Where words fail, drugs suffice!

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> The cavern smells of blood, burnt skin, acrid gunsmoke in the aftermath of the battle. With stillness, the cold starts to creep into you again almost immediately. Hoshi and Suzume lie on the ground, unconscious and badly injured. Lucia still stands in the midst of Erin's web, eyeing it with vague annoyance.
* Nadia_Chekova hugs herself against the chill bothering the multitude of little cuts and bites covering her body, looking down at Wakahisa's corpse with distaste. "A pity he was carved up so much. I imagine he'd make a lovely fur coat..."
* Yomi yanks Shishio out of the demon fox's corpse, cleans it with a flick of her wrist towards the web, and then starts heading back towards the car.
<El-Cideon> "Yomi was too angry to consider such things," Rena points out. She's burned all over, skin red in broad patches, sometimes flaking off.
<Nadia_Chekova> Seeing Rena does remind Nadia that she got off rather lucky! "Come on, Rena, I think it's time for us to go," she urges the German to follow Yomi and likewise starts to head back to the car, only pausing long enough to remove the bracelet from the fox's forepaw. "You'd better come too unless you want to live the rest of your short life here," she calls over to Lucia.
<Yomi> "Giving demons a chance based just on their words was a stupid idea after all," Yomi mutters, slumping into an empty seat.
<El-Cideon> Lucia shrugs, but picks her way through the web and walks to the car. "Not planning on killing us after all?" she asks, with some apparent skepticism.
<Erin> Erin appropriates various knicknacks from their fallen enemies. Heaving their unconscious bodies into the car is a a struggle for the mage, but heave them she does! "I despise violence, particularly when it is unecessary," she notes, dumping them unceremoniously on some of the chairs.
<Nadia_Chekova> "I think it's a bit late for Hoshi and Wakahisa... but yours and Suzume's lucky day," Nadia opines with an elegant shrug. "Well, yours maybe. Suzume may find China rather unfriendly on her own..."
<El-Cideon> Lucia snorts. "She'd get robbed or killed within an hour." It doesn't really sound like the prospect bothers her much. Just stating facts.
<Erin> "Hoshi isn't complete dead, so I suppose she could retain the services of a bodyguard, depending on her condition," replies Erin, busily setting about keeping any wounds the two have suffered from getting worse. "Anyway, that isn't our problem. We're going to go to the gate, and when they wake up, send you all out at once. After that, you can do what you want."
<El-Cideon> Lucia takes a seat in the car, watching Erin. "Hoshi's still alive? She's going to take you killing her master personal, you know. It'd save you and her both some heartache if you just put a bullet in her head now. Christ, I'm tired. Anyone have a cigarette?"
<Yomi> "I fought her seriously, but once Erin put her down, it's out of my hands." Yomi shrugs. "She'll need magical healing to use her hands right, so there's plenty to take personally on her side."
* Nadia_Chekova passes over Lucia a cigarette and lights it for her, as is appropriate for the period. "She'd never find us, anyway."
<Erin> "I suppose it would," replies Erin, holstering his pistol and heading for the control panel. "I suppose that makes me a fool, then. She's free to waste her life in futility- even if she did, the result would be the same."
* Yomi rolls her eyes. "Yes, it's not like we gave Wakahisa our contact information."
<El-Cideon> Lucia puffs on her cigarette, blows smoke in the air. "Maybe not, but she'll try whether she still has the mean to do it or not. Girl never was very bright." She looks out the window as the cavern walls flash by.
<Yomi> "Speaking of idiots, how did you three end up serving a demon like that?"
<Erin> "Was it his stunning good looks?"
<El-Cideon> "Sure helped a lot, yes."
<Yomi> "I still think you need more than that to serve as his spiritual shield."
<Erin> "Well, they were married, weren't they?" Erin presses her hands into a ledge. "It seems such a senseless waste."
<Nadia_Chekova> "That's illegal in most countries," Nadia mutters.
<El-Cideon> "Yeah, well, those other two? I think he had them hypnotized. Not magic-like, though he could do that when he wanted to. Messed them up in the head. Seen it before. You ever have that one girl in your neighborhood that marries the first man she falls for and she can never bring herself to say anything bad about him, no matter how much he abuses her, because he's the only one she's ever known? That's those two."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Makes sense," Nadia can't see any holes in that from her vantage. "Oh, well... say, Yomi? That's the sword you've been looking for all this time, right?" she changes the subject.
<El-Cideon> "Though Kurou wasn't really the marrying type. Not officially, you know?" She shrugs. Again, all of this is just observation on her part, no value judgements at all.
<Yomi> "Maybe we should bring them back after all?" Yomi suggests. "You could help them, Erin, right?" At Nadia's question, she smiles slowly. "Yes, this is the sacred blade Shishio. Who knew I'd be reunited with it in China of all places?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "May I see?" Nadia asks, shuffling over to take a closer look at the craftsmanship. The Masamune she got for Rena was very pretty, and she expects no less from Shishio!
* Yomi hardly expects Nadia to run off with it, and draws the lengthy sword from its sheath, settling it on her knees.
