EVENT 01: Welcome to the Pentagon!

[unrequite]

WELCOME TO THE PENTAGON!

Picture a Las Vegas sized hotel, but with no casino. It's just very big. And there is no gift shop.

The Pentagon welcomes you...

You wake up from a doze seated in a firm lobby chair. Walked through a set of automatic sliding doors, bag in tow. Where did you get that bag? Listen, don't worry about it.

- All guests to the Pentagon arrived with a medium-sized standard rolling bag. It is filled with any items they would have brought with them if they had time to pack a standard rolling bag before they left. Weapons are okay!
- All guests may bring one living animal. The animal will retain any powers it may have as long as it is not worldbreaking.
- All guests will have their powers. They will not be allowed to use it to break the world. They may break other things, but they will be pulled aside by one of the receptionists for a Talking To. They may be barred from the hotel for the night and it gets cold outside the Pentagon!
- Guests are not limited to standard entry to the hotel. However, if they break hotel property upon entry, they will be expected to pay for repairs. Method of payment will come as soon as I'm not fuckballs tired.

Things to do:

- Check in! There is a handy dandy receptionist at the front desk ready to take your name and your reservation. Yes, you have a reservation! It's here, in this shared suite. You don't remember making that reservation? What a pity. Well, while we get you resituated in the system, I suppose you will have to make peace with your roommate. Please don't fuck up your relationship with your roommate, that would be so terribly awkward. If you would like to trade rooms, that is fine, but please notify the front desk with all involved parties with the details of the room change! Also, please allow one day for admin to catch up with bookings before you trade rooms! Try to be nice to your one night roomie okay okay

- Get breakfast! A free continental breakfast is served from 6 am to 10 am. Please come by for fresh food!

- Chill in the lobby! When it isn't doubling as the breakfast area, the lobby area functions as both a waiting room, a meeting place, and a chill seating area in case you don't want to eat your gas station hotdog at the gas station like a neanderthal. wow.

- Find your room!

Each suite has a:
- kitchenette (one pot, one pan, plastic silverware, paper plates and bowls. no food. that's at the gas station across the street.)
- microwave
- fridge (with drinks! you will have to pay for them if you take them. it's going to be Esspensive.)
- two beds (small, but very comfy)
- bathroom with bath and shower (with standard toiletries. if you need more, you can call the front desk! there are towels, but if you make a real mess, call the front desk for fresh ones.)
- toilet (no bidet)
- closet (3 hangers, one extra set of sheets, one extra comforter, two extra pillows, a small ironing board, an iron)
- shared side table (two drawer compartments, one for each bed; there are outlets for electronics)
- wardrobe (just one, but it's big! please share.)
- desk with rolling chair (just one! again, please share. also: a notepad with a cheap ballpoint pen, a phone, and a phone directory for standard hotel amenities)
- pullout bed couch (for more guests! this bed is far less comfy than the standard beds.)
- television (with standard cable and standard trash programming. nothing particular stands out about the programming.)

- book shop? ... There is a bookshop where the gift shop should be. Where did it come from? Perhaps it's always been there, in the same way the faceless staff of the Pentagon have always been there. There is currently caution tape over the front entrance. Although the entrance isn't locked, it is not advised to enter the bookshop early. Who knows what might happen (the people who were in the City knows what will happen no don't touch that—)

- gas station? across the street? The street stretches into the horizon. This place is flat. so very flat. but there's a gas station.

- fresh produce (limited, but good variety. may be slightly wilted.)
- standard basic groceries (including pet food for your Living Creatures)
- liquor section (we in the south now boyzzz)
- lotto ticket machine (?)
- chargers/small electronics
- wall o candy
- basic amenities and toiletries(fancier than hotel amenities but not by much)
- magazines!
- slushy machine
- coffee machine
- rolling hotdogs
- hot fast food
- car maintenance products. you know. for your car
- gas station guy. nice guy

How do you pay? the gas station guy will charge it to your room! Who's paying for your room? Erm. Tehe. pero

You can also go to the gas station guy and buy a bus ticket to Sin City for a vacay. Sin City is great! Lots to do in Sin City. Buses to Sin City leave every Wednesday evening — don't be late! However, after a month at maximum, you will be back in your room in the Pentagon. Guess the hotel likes you!

