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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[ Absolutely not, and she offers the response while still covering her mouth.
But with that, at least, she does gently plop down onto the blankets as well, and it's only then that... boom! It turns out she's still been holding her journal this whole time, as it is now emerging from beneath her blanket cocoon held by other hand to be stashed in the corner of the fort where she can easily reach it.
Then, she gestures at the other assortment of things he's keeping in here. ]
You've been quite busy.
[ says miss got her nails painted ]
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Mm, didn't want you to be the only one with something to show off when we met back up. [ Yes, he noticed. ] I like your nails, by the way. They suit you.
[ Even if she didn't do them herself, it's still nice to see her doing little things for herself that could be called impractical for an innkeeper. Little things that allow her to express herself more. ]
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At his compliment, though, she can't help but glance down at her fingers. ]
Ah... Mr Brickston did quite well painting them. Apparently, he made the lacquer himself. Isn't that interesting? I spoke with Mr Nanami for a while, too, and Giselle. Hopefully everyone's settled in well enough now, though...
[ It is late, after all. ]
You're not tired?
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After a moment, he shakes his head. ]
Eh, not really. Too wound up from all the excitement.
[ His brows draw together, before he reaches over to grab one of the flashlights. Eagerly, he pushes it into Sumina's hands. ]
Tell me a story, Momo! With puppets.
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[ Well. Gods know she's got plenty of those, but she's never told them via puppets before...? There's something so innocent and childish about it, that's only accentuated by Satoru's eagerness, yet... she can't bring herself to mind. ]
Well... What kind of story would you like to hear? An adventurer's tale from my guests? Or something I've read in my ancestors' journals?
[ Not mentioned: a story about Sumina, because she doesn't think those are quite as interesting. ]
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I want a Sumina Heartleaf story. [ He knows why she asks, so he nudges her elbow with her own, offering some gentle encouragement. ] Whatever one you wanna tell me!
[ Whatever it is, it will be captivating. ]
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Mm... Well... Alright. I've got one. [ A beat, as she takes just another moment to collect her thoughts before meeting Satoru's gaze intently. ] So, my cousins Elenaril and Ehrendil - the twins, if you remember from that photograph... Since long before I was even born, they would adventure by themselves as a pair. Elven twins are not to be separated, you see - legends say that grave misfortune occurs if twins are separated for too long.
[ She shoots him a look that just says, I promise this ain't about them. Kind of. ]
Anyroad, one day, the twins returned to the inn after yet another adventure. They seemed to be completely fine, though I began to notice before long... that Ehren was acting a bit out of sorts. Of the two, he's by far quieter than his twin sister, and scarcely even likes to make himself known, but I would catch him... humming, and singing, and then stopping when he saw I'd noticed.
[ By the by, she hasn't been using any puppets at all, but she is rather enthusiastically gesticulating with her hand, flashlight held within her grasp and all. ]
Then one night, after Elenaril had gotten many drinks in while helping me behind the bar, she stood atop the bar and began a rousing rendition of the ballad "Nine Stars Around a Silver Moon," which then triggered a chorus from the rest of the patrons who know of the song. And then much to my utter shock, just when I thought to sit at the piano to provide the accompaniment... Instead, Ehrendil sat at the bench and played the piece so perfectly, and so movingly that some of our guests were brought to tears...
You see, Satoru, despite practicing a form of magic called bladesong, dear Ehren is painfully lacking in any musical inclinations! Not even half a century's worth of lessons from Grandfather could instill any sense of tone and pitch with him, or so I'm told. I knew at that moment that something was amiss.
...And that's how I discovered that Elenaril had bribed a changeling bard to shift and assume the identity of her twin brother so as not to cause any panic, while Ehren himself stayed in the Feywild where they had been adventuring after finding himself completely ensnared in an affair with some fey courtesan. Again.
And that's how I met Vaer. You should ask Winter about them sometime.
[ And if he remembers, too... Mina had mistakenly called Satoru by that name when she woke up after her shadow was returned to her. ]
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They must be hot. And talented! Regardless, it's a captivating and engaging story, one that has him chuckling by the end; he can just picture Sumina's consternation at finding a doppelganger in place of her cousin. ]
Oohhh, so they’re a friend of yours and Winter’s? [ A beat. You know he has to ask. ] Do they remind you of me?
[ Oh, he’s so eager to unlock this lore. ]
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[ It hadn't really occurred to her until then, beyond the fact that they both have white hair and white eyelashes that give them a sort of ethereal appearance. But Vaer is every bit as much of a troublemaker as Satoru is, and unrepentantly so at that, and most of all... They both have a bit of a softness hidden beneath layers and layers of attitude and cocksureness. ]
Haha. After I called Elenaril out on her scheme, I struck a deal with them both. I would let their shenanigans continue as needed, on the condition that Vaer returns to the inn once a week to perform. They've become a regular since then, so - yes, they're a friend of mine and Winter's. You two would get along, too, I think. Perhaps too well, actually.
[ good thing vaer will never show up here ]
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Heh, pretty clever of you to use that to your advantage, Momo. Maybe you ought to invite them to the hotel, next time you check on the inn!
[ Said with a knowing grin, but alas, Vaer will not be appearing in this picture.
He motions to the flashlight in Sumina's hands, lightly tapping her knuckles. ]
You left out the shadow puppets, though.
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Maybe, but... For the moment, I need them staying put to help Lena out and keep her sane. For whatever that's worth. They can both deal with the alcohol shortage that comes with that, if what Winter tells me is accurate.
