Work Text:
Curious
That was what they always have been. One of the architects, the inquisitive one, the one who wonders. Wonders about the world around them, or more specifically, what has come to them in these circumstances. They shall think about the past, present, and overwhelming future.
They cannot help but ponder. Ponder why they’re in there, in this Hotel. This eerie Hotel. The Hotel affected by the time they’re in, the rift in time causing a repeated cycling of events they just cannot explain no matter how much they try.
The other doesn’t want to indulge. They have been let in by a force and want to stay true to their name and purpose. They scold Curious for being, well, curious. True to the name, they are driven by curiosity above all. But still they cannot help but be intrigued by something created so spontaneously via rift-induced spatial-temporal distortion. They all discovered it with very divergent responses.
The turquoise one spoke that it was never meant to be created, never meant to be seen. Such an unstable and dangerous space, they said, their job is to maintain structure and prevent uncontrolled anomalies. It was a memory space, a sandbox universe where the rift either recorded or mirrored the Hotel’s architecture, or at least they thought. It was an unreliable space, thus deciding not to ponder. What if they pondered and something unpleasant became the outcome?
The guiding light was always wise, they knew, but they couldn’t help but linger on the topic. The entrance has been sealed and hidden behind a mechanism that couldn’t be opened by mortals. Curious was no mortal, in fact, they were the most powerful out of the three, but the phenomenon of overthinking was their major flaw. The helpful architect always complained and even offered solutions to the problem, which they accepted but never followed.
They sat in the entryway so often, hands lingering on the metal bars and fingers reaching through the gaps, hoping to be on the other side. They could be, of course, it wasn’t the physical being of the gate that didn’t let them pass. It was the thoughts. What would both think if they discovered them slipping through? They could imagine the cyan glow lecturing them, sealing the entrance for good. They couldn’t let anyone or anything slip through, it could disrupt the state of being. Or the red hue humiliating them, they were always mischievous but never present, bothersomely.
Their gaze drifted to the painting with marks representing the three of them. Moonlight placed it there in honor of their glory. Starlight’s emblem was the biggest out of the three, indicating their immense power. Shouldn’t they feel thanked? That they’re the most respected and celebrated out of the light trinity? They couldn't suppress a sigh of exasperation.
They stayed in this place for so long. Gold gleaming across the anteroom, their gold. They rose up to their feet and relocated themselves to be on the obverse, something they had never done before. With a swift move of their hand, the chains, along with two comically large padlocks, have loosened, and a skeletal key jingled in their hand. With a turn, the lock opened, and they were allowed to step through.
Such blasphemy, to disobey the nurturing hand of the one who has set those rules for a clear purpose. If something were to go wrong, they would be the one to blame. They knew they were in the wrong, the thought coursing through their chest, but they couldn’t help but be curious. It has won them over. Won over their own sense of morality and the reasonable will of the other deities they acknowledged and agreed to.
They didn’t step back. Forward, the pleasant and warm light enveloped them. They felt at peace, but it was so bright. Visually disturbing, a yellowish glare, simply luminous, symbolizing their inner conflict and longing for knowledge despite the overwhelming voices of others. Overwhelming, because they knew they were right. They picked up their pace, despite being against the current.
Their feet felt a woven, rough texture, and their eyes saw a smooth, light grey surface resembling concrete. Their semi-transparent fingers glided over the wooden, light plate with a name. This whole place held a striking resemblance to the usually out-of-style Hotel, drowned in a haze of grey, red, and green tones. They always thought all the details were a little excessive, or so to say, they welcomed the unexpectedly pleasing change. The thought of staying there for the moment being was a genial thought, an opportunity to learn and find out more.
It was strangely familiar. After all, it was mirroring the Hotel’s structure the three were called to assist in. They were interveners, and by how the limbo was created, induced by the rift, this was a reflection that none of them was meant to enter, let human individuals see, or let the inn’s entities in. These rooms were a mistake, and they tried to make sure of that. It succeeded. Well, till Curious entered.
Their legs moved by themselves, pushing them through endless corridors that looped. It was uncanny, but it couldn’t stop them. The numbers only increased, and the lights dimmed with each room they passed. With a touch of their color, they set the scene aglow. They couldn’t help but think that a green contrast would fit nicely on the furniture.
They needed to understand the circumstances this had been created in. Despite how blank the liminal space was, they pressured themselves to continue. The rest would call their doings absurd, and they certainly knew it was true. They were horrified by the idea of creatures being echoed here. They might have been copied or projected automatically by the rift as it tried to mirror or replicate aspects of the Hotel.
Yet still, they hesitated only for a heartbeat, driven by an irrepressible thought of wanting more. They were curious. They wanted to know more. They must know why this creation has occurred. They must.