entranceway | First* Video/Action

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First* Video/Action

Video
[Bela is standing in front of the camera, dressed in pants and shirt and a brown leather jacket-rather common clothing considering the eclectic pile of clothes behind her. If anyone cares for those kind of details they'll see a wide arrangement of clothing, from suits to cocktail dresses to waitress uniforms and even a maid costume.]

So. The closet? It's a very nice touch, I have to admit. I certainly wouldn't mind having one back home. Though seemingly free food, board, and clothing just means there's a hidden cost. So what is our benevolent caretaker charging us?

And what becomes valuable in a place like this? Is there a currency in particular items? Favors? Souls? [And there's a wry smile there to indicate that might possibly be a joke.]

Or does everyone here work on altruism?

Action A: Wandering Wonderland
[Not one to idly sit when her surroundings are so undiscovered, and therefore a little bit threatening, Bela takes to exploring the grounds with a casual step that belies just how uncomfortable she really feels. She can be found idly touching decor along the walls of the mansion, or grabbing something to eat in the dining room, or eyeing the titles of books in the library even if she doesn’t actually reach for any right now.

[ooc: This is your find her wandering anywhere you want to option.]

Action B: An unlocked room is an invitation.
[After exploring the more open grounds, Bela can be found roaming the hallways. It’s a seemingly innocent gesture by itself, except for the subtle jiggle of a handle here and there as she moves about. Just her way of...well, casing the place. Not that she’s planning on stealing anything quite yet, but she’ll feel more comfortable once she’s got a good map of the surroundings and people around her since it doesn’t seem like she’ll be leaving very soon.

Occasionally, when she finds an unlocked door, she casually opens it just to get a good idea of the room-and on the occasion that someone is actually in their room without bothering to lock the door, well, she smiles sheepishly and offers an embarrassed apology.]

Oh, I’m sorry. I have the wrong room. [Ignore the subtle sweep around the room before she tries to retreat.]

Action C: A locked one is just a challenge.
[She’s good. For a while. But after finding so many empty and unlocked rooms, she’s a little curious to see what’s inside a locked one. And just as curious to see how easy it is to pick a lock on these particular doors.

So she chooses a random one in a rather quiet hallway, listens near the door for any tell-tale sign of shuffling, and when she thinks she’s in the clear, she kneels down and jimmies the lock, before pushing the door open. If there’s no immediate reaction, she’ll take a step inside. Just a quick scouting mission, don’t worry, she’s not here to steal anything.]

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[Alex, of course, pretty much lives and breathes by the "lock all doors and take no chances" policy. He also, as a result, does not get much sleep. Insomnia and long hours of restless nightmares will do that to a man. He used to be a heavy sleeper - you have to be, to live in a college dorm and not completely lose your goddamn mind - but given his own history, well. Let's just say he's not a heavy sleeper anymore.

Currently, however, he's passed out in a fitful doze in his desk chair. It's not the most dignified position, having left him half-collapsed on the desk itself, and while he hasn't progressed into out-and-out snoring there's definitely a thin trickle of drool pooling around his cheek.

The sound of someone picking the lock doesn't rouse him, but the sound of a door opening definitely does. Alex startles awake with a jump, adrenaline buzzing him him into relative wakefulness.]

Bzuhh?

[Maybe she should have waited another second between pushing the door open and stepping inside, but lingering out in the hallway for too long runs its own risks, so she steps past the threshold, but before she can even take her first sweep of the room, there's the slide of a chair and other noises that accompany that startled jump that has her immediately tense and turned toward the quite obviously once slumbering man.

Well. Shit. And she holds one hand up complacently.]

Oh. [Because such an eloquent greeting deserves the same in turn, right?]

My apologies. I thought this was a...friend's room. I'm new. I must have gotten turned around.

[Oh, what a mistake. What a convincing mistake. Alex manages to get to his feet with a bit of a wobbly start, scowling.]

You thought a locked room belonged to a friend.

[His gaze drifts to the door, now open. Yep, he definitely made sure to lock that after the last barge-in by that sleepwalking lady. He's gonna have to invest in a bolt job or something, seriously.

His hackles now thoroughly raised, Alex eyes her suspiciously. Judging by the faint sneer, he's going for intimidating.]

Yeah, let's try for the truth this time.

[...He definitely has drool on his face, doesn't he.

So much for intimidating.]

[She has to test the waters. No reason using her best work on something simple, is there? But, apparently this one isn't entirely stupid.

He's not entirely intimidating either though, and her head cants to the side as she's debating on whether she should take him as a threat or not. She really doesn't do well with threats.

In the end though, she straightens again and makes a gesture at the side of her mouth to indicate the drool he still has there.]

Was it locked? It felt like it slipped right open to me.

[And she gives him a sharp semblance of a smile.] Are you always this accommodating? Can I take a seat while you interrogate me?

[His eyes narrow as he not-so-surreptitiously scrubs at his cheek with the back of one hand, but his glare remains unmitigated.]

I always lock my door. Call it a precaution.

[He crosses his arms over his chest, but he's not about to trap her in his goddamn room and shut the door or something.]

I just wanna know what your play is here. Do you make a habit of going through other people's shit?

