Hotel Fantastique - Penthouse

Kyana was too in thought to even notice Joshua barge into her room and close her drapes. She didn't even think about closing them that night, it was late, warm, and she was tired. Even though she had a frightful nightmare she was lucky her fire didn't set off despite not wearing her scarf. It was when she went to grab it quickly and put it around her neck she saw Joshua. Still shaking a bit she slowly said, "I..I had a nightmare last night...about Genocide..and a strange symbol."

Outside - walking towards bus to Hotel Fantastique

The Party Ninjas were walking and chatting when suddenly Kiyumi's cellphone started ringing in her pouch. The tone was cheery and sounded like a pop song of some sort. She pulled it out and flipped it open. "Hello? Kiyumi here."

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

[West Side (Street)]

Lieutenant Gevian "Gev" Abassix of Free League Security made her way through the dilapidated section of the city with a look of disgust on her face that was identifiable even through the typical immobility of shvuim features. This sort of thing was so... typical of the universe beyond the League: all that power and technology in the center of the city, and yet only a short distance away poverty, crime, and misery - the elites doing nothing, with all that they had, to help the people. It wasn't the first thing she'd seen since coming here that made her wish she'd stuck to internal security, but it was one of the most effective.

She'd spent the previous night at a tiny hotel in the Visitor's District, managing to only catch a short sleep thanks to the time she'd spent dealing with the aftermath of whatever had happened with the people she'd encountered at the terminal. Luckily, she'd never needed more than a few hours a night, and she was feeling physically just fine as she made her way farther into the 'West Side', as her maps called it. Since the previous night, she'd changed out of her uniform and into a drab-colored, slightly dingy suit of close-fitting power armor. You never knew what you'd run into in a place like this, after all.

Blinking her silver eyes, she swept her head back and forth, finding nothing of interest. Apparently, what you wouldn't run into in a place like this was more of the problem. Her profile on the target suggested he was a little too jittery to want to stay in this type of run-down area, but she couldn't even see so much as a lead.

Letting out an almost inaudible sigh through her beak, she continued down the sidewalk...

She is available for interaction with anyone.

[Hotel Fantastique]

Those inside the Hotel Fantastique - especially those closer to the fourth floor - could suddenly hear, if they were listening, the sound of a deep, ghastly-sounding electronic howl coming from that floor. Looking somewhere between annoyed and concerned, several staff members could be seen making their way through the first floor towards the elevators and stairwells.

Characters can investigate or not at their discretion - it's nothing particularly disruptive.

[Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)]

Within her bedroom in the Alliance suite, Qrlil continued to sleep deeply, curled up tightly on a mass of blankets and pillows that she had stripped from the bed and placed on the floor, and remained unaware for the moment of any noise outside.

Trekesser is also still asleep, but since there's no one near him I felt that could go without a post to confirm it.

edited 22nd May '15 11:22:51 PM by nrjxll

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

When Angua was reasonably sure Garkin's attention was elsewhere she turned back to the terminal and resumed her browsing. Besides her pausing occasionally to shoot a furtive glance over her shoulder, she seemed quite absorbed in the screen's contents.

A few moments later, a thought seemed to occur to her and she swiveled around again, saying, "Hey uh- hey Garkin? Could you... D'you mind me asking you a few questions? About Qrlil."

She seemed nervous.

yey

Dog and Goat Hotel — Varnas' Room

Varnas wished he hadn't drunk quite that much liquor the night before. The light pounding of a headache graced his skull as he poured himself a tall glass of cool water. It wasn't too much alcohol—he had tried to moderate his consumption was much as it was polite—so his hangover was not quite as fierce as Koyel's. Not only this, but he could hold his alcohol fairly well, although he did not frequently indulge.

As he took a shower and considered using magic to clean and freshen up his clothing, he wondered whether to bother his companion. Considering what had happened last night...perhaps it was best to leave him be. Varnas decided it was way too early an hour to deal with old men and their magic fuckery, much less be up already. He briefly wondered what drove him to rise at this hour, then shrugged it away with the thought of breakfast, which might help improve his and Koyels state of headache.

