HOTEL CALIFORNIA

[nowherewolf]

eat shit nerds

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[finchy]

[ Y'all can find this halfling asshole just chilling in various places. He'll be at the bar, in the hotel room, following Reggie's stupid human body around and trying to not let it climb up bookshelves and things - he's wary around everybody, but he's not unfriendly! He's actually interested to meet all the people that Reggie's been hanging out with.

He does look very tired, though. Probably because he's been here for a while, babysitting Reggie's body. ]

[nowherewolf]

[Tucker encounters Jesse in the hotel bar, sliding onto the stool next to him and doing the old knuckle-tap number on the bar itself. That gets you a drink, right?]

So. [He turns to Jesse.] What were you yelling at that street vendor about?

[finchy]

[ Sure, it gets him a drink, but like probably not the drink he wants. Jesse lifts his drink in a bit of a toast the Tucker, and shrugs before taking a swig. It's whiskey. Gross whiskey, though. ]

I asked him a question and he didn't answer. They're all sort of out of it, yeah? Like they're only half in the moment. Drives me fuckin' nuts, so I lost my temper on one of 'em.

[nowherewolf]

[Tucker sniffs his drink and frowns. What the hell is this swill?? He sips it and makes a face.]

So wait, how long have you been here? And how the hell did you get here?

[finchy]

[ Jesse grins a bit at the face that Tucker makes. ]

Uh, fuck. A week? It feels like a week. Dunno. I got here the same way you did, I'm guessing? I was watching a show and I got pulled into whatever emokid universe this is.

[nowherewolf]

A week? Jesus. And you've been here with... Reggie's...

[He pauses, searching for the words.]

With cat-Reggie the whole time? How'd you finagle that, anyway? That cane motherfucker was watching us like a hawk the whole time.

[evocation]

[Kyna starts to get antsy in the hotel room after about twenty minutes, naturally, so she heads downstairs to try to figure out if there's a part of this hotel that isn't creepy as hell. Final verdict: Nope. The entire place wigs her out, but she settles for the lobby. She grabs a drink from the (disappointing, actually) bar and then flops down on one of the big, overstuffed couches, playing with her phone. All of her apps are screwed up, which really isn't surprising, considering they're in another dimension, but she still sighs dramatically.]

God, this place is so weird.

[If anyone she knows passes by, she'll definitely flag them down, scooting over and patting the couch cushion beside her.]

[finchy]

[ Jesse passes by, and when she flags him down, he hesitates. He also looks behind him, like he thinks she's gesturing to someone else. ]

[evocation]

[Kyna raises her eyebrows, then pats the couch more insistently.]

I mean you, cat boyfriend.

[finchy]

Ew. [ He says, wrinkling his nose as he makes his way over. He jumps over the back of the couch to sit down, glancing at her. ]

I ain't into bestiality, alright? So don't start assuming.

[evocation]

Hey, wow. You're the only one who brought that into the conversation, for the record.

[finchy]

You said cat boyfriend, he was human afore this! [ Grumble!! ] Whatever. You're Kyna, yeah?

[nowherewolf]

[Tucker flops down beside Kyna.]

This place must be the worst timeline. I feel like I'm in fuckin' Halloween Town.

[evocation]

Nah, Halloween Town is charming.

[She shoves her phone back into her jacket pocket with an unnecessary amount of force.]

So a seven, huh? I think you're a fucking liar and it was really an eleven, you sap.

[nowherewolf]

[Tucker rolls his eyes.]

Okay fine. It was closer to a 9.

[Let's change the subject from me now.]

What about you? Did you shit your pants when you fell off a goddamn bridge? Jesus.

[evocation]

Yeah, a little.

[But she definitely doesn't want to talk about that either, so it's time to deflect. Kyna turns, resting her back against the arm of the couch and plopping her legs into his lap.]

Feet getting cold yet?

[ghostlocked]

[Harlan is the maddest he's ever been. He feels like it, anyway. He's absolutely not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, but being alone sucks too and sitting still sucks even worse. He can be found angrily flitting around the hotel, mostly pacing up and down the hallways but occasionally detouring into the lobby to briefly spend time in the presence of other people before realizing that people are terrible and he hates everyone. He's agitated and fidgety and doesn't know what to do with himself.

If he runs into anyone, he'll glare and give them his best "fuck off" face. Not that he expects that to work on this gaggle of nosy fucks, but he won't be the one initiating any conversations tonight.]

[finchy]

[ Jesse is the kind of person that can't stop himself from trying to settle people down - it's in his nature to see someone upset and want to fix it. So after the like, sixth time Harlan tries to go out, Jesse flops down on the couch opposite Harlan and waves a bit. ]

Hey.

[ghostlocked]

[Harlan shoots Jesse a brief look of confusion. What the hell does this guy want? Jesse has been more of a nonentity to Harlan than an annoyance. He's just some bystander they picked up because of that whole cat thing, whatever's going on there. Harlan doesn't care.]

What?

[finchy]

Hi. It's a thing people say when they wanna start a conversation, yeah? [ Jesse sniffs. ] Sorry about your girl.

[ghostlocked]

[Harlan is no closer to figuring out what to make of this guy.]

Right, I get that. My question is why you want to start a conversation with me.

[He pauses. It's not like Jesse was a world of help when Panna got carted off, but again, bystander. Harlan wouldn't have gotten involved either. At least he didn't make it worse.] Sorry about your... Whatever the fuck. [He motions vaguely in the direction of Reggie's body.]

[evocation]

[After that mess of a conversation, Kyna is in a horrible mood. She doesn't want to go back to the room and cram herself in with whoever else is hiding out in there, and this hotel sucks, so she just wanders. She's practically doing laps, trying to focus on how angry she is rather than thinking about the fact that her feelings are hurt. Harlan is right. Kyna is absolutely emotionally constipated, but that's the only way she really knows how to cope with stuff like this. No wonder she doesn't have many friends.

It's just her luck that she runs into Harlan again, and she half considers turning on her heel and heading back down the hallway whether he saw her or not. She can't quite bring herself to do it though, so she just freezes up, her shoulders tensing. Don't be a dick again, Harlan.]

[ghostlocked]

[Harlan definitely sees Kyna. He's on edge tonight, especially after that whole everything with Tucker and Kyna earlier, and he's on the defensive as soon as he hears footsteps in the hallway with him. And, fuck, it's her, of all people. He'd get right back into it with Tucker or anyone else, but he doesn't want to fight with Kyna again. He doesn't want to make it worse. He doesn't know how to not make it worse. Even just walking away wouldn't help. Then it would seem like he doesn't care.

So he just shifts awkwardly and leans his shoulder against the wall. He's tired, and she's wary, and this is not going to end well.]

Hey.

[evocation]

[Kyna frowns, just watching him for a moment. That isn't the explosive reaction she got before, or the one she was expecting, and it throws her off. She doesn't know how to navigate this.]

Hi.

[It's completely unintentional, but she sounds a little suspicious.]

[ghostlocked]

[He watches her for a moment, expecting her to bail without another word. But then she doesn't. He's not sure if that makes it better or worse.]

What? I'm done picking fights, if that's what you're worried about.