2593/Tomoyo's Quest

Tomoyo's Quest
Date of Scene:	08 July 2015
Location:	Asian Plains
Synopsis:	The Traveller takes Tomoyo to Creation-3 on a quest for another artifact of power.
Cast of Characters:	165, Tomoyo Daidouji

---

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    We're off to the world of Creation-3, in the lands of the East. Evening draws in as we make our way towards the ruins...

    By 'we' of course I mean Tomoyo Daidouji, and her exploration guide - the man who calls himself Ren Tanaka, or to some just 'the traveller'.

    This hasn't been a short journey- the two of them have been going for almost a day from Chanta, capital city of the Haltan republic, but it's been so uneventful that it might as well be easier to cut to the chase.

    http://niltrace.deviantart.com/art/Overgrown-125686903

    Many places in the east aren't entirely jungle- some are forest, and some like the ones we're approaching are made of giant fields of enormous grass blades, interweaving and overrunning the ruins of old temples.

    "We're almost there now," Ren states, as they approach a bridge. "There's the old bridge. Alright, want to review things before we go on?"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo follows behind Ren, currently clad in a black raincoat with the hood pulled up, over a purple long-sleeved shirt. A pair of gray cargo pants and some sturdy travelling boots consist of the lower half of the outfit. Not exactly the glamorous, eye-catching fashion she prefers, but she would rather be incognito for stuff like this.

     Not too long ago, a day-long march would have wiped Tomoyo out at the two-hour mark, but all that conditioning and training is paying off, as her breathing is hardly laboured. Now and again on the journey, she takes out a digital camera from her jacket pocket and snaps a photo of the scenery.

     "Hmm? Oh..." Tomoyo mulls over Ren's question, not needing any recall cues for this one. "We're going to meet a friend of yours, right~? Someone who might be able to give me something I can use, as long as I pass some trials to show I'm worthy." Though quiet and distracted the whole trip, she was clearly paying attention!

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    Ren, it's worth noting, is wearing the same sort of thing he usually wears, but has been pretty unmolested by insects, thorns, semi-sapient venus fly traps or any other sorts of environmental nuisances so far (and they've encountered a few of them). Must just be a knack he has for this sort of thing.

    Interestingly enough, Ren's also been keeping an eye on the camera and, expressing what seems to be a decent amount of experience with this sort of thing, has been helping her take pictures. He claims to have a habit for finding very good vistas, although he claims to have all of the pictures he's ever taken in *taps forehead*.

    "That's right. And unfortunately, that's pretty much all I know, because although I have been here before, it was as a... I guess you could call it a passing-through hero. Didn't really stay long enough to figure out what kind of things that would, ah entail."

    "But if I know this world even a little, then it's got a lot of heroic stories in its head, so... best thing I can guess is you /might/ want to consider this a trial run for greater things. How does that sound?"

    They're walking along the bridge, on their way to the ... well, it looks like a luminescent entrance, lined by strange plants which are giving off light as the dark creeps in when the Daystar falls.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo is pretty glad for her ensemble when those hazards come up! It means she can just pull the hood tighter and stuff her hands in her pockets to block out the bloodsucking insects or the prickly bushes. Although the flytraps certainly startle her! But once she gets a safe distance from the first one, she takes a photo of it.

     Speaking of photos, she's smiles pleasantly when Ren starts sharing his expertise. She had gone a long time as the only one with any interest in photography, and now she's met two people in a short time who share it! She decides to get Ren a good camera sometime though. Memories are nice, but hard to show others~

     "A trial for greater things..." she murmurs, nodding at the sound of it, the feel on her lips. There's only so much she can learn on soft practice mats. Eventually she'll have to get herself out there for real. "I understand. Thank you Ren~"

     Her feet come to a stop on the bridge, staring in awe at the shining entrance to... somewhere. Wordlessly, her hands grasp her camera, and she withdraws it to snap a photo. "Amazing... although, we're here for more than this, right~? Lead the way!"

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    

    The pleasant sounds of running natural water from various small waterfalls and meanders can be heard further in, including one particularly large fall above a luminous pool. Hey, the raincoat was a smart choice after all! Be careful not to get dripped on too much.

    In a sense, this is what her guide knows best- he could have brought her to somewhere easier. Heck, he could have just gone to Mercadia and picked up some enchanted bulletproof vest, but this is different.

    He looks again at her, and nods. He knows that Tomoyo doesn't plan to make this kind of hero career a full-time lifestyle, but on the other hand, she needs to prepare her heart and mind as well as her body.

