Dead End Inn

You've been traveling for a long time, be it through dangerous forest, golden sands, over endless oceans, and even other dimensions and worlds... Wherever you were lost, you've now been found, at the Dead End Inn. Those who are found at the Dead End Inn, can never leave. There is but one way to depart the Inn, but the Inn Keeper isn't telling.

From wherever you were lost, a white fog appears ahead. You move through it, until it seems to open up around a wooden building. The fog has gone, but when you turn around, so has everything you knew before this place. A creaking sound draws your attention back to the wooden structure, and you see a sign rocking ever so slightly, though you feel no wind.

The sign reads, 'Dead End Inn' and below it, 'Vacancy'. Be you a lost traveler, a refugee, a runaway, on a mission, in search for souls.... you decide to go inside. Stepping up the creaking wooden steps, the door opens before you, but no one is there. You step inside to see a large room. To your left is a bar.

To your right are tables, two old chairs and a small couch by a fireplace, and a door leading somewhere (it leads to a hall full of doors, each leading to a place, a meadow, a beach, a city, your old living room... where you'd like to think up. Some of them are good, some are bad, you never know until you get inside). Ahead, is a door leading to the kitchen. To the left of it you see wooden stairs that lead to the rooms.

The Inn runs itself, magically, reading your thoughts. You find that it's quite clean, despite being old and having the charm of something other-worldly. Welcome to the Dead End Inn. Your character can be anything you dream up. Have fun!

RULES
No Godmodding or killing off characters without permission.
No one-liners.
Include a picture and short description of your character upon entrance
No two characters with the same "special" abilities


Characters (4)
(links to the opening posts for each character)
Isabella D'Lune
Remi Lutner (Nazar)
Kyle and Exel

Character locations & other story information updates:
(To make just jumping into our story, easy as pie!)

The sun has gone down around the Inn and it is now nightfall.

Our only two characters, Isabella and Nazar, have gone into one of the alternate dimension rooms. The door has closed behind them and they are trying to get out!


**Entry ideas for your character**
-Already being inside that dimension. (It's a bright sunny summer day there, and they're in a field of lily's.)

-Opening the door from inside the Inn to let them out.

-Coming into the Inn and thinking you're alone. The Inn is magic and self sufficient, so when your character thinks something like, "I'm hungry", food will appear, etc.

-Your own ideas. :)

Isabella D'Lune

Isabella is a small girl of 5'3". She has long, mid-back length, dark ashy colored hair with natural highlights, making it seem somewhat lighter in some light. She has delicate features and skin and her eyes are a light grey, sometimes being mistaken for nearly white; very pure. She is evenly proportionate with complimenting curves. Her voice, while she thinks normal, sounds like an angel chorus. Her gift, and curse, is her healing abilities. She can heal small cuts, to gaping wounds, even cure illnesses and diseases, purifying poisons and even clearing the evilest of minds, returning good, light and purity to anything and anyone.

She can even go so far as regeneration and keeping others young and healthy forever, or until the end of her lifespan. Unbeknownst to anyone, Isabella has a dark, repressed side. A place in her heart and mind where her dead twin's soul and powers lie. A jealous being, trying to break through to corrupt her and kill anyone she loves, though also deeply caring for Isabella's safety, as her death would surely be the end of them both.

~~~*~~~

Isabella stepped through the fog, grey-white eyes squinting up at the Inn. She cast a glance over her shoulder. Was she still being followed? Her long white open-back gown was dirty around the bottom, which just barely grazed the ground. She was barefoot, the way she preferred it. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun, while some strays had fallen in her haste to get away from whoever wished to capture her for her abilities this time.

Perhaps she would be safe here for the night. Though Isabella was sure something about this Inn was not quite right. Nevertheless, she stepped through that open door, and it closed behind her, causing her to question how. She'd seen plenty of magic in her day. Was this place, enchanted? "Hello?" she called, with a voice sounding like wind chimes in a cool summer breeze. But there was no reply.

Remi Lutner (Nazar)

Remi, though most just call him Nazar, is 6'0 and cursed with a very rare ability called Alpha Stigma. It's the ability to learn any magic spell seen, and to cast it with greater speed and accuracy than the original caster. It's an ability people fear, and those born with Alpha Stigma are usually killed immediately. Alpha Stigmas were hunted relentlessly, they were hunted so much that this curse is very rare now. It's completely genetic, passed down from father to son, sometimes a carrier doesn't even know he has it. It doesn't always make itself known, but once it does, the eyes are forever changed. An Alpha Stigma can be easily recognized by his eyes. An Alpha Stigma is very dangerous, in times of high stress or intense emotion, the carrier could lose himself to the Alpha Stigma. A desire to destroy everything would rise and unless someone closed his eyes for him, an ultimate spell would be unleashed. One that would break the world. It was a spell that came inherently with being an Alpha Stigma. It was a spell that Remi could neither remember or recite unless the demon that was Alpha Stigma took over. In such a state, it would be impossible for Remi to close his own eyes. This was the main reason why Alpha Stigmas were ruthlessly hunted down.

