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Tankyuusha Aiki: 0 | Kiai: 2 | Kongohki: Sealed Memory 4 | Goal: Find the Oni Girl 2 | Emotion: Criminals Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot: 3 | Misfortune: Who Have I Hurt? 3 The kongohki stands completely and perfectly still, the way no normal flesh and blood human can. "I hope two things. The first, that you do not make a habit of pulling guns and innocent strangers and demanding from them. That would make you a bandit. I have a tendency to being unkind to such. And second, I hope you do not regularly announce your threat before it is possible to make it." Fast. That's the only word that could come to mind if anyone watched. Impossibly fast. No one can move that fast. But someone did, and now The Gun is having an intimate meeting with The Sword, at it's neck. That Tankyuusha also spun around to face The Gun is almost an afterthought. Melee (or stealth, same skill level): 12d6u3 7 "You didn't shoot me. I am sharing that kindness. I have no money for you to take, no loyalties for you to split me from. I am merely a traveler seeking information on the worm tamers. Now then; let's hear your story, one who has not been fired in some time."
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May 22, 2014 00:45
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 18:41 |
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 Aiki: 3 | Kiai: 12 | Spent Kiai: 1 | Misfortune: Death of Your Most Precious Thing 3 | Goal: To Be Strongest in All Tenra 4 | Emotion: Stronger Than the Heart 3 | Goal: Guide the Gun to Enlightenment 3 Natsu is pacing outside, occasionally holding her hand up at the sign that makes it very clear that the inn she just left is clearly for the well-to-do. "Strprd, strprd, strprd," she mumbles after a few laps. When Asuka and Jugemu catch up to her, she explains herself. "I've been tasked with finding this person who's threatened the Lord's life. I believe I'm in the right to do so, anyway, and there's a material compensation for my work, though I would be doing this anyway. I mean, if I stand idly by and let this happen I could get reincarnated as a-a mouse! I'm already on the fast track, having been reborn as a human after my last life, oh brother. Can you imagine being rooted down, powerless to the forces of destiny? I can't! Now listen, I didn't mean to bring you into this, but I can offer both of you 250 ryo right now to help me arrest this person. I think there should be a section of town the perpetrator might frequent. Maybe their home is there, I don't know. I know this is a prejudice, but the slum is our best bet if the criminal is after treasure, right?" Natsu freezes in thought, mouth agape. "Right?
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May 22, 2014 02:22
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The Gun Aiki: 1 | Kiai: 14 | Emotion: Regret 4 | Destiny: Uphold the Spirit of Justice 3 | Goal: Atone for sins of past wielders 3 | Goal: Explore the Human World 3 The Gun is...surprisingly calm, for all that. Possibly because, to get away from the sword at its 'throat', it simply walks through the blade, allowing it to pass harmlessly, bloodlessly through, and then steps back. "I am the bandit. That is an interesting perspective. I was observing a being heavily armed and vastly out of place moving with stealth across rooftops towards an uncertain purpose. I suppose that one of us may in fact be a bandit of some sort. I am not certain that it is I." "I am the Dead Man's Gun. I was following one of several other bounty hunters hired by the local lord, who was headed somewhat in this direction when they simply disappeared. It was entirely vexing." A pause. "To be honest, I was mostly curious. They had no face either, and I wondered if they might not be of a similar nature as myself. But they apparently took curiosity as enough of a threat to flee. Which makes me wonder what precisely they were hiding."
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May 22, 2014 07:27
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RWT, have an aiki for that entirely convincing argument about being human.
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May 22, 2014 14:19
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Asuka Aiki: 2 | Kiai: 3 | Emotion: Greed 3 | Goal: Complete the Golden Child 4 | Marked: Cursed Weapons From A Cursed Gunsmith 3 Asuka gives Natsuyoda a blank stare. "All of that sounds like some real weird stuff to just tell some people you've only met- wait two hundred what? Ah, hah hah... Well, if you're really so set on it, I suppose we could take a bit of a detour." She glances to Jugemu, a glint in her eyes and a poo poo-eating grin on her face. "Right?"