    "Soon, I'll be finished up doing the leading," he notes, voice quiet- as this is a quiet place, where even the insects and animals are silent- stepping over a long plant root as he goes. "I spoke to this one before, and he... well, it's better if you and him talk about this yourself, really. Better than me explaining."

    "The god's name is Plocei Tsuru. Call out to him. Tell him you're here."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Looking around at the stunning, natural scenery, feeling the splashing water patter against her coat, Tomoyo feels... something. She is not magically attuned, but it's the same vague feeling she gets when visiting Sakura's Castle of Stars.

     The same sense that some animals might get, the one that makes them give such places a wide berth, or treat it with a great reverence. In places where otherworldly power is this thick, even the most mundane creatures can feel it.

     Thus, she steps gingerly, not wanting to disrupt the quiet serenity of this place. The camera remains firmly in her pocket, and every step is measured to not disturb even the smallest patch of moss. Her breath becomes so quiet; one would be forgiven for assuming that The Voice has snatched her words away again.

     At Ren's instruction, she nods wordlessly and places the palms of her hands together, as if in prayer. Well, she is going to be speaking to a god, it seems appropriate. Her heart is thumping and her throat is dry as she tries to console herself. She's spoken to a god, even dressed him! But the loud brash god Lowell just doesn't give off the same feeling as this place...

     "Great god Plocei Tsuru. I am Tomoyo Daidouji, invited to this place by The Traveller, Ren Tanaka. I wish to commune with you and show my worth," she says, in the humblest words and tone she can muster.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    The water falling from above begins to shimmer even more, until it looks like long, glistening serpents are sliding down the rock- or perhaps ribbons, unspooling threads working their way to the ground. The light gathers in the pool, knitting and wrapping together- until, rising from the shallow water as if it was coming up for air from the deep oceans, there is... a bird.

    http://tinyurl.com/p3g7qqq

    He is a fairly small bird, all things considered, only about as tall as Tomoyo herself, with a long brown beak striped in orange, and yellow feathers that stand out in the otherwise cool blue environment. His plumeage seems more like an assortment of long ribbons, and likewise his long legs appear to be knotted strands of fiber.

    "Oh! Well, wasn't that nice. I haven't had a respectful beseeching like that in quite some time." He flicks a little more water off of his wings. "Excuse me, one second." Flick, ruffle. "There, that's better."

    He gives the boy a brief look, as if perhaps trying to remember who that one is, because he doesn't recognize the other. Gods, eh? "Ah, yes. It's interesting to see you again." "Likewise."

Following the appearence of the weaver god, various little presences can be felt around the two visitors. Dozens of little creatures begin to make their way in, seemingly from nowhere- but they look a little more worse for wear. Although they are little knots of grass, with long limbs and studded with emeralds and gleaming with spots of foxfire, their bodies seem dry and their glow flickers and wavers.

    "You have come to me, and if you wish, I can tell you a little about what I have in mind."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo watches with quiet awe as the light begins to flow and ripple like fine silk, pooling together into the pool before her. As the bird god rises up before her, she can't help but gasp. Perhaps to some, he would not be particularly awe-inspiring. But to a trained tailor, everything about him screams the most quality of materials. The finest ribbons, the strongest ropes...

     And then of course, he has to ruin it by speaking so casually, and brushing water away like it was a normal day. The spell is broken, and Tomoyo can't help but feel like she's talking to Kero a little bit. Although, she does still need Plocei Tsuru's help, so even if he doesn't quite match up to what she had imagined, she will remain respectful.

     Her eyes wander a little, watching as the little creatures filter in to form an audience. She's not quite used to this kind of thing, so it takes her a moment to realize they don't seem all that well. A look of pity and compassion flickers across her face, but the bird god is speaking again. Her gaze falls on him once more.

     "I would very much like to know more, Plocei Tsuru," she says, hands still pressed together. She also wants to ask about the creatures, and he himself. But at the same time, she doesn't want to get off-track, nor does she want to accidentally displease him. Those could be sore subjects for all she knows!

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    "Now."

    Plocei Tsuru looks around at the assortment of smaller creatures that have surrounded them, although all of them look far too bedraggled to be anything but supplicants. In fact, even though most of them don't really have eyes, they're definitely looking at Tomoyo and Ren, and they look rather pitiful to be sure. Still, it definitely is amazing just by sheer fact of its existence.

    "As you can see, we've all been through better times. In fact, once upon a time I was three or four times bigger than I was right now! Mm. I remember the days when I could fly through the plains and cast a shadow over the people walking below me."

