[EP/GP] Check-In: I Assure You We Are Open

[st_abby]

The damp, cool, chilly morning clouded with fog seemed to fit the mood about the Madonna Inn. Nobody had been quite right since the undead invasion. Definitely not Vax'ildan. But for him, it was less about their sense of day-to-day calm and safety shattered, less about undead specifically. It was a lot more to do with losing Scanlan and Pike, and the new memorials installed in the Temple.

He wondered about it, not for the first time, even as he readied for the fresh arrivals that might be coming today - or not, because they didn't always. What decided who came and went? Was there any sense in how many and when or why? Not so far as he could tell, but he'd never been the brains.

Gathering up the great heap of cloth and rope in his arms, the lean figure summoned the wings of his armor, the black of his silhouette merging with the other dark and shifting shapes skulking about in the first light of dawn. With a crouch and a lunge from the roof, he spread his wings wide and circled through the air right up to the face of the main building, unfurling the massive banner he'd sewn of spare bedsheets and painted with dark dye to tie it up taut:

WELCOME NEWCOMERS
YES, THIS MEANS YOU
NO REALLY WE'RE SURE

Life kept going on around you, no matter how confused or scared or fucked-up you were. And the best thing, the kindest thing, the sanest thing he could think to do in all this was to start up the coffee machine, stack some decorated pumpkin-shaped cookies on a platter in the lobby, and prop open the doors for whoever would join them in being confused and scared and fucked-up today.

Comments

Re: Clarice and Alec

[st_x5_494]

"No, I'm just resourceful." He looked at her playfully. "I mean, I'm also totally okay with you not in leather too. Or even clothes."

Re: Clarice and Alec

[st_rongernow]

"Funny, I'm totally okay with you not in leather or even clothes, too." Clarice grinned, "but my curiosity is going to get me in trouble. I think I'd like to see what you come up with on short notice for a leather outfit."

Re: Clarice and Alec

[st_x5_494]

"Challenge accepted." He got to his feet. "How long do I have and where should I meet you?"

Re: Clarice and Alec

[st_rongernow]

Clarice pretended to think about it. "I'll give you fifteen minutes to come up with the leather outfit." Her lips quirked into a smile, "and if you can find your way to where we first met I'll meet you there."

She knew that he would remember it was by the pool. Or not. It would be fun either way.

Re: Clarice and Alec

[st_x5_494]

"Deal." He was looking forward to winning this - Alec had a game plan. He winked to her and then took off. He was determined to do this well.

Re: Clarice and Alec

[st_rongernow]

Clarice watched Alec leave with a smirk and then teleported out of the lobby and straight to the pool area. There were times when she was lazy and this was one. She waved at Molly at the pool bar and got a drink with a fun paper umbrella to sip on while she waited.