[Midnight Hotel] May catch-all

[gistful]

Characters: Anyone, everyone.
Date: Month of MAY, 2016 (2017 in-game).
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!

The overtone in the Hotel this month is rather melancholy. Anton is back on full-time duty with his usual courtesy after the visitors have left, though he rarely smiles, unless looking at some particular pictures. There have been a few other notable changes.

For one thing, Anton will not wear his usual funeral-director’s suit this whole month. He will, in fact, wear colour. For the most part he wears a three-piece suit of understated purple, accompanied by various complementary shades in shirts and waistcoats. (It was a gift.) Occasionally he breaks out, grudgingly, a kedanese variant of a traditional three-piece suit, though admittedly still dark in tones.

For another thing, the tablet at the desk which habitually chimes with a perky voice is gone, but there are a multiple of photographs pinned to various places at reception (to say nothing of his private office). All of these photographs are of the same group of eight men—Anton included, as well as Erskine Ravel and Skulduggery Pleasant—in various states of handymanship, craftsmanship, and physical labour as they renovate a building (in various states of completion). None of the images are posed, and some of them have an air of wistful uncertainty, but others an air of unthinking camaraderie, where the laughter is free.

The third and possibly most noticeable change is that the resident janitorial cleaning faery, Erskine, has apparently moved out. It is for that reason that Anton is regularly not available in the late evenings, since someone has to check up on Erskine now he’s living on his own.

Other than that, the actual Hotel’s workings remain as normal. The restaurant begun in April is continuing with reasonable popularity, running a little more smoothly than it did in the beginning. There is slight tension in the kitchen, as some of the kedanese cooks work out the hierarchy, but it never reaches a point where Anton has to step in. Still, there are some jaundiced glares being thrown around the kitchen and dining hall.

Meanwhile, the sleeping-bags are packed up and stowed away, and the commons are returned to their usual states after having been appropriated for the giant slumber-party.

[ooc: The Midnight Hotel’s status page is available here, with the rules at the top. 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

[generalginger]

Hux kept his gaze trained on the view outside of the window as he listened to Ren. It was easier this way. He was trying to be amicable and non-confrontational with Ren now, and this was one of the few ways he could manage it. Looking at Kylo Ren for extended periods of time inevitably led to agitation, which was unfortunately was not on the warning label when the younger man was deposited on his ship some time ago.

He nodded in acknowledgement and frowned as he thought about their situation. "I do realise the transmission I made earlier was potentially reckless. The reaction from those who responded was enlightening, but if it is as you say, it wouldn't have mattered if I had tread more carefully."

Two things were important here: first, it was a surefire way easily draw potential enemies out. Hux was more interested to see what would come from those who hadn't immediately jumped in to debate or attempt to ridicule him. Second, the phrasing indicated that he had Ren's back. At least, to the same extent as before either of them arrived here.

He kind of hated Ren, but he was the only person that Hux respected and (mostly) trusted. Sometimes.

Finally, he looked back at Ren. "I want to know who's here and what you know about them."

[no_light]

This was easily the most companionable they had been since the mess with Jakku and the map started, and Kylo would be lying if he said that it wasn't a relief. Here in this bizarre place, new unpredictable dangers lurked behind every corner, and ever since he first stepped foot in this place, he had been on his own.

It was a relief to finally have someone slightly more likely to watch his back than stab it. At least for now, until doing otherwise became convenient to them, but for now there was nothing to be gained by alienating the only ally you had.

Now if only Hux could keep from irritating for him two minutes...

"It would have mattered little, though you might have been able to learn more by disassociating yourself from me." He frowned. "Actually, you might have made it worse, if anybody was reminded of the Empire by your speech. None of them has directly confronted me with the First Order's politics, or with the... steps we took." He sighed heavily, tugging at his hair. "But it hardly makes a difference, since the scavenger is here. She'll tell the full story soon enough, and ruin whatever standing we could gain with them."

Ren shook his head. "So there goes that. As for the ones I have encountered, I have met... two, three... four other Jedi. They're from the past. Old Republic, or Imperial. As well as a senator. Rey is the only one from our time that was careless enough to show herself on the network, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more." And he's so not keen to tell Hux that quite a few of these people are his family.

[generalginger]

It had been a long time since they hadn't been at each other's throats, and it made the situation now strange to work through. Hux learned to compartmentalise from a young age, though, and it was necessary to bottle up his continued irritation with Ren to be able to focus on their present task.

Hux didn't know how to relax or sit idly. Even if there was nothing he could do about his being here, he had to do something. If he couldn't reconsolidate First Order resources and draw up new plans on his ship, he could occupy his time trying to do something here. This place obviously needs their help, whether the residents see that or not.

