Post by penelope on Jul 9, 2023 0:40:53 GMT -5
It was eerily quiet inside The Hotel California, given it was home to a large amount of hustle and bustle during the day. However, once the hours began ticking by and sun had set, it generally fell into a quiet murmur. In this instance and given the time of the clock on the wall, the unsettling stillness was to be expected. It was quarter to two in the morning after all. No person would be up this late under normal circumstances. But then again the circumstances surrounding the Triad, and to a lesser extent the Bravery trials themselves, were far from what most would consider 'normal'. The ancient clock on the wall ticked away one second at a time, overlooking the vast library of The Hotel California like a sort of sentient guard. Just below it, nestled amidst the messy stacks of books and scribblings of paper lay a lone figure. Their head and upper body splayed out in a somewhat macabre fashion. Judging by the state of the table at which they were sitting, it was hard to tell if they were dead…or merely sleeping. It was The Hotel California after all, so it really could be either if the rumors were anything to go by.
The sounds of footsteps are heard, as another figure enters the room. Under the soft glow of the lighting a stocky man in a smoking jacket approaches the table. The steam of the two mugs in his hand wafting after him. He places one down on the table as he leans forward towards the body. "Wakey, wakey…" he whispers, giving the shoulder a small nudge with his free hand. Suddenly and without warning, the body jerks itself upright. The "Hm!" that escapes it's lips can barely be heard. Penelope sits in the chair, a piece of paper from those scattered on the table is stuck to her face. She looks around slowly to the right and left as her visible eye slowly opens. "Ugh…" she groans as she peels the paper off her face and wipes at the drool from the corner of her mouth and chin. The man chuckles as he watches her, sliding the mug closer. She reaches out and grabs it instinctively as she takes a sip. "Thanks. What are you doing up Eli?" she asks.
Eli Buchanan, owner of The Hotel California, leans towards her after taking a sip from his own mug. "I could ask you the same thing. You do realize it's almost two in the morning Penelope.". "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep." she replies as she takes another drink and attempts to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Charlotte is worried about you, and so am I. Ever since that Triad draft you've been holed up in this damnable library.". Eli sighs, the concern on his face is evident as he gestures around the table. "I mean, look at all this…". Penelope shakes her head as she watches him walk around the table taking stock. "I'm sorry Eli, but what else am I meant to do? None of us has ever even heard of this thing. The trials are starting and I've been reading every fucking book in this library trying to find something, anything about whatever this thing is! My brain is turning into jelly." she sighs, the frustration evident on her face.
Eli looks over at her, taking her outburst in stride. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you can't find anything…because it was never meant to be found? Whatever this Triad is, is something so powerful that it was obviously hidden to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. It's not like whoever did the hiding was going to leave behind an instruction book and a map". Penelope rolls her eyes as she sips from her mug. "But to not find anything?" she laments, her voice coming out like a whine. "Not even a riddle, a clue, a fable, a tall tale? Surely the knowledge of it must have been passed down somehow. PIC and the others seem to know about it.". Eli pauses his inspection of her mess and his eyes fall on her yet again. "Yes and no actually. From what we've discovered it was only Marcus Welsh who knew from the start. PIC and TLS sort of…stumbled into the situation." he replies as Penelope wears a look of confusion.
"But how-" , she goes to speak again but Eli cuts her off. "How else?." he asks as he gestures around them. "You should know better than to ask that. These walls love to talk do they not? Why do you think we suggested you invite Marcus here to begin with?". The grin on Eli's face is one of satisfaction as Penelope shakes her head. "I thought it was to ensure me a better chance of getting drafted.". "Oh, that was also part of the thought process. Although even if you hadn't been for these trials, there were still two more in which you could have. Having Mr. Welsh hole up here allowed us to watch, listen, and learn. The Hotel California is full of eyes and ears.". Penelope nods, although she wished she had told. "A little heads up would have been nice."
