Return of the Emblem Chapter Fifteen: Alliance

[Phoenix]

Reception

"I can get that for you," Anna offered, "I'll take care of it once we figure out the room situation."

"Alright, thanks," Amon nodded at the part time receptionist. "Yeah, I think you're right," he said, looking back at Pete. If they could get Ayano to search for the gate, the rest of them could focus their efforts on getting the southern nation on their side. Even if they didn't have much luck there initially, if Ayano was quick enough, they would be able to pinpoint the location of the siege gate for the Kigenese. It was better than splitting the group up evenly and leaving either half underprepared. "I guess we should keep an eye out for her while we wait for that map."

"Now let's see," Anna seemed to be thinking about something, "No, I haven't seen him, today. You don't know where he is?"

"He ran off somewhere," Shadrak said with an embarrassed sigh.

"Duly noted ..."

Edited September 20, 2017 by Phoenix

[Snike]

Pete sighed. "Make that two people to look out for."

Along with Daichi.

And the Ursians.

And the Neviskotians.

Merz, they had just made port and they were already on high alert. The way it was going, the mercenary wouldn't be surprised if there was a pirate attack or something on top of the mess the group was already mired in.

[Nanami Touko]

"Huh? Wha-- H, Hey... You guys can just ask me to lean over, y'know? You're the second person today who's..." Eva quieted down as Greta's voice turned serious, turning to her as she finished with a heavily confused frown. "What? We're all gonna... Yeah, gonna do that. This is just getting weird." Eva sighed and headed into the wagon after the locals, taking her spot at the last remaining handle. "Let's get this done, boys." She'd move on their mark, and get this into the inn as quickly as they could. It was getting too silly not to get answers to.

---

"<Bad mannered? Now that's rude... I have a great temperament.>" Haruhi huffed, knowing that he was talking about her teasing him, but was that really such a bad thing? She didn't get one. One moment he was letting her do it, the next he was getting bothered by it. If it really bothered him, why let her in the first place? <Men...> "<He's... Masquerading as my boyfriend. We're look too far apart to be cousins, and, if we get into any trouble with the locals or officials, it'd be better to have a man to defer to than to not have one. And I trust Thales... So that's enough, for me. A-Anyway, with him introduced, he can go off shopping, and you can teach me some more about magic!>"

[Xinnidy]

It was worth to get Haruhi a little worked up over his little jab for a quick chuckle, Thales would take the advantage now that he was speaking to somebody she looked up! Thales smirked back at her, shortlived as it was with Haruhi bringing up the fact he'd be masquerading as her boyfriend. He was a bit surprised it was mentioned that soon, honestly. "<Ah, true. Not too safe in Kigen, she tell me.>" He affirmed, trying to be aware of their problems. It was still a bit alien of a concept, that women had this much trouble over here... Thales didn't want to prod too deep into that conversation, though. Best to leave it at that.

"<Wait, you will stay?>" Once Haruhi spoke up her intentions, well, Thales was a bit disappointed. Not too much with how unwilling she was, but Thales expected he'd won her over a bit... "<Fiiiine, stay with same dirty clothes. Will go alone. Hmph!>" He pouted for a moment, but his tone wasn't all too spiteful. A bit annoyed, maybe.

[scorri]

Lumi just gave a hopeless shrug as she started to feel the tears building up in her eyes again. She finally just burst out, "It's just all so... so... so stupid! The only person who cared enough to get upset is someone who's known me for a week. Everyone else... My best friend..." She buried her head in her hands and let the tears come, not trying to hold them back anymore. No one cared enough about her to even ask her to stay, then fine. She'd make them happy and just go. "I'll just go hide and be safe and let everyone else get killed or face terrible things but hey, it won't matter cause I'm safe, right?" She shook her head, still buried in her hands, knowing that she sounded ridiculous and selfish and horrible but that was truly what it seemed like everyone else other than Haruhi wanted her to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<"Well then, if you are sure you do not want to spend time with your friend, then we can go train."> She smiled at Thales before quietly saying to him in Common, "I appreciate what you're doing for her. You are a good man to want to watch out for a friend, even if she teases you. Turning back to Haruhi, she smiled at her as well. <"Very well. Shall we?">

[Phoenix]

Dining Area

"I'm not sure Pete would consider it hiding, necessarily," Joanna quietly noted. It had been an inference that simply escaped her in the moment, but she didn't mind saying it. "Honestly, Lumi, I think it just comes down to him caring enough to not want to see you suffer, and most everyone else respecting your decision. I don't know what they would prefer, but I would prefer it if you stayed with us. Any weaknesses you feel you have--" there was that word Ra liked to use, again ... "we can help you with. Fear and panic are natural, but you don't have to let them guide your decisions."

