Dislocated Denizens

Participants:

delia_icon.gif huruma_icon.gif ina_icon.gif

Scene Title Dislocated Denizens
Synopsis Delia seeks refuge at the Corinthian for her sister and runs into a family acquaintance and someone else who knows her father.
Date May 5, 2010

The Corinthian

In 1899, William Stokes resolved to build the "grandest hotel in Manhattan": an eighteen-story steel-frame structure with a Parisian-style mansard roof with round turrets and an exterior inspired by neoclassical architecture. When the Linderman Group bought the property in 2007, it preserved the building's outward appearance, which includes grand, arched windows looking out over the Upper West Side with a view of Central Park and the Hudson River beyond.

Past the metal detectors erected just inside the Corinthian's doors, the hotel lobby is a vast and expansive place. It's wide enough for a person to lose themselves in, longer than it is wide, and the vaulted ceiling reaches up a full three stories before budding the glinting, glimmering crystal chandeliers which provide a lion's share of illumination.

The gleam of yellow-tinged light softens the austerity implied by white walls into something warmer, elegantly welcoming. Gold tones pick out a vining pattern across the large, matte-white tiles of the floor, merging with a thicker border of autumn shades around the edge of the room. Rows of corinthian-style columns outline the central stretch of the lobby, base and capital shaded in honey-brown to accent the white of the column's length; tall, narrowly cylindrical pots sit at the base of each pillar, miniature palms heavy with verdant greenery.

At the far end of the column-edged path is a broad flight of shallow stairs, brown and gold edged by white; these lead up to the second floor, its promenades with wrought-iron railings, and the many other spaces to be found within the Corinthian.


Being a building that has it's own power source, and the rooms to hold people for however long it is that they need to, the Corinthian in New York has become a safe haven for many of the displaced citizens of all rank and file, doors opened by the generosity - and the public image - of the Linderman Group.

Being that it is one of the few places, it means that it's crazy, crowded and this is how they wish it would be on a general business day. Instead there's many people to one room, blankets doled out and pillows, all employee's taking refuge too and working to help provide a positive if crowded experience for the displaced denizens.

One such employee is Ina Anderson, a floor manager. Burlesque has power thanks to the generator but Ina was running out of fresh clothes and had stopped by to get some. She decided to stay for a few hours, open up her own apartment way up near the top, a penthouse, to those she knows, and even those she doesn't in an attempt to squeeze a few more people into the place before she heads back to Burlesque and it's apartment up top. At the front desk she's writing on a pad of paper, eyes lifting to see who all is coming, going, loitering and such. Green eyes scan across the room, before flickering back down, security posted here and there in hopes of halting any possible altercations that might spring up with people in such close quarters.

One of the refugees from the cold is a young redhead by the name of Delia Ryans. Completely uncertain of what to do in such a situation, she walks up to the front desk and clears her throat. "Uhm… Hi. I was wondering what I need to do to get a place here? For me and my sister… If she shows up." She glances to the door, an expression of worry painted clearly across her face. She'd left her sister somewhere along the street when Lulu had decided she'd forgotten something at the apartment and went back for it.

She pulls her wallet from her bag and pulls out some identification and a credit card, not knowing which of the two she'll need, she slides them both across the counter. "And .. thanks, it was getting cold in the apartment."

Staying in a place where she can literally sink into the background and be warm in the process is the most preferable for Huruma; it won't be the first time that she's come nose to nose with refugees and come to be staying in a shelter. At one point they were all she really had. There are always unspoken rules in shelters, whether they are ramshackle tent villages or a multi-million dollar casino that has been fitted as one. Despite being inside, she still is wearing a heavy brown coat when she wanders the halls and eventually finds herself downstairs; the layer of dark fur on the inside of it keeps her the warmest it can manage, while the outside seems mostly like something one may find in an outdoors catalog. She tries. The coat makes her look slightly topheavy, on those long legs.

Having done a fair share of wandering, Huruma has come down to the ground floor again, hands buried in the corner pockets of her coat, a red scarf remaining a dangling tie around her neck. It flutters at her breast when she descends into the lobby proper- hard to miss, for one- but at the same time it does not look like she is trying to hide her presence. Inwardly, she has been quite enjoying the vast array of moods in the Corinthian; from contentment, to anger- from fear to hope. It gives her one more reason to pay attention.

