James had been out when he got Cassandra’s text. He knew she had wanted to talk; it hadn’t been that long of a time. He didn’t know what it was about, was it Court business or did she find something while she was setting up wards, or did she hear a juicy bit of intel. He didn’t have the negative association with that phrase that most people did thanks to not having much of a life of his own. He’d just been out getting necessities when he’d got the text. Groceries at his feet as he rode the bus, watching the comings and goings of everyday life. He’d built in slack time to let himself put everything away and get ready before she showed up.
He’d just been milling about setting up a pot of coffee, smoking a cigarette listening a record while a nature documentary played in the background on mute. This was relaxing for the Winter Monarch, other people had parties, athletics; he just wanted to sit down, smoke a cigarette, and listen to some music while watching the beauty of the world that had been taken from him.
He sighed and would wait until he heard her arrive, he’d set the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray letting it burn as he’d answer the door. He was wearing his usual black slacks but was wearing a white button-up as he’d shift aside to let her enter, coffee mug already in his left hand steam drifting up as he blew off the top.