At the mention of the Empire and First Order, Hux gave Ren a look. "Let them be reminded. We're not the ones on the wrong side of history, Ren." He could admit that the Empire had some issues, particularly surrounding Palpatine, but that was why the First Order was rooted in similar ideologies but better. Hux was fully confident that they wouldn't make the same mistakes as their predecessors, regardless of what their current circumstances were.

"We can assume that the girl will spread her skewed and biased version of events to them. It would be a lost cause to try to appeal to them. Nor do we have the manpower or means to correct our image." He used to have a team to handle PR. Alas. "Our best option for the time being would be to see if we can align ourselves with a group that might hold similar ideas."

He paused. "How do you rank against these Jedi?"

[no_light]

He twitched in irritation, already half tempted to forget everything he had thought about cooperation and teamwork in favour of Force choking the man while the Supreme Leader wasn't around to stop him.

Why did he have to go and ask that question?

"Did you not hear me say that there are five of them, counting the scavenger?" he sneered. "It doesn't matter how I rank individually against them." He gritted his teeth, back pressed against the door as he struggled not to give in to the urge to pace. "It differs. They are young, but... They are from eras when Force users were more plentiful." He let that sink in for a moment, before adding viciously, "one of them is Darth Vader, only still loyal to the Jedi. How do you think I rank against the man who killed the Emperor?"

Why, why, why did Hux have to go and ask that question? He was the Master of the Knights of Ren, and admitting that he didn't know how much that amounted to against Jedi from a more civilised age rankled far more than he could ever stand to admit.

[generalginger]

For once, Hux hadn't intentionally meant to antagonise Ren. He was just trying to understand what they were up against. He had no way of knowing how Ren's skills matched up against the others, which was why he had to ask. "Ren, I know what you're capable of-" What he didn't voice was his confidence in Ren's abilities. "-and considering it's just the two of us, and I'm equipped only with my blaster, it's necessary to keep in mind what we're up against."

He noted the mention of Darth Vader, and that was enough for him to assume that there was more going on than what Ren was implying. Ren's obsession with his grandfather wasn't exactly a secret. Not to Hux, at least. He wanted to assure Ren that it was possible that in some ways, Ren might've been stronger.

But Hux didn't know anything about it; that was just what he wanted to think. He also knew better than to overestimate their position. They were at a severe disadvantage. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed. "We'll figure something out."

[no_light]

"Yes, yes, of course, we will figure something out," he agreed, nodding several times. He inhaled deeply, restless fingers tugging at his hair and making even more of a mess of it.

In hindsight now, he could see that Hux hadn't been trying to insult him, and if he were a better man he might have apologized. But that wasn't how they worked, or who he was. Why, Hux might die from shock if he ever apologized.

But it was nice to have a we to stand against the Jedi.

"I have had better luck with people from other worlds, though I have yet to grow particularly close to any." This came with a pointed look, a slightly arched brow. It went without saying, really. The day Kylo Ren easily made friends would be one very scary, bizarre day indeed. "There is a droid, Aya, who has been here for a year. She seems friendly and is willing to share information. This is the tie I have the most hope of nurturing. Otherwise... Well, I think I have made a number of non-hostile first contacts, but nothing has come of it yet. I only got back here two weeks ago myself."

[generalginger]

Hux was okay with not getting an apology or a verbal recognition for a misunderstanding. Had he, he would've assumed that there was something gravely wrong with Ren. Fortunately, Hux knew the other man well enough to know that since Ren wasn't still being a brat about the comment, they were fine for now.

"I spoke to a droid, but I don't know if it was the same one." He rubbed his temples for a moment, trying not to be frustrated with the entire situation. There was so much that he was already trying to fix while en route to Snoke, and finding himself on a giant turtle was more than inconvenient. "Most of the people I spoke to would sooner align themselves with our known enemies. We might be better off trying to reach out to a faction that might be sympathetic." And eventually control it, of course.

Unfortunately, he didn't actually know as much as he wanted, and he was hoping Ren would have some insight. He was capable of extracting information much more quickly than Hux in some circumstances, after all. "The time disparity is strange." It was stating the obvious, but it was hard to imagine Ren having already been here for so long when he'd been griping at him so recently aboard the Finalizer.

[no_light]

"Most of the people you spoke to might have been antagonistic because you were as subtle as a raging bantha," Kylo replied wryly. He snorted in amusement. "And by the way, there's something very wrong with the world when I am preaching the virtues of subtlety."

Feeling far more relaxed now, he left his position by the door and sat down on a chair, long legs stretched out. It was really quite nice to finally have someone he could be honest with.

"The time disparity got me, too. I was here for two weeks, but no time had passed on the Finalizer when I returned. I spent mere hours there. When I was dragged here once again, I learned days had passed locally. That was two weeks ago. At first I thought the lost time had been spent in transit, but I was told by other prisoners that you could just as easily lose months, or spend months here while no time has passed at home."

