strangetrip | [GP] Check-In Day: Tol and Smols

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[GP] Check-In Day: Tol and Smols

Caroline's see you around had turned out to be more like I won't see you if I can help it, and Sam had more or less accepted that was how it had to be for the time being. That didn't mean he wouldn't try to be around when he knew she would, just to say hi. Which meant that being around on Check-In Days was just plain smart.

Today, he happened to be reading a history of Asphodel Station, trying to understand this place that they'd found themselves connected to. So, if Caroline had come through, he actually hadn't seen her. He did see Regina when she came through to get her usual chicken Caesar salad, mostly because she stopped beside him and looked down at the book he was reading.

"That doesn't have an enchantment on it," she said, in a way he assumed was a question about its provenance. The implication there was that if it was from the library, it would have one of Illyana's enchantments on it.

"No," Sam answered her. "It's from the station. A history."

Regina frowned and crossed her arms. "How are you reading it?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Psychic paper or something? It seems to be English."

Her gaze scoured the page and lit on the header which read, The Field of Flowers: Volume 1, Asphodel. "When you're done with it--"

"Yeah, I'll leave it in your office."

She nodded, walked off, and then turned back to offer, "Thank you," and continued on her way.

Sam shrugged. If she wanted to tangle with Illyana over the proper procedures for new books, he wasn't going to get in the middle of it. He was just an acquisition agent, nothing more. And today he wasn't even that. He was just a guy reading a book, waiting to see if anyone new showed up today.

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The battle wasn't going exactly as planned - not that fighting a god was meant to be easy - but one of the trammels broke, J'mon Sa Ord was stuck in a cage, and Zahra and Kash were somewhere probably dead since they literally fell from the sky. Still, they were hurting him and Vox Machina wasn't going to give up, even if it killed them all.

Then suddenly Vecna started chanting familiar words. Words to escape. Without a second thought Scanlan cast counter spell, destroying Vecna's chance to leave. Vecna had to remain, and he should have been happy, but it quickly dawned on the Gnome what he had just done. He had no energy left for his plan to save Vax.

He felt a lump hit him hard in his chest and he looked around for Keyleith, wanting, trying to apologize but in the heat of the battle no one could quite hear him. His eyes watering, he looked to Vax - he could have saved him. He was sure he could have saved him and now...

Things happened so fast that suddenly he needed to read the book. They could win this. Scanlan looked down and started to read, but his eyes were still filled with tears and the words blurred and the spell didn't take effect. In an instant, the lump in his chest grew. How could he have messed up so badly? He looked up to shout he'd try again and then saw Vecna casting banishment. It wasn't on Grog this time, but on him. Him and the book. The book they needed to win.

In an instant, Scanlan vanished from the battlefield.

Vox Machina had failed.

The first thing Scanlan was aware of was bright light from one side and the deafening sound of silence as a short humanoid male suddenly appeared between the glass doors of the Madonna Inn. His clothes were bloodied, his eyes red and wet from tears, and he was still clutching a book to his chest.

Sam looked up at an unfamiliar sound and flicker of light from the entrance to the Inn. Between the glass doors, a man, bleeding, roughly the size of Pike, stood clutching a book and crying. Was anyone else around?

No.

Sam sighed and closed his book, picked it up, and headed over to the doors. He couldn't make himself small, so he had to hope not having any obvious weapons would help when he waved to the man before pulling open the door. "Hey."

He had been standing there waiting, hoping, to appear back on the battlefield like they had been able to do with Grog, but nothing was happening and then suddenly there was a tall human at what he now saw was a door. Scanlan panicked for a second, then composed himself. It would be hard to hide the fact he had been crying, but the tears dried up almost instantly - company always seemed to be the best way for him to suppress his feelings.

The brightly coloured, but battered and bloody Gnome cleared his throat. His voice starting off hoarse for just a moment before finding it's momentum and by the end turning back into something resembling some confidence.

"Hello. Do you happen to know a way out of here... wherever we are?"

Not Sam's favorite opening question by a long shot, but one that at least had a clear answer: "There isn't one."

Of course, as soon as he said it, he realized it wasn't technically true and he had to amend, "Well, there's a portal to a space station out of the Crystal Room, but it won't take you back to where you came from. I hate to say it, because it looks like it's probably really bad timing wherever you're from, but you're pretty much stuck here.

"Uh, here is the Madonna Inn and I'm Sam. The good news is there may be people you know here."

Pike was in a wonderful mood. A fact which was largely due to the fact that she was wearing one of the new gnome-sized dresses from the shop. They were such an odd design and fabric, but she loves the way they floused about when she walked and the little bits of skin it exposed was a plus too.

She'd also just finished perfectly arranging a tray of cookies to bring out to the lobby for check-in day. But as soon as she entered to room, her eyes found him. "Scanlan?" His name came out soft as a prayer and was covered up by the sound of the metal tray hitting the ground as she lost her grip. But she didn't care. "Scanlan!"

