Return of the Emblem Chapter Fifteen: Alliance

[Phoenix]

Meeting Objectives

Amon hadn't been expecting to find himself on a guilt trip by the time things were partially out in the open. He could only imagine how Joanna was faring with her silence. Her face was mostly neutral but knowing her, she was probably a little annoyed. Shadrak looked more relieved than anything, so hopefully Daichi wouldn't notice him again, or if he did notice the druid, chalk it up to being trusted with such important information. Amon tried to keep his head firmly in the present now, and move on, since Daichi seemed to trust them, at least for the moment.

"In a perfect world," Amon began, imagining an ideal version of this whole adventure in Kigen, "we'd give this information to you, then you would pass it along to the Emperor. Once he approved, we would help the Kigen army find that gate and destroy it. Then our group would head back to Ursium." He left out the part about claiming Valdimarr's emblem piece for Aisha. It was important, but not exactly relevant beyond how difficult fighting the fallen emperor would be. Unfortunately, that may have to wait until they were back in Ursium. There was nothing to suggest that he'd left Ursium after the attack on Europa. There was a siege gate in that country, just like in Kigen and Neviskotia, so chances were he was at that gate, not this one.

[-Cynthia-]

Meeting

Liam didn't think he had anything to add to this discussion- there was a lot of discussion of people and places he did not know and countries he was barely familiar. He opted to remain silent so that he could learn as much as he could to get knowledge of the situation at hand.

Nadya

"Pretty obvious to me that everythin' ain't fine, but I ain't gonna push into your personal business if ya don't want me to. Just try to take of yourself- things are gonna get even rougher than they were so we'd better stick together," Nadya advised Bert, beginning to nudge Luca to turn and leave.

[Mercakete]

Daichi hummed thoughtfully to himself as he contemplated Amon's request. "So, you want me to speak to the emperor directly, on your behalf... If that is the case, then I will need to gather more information first. I cannot ask to meet with Emperor Yamato in person and only tell him a rumor. I will need to bring facts...and one of you." He raised his eyes to Amon again. "This report comes from Ursium, not from Kigen. Everything I have learned has come from the words of others. I can relay information and express my trust, but I am not a witness to the events in Ursium. We must convince the emperor that this is real, and that Kigen must act quickly. We need.... <something heavy to add weight to our claims.> Proof, that cannot be overlooked. Knowing where this information came from, and bringing a witness may be enough."

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

Someone was talking... Someone was... No, not one of his sisters... Right... They weren't around. Norbert pushed out of the memory. Nadya was saying something. Nadya... Right. That was what happened... She was saying...to take care of himself. That things were going to get harder... The Fallen, right. They had to stick together? She doesn't know. She knew he ran. But she didn't see his weakness. Right; he'd run before, to get space and calm down. She knew he did that. She didn't see the weakness. Good. He was safe... Safe from her, for now, anyway.

Don't run. He couldn't say anything either. If he asked for help, she'd know something was wrong. The others would come... But they were coming. They were coming for him.

Norbert was rooted in place again, caught between his values pushing him towards Arugai, and his fear, pushing him away from it...from the group. He couldn't say anything, but he couldn't escape on his own, either. Escape... Escape what? Escape the punishment from the others... Escape this force that pushed him away from this and that... What can I do?

[Nanami Touko]

So there was a meeting. Eva was about to ask if she was allowed to join, but Shadrak invited her along anyway. That made things easier... Of course, sitting through this meeting, she felt more like a fly on the wall than anything. Of course, she knew about the gate plans, why they were here, but dancing around Daichi was something she didn't wish on the most talented linguist. He was so well informed-- of course, he would be, considering his work. But it wasn't like they could tell one of Kigen's most important officials about what they were doing. He was a demon hunter! And they were working with a fallen prince! The worry on her face was almost readable, but she kept quiet with her arms folded. The thought of Canaan just a few rooms over didn't help things, though...

