I could've wished a thousand wishes for Sleep to disappear

[sorte]

WHO You, Me, & Sleep('s special murder-time squad)
WHAT levitate event with saheon player killing people with Sleep & Rat King tag-team + aftermath
WHERE 79 Crosby Street, SOHO Manhattan
WHEN all month
WARNINGS violence, maybe gore, suicide ideation, body horror, annnndddd i'm sure someone will do something that's further warning worthy somewhere.

---

ooc notes. place hodlering because i am slow and unorganized...

Comments

Do-do-do-do-do-do, Sleep

[sorte]

[ It's night time and all through the hotel is nice and peaceful since there's only currently three occupants: Aventurine, Luci, and Dazai.

Aventurine is currently walking himself back to the gallery where the fireplace is to drink his newly acquired tea.

Taking a sip from his cup as he goes, he notices a system shadow from outside through the large glass windows and doors. He slows down a little as he looks over; but whatever it is, it's gone, so he doesn't stop and continues on at his normal pace.

—and then, not even fifteen feet beyond where the doors and glass floor to ceiling windows end and become actual solid wall, it gets smashed inward as a car is thrown through it, flying right across Aventurine's path to hit the opposite wall. Bugeyed, Aventurine freezes, staring over the rim of his cup midsip as quite a decent number of hosts are suddenly pulling in through the opening and looking around, making noises that could or could not be them communicating before one looks to Aventurine and points.

The rest of the mob go silent and all turn their heads so fast to focus their attention on him that he's sure they must have gotten whiplash in the process. For a moment Aventurine doesn't move and neither do the hosts.

...And then Aventurine lowers his cup just a little to say something: ]

... Well, I'm sure you're all well aware what I'm about to say, but I'm going to have to put that on your party's final bill.

[ The hosts all run and lunge at the same time for him.

He steps back up using his speed ability to clear the distance even as he throws his tea cup dish at one of the closest hosts with a speed that's sub-lightspeed but still far above the speed of sound. The dish smashes into one host and explodes in its face, the debris becoming high speed pierces right through the heads or other parts of the body of the hosts closest to the front. Many of them that are hit lose their balance from the force of being struck rather than the actual injuries, and Aventurine takes the momentary confusion and lack of coordination to continue backing up quickly (without using his light powers now), aggressively drinking the rest of his tea— ]

Oof. [ ...only to smack right into a host that somehow actually did use one of the doors instead of the wall (maybe he was lagging behind his group and saw a shortcut?) that suddenly grabs his arm. Before the host can do anything though, Aventurine is turning to smash his teacup in its face like someone might hit someone else in the face with a pie, it successful in causing the host to stumble back and let him go. With even pausing, Aventurine bolts off our of the long area, leaving the group of hosts stumbling to their feet and getting their bearings back.

Unfortunately, instead of give up and leaving they start start hunting for him. ]

Do-do-do do do-do do, go away! (@closetdweller, @saudades)

[sorte]

[ Hi Luci, wherever you are you're about to have Aventurine running towards you or by you just and grabbing you mid-whatever you're doing to drag you along in the direction he's going. You'll hear angry noises and things getting smashed or whatever behind him in the dark hallway, but probably nothing visible unless you can see in the dark. then maybe you'll see quite a view vicious looking hosts, no big deal, ahaha. ]

Sleep's groupies are here for their happy hour.

1/2

[closetdweller]

[Luci had been... Being Luci.

The Hotel was quiet while the others had gone into the sewers to explore, and the stray cat Fallen Angel had contented himself with the few modern convenience that they did have and was staring at the pictures in comic books by the light that filtered in through the window while floating upside down in one of the hallways.

He heard the problem before he saw it- but it wasn't his problem, so he was just going to--]

Hey- what?!

[The comic went flying when Aventurine grabbed him and dragged him along for the ride.]

2/2

[closetdweller]

Aven- what did you DO?!?!?!

[Luci wailed as he was dragged along, too aghast to right himself immediately as he stared down the hoard that was chasing them with all of the terror of a feral cat being brought in to the vet.]

