Memories and possibilities are ever more hideous than realities.

[Dracos]

Jul 05 19:41:38 <Kotono>   "They can do it. They wear faces that aren't their own." After a beat to which he looks back and forth, "There's one way, but you have to trust me a hell of a lot."
Jul 05 19:44:04 <Aisutori>   "We did kinda just meet you.  In the private area of the cafe.  And we've never met you before.  Kanae-chan and Enro-san haven't even come here before, so how would they know that you were going to surprise us here?"  Aisutori didn't sound too enthusiastic about a method that required her to 'trust a hell of a lot' someone who just came up to them.
Jul 05 19:45:12 *   Kanae can only nod in agreement as she sips at the cup of tea she's miraculously found.  Hmm.  Bitter.
Jul 05 19:47:31 <Kotono>   "They have ways of knowing. They hear eldritch secrets whispered by things not seen, from the song of madness." He pauses to exhale visibly, "Impossible shapes and forms, twisting into concentric circle of magic where nothing rests. If you trust me, I can help you kill them."
Jul 05 19:48:28 *   Kanae considers the man's description.  She then considers her own abilities and background.  She then, very unobtrusively, sliiiiiides backwards to put Noriko between herself and the creepy guy.
Jul 05 19:49:55 <Noriko>   "Trust is a thing which is earned, not asked for," Noriko says. "Could you demonstrate for us a reason that it should be granted in this case?"
Jul 05 19:52:59 <Aisutori>   "Help would be appreciated, but you have to admit, what you just said applies to you too...How did you know we'd be here anyway?"
Jul 05 19:53:09 <Kotono>   The man exhales again and looks up. With his looking up, you can see his face. He is European, broad, long face with dark and sunken eyes. He looks to be thirty or fourtysomething, eyes constantly moving, darting around like out of control terror. "I can, because I've fought these things before after they used me to spread lies about them. Lies that they are invincible and all knowing, ready
Jul 05 19:53:09 <Kotono>   for an inevitable triumph."
Jul 05 20:02:03 <Aisutori>   "..."  Aisutori considered,  "Why don't you tell us about it.  I understand you're frightened, but that doesn't make it easy to trust you right now.  But we've been fighting them for over a week.  I wasn't aware they were around long before that..."
Jul 05 20:03:38 <Kanae>   Fidgeting, Kanae tries to keep her eyes peeled while fingering a ready ofuda.
Jul 05 20:07:07 <Kotono>   "They work subtly, quietly." The man doesn't sit, but keeps his position. His hands twitch on occasion, "Occasionally, there's someone who sees in between reality, into the abnormal, loathesomely redolent with spheres. I saw them from an early age and worse...they saw me. They whispered madness into my ears, having me weave tales of horror and insanity where they are all powerful gods. But
Jul 05 20:07:07 <Kotono>   they're lying. You can kill them. We have to kill them. They're coming again, and this time they don't plan on losing."
Jul 05 20:08:46 <Aisutori>   "Well, that's true at least.  And what was the terrifying thing you wanted to do to know you could trust us?" Aisutori mused, leaning back, pouting a little that their hangout had been ruined.
Jul 05 20:11:18 <Kotono>   "Shoot you." Looking right to Aisutori, "These bullets won't hurt something that's not one of them."
Jul 05 20:13:42 <Aisutori>   "Ahahaha..." She stared at him.  "I think we should be able to find a less creepy way to find out, because I don't like believing that bullets aren't dangerous."  She glanced at the others, in case they are any more brave.
Jul 05 20:14:28 <Kanae>   Kanae is, if anything, a negative value of bravery at the moment, barely even peeking out from behind Noriko's shoulder, but ready to duck at a moment's notice.
Jul 05 20:16:37 <Noriko>   "I am more easily repaired than a human," Noriko says. "I am highly skeptical of claims that this is the only way to demonstrate reliability, however."
Jul 05 20:20:15 <Kotono>   "You have to be sure with them," The man goes on, "How much do you know about them?"
Jul 05 20:22:46 <Aisutori>   "They come from beneath the ocean and at least one of them can transform into a giant monster that can suck the energy right out of you," Aisutori was still staring at him, her eyes flat at this point.  Even if they went along, being asked to get shot wasn't a friendly move to her.