~~~*~~~

War, Remi had been on a battlefield when the fog settled in around him. Engulfing him so he couldn't see the enemies. All of them were his enemies. Both kingdoms fighting hard for magical supremacy and both hunting him. To force him to join their side, whoever controlled the demon would surely win. If he refused, they would kill him, of that there was no doubt. If he joined, no matter which side, once he outlived his usefulness, brought them victory, they would kill him. He was too dangerous. His ability uncontrollable at the best of times, but now it seemed he didn't have to worry about the fighting kingdoms and the small lands caught in the middle.

He moved forward, almost cautiously and the fog began to lift. A building came into view, and Remi frowned. Such an unfamiliar place, and he had traveled far and wide to avoid the war, to help where he could. This was not a place he had encountered before. It felt magical, and his eyes glowed, but as they scanned the building, there were no spells he could readily identify. It was unknown. Nothing encountered before he suspected, or some new type of magic. It was definitely strange. He pulled his jacket closed tight around him and ran a hand through his red hair. His eyes were red as well, but the symbols that could clearly be seen over his irises and pupils were purple. They glowed whenever they were scanning for magic.

It was an automatic thing, if he looked at anything magical it just immediately began to happen. If he heard a spell being cast, he was compelled to look at the caster and learn the spell. It wasn't just that, though, if he got to emotional, he could destroy the world. Remi understood that, it was why he was hunted, but it seemed to him like no one could see him for who he was instead of what he was. He let his eyes roam over the building a bit longer before he finally entered it.

There was a girl here, and he lowered his head a bit, letting his bangs fall forward and hide his eyes as best they could. His cloak with the hood had been lost some time ago, running from one of the kingdom's battlecasters. He wasn't sure which kingdom, it hadn't mattered. "Did you bring me here?" He was clearly speaking to the girl, the only other person in the room, but he tried to keep his head positioned just so those bangs hid his eyes.

Bare feet padded forward curiously, and cautiously. Surely there was someone here. The establishment was clean, the lights were on... Grey-white eyes scanned the area to note that nothing seemed out of place, chairs and couches perfect, no books or drinks laying around. A deserted place.

The door creaked again and Isabella half turned to see a man enter. The Inn Keeper? His head was low and Isabella couldn't see his eyes through the red hair that covered them. He spoke and Isabella knew then that he was not the keeper of this place. He was clearly talking to her, the only other being there, as far as she could tell. "No," she chimed quietly. How strange it was that he seemed unaware of how exactly he'd gotten here, much like herself.

"There is a strange magic here," she added, looking the place over once again, before returning her gaze to the newcomer. She gave an involuntary shiver at the coolness of the Inn, and only a moment later did the fireplace light. Isabella jumped lightly as she quickly turned to see who had done it, though no one was there. Her crystal-like eyes looked again to the newcomer as if to speak her confirmation of the strange magic. "I believe we're, alone," she said, as an eerie feeling crept up her spine at the knowledge that while they appeared alone, that they certainly were not.

Something in the back of her mind seemed to mock her fear.

Just how long could he hide his eyes in such a manner? Not long at all, but so far there seemed to only be this girl here, and he was sure he could subdue her and escape in a one on one fight. If it came to that. She hadn't brought him here, then the fog wasn't under her control. She had probably arrived just a few minutes before he had then. Judging by the way she was standing there, and looking around. They did seem to be alone. "Strange magic, it's even beyond my knowledge. Unreadable, barely detectable, but there and strong." How could magic be so strong and yet barely detectable? Old magic, as in ancient magic, could sometimes be like that, but after a bit of studying the old magic could be scanned and read by his eyes.

When the fireplace lit, his head jerked up and towards his. The purple symbols in his eyes glowing brightly as they scanned the fireplace and the area around it. Nothing. Nothing useful at least. Was his curse useless in this place? What an interesting thought. His expression changed quickly, to one of almost surprise, as if he had just realized he had raised his head. Had she seen? Would she try to kill him now? That head lowered a bit, at the same time he raised a hand to shield his eyes from view. It was probably too late, and he probably only looked foolish now.

With a sigh he let his hand drop and raised his head again. Letting her see his face for all it was. "I don't like it." He had met a half demon once, who used a few spells he couldn't read, identify or copy with his Alpha Stigma, but demonic magic was a complicated and intricate thing. This almost reminded him of that, but the feel was different. Demonic magic inherently dark and this was...He couldn't put his finger on what this was.

The man spoke of magic as if he knew it, maybe well. Then she should be wary of him, for now. So far there would be no reason for him to detect that she was different since she wasn't reaching out to search for poisons, illnesses or injuries, and since she wasn't actively healing any. Though she wasn't sure exactly what his capabilities were. In fact she hadn't a clue.

