checkingout | master of the house, quick to catch your eye (OPEN)

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master of the house, quick to catch your eye (OPEN)

Who: Everyone!
Where: The initial arrival rooms, the main lobby, all over the place.
When: April 5rd
What: Welcome, newbies + happy Easter eggs.

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 an empty, ashy fireplace, to your right is a lobby desk. straight ahead are three large sets of doors, all three of them thrown wide open and welcoming. and outside the few (curtained, permanently dark) windows is the continually steady hiss of rain. once you leave the hallway you wake up in, you won't be able to return.

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. there is, however, a pad of paper and a pen neatly aligned with the desk edge. you know. for notes.

terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

SCREENING ROOM.

on a long pull-down screen, a silent version of the cabinet of dr. caligari 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 music.

along the curtained windows is another long table, with a large bowl of caramel corn and a large hot drink dispenser full of hot water, with a few cups and some old looking packages of hot chocolate mix.

BALLROOM.

the third set of grand doors have been thrown wide to reveal a brightly lit, festively decorated ball room. all across the polished wood floor, all over the tables and chairs around the edge of the room, under the curtains, in the corners, hiding in the shadows, and behind the doors, characters will find:

easter eggs.

plastic easter eggs filled with jellybeans and chocolates, real eggs dip dyed and rolled in glitter; foil wrapped chocolate eggs, sugar eggs with little diaramas in the middle. there will be novelty plastic easter bunny rings sprinkles about, and general little plastic childrens toys. there will be plastic and paper easter basket grass sprinkled all over, and upbeat ambiance music intended to excite.

by the front door will be basket for people to use in their quest to collect the hundreds of eggs scattered all over the room. a sign on the floor invites them to "take one" in curvy handwritted script.

but there's no sign to warn that — some of these eggs?

are going to explode in your face.

( event details. )

OTHER.

the ballroom is currently open, and the grand doors locked.

there is no main door leading to the outside, good luck trying to find one.

the doors to the courtyard and breakfast hall are unlocked, food is currently being served. a lot of it is candy.

ROOMS.

you've a room key with your assigned room number on it. all the new guest residences will be located on floors four. 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'll 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.

EGGSISTING GUESTS.

happy easter, kids.

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[ There's a sarcastic remark ready and waiting to roll off his tongue, but it freezes and dies there before it gets the chance to make it. ]

He did what? By the Angel, a guy disappears for a month and he misses all the drama.

[ Surprise and the usual covering up of everything else doesn't work quite as well as he likes it to in front of Alec, more often than not, even if they don't always talk about it, but right now it's as if he's not even trying, face contorted into a deeply etched frown, the thoughts reeling through his mind almost evident in his eyes. Simon did that, really?, Did he survive it?, Is Clary all right, assuming she was there?, Simon, of all people, was somehow capable of saving Magnus?, Magnus needed saving?, Is Clary okay?, What the hell happened in the first place?, and But Clary's got to be all right, right?

No. He doesn't ask; if Alec shares, fair enough, but right now he needs a moment to process, and, well, there's still the whole thing where he's supposed to be easing him into this whole thing. ]

I think I'm going to have to admit to something that will pain us both, but you might be right. I would have come to the conclusion myself, obviously, but having more facts generally does help with these things.

[ So, aside from losing Clary and gaining Alec, which was enough to be getting on with, he's now starting to see a small light at the end of their very dark tunnel. And that does put a genuine smile on his face, even though he knows it won't last. ]

[If Clary had been kidnapped and returned without anyone realizing she was gone then that must have been what happened to Jace. He might not even know what had happened in Edom. That meant that there was hope that they would eventually go home and return to their lives.]

Simon traded his immortality to save Magnus. We were trapped in Edom and Magnus' father could send us home but he wanted something in return.

[Looking away, Alec begins fidgeting with the sleeve of his sweater, picking at one of the holes.]

Magnus' immortality to save us. He was going to say yes because of me but Simon spoke up and made the deal instead. Simon's a Mundane again until he Ascends.

