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

Syrlya

[chronosynthesis]

[It's a few days after settling in with not a lot more answers. But they're past the initial bewilderment! And explosion! Hey!

And without anyone forthcoming, it's time to get a better understanding of this place. Find Syrlya standing outside the bookstore, contemplating trespassing. Find him at the gas station, bewildered by the tiny electronics (they don't run on magic?). Find him contemplating purchasing a ticket to Sin City because there may be things there that can provide a better understanding. This is just a place to bother the walking, talking plant.]

[wordchain]

[ Wandering around for similar reasons, Yesod comes across Syrlya in front of that very familiar bookstore. It's probably wise to heed the caution tape. ]

Are you interested in entering this shop?

[chronosynthesis]

Yes, though more out of curiosity than a desire to purchase anything. [Books are nice and all but he's more interested in Answers.

He slips a finger behind the caution tape across the door and tugs it to see just how secured it is. It turns out: not very.]

[wordchain]

[ Yesod can understand that, and he gives Syrlya a nod. The next moment, however, he raises one hand to intervene, brows knit. ]

Wait.

[ Although the caution tape is a rather flimsy barrier that plenty of people might ignore... ]

I've seen an identical one before, in another location. It may be unstable.

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya pauses, but doesn't quite release the tape.] Unstable?

[wordchain]

[ Yesod's current hypothesis is simply that on the other side of the door, they would most likely find the equivalent of the city enclosure's inaccessible areas at the moment. It's unclear how the simulation's own instability, apparent weak points, might affect locations removed from it as appears to be the case here. ]

Assuming that whatever lies behind the door is incomplete or even volatile, it's possible that attempting to interact with it prematurely will have consequences.

[chronosynthesis]

Hmm. That makes whatever is behind it all the more concerning. [This is not dissuading him.] Better we know what it is so others can be properly warned.

[reverent]

[ hello plant! meet walking plant killer! as syrlya rounds the gas station, he is suddenly met with an exuberant: ]

Surprise!

[ followed by two arms flung up to the sky as yuesi does his best impression of a stretching cat!!! ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya yelps, ripping his attention away to whoever is shouting at him--oh.] Ah. Hello?

[He assumes this is some sort of greeting.]

[reverent]

[ at the yelp, sisi's laughing stretch turns into a laughing raise of his hands, palms obediently up in the universal gesture for 'no siree, didn't do nothing wrong!!!'. he's still grinning, though it's beginning to look just a little sheepish. ]

Hello! Hehe, sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you - or, well, I did, but not in a bad way. It's just, I made a bucket list of all the things I want to do at this hotel, and the first thing on my list was to surprise someone! So I got up early to see if there was anyone around that I could surprise, and you were the first person I saw!

I didn't scare you too much, did I?

[chronosynthesis]

[Energetic, isn't he.] I see... no, you only startled me.

[There's... something about his presence at odds with that demeanor. He knows better than to ignore it, but trains any reaction clear off his face.] What else is on your list?

[reverent]

[ at the mention of his list, yuesi beams. ]

You really want to know? Hmm hmmm... well, I still need to build a pillow fort! And have a sleepover, and also try all the snacks at the gas station. I was gonna do the snacks thing next. Do you wanna try too? Unless you've tried them all already, in which you gotta tell me what's worth it or not!

[chronosynthesis]

You have given this a lot of thought. [He raises a brow.] No, I've yet to try the "snacks" as you've put it.

[There's been a young man filling in the meal hours, which at least has prevented Syrlya from eating raw cabbage or something outside of breakfast.] I'm Syrlya, by the way. You are...?

[fussiest]

- is that a bookstore?

[ comes a voice from behind syrlya. kaveh hadn't meant to be stealthy. actually, in general, he is incapable of stealth and arrives at any location with all the frantic energy of a very pissed of antelope, but the morning had been calm, and nothing had tried to kill anyone in the night, and most importantly, he'd gotten some sleep from the frantic, sleepless five days that had just before been his entire life. that tends to help.

anyway, he peers into display, and then at the caution tape cordoning off the space with some doubtful reproach. ] This seems... suspicious. Almost overtly so, actually. Isn't there a saying that the more suspicious something looks, the more people don't want you to look?

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya tilts his head as he hears Kaveh, who is making at least a normal amount of noise.] Well it certainly can't hurt to be wary of everything present in this place. I was just thinking that a bookstore isn't usually part of an inn. Perhaps if this inn were the only place available, I could understand it as providing full amenities... but that isn't the case.

Regardless, I wonder why it's sectioned off. If you aren't punished for blowing a hole into the wall, one peek shouldn't hurt...

[fussiest]

[ oh, right, kaveh thinks. he used to think of these places as inns as well. the city's changed him, hasn't it. ]

I tend to agree - but I also wouldn't be surprised if the place just... didn't let us in. That happened quite often, in the place where I'm from. Or am currently from.

[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.

[unrequite]

You know, they get quite shy when you stare at them so closely. Perhaps ask for their names, mm?

[ Midnight's there with a basket of groceries on the way to checkout, but this arboreal fellow caught his eye on the way there. He's just fitting in a giggle. A bit of a laugh, if u will ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya looks up, his expression turning in some sort of wry smile.] Perhaps if they were capable of a response. What about your name then?

[unrequite]

You never know until you try. And that advice comes straight from the lips of the gorgeous, intelligent, talented Midnight himself. At your service. It's very nice to meet you...?

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya. Well met. [He picks up one of the mini media players and holds it out to Midnight.] Does this advice come from experience...? I'd appreciate the demonstration if so.

[He sounds incredibly doubtful. But maybe Midnight will surprise him.]

[unrequite]

[ Ooh. Midnight takes the media player with confidence, turning it around to look at its functions... ]

Does it come with any songs loaded onto it, I wonder...? Well, in any case, it seems as though this requires a pair of earbuds as well...

[ Midnight looks around, seizes the first pair that looks as though it will fit Syrlya, and walks them both to the cash register. ]

There's only one way to find out. Yes, hello sir, all of these, please...

[chronosynthesis]

[Giving up on that idea for something else already, huh.]

It's intended to play music, then? [He won't stop Midnight from being the one to "pay" for it given, well, none of them seem to actually be paying for anything. At worst, if it comes up a debt Syrlya can just give him some coin for it.]