Granny Thayer, Demon Slayer || Collab with CMF_Wright

Chapter 11: The Tragic Life Story of Poor Saya Mori

They had barely been riding five minutes when they realized traveling in the dark was a recipe for disaster.

"OUCH!" shouted LB, as he collided with Saya's wagon. He clutched his knees, nearly unseating himself from his Clydesdale. "How the fuck did it get so dark?"

"Well, it's actually been night for a while. The authors just forgot about it until the start of this chapter," said Violet. "It was sunset when we were fighting those demons, so it's probably almost midnight by now."

"Ugh, why am I still awake?" Saya moaned. "I need my beauty rest! My hair looks like squirrels tried to nest in it, and this adventure is disrupting my nightly moisturizing routine." Her eyes found Kingsley (they seemed magnetically drawn to him despite the darkness) and her face lit like a beacon. "Perhaps we could both take a beauty rest... together..."

"Okay, that's enough," said Violet. She placed Bruce and herself between Saya and Kingsley, silently thanking her enhanced vision, which allowed her to see them in the thin slivers of moonlight sifting down through the clouds. "I think it's obvious we all need to stop for the night and get some sleep."

She peered through the darkness. They were still in town, and after a few moments of searching, her eyes alighted on a sign that read Bart's Bed and Breakfast. "That looks promising. Well..." She looked closer. "Except for the part where half of the inn appears to have been zombified. But perhaps they still have a few rooms available."

They trundled inside.

"Welcome to Bart's Bed and Breakfast!" chirped a sprightly man at the counter. He wore a blue fedora and a nametag reading Bart the Manager, he/him. "I'm Bart, and I'll be happy to attend to all your nightly needs!"

"Because that doesn't sound sketchy at all," LB muttered.

Violet ignored him. "It's nice to meet you, Bart," she said politely. "Although we are a big party and it is late, hopefully we can make this reservation simple for you. All we need are four simply-furnished single rooms—"

"And a hot bath, a mani-pedi, a curling iron, and a hairdryer," Saya cut in. "What?" she added, as the others frowned at her. "The demons trashed my hair supplies when they descended on my wagon–what else am I supposed to do?"

The smile had slipped off the innkeeper's face as Violet spoke, replaced with a look of dismay. "I'm afraid," he said, "we have a limited selection of rooms and beds available. The zombie plague, you know..."

"Oh, that's all right!" Saya cast a saucy smile toward Prince Kingsley and grabbed his arm. "One bed will not be a problem for us. We are happy to share!"

Bart's face cleared. "Oh, good then!" he said. "I'm glad to hear one bed will be sufficient. In that case, here is the key to your room! I will go and prepare the other items you requested!"

He shoved the key at Saya and then vanished through a door behind the counter before you could say 'not what I asked for'.

Violet, Kingsley, and LB stared with consternation at the key in Saya's hand.

"Er... d'you think he meant to say 'the key to our suite of rooms'?" said LB doubtfully.

"Whatever!" Saya strode toward a massive staircase at the back of the lobby. "Let's check it out."

~*~

Their key did not, in fact, lead to a suite of rooms.

As a matter of fact, the key led to only one room.

With a single, large bed in the middle.

"I think," said Kingsley, sounding irritated, "this might be taking the 'only-one-bed' trope a bit too far..."