Check-In: Not-Mother Hen

[st_alksthroughwalls]

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.]

Comments

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

"Sometimes... your parents don't know what's best for you," He said, thinking of his father. Mom let us stay with him, too.... "Are you still cursed here?"

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

"Nothing really that bad's happened here," Hurley admits. "But I don't know. Maybe this place is protected or something. I don't know."

A beat.

"But you're probably right about the parents thing. I'm sure my Ma meant well inviting my dad back and trying to convince me I was wrong about the cursed stuff, but it didn't help."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

Or maybe you being here is the biggest curse of all

Bradley placed another token. He wasn't sure there would be a winner this time. There weren't that many spaces left and they were running out of tokens.

"Thanks..." He said after a minute. "For, trying to make this place seem a little normal."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

"No problem, dude," Hurley says, slipping in another token. "I have a shift over at the cafe in a few. You find anything to do here yet? It helps keep you preoccupied."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

He shook his head.

"Not yet.. " He said. "I guess I'll have to figure that out too... any suggestions?"

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

"I don't know, man," Hurley says. "What do you like to do? Or -- what are you good at?"

That was where Hurley started when he was trying to figure out something to do.

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

Brady had to think about the question.

"...French?" He said, dumbly. "And hockey."

Two things that aren't really helpful here, probably

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

"How good's your French?" Hurley asks. "There's a French cookbook I found in the library, but I don't know any French. Could help to have someone translate some recipes for me."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

"Pretty good, I guess?" He said, never the one to feel confident about his skills. "I'm in French immersion, so half my classes are French."

Brad thought about it.

"Yeah, sure." He said with a nod. "I could definitely do that for you."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

"Great," Hurley says. "You got your first job. I'm sure there's other people around who can use your help getting something done. It's just about finding who those people are and what their need is."

Another token goes in.

"What's your room number again? I'll drop the book off after my shift."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

Bradley placed his last token in. He looked at the pattern. Was there a winner?

"105," He answered. "And... thanks."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

Somehow, in all their talking, neither one of them seemed all that concerned about winning.

Which is why there isn't a winner, just a couple of close calls.

"Hey, no problem."

Hurley presses the little latch again, then starts throwing the tokens and pieces back into the box. "You think you can hang onto this for me for awhile?" he asks, tapping the lid of the box. "I gotta head to my shift."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_randedinwinter]

Brad looked surprised. Then he nodded.

"Yeah, sure." He said while helping by dismantling the two side pieces that keep the yellow part up. "I'll keep it safe."

Re: Hurley and Brad

[st_illkindalost]

"Great," Hurley pronounces as he pushes himself off the couch. "Feel free to stop by the cafe if you get hungry. You'll get tired of the chicken quick."

Even Hurley was starting to tire of it.

And with one final smile, Hurley lumbers off to the cafe.