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

[dislocked]

[ Bucky's surprised to hear that from her mouth, and it's by grace of that answer that he doesn't snap forward to finish the job. It doesn't hurt when she retaliates; but it's enough for him to loosen his grip, to be shoved back as he looks into her face, the similar anger, rage, everything written so clearly on her face.

SHIELD, he thinks; HYDRA's infiltrated SHIELD so long ago that they are almost the same entity, but he knows that there are many elements within that are resisting, fighting back; he'd seen it that fateful day, when plans unraveled completely and ended with the destruction of the Helicarriers.

And perhaps, in this girl, he's seeing it now.

She carries his wounds around her throat, and he's aware that if he'd only used a little more strength then, he could have broken her neck. Mercy, he thinks; it's a new thing to him these days. She watches him like a predator, not a killer, lean and quick on her feet in ways that tell him that she's not to be underestimated, and he looks back at her with dark, fathomless eyes.

What's his excuse, indeed. ]

I was theirs.

[ A thing. Dispensable, taken and worked on; it won't take much for them to throw him away, and Bucky's factually aware of this. Weapons, after all, have no need for their own autonomy. ]

SHIELD's fallen, it's a meaningless name now. [ Matter-of-fact; it's not something he'd mourn or celebrate, either way. He pauses, digesting what she tells him, regarding this girl that's out for their blood, too. Interesting. ] Why are you hunting HYDRA?

[dislocked]

[ That's not an answer, he wants to say. But that's exactly what it is, and he realizes it when he meets Steve's eyes, when the truth is written in his face for him to see. He swallows hard, unable to help an instinctive coil of anger in his stomach.

A long buried anger, perhaps, something that twists uncomfortably in him; because he knows Bucky was more than willing to suffer for the chance that he didn't. But then again, if he didn't, they both wouldn't be here today.

They would be in their graves, side by side, perhaps; inseparable on the playground, inseparable in death. And without Steve, that end would have come a lot faster than predicted.

He exhales quietly, feeling a familiar headache coming on. ] I didn't want you to come.

[trepidations]

Er.

[ Is this guy real? ] Well, maybe but I don't know. It's possible, but we'd have to find out why they'd... well, want all of us.

[trepidations]

[ He really should just get away from her while he can. He might say the wrong thing and they can't have that. ]

Snow? I mean... what? It's foggy out there, but it's not like we're snowed in. [ The weather didn't control the doors, didn't keep them trapped inside and the fact that they don't know what has is terrifying. ]

[hacker]

Because there are still people who think that name means something.

[ Searching him, she tries to make sense of it. He was with HYDRA, by his own admission. Why lash out at someone who he thought was on their side? Slowly, keeping her hands up between them, she steps closer, squinting through the filtering white light of the projector at his face.

It's not like she has some HYDRA employee catalogue, but maybe … ]

The news reports are lying. HYDRA isn't gone; they just went underground. [ Her head tilts slightly, reading him. ] … But you didn't. [ The question there is implicit, but apparent. It doesn't make sense. He doesn't make sense. People don't just tell HYDRA no and walk away. Donnie Gill tried. Raina tried. (Ward never even made an attempt, that bastard.) ]

[pajarita]

That's the plan.

[engender]

[ Ladies first, but when they leave... ]

Have you seen your room, yet?

[pajarita]

No, not right just yet.

[engender]

Me neither. We can't avoid our rooms forever.

[gloriouscurse]

I'm fine, Swan. Don't worry about me.

[Though, Regina does take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. And she nods, because they have a common interest here: getting back to Henry, and if there's one thing she knows for certain about Emma, it's that she won't sit idly by. She doesn't even shrug off Emma's touch, just nods, swallowing.]

Stronger together right?

[It was what she'd pitched in Neverland, anyway.]

[gloriouscurse]

I think it's like being stuck in the land without magic. It just...doesn't exist here. As if...

[She frowns a little, trying to work it out.]

As if whoever cast a curse is still where they want to be, powerful, and we're stuck.

[...Maybe.]

[mygame]

Not in California, no. At the Hotel California.

[The Nogitsune has to wonder about kids these days. In Stiles' mind, that was a well known song.]

I didn't mean 'gone' as in vanished, but gone as in the rain has washed out most of the roads or smaller bridges. There really is nowhere to go.

[The subjects of how Peter got here and when are completely ignored. For a creature such as the Nogitsune that engages in emotional vampirism, Peter is quite the meal.]

Things will be better in the morning, I'm sure. Sunlight often makes things less frightening. Are you sure you're all right?

[pajarita]

I'm not going to, I'm just...not going up yet.

[greenies]

The Hotel's like what? [ it's the creepy smiling that throws him off. not just because it's shucking weird and anyone who does that can't be trusted, but it also reminds him of a certain crank, his loud "rose took my nose" song echoing through the building he and brenda were hiding in. he'd never forget that, and he'd never be off his guard enough to get caught by a crank again, either.

even one that seemed to be fully in grasp of its mental functions.

maybe. ] Get out of there. [ he gestures with the knife, out from behind the desk. ] You're not part of the staff. Do you think I'm an idiot?

[ though, thomas is mostly all talk--he's not sure what he'd do if a crank pops out and attacks him again. but cranks hallucinate so often that this guy's act here--it's gotta be one of those. ]

[oceanborne]

I don't know, Finnick might prefer facing death instead of you in a temper. [It's a weak joke, but she has to do something to distract herself from the thought of being here without Finnick. Being separated, that's something Annie got accustomed to a long time ago. She'd even made some kind of awful peace with the idea of him dying in the Quell, but after the abrupt way it cut off, and the long time she was locked up, she still doesn't know one way or another if he's even alive. And until they find him she'll never be sure, and the thought of it makes her sick with fear.

