Happy New Year, folks! The Hotel is settling into the New Year with little fanfare. Mr Bennet remains at his post behind the hotel desk and helps check guests in and out daily. The Hotel continues to hustle and bustle and nothing seems to be going too awry beyond the usual shenanigans. In fact, one might even call this the slow season for the Hotel.
THE FLOOR IS LAVA
That is until the second week of the month where the intercoms start with Mr Bennet's pleasant voice coming through.
"Hello, hello! This is just a small warning that one of our floors, the current 79th floor to be exact, has had a small... malfunction, I suppose, and will be affecting the other floors of the Hotel. No word yet from maintenance when this will be over, so stay on your toes, my dear guests!"
And that's it. No indication of what the problem is, or anything like that. It's up to you to figure out what's going on! And what is going on? Well, it'll become obvious very quickly when wherever characters happen to be in the Hotel, they'll soon start feeling a very obvious warmth on the floor below them. It'll increase the longer they stay standing in one spot until it's almost burning their feet.
The only salve for this will be hopping onto a nearby piece of furniture and getting their feet off the floor. It'll soon become obvious that the entire Hotel has been wrapped in a game of The Floor is Lava, including the floor turning into actual lava on some of the floors.
SAFETY SLEEPOVER
Of course, the Hotel is not cruel enough to make the entire Hotel unsafe and soon enough Mr Bennet's voice will come through on the intercom again.
"For those looking for respite from our current Hotel wide game," because clearly it's a game now. "We'll be serving tea and cake in the lounge on the ground floor. Maintenance has been able to fix the lounge for now so feel free to come by when you can if you'd like to rest. We have sleeping bags!"
As folks enter the lounge, they'll find that Mr Bennet is true to his word. The lounge has been converted into a giant sleepover, with sleeping bags lining the floor and a long table off to the side where people can eat their tea and cakes. Mr Bennet is near the food table, handing out pajamas, toothbrushes, and sleep masks to those who request them. There's some new doors off to the side leading to some restrooms, at least, so guests can change in private.
Though, one thing to point out is when Mr Bennet says there's tea and cakes, the cakes happen to be lava cakes. He thinks he's funny.
THE FLOOR IS ICE
It'll take about two days for hotel maintenance to fix the Hotel and return it to normal. So that's two days of living out of the lounge or hopping around the Hotel to get places. What a headache. Mr Bennet will make another lively announcement on the intercom.
"We are back in business, folks! I've just been given word that everything should have return to normal now. Though, there is a warning to make sure not to walk around barefoot for at least another day or so while the Hotel settles. Thank you for your patience!"
What that means becomes obvious soon as anyone walking around now will feel that the floor is especially cold. That's a bit better than the heat, at least, but still kind of a pain in the ass. Anyone who tries to walk around barefoot will find that their feet quickly start to freeze but any permanent damage is easily avoidable by putting on some socks or getting off the floor entirely.
Though that said, the ice does lead to some furniture sliding around and even with shoes on, characters might find themselves sliding too.
What a lovely end to the holidays.
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hotelcaelum2024-01-12 09:44 am
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He clocks the tiredness and chalks it up to the situation as a whole. Sumina doesn't strike him as someone with a high dex score. ]
The way I see it, there is nothing to get worked up about, especially now that most of the residents have found their way here. I was prepared for the hotel's... incidents, and this one hasn't deterred me too much.
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It's probably a small thing for the forces and magicks at play within this hotel, but gods, I can't stop thinking about all the liabilities and damages involved with floors quite literally turning into molten rock...
[ even though it is... not her problem. ]
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Can't help but think of how this might have touched your own inn back home, Sumina-san?
[ He is imagining a quaint little bed and breakfast going up in flames and feeling slightly bad for her. ]
... I imagine they have some structure in place for this. After all, if the lava was true lava, it would have melted through the floors and harmed many more people.
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Yes.
[ Before she heaves a long-suffering sigh. ]
I think you're right, though. It certainly did seem like some kind of magical lava, or we would all be worse off than we currently are... Still, this wasn't... trivial. Or at least, not to me.
[ Miss No Real Powers over here!! ]
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Of course not, and I don't mean to make light of it if it seems that way. For a vacation, something like this is ... especially traumatizing, even.
[ He gives a shake of his head. For the more normal people in the hotel, this couldn't have been fun. ]
Were you hurt in any way?
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I didn't take you to mean it that way, I'm just...
[ Stressed!! Out!!! Even for someone who's (relatively) a normie who is constantly surrounded by the wondrous and chaotic, this is wild. Sumina sinks into her seat a little, looking a bit deflated. ]
Anyhow, thank you for asking, Mister Nanami. I'm completely unharmed. Satoru quickly came to my aid when the twenty-fourth floor started turning into lava, too.
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Ah, did he now? What a good neighbor. I may have to thank him, as I would not want to see you hurt.
[ Though he expects the rescue came with teasing and mocking attached. Though, he doesn't quite know their dynamic, but he can't imagine Gojo being particularly nice about it to anyone.
Soon enough, the staff member Nanami signaled to arrives with a pot of tea and two teacups for them both, setting it down on the table between them. Then they leave and Nanami reaches for the pot and a cup. ]
Tea, Sumina-san?
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Ahaha. There's no need to thank him on my behalf...
[ Especially as it might invite chaos. Gojo might have withheld some teasing and mocking once he'd seen how distressed Sumina was, but there is absolutely nothing stopping him from delayed havoc-wreaking now that they're all safe.
