The Timeless Inn

[Kethlia]

Yui laughs for a moment before catching herself and retorting, "Bob's your uncle!"

The Innkeeper asks about Yui's satellite navigator surprising her. Before Yui can reply though, the Innkeeper walks away.

Yui glances at her companion Bob and sees that her sight was just fine as he really did have a galactic skin complexion. She opens her mouth slightly about to ask him a question when the Innkeeper reappears with a big mug of hot cocoa.

Yui's jaw drops as she eyes the mug then she swallows hard and manages a thank you toward the Innkeeper.  Yui gently pulls the mug close to her and takes a sip.  Soon she is drinking the cocoa down as fast as she can without burning her throat.  Mere moments pass before she settles the mug on the counter and finally breathes.  "Soulight Bless it! I have never had such a cocoa before!" Yui realizes she just shouted at the top of her lungs.  Yui's face turns a dark red color. "I am sorry for my shout."'She looks at her companion and the Innkeeper meekly but contrite nonetheless.  "Um, instead of calling you Innkeeper or Barkeep, is there a name I may call you by my lady?"  Yui lightly worries her lip when she rememberes that phrase would have been better suited to Alanna than her Inn hostess.

[Kenai]

Alanna tried to reenter the main room off the Inn quietly, but her stomach betrayed her yet again.    Right after Yui incquired about the innkeepers name, Alanna's stomach rumbled again.  Loudly. 

 

Alanna blushed a bit and tucked an errant strand of her blonde hair back into the chainmail mesh. 

"Indeed, we have all given names, what shall we call you?"  She sighed as her stomach growled once more.  "Upon reflection, if you were actually of the Fae folk, my armor and sword would have given you adverse affects.   If I'm going to be lost here, I might as well eat.  I haven't eaten in nearly two days.  I'm sure what you have on hand will be satisfactory."

Giving a quick wry grin to Yui, she continued her questioning of the innkeeper.  "My attire seems to have caused discomfort among the other patrons.  Alas, my command tent was not lost with me.  Do you have a change of attire I could... borrow.  I have no way of paying you I'm afraid.  I'm not accustomed to carrying money."

[Rapture]

He looks to the innkeep and smiles. "Sounds delicious. I can't wait."

[Lightningfall]

The damnable fog just wouldn't seem to lift.  He'd been walking for what seemed like…  Well, it seemed like days, but it couldn't have been more than hours.  He hadn't been home for years, and now, finally, the war was done.  He didn't know what would be left of his home, his family, but he was looking forward to finding out.

As he walked, he couldn't help but think that the road should be veering off to the west by now.

"It must be this fog.  It's messing with my memory."  Either that or the years since I was last home.

Then he saw the light, faint at first, but brighter as he approached.  Still, it did little to dispel the fog.  It does, however, reveal a sign reading The Timeless Inn.

"Huh.  I don't remember this at all."

There is a faint trilling whistling sound and something shifts on the man's shoulder.

"I know a lot of time has passed, but…

He continues on until he reaches the Inn.  The building seems to shift at the corner of his eye, but when he turns to see what it was, it seems solid.

He approaches the door, reaching for the knocker, but the door opens of it's own volition.  He enters cautiously, his hand near the hilt his sword.

[Redly]

Thorn allowed a throaty, loud laugh. "Yui, I'm glad you like it! There's no need to be embarrassed."

Alanna joined in with Yui's questioning as she came back in and Thorn's grin faded to a smile slightly. 

"Aye, of course. My name is Thorn. And no, I am definitely not Fae. I'm actually a hybrid from an era that perhaps might be future to any of yours, but certainly from a different world. My world also had sat nav, Yui, but also explosive weapons, science labs filled with living experiments - like me - and, worst of all, politics." She shuddered involuntarily. "So you can all call me Thorn. I've been Thorn since I became a hybrid soldier in my world, long before I became Lost." 

She brought the flat of her hand down on the bar, firmly but not hard. She winked at Alanna, and smirked in a friendly, casual way, showing off little pointy teeth. "I'll be right back. I'll get some food on that you won't regret having!" 

Thorn left the bar area and went back to the kitchen. She grabbed several plates from a shelf to one side of the room, and then a silver platter from a cupboard on the other. Thorn spun around to the other side of the room, pulling open some wooden drawers and wicker baskets, grabbing bits and pieces as she went, humming to herself. It was so good to have some other people here! It had been a while since her last companion had left. 