Other hotel amenities. This hotel isn't 5 star, but it isn't 3 star either! Standard fancy hotel amenities, such as a small gym, a pool and sauna, a well maintained laundry room, a small spa, and a business center with computers and print station also exist. The only amenity that does not exist is the standard fancy hotel restaurant. Make your food yourselves!!

welcome nerds. enjoy your stay!

OOC:
- I will make a receptionist thread. please feel free to add your character to the queue for a randomly selected room! if you would like to also have a conversation with one of our three randomly selected receptionists, please say so in your comment. thank. EDIT: room assignments are here! please add any new characters to any random rooms you like. if you change rooms, please be sure to update the spreadsheet. thank yoooou
- i'll make up how to make money and pay for stuff later. for now please don't starve just buy stuff it's Fine
- electricity works. there's local internet but search engines bring up very little about the area. gps does NOT work (for now)
- uh that's it i'm tired please tell me if i missed anything

Comments

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya hums, considering that for a moment.]

Only one way to find out. [And he reaches to just pull that caution tape off.]

[fussiest]

[ ah, already!! kaveh stands there, torn between wanting to check for danger and wanting to help - and then, ultimately, decides that since the tape's already coming off, there isn't really another option aside from the latter. he hurries forward and begins to tear the tape off as well. it's sticky and messy work, but... ]

Not that I dislike this sort of attitude, but is there a plan? I mean, do you have a plan?

[chronosynthesis]

A plan for what to do in there, or what happens if we get caught? [Luckily a bit of caution tape really gives in quickly. Syrlya gives the handle a careful turn to verify it's unlocked.] I just intend to have a look. I doubt they'll do anything worse than shoo us out.

[fussiest]

Both, ideally. Well, I'm inclined to agree on the part about being caught; they seem very lenient in comparison to... well, in comparison. Just in general. [ kaveh says, realising the full explanation is both extremely long and potentially not that relevant around these parts, ] But what if there's something in there that's out to kill the rest of us? That merits at least half a plan.

[chronosynthesis]

Ah. Not to worry, I am very used to dealing with things out to kill. [He offers a smile, hand tapping the hilt of his sword.] If that is the case, leave it to me.

[fussiest]

Oh. [ kaveh's eyes flit to the sword, then back up at syrlya. ] Well, I suppose I can leave it to you, then.

Are you, ah - some kind of a war hero, or a military man? You seem very at home holding that.

[chronosynthesis]

I am a solider, yes. ["War hero" is perhaps not inaccurate either, but it a much more burdensome title. Perhaps here, and now, he doesn't need to get into the long line of his responsibilities and failures. Everything he did was the work of many anyway, and Syrlya merely kept the ship pointed in the right direction. That's what a commander does.

He presses his hand to his chest.] And as a member of the Vigil, protecting others from danger is my duty. I promise you can rely on me. Now, shall we see what's through that door?

[fussiest]

[ vigil, huh. perhaps similar to the matra, then. kaveh breathes in, and shakes his head. ]

One moment, then. Please.

[ it's been some time, but the vision comes to hand as smoothly as it did the first day it had come to him. dendro envelops his hand, then in the long line of the claymore he pulls out from the core. he hefts its familiar weight, then nods, once, to syrlya. ]

Alright. Yes, let's. If I am relying on you for our front, then you can at least leave our back to me.

[chronosynthesis]

[Ah, so he does have methods other than bombs. Syrlya passively feels the elemental alignment so close to his own being, though the sword itself seems ordinary.]

I appreciate it. [With both of them armed, Syrlya flips the tape aside and pushes open the door.

He peers in, then enters cautiously. Inside it a bookstore, a little too familiar to Kaveh but otherwise completely benign. Syrlya looks to the shelves, listening for the sound of anything behind them.]

[fussiest]

[ the door opens, and kaveh barely takes two steps before he blanches. a hand flies to syrlya's shoulder as he makes to pull him back. ]

Wait! Don't go any further - [ he squints into the gloom. ] I think... it may not be safe to go any further into the store.

