Open-House [Open]

[Windra]

Felix Lacourd was brand-spanking new to Deep Forest. He arrived only a few days prior, and was quick to cultivate friendships where it was welcomed. Such a strange and wondrous place, these woods. There were so many oddities walking about on two - or more! - legs that he hardly knew what to do with himself. Amongst all the strangeness was a welcoming feeling and an itching to make something of himself in the brave new world.

Among all the people and things the WereDhole met was a strange looking half-dragon lady by the name of Naira. She had been in the company of a red-skinned woman named Scarlet and a young dragon called Mishayirth at the time. Within mere moments of their meeting, they had become quite good friends. Perhaps it was the sharing of a similar intellect or the will of the fates. Who knew?

Naira was in the process of building an inn along the southern border of Boundary Mountains. She needed help bringing material stowed away in the Wastelands to this new location, and though Mishayirth and Scarlet provided muscle when it was needed, it wasn't enough. So he lent a paw or two and took his part in carrying things large and small across the barren lands beyond Deep Forest. Naira supplied him with food, water, and a place to rest his head. All was well.

In three short days, they had moved everything into the barely-built inn. Only two rooms had been completed. The main lounge had been furnished and finished. A fire pit sat in the center of this location. Along its edged were various places to be seated - sofas, recliners ... things that didn't really fit into the decor, but were comfortable anyway. The flooring was mostly made of wood, alternating to cobblestone as it neared the fire pit (to lessen the chance of something catching aflame). Along the eastern wall was a series of bookcases lined with novels and playwrights and encyclopedias, all from varying origins (and not all from the same planet). To the west was a counter behind which sat shelves filled with knickknacks. All sorts of things hung from the walls: giant dreamcatchers, flags and hanging murals, weapons from ancient ages ... you name it.

The second room that was completed was to be the kitchen. Indeed, a large fireplace took up most of the space. The spit hanging above coals ready to be lit was prepared for any meal of any size. But this room also acted as storage for items that had no resting spot as of yet: bed frames, mattresses, blankets ... various odds and ends. The rest of the inn was a skeleton. Frames and scaffolding stood where other rooms would soon be.

After three days of arduous back-and-forth labor, Naira had ventured off to check on something with Scarlet and Mishayirth close in tow. Felix was left to guard the inn. Though there wasn't much guarding to do. After all, the place had an open-door policy. Anybody was welcome, at any time, so long as they didn't lay waste to the place. Felix took this opportunity of down-time to lay upon the sofa and close his eyes. It was the middle of the night when he dozed off next to a burning fire-pit. By the time he awoke, daylight was beaming through the windows, and the fire had died down to nothing.

The WereDhole yawned, stretching his arms. "How long was I asleep?" he asked himself, though the environment outside gave him the obvious answer he was looking for.

After sitting for a few moments to collect his thoughts and energy, Felix stood ... and immediately fell back to the loveseat. Either the ground was wobbling, or he was coming down with something. Suddenly his gut was turning. He remain immobile for a bit longer, heaving to get his vertigo under control. After a while he chalked the ill-feeling up to the fact that he hadn't eaten in a few hours.

The fact that everything still seemed to be moving didn't help ease his thoughts.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was worried. It'd been nearly twelve hours since he fell asleep. At least that was his estimate. Naira and the others were still not back yet? Were they okay? After much deliberation, Felix came to the conclusion that they must have seen how tired he was, and went off hunting or wood-gathering. Anyway, they wouldn't mind if he went and grabbed a bite to eat ...

Felix slowly steadied himself to his feet, still uneasy. Going towards he kitchen was a balancing act. And his equilibrium was definitely off ...

"Maybe I'm onto a cold ... "

Doubtful. But possible. And why was he suddenly imagining thick, juicy chunks of meat? Bloody and raw? He hated poorly cooked food, and wouldn't touch an inch of steak if it hadn't been seared all the way through. But still, he was salivating. And his fur was bristling.

Shrugging it off as best as he could, Felix crept on into the kitchen. In the meantime, the door to the inn was partially open, an invitation to anybody who might be wandering by.