[Glancing up, he gives Jace a small smile at the comment about being right.]

I'll mark the day on my calendar so neither one of us will every forget you admitted that I'm right.

You know that if there is some disturbance from us being gone, someone will pick it up. Clary or Magnus. They won't stand by and do nothing.

[ Jace is so, so close to letting slip a comment about meeting the parents, but he sees the expression on Alec's face, even if he does try to hide it by looking away, and the nervous gestures. He wasn't sure, at first, if what he felt for Magnus was real or not, he's not even sure if Alec himself was, but he saw how Magnus always looked at him - if anyone was going to get hurt there, he never suspected it to be Alec, and so left them to it. ]

Huh. I guess there's more to Simon than I ever gave him credit for. [ Which is his way of saying that he's grateful, that Simon put himself on the line to save the one person who could have broken Alec; he might not say as much, but he does care for his parabatai, a great deal, and he doesn't want to see him hurt. He doesn't want to see any of them hurt. ] And if Izzy didn't take it well, then I guess...

[ He doesn't need to complete the sentence, but he doesn't ask. If he can be there when it happens, to even prevent any of it from happening, then he would rather live it first-hand than experience it trapped in here, right now. ]

You do that. But don't let it go to your head, because I assure you I won't be making a habit out of it.

[ He nods at the words, to show he's listening, but he doesn't response; if they do realise they're gone, they'll help, but right now he's just glad no one else is trapped here. And if Clary could find her way out of here, he's going to do whatever it takes to try and get Alec out, too. ]

There is. I knew he was brave, but I didn't think he'd offer something like that unless it was for Izzy or Clary. Not for Magnus.

[Alec had always been wary of Simon, either because of his aversion for vampires or because he wasn't sure if he was good enough for Izzy. Then he'd done something so selfless for all of them. Because of him, Alec had a second chance. He probably wouldn't even be alive right now if Simon hadn't made the deal since he wasn't sure if he could have left Magnus behind.]

Simon lost his memory as part of the deal. He didn't remember any of us. Izzy... you know how she gets. She's going to drive him crazy with mixed signals before he even finishes training.

Of course you won't.

[There's a hint of snark in his voice, not as much as usual, but he quits trying to destroy his sweater.]

You don't remember any of it? What happened in Edom or everything afterward?

[ There's so much new information that he doesn't really know what to respond with, so instead he has a moment, takes a deep breath, and tries to process everything.

He shakes his head before he realises he's doing it, in answer of the last question, and sighs with frustration. ] No. I remember...Sebastian, and everyone saying that a darkness was coming, but nothing after that.

[Taking a few moments to process that, Alec considers how much he should tell then realizes that if Jace had been taken before everything happened, he must not have remembered it when he returns. Slowly he starts explaining what had happened since the angel wings had been found. The attacks on the Institutes, the kidnappings, their trip to hell and the sacrifices made.

He makes it sound like it wasn't anything serious, glossing over the worst moments of it.]

I still don't know if I should call him Jonathan or Sebastian.

[Saving the world was supposed to make things easier but it feels like everything had gotten more complicated since they'd gotten back.]

At least most of it's worked out. You and Clary are happy. Izzy will be eventually... Mom seems to be okay.

[ He casually leans against the check-in desk as if he owns it, arms stretched out along the width of it before him, and looks anywhere but at Alec, though he's listening, intently, and trying, as usual, to mask the rollercoaster of emotions that course through him as he hears what the future has in store.

He remains quiet for a time, working through everything, and he's pleased to hear that Maryse is doing all right, because she may not be his birth mother, but she's the only one he's got and he's watched what the last few months have done to her. But at the mention of Clary and happiness, he frowns, because out of everything, that part seems the hardest to swallow. ]

And you and Magnus? [ Because he's important to him, too, the brother he's always looked up to and respected, even if he rarely shows it; it's never been big-brother, little-brother with them - they've always been equals. ] Are you happy?

[No matter how casual Jace might seem, Alec knows that he's paying attention. He expects that aloof mask, would be worried if Jace actually seemed concerned. It has to be almost too much to take in but at least Jace will know, for now at least, that they won. Even if in some ways the victory feels hollow.

