sit yourself down, and meet the best inn keeper in town ( O P E N )

[checkingin]

Who: Everyone!
Where: The initial arrival rooms, the main lobby, all over the place.
When: February 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.

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 tall pull-down screen, a silent version of nosferatu 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 timey music.

along the curtained windows is another long table, with a large bowl that looked like it once would have held popcorn. but is now unfortunately empty. same for the large hot drink dispensers labeled "hot chocolate" and "coffee".

OTHER.

the ballroom and breakfast hall are currently closed, grand doors locked.

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

the door to the courtyard is locked.

ROOMS.

you've a room key with your assigned room number on it. all the new guest residences will be located on floors one & 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'd 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.

Comments

leo fitz | open!!

[technologist]

A | SCREENING ROOM

[ It probably seems counterintuitive to seek out some quiet after waking up in a strange (and undeniably creepy) building. But after a few minutes of anxious strangers, that's exactly what Fitz does, slipping out of the main lobby and into the flickering dark of the screening room.

He takes one look at the screen before looking elsewhere, gaze trailing over the dimly lit table along the curtained windows. He wanders over, inspects the drink dispensers — nothing — then picks up the empty bowl, turning it upside down. More nothing.

The sound of footsteps behind him registers belatedly, abruptly enough for him to startle, swinging around to face whoever's approaching. The bowl's dropped on the table, wobbling around on its rim before clapping to a stop.

It occurs to him that he should do something, or say something, and between the bizarre everything and his nerves, what he ends up going with is: ]

There isn't any food.

[ Nailed it. ]

B | ROOMS (FLOOR ONE)

[ Going to the assigned room feels a little bit like giving up. Fitz gets as far as door 115 before freezing up, and he stands in front of the room for a solid minute, key in one hand and suitcase in the other. When he finally gets up the nerve to unlock it, it gives way easily, already open.

That begs another short hesitation. Then he moves, cautiously stepping into the room and blindly flipping on the lights.

It's completely innocuous. The window earns a curious glance before he places his suitcase on the bed, and the second he opens it his motivation picks up. There's a smaller case inside; he grabs it, opens it, then steps over to the wall between his room and the halls and starts knocking lightly on the wallpaper.

Which is noisy enough, probably, but it's made more so by the fact that he hasn't bothered to close the door. He'd rather keep the exit entirely open. ]

[hacker]

[ As convenient timing goes, Skye really takes the cake. Just as she finishes exploring her own room (thinking of it like that still jars her because, really, it's the room some kidnapper stuffed her in and left her to), she hears rummaging around in the one next door.

Dipping back out into the hall, she checks both directions for mulling about, then moves towards 115. Her fist reaches out to knock on it, and it swings open the rest of the way, welcoming her in. For a moment, she waffles, then decides none of them actually need privacy anyway.

She steps inside and, glancing down the narrow entryway, spots Fitz.

Attempts at casual get abandoned, and she beelines for him, throwing her arms around him. ]

Thank god. [ She buries her face against the crook of his neck, drawing a breath. It's both fortunate and unfortunate: if he's here, it means the others from inside the temple must be as well. Kidnapped, but all kidnapped together. She tears away from him, quick to get back to business. ] We need to find the others.

[technologist]

Wh— [ What the hell are you doing here. That's what he's going for, anyway, but it's interrupted by the way Skye launches herself onto him; he's startled, but quick enough on the uptake, more tentatively settling his arms around her.

He meets her eyes the second she pulls away, brow furrowed, expression bemused. ]

We were looking for you.

[ Which is clearly an outdated game plan. He's well aware that the landscape's changed, but he's apparently thinking out loud. After a beat, tone cautious: ]

You haven't seen anyone else?

screening room

[64th]

[ finally, someone else who cares about the fact that there's no food. what is with all these psychos who are unbothered by the complete and total lack of anything edible? this is why Cashmere doesn't like anyone. other people are idiots. ]

I noticed. [ she moves to pick up the bowl, wondering if it would be useful later. she's still operating on the assumption that any moment all of this could turn into a test of survival skills. and just in case it is useful, she's going to hold on to it for the moment instead of putting it back on the table. ] Are you always this jumpy, or is it just around pretty girls? [ sorry not sorry for sneaking up on you, dude. ]

sorry for the delay!