[Barbannis]

((OoC: Hope you don't mind me jumping in ))

From the distance it would look as if it had been there a while.. But the closer he stepped towards the building, he came to notice that it had only recently been constructed...

Barbannis held his sword over his shoulder, fingers wrapped calm and easy around its surface with a scattered pile of wood bunched up in his other arm. His nose twitched, picking up the scent of another close by, just one. The smell of a dead fire, kitchen, freshly placed wood and frames. He continued to approach it, flicking his tail to one side.

Living out in the forest for some time, it had been quite a while since he had seen a building that reminded him of his old home. Stone and wood, the smell of fire and ask, freshly built in the same. He stepped up to the door, loosening his grip slightly, piling up the cut wood to the side, neatly placed. With a turn of his and his sword was slipped back into place along his side, wearing his leather armor, metal shoulder guards wrapping down his arm. His hood was messed to the back of his head, mostly dark greys and brown.

With a tilt of his head the Tyrai wolf peeked through the door, noticing it being slightly opened,

"Hello?" he muttered once before repeating it again a little louder.

He waited a moment before pushing past the doorway, making sure to kick his feet just at the door before stepping in. His ears rose up, picking up the sounds and sights around him, "Huhm" he muttered. His ear flicked across once more, panning his sights over the lounge, glancing towards the collection of books spread across one wall. Though his eyes remained on them for a moment, he slowly stepped towards the fireplace, paws pressing to the cool cobblestones.

He stood there vacantly for a moment, almost imagining standing in front of a warm flickering fire...

[Windra]

OoC

Are you kidding?
Since this is your first active roleplay post in like ... two years ... I'm thrilled. =D

--

That fire wasn't going to get any warmer with Barbannis standing in front of it, paws pressed against the now chilled stone. But once upon a time, it brimmed with a flickering, burning life ... just as this inn was planned to do in the near future. So much time had been invested in it already. Blood and sweat was devoted to every rock laid in place, every log set upon the wall ...

For now, though, nothing but silence. The owners were away. The helper, gone astray ...

Felix was in such a spot that he wasn't aware off the Tyrai Wolf Knight calling from nearby. He'd already gone beyond the kitchen at this point. Actually, beneath it would be a more apt way of describing his current locale. Naira had taken great care installing two trapdoors within the inn. The first, a small storage space, was located in the floor behind he dining hall's counter. A second was placed inside the kitchen, across from the massive spit. This one was coupled with a descending staircase that led to a sub-level, kept dark, dank, and faintly lit by Glows. The idea behind the 'basement' was to keep meats and perishables stored in frigid temperatures so that they would go bad as quickly as they would at room temperature. Though the Reaver had gotten the general idea of plumbing down pat (bringing in a bathroom with a shower was next on the agenda) ... installing something like a freezer was a bit more difficult in a Forest lacking really advanced technology.

So right now, she was relying on the elements of nature. The deeper one went into the earth, the colder it became. And the basement was cut at least fifty feet below ground-level.

Felix found himself growing more and more inebriated as the seconds turned into minutes. This was odd, considering that it'd been two days at least since he'd had a single drop of wine. Staggering every now and then, the WereDhole was forced to balance himself against the wall. And by balance, we mean that he was pushing most of his body weight against it.

Everything was moving.

He couldn't be seeing things.

No way he was crazy ...

At times he chalked it up to exhaustion, fatigue, and everything else that went with hard labor. But then the stairs disappeared beneath his feet for a few seconds. Felix was forced to dismiss the notion of 'illusionism' as soon as his body hit the hard floor and pain crept up every limb.

And yet, when he looked up ... the stairs were there! But shaking and wobbling this way and that like water that was barely turning t ice, driven by the wind. It took a lot of restraint to keep from hurling at the wayward motions.

"I am never drinking again," muttered the fox-like beast with a shake of his head, swearing an oath he knew he would never keep. (Wine tasting was, after all, a delectable hobby of his!)

Felix took his time standing up. He squeezed those brilliant amber orbs of his shut for a long while, hoping it would ease away the vertigo. Disappointment was the only thing that greeted the opening eyelids. Nothing was different. He mustered a sigh and continued on, driven by a sickly sweet smell that made a waterfall of saliva break from his maw.