Ina plasters a smile on her face, her business smile slipping easily onto her face as she takes the proffered ID, but the credit card is left as is. "Hello Ms… Ryans" Why is that last name so familiar? "While I would normally be more than happy to have one of our assistant procure you a room all to your own, being that this is currently being used as a shelter, we can find a place to put you and your sister, but it won't be a room to yourself" Ina apologetically offers, a glance over to Huruma then back to Delia.

"Sorry. Ryans?"

Taking the credit card back and placing it carefully back into her wallet, Delia glances at her surroundings and then back at the woman behind the desk. "I understand, I wouldn't want to put anyone else out anyway. If I can, I just want to be in the same room as my sister." She's a little nervous, that is until she sees one familiar face in the crowd. The one belonging to Huruma. Then she brightens considerably and turns back to Ina. "Yeah, Delia and Lucille Ryans," she offers, trying to be a little more helpful. "I'm not sure what other information you need.. Do you need more?"

When one is looking for a familiar face, it's not quite as easy as just letting your eyes do the walking. Maybe it is one of those universal rules. When Huruma spots the vaguely familiar head of hair, it gives her a moment's pause to think it over; luckily, soon after, Delia turns her head to scan the area and the feelers already put out from Huruma clue in on the young woman. As her father's 'customer' approaches the desk to come near, it is with an expansively smug smile on her lips and a playful vibration in her voice. "Both of you? Are you sure she did no'run off t'leave you here?" Lulu could have, you know. She has enough guy friends, right? No better way to keep warm-

"Would your father be Benjamin Ryans?" It's a chance to take, the co-incidence of the last name. But Delia has a friend approaching and Ina is taking the moment to check and see where she could possibly put some siblings in need of refuge. "Good evening Miss" Offered to Huruma at her approach, casually looking over the pair, the fur, then back to the computer as red lacquered nails click over the keyboard.

Thinking that perhaps Ina chanced a glance at the name on the credit card, Delia nods with a smile. "Yeah, that's my dad." Then she turns toward Huruma and the smile falters just a little and she quickly shakes her head. "Uhm… She said she forgot something at the apartment. She — She wouldn't just leave me here." There's definite fear in the girl at the thought of being left alone, almost tangible to anyone in the room, let along the empath next to her. Shaking her head, Delia tries to put the thought out of her head but the pit in the bottom of her stomach is just growing. "N-no no, she'll be here, she just has to be."

Ina is the recipient of a rather lean-sided stare, Huruma measuring her for a few passing moments. She gives the third woman a small smile there as well, but for different reasons. Huruma will have to keep an eye on that- maybe she saw his name, or maybe she knew it from elsewhere- she cannot be sure, but even coincidence can be flaky.

"Do'no'worry. If she cannot make it I am sure she will be fine." Not reassurance of the type that Delia might want. Huruma is quite skilled at keeping others just nervous enough to keep functioning normally. She is able to feed off some of it, keeping things interesting. "If she stands you up, you've always got me." The dark woman's lips part in a sliver of a smile down to Delia; on one hand, she's right. On the other- it's a little unsettling that Lulu might want to flake and accidentally leave her sister with Huruma.

Ina just offers the same sort of stare back to Huruma, growing up in Vegas and in the casino's intimidation is not something she's unfamiliar with and unable to handle. "Agent Benjamin Ryans. He's a good man. I hope he's doing better. He's a brave man your father. I can… put you in on a penthouse that's up at the top" Obviously. "There's only two other there and you'll find it comfortable. It's the least I can do for Agent Ryan's daughter." Ina flashes Delia a smile and proffers to her a swipe key.

"and how can I help you Miss? Have we found a room for you yet? We're hitting capacity"

Accepting the key-card with a tentative smile, Delia nods and slides it into the back pocket of her jeans. "Thanks, I think he's pretty great too." Though the sentiment of how he's doing earns a confused furrow of two red eyebrows. "Doing better? Is he sick?" He didn't seem sick the last time she saw him and this causes a whole new pile of worry for the youngest of the family. Turning to Huruma, a grateful smile is given before the young redhead hefts her backpack full of clothes and books onto her shoulder. "Maybe she's just running late… or maybe she found someone she knows and she's really here and just talking to them…" There's a million reasons why Lulu isn't here yet, abandoning her little sister just can't be one of them.

" I'ave a place." This may well be a partial lie. Huruma nods once to Ina, and though th gesture seems polite, her pale eyes have narrowed as the woman talks of 'agent' Ryans. She glances to Delia at least once after the mention, but the girl seems to concentrate on the other part. "Your father is not sick." This reassurance, however, is quite frank.

