The Inn of Last Portals

[Piccylo]

No exit, no rooms, but there are doors throughout this wooden structure, spanning down long hallways at the top of the creaky stairs that the innkeeper keeps swearing that one day will get fixed. If time exists here, it's unknown. If an outside exists, that's unknown as well. Many have speculated that this large yet somehow quaint Inn is a pocket universe. Others have speculated that there must be an outside and time, as the windows show scenery and rising and falling of the Sun, but the view out those windows is always different to every person. There are many who stay at this place just because they feel like debating on that notion. Well, people need something to do.

For a place that seems so random in nature, it doesn't appear brashly strange or against ones ideas of life. Everything that you touch has substance and is still material. If the day doesn't pass within these walls, people do still age and die here. If you need water and food to survive, you still feel those pains of hunger and thirst. But the drink and meals never end as long as you ask for them, and you're never asked to pay your tab. It's quaint and cozy, always seems just large enough in the main room to accommodate those inside, no matter how many or how few there are, and very unassuming.

The round tables are a nice, polished wood of a type you swear you know but can never quite remember the name of, with a simple, white candle of a scent that always brings back memories on each. The candle, of course, will eventually burn out, but the innkeeper is quick with replacing it with a new one each time, so there's no need to worry about being stuck in darkness. There's even a stoneware hearth on one wall. It probably burns out as well, but the innkeeper is always supplying it with wood, so you never saw the fire die.

Is this your first time in? You can't really remember, but the innkeeper always turns to you and greets you by name. Even if you haven't been here before, it feels familiar. Even though it is ever-changing, you never see it change. You don't remember ever seeing it change. You know that you can always go up to the innkeeper, whose name you can never remember even though you probably asked it a dozen times, ask him for some food, and he'll be back in twenty minutes with it. Ask him for a drink, and he'll pull out the necessary bottles from under the bar and pour it for you.

Nice, sturdy wood floors below you, though there are a few creaks in those boards as well, pictures that mean different things to different people on every wall (whose meanings are just as debated as the existence of the place), carved chairs with armrests and a red cushion in each, the number of them at each table just enough as well... No one has ever needed more chairs, nor do they recall seeing many empty ones.

As far as anyone could guess, the only reason everyone appears here is because it exists.

[funwithfire]

A new door began to open and as it did a strange cat like head, fur colored like fire, peaked around the corner. Seeing no danger, or much of anyone for that matter, he just walks right on in and begins to poke around to see if he can find anything of interest, an old and bad habit he picked up but cant really remember where. The few moments he stands still one could see his blue garments and strange cat like build, though he stands on only his hind legs.

He finally stopped long enough to have realized the innkeeper was there and skipped up to him with his over-sized paw extended. "Hello, pretty place." He just stood there, smiling, waiting for a handshake or something.

[Piccylo]

The innkeeper smiles widely at the Moomba and pats the paw, the appendage being far too large to attempt a proper handshake with it. "Why, hello, Feuer. good for you to drop in. You want something?"

Another door must have appeared in the hall, for footsteps rung out as someone walked through it and down the stairs into the main room. A strange creature, whose ambiguous qualities betrayed nothing more than the fact it is most likely some sort of demon, touched its foot down and looked about itself, obviously examining every detail with its bright eyes of a flaring, sparkling orange, turning its head every way over its tall, thin form. Its hand, holding some sort of strange weapon, tensed and its fingers curled around the long pole that supported an elaborate blade.
It ruffled its free hand through its wavy hair, apparently not quite sure what to make of the situation, until its eyes came upon the Moomba and the innkeeper that, according to the brief shock on its face, had just seen.
The innkeeper, on the other hand, smiled back familially. "Good evening, Mutnauq. Need anything?"
The orange eyes blinked furiously from the demon hearing its name, but it just as quickly calmed down and sat at a table. "I want some... pita bread and water."
The innkeeper raised his brow. "That all?" He shrugged and went behind the counter, turning back to Feuer. "Get you anything while I'm at it?"

