1854/The Last Color Of The Rainbow

The Last Color Of The Rainbow
Date of Scene:	22 March 2015
Location:	Tenra
Synopsis:	"Killing him would only be doing him a mercy."
Cast of Characters:	202, 234, 336, 546

---

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    It is a poor day in the land of Tenra. Dark clouds hang overcast blotting out the sun in a terrible downpour. Sheets of water falling endlessly from the sky make the roads a miserable place to be, and send people in the nearby cities scurrying to hide in the shelter of their homes, or the nearest amenible space to hide.
    The meeting spot is not in a city.
    Despite the abysmal weather, Lu-Mey has called several of her more trusted allies to a small stretch of road, deep in the wilderness, halfway up a mountain. The curves of the road are treacherous even on a good day, making travel by wagon a nightmare, and travel by foot a miserable experience best only attempted during saner periods of weather. Still the pass has one benefit. It is the fastest course out of the region of Castle Igarashi, and into the next province over.
    Lu-Mey, despite being soaked to the bone and shivering looks rather chipper, all things considered.

Nox (546) has posed:
    The rain doesn't bother Nox. The steady downpour lets off a constant, quiet, rattling pitter-patter as it strikes the metal plates on his body, sluicing off over the edges of his armour. Though he seems utterly indifferent to it, on some small level, back in the deepest corners of his thoughts, he thinks it's a rather melancholy thing that he can barely feel it.

    There's no sense in getting something soaked, and so he has attended only in his ordinary getup, hovering sedately over the saturated grass as a stream of water runs from the points of his feet into the dirt below. He regards Lu-Mey with guarded curiosity, wondering what else there could possibly be to do on this world. She's already won, hasn't she?

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn could probably get used to the rain if she let herself, but that's not the kind of thing she has any motivation to do. Besides, /books/. You don't get books wet, and you don't go anywhere as a Towers mage if you can't carry books. It should therefore be unsurprising that she is, though not terribly visibly, using a ward that prevents the rain from getting too close to her. This doesn't stop it from being cold, but at least she won't get anything wet.

    Like Nox, he regards Lu-Mey with some curiosity, wondering as to the details of this next goal for which her help has been requested. Adelyn is relatively open at that, as hiding social cues isn't something she's really good at without concentration.

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    A young traveller is nearby. Dressed in some rather threadbare clothing, the young woman looks like the sort of sellsword that is down on her luck, not a reliable sort. She has an umbrella... but it has a few holes in it, and she otherwise looks pretty quietly frustrated at the rain.

    She does, however, possess a gemblade. A much more ornate sword, it's in a battered sheath that indicates the blade is either stolen, or perhaps an heirloom. It's a pretty sorry state for such a blade to be with a down-on-her-luck mercenary, but perhaps Lu-Mey has reason for hiring her.

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    That seems to be everyone who is coming then, and still the oni hasn't explained a thing. The little spot she's picked for the meet is semi-hidden in a slight alcove in the rock face by the road. There's not a lick of protection from the elements, but it does hide the group from the sight of anyone coming down the bend.
    Lu-Mey claps her hands once, an act that is much louder with wet palms as she flashes a wide smile of fanged teeth. "So I bet you're all wondering why we're all out here in the soaking rain aren't you?" Chirruped as if she were just having a complete field day as lightning flashes, and thunder roars distantly. "Well hold that thought!"
    With a beaming smile, she takes one- two- three steps into the middle of the road.
    And is promptly run over by the horse-drawn cart that suddenly barrels down the tracherous road much faster than should be safe.
    Of course this means her mangled, broken, corpse sets the horses panicking, clogs up, and breaks the axles, and sends the cart careening out of control into the mountain wall.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn doesn't nod, but yes, this is pretty obviously curious. She waits for the explanation, and--

    Then turns her curiosity to the other two present. "Did she mean to do that?" Could they even know? She's not sure who the young woman even is, though she's worked out a probability model that provides a few reasoned guesses. Unimportant for the moment, in likelihood.