Oh? Are you that concerned about your wellbeing, or just that paranoid? [Or protecting something in the room? But since he's already accusing her of rummaging through personal effects, it's wiser to not say that part.]

Fine. I picked the lock. But that doesn't change the fact that I was looking for a friend's room. I don't even know who you are.

[So you know, an introduction would be polite, guy.]

Yeah, 'cause newbies know so many people here.

[Alex isn't really accounting for the fact that someone new would have a winning enough personality.]

Is knocking just too obsolete for you, or do you break into all your friends' houses?

[He's not even gonna answer the "paranoid" query, because uh yeah he might be paranoid but he's not about to admit it to anyone. Especially not anyone as shady as this.]

[She's just going to casually shrug at that accusation, because there's no way for him to disprove she has a friend. It's the easiest defense, really.]

I was told to wait in the room for them. [And she gives him a dry expression.] I take it you don't have many friends calling on you.

[Sorry, kid. She's just tired of the twenty-questions game, and the only reason she hasn't turned and walked away yet is she's not entirely sure he's not the type to go screaming 'breaking and entering' and following after her.]

Yeah, well, I tend to make friends quicker by not breaking into their rooms.

[Nope, he's not letting this go. He's had more than enough of people sneaking into his room while he's asleep - maybe a few of those times involved potentially supernatural entities, sure - for this to be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back.]

Hell of a way to get to know the territory. If you're really that new.

[So much for the whole insult-to-divert ploy.

Well. Fine. Since she's here she takes another step into his room and glances around at the personal decor before bothering to address just more accusations.]

I don't know what you're expecting. I told you what happened.

[A pause.] Do you really not recognize someone new? Are there that many people that have been brought here, or are you just the hermit type?

[He's more up in arms about the actual act of breaking into his room than anything else. His room pretty closely resembles your everyday university dorm, with the layers of accumulated mess to boot. He doesn't have anything of value. Not of monetary value, anyway, unless you count a couple shitty cameras that don't even work anymore anyway.]

Sure you did, pal. 'Scuse me if I'm not willing to take anything you say at face value, seeing as you broke into my room, and all.

[He's still not buying that story. Part of it's a gut feeling, and part of it's plain old skittish paranoia.]

Look, it's awfully rude to ask questions and then entirely ignore the ones you're given in return. If you're not going to play politely, then I'm not going to stick around.

[And she shifts pointedly on her feet.]

[Alex huffs his irritation and advances a step or two. Again, trying for threatening, which is tricky since he doesn't exactly have the most intimidating frame. He's on the tall side, sure, but when it comes down to it he's still a twentysomething college kid with no special skills to his name, unless you count the skill to turn all video feeds to static.]

Polite? Look, I dunno what world you come from, but where I'm from people don't typically weasel their way into locked rooms because that's just how things are. What're you looking for? Huh?

[Well, not for his lack of trying, but she's stared down far worse without flinching. So his attempts don't get much reaction from her at all except for a sour frown.

Stop it, kid.]

I told you. I'm not answering any of your questions, until you answer some of mine. [And just in case he's slow and can't remember exactly what she asked.] Are there a lot of...guests [Because it irks her to call herself a captive.] here?

[She wants to play that game? Fine, Alex can play that game. He shrugs.]

Sure. Ten floors, rooms on every floor and at least one person to every room. Do the math. What d'you think?

I think you don't know. [Because her wandering has shown no end to the hallways on each floor.] How long have you been here?

Couple months. So yeah, I haven't attended any of the Monthly Wonderland Tea and Socials, if that's what you're so goddamn curious about.

[It's not like he's pretending that he knows. He doesn't make a habit of being totally social. That's just not his thing.]

People come and go on like a daily basis. I'm not keeping the tally.

Oh, you're a recluse. Who would have guessed? [And she smiles lightly at him.] So what do you do then? Nothing in here looks quite that entertaining. [And her eyes sweep the room again...except the cameras.] Aah. Photographer of life but not a participant, are you that kind of kid?

I don't see the point in getting to know people who are gonna be gone the next day.

["Recluse"? That doesn't bite. "Kid" kinda does, but whatever, she seems older than him so fuck it, fine.]

I'm the kinda guy who doesn't care to have people break in and act like they're better than me 'cause they happen to have [insert MASSIVE scare quotes] "friends." I'll believe it when I see it.

Oh, sweetheart. You sound a little bitter. You really ought to get out more often. And if you're going to insist on sleeping on your desk you should really get yourself a drool bib.

[But, really. She agrees. Friends aren't something she actually has. And she doesn't want any. Life is too short to be weighed down by people. But, she can be contrary just for the sake of it. And this one certainly has an attitude.]

[His teeth clenches, fists tightening. Sweetheart. Oh, he'll sweetheart her all right.

Like hell he's gonna let something like that stand. He doesn't even care if she's a chick.]

Shut up.

[Eloquent, Kralie, truly.]

And get out of my goddamn room. [The threat behind his closed fists is pretty implicit.]

[Oh look. She hit a sore spot. And if she looks a little pleased with herself, it's because she is. The fists mean very little to her, but with him at this confrontational point she knows he's utterly useless for any more information.

At least he was somewhat entertaining, though.]

Ciao.

[And with a wink, she turns on her heel and does exactly what he asks.]

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First* Video/Action

c. this should be fun

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