[GP] Check-in Day: Lurking Out of Habit

[st_ingofthehundred]

The first of the month arrived and Kash took up his usual station at the edge of the Cafe with his eyes on the door. It had been his habit since he first arrived and learned that arrivals had a pattern, and he had kept to it when he realized that a lot of people showed up injured. It had nothing to do with expecting Zahra to come for him any day now. Nothing to do with wanting to be right here should she arrive. He was just doing his work as a healer.

From the new library, he had acquired a text on modern medicine. It sat in front of him, a cup of coffee by his hand that Kitty kept full of fresh, steaming brew, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies by his other hand. He wore the symbol that he refused to consider holy, his dark spear rested against the thigh closer to the wall, and he had prepared all of his healing spells, and a few damage and area of effect spells in case anything came through that posed a threat.

Kitty was on-shift, which used to mean covering the bar, the cafe, and the pool bar. Out of habit, she still watched all of them, but these days, she had plenty of help. Ignis or Emma were almost always in the kitchen and someone usually tended the bakery counter.

In short, there was absolutely nothing unusual about the day, Kitty or Kash. It was exactly like every other arrival day. The only exception, if it was one, was that Kash was almost as interested in his book as Kitty was her research.

Comments

Zahra's Assigned Threads

[st_affofthemoon]

Despite the fact that facing a god head on was almost impossible, Zahra felt invigorated. It was how she always felt when she rushed into battle with Kashaw. He had a way of making her feel like together they could do anything. Besides, they had fought their way to Vecna and managed, how much worse could it be?

The answer came swiftly. They had only just arrived, only just started to help when she felt her body freeze. She felt the Wyvern tense too and suddenly they were both falling. She caught glimpse of Kash doing the same. She closed her eyes. Dammit. They would be of no help to Vox Machina, it seemed.

The lobby of the inn seemed to rumble for a second before out from the ceiling came plummeting a red Tiefling in armour that had clearly seen a lot of battle. She hit the floor hard, dust from the ceiling cascading around her. Her body went limp, still. A moment passed and then her stomach faintly rose, but she remained still and unmoving.

Re: Zahra's Assigned Threads

[st_ingofthehundred]

Kash might have heard the rumble. He might have felt it. He might have seen something fall from the ceiling. For the rest of his days, he would swear that he had felt her and looked up in time to see the ceiling open up--

And he was on his feet, coffee splashing toward the book (but being warded away by Illyana's magic), drenching the cookies, and the chair falling over with a crash not quite as loud as the one she made. His spear was in his hand without a thought as he dashed across the space between them and dropped to his knees beside her.

There was no point when not knowing coalesced into knowing, only a moment when his heart began to beat again and his lungs filled with air again--for the first time in months, and from that moment, the one where it all stopped again in panic.

His first words to her weren't to her at all, but the summoning of healing energy as his hand smoothed her hair back away from her blood-streaked face.

Re: Zahra's Assigned Threads

[st_affofthemoon]

Her chest rose sharply as she inhaled a deep breath into her lungs. Her hand half-clenched for a brief moment before her eyes opened, revealing pure white with no iris. Her head was still swimming and she felt like she picked a fight with wall.

Zahra groaned softly. "...Kash?" She knew the way his healing felt. Familiar and comforting to her in a way most other clerics couldn't achieve. She blinked a few times and tried to sit up, but it was hard to do on her own steam.

Re: Zahra's Assigned Threads

[st_ingofthehundred]

Body going numb with shock, his legs seemed to slide out from under him--but really lowered him to a sitting position so he could lift her head into his lap.

As she tried to sit, he pressed her down with his hand. "Don't, baby," he said hoarsely.One more time, he summoned healing energy for her, enough to make it safe for her to move, but she looked like she'd been at death's door. "You look like shit."

[st_eelremains]

Geralt wasn’t sure what had made him draw his silver sword and push himself to his feet when the first ghoul had crashed through the rotting wood of the Crones’ abode. Habit, maybe, or just an unwillingness to let it end at the hands of a random swamp monster—or, as it turned out, at the teeth and claws of the horde of ghouls and drowners and foglets vomited up by Crookback Bog, as if in one last burst of anger at the man who’d slain the last of Velen’s Ladies of the Wood.

It was so easy to let instinct take over, to cut his way through anything that stood in his way, even if he didn’t really know where he was going, or why he was bothering. Ciri’s medallion clenched so hard in his free hand that he could feel the outline of the wolf’s head through his gauntlet, he lost himself in spinning and slashing, dodging and thrusting. He was just a witcher, after all, just as Ciri had said. Better he died doing what he’d been made to do, and there was a part of him that would have been perfectly happy to die. To leave this world that would never have Ciri in it again.

