[jason and cloud find themselves in the elevator at the same time, which is probably the start to a romcom.
but this time, they'll see something different. among all the floor buttons on the elevator, there's one more that rests at the top: a button that reads P.
presumably they press it or this would be a very short break-in if they were like nah let's go. the elevator creaks and takes them up, past the sixth floor, to one above it. then, the doors open to a hallway, with a single ornate door.
please reply to this tag with the methodology you all might use to try to get into the room, and we'll work from there!]
[ it's not like them being in the elevator at the same time is weird, because sometimes you are [mumbles] with another person, and that means you go places together, and it's very gay.
pressing the button to penthouse only makes it gayer.
once the elevator stops cloud shares a look with jason before walking forward slowly, listening in case there are suspicious whispers. this is a little weird but sometimes, this is your second break in. ]
... Bat life make you any good at getting into places?
[ it's in a low tone. once they get to the door he's mostly looking to see if it's locked or if there's any sign it needs a key or if there's a welcome mat.
[GOD. He gets the flashlight out of his pocket because they may need it and also he might have to hand it to Cloud.]
I’ve got two good arms and two good legs at least. I can try busting it down if we can’t find a way in. […] Lup and I should’ve taken the lockpicks out of Aquila’s room. Shit.
[Also want to see if it’s a normal door. Maybe it has a label or plaque on it. Is there a peep hole? Imagine being watched. Or a lever on the side. No one would make it this easy, would they?]
[It is locked! But there is no keyhole for them to put a key in, and there is no lever or welcome mat. If only. There also isn't a plaque or anything, but the door sure is fancy.
As the get close to the door, though, they can hear sounds coming from within. First, what sounds like various elements being blasted at each other: fire, water, earth, air. Then, it shifts to the sound of bugs and coyotes. Then, the sound of the beach. Then, forest animals. Then, rustling trees and thunder. There are also periods of silence in between, but overall, those are the sounds they'll hear if they listen for a while.]
[ making a :/ face at the call out post on him being busted up, but then he's immediately distracted by all the noise. after a while listening in he raises an eyebrow at jason ]
... Either it's a party in here, or someone left their random ruckus noise machine on. [ what the fuck? ] ... Wanna try knocking?
[ it's deadpan. it's that or breaking it down at this point so it's like... ??? ]
[ he knows turning the handle is useless but he will try it anyway. ]
Too bad we don't have a magic key. [ this is a reference jason won't get. it's fine. maybe if they say please the door will open. quick anna make the open sesame reference i cannot ]
[Alas, the door does not open to Open Sesame, or to Cloud turning the handle.
Jason shines his flashlight on the door! Suddenly, a burst of shadows swirls from the door, grabbing Jason's flashlight out of his hands and then sinking into the floor until it's gone, flashlight and all.
Hm. But if they listen closely, they might hear the sound of something flashlight-size hitting the floor below them.]
[ . . . he looks at the ground where the flashlight vanished ]
Okay.
[ he sounds exhausted. i am not going back to the elevator though so he takes his keycard out of his pocket and tries to do that method of opening a door. wiggle the card in the crack. look. i don't know. ]
[Cloud's attempts to open the door by wriggling his keycard does not work, though I relate as someone who's had to do that a few times when I accidentally locked myself out.
I've got the locket too, and this necklace I just bought, but that might be overkill. It summons thirteen beams of light. [ he tilts his head ] Maybe I can try using a fire spell on the door?
[ let me burn (haha) my locket. he is going to lightly kick it with his good leg while anna decides if jason goes back in the elevator ]
[me, a kingdom hearts: thirteen beams of light huh]
Save the beams. All these shadows running around, we might need it to get rid of them. Or use it on “Night”man. The door didn’t like my flashlight though, that’s for sure.
Also, shut up! It’s electricity!
[Yeah, I’m stubborn. Jason will go down to check out the next floor in case and also get his flashlight.
Because if this door thinks he won’t shine it on there again to be an ass.]
[ so cloud's balance is not great currently when he is leaning on his left side to kick with his right for wound reasons, so he just
eats shit.
anyway a good thing jason didn't see this that would've been embarrassing. he's going to stand there and wait with his arms crossed for jason to come back "jason will not come back he is going in the room" wait >:/ ]
[Yeah, I am sorry he is a Bat. He bends down to get the flashlight, his eyes on the open doorway in the hall.