By the time Isabella had looked back to him in confirmation, he had already looked down again. Was he covering his face, on purpose? She wondered why. If he was injured... But then he was looking up carefully. Red eyes, from here she could see lots of red, and a hint of something else. She had encountered many beings in her day, but none with eyes like those.

She didn't know what it meant. Just that he was special, in his own way. Like her. In fact, she rather liked the color. Cynically enough, it was her favorite color. She did deal with it an awful lot. Something in the back of her mind reminded her that red was in fact it's favorite color, and not hers. Isabella shook her head and the thoughts away, immediately forgetting what she had been thinking as the voice faded.

Night was falling around this mysterious place, and the Inn seemed to darken. She nodded her agreement. She didn't like the magic here either. But, "It doesn't seem to be malicious," she said, glancing again at the fireplace. Just helpful, so far. It hadn't meant any ill-will in lighting that fire. Crystal-like eyes found the newcomer's. But did he? Isabella was unsure how safe leaving at night would be. Then, she was unsure how safe staying with a stranger would be.

The only thing she could think to do, was reach out into his mind to search for disease, search for evil. Isabella could purify things like those. But would he know? Quickly then, Isabella reached out. As her mind touched his he would feel a warmth, like a loving hug, or a sweet summer breeze, something reassuring, though probing.

If she found evil, she would just leave, without letting him know she'd done a thing. If she found nothing, she would stay. But what if, he knew? And what if he had the ability to shut her out. And then, would he be angry? The pure and reassuring feelings would just be reaching him, now...

He decided it would be best if he moved away from the door, just in case another person came in. Remi took a few steps forward and then to the side, but his eyes were on the woman. Wary, careful gaze. "I wouldn't trust it, it doesn't seem malicious but I don't think it's all that safe." For a moment their eyes had locked and he didn't hold the gaze. Looking away almost instantly. Surely she knew him for what he was? Then again, there was no telling where she had come from. That fog could probably traverse many realms and planes and perhaps an Alpha Stigma didn't exist in wherever she was from. Or she had lived in such a remote place that rumors hadn't reached her either. It didn't matter.

Remi was watching her, but not quite meeting her gaze now, at least he hadn't meant to meet her gaze once again. Just as an odd feeling began settling over him, his eyes snapped up to lock onto her own. The purple symbols in his red eyes were glowing brightly and he couldn't look away. Scanning her, identifying her magic if it could, trying to learn it. To copy it in his brain for later. Though it wasn't a spell, it didn't seem like the kind of magic that could be copied, magic inherent in a being sometimes could not be copied and that was fine with him. Pure and reassuring, that was the feeling settling over him, and yet it only made him uneasy.

Remi was not an evil creature, pure human and mostly took a neutral standpoint in most things. He had killed, sure, but usually only in the defense of others. Rarely had he taken a life in defense of himself. He wasn't that kind of person, he generally ran from confrontation unless others were caught in it. He wouldn't hesitate to stop and defend others. Still, there was something inside of him. That Alpha Stigma, it was neither dark nor pure. It was a hungry thing, but the only thing it hungered for was total destruction of everything around it, including itself on some level. It wasn't a separate thing, it was as much a part of Remi as his own skin was, though it did seem to have a slight consciousness of it's own.

Inherited from his father, who had inherited it from his before him. It had been dormant in Remi's family for a very long time. Until war had broken out, ravaged his village. The Alpha Stigma had awoken when his family had burned before his eyes. Intense emotional trauma had triggered it, he had only been five then. The war had continued to rage, was still raging. Remi couldn't even recall how he had escaped his burning village. The scan of her ability was over, and he blinked. Turning his head away with closed eyes. "Get out of my head." He sounded almost, tired. He was more annoyed at the feeling of warmth that had come from her invading his head. It wasn't a feeling he was used to.

Isabella's features took on something of a confused look, then one of sadness, before one of understanding. While she didn't actually understand, and couldn't read his thoughts or memories, she could pick up hints of this and that. At some point in his life there had been a great tragedy, maybe many times. But there was something else there, too.

No matter. Isabella hadn't detected that the man was sick, wounded, or evil. Her tensed shoulders relaxed, just as he turned his head, demanding she get get out of it. She frowned lightly. So he'd known it was her. He seemed disinterested though. Isabella felt no need to be wary of this stranger.

"I'm sorry," she responded earnestly. "I usually ask, before I do something like that. You have to understand though, that I wanted to be sure you weren't a danger." She was trying to choose her words carefully. Just because she'd found him not to be evil, didn't necessarily mean he couldn't be dangerous.

"My name is Isabella," she offered. "I suppose we'll be housemates for the night then?" It was more of a question than a statement. She wasn't going to go out in that fog in this dark, but wasn't sure if he would. Part of her hoped he wouldn't. Fear crept in at the thought of being alone again, in this place.

More mocking came, from the back of her mind.