    Adelyn steps out from the alcove, looking after the carriage. It didn't get very far, did it? If so, there's no particular reason to hurry, but she feels she really should go and have a closer look, so she does.

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    Sigh. The mercenary - and she wouldn't care if Adelyn figured out who she was/worked for, really - shakes her head at the method used. "I don't know." She really doesn't! She's also going to check out the carriage, since she knows that Lu-Mey HAS to be dead. Or will be getting up again. Depending on who she really is.

    "What sort of carriage is it?" she asks, hopping up atop the wreck to see what the survivor situation is, or what they were carrying. Rather callous to be thinking of that, rather than trying to rescue anyone, but she doubts her companions will be bothered.

Nox (546) has posed:
    Nox is considerably less taken aback this time than the last time he had seen Lu-Mey's body broken to near pieces. Of course, a high number is still less than an arbitrarily even higher one. He teleports on the spot to face the opposite direction rather than simply turning the 180 degrees normally, turning his head to watch the progress of the carriage, before angling it down to Lu-Mey's corpse at the sound of splintering wood.

    "I believe that was an attempt at hijacking the carriage without attempting to hold it up like a bandit. I believe it succeeded quite admirably." He has faith that Lu-Mey is actually pretty clever and not completely oblivious to everything around her. Leaving her worms to their thankless task of stitching her back together, he winks out of existence in the general direction of the crashed vehicle, backing up the others.

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    It's not wholly a thankless task, Lu-Mey does take care of the entire ecosystem in her body quite well.
    Though from the completely wrecked state her body is in, it's going to take them some time to piece her back together, with large pieces of oni pulped and turned into nasty meaty chunks under the wheels.
    The thump of the 'mercenary landing atop the cart results in a startled gasp from within. It is an EXPENSIVE cart, clearly meant for the conveyance of nobles, it's made of retardedly gaudy build, and way too much money was spent on it. Though the curtains are drawn for the moment.
    The dirvers however appears furious, as they stand up. A one-armed woman in black, face decorated by tattoos and gems. The other a hooded figure with glowing baleful blue circular lenses for eyes.
    Kuro-hime and Hagane-hime do not look happy to see everyone.
    It would seem Lu-Mey meant to do that.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn analyzes the situation only to such a level of detail as time allows. Based on previous experience and the current atmosphere, there is a significant chance of violence. Unfortunately, she is not one to be able to quickly bring her full power to bear, without preparation. She can wait and see, placing herself in the disadvantageous position, or... alternatively, she can turn a situation violent unnecessarily, and deal with the anger of strangers.

    The one risk far outweighs the issues with the second. She doesn't continue toward the carriage once she has it well in sight, allowing the teleporting xelor and the rather agile mercenary to reach it well ahead of her. She stops where she is, and she begins to weave her spells. She is necessarily very obvious in this, with the glowing lines forming circles in the air, the low chant of unintelligible speech, and the warping of mana in the air and earth. There's a mountain right here, kindly provided. She just needs a few moments to turn it into a weapon.

Nox (546) has posed:
    Nox had been expecting something along the lines of some well-to-do noble carting himself off to escape Lu-Mey's new grip of Igarashi. His initial assumption had been that the oni must have called the three of them here to intercept them, possibly in a show of force and control to cow the others back into line. What he never would have expected in a million years is to see one familiar face and one /very/ familiar set of eyes. The revelation gives him several good moments of pause, thankfully not reflected in his ever impassive and expressionless mask.

    "Well well, what do we have here?" he finally intones, looking directly for Hagane-hime rather than her companion. If he's nervous, he doesn't sound it. Possibly because they outnumber them this time. Likely because he never seems to get past the point of mild apprehension. Ever. "I had assumed you would be long gone by now. What reason do you have for being here, if I may so inquire?"

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    Staring down at the two rising from the carriage, the unnamed mercenary narrows her eyes. She says nothing to the two that have risen... and instead shows a sudden interest in the carriage itself, and its occupants. Dropping down, she peers at the wreckage and asks, bluntly, "Who else is inside?"