Following a path lit by Glows (a fungus indigenous to Pern and Inora that shimmered with green light), the bipedal Dhole came face-to-face with rows of barrels. The smell was so strong here. Energy pulsed within powerful leg muscles. Hackles raised.

"Oh my ... "

A horribly overpowering buzz drowned any other coherent thoughts in a sea of confusion. Driven now by a primal urge, Felix dove forth. The first barrel didn't stand a chance. Delivering a powerful right hook to the top half splintered wood into pieces, revealing to him the bright red prize within.

Naira was, after all, a skilled hunter. The main stock in the basement? Freshly cleaned and cut venison.

For a creature that hated to eat anything raw, Felix certainly didn't mind digging feral fangs into a hunk of gamey flesh. Rivets of blood ran down his jaw.

[Barbannis]

His eyes flickered a light blue hue, his ear twitching once more as he looked back down to the empty fire. There didn't seem to be anyone around, though something did catch his nose, but he was still not certain of what it may be. With a snort the Tyrai wolf turned from the fire place, his claws clicking across the ground softly as he left the main room quite casually.

Within moments the wolf was back, half of his chopped wood gathered in his arm with his other gripping a snall hooked blade that had been resting across his right side. The wolf knelt down to the fire base, turning his head once.. for a moment he pondered whether it was a good idea to go through with his plan... knowing a place like this, it would be owned by someone who wouldn't want to come back to it.. burnt down.

He turned back, bringing up his blade and flicking off long cuts off one of his wood blocks, gathering up a small pile of longer tendrils of the tree. His ears flicked and moved as he worked, taking in every little notch of sound, making sure no one snuck up behind him..

It only took a little amount of time for him to have the collection of wood gathered up in place of the ash from the night before, stacked neatly. The Tyrai wolf gatherd the scraps of wood and flicked them into the fire place, eyeing the tinder for a short while before reaching into his side satchel. Barbannis swung his small blade around, pulling up a small stone, nicking the blade across with a click, flickering sparks across the tinder.

With a breath of smoke he blew into the fire place, a flicker of light streaming out and lighting the pile of tinder. He clawed at a couple larger flicks of wood and fed the flame casually, making sure it would not extend to anything large.. but enough to keep going. He pulled his blade back in place, stepping back after dropping in another chunk of wood, piling up the remainder off to the side.
The wolf shuffled back lightly, pulling up his arms and clicking his fingers, feeling the warmth growing. It wasn't too cold out, but there was nothing like warming oneself by the fire.

He turned his glance slightly, once more catching that scent. His eyes flickered their soft blue again, tilting his head as he looked across the room.

He slowly stood, glancing to the door before throwing one more thick piece of wood to the flame, approaching way to the kitchen, repeating once before, "Hello?"

[Windra]

Pounds upon pounds of red flesh fell victim before his ravenous maw. With his muzzle buried deep within the chunks of what had once been lively creatures, Felix did not get beyond their stench. He had no idea somebody was upstairs. And in his current state of mind, that was, perhaps, a very lucky thing. A blood-fueled hunger kicked at his insides. Crimson splashed upon his fur, his shirt, his trousers ... There was no grace in his feeding. Just a senseless lust for blood.

When at long last he could no longer gorge without taking in air, Felix drew his head up and inhaled. Flaming yellow orbs widened, pupils slitting, narrowed ... Lips curled to reveal rust-stained fangs. He had never snarled in his sane life. But there was nothing normal left about him. The sophisticated man-beast was gone, replaced by pure animal. And that animal was convinced that this territory - the inn, the food, the flames - was his.

Intruder! yowled the mind, momentarily lacking his understanding of the word.

He was reluctant to leave behind such a prize ... the meal was fit for an Alpha and hard to come by ... but the thought of competition lurking just out of reach infuriated him beyond belief. His muscles grew tense with raging adrenaline. They were gaining mass. Clothing ripped under the expanse of sinew and strength. Cutting loose a horrendous sounding screech of a growl, Felix delayed his actions no longer. Claws clacked rapidly against the stone ground as he ascended the stairs at a sprint. It took him only seconds to reach the top ...

