Scene #7090: LI0: Retreat, Regroup, Recover, Rethink (Side)

Owner	Pose
Alruna Greengate	Kingsmouth is a twilight realm, a coastal fishing and tourism town that doesn't do tourism anymore, and the only fishers are the fishmen coming up out of the water to find victims to drag beneath the waves. The town is covered by a perpetual pall of dark clouds, almost totally cut off from the outside world. Inga gave Alruna directions to a rundown, abandoned manorhouse, which she has fortified by using a few blackberries and the Blue Dragons Relic's power to sprout a hellish thicket of brambles about the place. Trunk-like canes have wrapped themselves around the house and squeezed it alarmingly tight - a few razor-sharp thorns have punched through the windows and walls in places - but by gods is it secured against zombies and pelagic manhunters. The front sitting room has been given over to tending the wounded, while those who aren't bleeding out can go upstairs or elsewhere in the house to find some vaguely early/mid-20th century furniture to throw themselves on and rest. Alruna herself is sitting by a lantern, stripped to the waist besides her underwear and applying some sticky, green substance to the gut wound she was given by Skeith's scythe. The Blue Dragons Relic sits on a nearby table, its soft glow providing no illumination to its surroundings at all.
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris Belthrone is here. The Miqo'te is leaning on a couch, curled up with a blanket on him and his hat just lying next down to him. He's shirtless with some bandages rolled up all around his sides. The Miqo'te's tail thump against the couch. He's staring up at the ceiling, arms crossed behind his head and just kind of relaxing in that manner. "You know, all things considered." Amelris comments, his voice a bit low. He can talk a bit more now. Being impaled by a giant lance sucks all sort of ass. "As far vacations locations goes, I don't think I'd reccommend this place super highly."
Arkae Zellar	Arkae arrives without fanfare. She claims a table somewhere to set out her gear and air it out, mend it, clean up the bloodstains, the usual sort of post-adventuring maintenance you have to do. The powered-up Red Bird relic is here as well, though Arkae's holding onto it firmly with her left hand. "I don't know, sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad," she says glibly to Amelris. "Like you find a place, good beaches, great drinks, cute people of your preferred gender, eldritch terrors, B+. Just need to roll with it."
Alruna Greengate	Alruna chuckles, putting down the pot of foul-smelling salve she's been applying to herself and wiping her fingers on a rag. "Aye," she agrees with Amelris. "But it's not like that we'll be looked for here." "Our distraction... served its purpose." she says grudgingly, picking up a roll of bandage. "So you achieved what you needed to, I take it?" She nods her head at Arkae, indicating the relic she's holding onto. "What about the others?"
Arkae Zellar	"Yeah... Staren and I did, it was a little bit of a mess, and I don't quite understand what happened, but it all seems to have worked out..." She holds up the relic. "I figured out some of what this does, but I don't really want to demonstrate it with all the plants around. It might be, um, bad. Like starting a forest fire bad."
Amelris Belthrone	"I guess." Amelris rolls with the dry humour, waving a hand. The Black Metal Statue lies somewhere in his belongings, on the ground, where his bags are. "Not a huge fan of the zombies. The fishmen could be pretty fine and I am sure would make some killin' in touristic buisnesses." The Miqo'te grunts, pushing himself up to lean against the sofa he's been resting at, holding his bandaged side. "We did too. It was a just, close thing. That knight lady was rough... and there were plenty of 'bugs', whatever that means."
Raphael Cousteau	Raphael Ambrosius Cousteau has a weird relic that allows him to use a variety of metal-based attacks, and also some other weird metal-based things. This should absolutely be going to someone who knows how to use it properly. INTERFACING: And it ain't me, buddy. Maybe in the next life. HAND-EYE COORDINATION: I feel like maybe we could do a cool 'shoot bullet' thing, though. You know, if we didn't have the gun. At any rate, this is apparently the place. He turns the doorknob, ready to walk on in and be himself as hard as possible. It's locked. He could knock, he supposes, but on the other hand, now that he thinks about it... EARLIER Raphael Cousteau inspects a box. The box contains, for some reason, squid. He is compelled, for some reason he's absolutely not clear on, to go follow to the next box of squid. And then the rest. And then the next, and... Well, now there's a reasonably large blob with tentacles, and he's got a gun, and he fires. He ends up finding a strange key in the resultant mess, for who knows what? AND NOW 'Who knows what' turns out to be 'for this abandoned manor'. So, he merrily just twists the key, popping the door right open. Boy, that could have been an incredibly awkward side jaunt--or more embarassingly, having to knock and ask for entry! "Good afternoon, everybody!" He calls inward. This may or may not be concerning.
