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

[Newt doesn't have to go out of his way to approach Emma. She's already moving toward him when she sees the kid walking around, irritation evident in his body language. This place is hard enough on the adults here, so while the savior in her's been barking unity to everyone who might listen, she also knows what it's like to feel out of place (though not necessarily from her arrival here). That's reason enough for Emma to be headed his way when he asks for an explanation, and the first thing she thinks to start with is something that's either going to make this worse or give him a good idea of what he's working with.]

It's kind of hard to explain when none of us were offered an explanation. If your arrival was anything like how it was for the rest of us, then they dropped you into a room and left you with a suitcase and a few dozen questions.

[Sound about right? He seems like he's with her, so she continues -]

For me, it happened last month. As far as we can tell there's no one around keeping the hotel in operation, at least no one who's willing to own up to it. A lot of rooms are locked, windows are impenetrable, and food just appears in the morning.

[Heat doesn't always work, so she'd rather not mention it.]

And we're definitely all from different places.

Yeah, reminds me a whole lot of how the Creators tossed us in the Glade. Wakin' up with no memory of how we got there and expected to find a way out. And every month they sent in a new Greenie and supplies, like clockwork.

[Newt rubs at his neck, agitation still clear in his body language, but his face has lost some of its intensity. He's so sure that this is WICKED, and he's not really sure who he can trust now. Maybe not any adults ever, really.]

It's the same shuck thing they did before, but what I don't understand is why. Why there's so many people, or where the other Gladers are. They said find open air, but this doesn't feel right. I have to find my friends, we don't have time to be separated.

Who are you looking for?

[It's possible that he's here alone, but it's also equally as likely that some of his friends could be wandering around. Some people are on their own, but a lot seem like they came in groups. If it happened to a few people from Storybrooke, then there's a chance it happened to this kid and his friends, too.]

I don't know anything about Gladers or Greenies. We haven't seen anyone who's involved in this.

[Which isn't saying much for what it actually is. She sighs, hooking her thumbs into the pockets of her jacket.]

But if you give me names, I'll help you look for your friends. It's a toss up on people coming alone or coming in groups, though. There aren't any guarantees.

Not surprisin'. WICKED doesn't show their face til their good and ready for us to see it. Two years we went not knowing who put us in the Glade, just knew 'em as the Creators.

[Newt is handling this better than most teenagers probably should, if only because he's so certain this is the same as before. That this is WICKED and couldn't possibly be anything else.

He goes on to start listing names, nineteen in total but among them are Thomas, Minho, Aris, Winston, Frypan, Stan, Frankie, Clint, and others that were never actually mentioned by name or I just can't remember rn shhh.]

Any of them sound familiar?

[They have to all be here, but he's not so certain that WICKED wouldn't separate them as another part of the trial.]

Not really, but that doesn't mean they aren't here.]

[Nineteen names is a hell of a list, but she's pretty sure she'll remember most of them if she goes looking.

Most kids in Newt's place would be losing it by now. Seeing him take this so well just makes her feel like he's been through too much. He wears that a little openly, especially when he talks about WICKED and the things he's been through.

Whatever it is, it isn't good. Emma's tone softens almost in acknowledgement of it, like she doesn't want to scare this kid off when she's discovered (one minute into the conversation) that he has plenty of reasons to run.]

I can almost guarantee you that the whole group isn't here, but if I find any of them, I'll send them your way. . . . I'm Emma.

[Because she's suddenly aware she has every name but his.]

[ Been through too much is an understatement for what WICKED put them through. He's lost it before, knows better than to lose it again no matter how much he feels like he wants to. Alby's not here anymore, he has to stay strong on his own.

Newt rubs at his neck, over the tattoo printed there. WICKED probably separated them, if what this woman is saying is true, which he's still skeptical of. His trust is reserved for the other Gladers, WICKED's made sure he'll have trouble trusting most else for a while. But at least one of them has to be here, or maybe they were meant to find each other again? He's sick of trials. ]

Thanks. The name's Newt. I'd be real delighted to meet you Emma if the circumstances were different, but considerin' all this- [ He gestures around them. ] Can't say it's much of a pleasure, sorry.

It's alright, there's nothing delightful about this.

[Frustrating, infuriating, and awful are words she'd use. She's not sure whether or not this kid is going to find his friends here, so trying to help him is the best she can do. He doesn't have to trust her - Emma knows better than to expect that here - but if he does end up needing help, at least he'll know someone's willing to try.

This hotel has a way of making her feel powerless. Reaching out to the new arrivals is just about all she has the power to do here.]

Be careful around here, alright? This place leaves a lot to be desired.

Can't be any worse than the buggin' Maze, honestly. Unless there's Grievers in the halls at night, it's probably an upgrade from the last trial. I'll be fine, don't need strangers worryin' over me.

[ Hypocritical coming from him, really. But it's different being on the other end of it, he doesn't think he needs it, or rather deserves the worry. ]

Fair enough.

[She knows that feeling, she does, it's just - ]

But be careful anyway.

Yeah, yeah. I will.

[He sounds exasperated at having to say it, but it's mostly just because he's worried about all of the friends he can't find than it really is against here.]

Thanks, I guess.

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

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