hotelcaelum | Event Log #002

Entry tags:

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

[He looks down at his shadow, in the bestial form it's taken, a frown hidden beneath his high collar.]

Fine. Then place me near it, and we'll see what happens.

[What other choice do they have, really? He's at a disadvantage if it suddenly springs back to life, but better him than her, at least.]

Very well.

[ Good thing she cannot tell he's thinking self-sacrificial thoughts. Good thing for who? For both of them, probably, but Barghest thinks about letting him shuffle forward, how long that would take---

And just uses the arm holding him up to lift him off his feet to carry him over the few remaining feet to the shadow and place him down much closer to it, completely poised to bare her teeth or stab the shadow if it tries to pull shit.

Because stabbing clearly worked so well before. ]

[Stabbing the shadow worked about as well as shocking it with a great bolt of lightning, apparently. As soon as he's placed down next to it, eased down into a crouch with the help of Barghest, the inky black, beast-like form lifts its head and finds just enough strength to-

Grab Vincent by his arm.

Instinct tells him that this probably isn't a good thing, and he does his level best to wrench his arm away, but he's too weak. The shadow has far more strength, enough to yank him forward even further, and straight into the black void that is... itself. Slowly, it tries to envelop Vincent into it, quite literally face-first.

The man has enough cognizance, at least, to lurch his other arm back and try to grab ahold of Barghest to keep him anchored.]

[ Well, that's new and unexpected, and thankfully, these shadows are nothing like the mors back in Faerie Britain, but they are determined to be a problem and as this particular one tries to swallow Vincent whole, Barghest bites back a curse and lunges to meet that outstretched arm.

He's not him, not small and frail and sickly with smiles that nevertheless shone stronger than some of her more difficult opponents, but whether he's someone she needs to mind her strength around or not, currently she thinks it might be a problem if she accidentally ripped off his arm.

So she does grab it, bracing her heels into the floor, and doesn't yank but tries to pull him back, carefully. She's still off-balance from lacking her own shadow at the moment, but something warns her not to let go, not to let that shadow consume him entirely. ]

[He appreciates her not popping his arm out of his socket, but Vincent is sturdier than his looks might imply. She holds on steadfast, and for a moment, he's caught in the middle between her efforts and the shadow's. Tendrils of darkness crawl from the beast, snaking up and around the man's form, trying desperately to engulf him.

The shadow turns its head to scowl up at Barghest as though to challenge her. This one is mine, the look in its eyes says, growling and showing its teeth. You can't save him.

Vincent turns his head, half of his face pressed into the darkness, flicking his red eyes in her direction. With clear exhaustion at this point:]

Not exactly going to plan-

[Thanks, Vincent.]

[ It's growling at her. This--this shadow, this pitiful substance, is attempting to establish dominance and Barghest flashes her own teeth in response. For just a few seconds, the blue and orange eye flickers to another color entirely: a vivid crimson replaces the iris, matching Vincent's. ]

You will not be claimed by something you yourself ought to govern over!

[ And it's almost as though her strength has increased, her grip tightening as she begins to back up, to try to force the shadow to slacken its group, to show her own force. ]

[Ought to govern over? There's something funny about those words, in a moment that's not really all that humorous at all. The beast form that his shadow has taken is one that exists in him, too, just as full of furor, just as animalistic. Maybe he has control of it to a certain extent, but once it's out and taken over, only the opposite is true.

And for some reason, that irony amuses him in a bitter sort of way, if only briefly.

Thankfully, her little game of tug of war is starting to lean in her favor. The shadow loses ground, and the darkness recedes from Vincent as Barghest manages to pull him away from its grasp. The tension pulls until there's tension no longer; like a rubber band suddenly snapping, all the momentum belongs to her, and Vincent goes careening sideways straight into her armor.

The shadow flattens out, slides along the ground, and... becomes Vincent's normal-ass shadow proper.]

[ I wish I could say it's going to be pleasant, making direct contact with a statuesque woman, but she is clad in armor right now and therefore, it's not going to feel great at all to bonk right into it. Sorry, Vincent.

All the same, it's perhaps better than being sucked fully into a shadow's grasp, whatever awaits those who cannot escape it, but when she glances down, the shadow is just that: a normal shadow.

Barghest takes a few seconds to acknowledge this, then releases Vincent's arm, though she is once again prepared to act if he's about to keel over again. She also has to brace herself against a wave of dizziness, widening her stance a bit to center herself. ]

We now have more information.