<Erin> "I have known a few women in abusive relationships..." replies Erin. What was the percentage of their acolytes... fifteen, twenty percent joined after some terrible upheaval in their persona lives? "I will try and speak to them later. At least, now, we've all found what we lost..."
* Nadia_Chekova takes a good look over it. "This also means we don't have to pay Sayuri to do anything!" she notes brightly. No island for her!
<Yomi> "So it does. I'll have to write something to her before we leave."
<Erin> "Oh, I don't know. If she's stuck working on a pointless task, it's still better than most of the other things she might be doing," replies Erin, eyeing Yomi's wounds. "Would you mind lying down for a moment so I can dress those cuts?"
<Yomi> "There are stab wounds, too," Yomi helpfully elaborates. "I'll probably pass out soon, so let's leave the exploration for tomorrow?"
<El-Cideon> OOC: feel free to roll Treat Injury whenever you want. DC 15 to restore an epic 1d4 HP.
<Erin> "Certainly. We will need a few days of rest to recover," notes Erin. "You should be alright after just that, correct?"
<Erin> roll 1d20+take10for16
* Hatbot --> "Erin rolls 1d20+take10for16 and gets Error: Numeric values only."12 [1d20=18]
<Erin> roll 1d4 hp
* Hatbot --> "Erin rolls 1d4 hp and gets 4."12 [1d4=4]
* Retrieving #HometownHeroes modes...
* El-Cideon changes topic to '6Yomi: 21/72, Nadia: 44/62, Erin: 40/58, Rena: 26/68 '
<Yomi> "I've guarded my vitals, at least, and didn't get maimed. Should be."
<El-Cideon> Full recovery is beyond Erin's abilities for now, but she manages to get Yomi bandaged up at least.
<Erin> The bandages are tied extra tight!
<El-Cideon> The car floats on through the darkness. Lucia doesn't seem interested in saying much without prompting, and the other two remain unconscious throughout the trip. In a matter of minutes, the car arrives at the western edge of the city, overlooking the black plain, and stops.
<Erin> "What was your story, anyway?" asks Erin, glancing towards Lucia. "I assume you have no particular attachment to these women?"
<El-Cideon> "Not really. Suzume's naive and spoiled. Hoshi's just a dog, eager to please. No point getting attached to either of them." She shrugs. "I don't have much of a story worth telling. Left home because of the war. Everyone killing everyone. Got fed up, jumped a cargo ship going anywhere. Wound up in Tokyo eventually, ran into Kurou by chance in the street." (more)
<El-Cideon> "Think he did something to my mind to get me to go home with him. Decided I didn't much care. It was peaceful there and he was a good lay." Another shrug. "Plenty of times in my life I've had less."
<Yomi> "What did he do after we left?" Yomi  asks, since it sounds like a more palatable topic to her.
<Erin> "That was it?" asks Erin, blinking. "Oh, for the- at least this seems a good reason not to sleep with random strangers," she mutters, retrieving the control key.
<El-Cideon> "Laughed a lot. Then he decided he'd better be gone for a bit in case you came back with some pointed questions after your revenge mission. How'd that go, anyway?"
<Yomi> "Changed my mind. Killing people for that reason is a bad path to find yourself on."
<El-Cideon> Lucia eyes Erin. "Yeah, well, I can tell you've never wanted for anything, so I don't imagine wanting to hide from the world would make much sense to you."
<Erin> OOC: Never *been* wanted or never wanted? >_>
<El-Cideon> OOC: the latter.
<Yomi> "To be fair, I think your reasons are stupid, too," Yomi interjects. "That aside, once Suzume regains consciousness, do you expect her to try and kill me in futility?"
<El-Cideon> "I expect her to cry a lot. After that, who knows? She's not the killing type."
<Nadia_Chekova> "She'd probably apologise profusely while making the attempt," Nadia snorts, recalling her dialogue during the fight.
<Erin> "Where you decided that, I do not know," replies Erin, rolling her eyes. "She may well become the killing type, if left near someone of the wrong mindset," she adds, glancing at Hoshi. "Ugh."
<El-Cideon> "Hoshi might bully her into trying. Doubt she'd last long on her own in China either, though."
<Yomi> "You wanted a safe out of the way spot to stay in?" Yomi asks Lucia. "In that case, how about taking her to London? Other than the sex part, it would probably be the same as your Japanese experience."
<El-Cideon> "Suzume maybe. I can put up with her if there's something good waiting for me at the end of the trip. I'm not taking Hoshi anywhere. Can't reason with her."
* Yomi snorts. "No one asked you to. Let's ship her to Japan in a crate."
<El-Cideon> Lucia barks out a short laugh. "Suits me."
<Erin> "I can have someone set you up in England, if necessary," notes Erin. "You don't mind working for a living, correct?"
<El-Cideon> "Done it before. What's the job?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Lets just ask them what they want when they wake up," Nadia suggests before people get too involved in making plans. "They'll probably want to go back to Japan anyway."
<Erin> "Interior design."
<El-Cideon> "Interi--what? You're messing with me, right?"
<Erin> "Well. It's actually handyman work. But I do prefer the pretentious titles."
