[Midnight Hotel] July catch-alll

[gistful]

Characters: Anyone, everyone.
Date: Month of JULY, 2016.
Location: The Midnight Hotel.
Situation: Catch-all post! Feel free to use this post for anything that happens within the Midnight Hotel during the month, using the subject header to label specific rooms or for specific people. See also the OOC note at the bottom.
Warnings/Rating: Mark your threads if content warnings become applicable, please!

Though the attack on Anton and Jintou occurred outside of the Hotel, its effects can nevertheless be seen on the Hotel’s runnings during July. Jintou is absent, in the first place, though Anton keeps his room in the event he’s found.

For the last few days of June and the first couple days of July Anton is preoccupied with rebuilding the shops he damaged in his attempt to stop Jintou from being taken, and therefore a good deal of the Hotel’s daily running is in the hands of his staff and a handful of trusted ex-gang kedan.

Within the first few days of the month Anton’s health takes a nosedive. Though the chronic condition discovered by Raine and Tony wasn’t previously active, the poisoning attempt apparently changed that and for the rest of this month Anton is under enforced bed-rest—or if not bed-rest then an enforced holiday. For that reason, any and all offers to help out with maintenance, cleaning, cooking, accounting and other daily chores at the Hotel will be welcomed.

Provided, that is, that no one minds the Hotel proprietor hovering over their shoulders—when he isn’t being sat on by a giant wolf to make sure he doesn’t overtax himself.

Hotel rules are, obviously, still in effect.

[ooc: The Midnight Hotel’s status page is available here, with the rules at the top and ongoing status at the bottom. PLEASE POST TO THE STATUS PAGE IF YOUR CHARACTER WOULD LIKE A ROOM, JOB OR AREA IN THE GARAGE, OR ARE MOVING OUT. Anton will manufacture means of payment until Foreigners are able to properly offer recompense or choose to move out.]

Comments

[radiantwingedone]

A hint that the kitten isn't quite normal, perhaps, but Duke just accepts that particularly loud purr as maybe the cat will be a particularly large one when full grown.

"Cats do tend to do that." He'll keep absently petting the kitten, but half turns so that Dove is part of the conversation. "His name?" Or the kitten can answer, either works.

[phoenixstrut]

"Mm, especially this one, despite his purpose in life," she laughs softly, moving to kneel opposite of Duke as he gets acquainted. "His name is Era... he's a spirit animal, from home."

And he's so very content just to continue soaking up the attention, just like his master. He'll be rolling onto his back, not unlike a dog, so Duke can pet his belly next.

[radiantwingedone]

"That isn't the use of 'spirit' I am familiar with. Unless he is elementally aligned, formed of mana or some other magic particle?"

Usually the offer of a belly for petting a cat is half a promise of pain, but Duke is usually in animal's good graces, and he's feeling vaguely confident that 'spirit animal' might mean that some of the more painful cat tendencies won't carry over.

Era gets his belly scratches.

[phoenixstrut]

She smiles understandingly. Different worlds continue to interest her. She does, however, tilt her head at 'mana'. "Mana...? Like... the bread?"

Era is happy happy and will be pawing playfully at Duke's hand as he continues to purr.

"Most people aren't familiar... Actually, for the humans in my worlds, they're more just a...novel idea, at best." She grins down at the little kitten. "This one's actually a phoenix-- a trademark of my family."

[radiantwingedone]

"... I have not heard of this bread." But it would be confusing. More confusing than aer and air, probably. You don't eat either of them. "It is the name of the basic power of life to my world, or rather what that basic power has become. It can be harnessed into magic, and is how Spirits are formed. A mind and an element to rule over."

Duke doesn't pause in his gentle belly scratches. He doesn't feel any claws, so there's no reason to stop.

Ah, another thing he isn't familiar with. "Do they have something to do with fire? I know of a combat arte that is titled with 'phoenix', and it it involves flame, but that is the only thing familiar to me using that word."

[phoenixstrut]

She continues to watch, intrigued by his description. "Huh...That's cool," she admits, deciding right then isn't the time or place to get into the deeper meanings. It does strike a memory though--something historical she's learned in her past.

Era finally just flops and relaxes, purring very, very loudly now, but quieting a little and blinking at Dove when she reaches forward to gently tap his head with her fingertip.

She smiles proudly at Duke's question. "Yes, actually. My bloodline is blessed with the Gift of fire, so... it's fitting. He can't use fire, but he sort of...turns into it sometimes. Only when he's changing forms though." A combat art. Magic fighting skills. Martial arts? "... a phoenix is a bird. A big...magical...bird..." she furthers carefully, just in case.

[radiantwingedone]

There's a flicker of amusement to break up the bland expression on his face. Sure, 'cool'. Avoiding the details about how aer can kill you, definitely 'cool'...

... This kitten is very loud, and apparently is a shape-changer. Didn't get the right set of vocal cords? Oh well, he's still petting away.

"We don't have them. Firebirds, firebats, yes, named things as phoenixes..." A rustly shoulder hitch of a shrug. "There's an attack that wreathes the user in flame, a little like wings, with phoenix in the title. I didn't want to make an assumption."