Christophe’s Inn

"I know we aren't, you annoying brat uncross your arms, you're not even my type don't get ahead of yourself" Lotus rolled his eyes

Ariel immediately reacted to Lotus' slanderous words and kicked him in his calf, Lotus did not react however and lightly wiped off the dirt mark on his trousers.

"who's the one getting ahead, you bozo, why didn't you correct the old man then?" she leaned forward, tapping his shoulder in a patronizing manner

"Because if he thinks we are a couple, it helps get us what we want, sorry for using my brain we can't all be lazy like you",

"say that to my face Lotus!" she yelled, luckily enough that the streets were mysteriously empty and the only things in sight were the light posts.

"Oh wait! damnit" Lotus exclaimed in frustration

"What is it? scared huh? That's right"

"No I forgot to ask him about the strange energy I felt from the candles" he banged his head against the palms of his hands.

"Ah, it's probably Mana, at least I think"

"Mana huh, I know of it, on earth I studied and practised Taoism but the concept of mana was ephemeral so I'm not quite understanding this", "oh, you did, me too that's pretty cool"

"no way, maybe that's why we were sent to this world haha," he said jokingly, but Ariel thought about it seriously and considered the theory. "Anyways seems like we are here?" Lotus said sceptically while staring at the old cottage-like inn with a large dark enigmatic door, the lion shape sculpture peering out in the centre gave an unsettling feeling to the duo, they couldn't help but both get flashbacks of the guileful expression on the old marketers face.

"Hey Ariel, do you think we've been bamboozled?"

"…maybe" she gave a blank stare at the door

The letters above the door were all warn and rubbed out, you could only faintly make out the 'inn' at the end of the words, nonetheless, They had nowhere else to go so, continuing cautiously the duo knocked three times and awaited an answer. However they received nothing, Ariel tried knocking again but alas the response was the same until the door mysteriously creaked open as if inviting them inside.

Giving each other glances before proceeding to enter, as soon as the entrance door closed the air immediately fell like a ton of bricks, "Lotus! I can't breathe, I can't br-breathe" Ariel said grasping her throat in a panic, "You're fine just stand behind me now!" he commanded, waving his hand the space around them changed and Ariel began being able to breathe, in fact, the air around her felt lighter than ever, 'what kind of power does he have!' she asked herself.

While peering his eyes around the dimly lit hotel esc reception and the odd spiral shape stairs leading to the upstairs Lotus and Ariel couldn't help but kiss their teeth "tsk, I hate ominous rooms", they looked at each other intensely "jinx padlock 123" Lotus threw those words out of his mouth before Ariel could speak 'damnit'

Ariel thought to herself since she couldn't speak out loud due to the rules of 'Jinx'

"Haha, anyways onto other things, Helloooo anyone here!"

'do you think anyone is he-'

in an instant, a slim assassin-looking figure swerved at unrecognisable speeds however before it could present its dagger to Lotus' neck, with a surprising amount of ease he grabbed the assailant's wrist with enough strength to debilitate its movements "ugh le-let go of me"

"This is not a warm welcoming guys!", "huh, guys?" both Ariel and the assassin's face contorted in confusion, "yep I can feel multiple presences around us in the space".

the heavy air dissipated and the dimly lit atmosphere brightened

as a big bulky man in a grey tuxedo stepped out from around the corner "wow! remarkable, you must be a mana practitioner"

"I don't know what that is sir! but in any case, can they all stop peering at us" Lotus said while still having a firm grasp on the assassin's wrist who at this point just gave up and surrendered her will.

"Apologies, we don't often have guests here, kids you can come out now!", a variety of eclectic figures popped out from all the corners of the walls and the rooms upstairs; some with animalistic features, tails, scales, some people short some much taller and larger all with different expressions most of them were excited and naive but some were apprehensive and hostile, the burly man cleared his throat before speaking "Let's allow introductions, my name is Christophe this is my Inn, and these people here are all the residents, since we are outcasted in we are all like a big family here hence the unwelcoming welcome hahaha again apologies for their schemes," he said while nervously rubbing his hands looking at the assassin's wrist as if pleading for her release

Ariel tapped him on the shoulder innocently and signalled with her eyes that it should be ok to let the assassin go, "an attempt on my life isn't usually taken so lightly, but we will let it go" with slight hesitation he released his grip and the assassin shot back and swiftly ran up the stairs into one of the rooms "you probably scared her, no one has ever been able to track her speed", he laughed internally 'seemed pretty slow to me'.

"So what brings the two of you here"