【 ✧ 】—— 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 —— 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍

[theneorex]

⪼ GREG MILANO
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Levi Allen ✦ He/Him ✦ Location; Hotel Lobby ✦ Tags; Open x

Stiff fingers trail across embellished words, hesitating at points before proceeding. But Greg’s eyes linger on the ruby lettering printed across the cover of his book, never too tempted to look inside. Occasionally, his fingers dance at the edge, toying over the pages before returning to their mindless tracing. He’s been sitting like this for hours, perched next to his bags; tucked in a small, easily overlooked corner beside a storage cupboard. He’s watched people come, withering into unknown spaces beyond the stairs, and he’s watched them leave, fingers idly following the intricate curves of an unnamed font.

They hadn’t appeared to be staff, sharing his mild confusion at the eerie absence of bodies within the hotel. He had watched them hesitate, slip behind the counter to take a key and vanish from the hotel’s lobby. Their shoes against the polished, pine stairwell had been the only company to echo around the sparsely populated area in the time that followed. A part of him couldn’t silence the steady thrum of curiosity that buzzed beneath his veins, his unanswered questions petering precariously on his tongue. Still, he had stayed in place, listening out for the re-emergence of sounds, leg bobbing to the rhythmic ticking of the large grandfather clock that rested against the wall to his right.

Minutes dribbled by, his attention dwindling from its routine actions to deviate to the unchanging reality of his situation. He shifts his book, balancing it on top of his suitcase before standing. His fingers knot into the hem of his sweater, tugging at it with idle twitches as he approaches the desk. He pauses beside the unmarred surface, peering over to blink around the corners. Once again, he is met with vast, empty space filled only with small trinkets and untouched furniture. He doesn’t bother calling out—he’d tried that before, only to be greeted with the unmistakable sound of his own breathing.

So, he takes a step back, leaning onto his heels to crane his neck up and stare at the ceiling. It’s beautifully decorated, with ornate detailing careening out in the shape of a crescent from the centre. Despite its grandeur, it’s easily overlooked by those who were focused, much like the fleetingly familiar faces that had flickered in and out of the lobby like ghosts. He doesn’t recall a single person looking up upon their entrance, only the briefest of sweeps as they surveyed the ample, overly accommodating space of the foyer.

He cocks his head and sniffs, hands finding their way into his pockets.

[harmonizing]

[ veronica flynn -- graveyard set -- tagged: bambi, romi, leo ]

Well, Veronica figures she can find her big break elsewhere in this series. If it does turn into a zombie apocalypse-type film, then, she guesses she'll be ready for it. She stretches out her arms above her head, taking two steps back from the tomb so Romi can do her sketching process. This tomb was a bust, anyway. Maybe she's better off heading back and actually trying to find the damn script so she can practice her lines.

"Modeling?" she gapes, crossing her arms and pivoting back on her waist. The compliment is nice--very nice, especially when she hasn't heard one in practically weeks--but she does her best to keep her unaffected attitude when she shrugs, "It sounds kind of boring, don't you think? I'd get sick standing in the same place for so long."

She tries to imagine it--being a model with hooded eyes and fluffy, overbearing clothes that are way too itchy for any normal person to wear. It's not really her style--definitely not her style. But she won't say no to a compliment saying she could be one, that's for sure. It's praise, and, it's what she strives for. She wouldn't be anywhere without it.

She doesn't even notice that someone was approaching until a voice carries through the leaves. For a split second, she feels like the producer has just walked in, and is about to drag them off by the ears. Oh, God, she'd never get another gig if she got booted off of this one for inappropriate behavior. She'd really have to get into modeling, then. She's pruning just at the thought of it.

The fear dissipates when she realizes she's looking at another castmate--one of the boys she'd seen on the roster. Oh. That's better, at least. For a second, she'd thought the whole arriving cast was just going to be women. She wouldn't complain, but--

"Hey, you found it?" she snaps to attention immediately--she hadn't been following any of the man's words until he said key. So, this might not be a bust after all! Sure, it was a little weird that it was in a tree, but, could she really be thinking about that right now? Her mouth widens into a brash grin as she gestures to the casket, taking a few more preemptive steps back. She waits until Bambi's done talking before saying, "Yeah. So... wanna open a tomb with us, mystery man?"

