The Builder's Arms Inn

[Chmera]

I figured that this'd be a good idea... It's based off the concept of Canterbury Tales. Basically, there's a huge storm and various travellers end up in the inn, trying to stay out of the storm.

You can pretty much work in any character from any 'Universe', at a stretch, and in fairly limitless numbers. Profiles go in the profile thread, people. Just make sure that unless you're some weird mystery guy, you mention the character's name in the first paragraph. Or else describe yourself.

Where you've come from and where you're going is your decision. Now let's start, shall we?

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Ch'mera stumbles in, looking decidedly bedraggled and with the occasional spark of static flashing in her hair.
 "Ugh... I hate flying in storms like this." She half-collapses onto a seat at the bar.
  "Coffee. Now."
  "We have coffee but it's not on the -" Ch'mera growls, tail flicking and wings ruffled, and the barman stutters. "O-of course. S-sorry about that." The barman hurries off to get a cup of coffee.

[DrLemmingsham]

I figured that this'd be a good idea... It's based off the concept of Canterbury Tales. Basically, there's a huge storm and various travellers end up in the inn, trying to stay out of the storm.

You can pretty much work in any character from any 'Universe', at a stretch, and in fairly limitless numbers. Profiles go in the profile thread, people. Just make sure that unless you're some weird mystery guy, you mention the character's name in the first paragraph. Or else describe yourself.

Where you've come from and where you're going is your decision. Now let's start, shall we?

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Ch'mera stumbles in, looking decidedly bedraggled and with the occasional spark of static flashing in her hair.
 "Ugh... I hate flying in storms." She half-collapses onto a seat at the bar.
  "Coffee. Now."
  "We have coffee but it's not on the -" Ch'mera growls, tail flicking and wings ruffled, and the barman stutters. "O-of course. S-sorry about that." The barman hurries off to get a cup of coffee.

Does this mean that someone else gets to continue the story?

[Chmera]

((...Yes, but from the perspective of their character. And try to have it make some degree of sense, will you? This isn't the random story thread. And seriously, keep OOC(out of character) chatter to a minimum. And if it's really desperately needed, keep it in double brackets like this.))

The barman brings back a cup of coffee, then retreats nervously to the opposite end of the bar. Ch'mera gulps the coffee down and looks around.
  "Pretty quiet. It's kinda out of the way here anyway..." Though less tired and grumpy, she slumps, bored.

[DrLemmingsham]

I guess I'll go next:

Murtaugh walked in the door, soaking wet. "It's pouring out there!" he said. "I need some coffee." The barman went to get it. When he brought it, Murtaugh drank it it. Soon, Murtaugh got very tired, and asked for a hotel room. The barman gave him a key, and Murtaugh went up to the room, and fell onto his bed. ((OOC: This IS a hotel, right?))

[Chmera]

((Technically, yes.))

Ch'mera hears him and turns to say something just as he heads up the stairs.
  "Wait - Oh..." She slumps again then bristles. "The hrrking little... Hmph." She puts down her coffee with a thunk, irritated again.

[Lemika]

Lem'ka stalks in, closing the door rather forcefully behind her. She looks soaked and not particularly happy with her hair dripping water into her eyes and obscuring her vision. "I hate storms," she growls, going up to the bar and climbing up onto a stool. The necessity of climbing onto it doesn't appear to help her mood at all. "Barkeep!" she calls, glancing over at the other drinks in evidence. "You got anything other than coffee? Brandy, maybe?" After seeing that the barkeep scuttles off to get the drink, she sighs and turns to the other occupant of the bar. "Nasty weather, eh?"

[Chmera]

  "Right on." Ch'mera replies, seeming to calm down slightly. "Especially when you're right in the middle of it. Literally." She shakes some of the water off her wings. "Where were you heading, anyway?"

[Lemika]

"I was headed for a castle some ways away yet, actually. Someone is supposed to meet me there within a day or two. Of course, I had been intending to stop off at a tournament on the way first, but the weather has been too bad lately. I couldn't travel fast enough to get there in time. Annoying, really. I'll have to figure out some way to contact him." Lem'ka accepts the glass from the barkeep, pays the man, and takes a drink of the brandy. "What about you?"

