Character Inn

Welcome, reader, to the latest Character Development Thread! These shared story exercises help budding writers develop their characters alongside the characters of other budding writers. No formal sign-up is necessary; one can simply jump right in. Just make sure to review the OP and the last few pages first. If you still have questions or need a recap, feel free to join in the discussion thread.

This particular thread is a casual thread. What does that mean? The focus here is largely on character interaction, and a casual thread is largely meant to serve that purpose without subjecting the participating characters to anything overly threatening. This especially means violence, although there is a designated sparring area for friendly duels.

Many thanks go to Sonzai for helping me prepare this thread.

Page ~ Map◊

In a remote, mountainous region of Japan, in the middle of a large bamboo forest, there sits an inn. At first glance, it appears oddly traditional, and for the most part it is. However, a closer look around will reveal that it is surprisingly modern as well and offers everything a weary traveler could need. The inn's location is most unusual, but stranger still are its staff. Almost all of them are Youkai, the mythical and incredibly varied spirits of Japan. Some of them look fairly humanlike, others are more bestial, and still others are simply strange.

Appearances aside, this particular group is welcoming to any and all weary travelers that find their inn. Perhaps they'll even meet someone stranger then they are.

• Current Time of Day: Sunset
• Current Weather: Mostly clear

edited 5th Sep '14 7:50:35 PM by Yomegami

Entry Hall

Saburo sat behind the front desk. His long nose, red skin, long white hair and equally long white beard, and most notably the large pair of black-feathered wings extending from his shoulders identified him as a tengu; a greater tengu as some would call him, to be more specific. He was hunched over, looking down upon something on the desk, and wearing a large frown that suggested he was none too happy about one thing or the other. Occasionally, he looked forwards at the front door, as if expecting something.

The sound of someone coming down the stairs made him turn his head. A few moments later, Miki stepped into the entry hall, carrying a clipboard and pen. She was a twenty-something Japanese woman with short black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a yellow maid's outfit, and of average build and height for someone of her ethnicity. She seemed to be mostly focused on the clipboard she was carrying.

Saburo watched her for a moment, before looking back down at his desk with a loud, “Harumph!”

Miki rolled her eyes before looking up from her clipboard at him. “Let me guess, you're going to complain about being given the desk job yet again.”

“Complaining? Of course not,” Saburo grumbled back at her, “I am rightfully protesting being given the most unfitting job in the entire inn. I am a tengu! A proud member of the race that gave humans the martial arts!” He pounded his fist against the desk. “And this is the best job Mizuchi can give me? A mere desk clerk?”

Miki shook her head. “Then maybe you shouldn't have mentioned that you came from a family of innkeepers before signing up. Better yet, maybe you shouldn't have acted so proud of that fact.”

“My family's inn actually brings me fortune, and I am proud of how well it has done. Meanwhile, I'm expected to do this for no payment at all. There is a difference!” Saburo continued, “If Mizuchi wishes that I work for free, the least he could do was give me a job I might learn something in. I could stand to add some more skills to my repertoire!”

“So basically, you just admitted that you don't know a thing about the martial arts.” Miki put down her clipboard to face Saburo fully. “A job is a job, Saburo. You can't expect to be hired as a dojo master when all your credentials paint you as an innkeeper. Just because you aren't getting any money for this doesn't mean it's any different from a 'normal' job. And for the last time, you are getting paid for this, even if it isn't in money.”

“Oh? And I don't suppose you know the first thing about managing an inn? You certainly weren't a manager when Mizuchi first pitched this idea,” Saburo retorted.

“As a matter of fact, I do. At least as far as keeping the patrons in line goes. But if you want to be the one running around in the maid outfit, be my guest. Personally, I'd love to have that desk job.”

Saburo looked taken aback at this. Before he could get a reply in, a new voice came in over from the right. “I am happy to report that the bar and kitchen are fully stocked. I believe all dining and drinking facilities are ready to go.”

