Revolutionary Girl Yomi

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> After extricating Suzume from her parents' embrace (prompting yet more tears from the young miko) and seeing to Erin's investigations around Fuji, the group exits Japan and bids farewell to the far east. It's a relatively short sea voyage over to Vladivostock on the mainland. (more)
<El-Cideon> This is the eastmost teminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which crosses almost all of Russia and is likely the cheapest and fastest means of doing so, short of flying. You've got about a week on the train to look forward to, it seems like. The sleeper cars have some individual compartments of four berths each, if you want some privacy; otherwise you'll sleep in long rows of bunks with a couple dozen other passengers.
* Nadia_Chekova totally does want privacy, and considering the cheapness compared to their usual airfare she has no problems paying for a compartment. "Do we want one compartment with two of us doubling up, or shall get two and go two and three to a compartment?"
<Erin> Erin much prefers the opportunity to sleep alone, away from the teeming mass of humanity. How can one concentrate on memorizing spells with all those other people snoring everywhere? "Let's get two compartments?"
<Yomi> "Either way's fine by me," Yomi responds.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Okay. Rena and I can share one and you three can have the other?" Nadia offers, seeing as she's the only one who doesn't tend to get disturbed by the German's typical conversation. With that, she goes to put the rusty language of her mother to use in buying their tickets.
<El-Cideon> "That would be fine," Rena says. "I have not learned Russian, so I should have someone around to speak for me if needed."
<Erin> "Sure. Well, maybe Nadia can teach you," suggests Erin, brightly. "Is it a difficult language?"
<Yomi> "You could have your chance here," Yomi muses. "It's a week-long train ride, so you'll have plenty of time?"
<El-Cideon> "I will consider it if I grow bored of looking out the window."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Don't worry, I'll tell everyone that you're all revolutionaries from your home countries who want to learn from the Motherland's example," Nadia flashes a smile as she turns back. "And it's not so hard, but I learned it as a baby so it's difficult to say how easy it is to learn normally."
<Yomi> "It seemed easy enough when you taught me back in Europe," Yomi reminisces. "I always believed it would come in handy!"
<El-Cideon> "You must be a good liar," Suzume says. "Oh! I mean, for our sakes. Everything I hear suggests the communists do not like us much," she gestures to Yomi and herself.
<Yomi> "I can't say that's much of a change from, oh, the rest of the world."
<Erin> "Well, you could wear heavy coats and those large hats. We'll probably have to anyway..."
<El-Cideon> Rena nods in agreement. "Many people we meet do not like us. Some of them are not alive anymore."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well there you go," Nadia nods cheerfully. "We can practice some to pass the time - although during the day there's no reason all five of us can't stay in the same compartment." To Suzume, "Yes, I remember something in the papers a few months ago about a skirmish near Mongolia?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "No matter! I remember seeing 'Revolutionary brigades' in Monaco from time to time. Their members seemed to get a lot of support from Russia, so pretending we're like them should make life easier for us here."
<El-Cideon> "Well, yes," Suzume admits. "We don't like the communists much either..."
<Yomi> "I can be revolutionary," Yomi agrees here. "Rena, if you get bored watching the world outside the window, come visit and we can be revolutionary together!"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Just pretend you do!" Nadia suggests before finally departing to buy their tickets.
<Erin> "How do these revolutionaries actually behave?" asks Erin, uncertainly. "Vandalism? Bawdy marching songs?"
* Yomi thinks about the question a bit. "I think you need to look sophisticated and passionate."
<El-Cideon> "Revolutionaries are very committed," Suzume agrees. "You should be totally sure of everything you say, or at least seem like you are."
<Erin> "It's the action and appearance more than the content, you think?"
<Yomi> "If anyone suspects them, accuse them of a lack of revolutionary zeal," Yomi adds instantly. "Don't forget this part, it is very important."
<El-Cideon> The tickets are fairly cheap, five berths costing you much less than your average airfare.
<Erin> "Ah, my father used to do something like that with his drinking friends," replies Erin, nodding. "He didn't have many friends by the time I left."
* Nadia_Chekova returns promptly with tickets and hands them out. "Everyone ready for a trip through scenic and balmy Siberia, then?"
<Erin> "Certainly. How long will the train trip take, do you think?" she wonders, considering their destination.
<Yomi> "Wasn't it a week?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Probably depend on the weather, too," Nadia notes. "I heard it sometimes has to stop while snowdrifts are cleared ahead."
<El-Cideon> Soon enough the whistle blows and passengers pile on. the sleeping compartments are plain, but they seem comfortable enough. Two benches facing each other (both are turned into beds overnight, you're told, with another pair of bunks folding out from the walls) with a window between them. A few cars down, there's a dining car and a lounge of sorts (despite the famous socialist disdain for luxury--apparently some allowances have been made for the frequently international passengers on this train). (more)
<El-Cideon> The train is fairly packed and the authorities impose on Nadia to give up one of the empty berths in her compartment for a fellow traveler. It's a striking blond woman dressed in a long, fur-lined coat. Sharp and fashionable, though not too luxurious.
* Nadia_Chekova likewise has a nice fluffy fur coat she picked up in Vladivostock to get her through the harsh Siberian weather, and has encouraged her comrades to do the same. While somewhat annoyed at having her compartment intruded on, she decides it'd be futile to protest and so tries to make the best of things.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Hello. Are you travelling all the way to Moscow as well?" she asks in Russian to make some conversation and feel out the person she'll be sleeping in the same room with for the next week.
<El-Cideon> "I'm afraid so, yes," she says, stowing a suitcase and a trunk under her seat. Her Russian's competent but she has a notable accent. It's a little hard to place since you haven't heard all that many foreigners speaking Russian.
<Yomi> Since her own coat was ruined beyond repair in Beijing, Yomi has gotten a comfortable replacement for herself, along with a hat that would help conceal her features from a distance should she need that. "Now that we're on the train, I think I'm beginning to understand Rena's worries," she admits, claiming a seat by the window. "Did either of you thought of how we could pass the time?"
<El-Cideon> "Did anyone bring anything to read?" Suzume suggests. "Surely Erin has books?"
<Yomi> "I'm sorry, I should have qualified my words. I was referring to some fun way to pass the time."
<El-Cideon> "What's wrong with reading books? They can be informative, or, or just sometimes transport you to another world. ...Although I suppose that means very little to someone who's been to one."
<Yomi> "It's more that I caught a glimpse of Erin's books once." Yomi grimaces. "Once was enough."
<Nadia_Chekova> "I'm Nadia and this is Rena," Nadia offers by ways of introduction. "She's from Germany and doesn't speak Russian, though. She does know English, Japanese, and Arabic, in case you speak any of those,"
<El-Cideon> "What's wrong with Erin's books?" she asks, looking to the Irishwoman.
<Yomi> "Their true horror should be discovered in person, I see," Yomi says sadly.
<Erin> "Eh?" asks Erin, peering up from a heavy-looking tome of countless pages, and impressive wooden covers. "Sorry, I was reading?"