---

"<Huh? Thales? I thought you were going off shopping, or something...>" Maybe he'd already finished. She stopped, let her shoulders relax a little, and listened to what he had to say... Or what he was trying to say. His Kigenese was still a bit hard to understand, though her common was worse, so there was no room to complain. "<I don't really know much about the town, either, but I can translate for you if you wanted to go somewhere... I was going for a walk, nothing more. Knowing Rin's lurking about somewhere makes it a bit more comfortable to walk around... So having the both of you watching out for me makes it even easier.>" She smiled, softly, and looked around idly. "<So... Did you have somewhere specific in mind...?>"

[Phoenix]

Bad Ideas

What Daichi needed was a tall order at least so long as they had to keep some of what they knew to themselves. Talk about working with both of your hands tied. Something sprang unbidden to Amon's mind as he tried to think of something they could use while keeping a safe distance from Steinn and Siv. He didn't even want to think about them right now, lest he accidentally let something damning slip. What came to mind was actually worse than that, of course ... Canaan. Still, it wasn't the worst idea he could have come up with on the spot. Canaan was a demon, and if they could find some way to reveal him without getting him killed--or getting themselves killed--that would definitely convince anyone that saw it. Could they possibly set up a scenario like that without looking suspicious? Canaan showing up right when they needed some kind of proof that there was a gate building operation going was far too convenient; they were in Arugai, not the wilderness, and not any other places it made sense for a demon to suddenly show up. Granted, Amon wasn't really sure where demons ought to show up ...

...

This was tough to think about.

"Well, I don't have any good ideas, just yet," Amon noted, leaving a hint for anyone that might want to take chime with their own ideas or inquire what his bad ideas were. In the latter case, he could just explain how finding a demon far from fallen territory would be useful in validating their claims. Anyone but Daichi should quickly realize that he was hinting at Canaan, see what they thought about that, and how plausible a staged attack seemed. "I'll go with you to meet the Emperor if that's what you need, though."

[Mercakete]

Daichi nodded to Amon. "If you wish to be the one to go with me to meet with Emperor Yamato, then that should be fine." Then, he gave him a somewhat puzzled look, "I did just say that your testimony and the name of the source -- if he is credible -- should be enough, though." The confusion cleared from the Hikibain's expression again, replaced by formality. "I will speak to Anna to gather that information, myself, as I have said. If you believe you can find even more evidence of this 'gate,' however -- such as its exact location for investigation, or parts of it -- then that will only strengthen our claim."

[Phoenix]

Meeting

The trouble with asking Anna was that she would either prove not to be a credible source, by sticking to Weyland's story, or get found out and endanger the mission via Kigen's demon policies. At least that's what Amon thought. He hoped word alone would be enough, but ... well, he could barely trust himself to keep things straight, so he wasn't sure what to expect from the red haired agent, given how much information she had to keep track of.

"Alright then. I guess we'll focus on getting some good locations to check while you talk to Anna." She was out searching for Norbert right now, wasn't she? She probably wouldn't be back for a little while. "I don't think she's here right now, though."

"She's out searching for Bert," Shadrak chimed in with a sigh.

 

[Mercakete]

"He is still missing?" Daichi asked, his face suddenly filled with nothing but concern as his attention snapped right onto Shadrak. Then, he seemed to backpedal a little as contemplation joined the worry on his face. He withdrew his gaze, too, again just looking at the air in front of him as he rested a hand on his chin. "Perhaps...that is to be expected..." Then, he began looking around at the others in the room, looking for tells. "Is this...normal for him? To distance himself for long amounts of time when he is stressed?"

Just prior to Shadrak's bit of sharing, Daichi had been taking in the plan while his mind also drifted to other things that were adding to his to-do list. He'd actually just been contemplating warning Ungur that Neviskotia might suffer a demon attack meant to test them at some point soon, just as they had attacked Europa. And, of course, when the best time to talk to him would be. He was undoubtedly busy with other affairs at the moment, and again, having something more substantial than the word of foreigners to support his concerns would be beneficial. There was no telling when this attack would be launched, so sooner might have been better, but if it would just be a waste of time without evidence, then it would actually save them time and credibility to wait until they had a strong case. He hadn't decided on which would be better yet, when the far more personal issue came up.

[Nanami Touko]

Eva couldn't really weigh in on the demon situation, but Bert's... 'Berting' was something she's gotten a bit familiar with during her time with the group. "I haven't been here the longest," she spoke up, "but from the few times he has, it seems to be the case... This time's looking a bit longer than what I've seen, though. For... Well, you can probably guess, Mr. Kazemi." It wouldn't really do to just blatantly go 'because he has daddy issues', but that was looking to be the case, the longer Bert was away from the group. Would he even come back this time? She couldn't tell... She was starting to feel a bit bad for him. He was easy to upset, and got under your skin, but he seemed... Truly bothered by the recent situation. She couldn't help herself.

