The Crossroads

On the edge where the more classic Old Cove district meets the downtown metropolis of King George City is a small hotel and bar named The Crossroads. Open seven days a week with a 24-hour bar, there is usually some sort of traffic buzzing around the location. The cars in the parking lot are varied from expensive to rusted and run down, and all look natural against the hotel's cool neutral gray coloring. A simple sign and logo stating "The Crossroads, Hotel and Bar" sits on the edge of the lot with a constant "Vacancies, visitors welcome!" board below.

The interior of the hotel is all done in hardwood with large comfortable throw rugs and warm, colorful designs - an interesting contrast to the stark gray tones of the exterior with it's gray shingles and black and white trim. At the front desk is always a cheery receptionist who is sometimes a woman, sometimes a man, depending on the day. The atmosphere is calming and inviting, and there are decorations on a coffee table that change with the seasons as well as a fireplace that's lit during the cool times. Fatebound new to town are genially offered to stay a night for free, and up to six days more if those days are accompanied by full work shifts at the hotel to cover the cost of a room.

Attached to the hotel is a bar, also done with hardwood floors, but these are scuffed from years of use. The tables are mismatched from what look like constant new picks from used furniture stores, but they all seem to go together well. There are comfortable hanging metal lights that accent the flare of the old tables with a touch of modern atmosphere to it - it seems to be decorated with intent. The bar is also split into two sections by a large sound-proof remove-able wall - a front and a back that requires VIP access. The back is not visible from the windows of the bar.

Those who are familiar with the place know it as the Waypoint, a spot where all new members of a Domain are required to sign in, and where visitors must make themselves known. The bar, however, is not exclusive to the Fatebound. Humans are often seen in the front (although they are not allowed in the back without a Fatebound escort who has signed a waiver for them) and Fatebound bring them there to talk or, in many cases, hopefully carefully bring them into the culture of their world.

Pure Fae are also welcome at the Waypoint, if they are able to make it there after the escape from Tir Na Nog. Like the Fatebound, they can enter discreetly through back entrance and mingle with those that reside there under the rules of the Waypoint. It is rare for a Pure Fae to appear at The Crossroad, and when they do, it is almost always due to them seeking help in finding a mortal fate thread to bond themselves to so they may stay on the surface.

Abigail, a pale, dark haired, red-mouthed Siren frequently tends the back bar with a friendly smile and the offer of a free drink and a meal to newcomers to make them welcome. As the owner and Hearthtender, she manages the location with languid efficiency and a gentle buffer against the Seelie and Unseelie who mingle there. She leaves the iron fists to her bouncers.

In both the back and the front, there are darts and pool tables for those who wish to challenge companion and nemesis alike to a "friendly" game of skill. There is a book shelf full of board and card games for those not interested in the more physical sports, and the bartender is known to turn a blind eye when stakes are raised and the gambling begins. Finally, once a week every week, the removable wall is pulled back and the two sections are opened for a free-for-all karaoke night. On these nights, the lighting is turned down to a very personal level and the Aether in the air runs as thick as a casino's cigarette smoke.

Fatebound of any age are welcome in the back area of the bar, as a Fae in a teenager's body may be thousands of years old while the fate she's merged with is only sixteen. In fact, discrimination of any Fatebound is strictly not tolerated and is listed on "Abigail's Rules for The Crossroads" on the wall next to the book shelf filled with board games.