Wagon

Nena felt the relief wash over her as the four man team hauled the heavy chest out from the wagon. She motioned for them to follow her, and then ran off into the building, hoping to speak with the receptionist and get a room picked ahead of the incoming carriers. Greta watched as well, wondering how the occupant inside was holding up. It hadn't been a long ride over, but the breathing holes were quite small and practically invisible unless you knew to look for them. Nena was probably in a hurry, not just because the longer the chest was out in the open, the greater her chances of being caught, but because Canaan couldn't stay in there for too long.

Lobby

"I need a room!" That was what passed for Nena's greeting as she hurried into the lobby.

"I take it you're with Hoshi's group?" Anna asked, looking slightly amused.

"Yep!"

"Well there are about six guest rooms available last I counted. Two are on the first floor, just down the hall my right--your left," Anna explained, indicating the hallway with her finger for good measure. By that point, the carriers had made it to the entrance, and were scooting in with the large chest. "Wow, is that the wardrobe ...?"

"Just junk," Nena gave her stock answer one last time. Whether Canaan was within earshot or not, she hated that excuse. If only she could have come up with something better ...

[-Cynthia-]

Liam nodded in agreement. "I cared for Joanna very much, but I respected her decision to leave Aquila even though I thought I would never see her again. I would not stand in the way of what her heart was telling her, even though we did not agree," he said, recalling the memory.

---

"I'm a little worried- Bert has a bit of a knack for gettin' in trouble. Plus, I feel kinda bad for leavin' him behind with that crazy bandit business," Nadya stated, frowning. Worryin' about leavin' folks behind is gonna get ya killed one of these days... a voice in her head warned. 

[Nanami Touko]

Nena sure was in a rush. Eva kept pace with the other men, realizing as they moved the chest that both other girls had been right. There was no way she was lifting this herself. Maybe dragging it herself, but that would be too slow for Nena's wishes. She even seemed in more of a rush as they got into the lobby. Remembering what Greta said, she frowned at the box. Whatever was in here wasn't 'just junk'. It seemed like groups were trying to get things settled, so she just held tight and waited for Nena to get going again. Not gettin' by me with just junk again.

---

"<Dirty clothes? You jerk!>" She punched his arm, likely not very effectively, and huffed. "<I wash these plenty. Just because they're old doesn't mean they stink. Jerk... Yes, Hoshi, let's go. I'd rather learn magic with you than have someone tease me about the clothes I wear.>" She stuck her tongue out at Thales and strolled on over to Hoshi's side, waiting for her to start leading on.

Edited September 23, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Xinnidy]

Well, that had struck a nerve, apparently. At least her teacher seemed much more grateful. "Merz... well, it's fine, Hoshi. Haruhi is part of the group, might as well help each other out." Making friends and leaving a good impression was a good idea in a new group, even if they were... well, Haruhi was a weird case. Thales wasn't in the mood to argue or make fun back at her outburst, simply shaking his head in response. "You two take care, I'll check up on the rest." Whatever magical training entailed, it was not more interesting than having his comfort guaranteed for the next days.

Leaving the mage girls to their business, Thales followed a bizarre sight of a chest being carried by multiple people, trying to lift it to a room, if the conversation between Anna and this woman --a familiar face he couldn't put a name on-- was any telling. Her answer was very unsatisfactory, however. Just junk... that sounds off. Nobody in the group seemed well enough on their own to just have luxury garbage or whatnot in a chest. "Uh, you sure you don't need some help there?" It certainly seemed like it would take ages to unload. Thales could at least help in that regard.