    "But unfortunately, I have long since been removed from my seat of power, the demesne where lotus plants grew and I could weave them into many fantastic things. It was both a workshop and a plantation. It had machinery made from living wood and silkworms that would unspool their own cocoons and thread them onto needles for people." He seems quite wistful, and perhaps it's the isolation from that fantastic place that has brought him down in more ways than his stature.

    "You're not afraid of spiders, are you?" he asks, cautiously. "Only, the place has been taken over by a rival of mine of quite a malfeasant personality, and more miserliness than he has legs. And he swore me to an oath that I could not let any of the chosen of this world, the Princes of the Earth, challenge him on my behalf."

    "But we as gods tend to overlook the mortals of this world, because let's be honest they don't really amount to much," and here the man behind Tomoyo rolls his eyes, "Ahem. But they could do something. /You/ could do something."

    "Now, I don't quite have the faintest idea how you might actually go about doing it. But that spider isn't perhaps the sharpest hammer in the sack, although he is a proud fellow. Contests of pride were what got us into this mess, after all. Now, if you can do something to flush him out, well..."

He steps across the water, and then he swishes his beak to and fro in the air, like someone flaunting a blade- then jabs it right at Tomoyo, to see if she flinches.

    "I hear you're going to be challenging a devil of a man, yourself, and one with a talent for blades like a spider has a talent for its fangs. I daresay you'll need to be smart, brave and a quick thinker to do something like that. So I think I'll let you make your way into that old ruin he's probably brought the place to, and if you can make it out again alive, and if you can take on a monster that talks like a man, then perhaps you'll have a measure of the skill you need to take on your man with the power of a monster."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo listens close to the weaver god's tale, her vivid imagination painting it within her mind. She can almost see the bird god's old workshop, the looms working ceaselessly to create divine wonderments. Back in reality, her eyes seem to sparkle at the mental image.

     "Spiders? Oh, not at all!" She was about to explain how she used spider silk a lot in her wares, but the explanation of the task at hand kills the explanation on her tongue. He wants her to face down a godlike spider being? For a moment, she panics, but as he explains how prideful it is, Tomoyo begins to realize... this is not just a trial for her capabilities as a pseudo-Elite. This is also a trial for her role as a businesswoman. She has to face down great danger... and possibly sweet-talk it, establish a position of dominance with only her words if possible...

     So caught up is she in her musings that she actually doesn't flinch as the beak is thrust at her! Her face falls a little as he brings up Jack. "Oh, you heard about that?..." She glances at Ren, not accusingly but just... knowingly. But, she eventually concedes the point. "Very well Plocei Tsuru. I shall meet this spider, and reclaim your home from it." She bows her head, palms pressed together once more.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
One thing that most gods have in common: they talk a lot and don't like to be interrupted, unfortunately. When a god starts speechifyin', you probably shouldn't interrupt them. Ren's sat down on a rock, and he's currently got one of those little elemental things in his lap, because well, it crawled onto him, and you don't just shoo something off if it crawls onto your lap. Like cats!

    And of course, while he does this, he watches Tomoyo. In truth, he's actually kind of surprised himself, but he doesn't show it. He was expecting something less than this, himself, but this is clearly a case of throwing Tomoyo in at the deep end and waiting for her to swim- and not only does he realize that's exactly what she needs, he's surprised at himself for not thinking about it sooner. He catches her eye- yes, he thinks, you've got ideas already, haven't you?

    "I gave him a little context," he says to Tomoyo- likewise not apologetically, just for the sake of confirming what she already knows.

"And," Plocei notes, "You understand why you need to do this alone. Others can help you get to the place you need to go, but when you reach the destination all you can rely on is yourself. Others may be able to get you out of the jaws of danger safely, but..."

"Mm, if you can't handle yourself, perhaps it would be better if they closed on you."

A somewhat dismayed sound from behind Tomoyo. "Don't go making her worry before she even sets out."
"Don't fight her battle for her, tour guide," the bird god replies. "You might not be from this world, but you-"

"Tomoyo," Ren says, standing up and putting the small thing on the stone. "We should set out before it gets any darker. Thank you for the quest, Tsuru. She won't disappoint you."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo nods to Ren, understanding. He would have had to give the god a reason to even give her the time of day. The gods words do strike her deeply. She's still not over the fear of death she suffered in that confrontation... but he's right. She can't be hiding behind her bodyguards forever. At the very least, they're not getting paid for this kind of thing.

     "I understand. I will face it /alone/," she says insistently, looking back at Ren as she does to drive it home. 'Don't worry' her face seems to say, a comforting smile upon it. Even in a case like this, she's worrying about other people more.