<El-Cideon> "There's a surprise. I guess I'll see when I get there." She climbs out of the car, looking around. "You got some plan for hauling these two over a field of glass?"
<Erin> "I do!" replies Erin, beaming at Lucia.
* Nadia_Chekova had not planned that far ahead. Luckily Erin's around!
<El-Cideon> "One that doesn't involve me carrying them?"
<Erin> "Your work starts today!" replies Erin, hosting Hoshi up herself and slinging the girl over her shoulder.
* Nadia_Chekova is impressed with Erin's brute strength! And happy not to have to exert herself in a similar fashion.
<El-Cideon> OOC: you can probably just about carry her, but you're going to be encumbered as long as you do so.
<Erin> OOC: If it becomes an issue I can put her down
<El-Cideon> Lucia sighs and hoists up Suzume with all the care one would show to a sack of potatoes. "Let's move," she grunts. "Sooner I can dump her, the better."
<El-Cideon> OOC: moving on? Down the stairs and...across or around the plain?
<Nadia_Chekova> OOC: Around worked for us last time
<Erin> OOC: Same way we came
<El-Cideon> OOC: same direction as last time or not? There was a clear path around the north and south--okie dokie.
<El-Cideon> In darkness you walk around the field of black glass, again skirting around the edge of the waterfall, and finally reaching the platform without incident. Erin and Lucia pant with effort by the time you get there, sore from the weight on their shoulders, and a heaviness seems to settle into Nadia's bones as well since her magical boost has exhausted itself. It's a tired, bedraggled party that makes its way back to safety.
<El-Cideon> "We're not just going to pop back up there carrying these two like this, right?" Lucia asks, setting Suzume down to catch her breath. "Only, it might look strange hauling bodies through the museum."
* Nadia_Chekova wants to lie down! "Oh... I hope it's stopped raining out there..." she mutters.
<Erin> In light of the numerous injuries sustained, Erin assesses the odds of their group managing to make it back to a hotel without drawing undue attention!
<Yomi> "We can rest here for a while," Yomi suggests. "A night here won't kill us."
<El-Cideon> Rena's burned over much of her body, Yomi somewhat less so. Hoshi, while alive, is a blatant case for hospitalization.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well... we could leave Suzume and Hoshi here while we go back to our nice hotel?" Nadia posits hopefully.
<El-Cideon> "Wouldn't bother me," Lucia says. "Things live down here though."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, right," Nadia frowns, before nudging Suzume with her foot to see if that wakes her up...
<Erin> Erin doles out a couple of potions to Yomi and Rena, the last of her powerful stock of liquid care.
<El-Cideon> Suzume remains insensate.
<Yomi> roll 3d8+5
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 3d8+5 and gets 11."12 [3d8=2, 1, 3]
<El-Cideon> roll 3d8+5 Rena
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 3d8+5 Rena and gets 22."12 [3d8=5, 6, 6]
* El-Cideon changes topic to '6Yomi: 32/72, Nadia: 44/62, Erin: 40/58, Rena: 48/68 '
<El-Cideon> The magical tonic revitalizes Yomi and Rena visibly, cuts sealing themselves, burns fading away.
<Yomi> "I can take Suzume along, and even if anyone notices, I doubt they'd care about a Japanese girl in that state," Yomi offers, not mentioning Hoshi at all.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Maybe we can just pretend those two fainted or got drunk?" Nadia suggests, "Carry them up between two of us each?"
<Erin> "The rain must have been too much for their delicate bodies."
<El-Cideon> "One faint? Maybe. Two would be pushing it."
* Nadia_Chekova tries kneeling down and giving Suzume a shake!
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20 can I do untrained treat injury?
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20 can I do untrained treat injury? and gets 3."12 [1d20=3]
<Erin> "Don't do that! You'll just mess her up even more!"
<El-Cideon> Suzume's head lolls about on her shoulders. She doesn't wake up.
* Nadia_Chekova stops her efforts, chagrinned. "Well, what are we going to do with them?"
<Erin> "I know she helped try to kill us, but be a bit sensitive!" admonishes Erin. "Look, let's wake up Suzume and carry Hoshi out. It's not really in me to leave someone here unconscious when one of those beasts might get them."
<Erin> She kneels next to Suzume and manages to drip one of her weaker potions into the girl's mouth.
<Erin> *ex that
<Erin> She kneels next to Suzume and brandishes some smelling salts!
<Erin> OOC: What's the DC?
<El-Cideon> OOC: 15, I believe.
<Erin> roll 1dtaketen
* Hatbot --> "Erin rolls 1dtaketen and gets Error: Number of sides must be integer greater than 0."12
<El-Cideon> Suzume groans (delicately!) and stirs into life again. Opens her eyes, blinks them a few times. "What--" She looks around, notes the faces looking down at her. "He's--he's dead, isn't he?"
<Erin> "Yes, that is so."
<Yomi> "And you're not, despite his best efforts to take you with him," Yomi notes.
<Nadia_Chekova> He might yet make a good rug or hat or scarf to remember him by, but Nadia is not so crass as to say so. "Rather amazingly, he's the only one who did die today."
<El-Cideon> She nods, and tears immediately start flowing. "It's over, then. I--" She breaks down into sobs.