There's going to be more trouble later but there's only so much any of them can do. Which is why he glosses over any conversations he'd had with Robert, unsure if he wants Jace to ask about it or not. Instead he talks about the Jocelyn's wedding and how happy Jace and Clary had been.

At the mention of Magnus, his expression brightens as he grins, looking completely in love. The same sort of look that until recently, he hadn't noticed that Magnus had when he talked about him.]

Yes. We forgave each other and we're working it out. It's good. I moved in with him. That's where I was when... [He gestures vaguely around them.] This happened.

[ Jace grins, big and genuine, without any masks this time, which feels odd even for him, but he puts it down to being here so long and fretting about everything and everyone he left behind. ]

I-- Wait, are you telling me that you've left me at the Institute with Izzy? [ He knows that there's Maryse, but she's often away dealing with other things, and without Max, the young boy who worshipped him and haunts the hallways, he'll be as good as switching between alone and driven insane. ] How selfish of you.

[ But he's still grinning, relieved that things turned out okay in the end, for almost everyone, at least, and while he's here there's not much else he can do but hope to get back and live it for himself sooner rather than later. ]

I'm there just about every day, Jace. We're basically running the Institute when mom's not there. I just go home to Brooklyn every night.

[And it is home. More than the Institute had ever really been. He loved his siblings but he'd spent so much time feeling like had had to hide so much of himself that he couldn't really think of it as home even before he'd moved in with Magnus.]

I just don't show up as much when our parents are there and that doesn't happen very often. Anyway, you're going to be training the newbies soon you're not going to get bored now that you can't drag me out on late night hunts for nearly extinct things.

[ He finds that, as much as he will miss him, he's also happy for him. For years, Jace has watched Alec believe himself to be in love with him, though he never brought it up, he thought it was obvious even though no one else seemed to, and now he's finally stepping out and being the man Jace always saw underneath everything that held him back. ]

I'm wounded, Alec, wounded, that you would leave me. But it's your loss, I'll just have to find someone else to drag out in the middle of the night and make sure that the demons are a little more dead.

I'll remind you of how heartbreaking it is to be left behind when you run off with Clary to do who knows what.

[He has an idea of what that is and he really doesn't want the details. It was bad enough to keep walking in on Izzy and Simon.]

We're still going out on hunts. You just have to deal with Magnus if you keep me out too late.

[Which is always fun now that Magnus isn't jealous of Jace anymore. Or better at covering it up. Watching the two of them snark at each other is worth the lack of sleep.]

It's not going to be quiet for awhile. There's still things we have to deal with. If they weren't letting me run the Institute, I'd probably be sent LA.

[Pausing, he considers it all for a moment, knowing that Jace would be fine on his own but years of watching over his family making it difficult to completely accept.]

You're going to be okay with me moving out?

I have no idea what you may be referring to.

[ But he's starting to wonder. There's been plenty of sneaking off, but that's because he couldn't be seen with her, not when everyone, including them, believed they were siblings. And up to the point in time he knows about, everything's been purely innocent. So when Alec says happy, he has to think that maybe he means really happy. ]

What's the worst he can do? [ Pause. ] Actually, no, I take that back. I'll make sure we get home before midnight, like a good little prince.

[ Oh, how he does love to snark with Magnus. If he were here, at least things would liven up a little. But, no, he doesn't miss him, of course not. ]

When you say letting you run the Institute, do you mean that they're actually letting you run the Institute?

[ What about a replacement, for Hodge? Or someone, anyone, being brought in to help train Clary, if things really are as good as all that.

He's brought up short by the direct question, shrugging, as he suddenly finds the desktop fascinating. ] I may not be eighteen yet, but I can take care of myself. You go and enjoy doing whatever it is you and Magnus do when no one's looking.

Sure you don't.

[It doesn't occur to Alec that Jace really might not know what he was implying.]

I'm sure everything is as perfectly innocent as it was when I was sneaking out to date Magnus.

