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

[taurohtar]

[To say that Tauriel had not expected her door to open without warning is something of an understatement. The instant the hinges start to creak, she whirls around and settles into a defensive posture; what she wouldn't give for her daggers right about now!

But it would appear that whoever opened her door is not here to attack her, simply gawp at her for a moment before, at least, apologizing for barging in on her.

Her wary expression brightens momentarily when he speaks, as she has mistaken his meaning.]

I am from Mirkwood Forest, yes. [Finally, someone who recognizes her, or at least her race. Nobody here seems to have heard of elves or dwarves or hobbits, and it is incredibly unsettling. She smiles, relieved, and straightens, letting her hands fall to her sides.] From whence do you hail, human? You have the look of Gondor about you.

[villainously]

[ it would have served him right to get socked for helping himself into whatever room he wanted. even Hook can concede to that. it wouldn't have stopped him either, he tends to be flexible on right and wrong when it comes to getting what he wants. he wants a way out, for himself and for a savior that has a son to get back to, and as confusing as it is, the long lost and now returned son of the Crocodile. he'd take his blows and go right back to it, because he needed to find a way out.

still, at her posture, both hands raise in a show of surrender. he doesn't intend harm, he's just nosy and has a terrible sense of respect for personal space if it isn't his.

Mirkwood Forest? well, that was not the forest he was thinking of. he is used to fantastic, supernatural creatures, though; she looks a bit like a fairy, though something tells him that isn't right. her ears are pointed. ]

Not the forest I meant, I'm afraid. Mirkwood, is it? [ he's never heard of Gondor, either, so he shakes his head in a silent no. he doesn't much remember where he was born, it was too long ago. he can tell she was relieved to have found fellow company, so he's slightly apologetic to ruin that illusion. ] I doubt you've heard of it. It seems that many of us have been brought here from different worlds.

[ hopefully she knows of th existence of other worlds, too many people in this place doubt even with absolute proof presented to them. ]

[taurohtar]

[She may yet still sock him, as it were, should he take any more liberties, but at the moment, the desire to strike has passed and he will be safe from the blows of her fists.

She can tell even before he opens his mouth that she will be disappointed by his response, his eyebrows draw together slightly and his lips quirk downward regretfully, and Tauriel's shoulders slump for the briefest of moments.

Alone. She is still alone, surrounded by strangers who bear no resemblance to anything she has ever known to be familiar.]

I have heard of every forest in Middle Earth, human. [Wow, rude much? A woodland elf knows of every forest in the land, and holds each of them dearly in their heart. Though not quite as dearly as their own, of course. Even poisoned by the shadow of Dol Guldur, Mirkwood will forever be the loveliest forest in all of Middle Earth, by her approximation.

She lets out the barest slip of a sigh and settles down on the edge of her bed, her hands folding in her lap. She is too tired to stand.] Yes, I was afraid of that. Which world do you belong to, then?

[villainously]

[ unbelievably, he's been in her place before. he does feel a man separate from his element in Storybrooke, not quite caught up to everything in a modern world; and furthermore, he's traveled through more worlds than he can count on his fingers. he's experienced how strange and disorienting it is to be in a world that isn't yours. in fact he's gone to so many he doesn't even remember the place he used to call home.

he frowns at the defeat in her posture, but there's not much he can say. people that have homes will always miss them. those without cannot comfort something they don't understand.

she seems offended by his correction, yet he's very certain she's never heard of a forest that isn't even from her world. he'd be surprised if she had heard of it. ] I was speaking of a place called the Enchanted Forest, also known as Misthaven. [ no need to be offended, she can save that for when he's trying to actually be offensive! which... well, he's not the sort to kick a lady when she's down, evil hand or no.

he hesitates at her inquiry, before giving not quite the truth in return. ] I was in the realm of Maine, before I ended up here. It's within the Land without Magic. [ maybe she's heard of it... the Land without Magic had been a recognizable term in many worlds he'd visited, and most didn't associate it as a positive place. in reality, it wasn't so bad... just odd.

he realizes how long he's been going on without an introduction and rubs at his face with a ringed hand, before dropping it for a bit of flourish to match his words. ] Killian Jones, milady. I'm trying to find answers, I didn't mean to disturb. [ well... he kinda did, but it sounds better that way. ]

[taurohtar]

Misthaven... [For a moment, she pauses to think; there are many forests in Middle Earth, and many have multiple names, for each race will name the things it comes across, and more names are added as time goes by. To the Eldar, who are tied to the earth until it is torn asunder, the ever-changing names of forests and field alike can become somewhat confusing. But even with her excellent memory, Tauriel must concede his point, for she has never heard of such a place.