Mapping, that's a good idea. It's something to do, at least. ] We should mark where we've been, too. If the halls move, we need to track them.

[ She's just as scattered as Cashmere, honestly, so the offer takes Annie by surprise. ] Clothes? Oh. I suppose I should, yeah.

[mygame]

[This could be incredibly useful should the Nogitsune discover the wolves from Beacon Hills here. So far, it has only seen Lydia, but if she is here, more are sure to follow. Having someone that could be mistaken for it, especially a someone that is armed, well that just fits in perfectly. A nice stabbing might be just what a wolf could use.]

I'm not exactly sure what to think of you other than that you could be an illusion attempting to throw me off.

[Of course it doesn't come out from behind the desk. Not when it's winning.]

I suppose it's entirely possible they fell in with a witch, but the only one I've met here didn't have any of her powers. You look and smell real enough. By the way, there are bathing facilities upstairs I would suggest you make use of.

Has anyone called you 'Stiles'?

[oceanborne]

Muggle studies? [There's a look of completely blank confusion on her face as she repeats the strange words, and the look stays firmly in place when he explains what and where the UK is. Countries? Other places that survived the floods and environmental devastation before the Dark Days?

When she stops being quite so overwhelmed by everything, she's going to be impossibly curious about that. ]

So... maybe we're in your country, if this isn't Panem. Do you recognize anything?

[engender]

I think I am. Find me if you need anything.

Stay safe.

[pajarita]

You too, Derek.

[villainously]

[ it's hard to know motivations of a nameless, faceless entity. her words do make sense, that for one reason or another, powers were dampened so someone else could remain in control. ]

Might be. [ he frowns, because he just can't say for sure. they don't have enough clues yet. ] There's got to be an answer somewhere, someone did this. Nobody is perfect, we'll find them like we did with Zelena.

[ though Zelena basically waltzed into the diner and announced herself but that is not the point. ]

[64th]

Panem. That's the country. I'm from District One. We have twelve districts and a Capitol. The Capitol's in charge and the rest of us - well. We send our kids to die on television.

Where are you from?

Re: [A. Because why not.]

[cisskabob]

[That makes her laugh outright, rolling her eyes.]

Yeah, okay. Sure you are. I'm sure you hate being underestimated, too.

[64th]

I was beginning to wonder. [ Johanna is a lot of things, but she's not an idiot. ] But hey, at least you won't wake up dead, right? [ or maybe she will. considering... that's apparently what's happened to Cashmere. ]

As fun as that sounds, I have better things to do. [ like harass people about Gloss. or figure out her own tablet. ] I'm in 103. In case it becomes important.

[sheriffing]

[It's not great, and Emma knows it. Losing Neal changed things for all of them. When she looks past her own loss and just sees her son's, it's enough to make her question everything she's tried to believe about her role as the savior. How does happily ever after still happen for Henry now that he has to grow up without his father? Storybrooke is their home because their family is there, but there's always going to be a piece missing for him. Two mothers isn't ever going to make up for him not having a father; it shouldn't and it won't. They might have only known each other for a little while, but they loved each other, and they connected. There's probably more of Neal in him than their is Emma. She's thought that all along.]

Killian's right, you're coming with us.

[Those are two words she doesn't get a chance to say very often, but no matter how hollow a comfort it is to Neal, it's the truth. They aren't leaving without him. They had to give him up twice and that was two times too many. It doesn't have to happen the same way here; they don't have to be fated to lose someone they care about all over again.

And even if they're still committed to making things awkward, Emma is through pretending that the two of them don't care about each other. This isn't going to be Neverland all over again. They're not allowed to waste her time and their own by being petty. Killian likes to talk a big game, but he's been on Neal's side ever since he chose to tell them about Pan having him caged in the Echo Cave. He doesn't show his concern very often, but maybe that's just the pirate way. It's stupid, and it sets them back, but Emma knows them both well enough to understand that when it matters, they'll have each other's back. It'd just be nice if they could see it, too.

She's not holding her breath, though.]

Let me know if you don't, too.

[He can have his graceful exit, but they still need to keep tabs on each other. There's nothing about this place that Emma is willing to trust. Being held here against their will (and without any explanation) has her dreading what's to come. It might be setup like a hotel but it's currently functioning as a prison, and she has a feeling that's because if everyone knew what these people have in store for them, they'd have been gone the second they arrived.

So they're stuck, for now. She tries not to let that thought nag at her when they need to be focusing on getting out, but between their capture and Neal being alive, emotions are running a little high. She nods to Killian and with a tight smile, excusing him from the conversation with a lingering glance in his direction as he turns away. Telling Neal about Henry couldn't wait, as awkward as it was to do it in front of Killian. It's the thing he needs to know, no matter what happens next, and the thing she wished he could have lived to experience for himself. The kid tried so hard to find a connection before his memories came back, but the only thing that helped was...]

I think Killian told Henry every story about you that he could remember, just to try to keep you alive for him. He's missed you too, Neal. We all have.

[kirking]

[Almost impressed? This here is the youngest captain in Starfleet history and he's from ~the future~. That's some awesome shit right here.]

You sound like you've already accepted that you're stuck.