     As he insists that they should be leaving, she presses her hands together again and bows deeply to the weaver god. "Thank you for your time Plocei Tsuru. Please, stay strong. You will be able to return to your home soon." And then she makes to leave.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
"I know how to get to the place from here," Ren explains to Tomoyo, as they make their way away from the waterfall. He seems to be a little too eager to get away for some reason, but he does return Tomoyo's smile- it's impossible not to smile back at a face like that.

    Ah yes, he thinks, I want to protect that smile. I made the right choice to help her.

     It's going to mean a little more journeying, but in a strange way, Plocei Tsuru's discomfort is their gain- he wasn't able to go far having lost to this rival of his, probably since he was diminished in power and stature, and as a result of that the demesne is, relatively speaking, a mile away.

    Horizontally, anyway. Vertically speaking, well...

    Traveller cranes his neck to look at the huge building that's merged and intertwined with the colossal tree before them. "Huh, he was right. I can see the lotus flowers."

    

    let's just say you may find yourself with both earth /and/ wood underfoot, and sometimes stone under-hand. Or to put it another way, imagine a little bit of a climbing montage. Maybe with a bit of 'Higher and Higher' in the background.

    In a way, the adventure's already started. After all, there's no ropes here. No crash mats, either. There's knotholes and stuff to rest in, but... let's just say a lot of them have spiderwebbing in them.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     "Then please, lead the way Ren~" Tomoyo's emotional resilience is something to be admired. Just a few seconds away from the god telling her to face down a giant spider all on her lonesome, and she's already smiling and acting like a girl on a daytrip again!

     When they come to the amazing structure, she cranes her neck back with a stunned look on her face. That sense of reverence she felt before? She doesn't feel it here, so she snaps a photo! And then tucks it away and begins to climb!

     A long walk, Tomoyo can manage. But this seemingly unending climb? Tomoyo gets pretty wiped out easily, and requires frequent rests in the knotholes, uncaring about the current inhabitants, unless they try to crawl under her clothes.

     Despite the gruelling ascent, Tomoyo doesn't complain once. Not even when her hands start to bleed. Not even when her feet slip and she nearly falls. Though she's clearly not entirely happy, she doesn't cry or even frown. She just keeps on going.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Eventually, we reach the top of the tree, in a manner of speaking- we reach the entrance of the huge... temple doesn't seem the right word here. It's part factory, part cathedral, and of course part tree- made of living wood, steel and masonry, just as the bird-god said.

    Your guide can only take you this far- he's got to wait outside. Everything else is on you.

    So, inside Tomoyo must go...

    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkbJ6096qNY    =8m45s
    Inside past the main doors, the entrance hall is voluminous. The plants here do not seem to be a result of overgrowth, not necessarily out of control plantlife reclaiming every available surface- it seems like it was always meant to be this way.

    The foxfire mushrooms and luminous flowers provide light , as the moonlight from the rising Silver Chair can't do everything even though it can be seen through holes and windows in the roof.

    All around you, you can already hear the thrum of distant, active machinery.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo is pretty wiped by the time they reach the top! She takes a little first-aid kit from an inside pocket of her jacket, and starts applying sticking plasters to the gashes that have opened on her hands. Following that, she takes out that jade mirror that seems to have some magic to it, and uses it to check her reflection.

     Apparently appalled by what is reflected, she gets to work. A brush is used to get her hair back into place, eliminating the mess the hood and climb made of it. Then, a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face. Call her vain all you want, she doesn't want to meet any god in such a state.

     Once her breath is reclaimed and her appearance neatened, she smiles to Ren. "Wish me luck~" She begins to make her way inside, awed by the melding of nature, machinery and religious imagery. But again, no photos are taken. This is a special place, she can feel it...

     As Tomoyo steps over the burning mushrooms and glowing flowers, she begins to look around, searching for the supposed spider god that has taken up residence. One hand stays in her pocket, clutching that jade mirror for security.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
"Good luck... We could wait a while if you need to," Ren says from outside, calling through the main door. He begins to glance around outside. "Not a whole lot outside here, but... oh, there's a big ol' spider walking around on the outside. No, wait, that's perspective playing tricks on me..."

    This place looks rather like it's just an entrance hall, rather than a place anything major is supposed to happen. There's a statue at the top of a staircase of a man with four arms, for example, but it seems entirely decorative. There are trees lining two shallow staircases either side of it as well.

    The staircase to the LEFT leads to a large chamber surrounded by plants.
    The staircase to the RIGHT leads out into an area filled with tree branches.
    The path BELOW the staircase leads to an area where the machinery sounds are coming from more loudly.

