[GP] Check-In Day

[st_oriedqueen]

The formerly California air had grown crisp with winter moving in, but the sun still shone bright and the sky was clear. At the barn and in the pastures, the horses blew out their breath in playful snorts, shied and sidled playfully, prancing with their tails flagged. Grace, Regina's mare, gave a spirited whinny at her stablemates as Regina sprang up onto her bare back from the mounting block but waited patiently for her mistress, since there would be at least one long gallop in the offing. It didn't matter to Grace that Regina had an agenda for the ride beyond the gallops, as long as she got to run.

Inside the Inn, Kitty tended bar like any ordinary day, and Caroline's baskets had been freshened and set out for any new arrivals. Each one had a magic journal for "texting" and Sam had a stack of fresh ones set out on the same table in case anyone had used theirs up. The Inn had begun decorating itself the day after Thanksgiving, helped, of course, by Caroline, and Thor had brought in a lovely fresh tree that had begun to acquire a patchwork coating of ornaments, traditional popcorn strings, and hideous gleanings from around the Inn.

In short, it was an ordinary Check-In day with a little nip in the air, an extra sprinkling of glitter, and and an abundance of apple-based drinks and a few pies, compliments of Regina's harvest and her stress-baking. What there weren't were any of Emma's fresh pastries or any of her finer dishes, as she seemed to have taken the day off. Which meant that unless Sunny or Mary or one of the others stepped up, everyone was eating dishes with chicken or what they could make for themselves.


[ooc: Feel free to use for any threading purposes anywhere around the Inn. If you want Regina, Kitty, Sam or Lillith, poke me on Slack. Welcome Hook! Don't forget to tag your character's name if you tag the post.]

Comments

Assigned threads

[st_raightontilmorning]

Bloody hell. Has he stepped through some kind of portal again? Only he doesn't remember doing it, and he's been through enough portals to know that that is definitely the sort of thing one usually remembers. That's not how portals work, anyway; there's no way he could have been intending to bring a portal to this place because he's not familiar with this place.

The only thing he is sure of right now is that he's not going to get answers just standing around out here. He can see a building in the distance. Buildings usually mean people, and people mean answers. So he starts walking.

He's no less confused when he reaches the building and sees that it appears to be some sort of short-term lodging, like Granny's in Storybrooke but on a larger scale, or at what he sees when he steps inside. At least there are people here, which he had been counting on.

"Excuse me?"

Hook & Valkyrie - Meet

[st_allionofdoom]

"You're excused." Valkyrie answered idly. She stretched out her arms as she passed through, shaking out her long dark hair out when they came back down. It was straighter than usual, being mildly damp as a product of her recent shower. As fond as she was of the equines, she didn't care for smelling of them all day. When she took proper stock of the figure, she connected the dots between the date and his unfamiliar features.

"Ah. Beg your pardon. You're new." She rested her hands on the tight cotton blend of the leggings that covered her hips.

[st_raightontilmorning]

"If you mean did I just show up on a road in a realm I've never been in before with no idea how I got here, then yes, I'm new." He doesn't know what else she would have meant, and it's the situation he's annoyed at, not her, but he's never been good at not letting his annoyance show.

And now that he's inside, he's absolutely certain that he's never been here before.

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie considered the phrasing for a moment before shrugging. "Close enough." She tugged a flask from her belt and tossed it to it to the tall dark stranger. "Wherever you came from, whatever you were doing, you're no longer there. Means of escape is unknown and futile."

Miss Sensitive, Valkyrie was.

"I've asked. I've tried."

[st_raightontilmorning]

Well. At least they're covering all the pertinent things right out of the gate.

He's got a flask of his own stuck in a pocket, but he's not going to turn one down when it's offered. He unscrews the cap, takes a sip, closes it up, and tosses it back.

"Does this place have a name?"

[st_allionofdoom]

"It's called the Madonna Inn." Valkyrie replied, catching her flask. "I don't know whom the Madonna it was christened for is, either. Whoever she is, I hope she's quite proud a hotel that kidnaps unassuming folk was named in her stead."

