Elsa Cray's Story

The air surrounding the inn had a subtle chill. The summer was warm during the days but as the sun fell with orange hues kissing the sky, the cool night air would soon follow. Things in the surrounding forests would stir and the call of the owls would soon echo. Gargoyles, creature made of stone grey leather hides and pearled white teeth watched with yellow eyes at the two wanderers inching closer to the grounds. Slowly and silently they moved upon their pillars that over saw the entry and exits. The beasts had jobs to due despite a few being lazy. Once the two females were saw as no threat, the mysterious creatures coiled their long thin tails around their perches as gnarled claws dug into stone to help them stay in place against the harsh night wind.

As Stephni made her way into the inn, it would appear nothing like the outside. Hard stone flooring was decorated with clean, crimson rugs that were lined with gold thread. Men and women who bore grey colored skin, pointed ears, and black hair walked around in butler suits and maid outfits. The aroma of delicate cooking would waft from the large kitchen in the back. A large entry desk was displayed in cherry stained oak and brass trimming. Two, seemingly young women worked there. One female who had no color to her hair, skin, eyes, or even her clothes was bent over writing something down that a large, tall muscular blonde male was telling her. He had electrodes protruding from his wide neckline and stitching scars littering his body. He appeared to be no older than his early twenties as he had his hands nonchalantly stuffed in his baggy jeans and white t-shirt.

Another young female who's flesh was as blue as sapphires, her eyes emerald green would look at the new comer and smile before brushing a lock of green hair from her eyes. She wore the a black uniform with a black button up under a white vest, and a long tight, matching skirt that just came above the knees. The female, despite her odd appearance with fin like ears, the young creature seemed like any other greeter. "Hello! Welcome to Winterburg Inn!" Her smile was as warm as a soft spring breeze if it wasn't for sharp canines protruding at the corners of her mouth. "I can help you here miss. My name is Galyndra and how can we at Winterburg help you today?"

As people buzzed around Elsa made her way out the large double doors to the front walkway. She had a straw broom in her left and bore her normal black and white attire. Her dress was flowing and nearly reached her shins with tiny slits up the sides to allow freedom of movement in case of hunters. Her rather generous, curvy bust was held back by a corset just under the thin fabric and to top off her eccentric look, the brunette with mocha hair bore her large black witches hat.

With a heavy sigh let her arms fall forward. Dark orbs scanned the area and her pink lip curled at the corner before cursing falling leaves. Her voice would echo through the mountains silencing any nightlife that was stirring but only briefly. After her outburst the female began sweeping with a large black cat jumping up on the stone railing to the walkway. "You could just burn the place", the feline chimed in before a hiccup. "Huja have you been drinking", the little witch would ask as she paused and stared at the small clean area. "How'd you guess my tiny cupcake", he'd ask before trying to sit and not sway.

Without warning a black vintage, leather boot with a long heel shot out and launched the ebony colored feline, launching him into the near by swamp that was in sight range. "Don't be drinking on the job, you ass!" Elsa had her fist in the air and shaking it furiously at him. "You ungrateful brat! You could of killed me", he exclaimed with his voice carrying over the mist that was slowly enveloping the area. "Ha! Don't be such a pussy, you dirty fur ball!" With a huff the female continued to go back to work, cleaning the area.

As Elsa reached the end finally, she let out a breath of satisfaction. It was then she saw a female waiting on the edge. "Hello", she chimed with excitement. "New patrons are always welcome! I'm Elsa and you are?" The little witch bounced on her toes all the way to Dani. A small hand reached out. "It's a pleasure! Now are you human, vampire, zombie, cursed being to wonder this dreadful plane? How can we help you here at Winterburg?"

Piles upon piles of textbooks, notepads and classic literature sat upon the desk, sprawled evidence of the week, no, months of studying and research Charlotte had prepared for her new adventure, to which she eagerly awaited."Shall I pack these in your bag?" the young, yet dull voice of Clarice sounded from beside the desk as Charlotte rushed about, readying herself for the day, "Please do. Wait, Clarice, how does this look?" the girl stopped, giving a short pose in the middle of her room as she stood dressed within herr usual attire; "Charming, as usual Miss Charlotte." the rabbit-boy smiled, picking up a few heavy books and placing them carefully into a leather satchel bag as Charlotte adjusted the bow around her neck and dusted off the hem of her skirt - "Thank you Clarice" she paused, giggling softly to her pets words as she stood looking herself up and down in the mirror and flashing a content smile to the reflection. "And your spellbook, Miss Charlotte?" said the bunny butler, holding out the large leather-bound spellbook as his owner secured the satchel upon her shoulder, "Yes, thank you Clarice" Charlotte smiled, quickly taking the book and sliding it down into her bag with the other books and supplies.

