Lust, cigarette smoke, perfume, and leather lingered in the air as Elijah entered Hotel Sin. He flinched, eyes narrowed, as memories of working security here rushed through his mind. Elijah frowned as the blonde-haired female receptionist recognized him; her smile was far too wide. She spotted him almost instantly. Her gaze slid past him to Emily, Shiyu, and Rachel walking next to him.
Naked marble statues aligned the entrance, anchored to black and white marble flooring. A massive mulberry chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting dim mulberry-tinted light. Elijah sighed as pulsating 808s and industrial bass reverberated in his eardrums. Chosen, guests, and influencers lounged around the hotel plaza, sipping champagne and gossiping.
"Yeah, can we find a different hotel?" Shiyu asked as she looked around. "This is not... teenage friendly."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily interjected as she raised an eyebrow at her. "I've already been traumatized for living on the streets all my life."
Rachel snorted and laughed. "Shiyu, it's just some fancy orgy hotel and some naked statues. My parents go to these hotels all the time."
Elijah blinked as he smoked. "Wasn't expecting you just to admit that." He chuckled as his cigarette fell from his lips.
"What!?" Emily asked as she side-eyed Rachel.
Rachel shrugged. "Yeah, all the noble families do this type of stuff. Almost like it's mandatory or some secret sex cult or something."
Elijah reached for his pack of cigarettes. "I mean, you're not wrong, saw your parents a couple times when I worked here."
"Wait, you worked here?" Emily asked as she side-glanced at Elijah.
Elijah nodded as he lit his cigarette. "Worked here for a couple of years. Wouldn't recommend."
"Did you ever have to throw my parents out?" Rachel asked.
Elijah chuckled. "I honestly couldn't tell ya. Throwing someone out was an everyday routine. They all kinda blend together after a year or two."
"Did you get into any orgies?" Emily asked with a straight face.
"I am not answering that," Elijah chuckled as he smoked.
"He definitely did," Emily cackled as she nudged Rachel.
Shiyu blinked, then rubbed her neck. "Well, okay then...I guess we should get rooms," she suggested as she squirmed in her skin while trying to hold a smile.
The receptionist smiled as Elijah approached. "Look who the ENGINE dragged in," she chuckled as she leaned on the onyx colored reception desk. "One of our own Chosen....of course it would be you. You did have the bigg-"
"Knock it off, Rebecca...don't have time for your shit," Elijah grumbled as he rolled his eyes.
Rebecca raised her eyebrow. "Oh, too good for us now. I don't believe it."
"Ahem!" Shiyu coughed. "Could you flirt while you're not on the clock, or do I need to get your manager?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes and glanced at Elijah with a sour expression. "Whatever...we got two bedrooms. "All you Chosen booked them all up. Double bedded, so if you ain't fucking wont mind me coming over to hang out with my ex coworker right?"
"Oh my PRIME!" Shiyu shouted as her mouth dropped.
"Don't," Elijah grumbled as he shook his head and rubbed his nose.
"I will drag you by your raggedy ass hair if you dare knock on the door!"
"Can we just get the keys and go?" Elijah groaned.
"No, we most certainly can not! And how dare you insult my friend! I will grab you by your scrawny little neck myself," Emily shouted as she reached for Rebecca.
"Okay enough...enough," Rachel said as she grabbed Emily as she swung over the receptionist's desk.
"What is the meaning of this!" A baritone male voice echoed around the main plaza.
"Shit, here we go," Elijah grumbled as he turned his head.
A middle-aged man with long, straight raven hair walked towards him. His golden chosen mask glowed on the right side of his face. He wore a black designer-crafted two-piece suit, which complemented his warm skin tone.
"Souring the vibes again, Rebecca?" the man asked as he approached the receptionist's desk. "What is this, the third Chosen you picked a fight with today?"
"She swung at me first, Mr.Lex," Rebecca yelled as she pointed at Emily.
"I don't wanna hear it, Rebecca. Give me the room keys," Lex replied as he stretched out his hand. "Now your name badge," he demanded as Rebecca handed him the keys.
"But," Rebecca replied with wide eyes.
"Your name badge...Rebecca."
"Whatever...fuck this place and fuck you, Chosen," she grumbled as she ripped her name badge off and handed it over.
"Fucking bitch," Emily grumbled as she glared at her as she left the hotel.
"Sorry about that....some of my employees are not really happy with us, Chosen," Lex explained as he looked at Emily, then at Elijah. "It's good to see you again, Elijah. I was hoping you would stop by...wasn't expecting the mask though."
"Neither was I," Elijah chuckled as they shook hands. "Guess the hotel might need a new owner."
Lex smirked. "We shall see...but for now I have a party to attend to once I get you and your companions situated."
"Chosen party, right?" Rachel asked.
Lex nodded as they started to walk towards the elevator. "Correct, you should pop in. We got something for anybody's cup of tea."
"I think I will pass because that-" Emily interjected as the elevator stopped on the fifth floor. "They would be there," she grumbled as Sarah, Arthur, and Amos entered the elevator.