<El-Cideon> "Ah, English, please," the woman says, in English with an obvious American accent. "I took a crash course in Russian before coming here and I should be glad for the chance to practice, but it is good to hear one's mother tongue, isn't it? I'm Whitney." She smiles and leans over to shake hands.
<El-Cideon> "See?" Suzume says to Yomi. "Erin finds them very engrossing."
* Yomi moves a bit further from Erin.
* Nadia_Chekova shakes Whitney's hand in a friendly enough manner. "What brings you to Russia?" she asks in English. "Visiting family? Studying up on Communism? Just seeing the sights?"
<Erin> "Oh, well, this is a partial translation of the abridged Necronomicon. I thought, since we were dealing with ghosts and such, it might be worth studying them. I've heard that everyone who reads the book is cursed, haha, but who believes that rot?"
<Yomi> "Yes, whoever would believe in curses after meeting fair Justine," Yomi deadpans.
<Erin> "Well, that's different! That was a book of curses!"
<Erin> "This material isn't even remotely similar."
<El-Cideon> "What is it, then?" Suzume asks. "Necronomicon?"
<Yomi> "Neither was about the supernatural or anything of the kind," Yomi agrees with a nod. "I'm glad we settled this."
<Erin> "The supernatural is a rather broad field, similar to 'science' or 'history'," replies Erin, frowning. "Oh, it's an ancient book of necromancy. I have some lighter reading with me, of course! Usually I'll take my time studying while the others are out, playing with swords and such."
<El-Cideon> "Visiting family? In a manner of speaking. Hunting a wayward sister. She was so enamored of socialism that she decided to go experience it firsthand. We haven't heard anything from her since."
* Yomi catches Suzume's eyes as she says clearly, "Erin is reading a book about necromancy for fun. Do you want to borrow fun books from Erin?"
<El-Cideon> "Necromancy? Well...I suppose it's good to have a hobby," Suzume says. "I, um, I don't know if I want *that* book..."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Ahh," Nadia nods sympathetically. "I hope you find her safe. Do you have any ideas of where to start looking?"
<Erin> "You're being needlessly dramatic, aren't you? This is our lives at stake, here," replies Erin, closing the book with a frown. "Certainly, I take satisfaction in my work, but it's hardly 'just for fun', as you put it."
<Yomi> "A bit," Yomi admits with a grin. "That's what you get for being so engrossed in a creepy cursed book about zombies! Want to head over to the dining car and get a snack?"
<El-Cideon> "I just know to start in Moscow. I have a street address where she was supposed to be boarding. That's enough of a lead to begin with, I think. But I don't want to depress the both of you with my problems. What brings you here? Oh, and you may wish to take some care in advertising your friend's nationality. Germans aren't very popular here these days."
<El-Cideon> "Er, yes, sure," Suzume says, giving Erin some awkward glances as she stands up.
<Erin> "That's what I get for it," mutters Erin, shaking her head and dropping the book back on her bed. "A drink sounds nice, I say."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, don't worry about Rena," Nadia smiles blithely, "She's a budding revolutionary come to gain moral strength in the Motherland for the impending battle against the fascists." Considering all the nazis they've fought, it could even be considered somewhat true! That said, her mischevious smile shows her words aren't truly serious.
<El-Cideon> "Is that so?" Whitney says, with a raised eyebrow.
<El-Cideon> Rena looks at Nadia for a moment, then turns to the other woman. "Yes. I love communism," she says with a straight face. But then, Rena rarely changes her expression.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Why else would a German come to Russia?" Nadia asks innocently, before beaming an approving smile at Rena's dedication to her role.
<El-Cideon> The dining car is only lightly populated at this point. The journey's only just begun, after all, and it's still morning. There are a few passengers around for drinks and breakfast, however, scattered around the small tables. The only one that stands out is at the far end of the car, a rather dashing blond man toying with a violin.
<El-Cideon> "Nadia, should I actually know more about communism if I am supposed to lie about it?" Rena asks. "I don't really know much about it at all. Everyone at home just said it was a godless horror. I don't see what's so wrong about not having a god, though."
<El-Cideon> Whitney laughs at this. "You have a strange way with words, Rena."
<Yomi> A drink is what she's there for, though they could get breakfast if Erin or Suzume are hungry. It doesn't seem like securing a small table for themselves would be an issue, and Yomi heads to take a seat and place the wrapped-up Shihio down.
<Erin> Erin appropriates some early morning wine to go with her breakfast, in order to start easing into the Russian spirit. "Well, then, what shall we talk about?" she asks, innocently.
<El-Cideon> "Well, you could tell me more about all these mysterious things you go around the world doing," Suzume suggests. "Since I'm going to be helping you with them."
<Erin> "Well, it's not really that mysterious," replies Erin. "At least, we're not. Are we mysterious people? I think we're quite candid, honestly."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well... it mostly means that everything is shared. For the common good," Nadia begins to explain. "The upper classes; people like Doctor Ivo - oppress the proletariat; people like us. So we have a big revolution to get rid of the bad people like him and take all their nice things for ourselves."
<El-Cideon> "Well, you are, yes. Unusual would have been a better word," Suzume says.
<Yomi> "You are sometimes a mystery to me," Yomi agrees. "As for going around the world? I guess I can talk about that. We arrive at some new country, and people treat me with suspicion at best, and as a sort of slave if not. Then we discover a sordid, nefarious plot brewing behind the scenes and we save who we can. It's actually very satisfying in the end."
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15 and gets 31."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> "I don't see what's wrong with that," Rena says. "Getting rid of bad people is what we do, isn't it?"
<Erin> "Well, it's not... actually, it's exactly like that. Originally, some of our belongings were stolen, and we went travelling in the first place to get them back. Very important things, including a book. We just incidentally stumble across these plots along the way..."
<El-Cideon> OOC: feel free to make a spot check here if you want, Nadia
<Nadia_Chekova> "Just keep that in mind if anyone asks you what you think about Communism and you'll be fine," Nadia suggests to Rena, not wanting to pollute her mind with counter-revolutionary ideals that she might bluntly espouse before the KGB.
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Nadia_Chekova rolls 1d20 and gets 18."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> Rena nods. "I should simply tell them what they want to hear, shouldn't I? From what you have told me, this frequently works with men."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Exactly!" Nadia beams proudly, before turning to Whitney. "So, is this your first time out of America, Whitney? Or have you travelled before?"
<El-Cideon> "Like Kurou stole Yomi's sword," Suzume says. "Did he steal from you too, Erin, or was it someone else?"
<Yomi> "It was actually more complicated than that," Yomi muses, thinking back. "The sword was taken from me, and then a possessed Brit took it by force. It was afterwards that he gave it to Wakahisa, but not before making me chase him all the way to South Africa by way of the Middle East. Strange how things turn out, isn't it?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I've spent a fair amount of time in Europe," Whitney says. "Mostly for pleasure, the scenic spots in France, Italy, that sort of thing."