From where Barbie stood, he would have seen the orange-and-white head of a WereWolf-type creature peeking out from the trapdoor in the kitchen floor. The fur along his neck and back had bristled to an extreme. Lips drawn back to their fullest extent revealed blood-stained teeth clenched with fury. His eyes were wide, pupils so small that one could barely see them amongst the bright irises ... Red had been splashed all about his fur, primarily concentrated around his jaw.

Felix's gaze locked onto Barbannis. He stalked forth with a slow, creeping pace ... stiff-legged, ready to spring at a moment's notice. He still retained his biped form, though he walked on all-fours now as he did when quadruped. Perhaps four feet at the shoulder But his muscles indicated the punch that would be contained within a pounce ...

Saliva leaked from between his fangs, forming bloody pools on the wooden floor.

The old Felix was gone.

The new Felix was ready to kill.

[Barbannis]

He hadn't even made it through the kitchen to the least before catching the scent he had picked up before. Though now it was under his nose.. nearly literally. The Tyrai wolf came to a stop, his hand creeping back to the leather bound belt around his waist, fingers itching at the hilt of his red blade, eyes turning to take in the first glance of the creature creeping out of a trapdoor a few feet from him. The Tyrai turned his glance slightly, sneaking in a peek behind him before lowering his concentration on Felix now.

Perhaps it was the reason the door was left open, the silence within, the tinge of blood at the creatures lips. But there was something off about the sight before him, the way its body moved and crept forward.

Barbannis finally let his fingers wrap around the firm hilt, the grinding leather soundly creaking from between his fingers, his tail lashing to one side. A soft glow emitted from his fur, he was caught off guard. Having been chopping wood for most of the morn, he began to doubt he was able to pull his blade out before it pounced. He passed the image across his mind, feeling fangs in his arm, his form before the edge of his sword could taste its enemy.

With a cool expression, Barbannis backed off a step, his other hand pressing to the doorway of the kitchen, snuffling lightly, trying to get himself into a better position.

Barbannis stood in the doorway now, his hand pulling and showing the silver glint of his sword peeking from its leather hold, ready to roll his shoulder around the edge of the doorway, "I suppose there's no reasoning with you is there." it didn't sound like a question as the Tyrai wolf backed off.. one more step..

[forgerofsouls]

If anything, neither of them were expecting MORE people to show up. Indeed, with a rather hurried pace, two people opened the door to the place and slammed it shut behind them. "Why is it raining red water that turns into roses upon contact with the ground! What is going on with this place!" Rang out one female voice. By the sound, young adult, late teens. Definitely angry.

"I think its funny. And I want to know whats going on to. At least we managed to find shelter. But that weather, it was strange how it suddenly just started. I wonder if Naira is home?" Came a second, somewhat younger sounding female voice. She was for the most part sounding like she was rather enjoying the oddness outside.

"Well, I...smell two others here, do not recognize the smells though. In fact...um...Sera, get behind me now." The older one said. Near the entrance, both wearing simple white dresses and shoes, stood the two. The taller one had white wolf like ears on top of her head, a white wolf like tail, blue eyes, an odd short black unicorn like horn sticking out of her forehead, and white hair. The younger of the two, has three pairs of white feathered wings, blonde hair that gives off a small amount of radiant light, and blue eyes.

[Windra]

Naira had been no doubt relieved by Juno's return to the realm of the living, but she parted ways with him soon after (with the invitation of being more than welcome to follow, of course). The constantly changing environment had her more concerned for the welfare of other Deep Forest patrons. Many had to be terrified, lost, and confused. Some were potentially injured. Who knew?

So it was off to the inn ... This was mainly for supplies. She had a good deal of medical equipment stowed away within the confines of the unfinished building.

And then there were the weapons.

A pile of them sat untouched beneath the floorboards of the living room. Many of them were meant to be held over until she came into contact with friends: they were gifts. There was one in particular, however, that she laid a clame to. The machete currently by her side was lethal, yes ... but it was also dull, rusted, and beyond repair. Sure it could still do damage. But it could also fall apart the next time it was used in combat. And though the Reaver had her own fists backed by brute strength, it was a lot easier to parry with a sword than it was with her hands. And if she used her hands, she didn't typically hold back ...

