hotelcaelum | Event Log #002

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

My dear, you worry too much. I've gone much longer without eating before. [Boy, has he.] I'll be fine.

All right, then.

[Though there's really no need for him to starve here, unless he's reluctant to pay up at his departure. She can say that she offered.]

Still, I'd like to take a look around, if it's all the same to you.

Very well. By all means. Perhaps we might find your shadow amongst the foodstuffs.

[He's joking, but... maybe.]

[That's the hope.]

Let's start with the fruits.

[She makes a beeline for a smoothie joint. Reiju makes a show of studying the bottled drinks and baked goods on display atop the counter when something dark blurs, flickering out of sight, by a basket of apples behind the employees manning the stand.]

[A beeline, huh. Someone likes smoothies!

Astarion follows, eyes tracking all around, actively looking for anything that might seem unusual. He manages a 13 for his perception check, which means he does manage to catch a flicker in his periphery -- but not much else.]

Er, did you see that?

[Yes, someone surely does . . .

Reiju angles her head toward Astarion.]

"That"?

[Just then, should Astarion look down, he'll find a shadow with her silhouette crouched behind the glass display on the other side of the counter, seemingly peering up at him with the way its head is angled.]

[Oh, he sure does notice that, looking down and then immediately backstepping.]

Ah-!

[Gods, what's with this hotel and all the JUMPSCARES.]

Think we might've found your shadow!

[The shadow ducks as Reiju turns back, following Astarion's line of sight, but she believes his reaction. Even if she doesn't see it, it's definitely here.]

Have we? I don't see it anymore, though. Where do you suppose it went?

[The answer: crouched on Astarion's shadow in an attempt to camouflage itself.]

[While it would be hilarious for Astarion to not notice her shadow slipping into his own, hiding itself away, this vampire keeps rolling well. He notices the shape as it slides beneath his feet to align itself with his own shadow and clicks his tongue.]

Ah, I don't think so-! It's right... here!

[HE STOMPS AT THE GROUND WHERE HER SHADOW WOULD BE I'm sorry this is his tactic.]

[He put all of his 8 STR into that stomp.

Fortunately(?), his target is a shadow. It looks up, then swerves aside with the flexible grace of a cat before the stomp can connect, exiting Astarion's shadow. It zips across the floor and seats itself in a chair at a table as if it were waiting.

Reiju simply turns around with the lift of her chin.]

It doesn't look ready to come back, does it?

[Yeah, it wasn't all that impressive.

Astarion whirls on his heel to face her.]

Oh, certainly not. At least until you get too close, and then it'll try to swallow you up like it did with me. Be careful, now.

[Stepping forward to announce to the shadow, now seated:]

You there! What'll it take to make you play nice, hm?

[Her eyebrows arch faintly. How sweet.

As for the shadow, it breaks its overly formal posture to look at Astarion. It continues to stare, unmoving.]

I think it already is.

If it were playing nice, it would return to you with no fuss. It isn't doing that, now is it?

[What if Astarion approaches more closely, then?]

[The shadow's head tilts accordingly, tracking his movement. It doesn't appear to mind a mock tea party with Astarion, whereas it snaps its attention to Reiju when she takes a calculated step forward.]

As I thought, it seems to prefer you.

[Understandable.]

[Is it understandable, or is it bad taste--]

Well, I am charming company.

[He moves close enough to the table so that he can speak to the shadow properly, but doesn't chose to sit just yet.]

So now what? [-he says to the shadow, still not certain that it's going to return without putting up a fight.]

[Understandable. Maybe even good taste, once she gets a good look at him in action. There's no question as to whose company is more charming between them.

Either way, Reiju is content to watch from the sidelines while Astarion chats the shadow up. It turns its attention back to him before looking at the empty chair across the table. Have a seat?]

[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.

[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?]

[YOU KNOW, HE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT, AT LEAST.

But having a cordial(??) one-sided conversation with her shadow? Not quite.]

Though perhaps if it'll convince you to return to your owner without putting up a fuss...

[There will be no biting today.

The shadow rolls its cheek over its palm, peering up at Astarion as if in playful challenge. At the same time, it uncrosses and crosses its legs again to lean in the other direction, away from Reiju, who'll smile back if looked at by Astarion. No, thank you.]

Daring, come now.

[What if he oozes the flattery?]

She's not complete without her lovely shadow. And you, without her. Don't you want to be whole and hale again?

[If the shadow could arch a twirly eyebrow, it would.

Seeing as it lacks a proper face, however, it opts to turn its chin up and bring a hand up in mock laughter instead.]

Event Log #002

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