[funwithfire]

Too busy staring at the fancy new creature to answer, at first, he turned and looked at the innkeeper. "Food!?" was the first thing to come out. Thinking for a few seconds he decided, "Tea, rolls, cheese. Thank you." and skipped over to where the new person was and started to stare rather impolitely at the persons interesting eyes. "You eyes pretty.". As done with innkeeper he popped his hand up "Hello, I Feuer."

Another door opens up and through it a large humanoid crocodile steps through and shrugs. "I guess he decided to stay back and fight this time." Glancing around, he finds himself a seat and puts his weapons on the ground by him. He starts talking to himself, not really noticing the others, "Thats the last time I jump in a random portal. Well at least this place seems cozy." he leans back in his seat some and about half starts to snore.

[Piccylo]

Mutnauq narrows its eyes as it looks at Feuer and made a slight scoff, though it still appeared to be sneering. Then, it glanced over at the huge, scaly creature that had just entered as well. Though Mutnauq never saw such a thing before (the closest being some other demons that had reptilian qualities in the demonic army), it opted to leave the thing be for now.

It looked back upon the Moomba, realizing that this manner of being it had never seen an equivalent for before. At least the innkeeper appeared to be human, so it suspected no unexpected problems to arise here... even if the innkeeper did appear to know Mutnauq's name, despite never meeting him before. Unless... has Mutnauq met that innkeeper before?

It removed the notion with a deliberate shake of its head, afterwards finding that the little, fuzzy creature was still staring at it, its paw still extended. Mutnauq's orange eyes narrowed again, and he scrutinized the creature as it stood before him.

"And what manner of being are you?"

[funwithfire]

Sad that he didn't get his hand shake Feuer shrugged and simply said "Moomba. You?" and dropped his hands down to his sides then looked back to see what he heard and saw the strange croc-man sitting there.

Shaking his head to try and himself up Erde takes a better look around and decides to see what the others might have been talking about. After standing from his seat he walks over to the others, looks down at the tiny cat thing, and pats its head. "Well you're a cute little uh... thing aren't you." Then he turned his attention to the other, "And who or what exactly are you?"

[Piccylo]

Mutnauq frowned. It wasn't enough that the strange innkeeper had to know its name in this strange place, but these... things had to be nosy as well.
But if the innkeeper knew it and was brash enough to shout it out, perhaps it would be better to think of this place as a different sort of sanctum. As far as it was able to discern, the only doors in the place were upstairs; there were no doors elsewhere in the establishment that it had seen. If it divulged its name to these people, who would likely hear it from the innkeeper anyway, it would risk nothing.

"I am called Mutnauq," it answered curtly, curling its fingers around its glaive again and glancing between the two creatures that looked at him now. "And that's really all you'll ever need to know about me."

Before the other two could react to the brusque behavior of the demon, the innkeeper had walked over to the table with some plates and filled glasses on a round tray. "Well, tonight certainly seems slower than most. I wonder where all the regulars are..." The innkeeper said, musing to himself apparently. He shrugged and placed a glass of water before Mutnauq and a small plate of pita bread. "Here's yours, Mutnauq. But with so little you eat, it's no wonder that you're so thin."

He looked down at the Moomba next. "You going to take your food here with Mutnauq, or you having a separate table? I already have your tea and cheese--" he indicated the steaming cup on a saucer and a nearby plate with some orange wedges,"--but the rolls will be a little longer." Then he saw the new patron, and smiled again. "Oh, Erde. I didn't hear you come in. Want some grub while you're here?"

[funwithfire]

In the past Erde would have been confused about strangers knowing his name, but with what he's gone through the past few years nothing really surprises him any more. "Hmm, meat as long as it's not goblin and I guess what ever you have to drink."

Looking at the cranky look on the demons face. "Sit here." Feuer grabbed his meal and found a seat while not at the same table was very near and went to eat. After sitting he turned and told the innkeeper "Thank you."