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May 24, 2014 23:21
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Jugemu Aiki: 5 | Kiai: 10 | Goal: To be truly free 3 | Emotion: Hatred of Weaknesses 2 | Emotion: Samurai Calm 3 "Reincarnation? How curious?" And then Jugemu gets that grin right in his face. The telltale face of a merchant with ryo signs in their eyes. This was a face that wasn't going to let him say no. He sighs and slumps his shoulders. "I suppose if I have no choice in the matter."
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May 24, 2014 23:29
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Tankyuusha Aiki: 0 | Kiai: 2 | Kongohki: Sealed Memory 4 | Goal: Find the Oni Girl 2 | Emotion: Criminals Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot: 3 | Misfortune: Who Have I Hurt? 3 "Showing me your nature does not make me trust you any more, and I dare say most people would grow quite frightened and instead would raise the town against you. A note of advice for future encounters. As for myself, I am new to this town and hopefully not here for long; I seek to assist a man who's sister was taken by the wormcharmers in exchange for information regarding the oni - and one oni in particular. If you wish to join me in questioning the annelidists, you may do so. If not, I ask you lower your weapon as I shall do the same." True to his word, Tankyuusha lowers his sword. "And you may call me Tankyuusha, Dead Man's Gun." Aiki to Mr Gun for the demonstration!
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May 25, 2014 05:56
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Aiki for Jugemu and Asuka for their excellent Fone Bone impression. RWT, you have two employees. Where are you going now?
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May 25, 2014 13:23
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Yurie Aiki: 1 | Kiai: 9 | Emotion: Hatred of Armours 4 | Destiny: To Be Truly Free 3 | Marked: Known to the Priesthood 3 | Goal: Rescue the Love of Mako's Life 3 "Mino...", Yurie echoes, and then leans over to look at the samurai. Most people have good sense to freak out when they see her pour out of an object like a fluid seepage. "What did they do? You... hadn't told us much, I realized. I don't mean to be rude, but..." Her gaze hardens a little as she focuses on him, the politeness falling away in her expression, if not her words. An Aiki to Natsuyoda, because mice!
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May 26, 2014 04:46
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The Gun [sub]Aiki: 1 | Kiai: 14 | Emotion: Regret 4 | Destiny: Uphold the Spirit of Justice 3 | Goal: Atone for sins of past wielders 3 | Goal: Explore the Human World 3 [sub] Aiki to Yurie for creepy insubstantial solidarity. (I'm not sure that's the right word in this case.) The gun puts itself away. "I may well take you up on that. As many as seem to come and go back and forth from that building, they might also have information on the bandits that threatened the lord." And the truly ridiculous amounts of coin that the gun has no real use for may help grease the wheels of conversation, should it be necessary.
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May 26, 2014 12:14
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Yurie Mako shrugs. "Because I don't know much. We were about fifteen when they took her away. She could have been sold into slavery or just run away, for all it matters. One day she was there, the next she wasn't." ""You asked to help. You didn't ask why," he continues. "I've been searching for her ever since, hunting the people who took her. Haven't exactly made a lot of friends in the meantime." He scratches at the sword wound on his chest, which is mostly healed by now. It's sort of a gross little puckered skin lesion instead of a gaping bloody hole. Mako is silent for a few moments. "Alright. I'll trade you a question for a question. What do you want to know?" Aiki for UL for the awful solidarity pun.
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May 26, 2014 13:44
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Aiki: 5 | Kiai: 12 | Spent Kiai: 1 | Misfortune: Death of Your Most Precious Thing 3 | Goal: To Be Strongest in All Tenra 4 | Emotion: Stronger Than the Heart 3 | Goal: Guide the Gun to Enlightenment 3 Natsu takes a deep breath and tells her new compatriots, "Thank you. Shall we be on our way to the slums? I'm still convinced that our target is hiding there." She reveals her pouch of 500 ryo and weighs it in her hand. Then she opens it and looks inside. "Mm-hmm. This is 500 ryo." She glances at Asuka... and passes the bag to Jugemu. "I trust you will split this evenly with, her as we travel."
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May 26, 2014 17:20
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Jugemu Aiki: 6 | Kiai: 10 | Goal: To be truly free 3 | Emotion: Hatred of Weaknesses 2 | Emotion: Samurai Calm 3 Jugemu takes the bag and stashes it in his robes. "Yes, this is probably for the best. You'll get your share after we're done."
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May 26, 2014 23:02
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Oh snap. Is Asuka gonna take that crap?