[sorte]

[ not even bothering to look back at him. ]

Why is it automatically my fault?! I've been Sleep's biggest worship!tax payer!

[ okay maybe ... Kal pays more tax, but definitely no one else! ]

[closetdweller]

Don't pay taxes if you're not getting anything!

[It was all he knew about economics- don't waste money on things that you can't see, be it interest from paying in installments or a promise of a fun prize if you spend a specific amount of money on other purchases.

Grumbling, Luci grabbed onto Aventurine's arm and righted himself in earnest.]

Enough stupid games- hold on, we're going up!

what's the deal with your friend Sleep— (@longwillows)

[sorte]

[ Kalmiya will hear an unusually panicked Aventurine through their tether (and that's after the sudden volatile set of emotions that probably snapped through the tether without explanation earlier and no response if she tried to get in touch with him). ]

Kaaaaallll!!

[longwillows]

[Unsurprisingly, the warrior queen is not someone who responds well to her people being threatened. She tries not to be nosy every time she picks up on something intense through a tether, but—

Well. Sometimes it seems pretty bad. And it turns out it is pretty bad!

She'd already begun making her way to the hotel when Aventurine didn't answer her attempts to reach out, a laser-focused source of pure threatening intent. His panicked cry over the tether is not very reassuring. Kalmiya's answering message is imperative, though not angry.] What is going on?

[sorte]

[ oh thank god his queen is coming!! ]

A bunch of hosts threw a car through my wall and are— I'm pretty sure??—trying to kill me for reason..s...??... that they can't clearly communicate to me.

[ on his end, he's playing a really bad game of intense tag with these hosts: running around on various floors around obstacles and into and out of rooms and everything else. He's mostly using doors to temporarily get in their way to allow him some time to put distance between them. Unfortunately they aren't all just following after him so, even when he gets good distance, he keeps running into others and has to again change course. ]

A host has never even looked at me the wrong way before. These guys seem like they've been working out, too.

—oh hey, how's it going? (@panzana)

[sorte]

[ Well, if Nicola and Dante go through the lobby/main entrance, they'll immediately notice a big hole in the side of the wall (why is it next to the door which would have been so much easier to crash through...? Don't ask questions, there's a crisis!) and a car smashed over on the other side of the lobby just chilling like it's always been there.

Something's definitely not right (as in it was and still is,) as they'll hear some noises and crashes and thuds, growls and yells, and maybe even gunshots before a cat(?) comes practically flying out of one of the halls to land on the floor, skidding on said floor as it scrambles to change direction and dart down the new stretch of area to cover. Except it takes a turn towards the doors and goes straight for Nicola and Dante, leaping right at Nicola, in particular, as he's the one in front. It's towards his chest, catch it Nicola, it's just a little guy!

—Unfortunately, the cat is not quite as small as it looks and Nicola will get bowled over by an invisible weight as Aventurine's voice seems to come from the cat in the process. Also sure feels like a whole person just smashed into him. ]

Ack!! [ the cat looked like it was watching where it was going, but apparently Aventurine (behind the actual light glamour of the cat) was not.

What's his emergency?

An angry and particularly large host drags itself around the corner from where the cat had originally appeared, injured but still not down for the count, yet, and seemingly hell bent on catching the "cat." It's not very fast luckily, but it is one of those things you absolutely don't want catching up to you... and it's coming towards the three of them. ]

[panzana]

[Nicola is running on fumes as he approaches the hotel with Dante in tow, and seeing the huge hole in the side of the building as it comes into view and hearing the loud noises coming from inside only makes the fatigue weigh even heavier on his bones. The hotel has never been raided by Hosts before! Why did this have to happen now when he's bringing Dante here for the first time and they desperately need to rest?!]

Stronza... [He mutters under his breath as he stops to quickly assess the situation, unable to hide his irritation at this development. He looks back at Dante with a strained smile.]

It's been one unexpected development after another ever since you arrived here. It seems Sleep has decided to make a personal project out of giving you the worst welcome possible.