He shouldn’t go in alone at all, but… He glances at the elevator, then the door. He doesn’t want Cloud to get hurt, and maybe someone needs to be at the other door for it to work.
He lifts the flashlight to shine it in front of him and goes to the door. Hello, spooky ghosts?]
Looking into the door, Jason does not see spooky ghosts. He sees this room instead, as I copy and paste from the list:
9. You open the door and find yourself along an incline that rises higher and higher as you venture toward the mountains, walking upward and disappearing into the trees. The branches are steady beneath you and provide footholds to hoist yourself up with each step. These trees make for decent stepping stones to enter into the clouds where the air is fresh and a sharp wind blows continually. Looking back, you feel as though you ought to be able to see something from angle but the flurry of leaves and mist will distract you. The rumble of thunder can be heard from this high, and as the trees cluster together and you approach the mountains you'll come across a flat ravine between two peaks. A perfect funnel for gusts of air, this arena is often shrouded in clouds and provides its fighters with the element of surprise. You will have to thoroughly explore this region to find a door back to the hotel. Any injuries you sustain here will remain.]
[ well, while cloud is waiting on jason, he's going to go over to the door again. he might as well keep trying while nothing terrible happens! i'm sure jan loves this ]
Any chance you'd let me in? [ dry. who is he talking to. look!! it worked for harrow!! ] Promise to turn all the lights off.
[Imagine I’m not supposed to go into the door because it’s a trap. He turns the flashlight off and glances back at the elevator.
Cloud… Mmph.]
I hate these fucking things.
[He goes through the door. Cloud will catch up. He leaves the door open, but I don’t trust Jan not to shut it so Cloud doesn’t know which door he went into. It’s fine.
[Cloud does not get a response. He just hears the sound of rustling trees and thunder.
Anyway, I'm not going to write out a whole thread of Jason going through this door, but presumably he explores the region as per the criteria. Do you think about how long Cloud must be waiting for him up on the penthouse floor? Wow.
But once Jason is complete, he exits back to the sixth floor like nothing happened. What now?
No, I'm kidding. Jason will find himself dropped into an unfamiliar room—if he looks back as this happens, he'll see a swirl of stardust and shadows, almost like a portal, before they fade. Also, there is an ornate door in front of him.
Meanwhile, if Cloud hasn't left the penthouse floor, he'll hear the sounds of rustling trees and thunder come to an end, and then a thud from the other side of the door.]
[ can you imagine i made cloud leave to go join jason at this point in time to get this thread EVEN LONGER
logically he would have but instead he sits there like an abandoned party member when you split up the group but you haven't gotten back to the other side yet because you're distracted by finding treasure chests. it's fine. he hears the thud and looks at the door warily ]
... ?
[ no he's not going to call out he doesn't meta know jason is there ]
[What a PAIN in his ASS! He really went through a lot to get here. Maybe it was only four minutes like the other one, so technically Cloud isn’t waiting that long.
Anyhow, he tries to open the ornate door in front of him. Or… unlock it and open it, idk if it has a lock that isn’t magic spooky hotel.]
[As Jason opens the door, he may also take a look at his surroundings. He's in... well, it's a penthouse! Very fancy, art deco-esque with high ceilings.
In the center of the room is a long table with drawers. Lining the table are luxurious couches; hanging above is a chandelier. On the wall opposite to the door is a wide window that would undoubtedly show a beautiful view in a normal hotel—this one, on the other hand, shows swirling shadows outside.
Various pieces of decor, such as paintings, vases, etc. add highlights to the room. Aside from the main table area, there are other chairs and tables scattered artistically around the room.
... There are also, like. A bunch of shadows swirling around the area. Some are shapeless masses, while some to be of more specific shapes.
Anyhow, that's for later. First, Jason opens the door without issue, now that he's on this side.
[ jason why are you on that side. why do you probably look like shit. he looks so tired. ]
... Never mind. [ he will get details Later. he's going to go inside now. he walks in and starts looking at the decor. what's depicted in the painting. tell me a story ]
[He looks like shit, but leans on the door frame in a very "welcome to MY penthouse" exaggerate way before moving to let Cloud come inside.] Door was open in the hallway downstairs, so I went in. [Cloud didn't ask, but he can explain a bit.
Zia gets the painting and I get...
...to make Jason check out the weird collection of shadows. Yay. I'm scared. Do they look like any people in particular...? He won't shine the flashlight on them......yet.]
[The painting Cloud looks at is probably, like, this one. Delightful.