Naira's trip to the inn was constantly hindered by off-the-wall weather conditions. Ice piled atop branches caused a tree to topple down in front of her. Lightning bolts arched across the sky, sometimes making landfall inches from her feet (and sometimes zapping her in the process). But she was making headway. And the inn was only a few moments away.

A peculiar stench decorated the atmosphere. It caught Naira's rapt attention and quickened her pace. That was definitely blood. A bit aged, but still there ... Strangely enough, though, there were no sounds of a scuffle. If there was a fight, was it already over ... and was she already too late?

No time to wonder about it. The partially-built 'home' was within sight. Shadows moving beyond the windows indicated somebody, or many sombodies, were inside.

Nemo slipped into a run, right hand pressed against the machete's hilt, bracing for whatever chaos awaited within.

--

Felix heard. That didn't mean that he understood.

The awareness of an intruder was about the only thing that settled concretely in his mind. An intruder meant a challenge. And no challenge would be strong enough to withhold against his mighty fangs, or enlarged muscles. The Were had finally become something true to his name and species. Stronger by the pounds and a million times more fierce than before, there was nothing calm about him. And no words would sooth the destruction he longed to incur.

The strange-colored wolf-man before him said something. Felix did not understand. Then it reached for the sharp, pointed steel at its side. That, Felix understood. A snarl broke from his curled lips. The Dhole adjusted his footing, tensed, and -

SLAM!

More voices! Sera and Silent had entered and were bickering to each other. The commotion was enough to distract Felix enough to alter his trajectory path. Instead of leaping at Barbannis in a furred ball of fury, he missed by a few scant inched and smashed into the wall instead. Felix landed in a crumpled mass. But he was up again in no time. And he suddenly felt overwhelmed, and potentially overpowered ... With the horrid growl of a rabid beast, Felix went to take a nip at Barbannis' ankle before bolting past him and into the living room. He slipped by Sera and Silent, snapping at them along the way. And he continued his raging run. Barreling towards the closed door. He would break it open if he had to! Let them chase him!

It was at this time that Naira charged in. She had just opened the door, exclaiming, "What in the nine levels of hell - "

Felix took a running jump towards her face. Naira stifled a yell, halting her entrance long enough to bend over backwards at a back-breaking angle (indeed, a lumbar vertebrae or two cracked and healed instantaneously). The WereDhole's paws drifted just inches above her face.

Felix came to a swift landing ten feet from the doorway. He swung about. Stiff-legged and bristling with burning hatred, he snarled with yellow eyes practically glowing with loathing.

Naira forced herself into an upright position and backed away a few inches from the door to keep out of Felix's range of attack. She cast a quick glance around (not seeing Barbannis, as she was just out of her sight ... ) - "Heeeey Sera, Silent ... " - and then blinked with confusion at the angry Were standing in front of them - " ... What happened to Felix?"

Hearing his own name caused some alarm. For just a moment his ears perked up and he stopped snarling. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, Felix tried to remember who the half-dragon was ... He gave up shortly, though, and returned to his display of aggression. In Felix's eyes, he had the lot of them cornered in a house with many walls ... even though those many walls were not completely built (and in some cases not built at all).

[Barbannis]

He didn't have the time to pick up any of the new senses approaching from behind him now. His eyes remained motioned on the threat before him, flicking his tail to the other side as his hand remained tight, waiting for the right moment. He had backed close enough to the door to use it to his advantage.. but everything seemed to move quicker then he would have hoped.

The Tyrai wolf pulled his blade out an inch more the moment the beast came for him, his foot turned, backing and moving to the side as it struck the wall unknowingly. He turned, pulling his blade free from its resting place, but had no time to guard himself as the beast simply nipped at his feet and continued onwards into the main area he had been in before.

It was then he caught the sense of the others within the building now. A familiar voice.

