Scene Listing

||

Scene Schedule

||

Scene Schedule RSS

Owner	Pose
Bloody Revelations	Despite essentially having to take the word of any member of the Fair Folk, making a bargain from the same ones makes it relatively unlikely that there is a grander deception at play here. There's no *compelling* reason they'd set you up to fail, with one of their possessions in your grasp, no ability to follow you, and, most importantly, a gaggle of dazed and temporarily homeless children on your heels. They follow you the whole way back. They follow you unerringly and basically everywhere. It is impossible to be rid of these children without just teleporting to the nearest Warpgate and bouncing. You wanted the kids, you get them.     After all, they are an important accessory to the nefarious deal. Given the bland, inoffensive, and a bit oddly well-informed priestess who'd basically sent you there in the first place, is the name on the list, and almost definitely a fake one, and would have no reasonable time or means of knowing of a 'whimsical' change of heart from the creatures at the other end of the supply chain, bringing the rescue pile straight back to her should be the easiest pretext in the world to meet again; that is, 'obliviously completing the quest'.     It's also sort of difficult to enter Whitewall like that though. Specifically, the gate guardians would be more than happy to let you right through and start notifying everyone immediately, but then comes the awkwardness (and difficulty in completing the pact) of having the adults trying to pry a bunch of semi-spellbound children off of you. Especially if there's any significant amount of walking to get back; it wasn't all that difficult for the general collection that is 'you' to get there, but getting small children to walk forty miles of unsettled foothills and a mountain path isn't exactly easy.
Tina Natsumi	Tina's good with kids! Maybe. She certainly has the carefree, cool big sister act down pat, and she's got the energy and enough material to keep the 'whoal cool look at that' tourist act going for the entire trip back. She has the firepower of her Persona to help get the kids back safely, and she's probably not the only one who would want to make sure that they do. What she doesn't have is a ride. Barring the occasional shoulder or robot ride, Tina hasn't really put much thought into the actually-getting-back part of this whole deal. Either way, though, they hopefully won't get tired of her faux-cowgirl shtick too soon. Once the group reaches Whitewall, Tina keeps up the jovial face when the issue of trying to get the kids inside without too much fuss comes up. "How do we wanna go about this? I like ot think I'm pretty good at handling folks, but... Uh. Y'know, this ain't really the type of situation I got any sort of experience with for obvious reasons."
Staren	Staren is not comfortable with this plan, but... One, he couldn't have achieved all this alone anyway. He's not sure his contribution really helped, honestly. Two, if the kids condemn someone to eternal torture, well... it's not really acceptable, but at least it's unlikely to start a trend. It's not like a society will be built depending on this, right? Right...     Staren's not good with kids either. He tries to stay away from interacting with them, but if pressed is entirely truthful with them and as bad at consoling as ever. "I could go get some vehicles once we get out of the fog..."
Tamamo	Tamamo is immediately upon the children every step of the way, doing her best to act the part of the divine mother, pushing the limits of the self-contradictory act of 'graceful and elegant fussing,' even if she has, very technically, never had children of her own.     Some day. Yes, some day.     Asking Song of Rainbows for the temporary use of her land-ship, Tamamo uses the deck surface first to gather up the children, then to set out a series of picnic blankets--all different colors, as if she had been preparing for a picnic but not yet decided on the theme--pulled from her sleeves, followed by thermoses and cups of tea, small boxes full of individually cut sandwiches that perfectly fit their containers, rolled and fluffy omelettes, and an increasing variety of snacks in just-sufficient quantity to leave a few dozen children ready to nap. Throughout the process, the motherly fussing continues.     Regarding their entrance, "Oh, it is no worry. We need merely enter through as one would normally do, no? We cannot yet leave the children, for the enchantment of the fair folk yet lingers." Tamamo can be sure of that, since part of her fussing to the children's health is to see what she can unravel of what they've been put under. It's necessary for the deal, in fact, that they be able to pass judgment without interference, and she certainly doesn't trust the fae not to leave any nasty surprises. She doesn't expect to be able to simply lift the curse from them safely, so she sets her sights a little lower.     "We must yet safeguard them while such a curse remains, and we act now to undo it. No other should approach so carelessly, lest they risk undoing our work." And if simple words don't work, Tamamo's ready to use that more mentally invasive aura of trustworthiness that's within her divine toolbox.