[Seriously, what did Dante do to deserve all this? He takes a pistol out from his inner coat pocket and holds it at the ready.]

Stay close to me.

[Speaking of unexpected developments.......

Nicola steps through the hole in the lobby wall ahead of his cousin, already braced for gunfire or something worse, only to be immediately assaulted by what appears to be a flying cat. He barely has time to register the absurdity of it before an invisible mass slams into his chest like a charging linebacker.]

—Oof!

[He goes down hard, the air punched clean out of his lungs as his body drops towards the floor like a dropped marionette. The pistol in his hand discharges on reflex, sending a sharp crack of gunfire up into the ceiling as plaster rains down in a sad little cloud of hotel dust.]

[schietto]

[ Dante supposes a huge hole in the wall feels pretty... uh, on par with the rest of the destruction in this city? In fact, if not for the loud noises coming from inside and Nicola's own concern and words, he would have assumed that to have been the way it was rather than a new development.

Honestly, he's a bit worried about Nicola considering how exhausted he is. Caelus was right: Nicola clearly was not doing well while Dante was stuck underground and that's taken a toll on him. Dante's brows furrow and he nods at being told to stay close as he pulls the gun he was given by Nicola out in case the other needs backup.

What he doesn't expect is seeing an adorable cat with an overly fluffy tail able to pretty much run his cousin over. Eyes widening, Dante tries to catch Nicola before he hits the floor. He's not prepared to hold up the additional weight of the cat (how heavy can such a small little thing be?!) though and ends up going down with both of them as another addition to the pile. ]

after they've fucked off and there's a big hole in the hotel wall :(

[sorte]

[ This hole sucks, can he bill Sleep for this shit? It's her "garden," which means she's responsible for upkeep and repairing any damages, which she's entirely failed to do on all fronts. In fact, if someone didn't know better, one might think Sleep was destroying the place herself—

—oh wait.

You can find him in various positions during the day looking at the big hole in the wall from different angles as if he's assessing the damage. He might actually just be sulking about it and mildly hoping if he stares at the hole long enough it will magically fix itself, though, because he's never actually doing anything other than staring at it with an annoyed look.

(He could glamour it and Dazai could help make it solid, but that doesn't keep the hosts from seeing a hole and getting potentially curious, which is obviously the biggest reason now he wants to have walls to begin with.)

At one point, he's even lying on the car's, that got thrown through the wall, roof while staring blankly up at the ceiling. At this point, he's actually lost in deep thought, trying once again to figure out what happened with those hosts and why they behaved that way. He's never been bothered by them before, and he's also never seen them so aggressive with intentions to kill with... uh, well, anyone. He hears some things, too, about a particularly violent encounter down in the tunnels, but he hasn't had a chance to really get a full understanding.

On top of hearing someone died, too, he's even more confused by the whole situation since none of them have died in the so-called waking world before now, either. Does this mean the game is moving into its next phase with new rules? ]

Second floor, Meadow Suite

[trashblaze]

[ This is Caelus's room. Various starters to follow. If you want one, you can let me know in PM! ]

Aventurine, end of Week 2

[trashblaze]

[ A difficult battle won, a fragment secured, and rescue efforts completed. The electricity flickers for the first time in this city, at least as witnessed by Caelus's eyes. There's still a lot to do even after all this. He's not even sure where to start. With the electricity returning to this dead city, there are new tasks to list, especially for an Artificer like him.

There are still many people who need help, such as those who require medical assistance… It's not even the physical injuries alone. Those who starved and require proper healthcare, those who are mentally scarred… those who are missing. Caelus ended up crying himself to sleep in Sunday's, Jing Yuan's, and Dan Heng's arms earlier. Hours have passed since then, and here we are now. Caelus's room.

A warm place, with nearby friends he deeply treasures. By the time he reopens his eyes again, he realizes he's in bed. All tucked in nicely. He must've passed out from grief (and exhaustion) at some point. After all, the busy weeks have been nonstop. Scouting the Grand Central Terminal, preparing food, water, medicine, crafting necessary equipment, then exploring the depths of M42… The scale of that place is insane in itself. Adding all the other horrifying factors to it only makes it so much more difficult to go through.