He shifted his legs and let his gaze wander through the room. Payment for it aside, he wasn't doing so badly here. "I could learn more if it weren't for the Jedi. But they only know I feel Dark, they don't have evidence of any wrongdoings. I would like to keep it that way for now. The people here, they have foreign powers that might be as strong as the Force. I'm trying to continue my training as well as I can."

He turned his gaze on Hux. "But you could try to reach out to the local groups, you might have luck with it. These gangs sound promising, but I've yet to make useful contacts."

[generalginger]

Ren might have been able to relax, but Hux couldn't. On top of maintaining his stiff posture, he started pacing without realising it. At the moment, he didn't care about subtlety, though he did see the irony in Ren calling him out. "There was nothing subtle about Starkiller Base." It was an irrelevant point and had little to do with the present situation, but Hux didn't care.

He stopped pacing to study Ren as he discussed his strange experiences. "The odd thing is, your absence went completely unnoticed." If it were anyone else, it would've said little, considering how many thousands of men and women worked and resided on the Finalizer. But Hux made a point of being aware of where Ren was, to some extent. Things got damaged and people died when he wasn't more-or-less babysitting.

"I'll do that." Reaching out would be easier if he had something to offer, and unfortunately, all the tangible proof of his hard work was not on this turtle. "Have you heard enough to know which gangs would be most receptive or what their needs are?"

[no_light]

A scowl returned to Kylo's face. He would be lying if he said it didn't rankle a bit that nobody had noticed his absence. Maybe he had been gone for mere minutes from the Finalizer, and nobody could have reasonably noticed, but this wasn't about being reasonable. It was upsetting anyway.

"There are quite a few gangs which all seem to be at war with the Snakes, the largest one of them who hold power. I doubt any of them are very friendly towards us foreigners. That's what they call us, but I suppose it's better than prisoners." Which they were, despite their prison being spacious. "Rarely anybody here truly likes us." His frown deepened as he tried to piece together the pieces he had learned. "There was a war. The emperor was killed. I believe it had to do with foreigners, since someone told me that this was what happened the last time too many questions were asked."

He shrugged lazily, though the frustration showing in the pinched lines around his mouth betrayed his frustration. "I haven't gotten more on the gangs yet than that I should stay away from them. Here, the Midnight Hotel, should be a good starting point, actually. It's not only neutral ground for the hotel guests, but for the local gangs, too."

[generalginger]

Hux couldn't be sure whether it was for the best that he hadn't noticed Ren's absence, and it was certainly disconcerting. It meant that no one knew that either of them were here, but if there was the possibility of no time passing aboard the Finalizer, Hux wasn't sure if he could complain.

If he was able to retain his memories here, it meant he could have so much extra time to devise plans for bouncing back from the Starkiller debacle. It was advantageous for him to find a way to get back in their Supreme Leader's good graces again, after all.

He was back to pacing as he listened to Ren. If Ren's intel was correct, there was a lot of potential, and their being at this hotel might give them the opportunity they need. "I expect hostility regardless of who we approach, but if we're to approach one of these gangs, we need to be able to offer them something. If they're anything like the ones I know about, credits and illegal items are the way to go."

Of course, there was one problem with that: "But we don't have any assets to offer but our skills." This was frustrating. "We are both potentially stuck here for an indeterminable amount of time, so it might be worth our while to find ways to earn credits and power quickly." Perhaps the conventional would be actually getting a job, but Hux could not imagine either of them being successful with that for a number of different reasons.

[no_light]

"Drugs," Kylo offered after a moment of thought, "the drugs trade seems to be very big here." He shrugged slightly. "In many ways this city doesn't seem to differ very much from your regular Outer Rim world, though I have yet to hear of slavery."

He watched Hux's pacing, worrying his bottom lip all the while. "As for the money issues," he offered tentatively after another long pause, "that is actually..." A light pink flush tinged his cheeks. "I have run into problems in this regard. As you might have noticed already, nothing comes for free here. Neither does this..." He gestured at the rather lavish room they occupied. "I have been given time to pay for it, and the name of the man I am to seek out for employment."

He grimaced. "If you wish to stay here I assume our host is going to make similar demands of you... and as things stand, I'm afraid we will have to at least give the appearance of earning our income legally." Even if he had no idea yet how that was supposed to work, since it would well, involve getting and keeping a job.

[generalginger]

Hux hated the thought of peddling, or anything else he considered beneath his station. But he lacked the name recognition here that would've been helpful. He was able to rise through the ranks quickly on his own merit, so surely he was capable of doing it again--but that didn't make the idea any less frustrating.

He let himself deviate from that thought for acknowledge the revelation about the hotel room, and the need for 'legal' employment.

