it's getting hot in here

[happyheartsstaff]

SO (PLEASE DON'T) TAKE OFF ALL YOUR CLOTHES

Days are almost meaningless, here in Wonderland. With the eternal twilight outside the windows and many of the hotel's amenities open around the clock, it can be hard to keep track, can't it? But you must sleep, or at least return to your room, some time. It's on one of these times that you may begin to notice a faint sound coming from inside the walls. Or is it the ceiling? The floor? Something that sounds like scratching, or tapping, or the strained whir of machinery. Then it fades away. Whether it's moving on to another room or stopping entirely, it's hard to tell.

After a few nights, or days, of this happening, it suddenly stops. There's a brief period of peace, and perhaps you even get some rest. Then there's a series of thumps, sharp clicks and a loud stuttering sound that signals the hotel's air conditioning unit giving out.

At first it's not so bad. It's dark out, right, how hot can it really be outside? The air itself still seems to be circulating, albeit more slowly, but it's enough that you can breathe. But the heat seems to keep building, and building, the air hanging heavy and thick and leaving a lingering feeling that it's pressing down on you. Even sitting still no longer becomes enough to ease the suffocating heat.

The staff don't know what's happened to the air conditioner, when you ask. "Oh, that finicky thing", they say, as if it's a minor inconvenience. They assure you that the Queen's mechanics will have it fixed in no time — they always do. In the meantime, can they interest you in a refreshing iced tea? Perhaps a dip in the pool?

Is it your imagination, or do a few of the staff seem a little uncertain as they try to brush off your questions? A little less confident than they always have been before? Whatever their demeanor, it seems they still have no answers to give. The astute may notice that after a conversation with one of these staff, they can't seem to be found again.

As if that weren't enough, the scratching in the walls starts up again. With the oppressive heat, the rising tension and frayed nerves, is it any wonder that the staff might seem more apprehensive?

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT 06/11 - 06/13

Sleeping is probably hard enough, in a hotel where the activity never seems to cease. At least it's generally quiet in the upper floors, at least Oysters can turn out the lights in their own room and find some peace.

...usually, anyway.

At first it's only the faintest sounds, something only noticeable to those who sleep lightly. The staff, if asked, don't acknowledge hearing anything and seem politely concerned about anything disturbing the rest of their guests. Oysters may be offered ear plugs, or a device to listen to music, or a trip to the spa for relaxation.

Then it grows in both volume and frequency, disturbing even the heaviest of sleepers at night. Some staff still say they haven't heard anything, other staff acknowledge the sounds but brush them off, unconcerned. Every building has its quirks, after all! There does seem to be an increase in staff milling about, however, making it difficult for those who may want to look into things without being seen.

CLICK CLICK... THUMP

06/14 - 06/21

The fourth day of the event begins with a short period of blissful silence, quickly ruined by a loud, persistent clicking sound, audible in all parts of the hotel... And then an even louder THUMP as the air conditioning unit gives out.

At first, it's not terrible — the air is still circulating, and while the heat is uncomfortable it's not unbearable. As time goes on, though, the heat builds and builds, until not even staying in place will provide any relief.

The staff profess ignorance to whatever happened to the air conditioner, if asked — some more convincingly than others. They all offer iced teas for relief, and suggest a dip in the Pool of Tears, though those who seem uncertain when answering any questions will try to leave the conversation faster, and won't be easily found again.

While the iced teas are incredibly effective at helping to beat the heat, they once again seem to offer some strange effects — enough glasses, and Oysters will be overcome either with anger and irritation, or a sense of serene calm. Any little thing could set off an Oyster who's been affected by the anger-inducing tea; an Oyster who drank the calming tea is utterly unflappable. These effects persist for just as long as it takes for the cooling effects to wear off, at which point Oysters are left with a choice — deal with the heat, or take their chances with another tea?

And to top it all off, the scratching noise in the walls has started up again. The few staff remaining at this point are as unhelpful as ever, but they don't have the same infuriating calm to their answers — but who could blame them being a little nervous?

QUEEN'S ADDRESS

06/21

And finally, the tenth day brings relief in the form of a loud shuddering sound, and then the quiet whoosh of a working air conditioner. Over the course of the day, the Hotel gets progressively cooler, until it is once again at the comfortable, cool temperature Oysters had grown used to in their first month here in the Hotel.

It also brings an address from the Queen.

"Oh, my curious Oysters, when you try to play with that which you don't understand, you break things! Not to fear, all has been set to rights now that our dear Dormouse has fixed what some careless guest disrupted. If you wanted to play games, you should have simply said! I have a dear companion for you who is so eager to join in the fun."

The Queen will not respond to any messages sent back to her.

If you have any questions, please direct them to the OOC post here. RNG results for the off limits areas will be going out tomorrow, so if anyone would still like to sign up for those that hasn't yet please do so tonight!

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© tessisamess

Comments

[stargazed]

A little of both. It's, ah... [She pauses, brow furrowing slightly with thought. A lot of the terminology surrounding what she does is fairly specific to her world, so she takes a moment to consider how to describe it outside of that context. It's not something she's really had to think about before now.]

In the last few years, a strange condition appeared in the part of the galaxy I live in. You could call it like a disease, but it can stay hidden until something sets it off, and it makes people uncontrollably violent and very difficult to stop. Outbreaks of it are usually wide-scale, so imagine a city where a fraction of the population suddenly becomes murderous, and then add to that the fact that it's not uncommon for it to affect military bases or armed troops. My voice, and those of the others I sing with, have a certain quality that interferes with that condition and can return people affected by it to normal or protect unaffected people from having it activate.

[In other words, they calm things down so nobody ends up dead from the weird outbreaks. In an ideal situation, at least, and they've had plenty of ones that weren't ideal.]