Nor has she heard of Maine, but a land without magic...] How terrible. [Tauriel has no real gift with magic to speak of, but her king has some skills, and of course, there are the wizards who wield great power that still roam the land. To think there is a land with no magic at all! It sounds like a dreadful place.] I am afraid I must concede defeat, for I have heard of no such place.

[Well, at least he introduced himself, even if it was somewhat belated. Abruptly, Tauriel realizes she has likewise failed to greet her surprise visitor properly, and she stands, sketching the shallow bow of respect from a soldier to a person of unknown rank. For all that she is no longer part of Mirkwood's Guards, there is familiarity in routine, and she doubts she will ever rid herself of the instincts that have been drilled into her for so many long centuries.] I am Tauriel. Ni veren an gi ngovaned.

[villainously]

[ how terrible. see? those that even know of magic seem troubled by the idea of an existence without it. Hook himself isn't magical and knows all too well the power and danger magic represents... he could be very happy in a world without, if Emma happened to be there. problem being the savior herself was magic; even in a world without. he might have reassured her it was not so dreadful as it sounded, it just didn't seem like there was much point. ] The name is a bit misleading, magic has been brought there now.

[ only in Storybrooke, granted. she didn't need to know that, though. fact was it was no longer the Land Without. (if he knew the world was called that, he'd have just used that, but between saving town and this curse and that disaster, there has been no time for geography lessons.)

he inclines his shoulder a moment. he did figure that was the case. ] Hard to know of a forest in a world that is not your own. [ he knew of a few, yet he knew it was fairly rare for people to travel worlds. Hook had never heard the language she ran into after her introduction, yet even without understanding it he had to concede it was beautiful. ] A pleasure then, darling. Suppose I should leave you to return to my search. [ he had a crawling suspicion it would lead him to nothing — this place was Neverland, simply in a different format — yet he had to search anyway. even if it lead to nothing. ]

[taurohtar]

Ah, I see. [She does not. It seems impossible to her, that a land might exist without magic of any kind. How was it formed, then? Who created the earth and the sea, who brought to life the plants and the forests and all the beasts that lived in them? Magic is an intrinsic part of her understanding of creation and the world in general. To think there might be a place without it... It is most alarming to her. She will have to think about this at length at a later date.

It seems he will take his leave of her, and Tauriel is gearing up to bid him farewell when what he says has her freezing for a moment, her eyebrows arching incredulously.]

Darling? [Nobody has dared take such liberties with her, not in all her six centuries — nobody but Kíli, who held her hand in his and called her beloved in the secret tongue of his ancestors, who looked at her as if she hung the moon and smiled as if she were his only reason for it, who died on that mountain with an apology in his eyes and her name on his lips — and for a moment, she is at a loss for words. Anger and grief chase each other through her heart, though her face remains mostly impassive, her hands clenching for a moment at her sides.]

I am not your darling, impertinent creature. [Weariness wins out above all other emotions, her heart too heavy to hold on to anger for too long, and she frowns at this Killian Jones.]

[villainously]

[ well then. his brow inclines, and he looks more amused than anything. it is absolutely the wrong reaction to laugh at being called impertinent creature, isn't it? he manages to still the reaction, but honestly. that's a first for him, and he has been called all sorts of things. though rarely for a meaningless petname he throws into conversation thoughtlessly. she's clearly offended by it, and he is... well, not particularly repentant.

she's not the first to be offended by his tendency toward petnames, but she certainly is the most offended. in a better moment he might have been curious why; has she really never had someone speak of her in this way, or is it something deeper? he has too many other concerns to really put too much thought into her vehemence.. ]

Right. No, you most certainly or not, pardon the turn of phrase. [ he still didn't mean to offend, yet he's not genuinely contrite for it either. it is simply how he speaks, and one lady taking it unkindly won't be enough to make him stop. ] Pirates are rather known for their impertinence, I'm afraid, but in this it wasn't intentional. Really, nobody has ever called you that before? [ she does seem quite formal... likely explains it. Hook detests excessive formality, it reminds him of the foolish boy he'd been centuries ago. ]

[taurohtar]

[She can see that her irritation only seems to bring him amusement, which does little but make her feel yet more irritated. However, Tauriel has had much experience swallowing her anger, having spent six centuries in the court of a king whom she loved dearly but had something of a mercurial temper, and so she does little more than continue to frown at him, her back as straight as one of the arrows she still misses keenly at her hip.

At least he apologizes, although it seems somewhat less than sincere. Still, Tauriel is willing enough to accept it, especially when he outs himself as a pirate.] Ah, well. That explains much. [Tauriel has never met a pirate before, for she has always avoided the sea, fearful that she might hear the call of the gull on the shore and be filled with a longing to sail off towards the Grey Havens, abandoning her life on Middle Earth in order to live with the Valinor. Still, she has heard plenty of stories of pirates and their ilk, and she likes to think she has some grasp of their ways.

At least in theory.]

