"No, no, by all means. Go on as long as you like. This is fascinating. The things you mentioned about vampires propagating through mortals and sucking blood line up with the mythology of my world. The implications of that are just, excuse me for overusing the word, fascinating. I'd love to know as much about your world as you're willing to share."

Sam stopped before his incessant curiosity managed to drive him even further off track than he was. His hand was halfway to his recorder, for god sake. He could do an interview later.

"But, later. What I came over to tell you is that the butler looking guy that told me what this place was also said there were threats in other worlds out to get it. But he's also kind of shifty. He wanted my help manipulating another guy into helping to combat these threats. Not you, a guy named Mikkish. But I think it's better to just be straight with one another. Since we're all from different worlds, and can't really effect one another once we get back, I don't see a point in keeping secrets or anything like that."

@Gentlemanvaultboy

"Threats?" That seemed to really catch my interest. "Hmm, Honesty in general in the best course of action, considering the confusing situations we are all in transparency is key." I nodded to the man as if I was agreeing to him before I spoke. "I've noticed there are a whole lot of strangers here."

"He didn't elaborate on the threats, just said they exist. I've already decided I'm going to fight them." Answered Sam. "Yeah though, strangers in a strange land seems to be the name of the game. But I think the fact that we're all perfect strangers means that we're safe to trust one another. After all, nobody has anything to really gain from having information on the others."

"That's why," Sam said, stepping back. "In the interest of full transparency, I'm going to show you my power. You seem like the self-assured sort that won't freak out, but just in case; a man with an owl head is about to appear. Just give me three, two, one..."

He closes his eyes as he counts down and a sort of blurry bubble seems to envelope him, rapidly expending outward until it engulfs everything before quickly fading. When Sam opens his eyes the Owlman is standing clearly in front of Fafnir, head down and arm extending in a sweeping bow toward the man. "This is my monster hunting partner, The Owlman." he explains.

@dragonmancer

@Gentlemanvaultboy

I silently stared at the monster that stood before me. My tail uncoiling from my foot and back behind me. "Owlman, eh?" I said as I studied the beast's monstrous form with its polite gesture. Id bow my head in response. "So I assume we were all chosen to fight for the sake of this manor?"

"That's the idea I'm laboring under." Sam replied as the Owlman pulled itself to full height and silently placed itself behind him. "Something like a bodies response to a disease, an automatic reaction to danger. Or maybe the Manor has a will of its own. Or this world has a master and they just haven't deigned to show themselves yet. Whatever the reason I don't plan on getting caught with my pants down if a horde of monsters decides to kick in the door."

@Gentlemanvaultboy

"A proper invitation would have been more suited for my services. Oh well." I said flatly, a rapier forming in my right hand, as my left pulled down the faceguard of my helmet. "When duty calls, as they say from my country."

Sam watched as Marlene walk off to find that Mikkish guy, slightly relieved. There was something off about that girl, and not just because she'd tried to make him abandon his wife five minutes after meeting her. This house was filled with shady characters. There was that butler, the vanishing man, whoever that Mikkish guy was...

He was struck by the fact that, despite her strangeness, Marlene was the only person here who had given her name. This was no good at all, and so as he spotted the strange guy from the porch standing off in his own little corner of the lobby he came to a decision.

"Nuts to that." He said to himself, walking over to the dragon man. "Hello?" He said, then continued under the assumption he'd gotten the mans attention. "Hi, my name is Sam. We met outside? Just thought I'd introduce myself properly. Sorry about that light out front, I thought you were something else. I'm a..." he gave the man a once over and decided on the best way to phrase this so that the other guy would most likely understand. "I'm a scholar. I write bestiaries for a living. I was hunting a monster in the woods when I wound up here. How are you holding up?"

Marlene stared at him pleasantly. "hello..how are you...." She asked in a very shy tone of voice.

"Woah, hey. Where did you guys come from?" Mikkish said to Sam and Fafnir, as he had not seen them enter.

Mikkish sipped some vodka from his bottle and wondered what the deal with Marlene was.