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    Judging from the nasty pop under the wheels, Lu is starting to piece herself back together, but for now she's too busy being dead to join in the events going on.
    Kuro-hime gives Starless the mercenary a hard glower, no sign of recognition at all due to the kugutsu's disguise, while Hagane-hime merely quirks her head to a slight angle with a ratcheting clank of machinery.
    "That's not particularly any of your business." The Samurai spits, before her metal sibling adds, in her halting, stiltited tone: "Haven't you done enough damage already?"
    Much as they try to deflect, there's a thump and a squeal from inside the carriage and a growl of "Stay in your seat."
    Before the door busts open.
    Lord Niji-- not so much a lord anymore with ihs land and property all taken, storms out, a wild and mad gleam in his eye, he hasn't even bothered to guard himself against the rain or the mud as he stumbles from the wreck in his overly fine and multicolored clothes. "What is the meaning of this? Have you come to take the last of my precious things?!"

Nox (546) has posed:
    Oh. It seems Nox was right.

    Now this is a man he absolutely cannot stand. A desperate madman playing at being a father, collecting daughters like trophies without even so much as the decency to address them as people. 'Precious things'. The term makes him sick. He'd already had enough of Niji last time, and so his patience is considerably strained already. Nox extends his hand towards the lord's face, the interlocking clockwork of his sword shooing outward from the appearance of the hilt between his fingers until the point flashes into existence just before his throat. The only reason he doesn't blow him away on the spot is that the girls are behind him.

    "You are correct. I've already had more than enough of this place" He shoots to Hagane-hime, his voice sharp and his words rushed. "Had I known this would be waiting for me, I wouldn't have come at all, but since I'm here." His gaze turns back from the Konghoki towards her fake father with a stiff, mechanical click. "You've already been spared once. Give me one good reason why I should allow you to continue to live."

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    The mercenary doesn't even say anything to the lord. The others might - MIGHT - catch an odd glimpse of something in her face, a twist of burning hatred that clashes with the normal impassive look. Yet she doesn't try to slay him or anything... oh no. She has another thought, toward the one who was left inside.

    The mercenary kneels down and /yanks/ hard on the carriage door, enough to rip it free, then she slides in to see if the one she suspects is in there.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Hold, hold... yes. The pattern has now stabilized. She can activate it at any time. The approach vector will be limited--only the wall of the mountain, or the path, following a single curve. Still, it should be sufficient.

    Adelyn approaches. "One can hardly call this scenario complete while you still have precious things left to take. Ah, but don't fret too early. It can always get worse." She's not being particularly diplomatic about this, but then, no one had asked her to be. "They're rather better off in other's hands, anyway. It's not as if you're fit to have such holdings." Oh, but the land was never really the point, was it? "Nor servants, nor soldiers, nor--how did they address you? 'Father'?" She laughs. "An unfitting role! They're too good for you, and I can hardly believe you've anything to do with their growth. No, just give up everything, and let this story end. You're not getting out of it otherwise."

    That one--a samurai, isn't it? With the implanted gems. Either of them could attack her, or Nox--but caution is advisable, on their part. Hm, troublesome. It would be easier to release her prepared counter if they would take to either the air or the ground. But they must, if they're to act at all, mustn't they? She's providing all this provocation, after all.

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    In truth, after the sound battering at Igarashi, Kuro-hime and Hagane-hime are clearly in no state to fight, not even for a samurai and a full on miniaturized war golem. On closer inspection, one of Hagane-hime's eyes is cracked down the middle, and Kuro-hime appears weary. Far too haggard. They will probably attack if prompted, and the mercenary ripping the carriage door off, does make Kuro-hime fumble for her sword. "Get out of there!"
    It's too late. With another gasp, the figure inside the carriage shrinks back. A girl in her mid-teens; dark hair, hauntingly beautiful, and dressed in a pure white kimono. She's cradling a telling bruise on her cheek.
    "Ah... Who are you? What do you want with father?"
    Niji is frothing, wild and clearly out of his mind. It's hard to tell if he's drooling while laying insult in the face of the sword, as if wholly forgetting that it can kill him, or if that's just the rain. "They are mine! You cannot have them! You will have to kill me to take away what I love the most!" Blathered as he spouts venom to Adelyn, too, "They call me what I AM! I gave them life, I brought them into the world, I brought them back from death! There is no one more fitting than I-- What no! Leave my Shiro be!" He howls.
    He's not doing the best job defending himself. It is Hagane-hime who speaks up, quietly. "... Father is not well."
    It's now that another voice speaks up from under the coach.
    "Oh you can kill him if you want." Lu-Mey says, as casual as can be as she crawls out, covered in mud and blood. "I'm done with him, really. I just wanted you all to see what could have been." Added as she pops her neck back into proper alignment.

