City Lights Hotel Room Number 313

The hotel was bright and bustling when Alex entered, toting his carry on bag behind him. A bellhop to his left carried his two suitcases, both full of clothes far more than he anticipated needing but better to be safe than sorry. He’d only been in Japan for a grand total of two hours and already he was homesick. He longed for his native home of Russia. But he couldn’t go home yet. He was here on a job, to find the Torment Fighter and convince him to come back to Russia by whatever means possible. A job he was less than pleased about. She had asked him personally though, come to him and him alone for this. He couldn’t deny her. He had never been able to deny her.

“Right this way Sir,” the bellhop spoke, interrupting his brooding in the language that before had been so foreign to him. Alex only nodded in response, not because he didn’t know how to speak Japanese but rather because he wasn’t in the mood and had never been very talkative to begin with. And he wasn’t about to make mindless chitchat with a stranger in a different language in a different country. God he wanted to go home.

Unaware of Alex’s longing thoughts the bellhop led him up to the front desk where they retrieved his room key, Alex had thought ahead and prebooked a room here so he didn’t have to go through the trouble of checking in when he arrived jet lagged. “Looks like you’re on the top floor Sir,” the chipper bellhop commented attempting to make small talk again, most likely to increase his chances of getting a tip. He might as well save his breath, he’d have better luck getting a brick wall to engage in conversation than Alex. When he didn’t reply for the second time the bellhop finally conceded defeat and an awkward silence (awkward for the bellhop, not Alex who was lost in his own thoughts) fell upon them as they rode the elevator up and made their way to Alex’s assigned room.

“Ah here we are, I’ll just leave you’re things by the door Sir. If there’s anything else you need don’t hesitate to call down to the front desk and they’ll take care of everything.” He didn’t wait for an answer this time, and just as soon as the bags touched the ground he left with as much speed as possible without managing to seem rude.

Alex relished the ensuing silence after the door was closed behind him with a soft click. Letting out a haggard breath he ran a hand through his already disheveled blonde hair. Nap food, shower. That’s what he wanted. Though not necessarily in that order. Sighing again he let his carry on duffle bag fall to the floor next to the suitcases promising himself that he’d put it all away later, before at last giving the room a look over. Bed, T.V., and two other doors, one leading to the bathroom and the other to a closet. Everything appeared to be in order, it wasn’t home, but it would do for the time being.

Moving quietly across the floor he tried the first door to his left, discovering that it was the closet he closed it and then tried the one opposite it, it was the bathroom as he expected. Flipping on the light the room was bathed in the harsh glow of the overhead lights, illuminating a nearly blinding white bathroom. White sink, white toilet, white bathtub and shower, white walls, and of course white tiles. Stepping towards the sink he turned on the faucets and cold water spurted out which he used to splash over his face; then dried off using the towel conveniently folded next to the sink.

His reflection was less than pleasing when he looked in the mirror. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, a product of not sleeping a wink during the flight, and his skin was paler than usual. Sleep, he needed sleep. A wide yawn convinced him of that and he exited the bathroom turning off the obnoxious light behind him. The bed was more comfortable than it looked he discovered after laying down on it burying his face into a pillow, only bothering to kick off his shoes before drifting off into his usual fitful sleep.

Images rushed past his eyes. Days past and days to come. Haunting memories and terrible secrets. Bitter freezing cold. He is cold to the core. Numb… Then, just there. Just past his reach, a fleeting burst of warmth. He reaches for it earnestly but his touch freezes it. He’s cold again. It’s so dark…

Alex awoke in a mess of sweat and tangled sheets. For a brief moment he thought he was back home, back in Russia. But the room is wrong, the clock by the bed is wrong. The TV across from the bed is wrong, the bed is wrong. With an exasperated sigh his head fell back against the pillow.

He was in Japan, on a job. As his lucidity returned and remnants of sleep faded he remembered where he was and why he was there, and that he wanted to go home. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

Mustering up the will to get up he rose out of bed and once again returned to that hellishly bright bathroom. The face in the mirror that greets him as he turns on the lights isn’t much better than the one he saw before.

Dark circles aren’t as prominent under golden eyes, but the face is still haggard and tired looking. He tells himself it’s because he’s still jet lagged rather than accept the truth. Not sparing his reflection another glance Alex turned from the bathroom and went to the door to retrieve a bag from inside his carry on.

Back to the bathroom he opens the bag and takes out a comb, toothbrush, tooth paste, shampoo, and a razor. Brushing his teeth was almost mechanical; his body knew the movements and his mind didn’t have to focus on the task.

Teeth brushed, hair combed into a manageable style, face washed. He looked better, and felt slightly better too. Aside from his tousled clothes he looked almost normal. Too bad he didn’t feel normal.

Ten minutes later his clothes were changed, a much neater white dress shirt and black dress pants with a matching black jacket laying on his right arm to fend off the chilly weather once he got outside. The hotel room was neat and orderly as well, the bed made and his toiletries put away. Aside from the suitcases by the door it was almost as if he’d never been there.

It was time to start the hunt.

[Alex has left: City Lights Hotel and is headed to: The Mall]

This one's mine, and it can be deleted since Alex is just an NPC now.