[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

[st_raightontilmorning]

"No, fortunately. Once was enough." And that had been less of a battle situation and more of a using-him-as-bait situation. "So are you saying that things that exist in our world could show up in this one?"

[st_allionofdoom]

"People. Not beasts. Or tools." Valkyrie shrugged, electing not to drag on the disappointment. "You've anyone you'd fancy seeing? Who knows? They may already be here."

[st_raightontilmorning]

He doesn't know if it's better or worse that it's only people who could show up here. It probably depends on the people, though things have gotten better in that regard lately.

"Emma." It's an immediate answer, and an easy one. They've been apart far too much already. "Her habit of ending up in new worlds is almost as bad as mine."

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie touched her finger to her lips in thought. “We’ve a few of those, I believe.”

[st_raightontilmorning]

"You do?" There's a hopeful look on his face. "You wouldn't happen to know if one of them is Emma Swan, would you?"

[st_allionofdoom]

"Ah, yes." Valkyrie clapped her hands once, positioning them at her forehead and sweeping them to the sides of her face. "Blonde hair, parted like so?"

[st_raightontilmorning]

"That's her." And, of course, potentially any number of other women too, but he's only concerned about the ones who fit that description and are also named Emma. "She's here somewhere?"

[st_allionofdoom]

"Somewhere." Valkyrie answered simply--if she had more information, she'd give it readily. There was no ill intent radiating from the man that would cause her to hold back, otherwise. "It's a small dwelling. You'll run across her."

[st_raightontilmorning]

"We do have a way of finding each other." It's kind of a family trait, apparently, given how many times her parents have been separated. "Now that I know she's here, I know to keep an eye out."