Wait. This was strange

What job was Blink talking about? And who were these other three? Especially the creepy owl looking guy?

"Alright, thats enough. If this is a cult you got me surrounded. Somebody do something." Mikkish said, irritated with the awkwardness of the whole situation.

@MikkishtheLeprechaun

"Cult? I hope not, I've seen enough cults to know to stay away from them." I said with a hint of joking in my voice. "My name is Fafnir." I spoke as I bowed to him, my wings barely sticking out of my cape. "You must be this Mikkish person he was talking about."

Mikkish sighed with mild relief when he heard Fafnir speak.

Must be a shape shifter mage, he thought.

"Yeah, I'm Mikkish. Maybe you can tell me what exactly is going on." He said, before realizing Fafnir implied someone else was talking about him.

"Wait...who was talking about me?"

@Gentlemanvaultboy@MikkishtheLeprechaun

I would point to sam with my tail. "Apparently we have been brought here to defend this place from evils across different worlds and universes." I'd lift my helmet's face guard to reveal my candle-like eyes, getting a better look at the two other strangers here, that being Mikkish and the girl.

"Ah shit. For real?" Mikkish said, jumping up to a standing position "This is clearly some insane ritual, you've all lost it!"

He raised a fist, and a small flame upwards from it then dissipated before burning anything. He then raised his other fist and moved his legs to take on a combat stance.

"All of you cults are the same. I always kick your asses. I'd think you'd all learn at some point..."

<Snipped quote by MikkishtheLeprechaun>

V's hand recoiled slightly in surprise when she heard the voice, her fingers curling inwards into her palm. "But of course...apologies sir." She said, turning to face the man. He had the looks of a butler, right down to the curly black mustache above his upper lip. She became even more sure of the man's profession upon seeing the key he was holding out to her. She grabbed the key, and was about to dismiss him before reading her room number: the Roman numeral for five: V. Behind her mask, V smiled, giving a low chuckle. "You know who I am, don't you?" She said.

"Indeed we do, Miss." The butler said in a happy tone "We have been expecting you, in fact."

The butler then paused, however.

"I must attend a potential catastrophe in the library. I do hope you enjoy your stay." He said, before walking off down the hall.

@MikkishtheLeprechaun

I'd raise my hand up to try and suggest for him to lower his guard. "Were not cultists, I assure you. Quiet frankly I'm just as confused as you are with all this information. From what I can gather, and well, what sam has told me, is that we have all been brought here for some purpose. Whether or not this is true, we should all get to know and start to trust each other. Like or not it seems like we will all be stuck in this manor and the woods around it."

Fascinating! Shooting fire! Fascinating!

"Mr. Mikkish, please sit down. No one intends to fight with you." Sam said, holding up his hands. "Now I see why that butler didn't want to talk with you himself. You're clearly very keyed up, but I assure you I am from another world. My name is Sam West, I'm something like a paranormal investigator. I've been asked to speak with you by another guest and have taken it upon myself to make sure everyone understands what's happening here. Is there any way that you can think of that would prove, to you, that this is a different world? Something that should be impossible? Something you know to be real that's not here? Please, just follow me on this for a moment."

Mikkish shook his head, not sitting down, but lowering his guard.

"I've heard of crossing dimensions and how people make guns with alien metal. That's not the point. Who asked you to talk to me? And why is the shapeshifter in dragon form?"

@MikkishtheLeprechaun

"Shapeshifter? this is my normal state, would you like to see me in my actual dragon form?" i asked, tilting my head down at him. A grin spread across my face as the thought of it boosted my ego.

"He never gave me his name. Tall man, black hair, dressed like a butler. He was afraid of you for some reason, so he asked me to speak on his behalf. Said that there were threats to the mansion out there in other worlds and that you could help with them. Considering that we're all currently in the mansion I saw no reason not to go along with his request."

"I'll go talk to him then." Mikkish resolved "Where is he now?"

"Last I saw he was in the hallway near the entrance, but he might not be there any more. If your going to look for him, though, then let me come with you."