<Erin> Erin demurely kneels beside the woman, and hands her a handkerchief.
<El-Cideon> She takes it, wipes her face, blows her nose. It's a long time before she wears herself out, eyes and face red by the end of it. "At least--at least I didn't help kill anyone," she manages with a fragile smile.
<Erin> "And nobody will ever ask you to do so again," replies Erin, offering the girl a hand. "We're going to head out now. Can you walk?"
<Yomi> That's quite a healthy attitude, as far as Yomi is concerned!
<Nadia_Chekova> "Your conscience is clear in that respect," Nadia allows, getting Lucia to help her in carrying Hoshi between them, Weekend at Bernie's style.
<El-Cideon> She takes it, stands up. "I--" She chokes back a few lingering sobs. "Yes, I can. I hurt in places, but I can make it. What...what are you going to do with us?"
<Erin> "Well, that's up to you, isn't it? We can talk a bit more about that once we get to somewhere more comfortable." Having said her peace, Erin activates her magical bracelet, warping the group back to the ancient Chinese palace!
<Yomi> "Since you're free of that creep, you can start a new life somewhere. Back in Japan, in England or elsewhere. China is probably out, though."
<El-Cideon> You find yourselves back in the corner of the courtyard from which you'd left. It's still raining, though much less so than before. The sun's forcing its way through the clouds and an oppressive haze loiters in the air.
<El-Cideon> "If you've got anything to wrap her in, now's the time," Lucia says, pointing to Hoshi. The Japanese woman is very obviously injured, what with having been skewered and all.
* Yomi relinquishes her coat for that task. She'll have to buy a new one afterwards, anyway.
<Erin> When everything's done, it's time to hightail it back to the streets of Beijing, and to their nice hotel!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d100 and gets 35."12 [1d100=35]
<El-Cideon> If anything, the awful humidity outside keeps people off the streets as much as the rain did. You make your way back to your rooms without incident, though things are going to be a bit cramped with six of you there.
* Nadia_Chekova dumps her coat to the side of her bed and then goes to the bathroom to wash up thoroughly and get changed into clean clothes.
<Nadia_Chekova> She also dumps Hoshi on the little hotel chair.
<El-Cideon> Rena waits in line for the bathtub!
<El-Cideon> Hoshi drops into the chair, still quite oblivious to everything.
<Yomi> "Do you have any family back in Japan?" Yomi asks Suzume, settling tiredly in another of the chairs.
<El-Cideon> She nods, avoiding meeting anyone's eyes as she talks. "Yes, yes I do, but...but I can't go back to them now after what I've done. I'm such a shameful creature! Better they think I just disappeared..."
* Nadia_Chekova is grateful for Rena's patience and surrenders the bathroom to her after a quick wipedown, going to sit on her bed. "Can you live on your own if you get back to Japan, then?" she joins in the conversation.
<Yomi> "Have you really done more than get seduced by a demon?" Yomi can't help but wonder.
<Erin> "Well, we all have our circumstances, and what's done is done," replies Erin, frowning. "We can offer you a trip to London and a job, or just a trip to Japan, if you wish to take it. If not, then it's up to you."
<El-Cideon> "I don't know. I've never had to live on my own before. I was still living with my parents when master--when Kurou took me away." She manages to face Yomi. "But I let myself be his harlot! How could I face my parents now? What would they say?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Do they know you were whoring yourself out for him?" Nadia asks. "If they don't you certainly don't have to tell them."
<Erin> "How old were you? No, how long have you been gone?" asks Erin. "Certainly, some secrets may be better kept to yourself..."
<El-Cideon> "But won't they ask? I was gone for two years! What am I supposed to tell them?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Make something up," Nadia shrugs. "Say you were learning magic."
<Yomi> "I would like to see them fight off his manipulations, but you're right in that you can't expect fairness," Yomi agrees. "If you want to go back, why not just claim you were abducted and don't remember anything?"
<Erin> "Most parents would be thrilled to see their children after a long absence," suggests Erin. "I'm sure they'll accept anything you have to say. It's not as though they chased you off, and told you never to come back, right?"
<Erin> "Because then they would be bad parents," she adds, frowning. "And you wouldn't need to go back and see them."
<El-Cideon> "I--well, I was learning magic, too...I don't know if they would believe it, though. I could say I was kidnapped by criminals. It's...not that far from the truth, is it? Even though I could never say no to him..." She looks distant for a moment, shivers. "But he was one, wasn't he?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "He was a very bad dog," Nadia nods sagely.
<Erin> Erin rubs the back of her head. "He was a manipulator and a liar. Not only that, his honeyed words could have reached those in the highest positions. I shudder to think of what such a creature could do to his country, should he grow capricious..."
<El-Cideon> She nods, eyes on the floor again. "He played with people's minds and lives for fun. Did we cause you much trouble, sending you after your cousin?" she asks Yomi.
<Yomi> "Like we said, you don't have to return home if you don't want to. Since you get to choose, just do what you like." At Suzume's question, Yomi pauses. "I can't return to Japan and had to leave my name behind, but Elder Sister Mei turned out to have hated me all along, so at least I ended up learning that."