She apologized and he shrugged at the apology, his way of accepting it. His eyes were open again, watching her. The purple glow dulled now that it wasn't scanning anything or trying to copy any magical spells or abilities. "You should understand. I am always a danger to those around me." A timebomb just waiting to go off at the right push. Emotional trauma woke up an Alpha Stigma and great emotional trauma would wake it even further. She didn't seem to know very much about what he was though, and perhaps that would be for the best.

"I try not to hurt people though, sometimes it can't be avoided." The words were meant to reassure her, but Remi had never really been good at reassuring people. "I'm called Nazar." It wasn't a name, it was simply a word that meant 'evil eyes'. Would she know that word? Perhaps, maybe not. It didn't really matter much, and he had stopped giving out his real name long ago. No one ever called him by it anymore anyway. He had been labeled and that label was his name. He wore it with an almost indifference.

Housemates for the night? "I might stay longer. Depending on how friendly it remains here." His words were chosen almost carefully, and he moved towards the bar now. Approaching it with an almost wary caution as he looked it over before sitting on a stool with his back to the bar. His eyes watching her some, but mostly the door with a glimmer of wary paranoia. He was sure neither kingdom's men could come here, unless that strange fog had picked them up to at the edge of the battlefield.

He was always a danger? She mulled that over, not sure she believed it. A statement like that seemed like something someone would say to keep people away, from getting too close. Did she seem like someone who needed to be kept away? Maybe she was just assuming too much. Usually though, her instincts were right. Only time would tell, probably.

"Nazar," she echoed. "A fitting nickname," she said, knowing the language from which the nickname had come. Isabella had learned many languages, easily. How well she soaked them up was almost a gift in itself. In the realm she had been brought here from, there had been many different languages, some of which no one quite knew the origin, some dead. Isabella knew most of them.

She walked, almost floated to sit beside him. Personal space was important to Isabella, but sitting farther away would have been strange to her. It wasn't as if they hadn't been in conversation anyway. While he faced away from the bar, she faced it, looking around it curiously. "How strange that no one else is here. Yet this place is kept and in good standing."

Isabella frowned. "Does it, take care of itself, I wonder?" She thought for a moment. "Then how would it care for it's guests? How would it feed them, or show them to their rooms?" As if in response, once again, the Inn reacted. Moving as if some invisible person were controlling them, bottles removed themselves from the shelves.

Glasses appeared and the bottles danced over the bar as drinks were poured and left before Remi and Isabella. Then, two keys. One before Isabella and one before Remi, just floating there, in thin air before them.

Isabella was very unsure of what to think exactly. Her mouth was half open in surprise for a moment before she realized she might catch flies. Slowly and curiously, she reached for her key.

He smirked a bit when she said it was a fitting nickname. It was rather fitting, wasn't it? Remi didn't care for it too much though, still no one ever cared what his real name was anymore so what did it matter? He was easily identifiable already with those eyes. "Too much magic here." The purple symbols in his eyes were glowing faintly, but he couldn't read any of the magic here, and his Alpha Stigma had stopped even trying. The information too incomplete, too, strange.

Remi glanced at her as she moved to sit next to him, giving her a slight shrug as she continued to speak. Though as if in response to her words, things began to happen, and the glow in his eyes had intensified. Trying to read this new disturbance. It was like with the fireplace before, he couldn't read it at all. Though now a key was floating in front of him and his eyes narrowed at it. That purple glow of the symbols seeming even brighter as he tried to concentrate. He had never really needed to focus before, but perhaps focusing would give better results?

He got nothing. Remi's nose wrinkled a bit, almost in disdain and that glowing had dimmed. Now he reached for the key, and the glass. Though turning slightly he set both down on the bartop behind him. "I don't like it at all. I can't read it, or identify it. Can't even pinpoint an actual source." There was a frown on his lips. It was odd, this ability that had been with him most of his life, now rather useless. How was he supposed to react to that? With a frown it would seem.

Her fingers closed around the key and she pulled it to her. There was a number on one side, down the narrow part. The top was more intricate. With the detail, Isabella assumed that these keys were hand made, and that each of them were somewhat different. She kept it in her hand, before realizing the drink was still floating.

Isabella reached out for it. It was so strange; as if someone invisible were there holding those things out to her. She held the cool glass and brought it to her nose, sniffing at it lightly. She'd never been one for drinking. In fact, if she drank this, it would only be the second time ever. She took a sip and wrinkled her nose. It was strong, whatever it was. She set it on the bar.

"Nazar," she started. "Where were you before you came here?" Perhaps they had been in the same place. Though Isabella was almost certain that wouldn't be the case. If they tried to leave, where would they end up? "I can't help but feeling like... we're in some kind of, limbo."

Crystal-like eyes glanced sideways at him. "That probably sounds ridiculous," she added. But it was true. Part of her wanted to explore the place. Another part of her was painfully aware at how dirty her beautiful white gown had become, and that she needed to clean it, and herself. It had been quite some time since she hadn't been constantly fleeing.

