I USED TO DREAM THAT I WOULD MEET A PRINCE

[checkingin]

Who: Everyone!
Where: The initial arrival rooms, the main lobby, all over the place.
When: May 7th
What: Feed me, Seymour

ARRIVAL.

you wake up when you hit the floor in a dark room, and the air is knocked out of your lungs. the carpet is threadbare, worn with use, kind of dusty. and you're not the first person to endure this crash landing. nor will you be the last.

once your vision rights itself, you can see the well-lit hallway through the doorjam straight ahead of you. not to say there’s monsters in the shadows, but something propels you towards that door and out into the bright hallway beyond.

and once outside your room, you can hear it: the steady thrum of rain outside.

MAIN LOBBY.

there's a staircase at the end of the lengthy hallway you tumble out of. grab your suitcase and follow the dull green exit signs on the ceiling until you reach the disappointingly bland stairs that lead you down to the ornate old fashion hotel lobby.

to your left is an richly crackling, rather excessively smoking fireplace, to your right is a lobby desk. straight ahead are three large sets of doors, all three of them thrown wide open and welcoming. and outside the few (curtained, permanently dark) windows is the continually steady hiss of rain. once you leave the hallway you wake up in, you won't be able to return.

welcome to the hotel.

FRONT DESK.

though there is a bell and a plaque designating the desk to be the main desk, the customer service desk, there are currently no staff members behind it. none shall answer your calls, either. there is, however, a pad of paper and a pen neatly aligned with the desk edge. you know. for notes.

terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

SCREENING ROOM.

on a long pull-down screen, a silent version of alice in wonderland will be playing on loop. at the back of the room, between the neat rows of fold out chairs, mounted on a wobbly table is the old-timey projector, and mounted on the walls are some rather old speakers that warble out "terrifying" old music.

along the curtained windows is another long table, with a large bowl of chipotle cheese popcorn corn and a large hot drink dispenser full of hot water, with a few cups and some old looking packages of apple cider mix.

DINING HALL.

is tragically, painfully empty.

OTHER.

the ballroom is currently open, and the grand doors unlocked.

there is no main door leading to the outside, good luck trying to find one.

the doors to the courtyard are unlocked.

ROOMS.

you've a room key with your assigned room number on it. all the new guest residences will be located on floors one and two. while there is an open elevator in the main lobby, and the buttons light up inside, the doors will not close. all in all, you'll be better off taking the stairs.

while they're the same stairs you undoubtedly came down to get to the lobby, the door to the endless hall everyone woke up in will not reappear between the main floor and the subsequent residential halls.

there are twenty rooms per floor. feel free to get to know your surroundings; or your neighbors as they trickle in around you.

EXISTING GUESTS.

are you dreaming of omlettes and regretting complaining about the constant pancakes and weak ass coffee yet?

Comments

[deadlystar]

Maybe comparing her to the Hulk would be a bad idea, though comparing her to something deadly wouldn't be too much of a stretch. In a sense, both she and Banner had been transformed, just in different ways. At least she could control her temper, which was a good thing considering this hotel didn't look that study to begin with.

"It's the name of the ship. The ship is an M-Class. Mostly for scouting, but it's been modified by Quill to expand its purposes." She says more than she needs to, but judging from the look on his face and his interest in such things, she doesn't think Trip minds the lesson. When he moves his hand into his jacket, there is a slight pause, but so long as she can keep an eye on him, she's confident she can defend herself if needed.

There's a slight smile at his enthusiasm for the subject of space travel. "It's alright. Quill is from Earth. Perhaps one day you'll have your chance." Who knows. Stranger things have happened.

[triplett]

"He is?!" Trip can't help but immediately ask. He had to be a SHIELD agent. If Hydra had beat them to space then the battle would've been lost. "That's tight. --Cool. That's to say 'good'." He kept a soft grin though feeling stupid. It wasn't like him to babble but she really had brought out his inner child. He'd already become a SHIELD agent, it was exciting to believe in the possibility of traveling to other galaxies.

Unconsciously, he swung his pocketed hand out and revealed the inside of his jacket. There wasn't anything for her to worry about, just a hand in his pocket. "So your ship's for scouting. You and Quill are explorers or some kind of military faction?" He was basically wondering how Quill had gotten so lucky. Trip could only hope he didn't sound as stupid to Gamora as he did to himself. It was obvious he was a complete novice. She seemed patient with him.