"We were merely being cautious…the less you knew, the smaller the chance that Marcus could have suspected something was behind our invitation aside from our hospitality." he states, matter-of-factly. Eli seeing a particular book at random picks it up. "Handbook For the Recently Deceased?" he questions as he looks over at Penelope. "I told you I was desperate." she sighs, slouching back in her chair. "I've always hated that book…it reads like stereo instructions.". Eli says as he sets the book back down, his eyes scanning some of the others. "Triangles - Acute, Obtuse, Bermuda?…Ghost Ships: Burials at Sea…Ancient Mysteries of the Unexplained - An Omnibus…Missing Ships and the Men Who Captained Them…Curses & Benedictions: Mythical Artifacts Explained. Wow, you weren't kidding…" he continues before his expression changes.
Spying something among the piles Eli digs down before grabbing a particularly gnarly looking book. He holds it up, his face full of anger. "The Naturom Demonto?! Are you insane?!". Eli slams the books down forcefully on the table as Penelope looks up like a teenager caught sneaking a drink from their parents liquor cabinet. "Would you believe I was just…brushing up on my Sumarian?" she says, attempting to downplay the situation. Eli isn't buying it though as he struggles to contain his disappointment. "Kandarian demons?! Tell me you aren't that stupid, Penelope, please. Those things are like god damned cockroaches. First there's one and before you know it, you've got a full blown infestation!" he cries. "Then they get out, kill three or four children and there'd be the most appalling publicity!".
"I don't get what the big deal is Eli…this is a team based competition. Can you imagine that idiot LC getting possessed and taking out his entire team?" She laughs and continues. "Or pretty boy Thaddeus mutilating himself before going on a rampage? No competitors, no opposing teams. No opposing teams mean I win". Eli shakes his head. "Yes, and then you'll have eight or more of the bloody things you'd need to destroy, which isn't easy…at all. And that's assuming none of Team PIC is infected. These things spread faster than Herpes Penelope! Now, are you going to listen when I tell you which books not to touch or do I need to restrict you to the Children's section of the Library again?!" he asks as he takes the book and walks it back to a secured section of the Library.
Penelope looks over across the room to the far wall and a smaller set of shelves. A hand painted sign sits above them reading Children's Section in multiple colors as if done by kids. On the shelves sit several books. The Holy Bible, The Tanakh, The Qur'an, The Tripitaka, The Tao Te Ching, and The Vedas. Penelope sighs and finishes her cup of coffee, stifling a yawn. "Do I get another exciting date with the Gideons?". You can hear Eli walking back to her as he replies. "Oh no, not this time…we got something new in. You'll be on a fun adventure with Joseph Smith.". Eli reaches the table, placing the Book of Mormon in front of her. Penelope jumps out of her chair so fast she upends it, almost knocking Eli off his feet in the process.
"OK! OK! I get it…no demons, no possessions, no fun." she pouts as she crosses her arms over her chest. Eli puts his arm around her as he laughs. "Oh, come on now…this first Trial is in Miami. Surely you'll be able to find something fun to do on the beach. I hear they've been having Red Tide problems…perhaps you could get LC or Thaddeus infected with something a little safer? Or there's always the chance there could be a shark nearby that could keep them occupied if they happen to end up in the water? Anything could happen, don't forget. This is apparently going to be fought under Miami Vice rules after all."
Penelope shakes her head, annoyed at the secrecy surrounding the trials. She never enjoys the feeling of having no control in a situation. "What the hell does that even mean though? None of this makes any sense Eli." she bemoans. "The first match is in a few days time." He replies. "I suggest you focus less on these books and more on the two rather large gentlemen you'll be attempting to best. We'll have plenty of time to keep digging here while you're acquiring the Bravery piece.". Penelope moves away and motions to the folders next to her note piles. "I've been gathering bits and pieces on everyone ever since the draft. Doesn't help that I haven't ran across most of these people."