Alruna Greengate	Alruna nods. "I'd appreciate you not burning down the house while we're inside." she replies to Arkae. Afterwards might be a different matter, but then, she's felt a muted desire to set fire to the whole countryside here for reasons she can't adequately explain beyond 'town's cursed'. Even the blackberries from the thicket around the house just don't... taste right. She spat the first one she tried out and threw the rest back into the bush. Fortunately, Alruna always has something sweet on hand. She motions for Amelris's attention, holding up a wrapped candy with a questioning look. Then Arkae, then... Raphael? "Who- oh, it's you!" Alruna relaxes. "Wait, how did you...?" She stares accusingly at Raphael, then the door.
Amelris Belthrone	"I'm not sure what the Black relic do, actually." Amelris comments, letting out a grunt as he gets himself comfortable on the couch. He gives a subtle nod at Alruna to acknowledge that, yes, he would like some candy, thanks you very much. At the same time, something nags the Miqo'te. His ears twiteches, his brows furrows as he... hears something? Somebody messing with the door? It must be the wind. There's no one else that wouldn't have the key that would come here and... "Cripes!" The Red Mage snaps out, straightening up on his couch to look in Rapahel's direction. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had to bring his weapon but, no. It's this guy. He's fine. "I didn't know you could /pick/ locks. Hey. ... How can you tell it's evening?" He visibly relax, sinking back against the cushions.
Raphael Cousteau	Raphael Cousteau pauses. EMPATHY: You did just happen to have the key to the manor. That probably freaked them out a bit. AUTHORITY: You're a cop! You have the right to be in -any building you want-, at -any time!- ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Hold up, she has candy. Can we get some candy? He coughs. "Oh. Yeah, sorry. Police officer. You just kind of get used to getting into places, you know?" The Expression remains unchanging as Raphael steps on in, locking the door again behind him. "So, thought you all might want this White Relic thing. You know, in case I'm on the beat when it comes time to save the world." INLAND EMPIRE: Which, by the way, would be incredibly boring, and I would be very sad if you were. At any rate, he passes Alruna the key to the manor. He doesn't need it anymore, after all, and it would just feel weird to hang onto it. LOGIC: It's true, you shouldn't actually be able to tell what time it is. He strokes his chin for a moment. "Supra-natural instinct," He concludes. Yes. That should cover it.
Arkae Zellar	Arkae has her sword drawn the moment the door starts moving. When no attack comes, she slowly resheathes it. "Oh, this... guy," she says, confidently, despite having no idea who Raphael is. "Hey. How's the..." Wife? Family? Job? "... Weather?"
Alruna Greengate	Alruna throws candies to people. Candy for a key, that seems like a fair exchange, but she has to stand up, in just a bra and some loose-fitting trousers, to make the exchange with Raphael. The severe bruising from all the bullets she was shot with is evident across her arms and shoulders as she turns her back and returns to her seat to start bandaging her waist. "The Blue relic's been... mighty useful." Alruna admits, gesturing at the bramble-choked manor around them. "But it wasn't worth a glass marble in a jeweler's shop by itself against Haseo."
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris lifts an eyebrow at the explanation. He snatches the candy from mid-air, unwrapping it and popping it straight into his mouth. Mmmn. Sugar. "Mehng. Fair enough." He replies to the Cop, relaxing a bit further against the couch. Felines certainly have an ability to up the ante when it comes to being very comfortable and relaxed. He motions. "Take a seat, officer. We're just resting up."