Gawain	Gawain is unsure about this, but children are going to pick mercy, right? The knight follows along the boat, watching the picnic with a smile - these kids are under a spell, but they can be saved. When they reach the city gates, Gawain nods at Tamamo's explanation. "Yes, she's telling the truth. This will all be over soon, sir guard!" Though, he's unsure if the guards are willing to have more delay...but they need to deal with Nerah. She tricked them. Why? What's her game? Profit? It couldn't just be that, could it? Gawain sighs, but then goes back to smiling. The ol' knightly charm.
Damocles	Damocles is on a personal quest to learn everything there is to know about magic, and oh boy has this particular job been educational!  From fighting magic animals in a sewer to lying to fairies to playing piper to a bunch of ensorcoreled children!  Damocles is happy the kids aren't hanging off him or they'd find themselves stuffed in a pocket of the Warp for the duration of the trip.  Of course Damocles could have just teleported back, but that wouldn't have helped the others in the group.  He's still working on shielding other people through teleportation, and in general people like to not be horribly mutated by their travel options.  So once more, the master of the warp is reduced to legging it.  The nature of the enchantment remaining on the kids is interesting, but unfortunately the traveling companions aren't terribly fond of Damocles experimenting on the kids to learn more about it, so he has to table his curiosity for now.  Instead, he takes more of a forward lookout position, scouting ahead and keeping a wayward eye for threats. According to the Fae queen, the person behind all this was the very same one that hired them.  It fit in except for motive.  If she was responsible, Damocles wasn't sure why hiring a bunch of outsiders to solve the very problem she was behind made sense.  One way or the other, someone is lying to them, and more likely than not, it's going to result in a violent confrontation before it's all over.
Song of Rainbows	The plan's great! Every part of this plan is made better by accepting that boats are the most superior form of transportation. Cutting through the road and leaving ripples in the wake (that, eventually, stop being weird), the Song of Rainbows allow their landship to be used as a staging area for the children. The enormous golden sphere they had to cart there (that *Gawain* had to cart there) hangs off the anchor by a few sets of cables, and they sail back to Whitewall's gate, Song calling down to the guards. "Throw wide your gates, little men!" She seems extra pleased about this, draped over the ship's wheel. Wait, didn't she *row* the first time? Don't worry about it. The boat is exactly as large as it needs to be. It is a boat.
Tomoe	The main part of the mission was to get the kids out of the Fae's hands, which they are on the verge of sealing the deal over. She doesn't like it but the kids would be in harm's way had they gone after the fae on their home turf then and there. The children are not yet fully free of the Fae's magic and the deal is not yet sealed. Tomoe will the kids on the deck, she will help entertain and play with the children while Tamamo does her preparations. Several will end up with piggyback rides for a bit and yes Tomoe's ears get pulled at now and then. She'll even tell the kids a few stories as they go but all and all Tomoe seme to be fairly into helping keep the kid's spirits up and entertained.
Bloody Revelations	Tamamo taking an active interest on the partial enthrallment of the children (who are all too happy to eat lots of solid food, ride on a nice boat, be generally doted on, and sleepily hang around a nice lady) discovers something unexpected. Rather than a spell actively cast on them, some sort of magic or another has futzed with their impressionable little brains, on the level of cranking up an excessive sort of docile gullibility and cognitive anasthesia.     Though it'd make the most sense if the Fair Folk did it, it seems both considerably older, and like the Fair Folk had been doing a lot to *undo* it, either intentionally to get at the sustaining emotions underneath to feed on, or incidentally in the process. The only mark left on them by the Raksha in particular, despite a certain emotional dullness and lowered sense of inhibition and willpower, is a mild geas to get them to cling to the Elites like ducklings so they don't dump the kids off back at their homes and mosey on away. The vast bulk of the general spellbinding is probably exactly how they were spirited from their homes.     Despite the enormous amount of shit the Song of Rainbows got for driving up to the gates in a faerie boat the first time, tonight she comes bearing a museum tour of previously kidnapped children along with famous heroes of Whitewall and someone with connections to the secret Solar at the heart of the city. Damocles and Tina are there too! There's a bit of a scramble as they have so many things to react to at once, but the gates are indeed opened straight away, and the boat is free to course right on to the streets.     It's basically fortunate that it's late again now, meaning far fewer people in the streets, save the beefed up night watch of the Guardians, but you're already attracting attention, with lights flicking on and doors opening up. It's a matter of time until bereaved parents hear the news and come flocking.
