[EP/GP] Today is Check-In Day

[st_illunsmeared]

When the fifteenth of the month came and went without any new arrivals, most people logically supposed that there would be no new arrivals that week, or that the pattern they believed they'd found was false after all.

Kitty Pryde, Caroline Forbes, and Phryne Fisher were decidedly not most people.

Between them, they agreed it would be best to keep a watch for a few days following the fifteenth, on the grounds that, often enough, holidays interrupted regular schedules, which would reassert themselves again at the next instance. If "keeping a watch" had required them to do anything out of the ordinary, they might have been somewhat less sanguine about it. Might have, as they were not, after all, most people. Yet since their routines, almost invariably, had them in public places, working and people-watching, it required no special effort on their part to be alert for new arrivals.

So it was that Phryne had taken up a table in the lobby cafe to read and hold court, while Kitty took an extra shift tending bar, and Caroline tidied up and labeled the boxes of decorations from Valentine's day "for next year's residents" on the morning of the sixteenth and again on the seventeenth--and not one of them were surprised when, in early afternoon, newcomers began to arrive.

Comments

For Phryne

[st_ockandbarrel]

He remembered...

Forgiveness and fear. Pain and acceptance. Life, then nothing.

He remembered...

A smothering darkness and a light, severing the connection, giving him a choice.

He remembered...

Dragons and fights and the final descent of claws. He remembered pain, then the warm healing presence of a goddess he could respect but not venerate.

And Percival drew in a breath, his chest rising for the first time in nearly a minute. Beneath him was cold hard stone. There was rain falling on his face, strange because they'd fought the beast in her lair. He hurt, and knew that once again, he'd delayed his meeting with the Raven Queen.

Percy opened his eyes. Above him was a clouded sky, rumbling with the promise of greater ferocity. Already he was soaked. Groaning, he sat up, saw that the rain was mixing with his blood on the strange black stone beneath him. His clothes were ruined, but the skin below seemed whole, if raw.

Most worryingly, he was alone.

Re: For Phryne

[st_rontium]

MacCready had taken to finding high spots so that he could feel useful. It wasn't like the hotel seemed to ever be actively under attack. Probably. Shit could change any second.

Or some guy could show up out of nowhere looking half dead.

He checked his pockets. Back home, he wouldn't've been quite so helpful. Shit changed, didn't it?

He pulled a stimpak out and got out of his perch, slinging his gun onto his back as he approached the guy, trying to stay in clear view. At least the guy was sitting up now. There was some hope for him. Way too much blood.

Not any more than he'd seen before.

"You need some help?" he asked, being as careful as he could. Careful and obvious. If he was in that kind of state, he woulda shot first before assuming anyone was doing anything but trying to finish the job.

Re: For Phryne

[st_ockandbarrel]

Percy looked around at the sound of the voice, startled by how familiar it sounded and yet the man it came from looked entirely unfamiliar. Obviously, he was more addled than he'd thought, looking for recognition when there was none to be found. "Ah, yes, I think that I... that would be very welcome. I'm feeling a bit...rough."

And where were the rest of his party? Where was Vex and Keyleth? Vax and Pike? Scanlan - Scanlan had fallen before Percy had.

Where was Raishan? Did she live?

Re: For Phryne

[st_rontium]

MacCready nodded, adjusting his rifle so he could crouch more easily. "Deep breath," he said. The words were more distraction than anything. He didn't exactly wait before he jammed the stimpak into the guy. Once it'd dispensed itself, he pulled the spent pak out just as quickly.

"Give it a few seconds," he advised, just in case the guy was as unfamiliar as everyone else was with healing expediently.

Re: For Phryne

[st_ockandbarrel]

Percy wasn't listening. His eyes were on the firearm slung from the man's shoulder. Even the prick of the needle was less than nothing compared to that.

Feeling stronger already and even more naturally suspicious, Percy spoke in a very low, measured tone. "Where did you get that?"

for Vax (Greeting)

[st_unning]

Blood stained the front of Alcuin's shirt, seeping through the fine cambric and wetting his fingers. It was warm. He had felt it once before, his own blood, seen it destroy his clothing as it left his body. The blade had been higher this time, and his knowledge of his own body told him that the wound began mayhap where the old scar ended on his side. Was it a larger sword this time? Anafiel would have been disappointed, that he could not describe it with perfect clarity. He should be able to tell the swordsmith from one glance. But he had been too distracted by watching the life blink out of the eyes of the man he loved.