Erde figuring he should let them eat went back to sit with his gear. "Wow, a warm meal haven't had one of those in........ it's been long enough I can't even remember it."

[An Abstract Thought]

Slowly another door appeared as a young man, with a blindfold wrapped round his eyes entered the Inn. The Guitar that was slung across his back betrayed him as a musician... but his blindfold brought doubt to his actual skill. Dante himself seemed to carry about him an air of unassuming confidence, he knew what he was capable of and he had no allusions as to his place in the world. He was at peace with himself. Slowly he made his way to the far corner of the room, where a small table for one awaited him, the chair already pulled out allowing him to sit easily at the table. His unseeing eyes seemed to scan the room as he passed through, pausing ever so slightly on each of its 'strange' occupants.

Not that Dante had any right to call anyone strange... he was a blind shade for one... and he had seen most everything at least once in his life. Quickly taking his seat he smiled half to himself and pulled the guitar over his shoulder and onto his lap. And then with a low sigh he let his hand fall across the strings, the reaction was almost instant... indeed it always was.... the commotion of the other denizens came to an abrupt stop as each turned to find the source of the music, and the quiet smile that spread across Bremen's face only widened as he let the music flow through him and around him, slowly losing himself to its ebbs and flows....

As the song began to unfold, its notes weaving through the air in the tavern the young man began to hum along, his voice deep yet soft... it matched perfectly with the somber chords that now sung forth from his guitar strings. It was not long before his quiet humming grew, words forming as the music flowed. "I remember, I remember / The house where I was born / The little window where the sun / Came peeping in at morn;" His voice grew steadily stronger with each line, and soon it too filled the room its deep tones creating a perfect harmony with the soft sounds of his music, "He never came a wink too soon / Nor brought too long a day; / But now, I often wish the night / Had borne my breath away." The music had enveloped him now, its ebbs and flows becoming the very tides of his soul.

"I remember, I remember
The roses red and white,
The violets and the lily cups--
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,--
The tree is living yet!

I remember, I remember
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then
That is so heavy now,
The summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow.

I remember, I remember
The fir-trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther off from Heaven
Than when I was a boy." (The lyrics from the poem "I remember, I remember" by Thomas Hood)

Bremen's eyes opened slowly has the final chords of the song rung forth from his guitar, how interesting it was that music really did sooth the soul.

[funwithfire]

Eating the last little bit of his meal Feuer climbed down from his seat, "Good food, music pretty." having been focused on the food he didn't notice Dante come in, though he did listen to the song. Taking his time to look around again he saw the mysterious new person sitting alone he walked over feeling the need chat, "Hi, Feuer. You?" he said as he stuck his hand out never having had seen a blind person he wouldn't have known to act different.

Sitting at his table watching the performance, Erde couldn't quit put his finger on it but something was bothering him about the new person. "What is it? He looks perfectly human but he seems well... not." He continued to watch thinking maybe the little cat thing would get something out of him or thinking he could at least remember the odd feel this person has. ... demon? dead?

[An Abstract Thought]

As the song finished the boy glanced up towards the approaching blur before him. His gift of second site was having trouble adjusting to this new and unusual realm. The spirit aura of the very building seemed to overpower the aura's of those who occupied the room, blurs however he could see with some degree of clarity. "They call me Dante...." he replied as Feuer greeted him, "And thank you for the compliment, not many ever talk about my music when I am around to hear.". As he spoke he motioned with a wave of his hand for the bar tender to come over, asking for a Martini at almost the same time.

As he waited for the drink to arrive he let his hand fall back across the strings of the guitar, and with a bit of a smile he tilted his head towards the biggest concentration of spiritual blurs. "Should I play another one..." He asked letting a few more cords ring out as he spoke... "Or is that enough for now?"