"I'd wager they are as unfamiliar with you as you are with them. So you're no better or worse off than they are correct?". Penelope nods, that was true. "They'll have the physical advantages…but it's not like I've not taken down men bigger than myself before." She replies. "Thaddeus is one to watch out for…ex military, bit of a mixed bag from what I've seen of him in the ring. Jack-of-All-Trades and master of none type. He'll have plans for sure…but I wonder how far he'd be willing to go?". Penelope let's the question linger for a moment. "Does he pull the trigger because that's what he's always done? Or is there that moment of hesitation?". Eli continues where Penelope. "Or you could always put him down before he even picks up his gun, that would solve the problem."
Penelope smiles in her usual way, a subtle mix of creepiness and cruelty. "He's cottoned on to Marcus so I'm putting nothing past him honestly. He's outsmarted him once, which means I'll likely have to think outside the box. Perhaps I'll drag Mr. Duke out of his penthouse and down into the gutter with the rest of us. Like Mr. Pinkston for example.". Eli nods and opens LC's little folder, flipping through the various notes and photos. "Ah yes, the idiot savant without the savant. Or perhaps that's the mask he likes to hold up to the world. It's much easier to go by unnoticed when everyone writes you off as a non factor.". Penelope picks up a head shot taken for the Triad draftees. Between the stupid look on his face, his state of dress, and the assortment of horribly done tattoos LC sure did look the part.
"I dunno whether he's actually that good…or just incredibly stupid and fluked his way through this far. But the fact he was TLS's second means he clearly knows or sees something we don't. Everyone is here for a reason, and while he may not be a "conventional" wrestler…I doubt we'll be doing too much of that." Penelope says as she sets the picture back down. "I can't let him get the jump on me…this is too important, there's too much at stake. I-We need to get this piece, I don't care if that means walking over their battered bodies to do it. They can both think what they want, but there's no one else who is willing to go as far or suffer as much as I am. They'll all find out sooner or later starting with these two." She spats.
Eli nods, the look of a proud father as he listens to her. His eyes glance up at the clock on the wall, noting the time. "C'mon kid…enough of this, it's after two and tomorrow's another day. You need some proper sleep.". Eli gestures for Penelope to follow him as he grabs their empty cups. She begrudgingly nods as she joins him in exiting the Library. "Yeah, you're probably right." She says. "Of course I am." Eli replies with a smile as Penelope seems to remember something. "You haven't seen Penny around have you?" She asks as Eli shakes his head. "Your soul? No, but I'm sure she's probably curled up somewhere. We'll have a look in the morning.". The pair fall silent as they disappear, slipping further into the darkness of the Hotel.
The sounds of footsteps are heard, as another figure enters the room. Under the soft glow of the lighting a stocky man in a smoking jacket approaches the table. The steam of the two mugs in his hand wafting after him. He places one down on the table as he leans forward towards the body. "Wakey, wakey…" he whispers, giving the shoulder a small nudge with his free hand. Suddenly and without warning, the body jerks itself upright. The "Hm!" that escapes it's lips can barely be heard. Penelope sits in the chair, a piece of paper from those scattered on the table is stuck to her face. She looks around slowly to the right and left as her visible eye slowly opens. "Ugh…" she groans as she peels the paper off her face and wipes at the drool from the corner of her mouth and chin. The man chuckles as he watches her, sliding the mug closer. She reaches out and grabs it instinctively as she takes a sip. "Thanks. What are you doing up Eli?" she asks.
Eli Buchanan, owner of The Hotel California, leans towards her after taking a sip from his own mug. "I could ask you the same thing. You do realize it's almost two in the morning Penelope.". "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep." she replies as she takes another drink and attempts to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Charlotte is worried about you, and so am I. Ever since that Triad draft you've been holed up in this damnable library.". Eli sighs, the concern on his face is evident as he gestures around the table. "I mean, look at all this…". Penelope shakes her head as she watches him walk around the table taking stock. "I'm sorry Eli, but what else am I meant to do? None of us has ever even heard of this thing. The trials are starting and I've been reading every fucking book in this library trying to find something, anything about whatever this thing is! My brain is turning into jelly." she sighs, the frustration evident on her face.