Valkyrie turned, nodding towards the front desk where a rather stiff looking gentleman presided, ever present for his duty. "See that one. Darryl. The gentle Innkeeper. If you're here, you might as well get the keys to your room."

Re: Assigned threads

[st_oriedqueen]

After her ride and meeting with Valkyrie, Regina returned to her room for a shower and to set down her observations about the site where the undead had been trying to gather after they'd been routed in their attack. When she returned to the main building to go to her office, her still-damp hair curled somewhat unruly around her face, and she trailed the clean, fresh citrus-y scent of hotel shampoo.

She stopped by the desk to see if anyone new had arrived and Darryl was just about to answer when she caught an entirely familiar silhouette in her peripheral vision.

"...Hook?"

[st_raightontilmorning]

"Regina." There's plenty of relief on his face as he realizes there's someone here he knows. At least he's not stuck here by himself. Having someone he knows around too tends to be the only thing that makes being stuck somewhere bearable.

"I assume if there's a way home you'd have found it by now."

[st_oriedqueen]

The skeptical expression fades into a genuine smile. She walks toward him quickly and, although it isn't her nature to embrace gratuitously, she takes him by the bicep and kisses his cheek.

"You assume correctly, for once," she answers, a light tease in the tone, but she doesn't let go of him. "I'm sorry. But I am glad to see you."

[st_raightontilmorning]

Well at least they must be friends if she's greeting him like that, which is fine with him. It's much better for him now that he's got friends instead of antagonists, and he's settled in to his new sedentary life better than he ever imagined. "It is good to see a familiar face. Valkyrie did say I might."

[st_oriedqueen]

"More than one." Regina's genuinely happy to see him and even happier to be able to tell him. "Emma's here, too." And she hasn't been here so long that she's morose without him. "I'll message her and we can have a drink while we're waiting for her?"

Of course, Emma hasn't been here long enough to get used to carrying a notebook around, especially on Check-In days, but she'll wind up here soon enough. And Regina can always cast a locator spell if she's gone walk about.

She gestures him toward the Silver Bar while she's drawing her notebook out of her bag. And before they've even crossed the lobby, she's writing, Emma, come to the Silver Bar. I have a surprise for you.

Tag Regina - At the Stables

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie had gotten her day started a bit earlier than usual, rising with the sun and embarking on a search for suitable clothing for the cold. She'd planned to spend the day at the stables, and apparel that covered the skin more than her usual fare seemed appropriate. While frost did little to bother her, some of the offerings were intriguing, if not quaint. While the long white coat and tall boots she settled on were suitably charming, the earmuffs were considerably less so, and she had questions over how Midgardians wore giant puffballs on their head while maintaining a façade of dignity.

Satisfied with her choices, Valkyrie was pleased to find the horses were in good spirits as well. The past month had seen her visit them as they frolicked in the pastures, befriending a few and getting a feel for the dynamics of the group. One didn't rush a relationship with any creature, let alone one as willful as a horse. They had many needs outside of simply riding, after all.

One lively mare in particular when paired with her rider made for a sight that Valkyrie could have watched all day. The woman rode with confidence and sensitivity, and her companion responded in kind. Valkyrie turned her head as they galloped by, leaning forward against the wooden railing.

Re: Tag Regina - At the Stables

[st_oriedqueen]

Although Regina was headed out toward the spot where the undead had tried to congregate in order to leave, she was aware of being watched. The woman whose gaze followed her and Grace while they warmed up in the training ring was tall, dark-skinned, and attractive. New to the Inn, but not brand-new, as the description rang a bell from Caroline's briefing last check-in.

Out of curiosity, Regina steered Grace toward the woman with a touch of her calf. Although she held reins, she used them not at all, only sat heavier on her seatbones and Grace dropped to a trot for several steps and then to walk. At the fence, she drew to a halt, and Regina leaned down to pat her neck.

"Valkyrie, isn't it?"

Re: Tag Regina - At the Stables

[st_allionofdoom]

"As I'm known." Valkyrie had perked up at the approach of the woman and her steed, quite welcoming the possibility of some pleasant conversation. "Regina...correct?"