<Erin> "Dr. Ivo and Elgin were behind the thefts, ultimately," replies Erin. "They stole from me, too, but they weren't really interested in either the book or the sword, save that they were religious relics. It ended up in Ivo's office, actually. Well, we all have our things back, now, but when we found out why they were doing it, well, we couldn't just stop."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Ahh. Ever been to Monaco? That's where I grew up," Nadia asks curiously.
<El-Cideon> "It sounds like you've been everywhere," Suzume says, sounding impressed. "I had not left Japan until Kurou took me to China. Although he planned to bring us to many other places, and would have if you hadn't stopped him...It is good to travelling with conscientious people now, I think."
<Yomi> "There is that, and there is how I only got the sword back just recently, and have to find some new home now. I might as well travel a bit before I settle down again, right? I'm sure we'll see all sorts of interesting places together!"
<El-Cideon> "Ah, I thought I heard traces of a French accent," Whitney says. "Monaco? I've been there. Lovely place. A friend brought me along once, looking for a rich husband. Good hunting grounds for that if it's your interest," she adds, rather dismissively.
<Erin> "There's always something new to see in this life!" agrees Erin. "How can you know where you want to be without getting a good look around?"
<El-Cideon> "It is one good thing to come from all the disturbances in my life," Suzume admits. "I might not have ever left my hometown otherwise."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Most men there aren't looking for wives, just some fun on the side," Nadia notes, not judging at all. "Where in America are you from?"
<Erin> "It's unfortunate that even though we have all these planes and boats, a lot of people do decide to stick around. The cost can be prohibitive... ah, well. Let's fill you in a bit about what we're off to do, here in Russia," suggests Erin.
<Yomi> "There's really a shortage of options in Japan unless you're very exceptional, solely based on your gender," Yomi agrees with a sigh. "And even then, far too often."
<El-Cideon> "Well, being the mistress of a rich man is enough for some women," she adds. "And San Francisco. Rugged pioneer stock, you know? So this little journey should be nothing for me."
<Yomi> "You already know about some of it, but that part is better left for another time," Yomi comments, thinking of the meteorite impact site in Tunguska.
<El-Cideon> Suzume nods. "Hoshi, well, she was often very upset about people expecting her to be certain ways just because she was a woman."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, I did like those Western radio dramas when I was younger," Nadia smiles. "Doc Holliday, Billy the Kidd, Zorro!" she rattles off a few famous names. "When men were men, right?"
<Erin> "If only she'd been to London. She could've been one of the flappers."
<Yomi> "I somehow doubt it would have brought her further along the path of a swordswoman."
<El-Cideon> Whitney laughs. "Yes, I know just what you mean."
<El-Cideon> "Weren't men always men?" Rena wonders. "What else would they be? If they were not men, they would be women."
<Erin> "I don't know. I'm sure they'd have found her sword quite chic, down at the clubs."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well, more rugged and 'manly' men than most of the kind you see today," Nadia explains for Rena's benefit. "Pistols at high noon, tavern brawls, hard drinking and hard loving! Very macho!"
<Yomi> "Somehow, not sure it would have the same appeal." Yomi shrugs. "Wouldn't for me, at least."
<El-Cideon> With some prompting from fellow passengers, the man at the far end of the dining car has produced a bow and begun working at his violin, producing a delicate string of notes.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I see," Rena says with a nod. "Then I agree. Those are the best sort of men, aren't they? Especially the hard loving part."
<Erin> "Well, maybe she could've used another outlet for her frustrations than her swordplay. I guess we'll never know."
<El-Cideon> Again, Rena's words only provoke laughter from Whitney, bright and clear.
<Yomi> "We might if she chases me down to London."
* Nadia_Chekova laughs. "Now you get it," she nods approvingly to Rena. "You'd make a good burlesque girl in one of those old taverns, you know. The men would all fight for your favour."
<El-Cideon> "I don't think she ever would have stopped being frustrated as long as she had to share Kurou," Suzume says. "I hope we do not actually see her again. She didn't like the rest of us very much at all."
<Erin> "Perhaps if you defeat her enough times, she'll find a new hobby."
<El-Cideon> "I would rather we didn't have to!" Suzume protests. "I don't like hurting other people."
<El-Cideon> "And then I could choose the best one," Rena concludes. "We should go to such a place sometime. It sounds fun."
<Yomi> "I have a decent enough chance of that, all things being equal," Yomi says, adding for Suzume's benefit, "Don't worry, I haven't taken a single human life, and I'll keep it that way."
<Erin> "It's unpleasant business," admits Erin. "When it comes down to a choice between stopping one to save many, though..."
<El-Cideon> The violinist gets into full swing now, a veritable storm of notes tumbling from the instrument.
<Erin> "Or even just yourself," she adds, frowning.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15 and gets 35."12 [1d20=20]
<Nadia_Chekova> "Sadly such places have been consigned to history... I think, anyway," Nadia turns to Whitney. "No places you know of back home that still fit the bill, no?"
<Yomi> "Who knows how they'll behave in such a situation? I guess we'll have to wait and see, and train so it doesn't come to pass."
<El-Cideon> It's an astonishing performance, truly! You could only hope to hear something as inspired coming from the lead violinist of a national symphony orchestra. Aside from your table, most of the dining car's passengers go silent in rapt attention until it's concluded and they applaud.
<Erin> "He wasn't bad, was he?" remarks Erin, blinking and glancing at the violinist.
* Yomi joins the applause, even if she personally doesn't take an interest in such music.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I might know a few places here and there where such a breed of man hasn't entirely died out," Whitney says. "No place a respectable lady would let herself be seen, but well, is it really so much fun being respectable?" She grins.
<El-Cideon> "It was a very impressive performance," Suzume agrees. A handful of passengers crowd around the man to congratulate him.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20 and gets 2."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> One particular female passenger practically throws herself at him, and it's only with great care that he doesn't drop the violin in apparent surprise. He manages to extricate himself briefly enough to stow his violin in its case, at which point he strolls down the dining car arm in arm with the girl.
<Nadia_Chekova> "It sometimes has its advantages, but no I'd never call it fun by any stretch," Nadia shakes her head. "Perhaps after we're done in Russia we can find some excuse to visit the United States... all in the name of exporting the Revolution, of course," she coughs knowingly.
<Erin> "I had a vision. A vision of that girl being Rena."
<Yomi> "I had a vision, too," Yomi says quietly. "A vision of that man being like Wakahisa. Let's become fans, shall we?"
<El-Cideon> "Of course," Whitney agrees with a knowing nod.
<El-Cideon> "What?" Suzume looks up as he passes by, almost fearfully.
<Yomi> "Due to recent events I no longer tend to believe the best of anyone not human," Yomi states, standing up. "Even if it might lead to a scene."
<Erin> "He's- oh, come on!" mutters Erin, standing up herself.
<Erin> She discreetly mutters a spell under her lips, ready to spot any magic in effect!
<Nadia_Chekova> "So, what do you do when you're not travelling the world, Whitney?" Nadia continues to make small talk with the American.
* Yomi makes to follow the talented musician. Stopping him from leaving the dining car where so many potential victims remain is a bad idea, so she decides to follow him to his destination instead for the time being.