Jason looks at the shadows! They don't look like people, but more like... words? Pretend that this is in zalgo text, I decided to spare your eyes but the sentiment is there.
... s excursion... the two becoming fiends will be killed by the clock spirit in self-defence... other two will wander lost through Time Channel and fail to make it in time... can kill at least two that way, perhaps even all of them...
To give one such example. There are, however, more words.
... ing meeting yesterday after execution, Lepus spent hours... ideas for the gift shop... why did they have a list of 100 items to explain to me...
And, most prominently:
It's almost time for the termination date. Almost half of them are dead by now, blocked from being able to check out at the Lobby. Not as many as I'd have liked, but still a worthy amount for mine to keep.]
[ it's important to note for the record that cloud threw such an annoyed look at jason posing. just. So Mad.
anyway, wow! these paintings suck. jason went to look at the shadow mass that is like, idk, the nightman's FUCKING diary, so i guess cloud will go look at the table drawers because he doesn't know yet that's what it is. ]
Is it me, or do these look like words?
[ like, just glancing at them from time to time. help. ]
Okay, well. He hates every bit of this. Especially the last part.] They are. [He might have joked when they walked in, but all the joking is gone from his voice.
He will read them out loud for Cloud as he also reads them, or what he can.]
Lepus is trying... [:\] ...Why does he need to keep whoever's dead? What does he even want them for?
[He'll look at more stupid Nightman diary shadows if he can, but if that's it, he'll look around the other table and chairs with the flashlight.]
... hotel acting bizarrely... well, hiccups were always going to... result of being semi-self-autonomous... recent ones must be side effect of trying to increase the danger levels...
Nothing stands out about the chairs and other table, other than that they are very nice.
As for Cloud, he opens the drawers! Inside are various papers, most of which are unreadable. However, eight stand out as being legible:]
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
Coveted information of "the fanatic" will be provided to assist the Employee in preventing the apocalypse and the downfall of humanity.
The résumé is quite impressive on this one. Four previous rounds including his role as a Director? Surely he'll understand what's at stake. Pretty pathetic he's still taking orders from that girl, but that could be used to my advantage if he acts up and wants to be a "big damn hero" so badly. Perhaps he can teach the others a thing or two about lying to guests' faces.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The Employee will be resurrected into a physical body and being, able to split the duties of his enduring contract with The Raven Queen while maintaining a physical presence within the realm of Exandria as well as its surrounding planes.
You know what they say about poaching good employees. Softer than I usually like, but it'll be worth the payout. I'll allow him to maintain his connection to the Raven Queen, but should he act out of line, I'll sever it: the Queen's bargain entails Vex'ahlia's life as hostage without me having to lift a finger. He'll do anything to ensure his connection stays afloat.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The revival of his ally Medusa.
For someone who comes across as well-adjusted, being a mass murdering supervillain since childhood is quite the history. I wonder when the guests will realize that any politeness of his is meaningless, for he'll always put his pseudo-Oedipus Complex first? He's rather used to abandoning his moral compass and ruining others' lives; if anything, I am a far more reasonable employer than his original boss.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The assured return and safety of Kay Faraday.
A stickler for rules and likely to keep the game on course. He's already willingly sacrificed many for his own gain to that creature. What's a few more? The previous Avatar of Greed will have to return to his roots should he wish for her safety. A bit too wordy, but she'll serve as a means to keep him from saying too much.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Miles Edgeworth, henceforth known as Gemini EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The Employee's younger sister, Saki Arisu, will be cured of the Labyrinth Disease and reunited safely with the Employee. The Employee's younger sister, Saki Arisu, will not be harmed and will be returned to the Employee's world in her current state as of this contract's signing. If he won't compromise his morals for his beloved sister's freedom, then he'll simply have to do so for her life.
Ruthless, uncaring, infuriating, and self-serving—or so goes the role I expect him to convince people of. Too much of a bleeding heart in reality, but he's used to killing his humanity, isn't he? After all, he's carried the weight of others' lives for long enough to understand well the price if he fails to do so.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The Employee will be granted the ability to travel backwards in time with the use of his blade Xin Mo, alongside its usual ability to rip holes into other universes and enter them at will.
Utterly cruel and calculating. The pickle jar torture method was inspired. Will be useful for creative torment of the psychological and physical of guests, and will manipulate their care for each other against them. A note to self: make sure housekeeping stocks his suite with a variety of sexual tools upon his arrival. Perhaps look into female companions as a reward for particularly inspired torture?
