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GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Naomi had thought falling out of one Earth and into another and becoming an impossible giantess had hardened her heart against the strange--then the man unfolded, twisted into something definitively inhuman. She felt a swelling urge to turn, to flee, or to make herself bigger the way some animals did in an instant before it passed, before she was locked in barely comprehending what she was seeing.

Am I really seeing this? Or am I insane?

Were there... beings like this in the Japan she'd left behind, skulking in Chukyo's dim alleys... or ensconced in its shining towers? Some kind of alien from another star, as in the strange v-programs the Brazilians loved so dearly?

"What..." she says. "What is this?"

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TheBeardiestBob
Aug 3, 2013

GTD Aquitaine posted:

"What..." she says. "What is this?"
Tengu Called 'Gekido - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

A familiar irritated frown crosses Gekido's maroon features.

He says, "This is reality, accept that regardless of your rudeness to this teacher,” in reference to himself.

A slight shake of his head makes his nose wobble back and forth.

“Humans are known to do thoughtless things from time to time, so your comrade’s uncouched outburst is forgiven because he was polite enough to apologize, and do so in earnest. Yōkai like us must bear responsibility for our actions - and this applies to all our interactions. Remember this simple fact:The Hidden World is often petty by human standards, and until you find your place in the Hidden World, being impolite will make stronger yōkai and kami and magic users all inclined to abuse you, just as sycophantism may make them inclined to dote upon you… or it might not. It’s my understanding you mortals still are every bit as fickle when people flock to one’s banner of power in search of safety under their mantle for overt genuflection."

He leans his head to the side, lip lifting to display his pet crab's claw brushing at the exposed enamel.

"Perhaps if you would attend to the question you left utterly unattended, your situation would begin to change and you could begin to earn what you clearly feel you deserve."

(OOC:Just so we’re clear, that’d be the, you know, details about the statue giant thingy. That’s been left hanging - don’t know if you noticed that - I HOPE you did since I even called it out a bit ago…)

GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

"I'm sorry, but the reality I lived in... I suppose the one I used to live in--didn't have people like you," Naomi said, exceedingly carefully. The man--man would still do, even when a crab crawled out of his throat--was unreadable, but at least for a moment she was a resident of a world where her own unique skill was not so unique, after all. She let his question rush over her, and felt her fear wash away. She was standing in a room with an alien, or a being from mythology, or whatever he was. Her own secret seemed far less relevant in that context.

"The exhibition," she said as she moved closer to Gekido, keeping her voice low. "You may not be able to find it. It was nowhere in this Japan we stand in. It was... another."

TheBeardiestBob
Aug 3, 2013

GTD Aquitaine posted:

"The exhibition," she said as she moved closer to Gekido, keeping her voice low. "You may not be able to find it. It was nowhere in this Japan we stand in. It was... another."
Tengu Called 'Gekido - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Eyes that look ill used to narrowing slit, but there doesn't seem to be any malice about the expression.
"Mn. Possible, as are most things in the Hidden World - but even that could help divine an answer."
Veiny fingers crane and spider about betwixt walnut knuckles as the Tengu idly numbers that which he says.
"Demiplanes, Kami's demesne, twisted space, portals, banishing curses of the highest order - there are a great many ways for things to be moved between places connected and... not. Even if you come from 'another Japan', the specifics of what brought you here can be precious, clues to the truth. If there was a certain figure that seemed hauntingly impossible to ignore, if there was a door that made no sense that you barely recall - details of any sort could help determine what happened to you - and that understanding could well lead to the knowledge of undoing that which has been done."

He frowns again, his eyes lifting upwards even as he keeps speaking.

"...Regardless of your intent, goals regarding your circumstance or resolve therein, knowing what happened to you rather than guessing would serve you well - and to know that, I must know what you know."

The Tengu leans back, his paunch a bit more pronounced as he directs his protruding schnoz like a spear at Naomi's face.

AmyL
Aug 8, 2013


Black Thursday was a disaster, plain and simple.
We lost too many good people, too many planes.
We can't let that kind of tragedy happen again.
Melissa Mayfield - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin


Wouldn't it be all nice if they all fell down? Melissa emotionally stares at Gekido and Naomi, wondering why she brought up that thought and who she meant by they. It was hard to keep herself in focus later with all the things going on, drifting in and out till something interesting happens. Then the call to think, plan, and then action.

Until then, put out a facade till the next scene.

GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

"I've told you everything I know," Naomi said. "All that I've learned is the extent that I don't know anything."

