An almost dazed look crossed the Warlock's features as he was roused from the depths of that dreamless sleep. It took those vivid blue eyes a moment to adjust to the stark brightness of the gas station's lights. Slowly, Harley's petite figure came into focus as he uncurled himself from the uncomfortable position he'd found himself in. Sterling was sluggish to stumble out of the car, the woman's insistence that she'd ensured he had both snacks and dreams prompted little more than a sarcastic remark from the Warlock - one she so smoothly responded to in the same effortless manner she so often did. A soft snort reverberated from Sterling's nose as he settled into the driver's seat, the man hardly believing Harly had achieved anything while he had slept beyond putting more distance between themselves and Sacrosanct. He popped the lid of the energy drink that Harley had acquired for him, the chef taking a long drink of it before he placed his hands on the steering wheel. He guided the vehicle back towards the dark roads of the California desert, the darkness pressing in around the vehicle, the lights from the dashboard providing the Warlock at least some resemblance of ease. It took him a bit, admittedly, to find some sort of comfort within the darkness of the car, that steady act of moving forward combined with the beats of the radio pushing away those still present fears of the night.

Harley, in the passenger seat beside him, had curled in on herself, the protective manner in which she held herself was entirely revealing of those battles she'd fought of late - those which she so clearly kept to himself. A small frown crossed his features, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly though any thoughts he had of the girl were kept to himself as he continued to drive through the night. It had been quite the relief when the sun finally began to rise to the vehicle's left. His bright blue eyes constantly shifting towards it as he watched the sun wash the world again with that comforting light. A soft yawn crossed his lips as the vehicle traveled ever closer towards their destination - Sterling only just finding the traffic of Santa Barbara when Harley beside him awoke with a start, the horn of an angry driver ahead of him only vaguely gaining his attention before the bright blue of his gaze turned towards his companion. Her inquiry of how long she'd been out prompted a vague shrug to his shoulders before he suggested she find them someplace to stop. God, how he was looking forward to getting out of the vehicle, his legs desperately needed to stretch.

He could hear the vague fumbling of the woman's hands as she reached for her phone, the warlock slowly easing the vehicle forward with the sluggish traffic, one elbow resting on the driver side door in an almost lackadaisical, bored manner. The vehicle was largely quiet, aside from the tunes playing lowly on the radio, as Harley searched for a room for them. It hardly took long, however, before that sound of victory left the girl's lips, drawing the blue of Sterling's gaze towards her. "Sounds good." He commented, trusting Harley in her judgment of the place. He allowed the woman to take control of his previous navigational duties, the Warlock happy to get off of the major highway and the traffic that accompanied it. Even Fiducia seemed to be getting restless in the back seat, her chirps far more audible now that the ocean was in view. Effortlessly he glided the vehicle into the parking lot, a soft sigh upon his lips as the car finally came to a stop. Thank God. His gaze slowly turned upwards and towards the hotel in front of him, the exterior at least looked promising. "No, not too bad at all." He commented in agreement as he stepped out of the car. With a soft sound, Sterling stretched out his physique, Fiducia eager to take advantage of that moment to hop out of the car herself, the bird launching herself upwards and into the sky with a screech.

Sterling paid Fiducia little mind, however, as he fell into step behind Harley. The pair made their way towards the main desk, the Warlock inquisitively eying the small waiting room as Harley pilfered a handful of mints from the bowl on the front desk. He allowed Harley to take control of that conversation with the hostess, the woman's deadpan tone quickly turning Sterling off of any conversation with her. Thankfully, the presentation of Harley's credit card was all that was necessary to expedite the process, the two walking out of the hotel nearly ten minutes later with their room key in hand. The vibrant blue of his gaze turned towards his companion as she contemplated the hostess' bedroom demeanor, the very idea of which prompted Sterling's nose to twitch ever so slightly in abhorrence at the very idea. "Yeah...I think I'll skip that one..." He commented, Harley's inquiry of his 'type' seeing the man momentarily pause in consideration. It had been...a long time since he had actively gone after a woman...Kat the last. "Blonde and entirely unobtainable....really that seems to be my type for either gender..." Sterling paused, that realization hitting him quite abruptly. "Maybe I need a new type.." His eyes narrowed in thought as they climbed the stairs towards their hotel room. "By the way, let me know how much that cost and I'll give you some cash." Sterling continued, the man certain his 'type' was certainly not a riveting conversation, all things considered.

Thankfully, he was spared from any further conversation on it as they reached their room door. He watched as Harley toyed with the electronic lock, only to push open the door in a dramatic fashion. He was hardly prepared for the bright red they were greeted with, the very bedroom so entirely cliche that Sterling found himself surprised such rooms even still existed. "Huh..." He commented as he stepped into the room. "I didn't even know they still..made these...how old do you think this thing is...?" Sterling continued, gesturing lightly towards the bed as he put his bag on the floor. It certainly hadn't escaped his notice that there was but one bed in the entire room. How....convenient. The mention of booze, however, drew his gaze towards the bottle of alcohol. A small shrug crossed Sterling's shoulders as he reached for the bottle. "Well..we might as well enjoy it?" After all, it was unlikely they'd spend much time within the hotel room when there was a beach awaiting them.

STERLING TENEMBRAGE