The new voice came from Akihito, standing just outside the entrance to the dining room. He was a blue-skinned oni, as indicated by his seven-foot height, strong musculature, clawed fingers, and the straight pair of horns on either side of his head. He had red eyes, a noticeable gut, and was dressed in a plain blue-and-red yukata.

Miki, happy enough to for the distraction from Saburo, turned her attention to him. “Good, good,” she said, looking back down at her clipboard and checking a few things off. “Are you sure you've gotten everything? Including the...” She raised an eyebrow, and the next few words out of her mouth sounded very much like she couldn't believe what she was saying, “...Pan-galactic gargle blasters?”

“Especially the gargle blasters,” Akihito replied, before shuddering a bit and shaking his head, “Not going to forget those; I probably shouldn't have sampled one. Just what did they put into them, anyway? And just what do we need them for?”

Miki shrugged. “Well, you know Mizuchi. There's probably a good reason for them,” she said, before going through her clipboard again. A few moments of silence later, and she looked up and smiled. “And I believe that takes care of everything. We're finally ready to go.”

Akihito grinned widely. “About time. I'm looking forwards to hearing what strange stories some of our guests are going to tell.” He then glanced at Saburo. “Assuming Saburo-san here doesn't chase them all off.”

Saburo glared at him. “I heard that! Let it be known that I have every intention of performing this duty, and I shall perform it to the best of my ability.” He scowled. “I just never said I would be happy about it.”

“You might want to be better at concealing that attitude, then,” Miki said, “Otherwise the guests might notice.” She then turned to Akihito. “Only one thing left to do. Care to do the honors?” She motioned to the phonograph to the right of the front desk.

“With pleasure!” Akihito walked up to the phonograph, turned it on, carefully picked up the needle arm, and placed it onto the record sitting there. Before long, a song^note "Hotel California" by Eagles, in the event the link goes down/doesn't work started to play. “And that's done. You'll know where I'll be.”

Miki gave him an odd look and blinked. “...I'm fairly certain that's the wrong song.”

“We're only supposed to play certain songs?” Akihito asked, “But I like this song! And the guests are probably going to change it around anyway, so why be so finicky?”

“Well...no, but I think it would probably be best if we chose something more fitting. We do want to make a good first impression, and somehow,” Miki glanced at the phonograph, “I don't think that song is going to give them the right idea.”

Akihito sighed. “I think it fits perfectly, but...whatever you say.” He picked up the needle arm, stopping the music, and readjusted it, causing a new song^note Sparrow Inn theme from Ōkami, in the event the link doesn't work/goes down to play. He then turned back to Miki. “That better?”

Miki nodded. “Much.” She turned back towards the stairs. “I'm going to inform Mizuchi that preparations are complete. You get ready for the first guests.” She fixed Saburo with a firm glance. “And that means being personable. I don't want to hear the guests complaining about you.”

Akihito nodded before turning and heading into the bar. Saburo, meanwhile, grumbled and turned his attention to the front door, waiting for it to open up and for the first patrons to enter.

The last thing Taeko knew, she was in a park at the Youkai Capital. The next thing she knew, she was standing underneath a massive and rather impressive torii, with an equally impressive inn standing before her just up the forest path. She looked around this new area, a look of wonder on her face. She had known full well where that portal would take her, and going back was as simple as walking back underneath the torii. The sheer difference between here and the Capital was just so shocking; it had been a while since she'd been to a place like this.

At first glance, she appeared to be an ordinary Japanese girl aged around sixteen. Her straight, if a little unkempt, black hair went down past her shoulders and was held in place by a black hairband. Her outfit consisted of a white blouse with short poofy sleeves and a black, pleated dress.

A second glance would reveal a few oddities. For one, she was on the whole much paler than any normal human. Her eyes were probably brown in color, but it was difficult to tell as they were glazed over and very much resembled those that one might see in a corpse. And most glaringly of all, she was partially transparent.

Taeko didn't stand there for very long. A large grin spread across her face, and she was soon walking, or rather practically skipping, up to the front door of the inn. At last she was getting the chance to go places, hopefully with people that were more cheerful than other ghosts and more accepting of her than the other youkai. Even better, she had heard that this inn was open to people from all sorts of places, not just the youkai. She might meet people she would never even know existed otherwise. To say that she was all sorts of excited would be something of an understatement.

