New Elysium’s docking area is a multiarmed facility on the side of an enormous asteroid. Above it, built into the spaceborne rock, is a sleek structure with countless windows, as well as a huge, clear dome. While it's impossible to tell from space exactly how large the resort is, it's clear that much thought was put into making the facility's external appearance as impressive as it could be.

The resort's airlock opens into a short, polished hallway - clean without seeming sterile - that in turn widens into a receiving area, gently sloped up towards a door on the far wall. Three other hallways enter from other airlocks, although at the moment there is no activity from them. Shortly after the first VIPs from the Jumping Jack enter, the far door opens to admit a group of four people.

The first is a tall verthani man with striking features and black eyes. His slicked back hair and expensive-looking charcoal colored suit seem to mark him as someone of importance; the slight violet trim to his suit that matches the illumination on his cybernetic right arm adds a slight touch of personality to his otherwise corporate look. Walking beside him is a handsome halfling man with curly hair and trimmed sideburns; his dark business attire has a subtle crimson hue and a slight air of casualness - or at least approachability - that the other man lacks.

Flanking the two are a pair of verthani women dressed in black microcord armor; clearly security or perhaps bodyguards. They stand back as the two men in suits step forward, but their eyes carefully catalogue every detail of the room.

The men patiently wait for the disembarking passengers to approach them, although the halfling looks the more enthusiastic of the two.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:08, Mon 08 Mar 2021.

Borais looks over each of the members of the group, particularly scrutinizing the bodyguard's, before stepping forward with a grave nod. "I am Borais the Avengeant of the Reckoners." He tilts his head, looking down at the businessmen through unreadable, narrowed eyes. "I am expected."

The verthani man's eyes narrow slightly, but before he can say anything the halfling spreads his arms wide out towards Borais, a large and friendly smile consuming his features. "Indeed you are, my friend, indeed you are. I must say, it's very reassuring to have someone of your... unique talents..." Did he just wink? "...aboard our resort."  His gaze shifts behind Borais to the other passengers, his smile not faltering in the slightest. "And speaking of talent, is that the lovely Tytva I see? My dear, you grace us with your presence. I can't wait to hear what you will be performing tomorrow. Battle of Beggar's Reach? The Taming of Xyklon IV? No, no, don't say, I want to be surprised."

Like some kind of organic perpetual motion machine, his attention has already smoothly rolled on. "Ah, Riddle! Truly, I am a fan. Ghosts of Akiton was really something special. My son loves it. So tell me, when is the hypervid deal? Hah! Kidding, kidding. And..." Here there is just the slightest moment of hesitation; he almost but not quite manages to hide his gaze flicking down to the datapad that is now in his hand and the guest list it displays. His smile doesn't falter, but freezes for a moment, before he recovers smoothly. "Alezandaru. It is a pleasure, I'm sure."

Then the halfling man gives a dramatic sigh. "Oh, but where are my manners. I haven't even introduced myself! I am Filip Kalsner, New Elyseum's host and social manager. You can think of me as your go-to for any questions you might have during your stay. Well! One of your go-tos, I suppose, but we'll get to that in a moment. Now, before we move on, did anyone have any questions?"

Filip's demeanor is completely open through all of this; if there is any dissembling to him, he doesn't show it. The man in the expensive suit, on the other hand, remains subdued - seemingly trying his best to hide his impatience at the necessity of such social rituals, and not entirely succeeding.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:18, Tue 09 Mar 2021.

Riddle carried multiple bags of different sizes and colors, some slung over shoulders and a few just carried by hand-beans*. After Filip started speaking, she responded well to his contagious warm energy. She listened, and when addressed she was going to speak before the moment had past, then listened some more. Her eyes still shown curiosity and interest.

"Tis' a pleasure Mr Kalsner! If you're lad is about with his copy, I'll make it a point to sign it for 'em!" She looked past him to the verthani, who was slightly unnerving her.
"I'm.. not to familiar with this 'space or customs here, but is it normal for pirates to 'be takin' swipes at your transports? And is there someplace I bring my luggage to scan before dropping off at my room or...?"
She trailed off again, glancing again at the verthani and the armed escort.
"... Um... Is he... ok? Are we in... trouble... for some reason? I'd imagine folks like him would be a tad happier not loosing profits, like the other transport with engine troubles and not getting shot out of the..." She realized a bit too late she might be treading on a sensitive subject, and trailed off again.


*Those hands are paws with fingers, and they are adorable, so they are called hand-beans, and I will die on this hill. :P

Alezandaru listened intently, gaze switching from Kalsner and the suit. He gave a slight nod as Riddle spoke. He shifted the weight of one bag on his shoulder. Among all the advancements he found if he traveled with what he could carry it made things easier to keep moving when he preferred to keep things close. As Riddle trailed off, he straightened a bit and looked at Filip turning on his smile. “I’m with Ms. Riddle. It has been quite the trip and I my new friend Filip would like to unload my burdens and boots.”
This message was last edited by the player at 05:06, Wed 10 Mar 2021.