Raphael Cousteau	Raphael Cousteau pops the candy into his mouth, chewing on it lightly. ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Yeah. Fine. It's not amphetamine. It'll do. "Heh. ...Yeah, that was the roughest fight I think I've been in. Possibly including pre-amnesia." He shakes his head, finding a seat to plop himself into. "...Don't suppose we're having a celebratory drink or anything." "Huh. Yeah, I have no idea how useful this White Relic is. Apparently it gives metal-related abilities." He explains. "...I don't really know what that means, or anything."
Arkae Zellar	Arkae catches the candy in her beak, and then half a minute later spits the wrapper out.
Amelris Belthrone	"I'd be down for a drink." Amelris says, trying very hard to not stare at the colorfull-colored bird eating the candy whole, wrapping and all -- oh, here comes the wrapping. Birds are weird. "I didn't particularly take the time to see if there WAS any drinks in here to get."
Alruna Greengate	Alruna grins to match The Expression. "I could sore use some ale myself, but unless you brought some, I'm afraid the cellar's rather bare." Don't worry Amelris, she definitely checked.
Raphael Cousteau	Raphael Cousteau clicks his tongue a bit. "I...try not to carry it with me. Got a part of my brain that doesn't handle the moderation too well, you know?" ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Fuck off, I am the best at moderation. Everything in moderation, especially moderation. "So...question. Why, er, here, anyway? In a weird town full of strange fish and squid people in an abandoned manor covered in brambles?"
Arkae Zellar	"... Oh!" "So funny story, I got caught without booze this one time, so I got..." She goes over to the pile of adventuring gear that's laying out on a table, and picks up one of the bags. "Let's see..." The tengu reaches into the bag, sticking her arm in all the way up to halfway up her upper arm, which given how big the bag looks to be should be physically impossible. From the way she's rummaging around, it's even bigger than that on the inside. "... Ah!" She withdraws two wine bottles, one white and one red. "Kinda mid-grade stuff, but any port in a storm, right? Eh? Right?" She looks inordinately proud of the joke. "... Um, anyone have any glasses?"
Arkae Zellar	Important addendum to the previous: neither of the bottles are actually Port.
Amelris Belthrone	"Aw." Amelris understands. He cannot live in the quantum state that there MIGHT be booze down in the cellar as long nobody looks. That's sadly just a dream. A fantasy. A fantasy that's been broken. "Because it's got some protections, if I recall. Also, it belongs to a friend and is remote." The Red mage looks over at Arkae, his eyes watching her rummage into her bag. A container, seeming far bigger on the inside than it has any rights to be when observed from the outside? Now, ain't that bleeding familiar. "Theeere's probably some fine glasses around here." Amelris says, stretching his neck to get a glance around at the shelves around. "At the worse, why use glasses?"
Raphael Cousteau	LOGIC: This is a safehouse. AUTHORITY: WHAT?! CRIMINALS use safehouses! Arrest all of them! ESPRIT D'CORPS: The Paladins absolutely do not require you to arrest everyone in this room. Don't listen to him. ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Absolutely! Instead, pay attention to that wine. None of that is port, I'll tell you that right now, but it's wine and it's probably delicious. "...Well, I'll go check the kitchen, I guess." Raphael concludes, moving in search of convenient glasses in which to place wine.
Alruna Greengate	"Close to Shyra's world, but off the beaten path. No casual snoopers. Inga told me where to go, but I didn't care for her, ah, fences." Alruna explains, shrugging. Something about a row of femurs, tibias and other long bones of the human body graven with runes and turned into a fence to ward off the monsters was mildly off-putting, so she decided to rely on her botanical knowledge and the relic instead. She looks at Arkae with new appreciation. "Just a minute." Amelris is right, there are some glasses left in the kitchen that haven't been stolen or broken. She follows Raphael to get them.
Arkae Zellar	"I mean I've also got some potions, but those don't get you drunk," adds Arkae, letting other people worry about the glasses. "Believe me, I've tried," she adds.
Raphael Cousteau	Inspector Raphael Cousteau briefly shudders a moment, hand covering his face. SHIVERS: A field of skeletal arms and legs, thrust out of the ground. Runes of power carved upon them. Horrible creatures refusing to near it. Protective..but unsettling. He shakes off, visibly, whatever seemed to have him gripped, and he just turns the face-covering into a thoughtful mutton-chop stroke. Right. The glasses. He goes to retrieve those, bringing out enough for everyone onto a table. "I suppose I can see the value. This is a strange place, though."
