Tokyo Girl

[Bjorn]

Bjorn exchanges looks with the others, translating for them through the Waking Dream as Tetsuo talks.  "We need to get there," he says.  "We'll fight if we have to.  Why do you ask?"

[Brian]

"Father's house collapsed," he says with a shrug, not meeting Bjorn's shade-covered eyes.  "There are still enemies around.  I am helping you, but would be happy to punish some of those responsible.  But loyalty comes first."

[Halbarad]

"Right now I think getting to Fuji-sama in one piece is the top priority," Tim avers. "If we have to fight along the way... well, I guess we have to, but I'd rather not go out of my way to look for one."

[Carthrat]

"And I'd be happy to go out of my way to avoid them," finishes Tom. "It shouldn't be too hard, though, should it? How's our money situation, couldn't we get taxis or rent cars or something?"

[Bjorn]

Bjorn has been frowning in thought.  "Tetsuo," he asks slowly, in Japanese.  "Forgive my forgetfulness, but who attacked your father's house?"

Through the Dream, he whispers to the others, Two things we have to remember, I just realized.  One is that the yakuza are working, unhappily, with the Cabal right now.  If we curry favour with them by helping Tetsuo, maybe we can persuade them to switch sides.  And more importantly, the Guide for the Dream of Fire is hiding with the yakuza.  Going to Fuji without him doesn't gain us anything.  The fact that Tetsuo is here looking for help with a fight right when we want to get the Dream of Fire is probably important.

[Carthrat]

So basically, you're saying that we should help Tetsuo out now, and doing so will hopefully lead us to the Fire Guide?

What do we know about this guy, anyway? How will we know him when we see him?

[Bjorn]

Yes, nothing, and I'm not sure, but it'll probably be obvious.

[Carthrat]

Do the Cabal know about his presence within the Yakuza? Hell, do they know we know where the fire guide is? 'cos if it's obvious to US...

[Bjorn]

That's a good question.  They might, but unlikely -- we got it from Relm, and the Cabal's oracle has been sidelined.

[Carthrat]

Hmm. Gotcha. Speaking of which, what does the Cabal know about *us*? As in, the Order of Symmetry, and what we've done?

'cos I'm thinking. They probably know about you guys, right? I mean, Nathan, Phillip, etc. But they wouldn't really know much about me and Tim.

They know what you guys want, right? If you fight them, it may become clear to them that we want something out the yakuza. But if us unknowns do it...

[Bjorn]

There is a distinct impression of amusement through the Dream.  You want to fight someone or someones who took out a Yakuza stronghold by yourself?

I'm not actually sure the Cabal knows that we're the Order.  We entered the Earth Dream after them, and we formed the Order after their Oracle had been killed.  They might not know we're in the game again.  Besides, personally?  I want the Cabal to know we're in the game, to not be sure of what we're doing.  They're in the lead.  They're probably complacent.  Let's start messing with their minds.

[Carthrat]

Welllllll, no.

I don't know, I'm not convinced we should be letting them know we're up to something. If they're complacent, they'll probably stay that way- and if we stir them up, that'd make striking them, or getting to the Fire Dream alone all the more difficult.

It'll depend, though. On the guide, and on just what the yakuza situation is...

[Bjorn]

Letting that aside, the practical aspect is: helping Tetsuo might be the key to getting the Fire Guide on our side, and I want to make sure we succeed, not get another Dreamer killed.  And you.

Of course, first let's hear what Tetsuo has to say.

[Halbarad]

I appreciate the sentiment, comes the rather dry reply.

While getting the yakuza's assistance in the future might be a good thing, aren't getting the Dreams taken care of the real key to this? I know I don't understand this all just yet, but I'm not sure there's all that much *I* can do against whoever's giving the yakuza problems, at least not yet.

[Bjorn]

Agreed.  But we can't get into the Dream until we find the Guide, and we might need to get the yakuza to trust us to find the Guide.