Tytva sees her escorts and tacitly approves of their alien customs.  The guards, though lightly armed, are sufficiently flattering.  Two representatives.  Most likely the tall one is chief of security, here to escort her (or perhaps a wealthy fan even?)  The other, the one with the disarming smile, is her personal event coordinator for this performance, she assumes.  Tytva steps forward and faces the same problem she has at every alien venue she has ever visited:
'Will they know who I am, or will I have to introduce myself?'

At her gracious introduction, provided by the shorter man in the richly colored suit, she offers a humble nod and appears to half-listen to the remainder of the introduction.  For all the world, showing no sign that she's aware he is addressing the whole room.

At his open question Tytva responds,

"Would you be so kind as to have someone prepare the humidity of my room to my specifications?  My journey has been so long, and my scales do so need to retain their balance of moisture in order to maintain their smoothness and shine."  It is clear that this condition is a great burden for her.


((OOC:  Rolled a 5 to look like the most important person in the room :3 ))
This message was last edited by the player at 11:06, Wed 10 Mar 2021.

One again, the man in the suit looks about to voice his annoyance, and once again Filip smoothly steps in, waving Riddle's questions away. "Oh, no no, my dear author, no trouble at all. This is..." Here he hesitates, and finally the man in the suit pounces on his opportunity.

"Kaeon. Kaeon Rhyse. You could call me an interested party in the development of New Elysium." The man's voice is clipped and formal, but he sounds more hurried than rude. "And no, I have been assured" - here Kaeon pauses to give a sidelong glance at Filip - "that pirates are rarely bold enough to threaten this station or its guests." He manages a smile; it looks somewhat pained but not entirely ungenuine. "Less so now that you've so effectively frightened the rabble off, I'm sure. Well done." A slight nod follows the statement, delivered with the gravity of a priceless gift.

Then Tytva speaks and Kaeon can't quite contain a sigh. "With that said, I must be going. I'm a very busy individual. As, I'm sure..." Here he pauses a moment to make eye contact with Alezandaru; something unidentifiable flickers in his gaze - recognition, maybe? "...are you." A respectful tilt of his head towards Filip, and Kaeon departs, the two bodyguards falling in smartly behind him as he makes his way to another airlock.

Filip, meanwhile, seems eager to brush off Kaeon's presence and demeanor, turning his attention instead to Tytva. Rubbing his hands together with a smile, the halfling exclaims, "I'm glad you asked, madame. That offers a lovely segue to our next order of business. You see," here he shifts again to addressing the whole group, "part of the reason you have been invited here is to help Paradise Resorts focus test a particular upgrade to our amenities. Allow me to introduce you to: Keys to Elysium!"

With a dramatic flourish, Filip raises his hand and a small hologram of a stylized key appears floating above it. He smirks. "Doesn't look like much, does she? Well, I assure you, Keys is the absolute latest in virtual intelligence concierges. She can put everything our resort offers, right at your fingertips! Here, allow me to demonstrate." Filip gives a flick of his wrist, and the holographic key splits in four before vanishing.

Borais nods his consent.

She immediately set legal restrictions with any visual data gained from her book, but Riddle flickered her eyes permission after double checking her scans of the app. Commercials were annoying, she'll have to do something about that later.

I brief upload later Aledandaru nods approvingly.

After waiting a moment to confirm that everyone has the app installed, Filip continues his explanation-slash-sales pitch. "The VI can be configured with a variety of avatars and to respond to any phrase of your choosing, but will default to 'Keys'. Simply call her name and state your request and she'll do everything she can to see you accommodated. All of our staff use Keys, and if she can't personally fulfill your needs she will automatically contact the nearest staff member who can. But because she is directly integrated into the mainframe of the resort, you'll often find that you don't even need the actual living staff. For example:"

The halfling pauses dramatically, and then says, "Keys, allow our guests to choose their rooms."


Still smiling, Filip adds, "Oh, also, if any of you would like to coordinate on your rooms - or room together - just ask Keys to add each other as friends. You'll be able to see your friends' location in the hotel, assuming they leave that feature enabled, and what room they have selected."

Borais casts a sidelong glance at everyone else. "Certainly if there is need of me you should know where I am. After that rather cryptic sign off by those pirates...." He trails off and stares broodily into space for a moment, then shakes his head and gruffly adds, "You have my permission to keep my location, if you so desire." Then, looking away, he says. "Keys, a private suite with a bath, not far from the stairwell if you can manage."

In reply to (msg # 11):

"Keys," Tytva says with an imperial tone to the air. "Prepare for me your finest suite - I may be entertaining guests.  I am certain my agent sent messages with details of my needs."