In another universe, Hux might've berated Ren for not already having a job, because of how much debt he must've been racking up, considering how long he'd been here. But Hux had always been well-off, and had it not been for upbringing and strong work ethic, he might not have had to work much at all.

It was just a shame he didn't have access to the credits he'd earned during his time as general. He never took leave to spend, and Hux was all too aware of how useful that would've been right about now. "It sounds like you're not in a position to afford staying here alone." Neither was he, for that matter.

[no_light]

“Don’t I,” Kylo grumbled, and shot Hux a sullen glare. No, he supposed he couldn’t afford to, but if he thought he would be eager to admit to his financial failure…

Money had never been an issue in Kylo Ren’s life, nor in Ben Solo’s. He had never splurged as an adult, nor had he been raised to be spoiled like some other senators’ children. Their luxury was that they never had to think about money at all.

“Shudder suggested I change to one of the cheaper rooms, but sharing with a stranger was out of the question for me and he agreed.” His lips thinned. “I believe this fine establishment frowns on murdered guests more than on those who don’t pay their bills on time.”

Kylo narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Hux, though there was no true hostility in his gaze right now. "Are you going to suggest what I think you are suggesting, General?" His gaze hardened. "i'm not letting you have the bed. I was here first."

[generalginger]

"I assume not. Cleaning up after murders tends to get messy." The expression Hux had indicated that he knew a thing or two about it, though casualties aboard the Finalizer differed from a civilian hotel. Besides, he never had to directly deal with it anyway.

Hux looked around the room before continuing with the more important point he was trying to make. "Considering you're struggling to afford this room, it hardly makes any sense for you to make that decision." He had every intention of laying claim to the bed. "Besides, doesn't one of your strange Jedi tenets involve making sacrifices and living without comfort and possessions?"

Surely Ren could handle the floor. And no, he didn't care how correct or incorrect he was.

[no_light]

Ren could handle the floor. Sure. But Ren didn't want to handle the floor.

"I'm not a kriffing Jedi, Hux," he snapped, glowering for all he was worth now once more, "the lack of brown robes and talk about peace, pacifism and tranquillity should have given away as much."

He placed himself right in the middle of the bed, uncaring that he was still wearing his shoes. This was a matter of principle.

"I'll take you to the proprietor to talk about sharing, but the bed is mine!" And he did not care how childish it was. He had been here first. It should count for something.

this is ridiculous i'm not sorry

[generalginger]

"But you were."

That was the point: Ren was far more capable of dealing with the floor, and Hux certainly wasn't going to do that. He couldn't recall a time where he didn't have a bed. Why start now?

"I'll talk to him, but you're just going to have to accept the fact that you're either sleeping on the floor or you're sharing a bed. Deal with it." Sharing a bed with Ren was far more an awkward and uncomfortable concept than sleeping on the floor, but Hux was sure he could get the entire bed to himself.

He didn't care about Ren's 'principles.' Pushing himself out of his comfort zone, he sat down at the head of the bed on one side and leaned against the headboard. This was definitely the weirdest thing that had happened since he found himself on a giant turtle, but that was beside the point.

they are ridiculous. if only the galactic yellow press could see them now. great leaders indeed.

[no_light]

"I'm not sharing the bed with you!" Kylo yelped, though he made no move to surrender his trophy either. He had been here first. No, he just scowled and crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried his best to murder General Hux with the power of his glares alone. Alas, his manifold Force abilities didn't include laser eyes.

"You're going to sleep on the floor, or on a cot, I don't care," he insisted, mimicking Hux in leaning back against the headboard. "But I'm not leaving." He scoffed. "So if you try to sleep in the bed, you will have to share." And certainly Hux wouldn't do that, right? That would horrify him more than sleeping on the floor. Hopefully.

Because Kylo Ren would not be surrender this bed. This was his line in the sand. No. No way.

they'd have a field day: "FO leaders actually giant manbabies"

[generalginger]

The glaring didn't faze him at all. If it had, Ren would've successfully killed Hux a long time ago. Instead, Hux just gave him a bored glance, as if to challenge whether that was the best Ren could do in attempting to intimidate him.

"Then I guess we will share a bed."

The thought was disturbing, especially since Hux wasn't keen on sharing much of anything at all. He was sure Ren was bluffing, and Hux was going to remain insistent until he called that bluff. "I hope you don't mind being the little spoon." Somehow, he managed to keep a straight face.

[no_light]

Ren's face flashed through expressions of anger and embarrassment before he settled, unsurprisingly, on a scowl. But he couldn't deny that there was now some pink to his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

"You're suffering from delusions of grandeur, Hux; I hear they have good doctors here."

He slipped from the bed, busying himself with rearranging some knick-knacks he had acquired around town. Meaning, he was busy. This conversation was done. Go away, Hux. And incidentally, this had nothing to do with feeling like he had just lost this round.