        Which way will you go? _____

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo stands at the base of the stairs, looking up at the branching stairs. She crosses her arms and taps her foot, musing on her options. While the stairs lead to lovely looking places, the sounds of machines from below has her interest piqued. Plocei Tsuru had mentioned that this was his workplace... and she really wanted to see it in action.

     So, she heads downward! Slowly, of course, peeking around the corner before she starts. Ending today by running headlong into a spider's fangs would not be ideal.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
After moving down a corridor, past some abandoned check-in areas (with pretty big doors, admittedly), you come across something really rather impressive.

    Although this place has been in possession of the spiders for more than a while, they seem to have left this place alone, presumably for not needing it too much. This means it's rather unmolested...

    The machines here are both foreign and surprisingly familiar for a person like Tomoyo. This doesn't seem to be a place for industrial-scale production, but neither is it a one-person workshop. There are looms here, tables full of equipment, even areas for turning fibers and natural ingredients into thread. Forges, somehow, are here as well, and other esoteric things whose purpose can only be guessed at. In the corner, there's a desk with hollow pipes- no, branches- for communicating with other parts of the building.

    In fact, a lot of this is naturally interconnected- the water is dripping down from above in the form of natural dew, and different forms of mushroom are powering the forges, glowing red instead of blue. Even the machinery with moving parts seems to be made from shiny ironwood.R
    Tomoyo could probably do incredible work here, but there's no one here... which is strange. The atmosphere is perfectly normal.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     As Tomoyo enters the workroom, it takes her eyes a moment to understand what they are seeing. Once all the information hits her brain, they light up with amazement! She begins looking around intently; utterly stunned at everything that is happening here.

     Tomoyo knows that she wants something like this someday. A means of mass production of her wares, all at the highest quality. Though it might not run on divine power, it would be hers, bringing her visions to life, and that is good enough for her.

     But then she spots the branches, looking like the message pipes from older times. Tomoyo immediately has an idea to how to reach this spider god. Walking over, she opens all of them up and speaks clearly, so that her words would travel along each of them.

     "To whomever might be residing in this wondrous place: I am Tomoyo Daidouji, a lowly mortal from beyond this world. I mean no harm and bear no weapons, I only wish to talk. Should you deign to speak to me, I will be waiting in the entrance hall."

     And with that, she leaves everything the way she found it, and heads back out to the hall, waiting more than a little nervously.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    Paging Spiderman, Spiderman to the front desk please.

    As Tomoyo makes her way outside, there's ... a lot more activity all of a sudden. The branches are rustling outside now.

    And out in the main room, there are cobwebs.

    These aren't necessarily intricate nets. There are streamers of long, broken silk everywhere, draperies, crazy designs and half-finished messes everywhere.

    And using them to climb down from the tree branches and go towards the entrance hall are the spiders. Starkly white, almost pearlescent, bulbous white spiders crawl here and there, slightly smaller than the average dog, many of them picking fruit and flowers from the tree branches. When Tomoyo breaks the silence, an /awful/ lot of them have taken notice.

    Whereas the little plant-creatures were rather begnin, these ones are definitely more lively. Several of them are coming up quite close to Tomoyo, legs skittering and pedipalps twitching. They know who made that call, and several of them seem to want to get up close and exercise their curiosity about this new visitor, and possibly make it look like they found her and brought her back here even though it's obvious she's going there too.

    Maybe they just want to scare her a bit.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     As Tomoyo emerges back into the entrance hall, the rustling draws her gaze upwards... those weren't there before, were they? She had been expecting the stereotypical brown/black spiders, so her eyes slide across the white ones at first, not realizing what they are.

     But when she does, she stares with wide eyes. She had been expecting a single, mammoth spider, and had braced herself for that. But a horde of spiders that were still 'small' in a relative sense, but still far bigger? That took her by surprise, and her face shows the momentary terror. But as long as they're not swarming her, she's okay with it.

     But then she is swarmed, by the little plant creatures! When they come in so close, she tries not to flinch away, but she can't help herself from trying to look away. Which is hard, since she's surrounded by them. So she just presses her way forward, going to stand in the middle of the hall, politely waving at the spiders as she goes. Well, she doesn't want to be rude!

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    One the size of a tennis ball lands on Tomoyo's shoulder. "My name's Takuya! Hello mortal-human-lady!"

    At least he's polite, huh?

    As soon as Tomoyo arrives back in the entrance hall with her new entourage, she will notice that a lot of spiders are also making their way into the hall. She seemingly got everyone's attention...

        Including the attention of the one she wanted most.

