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

[mygame]

[It had told Lydia before that it was insatiable, and that hasn't changed even in an environment glut with food such as this place. Distress and chaos is in the air itself, leaving the Nogitsune as happy as, well, a fox in a chicken coop.]

Sleep, ma'am? Not much of that to be found here at the Hotel California. While I thank you for your concern, we staff are here for your convenience, not ours. My name is Stiles. Is everything so far to your liking?

[That polite bland look remains, nothing more than a professional making sure the guests are comfortable. Then again, this is a creature that can cry on command.]

[amplified]

( the more he talks, the more she's convinced that he is exactly who she fears. his mannerisms, while masked, are all too easy to identify. the pit of nerves in her stomach from the familiarity is not without foundation after all. she hears stiles' names from these lips and her jaw sets for a moment. 'is everything so far to your liking'? she leans in close, firing daggers with her eyes. )

You are not Stiles. ( the nogitsune is not as unrecognizable as he likes to think. lydia would not soon forget the reason her best friend is a corpse. her tone is a harsh whisper. ) What are you doing here? ( she almost asks how he got free from them, but she thinks better of it. she'll play into his hands for the time being. carefully, though. carefully. if he's managed to break free and take stiles again, he's twice as dangerous as before )

[mygame]

I can assure you, ma'am, my name is Stiles. It has been all my life.

[It is a mild puzzlement that the Nogitsune displays now, staring back at her in the same way people do a muttering crazy person on the street. There is a small drawing back of itself from her, putting a few more inches of distance between them.]

I'm afraid I don't understand. I've always been here. Our concierge, Mr Argent, was called away this evening, but he will return in the morning. It's the storm, you see. [It gestures to the rainy windows] There are lines down and most of the other staff was unable to make it. Perhaps after a good night's sleep, you can speak to him. He's sure to be able to answer any questions you may have that I cannot.

[Its head tilts to the side, still not seeming sure what to think of her and her manner. Inside, the creature is more amused than anything.]

Will that be satisfactory?

[amplified]

Stiles would never call me ma'am. ( lydia folds her arms over her chest and takes another step back. she knows he's manipulative. she's lived it before. she won't let him worm his way into her mind again, into any of their minds. still, she studies him as he speaks. he seems to really believe that he's stiles, that the concierge is mr. argent. he's really working this one. he's going for broke, without question. )

Do you think I'm stupid? Or that I've forgotten you? ( she speaks in a harsh whisper now, leaned in close, because stirring up mass chaos would just get him all hot and bothered. ) Nogitsune. You're void. Did you hit your head when you woke up? ( she'll just. provoke it. that's the smart thing to do, right? he's the reason allison is dead. as far as she's concerned, goading him is a way to start toward revenge. ) How. Are. You. Here?

[mygame]

[It lets her speak, not even attempting to interrupt. A sort of confused puzzlement comes and goes. Only when she leans forward does it lean back a little from her. There's a good chance she isn't the first guest that has tried to come across the front desk after it.]

Again, I am sorry, but we haven't met before, ma'am. You've only recently arrived, and I've always been here.

[It considers for a moment before breaking into a smile without emotion behind it.]

Perhaps you have mistaken me for one of your fellow guests. He seemed as surprised as I was about how alike we looked. It isn't often guests drawn weapons on me. It was quite the thing for me. I did suggest to management that we ask guests to leave those before they check in next time.

[The creature shakes its head, visibly unsettled by that memory before regaining the professional manner it had before.]

We have never met before. I'm sorry.

[For a few brief seconds, the creature does look truly grieved although whether by that or something else? Who knows.]

[amplified]

( lydia cannot believe that this thing is trying so hard to play stupid. she knows it's a trickster, and the worst possible kind. she's getting angrier by the second, nostrils flaring as she draws a sharp breath to steady herself. she also knows that it feeds off of fear and discomfort and chaos. she doesn't want to feed it. it doesn't need a full belly. it gets worse on a full belly. she sets her jaw and speaks very clearly, though through her teeth. )

Let me make this incredibly clear for you. You may have everyone else convinced that you're Stiles, that you're just the help, but you won't convince me. You won't convince anyone from Beacon Hills. Stiles would never forget knowing me - never - and I would never forget you. And once I'm through, neither will anyone else. Mark my words.

( and, because she is sick of his bullshit and frustrated, she turns on her heel, and leaves him in the dust. )

[mygame]

[The basic problem is that the fox is still enjoying its game. When it grows bored of it or someone alerted the masses, then it would stop.]

[It couldn't stop the hint of a cruel smile that rose at her words. Words sit on its tongue to say, but it does not. Nothing would be gained right now. But it is good to see her. Derek and Lydia, the one two that are there so far as it knows. Later, it will learn of Scott.]

Be seeing you, Lydia, [it says to the empty room.] I can hardly wait.