Saint for Rent - Serendipity

By Xu Ru

https://www.saintforrent.com/comic/the-cloverhouse-inn

Armand and Saint go to Paris 1801, after they had a fun date at a ramen shop, covered in Travel Logs, which are mini episodes from the main chapters. When they arrive at Catherine's inn, Le Salon, Saint meets Gregoire first, when he lands in his lap. As he's being carried and announced as being a new time traveler guest, Saint recognizes and greets Gregoire as Catherine comes downstairs to see them. After Saint intros himself and Gregoire and Armand get in a convo about how the former had stopped cooking which Armand was disappointed by, since he'd brought Saint to be impressed with his talent.

Saint follows Catherine to a room where they discuss the grey-haired Halliday being brought up to innkeepers as to be someone to watch out for, Saint taking responsibility for his part, and then learning innkeepers were keeping tabs on different scientific aspects of keeping the inns so as to learn more about the time travel affects and common occurrences. When Catherine mentions how they were looking for the "god" which kept track of all the timelines, Saint recognizes and blurts in question whether she meant Nowhere, she seemingly not catching onto his meaning. The Counter sounding like what they were searching for, what with doing exactly as Catherine described, and how the Counter wouldn't be bothered unless it's caused by the unusual time migrant which had popped up onto their radar. Then, Catherine states how perhaps she could help Saint convince Gregoire to come out of retirement to show off his chef skills after Saint had decided he should probably treat this as a vacay.

Saint reenters the room he'd left Armand and Gregoire only finding the latter sitting at the table and glad he wouldn't have to speak in French to make convo with him about food, which Gregoire shares how he'd had the legacy and connections to become one of the big time foodie players. What changed his path happened when he got on the wrong side of a small time nobleman, but with a honker mouth which was used enough in whispers to cancel culture him, which leads Gregoire to Catherine's inn. He gained notoriety once more though, once he began working at the inn, since he used his talents well. His and Catherine's lives went well for a long while til he became too tired to want to jump through the Chef hoop anymore.

Saint is gooey eyed over the story, and Gregoire gives him shit for not stopping him saying all he had, like a true Frenchman. Saint helps Gregoire realize what's truly important regarding his mental health to the point he decides to use his energy to make Catherine a meal, so he can start a new day a bit better than before, Saint shiny eyed with agreement. So, whilst Santo and Gregoire go out, Armand and Catherine chat, he waiting for young Patrice to show up and change the Inn's history. Armand is determined to meet him, since he was tricked to take him there when he was younger.

When Pat comes through, he's surprised he's met by an older Armand and peppers Catherine q's of whether she's happy, and if she'd return to BioRev with him, but she states of having to finish her studies on radiation and Gregoire was too weak to handle the timelag, currently, plus she didn't feel right leaving him on his own. This spurs young Pat to declare how he felt his pop's rules for Innkeepers were to constrictive and would be off to fix it and come back for her, she replying she could apply to relocate. Catherine reminds Pat his pop would be overseeing his education if he went to learn at BioRev in her place and would lose his freedom. Pat reveals he wanted to prove to his pop he wasn't useless like his brother, Saint, which annoys Armand.

Pat has made up his mind to follow through with his plan despite Armand suggesting he hear Saint out. Catherine offers Pat stay at least for a meal when Gregoire returns so they can eat some scrums. Meanwhile, Saint is marveling at all the good fresh food at the market, as Gregoire warns Saint to not seem so conspicuously an outsider. Saint admits he can't help himself, so Gregoire simply states to stick close by in the busy open market, and then he's recognized by a young man called Jean.

Their exchange isn't a happy one, since Jean had thrown a bottle of wine at Gregoire, he then insulting Saint lightly when he offers to give an input directed at Jean. Before Jean departs he states he'd stopped him to give him a way to set his rep back on track, handing him a piece of note paper. Greg decides not to share what's on it with Saint when asked, but in better humor. Back in the kitchen with Greg, Catherine walks in and they have a tiff over who had met Jean first as he summarizes what had occurred.

Cath admits to having been buddies with him first and they move on to the specifics of their exchange. He allows her to read the letter and when she admits some confusion he clarifies he'd been summoned to serve in Napoleon's army and would have to show by the end of the week. Cath makes it clear she wanted to try to help him not go thru with it, since she was so ill perhaps they'd let him stay, and then offers he join her at BioRev. Greg declines this since he didn't think time traveling would suit him still, and doesn't regret having to do a tour, despite currently the French were dealing with only Britain.

Next, Armand leads Saint to where he cant meet Patrice, the 2 surprised to see each other. Saint goes in for a hug and is quite happy Pat is there, and so Pat says something which makes Saint teary and hugs him again, glad they hadn't missed each other. They all sit at the table to Greg's beautiful spread, Saint happily asking why he and Cath looked somber, and chattily eating as he does. Next scene, Saint is happily declaring to Armand he'd get Pat back to BioRev, another Armand pops up and surprises them.

When he has a moment to get a word out, he blames Pat for giving him the bloody scratched face from a knife he was now holding. Pat gives a smart ass response and both Armands seethe. The quarrel ends with Pat accompanying younger Armand to get treatment at the BioRev. The Armands talk shit about Greg behind his back in Spanish, but he understands, for being Spanish and insults them both back.

When Cath and Greg are left alone they playfully bicker on how he felt coddled by her offer to bring him a souvenir when she wouldn't be returning. She pretends to torture him and then promises she'd ofc not leave him there to die alone in the army and would work a way to make it possible for him to go to the future, but hoped he wouldn't mind her looking older than she did now since she'd start to properly age at BioRev. Armand and she flirt until she states how he had backwardly said he wanted to grow old together. Meanwhile, as Saint is mothering Pat on making friends at BioRev, Pat sets him straight on the reason for his going was so he could take over when their father needed since Saint wouldn't.

Saint attempts to remind Pat he was merely hoping he didn't have to begin his training so soon and not be able to relax with him at the Cloverhouse a bit longer, but Pat is adamant. Saint admits he wished he had the chance to get to know Pat at the age he currently was for not being able to before, but Pat was on a mission to serve his own purpose, which Saint can understand. As Pat leaves, Armand asks him why he hadn't tried to make him stay so Pat would end up a more pleasant person. Saint admits he didn't know if it would've been more selfish of him to convince Pat to stay so he wouldn't hate and blame him for what he'd suffer with his father, but Saint also knew Pat would be proud of the education he'd get. Armand understand his logic and pain in not knowing if the correct decision is to let the future unravel as it should when given the chance to make it different. Armand reminds Saint how he'd fixed the trouble with the Consultant, and Saint perks up before stating he was ready to go to the Cloverhouse, again.

Another great installment, the series is almost over, and it was a ride worth taking. The flash art doesn't hurt either.