    The branches outside, even the ones that are themselves the size of small trees, are shaking and rustling as something very large makes their way across them. Leaves, silk threads and even whole flowers of various sorts are blown on the wind like confetti... but this feel more like detritus rather than the beautiful ceremony Plocei Tsuru arrived with.

    More like the size of a mack truck cab, the spider-god arrives. His eight legs resemble fishing rods, strung with line and hooked at the end, but his body is definitely that of a spiny orb-weaver, with its distinct, enormous abdomen covered in spikes and a distinct pattern that looks like a fancy mask... or a skull.

    He eventually climbs down and stops, splashing in the water as he does so.

    "I am Yasuikumo."

    "It is quite interesting that a mortal would climb this towering tree to come to see me. I am amazed indeed that one such as you has the spirit. What is your purpose for being here?"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo turns her head slightly to look at the little sprite, smiling softly. "A pleasure to meet you Takuya. I am Tomoyo Daidouji." The politeness of the little creature does a lot to allay her fears. She's always reasoned that someone who can be polite can't be all bad. Ironic, considering that she aims to reach big business someday.

     She notices the massing of the white spiders and swallows, her throat starting to dry up again. This was quite an audience... what if they attacked during her plan? However, that train of thought is utterly detailed as the thick branches begin to shake and rattle, debris raining down as her host lowers its massive form to meet her.

     Her eyes are wide with genuine awe as she beholds the monstrous spider with threaded legs and the grim imagery upon its abdomen. As it splashes down, she sinks to her knees, a combination of fear and respect as she touches her head to the ground, deciding that utter humility is the way to spare her skin.

     "Great god Yasuikumo. I am Tomoyo Daidouji, a humble human tailor from beyond this world. At present, I am travelling the Multiverse, with the goal of beholding works far greater than what my hands could ever produce. I can only hope that in doing so, I can emulate even a shade of that greatness in my own wares. In my travels, I heard of a spider god who overthrew the god of weaving himself, and I thought to myself, 'such a god must be the greatest spinner of all.'"

     Here, she risks raising her head a little bit, so that she can look up at Yasuikumo. Hopefully that level of flattery will swell his head, so the next stage of her plan will work. "I understand that my worthless presence would be insulting to the likes of you, so I come bearing knowledge of an artefact that would interest you greatly. Should you deign to learn such things, I could create a diagram for you to create it."

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Takuya waves at Yasuikumo. Can you see him? He's the one waving! Hi!

    It seems as if the entire group of them, although they were relatively organized in getting there, don't seem to all be in the same school of thought about what to do about Tomoyo. Most of them are disinclined to attack her just because they're not entirely sure what to make of her- like Yasuikumo said, the fact that someone came up here is impressive enough that she must be special. And yet despite the fact that 'special' usually means 'dangerous' in an environment like this, she's a pretty polite and respectful sort of person, too!

    Yasuikumo blinks several of his pairs of eyes. Tomoyo certainly has something interesting to say. "Rise."

    "It interests me quite a lot that you think of me so highly. Hmm, that you think of us so highly, in fact. I am intrigued..."

    "I am unsure, but interested by the challenge you present. My works are often of a transient sort... the spiderweb is a fragile thing, after all. But tell me, what are you working towards? Show me your work from the outside world, and I will consider what is before me."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo feels the stirrings of doubt, deep inside. When she had ascended to this place, she had expected some cruel, boastful creature, perhaps with some cruel minions. But instead she got cheerful little sprites and a surprisingly polite, if intimidating spider. Was she being played here? Surely Ren wouldn't trick her like that... but she barely knew him.

     When asked to rise, she does but keeps her head bowed as a gesture of respect. Goodness, he /is/ polite! Now Tomoyo is really starting to feel a little anxious. Ah, but he wants to see what she has to offer. "Of course. Please, allow me a moment to reproduce it from memory."

     She fishes from her jacket a notebook and a pencil, and begins to sketch what she has in mind. She draws eight lengths of braided cords, arranged in cylinders, all spreading out from a single knot. She includes a 'zoomed-in' sketch, showing the specific way that the cylinders must be woven.

     In essence, the diagram is a Chinese finger trap for spider legs.

     "I've little clue on what this might do, but apparently one must insert eight parts of themselves into in, one in each cylinder. Something a spider god such as yourself would have no trouble doing." Tomoyo does her best to remain calm, but inside she's sweating bullets. She had been told that Yasuikumo wasn't very bright, but surely any spider would recognize this type of weave and what it might do?

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
One of the advantages of having eight eyes is that it's easy to take things in in a hurry. "Interesting," Yasuikumo says, thoughtfully. "I can see how this is supposed to come together, so... hmm.."