Alruna Greengate	"Aye." Alruna agrees with Raphael. She finally picks up an unstained shirt laying over an armrest and puts it on, restoring her modesty. "There is one /other/ reason to be here, though." she says thoughtfully as she buttons the shirt up. "Target practice."
Arkae Zellar	"... There's a shooting range here?" asks Arkae, a little slower off the draw when it comes to words than swords.
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris don't bother covering his modesty. He's just shirtless, anyway. He's pretty wirey for a catman, with light stripe patterns on his skin where the bandage's not covered. "It's a bit creepy but it's pretty interesting, too. I wonder what sort of magic it TAKES to make a ward like that." The Wizard comments, pushing off the couch while keeping his blanket over him, pushing the couch a bit closer to the table then unceremoniously slumping back on it when he assesses it's close enough. "Nah, the zombies." Amelris tells Arkae.
Alruna Greengate	Alruna points casually at Amelris, and nods. "He has the right of it. No point in using archery butts when we have something better to test - and learn - the relics' powers on."
Raphael Cousteau	Raphael Cousteau scratches his head a little. "...Wait. What're you shooting at?" He asks. Logic isn't his strong suit. At least, not when he doesn't have a cigarette in his hands. "Zombies? ...I mean, I guess..." He shakes his head. "I'm a terrible shot, and I don't think I want zombie guts on my fists. The week-old corpse was bad enough."
Arkae Zellar	"... Are these the sort of zombies that respond well to fire?" asks Arkae. "By well I mean not well, not clarify." She rolls the Red Bird relic around in her hand.
Amelris Belthrone	"You don't need to be a good shot, they just kind of bramble on slowly." Amelris says, shrugging. "I dunno, I haven't really fought them too much yet. Maybe? The place is kinda wet, though."
Alruna Greengate	Alruna rolls the candy in her mouth around, and bites down, crunching it. "Is there a kind that doesn't?" she asks, eyebrow raised. "I've seen the locals using all sorts of junk to beat them off, so weapons will work fine, just in case."
Raphael Cousteau	"...I mean, I thought I was being wild and crazy kicking an armored knight in the head." Raphael is clearly outclassed in the 'fight crazy thing' department. So, instead, he's going to have a glass of wine, because sweet, sweet delicious alcohol.
Amelris Belthrone	"The Dapper Zombies of Sagolli Desert are pretty limber." Amelris answers, after a moment of thinking, pouring himself a drink and taking a sip. Yeah, this is pretty average stuff. "Thanks for the drink, by the way."
Alruna Greengate	Alruna, like Raphael, isn't too discerning in her tastes. Not at the moment, that's for sure. "Trust us, Raphael." She gently knocks on his shoulder with her fist. "I can take a hit if things get hairy, that's what I trained for - keeping you safe." She holds up her glass, and tosses it back.
Arkae Zellar	"Cheers," says Arkae, downing hers as well. "... So what's next for that place, anyway?" asks the alchemist. "We've got the powered up relics now..."
Raphael Cousteau	Raphael Cousteau shakes his head. "Can't say I understand worth a whit. Supposedly, all five Relics, plus the 'Yellow Emperor Relic'," He adds in air quotes, "Will do something disable that 'Haseo' guy. Then, I guess, we just beat him up, and deal's done?"
Amelris Belthrone	"Something like that." Amelris comments, lounging back against the couch with a satisfied sight, twirling his drink in his hand. "From what I understand, it'll make the path to Haseo's Discordia ... easier? Less oppressive and unlock it?"
Alruna Greengate	"When Shyra's recovered, she ought to be able to elaborate. The first vision I saw in her world was of all four relics' power being used to contain or nullify the Yellow Emperor's. Or Discordia possessing the Yellow Emperor." Alruna explains. She makes a face. "The stories vary on some points. That god-slaying machine needs a fifth relic if we're to face it, but one step at a time." She looks around. "For now, we learn how to use the relics in conjunction with each other, and we take the fight to Haseo this time. The second round's going to be different." She puts down her empty glass with a solid clunk. LIGHT PARTY