[scorri]

Stay or leave, leave or stay... Lumi was starting to get a headache from all the thinking and all the crying. She just wanted it all to stop. Joanna's kind words and the memory of Haruhi's face, plus the realization that she didn't think she could truly face herself if she abandoned her friends all came together with a small click.

Looking up at avians, eyes still wet with tears, she quietly said, "I... I think I need to stay. But I can't... I think I need to stay out of combat. At least for a while. Maybe... Maybe study with you like you suggested, Liam. I just can't go back out there until I know I'm not risking others by freezing up." It wasn't a perfect solution, but maybe it would be the one that would make the most people happy. And it might even have a chance at making her happy.

~~~~~~~

"Goodbye Thales. I'm sure she will want to spend time with you later." Smiling slightly to herself, she turned back to Haruhi and nodded. <"Very good. This way."> Heading through the building, she led the way to a small practice room with a few targets and enough space to move about without hitting anything. 

As they entered, she commented, <It would not be the worst idea to be a bit nicer to him. He clearly cares about you. I'm sure it is all teasing but still, you maywant to be careful. Snap at someone enough times and they learn to be cautious."> She suspected her words would be ignored, so she continued right into her next topic, hoping that perhaps the words would sink in over time. <"Now then. Tell me, what all do you know about tendrils and dark magic?">

Edited September 25, 2017 by scorri

[Phoenix]

Dining Area

It wasn't the best image she could have been portraying at that moment, but Joanna was actually quite happy with Lumi's decision. Prior to becoming the Avatar of Mercy, she might have been plain ecstatic about it. Despite Lumi's reasons, choosing not to get into the thick of it and risk needlessly taking the lives of others, was a good thing, overall. Joanna couldn't help but smile. Even if she decided to fight alongside the group later, at that point, she'll have had time to come to the decision naturally. That was better than simply being thrust into the chaos and embracing it without a second thought.

"I think that's a very wise decision," Joanna said, sincerely, though she felt a little odd about her word choice, "Liam and I will help you with whatever you need."

Lobby

"Well it seems like everything worked out," Anna offered. It probably wouldn't sooth whatever guilt Nadya was feeling, though. Neither would it bring back Norbert, himself. That was something she was going to have to see to, herself. "Once I'm on break, I'll go track him down for you," Anna added with an almost disturbingly sincere smile.

"Do you need help?" Shadrak asked, not really wanting to volunteer, but feeling he still ought to ask. Anna might run into a bit of trouble searching for Norbert on her own, or at least that was what he feared in a slightly chaotic port town like Arugai. On the other hand, she might have been familiar enough with the place to not have any trouble, and not need any help whatsoever. Hopefully that was the case.

"I'll search for him myself," Anna replied, "but feel free to look around too if you're not busy."

Meanwhile, Amon watched curiously as Nena led the chest bearers down the hallway on the left and toward one of the vacant guest rooms. He didn't know what had transpired aboard the Emi Maru, only that a small portion of the group, plus Nena, had been staying there rather than aboard the Darklighter Idolus. Amon himself probably should have switched ships, in order to save himself some heartache ... and possible Ra, as well. Who knows how things might have turned out if he hadn't been so badly beaten, both physically and mentally, during that voyage.

Guest Room

So close. They were so close, now. Nena watched with bated breath as they set the chest down in the middle of the room, not far from the bed ... it was a pretty big room, fit for someone important. That was just perfect, since Canaan needed t least twice the living space of a normal person thanks to his overall height and enormous tail. "Thank you so much," Nena quickly took down each of the male workers with a smile, and sent them out of the room none the wiser. She set her sights on Eva next. "Alright, if you're leaving, shut the door behind you, and if you're staying, shut the door anyway, please."

Edited September 27, 2017 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Haruhi watched Thales shake his head and ended up shrinking a bit. Was he really that upset about her staying here? But he knew that she was only here for Hoshi in the first place. She never would have come to Kigen without the promise of learning more about dark magic.

So when Hoshi pipes up about her teasing, she nodded. "<I know... I thought it was all in good fun for a while, but he might be getting annoyed with me. He hasn't said so, though... So I don't know. You're right, though. I'll... I'll go apologize after we're done.>" She hopes that Hoshi wouldn't hold it against her, stepping into the room, and immediately getting confused.