    He picks the document up with his two foremost legs, then passes it to his pedipalps so that he can peer at the details. "Hmm."

    He speaks slowly, thoughtfully. Once he's passed the document back to Tomoyo, he begins to sweep with some of his other arms, asking the other spiders to make room a little. He's going to need some room to work. When he's doing so, he notices something on the ground- one of the lotus flowers that have been around, which he picks up.

"Oh! I missed a couple here. Do you know about these lotus plants, mortal? They grow freely here outside of the water they would usually be found in."

    And then, funnily enough, he begins eating it, like a candy lace. "It takes quite a lot of effort for a human to take the stems and make them into fibers to weave with, yes. But by harvesting them, my spider elementals can make far finer silk. We have been able to gather much food from this temple, yes. I'll show you."

    And with that, he begins working on Tomoyo's design.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo has to bite her tongue to hold back the sigh of relief that nearly escapes her lungs as Yasuikumo takes the bait. "Oh, you do? I'm afraid I could never wrap my head around it," she says, lying through her teeth. Although she can't help but feel guilty about it. He's so... /nice./

     She blinks as the spider picks up the lotus and eats it. "I have not. Recall that I am not of this world. My world is far more... well, mundane. For the most part." Save the super-cute-and-awesome mage running around, the descendents of the greatest wizard who ever lived, and a bunch of idiots with a grudge.

    "Fabrics made from lotus stems..." she murmurs, rubbing her chin. Back in her world, she's heard of fabric made from lotus flowers, but only to make robes for Buddha images. But this world does seem very Asia-like, so it's not surprising. She sits down, cross-legged and watches as Yasuikumo works on her design, using a finger to pet Takuya on the head.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
"That's a shame."

    To his credit, Yasuikumo is working very quickly on this thing! It's quite easy for him, even though he only looked at the design for a brief amount of time, and with spidersilk aplenty he's able to make several large woven ropes which he's then able to intertwine into the bigger shape. However, doing this to make one cylinder is an easy enough affair- heck, there's instructions in books for people to make their own. One this size, and for four times the digits, is a little more difficult.

    But he manages it. "What a curious novelty."

    And, sure enough, within about a minute of toying around with it... yeah, he's managed to get himself stuck, sure enough. He struggles about as one who's never tried one of these things before would, splashing, rolling on the floor and even knocking against a branch that causes more leaves to fall down.

    And Yasuikumo... strangely enough... begins to laugh. It's a rolling, quite mirthful chortle, both at the fact that he has no real idea what he's got himself into and just the sheer silliness of the situation. "Ha ha! My goodness! I am well and truly stuck. You've tricked me fine! Ha, h-how do I get out?"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo watches, trying to show an expression of awe that someone would upon seeing a supposed artefact created. In doing so, she's hoping to hide her mounting worry, the aforementioned bullet-sweating now external!

     But, he makes it, and his legs are going in... oh my goodness, he fell for it! As he begins flailing, she quickly backs up so that he doesn't crush her under him! Although, her worry isn't gone yet, he still has a multitude of minions to sic on her.

     "Yasuikumo! I will tell you of how to escape, in exchange for two promises!" She begins, doing her best to keep her voice steady. "The first is that you allow the weaving god, Plocei Tsuru, to return to this place. The second is that you will not attempt to extract retribution from me, now or in any other time, by yourself or with the air of your familiars."

     She takes her camera from her pocket and raises it. "And to make my position more secure... I must apologize, you seem a kind and reasonable god. But, I did not lie about being merely human. I must do all I can to protect myself." She snaps a photo of Yasuikumo, rolling about on his back, trapped in a device of his own creation! "Should I catch wind of any plot against me, or you attempting to evict Plocei Tsuru again, this recording of you will be distributed across the entire Multiverse!"

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
The minions, admittedly, are kind of more concerned with not accidentally being rolled over on to. Except for Takuya, that is, who's still clinging to her shoulder and looks kind of scared. On the one hand, he doesn't want to drop down because he might get rolled on! On the other hand, he's kind of horror-struck by her... well, how would you feel?

    "Ohhh... oh," Yasuikumo says gloomily, having given up on rolling around because he doesn't really know how to get out of this. "You duped me... on behalf of that god of weaving?"

    The other spiders don't really need to be convinced- much like Takuya, they're amazed that this tiny girl has managed to subdue the enormous spider god, and when she begins making demands they shy away and begin voicing their own agreements, some of them even saying things like 'let him go!' and 'don't step on me!' to Tomoyo.

