st_oriedqueen: (the light I chase)
Regina Mills ([personal profile] st_oriedqueen) wrote in [community profile] strangetrip2019-03-15 04:39 pm

Check-In Day: Around the Inn

Finished with self-imposed paperwork and emergency planning for the week, Regina permitted herself a leisurely ride on this absolutely gorgeous spring day. After a good gallop, Grace was content to walk, cropping at dried scrub and new shoots when Regina gave her rein. Regina steered the mare gently toward the west; she could teleport, of course, but she appreciated the quiet of riding toward the beach. She found, in the wake of Henry's Christmas visit, she more often craved the scent of the salt air and ocean breezes. Of course, the Pacific never quite smelled like the Atlantic, always warmer and less bracing somehow, but it soothed the wildness in her just the same.

Back at the Inn, Kitty busied herself with stocking the pool bar and generally setting up for the warmer seasons. The pool had been skimmed of winter detritus and chlorinated by the staff-spectre she rarely if ever saw, and there were fresh towels set out like a proper resort. Since the choice of music was hers, the air around the bar filled with dance beats, Afro-Caribbean today, and Kitty moved right into it. She didn't usually dance at work, but she felt bright today and maybe Lara would come down and work with her and they could goof around Cocktail style.

Sam passed through the Copper Cafe in search of a cup of coffee and a salad, or one of the two gorgeous women he'd somehow wound up involved with. His brow scrunched like a caterpillar hurrying away from a predator while he semi-consciously outpaced thoughts about babies and brothers, and possibly babies and girlfriends. His mild scowl wasn't helped by the pack of spirits trailing him and chatting at him about the lives of his family members. He'd asked them not to gossip about people he wasn't close with, but as a consequence, they talked rapidly and often about River's most recent oddness or his mother and Hathaway acting like...well, like him and Molly and Bo, and no thanks. Ditto on Dean and Jane. For all that he looked a little bothered, there wasn't anything menacing or aggressive about it. If anything, the slight tilt of his head as he strolled through the Inn looked thoughtful, as though he listened to something somewhat distant.

Lillith had come to a bit of a routine for arrival days, and around noon, she sat for tea with River Song. They spoke little, and it was difficult to tell whether the women even liked each other. But for all that, Lillith was content with the ritual. If Curnen sang, she would go out to the lawn next and listen. In fact, on such a sunny day, she would undoubtedly flop on the lawn with a sketchbook and a practice notebook, letting her mind float between image and spellcraft as it would. Out here, she would quickly veil herself at the approach of anyone new, but she often was distracted enough that they might catch her in her true form with her all unaware.

Around them, the Inn hummed and buzzed with the happy energy of winter giving way to spring. The most patient and subtle would undoubtedly note the undercurrents of tension, fear, frustration, and boredom that built up over time. But for day, at least so far as this four were aware, the worst of it had been suspended, in favor of enjoying warm sun and the company of friends.

[OOC: GP. It's a gorgeous day. Come and play! All four of mine can be available. Ping me if you're inspired to tag. <3 Welcome, Carol, Toby, and Number Five!]
st_oryboard: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-17 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mack." He introduced himself and motioned for Toby to have a seat opposite him. "And I've been here probably almost a year. It's not so bad. I mean I miss my friends and grandfather still."
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-17 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
"A year?" Toby's eyes widened, "woah." He's not sure he wants to be here a year. That's FOREVER.

Then what Mack said, caught Toby's attention. He'd said he'd miss his grandfather and not his parents. Just like Toby and his Nana.

"Did you live with your grandfather?"
st_oryboard: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-17 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, my parents died when I was a kid. My grandfather came to live with me after that." He was really glad his grandfather hadn't made him go to Japan.
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Me, too." Toby said. There was a bit of deja-vu like how he and Jim had met in kindergarten. "My parents died when I was two and I live with my nana."
st_oryboard: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-19 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
It was kind of nice meeting someone that had the same experience, sort of. "You're the only one I've ever met that was raised by their grandparent. Is it hard sometimes?" Mack really wanted to know. He didn't know if it was just him and his grandfather or Toby felt that way sometimes, too.
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-19 10:17 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh my gosh. It's so embarrassing sometimes, but also great, you know?" Toby nodded enthusiastically, then scrunched up his face, "she calls me Toby-pie all the time." It's both embarrassing and endearing.
st_oryboard: (laugh)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-21 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"My grandfather used to call me by my full name, Makoto." He scrunched up his face like Toby had. "He got better earlier this year, and finally started calling me Mack."
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-22 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Makoto. That's way better than Tobias." Which Blinky called him and he didn't mind it from Blinky. He used big words all the time anyway. It kind of made sense coming from him.

"Mack's a pretty cool name."
st_oryboard: (laugh)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-23 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
"I don't really mind it from my grandfather anymore." Mack admitted. He and his grandfather had come a long way in their relationship in this last year.

"Tobias isn't so bad." He said, "a name kind of like an undercover superhero. Tobias by day and a crime fighter by night." Mack grinned,"I draw graphic novels and comic books."

st_warhammer: (excited toby)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-23 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"AWESOMESAUCE! That is so cool! Can I see your comics? Do you have them here?" Toby was excited. He loved comics. Not as much as his computer games or helping Jim, but it's high on the list of his favorite things.
st_oryboard: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-24 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Mack never turned down a fellow comic book fan and turned his laptop around so that Toby could see what he'd been working on. "This is a comic for my friend Miguel. I'm still working on the coloring but it's almost done."
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-24 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Woah. That's amazing." He leaned in to take a really good look at it. It look like a bunch of skeletons and a few animals that were really weird looking with wings.

"What kind of comic is it?" Was it a fantasy? Little kids for Halloween?
st_oryboard: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-25 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's actually a real story. My friend Miguel went on an adventure in the Land of the Dead and met his ancestors." Mack still thought it was cool.
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-29 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"AWESOME! I could see my parents. That'd be pretty cool." Toby didn't even think for a minute that it was so different. He went to Troll Market and some kid called Miguel went to the Land of the Dead.

He pointed to the drawings, "is that what you want to do? Work in comic books?" Toby thought that was probably the best job ever.
st_oryboard: (laugh)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-30 10:44 am (UTC)(link)
This was probably Mack's favorite topic and his whole expression brightened at Toby's question. "Yeah, it is. I want to be like Stan Lee some day."
st_warhammer: (excited toby)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-30 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"NO WAY! I can say I knew you when. Well if you're from my world." Toby added after some thought. "What kind of comics? Like superhero, like Stan or something else?"
st_oryboard: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-31 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
"Superheroes, but not like saving the world kind more like stopping the bad guys in their hometown." Mack explained. Though he and his friends helped save the world, and sometimes he wanted to do big story arcs like that, he mostly wanted to do little guy gets powers and helps fight crime.

"So I guess more crime fighters than superheroes."
st_warhammer: (Default)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-03-31 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"That sounds awesome!" It sounded a lot like his friends and his lives back home in Arcadia. Well not so much the crime stopping. "I can't wait to read it. If you ever want someone to beta test it, I am definitely your guy!"
st_oryboard: (laugh)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_oryboard 2019-03-31 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"You got a deal!" Mack was quick to agree. The more eyes that looked at his book the better it would be. Plus, he enjoyed sharing it with others, even if they had constructive criticism.
st_warhammer: (excited toby)

Re: Toby and Mack

[personal profile] st_warhammer 2019-04-02 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Toby just beamed. Except for all the stuff that happened in Arcadia and meeting Thor this was one of the coolest things ever.

"AWESOMESAUCE!"

[Fade!]