[Mercakete]

The solution came quickly to Daichi's mind. Eager to get onto his next objective, he spoke just a tiny bit more hurriedly than he had been previously. The Hikibain addressed the group. "If there is nothing more anyone has to say, then, we can conclude this meeting. I will go find Anna and ask her my questions while you work on your own tasks. I will also see if I cannot find Norbert. Hoshi-san," Daichi looked directly at the Kigenese woman. <"if you would like, I would also be willing to teach the men of your group some of our etiquette when I return, so that you can focus on teaching the women.">

[Xinnidy]

"<Shop-- Ah, no. Was... was busy.>" They hadn't brought her to Canaan, huh? She was occupied with Hoshi for the last couple of hours... so probably not, unless she already knew of him from before. Wasn't Nena in the other ship too? And the chest was from there... Thales couldn't know for sure, however, so it was better to explain at a later time. "<So, free for now. Came to look, but...>" He shifted glances to his surroundings, "<Arugai different, so, alone not best idea.>" It was bad enough on his own in Urquium, now he was in a group. There was no reason not to drag someone along.

Somewhere specific in mind, though? Thales didn't even know what the symbols on the signs meant! "<Oh, still need shopping.>" He was making a mental list, not only clothes but also his necessities. Thales had brought food, but basically left everything back in Urquium aside from his coin once the attack happened, and it still worried him. "<A lot, uh, can read Kigenese, yes?-->" That was a dumb question, of course she could, "<I... could use help~.>" Thales smiled back. She already said she had nowhere in mind... that's basically permission to be dragged on a shopping spree!

Edited November 10, 2017 by Xinnidy

[scorri]

Hoshi couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks as Dachi unwittingly reminded her of her failure. She should have had educated all their company on proper etiquette before arriving at Kigen, and to have someone as important as a Hikibain offer to cover her shortcoming was embarrassing. She'd allowed the first impression of Weyland to be a lower one than what it should have been. Still, it would also be rude to reject so kind an offer from a man of his import. <"That would be greatly appreciated by all in our group, I am sure. You honor us with your offer.">

[Phoenix]

Meeting

"Lessons? Hmm" Shadrak hoped he wasn't being included in this plan of theirs. He might be a little rusty, but surely he could get by far better than most in the group. If anything, he should be helping with said lessons, though he would rather be focusing on locating the gate.

They would be getting lessons, now? Lessons in demon hunting, hopefully. That was Amon's first guess. Even if that wasn't it, it was probably better if he just focused on Steinn's suggested gate locations ... and try to come up with his own rationale for said locations while he was at it ...

"I think that's all for now then." Amon actually did have some questions about the demons, but they were already pushing their luck, and any minor slip ups could draw the Hikibain's attention to Canaan or unravel the Weyland mystery. They already had to worry about Anna and what she may or may not reveal, so Amon decided to shelf the issue. If they got some tips on demons, that would be the perfect time to ask some more important questions about them.

Edited November 12, 2017 by Phoenix

[Mercakete]

To Hoshi, Daichi only gave a small nod of reciprocation. He wasn't paying Shadrak much attention, but it sounded like he had understood. Yes; that as right... He had been pointed out as one who spoke Kigenese. That noted, the Hikibain's full attention returned to Amon while the man spoke. It seemed that the meeting was adjourned.

"I will return later today, then, provided nothing urgent requires my attention," Daichi concluded as he stood, giving a shallow, brief bow to Amon. Immediately afterward, he briskly strode out of the room. His messenger fell in step behind him as the Hikibain continued on his way to the building's entrance. He only stopped briefly at the reception desk to ask for a description of Anna. Once he had it, he relayed it to his subordinate as they exited the building.

<"The lookout must let us know if she returns to this building,"> Daichi instructed, <"I also want you to spread the word to a few others and search for her in the south and the west of Arugai, but don't cause a panic. This is nothing alarming; I only wish to find her and speak with her before the day is done, and she is looking for someone, so it is difficult to tell where she is. I will search the north and the east.">

After receiving an affirmative from the man, Daichi continued along the way of the coastline while his subordinate turned and began heading south. With their net in the formation process, it would only be a matter of time and patience before something turned up to point them in the right direction.