Tamamo	Tamamo doesn't stop her mothering ways just because they've entered the city. She might, in fact, be far too distracted taking close care of the many children here to pay attention to very much else, even if she was the one to suggest the bargain with the fair folk. It doesn't help that she hasn't ever actually met this alleged kidnapper, and wouldn't recognize even her priestess appearance.     "Oh, how... unexpected," she says, on recognizing that the issues with the kids are, principally, not fae, "Could this be the work of the first to take them from their homes? But why has it lasted up until this point? Few drugs could last so long within one's body, and it is rather much effort of seeming needlessness, no? One would need wish them forever so dulled. Perhaps they were meant to be kept... 'safe,' this way."     And they're through, sailing down the streets. "Now, then. How shall we find the one named by this list?"
Tina Natsumi	"Looks like our work ain't done, huh?" Tina chuckles lightly in response to Tamamo, stroking her chin lightly while keeping an eye on the children. "Man, I shoulda grabbed my... Kid... Fixin'..." After another moment, she shakes her head. "Thought I had somethin' there. Oh well." Shrugging, she clears her throat and makes sure her cowboy hat is on properly (just slightly askew) while turning the charm up* beside Gawain and Song of Rainbows once they get to the gates proper. "Howdy, folks! Mind clearin' us a path? We still got a few technical difficulties thatneed workin' out, but we've got it handled! Just give us just a little longer to iron this out, will ya? We know y'all've been waiting a long time to get your kids back, and we're in the home stretch now, so we'll get them back to ya right quick while you get their dinners ready. How'sat sound?" Hopefully, that'll help soothe the adults' weary hearts. A faint light glows from behind Tina as well, almost as if to try looking a little more trustworthy with the power of soothing and vaguely blurring lights coming from behind her for proper framing! A few moments later, she turns to Tamamo again while furrowing her brow at the assessment. "Still? Maybe... Hmn. You don't think the person that put this on 'em is still in the city, do you? I mean, they ain't causing a ruckus like this, so at least they're easier to contr-" Tina stops herself, then snaps her fingers together. "... You think their parents might be in on this?"
Tamamo	Tamamo shakes her head to Tina. "No, not at all. Who could wish such danger to their own? Their kidnapper might have meant to prolong their... rescuability, shall we say? This thought did cross my mind. The fae dislike 'dull' things, for dullness has a sort of safety from exciting narratives."
Damocles	Damocles teleports away from the group after they're clear of the gates, preferring to keep his distance and keep the rooftops when possible.  He stays in the darkness, using the late hour to his advantage as he keeps an eye out for trouble.  This far into the city, a double-cross by the fair folk seems less likely, so he puts his efforts towards spotting possible retaliation by the city's authorities. The priestess who hired them is no fool.  If she was behind all this, she'd know she would need a decent force to take down the assembled outlanders.  She would also know the city well enough to be able to hide that force from the main thoroughfare until it was time to move. So that's where Damocles chooses to cast his eyes.  Staying to the shadows himself, he flickers from rooftop to rooftop, staying a little ahead of the group as he casts his gaze down the allies and sideroads that a force large enough to threaten them might be waiting to strike from.
Tomoe	Tomoe will pay close attention to anything Tamamo or anyone else would share with her about the children during the trip. Otherize she'll keep to helping with the children she would think about what Tamamo has said and looks concerned for a moment. "We may have to sort that out when this is over." Tina meanwhile gets a nod. "Kid fixing?" She peers to the persona user for a moment. She then moves in front with Tina. "Would you be so kind as to clear the way so we can get this worked out? We just need to make sure we have ensured this problem is truly solved." Tamamo additional information makes Tomoe think for a moment. "That could be possible, but why?"
Gawain	As they get inside, Gawain nods to the guard, and then listens to Tina as she tries to sooth the gathering crowd. He tries to rush them along, knowing the first place they should check - Nerah's temple. If he can get there fast enough, he'll extend his senses to listen for anyone inside, and then knock and move to open the door unless things seem weird. "Of course not, Natsumi. Don't think such things!"
Staren	Staren's keeping a distance from the kids, but Tamamo's words get his attention. And then Tina's. "What?" He clenches his fists. "Man... if this society is THAT broken, how am I supposed to kill everyone who'd do such a thing?"     Staren shakes his head. It'd take too long anyway. With Bloody Revelations's plan they can fix it all... And right now they need to focus on... the names.     "I don't know. Do we need to do some kind of divination on the list? Or is this more of a 'make a bunch of noise and get them to come out of hiding' type situation?"