He remembered wrestling for the sword after it had slid into his side and out, remembered cutting his hand on the blade still slick with his own blood, remembered feeling the hilt in his hand and then the slick slide of it into unwilling flesh, the cry of the man on the other end of it, the knowledge that he had just killed a man. And then running, as he bled, intent on getting out now that Anafiel was dead and there was no one to protect but Phedre, he had to warn her, he had to tell her...

He didn't remember when he had finally collapsed, didn't remember actually moving into another part of the house. But it was a different floor that his blood was staining now, with his shirt, and his fingers. The sword he'd been holding lay on the floor beside him, and he realized vaguely that it was one of Anafiel's. He lay on his back looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling, and thought that now would be the proper time for Elua to bring him home.

Re: for Vax (Greeting)

[st_abby]

His patron deity of death and fate did have a sense of irony. Who else would She see fit to haul this one back from her threshold but a murderer well-versed in blades? Her Champion had felt so little of her presence in this place yet. For the first time in a long time, Vax'ildan was absolutely certain of her intervention. Later, he'd think that it was as if she'd thrust the red skein of the young man's life still to be lived right into his gloved hand, and spoke without words, with only her great knowing of what must be imparted unto him - pull.

Of course, it didn't start that way. Most people began their dying without a whole lot of fanfare, same as any other day. For his part, the half-elf had only thought that the young ladies keeping watch for new arrivals might do with some checking in on. He didn't know any of the three well enough to think one way or the other about their capabilities if the next guest chucked through proved hostile, and he didn't insult them by trying to engage in chitchat just to implicate as much. All he knew was that he was still well and truly wigged out after the lust madness, complete with tell-tale marks not quite faded, and that he had several keen daggers at the ready where perhaps the ladies did not.

So, yes, some of that good old-fashioned brotherly paranoia.

He'd been sitting at one of the tables by a window, idly watching the rain and gray of the outdoors when his senses pricked to tell him that he wasn't alone.

It was the smell of blood that hit him first, and he knew how fresh it was before he whipped around and onto his feet in a single fluid motion. Then there was the sight of the poor unfortunate pouring out all over the hardwood.

"Hey," Vax exhaled, fitting a boot over the blade at the hilt and sliding it well aside before he knelt for a better look at the youth. His long dark hair and lean features were backlit by the lights above, his look of calm concern perhaps less comforting for his all-black armor and the dark feather ruff at the shoulders of his cloak. His voice, at least, was soothing, and his hands moving to examine the red-soaked area the figure clutched were deft and kind. "Easy, easy. It's your side, yeah?"

Re: for Vax (Greeting)

[st_unning]

Alcuin felt lightheaded. His eyelids were fluttering. He tried to focus on the sight in front of him. A beautiful face, clad in black. One of the angels, he thought. Here to take him to Elua.

"Which one are you," he murmured in D'Angeline, even as it occurred to him vaguely that the angel had just spoken to him in Cruinthe.

Re: for Vax (Greeting)

[st_abby]

"You do make that sound pretty, but it's all gibberish to me," Vax told him in the same hushed tone, mostly trying to keep him calm. He pulled the boy's hands away from the wound, needing to see what had been pierced where and how deep, though he knew full well those hands may have been all that was keeping him together. His gloved fists fitted at either side of the slashed shirt and sharply ripped the rest of the cloth open for better access.

No trained physician, he couldn't help but make a face at the mess. It was exactly as bad as it looked. Judging by his exceedingly fair looks and the quality of his clothes, the boy had no business getting into sword fights.

Re: for Vax (Greeting)

[st_unning]

Alcuin did manage to register when he spoke again that he was spoking Cruinthe, which was odd, but not something that he cared terribly much about at the moment.

He gasped a little when his shirt was ripped open, once his hands were gone and he felt the flow of blood again. "Just take me," he said in accented Cruinthe this time. "Take me to Elua." He could not bring himself to look at the wound. It would not matter soon.

Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_artingpoint]

There was nothing out of the ordinary for the hotel lobby. People were coming and going in their daily activities. If no one noticed, besides the man behind the counter, that a light colored duffle bag suddenly appeared out of thin air near a table, the occupants could be excused. Their minds had been on other things including embarrassing things that had recently occurred.

An idle thought of what might be inside, if anyone gave it a thought, was likely to be wrong. It didn't house supplies or anything that could be of use to the people stranded in the quirky hotel. It did house something that could be of use, just not what was expected.

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_eampunk]

Molly's steps were a lot lighter than they had been in a very long time which was mainly due to a certain tall wizard. A certain tall wizard that was ALIVE. The happiness that she felt at that fact had dulled the white noise of heightened emotions after Valentine's Day. It had turned out to be a typical day for her as she stepped inside the lobby.

Apparently, Molly had spoken too soon and fate was about to laugh its ass off. The white noise shield crumbled as a tidal wave of fear and confusion washed over her. At first she couldn't tell where it was coming from and Molly had to concentrate hard to pinpoint the location. What she hadn't expected, was learning that it came from the bag.

"The hell?" Her own confusion took hold as she approached it. For a fleeting moment she thought about getting in touch with that hot guy that she'd seen in the Security area when she saw the "Call the FBI" on the tag. Was the guy's name Alan? No, Alex. Molly mentally nodded even as she decided to handle it on her own. It was better to be safe than sorry, and she didn't want to release something magical and harmful into the hotel with someone inadvertently opening the bag.

She drew her wand and felt the kinetic energy power flow into her silver bracelets and rings. "Swear to God, if an alien pops out of this thing, while cool, I'm going to lose my shit." Molly reached out to take hold of the zipper, but before she could it slowly opened.

"Son of a bitch!" She scrambled back, prepared for anything and hoped for the best.

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_artingpoint]

The first thing that emerged from the opening was a slender female arm covered in tattoos. Next, the bag tilted as a woman slowly crawled out of the small fabric encasing and onto the cool tile floor. Her brows knitted when she tried to take in where she was but she had no idea.

With muscles tight from a cramped space, she straightened up on shaky legs and trembling arms. Her eyes shut against the glare of the overhead lights briefly before her hands came up to shield them.

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_eampunk]

Even without empathic ability, Molly could tell that she wasn't a danger. "Hey." She calmed her own racing heart and tried to ignore the cacophony of emotions rolling off the other woman. "I know it's confusing but the first thing we have to do is get you something to wear." Just as she completed the sentence, almost before she took her next breath, a hand carrying a large sheet thrust the fabric toward Molly .

"Well there ya go. A toga until we get you something better at the store here." She held out the sheet to the other woman.

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_artingpoint]

Her eyes became adjusted to the lights and she could finally see the girl speaking to her. She took the fabric and wrapped it around herself, but as she did she noticed that her body was covered in drawings. Was that normal?

Her eyes flicked quickly over to the other girl and noticed that she had a lot of drawings on her, too. Not as many as she did, but quite a bit, so maybe it was.

"Where am I?"

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_rigaetsica]

Joanna hadn't seen the woman around the hotel before, and the confusion and uncertainty written all but confirmed she was a new arrival.

"It takes some adjustment," Joanna said, offering a small smile. It hadn't been that long since she found herself suddenly at the inn instead of at home with her family where she should've been. And the woman looked about her daughters' ages. "I was about to get some coffee, if you'd like to join me?"

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_artingpoint]

It was one of the things that Jane had tried and liked. Molly had been right about that. Little steps and she was learning what she liked and didn't like.

"Thanks, I'd like that." Her smile was a little shy as she said it. "I'm still getting used to things."

Re: Jane Doe - Assigned Threads

[st_rigaetsica]

Joanna didn't think anything of the comment; of course a new arrival would be getting used to being stuck at the inn. She nodded, her smile warming somewhat at the younger woman's shy one, and walked toward the samovar usually kept warm and full of coffee.