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Baki looks at Melissa for a moment, largely ignoring Naomi and Gekido's exchange, and then turns to Noboru and Ichiro and says rather formally, "Mr. Soga, Mr. Tanaka, if you could please follow me, I will show you to the sacred hall. Gekido, Nemoto, ladies and gentlemen, please excuse us for a time."

The priest sits down on the floor, clearly tired, and says, "Tengu, she may not remember. Or she may not be able to articulate what she saw. Strange things can defy a human's ability to describe them."

If either Noboru or Ichiro don't want to follow Daiki, or otherwise raise objections, don't read the spoiler:

Sacred Hall

As Daiki leads the way through the courtyard, Hebo and another junior priest hurry to the building directly opposite the fountain. It has a porch with a slotted alms box, the sort a body tosses coins into and they rattle against the wooden grating on the way in. Behind that there are a pair of large doors, which Hebo and his colleague pull open for the three men.

The sacred hall is lit by old style lanterns instead of electric lights, and feels more like a storage room than a place of worship. Three mikoshi, portable shrines on palanquins sit inside, one near each of the walls. They are resplendent in red and gold paint. Expensive looking wooden chests are stacked in the center of the room, of different sizes and shapes. Hebo pushes the door shut once the three yakuza are inside, giving them their privacy.

Baki says, "You had questions you wished to ask in private? Gekido has no good excuse to follow us in here."

John_A_Tallon fucked around with this message at 08:33 on Dec 9, 2014

Ekkerates
Sep 26, 2013
Ichiro - sacred hall
"I'm not quite familiar as familiar with our stories as I should be, but I believe it's quite unheard of for a tengu to show themself to men who are not filled with some noble purpose. Why is it here at all?"

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Sacred Hall

Daiki says, "The stories also tell of tengu who would abduct people and tie them to tree tops for fun, of tengu who lead warbands with righteous causes, or tengu who were bandits, and of tengu who have dedicated themselves to asceticism. Tengu, and many other youkai, are just as much individuals as men are. Gekido is a teacher, and has been more successful than most people in inducting men into the hidden world. The mortality rate for people who are introduced to it in adulthood is usually high."

"Gekido agreed to teach the Soga clan what you will need to know to navigate the Hidden World, and Boss Yamada thought it was a good way to expose him to the way things are done in our modern world. In this way, everyone benefits."

AmyL
Aug 8, 2013


Black Thursday was a disaster, plain and simple.
We lost too many good people, too many planes.
We can't let that kind of tragedy happen again.
Melissa Mayfield - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin


"So, what is the next step? What to do next? Advance the scene," Melissa sighs loudly, ignoring everyone at the moment while she tugs her hair.

Don't care what is going on, it isn't possible so might has well move forward to do what I need to do, she nods to herself, then drops her hands down while considering something.

"Do any of the tengu are involved in nihilism?"


ooc: This is to no one special. Right now, I like to consider she is lost in a self-induced daze.

AmyL fucked around with this message at 21:20 on Dec 16, 2014

PythagoreanCup
Jul 31, 2013

Widely regarded as a bad move.
Noboru Soga

"Gekido and I have much to learn from each other." Noboru responds dryly, he felt as if he had a pit in his stomach. Entering into a partnership with a spirit doesn't feel right. It doesn't sound right, would a righteous man take counsel from such a creature? "He was not the reason I requested to speak in private however. My trade is in information, it would be best to control what little leverage we have over our enemies. We in the Soga clan do not believe Katashi died of natural causes, he was a healthy man. His death was too opportune, it was as if he was staged to die in front of his own men. The Inagawa head is said to possess magics of his own which could have struck Katashi down, but the laws of this realm do not permit the use of such magic on a man unaware of their existence. This leaves myself, just as vulnerable as Katashi and an increasingly acceptable target for such an attack. It stands to reason I would prefer to continue living and to use this information against the Inagawa or at the very least learn more of what they can bring to bear against us."

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Sacred Hall

Daiki nods sympathetically. "He explained some of it to you, then? In that case Katashi may have known enough about the hidden world to be considered a valid target for a death curse, if it was one. We will know with certainty after midnight tonight. How the Inagawa would have known that he was a legal target is another question. They may have intended to strike illegally, which would be a grave concern.

"That matter aside, you and the people you brought here tonight now know enough to be legal targets, although for the men it would be difficult to prove with the usual means. The women, by virtue of your youkai's nature and your foreigner's unreasonably powerful magic seal, would not pose much difficulty for Inagawa if an attack went to court."

