Late in the evening, Salem, shivering from the freak snowstorm raging outside, walked into a hotel, cursing the weather's many strange turns and thanking whoever it was that came up with automated doors. Warm, then cold, rain, hail, thunderstorms, an almost tornado, snow, back to warm, then foggy, another thunderstorm, and then more snow, all in a week. And yet, the local no-majes, somehow, dealt with all of it.
The hotel lobby had a fireplace going, and she went over to it, plopping down on a couch in front of it. She knew it wasn't a real fireplace, but she welcomed its warmth all the same. Sure, she could just cast a warmth spell on her dress, but she had plans for the future, and in order to make sure her plans worked, she would have to suffer a bit. It wasn't fun, it wasn't enjoyable, but the information and knowledge she was gaining by not using her magic for convenience was invaluable.
The lobby was very quiet, only the simulated crackle of the fake fire in front of her filling the air. A popping sound filled the air while she was relaxing, and a honed sense of caution made her look in its direction. The no-maj that was behind the counter was now standing next to the machine that was making the sound, and he was completely unconcerned. The witch relaxed for the most part, closing her eyes and focusing inwards.
She was brought out of her meditation when she heard footsteps approaching. Cracking an eye open, she saw the no-maj approaching her with a bag of something that smelled good. "Popcorn?" he asked, offering the bag.
Salem graciously accepted the bag, warily sniffing it. "Is it safe?"
"The worst it'll do is leave husks between your teeth. Annoying, but far from the worst thing that could happen."
Feeling a bit encouraged, the witch grabbed a single piece and tried it. It was crisp, warm, salty, and buttery, all at the same time. "It's good."
"Thank you. May I?" the man motioned to the spot next to the witch, and she moved over without objection. Being rude would do nothing to help her. He sat down, and a moment later, asked a question. "What brings you out here?"
"I'm on a. . . quest, of sorts," Salem replied before snacking on some more crisp, warm, salty, and buttery goodness. "Maybe a trip? Voyage? Something like that. I've learned a lot since I started it."
The man nodded. "I see. Do you have a backpack or travel bag somewhere out there?"
"No, I don't. I've recently discovered that the weather here is cursed, changing faster than it has any reason to."
"That's just how Missouri is." The casual tone of his voice spoke volumes about how often he'd dealt with it before. "Wait ten minutes, and it'll change."
"Just how it is?" The witch considered what she'd heard as she had a whole handful of crisp, warm, salty, and buttery goodness. "I'd rather avoid it if I can, but I don't have the resources right now. Money, mostly." Building a house with her magic would have been easy, but her research project demanded that she not use it. "Surely, with a building this big, you must have a lot of people working at it."
"You want a job here, then?"
"If you'll accept me."
"Let me get the manager."
While the no-maj was gone, Salem thought about the conversation. If she had a job at this hotel, she might be able to claim a room for herself. Even if she only got room and board while she worked, that would be good enough.
It didn't take long for the no-maj to return, though Salem had already finished the bag of crisp, warm, salty, and buttery popcorn in that short time. "The manager is on the phone right now, but he should be out here in a few minutes. Let me put the weather on for you." He picked up a black object from the top of the fireplace and pointed it at the TV above the fireplace. After pressing a few buttons, he found a channel with a map of the continent covered in colorful splotches that moved about.
"So, what am I looking at here?" Salem stood up to look more closely at the display.
The no-maj gave her a questioning look. "You've never seen radar before?"
"Not really, no." Salem had seen similar things on other televisions before, but had dismissed them in pursuit of other tasks. "Where are we on there?"
He did not hesitate in pointing at a particular spot in the middle of the map. "Right about here." The spot he pointed to was covered in light blue and purple colors. "The snow and ice is coming in from the Northwest, so it's pretty bad. Should be past us by sunrise, though." The map disappeared, replaced by an ad for pizza.
"I have once again underestimated no-majes."
Less than a minute later, a portly man appeared, carrying himself and two paper cups of coffee with pride. "I heard you were looking for a job?" he asked her, moving a chair to sit across from her and offer a coffee.
"If it comes with room and board here, I won't turn it down." Salem accepted the hot drink and let it warm her hands, briefly marvelling at the cheap cup. "I'm not looking to be here too long, though. Just through the winter."
"Well, you're in luck. I had to fire my security guy over the phone. He's been late, late, late, and didn't show up when he was supposed to an hour ago. The weather now is no excuse for how it was then."
"Cold and clear?"
The manager's tone turned serious, not answering Salem's question. "If you're going to be getting room and board here, I will expect even more from you. Can you do security work here?"
"I suppose I can." "Why hasn't he asked me about my looks? Red and black eyes are not normal. Bone white skin is not normal. Nothing about me is normal."
"Excellent." He produced an application and pen. "Just fill this out and we can get started."
Salem set the hot drink down and accepted the paper, with its many lines, boxes, words, and letters, only a very few of which she understood. "What is all this?"
"Have you ever filled out an application before?"
"I can't say I have. What's an SSN?"
After a grueling hour on the phone with an HR department that sounded like they were in a place that had never experienced snow before, the manager and Salem had succeeded in getting her a job doing overnight security.
The manager was happy, now that he had a new security person. Sure, she seemed to have. . . spotty knowledge on how things worked, but if nothing else, she had demonstrated quick learning skills and an eagerness to use them. Her dress was inadequate for the job, but she was so intent on the position, he would not complain about buying her some new clothes that would suffice. As soon as the weather cleared up enough.
Salem was even happier. Sure, she had just willingly put herself under the employ and whims of a no-maj (under the old name of Abigail Grimm), an act that would draw a lot of ire from other mages, and even annoyed herself, but it was worth it. A roof (and many rooms) over her head, shelter from the weather, free meals, and a wage. The wage was fairly low for the work, and she would have only one night off per week, but for all the benefits, and the chances to learn even more, it was worth it.
She would have to keep her wand and magic hidden, of course. But, with this self imposed challenge, she would learn even more. She would learn and adjust her plans. She would continue catching up on centuries of no-maj advances. She would buy a bag, along with many pens and notebooks. And she would see her plans through to the end. She would make sure that her suffering now was worth it later.