[technologist]

[ Fitz takes half a step back as she picks up the bowl, careful to keep plenty of space between them. His gaze is cautious as he studies her, too, like he's not entirely convinced she isn't the one who's brought him here.

Which, to be completely fair, is kind of how he looks at everyone lately. ]

No.

[ That expansive answer's given after a too lengthy pause, tone guarded. But Fitz seems to realize it's hardly adequate, adding a moment later: ] I mean— yes. Sort of. Particularly when I've been kidnapped and locked in a creepy hotel with a bunch of strangers.

screening room

[pronged]

Bullocks.

[If there was anything in that bowl, then James doesn't want it now. He's far beyond eating floor crumbs. He's at least thirty seven hours from that kind of desperate, pathetic, dog like hunger.]

And here I'd kill for a treacle tart right now.

[technologist]

What?

[ It's kind of an autopilot response, but both the 'bullocks' and the mention of dessert are unexpected, oddly casual in the face of such a bizarre situation. Fitz takes a second to catch up, brow furrowed in a vaguely critical look before he glances back to the table, awkwardly dodging eye contact. ]

Oh. Yeah, no luck on that, apparently. But they've got to have food somewhere, yeah? Unless this is just— temporary.

[ Or they've all been brought here to die. Or go Lord of the Flies. Those are terrible topics for conversation, though, so instead Fitz just looks back to James, expression hesitantly curious. ] You've just woken up?

late but OTA! no fight necessary, she'll back right off 'em.

[warring]

[ as if awakening in an unfamiliar motel isn't quite alarming enough for one day, somebody's afternoon is quite possibly about to get that much worse. because without even the sound of footsteps to serve as warning, anyone who passes by the open door into the dim and seemingly-empty room 220 finds themselves promptly assaulted from behind. a forearm snakes sharply around their neck, and a foot connects from behind with each knee in rapid succession to buckle them so they're pinned to the floor by a shin across their calves.

then comes the sharp voice in their ear: ]

Chon yu bilaik? [ what, you didn't understand that? it's okay, she doesn't give pause for an answer either way. ] Yu na tel bilaik disha lokop ste o ai na frag yu op!

[ somebody's apparently not screwing around. ]

[oceanborne]

[ Failed prison break, abrupt awakening in a strange exit-less hotel... why yes, a sneak attack is precisely what Annie's day has been missing. Though really, she's kind of been expecting violence of some sort. She's still halfway convinced that this is an arena of some kind, a new Hunger Games, and where's the fun in the Games if people aren't trying to kill each other?

Sadly for whomever might be watching on their hidden cameras (just because she hasn't found any doesn't mean they aren't there), Annie goes down without a fight. She hits the ground hard, hands coming up to grab instinctively at the arm around her throat, but otherwise she's completely still. ]

...What? [ Are those even words? She'll just have to make an educated guess as to what her attacker could possibly mean. ] I don't understand you, I'm not... I just woke up here, I didn't cause this.

[warring]

[ english. this, she can work with.

her next words are deliberate, enunciated just slightly stronger than a native speaker. ] Who are you, and where is this place?

[ivolunteer]

( oh hell no, she did not blow up a dome and escape the games for this.

given it takes her a rather long time to respond by katniss everdeen standards. the first thing she notices is that the sudden jerk of her head as someone slings their arm around her neck and she tries to jump away makes lights erupt behind her eyelids again. the throbbing in her temples redoubles and she wheezes in pain as her bruised, burned knees hit the carpeted hallways floor with a solid thunk.

this is it, isn't it. if the capitol hadn't brought her here, they'd certainly found her here, and now they were going to kill her. her, and then peeta, which is — not going to happen. it's some herculean effort she summons to throw her elbow back at her attackers gut. and if it connects, it's with significantly less force than she would have liked. )

[warring]

[ the elbow connects because lexa allows it, offering only a sharp and frustrated exhale in response before she tries again, this time in the slow, tense, and slightly over-enunciated english of someone who is both 0% thrilled and not a native speaker. ]

You will tell me your name and where this place is found.