"<Uh... N-Nothing. I guess. I read what I could of the time I st... Got. But I mostly figured out the one spell through trial and error...>" It was slightly embarrassing to say out loud, but when it came down to it, she really did know next to nothing about this power she was tossing around.

---

Eva was about to respond to Thales, but Nena was relentless, so all she could do was shrug at him as they started moving again. Luckily, it wasn't that long of a walk, and the help the woman had acquired was swiftly dismissed.

But Eva stayed. She closed the door behind them all and folded her arms, leaning back against it. "What 'junk' is in there that'll get us all killed if someone sees it, eh?" That was as blunt as she could put it, trying not to scowl, but feeling that annoying sensation of being left out once again. And I still need to get Angelica to explain what was up with Amon... Fuck. Why doesn't anyone just tell me these things? I'm not a blabbermouth, I don't just spill secrets.

[Phoenix]

Spare Room

"Not junk," Nena corrected, glad to be done with that annoying half truth, "Canaan." She quickly knelt down in front of the chest and unlocked it. Next, she quickly, but also quietly, opened the chest. There were a lot of trinkets, mostly metal, some small statues and other useless dodads. It was indeed mostly junk, piled up to the point where they came just over the rim of their massive container. Recalling where Canaan's head ought to be, Nena started digging, taking out about half the items she encountered trying to reach him. It didn't take any time at all to reach the blanket covering him, and she started to peel it back, even as the other contents of the chest held it down by the other three corners.

"Please don't be dead," Nena whispered, finally getting Canaan's head and top shoulders uncovered. He was wearing his robe, but not his blindfold, and from the look of things, he was completely passive at the moment, too lost in his own thoughts to react to Nena right away. "Come on," Nena said, "let's get you out of this thing so you can stretch and get some fresh air. And you," Nena set her sights on Eva, "do not panic. He's not exactly human, but he's on our side." It was more accurate than the junk claim, but it still stung a bit to say.

[Nanami Touko]

"Canaan? What? Wait, please don't be dead? Is there someone in there...? Wha--" Eva jumped up to attention as the... Creature... Started to come out of the chest. She couldn't make out much from the cloak and the hood, but... Were those scales? Perhaps Nena had gotten lucky with her choice of helper, as Eva only started smiling the more she saw. "Wh-What's with the scales? He's... He's so cool..." Eva's smile got bigger, walking up to Nena, looking the cloaked figure all over.

[Phoenix]

Canaan

"I guess that's ..." Nena glanced at Canaan, then Eva, "that's a better reaction than what I was expecting."

Even once Canaan was out of the chest, it still took a few moments for him to free his tail. The junk cover fell deeper and deeper into the chest as all ten or so feet of his tail slithered out from underneath.

"The Kigenese kill people like him on sight, so he needs a disguise," Nena explained, "There's no way he can pass for a human with that huge tail, and then there's his feet ... the extra arms, even his eyes. It's just too much of a hassle to do anything besides hide him in a big box. I know it's a risk, but it's one I'm willing to take to help him."

"A friend?" Canaan asked Nena, glancing at Eva.

Nena shrugged. "An associate, I guess."

[Nanami Touko]

It took everything in Eva's power to not scream as Canaan got himself out of the chest-- but not out if fear. Out of sheer amazement at his entire being! He was... Well, he was a lizardman! And that was putting it lightly. The tail, his feet, his arms, his everything. Eva was clasping her hands together and smiling so wide at him.

"You are, so cool!"

[Xinnidy]

Well, Thales had just been completely ignored.

How rude.

"Hmph." He crossed his arms, having already not been in that hot of a mood. Thales was just a newcomer, but couldn't he help with anything, or did that chest hold too big of a secret? Well, whatever, they didn't say he couldn't follow... but as soon as the hallway had cleared, they closed the door. Now that's interesting... Hmm, he didn't want to give too bad of an impression, sneaking around and eavesdropping on talks while he was still new to the group, but the hallway seemed currently vacant. Nobody would notice, probably. Besides, he'd helped enough and nobody was calling for him.

Thales looked to both sides before walking close to the door, pressing his head against the wall. He could hear Eva's voice, but everything else was a bit low to be identifiable. Just what was going on over there? 

[Ether]