Before she knew it she was sprinting across the room, not stopping until she had her arms around his neck and was kissing him deeply.

It shouldn't have been possible with her lips busy, but somehow they both began to glow as the spell Heal pulsed from her.

The tall guy was saying a lot of words that made no sense together like a station for space. On a normal day the room full of Crystal would totally get his attention, but right now, feeling like shit the way he did, it only registered somewhere in the back of his mind.

He opened up his mouth to say something, but then he heard her and his eyes moved to see Pike. His expression instantly lightened for a moment, especially when she ran towards him and then suddenly her lips were on his. His eyes closed and he kissed her back because of course he kissed her back and the kiss was basically everything he had ever thought it would be from her. His knees started to fall a little weak, even after he felt the surge of healing rush through him, bolstering his body.

In the time it took for the spell to take effect and to start enjoying the kiss, her mind finally caught up with her actions. Her head began swimming with the conflicting emotions - joy, excitement, fear, hope, anger, sorrow all fought for purchase. As the pieces fell into place, it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head. She pulled away from her and took two steps back.

"No. No. No. My weird fucking magic isn't for you anymore. Not after two years." Of all of her emotions, her anger was the easiest to sit in. She couldn't help but wonder if her eyes had gotten a little red like her best buddy's did. In her rage, she drifted forward a step and slapped him as hard as she could. "You. You broke my heart Scanlan Shorthalt and I don't know how to forgive you for that."

Her vision blurred with angry tears and she knew that she didn't want to hear his response. Not yet, at least. He could talk his way out of anything and she wasn't ready for that. So, with a flick of her wrist and a prayer to Sarenrae, she cast Hold Person on him. Before finding out if the spell took effect, she clicked her Sprinter's Boots and left the room.

The kiss left Scanlan a little stunned so when she pulled back it was only when she spoke again, in her tone, that he could really focus on what was happening - there was no denying she looked and sounded hurt. He remembered how hurt she had been when he first arrived back home, but this time... he had thought they talked through all that.

Face stinging from the slap, he opened his mouth to say something and found himself frozen in spot. He made a guttural sound, but his mouth couldn't move either. Scanlan Shorthalt was basically a statue.

Sam's jaw didn't quite drop, but he was nearly as frozen as the other guy, the one Pike (Christ, Pike, wow) called Scanlan. He was pretty sure his whole family couldn't muster that much up or down if you gave them a whole year to do it in. It was excruciating to watch but somehow he couldn't turn away.

It wasn't until Pike had run away and the guy was still just standing there that Sam finally managed words. "Uh, you don't think you should go after her? I mean... she seems kinda pissed."

Thankfully his eyes were at least focused on her so he could watch her go, but when the guy spoke, Scanlan was still frozen and made another guttural sound before he felt the spell sudden release and he exhaled sharply.

His eyes looked off to where Pike went and he wanted to, or a part of him did, but he didn't think he could do anything helpful at the minute. He was feeling pretty useless over all right now.

"Nope." Scanlan finally turned to Sam the giant human. "No, I have no intention of dying today so I think I'll let her cool off a bit first."

He sighed a little and shrugged. "Okay, so, can you explain what's going on again? Because I just saw that beautiful woman like 1 minute ago in a completely different place and she was not that angry at me." Probably.

Whatever he'd done and whoever this Scanlan Shorthalt was to her, Sam was pretty sure that Pike wasn't going to kill him. "I think you're probably safe. Sarenrae won't sanction her killing you unless you're irredeemable." She'd kissed him, so that probably wasn't case.

Besides, Pike had never struck him as the type to murder anyone, even someone she liked who'd fucked up as bad as Scanlan must have by her tone.

"But long story short, wherever you were, you're not there and you're not going back there. This place is called the Madonna Inn. It's in a pocket plane that no one's been able to get out of. Everything here is free, everyone does what they can to help out, and a lot of people have friends already here when they arrive. Since you know Pike, you know other people here. Did you want me try to find some of them?"

His brain was still on Pike when Sam started to talk, contemplating what the hells just happened, but he tried to focus on the basics. He had no idea what being here meant for the battle and if Vecna was responsible for this or maybe it was Ioun or maybe it was some other god since gods seemed to be showing up left, right, and center lately. All Scanlan knew was that Pike was here and apparently there were 'others' and he couldn't leave.

Scanlan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If the others were going to react like Pike he was going to have to meet them slowly so to spread out the beating. Or maybe he could just cast seeming and no one would know he was here for a while - but for that he'd have to sleep first, he was exhausted.

"Someone named Vax'ildan wouldn't happen to be around, would he?" He figured since Vax hadn't been pissed at him before, maybe he wouldn't be angry now. "Or Vex'ahlia. They basically the same person really."

"Yeah. Vax and Vex. A couple of other people, too," Sam said, already trying to think of the last time he'd seen any of them. Most of them had probably been in the first wave onto the station, which was a complication he didn't want to introduce to Scanlan right now.