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May 27, 2014 00:07
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Asuka Aiki: 3 | Kiai: 3 | Emotion: Greed 3 | Goal: Complete the Golden Child 4 | Marked: Cursed Weapons From A Cursed Gunsmith 3 "Sure, just hand over the- hey!" Asuka stares at Jugemu with daggers in her eyes. "I pay your way here and you're the one taking the money? The hell is this?"
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May 27, 2014 23:23
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Jugemu Aiki: 6 | Kiai: 10 | Goal: To be truly free 3 | Emotion: Hatred of Weaknesses 2 | Emotion: Samurai Calm 3 "I don't trust you enough to take this much money and not run. Consider it a deposit to be paid in increments." Jugemu places his chin in his hand as he usually does and gives Asuka a playful smirk.
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May 27, 2014 23:26
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Aiki: 5 | Kiai: 12 | Spent Kiai: 1 | Misfortune: Death of Your Most Precious Thing 3 | Goal: To Be Strongest in All Tenra 4 | Emotion: Stronger Than the Heart 3 | Goal: Guide the Gun to Enlightenment 3 "Then it's... settled?" Natsu bites her lip and watches the interchange. "O-okay! Now let's go find this person of interest." Natsuyoda confidently strides in... a direction for a few dozen paces. Then she stops in her tracks, turns about-face and asks her employees, "Which way to the slums?"
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May 27, 2014 23:34
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Asuka Aiki: 3 | Kiai: 3 | Emotion: Greed 3 | Goal: Complete the Golden Child 4 | Marked: Cursed Weapons From A Cursed Gunsmith 3 "If it weren't for me you wouldn't even be here to get this job!" Asuka interrupts her grumbling when Natsuyoda speaks up. "Huh? Slums are easy, just find the most out of the way place and follow the poor down."
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May 27, 2014 23:45
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Jugemu Aiki: 6 | Kiai: 10 | Goal: To be truly free 3 | Emotion: Hatred of Weaknesses 2 | Emotion: Samurai Calm 3 "And as your guard, if it weren't for ME, YOU might not have made it here to get this job." Jugemu chuckles, then turns to Natsu. "I agree. Or alternatively, follow the drunk out of the taverns at night, but we probably don't have that much time."
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May 27, 2014 23:52
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Aiki: 5 | Kiai: 12 | Spent Kiai: 1 | Misfortune: Death of Your Most Precious Thing 3 | Goal: To Be Strongest in All Tenra 4 | Emotion: Stronger Than the Heart 3 | Goal: Guide the Gun to Enlightenment 3 "Children, please!" ... Natsu realizes she's speaking to adults and corrects herself. "People. Please. Thank you for the guidance. Let us be off, preferably in silence?" Natsuyoda looks about for someone in ragged clothing and stalks them to the best of her ability. Senses + Pursuit, 1 measly success.
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May 28, 2014 00:21
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Tankyuusha Aiki: 0 | Kiai: 2 | Kongohki: Sealed Memory 4 | Goal: Find the Oni Girl 2 | Emotion: Criminals Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot: 3 | Misfortune: Who Have I Hurt? 3 Tankyuusha simply nods in response, returns his sword to his back, and walks towards the hive. GO TEAM NO SOCIAL SKILLS!
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May 28, 2014 00:25
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Jugemu, Asuka and Natsu The mostly human members of your little party watch as your new employer starts following people on the street at random. You're not sure if you should tell her the woman dressed in "rags" she's stalking is actually a high-class courtesan. Perhaps one of your underlings should try. That's what you pay them for, right? To find things so you can punch them. Meanwhile - are Tank and the Gun heading straight into the annelidist nest, or trying to be circumspect about it in even the slightest capacity?
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May 28, 2014 01:33
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Tank has given up stealth and is more or less just walking towards it, though none of his weapons are out.
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May 28, 2014 01:38
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Jugemu Aiki: 6 | Kiai: 10 | Goal: To be truly free 3 | Emotion: Hatred of Weaknesses 2 | Emotion: Samurai Calm 3 Jugemu chuckles and places a hand on Natsu's shoulder. That is, if he can. He's new to this whole ghost thing or whatever. "A good try. Upon further thinking, I've actually been around these parts before. I may have overheard where the slums are." Knowledge/Information to have the scoop. 4 exact successes!