Eli looks over at her, taking her outburst in stride. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you can't find anything…because it was never meant to be found? Whatever this Triad is, is something so powerful that it was obviously hidden to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. It's not like whoever did the hiding was going to leave behind an instruction book and a map". Penelope rolls her eyes as she sips from her mug. "But to not find anything?" she laments, her voice coming out like a whine. "Not even a riddle, a clue, a fable, a tall tale? Surely the knowledge of it must have been passed down somehow. PIC and the others seem to know about it.". Eli pauses his inspection of her mess and his eyes fall on her yet again. "Yes and no actually. From what we've discovered it was only Marcus Welsh who knew from the start. PIC and TLS sort of…stumbled into the situation." he replies as Penelope wears a look of confusion.
"But how-" , she goes to speak again but Eli cuts her off. "How else?." he asks as he gestures around them. "You should know better than to ask that. These walls love to talk do they not? Why do you think we suggested you invite Marcus here to begin with?". The grin on Eli's face is one of satisfaction as Penelope shakes her head. "I thought it was to ensure me a better chance of getting drafted.". "Oh, that was also part of the thought process. Although even if you hadn't been for these trials, there were still two more in which you could have. Having Mr. Welsh hole up here allowed us to watch, listen, and learn. The Hotel California is full of eyes and ears.". Penelope nods, although she wished she had told. "A little heads up would have been nice."
"We were merely being cautious…the less you knew, the smaller the chance that Marcus could have suspected something was behind our invitation aside from our hospitality." he states, matter-of-factly. Eli seeing a particular book at random picks it up. "Handbook For the Recently Deceased?" he questions as he looks over at Penelope. "I told you I was desperate." she sighs, slouching back in her chair. "I've always hated that book…it reads like stereo instructions.". Eli says as he sets the book back down, his eyes scanning some of the others. "Triangles - Acute, Obtuse, Bermuda?…Ghost Ships: Burials at Sea…Ancient Mysteries of the Unexplained - An Omnibus…Missing Ships and the Men Who Captained Them…Curses & Benedictions: Mythical Artifacts Explained. Wow, you weren't kidding…" he continues before his expression changes.
Spying something among the piles Eli digs down before grabbing a particularly gnarly looking book. He holds it up, his face full of anger. "The Naturom Demonto?! Are you insane?!". Eli slams the books down forcefully on the table as Penelope looks up like a teenager caught sneaking a drink from their parents liquor cabinet. "Would you believe I was just…brushing up on my Sumarian?" she says, attempting to downplay the situation. Eli isn't buying it though as he struggles to contain his disappointment. "Kandarian demons?! Tell me you aren't that stupid, Penelope, please. Those things are like god damned cockroaches. First there's one and before you know it, you've got a full blown infestation!" he cries. "Then they get out, kill three or four children and there'd be the most appalling publicity!".
"I don't get what the big deal is Eli…this is a team based competition. Can you imagine that idiot LC getting possessed and taking out his entire team?" She laughs and continues. "Or pretty boy Thaddeus mutilating himself before going on a rampage? No competitors, no opposing teams. No opposing teams mean I win". Eli shakes his head. "Yes, and then you'll have eight or more of the bloody things you'd need to destroy, which isn't easy…at all. And that's assuming none of Team PIC is infected. These things spread faster than Herpes Penelope! Now, are you going to listen when I tell you which books not to touch or do I need to restrict you to the Children's section of the Library again?!" he asks as he takes the book and walks it back to a secured section of the Library.
Penelope looks over across the room to the far wall and a smaller set of shelves. A hand painted sign sits above them reading Children's Section in multiple colors as if done by kids. On the shelves sit several books. The Holy Bible, The Tanakh, The Qur'an, The Tripitaka, The Tao Te Ching, and The Vedas. Penelope sighs and finishes her cup of coffee, stifling a yawn. "Do I get another exciting date with the Gideons?". You can hear Eli walking back to her as he replies. "Oh no, not this time…we got something new in. You'll be on a fun adventure with Joseph Smith.". Eli reaches the table, placing the Book of Mormon in front of her. Penelope jumps out of her chair so fast she upends it, almost knocking Eli off his feet in the process.
