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

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

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.

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( arrival )

[ The rescue failed.

It's the first thing Annie thinks, when she finds herself landing unceremoniously on the floor of a dark room. The rescue attempt by the rebels must have failed, and she's been seized and thrown back into her cell to wait for Snow's next move. Fighting to regain her breath, she wonders with detached curiosity how she's going to die -- because surely he'll have her killed. Thirteen tried to free her, for Finnick, and now the president will undoubtedly want to show them what a foolish mistake they made.

When she pushes herself up to sit, though, there's something under her hands that isn't the cold concrete of her cell. Carpet? And that pinprick of light... there were no holes in the door they locked her behind, no way for any light to get through the darkness. Annie creeps forward, intending only to put her eye to the hole and get a look at what lies beyond the door, but when her hand encounters the handle, it turns.

It turns, and she's free. She almost tumbles out the door, barefoot and bruised in the bed sheet that's all she has to wear (given to her by a well-meaning rescuer, she recalls, when he'd seen the state of the clothes she was in). The light is nearly blinding and she falls back against the closest wall, squinting at the rows upon rows of... ]

Suitcases? What is this?

( lobby )

[ What it is, she's decided, is an arena.

Something like that, anyway. Some new Capitol trick, punishment (for daring to escape) and entertainment (for those watching, as she's sure they undoubtedly are) all in one neat package.

After opening her own suitcase and putting on the plain clothes inside it --undershirt, boots, grey jumpsuit-- Annie makes her way down the stairs. There's a length of rope in her hands, another thing found in her suitcase, and her fingers fly through tying and untying an increasingly complicated series of knots. It isn't the best weapon, but even having something puts her mind slightly more at ease.

She keeps to the edges of the room when she reaches the lobby, finding an unoccupied corner where she can study the room and its occupants with wary, fearful glances. If this is an arena, she'll need to know the biggest threats. And she'll need allies. ]

((He notices the girl idly in between looking out different windows, trying to discern something out there aside from the fog. He continues to be unsuccessful, though, and in the midst of pouting about his failure, he notices that the girl is still in the same place she was before, a look of... well, he doesn't have the words for how she looks, but it definitely isn't happy. It's more on the other end of the spectrum, really.

So he does what he's been trained to do - approaches her and extends a hand.)) You alright there, princess?

[ Is she all right? The question startles a laugh out of Annie, though it's not by any means a happy sound. She drags her gaze up from the rope in her hands to look at the boy speaking to her, bewildered and not even trying to hide her suspicion. Why is he being so kind? What's his motive?

(It's an arena, of course it is. Everybody has ulterior motives in the arena.) ]

Fine. I'm fine. [ But it's a little late to be feigning strength, if someone's already seen her without the mask of a Career-trained victor. She shrugs one shoulder, looking past him to the assorted others milling around the lobby. ]

As fine as anybody else in here is, anyway.

((He falters a little when she doesn't take his hand, letting his arm drop by his side again and leaning against the wall next to her.)) So... not fine. ((Because let's be honest - everyone there right now is confused at best and distressed with a heavy dose of angry at worst. He sighs, gesturing to the other people in the lobby.)) Are there people that you know here?

((That would make things better, right? He hasn't seen anyone from Ouran, but he's sure they're around... somewhere... maybe they just haven't been brought yet. Yes, that's it.))

Hm. I guess not. [ Safer to agree for now, until she knows more about him and about their surroundings. Never mind that for as terrifying as this is, it is better than where she came from. There are no Peacekeepers here, no "questioning" about her knowledge of Finnick and the rebellion, no... no anything, really.

She tenses minutely when he leans against the wall next to her, though the gaze she sweeps across the other people is apparently calm. After a moment's search, she shakes her head. ] No. Nobody I know. [ And she hopes it stays that way, that they all stay safe and far away from this. ] Have you had any luck finding your people?

((He lets out a sigh, shoulders slumping a little as he looks down at his feet.)) No. I'm sure they're... around. Somewhere. Just... not here, I guess.

It doesn't matter. I'll find them some time. They'll get here. ((They just have to. He shakes his head, then turns back to her.)) I'm Kaoru. It's a pleasure to meet you. What's your name?

[ The idea of wanting anyone else to get here is kind of baffling to Annie. She gets it, she does, because in an environment like this a familiar face would undoubtedly be a comfort. Who wouldn't want a trusted ally in a locked-up hotel full of strangers? But the more people that remain free outside of here, surely that means the more people who can help them escape. ]

Maybe there's a way to keep track of who's here, and whoever might still arrive? A... census, or a roster, or something?

[ She offers the tiniest hint of a smile when he introduces himself, pausing in her determined knot-tying. ] Annie. Nice to meet you, too.

[ As nice as it can be to meet anyone in here, at least. ]

((Though he knows objectively that it's better for them to be outside and Not Here, he can't help but want their comfort. He cares a lot about his friends. Like, a lot. It's hard to even think about being stranded somewhere without them, let alone having to actually face that reality.

Better instead to give some thought to the idea she's suggested.)) That's... a good idea, actually. I had a sketchbook in my suitcase - I could keep a list of everyone who's here in there.

Where are you from, then? ((She still seems a little tense - especially with the way she's tying and untying those knots. So he's trying to be as soothing as possible, not leaning closer to her or invading her personal space.))

