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?

[hacker]

Uh, Captain freaking America.

[ Which absolutely needs to be the first thing she mentions. She gestures towards the door like yeah that happened. Lobby is A+, do recommend. Beautiful things happen there. ]

Who, by the way, is just as smoking hot in real life. [ Realizing that's Not The Point, she clears her throat, dropping her chin a little and scratching the side of her head with a little tilt of it, clearing her throat. ] Which … We'll get back to later, when we aren't freaking out. And have found the rest of the team.

[ Most of the rest of it. Seeing Fitz summons up a wealth of unpleasant emotions, as she realizes that there's one team member who they have no reason to go search out. Trip. A pit grows in her stomach, as she realizes she has to be the one to break the news. The ease drains out of her, replaced by shakiness. Immediately, she recoils from the hug, dropping her hands uselessly to her sides and backing off. ]

Obviously.

[technologist]

[ Captain freaking America earns a completely dead stare, like he's 90% sure she's just screwing with him. Then again, it might just be the icing on the rest of the surreal cake; it isn't unreasonable to take a beat to catch up.

Totally didn't hear the smoking hot comment. Or he's not acknowledging it, anyway. In the pause that follows her words he goes one better than catching up, though, considering the past few minutes — the room, the lobby, the people he's already encountered.

Strangers, most of them. ]

You think they're all here?

[hacker]

I—

[ Fuck. Fuck. fuck fuck fuck. ]

… Fitz, I don't know what happened down there.

[ It comes off her tongue sounding like an attempt to skirt responsibility. Maybe that's what it is. Justifying to herself that whatever happened to Trip, whatever the Diviner had done to him wasn't her fault. ]

Raina was activating the Diviner, and Trip showed up, and then it's just … nothing.

[ She shakes her head. ]

It did something to all of us.

[ Something terrifying, something she doesn't understand, and grappling with that is more than a little intimidating right now. Can we go back to talking about Cap's arms? ]

But Coulson was alive. He shot Whitehall. If we're here, he must be too. And if he is, he's gonna need our help. He was in bad shape when I found him.

[technologist]

Whoa— hey. [ Quiet, an instinctive response to the frantic edge to that explanation. When he puts his hand on her shoulder as a gesture of comfort, it's a bit stiff and awkward. He's still shaken enough to be off-balance, himself; the update isn't doing much to improve on it. ]

He's better at this than we are, yeah? He'll be fine. And we'll— [ There's a quick glance towards the door, uncertain. ] We'll find him. And everyone else.

[ When he pauses this time, it's to rally his own conviction. ] We've been through worse.

[hacker]

[ The floor beneath them trembles as his hand touches her shoulder, and the lights flicker. A rattling sound come from the night table—the drawer, shaking on its tracks. While Fitz's gaze darts for the door, Skye glances around, eyes wide. Well, that's spooky. Haunted comes last on the list of things she wants to add to this hotel to make it feel homier. ]

We need to keep looking. [ Drawing herself to action has always been her preferred way of dealing with (read: not dealing with) strong, heart-wringing emotions. Her fear for Trip, for Coulson, her uncertainty about herself and Raina. It'll all get buried down in favor of dealing with the one thing she can do: look for the rest of the team. ] We need to find them.

[ Her nods are earnest and hurried, accompanied by a watery tone of voice and eyes that are mistier still. She's choked up, but doesn't want to admit it. She just wanted to make things right. She just wanted to stop this from going wrong, but it was the wrong call. Going down there, it was wrong. And now—

She breaks away from him, taking a series of deliberate steps backward before turning for the door. ]

[technologist]

[ Fitz's eyes skip up towards the ceiling as the lights settle, and he's quiet as she speaks, quiet as she lets go and heads for the door. There's one more uncertain glance around the room before he follows, pausing just long enough to retrieve the small toolkit from the bed.

It's just a coincidence, the earthquake back in the caves and the tremor that'd just passed through the hotel; or if they're related, it's because of whatever's brought them here. He'd say it was whatever they were hunting in those ruins, but that doesn't explain everyone else. ]

Have you tried the lifts?

[hacker]

Nah. Didn't want to risk it with the way the lights have been going.

[ She gestures around with a finger at the sconces in the hallway as they dip out of Fitz's room. ]

Took the stairs down, though. Creepy kid at the desk doesn't seem to know anything, and there's some movie on, but Fitz … There aren't any front doors down there.

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.

[64th]

[ wow he is paranoid. not that she can really blame him. she returns his careful gaze. just because he acts like he's harmless doesn't mean that he is. ]

I've had better days. [ but now that she's over the initial shock she's doing okay. she's trying to think of it as another arena. at least she's trained for an arena. ] You didn't want this did you? [ she holds up the bowl. she's joking. he seems like he probably wouldn't do too well with the barrage of questions she's aiming at everyone else. ]

[technologist]

No. [ Again. It's a little repetitive, but this time it's more hesitantly unguarded as curiosity starts to get the better of him.

It's also a very literal answer to her not-literal question. Fitz either doesn't catch on to the rhetorical aspect, or he doesn't particularly care. ] You've never been here before?

[64th]

[ she shakes her head. ] No. Why - have you? [ maybe that's why he looks so jumpy. which would be a bad sign. there's a lot of confusion and minor hysteria going around the hotel right now. she'd rather not find out that this place deserves all that panicking, but it would be good to have one person who knows what is going on. ]

[technologist]

No. [ Kind of defensive, that time, like he's vaguely offended by the idea of being here before. ] I just... it doesn't make any sense. That we'd all turn up here at the same time, without anyone familiar.

[64th]

[ it was just a question. and now she's ruled that possibility out. ] Actually, there are some people I know here. From my home.

[ and with one exception, not people that she likes but beggars can't be choosers. ]

[technologist]

[ That gets his attention, expression lighting up slightly at the possibility. ]

Really? [ A beat, the follow-up a little hesitant. ] And where's that? Your home. If it's alright to ask.

[64th]

[ she nods. ] It's called Panem. Have you heard of it? [ she's assuming his answer will be no, though she's still having trouble understanding how that could be possible. ]

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?

[pronged]

[That's just James Potter, he just babbles. And really loves dessert apparently.]

Yeah.

Where the bloody hell are we?

[technologist]

[ That's two things they have in common, go figure. ]

You don't know?

[ Probably a dumb question. It's out of his mouth before he thinks better of it, sounding more surprised and disappointed than accusatory. After a beat: ] I mean— I don't. Either, obviously. I can't even get a clear view out the windows, but it's... [ Rambling isn't going to get them anywhere. Second try, with a bit more focus: ] Where are you from?

[pronged]

[James does like to be the one with all the answers but unfortunately-- this isn't one of those times. He pushes his glasses up his nose as they're starting to slide down before answering.]

England. Specifically London the last I remember anything. You?

[technologist]

[ That probably shouldn't be surprising, given the accent, but it's still reassuring after some of the other nonsense answers he's gotten. ] Scotland, originally. But I was in the United States before I turned up here.

[ And after a thoughtful pause, expression curious as he waits to see how James responds: ] It was 2014.