[Outside Entry Hall]

A short, heavy man^* Mazak strode up to the door, swathed in dingy brown — a shirt, handwraps, a kilt, pants, and leather boots — that revealed not an inch of skin below his neck. His sandstone-brown face bore a number of thick, angular black tattoos, and his hair was shaved into an impressive frohawk. Despite his girth, the confident grace with which he moved suggested that his bulk was an asset, not a hindrance. Magical examination would reveal only that he was sheathed in antimagical energy; enough to protect him, though not enough to make his presence unpalatable to magical beings who let him be.

At the side of the path, he knelt on his left knee. His hands curled into fists — his left kept at his side, his right raised up. "Anglerfish," he said, in the tone of prayer, "I enter the darkness and unknown. Grant me your light." He then brought up his lower arm, and brought down the risen one, forming an X. Finally, he banged his fists against his shoulders and let out a shout, then returned to his feet, curious to see if his prayer had attracted any attention.

[Tea House]

A tall, gaunt woman in her mid-twenties, attractive in a coolly regal way^* Moonlit Blossom, appeared to be studying the area with interest. She was oak-skinned and grey eyed, and her head was shaven bald. But her clothing — or lack thereof — particularly stood out. Her long skirt had a number of pockets filled with the various herbs, tinctures, and tools of an apothecary, and a belt on her hip carried still more of the same, but she wore nothing above her waist. She was completely oblivious to any reactions her bare chest caused, however, and there was very little to cover anyways.

Although her clothing and general appearance bespoke some sort of tribeswoman, the twitchy yet confident way she moved, and the vast but not quite lucid intelligence in her eyes told a different tale. Those with experience in such matters would immediately peg her, despite outward appearances, as nothing less than a Class A Mad Scientist.

edited 26th May '14 6:29:44 PM by KillerClowns

[[Interdimensional Gate/Torii -> Front of Inn]]

Passing through the gateway between worlds, a rather unique set of individuals observed their surroundings with careful eyes. The group, which was an odd mishmash of four individuals, stood close together and observed.

The first individual, was a tall, dark skinned man of Zimbabwean descent, with golden eyes, short curled black hair and handsome sculpted features and muscular form, who wore the stereotypical idea of the clothing of a Romanian vampire. His clothing consisted of a black suit jacket over a red vest and a white, buttoned shirt with a star shaped medallion with an eye shaped gem in the middle around his neck. He also wore fine black pants and shoes, a black cape with a red interior, with its collar propped up and fine black leather gloves. He rode a green and orange scaled 'raptor' with bright blue feathers and, for no foreseeable logical reason, was armed with blasters around its arms and at its thighs.

Following the well dressed man, were two zombies of masculine form by his sides, whose jaws, rotting and filled with crooked teeth, hang open slacked and with barely any muscle controls. Their skin had become a pale rotten green, with areas of exposed muscles and organs seeming to pulsate slightly. Their tattered shirts, one white and the other gray, barely held up on their body, while the jeans they both wore only had tears at the knees. The pale eyes of the zombies shifted in their skulls while their black hair barely clung to their heads.

The man and his zombies approached the front of the Ryokan Inn, the man greeting any individuals who would notice, "Greetings, my named Count Darius of the Markovi Clan, how do you do?" He said with a smile.

[Front of Inn]

The tattooed man turned to see a Terran of African descent and Western clothing, offering a title of the latter form. "Hmm," he said, apparently giving Darius deep consideration. Finally, he said, "I am Storykeeper Mazak, and already this day bodes well for my purposes." He then studied the zombies, showing no disgust, merely curiosity. "Animate dead? The legends of many cultures speak of such things. A guess, if I may be permitted: zombies, in a basically pure sense of the term, created in Voodoo tradition — but, to judge from evident decay, with corpses instead of ensorcelled victims. Devoid of their own will, serving as your puppets." He stood, awaiting to see how accurate his guess was. Though confident, he was also calmly aware that he could be utterly mistaken.