[Nanami Touko]

"... ... ... Phew..." Eva sighed, scratching at her hair. What a tense mess that had been. She was glad that Daichi hadn't picked up on her, maybe he'd thought her disgruntled face was about Bert? In any case, that was a load of stress off her shoulders. She looked at Amon, then Shadrak, and felt herself chuckling quietly. "Guess we're under the lovingly watchful eye of the Kigenese for a while now, huh?" She didn't want to talk about Canaan yet, just in case someone was close by the door. She'd already made that mistake today. "What's the plan now, then? We stock up here and start searching for gates? I'd say I could get a head start on Sasha, but I don't think I'd want to be alone if I came across one, huh..."

---

"<Too busy to go shopping... And now you want me to go with you?>" Haruhi sighed. She hadn't wanted to go before, that hadn't changed... Why did he want her to go with him so badly? She hated shopping, and if he had any plans to get her to try clothes on... "<Of course I can read, Thales. I read most of the tome I learned dark magic from... Some of the more advanced phrases I don't get, but I doubt you're going to run into any of that doing basic shopping. So... I'll go with you, okay? Just... Just, no clothes. Please. Not on me, at least...>" He'd probably push it anyway.

[Phoenix]

Gate Chasers

Once Daichi left, a good deal of the tension left, as well. There was still plenty to worry about, though. "Greta's probably going to handle the supplies," Amon mused aloud, "but with everything she's trying to sell off, we could be here a while. Let's try to figure out some places where the gate might be on a map. A local map. We need something to give the Kigenese to work with."

"Good idea," Shadrak nodded, "I'll go see if I can find one ..."

[Xinnidy]

"<Yes! Said not busy. No take back.>" A cocksure grin belied Thales' intention of making the girl go along with him. "<Yeah, yeah, know you can read...>" It was probably rude to keep asking people if they could read. It wasn't a lottery to find a pal that actually passed functional literacy here, but old habits died hard. Thankfully she was willing to play translator whenever Thales' basic Kigenese was doomed to fail, from what he understood, but her enthusiasm was very lacking. "<No clothes? Just want stay with same old?>" It seemed like such a hassle to keep the same clothes clean over and over. Besides, Combat clothes were not the same as casual clothes. There were so many reasons why it was better! "<Fine, fine... Will buy for self. Need basic first.>" Since things were set, now was as good a time as any to start getting used to their deal. Thales wrapped his arm around Haruhi's, smiling back at the girl. "<So, 'girlfriend', where get medicine?>" Working on his necessities would be a good start.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

"Alright... Tell me if there's somewhere I should head off to look, once we get a map. I'd rather help than be stuck around here doing nothing."

---

Haruhi rolled her eyes at Thales and his mannerisms. He was so happy to get her to go shopping with him... "<I just don't like trying on clothes. It's uncomfortable for me. That's all it is.>" She hoped that was fine enough for him, but it likely wouldn't be. He'd probably push something for her to try to wear when they got to the store... She withheld another sigh, as he asked about basics. "<Girlfriend... We can get some medicine in the market. Just make sure you know what you're looking for when you go to buy something. I won't be able to speak for you, for specific things.>" The answer as to why should've been obvious, so hopefully he didn't ask.

[Xinnidy]

"<Eh, uncomfortable? Why?>" The boy exchanged a curious glance, wondering why that would be. New clothes were great, for self-esteem and confidence and a sense of control of your life. It was a great escape, and girls had such a broader selection it was unfair! Maybe she never learned the ways, or maybe it was more personal? "<Haruhi not like self?>" He had to ask, though looking at her face, she was just hating the experience. Hmm... "<Will not push you clothes. If really not want to.>" It was a bit of a downer. He'd love the chance to work on a girl's looks, but Haruhi didn't seem like it was meant to be.

"<Market? Market~. Okay.>" At least having a destination in mind was enough to cheer him up a little, though facing the market, he'd still need to act like the 'man'... Did Haruhi just call him girlfriend back or was she just repeating him? Nah, she wasn't that silly. "<Alright, guide me to right seller. I can't read Kigenese.>" Another sentence he'd memorized. It felt good to not sound too rustic or dumb, at least. "<No worry, I will talk.>"

[Ether]

A bath in the hand is worth two in the... not bath?

