hotelcaelum | Event Log #002

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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.

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[ For the most part, it's habit; make himself the bigger target so that others aren't hurt, or allowing them the chance to do something beneficial while he plays distraction.

The door itself is indeed slammed again, catching on the metallic looking foot of his Stand, and causing Abbacchio to wince in spite of appearing to have not been in contact with the door at all. He uses the opportunity to grab the edge of the door, forcing it open further and exposing the inside of the room. Thankfully no pink walls, but a shadow darts out of the doorway, knocking into them both as it does. ]

Hey, wait!

[Her expression unravels in the split second between the aborted slam and Abbacchio's test of strength. Did he get hurt? The first slam didn't elicit this much of a reaction, and the door wasn't anywhere near him to cause discomfort now. Something strange is going on here. She doesn't have the luxury of time to ponder, though, when the shadow shoulders them in its escape.

Leaping at Abbacchio's call, Reiju tears down the hall with a speed that puts medalists to shame in pursuit of the shadow. She snaps her leg out as soon as she closes the gap in an attempt to kick it against the wall, but who knows how well shadows take to impact?]

[ The speed at which she bolts away is more than a surprise to him to say the least, her appearance has certainly been deceptive. She moves in a way that makes Abbacchio think she's done this kind of thing before. He takes off after her, with Moody Blues just ahead, watching as she kicks out at the shadow — he can't tell if she makes any real impact or if the shadow moves out of the way of its own accord, but it lashes back out.

Moody Blues takes the swipe from the shadow to their shoulder, the shadowy limb coming to an abrupt halt in front of Reiju. ]

Hey, you good?

[It all happens so quickly.

Stranger still, it's not quick enough for her to miss the oddities. She sees an attack and braces herself accordingly—but nothing. Like the door, there's a sudden stop as if the air itself has solidified into something impenetrable, yet unseen.

There are many ways she can respond. Reiju chooses to err on the side of caution by taking a step back. Her head angles partway toward Abbacchio, her eyes never leaving the shadow.]

Yes, I'm fine. Did you see that?

I— [ his gut tells him to say no, to ask what she saw, to concoct some sort of lie, but he's not good at that, and so he abandons the idea almost immediately, nodding instead. ] Later.

[ The shadow is still here and whether it can see Moody Blues or not, it is at least aware it's made contact with something and that's good enough for it to slam a second fist into Abbacchio's Stand. With effort, Moody Blues retaliates, and connects — though it doesn't make the sort of impact Abbacchio would expect — like the shadow's intangible form is preventing any real damage. There's a strange battle going on, as Stand and shadow duck and dodge each other's blows and move further away from them, with Abbacchio sometimes recoiling from nothing. ]

This isn't working…

[Hm. Later, then.

The attack stalls again. Between this and the reactions all around, there's definitely something between them and the shadow, who's proving itself to be a troublesome entity. Reiju frowns. Subjugation is a must; they're not here to kill, and that throws out half of her repertoire from the outset.

She bends her knees, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.]

I can move in for a pincer attack. The question is, what should we do if that fails?

[Lure it somewhere favorable for them? They have their theories, but they've hardly gotten around to have a good spot in mind.]

[ These aren't decisions he likes making, he'd rather someone else tells him what to do.

Ahead, the fight between the shadow and Moody Blues continues; Abbacchio glances back the way they came, past all the pink towards the stairwell. They can retreat if they need to, or they could keep moving forwards and checking the rest of the doors until they reach the next stairwell. Whichever way they go, Abbacchio can keep the shadow occupied, so long as Moody Blues stays within range. It won't help with the questions, but it's something. ]

Then we lose the shadow, head to the next floor.

[ There's an edge of uncertainty in his voice, is that the right choice, or should they just try and brute force their way through until the shadow takes its leave? ]

A strategic retreat, then.

[She can get behind that. There's no telling what will happen if they bite off more than they can chew. Better to play it safe.

Reiju nods. Then, a beat later, she darts down the corridor toward the shadow and its invisible adversary. She watches its movements in order to position herself opposite, where she swerves around to deliver a strong kick that, more than likely, won't amount to much with its odd form. Still, it's worth a try.]

[ Following her movements, it's easy to project where and when she'll strike. Abbacchio can use that, it's not too dissimilar to what he does with himself, and he sets up Moody Blues to mirror her so they move in tandem.

Abbacchio doesn't know if it's the combination that does it, or if it's luck, or something else entirely. The shadow reacts, though, he can't tell if it's been wholly effective. The dark edges of it seem to grow, and there's a horrible whining static that confirms at least one thing; it is his. That alone has him less concerned with doing something he'd regret to someone else's, so he capitalises on it and Moody Blues punches out towards it again and again— ]

We should go!

[The static is new. It also looks like it's changing, but Abbacchio's voice cuts through the horrid sound and Reiju, having backed away with a leap, snaps her head in his direction while the shadow jerks from a sudden onslaught.

She breaks into a run yet again, this time farther down the corridor in search of the stairwell that'll take them to the next floor. They can investigate the unchecked doors later.]

This way!

[ Hot on her heels, Abbacchio is right behind her. He should probably be keeping track of how many doors they pass, but he's too focused on keeping track of Moody Blues. Another hit to the shadow and in turn another to his Stand, like the shadow kicked out at Moody's shin — it's not enough to knock him off balance, but he does stumble.

Navigating a corner, he wonders if he should simply tell Reiju. Stands are something that you keep hidden, a close guarded secret, and he knows that better than most. But things are different here, aren't they? Besides, he doesn't have to tell her everything, there's no harm in knowing about Stands. There's no time to weigh up the pros and cons. ]

Do you remember how I said some people have powers?

[ he's people. ]

[Hi, people.