Now complete and content, Charlotte left her bedroom, flicking the light switch as she slipped out the door, closing and locking her room behind her. "Excited, Miss Charlotte?" Clarice cooed, smirking at the top of the stairs as Charlotte quickly descended the steps, "Of course I am Clarice. Mother? I'm heading out now!" Charlotte called into the back-room, lingering by the front door as she heard a few pots and loose papers come crashing to the floor, accompanied by a short, soft mumbled curse - "Oh, just look at you!" the older witch beamed, arms outstretched as she made her way over to her daughter and pulled her into a tight embrace, "My little Lottie, of on a big adventure" the mother cooed, kissing the top of her daughter's head before releasing her from her arms for a final time, "Now, you better get going." she smiled, and Charlotte gave a nod, grinning from ear to ear as she stood on the spot - keeping still, as practiced - a deep breath, slow, heavy intake "One...two.." she mumbled, allowing all but her mind to relax, her eyes closed, her body falling limp landing on a patch or wet, hard grass.

Charlotte opened her eyes again; she was no longer within her home, she didn't even seem to be in the same time zone, just how far had she gone with her transportation spell? Charlotte stood, brushing off her clothing as she peered up at the large, dark building. "Seems like a community building of some sorts. Shall we go in?" Clarice came hopping to Charlotte's heel, now concealed in his rabbit-form as he often kept in public as to not confuse the non-mythical folk, "Yes, let's" Charlotte drew her eyes away from the building and bent down to pick up her bunny-butler, cradling him carefully in one arm, held close to her chest whilst the other secured her satchel strap upon her shoulder as she walked, nearing the building's (what she assumed to be) entrance. "Hello?" Charlotte peeked her head into the main walkway, her eyes widening as she gazed at the large, impressive interior, "Oh my.. it's exquisite!" she squealed, stepping in without much of a thought, already too wrapped up in the new wonders of her adventure to notice the people at the over end of the hall.

Biwa gave a colossal sheepish yawn as he continued to trundle along in the forest, gazing about in boredom, as he scratched his great hairy stomach, following the beaten dirt path. He had been trekking through the wilderness for some time now, and although he was enjoying the scenery at first and happy to wander through a forest once again, but now he was beginning to loose interest. Probably why he wandered around so much really, he could never get back to his old ways of living in a forest. He rubbed his eyes and smacked his chops before seeing an inn in the middle of the wilderness and stared for a few moments, furrowing his brow and wrinkling his nose in deep thought.

Had he been here before? The place certainly seemed familiar, but his memories eluded him if it was the case, something about it seemed to nag at him. He gave a defeated sigh before heading over to the building among the wilds, looking up to see some gargoyles guarding the place loyal from their posts, which Biwa gave a polite nod of acknowledgement to. He hadn't seen many of their kind, only around some rather fancy towns in France, which he was never able to stay in long due to the fact of him being a yokai bear. As he got closer he realized the doors were left wide open, where he was met with the sight of the ever busy staff of the inn, where one colourless woman scribbling at the desk, along with a large man made of muscle and stitches with bolts in his neck, and a blue skin and finned ears was welcoming a pair of ordinary looking young human women who appeared to arrive a little before he had. They were also being greeted by a young woman, who guessing by her outfit, was a witch, and a rather furious cat behind her and the an amazed looking young girl clutching a rabbit in her arms. Deciding it would be rude to interrupt anyone since it seems they were talking already, Biwa stood outside the doors patiently, before deciding to sit on the ground instead with a thud, his paws hanging lazily in front of him with legs left stretching out straight. He gave a quite friendly bow of the head to any that stared, patiently awaiting for the younger guests to finish their business first, though couldn't help but stare at the rabbit and cat. He must of been getting hungry of that trek.

Dani gasped in sudden surprise as a girl dressed as a witch greeted her. Her line of greeting was slightly overwhelming. How did I not see her coming? Dani offered a shy smile and shook the girl's outstretched hand. "My name is Dani. I'm a... vampire," she said a little hesitantly. Throughout her entire life, she had been hiding who she was. This girl had outright asked her if she was one of many things, including a vampire. "I was looking for a safe place to stay. A witch where I used to live told me to travel in this direction. I assume this would be it?" she asked.