[Chmera]

Ch'mera tenses very slightly, and the tip of her tail twists around one of the legs of her stool.
 "Nowhere special."

[Lemika]

"Ah, I see." Figuring it had to do with something secretive, Lem'ka turns her attention mostly to the drink, trying to think of a way to let her contact know where to meet her now. "You think the storm will let up soon?" she asks. "It will be awfully difficult to get a messenger through this."

[Chmera]

"Looks pretty nasty out there, but it feels like it'll run out of steam soon."  An ear twitches nervously. "I've never seen anything this bad before though."

[DrLemmingsham]

"Neither have I," said Murtaugh. He had just come down to get some water. He sat down, and drank the water.

[Chmera]

"I think we're pretty lucky." She shrugs. "We all made it here -" A window rattles  in its frame. Ch'mera falls silent, tail wrapped tightly around the leg of the chair, as if it would keep her safe. "And to think I normally like flying in storms..." She laughs awkwardly, concealing fear.

[DrLemmingsham]

"Well... okay," Murtaugh said. He then went back to his room.

[Chmera]

Ch'mera changes the subject, raising an eyebrow. "He's not much of a talker, is he?"

[Lemika]

"I suppose not," Lem'ka agrees, setting her glass of brandy down after having taken a long drink. "Perhaps he had been travelling a long time." She glances out the window. "I certainly hope it lets up soon. That would make things a deal easier for me."

[Chmera]

"Would for us all." She sighs and looks out the window at the fierce weather, drowsy.

[DrLemmingsham]

Soon, Murtaugh came down again to get more water. "I sure am thirsty. I've been traveling for about 3 whole days without stopping," he said. "Man, am I thirsty."

[Lemika]

"You didn't even stop for water?" Lem'ka asks, looking slightly skeptical. "That's dedication. What were you doing?" She notices that her glass is empty and signals the barkeep for a refill.

[Chmera]

Ch'mera scoffs. "Dedicated or dim."

[DrLemmingsham]

"I was heading for the mansion about 50 miles away from here. There is a banquet tomorrow night, and I didn't want to be late for it. I like to be there early to help the owners set up for it."

[Chmera]

"Doubt they'd have enough food there worth starving yourself."

[DrLemmingsham]

"No really, they have tons of food. It's worth not eating for a week for"."

[Chmera]

Ch'mera perks up slightly. "And where is this...?"

[DrLemmingsham]

"You head north from here for about 50 miles. When you see a large hill with a mansion the size of a castle, well, that's the one."

[Chmera]

Ch'mera smirks slightly then remembers the weather, returning to her slump.

[Lemika]

Lem'ka drains the last of her drink, setting the glass down on the counter and signalling the barkeep for a refill. "Amazing you survived that way anyhow." She thanks the barkeep for the refill. "Do you happen to know of any large castles near here? I'm beginning to think this may not be quite where I thought it was."

[Chmera]

"None that I know of, from the last time I looked... They're pretty big things. Generally a bit hard to miss. To be honest the land here's a bit unfamiliar. I knew where I was going and I flew in a straight line, but I wound up here anyway. Weird."

[Lemika]

"Odd. I suppose the storm may have got me a bit turned around. I'll have to look around the area when it lets up a bit."

[DrLemmingsham]

Murtaugh thinks for a minute before saying, "I saw a pretty big castle down the road a bit the last time I went to the mansion. The castle wasn't really that far from the mansion."
((OOC: Sorry I haven't been able to get on much. I've been dealing with a virus))

[Chmera]

((Understandable.))

"Strangest thing is, I was flying over the  mountains before, up in the north... And Now I'm here, there's no sign of any mountains. Or any snow for that matter."

[Lemika]

"That is strange. Perhaps there is more to this place then meets the eye." Lem'ka takes a drink and glances around the establishment. "Do they sell food here?"

[Chmera]

"Not sure... Haven't asked. I'm starving, though." She scans the room for some form of menu.

[Lemika]

"I suppose you may have to ask the barkeep, wherever he got to. Barkeep!" Lem'ka shrugs, and starts tracing patterns on the bar with one paw. After a short time the barkeep comes back out, rubbing his hands on his apron. "What can I get for you?" he asks. Lem'ka looks up. "Have you any food?" "It's past hours for dinner," the man informs her. "I could get you folks some leftover stew, maybe." Lem'ka nods. "That'll do."

