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

[cgrades]

[ One thing that Charlie does have is strength -- and when his elbow is caught he pushes right back against the palm with decent force. He's done enough physical training outside of the Kingsman and within that he can hold his own for a while.

He allows the man's movements to take the force of his push with him, narrowly avoiding the foot to the head with a roll to the ground. It may have looked like an accident, but he used the sudden shift in weight and force to his advantage. Not the best in physical combat, he couldn't keep this up for long like some of the others, but he's formidable enough when he wants to be. He manages a crouch before pushing himself back to his feet, putting some distance between them, especially with the back of his knee aching like no tomorrow. ]

Yeah, I have.

[ Only two people, but his division of the RAF wasn't exactly in action very long. And it wasn't as though he was in the RAF for any significant amount of time, anyway. ]

[ukase]

[The kid was no slouch and had actual training rather than roughing it out. It was clear early on that his hand-to-hand combat skills were better, but he had been putting his fists, feet and head into other people since he could walk around on his own, so he wasn't surprised. However, he had to contain that strength to prevent it from bulldozing through him all the same; it was like fighting a lesser Rogers minus having the body thrown at him.

He set himself, raising his fists in front of his face as if he were a boxer. His feet were set unlike any boxer though, and he regarded the other from between his fists.]

Who were they?

[cgrades]

[ he only spent a little over 10 months in the RAF, but the training there, as well as the training his father made him go through long before? Well, it's paying off here. He wouldn't have been considered for a position in Kingsman otherwise, if he did not have the skills to equally back his purse. ]

Soldiers, didn't know them.

[ Charlie can remember their faces though, despite what he wants to believe and he raises his own fists in response to the other man's stance. ] Some game of hide and seek. Americans play it quite differently than us Brits. Shows we're more sophisticated.

[ He dashes in to take a swing, feinting to one side before he actually properly strikes for the other side of the man's face. ]

[ukase]

[The training was obvious in the way that this guy stood. There was something distinctly military about it, and it was mirrored in how he often held himself as well, a smooth control at all times of one's body. He could appreciate that a soldier had more of a chance of being reasonable but could follow order.]

Of what country, or were the Brits just back to consolidating their power?

[He smirked at the apparent game, but they were playing it funny enough. The kid might just not realize how they were. He was hiding his secrets and the kid was going to find them little by little and realize that they were ideals worth playing for rather than against.]

Are you really more sophisticated? Or has your society rotten just like ours where simple games reveal a single truth?

[He dropped to a crouch to to barely avoid the swing to his face, setting his hands on the floor as he shot out a leg to see if he could either drive the kid back or trip.]

[cgrades]

Afghani.

[ Why it matters he doesn't know, but there it is, and Charlie knows he won't forget them as long as he's around, certainly. It wasn't necessarily enough to scar him, but taking his first life had been difficult. Of course it was an order, and he would obey his orders, but all the same. ]

Well, I'll let you be the judge of that. I suspect you're right -- but you know, British pride, God Save the Queen and all that.

[ He doesn't trip -- thankful to be on his guard as he staggers back out of the way, the man's shoe scuffing his trousers. ] Have to at least pretend, mind you. [ He tries to move back in, though, especially with the man so slow, to aim a kick into his side. ]

[ukase]

Guerrilla warfare. Impressive considering how they make use of their population.

[That was some rough terrain; he should know because he had been there on operations for HYDRA securing weapons and performing actions meant to fuel the fire to greater heights. It hadn't been an easy mission, but then again, the challenge had made it worthwhile.]

Even Britain has it's problems, their share of people who are better off having their name scratched off of the face of the Earth. You throw yourself into combat for freedom even for a limited time and what... they get to steal and play on the system. Am I right?

[He remained in his crouch, and he twisted aside but feet the graze of a foot against his ribs as he rotated his weight onto his hands and back over onto his feet, rising up to his feet fully.] Why pretend when you could be doing something about it?

[cgrades]

Two guards, didn't have to worry about the ambush. Turns out they'd killed themselves when we screened them.

[ The kick has left him too close to his opponent, particularly when Rumlow rises, and Charlie is left with few options should his opponent attack again. He could parry, maybe, fall back and try to avoid a blow, but at this range? Unlikely.

Something about the man's speech leaves his mind spinning though, gets him thinking in a way he hasn't in some time. ]

There's little we can do from a Hotel with no doors out, mate, sorry to tell you. Besides, I could very well be one of those whose name needs to be ticked off the Earth-- consider that?

[ukase]

Still blood on your hands.

[They were close, well within his range to snap out a punch. He stepped in to bring them close together where they could potentially stand toe-to-toe and clobber each other into the floor, but he had other ideas in mind now that there was no whining about killing.

It was a necessary evil to build something better for those left behind. People died; it was a fact of life. Those left behind would be able to flex their elbows, put their skills to use and live better lives or die worthlessly to make room for someone else.]

And even if your name is on that list, wouldn't you want to take out a few with you to prove to yourself and those left behind that your sacrifice is worth it? Ever thought of making the world a better place, junior? [He gestured with a hand at the hotel around them.] Start small, work big and see only the future.

[cgrades]

Yes, and here I thought we had established that. That is what killing does.