<El-Cideon> The man barely takes note of you as he walks along. Unless you're going to stand right in his path, that is, he continues right on out of the car with his new best friend, heading towards the sleeping compartments.
<Yomi> That's where Yomi is headed as well, trailing him.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, well, more or less whatever I wish to do, honestly. The benefit of largesse on behalf of parents who know not what else to do with their fortune than lavish it upon their children. Why my sister should be so taken with forsaking all of it is quite beyond me."
<Erin> "Ah, the violin's enchanted the girl. I see. Of course," mutters Erin. "If you break it, it might snap the ensorcelment. I've got a plan. Want to hear it?"
<Yomi> "Go on," Yomi agrees just as quietly, not letting the violinist out of her sight.
<El-Cideon> He's not paying much attention to anyone but the girl on his arm. He walks to the end of a sleeping car with her and opens the door to a compartment.
<Erin> "They'll go into a bedroom, probably," replies Erin. "You've got one of those disguise tattoos, right? If you activate it, and look like something other than yourself, I could turn you to mist. Then you could sort of just sneak inside, and do whatever needs doing to him in there, under a different guise." (More)
<Nadia_Chekova> "Don't all children go through a rebellious phase?" Nadia suggests. "What business are your parents in?"
<Erin> "Once you're in the room people might not notice an altercation until it's finished. Then you can get out, drop the disguise, and nobody will know it was you."
<El-Cideon> "I agree with this plan," Suzume says, quietly but with some force. "Women shouldn't just be taken advantage of like that!"
<Yomi> "Do you really think he would do anything with the girl if the room had others in it?" Yomi asks, scanning the insides in case the violinist had likewise friends.
<El-Cideon> "Local railroad magnates," Whitney says. "When you control transportation, well, money rains on you even in the worst of times. I haven't much interest in the family business, myself."
<Erin> "If you just go and forcibly stop him, we'll get thrown off the train, and if you force the door open, you won't be able to surprise him," replies Erin, pointedly. "Some deception is necessary, right?"
<Yomi> "No time to consider it properly, so let's go with that," Yomi agrees, drawing the Shishio as her features shift to the cold mask the possessed Elgin wore each time they had encountered him. "Go for it."
<El-Cideon> Momentarily, a couple other passengers exit the violinist's chosen compartment and shuffle off in the direction of the lounge car. The door closes.
<Erin> Erin taps Yomi on the shoulder, abruptly dissolving the swordswoman into a hazy patch of transparent mist.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Having so much money, it would surely be easy for your family to hire a private investigator to seek out your sister. It's brave of you to come here searching for her by yourself," Nadia compliments.
<Yomi> Not having had much of a chance to adjust to this form, Yomi doesn't think of anything unnecessary but getting into the compartment and dispensing justice!
<Erin> "He also has something in his pocket. I don't know what," mutters Erin, backing off a step.
<El-Cideon> "I'd rather talk her out of her foolishness myself," Whitney says. "Would she be as inclined to listen to a hireling? I doubt it. Besides, I can take care of myself."
<El-Cideon> Yomi finds being insubstantial...awkward. It takes her a moment to get used to being a swarm of vapor, floating around instead of walking, but once she does she finds it's easy enough to seep under the door and into the compartment. She finds the two already deeply engaged in kissing each other, but it's hard to ignore a mobile cloud creeping into your form! The girl pulls away from her paramour with a yelp, pointing at Yomi. (more)
* Nadia_Chekova nods. "And that's what's commendable. Many others born into such an easy life would be utterly at a loss out here so far from the nest."
<El-Cideon> "Is the train on fire?" she wonders fearfully.
<Erin> With Yomi inside the cabin properly, Erin releases the spell keeping her in a cloudy form and decides to let her get about her business!
<El-Cideon> Whitney nods."Well, you have to understand that growing up amongst the rich, surrounded by predators and parasites, does teach one to recognize those who wish to take advantage of you. It's just a matter of keeping your eyes open at all times."
<El-Cideon> Yomi snaps back into her material form. The man seems less surprised at the transformation, more annoyed at the intrusion. "Excuse me? This is NOT your car, in case you hadn't noticed."
<Yomi> The Shishio glowing an ominous scarlet, Yomi in her Elgin guise doesn't react to the violinist as she brings her lengthy blade down upon his discarded tool of the trade!
<Yomi> roll 1d20+15 sunder, 5pa
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20+15 sunder, 5pa and gets 32."12 [1d20=17]
<Erin> "Let's make ourselves scarce," notes Erin, deciding to head away from the melee about to ensue.
<Yomi> roll 2d6+20
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 2d6+20 and gets 24."12 [2d6=1, 3]
<Nadia_Chekova> As one such predator, Nadia wonders if she should be offended. But she decides not to be, because she doesn't particularly plan to rob her bunkmate. "That does make sense," she nods. "Fools are easily parted from their money, after all, so those who retain it mustn't be foolish."
<Yomi> "Pathetic," she says in a low, dead voice that may well suit the face she is wearing to those who would not know Elgin.
<El-Cideon> With a *twang* of breaking strings, the violin is severed neatly in two, case and all. Wood chips fly, pieces fall to the floor. "You...do you KNOW what you've done?!" the man fumes. "That was a Stradivarius. Worth more than your life! You ingrate!" He pounds the wall with a fist, and draws a knife. "Leave my compartment. Now!" (more)
<El-Cideon> The girl almost screams in shock as Yomi bares her weapon, but as soon as the violin breaks she's overtaken by an expression of confusion instead. She blinks, looks around. "What was I...?"
<El-Cideon> "Exactly," Whitney says. "Although it's really just a commodity to me, it doesn't do to let people think they can just walk over you."
<Yomi> Just like a demon. Such a sense of entitlement-- Yomi shakes those thoughts off, as well as any desire to snap at the vile thing. The violin and it spell are broken, yet the demon still acts as she would expect; therefore, no doubt exists in her mind about his culpability. Without delay, Yomi shows the demon that brought a knife to a sword fight the error of his ways!
<Yomi> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20+1 and gets 21."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 violinist
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+4 violinist and gets 8."12 [1d20=4]
* El-Cideon changes topic to '6Yomi: 72/72, Nadia: 62/62, Erin: 58/58, Rena: 57/68 Yomi > supernatural violinist'
<El-Cideon> OOC: go ahead, Yomi.
<Yomi> A straight thrust seeks to impale the demon through the neck, and then she tears it violently sideways through the jugular. Without letting him a chance to recover, Yomi then directs a slash to his knife-holding hand to separate it at the wrist!
<Yomi> roll 1d20+15 1pa
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20+15 1pa and gets 34."12 [1d20=19]
<Yomi> roll 1d20+15 1pa surge
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20+15 1pa surge and gets 18."12 [1d20=3]
<Yomi> roll 2d6 die
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 2d6 die and gets 7."12 [2d6=5, 2]
<Yomi> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20+10 and gets 27."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> OOC: all hit, roll to confirm crit?
