You can check out anytime you'd like.. [Hotel Corona Mingle]

[thespaceopera]

Who: The Fleet!
Broadcast: If you want
Action: Hotel Corona or Planet Ikke
When: December 7th onward



[After the mystery and isolation of their last destination, the Marsiva seems determined to head to brighter, busier territory. After a long journey through remote, nebula-painted space, speeding along at a brisk pace for the Host ship, the Marsiva brings her Fleet to a sudden and prominent point of traffic.

It seems that the Fleet has happened upon some sort of vacation destination! Maybe Atroma thinks that the passengers deserve some rest and relaxation... or just wants to distract them with something huge and shiny.

Welcome to Hotel Corona! Feel free to enjoy yourselves and enjoy the sites! If a hotel resort isn't your thing, you can head on over to the nearby planet and explore it's icy wonders.

In order words: it's a mingle!! Everyone get in! ]

[>> Plot Post]

Comments

B!!

[stefanged]

Of course.

[Good thing Stefan's awake at stupid o'clock, huh?

He steps aside, motioning for Kirito to come inside. His theme room, unsurprisingly, is set up like a library: bookshelves with prop books (and some real, old and worn books) stacked up high and wide, comfortable leather couches by a fake fireplace, and even a large bed with another bookshelf on top.

(For an extra fee, of course, he can even take some of these books home! Corona's staff thought of everything.)

Reaching into one of the closets, he brings out some snacks he'd purchased from the shopping district.]

Let me guess: your theme was weird even for this place?

[huaaaaagh]

[Kirito wearily drags himself into the room, nudging the door shut behind himself. Thank goodness Stefan's a nighthawk; he doesn't have to feel quite so guilty about showing up at this ungodly hour.]

Yeah, it... whoa.

[His response is derailed as soon as he gets a better look a the room. IS THERE NO JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD.]

What the hell, this room looks awesome!

[stefanged]

It was also crazy expensive, on account of all the books I could theoretically steal.

[Stefan rolls his eyes, pouring the snacks into a paper, disposable bowl for him.]

Nevermind that half of them are fake, a fourth of them are disguised attempts at advertising the hotel, and the other fourth are so-bad-they're-good. [beat] I think a couple were legit, though.

[huaaaaagh]

Ugh, still. Serves me right for trying to budget.

[Maybe he can bribe Stefan to committing to a roommate dealio. He can be quiet, promise!

He will help himself to some of the snacks, though. Nothing wakes him up better than that.]

[stefanged]

Maybe, but I also don't need to eat or sleep or... you know, spend my money on normal human things.

[If anything, that might be an argument for Stefan to budget. He certainly doesn't need that giant bed.

Go for it, bro: the packaging is standard space-weird, but it's a delicious assortment of vegetable chips, seasoned pretzels, and maybe some strange outer space varieties of nuts. Stefan's a snob about his food, after all.]

[huaaaaagh]

Lucky.

[Well, in a way. The trade-off of immortality and eternal youth is so-so, but the eating-blood part isn't great.]

My room was really... festive. Like it was decorated for the holiday, you know? All red and white and green...

[Which is already like, NAH, considering his feelings on Christmas.]

This one side was covered in little plush dolls you find in toy stores that sing when you squeeze them. I swear to god I never touched a single one of them, but at midnight on the dot they start singing carols. And they will. Not. Stop.

[stefanged]

What.

[It would've been one thing if Kirito had willingly chosen that theme, but the budget roulette was no guarantee. If it weren't stupid o'clock, he would've reached for his jacket and marched down to the lobby too.]

Okay, you're staying here until we get this sorted out. I'm pretty sure that would fall under "cruel and unusual punishment," or at least a noise violation.

[huaaaaagh]

[The relief on Kirito's face is obvious, and he tucks the blanket more closely around himself, shoulders slumping comfortably.]

You're a true hero, Stefan. I mean, technically I could've gone back to the Paisley, but...

[The hotel blankets are actually more comfortable.]

[stefanged]

No way. We're at a hotel - you should stay and enjoy the place as long as you can.

[Especially since it's one of their nicer stops. He pauses, making a mental note at Kirito's blanket.]

I'll see if I can persuade the clerk into giving you a different room.

[huaaaaagh]

Well, it's a roulette. It'll probably be different tomorrow, and I'll check it earlier than, uh, 3AM next time.

[Really it's his own fault.]

[stefanged]

That would do it.

[The night shift clerks tended to be the more apathetic ones, too. Not that Stefan could blame them.]

We just uh, have to make sure the odds are more in your favor.

[huaaaaagh]

Or I could cough up the cash for a fancier room. It's not like I'm poor.

[He does blow most of his budget on upgrades and engineering parts, but he has a buffer fund for emergencies. He just has to be creative with what he defines as "emergency".]

[stefanged]

It would be easier than talking my way through the transaction...

[He's not denying it either. If the bro has a buffer fund, this seems like the time and the place to use it. Lest he ends up in the pretty pretty princess room next.]

[huaaaaagh]

Yeah, I'll worry about that in the morning. ...If your charisma stat is high enough to negotiate me a better price, though, I wouldn't refuse.

[stefanged]

Well.... as long as I'm not talking to a member of the Fleet, it's got a 95% success rate.

[At this point, he's not sure who's human and who isn't, and he'd rather not find out via botched attempts at compulsion.]

[huaaaaagh]

That's... impressive, actually. Is that a vampire perk?

[Some class perks are kind of hax but you can't fault someone for having them, really.]

[stefanged]

Basically. It's weaker over here, though I haven't tried to use it for anything beyond negotiations or, uh, getting people to leave.

[huaaaaagh]

Convenient. I wonder why it doesn't work with the fleet people. Augment, maybe?

[Admittedly a good thing, since it would be morally not great to be mind-zapping your neighbours.]

[stefanged]

Possibly. I wouldn't be surprised if those were protecting everyone from compulsion.

[If another vampire from his world decides to risk it, Stefan'll learn from their missteps - but yeah, ethically, he isn't interested in the answer.]

[huaaaaagh]

Well, I wouldn't worry about it. More than anything else, money talks. If I pay for a legitimate room, that's what I'll get. It's not like I've pissed anyone off in admin.

[Though he could totally understand getting stuck with a bad room in roulette if he had, chances are it's just his lousy luck stat as usual.]

[stefanged]

I'd sure hope not. Then we'd really have to find out if I've got a 95% success rate.

[He pauses, turning towards the couches.]

I think one of 'em becomes a sofa bed. If not, the bed's big enough to share.

[huaaaaagh]

Ahh, you don't need to do that. If it doesn't pull out I'm totally fine with the couch. The atmosphere alone makes this room better than what I've got.

[He likes you, Stefan, but he doesn't want to accidentally cuddle you while sleeping.]

[stefanged]

Fair enough, but I also don't need the sleep, so. I'll switch for tonight and finish some of the books in my backlog.

[Turns out, immortality can also make someone a really, really bad procrastinator. His to-read list is ridiculous - even more so now that he's sleeping in an actual library.]

[huaaaaagh]

Geez, you're gonna make me feel guilty about kicking you out of your own bed. I was fine with the floor, you know.

[stefanged]

[His lips twitch a little with amusement.] Yeah, but I wouldn't be. It's a Jordanian thing.

If you're seriously taking the couch, we can at least get it ready.

[He goes ahead and inspects one of the couches, poking at it until he figures out how to pull out a sofa bed! Won't be the most comfortable, he realizes, but it'll do until the next morning.]