week 1 curfew - concierge

[unrecked]

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[shaft]

[ Claude is lying on his back on the desk. Also, his wyvern is here, sitting politely on the chair. ]

I wonder why we're spending the night here.

[highestheim]

[ as he's collecting brochures based on the various murder settings of days past: ]

Better here than the bottom of a trash chute?

[shaft]

[ you're so diligent hope ]

Was that an option?

[highestheim]

I wouldn't be surprised if some people decided to stay in the housekeeping room tonight, actually. Hua Cheng and I might have inspired them.

[unrecked]

[Looks away in the distance.]

[highestheim]

I'm surprised you didn't end up there with Tsurumaru and Sheila.

[unrecked]

Had plans to be there, but changed my mind.

[highestheim]

You and Emet-Selch both, apparently. [ beat ] That you both had different plans, not that he planned to stay in the closet, too.

[unrecked]

I got it.

[He glances over finally.]

Decided against it after about seven people came back from unexpectedly wild adventures.

[highestheim]

...I don't blame you.

I noticed earlier—Thursday night excursion returns are new to you?

[unrecked]

[The exhale through his nose sounds like a sigh.]

Yeah. They are.

[highestheim]

[ a neutral, acknowledging nod ]

It shouldn't be a surprise that not every group's experience has been uniform... but that one does seem to be one that reoccurs more consistently. Unfortunately, if the trend continues, we should expect this to happen every week. One or two groups, each consisting of anywhere from three to five participants.

[unrecked]

[jason, looking at hope: this guy feels tim adjacent]

Great. [It doesn't seem like it bothers him so much as it's really annoying.] As if the rest of everything isn't bad enough, sure.

Well, apparently the staff can put a band-aid on it, so maybe we don't have to worry.

[Does he believe this? Clearly, no.]

[highestheim]

[ you can just say nerd its ok he wont be offended ]

That, at least, is also common. Of course, no amount of first aid or healing can fully undo the pain and trauma the participants experienced... but it's better than nothing.

[unrecked]

[nerd (affectionate)]

Honestly? I'd rather have the broken bones and stabbing than the latter, but that's just me. We really shouldn't rely so heavily on the staff for things like that. They're not helping us because they care, they're helping us because they've got a game to keep running.

[highestheim]

[ ...places a hand on his hip ]

We don't know their circumstances. They could also be "participants" in a different way.

[unrecked]

[He raises one brow at the hip hand.]

They probably are. Doesn't change the fact that if they don't want to breach their own contract, they're here to keep things running, not to make friends.

Just ask them. They'll tell you the same thing.

[shaft]

[ looks directly at Jason ]

And I thought here was bad. Imagine sleeping in a closet.

[unrecked]

[He's still very much looking away.]

[shaft]

[ punk ]

[highestheim]

We might have if we didn't leave when we did. Something very nearly trapped Hua Cheng and I in there.

[shaft]

From the other side of the door? What did it sound like?

[highestheim]

There weren't any sounds—it was all our shadows. When the lights started to flicker, the movement of our shadows began to grow erratic, and we had the distinct feeling of being watched by something.

[shaft]

So your shadows were caging you in?

[highestheim]

It seemed like they were about to, yes.