<Yomi> roll 1d20+15 crit?
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 1d20+15 crit? and gets 22."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> OOC: yes.
<Yomi> roll 8d6+48+1d10
* Hatbot --> "Yomi rolls 8d6+48+1d10 and gets 84."12 [8d6=2, 1, 6, 5, 6, 1, 6, 1][1d10=8]
* El-Cideon changes topic to '6Yomi: 72/72, Nadia: 62/62, Erin: 58/58, Rena: 57/68'
<El-Cideon> Yomi's assault tears the man to pieces, blood pouring from the savage rent in his neck and the arteries of his severed hand. He tumbles to the floor, lifeless almost instantly. His would-be paramour screams in horror as she's drenched red from the nearby carnage.
* Yomi dismisses the rescued girl altogether as she flicks her sword to clean it and then escapes the cabin through the window!
<El-Cideon> Even in the next car, Nadia and her companions can hear a terrified scream from somewhere further up the train!
* Nadia_Chekova starts at that noise. "What in the world?" she stands up and opens the door, peeking out. She has a bad feeling her companions who *should* be in the next compartment are involved...
<El-Cideon> Nadia sees everyone else in her car doing the same, doors opening down the hall and startled faces peering out.
<Nadia_Chekova> Is anyone peeking out of Erin and Yomi and Suzume's door?
<El-Cideon> "My word, what was that?" Whitney says, standing up in surprise.
<El-Cideon> Nope!
<Nadia_Chekova> "I don't know... it sounded like someone died." Nadia does what any good gawker would do and leaves the compartment in order to head up the carriage towards where the scream came from.
<El-Cideon> Yomi finds herself alone on the roof of the car, wind streaming through her air as the train speeds along. It's a nice sunny day.
<Erin> Erin and Suzume are somewhere towards the back of a growing crowd in the dining room. The irishwoman, at least, seems to be downing wine straight from a bottle while everyone else is distracted.
<El-Cideon> Nadia sees a terrified young woman covered in blood leaning against the wall in the corridor, staring at nothing in particular and whimpering.
* Yomi doesn't dawdle, making her way to the car she's staying at for the rest of the trip. With her sword sheathed once more and the disguise dropped, it shouldn't be too difficult to use a similar method to sneak into her own compartment, following Erin's plan.
* Nadia_Chekova approaches the blood-stained woman since no one else seems to care to do so. "What happened?" she asks, carefully reaching towards her. "Where is the guard?"
<El-Cideon> In the dining car, a man starts to shove his way through the crowd. He's dressed in a long, gray coat with Soviet insignia at his lapels, and brusquely pushes people aside while shouting at them. Several armed men follow in his wake. He's making his way into the sleeper car where the murder occurred now.
<El-Cideon> The girl looks up at Nadia. She looks, above all, lost. "I was...I don't know...I was just there and...oh, he cut him to pieces! It...it was..." She sobs.
<Erin> It seems like a good idea to get out of the way, and Erin isn't about to stand between angry soviet soldiers and their destination!
<Nadia_Chekova> Queasy at all the blood, Nadia nonetheless offers a sympathetic arm to the girl. "There, there," she tries to offer some comfort. "You're safe now," she promises for what it's worth, looking into the open compartment she presumably just came from.
<El-Cideon> Nadia sees...a mangled corpse. Right. Well, where else could all that blood come from?
* Nadia_Chekova feels a little bile rise in her throat and turns the girl a bit so she's facing away from the corpse. "You're not hurt yourself, right? Where did the killer go?"
<El-Cideon> The Soviet official pushes his way into the passenger compartment, not halting for a second at all that blood covering the poor girl. He walks right up to the two of you, glances inside the room just as the girl whimpers, "Out the window."
* Nadia_Chekova turns to the guard rather than look at the corpse herself, deciding to be very clear and make certain she doesn't become embroiled in any 'investigation' that the Soviet authorities perform. "I heard a scream and found her out here like this," she explains in concise Russian.
<El-Cideon> He gestures to his subordinates. "Clear all these people away. Get them back to their quarters," he says, in a businesslike (and slightly irritated) tone. "Your name and compartment," he says to Nadia. "We will speak to you later."
<El-Cideon> Yomi finds it easy to drop down between cars while this is going on. No one's watching the back of the train at this point. She sees all heads turned towards the scene playing out in the next car.
* Yomi makes a slight detour into her compartment, to leave the Shishio behind, and then slip out into the open to join the gawkers.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Nadia Chekova," it's what it says on her passport, after all, and giving a false name when they'll surely check her 'papers' won't do her any favours. "I'm in compartment 4B. Do you want me to go back there now?" she asks, starting to pull away from the traumatised girl.
<El-Cideon> "Yes. Do not move. Stay where we can find you." He waves a guard forward. "See that she gets to her compartment with no delays."
* Nadia_Chekova gives the girl one last smile. "Everything will be okay, you'll be safe with the guards here," she promises before obediently heading back to her compartment. It does have a washbasin, right?
<El-Cideon> Unfortunately, individual compartments are not equipped with toiletries of any sort. With some prompting, someone gets Nadia a moist towel. That'll have to do for now. "What happened out there?" Whitney asks, sounding astonished and worried. At some point she opened the window in your compartment, it seems.
<Nadia_Chekova> Shivering a little at the cold, Nadia wipes herself down as best she can before taking off her blouse and balling it up in order to replace it with a cleaner garment. "A man was murdered - I saw the body, it wasn't pretty. The girl who was with him was covered in blood but unhurt, she says the killer escaped out the window."
<El-Cideon> The soldiers in the dining car start to herd the passengers around now, moving them back to their cars, and soon enough Erin and Suzume are back with Yomi.
<El-Cideon> "Oh my!" Whitney says. "Suddenly it's as though we really are in a radio drama, isn't it?"
<Erin> "I guess it came down to the worst case, then," murmurs Erin, sadly.
<El-Cideon> "What...what happened in there, Yomi?" Suzume asks. "We passed the room and...all that blood!"
<Nadia_Chekova> Her life has been like that recently, although Whitney doesn't need to know... assuming Rena doesn't volunteer such information. "Murder on the Orient Express or something like that?" she asks as she buttons herself up once more. "The guards chased me away when they appeared, but they said they might have questions later. Not like we saw anything, though."
* Yomi doesn't oppose being herded back into her compartment, settling into her spot by the window. "I needn't have worried over entertainment," she mutters, staring outside. "There was no other way to stop the demon rapist. He pulled a knife after I broke the violin, and I didn't give him a quarter."
<El-Cideon> Rena's looking out the window. It's actually fairly pleasant and balmy. If one's going to visit Siberia, June is apparently the time to do it.
<Erin> "The poor girl... she won't soon forget this day. I hope the enchantment was broken, at least."
<Yomi> "It was, I confirmed that first thing. And if she remembers anything about this day, may it be a stronger determination not to go anywhere with strange men."