"OK! OK! I get it…no demons, no possessions, no fun." she pouts as she crosses her arms over her chest. Eli puts his arm around her as he laughs. "Oh, come on now…this first Trial is in Miami. Surely you'll be able to find something fun to do on the beach. I hear they've been having Red Tide problems…perhaps you could get LC or Thaddeus infected with something a little safer? Or there's always the chance there could be a shark nearby that could keep them occupied if they happen to end up in the water? Anything could happen, don't forget. This is apparently going to be fought under Miami Vice rules after all."
Penelope shakes her head, annoyed at the secrecy surrounding the trials. She never enjoys the feeling of having no control in a situation. "What the hell does that even mean though? None of this makes any sense Eli." she bemoans. "The first match is in a few days time." He replies. "I suggest you focus less on these books and more on the two rather large gentlemen you'll be attempting to best. We'll have plenty of time to keep digging here while you're acquiring the Bravery piece.". Penelope moves away and motions to the folders next to her note piles. "I've been gathering bits and pieces on everyone ever since the draft. Doesn't help that I haven't ran across most of these people."
"I'd wager they are as unfamiliar with you as you are with them. So you're no better or worse off than they are correct?". Penelope nods, that was true. "They'll have the physical advantages…but it's not like I've not taken down men bigger than myself before." She replies. "Thaddeus is one to watch out for…ex military, bit of a mixed bag from what I've seen of him in the ring. Jack-of-All-Trades and master of none type. He'll have plans for sure…but I wonder how far he'd be willing to go?". Penelope let's the question linger for a moment. "Does he pull the trigger because that's what he's always done? Or is there that moment of hesitation?". Eli continues where Penelope. "Or you could always put him down before he even picks up his gun, that would solve the problem."
Penelope smiles in her usual way, a subtle mix of creepiness and cruelty. "He's cottoned on to Marcus so I'm putting nothing past him honestly. He's outsmarted him once, which means I'll likely have to think outside the box. Perhaps I'll drag Mr. Duke out of his penthouse and down into the gutter with the rest of us. Like Mr. Pinkston for example.". Eli nods and opens LC's little folder, flipping through the various notes and photos. "Ah yes, the idiot savant without the savant. Or perhaps that's the mask he likes to hold up to the world. It's much easier to go by unnoticed when everyone writes you off as a non factor.". Penelope picks up a head shot taken for the Triad draftees. Between the stupid look on his face, his state of dress, and the assortment of horribly done tattoos LC sure did look the part.
"I dunno whether he's actually that good…or just incredibly stupid and fluked his way through this far. But the fact he was TLS's second means he clearly knows or sees something we don't. Everyone is here for a reason, and while he may not be a "conventional" wrestler…I doubt we'll be doing too much of that." Penelope says as she sets the picture back down. "I can't let him get the jump on me…this is too important, there's too much at stake. I-We need to get this piece, I don't care if that means walking over their battered bodies to do it. They can both think what they want, but there's no one else who is willing to go as far or suffer as much as I am. They'll all find out sooner or later starting with these two." She spats.
Eli nods, the look of a proud father as he listens to her. His eyes glance up at the clock on the wall, noting the time. "C'mon kid…enough of this, it's after two and tomorrow's another day. You need some proper sleep.". Eli gestures for Penelope to follow him as he grabs their empty cups. She begrudgingly nods as she joins him in exiting the Library. "Yeah, you're probably right." She says. "Of course I am." Eli replies with a smile as Penelope seems to remember something. "You haven't seen Penny around have you?" She asks as Eli shakes his head. "Your soul? No, but I'm sure she's probably curled up somewhere. We'll have a look in the morning.". The pair fall silent as they disappear, slipping further into the darkness of the Hotel.