Song of Rainbows	Well, stop one is already decided. The Song of Rainbows sprawls out on the raised wheel-deck and guides the boat by her foot as they drift through road and thoroughfare towards the Solar's tower. Because of course they're going right back to that golden nerd. From her prone position, Song calls to Tamamo and the other children-minders. "Did the golden orb help the goods" - the children are goods apparently - "recover, or should I just dump it back on the lap of that uptight little smug lamplight? Either way, he probably can be convinced to help fix any problems. He was useful enough in pointing me in the right direction, so..." The boat peels in to drop golden anchor on the Solar's tower step.
Bloody Revelations	Damocles teleporting away involves a small portion of the assembled children dozily trying to disembark from the flying boat to chase after him. How they know where he went is a mystery. If anything, they don't seem to actually know themselves, but have been 'tagged' to him like some sort of ankle bracelet for a criminal on parole. Given it's just him leaving, it's not all that hard to get fuzzy kids to stay on the boat with several people's attentions, though it is a bit like herding cats.     Despite some protest, there's not a lot anyone can *do* to stop the procession of exotic Multiversal weirdos and their local float boat captain. Some parents aren't immediately dissuaded, and end up running along to try and keep up until a Guardian finally just turns them around and offers to let them wait at a station. A crowd gathers around where you sail no matter what; that much is inevitable. Heading straight to the temple (read: hideout) is a wise decision. Spending any more time around town would result in a huge commotion and ample warning at this rate. You're fortunate that the city's experienced, metropolitan, and at least flexibly directed paramilitary authority is so inclined to give that much leeway.     From the rooftops, Damocles can confirm approximately enough 'forces' to constitute a 'meeting' at the faux temple with its lights still on. There hasn't been time or lines of communications enough to set up much else. You'd gone almost straight to the Freehold since capturing the Guild catspaws, and it takes a little while before they miss a designated meeting with an overseer and someone comes to investigate what happened to them. Maybe a day later and they'd have sussed everything out and moved operations, but right now you have the benefit of only a handful of hired big bruisers being around to ask what the fuck happened to some guys hired by some guys and sent here to make money.     This is the state people arrive at the doors of that out of the way, bland little nothing building. The power still runs from the hearthstone somewhere in the back, and a handful of large men in hauberks trading tobacco around are killing time outside the front door, one of them very large and blue, another with some kind of exotic arabian arquebus, and one more covered in almost Yakuza-esque tattoos. You can hear urgent and displeased conversation from inside.     Going further to the temple manse is another exercise in splitting up more idiot children; unfortunately, some of them have to be available for 'the moment' it all resolves too. The grand golden doors hidden away by the empty blocks all around have been shut and locked tight behind you quite a while ago, but open by themselves in that same, mysterious, demi-mechanical way when you approach, Rune's many magic 'cameras' no doubt showing him what you have on board. Closing them behind you for a time, he's at least made it easier for you to contain the gaggle of RFID babies.     Dumping off the Globe makes a very loud, obnoxious CLANK of orichalcum on orichalcum. Briefly, Song of Rainbows can smell a whiff of human blood where the structure and geomancy had already been flawlessly healed by Tamamo. The Solar descends one of the beams of vertical light like an elevator to meet you.
Tamamo	Despite these trying circumstances of herding cats and late-night, impending yakuza brawls, Tamamo is all beautiful smiles. "Rune," she starts, having picked up on the relative lack of honorifics this place has, perhaps in favor of long titles that see less use, "I must thank you for your assistance. We have made use of the orb, however... as matters turned, our resolution has not yet required any violence. That may quickly change, tonight. Might you have a look at this list of names? I have been assured they belong to the original hand held to the reins of this scheme, and I suspect that same hand of being responsible for much from which the children still suffer."     She walks forward while offering the rolled-up list, and gesturing to the children behind her. "Do you see?" That lingering, post-kidnapping magic, she means.     Tamamo's current Sun-level is set around 'smoldering.'
Damocles	When Damocles spots the gathering, he immediately hangs back.  He's not exactly the most subtle guy and is pretty easy to pick out, so he opts to keep his distance rather than get close enough to try and hear what they're saying. Instead, he keeps his distance, sticks to the shadows, and reports in on what he sees, using magic to telepathically send the signal.  If the enemy is in disarray, it's likely that Nerah will try and send a bunch of distractions at them while they make their retreat.  Likely giving some kind of 'you can stop me OR save the orphans!' choice.  However, Nerah hasn't really dealt with Damocles.  So he'll conceal himself as best he can and let the other, more approachable ones deal with the initial contact, and choose his moment to appear.  Who knows, something may change that'll necessitate him to act.  If not, Gawain and the others can easily clean up this rabble.