He slips into a practiced lecture as he speaks. "The simplest way to protect yourself against a death curse is to keep control of yourself and your belongings. For many reasons, including legal ones, most death curses must be tuned to a specific target with a high degree of accuracy. Items of high personal significance can be used in some types of curses. A favorite tea cup or pipe, or your jitsuin seal, for example. Usually body fluids, hair, or other physical pieces of the target are required. If you shed blood, destroy it. Bleach or other cleaner will do. If you lose flesh, burn it or dissolve it chemically, or feed it to an animal or youkai. If you get a haircut or trim your nails, save the clippings and burn them. If you sleep with loose women, use a condom with spermicide.

"If you cannot recover or destroy what you lost, you should call the Yamada number and we will arrange for you to go through a ritual to distance yourself from it, so that it cannot be useful for a spell.

"Besides being careful, there are amulets and charms which can confer real protection. They are not cheap, and they become more expensive the more effective they are."

BuBuBear
May 9, 2009
Taka Jō - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Taka glances askance at Melissa as the strange American starts talking to noone...or perhaps a spirit?
The priest said she had some kind of magic seal, maybe she has been talking to spirits for a long time.
Or perhaps she's just crazy

Taka shakes his head to dislodge this line of thought and sidles over towards the old priest once more, doing his best not to *stare* at Gekido.
Maybe he can get some answers while the bosses have their private chat.

"So ,uh, Gūji-san," he begins, speaking quietly "Is it all true then? All that stuff with the spirits, kami and...Yokai?
"I grew up in a temple, much like this one, and I never before saw a spirit"

Taka's face is screwed up in concern. He believes now, that can't be changed, but it would be good to hear some kind of confirmation from someone, to see how far it went.


Detect Lies 17

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Nemoto the Shinto Priest smiles a little at Taka. "It's not a lie. Your co-worker there is one, and Mr. Gekido is another. There are many in Japan, and in the world. The people with power in the Hidden World have decided to try to keep it from normal people for many reasons. That you grew up in a place that would have seen the occasional strange thing and still thought of magic as a story is good. Your caretakers did well."

Minobe, who had been keeping quiet after Nemoto finished checking him for signs of having been compromised by enemy magic, speaks up and adds, "My cousin and I were raised in a Buddhist monastery, since our closest living adult relative was there and we were minors."

He turns to address Taka directly, and says, "The old man was- he did his best, but, younger cousin, I did see things growing up. I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier, but the old man-" he glances to Nemoto in an aside, "the abbot, I mean-" and then faces Taka properly, "he did not want us knowing about the hidden world. He forbade me from making mention of any of it and I promised him I would. I think it's okay now to talk about it, since you've come to know about it anyway, but please forgive me for keeping it from you when we were growing up. Breaking my word, it is not something I would do lightly, and the abbot insisted it was for our own protection."

Nemoto nods at that. "Now that you know of the Hidden World, you all will need to be careful. The rules change for those who know. People who think it is an old story, that magic is make-believe, they are protected. Now that you know, you can be preyed on with magic and by youkai and other magic beings if an enemy can prove you knew. Mr. Gekido's function, as a teacher, is to educate you so you can survive being aware of the Hidden World."

BuBuBear
May 9, 2009
Taka Jō - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Taka nods slowly.
He'd always thought himself attentive, careful, good at seeing what was really there.
It seems he had been wrong, all these years.

"We should have a chat when this has all settled down cousin. I'd like to ask you some more questions about... what you've seen. For now however, excuse me"
Taka bows slightly and glances over at Gekido.
The anger from before had already begun to settle, and now a vague sense of unease took it's place as he walked over and retook his prior seat across from Gekido.

He was feeling small now, really small in a world that just got a lot bigger.
He wanted a cigarette.

"So, uhhh, Sensei.", he addresses Gekido " What kind of things will you be teaching, and when? I'm beginning to understand I think, the serious nature of the situation, and I'd like to get up to speed as quickly as possible."

BuBuBear fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Jan 7, 2015

TheBeardiestBob
Aug 3, 2013

BuBuBear posted:

Taka Jō "So, uhhh, Sensei.", he addresses Gekido " What kind of things will you be teaching, and when? I'm beginning to understand I think, the serious nature of the situation, and I'd like to get up to speed as quickly as possible."
Tengu Called 'Gekido - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

A scowl precedes any form of verbal response as the fiercely faced figure bearing a ponderously long nose turns towards the youthful figure.

