Welcome the Host ((application, Lorne, Angel season 5))

[lorne_host]

A somewhat confused demon stood in the middle of the Sorting Room. His brilliant green skin, red horns and eyes contrasted sharply with the well tailored pale blue shirt and lemon yellow suit that he wore. He looked around and groaned. “Jumping Judas on a pogo stick, a castle? Isn’t this all a little, you know, cliché? I swear if the Powers sent me

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[lady_thujone]

"We don't need another bar around here, sugar," La Fee Verte told him in a tone far frostier than her usual welcoming purr. "I'm the one who runs the in spot, and there's the Ravenclaw bar for the self-serve rabble."

[lorne_host]

Lorne waved a hand, "Trust me, sugar. I've got no interest in doing that again. Twice was enough and both times ended up with me cashing in my insurance. But I wouldn't mind setting up a stool and a microphone if that's okay with the resident lady of the bar?"

[lady_thujone]

She looked at him thoughtfully. He certainly had his own brand of elegance, and a bit of attitude was all but essential in operating a nightclub. "Depends. It wouldn't do for my clientele to feel like they're being hustled for tips."

[lorne_host]

"Hustle?" he looked indignant. "Honey, I neither hustle nor bump. That went out thirty years ago and thank God for that. The Powers put me out there to help the lost little lambs get back on their path, that's all. This ain't no phoney baloney tarot card reading."

[nerdofthelord]

[Head tilt. This is definitely not the kind of demon he's accustomed to. First order of business: threat assessment.]

Do you bargain for souls, possess other entities, practice torture, or work for Satan or any other agent of Hell?

[lorne_host]

Lorne turned and squinted. The aura shimmering off this one was bright enough to give him pause. Once his eyes were accustomed, he gave the fellow a friendly grin. "Well aren't you just a big ol slice of heavenly Champion in a trenchcoat? Ease down, tiger. None of the above. I'm not a demon in that sense, I'm from another dimension. I've also spent the last year or so working for the Powers to avert the Apocalypse so I think that puts me safely in the good guy camp."

[nerdofthelord]

"Champion?" Castiel blinked, and shook his head slightly. "Not really. That's more my friends' job description. I'm only a soldier.

"Which Powers?" Where he came from, there were many that...Be'd, but only a very few that really mattered.

[lorne_host]

"All that and modest too," he said, giving the confused soul a grin. "Trust me tiger, I've spent enough time in the company of several of them to know a Champion when I see one. It's not always the big guy with the broad shoulders, broody expression and gigantic sword standing front and center stage.

"Okay, sometimes it is," he allowed, "but sometimes it's a little slip of a Texas gal who blazes brighter than the sun standing off to the side." God he missed Fred. "Champions also tend to run in packs. Where there's one, there's normally a couple more."

Lorne jerked his head skyward. "The big Powers, up there. I presume your bosses on some level? They send us the messages, we get out our crystal balls to puzzle 'em out, then strike out and save wayward souls, fight monsters, or even stop the end of the world."

[edomedpeddler]

Any demon arriving drew Kusuriyuri to the sorting room. He had to be sure that he could produce a ward against the, should it be needed, after all. And, it was a small school, it was better to know those strange characters that arrived that were potential trouble.

"Where is LA?" he asked, Boukensha, the little ginger manx kitten-sized cat on his shoulder, his medicine case on his back. There were some herbs that needed to be harvested in the middle of winter from the forest and his intent had been to go there when he'd felt this demon arrive.

[lorne_host]

"Sunny California my feline-loving friend, the city of lights Los Angeles. Home to demon, human and half a dozen other species of.. well, whatever. Although," he cocked his head and regarded Kusuriyuri closely, "I don't recall seeing your particular flavor in Caritas or any other demon watering holes."

[edomedpeddler]

The answer didn't really clarify anything. Kusuriyuri blinked, Boukensha taking to washing his face for the moment. "This one is called Kusuriyuri," he replied to what he thought was the question. "He is a medicine peddler," he added, separating out the words of his title enough to allow the translation charm to render his title to his occupation. "This one does not know where Sunny California is. It is not in Japan or the makai."

[lorne_host]

Lorne looked surprised, "Japan? The Powers ganked me all the way to Japan? Well hell, why not? Home of the karaoke bar, I suppose I can make myself at home there. Although, I don't really recall seeing big stone castles as part of the whole Japanese landscape, you know.

"California, in the US. Son of a .. I'm not in Pylea again, am I?"

[serrulata]

Kurama paused by the door, his guitar slung over one shoulder. He'd been on his way to the great hall, but the smell of demon and the few words he'd caught gave him pause. "Music-based aura reading?" he asked, intrigued. "That's not an off the shelf ability. Where'd you come by that talent?"

[lorne_host]

"Ah, a fellow music lover," he said, brightening at the sight of the guitar. "I came by it back home on Pylea. Empathic skill and all with a little boost from the Powers to help push their Champions back on the right trail. I use it for other people too, help them find their way."

He chuckled, "And it could've been worse, it could have been readings based on tapdancing or powers help us, interpretative dance."

[serrulata]

He threw back his head and laughed at the last remark. "Preserve us from the sixth art," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Still, that's a very impressive skill. It's rare that a demon works as a morale booster for a team, at least where I'm from." He held out a hand to introduce himself. "Kurama."

[lorne_host]

"Oh honey, you aren't kidding. Give me a good song, and maybe a little dance, but a lot of it? No thank you." Lorne shook his hand, "Lorne. Good to meet you."

"It's a bit of an empathic gift my people have, and it got a boost from the Powers that Be to turn me into the big green signpost on the road for their chosen Champions. And it's kinda nice to be useful, you know?"

[ilikemyscars]

"You're from L.A.?" Dr. Saunders asked, tentatively. Maybe her phobia about going aboveground hadn't been quite so exaggerated after all...

[lorne_host]

Lorne turned towards the voice and started. The demon looked positively heartbroken when his eyes settled on the pretty brunette. "Fred?" he asked in a slightly wavering voice.

But no. It wasn't her. She was still gone, consumed by Illyria.

"I..um, yeah. I've been there for the past few years. You were out there too?"

[ilikemyscars]

Claire also startled at the sound of a strange name. Had this - person - known her original? Been part of one of Whiskey's engagements?

"Um, yeah, I was. Though I didn't really get out and about much." She squirmed a bit. "What's, ah, Pylea?... like? Nice place to visit?"

[lorne_host]

"Sorry, sweetie," he said, a bit weakly. "You, ah, remind me of someone I used to know out there. Sweet girl."

"Pylea? Nice? Oh hell no. Not a nice dimension. No music, almost no color, it was dreadful. So I hopped the first dimensional portal I could find and joy of joys, landed in sunny California with all the color and life and music a guy like me could want."