Re: Tag Regina - At the Stables

[st_oriedqueen]

"Yes." She inclined her head in a manner that couldn't be described in any word but regal. Even here, even now, she was still a queen, and as she'd once said to Emma, a little more refined.

"I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself sooner. My daughter suffered a painful loss, recently, and I've been staying close to her."

Re: Tag Regina - At the Stables

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie inclined her head back on reflex at the gesture. It seems her courtly etiquette hadn't gone far, after all.

"You've a daughter?" She inquired, matching the faces of the young women she'd met to the woman in front of her.

ota

[st_raightontilmorning]

He's picked up his key, and he's been to room. He'd taken two steps inside and retreated back out the door again. Maybe someone thinks they're funny. Maybe someone genuinely thought he would like it. Whatever the reason was for choosing it, he's never disagreed with anything more in his life.

So he's found sanctuary in the lobby for now, where he plans to stay until he has no choice but to go back to his room. He'll learn a lot more about the inn if he's out and about, anyway, than if he stays in his room. Which is why he doesn't just stay in the lobby, either, but instead goes wandering throughout the public areas of the inn, and the grounds surrounding it, learning the place, perhaps meeting the people, and definitely avoiding his room.

Hook and Swan

[st_artedtheclock]

Emma had been at the Madonna Inn for long enough that she was used to the grounds, the restaurant, the gift shop. She used the basketball court from time to time, trying to keep active and give herself things to do. She hadn't quite settled on a job here yet, as she wasn't convinced she was going to stay that long... but with each passing day she grew more and more concerned that this was becoming a permanent thing. It would have been fine except for the fact that Henry and her parents were nowhere to be found... and she missed them terribly.

She was headed to the cafe to find a pastry and a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon, when she saw someone very familiar standing in the lobby.

"...Killian?

[st_raightontilmorning]

All it takes is one word in a very familiar voice to make his heart skip a beat. He'd seen Emma not long before he ended up here, but it hadn't been that long since he'd thought they were parted forever, and then he'd discovered he was stuck here. Seeing a familiar face, this familiar face, might just make all of this bearable.

"Emma?"

[st_artedtheclock]

It was him. Of course it was. Emma would know that pirate anywhere. She rushed forward to wrap her arms around him in a tight, tight hug. There was a wealth of emotion that was rushing up inside her, surprising her with its sudden depth and power. She hadn't let herself feel lost or alone, and now that he was here, she was realizing how horrible it'd been before his arrival.

"Oh my God, Killian. I thought I'd lost you."

[st_raightontilmorning]

"Lost me?" Okay, so he had recently been dead, which tends to be a permanent thing. But no separation really has been permanent in the time they've known each other, including the one caused by his death. He wraps his arms around her waist and inhales the smell of her hair. "I'm a survivor, remember? You're never going to be rid of me."

metal hook, meet metal arm ;P

[st_ranger]

Bucky sighed as he made his way through the library. He was still racking his brains, trying to figure out what he was going to do for Steve for Christmas. He wanted to try to do a nice present that he could make himself. Something like they did when they were younger in Brooklyn.

Here, however? Things were not what they seemed. It made him unsure of himself. What could he make or find that Steve would actually like?

He blinked when he saw the new man in the lobby. Fresh face, one he didn't recognize. Must have been a new arrival. "Hey," he said softly as he approached. "You just get here?"

[st_raightontilmorning]

"Not terribly long ago." He doesn't know exactly how long, but it's only been a matter of hours. "I've been here long enough to see the room that they expect me to sleep in, and this lobby."

Which, for its faults, is at least better than his room.

[st_ranger]

Bucky can't help himself. He chuckles. One eyebrow raises and he knows that the man is going to take it the wrong way, he can just feel it. "Hey, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you," he said softly. "My room was shit too. Fitting, in my case, kind of. Long story and complicated. I... I think this place messes with you just because it can."

He sighed. Reaching out, he extended a hand to him. "Bucky Barnes. If I can help, I'll try."

[st_raightontilmorning]

"Of course it does." It's not that strange of a concept to him, unfortunately. "Mine's fitting too, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Because he doesn't. And he won't.

"Killian Jones," he says as he shakes Bucky's hand. "Or Hook. Whichever you prefer."