Grabbing a black pot from another shelf, Thorn dipped it into the cauldron and then hung it on a hook near the cauldron over the burning fire. Stoking the embers and adding a couple of logs, she threw the bits from the drawers in: several carrots, some parsnips, and potatoes. A quick pinch from pots on the stone shelf above the fire place, and she'd added some dried herbs, salt and pepper. 

Turning to the stove, Thorn snatched a cloth from the countertop nearest, pulled upon a squeaky door, pulled out a deep roasting tray from which protruded several bones. Around the bones were thick chunks of deep red-brown meat, bubbling in the juices surrounding them. She chucked a few onions in, pushed it back and closed the door. Standing, she rolled her shirt sleeves up from the heat, revealing intricate, woven tattoos that disappeared under the cloth. 

Sweeping back out to the bar, she announced dinner would be half an hour, just in time to see the door swing open and their latest friend arrive. "Welcome, friend! Welcome to the Inn!" 

[Kenai]

Alanna noted the small subtle signs Thorn was showing her.  Both the narrowing of the eyes, as well as the teeth baring.  She was about to make yet another apology for her behavior when the door opened.    Noting both the man's attire and the hand on his sword, she regretted leaving her sword in her room as a sign of peaceful intention.  She rested her hand on the back of a chair and tried to subtly ready herself in case action was needed.

The odds of him being from her world where slim.  If he was, the odds him him belonging to one of the rebellions was bigger than him being in her army.  Either way, his intentions needed to be determined.

 

Edited October 2, 2017 by Kenai

[Lightningfall]

As the woman behind the bar speaks, he relaxes.  There didn't seem to be an immediate threat here.

"My thanks.  Might I inquire as to how long you've been here, and possibly how much further it is to Kalavan?"

[Kethlia]

Yui grins back at Thorn and settles into her seat a little more.  

She looks to Alanna when Thorn disappears and pleasantly offers a seat next to her.  "Are you sure Alanna is okay? She is a character in a book from my time." Yui offers a smile toward the warrior woman feeling a little guilty for her earlier reactions when she saw Alanna glance her way in apology.

The door opens on it's own and atmosphere changes for a moment.  Another person comes in, this time an armed man.  Yui glance at Alanna and then at Bob.  Neither has reacted much but she can feel a change coming from somewhere.

[Kenai]

Alanna felt herself relax when the stranger entered in a peaceful manner.  Only then did she pay attention to the proffered chair.  Her eyes watered a bit, before she resolutely pushed the tears back.  Back home, no one would have dared offer her a seat. 

"Dining with you would be an honor."  

She sits down in the chair, and pushed back the chainmail mesh from her head.  She deftly unties the cloth cap underneath that with a relieved sigh. The cloth itself was still damp from being washed, but was still stained a dark brown in spots. 

"I fear I'm still not dressed for polite company.  It seems I became lost right in the middle of battle."  Cassandra gave an aggrieved huff.   "We had the upper hand.  Now I fear the cause might be lost.

 Alanna is acceptable.  I find my actual name tiresome.  Thank you for the gift of a new one."

 

{{OOC: "alanna is actually the main character of a novel I'm working on.  I'm struggling to find a good name that actually fits her, hence, the adopting of kethlia's name. :)}}

 

[Kethlia]

Yui turns her back to the bar and leans on it with both her arms propped on the bar.  When Alanna sits next to her she watches the woman shift her garments around. A thought comes to mind as she listens to Alanna.

"Well seeing as we're in a new place perhaps in time your true name will gain a new meaning.  Until then Alanna is the name of a girl who breaks traditions and becomes a recognized knight and the first female knight to boot.  She has eyes of violet and a black cat with matching eyes because she has been blessed by a Goddess with a magic gift." Yui pauses debating upon her earlier thought.  "Forgive me, if I am too forward with you. But, your chainmaille has to be uncomfortable. I am wearing two shirts, this t-shirt being one and a tank top underneath. I would be happy to lend you my t-shirt." Yui asks with a easy demeanor.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Kethlia

[Kenai]

"Indeed?  Well, I was the first woman to enlist, although my rank made it easier for me to obtain my desire.  I assure you, I lack both magic and a cat." 

The offer of clothing was.. unexpected.  The feeling of the damp tunic underneath her chainmail quickly ended her feelings of pride.

"I thank you for your offer." Alanna stands up, and gestures down the hall.  "I'm the second door on the right."  She heads for the mentioned room and enters, assuming that Yui is following.