In her realm, there was but one of her. One with her abilities. Abilities that could keep one almost, immortal. One that could keep an entire army alive and in perfect condition. One that could continue keeping a government's sick and twisted experiments alive.

Isabella shuddered at the memories, though many of them were choppy and she didn't know why. The being in the back of her mind knew, because that being had liked it. Those parts of the memories were taken from her. Kept for it's own sick enjoyment.

He glanced at her out the corner of his eye. "On a battlefield, in the middle of a war that's been raging for almost twenty years. I was gonna try and stop it, when the fog took me away." Perhaps he had died then, on that battlefield? Though he didn't recall getting injured, the two armies had been charging at each other and he had intended on throwing up a large wall between them. It was a strong spell, but it wouldn't stop the war, only delay it. Then the two kingdoms would put their fight on hold for a few months to actively chase him down.

"Limbo? A place between places? It could be. Perhaps I died on that battlefield, but I don't recall ever getting injured." That frown was still on his lips. There were other Stigma's in his realm, but they weren't Alpha Stigmas. Alpha was the rarest and most dangerous with it's potential to lose control and destroy everything. Perhaps he had lost control and destroyed his world, and that sent him here? He didn't recall getting that upset. The other Stigmas were few and far in between, but when found they were rarely hunted or sought after the way the Alpha Stigma's were. An ultimate magical weapon and ultimate trump card.

"It's a better explanation than anything I could come up with." Honestly he couldn't come up with anything. "Or someone with immense magical power enjoys playing games with people. Limbo sounds more accurate in my opinion." If it were a person, wouldn't he have been able to pinpoint a source? Maybe not. He stood, pulling that room key off the bartop and shoving it in a pocket. He picked up his drink and downed it in one gulp.

His nose wrinkled at the burning in his throat, but it was refreshing. That burning sensation meant he was still alive, right? "I think I'll have a look around." He hesitated, as if to allow her to come with him, before he started moving towards the door that lead to the hall of doors.

"Trying to stop the war? That doesn't sound like something someone who's a danger to everyone would do," Isabella said, in a sort of personal challenge. She shook her head when he'd said he didn't think he'd been injured. She knew that he hadn't been. Unless of course they were both dead. Who knew what that would be like and what her powers would be like then. But while Isabella had been on the run, she hadn't actually been running from death at that immediate moment. Only traveling.

When Remi stood and downed his drink, Isabella tensed. Was he leaving? It seemed he was. But not to go far. She stood, too. Glancing down at her drink. Maybe she'd just save that there for later. She followed Remi, certain he didn't mind, that he might have actually been waiting for her for a moment in a sort of invitation.

She still held her key in her hand. They headed towards the first floor doors. The bed rooms were on the second floor. The first floor held something entirely different. Little did they know, and may never know, the true keeper of the Inn dwelled within a realm behind one of those doors. Being that with each shut and open of a door, the realm would change, it would be nearly impossible to find him, if they even knew to look.

"I'm not dangerous by choice, I inherited it from my father. I rather hate war, it would be fine if the two kings would just kill each other in single combat, but they have to involve armies. Then everyone else gets caught up in the middle and needless bloodshed happens. It's because I'm so dangerous that I'm the perfect candidate to stop the war. If I succeed then people can live in peace for a while, if I fail and die, then there are still some people that would sleep easier at night just because I was gone. No one would mourn me if I died, no one would remember my name if I died or succeeded. I'll never be remembered as a hero, only a demon. Even so, stopping it would have been nice." He said all that with a shrug, and with a rather neutral tone.

He glanced at her as she followed him. Well he had told her all that. "Your turn, Isabella. Where were you when the fog came?" Simple curiosity, though he was only curious that perhaps she had indeed come from a realm far different than his own. Perhaps one more advanced in magic or technology, or both? Still it wasn't all that important now was it? Well it might be. He lead her to the first floor doors, and stopped at the first one. His eyes glowed as he stared at it, he had reached for the knob and stopped halfway there. He was trying to scan it for magic, that purple glow a bit bright and it almost seemed as if the symbols were rotating. There was magic there, but like all the other it was unreadable. Unknown. Perhaps it was just too powerful.

He had inherited danger from his father? She wasn't sure how that could be done. But just because she didn't understand it, didn't mean it wasn't so. His words were so neutral, almost detached. She supposed she agreed with him on some things. If the two kings in his world had just killed each other, and spared the lives of so many others, it would have been a much better thing.

She watched him for a moment when he was finished. No one would remember him, or mourn him? The thought saddened her, for him. He didn't seem like a demon, not really at all. So why would everyone hate him so? She supposed she was somewhat the same. While she was no demon, and while people who's lives she saved would remember her, no one really knew her. Most people didn't even know her name. She wouldn't be mourned either. Her powers maybe, but not her.

That was the second time she'd found herself relating to Remi, and while he probably wouldn't notice the similarities, it made her feel like he was much more of a friend than a stranger. Knowing things about people made you care about them in that way, she supposed.

"Me?" she asked. Well her story wasn't quite as noble as his, nor as exciting. She hadn't been about to stop a great war, in fact, she'd been running away. "Traveling," she said simply. It was mostly the truth, and she was far from trying to deceive anyone. She just didn't know how else to put it.

"I was looking for a place, of peace, to reside." Unfortunately for her, that meant alone. If she found people who loved her and didn't want to use her, it either didn't last long, or she only brought death to them from people who wanted to take her away. She was destined to be alone. It was quite a shame, when she could do so much good for the world, that she had to live in hiding.

"I'm afraid people aren't all I thought they would be as a child. They're quite treacherous, deceiving... evil. I don't exactly fit in where I come from. My, abilities, make me valuable, not unique. You know?" He'd reached out for the door handle, but had stopped. She looked at him quizzically. "What is it?" she asked.

She was traveling? Remi felt there was more to it than that, but it was her story to tell and he had no business prying. He didn't really care one way or the other, though he was the tiniest bit curious. He had glanced at her, those symbols in his eyes glowing so brightly, but they were dimming as he looked away from the door. Though he wouldn't speak until she was done talking.

"As children, we never see people as they truly are. Children are too pure, to innocent to see the true face of others. Too naive to expect anything less than truth." His eyes were on the door again and he inhaled deeply. He really didn't like this strange magic. She didn't fit in where she came from, nor did he. Weren't they quite the pair? "At least you have value." His hand closed around the door handle now, and he looked at her again. "Do you think there is a place of peace for people like us? Can we ever escape what people perceive us to be so that we can once again become who we truly are?" He said such things, but revealed very little about himself, and he was hesitating in opening that door. "That strange magic is here to, but I can't read it. I can't analyze it or anything. It seems my ability is rather useless here. That might be a good thing, but it might also leave me defenseless if something were to happen." He opened the door.

Bright light greeted them, causing him to flinch slightly at it's suddenness and blink at it rapidly. A hand had come to shield his eyes from it, now it lowered as the glare didn't seem so harsh. It had just been unexpected. What laid out before them was a lovely scene, a vast meadow of flowers he had never seen before, though they were common lillies. Remi had never seen a lily before, those flowers didn't grow on his world, so such strange flowers were rather otherworldly to him. His eyes were glowing a bit, trying to scan for more magic but everything seemed rather organic. Was it real? Or a very elaborate trick? Remi couldn't tell at all.

"It could be dangerous." Were those flowers poisonous? He let go of the door handle and stepped into this realm of unfamiliar meadow, even the grass seemed odd to him. Tall like meadow grass should be but a little more yellow than green. Could this be the way out of the limbo? Something told him that it wasn't.

Kind and wise. Isabella didn't believe that Remi wasn't someone of value. He didn't see himself valuable, but she saw otherwise. People with no value were awful, twisted people who hurt others without remorse. Remi wasn't those people, was he? Isabella didn't think so.

When he asked if there could be a place for people like them, Isabella's eyes watered, though so minimally that Remi surely wouldn't notice, especially with his attention on the door. It was as if he were reading questions straight from her very heart and soul. How she constantly wondered those same exact things. It felt strange to hear someone else voicing them. It hurt, somehow. Yet it also somehow gave her a strange hope that informed her she wasn't so alone.

She nodded at his last words before he opened the door. What did he expect to find behind it? Isabella expected a room, but as the bright light caused her to squint and shield her eyes, she realized that that was far from what lay behind door number one. As her eyes adjusted, she stared in amazement.

It was as if the door led to another place all together. Isabella knew it was dark and foggy outside, yet here she stood before a beautiful meadow. How could that be? She stepped out into the meadow behind Remi. The door began to close behind her and she reached out to stop it. What if it closed, and then disappeared? Or if when they opened it again, it took them somewhere else?

Isabella didn't want to chance anything. She knelt and reached for a rock, then placing it at the door jam, to keep the door from closing. When she stood again and was able to really look around, her grey-white eyes danced with excitement. "Lilies," she said. "It's a field of Lilies!" She couldn't help but smile. Lilies were her favorite flower. White lilies to be exact.

A warm breeze picked up and the scent of the flowers had Isabella closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. This place could be dangerous? Psh, this place could be heaven. She fell over backwards into the flowers before opening her eyes again. "I think," she started in wonder, "if there was a place for me... it would be a place like this." Her fingers trailed over a lily. "What would yours be like?" she asked, closing her eyes again, relishing the warmth of the sun.

Funny how such a place could be so made for her. Though the Inn had a way of doing that. Lilies were Isabella's favorite flower. And in a way, she much resembled the delicate white flower, beautiful and serene; pure.