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    The mercenary glares at Niji, then shakes her head. "I am not going to hurt her," is all she says. "It looks like she's been injured. I'm here to help her." That's what she claims, anyway, but she's pulling a kunai out of her top while she says it. It could be taken as aggression...

    But she tosses it to Shiro instead, handle-first, and climbs away to get out of the carriage. "Shiro-hime. If you truly love your father, you can strike me. I don't care. If you do not, then he will die, either by my blade or that of my companions."

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Well, that's rather disappointing, but perhaps unavoidable. There were previously more of them, and they did still lose. Rational, yet still disappointing. Recklessness at this stage would provide more opportunities for observation.

    "'Brought them back from death,' he says. Yes, that would explain some degree of loyalty." Adelyn nods along. "Unwell. Possibly broken. Likely not worth fixing. Some things aren't." She shrugs, and looks Lu-Mey. "What could have been? I may still be missing some relevant pieces of background information. Ah, say, that one girl isn't quite like the others. Is that relevant, or coincidence?"

    At the mercenary's words, she grins up at the carriage's drivers. She's not making any promises not to kill him, under any circumstances. If anything, her stance, and the glow of an activation circle at her finger-tips, could be taken as an implicit threat.

Nox (546) has posed:
    The eyes of Nox's mask narrow to glowing blue slits as the entirety of the situation sinks in, taking in the sight of bruised and terrified girl inside the carriage. Even his loyal 'daughters' know that there is something profoundly wrong with him. "I see." he shoots at Lu-Mey, inwardly strugging with the urge to allow Starless Night to work rather than spraying Lord Niji's blood all over the expensive woodwork. Nobody is leaping to his defense now. It's a strange, tense, uncomfortable grey area, where nobody is quite sure what should happen. Are the girls simply afraid? Are they now unwilling to lay down their lives for the man they had come to see for what he really is? Were they /hoping/ for something out of their hands to take him away, unable to find it within themselves to do the job personally? What kind of damage could be done by their 'father's death, as opposed to who it could save.

    Tiring of those questions, Nox flicks his sword downwards, hitting Niji over the shoulders with a crushing wave of spatial expansion, slamming him face down into the mud. He doesn't care to use much restraint at this point, likely breaking a bone or two in the process. "A very curious definition of love. I think you may have misheard me however. I told you to give me a reason not to kill you. If you don't have a good answer, please, at least try to take a shot in the dark. My patience is running out."

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    "I heard you perfectly well, Kongohki!" Niji spews. The horizontal flight of a few droplets says more than just rain is flying as he devolves into apoplexy, in an odd backwards display of concern for someone other than himself, even if he is as wholly broken as perceived.
    Because Lu-Mey adjusts her dress and with a few more bone-aligning pops seems to be as good as new. "That's not the man who ruined my life." She says quite simply. "It's just a hollowed out husk of wanton desire and passions, corrupted by worldly ways and with no sense left enough within it to even beconsidered a person. Lord Niji of Igarashi has been dead a very long time. That is Asura." The oni says very levelly. A statement that gets lulls the two warrior princesses into a silence that says they already long knew this.
    "Killing him would only be doing him a mercy." She adds, after giving Adelyn her explanation, before shrugging half-heartedly.

    It looks like it's come to a choice.