[pronged]

[It's the third time that James has ended up on the ground, with the rough landing and Peter knocking him on his arse and how is this his life. James groans in something like defeat before he realizes he doesn't understand a word she's saying. It sounds like nothing he's heard before and he has heard a lot from mermaids to goblins to Sirius' drunken blabbering.]

What in Merlin's name are you even saying? Get off me, you crazy bird!

[warring]

[ english. she can work with this. lexa does not, however, get off him as requested. instead, he gets a tense and threatening jostle before she speaks, slow and tense and most importantly in english - albeit the barely over-enunciated english of someone who isn't quite a native speaker. ]

You will tell me your name and where this place is found.

[carjacked]

[ Neal's been mugged before. You live your life wandering quasi-homelessly in New York City, you're bound to get mugged at least once or twice in your life. He never been mugged in a hotel before, though, definitely not in a possible-afterlife hotel by what sounds like an angry Portuguese woman.

His hands come up automatically like one does when there's a gun to their back, head jerking backward to try and relieve some of the pressure off of his larynx. ]

I don't understand- hold on, I don't understand what you're saying-

[ He throws out, enunciating clearly, voice raising a couple octaves because if he's going to get re-murdered for not following directions, he wants to make it abundantly clear it's because he doesn't understand those directions. ]

The latest of us all!! Prose or Brackets - OTA

[hesmypuddin]

(A) Arrival - First Floor

[There is a muffled 'oof' that can be heard from behind a closed door if anyone happens to be passing by.

Now, for Harley herself, landing heavily in the dark wasn't entirely unexpected, as she's just been free falling through the air after being kicked down a ten foot wide industrial pipe. However, that she had survived the fall had been a bit of a delightful surprise.]

Watch that first step... it's a doozy... [It was a joke saved for herself, as it didn't sound like anything else was around; and that, combined with the fact that the carpet beneath her is decidedly not concrete? Yeah... little weird.

Frowning, Harley pushes to her knees and blinks around in the darkness before pushing up to her feet. She seems no worse for the wear and brushes off her knees even while being unable to see herself. Her eyes, however, are slowly adjusting to the dim light and she finds herself blinking in confusion as she takes in what looks to be a hotel room.]

What the heck?

[Her voice doesn't echo like it might have had she fallen to the bottom of the piping, instead muffled against the furniture in the unfamiliar room.

That's when the urge to get out begins, Harley's blue eyes afar ting around the darkness before she stumbles in the direction of the door she can dimly make out. She fumbles with the knob and hurries out into the hall, letting out a startled 'meep' as she encounters the suitcase and finally trips over fully. She hits the ground, face against the carpet right next to the suitcase, butt in the air; the entire ordeal was horrifically ungraceful.]

Owie.

[She pushes herself back up into her knees, sitting back onto them as her gaze drops to the suitcase and sees her name on the tag. She blinks several times, pushing up to her feet before grabbing the bag and flinging it over her shoulder. She didn't know what the heck was going on, but it had her name and until she knew more, she was holding onto it.

While several others had moved to the elevator and dismissed it for being just a biiiiiiiit questionable, Harley doesn't seem all that concerned and marches right in. She looks over the buttons and, whistling, punches the one that will take her to the lobby.

Encounter her before she heads down??]

(B) Main Lobby

[Harley steps out of the elevator, the carpet covered floor creaking ominously beneath her booted feet. It had been by no means a safe way of traveling, but it had been faster than the stairs.

And what was life without a little bit of risk?!

Who's this curious looking woman in a harlequin bodysuit? Why did she risk the elevator? Why is she smiling?

Come meet your new neighbor, everyone!]

(C) Other!! Come at me, bro!

elevator antics!

[villainously]

[ Hook doesn't like elevators, that's just a fact. He's not been forced into many, only ran into them in Storybrooke and New York and he always picked the stairs when given the option. To him, elevator was not an accurate name. Certain box of doom was more descriptive and honest. He hadn't tried the creaking, tight space as it was, and didn't intend to, either.