It's all so much, even with all the assistance that Caelus has. His body feels heavy. His heart is in pain. He slowly pushes himself up, the thick blankets falling off his chest. But he realizes he's not alone in the room. He's quiet when he looks over, seeing that familiar, comforting smile. ]

[sorte]

Hey there.

[ his voice is gentle, no need to raise it since they're the only ones here. With the battle over the entire city has calmed down. Aventurine is currently sitting in the chair that belongs to Caelus's desk, having pulled it over to the side of the bed to keep watch. His smile is soft and lacking the dramatic expression he usually puts into it. Here, behind closed doors, he doesn't mind so much letting his performance mask be put aside for a little bit of time.

He's holding Caelus's catcake in his lap, it currently snoozing. ]

Did you sleep okay?

[trashblaze]

Kakavasha…

[ His own voice is low. He feels his throat uncomfortably dry, so it's a little difficult to speak. He hasn't had anything to eat or drink ever since heading underground. All the food he had? Naturally, it all went to the people who needed it more than him. He even lost more hydration after crying that much. He lowers his gaze a little, but only for a moment.

He looks back at the Avgin, then attempts to stand up. ]

When… when did I come back? Where are the others?

Nicola, end of Week 2

[trashblaze]

[ After being put to sleep by Aventurine, Caelus wakes up hours later, feeling lethargic. With how much he pushed himself lately, one night of sleep won't be enough to recover him entirely, and not in his saddened mental state. … Especially after that scene downstairs when Guren and Soleum came by to fetch Dante. Forced into unconsciousness before, he can't help but get frustrated when the memory returns.

He knows he shouldn't get angry. Nicola was only worried about him. … Worried about him, just like everyone else is. Yet that is part of why it's so frustrating— he feels exactly the same way for all these overprotective blockheads! Why is he the only one being made to stay safe all the time?

However, Caelus is surprised to find an unexpected guest after awakening, so he couldn't even linger on those thoughts. Aventurine is by his bedside once again, but this time, Kamui (in kitten form) is with him. The little kitten is unfortunately sick and couldn't stay awake, so it remains asleep in Aventurine's arms. But soon, the Avgin transfers the slumbering kitten onto Caelus's arms instead, telling the trailblazer that the kitten reacted very positively to his scent and name when he found him earlier.

At this time, they don't realize why yet, considering Caelus has never seen Kamui in this form before. (All they know is that this little one is a Vessel. And likely knows Caelus. But who?) After telling the trailblazer to get some more sleep with the kitten, Aventurine leaves Caelus alone with Kamui. … Looking down, the trailblazer affectionately embraces the kitten and does as told. He joins him in another long sleep…

More hours pass.

Regardless of everything that's happened, Caelus has always had a strong heart, able to give himself self-motivation in most scenarios. With the warming support of all those around him, he gains the strength to stand up again and lifts his head. He knows he can't stop now. He has much to accomplish— people to aid and protect, not only those on this planet, but throughout all the planets in his own universe and beyond the galaxies he knows. This has never changed for him. The journey of the trailblaze has always been never-ending.

Reawakening, Caelus regains a serious expression as he sits up and leaves his bed, careful not to wake the sick kitten as he did. He takes his time making sure the kitten is nicely tucked in and comfortable, then prepares himself before leaving his room to catch up with everyone. He'll return here soon to check on the sleeping baby, but for now, he needs to know what's going on out there.

Today, he once again wears his favorite jacket. The Trailblazer's black and gold jacket. It flutters behind him as he heads upstairs first, heading to Nicola and Dante's connected rooms to check if they've already arrived back home. Sure enough, they are, or at least Nicola is. (But if Nicola is sleeping well like that, then Dante must be back safely as well.) But that's not the end of it, as the sight surprises Caelus pleasantly once he realizes who else is with Nicola. Rather, in Nicola's arms— Aventurine, sleeping with the Italian. The sight is so precious that Caelus can't help but smile softly. He's very careful when leaving the room, closing the door soundlessly.