The building appeared gothic on the outside. Gargoyles sat on top of it. She thought she might have been going crazy, but it looked to her like they were moving. I must be hungry or losing my mind. I need to get a grip. Her eyes refused to part from the enormous structure before her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before outside of a movie. The setting sun added to its effect. She twisted a strand of her long blonde hair around a finger and nervously waited for something or anything to happen.

Elsa was almost overwhelmed with the amount of attention her inn was receiving. Usually the most that entered at once was one or two but here near the entry was a witch whom she didn't know and gave a subtle wave to her and her bunny through the crack in the door; a raven haired gentleman whom didn't have a clue where he was at, a demon in a bear form, and what appeared to be another human. Her fingers counted to see if she had missed anyone other than Dani whom seemed a bit shy. A gentile smile graced her lips as she clicked her heels. In one swoop she curtsied before out stretching her arms.

"Welcome to Winterburg Inn! Here we accept all those travelers from all walks of life. We make it our mission to cater to the needs of many and ensure a good night's sleep. We also accept various sorts of payment including gold bullion, gold coins, silver, and copper. If one doesn't have the cash, we also have plenty of openings for both full time and part time staff. Just please be wary of the swamps and the cemetery. We do have the occasional zombie wondering through and many have stayed in the natural heated areas. To your delight, we also feature natural hot springs upon the board walk in the rear. Just please be respectful towards one another."

Elsa tried to keep her voice to a little higher level so any new comers would hear. Especially the witch already inside. Since the party was closely together and her inside already, it would be a little awkward if she had to repeat herself. "Now if everyone would like to follow me, I'll get everyone signed in and write down any special needs you may want to inform me. Some vampires can not go in daylight, some can... Then we have some demons who can't eat certain things and others who need a bed to sleep under rather than on top. We also have the occasional mummy visit from Egypt who like baked scarabs."

Elsa turned on her heels, the tiny witch pushed heavy wooden doors further open revealing all that was inside, apart from the initial gathering of staff. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, low fire lit lamps on the walls illuminated the area for those sensitive to the light. "I might add, be careful of hunters. I am not a security tight haven and once in a while one will slip in. Many do obey the rules but some do not. It comes with the territory I guess." The young woman shrugged as she walked further in to allow those around her to look about.

"In the back, near the grand dining hall is full bar. The bartender is rather something else. You'll know what I mean when you speak with him." Elsa offered a warm smile to the group before heading to the front desk. The blonde male with electrodes protruding from his neck line gave a nod before walking off. Elsa pulled out a large book. "Everyone, please sign your name and inform one of us three if you have any special needs or cravings. I know from experience some vampires particularly enjoy certain types of blood while some ogres and trolls enjoy certain type of sleeping arrangements."

The little witch pulled out a pin for everyone while setting up her new guests with rooms and cards to fill out later. While she was busy a certain feline brushed up against Charlotte's leg. His emerald eyes appeared upward. Something sly came across his gaze. "Well, if it isn't another cupcake", he spoke with a slight naughty tone. The smell of alcohol wafted from the feline. Elsa's creamy orbs shot up and with a snap of her fingers his hair stood on end and began to smoke some. The sound of static hitting him would pop in the ears of anyone close.

"Damn it woman", the black cat cursed. "H..u..j..a..! Stop harassing my customers, you alcoholic fuzz ball or I'll hit you with a lightening bolt next time!" Elsa was blistered red in the cheeks as her anger rose as the female raised her fist at him. Her familiar just sighed. "Well my pink little cupcake, I see the hag is angry. Gotta go!" The cat took off at full speed, straight in the direction of the bar. The woman was beside herself while the Atlantis dweller and spirit covered their mouths and snickered.

The female pinched her nose as she excused herself a moment from Dani and the others. The young woman went over to the other witch's side and apologized with a slight bow. "I'm really sorry about that. My name is Elsa, if there is anything I can do please tell me." The brunette didn't know what to think. Huja had a way of making her blood boil and screwing around despite her tight schedule.

Charlotte's mind was deeply engulfed in her surroundings, the scenery that is; "Ooo! look, Clarice, the bannisters have carvings! And Oh! There's red carpeting on the stairs!" the young, ecstatic witch girl buzzed about, practically hopping from place to place as she pointed out almost each and every minute detail about the place. In the meantime, it seemed there was quite the gathering going on - more and more individuals were entering, Charlotte would have beamed a bright smile and given them all a wave by now if she wasn't lost in the fantasy of maybe this building having once belonged to Dracula himself.