“Patience, discretion - the capacity to pick a moment for one; do you think it wise to invite the no doubt laborious conversation that is instruction in the middle of a meeting in someone else’s house? To do so implies a disregard for the time and resources of the host faction, and can be a not inconsiderable slight. Such a choice as this could be considered a fatally foolish bit of idiocy, deserving of the ignoble death that would in all likelihood come, if not from this house then from another less reserved with their ire.”

Eying the ceiling for a moment, his frown changes tenor and he continues speaking.

“In the broadest of strokes I will teach you how those of a mind to throw every bit of power around that they can get away with - a mindset I trust you are familiar with - will expect you to make yourself vulnerable… and endeavor to train you out of such habits. Inopportune questions or outbursts, behaviors that cannot be abided and yes, information on who and what is there. Ultimately though, it is sustainable interaction that I shall strive to proverbially inscript upon your souls rather than outright lore of the magical aspects of the world.”

He pauses yet again, looking back down from the rafters that so seemed to entrance him.

"As to when those lessons shall be? One wonders when you'd find that out."

PythagoreanCup
Jul 31, 2013

Widely regarded as a bad move.
Noboru Soga

Noboru pauses contemplatively before remarking, realization striking him like a bolt from the blue "Of course! This is why they set fire to the apartment building. I knew they wanted to flush us out, I anticipated it, removed all the sensitive equipment and documentation before they could take it. But I had no idea. We never had to consider hiding personal effects let alone shed hairs. They must have taken something of Katashi's, it was only a few hours later that he died. Would that have given them enough time to curse him?". The logic feels right, Noboru utters his deduction with a gloomy certainty. Why else would they have set a fire? No one attempted to kill them as they fled. The only other option is a scare tactic and only a fool would think Katashi Soga would scare so easily.

Noboru's head is abuzz with questions. The situation reminded him of a philosophy course he took in university. The allegory of the cave, Noboru was like the men chained to the wall. This whole time he was gazing up at shadows, thinking them the extent of the world and not seeing them for what they were. Okay, perhaps a bit too melodramatic, he thinks, but at least his feelings aren't without a reference point. He continues on after Daiki gives his answer.

"You said you will have completed your investigations after midnight? I am eager to hear the results, there is much to do. My associates and I are far behind schedule in making preparations against our foes and I would not ask of any more of your time than is necessary. So, with that in mind, I would simply ask what you make of the landscape around us with magic as a factor and where would you suggest I begin if my goal is to hold out against the forces rallied behind the Inagawa until I am relieved? You say I am blessed, might I seek aid at a church?

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Sacred Hall

Yamada nods gravely to the first question, and says, "Yes, a few hours would have been plenty of time for a ritual to be prepared if they had most of what they needed already in place. If Katashi was cursed, you'll need to be ritually distanced from whatever they may have taken from your apartment. This address-" he presses a card into your hand with the address in the commercial area where Taka Jō's shop is and the name 'Yukiko', "has a merchant who has what you will need. Tell her I sent you, for the usual reason, and she will understand what is required. Pay in cash or valuables, ¥450,000."

To the second set of questions, he says, "I am not personally conducting that investigation. I will pass the report along to you, but regardless of the results you will need to be careful."

"Your other question is complicated. The Inagawa have significant resources to draw on for performing magic because they were, and perhaps still are, traffickers of various sorts of youkai. Luckily Tokyo is densely populated; overt magic action is difficult. And right now there are many more third parties who would intervene and interfere than usual, owing to a complex situation involving the Kigen Hanamaki and her allies- a topic which is not germane to this; Gekido can explain to you, if you can stomach taking his counsel. If you take sufficient measures to protect against curses, I think the Inagawa will be largely limited to mundane means within Tokyo. But both of you," and here he looks over at Tanaka as well, "know full well a knife to the heart is no less deadly than what we all suspect killed Katashi."

"I suggest keeping your other men ignorant of the Hidden World, and of what your youkai can really do. You want them to retain the protection that comes with being ignorant of the Hidden World as long as you can, as in the past Gekido had the luxury of only taking students he wanted. Forcing a large number on him would be counterproductive."

"If your task is to remain in Tokyo no matter what, then I suggest you prepare for violence. The likely next step is for an Inagawa lieutenant to visit you and deliver the ultimatum to leave. After that, they will strike. Be ready for them. They are likely to not use overt magics, but they may use subtle defensive ones in the form of amulets. If you can arrange to come into possession of an example of what the Inagawa are using before they force a confrontation, we may be able to identify weaknesses you can use."