[ It is a good idea, if for no other reason than it gives both Annie and her new acquaintance something to distract their minds. She nods eagerly at his suggestion, pleased at the development of her notion. ] Maybe take down everybody's names, where they're from, and... and anybody they're looking for?

[ His studious attempts to remain at a distance she's comfortable with don't go unnoticed, and it makes Annie a little more amenable to the question about where she's from. ] District Four, in Panem.

[ She would have left it at her district, but she's realized that some of these people have no idea where Panem is. It's confusing and kind of alarming -- when she thought this was an arena, it was so much simpler. But how can it be an arena if half the tributes don't know about the country they're ~~not~~ in? ]

Yeah, that would be nice. That way, if anyone came, we could get them in touch with whoever they'd like to see pretty quickly. We could announce it over the tablet networks or whatever, too.

Panem? ((He asks, then shakes his head. It's probably one of those small inconsequential countries that he's never heard of.)) I've never heard of it. I'm from Tokyo.

[ Peter is a bit disoriented himself, what with all the suitcases in the hallways, and so many people wandering around looking just as lost as he feels. But what he doesn't expect is a girl to come tumbling out of the room. Peter doesn't have quick reaction time, unfortunately, and nearly falls right into her. ]

Uh. Sorry. I don't know, I don't... think anyone does.

[ And then he looks up at the girl, in her sheet, and sorry, he looks away immediately, red faced. Seriously, if this was some bloody trick by James or Sirius, he'd end them. ]

[ Luckily for the both of them, Annie's long-ago training has her reflexes kicking in and propelling her backwards before she's consciously aware of moving. She ends up landing on her suitcase with a heavy thump, staring wide-eyed at the boy who spoke. ]

Nobody knows? Somebody has to know. How did we get here?

[ Sorry, new person, you've been officially nominated to answer Annie's questions. The way he pinks up when he looks at her confuses Annie momentarily. Decency is the last thing on her mind -- the sheet's still wrapped around her, it'll do, there are so much more important things to be concerned with. ]

Whoa, are you okay?

[ Because he's not sure how she moved so quickly, but one moment she's there and the next she's unceremoniously propped herself on a suitcase. Out of habit, he offers her a hand up. ]

I haven't met anyone yet who... who knows, though. I just -- I fell down and... I was here.

[ Which is only partially true. He was only midway through being blasted to the floor by a death eater, but it's all the same. ]

I'm fine, yeah. It's nothing.

[ What's a little fall compared to everything she endured in the Capitol, right? Annie reaches up for the offered hand and hauls herself to her feet in one smooth motion, but she can't quite stifle the pained hiss when she's on her feet. She can, however, refuse to acknowledge it and that's just what she does, curling her arms in front of herself and listening to his explanation with a guardedly curious expression.

...Well, she's less curious about his explanation than she is about how he sounds. ] Where were you, before you were here? What district are you from?

[ He's surprised by the hiss she makes, but it's too clear she is not about to have any sort of concern coming from him. He does wonder sometimes why women are so terribly stubborn. As long as he didn't get chased down the hall, hit, or screamed at, they'd get on just fine.

But wait -- district? Well. I mean, I used to live in Chesham, but... I mean, I was in London mostly? Why?

[ Sorry, he's going to look at you like you have six heads, Annie. ]

[ It's good, that he doesn't show concern or anything of the sort. It means she's fooled him, or so she thinks. He doesn't seem like much of a threat, but she can't be too sure of that yet. Better to put on a brave face now, despite everything, and establish herself as someone to be taken seriously. No more "poor mad girl," not here.

For as oddly as he looks at her when she asks about his district, Annie looks just as baffled by his answer. ]

I've never heard of either of those places. [ Granted, geography was never her strongest subject and maps of the country were few and far between, but still. ] We are in Panem, right?

... I haven't heard of Panem.

[ But that's not to say it doesn't exist. Maybe it's some strange Muggle world place, or in a different country. Africa, somewhere on the continent? Europe would have a destination with a weird name like that. ]

Where is Panem? I mean, what country is it in? I've never really been outside of the UK, so... so maybe that's why I don't know it.

[ Although Peter seems at ease, this whole place has his heart rate rising, a bubble of anxiety building in his chest. ]

[ ...What? He's never heard of Panem? That's baffling, and more frightening than she even wants to admit to herself. ]

Panem is a country. It's... it was founded after the Dark Days, I don't know what the land used to be called. What's the UK? Where is it?

[ Maybe she hit her head when she fell in that room, because this all seems like a hallucination. People who haven't heard of Panem, and claim to be from other place? A hotel with no exits and no staff? There's no way any of this can be real. ]

I've... never heard of it, then. And I'm not that terrible at geography. I mean, I paid attention in muggle studies.

[ The Dark Days? Is she talking about the war? The fact that she might know anything about him or what he could be doing is a terrifying prospect, and already he feels a bit of nerves seep in. ]

It's... a country, er -- a bunch of countries. Near Europe?

[ Maybe they're all just having a really, really bad dream. ]

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?

I mean... my country kind of looks -- I mean, it's foggy, it's always cold, and we have houses like this but... but I don't know. We could be anywhere.

[ Because he's not sure how he got here, and if she's from some strange place, maybe this wasn't some trick of the death eaters. ]

I just... woke up here, that's all I know.

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

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