After a little bit of waiting, Eva finally came back down to the main room looking rather... content. Well, there were certainly worse ways she could have arrived, that was for certain. Angelica was somewhat curious as to what she had been doing all that time, but she supposed she could ask later. Standing up from her seat and walking over to Eva, Angelica gave the taller girl a pat on the back to catch her attention.

"Eva, come with me, would you?"

Man, Canaan was so cool! She couldn't get over it, still stuck in her head, causing her to giggle and plastering a goofy grin onto her face. As long as no one bothered her she'd probably be fine, explaining that smile to anyone else would likely be-- "Wah! A-Angelica, haha... Hey." Initiate shutdown grin, work fast. Trying to hide her exuberance from the mage as best as she could, she finally sighed and molded it into a fairly normal smile.

"Come with you? Where? Hey, you never did tell me what was... Ohhh, that's what this is for... Right? It had better-- I'm, getting way ahead of myself." Taking a breath and trying to calm her excitement from a few minutes ago down, Eva sighed, and tried again. "Where? Not following you until you give me a destination..." I've had enough surprises for today. Between Bert's dad and Canaan, I think I want to know everything else I'm walking into.

Well, whatever Eva had been excited about quickly faded from her face as Angelica approached, her enthusiasm replaced with a neutral smile, accompanied by a sigh. Well that was odd...

"Kigen is famous for it's communal bathhouses. There's one just down the road, and it's something everyone who visits should experience at least once. Besides, the baths on the trip here were awful, and you need one as much as I do."

Bathhouse? "Like... An open bath? With multiple people... Uhh..." Eva folded her arms, trying not to look too embarrassed, but any level was enough for Angelica to pick up on. "I... I'm not, really sure if I trust you in that... Sorta setting. Gonna guess we aren't bathing in clothes... So... I know we shouldn't be public about anything, but if it's you, I know you'll try to tease something. Sounds almost dangerous..."

"I'm not gonna try anything here, gosh Eva. I was the one who tried to tell you how dangerous those things are here in the first place." Angelica replied with a pout and a scowl.

"If I wanted to play with you, I'd have dragged you into one of the baths here. I wanted to invite you for the unique experience."

"Uh huh... If you say so. Don't mind me if I'm a bit skeptical." For the unique experience... Was it really that great? It was just a big bath, wasn't it? If Angelica thought it was that nice... "Alright. But, you're gonna tell me what's going on. Y'know, with, everything. Amon, and all that."

"Yeah, I know. I just want to clean up first, I feel gross." Angelica replied, shuddering a bit in her skin.

"Then... Let's go? I suppose." Wait, did she mean she wanted to clean up here first? Or there? Now Eva was confused... Common sucked.

With that decided then, Angelica motioned for Eva to follow her, heading towards the exit of Weyland Enterprises.

"Yes, let's go. It'll be fine, I promise." Angelica assured, though she was less sure about things being fine towards what Eva wanted to know... how would she even explain it?

Oh, so she did want to go, then. Well, that cleared things up. With caution in mind, Eva followed after her. You promise, huh... As long as she got some answers. Being the confused one in the group all the time was getting old.

With Eva following behind her, it only took a few minutes walk to reach the local sento bath... and onsen would have been more traditional, but there wasn't one here, so it would have to make do. Along the way, Angelica made sure to communicate a few basics so that Eva didn't create a social faux pas as she was so... inclined to do.

"So basically, we pay at the front desk, and then go through a curtain to the women's side... just follow me so you don't end up in the men's. There'll be a room to change and leave your clothes, you grab a towel and then head inside the bath itself. There will be showers at the edges of the room, you clean yourself there first, and then after you're rinsed off, you leave your towel and go to soak in the main bath. Don't bring the towel in the bath, understand?"

That all sounded pretty easily to follow... Except... "Whh, leave the towel? I... Are you sure I can't take it with me...? I... I don't know how comfortable I am being naked around a bunch of other people. Well it might not be a bunch, but... I... You know what I mean."

"Yes, I'm sure. It's a cultural thing, you don't bring the towel into the main bath... and relax, no one is gonna scope you out or anything, this is just normal here." Angelica replied, stopping at the entrance to the bath house in case Eva had any other questions.

"No one's gonna scope me out but you," she scoffed, sighing. "Fine, fine, just... Get me in there, get this over with."

"Please, I don't need a bath to scope you out." Angelica replied, sticking her tongue out briefly before retreating it.