"How do you take it?" she asked, picking up two mugs from a tray to fill them.

for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

After Vax'ildan had left Alcuin alone in the hideously red room and a warm bath, he had shed the rest of his clothes and gotten into the water. It felt wonderful. It also turned pink from the blood that washed from his skin. He stayed there, trying to clear his mind, until the water went cold. And only after he'd gotten out and wrapped a towel around himself had he collapsed on the cool floor and sobbed.

He wasn't sure how long he was there. Long enough to feel like every ounce of emotion had drained from his body. But at least he was not in pain, not even from the wound that was now already closed into a thin scar.

Finally, he got up again, examined his bloody clothes on the floor, and then put them into a waste bin. He remembered Vax'ildan's promise to bring him clothes, and so with the towel wrapped around his body he opened the door to the hallway and gratefully found a small pile there. They were clothes quite unlike anything he'd ever seen, but at least seemingly fairly simple. Trousers made of an odd material. A shirt with sleeves that were very short. He did put his own boots back on, since it was easy enough to wipe off the bit of blood that had gotten on them.

Part of him just wanted to hide there forever, but it was twinges of hunger that finally made him venture out. He thought of going to Vax'ildan's door, but no, he had done enough for him right now. And at least, despite the strangeness of everything, Alcuin was by nature incredibly curious, and there was some small amount of joy in the opportunity to explore. He went back to the building where Vax'ildan had found him (careful not to look down too much, as he very much did not want to stumble across a stain of his own blood on the floor).

As he looked around, taking in all the details of his surroundings, he must have looked terribly lost. Both literally and figuratively.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

Mostly because it was something to do, Ignis tended to bring food to the Cafe periodically throughout most days. He enjoyed cooking, and cooking for himself was always less satisfying than cooking for others. Leaving random food out for random people was not, of course, as pleasant as cooking a meal for his friends had been, but few things would be.

He'd identified, early on, the best and least-used route to use in transporting food from the kitchen he'd taken over to the Cafe, and so when there actually was someone in the hall while he was on his way back to the kitchens, it was actually confusing for a second or two. The other person present wasn't making any noise, so Ignis asked, somewhat apologetically, "Are you lost?"

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin turned towards the man at the sound of his voice. He took in his appearance as he did with everyone, a learned trait and one that was automatic now. The dark mask covering his eyes was strange and unfamiliar, but Alcuin noted the scars underneath, and also the way that his head seemed tilted to not quite the right angle to be looking Alcuin in the eyes.

"Yes," he finally said, his voice a touch sad even as he tried to keep his tone fairly neutral. "In more ways than one."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_eadfast]

So the presence belonged to a young man with a lovely voice, even in only a few words. Though of course Ignis tried not to notice it unduly. The note of sadness warned him that such notice was even less appropriate than it would otherwise be. "If you're looking for something in particular, I may not actually be able to help, but I'm happy to try."

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_illunsmeared]

The slender figure with pale blonde hair caught her eye in how it lingered, hovering in shadows and at thresholds, much as Jane had done when they first brought her home. Undoubtedly, the person--she had not yet determined whether male or female--was both new and lost. Association with Jane thus cemented, Phryne rose gracefully from her table and endeavored to catch their eye as she approached.

"Hello," she said warmly in English touched with both upper-class British and street-rat Australian, then offered a kind smile. Male, she decided, now that she stood closer. Certainly. "You've just arrived, haven't you?" Of course he had, so she didn't wait for his response. "It's a bit overwhelming at first, isn't it?"

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_unning]

Alcuin turned more directly to the woman when she spoke, and met her eyes. "Yes," he said, managing a small, sad smile. "It is, yes."

She too spoke Cruinthe, with a slight variation on the accent that Vax'ildan had. It occurred to Alcuin that he should have asked if everyone spoke that language here. (How very strange, it was so obscure.) Actually, there were probably a hundred questions he should have asked.

Re: for Ignis + OTA

[st_illunsmeared]

Poor darling. He looked so terribly lost. Honestly, if they were in Melbourne, she'd have insisted on taking him home and tucking him into a warm bed for a good night's rest and some pampering.

"Perhaps it would help to have a bit of company, and something warm to drink? There's nothing like hot cocoa to soothe frazzled nerves. Or some soup if you're hungry?"