"Oh, and yes," she turns, facing the boarding party, offering a glittering smile, "Please add my traveling companions to my list of friends.

"I do so hope you all will come by and visit," the flutter of her opal eyes are as warm and inviting as her offer.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Sun 14 Mar 2021.

At first, Riddle looked like she was reading something in front of her face, while swiping the air with her hand-beans in strange directions. After a few moments, she made a large sweep with her hands while stating "All please, thank you. Oh keep the map up though. Both is fine, thank you.", then turned and faced Filip. "Thank you! This is incredible! But... Can I purchase the commercial-free version for during my stay? And can I wander first before picking a room? Actually your right, I should grab one now. I think R64 will do, this one-"

She flicked something from in front of her face toward Filip.

"-And thank you Miss Tytva! After I stow my 'things, I'll stretch my legs for a spell 'round campus and take the sights before I head over. I'll fly Keys ahead of me." She smiled warmly, her blue eyes constantly sparkling. She plucked something else from the air and waved her hand towards the traveling companions.

Alezandaru, nods scanning the layout before his eyes. He selected a modest room fairly tucked away from foot traffic. “Keys, allow my arrival mates my room location, and private messaging.”  Again, he shifts the bag on his shoulder. He thought to himself for a moment before saying “I for one am looking forward to a fantastic vacation.”

Filip donned his most apologetic smile while addressing Riddle's question. "Normally, yes, we do plan to allow guests to opt in to a premium membership that disables the targeted advertising. In your case, however, there are some extenuating circumstances and we unfortunately need to ask that you keep it turned on." Here he shifted from apologetic to conciliatory. "The first of those is that of course, the appropriateness, intrusiveness, and frequency of the in-app advertising is something we very much want your feedback on. The last thing Paradise Resorts wants is for our guests to be turned away by excessive marketing!"

As he moved to the next point, his voice shifted to almost conspiratorial. "And the second reason is, well - your visit is all expense paid, after all. With rare exception, nothing you see advertised will actually cost you anything. Instead of advertisements, you can think of them as..." He paused for a moment as though searching for the right words. "...resort enjoyment suggestions."  His smile seemed honest, and there was a twinkle in his eyes, as though aware how cheesy that sounded.

"In any case, now that you've selected your rooms-"

Before Filip could continue, one of the airlocks opened and a loud, boisterous laugh drowned out his words. "You ever seen pirates run like that, Zidhil? I swear, they turned tail like they were facing a left field drive against the Triaxian Drakefuries' entire offensive lineup!" The booming laughter continued as if this was the funniest joke ever told, its source quickly revealed as a massive vesk woman so tall she had to duck through the hallway. Her companion, chuckling good naturedly at her words, was a middle-aged, thickly bearded human man that somehow managed to be almost as large - in presence if not in absolute size. Behind them followed another handful of individuals of various races, all with heavy and athletic builds.

The vesk woman's laughter calmed somewhat as she came into the room, her gaze sweeping across its various occupants. A toothy grin split her maw wide enough to swallow a melon, and her voice boomed out again, this time filling the receiving room. "Alright, who do I have to thank for putting the fear of the void into those slaggers?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:15, Mon 22 Mar 2021.

Borias places his fist over his heart and nods. "It was my honor to inform them of the grave mistake they had made, though we all had a part to play. I am pleased to see your ship was able to arrive safely."

When the soundwaves of the boisterous voice hit the room, no one noticed how Riddle jumped and hid behind the closest being. After hearing the conversation unfold, she poked her head out from behind Filip; her ears were down but slowly rose as the volume decreased. She was trying to shake how startled she was.

"Oh... Are you... Brutaris players...?" She ask, unconfident in her question. She wasn't into sports of, well, any caliber.

Alezandaru chuckled "Borais so humble." At Riddles comment he considered the two. Waiting for their response. They did look the type. However, sports was not something that caught his interest; he did enjoy hearing people talk about what they were passionate about and athletes tended to rub elbows with interesting people.

The vesk woman's smile, if at all possible, broadens as she nods at Riddle's question. "Absalom Buzzblades - the best damn brutaris players this side of civilized space!" The comment gets hearty agreement from the rest of her team, although for the most part the cheering is good-natured rather than prideful. "Here on New Elysium to enjoy some well-earned rest after our recent championship victory." Her eyes settle on Borais. "Although if you can scare pirates off just like that, I think we might need to turn this into a recruitment drive instead!" Again, her bellowing laugh follows.

Filip, feeling somewhat forgotten, makes a move to reclaim the conversation - but before he can speak the vesk woman's eyes land on the other vesk present, and light up again.

