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.
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caelumstaff) wrote in 
no subject
But one thing at a time.
Gale. The wizard. Who is, indeed, fine and mannerly.]
He's a friendly sort, I suppose. [I GUESS] But rather talkative, and too inquisitive for his own good. Being a wizard, though, I don't think you can expect too much else from him, really.
[rip gale]
no subject
Now, now, I expect good company from him. [ she will spare a microorganism of effort to stand up for him since he's not here to defend himself, though the words come off more like she's going through the motions instead of like she really has any stake in them. ] But he did mention being learned regarding spirits and other such things... I suppose it is not so surprising he is knowledgeable in magic, then.
[ Because magic is heavily associated with curses and the malevolent, at least in her mind, due to her close ties with witches. Anyways, their walk is leading them to some strange room that opens up into a park — scenic, and with many places to sit. There's a tilt of her head, asking to see if he would prefer to go that way. ]
Say, does he know? About you.
[ A rather vague question, but as ever, she allows him the freedom to answer to the extent he wishes to. ]
no subject
He gives a shrug and saunters in a step or two into that scenic little space, which should be answer enough as to whether or not he wishes to venture that way.]
About my vampirism? Oh yes. He knows. I tried to keep it rather hush-hush when we first met, but... given the situation at hand, I needed what strength I could get. I thought nibbling on a neck at night would be worth the risk, but I was wrong.
I was caught red-handed, so to speak.
no subject
My, that must have been quite the scandal.
[ There's no real sense of scandalization or surprise in her voice or features, however — the real surprising thing is that he and Gale are still on... good(?) terms. How stressful, for something as simple as hunger to pose such a risk... inwardly, she wonders if she should be thankful she has no such overtly obvious 'tells' that could reveal her nature — not ones that take less than 5 to 10 years to notice, anyway. ]
A dangerous one, at that. You had mentioned there could be grave consequences, in your nature being revealed.
no subject
[Hm, is there a place to sit? Gods, he hopes so, casting around to find a little bench near a neat little array of shrubbery and plops down into a sit. His feet hurt!]
But everyone had more pressing concerns than a single vampire in their midst. Gale and I... and a few others, of course, well. We're on quite the little adventure, you know.
[The word "adventure" sure is tinged with something wry.]
no subject
Oh? Is that so?
[ An 'adventure,' huh? She brightens a bit at the word, her reflexive, usual smile easing back on to her face. The slightest note of eagerness bleeds into her voice, beneath her cool timbre. ]
I do regret to ask more of you, after all you have graciously done for me... but might you tell me a bit about this 'adventure?' [ A beat, as she resumes the proper folding of her hands. ] If you are amenable, of course.
[ Hearing about his life out in the wider world is something like getting to live vicariously through him, if for but a short moment. It'd just be nice to hear about what his life is like now after everything, she thinks, even if he sounded rather wry while bringing it up. ]
no subject
He still isn't sure he has the energy to regurgitate the whole long, bloody, and terrible thing, but he can offer tidbits of tantalizing information. It seems as though she might enjoy that.
So. He sighs and straightens down the front of his... pumpkin costume.]
I suppose I can tell you the broader strokes. But even then, I struggle to think of where to start. [How about the beginning, sir.] First, let me ask you this: do you have any sort of... ah, abberations in your world?
no subject
[ The corner of her lip quirks up, the smile almost sly. ]
The only "aberrations" are within the four walls of the house. To my knowledge. There is the witch, of course... and the house itself. It is not normal by any means.
[ Though she doesn't elaborate right at this moment what makes it so abnormal. On the other hand, there were legends of witches, but as far as she knows, only the mansion houses such a being in earnest. All other myths regarding monsters and witches and the like have never had solid proof, or were simply rumors twisted into legend to scare children or serve as cautionary tales. ]
I suppose I might be an "aberration" myself, as well. Hehe...
no subject
[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.
no subject
When he gives her that sidelong glance, her smile grows more amused when she meets it — amused that he looked over at all. It makes her suspect as though those words had made him compare her to them, too, no matter how subconsciously. Was he agreeing with that description in his mind?
She doesn't think she could bear to find out, were that the case. Best to let the topic pass over, then, and to shut him out from seeing a glimpse of anything in her expression. Not more than a moment after their eyes meet, she smiles wide enough that her eyes crease, donning it like a mask — far too still to ever be natural, and more like something put upon for the sake of deceit. Perhaps that's an assessment in itself. ]
Oh, my. You certainly paint a terrifying picture, my dear. [ Sort of. She barely even saw his silly finger wiggling, smiling broadly at him as she did. ] Now, what business could you possibly have with a being so... frightening?
no subject
Well. For now, he has a tale to tell and lets it slide.]
A creature like that does not make more mind flayers as you might guess. [Actually don't think about that mental image too much
sorry Emperor] But rather... through the use of a mind flayer tadpole, inserted through the eye, and wiggling all the way into a host's brain. In a few days' time, they go through the harrowing and painful transformation of becoming such a creature themselves.[And thusly-]
I was captured by a mind flayer nautiloid and had this exact same thing happen to me. [A laugh.] Minus the transformation part, obviously.
no subject
That is certainly. A Lot. She blinks, taking an extra moment or two to process all of that, having never heard of anything even resembling what he's just described — not in reality nor in fiction. She's still keeping a tight hold on her expression, so even though she feels she should probably feign surprise or dismay like a person probably ought to, she stubbornly keeps her blank smile plastered on, instead. ]
...Then there is a parasite in your brain?
[ There's a blunt frankness to the way she asks, as though asking something much more mundane. Then there's a tear in your shirt?, or something of the like. ]
And there could be a threat of you transforming into one of these creatures.
no subject
And Astarion's own tone, lackadaisical, doesn't really wheedle her into sounding more serious about the matter, at least.]
That's right, dear. A threat avoided during my time back home, at least for now. And avoided here, too, as I assume far proximity has a hand in keeping me safe.
[Far, far away from any signaling by problematic elder brains that might trigger the ceremorphosis.]
So for now... you're safe. From that manner of danger, anyway.
no subject
Well... I do dearly hope that you will soon get an opportunity to simply be "Astarion."
[ And not worry about turning into that. She smiles, finding this whole description somewhat darkly amusing. ]
But I do not think it is something for me to worry about, in any case. Should you turn that way, I would still be able to talk to you without concern for my safety. I do not think even one of these "mind-flayers" could do away with me, hehe...