It was just the sight of a girl dressed as ... well, honestly, she looked like a court jester, and that was not a look he'd seen much outside of the Enchanted Forest, that drew his attention.

And that bright, a little too eager grin? Well, that's the grin of a trouble maker. It does take one to know one, but curiosity gets the better of him. ]

I'm told that's broken, darling. [ which is really just a subtle way of wondering what she is up to. ]

emily thorne | ota

[unforgives]

arrival;

[the last thing emily remembered was being at the beach with nolan that morning telling him of her new plans. it was a distinct contrast from feeling the air being knocked right out of her all of a sudden as she hits the ground. something was wrong, she can already tell even before she opens her eyes and pushes herself up just moments later to scan her new surroundings. it's obvious she is a room but beyond that not much is making sense to her.

emily didn't like being caught off guard and being on unfamiliar grounds ranked pretty high as far as unexpected things go and it only heightened her suspicions. for a moment she thinks the graysons are involved but her theories on that are short lived given the precautions she's taken and not to mention her training too. if she were anyone else, she would have panicked but that just wasn't her style. she heads towards the door only to just barely notice a suitcase on the ground and upon closer inspection she finds her name on it.

emily frowns, looking completely unamused. she figured that there had to be someone here who was behind all this so all she needed to do was find them and be on her way. it was funny how she mentioned just moments ago to nolan that she wanted to press pause of her plans for revenge and now here she was in a completely unfamiliar place far away from it all. it was not what she had in mind but despite how she got here, she was confident that she would find a way out on her own, whoever brought here her clearly didn't know who they were dealing with. she impulsively grabs the suitcase just in case it might be important and starts to head further down the hallways to see if she can find someone to talk to. sometimes she might even tap someone on the shoulder to get their attention or call them out from afar as an alternative] Hey— do you have a minute?

elsewhere | lobby, front desk, other;

[sometime later after asking a few people and finding a complete lack of answers, emily is no less determined about getting out of this motel and figuring out this situation she happens to be in. she is skeptical at best, not trusting anyone just yet but that hardly shows in her expression as she tries to remain as friendly as always if anyone approaches her. she is lugging around her suitcase while she explores a bit, her expression is a combination of both concern and a hint of curiosity as she looks around. mostly to get more familiar with the surroundings and possibly find a clue or anything really that will lead to answers between the lobby area and the empty front desk] This is way too eerie for my tastes.

rooms | second floor;

[with her keycard in hand, she goes to check out where she's supposed to staying. room 211 is what her card seems to indicate so she heads down the hallways trying to find it.

if she didn't happen to collide with anyone on her way, she eventually makes it to her room and starts to investigate, checking out the room itself before focusing on her suitcase next. the door to her room is slightly ajar for anyone to walk in but judging from the contents of her suitcase which she has opened, there wasn't much she needed to hide but either way she was prepared for anything]

[elsewhere | lobby etc etc]

[cisskabob]

[Cissie had given up her initial frantic efforts to find a door or window that would open, instead finding a spot against a wall to stand and survey the other people milling about in varying states of panic and shock. She's probably in shock herself, but it's easier not to think about it. Easier to just... take a break and do some people watching for a little while. She takes notice of Emily when she approaches, of course. She's almost kind of relieved, since Emily appears to be another fairly normal looking person, who might be even be close to her own age. She knows this doesn't mean much, in terms of how trustworthy or nice or what kind of a person she might be--she does go to an all girls' boarding school, after all. She knows exactly how two-faced girls can get.

But none of that matters, and when Emily speaks to her, Cissie gives her a wry smile in return.]

Tell me about it. It feels a little like an episode of The Twilight Zone.

rooms | second floor;

[sheriffing]

[It's Emma's fault, not Emily's.

She's moving too fast without looking where she's going, rounding a corner quickly on her way to 208. For all of the things she wants (like an explanation, and a way home), Emma is temporarily willing to settle for a change of clothes. Rushing back to change out of her dress is what causes the collision, sending Emma stumbling into Emily with a brief noise of surprise.