edited 16th May '14 4:32:25 PM by KillerClowns

[Front of Inn]

Darius smiled in delight, pointed canine fangs exposed, "It is good to see a knowledgeable man. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Mazak and yes, these are zombies, but not exactly as you described," Darius dismounted his raptor and continued, "These zombies are soldiers, animated by older practices originating in Eastern Europe. They are not entirely devoid of will, rather, of a complete sense of self. They make the finest soldiers: Durable, fearless, capable of self repair, eager to work in groups and interesting to talk to. Not the zombie typically made by modern reanimation practices, that's far too undeveloped to be effective. In the end however, they are still zombies."

Darius chuckled, "Durable soldiers are necessary to go against our," he paused and then spit on the ground beside him in disgust, "Enemy," he uttered begrudgingly.

Three new people entered the Inn's grounds, appearing under the Torii.

"Yay! It worked!" Miyuki said. She was about about 5'2"/1.58m tall, looked Japanese, about 17 years old, with long straight pitch-black hair, a very pale complexion, and blue eyes that almost looked like ice. She was wearing a long, perfectly white kimono, that flowed over her, all the way to the ground, and had on what appeared to be small ice-crystal earrings. Strangely enough, when walking, she didn't seem to move any dust or dirt on the ground, or even leave any footprints. "I knew Hisami's directions would work," she said. Those with supernatural senses would likely be able to see that she was in fact a snow spirit (yuki-onna), despite appearing solid.

"Yes, it sure looks like it," Ryouta said, "sorry for doubting you earlier." He was about the same height, and looked much more like a normal Japanese person, although perhaps a year or two younger, and excepting his dark-green short and messy hair, and green eyes. However, one would likely only see a few strands of it, as he was wearing a baseball hat that said 'Yokohama BayStars' on it, with a manga-style yellow star. Otherwise, he was wearing a normal-looking white t-shirt and blue pants. Those with supernatural senses would likely be able to see that he was not exactly as normal as he appeared, though only possessed a bit of magical energy.

"Yeah, this place looks awesome!," Izumi said, with a goofy smile on her face. She was probably the most unusual in appearance, as she was, for all intents and purposes, a cat-girl, with a cat tail, ears, and claw-like nails. She had medium-length yellow-blond hair in a ponytail, with similarly-colored fur along her tail and ears, yellow eyes, and looked more European or american than the others, but probably still half-Japanese, and about 17 as well. She was wearing a purple blouse with a black pleated skirt, and also seemed to be wearing metal bracelets along both her wrists and ankles. She quietly snuck away from the other two, running into the bamboo forest. Those with supernatural senses might be able to detect that she was genetically engineered, and was quite a bit stronger and lighter than she appeared, but had no magical energy whatsoever.

"So, should we approach this group just up here?" Miyuki said, referring to Darius and company just ahead on the path.

"I don't know - what do you think, Izumi?" Ryouta said, turning to where Izumi had been, but was no longer. "And... she's run off already."

They're available for any newcomers, otherwise, they'll advance further in or strike up a conversation with someone.

edited 16th May '14 5:12:16 PM by Sonzai

[Front of Inn]

A dark expression, not hostile but certainly not pleased, came to Mazak when he noticed Darius' canines. But it quickly vanished, and his expression again went polite. "Yes, I see," he said. "Those of Cleanerfish need not be devoid of thought, so long as they are loyal and know their place in the Telling." He looked between the undead soldiers, and then selected one at random to speak to. "He implies that you possess speech. Is this so?"

He then looked between the other three. His reaction to both Ryouta and Izumi was neutral, but his eyes lingered on Miyuki, and his face very briefly showed a hint of a snarl, much more blatant and unfriendly than his response to Darius' teeth had been. His attention then returned to the undead to which he spoke.

edited 16th May '14 5:30:51 PM by KillerClowns

[Front of Inn]

The gray shirted zombie held its head and jaw and began to speak with a throaty voice, "Indeed. Our jaw muscles were damaged in a scuffle with one of the soldiers of our enemy. We can repair, but a ripped off jaw takes longer to repair then simple bruising."