    "Ahhh! Oh, the indignity! To think! I'm going to be nagged about this in Heaven, to say nothing of what people would say if they saw me rolling around in the weeds like this! Alright, I accept, I accept..."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Seeing the panic of the familiars, and the apparent concern of Takuya immediately makes Tomoyo feel utterly rotten. Things always seemed so... idyllic, back in Tomoeda. Everyone she knew was kind and other than a few moments during Sakura's Cardcaptor duties, everything always felt like it would work out...

     Not for the first time, Tomoyo somewhat regrets getting involved with the Multiverse. She certainly wouldn't be tricking polite spider gods if she had just stayed the course of her mostly normal life... but, her mind is wandering. She has to follow through.

     "I am sorry Yasuikumo. But a dangerous situation awaits me in future, and I need all the experience and artefacts I can get," she says, taking care not to step on anyone as she approaches the tied-up god. Once he accepts, she nods sadly.

     "Thank you. To free yourself, push your legs further into the cylinders, then pull out."

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
It's strange. Usually, no matter what the circumstances, anyone would feel elated with themselves for outwitting such a huge behemoth and doing so to achieve a boon from another god, so it really goes to show what empathy Tomoyo has that she is not completely pleased with herself.

    Yasuikumo does as Tomoyo instructs him, and manages to extricate himself with a little bit of effort (he has to do it a couple of times to actually get all of his limbs out of the trap).

    "Hmmph. All we wanted was to eat all the lotus flowers so that our spiderwebs would be that much better," Yasuikumo says. "We will return to the tree branches... take care that in your quest for power, you do not become so enamoured with what you can do 'now' that you lose sight of what you can do 'well'."

    A redheaded man walks in as Yasuikumo and the spiders begin to file their way out.

    "Don't feel too bad about what happened," Ren says to Tomoyo, in case she needs the reassurance. "The gods of this world are known for being rather short-sighted. Although they have incredible powers, they can often cause a lot of hassle when other people could see the far more straightforward answers."

    "Uh, or so I've heard."

"If the spiders stayed here and ate all those lotus plants now, no more of them would have grown in the future, and everyone would have been out."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo hangs her head at the admonishment from Yasuikumo. "I will remember that. Thank you for your cooperation," she murmurs, palms together in offered prayer once more. As everyone climbs further up the tree, she waves sadly to Takuya as he (presumably) goes to join them.

     As Ren walks over, she's already rethinking the whole situation, trying to come up with a better solution than what she had done. One less embarrassing or that would give him an alternative place to live...

     "Hm? Oh... well, I'm sure he could have been persuaded. He seemed sensible enough..." Tomoyo mutters, rubbing her arm. All the marvels of the setting seems to have lost lustre to her, and she seems eager to just be quit of it.

     "Shall we go? I'm sure Plocei Tsuru will be pleased, at least..." she murmurs, looking up at The Traveller.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    "Yes, let's."

    ===

    Some time later, Plocei has returned to the temple, and having cleared out the spiderwebs (see, leaving was a good idea! He'd have asked you to help clean up otherwise), he gets to work.

    "Strangely, the fact that the spiders were too unintelligent to switch the forges off worked out in your favour," he explains to Tomoyo, now much shinier of feather and larger in size. "With them left on as they were, it seems as if some yellow jade alloyed together in them quite by accident. Now that I've used it, this will be useable without any investment of your own energy."

    He presents her with ...

        

    "Here is your artifact. It'll protect you from a hit in battle that might otherwise be fatal."

    Recieved one 'Thread of Life'!

    "Still... I wonder what I could do with some of that old spiny spider's silk. Perhaps I'll approach him on more polite terms and see if we can work together on a project instead."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     By the time they've climbed down, informed the weaver god and come back up, Tomoyo seems totally wiped, physically and emotionally. The whole time, she was going over the encounter with Yasuikumo again and again, trying to find a better way. Coupled with the exhausting descent and walk, she's dead on her feet. But, she remains standing and tries her best not to yawn when Plocei Tsuru is talking.

     She smiles and accepts the anklet when offered, bowing her head. "Thank you for this, Plocei Tsuru. Both the artefact, and giving me the opportunity." An insurance policy such as this would come in handy in a battle with a murderer...

     But, that last statement makes her look straight up at the larger god, all that exhaustion blown away by the glimmer of hope. "O-Oh! Yes, you absolutely should! Yasuikumo is quite polite and sensible, I'm sure he would honour an agreement. Just offer some lotuses for his silk! That's why they were here!" she explains, the words tumbling from her mouth, filled with the desire to make things right with the spider god.