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

[checkingin]

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.

Comments

[facemyenemies]

Convinced. [she repeated, drawing her hand back and peeking up at him.] Sorry. They’re still so tender. It’s... a bit unnerving.

[she drew back more as he mentioned taking it off.] It’s fussed to my face... [so no. Not coming off.] but it works now, so it doesn’t matter. I can turn it on or off.

[ingrantitude]

[Slow nod.] Useful skill. [Incredibly so as a matter of fact. He breathes hard.] She surprised me.

...That's a hell of an ability. It's got to come in handy. Got to be useful. [He winces] There's nothing worse then finding out you've fallen behind in terms of information.

I'm just glad to see a friendly face. [See through May. See through it.]

[facemyenemies]

[for a moment she grinned, looking him square in the face and blinking twice, there is a little click, but then she frowns. She blinks a few more times, but the scan interface isn’t waking up. It’s not coming on. She was going to mimic his face, just because she could. Drawing back now she looked annoyed, raising a hand to her face, her mask. She touches it, looking worried for a moment.]

I... should be able to change to others faces, but that... [she trails off, shaking her face, frowning back at him.] I have a couple that work though, if you need.

[shes not as useful, is her thought. Did she break it when kidnapped?]

[ingrantitude]

Great. [He was wondering about May. but now the truth comes out.] May's not here and the truth of the matter is if we can pretend to be her...

[First things first.] Where are you, 33. Where are you mentally?

....I know what it is to be left alone and not have anyone to follow. I know how much it hurts and I know how terrifying it can be.

[facemyenemies]

[She nodded to that. She’d been May before, she can do it again. She doesn’t like the idea, but she can.] If that’s what we need. I can do it.

[she frowned, watching him steady for a moment. Where was she. Lost. She knows lost. She knows mending. Shaking her head she frowned sharper] I am... better. I am frustrated right now, that you don’t know. that it’s going backwards, but I am doing... better. I know who I am.

Because of you. [she’s mad. He’ll be back in that stage of infatuation of Skye, and there wasn’t much to do about it.]

We've... met.

[ingrantitude]

[We've met. She says it like it's something important and there's something soft and fluttering in his chest for a moment, just a single moment. He looks lost - a flickering look. We've met. Like he helped someone.

Shifting away from her he moves to sit up on the bed and wonders just how much of it is real. How much of it is her and how much of it is him but the way she says it...like...we've met.

Like it matters.

And he helped her.

(Somewhere John Garrett laughs.)]

We'll work towards that again. [There's a confidence in him that hasn't been there.] Once I'm off the DL. But if you're here that should be soon.

[It's invigorating. No ghost can take this from him, he helped someone. He was a hero to someone.]

Things you ought to no. There's no way out of here. The door's gone but it's constantly raining outside.

...Things happen here.

[facemyenemies]

[It means something to her. He started to call her Kara, not 33. She... she wouldn’t correct him unless he asked. Maybe. She wants to feel that again though. That swell of pride that he didn’t flinch away from her for the hideous monster that she appears to be. That he introduced himself to her and took her name as if it fit.]

[She wanted that again and it frustrated her that it wasn’t how it was now.]

[But she held back on that. Fine. Fine. it’ll be fine. She can be 33 still. She can be May as needed.]

[Instead she focused on what she needed to know. her eyes narrowed at his ridiculous statement]

You mean you haven’t been able to find the doors. If we can get inside, be brought inside, there has to be a way in. A way in is a way out. [they just haven’t found it yet. That was her first goal then.]

What else?

[ingrantitude]

No, that's just it - there are no doors. I'll take suggestions if you can think of them but the few doors have led to the courtyard and the rain is thick.

[He nods]

...I'm in room 315. You can come and see me any time you'd like day or night.

Trapped in a box with people with abilities is never a good thing. Until we can find a way to neutralize it do not engage Skye or any others from Coulson's team.

Despite the provocation. [he looks a little distant but then he smiles]

Hungry?

[facemyenemies]

[you have two heads.]

[At least that was the look she just gave Ward. No doors. Hard to believe. HOW did they get IN here if there wasn't a hole or a way in to get here. But she studied him a moment, then nodded. It wasn't something he'd joke about. Fine.] I'll take your word on it, but I'd still like to look around.

[she made note of his room. A few floors up, she assumed. Alright. If she were honest with herself, she'd rather just stay at his room then alone here. She's not fond of alone but... ]

[Anyways... she frowned as he mentioned Coulson. Don't Engage his team.] How many of them are here? [he at least knows what Coulson did. What he did to Whitehall. Her failure. That she failed to protect the person she was sworn to prot--no. That doesn't matter now.]

[Do not engage.] Do not engage I can do but if you want me to be Agent May that might make it a bit more difficult. Should I hide that? Save it for later?

[ingrantitude]

I'll go with you. I've been playing injured, I might have missed something that you'd see.

[The only person who he's ever had as a leader was Garrett...who was insane. Sitting with her he finds himself clinging to the idea that he helped someone. He helped her find herself. They met.