[borahae.]

xx.█████
xx.█████
𝐋𝐄𝐎 ! ! ───────────


wilbur red ✩ twenty ✩ he/him ✩ tag: bambi, romi, veronica ✩ location: graveyard

Turning to face the first member of the group to address him, a blonde female that stood at approximately the same height as himself, Leo nodded enthusiastically to her question and began another bout of his rambling (with wild gesturing to match) "Mm, yeah, it was! It was hanging pretty low, sure, but it took quite a bit of maneuvering to get it down...the string here was all tangled and tied around the branch. I was really shocked... definitely didn't expect it. I mean, it didn't seem accidental, but-...Oh. Wait. This isn't yours, is it?" Ending with furrowed brows as he began to actually process the other's words, the confusion setting in, Leo took a moment to again glance down at the rusted key in his hand before looking up to where the other was now patting the gravestone that the three other cast members were previously huddled beside. Unable to hide the confusion from leaking onto his face, the boy as expressive as ever, Leo again looked up just in time to see one of the others step aside to allow him better access; with long brown hair and a shorter stature than the previous, this girl gave a grin and soon addressed him with a much more casual approach, asking if he'd like to join them.

Excited at the thought of adventure so early into his stay regardless of his general confusion, the blue haired boy gave a brief chuckle before nodding and again speaking, untangling the string from around his hand "Well, sure. Hard to say no to something like this...but, here, you should probably be the one to do the honors. I'm the newcomer here, after all." Handing the key off to the blonde from before with a smile, Leo then turned back to the brunette and (as if just remembering her cheeky use of a nickname) with wide eyes, offered up an introduction "Oh, right! Introductions! I'm Leo, cast member, and...well... I've got to be totally honest with you. I'm really hoping you're cast too, because if not, I really might just be fired; i've got to be like an hour late to shooting by now."
Then, as if adding as an after thought, Leo continued "Though, before you fire me, I'd love to know why you needed a key to open a tombstone. Is this a set thing? Part of the plot? Or maybe some secret underground lair?"

[HauntedMansion]

Bambi Scott

she/her - playing Darla Red: the reporter - loc: cemetery set - tags: Veronica, Romi, Leo

Bambi gave a slight smirk to Leo’s comment, accepting the key only to find how dense it felt resting in the palm of her hand, similar to holding an item made of pure metal. It seemed impractical as a set piece to her, with the sudden intrusive notion of being able to leave a pretty prominent bruise on anyone if she applied enough force behind the item. If this really did work on the tomb, maybe it just needs something reliable in order to function? With prominent questions from the blue haired boy, the blonde remembered the task at hand, running a thumb over the imprinted “R” emblem at the keys base, looking back up to meet Leo’s gaze. ”Well Leo, good news. Not gonna fire you, cause we’re also cast-“ mischief lingers in her smile as her gaze shifts toward where Veronica spotted the keyhole. “I’m Bambi, and yeah, you’d probably hope this graveyard is just a set piece, otherwise this would be pretty disrespectful-“

Click. The blondes witty tone cut off rather abruptly, speaking to the people behind her as she inserted the key. Once the item had proved to be a perfect fit, a series of mechanical mechanisms shifted within the confines of the tombstone. It’s gradual eerie sounds caused Bambi to take a step back, watching as the tombs lid began to slowly open from one side, similar to how you’d peel back the pages of a book. You couldn’t open tombs like that, not ones made of solid stone, at least not on your own. But this clearly wasn’t a normal tomb, it was like something you would see in some ridiculous haunted mansion. As goofy as it seems, it didn’t make it look any less wrong.

With only a moment to process exactly what she was seeing, the tombs lid settled on the ground with a light thud, having slowly peeled back completely until the inside of the tomb was revealed. The actress blinked, sparing a brief glance towards the others before stepping up to regain her position beside the tomb, resting her hands on the rim while leaning forward to peak inside. At first she was met with darkness, her eyes instinctively finding the pit of black within the tombs nearly bottomless appearing structure. Climbing up from the darkness came the morning suns light, shining upon the only thing allowing someone to safely navigate through the dark pit below. Practically nailed to the coffins head was a simple mounted ladder, appearing metal in texture, sturdy yet clearly aged with slight discoloration. The inside of the tomb was a trap door, with only a ladder leading to something beneath them, tunneled down so far that she couldn’t even see the bottom. ”So, secret underground lair hm? No way you didn’t read the script..” Bambi muttered, recalling the actors comment that now sounded a bit too specific from what they were currently viewing.