<El-Cideon> Another nod. "Can I think about it for a while? Do you need an answer right now?"
<Yomi> "We'll be here a few days at least. I couldn't make a decision like that on the spot either, so pressuring you here is pointless."
<El-Cideon> "Alright." She looks around more, notices Hoshi. "What are you going to do with *her*?" she says with a touch of fear.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Probably just stick her on a boat back to Japan. No one seems to think much of her," Nadia shrugs lazily, laying back on her bed.
<Erin> "Despite several fearsome warnings, I will offer her the same thing I offered you and Lucia," replies Erin, grimacing. "If she proves intractable and intemperate, well..."
<El-Cideon> "She'll go crazy," Suzume says quietly. "I'm sure of it."
<Erin> "But wasn't she manipulated, the same way you two were?" asks Erin, glancing at the woman's body. "Maybe it's hoping for a bit much, but I thought that she might give up on him if whatever magic binded her is gone."
<Yomi> "She'll need to heal her broken hands, first," Yomi notes. "Until then, she is harmless."
<El-Cideon> "He took her away from an arranged marriage she didn't desire, taught her that strength was all that mattered, that she should just take anything she wants in this world. He didn't have to use magic. He just told her things."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well, Yomi proved herself stronger than her. Maybe she'll fall in line because of that?" Nadia offers as she leans back against her pillow.
<Erin> "No, that kind of person would think that they had to improve themselves to best their conquerer," replies Erin, frowning. "She'll probably think that leaving her alive shows how weak we truly are, and justify acting against us by any means because of that."
<El-Cideon> "I don't know..." Lucia cuts in here: "My suggestion? Tie her up before she wakes, just in case."
<Yomi> "She had a fair chance of winning," Yomi finds herself admitting. "In fact, she lost directly because of that philosophy. Ranguren was not hers to seize by force!"
<Erin> "She needs a chance to recuperate, at least. I don't think she'll be going anywhere or doing anything in her state. I'll try and talk to her when she wakes up," she offers. "Ropes seem like they're a bit overboard... and if she screams, we can't exactly explain it away."
<El-Cideon> "Gag her then," Lucia adds with a shrug.
<El-Cideon> OOC: if anyone wants to get some rope and tie her, make a dex check. Otherwise, moving on now.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Lets do that," Nadia agrees, hauling herself up to get to work on binding the swordswoman.
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+3 and gets 12."12 [1d20=9]
<Erin> "I always think we're like the good guys in a novel, and then we go and do things like this," mumbles Erin.
<El-Cideon> Hoshi's tied up in place, the others subsequently settling in to sleep off their wounds...
* El-Cideon changes topic to '6Yomi: 44/72, Nadia: 55/62, Erin: 51/58, Rena: 59/68 '
<El-Cideon> Everyone feels refreshed in the morning, most visible evidence of the previous day's battle vanished by now (though Yomi in particular still feels rather sore, her magical healing not vanquishing every ache and pain). Hoshi stirs into life again just as everyone's taking their turns in the shower and getting dressed the next morning. (more)
<El-Cideon> Confusion is apparent as she shakes off her grogginess and takes in her surroundings. It quickly gives way to an expression of rage when she sees her enemies still breathing.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Hello!" Nadia appears in front of Hoshi. "Your foxy little friend bit off more than he could chew, but we don't intend to hurt you any more. If I take off that gag will you behave yourself?"
* Yomi exchanges her bathrobe for undamaged clothing to start the day with, ignoring their prisoner altogether.
<El-Cideon> She grunts. Although it is difficult to make out words in her present state, it sounds like the intent is a great deal of profanity, based on her mood and expression.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Okay..." Nadia frowns a little at that response. "How about this, then. We'll put you on the next boat to Japan if you behave yourself. If you keep this up, we'll leave you right here all alone in the middle of China. Does that help?"
<Erin> "That won't get you anywhere," notes Erin, shaking her head. "I want to deal fairly with you, so please don't make it too difficult. I suppose it can be hard to believe, given the bindings," she admits, gesturing to the ropes. "Still, please accept it as the truth. After all, you are here, and alive, instead of down there, and a corpse."
<El-Cideon> She's silent, just glaring at each of you in turn. Lucia and Suzume get the hardest looks, the latter visibly flinching in response.
<Yomi> "Being a corpse in that place is hardly the worst that could happen," Yomi notes to Erin.
<Erin> "We can start with the basics. Again, if you promise to behave yourself, we'll let you have some breakfast, and if you keep it up, then we'll send you back to Japan, as promised. Nod if you'll do that- and, yes, well, Yomi, it is still pretty bad, wouldn't you agree?"
<El-Cideon> Nothing. She just stares daggers at you in response. "Told you," Lucia sighs.
<Yomi> "Being left helpless and alone with what lives down there is likely worse. Let's just drop her off?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "We could just leave her right here and be on our way," Nadia suggests. "I'm sure she'll be fine on her own, she's a big girl."
<El-Cideon> "Sure. Why not just leave her here in the room when you check out?" Lucia says. "As long as you're not planning to come back."