"Wait, is that..." She gives a playful glare at the halfling. "Filip! You didn't tell me there would be celebrities here!" Something like awed admiration in her eyes, she crosses the distance to the diva in two long strides, clapping her fellow vesk on the shoulder. "Tytva! Incredible to meet you! Tell me, what does a poor recruit have to do to get an autograph?" As if by magic, a brutaris ball and a permanent marker appear in her hands.

Behind her, one of the other players - a lashunta woman with short, bright green hair - sighs dramatically. "Oh great, we'll be here all day at this rate." Her comment is directed roughly in the direction of Alexandaru, whom she flashes a winning smile. Extending a hand, she continues, "I'm Virlae. This your crew?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:56, Tue 30 Mar 2021.

Alezandaru finds his head rolling back as Tytva draws more attention. It’s not that he didn’t like being there but he did need to unload his gear and get down to business. Much to do in three short weeks. Head staring absently up he finds himself in a bit of a daydream “Oh great, we’ll be here all day at this rate.” His grin returns to his face head leaning back into reality. He turns to the voice while shifting his bag on his shoulder before reaching out to take her hand. “Virlae, charmed. Alezandaru, and I don’t know we only recently have become acquainted.” He shakes her hand firmly in greeting. “Though scaring off some pirates was quite the way to make new friends. Didn’t realize I’d fallen in with a warrior, a queen, and the most riveting of storytellers.”

In reply to MaxAstro:

At the moment she locked eyes with the other Vesk, Tytva nearly transformed.  Tytva was surely polite, with a bright personality before now.  However, at the sight of a fellow Vesk, Tytva brightens like a star with a voice as sweet as shirren cake.

"Sister!"  Tytva clasps her hands around the hand of the brutaris player.  She grasps it emphatically, meanwhile gracefully dislodging the hand from her soldier as she does.  "I am always available to sign an autograph for the recruits of the Veskarium.  It is sooo good to see a friendly face in space.  But, you must agree to come to the party I assume I will be having.  You can explain brutaris,"

Tytva's birdlike hands swiftly signs the ball without looking.  Even as she does she expertly sidesteps the vesk, never breaking eye contact, until she is on the other side of the brutaris player, nearer to the exit - eyes still locked.

OOC: Perhaps she's waiting for an easy opportunity for a graceful exit?  No never.  Too rude.

Seeing that the newcomer's attention has shifted elsewhere, Borais will simply nod his goodbyes and head towards the exit, trusting Keys to lead him to his rooms.

"Hah! Riveting! Too kind' those words, I say!" Riddle blushed slightly while looking up to so many giant personalities, as well as most of their physical stature.
She noticed how Filip was getting lost in the situation, and guessed most likely this is why they kept the shuttle interactions separated. No one would leave in any sort of proper timetable if they all meet at the gate and not inside the Resort. No wonder famous people had managers!
She couldn't help but giggle at the thought in front of everyone. If she was more of a' Agatha Christie writer, this would be quite the start.

"Well Filip, you sure got a lot to handle here, maybe we will trade tales n' drinks later at kind Tytva's party." She said as she gathered a better grip of her belongings.

For several long seconds, Filip seems to scramble for some way to salvage his carefully planned introductory routine. Finally realizing it is hopeless, he throws up his arms in a friendly shrug, smiling and shaking his head. "Well. I guess that's the end of my usefulness then. Replaced by the robot even faster than I expected..." Despite his words, his laugh is good natured. "Keys can show you all to your rooms. Most of the resort is closed right now, preparing for the festivities tomorrow, but it will all be open early. You should all find maps of the resort in your rooms and of course Keys can provide one as well."

"Have a lovely visit, and thank you for choosing New Elysium!" This last comes in a rush, voice slightly raised to catch those who are already leaving. Still smiling and sighing, the halfling turns his attention to the Buzzblades, preparing to repeat his whole dramatic introductory spiel for them.

Meanwhile, Virlae enthusiastically completes the handshake, her smile growing warmer at Alexandaru's words. "A victim of your circumstances, huh? I know that feeling." She glances over at Filip, noticing him trying to wrangle the attention of the other Buzzblades, and gives a small laugh. "Speaking of a band of misfits... seems like I'm needed with my team. But I hope we can catch up another time!" The lashunta favors Alexandaru with a smile that... surely isn't flirtatious? ...before hurrying back to her crew.

The large vesk woman - Yazeloya, apparently, as that is the name she gives Tytva to sign - seems pleased by the autograph and completely oblivious to the diva's attempts to maneuver away. Or any hesitance she might have about physical contact. Favoring her with a potent pat on the back and grinning ear to ear, Yazeloya promises, "I'll see you at the gala tomorrow, then!" before also rejoining the rest of her team.

((OOC: Feel free to continue this scene if you have anything more to do here. The "Hotel Floor" thread can be used for interacting with each other on the way to your rooms or visiting each other's rooms; if there is anything you want to resolve privately in your room, private message me.))