The voice in her mind was silent. Even it wasn't going to fall for whatever trick this place was.

"Lillies?" He repeated her word, a hint of curiosity in that normally neutral tone of his, and his head had tilted to the side slightly. She had been smart and quick to prop that door open, if she hadn't he probably would have done it himself. His eyes were still trying to scan the flowers and meadow and things around them, but coming up with absolutely nothing useful.

She reacted with such familiarity to these flowers, perhaps they were common in her world? So far they didn't seem poisonous. This was a place for her? That was good, but had the inn created this realm just for Isabella? Too many questions and not enough answers. Remi was frowning and he shrugged when she asked him what kind of place would be for him. "Any place not ravaged by war and where I'm not so dangerous. That kind of place is impossible though, so then. A place isolated from everything and everyone." That was enough of that.

He took a few steps into the field, his hand coming down to touch one of the flowers. "Are these poisonous flowers?" That hand hovered only an inch from the flower, awaiting for her answer, if she said yes, he would retract his hand immediately but if she said no he would almost tenderly brush his fingers against it's petals.

She opened her eyes to watch Remi. It seemed to her that he was describing a place like this, no matter how he worded it. Perhaps the Inn had created a place for the both of them after all. Well, aside from the being isolated from everyone, since she was there. But she didn't hate Remi, or see any danger in him, so maybe it worked.

She'd been about to close her eyes again and wonder if she'd ever go back through that door, when Remi asked his question. Isabella sat up and watched him for a moment. He seemed to be hesitating to touch the lilies. "No," she said, blinking owlishly, "it's just a lily." She supposed they must not have lilies where he came from.

Isabella mulled over the thought. So then what did they have where he came from? There were no flowers in her world that were too poisonous to touch. Was his world really so dangerous? She glanced around in thought. Would this one be?

It couldn't be. A place this beautiful couldn't be dangerous. With that thought, as she watched Remi touch the flower gently, as if he had never touched something so soft before, Isabella plucked a lily from its stem. Bare feet over soft grass, she walked to stand in front of him.

"Here," she said, rubbing it gently over his cheek so he could feel the silky petals on his skin, before bringing it to his nose. "Smell it," she said with a smile, eyes dancing with excitement. What a wonderful thing to be able to share with someone, who didn't seem to know of such delicate beauty in his world.

Isabella had to look up to watch Remi who was quite a bit taller than she. But she thought nothing of it. As she watched him with an eager and somewhat childish excitement, something in the back of her mind stirred. Be careful.

The way she had answered, 'just a lily' made him feel almost foolish for asking. Still how could he know, they were not flowers he had seen before. Those fingers brushed against the soft petals gently, careful not to press to hard against them. The last thing he wanted was to damage something in this place. There was no telling what kind of repercussions there might be.

When he heard her moving, he straightened and turned towards her. Soon she was in front of him a lily in her hand, and it's petals touched against his cheek. It was so soft, he almost leaned into that gentle flower's touch, then it was held in front of his nose. Remi inhaled deeply, taking in the scent, it was new and different but pleasant. "There are roses and snapdragons. Tulips and violets. Marigolds and gerber daisies in my world. Do you know those flowers as well?" Just a hint of curiosity when he asked her if she knew these other flowers. He had reached out to take the lily from her fingers, holding the stem gently.

Remi sniffed the flower again, he rather liked the scent. "There are other flowers in my world, far too many to name but they are all dangerous, poisonous. Usually an unfamiliar flower is a dangerous one." Another sniff and then he was tucking that stem into Isabella's hair, just above her ear. The flower suited her, it suited her far better than it suited him.

Isabella smiled as Remi inhaled, remembering the first time she smelled a lily herself, as a child. He took the flower from her, and gave her arms a rest. He began naming flowers that were all very familiar to her. She nodded happily. Isabella truly loved flowers. "I know them well," she said. "There aren't any dangerous flowers where I'm from. Just dangerous people." She'd added the last bit almost sadly.

But her eyes soon lit up again as Remi tucked the flower behind her ear. She smiled. "Watch this," she said, moving away from him and back to the place where she had picked the flower. She found the flowerless stem and reached down gently to touch it with just her fingertips. In only moments the stem sprouted a new bud, and only moments later the bud opened, replacing the lily she had broken with a new one.

She smiled again. "I can heal any living thing, and even go so far as regeneration," she explained, unafraid to share her secret with Remi, though maybe foolish thing to do. "My, gift, passed down from my mother and her mother before her, has almost no limit. I can even keep a person young and healthy for as long as I live." In her world, growing old was considered a disease. Perhaps is was, from some curse long before their time, and that was why she could "heal" it.

Unfortunately, her powers didn't work on herself though. Isabella would live a normal lifespan, unless someone else magical could change that. If she had a daughter though, her daughter would carry on with the gift, and so on and so forth. One reason she was sure to live out her life alone. How could she bring a child into this world to live the life she did? It would be selfish, and cruel.