Clarice rolled his eyes, knowing not much could bring his owner out of her giddy state. Charlotte had countless fairy tales since she was able to read, and even before that her Mother was a big help in influencing the imaginative, free-spirited witch stood in the grande hall of the inn, twirling around on the spot with her head tilted back to look up to the rafters. "Miss Charlotte. I hate to intervene, but the others seem to be signing in. Shall we see what this is all about?" the rabbit's voice came clear, yet hushed, as he still wasn't sure what kind of establishment this was and so didn't want to reveal his identity just yet. Fortunately, the rabbit's voice seemed to get through to Charlotte, who was mumbling quickly about how old the drapery must be before she was brought to her senses once again, "What? Oh, yes. Perhaps I can ask the owner about the history of this place, I wonder i-" Charlotte paused and froze as she felt something brush up against her leg, though was quickly relieved to see that it was just a cat, and not some large hairy spider of some sort, "Cupcake?" she repeated the feline's words, scrunching up her nose as a waft of alcohol hit her sense.

Then came a zap, and the cat's fur began buzzing with static, "Oh my" Charlotte's eyes widened, watching the cat for a moment to ensure he was alright before she was quickly joined by the one she assumed to be the owner, who seemed to be apologizing for the cat's behaviour, "O-oh, no it's quite alright. He gave me a bit of a fright, but it's fine. I think he may have been drinking quite a bit, though.." her voice lowered, she didn't want to offend the cat, but being of magical folk (given his ability to speak) he'd likely hear her anyway. "Oh! Where are my manners. My name is Charlotte." she returned the short bow out of respect and straightened up again, "And this is my familiar, Clarice." Charlotte smiled, giving the white rabbit in her arms a gentle stroke, "Might I ask; what kind of establishment is this? My teleportation spell is a little rusty, so I'm not quite sure where I ended up." a humble smile fell upon the girl's lips.

Dani was awkwardly aware of the others approaching. She turned to take notice of those who approached. There was what appeared to be a human mostly dressed in black. Mostly dressed. He had pants, boots, and... A cape? Wait. Are those sleeves? Next to the odd man in black was a humanoid that strongly resembled a bear. The two seemed to be speaking with one another. Another female approached. She appeared to be human, wearing black leggings and dark purple blouse. They all appeared to be curious about the rather large and unusual building before them. It interested Dani as well. She had never seen anything like it outside a movie.

Dani turned back toward the girl who had gladly introduced herself as Elsa and faced away from the other newcomers. They haven't been here long enough to hear me tell Elsa I'm a vampire, have they? She was too nervous to really focus on her senses. She counted herself lucky that she was able to have a conversation with Elsa. Though, the girl did give off a very open and welcoming vibe that was hard to ignore.

As Elsa regarded the rest of the group, Dani lost a little bit of the tension she had been holding. Her introduction of the place gave her exactly what she wanted to know. This was the mysterious place she had been looking for. She was even glad to hear that she could take up employment as a form of payment. That was exactly what she needed.

The witch girl fully opened the doors to the inn. The inside looked even more grand than the outside, which was very impressive. Before they were led inside, Elsa mentioned that an occasional hunter gets in. Dani paused and self-consciously looked around at the rest of the group. Maybe she was overly paranoid, but she felt she had every right to be. A hunter had killed her mother when she was eight-years-old. She was able to get away with the distraction her mother provided, but it had left her an orphan for a short period of time before she was adopted by a family of humans. All that led her to the inn.

Every time Elsa started explaining more about how the inn worked, Dani learned of a new species. So there are vampires, mummies, zombies, trolls, ogres, and more? Working here is going to give me one heck of a culture lesson. While Elsa' attention was drawn to a mischievous cat, Dani made her way to the front desk to sign herself in. She looked at the blue fish lady. "Hi, I'm a vampire who requires blood, but I could also use a job. Do I need to talk to Elsa about that?" she asked, her voice a little quiet. She was still conscious of the other beings around her.