The white shirted zombie bobbed its head to speak, its jaw flapping as it spoke, a sharper tone to its voice, "A soldier must do their duties in the end. An enemy like the one we face can not be defeated by the hands of a few generals," it said, gesturing to Darius.

[Front of Inn]

Mazak gave a sharp, approving nod at this, and even a hint of a smile flickered across his face. "Yes. I should wish our world had more like you." Then his expression once more darkened and he said, "still, I must dare to ask what the 'enemy' you speak of is. Because there is a chance that I am among them." He stood a bit more upright, a subtly military posture. "If it is my place in the Telling to oppose you..." he growled, a low, dark sound. "Let us all hope it is not."

Outside -> Entry Hall

Before Taeko walked into the inn itself, she stopped right outside the door and turned to see who else had arrived.

Right off the bat she saw someone who definitely wasn't from the Capital, though she only gave the short, stocky man a quick glance. He looked somewhat grouchy and not all that fun to talk to.

The next person she noticed was the person the previous man was speaking to. It wasn't so much his dark skin or strange outfit that caught her attention; it was the strange beast he rode upon. She looked at the beast for a moment or two, trying to figure out just what it was. She gave up in a moment, however, for then she also noticed his companions. These two looked...scary. As in, they looked like they had crawled right out of Yomi. As a ghost, she was used to seeing frightening wounds and suchlike, but these clearly were not ghosts. She made a mental note to avoid that crew.

Finally, she turned to the remaining group. They looked more familiar to her than the others did as they shared an ethnicity, and she was fairly certain the pale girl was a yuki-onna, although it was hard to tell at this distance. More importantly to her, they actually looked friendly. Taeko, however, didn't go up and speak to them immediately. One, she was aware this was an inn and that she wanted to check in first. Secondly, she was hoping to speak from someone not from Japan first, let alone possibly from the Capital.

With that, she turned around, opened the door into the inn, and walked into the entry hall. She stopped briefly at the entrance to take it all in. This place looked pretty lavish. Again, in the interest of not holding anyone up, she headed over to the front desk on the other end of the hall.

Saburo, upon hearing someone enter, looked up from the desk and scowled upon seeing Taeko. "How wonderful," he muttered under his breath, "We haven't been open for an hour and already the place is haunted." As unhappy as he was, there was no sense in rejecting her, if for no other reason than Mizuchi would be very angry if he did. As soon as she reached the front desk, he immediately looked much more pleasant.

"Welcome to our humble inn," he said to her in a formal and polite tone of voice, "You are here to check out a room, yes?"

Taeko nodded. "Are there any rooms open?"

"You happen to be our first guest," Saburo replied, with a grin that might or might not have been sincere, "Now let me check...." He looked down at the list sitting on the desk before him. Picking up a pen, he tapped against the side of it for a few moments. "I hope Room 112 shall suit your purposes." He picked up the list and handed it to Taeko along with the pen. "Now, if you'll just sign here...." He pointed at the spot in question.

Taeko handled the pen and list with surprising ease considering her ethereal nature. As soon as she signed, she handed the list back over to Saburo. Saburo took the list back, looked at it, and with a nod he pulled out a keycard from a drawer and handed that to Taeko. "I do hope that you shall enjoy your stay. Do not worry about payment; everything is on the house for your time here."

Taeko smiled and offered Saburo a small bow. "Thank you very much," she said, before making her way up the stairs.

As soon as she had vanished from view, Saburo scowled before turning his attention back to the door. That had gone well enough, as far as he was concerned. He just hoped that one wasn't planning on staying long.

Just to make this clear, you don't have to wait for Saburo to check your characters in. Just assume he did something similar to the above process. You are welcome to engage him in proper conversation if you wish, however; just don't expect him to be overly pleasant.

[In Front of Inn]

The gray shirted one spoke first, "The general knows more."

Darius smiled, "That I do. You see, the earth is currently facing an invasion force, consisting of an alliance between various robots and," he paused, "several different kinds of Martian aliens."