Except that he didn’t die. Even as his muscles finally started to tremble with fatigue, suddenly, there were no more targets in front of him, and the ground beneath his feet as he staggered to a stop was abruptly different. Dry, not the muck of the Bog, and the air was warm, almost sweet-smelling. Geralt inhaled a bit shakily as he stared out at the unfamiliar landscape, realizing he’d dropped his sword somewhere between the Bog and... here. Ciri’s medallion was still safely in his grasp, and he could feel the weight of Iris still in its scabbard across his back, but he’d lost his potions pack. Doesn’t matter, he reminded himself, but winced as he started to limped forward towards the strange buildings in the distance.

This didn’t look like any place on the Continent he’d ever been. And he’d have felt it, had he been pulled through a portal. Not to mention Yen or Triss or Melitele forbid, Phillipa, would have been here verbally lacerating him if this had been a rescue.

[st_everybodylives]

Normally you wouldn't catch River anywhere near the main building on a day that probably would herald new arrivals but she hadn't adequately stocked up and was out of tea.

And wine.

It was on the return to her room as she walked across one of the laws with wine and tea safely in hand that she found herself face to face with - well... he simply had to be a new arrival.

She would have noticed him if he'd been here for any length of time, and he looked a bit like he'd just been through a war.

"Welcome to the Madonna Inn," she said as she approached him, though she stayed well back in case he went on the attack.

[st_eelremains]

On the long walk up the road, it had become clear he’d caught more than the odd claw-swipe in the fight - nothing that a witcher’s metabolism wouldn’t heal on its own - and so Geralt was feeling a little light-headed by the time he limped across the soft green grass and found himself abruptly facing a curly-haired woman who reminded him oddly of Margarita Laux-Antille. For a moment, the words she spoke made no sense, but when he concentrated, they were close enough to Common to understand. Odd accent, though.

“Where is this?” His voice came out gruff and hoarser than it should have been. “I was—I was somewhere else.”

[st_everybodylives]

"We were all somewhere else once," not helpful, but then again no one has ever called her helpful before. "We're in some sort of pocket dimension outside space and time, or that's my guess. No one really knows."

She eyed him critically up and down, she could enjoy the view later for now he did look a bit worse for wear.

"Looks like you could use some patching up, we have a clinic here and there's bound to be someone hanging about." Since they all knew people could be arriving today. If not, well there were people she could call.

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Most days lately were for practicing magic, but for Corbie, arrival days were still for sewing. Pike and Piotr kept her the busiest since nothing available fit either of them, but other requests came too. And as much as she liked her studies, there were times she liked to quiet her mind with a simple, repetitive task.

There had been a whole hullabaloo earlier that she'd missed, and she'd wondered if keeping her post was going to be worthwhile today... but the man who came into the lobby when she looked up was definitely new. She smiled a little, sweet and a touch uncertain. "Welcome to the Madonna Inn."

[st_eelremains]

For a moment he froze, but... nothing at all like Ciri, Geralt told himself, pale hair and blue eyes or not. His mind shouldn't be playing tricks like that on him. "Hello," he said after a moment, his voice a touch more hoarse than it had been. "I... met a woman outside. She told me what this place is."

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Corbie had met enough men in vulnerable positions to know that she'd made some sort of impact, even if she hadn't meant to. And given it couldn't have been anything she said... a girl, probably.

She nodded. "Anything I can help with? Questions?"

ota, tag Sam

[st_unaligned]

It was hard not to notice the red person falling from the ceiling when she was on her way to the pool to do her shift at the bar there. The Fae woman, because she was definitely not human, was hurt, but before she could do anything to help, Kashaw was there and healed her, it seemed. Bo didn't want to gawk, despite the fact the newcomer was pretty hot, so she pushed through the doors and out towards the pool.

Alec was swimming in the pool as she walked behind the bar and readied some of the more popular items. The pool bar was the slowest of the three, but it didn't mean she didn't want to be ready. As she poured herself some water, Alec appeared which his usual cocky smile. They talked for a few minutes, Bo smiling to him a bit - it was hard not to find him a little charming even though his ego was gigantic.

"You know where to find me." Alec winked with a little salute and then headed towards the inn. Bo shook her head, smiling to herself, before starting to wipe down the counter.

Re: ota, tag Sam

[st_andingtall]

Sam had one eye on the lobby when the demon fell through the ceiling and hit the floor with a loud crash. Stereotypically hot anime demon, he noted. The real thing was a lot less obvious. (Not always less hot.)

He got up to see if she was all right and make sure she didn't take it out on anyone if she wasn't--and startled at the crash of a mug hitting a wall, and at the cleric, Kashaw, bolting to the demon-woman's side.

That was interesting enough that Sam kept a casual eye on them until the woman stepped into Kashaw's side and wrapped her tail around him. Then it was painfully private and none of his business. He got up and left them alone, going out to the pool bar for coffee instead of staying inside.

He smiled when he saw Bo and raised his chin in greeting.