 

 

[Kethlia]

Yui looks over and Bob and Thorn and the newcomer.  We won't be long suga, don't miss us too much

She follows Alanna and enters into Alanna's room.  It was spacious and nicely decorated.  Yui pulls off her shirt and readjusts the tank top until it's center and the straps aren't twisted.  Yui offers the shirt to Alanna perfectly comfortable in her tank and jeans.

Today had to be the day when I didn't have my bag with a set of spare clothes in it.  Belated she remembers the scent of pine and jasmine from her essential oils experiment. Yui mental shakes it off a person fresh from the battlefield may like the thought of a nice flowered forest.

[Redly]

Thorn saw Alanna look a little awkward from the corner of her, and hesitated, slightly. But the newcomer took her attention. She bobbed her head from side to side, grimacing slightly at his questions. 

"My apologies, sir, but I cannot answer either of your questions. I have been here, as far as the Inn is concerned, for time immemorial. Time doesn't exist here, in the straightforward sense we often attribute to it. It, quite frankly, doesn't give a damn what we think." She inhaled deeply and shrugged a little. "As for Kalavan, I don't know. It isn't in this place, that's for sure." She affixed him with steady but gentle look. "Sir, you have come here because you are Lost. You will only return to your own realm when you become Found." 

Thorn spread her hands wide while Alanna and Yui left the room, glancing at Yui as she said where they were going. "In the meantime, please, come in, make yourself at home. I have rooms upstairs, I have food in the oven which won't be long, I have most drinks you could want, and fires that really don't go out - I can't take credit for those, that was the last Innkeeper." She frowned slightly. "Some kind of magician or sorcerer. I lost track." 

She looked back to him, cocking her head to one side. "Can I ask what your name is? You'll see you are not alone here. This is Bob," she gestured to the interesting man before her, "and you just saw Alanna and Yui leave the room. My name is Thorn. I am the Innkeeper." 

 

((OOC: Would it be helpful if I made an OOC thread? I haven't yet because I didn't think it needed one. Let me know.))

[Rapture]

Bob, chuckling in amusement at every one calling him that, waves casually from his seat at the bar. As he does a star at the tip of his middle finger brightens intensely before going nova. The blast rippling out over the rest of him.

[Kenai]

{{OOC Stupid question rapture.  Is this nova like explosion magically contained to your character, or have you leveled the Inn?}}

[Rapture]

((Ooc: far fron stupid @Kenai basically my finger just did an E.T. thing. Glowing intensely then dimming. As for the shockwave think of it like a projection. Instead of normal skin pigmentation you're seeing a random chunk of space. So beyond the glowing it didn't affect the Inn.))

[Lightningfall]

The man approaches the bar as the woman behind it speaks.  He's covered in a treated coat and hat to keep the moisture off.

"Lost?"  He looks around at the inn, "I suppose I am now, but how did I become lost in the first place?"

He nods toward "Bob" and looks after the two women walking down the hall as they are introduced.

As she introduces herself, he extends a hand.  "I am Soren Telless, my lady Thorn, formerly mage captain of the 9th imperial ...  Let's just stick with Soren."  He smiles and brings her hand to his lips, brushing them lightly over her knuckle.  "I appreciate your hospitality.  If I'm stuck here until I'm 'found' then I suppose I should take a room."  He takes the bag off his back and a something on his shoulders, under his coat, shifts and there is a low whistle.  "How much for a room?"

[Redly]

The supernova, somewhat galactic fingertip made Thorn's head whip round to Bob. One eyebrow cocked and the other frowned, and her mouth slightly open, she looked about to ask something when the newcomer spoke. She turned a smile to him, pleasant and inviting. She takes his proffered hand, gripping his firmly and giving a lot 'oh' when he raised her hand to his lips. A blush rose in her cheeks. She actually goddamn blushed. 

"Welcome Soren, of the 9th Imperial something-or-other." Thorn's smile wasn't mocking but gentle and honest. "Honestly, I couldn't say why people become Lost. Sometimes they just feel out of place in their own world, or they want to not be in their lives. Or they are literally lost and then become Lost here." Another shrug. "Only you can know why you became Lost. Maybe you're seeking something which cannot be found in your world. Something tangible, or -" Thorn paused and thought. "Something intangible. Something more like -" She frowned and looked to the side and up. "Something like a home." 

The Innkeeper moved from behind the bar towards the hallway door, shrugging one shoulder and looking over it to Soren. "I'm still trying to figure out why I'm here." She disappeared around the corner, picked up another brass key, this time with the number '2' on it and handed it to Soren over the bar. "There's no charge for rooms or food or drinks. All I ask is be a good customer, stay as long as you wish and share something of yourself. Bob here," she gestured to him, "he shared a bit of his story. Perhaps you'd like to share yours, when you're ready?" 