Varnas thought briefly of heading down to the breakfast buffet, but decided against it, as perhaps it was not too good of an idea to show his face yet in the public after the wake of what happened last night. Perhaps room service, even if expensive, would do well. Not that expense mattered, since he wasn't the one footing the bill, but the thought counted a little bit, and Varnas filed away that moment as one of the three kind things he was personally mandated to do today.

Crêpes, he thought. With strawberries, and powdered sugar and cream. And potato pancakes, and soft boiled eggs, bacon, ham, sausages, buttered toast and all the breakfast good-stuffs.

edited 23rd May '15 1:41:49 AM by Tehpillowstar

"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." - R. W. Raymond

Hotel Fantastique

Gwion had woken up around seven in the morning still tired from a restless and unsatisfying sleep haunted by strange dreams - most of which, thankfully, he could remember little of aside from vague feeling of "strangeness". Those he could remember seemed to have involved wolves or werewolves, Ceridwen and several contradictory versions of Café Catacombs.

He used the jug, mug and sachets of coffee and sugar provided in his room to make himself a strong and sweet instant coffee before getting dressed in fresh underwear, clean black trousers and a black T-shirt with a picture of a Phoenix rising from the flames and the words "Risen-Again Pagan". The "A" was represented by a pentacle.

He left the previous day's clothes on the end of the bed and called reception to organise for them to be laundered.

After checking on the web to find the nearest shop from which he could purchase what he wanted, he made his way down to the hotel's restaurant and dealt to a large fried breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushrooms and hash browns - after all, he had himself and six billion hungry nanobots to feed - "washed" down with two long black espressos and a leisurely cigarette.

Thus fortified, he stepped outside into the new day and took a taxi to Market Street.

Market Street - Mall - Bike Shop —> Hotel Fantastique

The attendant handed over the keys. "Here you go, Mr. Walker. It's an interesting coincidence, we sold a nearly identical bike to this – but in red – just yesterday, to another person with the surname of Walker. A young African lass with a Cockney accent."

"That was my mum," said Gwion with a perfectly straight face.

The attendant's expression didn't even flicker. He looked levelly at Gwion. "She can't have been your mother! She was most insistent that she was unmarried."

They looked at each other in solemn silence for five seconds, six, seven... finally the attendant's mouth twitched at the corners then he burst out laughing. He shook his head slowly and wiped the tears out of his eyes. "OK, you win."

Gwion grinned. "Does that mean I get a discount?"

...

The bike responded beautifully and the ride certainly helped to clear his head of the last vestiges of the previous night's dreams.

After a lengthy "tour" of random streets around the Visitor's District, he rolled into the hotel's covered parking area and parked up next to two motorcycles - one the aforementioned red version of his own bike, the other a black Dual-Sport bike fitted out with pannier cases.

Two minutes later he was back in the hotel's restaurant enjoying another espresso.

Embassy Row - Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)

Garkin had finished making his sandwich and was just about to pour up some water when he heard Angua's question. Her apparent nervousness made him slightly nervous as well.

"Um, sure."

Old City - Moreena's Lair

More Bleaksteel, one of whom was the infamous 'Sabaoth'? This had the potential to become interesting.

"I suppose it would only be fair to hear them out if I meet them," Moreena said, before gesturing towards the mech. "I'll take us to an open spot near the entrance. Are you ready to go?"

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

Visitor's District - Hotel Fantastique (Dining Room)

"Good morning! It's Samantha. I do hope you all slept well," Samantha said upon hearing Kiyumi's voice on the other end. "We just wanted to see how you were doing so far, and maybe come up with a more definitive plan than what we talked about last night."

While Samantha was talking, Sophie took another look around just to see who else might have appeared since they sat down. It didn't take her long to notice the man sitting some distance away enjoying a coffee. This man in particular caught her attention for one thing in particular: his arm, which from this distance looked very much like a prosthetic.