<El-Cideon> "Hm. But you weren't even there, Nadia," Whitney says. "You were right here the whole time. I'll tell them this if they press the issue."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Thank you," Nadia smiles briefly at Whitney, tossing resuming her seat next to Rena. "The killer was a man, from what I heard before being herded away. What prompted it, though, I couldn't say."
<Yomi> "Since we've been restricted to compartments for now, let's work on our alibi in case I need one?" Yomi says quietly, not wishing Erin's guile to go to waste in the end. "We were at breakfast, enjoyed a musical performance and left for our compartment as it came to an end?"
<El-Cideon> Things are quiet for a while outside. Every now and then you hear a knock on a compartment door, soldiers moving down the corridor and checking passenger lists to make sure everyone's exactly where they should be.
* Nadia_Chekova certainly doesn't step out of place, although conversation has grown more subdued in their compartment under the pall of a violent murderer lurking on the train with them...
<Erin> "You left. I lingered in the dining room," replies Erin. "That sounds right enough."
<El-Cideon> "People probably saw us there," Suzume says. "Even the soldiers did. So you can I can't say we were somewhere else, no."
<El-Cideon> Time passes. Late in the day, the officer brings the witness around--shaken still, but now cleaned up at least--to glance into each compartment and look over the inhabitants. She dismisses all of you with a nod, never talking (but managing a small smile for Nadia at least). Nadia is only briefly questioned, just enough for the girl to confirm that Nadia wasn't present at the time of the murder or the killer's escape. Night passes. (more)
<El-Cideon> The next morning, it is announced that everyone is free to move about the train again. No explanation is offered and no resolution of the murder is stated.
<Nadia_Chekova> "We're going to try and catch our friends in the next compartment for breakfast," Nadia tells Whitney as she stretches. "Do you want to join us?" she offers politely.
<Erin> Erin doesn't seem too eager to leave her room again. Why go out into a scary world of musical rapists and imposing soviet guards when she can stay curled up with a book, under her blankets?
<Yomi> The declaration helps Yomi relax. Dealing with the authorities like this after merely following her calling is something she hopes she wouldn't need to do much. She could use another chance to properly enjoy breakfast, however, as the last time was so thoroughly ruined.
<El-Cideon> Whitney nods. "Certainly. It's not as though one can feel safe alone now, after all."
<Nadia_Chekova> "I'm sure you'll like them. They're all good revolutionaries like Rena," Nadia smiles briefly as she heads out and knocks on the door of the neighbouring compartment.
<El-Cideon> There's a knock on Erin and Yomi's door, suddenly.
<Erin> "It's open?" says Erin, peeking out from her blankets.
<Yomi> About to leave for the dining cart, Yomi is briefly startled. However, she readies herself and opens the door.
* Nadia_Chekova opens the door and peeks inside. "Good morning. We were about to go for breakfast - do you three want to come, too?"
<Yomi> "Erin is hiding from the world, but I was just thinking the same thing," Yomi responds, relaxing at Nadia's appearance. "Suzume, you're coming too, right?"
<Erin> "I'm not very hungry, actually," replies Erin, grimacing. "I'll stay in bed for a while. Come by for a chat later, will you?"
<El-Cideon> Suzume nods and stands up. "I...let's just hope there are no murders this time. Are you sure you want to be alone, Erin?"
<Erin> "What else could happen?" replies Erin, shrugging. "There's a limit to coincidence, you know. How many demons can hide on the one train?"
<Yomi> Just how many demons can there be on this train? Yomi certainly hopes she got the single one.
* Nadia_Chekova coughs. "Oh, Rena and I made a new friend," she says, hoping Whitney never heard that back in their own compartment. "She'll be coming along, too."
<Yomi> "Rena made a frie-- ah, she." Yomi nods. "Sounds like fun. You'll introduce us along the way?"
* Nadia_Chekova nods. "Her name's Whitney, you'll like her," she assures, stepping back into the hallway and waiting on the two maidens of the rising sun coming out for breakfast.
<El-Cideon> "Is there something unusual about Rena making friends?" Whitney asks Nadia, quietly.
<Nadia_Chekova> "You saw how blunt she can be? It puts some people off," Nadia explains diplomatically. "Personally I think she's refreshing."
* Yomi steps out into the hallway after Nadia, without a sword for a change.
<El-Cideon> Suzume follows after Yomi.
<El-Cideon> "Many people are too easily offended," Whitney replies. "It's such a bother worrying about it all the time, isn't it?"
* Yomi peers into the compartment next to them, a smile and a wave ready for Rena. "How's the trip so far?" she asks their German friend. "Not too bored, I hope"
* Nadia_Chekova nods. "Life's too short. Suzume, Yomi - this is Whitney," she provides the requisite introductions, ready to set off to the dining cart.
<Yomi> Another smile and wave combination can easily be dispensed for Nadia's newest friend!
<El-Cideon> "It sounds like I missed some excitement yesterday," Rena says to Yomi as she joins the rest of you.
<El-Cideon> The dining car is mostly empty. Perhaps no one wants to leave their rooms after the previous day's events.
<Nadia_Chekova> More food for them, then! "Yes, wasn't it terrible?" Nadia agrees, hoping that even if Yomi is culpable she won't say so in public.
<Yomi> "I don't know if I'd call it excitement," Yomi muses with a frown. "It sounded quite terrible, as Nadia had said."
<El-Cideon> "Would it be more fun if nothing happened the entire trip?" Rena asks as she sits down at a table. There's continental breakfast to be had for those who are hungry but, as usual, Rena doesn't want much more than the basics and something to drink.
* Yomi goes with the continental breakfast this time around. "Something nice might yet happen and brighten up this trip?"
* Nadia_Chekova fills up, having not had much to eat yesterday since being confined shortly after departure. "At the very least I expected any excitement would occur once we were well underway, not right after we left the station."
<Yomi> "That sort of excitement always seems to strike unexpectedly," Yomi responds, starting with some juice.
<El-Cideon> Whitney seems to be quite the carnivore, going with a plate full of sausages, bacon and eggs. "Is that really all you're going to eat?" she says, eyeing Rena's plate. "How does a woman become so, well, top-heavy on such a diet?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "It goes straight to her thighs, otherwise," Nadia smiles in jest.
<El-Cideon> "What else should I be eating?" Rena wonders, picking at some toast and a modest salad. "This has always been sufficient. I find I am almost never hungry as long as I spend plenty of time in the sun, anyway."
<El-Cideon> "As long as you..." Whitney trails off, apparently not seeing the connection here. "Well, if you say so."
<Yomi> "If it works for Rena, why change it?" Yomi asks with a shrug.
<Nadia_Chekova> "You know how some people eat more when they're unhappy? Rena's a bit like that, but sunshine cheers her up," Nadia provides a plausible excuse as she cuts up her own sausages. Possibly.
<El-Cideon> She shrugs. "So, you two are...Yomi and Suzume, was it? Come to the Fatherland to learn about the great socialist cause like Nadia, eh?"
<Yomi> "That is exactly right," Yomi confirms. "Nothing would make us happier than studying communism."
<El-Cideon> "A sound attitude, at least as long as you remain within Russia."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Motherland," Nadia corrects. "Fatherland is Germany. Funny how that works out..."