[deadlystar]

Given the people she now shares a ship with, patience is one thing Gamora cannot do without. They wouldn't last very long, otherwise. There's a second where she tenses, but there was nothing to be alarmed about, since he wasn't carrying anything dangerous inside his jacket. The man was just fidgety. She wondered if he was always this way.

"We belong to no faction. Recent events brought us together and... now we just go our own way." Where that way will go, she has no idea, but it's better than being alone. For her, traveling the galaxy was a common thing, so it was a bit amusing to see someone make such a fuss about it.

"What about you? Do you belong to some faction?"

[triplett]

When she answered his question, Trip couldn't help but think she had just described how his team had been assembled. Sure, they were SHIELD but Skye hadn't signed up and the only reason he'd been part of the team was because an existing member vouched for him when they were down a man.

Still, they were very much a faction. "SHIELD," he answered with a nod. "It stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. ...Pretty much means we protect people on the Earth from any threats bigger than what the local governments handle. Like the Chitauri attack. Though I guess that was more the Avengers who--" He cut himself off.

"I'm part of a team within that faction," Trip concluded the most collected that he'd been since their conversation began. He held a friendly grin, allowing her to lead with the next question for a change. The fidgeting finally stopped even though he was still very excited to talk with her.

[deadlystar]

That faction name is a mouthful, but other things he says makes sense. She didn't know just how far Earth had progressed when it came to dealing with other species. Some of what he says is actually familiar to her.

"I know of the Chitauri." When he doesn't finish speaking of Avengers, she has to wonder what that was about but doesn't press upon it. Probably more of what he said. People working to protect the Earth from others. If the Chitauri were involved, Gamora already knew what that meant.

"If we have common enemies, perhaps they are the ones responsible for our being here."

[triplett]

It was a good sign that she didn't seem to be allied with the Chitauri. Trip was quickly categorizing her as friend. He could only hope not to come across any enemies but would keep his eyes peeled. The entire situation could very well be a collaborative effort between Hydra and an alien race.

His head dipped to one side, indicating he could see her view point. "I've been to worse places but you could be right. I don't like the idea of being anywhere without an exit. No personnel around. This is all very hostile if we really look at it. Have you seen anything or heard of anything like this before? I haven't." Trip had been a prisoner once or twice. The accommodations were much worse yet he had an uneasier feeling in this place.

[deadlystar]

"Nothing quite like this, no." Which just makes it all the weirder. Why would there be no guards if this is a prison? She would have expected to see some signs of an enemy by now if they had been captured. Certainly, if her 'father' were responsible, she thinks he would've let her know of his displeasure.

"I have heard of places where prisoners are left to fend for themselves. Those are more barbaric places where the population thins itself out." Nothing like the region of space she just left. Even the Kyln had guards standing around, though they weren't particularly useful. "But the people here have not shown any aggression." They wouldn't be having this conversation if this was one of those places.

[triplett]

He nodded in acknowledgement at her initial response and listened as she elaborated further. Trip wasn't sure what was more barbaric; leaving prisoners to fend for themselves or some of the camps he'd learned about where torture was scheduled daily. The survival rate seemed neck and neck either way.

Gamora did make a valid point. He hadn't noticed any hostility yet. She had been accommodating of him and his inexperience. "You're right. It's something." His eyes took another scan of the room then returned to her. "I'm in room 104," he offered. Trip determined at that moment to make her an ally. It wasn't as if she couldn't have gotten the information on her own but he felt compelled to share it with her as an offer of friendship.

"I think I'm gonna head up and see if there any answers there. I'd like to see you again and talk a little more, if you're up for it. I'll do my best to keep the questions down to a few at a time. Or if you'd like to hear any of my Earth stories, you know where to find me now." Trip kept a soft grin as he spoke. He didn't want to overstay his welcome and Gamora appeared to be analyzing the place like he did. Sharing what they discovered later should prove fruitful.

[deadlystar]

Trip was friendly enough, so making some friends here couldn't hurt. Not when they all lacked so much information. Sharing anything they discover will just help them leave this place faster.

"I'm in room 216. I also heard we will have communication devices, so you can use that to contact me if you learn anything about our situation." And she will do the same, of course.

As for questions and stories, "You can ask your questions. I don't see much else to do around here." So sharing a few experiences may be what they're limited to.

[triplett]

There was something about being new together that could usually end up in friend or rival. He was grateful for the former. Quill apparently had left a good impression on Gamora for her to have such patience with him. His cheeks warmed up a little just at remembering how he had gawked at her initially.

She received a nod in acknowledgement (friendly smile still in place) of her room number.