"Ahhh, fancy meeting you all here. What floor?" Arthur asked with a smile as the elevator door closed behind him.
"Twelfth floor, if you don't mind," Lex said.
"Oh... that's another coincidence! That's our floor as well," Sarah chuckled as she waved her folding fan, her eyes burrowing into Emily's.
"I say they are stalking us," Amos said flatly as he leaned on the elevator with arms crossed.
"You guys are stalking us!" Rachel yelled with wide eyes.
"Oh, please, darling, get over yourself. I'm surprised you even made it here in time to get any rooms," she laughed.
"I see y'all are well acquainted," Lex chuckled.
"If being annoyed means acquainted, then yeah.. unfortunately," Emily grumbled as she stared down Sarah.
Sarah smirked. "Oh, Emily of Leonore, if you think me annoying now, wait till I embarrass you in front of Tyrial."
"Tell me our rooms don't happen to be adjacent to one another?" Elijah asked as he glanced at Lex.
Lex looked down at the keys and smiled as Emily and Sarah exchanged insults.
"Well?"
"Wanna place a wager, old friend?" Lex asked as the elevator reached the twelfth floor.
Elijah chuckled. "It's not a wager when it comes to you. The house never loses."
Lex laughed. "Caught me, I arranged this myself."
"Wait, what!"Emily shouted as her gaze turned towards Lex.
"What!?" Sarah yelled as her eye twitched at Lex.
Lex smiled as he escorted them down the hallway. "I heard about your little fiasco in Leonore. Tyrial movie producers would pay top coin for chosen reality TV drama," he admitted as they walked.
Mulberry red carpet stretched the length of the hallway against onyx color walls. Surreal and abstract paintings aligned the hallway. Music and moans thumped behind locked white doors. Shadows danced across the hallways as elegant wall lights fought to brighten the dim corridor.
"I reserve the right to choose the actor who would be reenacting me," Arthur said as they walked. "I will not have my public image misrepresented by some B-rated Tyrial actor."
"Oh, I am afraid you will be long dead to have a say in that," Lex replied as they approached their designated rooms. "But if you beat the odds and become PRIME...then I guess it wouldn't matter, would it?"
"You may run the show here, but your odds are just as bad as ours when it comes to the ENGINE's show," Amos replied as he crossed his arms.
"I like my odds," Lex said with a smile. "Your rooms...play nice," he chuckled as he handed Elijah the keys before walking away.
"I don't like that guy," Rachel muttered as she walked him enter the elevator.
"You and me both," Emily replied.
"So will you all be attending the Chosen party on the twenty-first floor?" Arthur asked as he looked at Elijah.
"I may drop in for a few drinks or maybe a lot," Eliijah grumbled as he lit a cigarette.
"That's the spirit," Arthur smirked. "Nothing like some liquid courage to dampen hometown memories."
Sarah chuckled. "You could be my bodyguard like old times," she laughed as she waved her folding fan. "Though we never kept it just business, did we?"
Elijah closed his eyes as he tried to block out the memories as she leaned towards him with a grin. His body remembered the feel of her large breasts and soft skin. Her moans echoed in his eardrums like a banshee call.
Emily's eyes widened, and her eye twitched. "Okay....ewwww," She gagged. "Your taste in women is horrible."
"He would disagree," Sarah cackled.
"Alright...I ain't doing this," Elijah groaned as he handed Shiyu the keys.
"Where are you going?" Shiyu asked as Elijah walked towards the elevator.
"I am going for a walk," Elijah grumbled as he lit another cigarette.
"Hey sourpuss, wait up!" Emily yelled as she chased after him.
"Not now, kiddo."
"Relax, I won't poke fun at your choice of women."
Elijah shook his head. "It's not that...I need to check on someone."
"Another woman?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't wanna talk about it, kid. We will talk later," Elijah grumbled as he avoided eye contact.
Emily sighed. "Fine, I guess I will do reconnaissance with Rachel and Shiyu."
"Keep me in the loop, I'll be gone for a bit," Elijah explained as he pushed the button for the first floor.
Elijah gazed up at the smog-infused sky as he exited the hotel. Ads played on billboards as drones hovered overhead with their commercial broadcasting. Addicts stumbled down alleyways while cars rumbled down asphalt roads. Neon lights lit up Broadway theaters while influencers reenacted being chosen on sidewalks.
Urban music thumped on his chest as he reached the ghettos. Drug dealers and hookers stood next to streetlights, flagging down cars as they approached. He shook his head as he heard classic type Sarah music blaring from a nearby vehicle. Brick apartments with busted-out windows and boarded-up doors stretched for blocks.
Elijah stopped at a cul-de-sac and then lit a cigarette. Weathered apartments and homes aligned the pot hole-infested road. Ripped and stained furniture sat on the weed-infested front lawns. Stray cats and dogs rummaged through trash, while rusty old cars were parked on the curb. He exhaled deeply and frowned with weary eyes as he looked at the bent street sign that said Mulberry Valley.