[00] Hotel

[Ashe]

It started off like a bad joke taking place on this place called Dante. You see, a pink haired girl walks into a bar and spots a courier, a doctor, and a couple of dead people. The bartender walks up and says "Isn't it a bit late to call the doctor?" or something equally lame.

Backing up a bit further, however, Ashe stumbles down the hallway while clutching her bag to her chest tightly, looking around at all the different people passing by her. It was a bit overwhelming being surrounded by all these people that just seemed to be surrounded by power and fortitude, and it reminded her eerily of the previous event she'd unwillingly attended.

Thankfully for her, the first corner she turned contained a bar. It took her something like two seconds to clear her way from the door, through the crowd, and be leaning over the bar with her underage hands stretched out to barely fall short of the beer fountain. At some point during these two seconds, a frozen mug had appeared within her outstretched hand as well.

"Hey!" the bartender yelled, swatting her arm with a towel.

She jumped back and growled at him. "Hey, watch it! I just really need something to drink right now!"

The man shrugged at her and took the cup from her. "Yeah, everyone here needs one. That's what this place does to your nerves I guess. Anyway, here ya' go. If you need anything else, just ask. Open bar and all that."

She grinned and guzzled down the foul tasting liquid before slamming it down and wiping her mouth. "Thanks, uh-" she began, glancing down at his name tag. "Jose" she finished, pronouncing it like he was in a female rock group.

"Its Jose!" he corrected her with an exasperated look on his face.

Ashe shook her head with her eyebrow raised. "Dude, no way. That name totally begins with a J, not a H." Talking over his protests, she thrust the cup back into his hand. "Can I get something with a coffee taste to it? Alcohol I mean."

He sighed and nodded, turning away from her to continue making other drinks as well. She smiled and looked around at the bar, nearly falling backwards when she realized who was at the other end of it. "Hey, can you also send a plum wine to that woman in with the blue hair? If she asks, its totally apple juice!" she informed him, laughing a bit. It was for old time's sake, she decided, walking down to the end of the bar just in time to interrupt the conversation.

"Sage!" she roared loudly, wrapping her arms suddenly around the girl from behind.

As planned, Sage fell off the barstool in a panic, whirling around and freaking out from not knowing what was going on. "Ashe?" she asked, the thoughts taking a moment to come together. "What are you-" she began before remembering. She looked down a moment as Ashe exchanged greetings with everyone else in the area. "I'm sorry you got brought into this," she said somberly, looking away a bit.

Ashe slid a chair up between her and Kaden and sat down, giving her a strange look. "What did I get brought into anyway?" she asked, watching everyone darken a bit in preparation of explaining it to her. "And what's with the big rings on your head, Soph and, uh, guy I've never met? Is it something related to your church?"

"Here's some apple juice," the bartender interrupted, setting the glass down for Sage.

"Ashe!"