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Luo Binghe, henceforth known as Orion. EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The Employee will be permitted to devour half of those who will have been lost to the Nightman's custody per the terms of the contract, hostage and guest alike, without his son ever coming to know of it.
Vulgar and crude, but good for terrorizing the guests. I suppose I'll let him eat some of the dead ahead of time, while they are being held under his care - a shame to lose my playthings permanently, but the terror and despair the living guests feel when they hear about it and can no longer contact those he ate will be delicious. I won't have any need for additional incentive with him; he was all too eager to do this in exchange for the chance to eat without his son whining about it.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
COMPENSATION. In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The individual who had previously been known as Ladybug will be removed from the Employee's world and given into the Nightman's custody.
What a vindictive streak this one has at such a young age! I can hardly wait to see what she does to any guests who happen to displease her. She will be rather boring to watch while "befriending" them, but she is sure to use whatever she learns to turn them against each other. I will provide additional compensation for her for each person she manages to convince to act against another... so I suppose I had best get some prepared ahead of time.
SUMMARY. By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
[Well, he reads the last bit of words he gets to Cloud before turning around with his brows furrowed.]
The hotel is going off the rails. You think it's actually because of the increase for danger, or because it's being fucked with?
[He will come over to look at what Cloud has found. First of all!] Orca?! [HATE THIS. Second of all:]
...But we know they aren't these people, right? We've seen it, I mean. [Hm. He points at Aquarius's and Aquila's.] ...Were they players before and found a way to take these people's places so they can try to get out?
[He points at Lepus's.]
I don't know their name, but the memory I saw--they had seen their sister. I think it's the same person? No one took their place.
[Cloud can steal the papers. In the drawers are just more papers, but these aren't readable please we already wrote up on the entire player contract we weren't going to put that same effort in writing up another one.
As they talk, they might see bits of stardust flicker in the air.]
Bossman can suck my dic-- [STARDUST? THAT MEANS SHIT IS APPEARING OR DISAPPEARING?] Better put those bad boys in your pocket, blondie. We might be having to dip.
[He grabs Cloud by the arm and starts pushing Cloud around the table and toward the door. His other hand lifts the flashlight to shine it at the stardust. IS SOMETHING COMING...?]
Suddenly they'll find themselves being dropped through a portal of sorts, where they'll feel briefly as though they're falling, before they end up collapsing into the Lobby in a swirl of stardust and shadows. Bye!]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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but this time, they'll see something different. among all the floor buttons on the elevator, there's one more that rests at the top: a button that reads P.
presumably they press it or this would be a very short break-in if they were like nah let's go. the elevator creaks and takes them up, past the sixth floor, to one above it. then, the doors open to a hallway, with a single ornate door.
please reply to this tag with the methodology you all might use to try to get into the room, and we'll work from there!]
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pressing the button to penthouse only makes it gayer.
once the elevator stops cloud shares a look with jason before walking forward slowly, listening in case there are suspicious whispers. this is a little weird but sometimes, this is your second break in. ]
... Bat life make you any good at getting into places?
[ it's in a low tone. once they get to the door he's mostly looking to see if it's locked or if there's any sign it needs a key or if there's a welcome mat.
this is all plausible ]
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[GOD. He gets the flashlight out of his pocket because they may need it and also he might have to hand it to Cloud.]
I’ve got two good arms and two good legs at least. I can try busting it down if we can’t find a way in. […] Lup and I should’ve taken the lockpicks out of Aquila’s room. Shit.
[Also want to see if it’s a normal door. Maybe it has a label or plaque on it. Is there a peep hole? Imagine being watched. Or a lever on the side. No one would make it this easy, would they?]
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As the get close to the door, though, they can hear sounds coming from within. First, what sounds like various elements being blasted at each other: fire, water, earth, air. Then, it shifts to the sound of bugs and coyotes. Then, the sound of the beach. Then, forest animals. Then, rustling trees and thunder. There are also periods of silence in between, but overall, those are the sounds they'll hear if they listen for a while.]
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... Either it's a party in here, or someone left their random ruckus noise machine on. [ what the fuck? ] ... Wanna try knocking?
[ it's deadpan. it's that or breaking it down at this point so it's like... ??? ]
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He listens with Cloud at the door, his brows furrowing. Well, to be a smartass, he will knock on the door, sure. I don’t trust it. So he’ll knock.]