He let that sink in, "Whatever reason for the invasion, we have yet to discern. Current efforts are a focus on protection from the aliens."

edited 16th May '14 5:55:52 PM by DarkbloodCarnagefang

[Front of Inn]

Mazak laughed, a friendly sound, and said, "ah, good, good!" He quickly held up a hand and said, "I mean, not that you are being invaded, of course. You have my sympathies and I wish you luck in your war." He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I am merely pleased that this means we are not doomed to be foes." Looking Darius over, he said, "your kind — vampire, yes? — has a dark reputation. And if I may be so blunt, the sycophantic humans who fantasize about your kind..." he raised a finger, then said, "bah. If you are of Whale, as you seem, I am sure you find such their adulation tiresome."

[Front of Inn]

Darius nodded his head, "Thank you, luck is always good when dealing with such things."

He pinched the bridge of his noise, "Please don't remind me of such individuals. The fact that the Markovi Clan had to hide and feast on animals only makes it worse."

The raptor moved to rub Darius's back in what could be best described as sympathy, "Thank you Cadance," Darius addressed the raptor.

"Perhaps it is best to check in now."

Daisuke ran with all his strength, for his life did depend on it here.

"...male, aged eight, blue sweatshirt, carrying a backpack..." The police officer's radio staticked, giving his position away. His backpack in his arms, Daisuke turned slightly, slipping out of another officer's grasp and taking off into the trees. He wasn't eight, he was eight-and-one-quarter! No wonder nobody takes the police seriously.

It wasn't long before his tiny legs burned from the effort and he had to stop, but by that point, he couldn't hear them or their radios anymore. As he collapsed to his knees, his backpack tumbled out of his arms. At least she chose this time to meow in protest. Daisuke pulled the zipper open a bit and the Japanese Bobtail wriggled her white, fuzzy body out, giving her old joints a stretch.

"Sorry, Ran." She seemed to ignore him for the most part, looking around. He was too tired- and hungry -to realize that he wasn't even in a forest anymore. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he looked behind him- it was all white with fog. Ahead was... bamboo. What? There weren't any bamboo forests around Sapporo. He wasn't going to find any food in there. Maybe if he was a panda, but not even pandas should be eating this stuff. Daisuke turned around and headed into the fog with Ran at his side, it was so thick he couldn't even see his hand in front of him, let alone Ran, who was a meter away. Suddenly, he could see again... only he was back at the bamboo.

Daisuke let out a ragged sigh. He was so hungry he wanted to sleep, but something wanted him to go into panda-land. FINE. Into the bamboo he went.

Ran stuck close to him, stopping and watching him with her wide blue eyes whenever they were more than a couple feet apart. She looked this way and that, up at Daisuke and back around and ahead. Whenever he seemed to want to doze off, she'd let out the most obnoxious meow possible to wake him up, at least until they could seek shelter up ahead, at this funny wooden house full of people ready to give them warms and foods.

She kept trying to give him pep talks- really just very long meows -as Daisuke pulled himself up the steps to the inn. Even that was very hard for him, hard enough that he began to give out. Ran turned around and scratched at the door, hoping somebody would hear her.

The little boy had gone thin, pale, and sickly over the months since his father lost his job and their savings dried up, forcing them onto a strict diet of convenience store cup ramen, which, after years of much healthier food, their bodies revolted against with perpetual exhaustion. His shaggy black hair was messy and dirty, and he hadn't bathed or washed his clothes in days. His cat, however, seemed to be in impeccable condition, eyes shining and alert with clean, glossy fur.

edited 16th May '14 7:48:15 PM by CrystalGlacia

[Front of Inn]

"Indeed," Mazak agreed. It seemed a good idea to ensure he had some place to stay the night — though sleeping under the stars was something he was capable of, it wouldn't do for his purposes here. That was when he saw Daisuke burst through the forest with the cat and go for the door. "Hmm," he muttered. "Somebody should attend to that one."