As the polite young man replied, Biwa continued to wear his polite smile, seeming quite pleased with the stranger's friendly demeanor. Although he seemed extremely flustered, especially when he admitted he had lost his hearing, he seemed good mannered and good natured enough, and certainly meant no harm.
"Jye you say? What a nice name, sounds very fitting my friend.", Biwa commented softly before spotting another newcomer, yet another humanoid young woman, dressed in some well fitting leggings and blouse and a pair of heels. She had an air of danger around her though Biwa couldn't put a finger on why.

Remembering it was rude to stare, and that Jye was kindly reading the sign for him, Biwa turned his attention back to the young man in the baggy coat before the witch that was working at the establishment suddenly interrupted him with welcoming everyone, and apparently with what Jye read anyways.
"Thank you nonetheless Jye-san, my query has been solved, and it was most kind of you to help out on old yokai such as myself.", he told his new acquaintance cheerfully and reassuringly, before tuning into the witch's words again. Whether she was the owner or a servant, it mattered not to Biwa, for she was taking the time to greet visitors and explain the inn's services in full to them all, and at least deserved full attention.

The little witch enthusiastically announced the staff would be willing and happy to fulfill any special demands such as special sleeping arrangements, types of meals, and any other request the guests would wish to ask, which always good for a patron to hear. She also mentioned they are willing to take pretty much any currency, which relieved Biwa since all he carried at the moment was heavily outdated yen and a few Swedish euros from his last visit. It was quite a nice stay at those troll caverns and although a cheerful lot, the trolls there were a bit too rowdy for Biwa's love of peace and quiet. Still it was an enjoyable change of pace.
She also warned them that a number of zombies had a habit of wandering in the swamps and cemetery and Biwa made a mental note to avoid those place. He wasn't one for unneeded strife. He was much more pleased to hear about the hot springs, which he would just love to soak his old bones in, perhaps take a nice long nap too with some honeyed tea to one side.
She also pleaded for them all to keep a respectable manner around each-other, to which Biwa was always happy to comply with. She then requested for the guests to follow her and give any special requirements to the staff, some that she mentioned that puzzled Biwa. Now, why on earth would a British mother enjoy eating baked scarabs? And weren't all vampires badly effected by sunlight? Despite his age, it was clear Biwa had much to learn.

As the witch turned to open some large oak doors, Jye asked if he wanted to follow along, saying they would probably get more answers inside. He seemed quite nervous the poor lad, probably due to being near a talking bear and a number of strangers.
"A wise decision Jye-san. Let us do as the young miss asks for now. I do hope the hot springs are still open.", Biwa replied warmly, seeming quite keen on getting to those pool of naturally heated water. He also noticed Jye seeming to be bothered by the change in heat which Biwa found odd, since if it was truly that warm, he himself would be sweating buckets.

As the witch warned them of the possibility of hunters managing to wander into the place, a grim prospect indeed, Biwa noticed one of the young ladies wandering around energetically with a rather panicked looking rabbit following after her, the pink haired girl seeming completely infatuated with the inn's decor and inner structure, while her pet seemed much less interested, to which he gave a soft smile to see someone so excited about the place.
The cat from earlier suddenly wandered over to her and for some reason apparently was convinced she was bakery confectionery for some reason, probably due to the alcohol the cat reeked of Biwa reckoned. The yokai bear jolted in surprise however as the flirtatious feline suddenly hit by some static in a bad way, his fur standing on end as he and the witch that seemed to in fact be the owner argued before Huja scarpered away, much to the other two members of staff's amusement.

The witch then wandered over an apologized to the girl with the rabbit, who it seemed was also a witch apparently, and Biwa made a mental note of their names, Elsa who seemed to run the place, and Charlotte who brought her familiar along with her, Clarice.
He then turned his attention to the line that was forming in front of the registration desk, to which he realized Jye had wandered off elsewhere, seeing the anxious Dani discussing some arrangements with the aquatic looking staff member, his old sunken eyes then scanning around the room for the young chap to find him looking quite groggy at one of the tables, most likely worn down from his travels. Biwa though against bothering the man, reasoning Jye needed some rest and quiet to himself, as anyone would after a day trekking in a forest. He turned his attention back to the queue he was in, before quietly stepping out of it and politely telling the lady behind him; "Excuse me young miss, would you prefer to register before I do? I have no real qualms in waiting, but I would most likely take a bit of time possibly in requesting something diffrent to sign my details due to my rather unwieldy paws.", giving yet another polite bow before addressing her, awaiting her reply as he gave his usual soft smile, before being distracted by his thought, realizing he could request horse meat and honeyed tea easily, which definitely wide his grin widen.