"What's it like where you're from? --Most importantly, is there something we do on Earth that's considered offensive where you're from? I've already been rude once. I'd like not to do that again."

[deadlystar]

Gamora leaned against the check-in counter, since he still had questions. She supposed meeting someone from another place in the galaxy was not something that happened often. Especially for someone from Earth.

"What's it like? I'm not sure how to answer that question. I'm not really from anywhere anymore." No home. No family. At least, not in the conventional sense. Nowhere to belong except on the Milano now.

"I don't know a lot about Earth customs, so I'm not sure what you might do that is offensive, but I doubt you could be more offensive than Quill. Do not worry about that." Staring is a minor offense.

[triplett]

Her response confused him. "Zayoberry? ...I probably just slaughtered that," he concluded with a sheepish look. "Is that not where you're from?" Hopefully he had opened the door for Gamora to explain. Trip was raised between both sides of the states and never felt he really belonged anywhere. Except on Earth. He'd definitely say he was from the planet Earth. One of his favorite things about being a SHIELD agent (second only to beating the bad guys) was the traveling around the world.

He couldn't help but smirk when she called him less offensive than her crew member. He really would have to thank the guy if he ever met him. "I won't worry as long as you promise to let me know if I've said or done something wrong. Which I have a feeling you'll have no problem doing," he said with a playful grin. The expression was meant to be friendly. She had a little insight of his ability to assess a situation. Maybe he was wrong but he doubted it.

If he was wrong, Trip had no problem being corrected. There was little that got under his skin. Unless he was dealing with liars and traitors. He had no compassion for anyone who betrayed his agency or the people he cared about.

[deadlystar]

Gamora nods in understanding. Yes, she did say she was from there. "It is, but it doesn't exist anymore. It was conquered and very little remains. There are no Zehoberei. I am probably the last." So what might she call home? She has no world, no people. Perhaps that's why it felt so good to become a part of something. When she speaks of it, there's only a hint of remorse, but it's covered up with a neutral tone and stone faced expression. What happened was terrible, but she decided long ago it would not destroy her or define her.

When he says she will probably let him know if he's done something wrong, he gets a wry smile. "I will, but you have not." Not even now after asking about her home world. He didn't know the circumstances and was only curious, and she's not so weak that she can't speak of it. She's a warrior.

[triplett]

She might have kept a brave face but his eyes couldn't help soften with sadness at what he'd been told. Trip could only imagine the devastation for an entire race to be wiped out. It was something that should never happen. He knew full well the genocide that man was capable of but rare were entire cultures or ethnicities extinct and this was an entire planet of beings.

However, he didn't show pity. Gamora deserved better. She carried herself with strength that was to be respected and admired. He felt awed again but showed it with reverence in his gaze instead of appearing dumbfounded again. "I'm real sorry to hear that. The Earth has had it's share of wiping out entire cultures--different people within different parts of the planet--all out of ignorance. It's nothing I've been faced with but my family has."

His granddad saw the concentration camps during World War II. His grandmother had stories that went back in generations to the days of slavery and how some Native American tribes were systematically wiped out. Trip tried to keep a positive outlook but was well versed in the atrocities of mankind. "You just get more and more amazing by the minute," he offered with an encouraged smile. "This place doesn't know what it's up against!"

He decided to give her a break on his questions. "I'm gonna head up now. I'll send you a message soon as I get settled or come across anything worth sharing. Find me or contact me any time. ...This place might be really strange but something good came out of it for me," he concluded with a genuine grin while starting to walk toward the stairwell. "It's been real."

[deadlystar]

It's a terrible thing to have to live through that much death. However, she thinks the people of Earth must also be resilient if similar things have happened there. It's not a fate Gamora would want to see happen to any other planet or people. That's why she had to stop Ronan from destroying Xandar. She knows she's lucky to even be alive, but it felt good to do the right thing for once. She's going to try and make that a habit.

At his praise, there's a moment where Gamora might look a little flattered. She appreciates the sentiment, even if she's not really used to it. That's just how she deals with it all. What else is she to do? Wallow in misery? What would that ever accomplish? Though she doesn't directly say thank you, the look on her face communicates it.

"I'll let you know if I hear anything." It does feel good to have met someone she might consider an ally here. Normally, she'd be a little more cautious about making strangers into friends in a situation like this one, but he's a little too likeable to shut out. As he goes, she almost asks him 'what's been real' but figures it's another Earth phrase. "Remain vigilant." Once he's gone, she decides to continue looking around.