[billowing]

I see.

[ In that case, he's glad that other places have the sort of calming quality that he thought was unique to the Lan Sect magic. ]

I would like to hear your music sometime.

[ If possible, and if she's willing. They both might have something to learn! ]

[stargazed]

I could sing you something acapella, though the song that comes to mind first is definitely more of the melancholy kind.

[It's been some time, but she still remembers standing in the waters of Ragna, watching the body of a comrade be passed back to the waves to be reborn as the glowing jellyfish that dot those waters. Singing a final farewell of sorts to someone who had chosen to return to a place he knew likely meant death.

Her expression doesn't change much, but for a slightly nostalgic air creeping into it.] Of course, I practice in my room every day as well, so perhaps I should leave my door open sometimes.

[billowing]

Whichever would be more comfortable for you.

[ He doesn't play for an audience - he has no qualms about it, but understands if people don't wish to share. ]

I suppose it would have been too much to ask for a place to practice.

[ Which is why he's always just in an empty hall. ]

[stargazed]

I don't mind singing here. I'm used to performing just about anywhere, so I've never been particularly private about music.

[She can understand why some people might want a space to refine things or work on something themselves, it was just never something she felt was necessary for music in particular. Being alone to think is useful to her, but not so much for performing.]

I did at least get a small area of my room that functions as a dance studio, which I suppose is all I really need. Perhaps they were having trouble filling the space.

[There's a dry amusement to her tone there. She doesn't have much that could be put into personalising a room.]

[billowing]

It seems they have put much effort into making our rooms comfortable.

[ Honestly he just finds it creepy. Because they got all the details right in his room, which means they must've studied it.

He wonders if it's the same for her. ]

It is invasive.

[ He doesn't want to say much more than that, in case anyone's spying on them. ]

[stargazed]

I've noticed, though I can't say it was all that much to talk about on my end. [Apparently not particularly knowing her own wants for housing meant they didn't have much to work on but the love of music and performance space.] It does make me wonder how we were handled before actually arriving here, though. Maybe they pulled details then.

[There was plenty of space between being taken from their worlds to waking up here, she thinks, that they could have used to their advantage. And while Mikumo does wonder about spying, she feels it's not unexpected that they'd at least talk about the exact circumstances of their coming here.]

[billowing]

I doubt they will tell us.

[ Though he is clearly curious about it, and he does want to know. He'd like to figure it out himself, but... he is paranoid that they're being watched. Especially with their memories having been read like that. ]

You don't know anyone here with the power to do that, do you?

[stargazed]

[Mikumo's mouth tugs in a way that's something like a grimace, though without much feeling behind it, as if thinking of an inconvenience.] Those unusual teas they left some of us last month - the power I gained from let me pick up on surface-level thoughts, but I'm unsure whose power it was initially. If it could do anything deeper than the surface, it could have potential, but I'd need to ask the person whose power it was in the first place, because it certainly didn't come intuitively.

[So she'd need to actually have some idea of how the power worked to access that part of it if it existed, she feels.]

[billowing]

[ That is a terrifying thought.

After all, this entire time he'd been concerned that they would only have to watch what they said.

But to watch what they even thought? ]

There cannot be that many of us to ask.

[ But there could be those who don't want to divulge such information for their own safety. ]

[stargazed]

No, there doesn't seem to be many more than a dozen of us at the moment. I haven't met everyone just yet, but the fact that I only have vague knowledge of what the power does might make it a bit harder to pin down whose it is.

[It's entirely possible it could be intended to do something else and she's just tuned into one particular effect of it out of ignorance, since she never really figured out how to turn it off. And it's plausible more than one person could have scraping surface memories as part of their powers.] I'll try asking around at some point, though. No sense in not even trying.

[billowing]

[ He doesn't have to explain that it could be dangerous, if she thinks that there might be powers around to read other people's thoughts. But even so, he says: ]

Be careful.

[ There's a lot of gravity in that one statement. He doesn't have a lot of words. But he seems genuinely concerned. ]

[stargazed]

I will. I may have to find a more subtle way to ask, but it wouldn't be the first time.

[One finger taps the tip of her thumbnail almost thoughtfully. They didn't remove her hidden computer when she got here, but that could be as much because they didn't deem it a thread as not having seen it. It is, at least, a possible alternative besides the Empathies to not speak a message.]

For now, I suppose I'd best focus on what's happening right at the moment. [How long the heat situation lasts and if it's going to get worse before it gets better.]

[billowing]

Mm. I don't know how hot it can get in this climate.

[ But... there's not even sun outside, as if the whole thing is suspended in time. So.

He wonders if perhaps it might get even hotter, if there was.

That's worrisome. ]

If you would like, I can find you a fan.

[stargazed]

[Mikumo's brows draw a bit at that, as if that's a nicety she's not used to being offered. On one hand, she's widely known in her world, but on the other she's technically military and while her life isn't as spartan as it could be, they'd usually just bear through something like this.

Still, she supposes it can't hurt.] If you can find one, it would be helpful. I'm loathe to trust any solutions they might give us.

[Considering last month, she's not particularly inclined to trust them on anything, really.] If there's anything I can help you with in return, let me know.

[billowing]

Mm.

[ Surely they can find some paper or manner of flat surface to wave at themselves. He will just bookmark one for Mikumo. ]

I will let you know.

[ About which part, he doesn't say. ]

[stargazed]

[It's better than nothing, at least. And better than whatever she imagines they're going to be pointed towards using as a solution for this.]

In the meantime, I'll see if I can find any sign of what caused this problem in the first place, since the staff don't seem to know either. Not that I imagine I'll find much in the obvious places.

[There's something wry about her tone there, an unfortunate awareness of the position they're in.]