He pointed his hand towards Ryouta and said, "you should aid the child. I would do so myself, but I of all people know I am not a comforting sight; my size and tattoos have a way of inducing trauma, even among those unaware of the meaning of the latter. Darius and his allies," he motioned to them, "are similarly likely to cause undue shock." Then he glanced over at Miyuki and added, "just know that I shall be watching the one of Jellyfish."

He turned back to Darius. "A curious tendency of society — one cannot ask people in general to do something, but must be certain to assign the task, no matter how specific, to an individual person."

[Interdimensional Gate—Front of Inn]

A hooded man stumbled out of the gate and held his chest, panting. He then removed his hood, revealing his sweaty face. He had brown skin, dark brown eyes, and had long, black dreads that was wrapped in a ponytail. He wore a gray button shirt, black pants, and black shoes.

As soon as he could breathe again, he lifted his head so he could finally gaze at his surroundings. The gate he ran through must've sent him to another place, because nothing here was recognizable to him. He gave a heavy sigh.

"Shit." John muttered, "I'm probably too far away from home now, aren't I?" At the very least, he was away from the strange, creepy man. Now there was the matter of finding a temporary place to stay. And finding a place to shower.

He removed his hood, threw it on the ground, then walked to the Inn ahead. Fortunately, it seemed that he wouldn't be alone. There seemed to be a variety of people he'd never seen, which was his first tip-off that he was nowhere near his house. Then he noticed the sickly looking boy, and became worried. This boy was in a far worse condition than he was.

"Hey." he said, quickly walking over to the boy, "Are you alright?"

edited 24th May '14 9:35:34 PM by Masterofchaos

[Front of Inn]

"I don't know about this - that group with the bird-dinosaur gives me the creeps, and that other person gave me a strange look," Miyuki said, "maybe we should just check in."

"Sounds fine to me," Ryouta said, "although this is supposed to be a place where people can visit from other worlds, so try to be understanding."

The two of them began walking towards the main entrance, but upon Daisuke's arrival, and in response to Mazak's demand, Ryouta said, "actually, he does look rather sickly, and I was planning on helping him anyways."

They then walked over to the entrance, next to Daisuke and John. Miyuki gave Mazak a glare back, and upon arrival at the entrance, whispered to Ryouta, "what's up with that jerk? Who does he think he is?"

"Just try not to start any fights," Ryouta whispered to Miyuki quietly. He then sat down next to Daisuke, and waved his right hand over the boy. "He looks to be exhausted and malnourished," Ryouta said in a normal voice, "I could try to revive him, but what he really needs is some rest, and food."

edited 16th May '14 8:40:41 PM by Sonzai

[Front of Inn —> Main Hall]

Satisfied, Mazak brusquely slip past Daisuke and those helping him. He headed to the front desk and approached Sabruo. "I shall need a room, and," he lowered his voice, "the first meal that starved child has is on me — see that he is fed well. And of course, do not permit him to refuse your hospitality. Finally, I would prefer if it was not known that I paid for it." When he was informed the food would be on the house anyways, he shrugged and said, "convenient. Now... I've already seen at least disembodied creature lingering about. I presume you have ways to ensure they will not cause any troubles?"

edited 16th May '14 8:53:56 PM by KillerClowns

[Front of Inn -> Entry Hall]

Darius nodded, "Society is odd like that," he chuckled, "But it still goes on."

Darius opened the door to the Inn, Cadance and the two zombies following him. He looked around to admire the building as he walked before approaching the desk.

"This should be interesting," he murmured.

Entry Hall Just skipping all the checking in stuff under the assumption that Mazak took care of that already.

Saburo had something of a mixed opinion upon seeing Mazak. He was decidedly apprehensive about seeing what was almost certainly a human walk in through the front entrance; apart from Miki, he had never seen a human up until this point, but he did understand the reasoning for why the youkai long ago decided to live apart from them, and this man looked very much like the sort that would cause trouble. On the other hand, it wasn't another ghost, and that pleased him.

He was just as polite in checking Mazak in as he was Taeko. The question about "disembodied creatures" invoked an odd look from him, however.