"You don't need to worry about a thing." Angelica continued, before stepping inside.

Eva rolled her eyes, and tried not to blush. She walked into that one... But when wasn't she walking into Angelica's taunts? Or, it was more like Angelica twisted them around her perfectly. One final sigh, and the procedure began.

At least it was... Less hectic than she'd been expecting. True to her word, Angelica left her alone through everything, and before she knew it, she was soaking in the water. Going well so far... There weren't a lot of people around-- maybe this wasn't a busy time of day? In any case, they were just here to talk... That was all. Eva had joked about Angelica getting an eyeful, but would she be able to handle herself? Ugh, I didn't think of that... Just... focus elsewhere the entire time. Easy.

After a relatively uneventful time changing and washing Angelica slipped into the bath a short while after Eva, letting out a contented sigh as the warm liquid engulfed her. 

"See, what'd I tell you? Regular baths don't feel this good to soak in~" Angelica noted, sinking down to her chin in the water and leaning her head against the edge of the bath. It wasn't a natural spring sadly, but it was nicely heated and the water had been imbued with all of the proper minerals to still feel excellent regardless.

Eyes elsewhere, Eva waited until Angelica was all gone under the water, glad the place was as steamy as it was. "Y-Yeah... So... Are we gonna talk? Or... Are you just gonna soak?"

"I suppose we are... where to begin...?" Angelica replied... well, if nothing else she could have the calming water around her while she explained. 

"<You remember how Amon could claim objects and people for Aisha? Well... he can't do that anymore.>" Angelica began, speaking in Neviskotian for safety's sake.

"<Er, yeah... He can't? What happened? That seems like a pretty big power to just randomly lose...>" Whatever the reason for the Neviskotian, at least Eva could tell Angelica was being serious.

"<I don't know how to explain this, really... Amon's emblem ability was just a facade. Something given to him as a sort of catalyst. After it served it's purpose, it was removed from him and destroyed. And that purpose was to summon Ra.>" Angelica began, shuddering a little bit before allowing herself to soak again, letting out a sigh.

"<Ra is... well if you looked at him, you'd call him Amon with a fetish for gold. My understanding is that he's connected to the Emblem, and is... as he put it, Amon's ideal form. He's trying to mold Amon into himself so that Amon can fulfill his destiny.>"

Ra... Ra was a strange name. Well, this sounded weird, but nothing past anything emblem related they were already used to. Why was this so hard to talk about? Angelica was pausing and sighing, what was the catch? "<What's his destiny, then? Or is he not going to be told?>" Maybe it was more weird than they were used to...

"<That... I don't know. All I know is that his methods are... abnormal. He's quick to violence, throwing Amon around and threatening him with death if he doesn't comply. He also said that this group will either tap into their own potential or be left behind.>" Angelica continued, pausing for a moment once again.

"<And I underestimated him. Or at least, I might have. He seemed to hate Amon for his current direction, so I undershot how much he might interfere with others trying to improve. He was as close a source as I could get to the Emblem, so I asked him for direction on how to understand the thing.>"

<"Whoa, he's what?>" Alright, now this was taking a different direction than expected. Or wanted. No wonder Amon seemed so down, a... An Emblem... Thing, was tossing him around and threatening to kill him. Why wasn't he telling people? Did he just not want them to panic? Or know at all? "<What the fuck...>"

"<What's that even supposed to mean? Tap into their own potential or be left behind? That sounds ridiculous. Sounds like someone should just stick it to this Ra guy and... Wait, you did what? Angelica...>" Eva sighed, whatever comfort this water was supposed to give was starting to wear off. "<What exactly does underestimating him and then asking him for direction entail, Angelica? You're the one always getting upset at me for being dangerous... Don't you dare tell me you've gone and done something stupid now.>"

"<I asked him to help me understand how to tap into the Emblem's power. I knew he could be physically violent but simply knowing about him could have been enough to trigger that, and if that was his prerogative, asking or not wouldn't have changed his outlook much. I underestimated him... or I might have, I don't know.>" Angelica shook her head, being told by Eva of all people that she had been foolish was a hard enough blow to her pride that she might have preferred Ra kicking her through a stack of crates... almost.

"<He did... something, to me. It was a flash of golden light, and in an instant it was gone. I don't feel any different, but my hand sometimes...>" Angelica stopped, her hand having roamed up to her affected shoulder before she had even began.