[ Delightful. ]

Edited 2023-11-07 05:31 (UTC)

[Yes, wonderful.

At least she's sturdy, and though it's a bit like falling against a brick wall, Vincent's had worse happen to him. Released as he is, he feels the loss of his balancing anchor -- but his strength is returning to him, slowly, slowly, and he manages not to keel over.

Still a bit wobbly on his feet, swaying slightly. But his eyes flick down to his shadow, which has gone back to normal, moving in-time with him.]

...I-

[Easy to make a dry remark about the nature of this information. What, pull someone out of their shadow, and if you can't manage it, then too bad for that person?

But she did just save him, and so-]

...Thank you. For that.

[ She could say he doesn't need to thank her, but he strikes her as the kind of person who is already aware of such a thing. If he's choosing to thank her, that is, indeed, a conscious choice.

So Barghest only nods once, slowly, carefully, a faint smile appearing. ]

I could have done very little for you, had you not reached out.

[ Thanks for not being stubborn, maybe?? ]

I don't give up that easily. I have some sense of self-preservation.

[He has plenty to fight for, to make right. And barring that, he just arrived to this questionable hotel -- he wasn't about to be devoured by his own shadow in the first week.

He exhales, glancing away, reaching up a hand to adjust his collar.]

...Even so, it's time to return the favor. Have you spotted your shadow lately?

Not lately no, or I would have pursued. I imagine it might be difficult to miss something of its mass, however.

[ She, and her shadow by proxy, do kind of draw the eye in comparison to the more diminutive people here, she's aware. ]

I didn't assist you in order to have you feel obligated.

I didn't say you did.

[ ... ]

But I'm already here. At least I'll be back at one-hundred percent to help you with your shadow if you find it. You can't say the same for yourself, can you?

Even in a weakened state, I don't intend to be a burden.

[ Like. She hardly thinks if their positions were reversed, he'd be able to hold her up easily. Probably. Maybe he'd surprise her. ]

However, your choices are your own. I intend to find my shadow. If you intend to accompany me, I can hardly order you to do otherwise. [ he's not one of hers. ]

Edited 2023-11-07 19:00 (UTC)

[He's stronger than he looks! But her frame would still be a difficult one to hold up, if her strength should give out... Yet it doesn't mean he wouldn't try.]

...Then I'll accompany you.

[Simple as that.]

Let's get moving.

[ They get moving! There's no sign of the shadow, not yet, but it's probably fairly obvious that Barghest's feeling its loss now that she no longer has to try to keep Vincent in one piece.

Or perhaps she always walks this slowly and deliberately, face set in a minute grimace? ]

[Vincent may be a man of few words, but he's observant. He can tell those steps are deliberate and catch glances of a faint frown on her features.

...It's really none of his business if she wants to be stubborn about this, but maybe that's unfair. She can't help that her shadow is missing anymore than he could have, and eventually, Vincent feels as though he has to ask-]

Do you need to lean on me until we find it?

[An offer from someone who seems like a twig man.]

... With respect, your stature and your general build don't seem very, erm...

... Conducive to supporting a greater weight....

[....wow....]

I'm stronger than I look. And it's not like you'd be leaning all your weight onto me.

I don't intend to, no...

... [ Ugh. She has her pride, but her shadow is running rampant. That needs to be tended to swiftly. ]

You're certain?

[Hm.

Certain enough to just offer out his arm, brow quirking ever so faintly. Normally, he'd not be so generous, but she does need the help.]

[ Well. It's not a verbal answer, but it's good enough and even though she is definitely kind of awkward about this, she closes her eyes briefly and then rests a hand on his arm, mostly for balance. Chin up, Barghest. You have a shadow to hunt down. ]

... Thank you.

[ But she can be polite. ]

[She's polite, and Vincent is distant, offering only a nod. But the gesture should at least speak for itself, his willingness to help her stay upright so she doesn't have to put in more effort than necessary just to walk down the hall. They might need that strength for later.

And, to his credit, he is strong enough to support whatever amount of weight she leans against him.]

Any surprises we might expect from your shadow?

[You know, like his turning into a beast and such.]

[ ... Whew. Great question! ]

I don't believe it will be capable of changing form, as yours did.

[ Because even Barghest can't willingly trigger that sort of thing without some kind of catalyst, she's sure of it. ]

But it will likely act as a predator. Which, I suppose, may not be too surprising, unfortunately....

Is it not?

[Surprising, he means. His context is limited, given their equally limited interactions thus far.]

Why a predator, then?

[Because isn't she a knight?]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject