The Multiverse Inn

[lurker]

Blessed Guts looks up at Doug, who is still hanging by his tail. "How's that feller talk seein' as he ain't got a mouth?" he whispers.

"Don't ask me." Doug flicks his ears back in a cynoid shrug. "By all rights you and I shouldn't be able to understand one another either, since there's 95 thousand Terran years of language change between us, and don't get me started on how Cynewulf can speak a human-pronounceable language despite having a head like ours... I mean outside of this inn. I'm not gonna lie, I'm jealous. After a hundred thousand years we little ones finally find other sophonts and there's an impassable language barrier between us. It's either use a synth or make sure both parties understand one another's language."

Red lacrimal fluid starts to drip from Doug's mouth. "Over a century and half raising humans and I've never truly been able to TALK to them, like I would to another yinrih. I want to tell my son I love him, not have a keyer do it for me, and without him having to mentally parse my weak little barks."

[Znex]

A small square hatch, about the size of a pet door, opens in the far wall with a sound like stone grating against stone. A few seconds later, a small humanoid pig (imagine an Animal Crossing-style pig) comes tumbling out in a blur, landing in a heap, stunned. The hatch closes the way it opened, leaving no trace that anything was there, just as the pig begins to come to her senses.

She looks around, at first much more confused than startled.

"Huh, this is the strangest temple chamber I've come across yet!" she says with a half smile, "How did it know I could use a pint about now?"

[WizardOfWar]

A small square hatch, about the size of a pet door, opens in the far wall with a sound like stone grating against stone. A few seconds later, a small humanoid pig (imagine an Animal Crossing-style pig) comes tumbling out in a blur, landing in a heap, stunned. The hatch closes the way it opened, leaving no trace that anything was there, just as the pig begins to come to her senses.

She looks around, at first much more confused than startled.

"Huh, this is the strangest temple chamber I've come across yet!" she says with a half smile, "How did it know I could use a pint about now?"

Oh my Stars! It's a character from animal crossing 5000! Arrown cries in nostalgia I used to play that game when I was 80!

[Egerius]

"Over a century and half raising humans and I've never truly been able to TALK to them, like I would to another yinrih. I want to tell my son I love him, not have a keyer do it for me, and without him having to mentally parse my weak little barks."

“Well,” Cynewulf cautiously takes a seat in front of Argenzu, keeping an eye on the faceless one, “Argenzu and I had to learn each other's language, if it's any consolation. I still keep making terribly stupid mistakes.”
The rodent giggles from behind his laptop: “Don't worry, your accent is impeccable.”

She looks around, at first much more confused than startled.

"Huh, this is the strangest temple chamber I've come across yet!" she says with a half smile, "How did it know I could use a pint about now?"

“It's a pocket dimension,” the rodent lightens up as he sees the little pig, “one with slow customer service, so you should've brought your own.”

[Znex]

Oh my Stars! It's a character from animal crossing 5000! Arrown cries in nostalgia I used to play that game when I was 80!

"Ani-who now?" The pig turns her head to the faceless man, and startles onto her back, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Wait, what the hell are you?? And you have the Sight too?"

“It's a pocket dimension,” the rodent lightens up as he sees the little pig, “one with slow customer service, so you should've brought your own.”

She looks at the wolfman and chinchilla, only to be further bewildered. "A dog and mouse person??"

The pig rubs her eyes and pats herself roughly on the cheek while muttering to herself, "Fusha, you're getting silly in your later years, it's all just a dream. Time to wake up now..."

After a moment, Fusha looks up, and seeing nothing has changed, props herself up on her hind legs with some reluctance. Now she can be identified in full: she looks like a short cartoon pig, about 2 foot in stature, with big eyes and head and stubby body and legs. She wears a short-cut light green tunic with a belt around her waist, holding a tightly-bound rope, a leather pouch, and a few empty sheathes.

"Ahh, until I can figure out what's going on, and you all seem friendly enough so far..." she says before pausing to look the faceless man in the... lack of eyes, "I guess I can take a break here. Name's Fusha, anthropologist and archaeologist! I study people and their customs and history for a living. I have the Sight, that means I can see people's inner spirit and what animal totem they belong to. Blankface over there already knows I'm a Pig, stubborn and tough, curious and easy-going. Hence my chosen profession!"

Fusha frowns and scratches her head as she considers the other animal people, "But I can't say I've ever heard of Dog and Mouse or Dog...-Monkey totems?"

"Ooh!" The pig suddenly hops in the air, and starts to clap her front hooves in excitement, "But of course, this can be a learning experience! Let's exchange cultures! I've said too much about myself already, let's hear about you!"

[lurker]

"Ooh!" The pig suddenly hops in the air, and starts to clap her front hooves in excitement, "But of course, this can be a learning experience! Let's exchange cultures! I've said too much about myself already, let's hear about you!"

Doug drops from the rafter and walks up to the pig. "Hello, ma'am. My name is Shimmering Water," he looks behind at Blessed Guts who has also approached, "and my fellow yinrih here is Blessed Guts." The two simultaneously rear up and thump themselves on the belly.

"Light shine upon you, friend," they say in unison.

Doug looks at the pig's green tunic. "You're certainly dressed to adventure. Reminds me of my Terraboo days." He pulls out a wallet-sized photo from the band around his fourleg and holds it up. Doug, 200 years younger, completely hairless, and somewhat heavier set, is standing with a group of other yinrih. All of them are on their hind legs and are dressed as various Legend of Zelda characters, but only Doug lacks fur.

Doug himself is wearing a small green cap with a purple feather, a brown vest with yellow trim, and an orange long sleeved shirt. In his left forepaw is a red 3D printed plastic rupee. A length of rope is coiled around his tail, and the tip of his tail is wrapped around the handle of a bottle of kerosene. A small cartoony looking prop bomb is in his right forepaw. Next to him is another male clearly attempting to cosplay as Link form Ocarina of Time, but his red and black vulpine pelage makes him look more like the ruin seeker from Tunic. A female stands behind dressed as Princess Zelda. Another cynoid is dressed as Tingle, complete with a cushion stuffed into his green shirt to affect a pot belly and a working analog clock hung around his neck.

Shimmering Water sighs wistfully. "Good times..."

[WizardOfWar]

"Ooh!" The pig suddenly hops in the air, and starts to clap her front hooves in excitement, "But of course, this can be a learning experience! Let's exchange cultures! I've said too much about myself already, let's hear about you!"

I, myself, Was a politician, Until i died recently. I was 3500 Years old and I was basically the president of my galaxy. He looked at the small pig and smiles in delight and nostalgia like he was looking at an old video-game character

[Znex]

Doug drops from the rafter and walks up to the pig. "Hello, ma'am. My name is Shimmering Water," he looks behind at Blessed Guts who has also approached, "and my fellow yinrih here is Blessed Guts." The two simultaneously rear up and thump themselves on the belly.

"Light shine upon you, friend," they say in unison.

Doug looks at the pig's green tunic. "You're certainly dressed to adventure. Reminds me of my Terraboo days." He pulls out a wallet-sized photo from the band around his fourleg and holds it up. Doug, 200 years younger, completely hairless, and somewhat heavier set, is standing with a group of other yinrih. All of them are on their hind legs and are dressed as various Legend of Zelda characters, but only Doug lacks fur.

Doug himself is wearing a small green cap with a purple feather, a brown vest with yellow trim, and an orange long sleeved shirt. In his left forepaw is a red 3D printed plastic rupee. A length of rope is coiled around his tail, and the tip of his tail is wrapped around the handle of a bottle of kerosene. A small cartoony looking prop bomb is in his right forepaw. Next to him is another male clearly attempting to cosplay as Link form Ocarina of Time, but his red and black vulpine pelage makes him look more like the ruin seeker from Tunic. A female stands behind dressed as Princess Zelda. Another cynoid is dressed as Tingle, complete with a cushion stuffed into his green shirt to affect a pot belly and a working analog clock hung around his neck.

Shimmering Water sighs wistfully. "Good times..."

Fusha pats herself on the belly in return, not without bemusement.

She stares with slack jaw when she sees the photo brought out. "Wait, are you actually dog-monkeys??" Fusha looks back at the yinrih themselves before staring at the picture once more, and exclaims, "And this painting is phenomenal! Such detail, but I can't even see any brush strokes?"

"Who are these characters you are all dressed as? Heroes from old stories?"

I, myself, Was a politician, Until i died recently. I was 3500 Years old and I was basically the president of my galaxy. He looked at the small pig and smiles in delight and nostalgia like he was looking at an old video-game character

Fusha's little bristles stand in alarm when she hears this. "Died?? 3500 years old??? Were you an actual... human, I'd think you were joking!"

"But... you're not!" She walks up with newfound curiosity and begins to study him from all sides, saying, "Are you a spirit? A god?? I can't say I've met many on my journeys before, and certainly not any so corporeal-looking!"

She gingerly prods him on the leg to test if he's as solid as he looks.

[lurker]

"Wait, are you actually dog-monkeys??"

"Well, the usual phrase is monkey fox," says Doug, "though we're not related to Terran monkeys or foxes, it's a bit of convergent evolution. We're from a completely different tree of life."

"And this painting is phenomenal! Such detail, but I can't even see any brush strokes?"

Blessed Guts' whiskers bristle. "That sure is a purdy picture. Why, they look like they could trot right outta there and say howdy. But why'er y'all wearin' those covers? And..." He notices Doug's lack of fur. "Are they lettin' fellers be healers now? Yer nekkid!" he says scandalized.

"No no no," Doug says hastily. "It was a stupid fad, and I was a stupid teen. Back when we found Earth a lot of us thought it would be cool to adopt human customs. We tried walking on our hind feet like humans, wearing clothing like humans, and I got it in my head to shed my fur and be bald like a human. Skinnies, we were called. We'd... uh... 'procure' healers' balding drugs to achieve the look. Most Terraboos weren't so crazy, as you can see, though that redpelt next to me in the photo died his fur to look like a fox. he's actually white all over."

"Who are these characters you are all dressed as? Heroes from old stories?"

"Well only that red dude in the green tunic is technically dressed as a hero, but they're not from stories, they're from Terran video games." Doug looks at Blessed Guts. "Remember when I told you humans split up into hundreds of different groups dozens of millennia before inventing writing?" Blessed Guts nods. "Well all those different cultures came up with some very entertaining stories, far more diverse and creative than we cynoids could possibly imagine. When we first exchanged cultural knowledge we were hit with all this amazing media inspired by all those stories, mashed together and built upon in interesting ways. The people that made those games were from Japan, but the clothes are mostly European."

That same sparkle that Sherman had when talking about mass routers can be seen in Doug's fathomless black eyes. "There was even this one guy who just made up an entire world, with myths and history and languages, and wrote books about it."

[WizardOfWar]

Fusha's little bristles stand in alarm when she hears this. "Died?? 3500 years old??? Were you an actual... human, I'd think you were joking!"

"But... you're not!" She walks up with newfound curiosity and begins to study him from all sides, saying, "Are you a spirit? A god?? I can't say I've met many on my journeys before, and certainly not any so corporeal-looking!"

She gingerly prods him on the leg to test if he's as solid as he looks.

