It should, by all accounts, have been a dull night for working the lobby of the Oasis Inn.
Things had started out that way, at least. Some tourists and travelers had stopped by around dinnertime asking about food recommendations, and a few stragglers had made some hasty last-minute reservations, but activity around the front desk had all but ceased before midnight. Not that that was surprising; it was the off-season, and the weather was excellent besides, providing an incentive for those few that had come all the way to Wilt'no to camp out in their tents.
So, in all honesty, the stranger that showed up at about 2:45 in the morning really had no business being there. But there they were.
At first, it was easy to believe that the newcomer was a human or human-form animal. Two arms, two legs, a rounded head that sat on top of a somewhat rectangular torso, bipedal stance – that was your basic human appearance, for sure. As they stood under the gentle light of the lobby, however, smaller, stranger details began to stand out, proving once again that looks could be deceiving.
The hands that poked out from the stranger's flowing sleeves, while otherwise capable of belonging to a human with a light brown complexion, had short, pale claws. A pair of what could only be described as insect antennae poked out of their dark hair, bent forward attentively.
And then there was the mask.
Humans wearing masks was not unheard of, but even the most face-covering of human masks had eyeholes. Not so with this one. It was completely solid and flat, with the facial features – only two large circles for eyes and a small half-loop for a mouth – painted on in black. How could this person even function with such a mask...?
"Hello, person! I am looking for someone named Safi; do you know where I might find her? OuO"
...Yes, they really did just say "majuscule oh-minuscule yoo-majuscule oh" out loud. From behind a mask with no mouth opening.
What a night this would be.