"<Does that. He told me that I was to follow his instructions without fail, and that his words would be binding upon me. And he hasn't given me any instruction or spoken to me since, so I have no way to know whether he's bluffing or serious.>" Angelica concluded, pulling her hand back down into the water and sighing.

"<Just... be careful around him. We still have no idea what he's truly capable of, and if he did place some sort of geas on me, he didn't require my consent to do so. It seems like Amon aside, the rest of this is a game to him. Move pieces around as he sees fit and watch them for amusement.>"

Eva sighed, putting a hand on her head, and trying to stay calm. Making a scene and getting them kicked out wouldn't be worth it. "<So you spoke to an Emblem deity that we don't know much about, asked him how to understand the Emblem, and agreed to those terms? What the fuck is wrong with you?>" Eva stared over at Angelica with her mouth agape, she found it difficult to considering going this far, even for herself.

"<To what end? Now you have to follow the instructions of Golden Amon no matter what he says? He's tossing Amon around and moving pieces as he sees for for amusement, you just said so, and you agreed to listen to his orders? Wha... I... Why!?>" She'd almost yelled, trying to stifle her voice, though the frustration was evident enough.

"<I didn't agree to anything. I asked him how I could understand and use the Emblem, and then he just did it in an instant. Do you really think I would have agreed to that?>" Angelica replied, a scowl growing on her face. 

"<And I don't know to what end. He said it was absolute, but he hasn't given me an instruction to follow. He said that failure wouldn't be tolerated, but I don't know what the consequence is, so to speak.>"

"<Hoooo, hohoho, I'm gonna kill him.>" If Eva's anger could muster itself, the water around her would be boiling. "<And you're not going to get on my case for anything dangerous I try to do again. Nothing I've done tops this... Said it was absolute-- I'll 'absolutely' kick your ass, mess with my girlfriend...>"

"<Eva, wait... if what he said is true, then...>" Angelica paused for a moment, reaching out and grabbing Eva's shoulder.

"<Ra and Amon are... life-linked? I suppose is the best way to put it. If either of them dies, so does the other... but I suppose you've got me. I'll just have to try harder to keep you safe if I can't stop you.>"

"<Then I'll just beat him up instead. Ugh... Do you have anything good to tell me, at least? I'm sorry, I just... It seems like whenever I get left out of the loop, it's for the better. Finding out what's going on just makes me mad. And you don't need that. You're definitely stressing over this more than I am... I can't say I've ever seen you look uncomfortable.>"

"<Well, that was the main thing. It's nice or pretty, but you wanted to know, so there it is... I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that's the extent of what I know... and sadly, I don't have much else. If it was something good I would have told you already straight away.>" Angelica replied, laughing lightly to try and mask her discomfort, but the cat was out of the bag, leaving her brow furrowed.

Eva sighed, sinking further and blowing some annoyed bubbles into the water. Well... A selfish thought did enter her mind, sitting back up a bit, trying to smile about it. "<So... Do I get to be the one protecting you, now? If things get out of hand? You probably don't need me to, but it's a nice thought, at least... You're always able to look after yourself, after all. It's pretty selfish, but seeing you... I dunno. Vulnerable. It's refreshing. 'Even Angelica has things she can't do by herself'. Something like that...>"

"<I should be worried by that sentiment but... if you can, I'd appreciate it. Just... be careful. I don't want Ra doing something to you just because you tried to stop him and couldn't.>" Angelica replied, shaking her head a bit.

"<But that's a lot of heavy talk, right? We're here to relax, after all.>"

"<And what's he gonna do to me, huh? I can handle getting tossed about more than Amon can. If that's the only magic trick he has in his arsenal, then I don't think there's anything to worry about.>" Feeling confident now, Eva started smiling, not about to let her anger last. She could bring it back up when this Ra showed himself.

<Then give me something to relax over! You've only filled my ears with worries... I asked, so it's kind of my fault, but it'd be nice if you could fix it anyway~>"

"<Don't be cocky... we have no idea what he's capable of.>" Angelica replied with a sigh, Eva asking her to give something to relax over... what could that be, at this point in time.

"<Well, we're off the damn boat.>"

How does one map out something they have not found?

"Well that's over with. I'm sure Anna can handle herself..." Angelica chipped in with a sigh after the Hikiba had moved on, looking over at Amon, not at all envious of his position, though for but a moment as his face entered her vision, she trembled. Damn that golden spectre...