Re: ota, tag Sam

[st_unaligned]

Bo smiled when she saw Sam and returned the nod. "Exciting day so far, huh?" She stopped rearranging the bottles and watched Sam approach with silent appreciation.

"Drink?"

OTA

[st_eelremains]

The room was... mildly alarming, more for the bizarre and colourful decor than the ghostly presence in the second, smaller bedroom; Geralt had been around enough ghosts in his life to know when one meant harm and when it didn't. He'd managed to clean up and wash out the various claw-marks and bites, although the bathing room was confusing, like nothing he'd even seen except perhaps in the royal palace in Vizima. He'd stripped his armor off and laid down on the bed, where he'd promptly forgotten that he was in a room like something out of a Novigrad brothel's fever dream and slept long enough that he was stiff when he finally rose and glanced out the window.

Looked like early morning, Geralt thought, and pulled on the light breeches and tunic he'd been wearing under his armor. They were damaged from the fight, but not too noticeably. They'd do for now. Checking to make sure his medallion was still where it should be (and that Ciri's was still on the small table beside the bed where he'd left it) he headed back out the door with only one backward look at Iris's scabbard, lying across the end of the bed.

Re: OTA

[st_hotflashes]

Liz had her head down in a science book as she walked down the hall. She was almost hugging the side of the wall so she wouldn't be in anyone's way. Which was a bit ironic since she didn't notice Geralt leaving his room and she was about to run into him.

Re: OTA

[st_eelremains]

He'd slept enough that his focus was at least somewhat close to normal, although his leg was still sore enough that he tottered slightly as he sidestepped the young woman, biting back a hiss of pain. "Careful," he said, no edge to his voice. "I'd have hated to knock you over."

Re: OTA

[st_accato]

Buffy was coming back through the lobby after a night of 'patrolling' around the Inn when she caught sight of someone she hadn't seen before. She was about to raise her hand in greeting but she noticed that she had a makeshift stake in it. Crap. She quickly shifted hands to wave and tried to slide the stake nonchalantly into the waist of her trousers.

"Hi."

Re: OTA

[st_eelremains]

He'd made it back to the large entry room where he'd met Corbie yesterday without running into anyone else, which hadn't really bothered him. He'd prefer to get the lay of the land before encountering large numbers of people. The young blonde who waved at him didn't seem to be a threat, however. Even if she was carrying a sharpened stake... which she felt the need to hide, once he saw it.

"Greetings," he said dryly. "Uh, thank you for not throwing that at me, I guess?"

Re: OTA

[st_oriedqueen]

When several days had passed without Regina seeing her protege, she decided to pay Corbie a visit. She wasn't in, so rather than waste the walk or the new outfit, she thought to see if Coby wanted to go for a drink. She hadn't made it there yet when the newest arrival turned out of his room decisively and very nearly trod on her toes.

"I'll excuse it this once. You're not yet used to the hideous glare."

Re: OTA

[st_eelremains]

"Sorry," Geralt said automatically--then frowned and raised a hand to his medallion as it trembled slightly. "You... wouldn't be Corbie's teacher, would you?" he asked after a moment, although to be fair there could be plenty of magic-users around here for all he knew.

Re: OTA

[st_ubby]

There had been no answer to the knock at Lillith's door, and Vex turned to go just as a man stepped out of the room next door. He was new to the inn, she recognized immediately, and the tunic and breeches had more in common with Exandrian garb than what many wore here. They also showed signs of the wearer knowing something of battle, as did the man himself, she noticed in the way he carried himself, favoring a still healing injury, perhaps?

"This place takes some getting used to. But it is possible." If you didn't mind the lack of excitement.

Re: OTA

[st_eelremains]

Geralt blinked at the woman who'd spoken to him as he got a clearer look at her. "You're part-elven," he said, then frowned. "Sorry. Just wasn't expecting to see anything familiar here, based on my experience so far..."

Re: OTA

[st_raighttovampire]

Caroline didn't usually go for exercise, but she'd been restless and, honestly, hungry. So to bleed off some of the energy, she'd grabbed her swimsuit and headed to the pool for a few laps. It was early, but not that early and the weather was already starting to heat up. It'd be another mid 80s day, she bet. For now, the difference between the heated pool and the not quite mid-50s temp was probably too unpleasant for anyone who claimed a human constitution.

As she hit the end of the pool, movement caught her eye and she hauled herself onto the edge. New guy, she registered instantly, must have come in yesterday. Which made him Geralt, not Zahra. Because every person in the whole inn knew who Zahra was by now. "Hey there!" she called with a wave.

Re: OTA

[st_eelremains]

Young, blonde, wearing something odd, Geralt registered. He edged a little closer, studying the large pool of water. That turquoise shade was definitely not natural. Paint of some sort? "Greetings," he said, turning his attention back to the woman. She seemed cheerful enough.