<Erin> "I can just chloroform her and leave her out for a while. We won't need to leave ropes behind," confinds Erin, in a whisper. "Let me speak to her a bit before we go?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "She's all yours," Nadia gestures for Erin to go nuts.
<Yomi> "I don't care much about someone like that," Yomi agrees.
<El-Cideon> Hoshi just continues her glaring. It is an Olympic-quality glare, in fairness.
<Erin> Erin properly pulls up a chair and sits across from the woman, steepling her hands upon the table. "I've heard your late master teach you that strength is everything, and I have no doubt that you are strong," she remarks. "I think that is a terrible way to go through life, myself. You've never encountered something more powerful than yourself before, I'm supposing."
<Yomi> "This sounds like it would be boring, so want to go get breakfast?" Yomi offers to the others.
<El-Cideon> "Yes," Rena agrees. "I would like to go to a room without Hoshi in it."
<Nadia_Chekova> "I'll stick around just in case," Nadia shows her support for Erin.
<Yomi> "A room with no Hoshi in it, then!" Yomi brightly agrees, heading out.
<El-Cideon> Suzume stands by Yomi. She obviously doesn't want to stick around anyplace that has Hoshi in it either. Lucia shrugs and stays behind, apparently curious about what's going to happen.
<El-Cideon> So half the girls find a restaurant opening up for breakfast just down the street. Presumably no one objects to having noodles for breakfast. Meanwhile, upstairs, Hoshi continues her champion-quality staring.
<Erin> Frowning, Erin continues nonetheless. "The problem is that this philosophy inevitably draws one into conflict. If you're always measuring yourself by how you can influence others, then other people become simply.. well, objects, really. He inspired you to that, right? That the world is yours to play with, and that you can do what you want because nobody will stop you?"
<El-Cideon> Every now and then, Hoshi blinks.
<Erin> "It didn't have to end that way. The sword didn't need to be stolen, and you didn't need to keep it even when you learned otherwise. I think we all had a lot in common- it may surprise you. We've certainly got along well with Lucia and Suzume, even though they were our enemies just a short time ago. They're not so childish to measure themselves solely by what they can cut, or throw away their lives- lives that could be u
<Erin> lives that could be used for something better- for revenge."
<Yomi> "So you said you were studying magic on your own?" Yomi asks as they settle into the restaurant, noodles indeed being quite fine by her.
<Nadia_Chekova> "I devoted my life to revenge for a little while," Nadia butts in, no doubt unhelpfully. "It worked out quite well but I'm done with it now."
<Erin> "You could do that. I don't plan to kill you or abandon you to that pit, whatever the others say. You could throw your life into pursuing vengeance- you might even succeed. And when you do, you might realise- slowly, perhaps- that you've wasted your life for something pointless. That all you've done is bring misery to another, and to yourself as well.
<Erin> "To prove that you're strong, or something like that? Vengeance for a man that saved you, and lead you down a path of violence? Is that really worth sacrificing any happiness you could achieve? For something so pointless- oh, shut up, Nadia!"
<El-Cideon> "Well, I served at the local shrine before meeting Kurou. But it was ceremonial, not like...what I learned with him."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well... my mother was better than Wakahisa!" Nadia huffs indignantly, turning away.
<El-Cideon> Lucia snorts with apparent amusement at this display.
<Yomi> "A miko, then? I somewhat expected that. A friend of mine back... well, it's not home anymore, but you know what I mean. She's pretty good with blessings and divinations, and can work on seals too."
<El-Cideon> Suzume nods. "Yes, I learned all sorts of things of that nature. Kurou knew a lot, many lost things, as did some others in the valley. Saboru, the tengu? Kurou had him teach Hoshi to use a sword."
<Erin> "In any case, I suppose you see what I'm getting at. You can waste your life coming after us, and I may have been quite generous when I said you might succeed," she adds, frowning. "I'm sure you're going to come after us again. You already know where we are in London, I do believe. Well, I'm going to give you something to think about," she remarks, placing a sheaf of parchment on the table.
<El-Cideon> Hoshi's eyes flick down at the sheet on the table, reflexively.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 will
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+3 will and gets 19."12 [1d20=16]
* Nadia_Chekova curiously leans over for a look herself...
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+2 will
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20+2 will and gets 21."12 [1d20=19]
<Yomi> "So she wasn't trained from the start?" But that doesn't matter, and Yomi shakes her head. "I couldn't help but feel it was pointless for us to fight. At least the whole thing gained meaning, since we ended up saving you from the demon's control."
<El-Cideon> Hoshi scans the page. The contents don't seem to bother her much, her anger overpowering anything that might distract her. Nadia's eyes are opened to some arcane mysteries! But, worldly girl that she is, none of it upsets her all that badly.
<Nadia_Chekova> It would have shocked her if she was ignorant of magic, but hanging around Erin and Yomi so long opened her eyes long ago. The girl who lived with a fox-demon is surely just as aware.
<Erin> "You shouldn't look at it! It can be, um..." replies Erin, quickly withdrawing the page but not before Nadia got a glance.
<Nadia_Chekova> "What?" Nadia looks innocently at Erin. "It just looks like a summary of all the arcane things you and Yomi talk about all the time."
