Midnight Manor Boarding House, Friday afternoon through evening

[hasaknightjob]

Steven had the body during the morning and early afternoon, what with bringing Watts lunch and all. Once they got home there was a change of clothes and Marc took over.

They were heading out of town next week, so Marc wanted to be sure everything was handled while they were gone. Which meant he was currently in his office which annoyingly was still a thing in his life but whatever. You agree to be responsible for a sentient pocket universe that doubles as a place people can live and apparently there's paperwork and shit.

Out front there was a handwritten sign - not Marc's handwriting, mind you - that said Rooms for Let. Ask Within. Door's unlocked. Office is to your right. (Don't worry he's not as grumpy as he looks!)

Marc, of course, was unaware of the full wording on the sign. Because sometimes Steven thought he was hilarious.

[open! As the sign says, front door's unlocked]

Comments

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Just weird," Arden confirmed. "She said I was too young to, uh. Hit on."

Not quite what had been said, but probably less likely to get Marc's protective hackles up. "Spent most of the broadcast getting into a fight with a squirrel."

[hasaknightjob]

"Kind of normal for radio," Marc pointed out. "I mean look at Stark's whole deal."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"How he's always fighting with Leroy?" Arden double-checked. "In his defense? Leroy is a real dick."

[hasaknightjob]

You expected Marc to remember names, Arden? Even the name of a squirrel that got brought up in practically every radio broadcast that had aired in the years Marc and Steven had lived here? It was Marc.

"Is that the one?" Marc asked. "All I know is there's one that sounds like it's got a grudge against him or some shit."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Yeah," Arden said. "Y'see he--" She paused, realizing that Marc absolutely would not care about the details and possibly might resent having to hear them. "--has a grudge. And here I am, with opinions about squirrel personalities. This island, yo."

[hasaknightjob]

If Marc knew the gossip grenade Arden had just fallen on for him, he would have appreciated it. But by definition that would have negated her gesture so instead it was only for whatever form of karma affected Arden's life to know.

"I know a talking hippo, so - " Marc shrugged. "Like I say, this place is as crazy as I am. Refreshing."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

You hear that, karma? Arden was due for some good stuff, please and thank you!

"Yeah, but unlike this place and, like, half the people in it, at least you don't go around demanding people's attention about it," she pointed out.

[hasaknightjob]

It was Marc so he had to check, "Other people demand attention about hippos?"

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Not that I've heard yet, but I wouldn't put it past someone," Arden said. After all, she'd just had to complain about flamingos. "Just, in general."

[hasaknightjob]

"Got it," Marc said. "I mean I don't rule out anything with this place."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Eventually, there are gonna be ballerina hippos and swashbuckling alligators running around outside and we're just gonna turn around and close the curtains," Arden said.

[hasaknightjob]

"My luck they'll ask for a room," Marc said. He was ruling nothing out on this island, frankly. "Hey heads up we're gonna be out of town next week. Three of us. But you've got our numbers if you need us."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

One day, Arden was going to realize that she should just stealthily follow the three of them whenever they left because bullshit tended to follow their exits, but for now she was happily ignorant of what her immediate future was going to bring.

"Thanks for letting me know," she said. "Uh, are you boarding your cat? Or would you like someone to check in on him? Or...does Midnight...?"

[hasaknightjob]

Funny how that happened!

"We've got a sitter," Marc said. Ignore how he just said "we" in relationship to the cat, it meant nothing. "They're used to the whole deal."

Though yes, Midnight did watch out for the cat too. And sometimes made changes to the residence when Raphael wanted them, especially when the three of them were out of town. In Midnight's defense when you were a vast eldritch-like being the fundamental differences between the life force and sentience of a cat vs a human were very small.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

It meant nothing and so she would swear to testify, even if they interrogated her separately. "Okay," she said. "Let me know if that ever changes or you need an emergency sitter or anything, I don't mind."

[hasaknightjob]

"Cool," Marc said. Because he didn't say thanks. Or think things like maybe that could segue into inviting Arden and/or the other residents over for dinner or something. Because that's what Steven was for and you had Marc now. Lucky you, Arden.

"We're going up to Canada. Our dimension. But phones still work. You know how it is."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

When had Arden ever seemed like having Marc was a bad thing. "Cool," she repeated, in response for the information. "Pretty sure Midnight will handle anything that comes up, but if not..." She shrugged.

Then frowned. "Uh. If you're not around and someone...tries something--" Who knew who or what they would try or why, but you know. Someone. Something. "--while you're gone, do you know what Midnight would do? Like, to keep us residents safe or whatever?"

[hasaknightjob]

"It knows to keep you guys safe," Marc said. "Any guests you bring in too. Advantage of the place being alive."

And it being a lonely pocket dimension that now got to be a home. Midnight liked being a home. It did not like anybody or anything who tried to hurt those who lived there and made it a home.

Midnight perhaps shared some things in common with one Marc Spector when it came to what was considered under its protection.

"Also grab Illyana if you need," Marc said. "It'll listen to her too if you need more than a safety lockdown."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"And I've got no reason to think it's gonna come up!" Arden said quickly. "Just thinking about stuff early, rather than too late."

[hasaknightjob]

"Nah, you're good," Marc told her. "Never hurts to know how it works. Especially if the new guy asks you while we're not around."

Them being next door neighbors now and all.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"And, hey, he's not like you?" she asked. "Like, an Avatar?"

Just a random dead guy who came back to life?

[hasaknightjob]

"Apparently not," Marc said. "Has met Egyptian gods though. Guess they get around."

Arden might be able to pick up a faint note of implication that of the Egyptian gods Dean had met, Marc wasn't a fan.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

...So basically, any of them that weren't Tawaret?

"And here, I thought that was more of a Greek pantheon thing," Arden joked, complete with fingerguns.

[hasaknightjob]

"... sure."

Steven would have found that joke hilarious, for the record.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Steven was right and Marc was wrong. That joke was fuckin' aces and she was going to have to pass it along to Steven next time she saw him.

"I'm funny," she assured Marc, since he'd missed that. She high-fived herself, because she was also very cool. "That was my past self congratulating my current self on being great."