[GP/EP] Check in Day - Feb 1

[st_raighttovampire]

Caroline waved to Kitty as she dropped into her table in the cafe. It was a banner day. A full month of living in a hotel without her mom or her friends, hungry literally all the time.

But at least there was coffee.

Caroline went through her notes - many people had already started to take on roles in the hotel. Snow and Lindsey ran the stables. Kitty ran the bar. The brothers tackled the ghosts that popped up now and then - Caroline held her tongue on how wrong it was to discriminate against the undead. The list went on.

Caroline knew very well - having a job kept the despair of being trapped away.

She hadn't expected today to be different than any other day, but then, she should learn to stop expecting things. Apparently, it was check-in day again.

Comments

Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_rutsthepolka]

It probably said something about Butters' life that he kept an EMT first aid kit in a go-bag right next to his apartment door, but honestly, he was living with a werewolf and a magical talking skull, emergency overpreparedness was the least weird thing about his life these days.

"I'll meet you at your place in fifteen, twenty minutes, traffic permitting, Karrin," he said into the phone as he grabbed the bag. "Try not to let him move around too much until then, or, you know, burn anything down. Right. See you... uh. What?"

This was not the hallway in his building. This was a driveway. In not Chicago.

Butters was going to have to re-evaluate the level of emergency preparedness that counted as "over."

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_oh_honestly]

Shell shocked, wide eyed and a more than a little confused. He looked like a new arrival. Dot approached with a plate of cookies and a pot of tea on a little trolley.

"You look like you could use a cup of tea, or if you want something stronger there's a full bar."

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_rutsthepolka]

"I'm not going to rule out the full bar eventually, but I think I want my entire brain online for this," Butters said with a shaky grin. At least the people seemed to be friendly so far. "Tea sounds great. Um. Unless this is one of those things where if you eat or drink anything you can't leave. I'm not sure how being kidnapped out of the world is supposed to work but there are a lot of unnerving options."

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_oh_honestly]

"You can't leave, at least so far no one seems to have found a way. But I don't think the food and drink are responsible." Her voice was warm, slightly accented, as she poured him a cup of tea and held it out. Also on the cart was sugar, cream and lemon.

"It was quite the shock to arrive here," she remembered it vividly. And she was still not completely convinced she wasn't dead and in some sort of purgatory or heaven holding area. "It's not home, but it's nice enough."

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_illcounts]

Johnny, being a new arrival himself not that long ago, hadn't realized how weird it was on the other end seeing someone just 'appear'. He had been on his way back to the hotel after some exploring when a guy just materialized on the driveway.

"Shit." He muttered to himself and rubbed his eyes. That was something he was sure that he'd never get used to seeing. "Hey." He raised his chin in greeting, "you okay?"

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_rutsthepolka]

"I'm pretty sure I'm not, actually," Butters said vaguely. "You're not one of the Fae, are you?" Between Harry being the Winter Knight now, and the whole thing with Bob, Butters was pretty sure he was on at least one Faerie shitlist these days.

At least Bob wasn't here. And also, shit, Bob wasn't here.

"Also, where are we and why am I not home?"

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_illcounts]

Johnny wasn't sure what Fae meant but he knew he wasn't one so he shook his head. "Sorry, not a Fae. I'm a Killjoy." He also knew the odds were pretty good this guy had no idea what one of those was either.

"The reason you're not home is the same I'm not home. Someone is bringing us all to this hotel." He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Trust me, this goes down smoother with a drink. Want to come inside the hotel and I'll grab us a couple of beers?"

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_rutsthepolka]

"Aw, no, I'm sure you're a lot of fun, in your own way." Butters chuckled halfheartedly and shifted from foot to foot. "Um, no offense, but I really feel like sobriety is my best option in case something tries to kill me. But explanations I'm a big fan of."

Re: Waldo Butters, assigned threads

[st_illcounts]

Johnny couldn't stop the chuckle, it wasn't the first time his job title brought that kind of comment. But it usually was from someone that he and Dutch were trying to capture.

"As far as I can tell no one is trying to kill us." And he had very good instincts about that. "but I get wanting to keep a clear head. Come on let's go inside. I don't have a lot of answers for you but I'll tell you what I know, besides it will take a hell of a lot more than the scrawny old man behind the counter to keep me from getting back to my family."