It sounds like… different places? Have you looked around? The new place. It has areas with different ecosystems. Desert, beach, things like that.
[Nudges Cloud with an elbow.]
Aren’t you the magic guy?
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[ he knows turning the handle is useless but he will try it anyway. ]
Too bad we don't have a magic key. [ this is a reference jason won't get. it's fine. maybe if they say please the door will open. quick anna make the open sesame reference i cannot ]
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Open sesame!
[Haha.
Wish he couldn’t talk now.]
Maybe we should splash water on it. Hey, blow on it.
[Air. Listen. Wait. He tries shining the flashlight on it…?]
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Jason shines his flashlight on the door! Suddenly, a burst of shadows swirls from the door, grabbing Jason's flashlight out of his hands and then sinking into the floor until it's gone, flashlight and all.
Hm. But if they listen closely, they might hear the sound of something flashlight-size hitting the floor below them.]
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Okay.
[ he sounds exhausted. i am not going back to the elevator though so he takes his keycard out of his pocket and tries to do that method of opening a door. wiggle the card in the crack. look. i don't know. ]
This is so stupid.
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HEY! My flashlight!
[NO. He paid a good ticket for that thing!!] Stay here. [He is going to get his flashlight, fuck off shadows.
me like did it get thrown away because it isn’t needed or is there something on the floor below idk we’re never getting in]
Try dancing in front of it. [He stops for a second.] I have a locket and a stun gun with one more charge. Think it’ll do anything?
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Is Jason going back in the elevator?]
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[ literally ?? ]
I've got the locket too, and this necklace I just bought, but that might be overkill. It summons thirteen beams of light. [ he tilts his head ] Maybe I can try using a fire spell on the door?
[ let me burn (haha) my locket. he is going to lightly kick it with his good leg while anna decides if jason goes back in the elevator ]
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Save the beams. All these shadows running around, we might need it to get rid of them. Or use it on “Night”man. The door didn’t like my flashlight though, that’s for sure.
Also, shut up! It’s electricity!
[Yeah, I’m stubborn. Jason will go down to check out the next floor in case and also get his flashlight.
Because if this door thinks he won’t shine it on there again to be an ass.]
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Jason goes down to the sixth floor, where his flashlight is lying sadly on the floor. Also, one of the random hallway doors is open...?]
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eats shit.
anyway a good thing jason didn't see this that would've been embarrassing. he's going to stand there and wait with his arms crossed for jason to come back "jason will not come back he is going in the room" wait >:/ ]
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He shouldn’t go in alone at all, but… He glances at the elevator, then the door. He doesn’t want Cloud to get hurt, and maybe someone needs to be at the other door for it to work.
He lifts the flashlight to shine it in front of him and goes to the door. Hello, spooky ghosts?]
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Looking into the door, Jason does not see spooky ghosts. He sees this room instead, as I copy and paste from the list:
9. You open the door and find yourself along an incline that rises higher and higher as you venture toward the mountains, walking upward and disappearing into the trees. The branches are steady beneath you and provide footholds to hoist yourself up with each step. These trees make for decent stepping stones to enter into the clouds where the air is fresh and a sharp wind blows continually. Looking back, you feel as though you ought to be able to see something from angle but the flurry of leaves and mist will distract you. The rumble of thunder can be heard from this high, and as the trees cluster together and you approach the mountains you'll come across a flat ravine between two peaks. A perfect funnel for gusts of air, this arena is often shrouded in clouds and provides its fighters with the element of surprise. You will have to thoroughly explore this region to find a door back to the hotel. Any injuries you sustain here will remain.]
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Any chance you'd let me in? [ dry. who is he talking to. look!! it worked for harrow!! ] Promise to turn all the lights off.
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Cloud… Mmph.]
I hate these fucking things.
[He goes through the door. Cloud will catch up. He leaves the door open, but I don’t trust Jan not to shut it so Cloud doesn’t know which door he went into. It’s fine.
Godspeed, Cloud!!]
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Anyway, I'm not going to write out a whole thread of Jason going through this door, but presumably he explores the region as per the criteria. Do you think about how long Cloud must be waiting for him up on the penthouse floor? Wow.
But once Jason is complete, he exits back to the sixth floor like nothing happened. What now?
No, I'm kidding. Jason will find himself dropped into an unfamiliar room—if he looks back as this happens, he'll see a swirl of stardust and shadows, almost like a portal, before they fade. Also, there is an ornate door in front of him.