Sophie was not at all concerned about him; prosthetics were a thing, if uncommon, as far as she knew, and she didn't have any reason to believe that the arm was anything more than that. However, she was worried that Samantha might automatically connect him with the Bleaksteel just because of his arm.

At that point their breakfasts arrived. Sophie's concerns faded away from the man and towards stuffing her face, and she proceeded to do just that. Samantha, on the other hand, simply placed her food in such a position that it wouldn't fall off the table and that she wouldn't accidentally place her elbow in it before returning her focus back to her conversation.

---

Old City - Moreena's Lair

"Punch Sabaoth?" Eliza asked, with the exact tone of voice that it wasn't difficult to guess that she wasn't raising an eyebrow at the same time (which she was indeed, even if her mech lacked the capability to show it). "As much as I've wanted to do that myself sometimes, I'd advise against it no matter how much he may get under your skin. He's not considered one of our best fighters for nothing. Also, I guarantee that he'll be in his mech if you meet him, and punching that won't do anything unless those bracelets of yours are far stronger than you've let on so far."

She then threw up her arms in the best approximation of a shrug her mech could manage. "Assuming, of course, by 'windbag' you were talking about Sabaoth. Not that I recommend aggravating the other two either. Iao might let you off, but Darius will sic our entire organization on you if you anger him too much."

She shook her head before turning to Moreena. "I'm more or less ready when you are. Just let me make sure a drone will be around when we get there."

Icon by Civvi the Civilian!

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

Angua blinked twice. "Um, okay so, how long have you- I mean, have the two of you-" she jerked her head in the direction of Qrlil's room, "-talked much? Can you- can you tell me what she likes?" She canted her head to the side slightly, hesitant. "I uh... I wouldn't ask, 'cept I just realized that I don't actually know all that much about her." Her head drooped. "It's keeping me up."

yey

Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)

Garkin looked over at Angua, head spikes once again shaking slightly. "Well, um, to be honest we didn't really get much time to talk before the dinner," he began. "It was mostly politics and such before then. One of the things she said though is that she's always been interested in meeting and learning about aliens, but that's um, pretty obvious I guess." He smirked a bit and made a quick gesture between himself and Angua. "That's apparently pretty rare among her people, so she didn't always have an easy time with them..."

He drank some water before continuing. "I sort of assumed that you had known her for way longer than me."

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

Angua nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like her. And- you're sort of right. We have known each-other for years, but we only ever got to actually meet for, at most, a few days at a time."

She waved a hand, indicating the view out the suite's expansive window. "It's only when we both wind up in places like these that we get to see each-other so..."

Angua fell momentarily silent, then began to talk quietly, almost as if she were speaking to herself, "With hindsight, I should probably have talked with her more."

yey

Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)

"I see," Garkin said, looking somewhat downtrodden himself. He didn't really expect to do any more world-jumping - it had been a freak accident this time after all - but if he did, was this what it would be like? He would definitely like to meet Qrlil again, but the thought of only being able to do so at random, maybe with years between each time...

He shook his head a bit to clear his mind, and took a bite from the sandwich.

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

[HOTEL FANTASTIQUE-PENTHOUSE]

Joshua made a brief glance at his companion. "I don't blame you." He said. "Anyone unfortunate to encounter him always remembers him one way or another. If he had actually clawed you, chances are it would've been much worse."

The armored man slowly turned around, looking towards the door, out to the main room. "I've known Andrew since we were nine... He's the reason I have this."

Joshua gestured to the claw marks that ran down the right side of his face.

[MOREENA'S LAIR]

Lara sighed in defeat, shrugging. If she had been even more headstrong, chances are she would require Sabaoth to dismount his machine and actually show his face before she'd actually listen to him. However, Lara knew, what with Eliza's explicit warning, that it would possibly turn out to be somewhat of a suicidal demand.

"I suppose daydreaming will have to do." She conceded before continuing. "But I assume that this 'Darius' isn't half as bad?"

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

Angua seemed to perk up at noticing the expression that flitted across Garkin's face.