Barbannis stepped back, leaning his sword over his shoulder and stepping back from the kitchen, his tail waving back to one side, sniffing at the air lightly, feeling the warmth already spreading from the flame he had lit. His eyes caught sight the moment the beast took a leap for the opening doorway, disappearing outside as his sights caught Naira as she turned from the inside.

The wolf cornered a slight smile, not having seen her for some time before stepping up to the doorway, peeking outside with a twitch of his ear, his sword still leaning over his shoulder armor casually, "Might need to hire yourself a new guard... this one seems to dislike visitors." he spoke with an almost hint of sarcasm... almost.

[forgerofsouls]

"I don't know what happened myself, we just arrived." Sarah asked in a slightly startled voice at the event happening in front of her. She stayed behind Silent like she had asked her to. Peeking out from behind her to see what was happening.

"Like the squirt said, we just arrived, so your guess is as good as mine. And who are these people?" She asked meaning the other two that were there besides them. Her instincts told her to keep herself in between Felix and Sarah though, so she meant to keep it that way.

[Windra]

For the longest while, Naira stared at Felix and Felix stared back. The formerly domesticated beast was full of snarls and growls. Drool slipped from the cracks of his maw, dripping from bloodied teeth. Where had the blood come from? A quick glance around told Naira that nobody was harmed. Maybe he got hold of a rabbit or something …

Still … this was totally uncharacteristic of the wine aficionado. The Reaver vaguely recalled the mentioning of warped realities earlier. Was this a demonstration of the phenomenon?

She reached a gloved hand for the door. Felix’s wide eyes swiveled with her movements, but the rest of his body didn’t budge. Slowly, doing her damndest to keep from making a sudden movement, Naira closed the door in front of her. Beyond it, nothing but growls. The Dhole hadn’t made an advance yet. What?

A familiar voice kicking in from behind, Naira managed a grinned and turned her head. ”Do I detect a tone of amusement from the otherwise humorless knight?” The jab was harmless at best .. and apparently directed at the wrong person. There was a bipedal wolf-creature standing in the doorway of the kitchen. His markings looked familiar, and the voice … but … ”Wait, do I know you?” A bit of confusion there. Naira had never met Barbannis after his transition into the furred being he was today. She expected metal and strange light.

A sudden pound on the door. Felix finally caught wind of his being ignored and was making a scene. The door was not yet reinforced, as Naira had planned to do in the future. The wood would splinter away in no time.

In response to Silent’s question while backing away from the shuddering mass of wood before her, Naira gave a nervous smile. ”Well, hulking beast out there was Felix, an odd friend I met out at the Edge. But he was less mean and more jovial at the time … And I believe the other one is … Barbie?” Green eyes fired off a questioning look at the silvery-white wolf, looking for affirmation.

Crack!

”Oh sod.”

Naira turned and braced for impact –

- and Felix burst through the door.

In a peculiar turn of events … reality twisted and warped even more. The inn was becoming distorted. The walls were sinking and the ground disintegrating. Suddenly there was nothing but a black pit beneath them … and a blank sky above. All of this took little more than two seconds, too quickly for anybody to react reasonably. While Felix’s paws met with Naira’s resistance, they tumbled backwards into the darkness below, vanishing from sight. It could only be assumed that the same might have happened to Barbannis, Silent, and Sera …

OoC
I’ma continue this at Juno’s thread. Harassment, ahoy!
Feel free to follow. The black hole’s supposed to be something like a portal … yeah.

[Barbannis]

Flicking his grey and white tail to the side the Tyrai wolf continued forward, blue eyes peering to the doorway before flicking back to Naira, remembering being called that before. With a quick glance down he had only just realized that she had not seen his new form, for all the time it had been, he had not been out much. The wolf remained with his sword to his shoulder, approaching the door,

"Aye" he affirmed, nodding his head once, "It has been some time."

With a crack of the door he had little time to react, managing to lower his sword across before the darkness crept within the tavern. The wolf knight threw his hand across in an attempt to grasp at something to stop his fall.. even slicing his sword to the closest wall, but it was to no avail.

Barbannis too fell into the creeping darkness below them, following Felix and Naira to whatever end they approached.

(OoC: Barbannis has left this thread)