Meanwhile, if Cloud hasn't left the penthouse floor, he'll hear the sounds of rustling trees and thunder come to an end, and then a thud from the other side of the door.]
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logically he would have but instead he sits there like an abandoned party member when you split up the group but you haven't gotten back to the other side yet because you're distracted by finding treasure chests. it's fine. he hears the thud and looks at the door warily ]
... ?
[ no he's not going to call out he doesn't meta know jason is there ]
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[What a PAIN in his ASS! He really went through a lot to get here. Maybe it was only four minutes like the other one, so technically Cloud isn’t waiting that long.
Anyhow, he tries to open the ornate door in front of him. Or… unlock it and open it, idk if it has a lock that isn’t magic spooky hotel.]
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In the center of the room is a long table with drawers. Lining the table are luxurious couches; hanging above is a chandelier. On the wall opposite to the door is a wide window that would undoubtedly show a beautiful view in a normal hotel—this one, on the other hand, shows swirling shadows outside.
Various pieces of decor, such as paintings, vases, etc. add highlights to the room. Aside from the main table area, there are other chairs and tables scattered artistically around the room.
... There are also, like. A bunch of shadows swirling around the area. Some are shapeless masses, while some to be of more specific shapes.
Anyhow, that's for later. First, Jason opens the door without issue, now that he's on this side.
Cloud is on the other side. Wow! your did it]
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??????????? DOOR OPEN???? ]
How the hell...?
[ jason why are you on that side. why do you probably look like shit. he looks so tired. ]
... Never mind. [ he will get details Later. he's going to go inside now. he walks in and starts looking at the decor. what's depicted in the painting. tell me a story ]
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Hey.
[He looks like shit, but leans on the door frame in a very "welcome to MY penthouse" exaggerate way before moving to let Cloud come inside.] Door was open in the hallway downstairs, so I went in. [Cloud didn't ask, but he can explain a bit.
Zia gets the painting and I get...
...to make Jason check out the weird collection of shadows. Yay. I'm scared. Do they look like any people in particular...? He won't shine the flashlight on them......yet.]
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Jason looks at the shadows! They don't look like people, but more like... words? Pretend that this is in zalgo text, I decided to spare your eyes but the sentiment is there.
... s excursion... the two becoming fiends will be killed by the clock spirit in self-defence... other two will wander lost through Time Channel and fail to make it in time... can kill at least two that way, perhaps even all of them...
To give one such example. There are, however, more words.
... ing meeting yesterday after execution, Lepus spent hours... ideas for the gift shop... why did they have a list of 100 items to explain to me...
And, most prominently:
It's almost time for the termination date. Almost half of them are dead by now, blocked from being able to check out at the Lobby. Not as many as I'd have liked, but still a worthy amount for mine to keep.]
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anyway, wow! these paintings suck. jason went to look at the shadow mass that is like, idk, the nightman's FUCKING diary, so i guess cloud will go look at the table drawers because he doesn't know yet that's what it is. ]
Is it me, or do these look like words?
[ like, just glancing at them from time to time. help. ]
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Okay, well. He hates every bit of this. Especially the last part.] They are. [He might have joked when they walked in, but all the joking is gone from his voice.
He will read them out loud for Cloud as he also reads them, or what he can.]
Lepus is trying... [:\] ...Why does he need to keep whoever's dead? What does he even want them for?
[He'll look at more stupid Nightman diary shadows if he can, but if that's it, he'll look around the other table and chairs with the flashlight.]
1/9
... hotel acting bizarrely... well, hiccups were always going to... result of being semi-self-autonomous... recent ones must be side effect of trying to increase the danger levels...
Nothing stands out about the chairs and other table, other than that they are very nice.