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May 28, 2014 01:53
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Yurie Aiki: 2 | Kiai: 9 | Emotion: Hatred of Armours 4 | Destiny: To Be Truly Free 3 | Marked: Known to the Priesthood 3 | Goal: Rescue the Love of Mako's Life 3 Yurie frowns a little, but it's less a bad mood and more a intent look of concentration. Question for a question? She can't mess around! It has to be good! It has to be serious! It has to be... "So, were you two close, like... um... you know...?" She looks away, looking embarrassed. That was stupidstupidstupidstupi-
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May 28, 2014 02:06
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Jugemu tosses his hair back insouciantly, because that's the best way to track a body. It attracts some stares from the passers-by, but not as many as you might think. There's been some mumbling around town about a colony of wormhandlers on the other side of town, but there's not a lot of detail going around in these parts - who wants to go to the poor part of the city? Still, it's simple enough to follow the trail of human misery, and you find yourselves in the Mitsami outskirts, not that far from the pass you took to get here. Rather than make you go through effort to learn stuff we collectively already know, you find the wormhandlers and you're aware of their comings and goings as outlined above. You do not, however, know about Tankyuusha or The Gun. What do you do? Yurie "Yes," Mako says. "Why aren't you wholly dead?" Uh, not much hesitation there. Er.
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May 28, 2014 02:30
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Yurie Aiki: 2 | Kiai: 9 | Emotion: Hatred of Armours 4 | Destiny: To Be Truly Free 3 | Marked: Known to the Priesthood 3 | Goal: Rescue the Love of Mako's Life 3 "Eh?", Yurie says, looking up with a bit of surprise. It's not something she ponders overmuch. After all, she doesn't have much in the way of answers. "Oh. I was angry, but a priest helped me... calm down?" There's that question mark of uncertainty, but then a sad expression. "I don't think I'm alive, I'm still just connected, like the priest said. By Karma, he said." Her gaze averts for a moment, searching the docks for a second as if wary for watchers, and then she says, "Maybe I should find Tankyuusha. I didn't really find much and he's kind of..." She hesitates, picking her word out. "... impulsive."
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May 28, 2014 06:49
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The Gun Aiki: 2 | Kiai: 14 | Emotion: Regret 4 | Destiny: Uphold the Spirit of Justice 3 | Goal: Atone for sins of past wielders 3 | Goal: Explore the Human World 3 As Tankyuusha stalks forward, the Gun merely shrugs, and proceeds in his wake. Possibly he can just hide behind the Konghoki should stealth be needful. Oh god, this is going to end so well
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May 28, 2014 14:31
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Yurie Mako peels himself off the wall. "Alright," he says. "I'll go with you." He doesn't sound happy about it. Roll for it, and we'll go *world on this'n. Success and you arrive in the slums, failure and something interesting happens along the way. Tankyuusha and The Gun This place is almost literally a shithole. It's filthy inside the shack-nest, tiny room after tiny room full of dirt and the evidence of human suffering. Most of the rooms are empty, or at least you think most of them are - it's easy to lose track of which tiny closet you've walked through. A few of them have sick people in them. The invalids are miserable-looking, stricken with disease or maimed. It's just another reminder how happy you are not to have guts. After creeping through this parade of suffering for a while, you eventually come on somebody still upright. It's a little kid wearing a fox mask. It'd be creepy, in the moaning half-light of this maze, if either of you had blood to chill. As is, it's convenient. The fox mask tracks up and down you both. "Hi." It's probably a boy? "I don't think you guys need our help." He seems utterly unafraid of either of you. What do you do?
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May 28, 2014 15:55
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Yurie Aiki: 2 | Kiai: 9 | Emotion: Hatred of Armours 4 | Destiny: To Be Truly Free 3 | Marked: Known to the Priesthood 3 | Goal: Rescue the Love of Mako's Life 3 Yurie looks surprised. "I- I thought you were watching the docks?", she says as he starts back out of the shadows, squinting in the light as she makes her way towards the outskirts of town. A bit rough of a place for her to be around, but at least she has an ersatz bodyguard, and an sharp eye for trouble. Not that she's really afraid of what other people might do, and more worried about to what she might have to do to them. Rolled Senses/Notice for 2 successes!
