checkingout | a gent of good intent who's content to be ( OPEN )

Who: Everyone!
Where: The initial arrival rooms, the main lobby, all over the place.
When: March 3rd
What: Welcome, newbies.

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 a warmly crackling fireplace, to your right is a lobby desk. straight ahead are three large sets of doors, though only one of them is open to the public. 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.

terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

SCREENING ROOM.

on a long pull-down screen, a silent version of the phantom carriage 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 popcorn and a large hot drink dispenser full of hot water, but without any tea or hot chocolate packets around.

OTHER.

the ballroom is currently closed, and the grand doors locked.

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

the doors to the courtyard and breakfast hall are unlocked, but looks like you've missed the morning meal. sucks for you.

ROOMS.

you've a room key with your assigned room number on it. all the new guest residences will be located on floors three and four. 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.

it's late when the newcomers arrive, there's a good chance you'd been about to go to sleep (or just waking up, who knows, your mom's not here to tell you when to go to bed or get up). but if you're paying attention, you might hear the hustle and bustle in the lobby below; or maybe you're just drawn there because your gut told you to go join the commotion. whatever the case may be, go mingle!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ she doesn't blame him. Cashmere's hardly been the friendliest of the victors. she stays where she is, doesn't take another step forward or one back. he might be oldish and not in the best shape of his life but put any victor in the right setting and they're a force to be reckoned with. ]

I was about to say the same to you. Would you believe me if I tell you that you're not going to find what you're looking for, or should I just wait until you figure it out on your own?

[ While he doesn't necessarily dislike Cashmere, he has to admit he's grateful her hulking brother isn't here. Gloss isn't exactly the kind of stranger he'd want to meet around a dark corner in this place. Then he'd just have to hit the poor oaf. ]

You know, I'd like to say you're trustworthy, but forgive me if I have my doubts. [ And the fact that she's alive, but he won't let that get under his skin just yet. Because if this is an arena, she could just be a trick, a way to throw him off. ] What, not going to rip my heart out with your claws, or does that come next?

[ she shrugs. pot, meet kettle. he's not the top of her trustworthy list, either. ]

Funny you should ask. Your little lovebirds and I have formed an alliance. A pack, you could say. I don't think they'd find me kicking your ass amusing, not that I'm particularly inclined to waste my energy on you.

[ Lovebirds? If Katniss and Peeta were here, too... ]

Glad to see they've yet to improve their decision making skills. [ Because if this Career has done anything to them, she may as well prepare herself for a full on fight. He has a raging headache, is in unfamiliar territory, and he needs a drink. These odds are not in her favor, at least. ]

You and your butter knife army won't do much to intimidate me, sweetheart. [ And yes, that's a look. A victor with a butter knife? Well, could be worse. He'll have to get to the who, what, why, when and how's later. ]

[ she narrows her eyes at him. ok. so he's right. Cashmere's not really ally choice #1 but they don't have much to choose from do they? she lowers the butter knife, feeling a little sheepish now that there's clearly no threat. just more residents. ]

Fine. But nothing is going to change because you're here. You're stuck with me.

[ she smirks. ] Welcome to the pack, Twelve.

How long have you been here?

[ Because that's important. It doesn't add up, any of this, because she's still here after all, and he's not entirely sure he trusts her or this place just yet. ]

And your little... pack. Who else constitutes this "pack"? Anyone I should be worried about. [ Read: basically everyone. ] And I'll be needing directions to that bar you mentioned, too.

A month, and the last thing I remember is the Cornucopia. [ might as well get it out there before he asks. ] The pack is everyone from Panem - me, your tributes, Annie. Johanna when she removes the stick from her ass.

[ Cashmere laughs. ] Sorry, no bar. Maybe you can make moonshine from breakfast?

The Cornucopia?

[ And that's all she can remember. Is it possible that they could be from different points, or maybe it's a trick -- Snow makes them think one thing -- ]

No bar? [ Clearly he has priorities, because if he's going to be staying in this place, he's going to need something to keep him sane. ] If that's the last thing you remember, then. It's not looking too great for either of us now, is it?

[ She was dead, could he be, too? It's a mind game, another trick of a vastly different arena, he's sure of it. ] I'll need something stronger than that back-alley moonshine.

[ why does everyone keep saying it like that?? yes, she remembers the Cornucopia. she gets the feeling that if she's smart she won't ask for details - she's probably going to like them. she shrugs again at his questions. ]

If you find something, let me know. So far this place is completely dry. [ it's the worst. ] Just like you're about to be.

[ Yeah, definitely not worth asking, Cashmere, because Haymitch would tell you and then have to actually feel sorry about it. ]

Great. [ He throws the flask down, smiling faintly at the satisfying sound it makes, clattering across the floor, his own blood beginning to boil a little. ] We'll just have to find a way out, then, won't we? Because putting up with this...

Good luck with that. [ not that she's given up, but Cashmere's stopped tearing the hotel apart. ] The best we can do is stick together. There's a lot of theories about how we got here, but no answers. Some of these people aren't from Panem.

Better than sitting back and complaining, isn't it? [ A proactive statement from Haymitch, cherish it while you can, Cashmere. ]

Oh yes, piling up in one room is just a great idea. Safety in numbers, all of that. Might consider branching out a little more, you know, to let the crazy air out a bit.

Fine. Do it your way. [ she has no comebacks for that :c ]

You know what? I'll let you figure this all out on your own. We'll see how crazy you feel in a few weeks.

[ He shouldn't be so cranky, really, but his head is pounding, and they're in a situation that only makes it harder to think. ]

If you're going for shock value, sweetheart, it's not working. [ But the headache is certainly getting worse. ] We'll need to get a plan together. No point in sitting and waiting for something bad to happen.

[ she sighs. he's right. ] Okay. We'll make a plan.

Good. Though where we'll start is as good a guess as any. I'll need to figure out what's been discovered already.

[ Though even now he's feeling a bit twitchy, wishing the flask he had at least had some alcohol remaining. ]

Until then, I'm going to go sleep this headache away. Funny thing, I get sent here to die but I get rest and relaxation instead. Isn't the world just so ironic?

Johanna told me I'm already dead. How's that for irony?

[ she'll be over here casually one-upping his story. ]

Well, good, it saves me from telling you, and saves us both the tears and no booze to make it all better.

[ He's joking, but it was disturbing to see Cashmere go. Strange, how fondness only shows up after someone's gone. He has a way of doing that to people. ]

But you're alive here. And I think that's the even bigger question.

I'm not going to cry about being dead. [ but probably no one should say anything about Gloss, unless they want to see her ugly cry. ]

Yeah it's... weird. Do you think you might be dead?

a gent of good intent who's content to be ( OPEN )

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