The Mondo Ruction Infinity Minus One - ROUND 1 - The Crystal Rose Hotel & Resort

The lobby of The Crystal Rose Hotel was in some ways extremely sparse and in other ways extremely busy. There were no guests, other than the five girls who suddenly found themselves standing within it, no seats or tables or any furniture other than the reception desk really. A thin pink mist permeated everything, not diminishing visibility but forcing anyone present to view it through a rose coloured haze.

The walls were a deep red and almost entirely covered with erotic paintings ranging from tasteful to highly explicit. The floor was tiled in various shades of purple, and strangely soft and yielding underfoot. Scattered at random throughout the lobby were standing signs with depictions of various behaviours and red crosses through them. They read:

Do not proposition the hotel staff.
While on hotel grounds do not touch any other person except within your suite.
While on hotel grounds do not sit or lie on the floor anywhere other than within your suite.
While on hotel grounds do not remove any clothing anywhere other than your suite.

Public decency laws are in effect within the grounds of the Crystal Rose Hotel. If you cannot control yourself report to Quarantine to be held until the next Planar Alignment.

The Sparxles took a moment to take in their new environment and then they all started talking over each other, panic evident in their voices.

“Girls. Girls.” Mariposa tried to get their attention for a minute before firmly honking her nose and her airhorn until the rest of the group quieted and turned to their leader. “I know this looks bad, but we’ve been in way worse scrapes than this. Remember when Dracula tried to take over New Town?” There was a murmured agreement from the group and she continued. “If we stick together I know there’s nothing we can’t handle.”

Mariposa was wearing worn combat fatigues, whose camouflage was all colours of the rainbow and designed to resemble many simple shapes such as flowers, stars and custard pies. Her curly green hair was worn down beneath a bright pink combat helmet adorned with a wreath of yellow and purple daisies. She wore a blue and yellow striped assault squirt rifle across her back. Her face was painted white and crisscrossed with exaggerated fake scars in vibrant red and a big wide red grin around her lips, which were set in a serious expression. Though she preferred to be making people laugh her combat training did come in handy in the many emergencies and adventures that the Sparxle Chicks seemed to end up in and she had earned her place as the de facto leader.

“I hate to say it girls but I think we might be behind the 8-ball this time, so to speak.” Marissa said, taking a drag from the ratty cigarette normally kept tucked in the lip of her fedora.

“Don’t be ridiculous Riss.” Magnolia replies, clutching one of her favourite crystals. “Let’s not give up before we’ve even tried to fight back.”

“Let’s keep it simple for the moment.” Melinda says. “There’s a reception over there.” She gestured at a desk topped with a huge plastic window, behind which the shape of a figure in a full hazmat outfit sat indifferently. “Why don’t one of you girls go over and check it out and I’ll see if I can get a signal.” As she spoke she fished a phone out of her pocket, and then began unfolding it, more and more screens and antennas and other unidentifiable bits arranging themselves in a mechanical halo around the device.

Magenta was looking around at the numerous instructional signs and at the figure in the hazmat suit behind their perspex window. “Didn’t the big ball thing say this place was intoxicating? I’m not really feeling anything other than nervous panic at the moment.” Her psymon Stawks rubbed its smooth glass body against her leg. As the other Sparxles confirmed they weren’t really feeling the advertised affects of the thoughtrealm of love Magenta gathered Stawks up in her arms and held her close.

“Okay okay.” Mariposa muttered to herself. “Nola, see if there’s anything you can come up with to soothe Maggie. Mel’s doing her thing. Riss you come with me and we’ll see about having a little chat with the receptionist.” She ran her hand over a water pistol holstered at her waist and Marissa nodded as she inconspicuously checked her own.