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

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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

"It will be difficult," Leela said absently, "to trust all who arrive, but so far, I seen none I would not protect if needed." He did not look as if he needed protection - he was like her, the hunter, this she was sure. This she could feel. "I may yet meet someone who does not fall under this, but I shall see in time."

She shifted just to move, uneasy as she scanned the room. Her eyes always came back to him, though, her clear blue gaze sharp as if she missed nothing.

"I was running," Leela said after awhile. "When I was taken, I was running for my life. I expect to run for my life again in this place. It is how these things go."

"I'm sure there will be some that are decidedly untrustworthy."

For the most part, Red would put himself in that category. But he had no reason to be untrustworthy yet, least of all to her.

"Usually, when a number of people are abducted, someone tries to break free. Then the others follow."

So far, he agreed with Leela 100%.

"True for both," she said. "It may be that the exit has yet to be identified. As I said, outside, it is just a courtyard and rain. I cannot tell if there is more beyond. It is just gray with no visibility. I cannot tell what else may be there, but there are no other sounds but water hitting the building. It is not good for anyone breaking free unless someone attempts to jump the side."

Leela sounded as if she were going to contemplate trying it.

"It seems as though whoever selected the location for the hotel decided to make it as much like a horror movie as possible. If we find a closet full of chainsaws I'd suggest we steer clear."

Though to Red, the idea of jumping out of the building wasn't the best course of action.

"I think I would prefer to find out a little more information as to why we're here before we try to escape."

"Saws on chains?" Leela looked unimpressed. "That sounds like a stupid weapon."

She made a face and peered over the desk she was leaning against, looking for...information, really. There was nothing.

"We should investigate. That is what we do."

"Well, saws with chains on them. But I agree, they don't have much of a range."

Leela didn't pick up on the slasher movie reference, not that she should considering her title. It all sounded very foreign.

"Yes, we should."

Leela looked suitably confused about the chained saws. She just could not picture such a thing. Perhaps they were best seen to be understood, which meant she just gave him a wondering look for a few seconds before poking about the desk a little more.

"It is too much to hope for a clue in the open, I suppose," she said dryly.

"I doubt if they went through this much trouble to bring us here, they'd make finding out about them simple."

Red knew he wouldn't, so he doubted anyone else would either. As or the chainsaws he was just going to let that go.

"So it would seem," Leela said and if she looked a bit cross, really it was the whole situation. "We will have to be observant, then. I do not quite know where to begin with this...this inquiry, but I will take apart this desk if I must."

Red didn't blame her for being cross, if he let himself think about it, he'd realize he was too.

"I doubt that will get us very far, if it gets us anywhere at all."

"Perhaps not," Leela said, "but it would make me feel much better." She shrugged after a long moment of searching around as if something more would be gained. "I do not know what to do with myself. I have nothing to hit except wood and it is not satisfying nor does it give answers."

Kicking it would do nothing either and it would be far less satisfying for her foot. Instead, she just glared at the desk as if insulted that it existed.

"Is hitting things really that important?"

Red had his own theories about using violence for violence's sake, and none of them were good.

"No," she said, quietly. "It is not." Leela turned away, rubbing at her face for a moment. "But this is a cage and it is the bars that need to be rattled."

She fell silent for a long while before she turned back to him.

"Tell me, then. What shall we do?"

"I wouldn't go rattling just yet," it was just practical from his perspective. "I think we should let them show us their hand first."

They had to at some point. Everyone did.

"So now, I think we should wait."

"Then I will wait like a hunter," Leela said with a soft huff, still peering about, forever restless. "I feel strange doing nothing."

She paced a little, unable to stand still. There was nothing for her to do, nowhere to go, and she felt like a caged lion.

"I do not think I can sleep. Not yet. Not--" Her fingers lifted and she shook her head. What if someone tried to harm her? What if she missed something? "There is a fire, I have sat by it before. It is a place to go. Or the yard with the rain." She would soak herself again, but it was the best she could do for fresher air, even if it was foggy and the rain was cold.

"If we are to wait, there should be a better place for it."

Oh, he liked her.

"I'd tend to agree. Though I think this may be one of those times when we need to make the best of what we have."

"What is the best?" Leela said curiously, her eyes steady and sharp. "We have fire and rain and exploring. Choose and I will come. It is safer with another set of eyes."

Now that was surprising. It sounded as though this woman just assigned herself as his partner, or security, or something. It was a little odd, but as best he could figure, she was out to hit wood, or perhaps whoever brought them here, and not him.

"Exploring sounds like a good bet. At least we can get to know the place."

"Then we shall do this exploring," she said with a nod. If Leela had wanted to hurt him, she would have done that already. But he did not make her wish to harm him and that was a good thing. "This place is still unknown and I agree, we should get to know it before things are not quiet anymore."

She knew it, deep down, that it would get worse. That is what happened when people were dragged from their homes and down halls. Things got worse.

Red knew the same thing. He'd been in too many situations where he'd been taken from where he was and dragged through a proverbial hallway for some kind of new kind of hell he hadn't experienced before.

"Start here and work our way up?"

It seemed as sound a strategy as any.

"This is a good strategy," Leela said, nodding. "I see no issues with it."

Red headed off in the direction of the staircases, to start looking upward, he figured it would be helpful to know what was and what was not available in the hotel.

"I imagine it's mostly guest rooms."

As he ascended the stairs, he found himself wishing he really had his gun.

"It is so far," Leela said, frowning, tailing him like an arrow. "I am on the fourth floor. It has been rooms upon rooms."

She wished for her knives. It irritated her to no end that she did not have them.

"I'm on the third. I wonder how high up it goes."

He didn't think anything would be after them tonight. That seemed irresponsible of the people that brought them here.

"I should have looked for a roof," Leela mused. "All buildings have roofs. At least we could see something beyond this place."

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