Thorn glanced at a large wooden upright clock standing in the corner opposite the bar, with a large iron pendulum that swung steadily back and forth. It occupied hardly any space in the room and yet seemed large and heavy and voluminous. She loved that clock. An acquisition from a customer a long, long way back. Why the man was travelling with a huge and very unusual clock such as this, she never knew, but Thorn loved it. "Dinner will be 10 minutes. Would you like a drink?" 

She looked to Bob. "How you doing for drinks, Bob? Fancy another one?" 

[Kenai]

Alanna quickly removed the chainmail, laying it out flat on the floor so it wouldn't tangle.    Tomorrow she'd have to venture out and find enough wood to craft a crude stand for both the chainmail and armor. 

With no regard to modesty, she quickly changed into the shirt offered to her by Yui. 

"The leggings are still wet, but they're slowly getting dryer.  I thank you for the shirt."

Alanna tugged at the shirt a little. It was so tight!  Practical in a fight, as the assailant had less to grab, but it would take getting used to.  She was rather grateful that the cotton was thick enough to not be see through at least. 
 

"Dinner smells delicious.  Shall we?" Alanna opens the door to her room and attempts a friendly smile at Yui.

[Lightningfall]

He grinned impishly as she blushed, not in a mocking way, just pleased that he could make a beautiful woman blush.  The fact that her blush seemed to irritate her didn't hurt either.

"I'm really at a loss here, no pun intended.  I was happy with my life, the war had just ended and not only had I survived, but I was going home to a family and friends that I hadn't seen in years.  I can not for the life of me figure out how I came to be "Lost."  That's not to say that I doubt you, my lady.  I just don't know what could have brought me here."  He accepts the key she offers, brushing his fingers against her's as he takes it.  "Thank you," he says with feeling.

He looks into her eyes as she mentions sharing his story.  "That is a very long tale.  A tale filled with learning, loss, war, and carnage.  Perhaps not the best dinner conversation.  Perhaps afterward, when you're not quite so busy?"

[Redly]

Thorn's eyes narrowed slightly but she smiled on one side of her mouth. The feeling of contact with another being (one could never be sure the customers were entirely human) was a surprise, but pleasant. It occurred to her just how long it had been since the last customer had left and she'd had someone else to talk to. Her horse in the barn wasn't a very good conversationalist. 

"Well, if you share, I will certainly listen. That's all I have, except what you see here." She spread her arms and turned slightly. "Believe me, I have heard many tales, and each stays with me always. The Innkeeper's responsibility is to collect the stories of the Lost." At least, that's what she'd come to assume when watching the last Keeper. "Perhaps the reason you are Lost is not clear now, but it may become clear. Then perhaps you will be found." 

Thorn leaned on the bar. "Now, would you like that drink?" 

[Rapture]

'Bob' smirked pleasantly. "Please something stronger if you don't mind." He rises from his chair. "Excuse me a moment I'll be right back." He vanishes, appearing just as suddenly before Alanna and Yui. "Pardon the intrusion ladies."

[Lightningfall]

"I suppose that I'll be around for a while then, won't I?  At least until I'm no longer lost.  And I'd be happy to share my story with you, Thorn, but what about your story?"

He thinks for a moment.  "Just water for me, Thorn, and thank you," he says sincerely.

[Kethlia]

Yui is glad the Alanna felt at ease with her as she changed.  Lately not a single person be they a guy, girl or more could look at a woman without landing in jail.  It was refreshing to have a relaxed woman near her besides herself.  Even Thorn if she was a female in her own right had been comfortable in her own skin.

Yui moved to follow Alanna out of her room when she suddenly bumps into something firm and finds herself on her bum again.

She sees that it's Bob not Bob and stands backs up none the worse for wear or harm.  What's up Bob? Did you get lonely suga?

[Rapture]

Apologies Yui. I sometimes forget most beings don't have precognutive reflexes." He offers her a hand, the pulls it back as she stands on her own. "I came to see if you two wanted anything to drink. But given you are returning to the main hall the point is rendered moot." He reaches into his inside jacket pocket and pulls out a black twig. It glows softly and begins to grow into the shape of a normal armour stand, made of one piece of black wood. "While our host would no doubt be able to oblige I figured I might at least try to save you the time." He sets it down before them. "If you wish its yours Alanna."