[Chmera]

Ch'mera, bored focusses intensely on Lem'ka's forehead fro a moment then looks away and blinks, bewildered. "You don't look like a halfblood... Is there something wrong here?"

[Lemika]

"Halfblood? Hardly. Why should you expect me to be?" Lem'ka looks somewhat confused. The barkeep returns with a pot of stew and several bowls. She nods at the man in thanks and helps herself to a bowl. "Are halfbloods very common where you live?"

[Chmera]

"It's just you haven't got any ka... I can't connect with you at all."

[Lemika]

Lem'ka stares for a moment, the shakes her head. "I have no idea what you speak of," she admits. "Connect? In what way?"

[Chmera]

"Does the word 'telepathy' ring a bell?"

[Lemika]

"It does... well, in stories. I hadn't thought it was actually possible. Certainly nobody I know can do that." She has some of the stew. "You can, though?"

[Chmera]

"Yep. I thought all lemmings could do it, though." She takes a bowl, fills it with stew and happily laps some up like a dog or similar creature. She looks up and licks her lips, not seeming to think any of this unusual. "You're an exception, then... I mean, you look like a lemming, but nothing like anyone I've seen before."

[Lemika]

"Huh." Lem'ka leans back before remembering that she's sitting at a stool, and manages to keep her balance. "To me, I would say that you are the exception. We have some legends about a telepathic race of Lemmings, but that is the only way you resemble those tales." She stops for a while to take another bite of stew. "How come you have wings, if you don't mind my inquiring?"

[Chmera]

Ch'mera sniggers. "It's not that unusual. I was pretty much born with them, anyway. I mean, I guess they're a fairly unusual colour, but still... You must come from a really out-of-the-way place if you've never seen a draconian, or you dunno what ka is." She tips her head to one side, slightly bemused. "What did you mean by legends, anyway?"

[Lemika]

"Well, I did literally grow up in a cave. More of a huge cavern, but still." She laughs. "I had not seen the world above until five years ago." She looks troubled briefly, but continues. "We have some legends amongst my people about a race of Lemmings that live in the skies and came from the stars." Lem'ka shrugs. "Most of us do not really believe that, although there has been some evidence found. They say those Lemmings have great power over the mind. They're supposed to fly through the use of technological devices, however, not with wings." She takes another bite of stew, looking as though she doesn't particularly enjoy it. "Better than no food," she mutters.

[Chmera]

"Hey, it's edible and it's now. Don't knock it." She gulps it down, barely bothering to taste it.

[Lemika]

"You do certainly make a good point." Lem'ka pokes at the stew suspiciously, then gives up and eats the rest of it. "By the by, I believe I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lem'ka." She holds out a hand to shake.

[Chmera]

Ch'mera looks at the extended paw for a moment, puzzled, then looks up again. "Um. My name's Ch'mera." She dips her head, eyes closed.

[Lemika]

"Nice to meet you." Lem'ka makes a face and then drains the rest of her drink. "The food certainly is better than nothing, but it isn't at all what I'm used to. In fact, everything seems a bit odd here."

[Chmera]

Ch'mera glances around the room suspiciously. "Just a bit? There's something pretty strange going on, I think. Considering all of us thought we were on the right track, but turned up here anyway... I don't think I've even heard of this inn before."

[Lemika]

[Sorry for the rather long disappearance. ]

"Nor have I." Lem'ka shrugs. "Although, of course, I am not from anywhere around here. Still, you are right. This is all very odd. I think perhaps after I get a good night's sleep I will take a look around and see what I can find. There must be some sort of explanation for this."
She gets off the stool and heads for the door leading towards the rooms, then pauses. "Let me know if you turn anything up, will you?"

[Chmera]

  "If you'll do the same. I want to know where we are as much as you do." She peers curiously at a vegetable that has floated to the top of her stew then laps up the remainder. "I thought I knew most of North Hora, and I don't think I could have been blown that far off course." Standing up, she takes a small, blue crystal from her pocket and offhandedly tosses it onto the bar for the barkeep. "Think I should probably get some sleep as well..."