Kill Asura-Niji                            Spare it

    The mention of Shiro-hime however makes Lu-Mey tense, scarlet eyes shutting tightly and looking away from the horror-stricken girl struggling out of the carriage into the rain, "No, you can't!" Called desperately after Starless. She doesn't seem to even realize she's carrying the kunai as tightly as she is.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn gives a thoughtful "I see," to Lu-Mey. Asura are a concept she's only aware of through whatever literature of Tenra has passed across her desk, but the explanation is largely understood, at the least. "A bit like the vestiges of spirit summoned via fourth-rate necromancy, isn't it? Continuing to play at life based on a jumble of memories and insane hope. Abominable, in that sense." She sighs. "But lecturing on the matter won't do any good at this stage. Ah, well!" She claps her hands. "I could do it myself, but I'd need to be careful not to crush anyone standing nearby. I didn't bring a sword, and current terrain is not conducive to precision. Would someone with a sword please finish it? Unless you'd rather wait and allow me."

    There are several reasons for her choice, but all she says is, a trifle more quietly, "Parents raise children for the sake of their future. This futile clinging to the past is contradictory to any noble purpose. To progress can only be helped by cutting off this illusion."

Nox (546) has posed:
    Well that solves it. Nox has very little idea what an Asura is, but clearly Niji is so far gone that even the princesses know it. Some lingering attachment of previous love prevents them from going against him, but their former affections are clearly not enough to blind them to their 'father's true nature. He is insane. Categorically so. Leaving these girls in his care can only end badly. Worse than what killing him before poor Shiro-hime's eyes will do. Nox's tone drops from its barely repressed frenzy to a low, even, perhaps even slightly sad sound.

    "This is no family."

    With that, he drives the point of his sword straight through Niji's spine, impaling him against the ground. Before there is even so much time for his heart to stop beating, a flash of cerluean light sparks down the length of the blade, striking the Asura's back whereupon it explodes into a conflagration of pale blue fire, engulfing him in a flash inferno that should utterly disintegrate him, leaving behind a scorched and glassy crater in the earth.

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    "Can't I?" Starless peers at Shiro. "Why not? Why do you even care that much? Attack me then, if you truly love him. This man you call father, because he made you in the shape of his real daughter." She spreads her hands, stepping up closer to Niji. "That is what it is, isn't it? You're a replacement. Made for the real daughter he lost. He wants you to be her... to STAY her. But it's all a lie. She rebelled against him, in some small ways, you know. So even this mockery of her memory is wrong." She smiles. "Or you can choose to be your own person. What would you like?"


    Then... Niji is disintegrated.

    "Oops. Waited too long."

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    Oddly. For a sight that Lu-Mey would have enjoyed at any other time in her life. She does not watch. Even Kuro and Hagane avert their gaze as their consciences are cleared for them by Nox's blade, and the Asura is rendered little more than a crater.
    "I suppose that's finally done. All the better for it." Lu murmurs. "Someone else would have hunted it down and killed it anyway, as all Asura are."
    But then comes the cry. A shrill shout of pain and rage at the sight, Shiro-hime launches herself forward. It would seem, unlike her predecessor, she does not desire to rebel, to be her own. "WHY!? Even if he was unwell... Even if that was all true... I..." The girl shrieks, remembering the kunai in her hand now as she flings herself at Starless' ANd Nox taking careless and wholly unskilled swipes, despite Kuro's call to stop.
    Lu-Mey, once again, does not intervene.

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    The kunai arcs toward Starless, and the 'unnamed mercenary' makes no attempt to stop it. She lets it slash open her shoulder, then another cut across the cheek... and only at the third does she move, 'catching' the kunai with her hand and letting it impale her hand, stabbing right through and causing a spray of blood. Or is it?

    "You cannot beat me as you are now, and now you are orphaned. I suspect, if anyone knew what you really were, you would be captured and sold," she points out. "It will be difficult for you to live like this, but it looks like your loyalty is with him." Then she shrugs.