"Sometimes I wish I couldn't though," she said quietly in afterthought. A gentle breeze picked up again, bringing the feel of dark magic with it. Isabella couldn't sense it, but the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. Get out, the being inside her mind told her.

"Dangerous people are everywhere. Some are even good at pretending like they aren't dangerous until you've completely let your guard down around them." There was something there, something in his voice, but it was gone quickly. Replaced by that neutral tone. When she told him to watch, he followed her to where she had plucked the lily earlier, and he did watch. The purple symbols in eyes glowing as he watched. Analyzing her and her magic almost instantly. Scanning her, he couldn't look away now that he was scanning her. It was done in moments though. It was not an ability or magic he could copy, just like his own was not something that could be copied.

Passed down from her mother? "My ability was passed down from my father, and his before him and so on. Your ability is much more preferable to mine." Her gift was life, and his was ultimately destruction. They really were quite the pair. "My ability analyzes magic, tells me everything I need to know about spells or magical objects. It copies spells, imprints their workings into my brain and any spell I've seen before I can cast easily. I can't copy magic that is inherently woven into a person, I can analyze it, but not copy it. Though it seems I can't really analyze anything in this place, the information is either nonexistent or just incomplete." The breeze had picked up and he turned towards it.

It blew his hair gently, but an unsettling feeling had fallen over him. It was the kind of feeling that had kept him alive for so long. Hunted creatures often learn quickly to trust their instincts, and his instincts were telling him that this place was dangerous. It felt dark. He was focusing now, his eyes glowing brightly as he tried to scan anything and everything. Of course he got nothing, the glow dimmed and he turned towards the door. "Perhaps we have spent enough time in this...place." There were still more doors to open.

She analyzed his statement, watching him as she wondered if he was hinting that there was more to him than there appeared. That she shouldn't let her guard down around him. She brushed it off easily enough. If she should be wary of him, she'd have known to be by now, right? Of course. He meant no ill-will. And, she liked him.

Even knowing her gift, nothing seemed to change between them. He didn't immediately draw a weapon and force her into a slavery where she would keep him young forever, or demand that she stand by an army of evil demons, healing their every wound and keeping them alive always. No, he simply shared more about himself, seeming very neutral on the subject.

More similarities. He had inherited his gift, too? Though he didn't consider his power a gift like hers. They were so similar, yet so different. Isabella couldn't help but feel like there was something he was leaving out though, the same way he didn't tell her his name earlier, just going around the important parts.

She stood as the breeze blew over, and nodded. She really didn't want to leave this place at all. It was beautiful here. And so far it seemed uninhabited, perhaps. Isabella would have liked to have seen if that were the case. She had, after all, been searching for a place to live out her life in peace...

The voice in the back of her mind reminded her not to be so foolish. This place was merely a facade. Maybe not even real at all. She sighed, before plucking one more lily and holding it close to her. Then she headed for the door, slowly, relishing the feel of the sun on her bare back and the soft grass under her feet.

The sound of the door slamming ahead, jerked Isabella's head up in a gasp. Had Remi done that? No, she wouldn't believe it. The rock was gone, and the door was shut tight. Had the wind done that? That wouldn't make sense would it? Then the door would be open further, not shut.

"Nazar," she breathed, rushing for the door. Would it open? Where would it take them if it did? Then that eerie breeze was tickling the back of her neck again, almost as if someone were standing there, breathing, so close to her. She clutched the newest lily in one hand, placing the other on the door as she looked to Remi for, something. Comfort, reassurance, maybe. What now?

He had been facing the door, moving towards it in fact when it suddenly slammed shut. For half a moment, Remi looked rather surprised. It was gone quickly though, replaced by that calm, neutral exterior that he kept. That he tried to keep. Isabella rushed to the door, and reached it before he. She was quick on her feet, as girls often are, though he was at her side a moment later. His eyes were glowing, those symbols over the red irises a very bright purple. Again he found nothing, but the magic seemed a little darker. His analysis was rather incomplete though, so he couldn't be sure.

Remi placed a hand on the door, to see how firm it might be. He doubted he could break it down by ramming his shoulder into it. Then his hand was placed the door knob and he gave it a turn and a push. The knob barely turned, as if the door were locked and the door didn't budge. He had half expected that, honestly he would have been a bit surprised if it had opened so easily. A trap then? Or perhaps they had just stayed a bit over long, maybe if they had left earlier the door would have stayed open for them.

He turned, his back to the door, taking just a few steps from it, those strange eyes of his narrowed a bit as he watched their surroundings. Was something coming? "Stay behind me, keep trying the door." There was nothing in his voice, but that calm, neutral tone. Whatever was going to happen though, Remi knew he would have to fight. He would have to, to protect the girl behind him. He grit his teeth. Perhaps nothing would come and the door would open in a few moments. It could just be toying with them, but there was no doubt in his mind now that this entire Inn was very dangerous.