"So now what? Where do you think would be the best places to look for a gate? We can at least think about it until Shadrak comes back with a map."

Add a replacement arm to your shopping list

It had taken a while, but Haruhi had eventually left Weyland's local headquarters, along with that Thales fellow. Based on the direction they were going, it appeared they intended to shop in the marketplace... and the boy was already getting into character as it were, linking arms with Haruhi. The sight brought a slight frown to Rin's face, though she'd have to grin and bear it for now, trailing a ways behind the duo, out of sight.

 

[scorri]

Letting out a sigh of relief, Hoshi took a few seconds to gather herself, before looking over at Eva and the others. "What comes next is I give the women who need it etiquette lessons and Daichi has been exceedingly generous and offered to do the same for the men in the group. If we want to have any chance of the Emperor listening to us, we must not embarrass ourselves in front of him by not knowing the proper bows and honorifics. The fact that someone as important and busy as Daichi has offered to assist us... Well, we should consider ourselves extremely lucky. And honored. Besides that, we should start looking for the information we need, but you are right that we should not do it alone." She barely noticed that she was almost ordering people around, still somewhat in shock at the offer that had been made. The whole meeting had gone better than she had expected, even if the Daichi seemed suspicious of them still.

[Phoenix]

Meeting Room

The etiquette lessons were a welcome primer for Joanna, but she wasn't sure if she would be going to meet the Emperor, or helping to scout for the gate. She was uniquely equipped for the latter. "Kigen is a big country," She warned Eva, "Unless the gate is close by ... and I really doubt it is ... it could take weeks to find it by just scouting. We really should know where we're looking before we send anyone off to check." Frankly, Joanna was concerned about sending anyone to scout, even by air--especially by air--once they found a good location. After all, the fallen were going out of their way to keep the place hidden, and would hawk-handle any curious travelers who got too close to their territory.

"It would be nice if it was close by," Amon sighed, "then we wouldn't need to go see the Emperor. We could just show Daichi and he could call in the army. All we would have to do is help out however we can." That was a nice daydream, but it was about time to focus on the grim reality of the situation. They had two missions at the moment, and both were almost certainly in different directions. "If they're trying to keep the gate hidden, then it's probably in a dense forest somewhere, or up in the mountains. It should also be someplace very remote, that way if they're discovered, the army won't have time to come in and beat them with sheer numbers. It's probably really far away from the capital ...?" The fallen might have taken over a village somewhere as well, but that seemed a lot less likely, and a much harder ruse to keep up. Amon wasn't even going to mention that one ...

[Snike]

As soon as Daichi left, Pete allowed himself to let out a sigh. Then it was back to business, though at a rougher tone.

"I'll definitely be taking the lessons, because I want to pick his brain and not look like a fool again, but I'm not really feeling meeting the Emperor unless I have to," he said, first in response to Hoshi. "Especially since only one of us needs to meet him in the first place. As for the map, we should wait for the incident map to come in before speculating, just because that'll cut down search locations. Probably should've asked about it from Daichi, but, it slipped my mind. My bad."

The Ursian man paused, then frowned. "But, as a reminder, we're not in the clear yet in the near future. Aside from the obvious problem, there's still the 'admirers' to worry about. We shouldn't be splitting up very much, if at all."

[Phoenix]

The Others

"Admirers?" Joanna asked. The answer came to her immediately. "You mean the Ursians and the Neviskotians, don't you?" she grimaced. They were definitely still a problem. The fact that they hadn't seen them in a while, coupled with the meeting with Daichi, had caused her to forget about them, momentarily. Amon was in a similar spot, but even worse, now having Ra to worry about on top of everything else.

"If we do have to split up at some point," Amon mused, "better to send just one person to meet the Emperor, and have everyone else look for the gate. We're going to have to fight them when we find it, so we need as many people with us as possible." The etiquette lessons would still come in handy for general use, so he wasn't going to argue against them.

[Snike]

"Got it in one. I still don't know if we can even make it out of the city without drawing their attention ," Pete said, frowning. Had everyone else forgotten about them? Greta certainly had, since she had the bright idea to go play merchant at a time like this. "In any case, with regards to the gate, that sounds good other than just to repeat that we shouldn't attack it on sight. We wouldn't have the numbers, incomplete or otherwise."