<El-Cideon> "Yes..." Suzume says. "I...I have to thank you for that. I don't think I could ever have been free on my own. You don't know what it was like being with him, the things he would do and say--it was like I was the only woman in the world, even though I knew he was just the same with the others."
<El-Cideon> If anything, Hoshi looks perplexed at why this is supposed to be a big deal!
<Erin> "Er... yes, well, I suppose our recent experiences have been quite something. It can force peoples eyes open to the real truth, though," admits Erin. "A lot of people would be skepticle about some bit of paper with some scribbles, but... anyway, I was hoping too much, I suppose."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Ahhh," Nadia nods her head up and down. "Well, I don't think teaching her magic will fix her broken moral compass."
<Erin> "It's not just a magical instruction! It's, you know, an actual bridge to the ether," replies Erin. "People have life-changing experiences just reading it! For the better," she adds, abruptly. "Anyway, morals or not, I do hope she can see the pointlessness in doing anything stupid from here on in." She turns away. "Even if she sticks to her guns, Yomi would easily crush her anyway," she mutters.
<Yomi> "It sounds like a possession," Yomi muses, starting on her breakfast. "And don't feel too bad. Even with my experience, knowing what he was and not being interested in him, I was still completely fooled. Even if people from your past don't understand, I can see how difficult it must have been."
<El-Cideon> "He enjoyed pretending to be one of us. He would tell everyone he met just what they wanted to hear, and laugh behind their backs when they came to ruin because of him." She shudders.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Hmmm," Nadia murmurs noncommittally, getting up and starting to gather her belongings. "So are you going to untie her, then?"
<Erin> "I'm putting her to sleep, first," replies Erin, withdrawing a soaked cloth. "This much a precaution is necessary. Honestly, the eyes tell me everything I need to know about what she's thinking."
<El-Cideon> OOC: chloroform, eh? Fort DC...17?
<Erin> OOC: I can just keep mugging her with it until she falls asleep, surely. <_<
<Erin> OOC: Where words fail, drugs suffice!
<El-Cideon> OOC: yes. But let's see how many rolls it takes anyway!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 18."12 [1d20=8]
<Yomi> "Then it's a good thing that I decided to stick to my principles rather than fight against my lot in life," Yomi muses. "If he wanted my clan to suffer ruin, it was the right choice to deny him his wishes, whatever the personal cost."
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 30."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 26."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 26."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Hatebot. Obviously it's going to happen eventually, so:
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 breakout?!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+4 breakout?! and gets 18."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> Hoshi struggles in her bindings, but eventually her eyes roll back in her head and she succumbs to the fumes, slumping unconscious in her seat.
<El-Cideon> Suzume nods. "He was hoping you would cause a great deal of trouble trying to get your sword back, only to discover they didn't have it. He was very amused at the idea."
* Nadia_Chekova shakes her head at the spectacle, now going to unbind the crazed woman and dump her on Rena's old bed, leaving her a small stack of local currency to get by on assuming it ins't pinched by the cleaning staff before Hoshi wakes up.
<Erin> Erin soon emerges from the bedroom in search of breakfast, having left Hoshi lying on the bed, ropes and gag discarded.
<Yomi> "I went through a lot of trouble, so that part is right. Why did he steal the Shishio? He had many fine blades, didn't he?"
<Erin> She soon finds a seat near Yomi and Suzume, and promptly orders a bowl of noodles. "There's no such thing as enough with that kind of man, right? Women, money, swords..."
<El-Cideon> "He needed something special, to break the spells bound in that stone structure. My magic wasn't strong enough, and he couldn't go near it...so he wanted a stronger sword so Hoshi could do it for him. He also didn't like there being other demon-slayers around."
* Yomi grimaces. "So it was used to destroy the seal here after all?"
<Erin> "But why did he wish to break them in the first place?" asks Erin, blinking. "Curiosity is one thing, but that kind of thing is dangerously reckless..."
<El-Cideon> "Here and in Japan. Kurou couldn't even get close enough to read the writing on it until the spells were broken. It made his head ache just to be within a few hundred meters."
<Yomi> "Did he tell you anything about the seals and what they were guarding?"
<El-Cideon> Lucia speaks up, taking a chair. "Same reason he did most things: to see what would happen." Suzume nods and continues. "He knew they were keeping something imprisoned somewhere. When he met the German scientist he, he had me keep him entertained so he could look at his notes. Kurou thought it would be...fun to see what it was. He is very bored with the empire. He said he wanted to give them a real challenge."
<Erin> "That thing isn't something you can fight," replies Erin, shaking her head. "Just letting it loose would probably destroy the world."
<El-Cideon> "I am not sure what it was--Kurou said the scientist didn't know either. Just that it was very old, very dangerous, and extremely angry."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Probably it got partially out in Siberia and that's what got into Elgin," Nadia opines as she slurps her noodles.
<Erin> "Whatever it was, it was sealed for a good reason. Both Kurou and the Germans are mad to have anything to do with setting it free. If they even knew half the extent.. no, I suppose they had to because of that, didn't they?"
<Yomi> "That fits with what we know," Yomi agrees. "Perhaps if enough seals go, it would be too late to do anything."