"Why don't you come inside and we can see if anyone's seen them lately." If there was someone he knew who could explain this, he'd probably take it better.

"Alright." Scanlan nodded. He really wished he had seeming right now. He inwardly sighed. "Lead the way. Might as well get this over with quickly, right?" If it was going to be bad, it was going to be bad now or tomorrow.

Sam led him to the bar and pointed out Pike's stool. He glanced around and didn't seen Bo or Kitty or any of the bartenders, so he stepped behind the bar. "Let me get you a drink while I call around to the rooms to see if they're here. What do you drink?"

It didn't take an idiot to realize why only one bar stool was Gnome height in the place. "I'll take some vegan wine."

Scanlan crawled up onto one of the regular stools and took a seat despite knowing how ridiculous it looked. He was used to it back home, anyways.

"Is, uh, this big guy here. Taller than you. Bigger. Goes by the name Grog."

"Vegan wine?" That was a new one on Sam. He didn't know if they even had anything like that. He might need to find Kitty if this guy was serious.

"There's a couple of big guys, but none of them named Grog." Piotr was taller than Sam and Harry had been, but he was gone. He didn't think any of the others had been taller. "Did he ever go by the name Harry or Piotr?"

Regina. Vax'ildan intended to start by finding Regina. She'd been a Queen, and then a Mayor, and even now she was a mightily intimidating woman. She probably knew something about the law, didn't she? Not that she needed to. All she would have to do would be to march through the portal and glare at the guards holding Stephanie. They'd wet themselves, let Steph go, and end up apologizing to them before they were done.

He was a man on a mission, expression dark and determined for all that he hadn't dressed properly for battle. Skinny jeans tucked into his boots of haste, dark hoodie zipped over his blades, a backpack in one hand - Vax had thought they'd gone out for shopping, not getting arrested.

Sam was talking to someone at the bar, but Vax didn't see them at first glance, and then was abruptly distracted by a whole platter of fresh-baked cookies that had ended up all over the floor by the doorway. it was strange enough to stop him in his tracks a moment. He frowned down at them. "...Are these Pike's?"

"He's gone by Phillip before, so maybe. Maybe not Piotr." That seemed too imaginative for Grog. Hairy, he could see, even if he was the exact opposite.

As Scanlan sat there, waiting for his wine and contemplating why his life was always so complicated, he heard a familiar voice. He turned and saw Vax. Or someone who looked like Vax because. "What are you wearing?!" His expression was a little confused mixed with amusement because it was Vax, but he wasn't in any armour and it looked so... strange.

That voice.

Vax's head jerked back up from the cookies on the floor, eyes wide. His jaw actually dropped when he saw- "Scanlan?!" He blinked. "When..." What day was it? It was a check-in day.

"You look like shit too," he noticed, the words with a funny enthusiasm as his eyes took in the battle-worn gnome. "Scanlan fucking Shorthalt," Vax was almost yelling at him in joyful disbelief.

Scanlan hopped off the stool. "I'll have you know I look pretty fantastic for the day I'm having." He feigned a stern expression along with hands on hips before he shook his head. "Nope. No, you're right. I look like shit." And he smelled, he was quite aware.

"Apparently I just got here?"

He looked pretty fantastic only in the sense that he was here, and in one piece, more or less.

Vax walked over until he was close enough that he could crouch in front of the much shorter figure and set down the bag he'd brought in with him, rather than looming over the gnome as per usual, wanting a good close look at him while it registered that Scanlan was really here. "Are you -" Well, no, he clearly wasn't 'okay.' "Do you need healing?"

Scanlan was surprised by his friend's sudden change of height and he felt a pang in his heart. you're going to die now because I fucked up But like with most things, Scanlan pushed that deep down inside.

"No. Pike, uh, already healed me up so I'm good. I'm tired but I'm good. You look... Weird." But good, also.

"So that was the cookies, then," Vax nodded his dawning understanding. His expression went a little sad then, remembering what his sister had told him, and having taken it as truth. That Scanlan had hurt them all, had torn himself out of their fucked-up little family before anyone could really understand why. That he'd broken their hearts by running away. But did this Scanlan even know anything about all of that?

Vax would ask him, and soon. But not right this moment. It was a very different thing, being told about someone having done you wrong in the future when it was a world and a year removed at least, to having lived it yourself. All that mattered to Vax right that second was that one of the closest friends he'd ever had had come back to him, and he felt a sheen of wetness in his eyes.

"I am weird," Vax agreed easily. "Always have been. But you're the weirdest," he insisted, reaching with both arms to pull Scanlan into a fierce hug against his chest.

Scanlan only hesitated a split second before he hugged his friend back. He pulled back when he felt his chest start to hurt and the threatening of tears again. Scanlan Shorthalt was not going to cry again right now.

He cleared his throat. "So... where's your sister and everyone else?"

[GP] Check-In Day: Tol and Smols

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