[Arrival GP] it’s summer, right?

[st_artliving]

June, Xavin decided, was a puzzling month. It still seemed like spring in some ways, but was very summer already in others. Among the ways that it was summer: less demand for hot drinks. And yes, she could do iced, but that tended to mean hauling ice to her coffee-cart territory and that got old fast.

Since it was arrival day, therefore, she was trying something new. She’d taken over part of the cafe (with a decentish view of the lobby) and set it up with blenders, fruits, and other things. Surely smoothies would be acceptable, and the cafe space meant not having to haul ice.

As a further acknowledgement of probable sun and warmth, Xavin ensured there were obvious stacks of towels near the more usual baskets of things for new arrivals. If there were any newcomers and she’d forgotten something, well... it would probably be all right eventually.

Comments

Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

Clarice winced slightly when the young kid landed in the water with a splash. That was gonna leave a mark. When he popped back up with a life preserver she went back to drinking her mimosa. Clearly he wasn't going to drown. "You okay, kid?"

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

He groaned in response. At least one of his latest inventions worked? After a moment, Leo told himself to move. He had ambrosia in his toolbelt, so he used that as motivation.

He did his best back stroke - Percy would have probably given him a 5 out of 10 for it - and eventually found himself on the edge of the pool. He deflated the life jacket that seemed to disappear back under his shirt as he reached into his belt for a tiny piece of food that sort of looked like Turkish Delight.

He ate it in one piece and his eyes fluttered closed for a moment - that's the stuff. When he opened his eyes, he felt a lot better. He wasn't a hundred percent better, but at least he didn't feel broken all over.

"So, uh.. where am I?" He started to look around.

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

"Welcome to the Madonna Inn." Clarice said with a raise of her glass in salute. "I'm probably not your typical welcome wagon greeter here." Kudos to the kid for not looking at her odd but then she supposed what's a green eyed Asian mutant compared to landing in a pool in some pocket dimension?

"It's a hotel in a kind of pocket dimension. We're all stuck here so congratulations on joining the team."

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

"I'm at a hotel in a pocket dimension?" He rubbed his shoulders. "Wait. This isn't like, Ogygia, is it?" He groaned. "We just left there. I so did not want to find my way back to some unleaveable place."

He looked up in the sky. "Whoever's responsible, can you just... not?" Not that Leo was expecting an answer as he looked back to the woman. "I'm Leo, by the way. Nice hair."

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

"Thanks and let me know how that works out for you." Clarice chuckled when he talked to the sky, "and yeah I hate to break it to you but you're in another stuck place but on the bright side there are doors that open to other places." Because she couldn't help it, in her best Rod Serling voice added, "you unlock the door with a key of imagination."

A beat. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. So you've been in another place like this? That bites."

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

"I didn't actually think anyone would listen. They rarely do." Though his dad had come through a few times. Lately, though, he had been pretty silent. Though he focused on her actual question. "yeah. It was an island and less 'hotel apparently in the middle of a desert'. Found my way off it twice, so, maybe I'll be able to figure out a way here. I wish I had Festus." He paused as he looked at the woman. "You didn't see a giant bronze flying dragon did you?"

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

Despite her best intentions, Clarice actually looked up in the sky to see if there was a dragon. That just told you how weird her life was. It wouldn't have surprised her to see one.

"I did see a small tan flying animal but not a giant bronze flying dragon." Okay it might have been a flying squirrel gliding between trees, but Clarice wasn't about to admit to that. "Your dragon's name is Festus?"

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

Small and tanned did not describe Festus at all, though Leo nodded about the name. "Yeah. I gave him the name when I found him and fixed him. Before then he was misunderstood. We're friends now." Yes, Leo Valdez was friends with a big, bronze machine. "So what's the deal with this place anyway? Are there like, trials to complete or something?"

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

"Like the labors of Hercules?" Clarice's lips twitched but she hid it behind a sip of her mimosa. "Well there are stables that probably need cleaning." She waited a bit before she continued, "but you're good. This is pretty much a hang around until whoever is behind this place decides to pluck you back out again. Every now and then there are ways to get out and explore other worlds, but even with that, it's like in a bubble. You can't get back on your own."

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

Leo made a little face. "Nah, Hercules is a douchebag. I don't want to do anything he had to do." Especially after what he did to Jason and Piper, Leo was hoping he'd never have to deal with Hercules ever again - no thanks.

"I don't do well with sitting around - ADHD." Those stables were probably going to get mucked out good. "But, uh. Well, I guess if there's no choice, I'll have to figure something out. Maybe a bunch of things will break down and I can fix them." He grinned.

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

"Wait. Seriously? Hercules is real?" She didn't know why that boggled her mind. She was friends with Thor, but it did. "Figures he'd be a douchebag, but hey if you need things to fix, I am sure a friend and I can help you with that." She returned his grin, thinking of the fun Alec would probably have destroying things as a 'help'. She didn't mention the inn fixed things that were broken. Maybe with this kid here, it would leave the minor things to him and just fix the bigger things, like rooms set on fire.

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

"Yeah?" He meant about her and her friend. "You guys break a lot of things?" He paused. "I guess it doesn't really matter so long as I get to fix the things." He grinned.

He decided to stand and arched his back in a stretch. "Okay, so, if this is a hotel, I must get a room, right?"

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_rongernow]

"Yeah, it's through there." Clarice pointed toward the lobby. "Ask for Darryl behind the desk. He'll have a room for you. There's also a welcome basket that explains a lot about the inn."

This was probably a good example of why Clarice hadn't even been asked to be part of the welcoming committee. She was good with sink or swim way of doing things. Clearly he could swim, he demonstrated that.

Re: Leo and Clarice

[st_reakdwithgrease]

"A welcome basket, huh?" He grinned. "Cool. I hope there's some little bath soaps and that mouthwash no one ever likes from hotels in there." Leo sent her a wink like he was confident. "See you around, Chica! Thanks for the welcome." Then he headed off inside.