Tentatively, she began, "I uh- I know what you're thinking. It is kind of a strange thing, not knowing when or even if you're going to meet people you like. It's just something you have to accept, I guess. Just how these places work."

yey

Outside - Bus Stop to Hotel Fantastique

The girls stopped at the bus stop, awaiting its arrival. Midori and Naoko looked to Kiyumi with raised brows, curious what Kiyumi was talking about with Samantha and Sophie. "Yeah, we are on our way to the Hotel to meet you guys right now. I thought it would be easier than you trying to find our houses. We already ate breakfast so we can get to discussing our plans. Like where did you want to have our spar?"

Hotel Fantastique

Kyana stared wide eyed at the scar on Joshua's face. She had never really looked at it until now. "I see... So you knew him for a long time..." she said as she slowly started to get out of bed. Grabbing her jacket and socks she began to put them on but briefly looked to Joshua. "If you..don't mind me asking. What caused him to be like that?" she asked.

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

Visitor's District - Hotel Fantastique (Dining Room)

"We're in the process of eating breakfast ourselves. Well, Sophie has anyway; I'd rather not try to eat and talk at the same time. It's awfully rude, you know."

Samantha then frowned, not that the ninjas would be able to see it over the phone. "I was sort of hoping we'd just meet you at the site of our spar and get on with it, but you do whatever works for you. Probably just as well anyway; I don't know where a good spot would be." She tapped the fingers of her free hand against the table. "Is there a sports stadium or something like that around here? That way we at least wouldn't run the risk of damaging anything or attracting the police, and it'd be a lot of space to boot."

---

Old City - Moreena's Lair

"Darius is a lot more agreeable, yes. If you're reasonable with him, he'll offer you the same courtesy." Eliza then glanced down at the ground for a brief moment. "He does have a bit of a...stubborn streak, though, and sometimes he can be a little irritable. But given that he's responsible for holding an organization like ours together, I can't say I blame him."

She fell silent as another round of clicking took over. It was another few moments before she spoke up again. "Anyway, I've now made sure a drone's on the way to the hospital, though given the way I expect we'll be travelling it's probably not going to beat us there. Might as well have two ways to confirm an energy signature." She glanced between Lara and Moreena. "So if you two are ready, I am all set as well."

Icon by Civvi the Civilian!

[PENTHOUSE]

"I've been trying to find the answer to that question myself for the last three years." Joshua admitted, slowly lifting his head to look up in thought. "Among the select few that knew him, there are a few rumors about what happened. Some say a cultist snuck into his house when he was just a newborn and chanted over his crib. Others say his mother injected him with some unknown serum." He started to pace, reciting what little information he knew.

"But yes, I've known him for a while. Those...features of his only started to emerge at around the same time when I started looking for answers. When his wife confessed to having an affair, he snapped. He clawed her face close to the point of being unrecognizable... But I know he's had that thing in him long before even then."

[MOREENA'S LAIR]

Lara gave a slight nod. "We can kill some time while we wait for the other people, I guess. How long do you think this'll take? ... Wait a sec."

Unexpectedly, the girl snapped her fingers, then Looked at Moreena. "How possible is it for you to retrieve the stuff I left at the arena while teleporting us to the hospital?"

Embassy Row - Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)

"I've never been very good at just... accepting things," Garkin said. "But I guess you're right." He took another bite from the sandwich. "Just gotta be happy for the time you get, I suppose."

Old City - Moreena's Lair

Moreena smiled at Eliza's comment about the drone. "No one can outrun me," she said. It wasn't entirely true though. She looked over at Lara and held out her hand. "I'll grab your things on the way. Shall we get going?"

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

Hotel Fantastique - Penthouse

"I..see.." it was all Kyana could say at the moment about the story. Her tone held a sadness to it as she felt bad for both Joshua and even a bit for Andrew. Maybe his transformation had to do with the demonic voice she heard and the symbol that appeared in her head. Quickly she began to look around for a pen and paper and found some on one of the nightstands. She drew the symbol as best as she could remember it and held it up to Joshua.