His leg is as solid as it seems Hey! I am a human! He says, insulted

[lurker]

His leg is as solid as it seems Hey! I am a human! He says, insulted

Doug walks up. "No way you're--" he barks. He catches himself mid-sentence, dips his head apologetically, then continues in a more measured tone. "I mean, you look... unique for a human." He climbs onto a chair and stands upright, his tail coiled around the back. Even with the chair's added height, Shimmering Water's upright ears are just level with Krowns' nonexistent eyes, and the monkey fox still has to tilt his head up to meet what he assumes is his gaze. "How did you end up looking like that, if I'm not being blunt? And more to the point, what do you mean you were 'assassinated'? That implies you were a public figure."

[Egerius]

That same sparkle that Sherman had when talking about mass routers can be seen in Doug's fathomless black eyes. "There was even this one guy who just made up an entire world, with myths and history and languages, and wrote books about it."

“Hey, that sounds like something you'd enjoy, Argenzu.”
Cynewulf poked the humanoid (and human-sized) rodent in the ribs and smiled.
“Actually, I do”, he answered: “What do you think where I went with Jàcove and his girlfriend last month?”
“Without me?”
“You don't have a character yet, let alone clothing.”
The wolf-man walks over to Argenzu: “Why not show Doug where you've been?”
The rodent looks at Cynewulf: “But he's talking to that... faceless...”
“Don't worry, I'll keep both my eyes on you.”
Argenzu closes his eyes and breathes. Meanwhile Cynewulf takes the rodent's laptop and loads a picture that shows him dressed in a purple and silver robe, holding an octagonal staff and a large book.
“Hey Doug, have you seen this?”
Cynewulf is holding Argenzu's laptop with the picture. Argenzu resumes sipping on whatever is left of his drink.

[lurker]

“Hey Doug, have you seen this?”
Cynewulf is holding Argenzu's laptop with the picture. Argenzu resumes sipping on whatever is left of his drink.

"Attack the darkness!" Doug yips. "I haven't done any LARPing in over 150 years. Terraboos like me wanted to hang out with humans, and as young adults we wanted friends who were also young adults. I lived near the first human settlement on Hearthside at the time, so me and a few of my litter mates and other friends tried to hang out with some college-age humans. It was awesome. We started a gaming group and did tabletop stuff as well as LARPing. But in the flick of a whisker our human friends got too old to hang out and do the stuff we used to."

[WizardOfWar]

Doug walks up. "No way you're--" he barks. He catches himself mid-sentence, dips his head apologetically, then continues in a more measured tone. "I mean, you look... unique for a human." He climbs onto a chair and stands upright, his tail coiled around the back. Even with the chair's added height, Shimmering Water's upright ears are just level with Krowns' nonexistent eyes, and the monkey fox still has to tilt his head up to meet what he assumes is his gaze. "How did you end up looking like that, if I'm not being blunt? And more to the point, what do you mean you were 'assassinated'? That implies you were a public figure."

Well, I ended up like this by, This is gonna be difficult to explain, Organic recombination. And I was a public figure (basically the president), and was killed by someone, Probably the leader of the HaB or the xenophobic "Humans are best" Group.

[lurker]

Well, I ended up like this by, This is gonna be difficult to explain, Organic recombination. And I was a public figure (basically the president), and was killed by someone, Probably the leader of the HaB or the xenophobic "Humans are best" Group.

"Organic recombination?" Doug asks. "I think they missed a few things." He gestures up at Krowns' missing face.

"As for these human supremacists, at least they don't beat around the bush with that name 'humans are best'. We've got inter-species tensions, too, though it's mostly yinrih hating humans. Not on Hearthside, thankfully. We can't get enough of 'em."

[WizardOfWar]

"Organic recombination?" Doug asks. "I think they missed a few things." He gestures up at Krowns' missing face.

Arrown "Frowns" Hey! I't was a fashion thing Okay

"As for these human supremacists, at least they don't beat around the bush with that name 'humans are best'. We've got inter-species tensions, too, though it's mostly yinrih hating humans. Not on Hearthside, thankfully. We can't get enough of 'em."

Well, as the first one in 200 years to repeal the sapient species act, I am vilified by the haters of other sapient races, Such as the Haters of the Junoean WormFolk.