With her feeling a tension headache coming on, Sumina somehow misses Nanami's entire exchange with the staff member. Instead, her head is tipped down as she rubs at her temples, and it's only when he offers tea that she looks back up and blinks. ]
Oh, tea would be lovely. Thank you kindly... And - I'm glad to see that you aren't hurt either, Mister Nanami. I suppose something like this is rather par for the course for sorcerers, isn't it? The lava, I mean. Not the tea...
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When she accepts the tea, he'll pour her a cup from the teapot and slide the cup closer to her, along with the milk and sugar should she so desire some. ]
Being able to navigate treacherous terrain is something that comes with being a sorcerer, yes. I was able to escape my room easily enough, but not before watching some of my furniture melt away into the lava. I'm just grateful the elevators and the first floor have generally been safe. I do not have abilities like Gojo-san though, or I would have made rounds on other floors to assist others. I am relieved though that it seems no one was fatally harmed.
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[ She knows she doesn't have to tell him this, but her words are offered in assent more than anything else as she also offers a nod of thanks for the cup of tea. She skips on the sugar, but she does add just a splash of milk. ]
Come to think of it, Satoru mentioned having dealt with lava before. Perhaps you've had the same?
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At the question though, there's the... slightest pause as he lifts his teacup to his mouth before he just sips it and sets it down again. ]
If it's what I'm thinking, there is a curse whose main element is lava. I've fought it, yes.
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Attentive and curious as she is when trying to get to know others, she can't help but catch that slight pause, but thinks nothing more of it for the time being. Maybe he just needed a moment to refresh his memory. ]
I see. So these curses that you fight have certain elements and... specialties associated with them, too? I suppose that's not so different from monsters and such where I'm from.
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It's easier to answer her questions in the more abstract way. ]
Yes, exactly. Usually born from people's fears and beliefs. If there is a common terror of tsunamis, for instance, a curse may grow around that to use water and wind as its weapon of choice.
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Ah, so a curse who manipulates lava might reflect people's fear of... fire? Or volcanic disasters...?
[ I, ANNA, AM SO SORRY NANAMI ]
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Likely both, yes. A common fear for the most part. After all, who isn't afraid of burning alive?
[ Not him though. Certainly not. ]
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Right. Discounting infernal beings, since they likely don't exist in your world in the same way...
[ she has never met a tiefling who was afraid of fire. Anyway, as far as fears go, Sumina briefly wonders if there is curse corresponding to the fear of disappointing your family or, ]
Ah. I'm sorry for making you talk about your work, Mister Nanami. You're on vacation...
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Still, Nanami gives a shake of his head, polite. ]
I've asked you and plenty others many questions about your worlds since I've arrived here. It's only fair to answer in turn. For me, my world may be entirely mundane but for you, it's something you've never dealt with before. I'm happy to answer your questions.
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Then... Perhaps we can go about this more evenly. For every question I ask, you can ask one in return. How does that sound? It needn't be about work, either, Mister Nanami. I'm interested in getting to know you!
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That works for me. I suppose then it's my turn.
[ He pauses and considers it, sipping his tea as he does. ]
What is a typical day for you like back home? I'm curious.
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[ Though she is taking her vacation more seriously now than she had when she first arrived, that doesn't mean she can't light up when she's talking about work! ]
Let's see... I wake up, [ after like 2-3 hours of sleep, sometimes on a couch, sometimes at her desk, ] get ready for the day, and start preparing breakfast for the guests. Like here, it's something I offer as part of their stay, so often I'll leave all of the food at the bar for guests to partake in. As they begin to arise and go about their days, I make the rounds and clean rooms as I can. Then I see the guests off to their next adventure - if they're taking up a quest with us, we might discuss some of those details, but once most of the guests are out of the door, there's more cleaning, preparing for afternoon snacks, organizing whatever information I've gathered and possibly writing more requests for help, organizing for dinner preparations...
Then, in the late afternoon, I'm mostly seeing to receiving guests and getting them settled in, though really, adventurers could be wandering in until late at night, so it's a bit touch-and-go at that point. But I'm usually happy to take care of guests checking in while dinner and drinks are happening, too. Once it's late enough and guests mostly keep to their own troupes or get around to preparing for their next day of travel and such, I clean the kitchen and tavern and get things ready for the following day...
...And then I retreat to my office for the night to do some more of the less exciting clerical work!
[ and then at some point she sleeps. Probably. She also didn't mention, like, taking breaks or anything, did she? ]
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Sounds like a busy day. Is your every day like that? I would worry for burn out, with the lack of breaks and no mention of a proper sleep schedule.
[ A hum of thought. ]
No wonder you were offered a vacation here.
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Ahaha...
[ Another bit of a wry laugh, as her gaze falls to her tea. ]
That is admittedly a large part of why I'm here, yes. It started out as a bit of a forced sabbatical, but I've been made to see how unsustainable my lifestyle was after spending some time here.
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This hotel has a wide staff and even Mr Bennet seems to take breaks when he needs to. [ Listen, y'all, he fucks off on the regular. ] But it sounds as if you're carrying the work of multiple people on your shoulders without a hint of delegation? Unsustainable is certainly the word for it.
[ He truly doesn't mean to lecture. He's just commenting on what he's observing here. Nothing more, nothing less. ]
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R-Right... I certainly have taken things a bit too... to heart in the past, but I've promised to do better. To myself, most of all. Otherwise, I wouldn't have returned here at all after my last visit.
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Of course. That's an admirable first step on what I'm sure is a healthy path forward for you. I'm glad this hotel made you see differently.
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