[Piccylo]

Mutnauq watched the newcomer carefully, its gold eyes glittering as he examined him. Had he seen him in the wars? Mutnauq didn't think so, but this person did seem like the sort of person that it would have run into in the barracks, the battlefield, or at the very least in one of Mutnauq's reconnaissance missions. But it could not draw up where it would have seen Dante, and Mutnauq came to the conclusion that if it had seen the blind shade before, it would have remembered.
But it continued to survey carefully, drinking from its water and crumbling its pita bread thoughtfully.

Quite suddenly, a small, round, hole of a door appeared in the hallway, and with a pop!, a small pixie tumbled out and flittered through the hall and down into the main room. h'Ebradoun gave a gleeful laugh and called out. "Hello! I've been here before, haven't I? Yes, yes, I believe I have. In the two millennia, one century, four score, seven years, and whatever else added to my age that I've been alive, I'm sure that I've been here at least once. Maybe it was with Master Väinämöinen. Oh well. Where's the innkeeper? I'd like something to eat and sweet nectar to drink."
He blinked across the room and in front of Mutnauq, who seemed immediately perturbed by the pixie's sudden appearance and had to squelch its desire to sneer openly at the creature, and resolved to merely watch it with its cold, glinting eyes. But the pixie stayed very shortly before he blinked away and over to the bar, where he found himself an overturned glass to sit on.
"Come on! Nectar first, please! I'm thirsty!"

[funwithfire]

"Well now, this party just seems to get more interesting." His attention taken away from the Dante person by the sudden appearance of the pixie. "Now we have fae showing up. At least so far no one started fighting yet, a bar fight this freaky can only end bad." Shrugging he looked down at his empty plate and mug. "Can I get some more, thanks?" As he finished he turned to see the Innkeeper with another plate and pitcher almost as though he knew before Erde, taking the meal he turned back to watch the crowd as it grew.

"Ooo, more." Feuer looked at the guitar, for a few moments, having never seen one. "New person?" He could hear the door pop but was too busy staring to have reacted at first, looking around he saw the pixie and skipped over by it and extended a claw. "Hello, Feuer. You?" Having seen fairies before he was a little less awestruck, but it was still another he either never met or doesn't remember.

[Piccylo]

The pixie laughed. "Well, hello. I'm not sure if I've run into anything like you in the world that I'm from, but I'm not in the world that I'm from right now. Or am I? I think I am, but only a bit. Anyway, my name is h'Ebradoun." He rolled his "r"s delightfully. "And you're Feuer? So what are you?"

The innkeeper came with a greeting for h'Ebradoun and the order; he placed a slightly taller glass--likewise overturned--before h'Ebradoun and an acorn full of nectar atop that. "I'll get you a blueberry and a shell of sunflower seeds for your meal, all right h'Ebradoun?" The innkeeper seemed to have no trouble pronouncing the strange name.

"That's good! Very good, indeed! Thank you!"

Mutnauq didn't seem interested in h'Ebradoun's prattle any farther than his alarming entrance, so he turned to Dante and eyed him coldly, silent for a long moment, surely long enough to even agitate the blind musician with his eyes.

"Yes, do play another," Mutnauq said carefully, then sighed and slouched into a more laid-back position (although, in truth, the pose was as deliberate as any before). "Or enter with the rest of us into conversation, if that is your preference. It's not right that the only one attempting to provide discourse in this inn is that--err--Moomba thing, which seems incapable of making a complete sentence."

He eyed Dante again and grinned. "But your music is quite... interesting... and the newcomer seems to have not gotten the pleasure of hearing it."

[funwithfire]

"Moomba. World?" Feuer tilted his head, while having seen a few new worlds while traveling he always just figured he was just magicked to some other country. Turning his attention to Mutnauq. "Lady give me words and magics." He said rather proudly then sat down in the floor and started to dig in his bag.

Erde did little but eat and watch everyone, until he got bored to the point that he made a small ball of water in his hand and had it begin to dance. Having his powers a few years now he's had very little time to see how controlled he can be with them and with the moomba distracted now seemed as good a time as any to play around.