He wants to meet her again for real.]

Skye and Fitz. If you're here however there's always a chance they could show up. [He settles back on her bed.] Tsun Tzu once said, "If you know the enemy and you know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

The trick is knowing what his team will do without him. Or if he arrives. Until we do then there's no reason for us to make a move against them. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.


[he inhales.]

...What's important is that I catch up to you first.

I don't like there being any kind of difference. [That you see him at a weak point.]

[facemyenemies]

Playing injured, says the man with bullet holes in his body.

[She moved to take a tentative seat on the bed next to him, looking over at his chest and the wounds. She'd need things to take care of this properly. Nurse him back, again. It was a weak point, and she didn't like it, but she didn't like it mostly because he... wont know the same things as she does.]

[she lowered her head a moment later. She wants to show him Kara, but she doesn't. She'd end up crying if he flinched. She basically cried when they Met and she hugged him.]

I don't intend to enter battle before I know where it is I m fighting. I'll stay clear as best as I can. Perhaps pull the Calvary out from before she was dragged onto that awful plane of theirs. I might get the younger kids to give me more information if they think it's a time line discretion. Anything helps.

[she sighed, giving him a soft smile.] If you want information on your future, I don't see an issue telling you what you want to know.

[ingrantitude]

I've never been afraid of knowing things I probably shouldn't. [he smiles and looks up - and it's May.

There's no hesitation. He doesn't look into her eyes or flinch.] We have a lot of options and time to figure out the best one.

I don't want you to get in trouble. If SHIELD is here there might be HYDRA agents here as well.

We're on a third team now. Together.

[there's a pause and his voice is soft before he meets her gaze with something like the man she knew.] What would you like me to call you?

[facemyenemies]

[It's May, she doesn't expect him to flinch away from that. Even if she's not someone he wants to see. She's just leery of her horrific face. As much as she was so proud to let him see before, now... now he's different. She's unsure.]

You heal up well. We can start there. If you have more bandages and things we can check this out and clean you up. We're on the same team, yes. We have been for a bit now. You... helped. Not only with my face but... [she shook her head and frowned] Anyhow, I don't intend on slipping to either side. I don't belong to either of them.

[she took a breath and held it as he asked about what to call her.]

[She didn't know.]

[That was the hard part.]

[She frowned, running a hand over her face, the smooth 'skin' of the mask and not her horrific face. Should she wait, or tell him now, she wasn't sure...as he hadn't met Kara, and she was unsure on showing him.] I don't know...

[ingrantitude]

[he reached for her hand and took it between both of his.] ...You can chose when the time is right. You have to be the one to make that decision. I can't force you.

[he's serious.]

I want you to be comfortable and I want... [To help.] To help you. Even if I'm coming into the story a bit late.

[facemyenemies]

[His hands taking hers was a welcome feeling, but she had to berate herself a bit mentally. To not be such a school girl with a crush on the guy that gave her back her life. Or... at least gave her A life. Helped her realize what she could be and what she could do.]

I don't think... you'll want to see what I am just yet. It's not important anyway. For now... 33 is fine. It's worked for you all this time.

[ingrantitude]

[he nods mutely and gives her hands a squeeze.] If that's what you want.

[Emphasis on you. He runs a hand through his hair before wincing.] ....actually there is something I'd like to do with you. Tonight or tomorrow. Or even today. I have battleship in my room.

[facemyenemies]

[she gave a small nod. It wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him to call her Kara. She wanted to be Kara... not a number. But she was unsure. This didn't set right. SO she just nodded, squeezing his hand back before withdrawing it, leaning back on both hands on her so called bed and looking at him, brow raised.]

You have a battleship? [Are you okay, Ward?]

[ingrantitude]

Battleship the game.

It's a good way to study your opponent's moves without learning all the rules of chess.

[He shrugs] we could play chess too if you'd like, but battleship is one of my favorite's.

[facemyenemies]

[she... smiled at that. A big smile.]

So full of surprises. How about later? I want to... investigate first. I need more information.

[ingrantitude]

Would you mind if I stayed here for a few more minutes and caught my breath?

[facemyenemies]

Of course. Stay as long as you need. It's... [she glanced around, frowning.]

Is this really where we're meant to stay? Like some damned hotel? You can check in but you can never check out?

[ingrantitude]

Bad joke about roach motels.

[He shrugs his shoulders before staring at her pillow and moving to lay down.]

No TV though and it's sometimes haunted.

[facemyenemies]

I used to know the lyrics to Hotel California. [she said with a small shrug in return...]

[Only yo pause, watching him lay down.]

Haunted?

[ingrantitude]

[Ward stares at the ceiling.]

HYDRA never used to try and put together game scenarios on a massive scale. At least to the best of my knowledge.

...Sometimes I have to wonder if that's what this place is. A massive game of battleship. There were ghosts here.

[facemyenemies]

If it's a game, all the more reason to find the door or path out. That's generally the goal of these kind of things, isn't it? Haunted or not.

[She doesn't believe in 'ghosts' as most 'ghosts' are real somewhere or another]