Event Log #002

[caelumstaff]

EVENT LOG number 002 The hotel humbly hopes that you're settling in well and are taking advantage of the various pleasures on offer for your stay. In Mr Bennet's opinion, things have been going quite well and he doesn't think that the guests are unhappy at all. New guests have arrived, some have left, it's all going along perfectly. So, of course, this is when the next troublesome thing pops up. SHADOWS One morning, characters will find the hotel to be a little dimmer than usual, a little more shadowy. Yet if anyone asks Mr Bennet about it, he will claim to not have noticed anything different than usual. Either way, as the characters move on with their day, they'll start to notice a few odd things start to happen. PHASE ONE: Initially, characters will notice their shadow beginning to move a little out of sync with them. Discreetly at first until eventually, their shadow takes on a life of its own, mischievously playing with characters and enjoying their newfound freedom. Very Peter Pan, and completely harmless. PHASE TWO: Now, shadows might disappear entirely, roaming the hotel to their own discretion and ignoring the characters they belong to. As the shadow takes on this free will, characters will begin to feel slightly off balance and have a hard time feeling whole without their shadow around. The shadow may become slightly aggressive as well if told they should return to their characters, fighting back in their own way from knocking things over to outright attacking other characters. It's a little hard to fight back though when your opponent is a shadow, isn't it? PHASE THREE: The shadows have become fully aggressive now, fighting anyone who tries to get them to return to their original person. Characters will find themselves feeling weak and low energy as a result of losing their shadow. Eventually, the shadows will come back to their owners but the characters will find themselves sinking into their shadow, eventually changing places entirely with their shadow. The only way to rescue a character from this fate is for another character to pull them out of their shadow forcibly. The bright side is once a character is pulled out of their shadow, it all returns to normal and their shadow is no longer sentient. These phases will last over the course of the week and it is quite alright to stay in phase one/two/three. Not all shadows will become aggressive, not all shadows will be playful. Feel free to manipulate your character's shadow in the way that's most fun for you. NAV | PREMISE | RULES | FAQ | TAKEN hotelcaelum | caelumserver | caelumooc

Comments

[likesitruff]

I would not have suspected so many fire hazards to exist... or at least not in a place like this.

[ But let's go check out the other door, surely it won't lead to... a lake.

... That looks like a lake. ]

...

[riproduzione]

I'm surprised there aren't more, frankly.

[ Glancing past the door, he can't hide the surprise clear on his face. A room of trees is one thing, but an entire lake? It's like an extreme version of stepping into the turtle. ]

This… should work fine as long as we don't get too close to the water.

[ohthehumanities]

[WOW, THIS ATTACK!!! But he will take it without further protest, actually; if there's one thing he is consistently confident about, it's his creations, whether that be his work, his art, or anything else produced with his own hands.]

I can show it to you another day, if you'd like. It's just in my room right now.

[ohthehumanities]

[We got two egg-covered poets out here.]

Ugh--

[Gracelessly, he clambers back to his feet, whirling around. SHADOW WHERE!!!]

[riproduzione]

[ He thinks of the Stands he's encountered, and how they're all capable of violence that often times feels like it's at odds with their users. ]

They… can be. [ He almost adds mine isn't, but holds his tongue. ] Much like you described, they're largely varied based on their individual users, but I think most have the capability for violence if pushed.

[ ... ]

People are like that too, I suppose.

[unliminal]

[ Two things can be true!!! He is an asshole, but he also is surrounded by a lot of assholes...except Nanami, the one upstanding individual in jujutsu society. ]

Ohhhhhh, I see. So, you are insinuating that I'm a bad friend.

[ Yeah, he got the message loud and clear! ]

[ohthehumanities]

[STOP DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT HE'S GOING TO FEEL BAD AGAINST HIS WILL]

Maybe I'm suggesting you have poor taste in companions!

[unfastens]

[ Dragons are extremely far from even being a consideration, so Sumina can rest easy. Theoretically. Does her explanation make sense? No, not really - but it's far from the most nonsensical thing he's heard, so he nods regardless. Perhaps their shadows are an inverse of them, or at least a representation of it, and perhaps an inverted Sumina of some kind already exists...

The details ultimately don't matter. She says it's nothing to worry about, and he believes her. Bucciarati gives her a wry half-smile. ]

Discretion is part of my job. I know everyone has a secret - even an innocent hotel manager like you. And even me.

[ he stands up a little straighter, taking a step back. His hand's still at her elbow; he'll support her until she says otherwise, it seems. ]

I'll take your word for it. Do you think you can walk?

[unfastens]

[ he shakes his head. As always, Stands are his only point of reference; Polpo's Stand had used shadows, or so he'd heard, but Bucciarati's experience with it had been fairly short, and, seeing as he didn't have a Stand himself at the time, he couldn't even see how it worked before it shot him and knocked him out. Not that it matters: he's beyond thinking all of the supernatural goings-on in the hotel are Stand-related, now. Unfortunately, accepting that everything here is some other brand of magic doesn't help much, either. ]

It's more mischief from the hotel. That's all I can say.

[ and that's not news to anybody, so it's hardly a theory. ]

You're right that it must have a reason, but I don't know what it could be.

[unliminal]

[ He can explain anime in due time —

Fortunately, they manage to pull her free of the shadow's influence before it sulks against the wall. As he makes sure Barghest is steady on her feet once more: ]

You okay? All good?

[unfastens]

Good.