Well, here they were at Weyland Enterprises... or back at Weyland Enterprises was probably the better way to put it. Eva had been clamoring on for an explanation before they had separated during the move over, and as loathe as Angelica was to think or talk about the mess with Ra, she owed it to the Neviskotian to explain it, the mage supposed. Trust, honesty... that was what was expected in relationships like this, right? That's what people always said, although it was still a bit harrowing to think about.

"Hah... get used to throwing people away once you're done with them long enough, and trying to keep one feels... alien." Angelica muttered to herself under her breath, entering the lobby just in time to see Eva, along with some of Weyland's men, hauling off some sort of chest into a side room. How bizarre... well, if the rider was busy, she was busy. There would be time to take care of that later... and she'd have more time to psych herself up, at any rate. In the mean time...

"Hey Anna, by any chance are there bathing or showering facilities in here? Sailing ships don't exactly come with the best."

***

"<Still inside, huh...?>" Rin noted to herself, as she brought a dumpling to her lips, biting into it and letting the juice from the pork trickle down her lip as she swallowed the bite of food. It was too soon to simply leave Haruhi alone, but it was clear that the mage wanted a bit of space... that much could be arranged, observing from slightly afar was nothing new to her, after all. Finishing the latter half of the dumpling she had skewered, Rin continued to lazily watch over the Weyland Enterprises building. This was where she had said they would be, and she had definitely gone inside. It was only a matter of time, now.

[scorri]

Hoshi started to figure out how to best explain everything to Haruhi when she paused, seemed to realize something, and started again. <"Ah, right, ok. So... There are many different ways that you can use dark magic. You can use it to attack, as you've already started to understand. You can use it to warp, travel great distances. And you can use it to create and change things through alchemy. There are... other skills that you can do with it, but that is nothing something that I know how to do nor would I teach if I did."> The thought of using her skills to control people's minds terrified her, even if it was virtually impossible. <"I can teach you alchemy or combat magic. I suspect that you would prefer to learn combat, at least at first, and if that is the case, there is no need to go into discussion of tendrils for now.">

She paused, letting this all sink in, and then smiled. <"So tell me, Haruhi, what do you want to learn?">

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lumi did her best to smile back at Joanna, glad that at least somebody would be happy about her decision. The comment about her and Liam being there to help her struck her and a thought popped into her head. She hesitated, and then quietly asked, "This may seem silly but... could I... could I have a hug?" She didn't know why, but the thought of being hugged by the avian just seemed like it would help make everything else seem like it would work out somehow.

[-Cynthia-]

Lobby

"I might as well try. It's not my first time around these parts and I don't really have anything better to do,=. He's probably fine, but we'd have to round him up eventually anyway," Nadya said with a shrug before turning to leave.

Dining Area

Liam was relieved that Lumi decided to stay and seemed to be feeling better about it- but he wasn't sure about hugging her. Was that request meant for Joanna? Or do humans hug each other in groups? He decided to just let Joanna handle this to avoid making the situation awkward.

[Phoenix]

Affection

"Of course," Joanna beamed. She didn't waste anytime in embracing Lumi. Normally, Joanna would have stopped herself from a full fledged avian embrace, keeping her wings back, but in the elation of the moment, her wings nearly folded in around Lumi completely.

"I kinda want in on this," Lexi murmured. Her eyes drifted over to Liam for a moment. "You know, this crew and all the mutinies are really startin' to get to me," she rubbed her eye with a finger and sniffed, "I could really use a feathery hug, too."

Reception

"Good luck," Anna called over to Nadya, as she seemed ready to start her search sooner rather than later. The next question had the receptionist smiling in amusement. She could just imagine how annoying a single week on a ship could be when bathing options were so severely limited. "If you'd rather just hop into a northern style tub, we've got two bathrooms here. Otherwise, there's a bathhouse a few buildings down."

"A sento visit sounds pretty nice, now that you mention it," Shadrak said thoughtfully.

"Whichever you prefer," Anna boosted her smile slightly.

Deception

"... cool?" Canaan wasn't sure what to make of the word. He'd heard it before, but in a markedly different context.

"Not so loud," Nena winced. She couldn't argue with what Eva had actually said, of course, but they had to be careful. "Okay, so ... Canaan you'll have to stay here until it's time for us to leave town. Will you be alright?"