[chronosynthesis]

[Well, luckily Syrlya is aware Kaveh is there, so he doesn't fight him to avoid anyone getting stabbed.] Did you sense something?

[fussiest]

[ a beat. then: ]

Not... no, not exact. I don't have that kind of sense, just as I'm not that sort of person. But I have eyes, and a working memory, and I suspect that this store just isn't what it seems. [ it's the bookshelves, kaveh thinks. it's ridiculous of him to be so up in arms over a benign bookstore, but the city took that sense of safety from him, and this isn't the place to get it back. his grip on syrlya's shoulder tightens, before he relaxes his hold. chagrined, he shakes his head. ] Can we talk outside? I'll tell you what I know, and then you can decide if you want to explore further. And I will certainly help no matter what happens, but this is a bit of a long story.

[chronosynthesis]

Very well. [He can tell this is serious for Kaveh, so he nods his head for Kaveh to lead him as far as he feels is safe.]

[fussiest]

[ all the way back to the hotel, kaveh thinks. or maybe another country over. or maybe back over the barrier, because at least the books haven't been poisoned for a while now. but they stop just outside of the store where the sunlight is able to reach, because kaveh isn't even sure if any of those places are safe anymore. the city took that from him as well.

he runs a hand through his hair, and drops his claymore. it shunts back into motes of dendro energy, reassembling itself within his vision. it's easier to talk when he has his hands free to gesture. ]

So you saw the other day - I mean the day we met, that Alhaitham and I came from the other side of a barrier, right?

[chronosynthesis]

I do recall you had only unpleasant things to say about wherever it was you blew your way out of. [Things weren't exactly clear, visually, but he gets the point.] Your concerns have something to do with your experience in that place?

[fussiest]

Yes, it does, unfortunately. And believe me, it's a bit of an unbelievable story, and I wouldn't be telling it unless I had no choice but to also believe that it's true.

[ he tells syrlya about the simulation and the bookstore. the broad strokes of it, just to fill in the blanks. that there was a city, that there were experiments held, that there was a bookstore filled with books that took them to impossible scripts that bound them like the red threads of fate.

he leaves out the part about death. that is for no-one but the ones who were there. ]

... so because the simulation and this place are obviously connected, even if separated by a barrier, there must be some sort of connection. [ kaveh looks back towards the sealed entrance, the yellow caution tape now being gathered up and gently tossed about by a cool, morning breeze. ] Which makes me think we ought to be a little more careful in approaching those books. I could be wrong! But I could be right, and I'm far more worried about being right than I am of being wrong.

[chronosynthesis]

[Well that all sure is... something. Has Kaveh's experience just made him generally terrified of bookstores? Probably.]

I understand your caution, but if that is the case it would be better for those of us prepared to handle it to investigate before anyone else wanders by. Have you noticed any other similarities between both places? I arrived straight from Tyria without warning, so I have nothing to go off of.

[fussiest]

Similarities! Oh, there's nothing but similarities. [ with the cork popped so to speak, kaveh starts pacing. ] I mean, yes, the place doesn't exactly put itself back together the moment it's been blown up, but the faceless individuals walking about feel extremely autonomous. In fact, they can easily be the upgraded version of the invisible force that repaired everything back in that city. And the fact that no matter which direction you walk, there's nothing out there! Same as in the city! And don't even get me started on the fact that both cities have similar brands when it comes to food and dry goods! And the clothing here also rarely has a missed stitch!

[ ... a beat. kaveh has worn a path in the dirt. he looks up, chagrined: ] I sound insane, don't I. Please don't tell me that I do.

[chronosynthesis]

... Alright, I will not tell you that you sound insane. [Syrlya shakes his head.] Though this is among the strangest situations I've come across, and I've seen quite a few of them.

Even so, avoiding these things will not make them go away. And if we should need to prepare ourselves, we'll need to be certain what we're dealing with.

[fussiest]

[ kaveh supposes that syrlya has certainly followed the letter of kaveh's word. however, it doesn't make him feel any better. he wilts. ]

Well... yes. So you still plan on taking a look at the books, then?