[ Open ] A Home for the Holidays

[maddeninghatter]

Date & Time: December 10th - 21st
Location: The Museum of Old and New(ish) Art
Characters: Xerxes Break and you. Information about and a map to the castle has been left in the Transporter Facility, so anyone interested in renovating a warm and secure (if weird) place to stay is welcome.
Summary: An eccentric billionaire’s 27th century medieval-replica castle/art museum/hotel lies abandoned and half-buried in the snow. It’s going to take a lot of work to renovate, but hey it’s more kid-friendly than a brothel. Right? Right?
Warnings: None.

The 1980's ski-wear themed snow suits Break brought back from this mission proved to be a hit with the local population (so stylish!), as were Mister Cecil's ugly Christmas sweaters, so they have been able to trade for goods and some technical services, to help make this place more livable. Supplies from the DITR have also been a great help. However, a lot of work needs to be done: cleaning and vermin-smiting and clearing away snow. Come and help, or simply explore.

(ooc: feel free to start threads willy-nilly, action-spam or prose, name your time and place, threadjack and mingle.)


(1) Museum:

The stairway forces you straight down, past four floors, into the very dungeons of the castle. There are no windows; it was artificially lit, although the electricity isn't on at present. However, the old geothermal power generation system in the structure is simple and robust, so only a small amount of tweaking will be required to get it operational once more. In the meantime, the DITR has kindly supplied you with bright uber-LED flashlights and batteries with advanced energy storage, meaning they should stay lit for weeks. Should.

As soon as you emerge in the dungeons, you’ll find yourself lost in a maze of gallery after gallery. High sandstone walls rise up, towering over everything. What was once a set of opulent velvet curtains lining the art spaces hang in rags, having long since been devoured by rats.

Many of the paintings are destroyed, but most are intact, as are the sculptures and installations, preserved in the deep freeze. The subject matter is bizarre and disturbing. Take this human centipede for instance. And what on earth does this machine do? What’s that smell….

However, some of the “artworks” are playful and interactive. Try a game of ping pong on an accordion-shaped table; or jump on a trampoline in a cage with bells underneath; or find the white library, full of blank books (don’t deface the art!).

Try not to get lost.


(2) Castle/Hotel:

The upper levels of the castle were hotel rooms, long ago. Alas, all of the sheets and bedding were made into nests by rats. Here too, the lush velvet curtains hang in rags, and the wool carpets over the stone floors have lost their battle to the moths.

Yet most of the furniture remains intact, as well as the elaborate chandeliers. Compact heaters will keep the spaces at a near-comfortable temperature, and sleeping bags will do for now.

Let’s get cleaning!


(3) R&R

All that hard work has finally paid off. The geothermal power system is now providing electricity and abundant steam heat, and multiple hotel rooms are in habitable shape. Most importantly, the kitchen is functional. it's time to relax with a cup of hot spiced wine (or chocolate) and pastry. Some mischievous person has hung mistletoe over various random entranceways, so look sharp!


(4) Playing in the snow

The weak December sun makes an appearance, illuminating the ice crystals in the frigid air, creating a sun dog. The snow sparkles like white diamonds. It’s still freezing, but how can you stay inside on a day like this? Anyway, the snow needs shoveling, but perhaps there’s time to make a snowman (or snow angels).


(5) Penguins:

In addition to vermin of the four-legged, tailed and whiskered variety, this castle is home to a flock of penguins. These might be the principal reason the castle has lain abandoned all these years. They can be found anywhere in or around the structure. Approach with caution. Or better yet —



— run away.

Comments

[payback]

AUGH.

[She promptly falls backwards, still with material bundled it her arms. It covers her in moldly fabric and she flops around to crawl out from under it.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Presently, he crouches down and plucks the fabric off her. ]

Dear me, don't sleep in that, it's very old and dirty. We've got some lovely sleeping bags, if you want to take a nap.

[payback]

[All that dust, all those mutated, future spores. She sits up and instead of answering sneezes (entirely accidentally) right into his face.]

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ BRAT!!! ]

[maddeninghatter]

Hahaha!

[ He brings his over-long sleeves to his face, as if to hide his giggles, but really it's to surreptitiously wipe off his face. BRAT! ]

Goodness, are you dressed warmly enough? We wouldn't want you to catch cold, you know.

[ It is still very chilly, despite the few compact heaters they have going. He's going to try to pat her shoulder, to discover what she's wearing. ]

[payback]

Auugh! What were you doing there? [She's wearing a jacket, not quite one of the big puff jackets but with some oomph to it. Enough to where she's not freezing, especially since they're in a building with heaters going, but chilly outside.

She's been avoiding being outdoors too much after the Initial flush of enthusiasm wore off, though.

And now she's rolling away...]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He had just been balancing precariously on furniture, sweeping cobwebs off the ceiling, but as if he'd want to be seen actually doing anything useful. He'd hidden behind the curtain when he heard her coming. ]

Doing where? Anyway, come with me.

[ That jacket's oomph is hardly adequate for the weather, as far as he can tell. ]

I've got juuust the thing for you~!

[payback]

[Immediately, the stubborn brat drops to the floor. She's decided that Break can probably be relied upon not to be evil; Collette's word is likely good in that regard. But she doesn't just want to go with him somewhere!]

Whhhyyyyyyyyy?

[maddeninghatter]

[ Break stands. He's outfitted in something that looks a lot like this, except somehow he seems to be able to make it work; perhaps it's some combination of the white hair, or the fact that he is so thin, that the puffiness of the suit makes him seem normal-sized. ]

Oh well~! If you don't want any tea or hot chocolate, that's fine. More for me, right~?

[payback]

[She sits up. Cramming her foot back in the conversational door, so to speak.]

No! I want cocoa. [Begrudgingly, she climbs to her feet, set to follow after him...]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He doesn't break stride waiting for her to catch up, but continues down the hallway whistling tunelessly. He turns, finally, but not into the kitchen; rather, he steps into a room that's been converted into a sort of storage area. Scores of neat, colorful little bundles are arranged on the shelves; there are also a number of sweaters, also neatly folded.

He plucks one of the bundles from the shelf and shakes it out. It puffs out into a neon-orange snow suit. ]

You'd better take one of these, hm?

[payback]

[She follows him silently, giving him the gimlet eye the whole time. If there was any justice in the world, he'd be squirming; at least she's no longer surprised by things like the persistent injustice of the world, that he's not squirming at all.

Break. She sees what you're doing there. After a moment eying him severely, she takes the snowsuit from him.

"What an eyesore," she almost says, but bites her tongue. He's blind. How would he know? Or rather, he'd probably get a kick otu of it. Instead, coolly:]

Thanks.

[Observe this kindness. :| Cocoa now.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Yes, Xerxes Break has absolutely no idea that the snowsuits are in garish colors, he is blind and therefore completely and totally innocent of making people look like dorks, while being completely protected from the elements. ]

You're welcome~!

Would you like a sweater, too?

[ He's holding up one with a great big reindeer on the front. Somehow its nose is blinking red. ]