<El-Cideon> "The scientist thought it was acting through that man, yes. He wanted to try and control it, find some way to command it by searching in those otherworldy areas, convince the creature he was helping it in the meantime by breaking the seals slowly. Kurou thought it would be hilarious to break the seals on his own. The scientist would've been so surprised."
<Nadia_Chekova> "He had such a poor sense of humour," Nadia mutters.
<El-Cideon> Suzume can only nod at that.
<Yomi> "Just how many bracelets did Wakahisa have?" Yomi suddenly inquires.
<Erin> "The scientist is no longer continuing his work. The Siberian emnation that poisoned Elgin, and Ivo's understudy are the only possible threats," replies Erin, grimacing.
<Yomi> "He said he kept one and gave the rest to the Germans, so how many would it make?"
<El-Cideon> "He is not? That's good. I...didn't like him very much at all. And Kurou had three or four of them. He'd collected them over the years, never knowing where to use them until the scientist came asking for one. Kurou kept one without telling them."
<Yomi> "We should have them all, then?"
<El-Cideon> "All the ones that Kurou found. I don't know if there are more in the world."
<Erin> "I believe Justine sent the rest to us," agrees Erin. "Look, if you know this much, then I'd like to ask you to help us." She turns back to Susume and inclines her head. "Whatever that thing is, it's a clear danger to the world at large, and as long as there's a chance it might be set free..."
<El-Cideon> "I should, shouldn't I? Help to stop the awful thing I aided Kurou in attempting? I...owe you very much."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Sure, there's always room for more in our little band," Nadia gestures vaguely at the group as she dines.
<Yomi> "I'd welcome you in if that's what you want to do," Yomi adds for her part.
<El-Cideon> "Thank you all. I...I want my family to know that I'm alive, though. I think that they should know. They shouldn't have to worry and wonder forever. They may not want me to go again, but I should tell them, shouldn't I?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Family is important," Nadia nods seriously. "Do you want to visit them or just send a letter?"
<El-Cideon> "I should see them myself, I feel. I will try to explain as best I can that I need to go again afterward, but they should at least see me once."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Want to risk stopping briefly in Japan, Yomi?" Nadia asks the number one Japanese girl, "We could split up briefly if we had to - the orbs should let us stay in touch regardless."
<Erin> "That's fine," replies Erin. "There's nothing keeping you from staying in contact, even whilst abroad."
<Erin> "I wouldn't mind that myself, I must admit. I've the means to speak to the denizens of the otherworld, now. I could stand to pay another visit."
<Yomi> There are many considerations here, but first... "Do you want me there to support you?" Yomi asks Suzume.
<El-Cideon> "Kurou spent some time translating the languages he found there," Suzume adds. "He did not teach any of us...but his notes should still be at home. They might be of use, although Kurou left instructions that you were to be attacked if you returned to the valley." (more)
<El-Cideon> "I wouldn't wish to trouble you more than I already have, Yomi..."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Erin could disguise herself as him to get us in peacefully," Nadia points out. "She could even wear a foxskin coat in case any of the demons have a really good sense of smell."
<El-Cideon> "Some of them do. The oni are not very intelligent, but some others may not be fooled."
<Erin> "I'm not so sure. Some of those creatures have very unusual senses- and a few are masters of illusions, I'm sure."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well, Yomi beat up that Tengu before, I'm sure we can handle anything," Nadia asserts confidently.
<Erin> "Well, one way or the other, my surity is in doubt," she mumbles. "Still, this does beg the question; what will all the creatures there do, devoid of leadership?"
<El-Cideon> "I don't know. Saboru could keep them in line, but I don't know if he would listen to us."
* Yomi glances at Lucia. "How about going back and bringing the notes with you? That sounds like a better way to pay for your living expenses than interior design." Returning her eyes to Suzume, she shakes her head. "That's not what I asked. If it would help, I will be there."
<Erin> "We could let him alone for now, but I know some of those creatures would gladly prey on humans, if they could get away with it. They're likely too stupid to worry about the reprisal which would eventually come..."
<El-Cideon> "Dunno," Lucia says. "He kept anything important in his own room. Guards outside it are pretty literal sorts and I don't know what they'd do if I showed up there alone."
<Erin> "I don't really need his language notes, by the way," adds Erin, hastily. "My spells are enough for now, and with a bit of work I could probably piece together enough to get by without them."
<Yomi> "We could direct those reprisals by alerting one of the demon-hunting clans," Yomi suggests. "The Isayama are hardly the only ones with the ability to do something here."
<El-Cideon> Suzume, to Yomi: "But you said you couldn't go back home. What will happen to you if you return to help me?"
<Erin> "If they could keep a watch, that would be great. I don't want anyone getting eaten unecessarily."
<Yomi> "I had to leave because I was following my principles, remember? Right now, they're telling me to worry about the consequences later."
<Nadia_Chekova> "We can buy a wig for you or something as well," Nadia adds blithely.
<El-Cideon> She nods. "...Alright. I don't know how my parents will react to me appearing after all this time with a stranger. But it might be easier not to tell them everything alone."
<Yomi> "Then that's settled!"
<El-Cideon> ~