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May 28, 2014 16:55
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Yurie "They're not here," he says. "I harassed enough people to be certain." He frowns slightly, and his hand clenches around the handle of his sword. "I know they're in Mitsami. I'm sure of it." Between your general almost-unnoticed weirdness and the shirtless dude covered in samurai tattoos and carrying a sword, no one elects to make your day a little harder. Of course, you're still in the nicer part of town as you search for your mechanical companion. He's supposed to be looking at the other side of the city, but who knows what you get up to when you're made of metal? It doesn't hurt to keep an eye out for him while you're on the way over there, at least. Unfortunately keeping an eye out for the giant metal construct means you're not looking at people, one of which barrels into Mako at speed. They bounce off the samurai, since he's easily twice as heavy as he looks, and you're pretty sure you manage to dodge out of the way enough that it's not totally obvious they phased through part of you. A child, probably in his early teens, looks up at you from the paving stones. He's dressed awfully nicely for a street urchin and he's carrying some kind of metal basket thing. He gives a sheepish grin. "Oops, sorry about that, peasants. I'm used to being a little taller than this!"
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May 28, 2014 17:29
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So are all these kids in fox masks we keep running into the same kid, or is it like a local fashion thing? Admittedly, the gun might not be able to tell the difference, but...
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May 30, 2014 15:26
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I'm gonna say the Gun's not really up to telling small humans apart, especially masked ones. Tank's never seen any of the kids running around. That said, the Gun also didn't notice a lot of children running around wearing the masks in the slums. They look kinda poor for that sort of frivolity. Pretty much the only time it's seen them, in fact, was on the road and here around the nest. The rest is an exercise for the reader.
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May 30, 2014 18:57
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I should probably just say I'm not really sure what to do with this info. We know about the wormdudes, and... Now what?
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May 31, 2014 08:10
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Literally up to you. There are these kinda suspicious dudes that you don't really know a lot about, but this insane lady who gave you money seems interested in them. You know a little bit about them, like most everyone else. They're pariahs, but they're also useful, since they're the best medics around. These are acting pretty weird, even by the standards of mystic hermits - a lot of surreptitious comings and goings. Of course, you might have a box of miracle cures in your magic trunk you could hawk to these desperate invalids and plague victims. That'd be for you to decide.
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May 31, 2014 15:17
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Tankyuusha Aiki: 0 | Kiai: 2 | Kongohki: Sealed Memory 4 | Goal: Find the Oni Girl 2 | Emotion: Criminals Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot: 3 | Misfortune: Who Have I Hurt? 3 The robo-man kneels down to be eye length with the child. "Eye length." One is wearing a mask, the other basically IS a mask. It's a somewhat odd sight. "I can't speak for the one behind me, but you can help me, just not in the usual method. I seek information on two girls; one I have reason to believe you know of, the other I can only hope for the same. The first a human; the latter an oni."
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May 31, 2014 19:30
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The Gun and Tankyuusha The fox mask remains placid and undisturbed. "What's in it for us?" asks the youthful voice. Aren't these guys supposed to be generous?
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May 31, 2014 19:35
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Tankyuusha Aiki: 0 | Kiai: 2 | Kongohki: Sealed Memory 4 | Goal: Find the Oni Girl 2 | Emotion: Criminals Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot: 3 | Misfortune: Who Have I Hurt? 3 "An angry samurai searches for this same information regarding the human; I am his hired arm. I ask where he would demand. For the oni, it is a personal matter. For payment, I can offer physical assistance. I am not a skilled speaker; these people came to you in need, and I do the same. What would you require?"
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May 31, 2014 19:45
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The Gun and Tankyuusha The fox mask tracks up and down each of you a few times. It'd be creepy, if you weren't the types to hang out with dead girls and living dolls. "You both look like arms," the kid says after some reflection. "We want you to start a fight, a big one, tonight, midnight. Over in the nice part of town. Merchant's square. You come back from it, we'll answer your questions." Does the Gun have anything to say about being dragooned into this nonsense?
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May 31, 2014 20:01
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 18:41 |
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Jugemu Aiki: 6 | Kiai: 10 | Goal: To be truly free 3 | Emotion: Hatred of Weaknesses 2 | Emotion: Samurai Calm 3 Jugemu looks around. This is definitely a slum. He's seen his share of them. "So, do we know who we're looking for?"
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May 31, 2014 20:52
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