"If any guest, let alone the 'disembodied creature' of which you speak, causes trouble, our security will be sure to handle it," he responded, "But do be aware that we do not discriminate. Anyone who desires our hospitality shall receive it without question, so long as they respect it and behave themselves. Again, this includes this 'disembodied creature' you speak of." He then looked around him somewhat shiftily, then leaned towards Mazak. "But, assuming we are thinking of the same sort of 'creature' here, I am not fond of them either. Alas, rules are rules."

He returned to his usual sitting position before turning his attention to the newcomers. Although he gave a slightly disturbed glance at each of the zombies, he seemed to be mostly focused on the raptor. After a moment or two of silence, he turned to Darius. "I hope that your beast will be on its best behavior if you're going to let it accompany you into the building."

[Entry Hall]

Darius chuckled, "Worry not, Cadance is a rather excellently behaving steed and companion." Cadance bowed, letting her bright blue tail feathers out stretch before returning to her normal position.

Darius signed his name to check in, "There should be problem with the zombies either," he said, just reaffirming to Saburo that there would be no trouble.

[front of inn]

Ran shot John and Ryouta each a glare, then pawed Daisuke's face. He let out a tiny moan and stirred a bit, turning slightly towards the source of the voice that said he was malnourished.

"Can I have something to eat..." Daisuke tried to pick himself up, at least get to his knees. He hadn't even considered taking his backpack off, not that he had the coordination to manage that right now. "Just no more cup ramen," he managed to mumble before he finally and truly collapsed, and surrendered himself to be carried in or whatever was going to happen next.

Ran eyed the two warily.

The portal expanded with a hiss and a flash of blue, and Ulrich Thein took his first strides onto the narrow dirt trail. The ground was damp; it gave way slightly with each step of his heavy boots, and his immediate instinct was to abandon the trail in favor of the tall surrounding grass, where he would leave no footprints. He squinted through the morning mist, looking in all directions for some indication of exactly where the portal had dropped him, but all that could be gleaned from the endless walls of bamboo was that he was likely in an East Asian jungle.

China? Vietnam? Nepal? His Earth geography had gotten rusty. Still, he was at least on the right continent, and this mode of transportation was a hell of a lot harder to trace than a plane ticket.

Satisfied for the moment that he was, in fact, alone, Thein bent to retrieve a small mirror from his pack. He spent a minute or two ensuring he'd arrived more or less in the same state in which he'd left—disfiguring was rare, but it did happen if you weren't careful. Thein always was, but he preferred not to tempt fate.

He was all there. Just over six feet tall, pale skin and lean muscle stretched tight over a thin frame; gray eyes and silvery hair, sharp face thatched with long mauve scars. His clothing had also survived: his simple gray battledress was intact, as were his gloves and the traditional Umbrienne headband, cape, and collar that covered his mouth. And, of course, his sword and shield were in pristine condition as always. He was ready to head out.

But to where? That was a good question—almost as good as asking how he'd managed to miss the inn just a short way up the trail.

"What the hell," he muttered. "Looks as good a place as any to plan the next move." With that, he started again up the trail.

Any newcomers can run into him if desired.

Sketch here.

edited 16th May '14 10:43:51 PM by BrainSewage

[Front of Inn >> Dining Area]

"We should get him inside," Ryouta said, "if you don't mind." He looked at Ran, almost as if to ask for permission, given how protective she seemed to be. "Mind checking us in, while I get him something to eat?" he said to Miyuki.

"Sure, I'll see you inside," Miyuki said, walking into the entry hall.

If Ran and Daisuke cooperated, Ryouta would then try to gently carry Daisuke into the Inn, and set him down on a comfortable chair in the Dining Area. He would then try to flag down a waitress.

[Entry Hall]

Great, these goofballs again, Miyuki thought upon entering the hall. She waited for the moment, hoping they would clear away from the check-in desk soon.

[Garden]

Meanwhile, some rustling could be heard in the bamboo, as Izumi emerged from the forest into the Garden area. "Ooo, this place looks like fun, I wonder if there are any fish in the pond..." she said.

She crouched down on all fours, and moved slowly and quietly towards the pond, her tail waving behind her.