<Yomi> "What a coincidence, I intend to keep it for as long as I remain in Russia," Yomi agrees.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, is it? I thought they were both Fatherlands. Nations often are when you let men name things."
<El-Cideon> Several tables down, a lone man has taken an empty seat within easy view of most of your group. This wouldn't be at all noteworthy except that he seems familiar. Tall, skin a deep bronze, scalp completely hairless...it looks a bit like a face you saw on a police drawing Myriam acquired from Mecca. He's taken no apparent interest in anyone else, cutting up a plate of ham while looking at a newspaper.
* Yomi is unwilling to believe in coincidences, and examines the room as she takes a natural break from the sausages.
* Yomi drops her fork to the table with a clatter.
<El-Cideon> "What's wrong, Yomi?" Rena wonders. "Did they overcook your breakfast?"
<Yomi> "What?" Yomi asks, her eyes unfocused. "Yes. They did." She shakes her head to regain her bearings. "Can you help me get back?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Yomi?" Nadia looks at the swordswoman in concern, turning momentarily to see where she was looking.
<El-Cideon> Nadia sees a deeply-tanned man in plain clothes, quietly eating breakfast and reading a newspaper.
<El-Cideon> "Do you think someone poisoned the food now, too?" Whitney wonders, staring at her unfinished meal. "That would just be dreadful."
<El-Cideon> Rena stands up. "If you say so, Yomi."
* Yomi tries to stand up, still shaking her head and using Rena's shoulder for support.
<El-Cideon> Rena wraps an arm around Yomi to help keep her up, and leads her out of the dining car.
<El-Cideon> Whitney watches them go, then returns to eyeing her plate skeptically. "I don't know...it tastes fine to me."
* Yomi throws Suzume and Nadia a desperate look as she staggers away with Rena's help.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Likewise..." Nadia murmurs. Then catching Yomi's look she stands up as well. "Lets go make sure she gets back okay, shall we Suzume? If you'll excuse us, Whitney..."
<El-Cideon> "Of course," she says. "I hope your friend feels better."
<El-Cideon> Suzume dutifully stands and accompanies you out of the dining car.
<El-Cideon> Yomi is guided back to your compartment in short order.
<Erin> "Oh? Back so soon?" asks Erin, peeking out from over the covers of her oversized unholy manual.
* Yomi can't stop shivering, and as soon she's back grabs the Shishio and holds onto it tightly, settling in the corner of a bunk against the walls.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Yomi is feeling unwell," Nadia explains as she comes in behind them, closing the door once Suzume is inside.
<El-Cideon> "They overcooked her breakfast," Rena says, setting Yomi down gently.
<Erin> "It must be hard, being a cook on these trains. All that jostling in the kitchen can't be helpful."
<Yomi> "How... can there be such evil?" Yomi stammers, the grip on her sword leaving her knuckles white.
<Nadia_Chekova> "What evil?" Nadia asks. "Was it that bald man back there?" Leaving Whitney alone with him may not have been prudent, in that case...
<Yomi> "It's not possible," Yomi insists, shaking her head. "It's just not possible. He's as strong as the seals. That can't exist."
<Erin> "The cooking surely couldn't have been that bad..."
<El-Cideon> "I don't understand, either," Suzume says. "What was it?"
<Erin> "I don't think it's so wise to suggest things are impossible," murmurs Erin, shaking away further quips. "There's ample evidence that overwhelming beings and power exists, even if it's rare."
<Nadia_Chekova> "He was just sitting there eating breakfast and reading the newspaper," Nadia comments, before frowning. "But wouldn't the newspaper be out of date since we left the station yesterday? He must be bored..."
<El-Cideon> "Well, there isn't much to look at on the train, is there?" Rena agrees.
<Yomi> "He's here for us," Yomi states. "Because we have that snake idol. That has to be it. He killed everyone who had it in Saudia, and now he tracked us down."
<Erin> "The- we still have that thing? Who? Should I go and have a look?"
<Yomi> "Hassan didn't have it, and he was still killed. Ivo said everyone was killed in that place. After seeing him, I understand how it happened."
<Erin> "Well.. um... maybe we should give it back?" asks Erin, rubbing her head.
<El-Cideon> "Oh, that's the man that killed Abdul?" Rena asks, as casually as someone commenting on the weather.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, I think it's in my luggage buried under... various things." Such as her unmentionables and stolen jewels and the Aurora... "Should I just go and put it on his table and say sorry, then?"
<El-Cideon> "I don't understand, Yomi," Suzume says. "Why do you assume he's evil because he's strong? Not everyone I knew back at the village was evil, after all."
<Erin> "Well, his great power aside, the fact that he murdered Abdul and his staff would put him in the bad books," replies Erin, frowning.
<Yomi> "It has to be. That's what Myriam could discover. Once might've been a coincidence, seeing him here? That's a certainty." At Suzume's words, she manages to snap into a semblance of control. "Because he killed everyone in that mansion, to the last guard, as far as I heard."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Should I throw it out the window instead, then?" Nadia asks, starting to feel a bit lost.
<Erin> "If he tracked us by normal means, then what we do with it wouldn't matter," replies Erin. "If he has some sort of empathic connection to it.. no, it's entirely nonmagical," she says, turning on her magical senses just to be sure!
<Nadia_Chekova> "Okay, fine! I'll go give it to him right now," Nadia declares. "Then he'll be happy and leave us alone." With that she goes to open the door so she can return to hers and Rena's compartment.
<El-Cideon> "As far as you heard...Did you see him do it, though?"
<El-Cideon> Nadia finds her own compartment empty.
<Yomi> "I don't think I can survive witnessing that."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Ugly thing was just wasting space anyway," the brunette grumbles as she digs into her luggage and retrieves the idol before securing all her precious belongings once more. Then with a jaunty step and the idol held behind her back, she heads through to the dining carriage!
<El-Cideon> The man is still there with his newspaper, quietly finishing off his meal.
<Erin> "Maybe you should take a rest?" suggests Erin, raising a hand to Yomi's forehead. "I don't think you have a fever, so physically, at least, you seem fine..."
<Yomi> "There's also the part where the snake idol was used by a cult with human sacrifice," Yomi recalls. "But I'm sure there's nothing wrong about it. Yes, it will be perfectly fine."
<El-Cideon> "It...was? Yomi, why didn't you just destroy it?"
* Nadia_Chekova steps on over to the table where he sits, the idol still hidden behind her back like she's about to give him a surprise birthday present. "Excuse me, sir?" she begins pleasantly in Russian. He's here in Siberia, he should speak the language.
<Yomi> This gives Yomi pause. "Why didn't we destroy it, Erin?"
<Erin> "It doesn't actually do anything. It's only useful in the sense that it's the 'dark' component of a light-dark anti-religious explosive," replies Erin, blinking. "Well, 'break it' isn't my first reaction to things I don't like much, you know."
<El-Cideon> He looks up, with a rather vacant expression. "Yes?" he says, in rather rustic-sounding Russian.