"My practical advice would be to talk your boss into allowing you to leave, or into calling in all the favors he can. The Inagawa have much more manpower in Tokyo than the Soga; you will need to either be extraordinarily shrewd or to have just as many men on your side when they turn to violence. I do not think they will turn to killing, in the fighting, or else they would have used a bullet instead of a curse on Katashi."

"While Nemoto said you have a blessing from one of them, I think you should think very carefully about petitioning any of the Abrahamic-derived gods for help in the Hidden World. They tend to make demands on followers who are aware of it. I've seen more than one yakuza man renounce his duties to his boss and his men, and become a priest or Catholic lay brother. By all means, worship as you wish. But be aware that the Abrahamic gods all tend to only offer aid that helps reinforce their talking points. If you or your subordinates turn to other gods or kami, keep in mind they can be capricious, devious or helpful depending on their nature. Think carefully about what they will want."

He glances at Takada, and then Noboru, and says, "Are there any other questions you need privacy for?"

John_A_Tallon fucked around with this message at 14:27 on Jan 15, 2015

Ekkerates
Sep 26, 2013
Ichiro Tanaka
Ichiro glances downat his own hands, then asks Yamada "My ring.. could someone here instruct me in it's use? I think it might become an asset if I can learn it's magic and master it."

Though he doesn't mention it, Ichiro notes the statement that the gods are real and as such makes a mental note to pick up incense on the way home and to try to recall some old prayers of protection and guidance.

Ekkerates fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Jan 19, 2015

GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

For Naomi, it felt like the world had frozen--as if time was passing but not really, that she was rooted to where she stood for an eternity while madness washed over her. It could all be a dream, could it? No--she wasn't this creative. There was a cold chill of reality to it all, perhaps the wind left behind by the reality she knew running into the distance, abandoning her among strange people and brand-new rules.

It was a while before she found the courage to speak.

"Pardon me," she said, "but may I ask a question as well?"

GTD Aquitaine fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Jan 21, 2015

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Sacred Hall

Yamada says, "Ah, yes, your ring. Well, items like that which can be used again and again usually either need to be charged up like a battery, or they need some energy from the user. You know the feeling you get when you quickly drink a strong drink? That burning sensation all the way down to your belly? Imagine that pushing up from your guts, and flowing into the ring. Then, focus on the function of the item. If the ring is a battery type, you won't feel anything else. If it's the other type, you'll feel it pulling at you. It may take some practice to get it to work right either way. Gekido can coach you off the temple grounds, though, so it should be okay."

He pauses a moment, and then says, "Is that everything? Let's not delay any longer if we're done here. You both have a lot of things to take care of."


Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Nemoto, still sitting and practicing what looks like some sort of breathing exercise, says to Naomi, "Of course you can ask a question."


GTD Aquitaine the Sacred Hall just has Yamada, Tanaka, and Soga in it. It's a different room from the one everyone else is in.

GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

"It's about my... I don't know if you would call it a 'talent,' it's not really something I had to practice," Naomi said with a weak smile. "Have you ever heard of anyone else being able to do this sort of thing? Being able to control it or refine it?"

PythagoreanCup
Jul 31, 2013

Widely regarded as a bad move.
Noboru Soga

"Yes, that should do it." Noboru says as he prepares to leave.

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Nemoto says to Naomi, "Appearing as a giant is a favorite trick of shape-shifting youkai, and members of the race of giants do wander among us sometimes. Sometimes the true youkai pretend to be a cursed human, a curse youkai, to cause mischief. Thankfully, regular people cursed to have a growing power like yours are rare. There are records of a couple of recent verified curse youkai like you, though."

"There was a case this temple was involved in during Japan–China War where a cursed soldier was on leave here in Tokyo. He did not seem to have control of his ability, but otherwise it seemed he grew as you can. He had a disagreement of some sort while on leave, and went on a rampage harming many before he was properly sealed by a priest and executed by his superior officer. The exact origin of that curse wasn't ever discovered, but the speculation was it was a death curse placed by some enemy the soldier killed in China."

"A hundred and fifty years ago there was a village near Mount Fuppushi, in Hokkaido, where an Ainu shaman with the power to voluntarily assume a larger form had a disagreement about a marriage agreement with the villagers and chose to chastise them by appearing in giant form and knocking them out. He left them in a pile and presumably left. There was no further record about him, and I can only assume he was not so much trouble as to merit being hunted down. Someone in Hokkaido may know more, it is the sort of story a long-lived youkai would laugh about and remember."