Canaan nodded. That just left Eva ...

"Alright, so what are you planning to do, now?" Nena asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at the excited wyvern rider.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Haruhi stared at Hoshi with her mouth slightly open, more interested in this than she'd ever been. Warping, changing, alchemy, and plenty of other things Hoshi hadn't even began to mention. She stood there, dumbfounded, nodding a bit before shaking her head furiously and clearing her throat. "<Ahhh, y-yes, uh... I, I suppose I should focus on attack stuff... Wow, warping... Uhm! I, read about something called Nosferatu... Should I figure out how to do that?>" That was a good place to start. Probably.

---

"Uh, uh... Awesome? Interesting? Amazing? Cool. You look super cool." Eva was still in jubilant shock, stuck staring at Canaan and taking in all of him. It was only when Nena started asking her what she was gonna do that she started to clue back into reality. "I, wha? Oh, well, duh! I'm not gonna tell anyone anything. Greta was really serious when she pulled me down, so there's no way I'd ignore that and start tossing this information around... You both said we'd die if I did. I like living. Still... Can I come visit him? I really wanna talk with him... I really wanna fight him, if I'm being honest. Sparring with you sounds like so much fun!"

Eva sighed, trying to keep her voice down. "Sorry, sorry... Ahh, wow~ What a nice surprise today's become."

[Ether]

"A sento, huh? Well, that could be fun..." Angelica mused for a moment, before sitting down to wait. She might be able to convince Eva to join her, normally being in public would be an issue for discussing something like Ra, but... well, the likelihood of other patrons understanding Neviskotian was slim as it is. Of course, Eva might end up being too shy to use a public bath... the idea of the brusque rider acting shy in any way was amusing, but it was something outside of her usual territory to be certain. If that was the case, they could just use the building's own facilities after all.

[-Cynthia-]

Dining Area

Joanna thankfully stepped in- but then Captain Lexi specifically requested a hug of her own which Liam was even less comfortable with. I suppose I have no valid reason to refuse really... "Um...all right," Liam acquiesced, leaning into Lexi and patting her firmly on the back several times.

Outside 

"All right Luca, let's go for a ride around here. If ya see or smell Rizen just lead me over there," Nadya said before hopping on and beginning to trot around the port. Rizen must be with him, she'd be flappin' around like a nutcase otherwise.

[scorri]

Lumi let out a small content sigh as she was wrapped up in a feathery hug, feeling safe and happy for the first time really since the battle. The avian just left her feeling peaceful and like the rest of the world wasn't quite as scary. She knew it really didn't make much sense, but the hug just made those secure feelings all the stronger. Reluctantly letting go, she giggled quietly as she saw Liam's hug for Lexi, a slightly different experience than the one she had just had. Smiling at Joanna, she collapsed back down into her chair, and shook her head.

"I really have to thank all three of you. Just... the patience and care you've shown me... It means a lot. And I don't think that I could have made this decision without you all. I know it isn't going to be an easy thing moving forward from here but... I feel better about it. So thank you." She still wasn't sure that everyone else would understand or approve of her decision, but she'd also realized that maybe that was ok. She was moving forward in the way that she thought was the best course and in the end, that was what mattered. Or at least that was what she was convincing herself to believe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It seemed that the concept of warping was what had stuck out the most to Haruhi despite her decision of learning the Nosferatu spell. She made a mental note to brush up on her knowledge of warping, figuring that maybe she could teach that to Haruhi when they had some more time. <"Very well then, Nosferatu it is. A good choice, since it can keep you from succumbing to your injuries, but it is not the most complicated of spells in the end. I suppose I would consider it the most difficult of the 'basic' dark spells, but it is still part of the lower tier of spells.">

Pulling out her tome, she paused, trying to decide the best way to start. <"Ok. When you create a flux spell, what you are doing is taking a large number of dark units and shoving them at an enemy. They oscillate, err, switch rapidly between two phases, in and out. This is what causes the damage. With Nosferatu, instead of oscillating the units, instead you keep them 'in-phased' to attack, where they absorb the life force, and then return the units to you as 'out-phased' and collect the life force from them. Does that make sense?">