As for Cloud, he opens the drawers! Inside are various papers, most of which are unreadable. However, eight stand out as being legible:]
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
The résumé is quite impressive on this one. Four previous rounds including his role as a Director? Surely he'll understand what's at stake. Pretty pathetic he's still taking orders from that girl, but that could be used to my advantage if he acts up and wants to be a "big damn hero" so badly. Perhaps he can teach the others a thing or two about lying to guests' faces.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Junpei Tenmyouji, henceforth known as Aquarius
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
You know what they say about poaching good employees. Softer than I usually like, but it'll be worth the payout. I'll allow him to maintain his connection to the Raven Queen, but should he act out of line, I'll sever it: the Queen's bargain entails Vex'ahlia's life as hostage without me having to lift a finger. He'll do anything to ensure his connection stays afloat.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Vax'ildan Vessar, henceforth known as Aquila
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
For someone who comes across as well-adjusted, being a mass murdering supervillain since childhood is quite the history. I wonder when the guests will realize that any politeness of his is meaningless, for he'll always put his pseudo-Oedipus Complex first? He's rather used to abandoning his moral compass and ruining others' lives; if anything, I am a far more reasonable employer than his original boss.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Orca, henceforth known as Cetus
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
A stickler for rules and likely to keep the game on course. He's already willingly sacrificed many for his own gain to that creature. What's a few more? The previous Avatar of Greed will have to return to his roots should he wish for her safety. A bit too wordy, but she'll serve as a means to keep him from saying too much.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Miles Edgeworth, henceforth known as Gemini
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
Ruthless, uncaring, infuriating, and self-serving—or so goes the role I expect him to convince people of. Too much of a bleeding heart in reality, but he's used to killing his humanity, isn't he? After all, he's carried the weight of others' lives for long enough to understand well the price if he fails to do so.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Shinnosuke Arisu, henceforth known as Lepus
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
Utterly cruel and calculating. The pickle jar torture method was inspired. Will be useful for creative torment of the psychological and physical of guests, and will manipulate their care for each other against them. A note to self: make sure housekeeping stocks his suite with a variety of sexual tools upon his arrival. Perhaps look into female companions as a reward for particularly inspired torture?
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Luo Binghe, henceforth known as Orion.
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
Vulgar and crude, but good for terrorizing the guests. I suppose I'll let him eat some of the dead ahead of time, while they are being held under his care - a shame to lose my playthings permanently, but the terror and despair the living guests feel when they hear about it and can no longer contact those he ate will be delicious. I won't have any need for additional incentive with him; he was all too eager to do this in exchange for the chance to eat without his son whining about it.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Qi Rong, henceforth known as Virgo
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
done as i pray i can count
In exchange for performing the aforementioned duties, the Employee will receive the following at the end of their employment period:
What a vindictive streak this one has at such a young age! I can hardly wait to see what she does to any guests who happen to displease her. She will be rather boring to watch while "befriending" them, but she is sure to use whatever she learns to turn them against each other. I will provide additional compensation for her for each person she manages to convince to act against another... so I suppose I had best get some prepared ahead of time.
SUMMARY.
By this contract, the Employee agrees to run the hotel on the behalf of the Employer and to oversee and facilitate the entertainment to be provided by the guests of the hotel.
This agreement is binding, and failure to meet its terms will result in the termination of the Employee's employment and result in the permanent loss of their listed compensation.
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: Lila Rossi, henceforth known as Vulpecula
EMPLOYER SIGNATURE: ̷͒͝ ̸͆͝ ̶̄͝ ̷̿͊ ̶̄̒ ̵͋͛ ̵̟̐ ̷̎̆ ̶̖̈́ ̸̻͛ ̷̿͝ ̸̠̀
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okay well jason read the nightman words outloud, which was bad enough, but. this. is something else. ]
... Take a look at this. Might have your answer.
[ not to be cliche but! y'know. can we steal these. he is going to steal these. is there anything else in the drawers or was it just these papers ]
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The hotel is going off the rails. You think it's actually because of the increase for danger, or because it's being fucked with?
[He will come over to look at what Cloud has found. First of all!] Orca?! [HATE THIS. Second of all:]
...But we know they aren't these people, right? We've seen it, I mean. [Hm. He points at Aquarius's and Aquila's.] ...Were they players before and found a way to take these people's places so they can try to get out?
[He points at Lepus's.]
I don't know their name, but the memory I saw--they had seen their sister. I think it's the same person? No one took their place.
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As they talk, they might see bits of stardust flicker in the air.]
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Later. I don't want to discuss too much inside the boss's own room.
[ it's only mild paranoia. and. hmm. the stardust flickering in suddenly is also not reassuring ]
Jay?
[ do you see the stardust too or is cloud hallucinating ]
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[He grabs Cloud by the arm and starts pushing Cloud around the table and toward the door. His other hand lifts the flashlight to shine it at the stardust. IS SOMETHING COMING...?]
Go.
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Suddenly they'll find themselves being dropped through a portal of sorts, where they'll feel briefly as though they're falling, before they end up collapsing into the Lobby in a swirl of stardust and shadows. Bye!]