strangetrip | Check-In: Not-Mother Hen

Kitty sat at the bar with a cup of coffee and her notebook, watching the 'welcoming committee' make themselves busy. Liz was here, as she'd promised Kitty she would be and Kitty gave her a quick smile of encouragement.

One of the worst things about Check-In Days was that you never knew whether it'd be a whole long day of no one arriving, one spectacular fall from the ceiling and dropping dead after another, or anything in between. It made it hard to know what to do with yourself. After awhile, you got used to it and just kept on with whatever you'd do otherwise, and know that if you didn't step up for a new arrival, someone else would. But for someone not used to treating it like a responsibility to be here, especially someone with Liz's anxious need to be perfect at it, Check-In Day could be emotionally exhausting.

So Kitty made sure to have milk warmed for hot cocoa and her plans for the obstacle course handy in case Liz needed something to do with herself. Otherwise, she was working on a modification of Cerebro to see if she could start detecting new arrivals.

[ooc: Regular check-in day gathering post. If you want Kitty, ping me.]

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Sunny wasn't familiar with this song, and in the way of all first listens didn't grasp everything but the words she did pick out were... interesting.

"Never heard that one," she said neutrally, not wanting to lean one way or another as far as interpreting why that piece of music.

"It's, uh," Bradley started, looking uncomfortable. "on the radio sometimes."

He shifted his weight to his other foot and rubbed the back of his neck.

But it had hit a nerve. And so Sunny didn't ask. In fact she very deliberately went in another direction entirely.

"That was the first spell I ever learned to cast with my knife," she said. "My friend Chichi did it for me the very first time I saw it done. Classical. It was to help me cross the bridge into Leopard Knocks without the... thing living in the river from dragging me down. It almost did anyway. It's older than time, it can do what it likes."

"There's a.. 'thing' that lives in the river?" Brad asked with wide eyes. "Like... a magical thing? A troll or... something?"

Sunny smiled, a touch mischievous, but she wasn't lying. "It's not something that someone without magic would likely encounter, and it would make short work of a troll. But, yes. And that was probably one of the gentler parts of my early days practicing magic."

"Wow... that sounds... really intense." He said. "And dangerous... did you choose to do all that stuff?"

That was a good question and Sunny didn't answer it right away. She twirled the umbrella resting on her shoulder, lips pressing together in contemplation. "At the time," she said, "Chichi and Orlu were my only friends. And it was also a part of myself I hadn't known was missing. I could have chosen otherwise, but... I don't think I could have done it."

Somehow Bradley understood the concept that there might be more than one choice, but only one that you should or needed to take to stay yourself.

"That sounds... really brave." He said finally. "But nice. That you found that missing part of yourself."

Sunny felt herself starting to blush, absurd though it was. She briefly lowered her eyes. "Thank you."

She raised them again. "I was just going in for dinner. Were you heading anywhere in particular?"

"I was just, trying to get my bearings." He answered. "I thought if I could know where things were and be familiar, I'd feel less weird about being here."

"It'll come," Sunny assured him. Maybe not being okay with it, but familiarity certainly. She smiled teasingly. "And you'll find more shades of pink than you ever knew existed."

He laughed a quiet, but genuine laugh.

"I'd say I'd look forward to that, but I don't want to lie." Brad said lightly. "... I should, keep looking around. Thanks, for making this place feel a little less... whatever it feels."

Sunny grinned. "I try. And I'm sure I'm not the only person who'll offer, but I'm in room 193 if you need anything."

He nodded. He made a mental note of her room.

"I will." He said, but hoped he wouldn't need much.

Bradley raised his hand and gestured 'farewell' to Sunny, then turned and continued on his way.

Check-In: Not-Mother Hen

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