"Lulu is hard t'guess. If she gets stuck, I am sure she will try to contact you, but wit'th'phones as they are- well…"

"Your father was shot in an altercation that we became involved in. Not lethal, least I knew" And quite possibly, dad has been keeping information from the children. "I'm sure he's fine, he'll be showing up here and looking for you two. You're in my residence up on the stop floor. More space than being sardine'd in. Though, like I said, there' two others so, grab the spare bedroom to share with your sister and you should be fine"

Huruma glanced at once more and a smile offered to her. "Good. It's sad what's happening out the door but I'm glad that we could provide shelter. If you get hungry, you can find your way to where food is being served, if you have need of anything, please, don't hesitate to come to the desk and let us know, we'll try to make your stay as comfortable as possible"

Delia's already pale skin goes a sickly grey color as she hears the news about her father. Gripping the counter for support, she weaves a little before she manages to speak. "Sh-shot? Like… Shot. Shot?" Something she can't wrap her brain around at this instant, because she's just standing there, stunned, blinking. Also, she's repeating that one word. "He can't be shot… That's impossible, he's my dad!" One, Benjamin Ryans is invincible and super in every way. Two, he's Benjamin Ryans, super and invincible in every way.

Looking between the two women, Delia is absolutely dumbfounded as she sucks in a shaky breath and lets it out. "I — I think I need to talk to my dad." Except her cell phone is broken, and Lulu is nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, Delia is completely and utterly alone. Even in a room full of people.

"He's had worse, Delia." Huruma's response is very quick and immensely puzzling. Her eyelids drop slightly as she looks at Ryans' daughter. They flick up when her eyes turn back to Ina, and Huruma's arm nearer to Delia lifts up behind the redhead to put palm to shoulder blade. If Delia lets it go, the touch will be slightly weighted; whatever perfume that the tall woman is wearing is hovering there too- it's a smoldering sort of scent, though not quite a musk. By herself, Huruma's presence is a solid and very tangible one; there is only a feather at the edges of Delia's mind, however, and only if Huruma can touch the girl will she decide to give her a dusting of calmness. Only enough to have made it seem like Huruma has a lovely and achingly protective touch.

"When was the incident?" Huruma asks of Ina, voice curious, though still passive.

"I think that any further conversation on this I will likely have with his daughter, or with Mister Ryans himself" A polite refusal to elaborate. "He was fine, last I saw him Miss Ryans. I'm sure he's out and about" Saving floor managers and all that. "Will there be anything else?"

Delia doesn't make a move to stop or hinder Huruma's touch, when it's all over she gives the woman a still worried but quite grateful smile. It's like the comfort of a fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookie and a warm glass of milk for dipping. Turning toward Ina, she nods and tries to keep the smile on her face and the tears out of her eyes. Of course her dad's been keeping things from her, but she didn't think it went that far. "N-no, no, I think I'm good. I'm just going to … uhm.. go do some homework or something. Have to keep up with studying and stuff… so I'm ready when school's in session again." There's really no rest for her, especially with such alarming news.

Huruma simply narrows her eyes and allows a subtle flare of her nostrils to employ her displeasure at Ina. After this, she looks to Delia, her hand still upon the girl's back. "I can keep you company, if you woul'like. Until your sister comes…?" A straightforward question, though it does not sound as if she will be offended should Lia decline the offer.

"N-no, thank you though, Huruma.. I think I'll be okay." Delia doesn't exactly sound so certain of that, but she gives a faltering smile to both women as she adjusts the heavy pack on her shoulder. "I'm just going to get some studying done or something… Maybe head into the restaurant for a hot chocolate or… something. I don't know." Giving Ina a grateful smile, she nods her thanks and gives her a wave. "I guess I'll see you later. Thanks for the sweet room."

"If you need me, I am on th'fifteenth." Supposedly. Huruma moves her hand to center a farewell pat onto Delia's shoulder. "Don'worry about your father. Or Lucille. I am sure she will show up." And what she does not have to say is that she is sure Benjamin is perfectly fine- it just seems like one of those things that can't happen for too long- Ryans being incapacitated, in this case. Huruma has never thought him the type to lie down and take it, so it stands to reason this counts.

"Have a good night, Delia." Huruma offers this as a goodbye before slipping away.


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