"This is the symbol I saw in my dream. Do you know anything about it?" she asked, sitting back in a chair as she continued to hold the piece of paper up.

Bus to Hotel Fantastique

As the girls got on the bus, Kiyumi thought about a possible place for their spar. "Hmm, I believe there is a stadium in Old City. We might be able to use that." she replied, thinking of the Arena.

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

Visitor's District - Hotel Fantastique (Dining Area)

Samantha smiled. "Well, isn't that convenient? That'll be perfect."

She then paused before looking down at her breakfast. "Anyway, I need to start eating. I'd say just go there and we'll meet up with you once we're done here, but since you're already on your way here we might as well just find it together." She sighed. "Great job at being efficient." She shook her head. "Does that plan sound good to you?"

Icon by Civvi the Civilian!

[Dog and Goat Hotel — Dining Room]

After a shower, ulon'Uelshu made his way down to the dining room for breakfast. The smell of bacon and ham made him salivate, while the eggs... he was queasy enough without the thought of that. His survival training had required him to prepare and eat eggs, in case he was lost in the wilderness and civilized food was unavailable, but it was not an experience he was willing to repeat. He felt a slight pang of guilt as he considered the ham and bacon — strictly speaking, his religion forbade improperly raised or slaughtered meat, and it was unlikely anyone in this world knew the proper methods and rituals. But he was hungry, and not particularly religiously observant, so he helped himself, along with plenty of those "hashbrowns" that looked simple and filling and a large glass of that unfamiliar but fragrant orange fruit juice.

[Whitehall Motel]

A nod, a subtle gesture, and — as though everything was normal — the actual vendor came to relieve Echo of her duty. With him doing his work — "hot dogs, fresh hot dogs!" — Echo headed over to Nero.

Skipping past even the most basic of courtesies, she greeted him with a level, matter-of-fact: "you're alone. The others?"

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

Angua broke into a self-effacing grin. "It actually took me a while to get to that point. Spent some time pointlessly fretting over if it was a good idea, trying to keep up a relationship with someone you only get to meet in these weird trans-dimensional kinda places."

She fell silent for a few seconds, considering something, and her head took on a curious tilt. "Y'know... I gotta admit it's a little surreal to just see you just sorta shrug your shoulders and be fine with it, Kinda like how- apparently- you're fine with me wooing Qrlil at the same time you are."

yey

Embassy Row - Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)

Garkin sighed. "I'm just not sure what else I can do," he said. "And regarding the... um, 'wooing', that's a cultural thing I've never really understood. Some people apparently have all these really specific rules about relationships, sex and whatnot. Um, no offense I guess, but why would anyone want that?

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

Angua shrugged noncommittally. "Iunno. Though I don't think it's a matter of want so much as just how things work. Lotta places I know still have noble families in charge, so it makes more sense to care about stuff like that." Quickly, she amended, "Of course, that's not true here, but for as long as I've known Qrlil, she's always sort of been this pretty restrained kinda person. So."

She paused, then shrugged again, this time with more surety. "I can't really begrudge her that. It's just who she is." Another pause, longer this time. "Would you change that, if you could?"

yey

Quantum Inn (Alliance Suite)

"Yeah, that would make sense I guess," Garkin said. "Hereditary stuff was never really a thing on Anwyn, not for very long at least."

He was about to finish his sandwich, but Angua's question surprised him. "Well, you can't really make someone change, can you?" he said, looking up again. "And no, I wouldn't want to anyway."

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

[Quantum Hotel - Alliance Suite]

Angua's grin returned with added enthusiasm. "Hah! I knew it. Knew there was a reason I liked you." She hopped off her seat and walked over to Garkin, giving him a friendly punch in the arm. "Y'know, I don't think I'd mind it either if you kept on tryin' with her too, if you still wanna." She looked down briefly, then folded her arms. "I uh- can't say the same for Qrlil though. Seems for her, all this is kinda hard to deal with. So, if it comes down to a competition, that okay with you? 'Cuz, long as it's her choice in the end, I can live with it."

yey