[ A long-suffering sigh... Still, the warlock has told her that the inn carries on as ever in spite of everything, just... with a little more chaos.
At Satoru's remark, she peers down at the flashlight in her hand, having forgotten about it entirely. At length, she simply holds it back out to hand back to him. ]
You mean to tell me that wasn't entertaining enough on its own? Why don't you tell me a story then, Mister The Strongest?
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Nevertheless, he is, as always, so easily goaded, and with a self-assured hmpf he flickers on the flashlight and points it towards the nearest "wall" of the blanket fort. ]
Watch and learn. How about...a story from my youth? [ gojo ur 29 ] Ahh, let's see...maybe you'd like to hear about the Chosen Children of File Island?
[ ...Yeah. ]
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[ She repeats, for good measure, because boy what a title. She can't help but wonder if this is a Satoru Gojo story or a Satoru Gojo story... ]
I'm curious to hear it. Actually, would you like for me to hold the flashlight up so you can use both hands?
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How else is he gonna do Angemon's abs justice? ]
Great idea! Just point it over here...now, it all started with a boy named Taichi who went to summer camp. His sister was supposed to come too, but she had to stay home sick...
[ Hopefully she is ready for this, because he isn't going to be stopping anytime soon. ]
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Sumina diligently points the flashlight towards Satoru's hand as he begins the tale, shadow puppetry and all, but it's so warm and cozy in this little fort, and she's even cozier still, snug as a bug in a rug as she is in the blanket Giselle wrapped around her. Oh, her eyelids are starting to feel heavy, and for a little while, she valiantly fights against the way her head begins to bob while she nods off. Maybe if she just shifts a little bit to lay on her side, and...
... ... ...
...Yeah, she's out before long. ]
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[ The light from the flashlight dips on the blanket wall, and his attention turns back to her properly. She fell asleep just as he was getting to the best part!!
...Still, he hasn't forgotten how hard she's worked today, and how stressed she was, so he can let it slide, this time. Instead he grabs a few pillows to arrange near her.
Then, gingerly, he rests a hand in her shoulder. ]
You in there, Momo?
[ This time, he absolutely is using his quiet voice. ]
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Mmmh... Please refrain from destroying furniture, sir...
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In that case...they've probably had enough sleepover shenanigans for now. Instead of trying to wake her, he carefully takes the flashlight from her grasp and sets it aside, before winding an arm around her shoulders and urging her onto her back, right into the next of pillows and blankets he arranged for her.
Come to think of it...this isn't the first time he's put her to bed, is it? A hell of a lot has sure changed since then.
Once she's settled, he rearranges her blanket cocoon around her, so her legs are nice and tucked in, too, the peak of coziness. Just looking at her puts him in the mood to go to sleep himself. ]
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And it really is so nice and cozy... And warm... She rolls over onto her side again, unknowingly facing him as she curls up in her cocoon a little bit, a small, sleepy smile curling at her lips. ]
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He lingers a moment longer than maybe he should — it is kinda weird to just watch her sleep like this — but she looks so peaceful, so sweet...he can't help but be captivated. To consider, for a moment, staying right here next to her.
But she barely was comfortable with the idea of sleeping in the blanket fort to begin with, so instead he squeezes her shoulder gently, before scooching his way to the other side of the blanket fort, finding a cozy spot to settle down himself in his own nest of blankets and pillows.
Still facing her, her face is the last thing he sees before he closes his eyes... ]
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So it's with a bit of a start that she wakes, immediately worried that she'd fallen asleep during Satoru's story, only to find him sleeping now, too, across the way and facing her. Woops... She'll have to make it up to him sometime. Just when she thinks to roll over to the other side and try to return to sleep, however, she realizes that Satoru's sleep... doesn't seem to be restful.
Against her better judgment, she slowly, quietly sits up, and scoots over to get a closer look. Is he having a nightmare...? ]
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At his side, his hand closes into a tight fist, fingernails pressing prints into his palm. Wherever his mind his, it's far away from this cozy little corner of the cosmos, in a blanket fort shared with someone dear to him. ]
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Satoru?
[ she whispers quietly, but to no avail. Leaning over, then, she rests a hand on his shoulder, and quietly calls out once more. ]
Satoru...
[ If that's not enough, she'll draw away a little, her hand instead fluttering over his forehead and brushing his hair away from his face... He looks so troubled, but she doesn't want to resort to drastic measure to wake him up given that the rests of the guests might be asleep now, too. Instead, she lays back down... beside and facing him, this time, as she takes his tense fist in between both of her palms. Just once more, she tries: a quiet, almost soundless Satoru, before she succumbs to sleep once more, still clutching his hand in hers. ]
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...In fact, it's that soft tickling sensation that does rouse him at last, his eyelids twitching at the reach of morning light from somewhere beyond this cozy little blanket fort. It takes him a moment to remember that that's even where he is, even if immediately, he recognizes Sumina's presence next to him, as if he doesn't even have to think twice about who it is that sleeps at his side.
Still more asleep than not, a soft sigh rumbles low in his chest, as he buries his face against the fan of her hair on the pillow next to him.
Just a little while longer... ]
back, demon
...Though she can tell that sunlight is filtering in now, too... With a quiet groan, just this once, she shies away from the waking world, and curls into herself - and against him - just a little more, tucking her head beneath his chin as if to hide from the sun. ]
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