfortunately. I do enjoy theater. I go to plays often. I also do things like hiking and such with my friends.” 

Ivanna smiled, [color=910A1C] “I love theatre! I did plays, and backstage stuff a little in high school. Ooh, hiking…that sounds…peaceful, and nice.” [/color]

“It is. I enjoy the refreshing air and getting space. As big as this island can seem, it is much too small when you don’t want anyone around. There are a couple places where you might get some peace and quiet here. But there are often people in almost every corner. Especially at this time of year with the nominees.” 

[color=910A1C] “Is the competition always this chaotic?” [/color] Ivanna asked, [color=910A1C] “Is there always so much….you know, all that stuff happening with the disagreements and the comments and that one dude or has it been more peaceful the other years?” [/color] 

“It is never calm.” Felix laughed. “Though I do think this year is taking the cake for chaos.” 

At this point Gordon came over with two mugs of fresh poured hot chocolate. “Enjoy,” he said smiling. He slid the drinks toward the pair of them. Felix put some marshmallows in his cup. 

[color=910A1C] “Thank you,” [/color] said Ivanna to Gordon. She piled her cup with the various types of toppings that Gordon had put on the tray and slowly and gently sipped from the cup. [color=910A1C] “Holy shit that’s amazing.” [/color] She said, amazed. She fidgeted with her wig, trying to fix the growing discomfort. [color=910A1C] “Are the family the only people who nominate people?” [/color] She asked suddenly.

“Ah, no. Other people, members of the community, can nominate too. We have had people nominated for doing something extraordinary that got them the nomination. I do not know why or who nominated anyone this year.” 

[color=910A1C] “The community? Like, here only? Not America?” [/color]

“Anyone who wants. If the reason passes muster Eleanor will accept. Though it is a max of ten.” Felix paused thinking. “If I remember right there was a young librarian who was nominated a few years back. She even won. The town she lived in all sent in letters of nomination for her. It was rather sweet.”

[color=910A1C] “Aww…” [/color] Ivanna smiled then she looked less happy. [color=910A1C] “So then…the note could have meant Fetch got me here,” [/color] She said sadly. She sipped carefully from the hot chocolate then sighed and took a napkin and wiped off the lipstick. It was late, hardly anyone was seeing her anyway, she might as well enjoy hot chocolate proper. She sipped in a much less gentle way. She felt the last bit of drunkenness leave her. Crap, did she just mention the note out loud??!

Felix didn't seem to respond to the comment about the note. “As I said, I do not know who nominated anyone here. The winner is often revealed when they win.”

Ivanna wanted to tell Felix more about the note, but she had no idea if that was a good idea, even. Wait, the note was under papers in her room. Felix went into the rooms to clean stuff. Ivanna looked up at Felix. No. He wouldn’t. He was the world’s most slay butler. Ivanna felt terrible for even considering the possibility. Maybe it was that dude in the room connected to hers? He could get in. No, he was cool too, probably. Ivanna shook her head to clear the thought. She was a little dizzy, but could not remember what she had just been thinking. It worked everytime. It was amazing how much the human brain had in common with an etch-a-sketch. 

The last thing she recalled was what Felix had just said. If you win, you find out. Part of Ivanna did not want to know. She wanted very much to think that someone who saw a show had nominated her. A drag queen she’d performed with once, or something. But then she’d wonder forever and that might be worse. 

 [color=910A1C] “I have to win.” [/color]

Ivanna stood up. She’d talk to everyone who could vote and get them to like her and--oh, she was still a little drunk. She gripped the counter. Tomorrow. She’d do all that tomorrow.