She suspected that it was something like that after he fessed up to the oddities. Having his confirmation, she looks over her shoulder at him with a wry smirk.]

I see. Then it's as if you can be in two places at once.

[It's a very convenient ability. She doesn't expect him to tell her more about it, nor does she ask.]

But there's no need to put yourself out on my account. [Even if she appreciates his consideration. His actions speak volumes for his character.] While I may not have abilities like yours, I'm a mercenary with the power of science on my side.

Something to that effect, yes.

[ Moody Blues has limits, and he can feel them weakening as he pushes the far end of the range; the shadow is landing more hits now, and Abbacchio's having to roll with the punches, so to speak. ]

I don't doubt that. Your form back there was impressive, not to mention your speed, [ said with genuine sincerity, he recognises when someone is not only a competent fighter, but has the ability to truly use their body to their advantage. ] I can't keep it at bay, I can only buy time.

[ But that short window has run out, and he feels his Stand fade, and they're still a ways away from the next stairwell. ]

[Oh, he's modest, too. What a rarity.

The shadow doesn't scare her, but it'll be troublesome if they can't lose it fast. Fighting an opponent that can't be properly damaged will only lead to a pointless battle of attrition. She has plenty of stamina with a body built to take hits, however, and so she slows down to let Abbacchio take point.]

Then shall I be your escort? I'll bring up the rear, and you can secure the stairwell with your ability.

[She imagines his reach is greater than hers, making him more suitable for the task. Moreover, he knows that she's fast, and it's not as though they're running across a country. No matter the gap, she knows that she'll be able to bridge it once he finds the stairwell—or maybe he'll figure out a way to fake their escape while she keeps the shadow busy. Whatever works.]

For now, we have a head start.

[ Of course, he doesn't think the shadow is subject to the laws of physics and the like in the same way that they are. It can probably catch up to them in no time, or cut them off at the stairwell altogether — both are just as likely as any number of other possibilities when dealing with unknown entities. In a way, it's like those ninjas again, but the saving grace is that they shadows are fewer in number.

With the doors to the stairwell finally in sight, he gives Reiju a quiet nod as he moves ahead of her. He's always worked best in a pair; Moody Blues almost necessitates it, and while that shouldn't be a problem here, it's nice to have a spotter. ]

Let's keep moving.

[She nods back, glances over her shoulder, and follows suit. It would defeat the purpose of the stairwell to look for a fight now, not when he's graciously gotten that head start for them. But her senses are alert as she moves, keeping a respectable distance between them without straying too far behind.

Hopefully there's nothing lingering on the other side of those doors.]

[ Luck remains on their side, for now, as Abbacchio takes the rather unsubtle approach and kicks the door open — necessary? No. Reckless, though, especially if anyone happened to be on the other side merely passing through. It's good, then, that the door simply swings wide and reveals nothing.

Sort of anticlimactic, all things considered.

He throws out an arm to prevent the door closing and ducks into the stairwell, holding it open for Reiju. As soon as he knows she's behind him, he'll begin taking the stairs up, two at a time. ]

… I really hope there's no more candy floors.

[Reckless, but it would've been advantageous if there had been hostiles. She can't fault him as she quickens her pace and crosses the threshold, where she nods briefly in thanks before tailing him up the stairs. A bit of excessive force isn't so bad when she's with such a thoughtful partner.]

Then what are you hoping for?

[ A good question. What is he hoping for? Floors on the hotel don't seem to follow any sort of logical order, there could be a petting zoo behind the next door for all he knows, and they'd simply have to deal with it and all the smells and sounds that came with it. He huffs out a quiet laugh, shrugging half-heartedly. ]

Less pink? Ah— no offence.

[ Traces of a sheepish smile cross his face, before that straight-faced expression slips back into place as he pushes open the door to the next floor proper. Immediately there's an open space spread out ahead of them, no narrow corridors, just black carpeted flooring and dark navy walls with what looks like educational posters about planets. It's promising, he supposes, if they're looking for somewhere dark, though it's hard to tell if anything is moving along the floors. ]

None taken.

[She takes the apology in stride with a steady smile that falls off once they enter the new floor. Her lips even out in thought as her gaze sweeps from the ceiling down to the floor, whose carpet she tests with the experimental slide of a heeled foot.

Winter would like this floor if he hasn't already visited it.]

Is this dark enough?

It could be.

[ While there's no corridor to speak of, there are still doors leading off to mysteries unknown. He passes by a few of the posters, not really paying close attention, until he realises the images on them aren't quite what he'd expect. Curiously, it looks a lot like the solar system, but parts of it don't look right. Is it even the one he knows?

Pushing open the closest door, he finds himself staring into a darkened room with a small amount of tiered seats and a domed ceiling. ]

A planetarium? In space?

[ As if the ones he'd have found at home aren't also technically in space. ]

Why not? It saves us the travel.

[Having determined an absence of shadowy hands along the carpet, she steps up behind Abbacchio. She isn't very knowledgeable when it comes to space, but that doesn't seem important. Rather, what matters is how much darker this particular room is.]

Should we go inside?

That's… [ he frowns at her statement. She's not wrong, so he'll leave it at that. ] Sure, with the door closed it'll probably be much darker, too. The only thing left to wait for is the shadow.

[ Assuming this floor isn't too dark for it and the light theory is actually correct, that is — and he doubts it is, but it can't hurt to explore their options, though. He pushes the door open more, shouldering it to allow Reiju to pass as he gives the rest of the room a cursory glance for any movement. ]

[Heehee.

She can't help smiling wider this time, not that it's helped by the looming darkness around them.]

So gentlemanly.

[Then she steps inside, looking this and that way for potential visitors. She runs a hand along the back of a nearby seat. Question is, what to do if this fails?]

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Event Log #002

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