That is no concern of yours. [For a moment, she feels a tug in her breast, as if there is a string attached to her heart and someone is pulling at it. It has her breath stuttering in her lungs briefly, and she closes her eyes in an effort to force composure back upon herself. Grief is a private thing, and she will not share it with this...this pirate.]

[villainously]

[ it's almost exhausting to watch her. she seems weary to say the least, and his presence is clearly an inconvenience. that she keeps to such rigid formalities even in such a situation of strain, he can't imagine it. no, that's not true, he can. it reminds him of the leftenant he was once and wore yet, a brother he tries not to think of too frequently. Liam would be mortified by his behavior at the moment, but honestly his brother would be mortified by his existence at this point. it's nothing new.

in the end, that momentary break, of exhaustion that has nothing at all to do with weariness of the body, is what draws him toward actual conrition. because he knows how that feels, too, and he distinctly feels he's seen something he was not meant to. at least he's got enough compassion not to be amused by grief, and he knows that isn't his business either.

he doesn't make note, simply steps out of her space. ] I'll take my leave, then. [ it's an instinctive reaction to want to say darling, just in attempts to pull her back from where she is, and it's the memory that he will only make it worse that lets him bite his tongue. before he completely departs, though, he offers in an almost uncomfortable mutter,] You might want to lock the door. I don't believe I'm the only one searching for a way out of this place. [ it might save her a bit of misery. ]

[taurohtar]

[It's unforgivable that she allowed someone she does not know well — that she does not even particularly like, to be honest — to see her like this, but there is also something freeing about it. Perhaps this is the most honest she has been with anyone she has met so far in this hotel; pretending to be fine is a terrible task to set upon yourself, and to have at least one person with whom she is honest, even wordlessly so, is a relief.

It has her lips quirking in what might be considered a smile when he backs away, an acknowledgement more than out of any kind of amusement, and she ducks her head to him in the shallowest of bows, allowing him to cut the conversation short and retreat.] Thank you. [It hadn't crossed her mind that someone would simply open her door without invitation, such things being utterly unheard of in the barracks she normally resides in back in the Greenwood, but she will take heed of his warning.

She takes half a step forward when he starts to leave, however, a sudden thought having her lift her hand in some sort of abortive gesture.] Wait. What—what room is yours?

[villainously]

[ in her shoes, he likely would have found it just as deplorable to even for an instant show how he really felt. he was downright monstrous to his men after he'd lost Milah, as if he tore them apart would make him ache a little less. they couldn't pity him or make it real by offering sympathies and condolences if he turned cold and cruel. clearly that worked out for him so well, but he understands that she might want distance.

the thanks is likely falling back into manners again and he nods in return, not feeling a need to respond when it doesn't mean anything. he might be wrong yet he's gotten a few drop ins when he was searching his own room, so it isn't impossible. if it'll ease her a bit, then it's easy advice to give.

her inquiry does surprise him, though. he looks confused, though he shakes it quickly. he really can't imagine what she wants it for, yet there's little good in hiding it or spurning the question. it's a tight space and there's not any way to keep it secret and really, what does it matter? there's naught in his room that he would care about losing. everything that has ever mattered to him is already gone or on his person. ] Two hundred and seven, a few doors down.

[taurohtar]

[She inclines her head in a little nod, her expression lightening slightly. It is not quite a smile, no, but the distressed frown she had been wearing smooths out slightly, and she looks much less likely to burst into tears without warning.]

I am sure our paths will cross again. This hotel is not overly large. [She is not quite so rude as to close the door in the pirate's face, even though she is fairly certain that this conversation is over, but she does nudge the door a little bit.

She is tired now, more tired than she had been before, and the bed behind her is calling out her name. Perhaps she could lie down for a little while, meditate, attempt to replenish her depleted stores of energy in order to avoid any sort of uncomfortable conversations like this in the future.]

[villainously]

[ she isn't wrong there. the place they are trapped is impossibly small. he's been trapped before, really this is nothing new, but at least Neverland felt expansive. he feels strangled in this tiny inn, and so far there are no exits and no answers, only too many people and too much confusion.

he nods slightly at her note they'll see each other again, again, not quite an answer, yet he doubts she needs one. he's completely through the door as she starts to close it and he struggles with how to close the encounter. someone else might have said they were sorry, and not really meant walking into her room without permission, but he's not that sort of person.

sorry doesn't do any good. it doesn't heal any wounds, for a stranger to be sorry. so instead, he offers, ] Rest well. [ she looks like she needs it, and impertinent or not, it's a worthy suggestion. when he was grieving, he didn't sleep, it didn't do him any favors.

he doesn't wait for her door to close, though, departing on his own. not toward his room, just to stumble around for more exploration. he's not quite ready to give up on a way out. when is he? he'll keep looking, and he's not likely to disturb the lady again. ]