Song of Rainbows	The whole point of driving A Literal Naval Vessel up to Rune's house - beyond stunting, there is always stunting - is to drop off the MASSIVE GOLDEN ORB back with Rune's workshop. It gives Song a mild case of the heebies and-or jeebies, and thus must be DITCHED POSTHASTE. But when Rune descends a golden light-elevator to meet Song, Tamamo, and the kids they retained on the vessel, Song just sort of rrrrreaches out with a hand that stretches and unravels into a set of tentacles to... Grab him by the hand (and waist) and deposit him on-deck. Still laying down, Song spins the wheel with her feet. "We need you to settle the letter and finish the story, little golden one. Be thankful you're necessary." The boat up and passes right back through the barriers, ignoring solid walls if they are placed in its way, to return to the temple. "Alright, crew!" You're on her ship, you're crew. "Time to point at the bad man and get our 'The End'."
Tina Natsumi	"You think they might try and nab 'em back? That's... Geez, I hope not. We went through enough hoops just gettin' these tykes back home." Tina laughs mirthfully despite Tamamo's words hanging over her head, groaning after a moment and rubbing her face. "I mean, I don't mind babysitting, but this is getting ridiculous..." After another moment, though, she laughs and waves dismissively at Gawain and Tomoe. "Ah, just spitballin' some BS. Figured I'd lighten the mood with some... Uh. Hm. That one wasn't so good neither, was it?" Another chuckle, and then she gives Staren a blank stare for a few moments before laughing it up again. It's an awkward sounding laugh. "Dang, pard! Lay off the edge there, will ya? Your only audience is us folks right here." A beat, and then she lowers her voice. "... You were jokin' about killing 'em all, right?" Eventually, the group splits up to tackle the issue of the named Solar as well as their previously believed employer. Tina opts to tackle the issue of the latter, keeping a close eye on the children that wind up having to go with them to keep their own ruse going. She's doing a pretty good job of it, too, hopping back and forth to keep them from wandering off too far. When Damocles reports in about the thugs, Tina gets an idea! "Keep an eye on 'em, will ya?" She asks to nobody in particular, then starts working more of that illusionary light magic. Having seen the kids so recently, it's fairly easy for her to whip up the images of fake children around her as she 'follows' the fake children further down the path and conveniently within the line of sight of said thugs. "Aw, crap... Keep it together, kiddies! Hey, y'all wouldn't happen to be free to help me get these kids together, wouldja?" Of course that's the distraction she's going with. The illusionary light-children scatter, and she slaps her forehead while looking towards the thugs once more. "Just a few minutes, tops! Crap, the principal'll kill me if I don't bring 'em all back...!"
Tamamo	Tamamo gives Song a look of mild disapproval (-2), but otherwise goes along with this kidnapping, by setting back down and offering Rune tea and snacks. Yes, even after taking care of all those children, she still has more. It's only been a few hours.
Staren	Staren gives Tina a blank stare and slowly tilts his head. "If their own parents put this enchantment on them, can you imagine any scenario where said parents are making the world better? What ELSE might they be doing?" Then he shakes his head. "That's /probably/ not what happened though. And honestly, even if it were, as much as I wish I could make the world better that quickly," he snaps his fingers, "It'd probably be a whole THING with the entire city being corrupted and trying to stop me, so... it's fortunate that there are other ways to make Creation better. When it's all over, noone will be able to do THAT" he gestures vaguely at the children, "to anyone ever again."     And then the group splits. Staren goes to Nerah's, because he fully expects there to be a fight and people who will make themselves need to be shot. No way is Nerah going to come quietly. Even if he has to avoid killing HER, she probably has accomplices who will fight to the death, because isn't that always how these things go?     For now, Staren stays out of sight, waiting to see if Tina's distraction works. If it does, hopefully he can sneak inside.