[ Charlie's instinct is to take a step back, break the tension and the closeness, but he doesn't back down. Backing down shows weakness and he is not about to falter. ]

Take out a few? See, this is why I knew you'd be on that list of sociopaths I told you about. I wasn't wrong. [ It makes sense in a way, what he's saying, that if he already has a scar on his name, may as well take a few others that have the same shame down with him. Right? But how that works in a place like this? Difficult to say. Close quarters with no escape route -- didn't seem like a good plan. ]

What exactly are you proposing, then? Your speech has been great, really lovely, but c'mon, mate, you'll have to get to the point sometime. [ He can't completely cover up how intrigued he is, really, but he's trying to save face with sarcasm. ]

[ukase]

Are you on that list to, or do you want to just make it out of here? [Their situation was unfortunate, but it wasn't the end. Every place had a weakness, had a limit to what it could do. If they were supposed to live on the whims of whatever was here, he was perfectly willing to give them hell for it.]

People say you can't escape from here. I'd like to explore that, but to do that, sometimes it seems prudent to step on others to do so. Do you have someone who you would step on to leave? [He was perfectly serious, keeping them close together so he could keep a continual gauge of this man's reaction.]

What would you do for freedom that's currently a lie?

[cgrades]

Making it out of this place is my priority, we can worry about the list, later.

[ because the way things have gone at home recently? there is a strong chance he'll be in deep water, but it's difficult to say. there were meetings with a man named Valentine at some point, e-mails sent about safety plans. ]

Step on someone? There's one I'd like to throw out a window, does that count? [ So yes, there are a few he could part with -- maybe -- but he wouldn't see Eggsy dead, wouldn't go out of his way to harm him but if he got in his way? Yes, he would. ]

You really are mental. [ He frowns, staring up at Rumlow, unwavering and unwilling to back down. ] I'm an open book. [ Sorry, his secrets are his own for now -- he doesn't trust anyone here, not yet. ]

[ukase]

Considering the windows can't be broken, you might want to consider that big step. [According to others that he had spoken to, the walls couldn't be smashed up much, the side of the building couldn't be climbed and no one here had been provided a weapon. That meant that they were left with their wits, their fists and their feet.]

Driven, actually. I have a mission, and I can't falter. [He wasn't about to press for information that wouldn't be freely given. He wasn't going to waste time and energy convincing someone that what he was going to do in this place was worthwhile and at worst, painful fun.]

Well, snap the book closed. You don't want in, that's fine. I just figured an upright fellow like yourself would like to stand on top of those who no doubt think themselves your better.

[cgrades]

A mission? Right, sent to some creepy hotel to fulfill a mission? I doubt that.

[ Not even Kingsman would be so daft, but the man looks like he's being truthful enough.

Charlie is about to step back, about to turn his back on this mad man, when he appeals to his pride. Of course -- Eggsy was here, which meant that any attempt at making a reputation for himself even in this place would be difficult with Unwin around. There's not a chance he'd let anyone try and stand over him, looking down at him, of all people. ]

And how do you propose doing that? [ Instead of backing down, he smirks and absently raises his chin, a sort of aristocratic air about him now, all confidence and ease. ] Colour me interested.

[ukase]

The mission doesn't stop just because the environment changes, kid.

[For someone with apparent military bearing, the guy couldn't have seen much action if that was attitude. War was shitty, miserable and trying and nothing about it was the same from one day to the next. There was always changes, and that's what he liked about it most of all. Never boring that way.

He turned a little before lazily stopping that action at the all too classic 'British' stance. He wondered how much of it was an act.] By making life uncomfortable while benefiting from it. Think you'd like that?

[cgrades]

I'm well aware, thanks.

[ He's not a fool, he's just trying to figure this guy out. They arrive and already he's plotting something? But he can't blame him -- the more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Why sit idly like everyone else that's been here -- why wait for something to happen?

Charlie did always consider himself an opportunist, after all. He shifts his weight, stepping back and offering his hand out. ]

I think I could come to like it, yes. Charlie Hesketh. And you are?

[ukase]

[There was no point in waiting in his mind. The sooner people found out that he was here, the less chance he had at getting what he needed and wanted. He was used to working fast after all.

He regarded the hand for a moment before taking it in a firm handshake. No dirty tricks just yet.]

Call me Bones. I'll leave a sign when I think we should plan to make a move. It's up to you if you're in position to at that time.

[cgrades]

In position to help?

[ Though all of this is terribly vague, which makes it both more alluring and more dangerous all at once. There are a million and one red flags going up, but at least it's keeping his mind off of his current situation. ]

What do you plan on doing? [ Loaded question, and he doesn't exactly expect an answer. ]

[ukase]

Yeah. Consider it an out if you lose your nerve.

[He certainly didn't expect people to be on his level after all, even in this place, whatever or wherever it was. He hadn't decided what move he was going to make just yet, but he knew it would be quick and decisive.]

Make chaos.

[cgrades]

I won't.

[ and that's said with the tell-tale pride of a man in his class, no less his training. he won't shy away from the challenge, not even now, not when they're no longer toe-to-toe, fist-to-fist. ]

Chaos. Very specific. But it'll do.