[Alec grins when Jace realizes what Magnus might do if he's pushed too far.] Good. The Chairman needs a friend but I don't want it to be my parabatai

Yeah... I'm really running it. [It's still a shock, something he'd never thought he'd be allowed. He'd always expected that either his age or his preferences would keep him from being a choice.] There never was enough of us in New York and now there's just not enough of us anywhere.

I know you can take care of yourself. If you couldn't I wouldn't have left even everything that happened with Magnus. I could deal with the family stuff if you two need me there.

[ He flashes him an innocent grin, as if butter wouldn't melt, and neither confirms nor denies anything that his future self might be having the pleasure of. Thinking about it probably counts, right?

But then he's practically choking on air. ] I could have done without the implication that the two of you do anything other than sit and watch TV programs together, thank you very much.

[ He refuses to believe that Alec, of all people, would be doing things with anyone who could be allowed to defile him. Nope. Never. And he will never befriend that bizarre cat, either, so he gives Alec a look. ]

I'm not sure that I want to ask about the losses we've suffered, but I do believe that they made a good decision offering it to you. [ He pauses, and then makes a face. ] But don't be expecting me to run around after you.

[ He sighs, weary, but he knows Alec, and he knows he means, so he finds a real smile, one that's only for him, and pushes away from the desk to throw his arm around him playfully. ]

You're being an idiot. Of course I'll be all right without you there every second of the day. As long as Izzy doesn't try to cooking for me every night, I'll get used to it.

[Nope... Alec is not mentally laughing at Jace's reaction. Not at all. That would be a terrible thing to do. Just like not letting things drop when Alec had been trying to pretend he wasn't sneaking out of the Institute at odd hours.]

You're the one who kept asking me about the bite marks on my neck.

[Badgering is a better description than 'asking' but that's a technicality.]

It was bad. [He doesn't think saying more about that would be wise since they both should probably keep being Nephilim a secret until they know more about the hotel.] Heading the Institute is temporary. Kind of. When mom's there, she's in charge. When she's away, it's me. I figure once you and Izzy are eighteen it'll probably go to one of you.

[Probably Jace and Clary but he doesn't mind. It wasn't something he'd ever seriously thought he'd have so giving it up would be easy.]

I'm supposed to be an idiot. I know the two of you will be okay with that part. Just... Izzy was taking the divorce hard. I worried that leaving would make it all worse.

Well, yeah, but not because I actually wanted an answer! I did it because it's hilarious watching you turn beet red.

[ He makes another face, as if he's mentally trying to scrub his mind clear of any unwanted images and not entirely succeeding. ]

No one would be stupid enough to leave it to me. [ Not that he couldn't take care of it, but, really, no one would. Right? Besides, he's not actually a Lightwood.

Considering everything he's missed, Jace doesn't look overly surprised at the mention of a divorce. But he does wince outwardly. ]

So it's finally happening, then. [ He's never really had any parents to understand the dynamic, and it's not as if Robert's ever home, anyway, but this is Isabelle. ] I'll make sure Iz's okay. If she's too busy worrying about the things I'm getting up to, she won't have much time to wallow, now, will she?

And it's hilarious to watch you freak out over my boyfriend.

[Alec is more relaxed mentioning Magnus that way than he has been since they started dating. There's no sign of the hidden doubts that had been holding him back for months.]

Actually, they might. According to Magnus, there's a tradition of your family running Institutes.

[It still seems weird that Jace is a Herondale now. If he didn't know what Jace would lose if he didn't choose that name, he might be a little hurt over the situation but it's just a word. It doesn't change anything between them.]

It is. They're being civil. Robert keeps acting like we're taking it the wrong way but... How else are we supposed to take it?

[Even knowing that Jace would take care of Izzy, it's a relief to hear it. Especially when he's still trying to untangle how he feels about the divorce and what Robert had told him. And what it might mean.]

Just don't get her into too much trouble. I know she'll be okay and she understands why I had to leave but for awhile she was taking everything hard.

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master of the house, quick to catch your eye (OPEN)

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