Tomoe	Tomoe has mixed feeling about Damocles, but so far he's been on the level and having someone on overwatch, is a damn good idea. The information he relays to them makes her think. Though the kids going after him is making things a bit more ... interesting than she'd like it to be. Thankful no one tries to stop them and it doesn't seem a fight is needed either. Given since the first time she'd taken a job from this city? She had a fondness for it and didn't want to bust it up or people. They had gained interesting information that could allow them to act and the deal made with the Fae was not lost on her. If they didn't see it through to the end? Bad things would likely happen to the children. Soon they are at the temple and all the while they have the manage the hordes of kids, Tomoe may pick up things this day that will help if she ever has children of her own. Tomoe has done a lot she's been adventuring in the multiverse for a while not and yet with a situation like this? She feels tense she knows this could get ugly very fast. She also keeps watching on Tina as she enacts her plan hopefully she won't need help but will have it from her should it come to it.
Gawain	Well, that's a sign. Guards are outside. Gawain heads up to them, and speaks, children with him. "Open the door and let us see Nerah, gentlemen." And if they refuse, well, Gawain summons his sword and armor. If they get /violent/, Gawain aims to incapacitate the large one first, with the blunt of his blade and sheer superhuman strength and speed, before pointing his blade at any others left. He needs to clear a path for the children to see Nerah, after all.
Bloody Revelations	Rune greets Tamamo in return with an equal degree of appreciation, their time together previously having been pleasant enough, even going so far as to say "The appreciation is all mine. Without your assistance, it would have taken months to finish the artifact, and I'm glad to see you've returned it in one piece."     He takes the list of aliases graciously, frowning, and then pointing at two different places --neither of them are Nerah-- saying "I know this one to be a middle role in the bookkeeping sections of the Guardians, and this one as a civil servant to the Syndic bureau. Did you say hand, singular?" He only needs to examine the children for a moment. "This is the work of . . . powerful magic. Not a glamer, nor some possession of the dead or demonic. This would have to be some kind of sorcery only possible by the hand of an Exalted of some kind."     He is then tossed aboard the freaky float boat and sort of just abducted without much say in the matter. He is, at least, invested enough in examining the kids with various extrusions of golden light magic that he remains occupied along the way instead of staging a breakout.
Bloody Revelations	Tina wandering in front of the bouncers and the immediately dropping the field trip spaghetti has the squad at the door at a loss. Not only is 'someone returning with all the lost merch' unexpected, but it's some total weirdo, and she also managed to trip over a rock and lose it all right at the front door like some kind of sequel reset. They're there to be tough and break the knees off anyone trying to get in or get smart.     The guy with the weird gun eventually decides to just head inside and ask, no doubt, a superior, what the hell exactly to do about this. Two of the others glance to each other and then reluctantly begin following Tina, figuring it'd be best to not let the opportunity slip by and get dressed down later for 'the kids were right in front of you!'. Only Big Blue stays to firmly inform Gawain that he cant't go in, and then gets knocked out cold by a contextual button prompt, allowing the group to storm inside.
Bloody Revelations	The inside of the probably definitely fake temple is much the same as it was before. It's still completely disused but in frequently maintained condition. The lights are on and the florally scented rooms are warmed despite being 'off the grid' on the city's ancient, vastly shrunk Essence power network. There are three people inside.     One is the bouncer who'd gone inside, who is trying to get the attention of a second man. The second man is obviously not from around here, having darker skin better suited to a Direction where it isn't long winter half the year, bundled up in fairly expensive furs that indicate he rarely if ever does business anywhere that gets this cold even in spring, and he is in an animated argument with the third. The third, of course, is Nerah, who looks physically identical, but has lost all of her bland, forgettable doormouse demeanor. She is wildly gesticulating at the top of her lungs, incredible that it couldn't be heard outside.     The degree to which they're all yelling over each other makes it impossible to get the specifics of, but "What the fuck do you mean you were sourcing them right out of the godsdamn city?! Are you out of your mind?!" and "Like you give a rat's ass what you're trading and where it comes from! You don't know anything about the north, never mind this city!" and "Do you have any idea what the fuck this means?! You know what's going to happen?! A whole enterprise out here bringing coin back from Raksha and the product is fucking *treaty children*! You know what happens when those suddenly stop showing up at the door, huh?!" and "Your man's man's man's men fucking it up is on them, not me! If you didn't even skim the papers until now then obviously it was working just fine enough for you! I don't care how you smooth it over; figure it out yourself!" all kind of make the context obvious.     "Do you have any idea how fucked you are? Do you have *any idea* who's going to notice the shit that doesn't add up and come looking for the missing pieces? You have any idea what they're going to do?" "Oh shut the hells up, *you* couldn't pin me down if you tried. Never mind them." "Except the part where the *Raksha know your real name*, 'Nerah'. You think they're *information secure?* , and they're *fucking Raksha!* They don't give a shit about you; they'll turn on a dime the minute it's fun for them!"