[HauntedMansion]

Todd Conti

he/him - playing Edward Aurora: the conspiracy theorist - loc: kitchen - tags: Greg

With a prominent pile of pancakes made for any available cast member hoping for some kind of breakfast, Todd existed the kitchen with the assortment in hand, whistling as he placed the large dish down on the available table space, assuming that’s where the buffet would have been if anything was prepared. It certainly was something he’d have to ask about later, normally he wasn’t one to complain about any lack of service no matter where he went, but he hasn’t even seen a single worker all morning, much less anyone to help in the kitchen. He’d understand a bit of uproar from his fellow cast, if he managed to find any of them either. It was all much too strange for him to ignore.

Todd had made himself a small plate of pancakes when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps echoing along the desolate lobby. He turned to greet the first face he’s seen all morning, spotting a blonde haired young man admiring the foyer. It really was quite the design, possibly crafted for the show alone or for the tourist location that could follow right after production. Either way, it proved to be rather eye catching among most of the remaining decor. The actor found himself briefly admiring the design once more before attempting to gain the young man’s attention. ”Hey, Good morning! If your looking for breakfast, I’d have to say our selection is rather slim, but we’ve got pancakes if you’d like any.”

[harmonizing]

[ veronica flynn -- graveyard set -- tagged: bambi, romi, leo ]

She'd never seen metal... peel. Watching it feels somewhat like she has dirt under her fingernails, or like she's biting her teeth into steel. She can't help but feel that it's all wrong, that something's tying itself inside of her and burrowing within her organs. She doesn't know why it's so present, doesn't know why the twisting of nature makes her feel so sick, but it's there, and it doesn't go away even when she tries to ignore it. She doesn't remember being such a wuss.

But even still, she can't help but look. A freakish bend of nature unfurls in front of her, and she wants to see. She wants to look at what's in this tomb and why it's so... so...

"What the hell is that?" Veronica gasps before she gets anything else out, her hands grasping at the sides of the tomb. She peers down the shaft, at the metal ladder that creaks on its hinges. She traces its shadow, how it leers and stretches all the way to the missing bottom of the pit. No way. Absolutely no way.

"Is this secretly a horror series, or something?" she nearly fumes at the idea. Those films were always cheapy and cringe-y, and the actors in them never got anywhere. Once you're in a grossing horror movie, there's no going back. You're always gonna be the horror actress, no other options. Like she said, no way. She crosses her arms over her chest,"I need to call my agent."

[theneorex]

⪼ GREG MILANO
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Levi Allen ✦ He/Him ✦ Location; Hotel Lobby ✦ Tags; Todd x

The scent changes—only slight, but enough for Greg’s fractured attention to shift. It filters to it, honing in on the enslaving aroma, and his expression falters. His lips part, faintly forming a word that does not verbalise, his brow—again—forming a muted frown.

“Hey, good morning!” a warm voice greets, eliciting Greg’s eyes to wander. Finally, they fall on an older man—mature and handsome—whose gaze is steadied on him. He faintly recalls seeing his face on the cast list, smiling beside a printed name that has slipped his mind. Once more, the man speaks, offering pancakes with playful words about the non-existent selection.

“Morning,” Greg tests, his voice sounding rough and unused. He winces. “Pancakes. Right, uhm… No, thank you. I’ve already eaten this morning.”

It isn’t a lie—partially—but his stomach is unsettled, and he couldn’t bring himself to attempt a mouthful.

Howbeit, he forces a smile, angling his body to face this stranger. Hands still resting in his pockets, he clears his throat. “They do smell delicious, though,” he assures him, his lips wobbling as he hesitates. Should he speak one of the questions that have been on his mind since his arrival? He tests his tongue against the inside of his cheek, considering the option carefully.

On the one hand, he might learn something new—something that’d help piece together the mystery. Or he’d be met with the same confusion and uncertainty; the same questions that circle his head like a swarm of angry bees, regurgitated in another’s voice.

He swallows, “Have you seen anyone? Staff, I mean.”