"Besides those examples, there is a fairly common curse to make women grow in size: the nebutori disease. But I have treated that before and your condition is not that. For one, you have control-"

Nemoto's lecture on the particulars of the nebutori disease is interrupted when a junior priest enters. The priest says, "Well, it looks like our time is up?" The junior priest nods in confirmation, and Nemoto says to the group, "Very well. I ask only that you all be considerate of the other people in your lives, and not spread stories about the hidden world to those who shouldn't hear them. Now, I do hope you'll forgive me for not rising and seeing you out myself. So many reading rituals in a row take something out of a man, and I need to remain seated for awhile longer."

The junior priest shows the group, Gekido included, out to the shrine's courtyard where Soga, Tanaka, and Yamada are all waiting by the gate. Mr. Yamada says to Noboru, "There they are. One last thing before we part ways. Gekido only recently re-joined civilization. Can I count on you to arrange suitable room and board for him, or is it something I should make arrangements for?"

Noboru looks a little bemused. "Accommodations for a Tengu, my day continues to grow stranger. Does he require any particulars?"

"He will need enough space to store his spear and armor. And an ashtray for his cigar butts. Other than that, his needs are like yours or mine."

Noboru nods. "Done and done."

Gekido's spear (still wrapped in a drop-cloth to help hide what it actually is) and suitcase are returned to him when he leaves the temple grounds.

Ekkerates
Sep 26, 2013
Ichiro
"Thank you for your time, noble one." Ichiro bows politely to the Priest.

Out in the hall he says "Noboru, Gekido, Taka, Naomi, Melissa. Won't you all join me for a drink? There's this little place just down the street from my house where they have an excellent collection of american bourbon and some local brewed stuff."

GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

At least, in the end, Naomi could take comfort in that it was another world. There was no reason it had to play by the same rules as the one she'd left behind. She was confident that magical curses, mystic diseases, priestly interventions, none of them would have meant anything back home.

Ichiro's suggestion was the most sensible thing she'd heard all day.

"After what I've learned," Naomi said, "a drink would be a good start."

John_A_Tallon
Nov 22, 2000

Oh my! Check out that mitre!
Outside the Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

Yamada shakes Noboru's hand and excuses himself, leaving to go conduct other business.

Minobe lags behind the others in the courtyard, checking the messages on his phone. He trots up and as he joins the group at the gate, he says, "There is a message from Mr. Saito. Mr. Soga, did he send you one too? He says his sister is missing and he is off looking for her."

GTD Aquitaine
Jul 28, 2004

Naomi Aoshima - Outside the Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

"Missing?" Naomi bit her lip. It had been months since she'd been torn away from home--had anyone back in Tamakikyo searched, even asked questions, when she'd never come back? Was there anyone who would've even cared? "That's unfortunate. I hope it's nothing serious."

TheBeardiestBob
Aug 3, 2013

Ekkerates posted:

Ichiro

"Noboru, Gekido, Taka, Naomi, Melissa. Won't you all join me for a drink? There's this little place just down the street from my house where they have an excellent collection of american bourbon and some local brewed stuff."
Tengu Called 'Gekido - Shinto Shrine to the Raihōshin

A wrathful looking face twists in seeming consternation, before an emphatic, single nod is offered.

"I shall share a toast over the communal desire to see you all survive, and instruct you in the pertinent secrets that I know."

When he makes it to the edge of the grounds, Gekido takes the proffered items from the waiting attendant. Having reclaimed a simple yet thick leather suitcase and a cloth wrapped bundle taller than he, the florid Tengu's face ripples around the edges of his mouth... and flesh flows. Features fierce and grotesquefied smooth out, red hues dim into a pale beige and a nose more than a foot long shrinks back down to human standards. Other than the tiny hat that shimmers out of sight atop the balding, paunchy man's head, the changes that overtake Gekido couldn't truly be called great.

Complex Illusion 15, 1 FP spent

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BuBuBear
May 9, 2009
Taka Jō - Outside the shrine

Taka grimaces and checks his phone.
It was nearing time for his actions against the club to come to light, and he really wanted to be able to react to any complications swiftly. He had to be serious about his work after all.

...But wasn't this a part of his Job too?
Getting to know his fellows better was definitely important in the long run, and with all he had learned tonight, it might be a good idea to talk to the Tengu some more...

He was never going to get used to seeing that transformation

Taka nodded slowly "Sure, I'll join for a few drinks. Not too much though, I have to deal with the fallout of the attack later."

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