    "Spare the girl," she says to the others. "If she wants to train enough to fight me, then I am willing to take that risk. I'd hoped she wasn't so enamored."

    She looks at Shiro again, "Do you want revenge? Or are you one who does not want to kill? You are more like me than you think. Would you like to know why, or will you go with your... sisters?" Presuming they aren't going to be killed.

Nox (546) has posed:
    It seems that Starless Night has intercepted the kunai for him, though Nox can't imagine why she would have done so in such a fashion when Shiro couldn't have even come close to hurting his mechanical physique, and when it would be clearly within her ability to avoid it.

    "I see no reason to kill her." He states flatly. "Or any of them. They are free to do as they wish." His sword vanishes from his hand, letting him clasp them behind his back as he floats out of the way, staring off to the side in deep contemplation, leaving his less personally invested allies take care of matters.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Nox completes it, and Adelyn looks on without further comment. She's not so much interested in watching Niji die as she is in watching Nox's sword function. His magic is so different from her own, though similar in enough respects to make for some fascinating potential studies.

    Oh, and Shiro is attacking. No longer a princess--or is she still? Adelyn is uncertain as to the details of social hierarchy in this land. It hasn't seemed terribly important. This she watches idly, more because it's happening in front of her than for any interest in it. Unlike the others, that girl has nothing the archmage finds of value, and even her foolishness is unworthy of comment.

    This is true until the 'mercenary' speaks. 'What she really is'? So, the pattern does continue. Still, that's just a passing matter. "Of course. I believe we're done here." She turns to Lu-Mey, who seems rather less than heavily invested, herself. "Aren't we?"

    As far as the mage is concerned, they've just freed those girls from some unhealthy baggage. They'll be eventually grateful for it, if they aren't interminable fools.

Lu-Mey (234) has posed:
    Being made with no purpose in life other than to be a pretty replacement for a lost daughter, the assessment is true. Shiro-hime hasn't a ghost's breath of a chance against Starless. Thusly, the little white doll falls to her knees with a small splash in the mud. Her voice is a thin, reedy whisper,"I don't want that... I already knew. But as much as all of us knew, none of us could bring ourselves to do what ha to be done." Shifting into a formal bow, Shiro-hime prostrates herself before Starless, Nox, and Adelyn. "Forgive my outburst. Thank you, and goodbye."
    While Kuro and Hagane edge out from their perches with nowhere else to go, they seem inclined to go with the Confederates and rejoin their other sisters. Shiro-hime is however edging towards the cliff edge.
    Lu-Mey has already started walking off one last shrug of her shoulders. "She always was that kind. Even to the broken."

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn seems faintly amused by something, as the three girls make their choices. That's preferable to her looking bored, at least. She makes no sign of accepting Shiro's apology, but this is only because the offense hadn't registered on her as something to pay attention to, even for resulting in her ally being attacked. If Starless wants to discuss that point, that's her business.

    She'll ask how the other princesses are doing sometime later. She still has some curiosity over that aftermath, but this rain suppresses the desire to start conversation.

Nox (546) has posed:
    Oh come on. This was already sad enough. Despite being by far the Confederate with the longest history of cold blooded killing present, Nox isn't about to let a poor misguided girl commit suicide right in front of him. As Shiro-hime starts edging away, he glances over his shoulder, and then extends one arm towards her, the space around his palm rippling slightly as an unseen force grabs hold of her from around each shoulder. Gesturing over towards the other two princesses, he lifts the white kugutsu out of the mud and aims to drop her in Hagane-hime's arms, knowing the konghoki to be the most protective of her siblings. He gives the both of them a silent looks, as if to communicate "you know better than this" to the former, and "you take care of this" to the latter.

Starless Night (336) has posed:
    Sigh. Starless shakes her head, "Pathetic," she murmurs. There's no venom in her voice, though. "Perhaps one day. I will check up on you again. What a waste..." She seems genuinely disappointed, though that may be because of her own warped sensibilities.

    Well, it's over. Not much point in lingering. Nox is taking care of it, and she only adds, "Take care of her. There are those who would fight wars over that one."