She steadies herself with a hand against the wall and takes a step back, eyes on the other woman to make sure she's alright.] Sorry, I was -

I guess I've seen enough of all the nothing going on here to stop expecting to find others. Are you okay?

arrival

[64th]

[ from the way she whips around when Emily taps her on the shoulder, Cashmere's obviously not expecting anyone to approach her. she steps back, quick to put distance between herself and this new woman. almost as an afterthought she remembers that she's supposed to be making friends, and Cashmere smiles. ]

Hi. Yeah. I guess I don't have anywhere else to be. [ just hanging around the lobby, waiting to see who else shows up. she's holding the framed photo she found in her suitcase, pulled close to her chest protectively. ]

im so laaate! ota

[unbreachable]

arrival, then towards his room

[ 'Disoriented' isn't even the word.

'Unhinged' might be better and for a terrifying, paralyzing moment he wonders if he's dead. If he wasn't fast enough. If Gipsy detonated around him and that was that. He doubted that he'd feel anything if that was that case - the explosion would be so big and so catastrophic it would probably be instant. He wouldn't have felt himself die.

That had to be it, then. There is literally no other explanation for what's happened to him and as he rubs his eyes and takes in his surroundings, he's even more certain. Dark room, hallway. Suitcase full of his own things. Precious things, too. Things that he would, if given an opportunity, take with him anywhere he went. Rain pounding down outside.

Odd. Not what he'd think to have in the afterlife, but he doubts he's the one in control, here.

Even so, Raleigh's not a religious man but he figured the after like would either be some kind of weird paradise with glowing angels singing or a fiery cesspit of misery.

This is neither. It's just...confusing.

He grips his suitcase handle (because after he investigated it's contents there's no fucking way that he's letting go of it) and drags it into the hall, looking around, heart fluttering in his chest.

The key in his hand has a number. Nothing else to do but check that out, really. ]

[64th]

[ she's not waiting for him, obviously, but Cashmere is waiting in the hall, staked out near his room. she's trying to scope out everyone as they arrive, and even better figure out who belongs where and who already knows each other. ]

You look lost. [ she feels lost. Cashmere's gotten a grip on herself and doesn't feel quite so crazy. she just needs to figure out who the hell these other people are, which so far means interrogating everyone she comes across with rapid-fire questions. ] What's your name? Where are you from?

Cissie | OTA

[cisskabob]

A] Screening Room

Exploring, Cissie stumbles upon the screening room.... and has to stop and stare. Ancient black and white silent horror movie?

...This is seriously creepy. [What the hell, crazy hotel? This is not a comforting movie choice.]

B] Rooms

[Eventually, all of that trying to find an escape and watching everyone else get worked up and panicked and no one being able to find a door... It gets to a girl. She finds her room, thanks to her suitcase, and decides it's time to go exploring a bit. It can't hurt to meet her "neighbors," since they're clearly not getting out of here tonight. She's too restless to stay still, so she's wandering the halls and if your door is open, she might just poke her head in the doorway to be nosy and introduce herself with a knock on the doorframe.

Or if she's not watching where she's going, she might literally bump into someone in the hallway.]

C] Main Lobby, much later

[Well. Cissie's mostly been keeping to herself, watching everyone else--at least after the initial shock wore off, and she's realized they're stuck here. She is not impressed. And she starts searching for a door or window herself. Later, once she's found her room and "unpacked", she returns to the lobby, with her baseball. She hates the game, and the ball and glove in her suitcase were a bit of a slap in the face. None of the windows would open, so it's time to try something else.

Namely: throwing that baseball repeatedly at those glass windows as hard as she can. Which is pretty hard. And she never misses her target.

But that glass never seems to crack, either.]

[A. Because why not.]

[notafraidofyou]

[Tim is sitting in the second row, with his feet up on the seat in front of him. When he hears Cissie's voice, he turns to look. Oh. Her. He turns back to face the screen again.]

Could be worse. There could be vampires here.