Jul 05 20:24:35 <Kotono>   "Yes, from their hidden city beneath the waves, Ry'leh," The man nods once to all fo that, eyes darting to Aisutori. "It's their powerbase, far beneath the sea. It's where they were imprisoned."
Jul 05 20:25:44 <Aisutori>   "Ah...I hadn't heard that part.  Ry'leh...Noriko-chan?" She glanced at her, not immediately familiar with the foreign myth.
Jul 05 20:28:23 <Noriko>   roll 2d6 vs 7
Jul 05 20:28:24 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Noriko rolls 2d6 vs 7 and gets 7." [2d6=6, 1]
Jul 05 20:29:03 <Noriko>   "I have heard of it before," Noriko says with a nod, able to verify that much but not knowing much more than stated.
Jul 05 20:30:44 <Aisutori>   "Where from?" Aisutori wondered.
Jul 05 20:31:40 <Noriko>   "In the context of American horror stories," Noriko admits.
Jul 05 20:35:51 <Aisutori>   "Wow...why aren't they coming up over there then?" She turned back to the stranger.  "What's your name anyway...or what we should call you?" She guessed ahead of the intensely paranoid man, still leveling a glare at him.
Jul 05 20:35:51 <Kotono>   "Those aren't just stories," The man retorts quickly, "It's a poisonous seed seeping into the awareness over generations, weakening the will to resist against things in which madness lie, in which geometry and reality do not comprehend!"
Jul 05 20:36:38 <Enro>   "American.. I've been there before.. I think I can guess why they're not targeting America instead."
Jul 05 20:37:54 <Enro>   "Americans.. They don't believe.. They don't have the history to believe in myths, really. To them, it's all stories.. To instill fear and belief into them, they had to pick somewhere else to strike, first. To *prove* the stories to them."
Jul 05 20:40:26 <Kotono>   "I don't know why they're striking here," The man admits as he glances at Enro, "Call me...John. My name...if they k now I'm here, they won't rest until they get me."A  full body shudder follows, "I've been on the run for over seventy years from them."
Jul 05 20:43:16 <Noriko>   "You do not resemble someone in excess of seventy years of age," Noriko points out.
Jul 05 20:43:36 *   Aisutori doesn't seem surprised by his age, tapping her cheek.  "Now how else can we get around this impasse, I don't think any of us trust you enough to let you shoot us.  Mainly because that's crazy.  Ah, Noriko-chan, he isn't necessarily human."
Jul 05 20:44:10 <Enro>   "Hmm..."
Jul 05 20:44:17 *   Enro glances at Aisutori..
Jul 05 20:44:56 <Enro>   "You said you know the owner of this place, right? You think she's trust worthy? She might be able to work us through this, maybe?"
Jul 05 20:48:06 <Aisutori>   "Lady Katsura can do many things, but I don't think she can make someone not paranoid...  Of course she's trustworthy," She eyed Enro.  "She's been part of this city since before any of us were even born."
Jul 05 20:48:42 *   Enro looks briefly annoyed..
Jul 05 20:49:18 <Enro>   "I didn't mean not making us paranoid. She might know something about this guy, or what it is he wants to do. Might be able to vouch for him or something."
Jul 05 20:51:54 <Kotono>   "It's because of what they did to me," The answer to Noriko comes first, as he stares at them. "Who is she?"
Jul 05 20:53:56 <Aisutori>   "...You're back here and you don't even know?" Aisutori stared.   "She owns this cafe."
Jul 05 20:59:55 <Kotono>   "I have ways..." He pauses and shakes a bit, "If you're friends of humanity...trust me, please." He looks up, eyes lost and haunted. "Do you want what you saw the past few days to become the prelude to an endless nightmare?"
Jul 05 21:01:43 *   Noriko glances at the others. "I was constructed with the intent to withstand considerable punishment in combat. I can be shot with relatively little harm if this is absolutely necessary, particularly if he will aim for somewhere devoid of vital systems."
Jul 05 21:02:27 *   Enro nods at Noriko.
Jul 05 21:02:41 <Enro>   "Still, some insurance is needed on our part."
Jul 05 21:02:47 *   Enro paces a hand on his shoulder.
Jul 05 21:03:16 <Enro>   "If this does her harm, I promise you, you'll be somewhere where nothing can save you."
Jul 05 21:03:22 <Aisutori>   "Noriko-chan..."  Aisutori glanced back and forth, "Really, this is not a good way to make friends...John.  And we can't do it in here.  They'll be really angry if someone starts waving a gun around in here and I don't want to be tossed out!"
