[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

Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

When Tony Stark looked back on it, his own check-in date felt like absolute ages away. Really, it had been two months. Time was supposed to speed up as you aged, but novelty slowed it down. Those were the theories, anyway. Tony swore the gray hair put on his head would come out pink, just to twist that knife.

Honestly, however, despite his many grievances, life at the hotel could approach acceptable. Or at least preside in the same zip code as it. Somewhat.

All these things, Tony contemplated over his chicken scramble. He had taken to rewarding himself for peaceful check ins with a decent night's sleep and a hearty breakfast before he inevitably descended into a caffeine-shambling workaholic trance in the days to follow.

When he glanced over a few stools down to take stock of this morning's company, F.R.I.D.A.Y. was quick to note the lack of recognition of the young woman who was joining him. Easily remedied. "You found the food. Important first step." For Tony, his encouraging tone still rang dry to most ears.

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"Oh, I know where the food is. I've been here before." Lara waved a little at the man, to take out any sting she didn't mean. He was trying to be helpful, after all; it wasn't his fault that this particular new arrival already knew the ropes nor that she had a British accent that belonged more to Lady Croft than the rest of her did. "I know where most things are. But thank you!"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

At once, Tony squinted and questioned F.R.I.D.A.Y.S.'s feedback. He wasn't always the best with faces but this woman resembled no one he had met or even observed at the hotel.

He had been thorough, too. Tony Stark loathed surprises.

"Been 'here' meaning..."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"I was here, then got sent home a year and a half or two years ago. And now I'm back!" And she had no idea how, because she'd destroyed the Source and allowed the sun to be reborn instead of using either power to bring her to the Inn. But here she was anyway.

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony turned abruptly on the spinning, bright red stool. While his emotions were often hidden beyond a wry mask, he could have caught a frisbee between his parted lips.

"You left."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"Not by choice, I assure you." And even if it had been by choice, she'd have regretted it the second old wounds opened up, skin re-tore and re-burned.

But from the man's gape, he was one of the ones who wanted to leave. "And I couldn't tell you how it worked. Sorry."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"And you came back." Tony leaned in on his knees, scrutinizing the woman from head to toe.

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

Lara spread her hands with another smile. "Couldn't tell you how that worked, either. I tried a lot of different things... well, I tried to try a few things. It got rather complicated. Nothing worked, but here I am anyway."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Wow. Alright. Pleasantries. Hi. Tony Stark." Tony dumbly extended his hand. "Physicist. Engineer. Superhero. Bearer of many questions."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

Lara shook his hand firmly. "Lara Croft. Archaeologist, adventurer, tomb raider, crazy bloody menace, or some combination of the four. A pleasure."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Oh, good, they had the latter in common. This would be a delight.

"I haven't developed the survey, but I would so very appreciate if you would submit to some questioning." A pause. "You're not under arrest. Obviously. But I'm researching and you're my currently my only sample 'size.'"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

“I don’t mind, but I have a question of my own, first.” And it was an important one. There was, after all, an entire organization of people who would never get an answer other than ‘go fuck yourselves’ from Lara Croft. “Does the name ‘Trinity’ mean anything to you?”

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"...As in the Holy Trinity?" Tony raised his hands. "I'm not Catholic or anything resembling one."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"No, not like that. But it's a good enough answer anyway." Lara picked up her tea, which was getting a little cold, but that was fine. "Question away!"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Alright. Let's start with the basics." Tony made a few pointed glances at the insides of his frames, his AI activating audio recording. "Whatever you'd like to share about your life leading up to the, ah, snatch. When you were last here. Duration of stay."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

Lara shrugged a little. "Before I came to the Inn the first time, I spent a week shipwrecked on an island and fighting a cult and group of immortal guardians dedicated to an immortal Japanese queen who controlled weather and wanted to take the body of one of my best friends. I came to the Inn after boarding a rescue ship once Queen Himiko was permanently dead. I was here... six or seven months, I think?" And if he got through the first part of that, Lara thought she'd be impressed.

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Throughout Lara's spiel, Tony simply nodded along. While her story was a means to an end, here, he found himself getting into the utterly fantastical narrative. Questions for later. Over a drink.

"Gotcha...year and date?"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"Assuming you mean 'when did you leave?', March 2013. Possibly April. I lost track of dates a bit."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Right." The dates really ran the gamut, but within the span of human history it didn't vary more than a century...at least to Tony's knowledge.

"And you have all your memories of the hotel intact from your initial stay?"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"As far as I know, yes." How would she really know if she were missing any? But Lara was sure she wasn't. If the Inn wanted her to go back to her world without some memories, it would have taken Kitty. As long as she remembered Kitty, Lara would always try to come back.

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony spun slowly on the rotating seat with a sigh that puffed his cheeks. "Any familiar faces?"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

"Kitty." Always Kitty. "Sam Winchester as well. Likely others, but I kept mostly to myself. I had... it was difficult for me. People. You know."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Ah, Kitty. Good egg." Tony's lips quirked. He wasn't familiar with the latter but he knew the man was about. Tony slowed his rotation. "You've found her, right?"

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_ormchaser]

Well, he hadn't been in the cafe when she'd arrived, that was for sure. No one would have missed her entrance. Lara smiled, warm and happy in memory and warm and happy in general. "Oh yes. About thirty seconds after I walked into the lobby."

Re: Lara and Tony (Morning Cafe Meet)

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"All of us should be so lucky." Tony was, to an extent. Thor was one of the first people he encountered upon his arrival. "That's it, by the way. Questions. I'll have more down the road, you can count on that."