[ down she goes, then - he sets her down as gingerly as he's able, then politely puts a little distance between them, taking a few steps back. The brief shift of focus downwards reminds him that his shadow is gone, and he feels a peculiar sense of vertigo for a moment or two before forcing himself to pay attention to the woman in front of him instead. ]

Sorry. I've been keeping an eye on my shadow, but it's faster than a human. [ he's undoing the front of his jacket as he speaks. ] ... Hopefully, it hasn't gone too far.

[cardsharked]

[Fucking shit, if that isn't an insane thing to say. Odette laughs - sharp, a bark, even if it hurts her head to do so. Nutjob. But, hey, she's kind of one, too, so she it isn't like she minds it.]

This really ain't a big deal. [Regardless, she turns her head a little so Giselle can have her closer look, even while simultaneously waving her off with an irritable flick of her hand.] Clean it up and maybe give it a couple of stitches... a lil field medicine is all it needs.

[What doesn't kill her doesn't matter to her, and right now? That isn't really a concern of hers. Her words may not be as dark or gruesome as Giselle's, but the flippant disregard is right on target. As her head's bent to the side, grudgingly accepting the assistance she doesn't need for the time being (as soon as it feels like a waste of time, she'll rip herself away), she gives a halfhearted shrug.]

'Less you're perfect or just having a good time, something doesn't need to harm you for it to fuck you up. [This is said with equal disregard: Even before her current circumstances, Odette's life was a piece on a gameboard. Harm might just be another hurdle to overcome, by now. Context, however, is everything; Giselle is unhurt but damaged.]

[astarion]

[Oh, hitting the wall hard with his shoulder, jostling his jaw, enough to make him see stars is well worth being free. There is nothing that Astarion holds in higher regard, especially if the alternate meant being lost to his shadow.

Still, he lets out a noise of shock, and instinctively reaches out to grip Gale by the arm, holding on tight.]

My shadow, did it-?!

[Is it still there, being a menace, he means. Trying to pull him back into some unknown abyss again. But, even as he begins to bark out the words, his shadow crawls along the ground and attached itself... properly to Astarion. In the correct shadow way. Acting very normal.]

[astarion]

[A little hesitant, but eventually... he does pull out a chair, then takes a seat. He presses his elbows on the table as he leans forward.]

If you wanted a date, darling, I'm sorry to say I'm not much in the mood.

[likesitruff]

Yes, I'm... fine.

[ Well, she's having a hard time staying upright, but she's Stubborn. ]

How irritating...

[astarion]

Not so much "supernatural" as... something that defies the world's natural order. Strange, alien creatures, their mindsets often impossible to understand. And always dangerous to some degree.

[He gives her a sidelong glance, assessing her reaction. Does she still apply "aberration" to herself after that clarification? Perhaps in all technicality, yes, but he cannot quite place her on the level of Illithid after their conversations thus far.]

Think of awful, awful things. In this case, I'm talking about a creature called a mind flayer. Capable of great psionic power, with wet, rubbery flesh, elongated head, and a flourish of-

[He raises his hand, puts it close to his mouth, and wiggles his fingers. Tentacles.]

-writhing tentacles for a mouth.

[astarion]

[ALAS, THE SHADOW IS FLEEING and Kaveh might catch sight of its form, dark and slippery as an eel, as it darts out of the cafeteria.

Astarion tsks with annoyance, whirling about to look at the other man.]

I told you it was not to be trusted. And now we've egg on our faces, very literally, to show for it.

[likesitruff]

I think that can be managed. Will it know to look for you here, or do you need to lead it?

[ A game of shadow tag? ]

[likesitruff]

If you're fine with possibly having to explain anything more in depth to me, I think it might be interesting to see it for myself.

[ She knows she's hardly a genius here. ]

[icyspicy]

Oh, I can make an educated guess, certainly. But I believe you’re supposed to be resting right now, aren’t you?

[airdnd]

[ There isn't horror in Sumina's gaze at the way the knife seems to just slip out - as though it is nothing more than a kitchen knife slotted into a proper block - as much as there is a certain confusion around it, at how there's not even a trace of blood to be found on the blade, at how what little she can see of Giselle's wound - or where there might have been a wound - is utterly unmarred.

But... Yet again, hasn't her life prepared her for such peculiar sights? Hasn't she triaged someone whose blood looked like molten rock, and the like? Her grip tightens around the knife's handle as that hand lowers and falls at rest beside her hip. She realizes then that this is different - because Miss Giselle is someone whom she has now known for longer than she normally has a guest for, and someone she likes to consider a friend. ]

Miss Giselle, there's - there's no need for such talk. We're friends, aren't we? So... We don't need to think of it like balancing a ledger. I know you would have done the same, if not more for me if our roles had been reversed.

[venomnom]

[The shadow lunges across the table and bites a chunk out of Astarion for thinking he could have a civil conversation with it.

Just kidding. It props an elbow on the table and rests its cheek on its palm, seemingly content to sit and stare until it lifts its head after several beats. No?]

[venomnom]

[Arching an eyebrow, she folds her arms under her chest. His last comment creates a strange distinction, but she reasons that he's not wrong to say that any tool can be damaging if used a certain way.]

Yes, that's the way most people are. After all, it's a direct shot at survival, no matter how desperate.

[velluminous]

Am I not?

[warmaid]

You have nothing to apologize for, but thank you. Our Shadows seem to operate independently of ourselves.

[Case in point, Kokomi's Shadow. It's still sitting on the sand, staring blankly out to sea.]

I can help you search, if that would be easier for you. After you saved me from the surf, it's the least I can do.