<Erin> "I guess it didn't seem like there was any point to doing so. All we wanted was to keep it out of Ivo's hands."
<Nadia_Chekova> "You don't know me, and I don't know you," Nadia admits openly, "But just one look at you and for some reason I was sure that there was something missing in your life." She reveals the idol with a dramatic flourish and sets it down on his table next to his plate. "I'm certain it will bring you great happiness!"
<El-Cideon> He looks at it. Looks back up at Nadia. "Are you some manner of gypsy saleswoman? I did not think the Soviets allowed such people on their trains."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, you'd be surprised where the Roma flourish. But no sale - consider it a gift," Nadia smiles. "If you do not like it, feel free to throw it away. Good day!" and then she backs away a few steps to ensure a safe distance before she turns her back and heads over to rejoin her companions, having decisively solved the problem!
<El-Cideon> He doesn't follow, at least as far as Nadia can see. Whitney, still at her table, watches this transaction with some obvious confusion.
<Nadia_Chekova> "For the revolution," Nadia whispers briefly to Whitney in passing, assuming she'll understand and not ask further questions. She can assume it's a secretive spy handover and that the documents are hidden inside the idol.

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> Whitney simply nods, looking mildly dumbfounded.
<Yomi> "What will there be at breakfast tomorrow?" Yomi laments. "Will we live to see breakfast tomorrow?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, don't be such a baby," Nadia remonstrates as she returns without knocking. "I gave him the snake so everything will be fine."
<El-Cideon> "Um, they had the same kind of food both days..." Suzume says helplessly, looking to Erin and Rena for some support here.
<Yomi> "Erin, do you have a spell to alert us if anyone comes in during the night?" Yomi asks, not convinced in the slightest.
<Erin> "What? We'll be fine, Yomi! Honestly! Even if something happens, you have Rangurren, don't you?" Erin shakes her head. "I doubt anything powerful enough to scare you would bother with stealth, anyway..."
<Yomi> "I'm not scared!" Yomi exclaims.
<El-Cideon> "Yomi's never scared," Rena agrees with a nod.
<Erin> "Oh? Great. I mean, we'd be in trouble if Yomi was scared, wouldn't we, Nadia?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Big trouble," Nadia agrees. "Yomi is definitely the most dangerous person on this train, no doubts about it."
<Yomi> "Second most dangerous," Yomi mutters, deflating. She lays down upon the bunk, staring up at the ceiling, Shishio resting by her side. "You just can't sense it or see it. If only you could...."
<El-Cideon> "How...how does that work, anyway?" Suzume asks. "I have been wondering."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well, he seemed fine when I gave him the snake. Even if he thought I was a gypsy hawking her wares... I'm sure that was just an act on his part, and he's happy as can be to be reunited with his snake," Nadia nods her head emphatically.
<Yomi> It's a distraction from her current thoughts, at least, so Yomi has no problem filling her in. "I can sense if someone is a youkai, a demon, and then I judge them by their actions with that knowledge. In this case... in this case, if he did something to an innocent girl in plain sight, I wouldn't be able to stop him."
<Erin> "Even if the rest of us helped?" asks Erin, slightly pertubed.
<Yomi> "There will be many deaths, I'm certain of that much."
<El-Cideon> "He didn't look like he was going to do anything," Suzume says, hopefully. "He was just sitting there."
<Nadia_Chekova> "So! If you make *him* think that you *could* stop him, that's what matters most!" Nadia tries to buck up Yomi and turn that frown upside down. "Confidence and a good act, Yomi. Then you won't even need to fight."
* Yomi snorts. "Alright. Just remember this. If it comes to a fight, I'll try to hold him off for as long as I can while you run away and don't look back."
<Erin> "I hope you're right, Suzume. I suppose his motives are impossible for us to ascertain, and I'm sure he won't be telling." Erin frowns. "I don't like that kind of talk, you know."
<Nadia_Chekova> "There won't be a fight anyway. He has his snake," Nadia nods. "Speaking of fights, though... care to tell me where you were during all the commotion yesterday?"
<Yomi> "There was a demon enslaving a young woman's mind. I barely got there in time before he could truly have his way with her, and he reacted without remorse once the enchantment was broken. Who expected something like that so soon after boarding?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Not me!" Nadia affirms. "Nice work pretending to be a man, at least."
<Yomi> "That was Erin." Yomi shakes her head. "I might've let him go if he didn't pull a knife as soon as the girl's mind was freed and demanded I leave the cabin."
<El-Cideon> "Well...I think we shouldn't just attack everyone we meet who might not be human," Suzume says, "but it sounds like he just got what he deserved."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Using magic to compel someone into sex is disgusting," Nadia agrees. "Why couldn't he just use his magic to steal some money and hire a prostitute?"
<El-Cideon> "I don't think I have seen any of those on the train, Nadia," Rena points out.
<Erin> "I'm not hearing this," says Erin, nodding.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Then keep it in his pants until we stop somewhere that has them," Nadia huffs.
<Yomi> "Are we still remaining split over two compartments?" Yomi asks the question that really interests her.
<Nadia_Chekova> "I'd rather not leave Whitney alone. Besides, I think she might have known Doctor Ivo - she twitched a little when I mentioned his name, but I haven't been able to weasel anything further out of her," Nadia replies with a shrug.
<El-Cideon> "She did?" Rena asks. "I didn't notice. I find it difficult when people try to be subtle about things."
<Erin> "It's all about their little tics, Rena," replies Erin. "For instance, when someone's lying to you, they often let their gaze slip away from your face, or fiddle with their hair, and fidget."
<Nadia_Chekova> "It was pretty subtle, and she didn't say anything further," Nadia nods. "It's hard to try and draw more out of her, though, but we have a week on this train for her to be worn down..."
<Erin> "Why not just ask her if she knew him?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, people do not always look at my face anyway," Rena says. "But I will have to try and watch them more closely to notice these things."
<Yomi> "If you can manage that without being obvious about it, that'll be even better," Yomi adds.
<Nadia_Chekova> "She hid her reaction, so she might just lie if I ask outright," Nadia explains. "I'm trying to lead her along until she gives me a better opportunity."
<Yomi> "How about you, Rena?" Yomi asks. "Want to go visit the lounge later? Or you're going to observe Whitney?"
<El-Cideon> "I will go with you if you need help," Rena says.
<Yomi> "I'd be reassured if you were around."
<El-Cideon> She nods. "Then I will go with you."
<Erin> "Just shout if you need us for something." Erin stretches as much as the bunks will allow. "Suzume, perhaps we should prepare additional wards and protections for the rest of the journey."
* Nadia_Chekova elects to go back to her own compartment. If Whitney decides to go through her belongings upon returning there and finding no one around, after the little scene in the lounge, it could be awkward.
<El-Cideon> Suzume nods in agreement. Nadia finds her compartment still empty.
* Nadia_Chekova relaxes and watches the scenery go by.
* Yomi decides to finally take a good look at the train and discover what other surprises it might well hold.
<El-Cideon> ~