Gawain	As the guy goes down, Gawain sheathes his sword, and steps inside. He's quiet, at first, listening to Nerah talk. And as her companion finishes on the part about her real name, Gawain begins speaking. His voice is a whipcrack, cutting into the air. It's firm. Nerah had seen Gawain as a goofy knight, probably - this is what he's like when he's serious. "Tearing Jade. Annalise. Hulinde. Erzebet. Nerah." He keeps reciting names until he gets attention fully on him, and then he speaks, with a dark smile. "Which one of these is the real name, then? The Fair Folk were very kind to give us a full robust list of every alias you've ever used." The knight steps forward, confident, unafraid. "Tell me! What did you want? Why were you willing to sell slaves for it? What is your goal? There's still a chance to make amends - though neither of us decide your fate, though I believe mercy is very possible. I want to know. I want to understand." There's an earnest look up, and then back to Nerah. "I thought we could have had a strong alliance, saving these children. But the fact that you and your allies are the source...it disappoints me." Galatine is not drawn or used as force. Gawain just simply says one last word, demanding response. "Please."
Tina Natsumi	As Tina's illusionary children keep moving on ahead down the winding paths of Whitewall, so too does Tina herself with the two that have chosen to follow her. It's too early to drop the act now, so she instead flashes the pair a grateful smile and lifts her hat briefly in greeting. "Thanks for the assist. I swear, this is gonna be the last time I ever agree to this sorta thing..." She lets out an exasperated sigh at that, and it's not entirely a lie aside from the fake children part. She's going to keep the wild goose chase going for as long as she can hold their attention, slowing the illusions down enough to give the guards a glimpse of hope in actually catching up with them, but keeping them just far enough out of reach and sight to mask the fact that they're well-made but ultimately flat images running ahead of the small group. She's not expecting them to follow her forever, of course. If they do somehow, she'll have to try losing them near the outer walls of Whitewall. Should they lose interest and turn away to leave, meanwhile that's when she'll strike! Said strike occurs in the form of calling out her robotic Persona to give them that back of the neck karate chop she's seen on TV several times before. If they turn on her directly, meanwhile, there's always the gun option.
Tomoe	The plan goes over pretty well, Tina distracts a lot of the thugs only leaving one of deal with and that doesn't take much doing as Gawain knocks him out cold. Tomoe falls in with the Sun Knight and the rest as they head in, things were about to go down. She will make ready making sure she has her sword and shield ready as she has a good idea of where this' going to go. Once they are inside through the things Tomoe's hear she hears Nerah shouting enough to wake the dead. It doesn't take much listening to get what's going on someone is getting torn a strip about what's happened. Tomoe keeps moving forward with the others. She's about to speak up when Gawain does and as he speaks? A wider and wider grin forms on the Salamander's face. "You were right they did turn on you, at the drop of a hat." She does not draw a weapon herself yet, waiting to see how they react to Gawain's words.
Damocles	As before, Damocles does not enter the temple, nor move to join the others.  He's confident that if Gawain needs his help, he'll ask for it.  In the meantime, having someone watching the perimeter is going to be more useful than yet another body in the temple taking up space.  Damocles takes a moment to survey the surrounding area as Gawain and the others move to enter the temple.  The sorcerer looks for a good vantage point to watch and play lookout.  When he finds a suitable spot, he teleports into it, using his illusion magic to deepen the shadows around him, making him harder to spot. Once properly set up, he quietly watches.  Whatever happens, it isn't going to just walk into the front door without warning.
Staren	Staren hurries in once the guards leave their post. Maybe he can still kill the one that went in before they can raise the alarm.     But he's given pause by what he's hearing. Even those working most closely with the ringleader didn't know. Not that that means they can be forgiven; if anything it just goes to show how fucked up everyone involved and the system itself ARE, and how every last bit of it needs to be taken out. For a moment he almost wants to take the others alive too. It would be more...     ...More /what/? More /fitting/? It would make a better /story/? Staren shakes his head. That's raksha thinking. Everyone involved needs to be removed from the universe as swiftly as possible. Of course, they MIGHT come back as ghosts here, but that's only a might and it'd probably slow down their plans for awhile.     On the other hand, can he take THAT chance? Maybe whatever the children come up with will at least keep these guys occupied instead of letting them become ghosts, until team Bloody Revelations can save the world and make it probably not matter anymore.     Okay, okay, no time for this, someone could come back this way at any--Is Gawain TALKING to them?! When he even knows, he even ADMITS, that he doesn't decide their fate... Enough. Time to move in.     Staren throws a little ball into the room, which turns out to be a high-tech flashbang--a flashbang that just KEEPS GOING, continuiously producing bright light and a deafening tone which are both filtered out by Staren's helmet. Staren then rushes out and tries to drop the guards with a shocking touch -- although if, somehow, they're able to resist and/or flee, he'll just try to gun them down--they have to be neutralized as quickly as possible so he can focus on the target.     "HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE?!" he yells at Gawain, over the noise.