With that, Caelus heads down to the ground floor, finally perceiving the giant hole in the wall near the lobby area. He makes a surprised expression after noticing, wondering what the hell happened while he was out yesterday. He approaches the wall to observe the damage, trying to see how much of this he can repair with his current skills.

Time passes again. During this time, Caelus focuses not only on this wall but also on checking on Kamui inbetween. Eventually, he writes down a list of what he needs and is getting ready to head out to hunt for materials. … It's then that he notices a certain someone heading down the stairs, causing him to pause in place. ]

After the mess in the sewers

[closetdweller]

[He hadn't gone underground for a reason. The Hosts, the mess, his claustrophobia when he was in an enclosed space and couldn't control his access to the sky...

But this time was different, and even Luci clocked it. Hosts had attacked the hotel for no obvious reason, and people had actually died. For whatever reason, the stakes had been raised- and Luci didn't like the status quo being disturbed.

One of the changes he had noticed was that Caelus wasn't as present as he had been before. So-

After checking out the McDonald's with Ironeye, he flew up to the window the he knew led into Caelus' room, forced it open, and landed inside.]

Food delivery for a Mister Trash Panda. Is there a Mister Trash Panda here?

[trashblaze]

[ …?

Spacing out, Caelus only notices someone calling for him once Hanzo repeats his nickname. He normally would've energetically sprung up right after being called, and would respond much quicker too, but with his current state, he's a little delayed. … Or maybe little is an understatement.

And even after responding, Caelus's movements remain slow. He sits up in his bed, looking over to the direction of the open glass window-door that leads out to the Meadow Suite's personal courtyard. Hanzo stands there, and Caelus gives him a soft smile. ]

… Oh, Luci. What is it?

[ He missed the earlier set of words. ]

[closetdweller]

Food delivery? Come on, keep up.

[His tone was bright, but he was concerned by the slow, dull manner Caelus was responding with. Toeing off his shoes, he pulled the foil wrapped package out of the front pocket of his hoodie to show him. ]

Ironeye found a way to get turkey and potatoes. Real stuff, not canned, and it's still hot.

[A couple of plastic forks that he had grabbed from the restaurant, still wrapped, followed, and Luci went to join Caelus. He softly sat down next to him on the bed and held out one of the forks.]

After the thing with the eggs, I thought you'd like some. Humans like hot food- it makes most people feel a little better.

Week 3.

[regulate]

[ They're all still recovering in the aftermath of all that happened with the rat king, though they fared better than most. At least they got to walk away alive and relatively intact, though Sunday cannot claim to be at 100% good health when his muscles and bones still protest with each step. He's still not used to pushing himself so hard physically, as he was never much of an athlete growing up. Music and dreamweaving were more at the forefront of his studies, something he's sorely regretting now.

Fortunately, he's good at masking his discomfort as he hobbles around the hotel, still cleaning up and making small repairs where he can because someone has to. That is, until he sees the giant hole in the wall, which is impossible to miss due to the heavy draft coming from it and the fact that it's a big-ass hole in the wall.

His wings sink as he stares at it, wondering if he should just cover it up with a curtain. He knows how to install a curtain rod, and if he finds very long drapes, perhaps no one will notice. However, that is not very ideal in terms of safety... ]

What was even the story here?

[trashblaze]

Apparently, while we were underground, Hosts came here and attacked the hotel. But according to our roommates, they were all fixated on Aventurine.

[ Sunday's condition is relatable to Caelus… While the two of them are lucky to get away without any major injuries thanks to the combined efforts of Jing Yuan and Dan Heng, they're not spared from the inevitable exhaustion. Even someone as athletic as Caelus nearly reached his limit from everything that went down.

One or two days of rest won't be enough to entirely recover from their intense fatigue. They can only hope that nothing else happens while they're still recovering altogether. ]

I'm really worried about it… This is the first time Hosts have directly attacked. Not only that, but they even threw this to destroy our wall.

