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

[predominant]

[ A deep roll of his eyes. ]

No, silly. If there was, I'd be making some terrible skincare products, wouldn't I?

[ He twists his lipliner shut, stores it away, and turns, giving his roommate a sharp glance. In shape, good posture, in spite of whatever the hell that position he is... Vil walks over to him and sinks down, putting a hand to his chin in thought. ]

Your routine isn't bad. Either that, or your genetics are doing a lion's share of work for you. Hm.

[ Without even remotely asking, Vil picks up a lock of that long black hair and runs it through his fingers, noting the luster and texture. Does this man take care of himself? ]

[yyds]

[ hong lu, who spent his entire life being handled by other people, simply lets his roommates hand lingers. he watches with faint curiosity as a lock of his hair is examined the way you would examine textiles at a market, then smiles. ]

Thank you. My caretakers used to say the same thing. I always dash my face with water when I wake up. It seems to help.

So what kind of skincare products do you make?

[predominant]

Caretakers. Hmm. Well, that explains a bit.

[ Vil gives the other man a swat on the shoulder. ]

Sit up. Up up up. The ends of your hair are dry. When was your last hair mask? To answer your question, I make a occlusive that will make that moisture you slap on your face actually cling long enough to your skin to absorb in, along with toners that balance the ph of your skin, humectants to help maintain your moisture barrier, and makeup if you're into the cosmetic aspect of skincare. How much water do you drink?

[yyds]

[ thoroughly swatted, hong lu laughs. he lets himself be bullied into an upright position, the fall of his hair snaking over his shoulders and down the front of his uniform as he considers what he's being presented with. occlusive, moisture, toners, humectants... all this seems terribly new and exciting, though it also seems like a lot of effort to go for mere skin. ]

Mm, I'm not sure! I just drink water whenever I'm thirsty, or whenever we have water. There was one time we were stuck out in the Lake inside of a giant whale. There wasn't any water then, and they wouldn't let me try to drink the whale's blood. [ a thoughtful hum. ] But let's see... I've never had a mask for my hair. Why? Should I get one? Does my hair need hiding?

[predominant]

Your hair needs moisture. The mask helps protect the cuticle once moisture properly soaks into it. Stay still.

[ Vil prods at Hong Lu's face, checking for dry spots and oil, before nodding turning back to the vanity. He begins collecting bottles and cotton swabs, then takes a towel and walks to the kitchen to wet it. ]

No, I wouldn't suggest that either. Not that I'm getting a specialization in nutrition, but blood needs some processing before the human body can metabolize the proteins properly... There's plenty of nutrition there, but our bodies' immune systems wouldn't be able to protect us from any bloodborne illnesses, either. Never talk about that nonsense again. Cook blood before you eat it.

[yyds]

[ everything more or less flies over hong lu's head, who is simply smiling and nodding because he's happy to be here.

his roommate, hong lu thinks, seems to care a lot about this sort of thing. it must be nice, to know that you can care about something. ]

Hmmm... well, all that sounds like it probably makes sense. Also, blood is probably tastier if cooked. Would you still give the same advice if I were a vampire?

[predominant]

[ Collecting all his supplies, including a spare towel, Vil struts back and thrusts the towel in his roommate's hands. ]

Put this on your face. Don't wipe your face, just lay it across. Stay clear of your nose, don't smother yourself.

[ And while his roomie does that, Vil will arrange his chosen skincare items on the side table. ]

No. I'm much more familiar with human biology. The fairies and fae folk are a different species, I can't comment much on them when they tend to keep to themselves, historically. I'm sure the vampires have a much better understanding of their own diet than I would, anyway.

[yyds]

Hmm... well, you gave the advice to me, though. That's before you knew if I was a vampire or not. How did you know I wasn't a vampire? [ says hong lu, philosophically.

he lays the towel across his face as directed. all this is incredibly novel to him; whatever it is must be fun. a sudden thought occurs to him. ] Hey, is this what people call a 'make-over'?

[predominant]

I didn't. You haven't told me you are, though. If you were, my advice would have been incorrect.

[ A shrug. Vil doesn't mind being wrong as long as he gets a chance to correct himself. He has a deep, deep well of self-assurance.

A hum. Wet towel on his roommate's face, he reaches for his hands next. ]

Not a makeover. Let me see your hands while your pores open. Your nailbeds are intact, but rough around the edges... Let's get some hydration for them. Tell me if anything feels off or burns.

[ He grabs some of his basic mists and sprays them over his roommates fingers, patting the moisture over his fingers and nails. Testing for allergies and sensitivities while giving his roomie a basic manicure... Multitasking. ]

This is self-care. While you can get away with the bare minimum for a long time, there's a cost to not taking proper care of yourself. Chapped skin and untreated sensitivities can lead to health problems later down the line. Your body will thank you later for taking care of it now.

[yyds]

[ hmmm, hong lu thinks about this for a moment. it's true, he supposes. the ancestors in their little cave all had terrible skin and health issues, though, hong lu supposes that mists and towels and such aren't going to do much for them, especially for the ones that had already turned their bodies into automatons. still, it's nice to think about. he wonders if they're watching this right now. maybe they'll ask him to bring some moisturisers the next time he went down. they planned on living forever, right?

anyway, this is all terribly new to him, and it's not any interest in self-preservation that hong lu lets his roommate do as he will, looking up only once in a while to check out a towel or a mister with great interest. ]

Self-care, huh. So is there a term for care for other people? Or care for cats and dogs - like cat-care and dog-care?

[predominant]

[ ... A raised brow. Of course, his roommate can't see it, but this question strikes Vil as both preposterous and pointless, as far as he's concerned. He'll entertain it, though. He can deign to do that much for someone so cooperative. ]

That's just care. To care for others besides yourself is the foundation of the word. Adding descriptors makes it more specific, but caring is usually pointed outward, not within.

[yyds]

Do you think it's easier to care for other people or for yourself?

[predominant]

[ A soft, very elegant snort. Another preposterous question. ]

Myself, of course. I am and have always been my own first priority.

[yyds]

Why? Did nobody else prioritise taking care of you?

[predominant]

[ Another disdainful snort. The towel lifts; Vil lays it aside, then takes a cotton pad already loaded with toner and begins to pat his roommate's face with it, cooling his face. Toner, essence, then... no ampoule this time, Vil supposes. Just a humectant and an occlusive to seal in all in. No need to get too fancy. ]

Far from it. My father told me to care for myself the way he cared for me. Not that I needed much encouragement, mind, but to get anywhere in entertainment, I needed thick skin and a healthy sense of self-preservation. My father has his own ambitions, of course, but never let his busy schedule take him away from my accomplishments. I am deeply cherished, and I'm grateful for it.

[ Vil's features are haughty, severe, queenly, but as he talks about his father, his face softens. There is no pretense, no embarrassment. For as selfish and cruel as he can often be, he speaks directly and fully from the heart. ]

[yyds]

[ hong lu wonders what it's like, to have a parent who cherishes their accomplishments. though he supposes that it must be very much like having a parent who acknowledges your existence. that is equally a strange concept, and he supposes he can mull on it at length later.

how vast and bright this world is. ]

I've never met parents who cherished their young like that, so this is new. Do you love him, then?