Jul 05 21:06:30 <Kotono>   "Outside then," he says quickly, "If she's not one of them, she has nothign to fear."
Jul 05 21:08:19 <Noriko>   "Firing a gun in the streets presents equal chance of disruption should someone call the police in response," Noriko says. "Somewhere isolated would be more advisable."
Jul 05 21:08:19 <Aisutori>   "Fine," Aisutori seemed a bit short tempered, the ice maiden dropping a bit of money on the table, getting up and heading outside the shop, leading a fair bit away before stopping.
Jul 05 21:12:35 <Kotono>   The trip out is without incident, going to a quiet little back alley. John looks them over, "Hold out your arm."
Jul 05 21:12:54 *   Kanae stays behind ... Enro now, that seems safest.
Jul 05 21:13:09 *   Enro keeps his hand on 'John's' shoulder, just in case.
Jul 05 21:14:19 *   Noriko does as instructed--though watching this strange character for anything suspicious, of course, specifically watching to gauge the trajectory of the bullet before he fires.
Jul 05 21:17:22 <Kotono>   John withdraws a gun! It's a middling gun - no rocket launcher! He aims at Noriko's arm and fires! There's barely a crack, a bullet flying...and bouncing right off Noriko's arm! Abruptly John exhales, "You aren't one of them! I'm sorry, I just don't know who I can trust anymore, they have eyes and ears everywhere, and sometimes I see them even when I'm not su re they're here."
Jul 05 21:18:10 <Noriko>   "I an undamaged," Noriko assures the others.
Jul 05 21:22:03 <Aisutori>   "They do get around," Aisutori sighed.  "So we've at least proven ourselves...  Is that enough for you to explain what you know?"
Jul 05 21:26:40 *   Kanae nods anxiously at that, not wanting another demonstration.
Jul 05 21:29:33 <Kotono>   "It is," John says, "My name is Howard. Howard Phillips Lovecraft." He looks over to each of them, eyes darting about, "They used me, through my father's madness...and I had enough. No more. I can't stop until they're all lying dreamless dead. They want to use humanity, enslave us and make us like them, killing, mating and feasting into madness."
Jul 05 21:34:24 <Enro>   "That's.. kind of horrifying, yes."
Jul 05 21:35:53 <Kotono>   "Which is why," With a slow smile, "They tried to get us to believe they're invincible. They like to pretend that we can't stopt hem. They're wrong."
Jul 05 21:37:08 <Aisutori>   "Well...given they're not well known out here, they kind of failed.  What's their weakness then?  Aside from being torn apart."
Jul 05 21:46:11 <Kotono>   "You have be able to withstand them, then it's just a matter of enough force. They try and beat you with overt displays of power. They crush the will of the normal people, they try propaganda, they use disasters to try and intimidate you." Drawing his gun and cocking it, "They're powerful monsters, some of the strongest, but they can be beaten and killed. In particular, Nyarlathrotep controls
Jul 05 21:46:11 <Kotono>   images, cinema and lightning...but he can't stand high temperatures or holy water."
Jul 05 21:47:48 <Kanae>   "...what about other holy symbols?"
Jul 05 21:49:06 <Aisutori>   "If he's a monster, he can be bound by strong enough Onmyounji, Kanae-chan...but...Strong Enough, is usually the thing, isn't it?"
Jul 05 21:49:07 <Kotono>   "I don't know," Lovecraft answers, "The last time he manifested on the earth, a priest threw holy water oon him. According to the stories, it burned him. He likes to style himself a god or a pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Real nobility and symbols of spirituality may well work on him."
Jul 05 21:52:20 <Enro>   "Too bad there's not a holy water lake or something.. I could just drop him into it."
Jul 05 21:54:31 <Kotono>   "He's the one who's come first, I think. Do you know his human form here?" So going on, the man looks to Enro.
Jul 05 21:55:42 <Kanae>   "If it's holy things, Enro-kun, then you could just send him to the Vatican.  I somehow expect it won't be quite that simple...."
Jul 05 21:56:28 <Aisutori>   "Yes, not that he's been secretive at all," Aisutori remarked.  "Maybe your mom could make a flamethrower, Noriko-chan."
Jul 05 21:57:32 <Noriko>   "I am certain that she is capable of this."