[ Caelus points to a certain part of the ruined wall, indicating the actual damn car lying in a wreck. He moved it earlier, so it can act as a temporary fence to enclose the hotel, even a little. Better a half-barrier on the wall than none at all. He'll think about this car later. Maybe he can repurpose it… or even repair it for the hotel's use.

The most concerning idea and focus is that the Hosts are aggressive to the point of breaking their walls. And with the first confirmed death among the Vessels… It's terrifying. ]

It's possible that things are beginning to change.

[regulate]

[ Sunday's eyes widen as his hands stall near the hole where he had been trying to mentally measure how big of a curtain he would need to cover the hole. ]

The Hosts did this?...Is Aventurine all right? I did feel a few concerning emotions through the tether but was also too distracted with the battle to respond accordingly.

[ And keeping everyone alive, including himself. He should have inquired sooner, but he knows Aventurine is an adult who can take care of himself. Probably better than Sunday can, to be honest, but he doesn't want to admit that even to himself. At least, he knows Aventurine is probably in one piece.

Probably. ]

Did anyone else get hurt? Someone else had to have stayed behind in the hotel while we were away.

[ Maybe in the future they can distribute their manpower and resources better to avoid any one person being responsible for the bulk of the hotel's defense. ]

@panzana

[sorte]

• post-all-this, week 2

---

[ Aventurine sighs lightly as he pulls Nicola to sit on the bed in front of him so he can put his hands on the other man's shoulders and lean in a bit concerned. Dragging Nicola up here from out of Caelus's room, it's clear go Aventurine that Nicola isn't really all there at the moment, which isn't surprising. Having found him sitting next to Caelus's bed rather than resting with him, it's all too easy for Aventurine to guess what the newest additional issue is. An issue that, knowing Nicola's and Caelus's relationship, could easily be enough all on its own to have Nicola in an emotionally troubled state. Top it onto everything else he's dealing with currently, though?

It's... Concerning, to say the least.

Eyes peeking over the rim of his rose-colored glasses, he'll search Nicola's own eyes to see just how much on auto-pilot the man is right now. If his eyes aren't focused on him, he'll shake the other's shoulders a little bit. ]

...Hey, come on, look at me. Stop worrying about Caelus holding a grudge over what you did, okay? It'll be fine, and you need to prioritize your well-being right now or you're not going to be able to even resolve things once he wakes up.

[ whether Nicola looks at him or not, Aventurine's gaze will unexpectedly drift from Nicola's face to where his hand is at his shoulder. It's at that point that his eyes catch it: the blooming of more newborn tar-like sludge that's been stretching and bubbling on the aura surface as it tries to crawl along the light and spread itself. It's now starting to pour over the "summit" of Nicola's aura and—

drip

drop

driiippP

—onto Aventurine's hands before the sludge repeats the process of birthing several more tendrils in so many directions to try and crawl itself along and spread further. In truth the speed of spread is quite slow, even with the sludge coating and clawing. It's edged with tendrils all around that lunge and swipe about aggressively like writhing tentacles, but they don't actively manage to gain traction. Knowing he's the only one who can see Sleep's corruption and the aura it's leached itself onto, he forces himself to exhale— slowly and silently —from holding his breath. Also forcing himself not to pull away his hands from the other's shoulders, Aventurine instead squeezes them as if to try and reassure the other, hoping Nicola is willing to listen to some common sense. That he is still coherent enough with the stress, the exhaustion, and now the taint of succumbence all vying to take the post toll on the shadowbinder, though, remains to be seen. ]

...But, Caelus will absolutely hold it against you if you aren't taking care of yourself.

[ Nicola knows this, and Aventurine doesn't want to see Caelus cry more because another someone he cares so much about is suffering in such a state.

( that all he needs to think about regarding it— )

There's a momentary beat before he speaks a bit quieter, and he looks back to Nicola's face once more. It's less part of his official attempts to talk sense into the other and something more personal. He's worried about Nicola, too, simply because it's Nicola. ]

...Please?