Song of Rainbows	Rune, on deck having tea with Tamamo with the children, is not molested any more as Song of Rainbows guides the ship in towards the false temple, the anchor dropping down once more, but this time, unlimbered by the make-sense of the golden ball, dropping down into the surface of the land: as if the ship sailed upon a calm and stone-paved sea. "Time for the grand finale, bright sister." Song announces, rising on her elbow to look downdeck at he arrangement. "You can come to, little man. It'll be fun!" She heaves herself up in an acrobatic kip that's a bit too bonelessly flowing, to plant a foot up on the side of the ship, and then step 'down', landing on the stones below and walking into the temple. Arms wide. "I'm ready! Oh, I'm so very ready. Shower us with your words!" The words are not a shower, but a fearful accusatory circle. Bringing her hands together, she looks to Gawain. "You're in the proper place, reciting the names. The children are behind us, and bright sister has minded them well. We are all set up for the grand finale, and..." "All I hear... is prattle!" A golden sword of peerless yellow jade and orichalcum make snaps into her hand, and she tosses it underhand at the gathered, shouting conspirators. "Come now. Compose yourselves! This is your chance to speak your piece, of how superior you are, to take up a weapon and duel us for the souls of the children. Something." Her tone drops. "Anything. Do you know how *fucked* you are, indeed. You have no idea who's already noticed. Make it fun. Make it worth it. Anything." Song of Rainbows taps her foot, crossing her arms at the lack of a storybook ending. "The only reason I did all this work was for the story. I will have it. Nothing so far has been worth taking back to her."
Bloody Revelations	This would roughly be the moment that the three people in the room turn and stare in awkward dread at Gawain stepping through, slowly reciting off a list of pseudonyms and monikers, who might as well be boomer 'the jig is up'. The guards at the front were expected to stall out nosy guards or deal with eavesdroppers, cat thieves, or the usual who want to take a swing, not anyone present. Even Tina has her chosen taken out, not with any kind of as-seen-on-TV skill so much as massive blunt force whiplash. The sense of 'busted' drops even worse to 'fucked' when the Song of Rainbows steps inside brandishing her own weapon, her demeanour menacing to the point that the last remaining guard, who'd come inside, gives up immediately, having no need of describing the additionals filtering in, known by name and face already.     The man in furs slowly turns his hands up, holding them up over his head, a winsome, startlingly white grin not being as fake as it seemingly should be at this time. He shoots a glance in Nerah's direction, apparently taking some pleasure in this already. "Invoke the name and ye shall be visited, right? I'm not explaining *shit*. This is your mess."     Nerah herself, sans her oppressively slash depressingly generic nature, takes to the news with an unbelievably displeased scowl, turning towards the assembled party with a snarl that bares too-pointed teeth, her hand clutching half her face such that her fingernails claw pricks of blood from under her skin. The one unoccluded eye zips between Elites at a dizzying space, as if slightly unfixed in its socket. "Ridiculous. Absolute absurd the whole of you. March into a den of fairies on a feelgood quest to save some children and instead you come back running errands for the nasty little goblins. You're supposed to kill them or die trying, not gladly be their *bitch*." She reaches for something. It is probably a weapon.     Then an ultra flashbang rolls into the room. The two men fall over each other completely, the guard collapsing on the floor and the heavily bundled up man basically falling over and rolling aside. Nerah herself, however --turns into a snake. There's nothing fancy about it; right before your eyes, her entire body, clothes and all, distorts, compresses, twists, and resolves into the shape of an enormous rattlesnake, hitting the ground with a (now inaudible) thump and shooting off into the back of the temple at an extraordinary pace, almost flowing through low gaps in an exaggeration of what snakes are known to do (outside of be deaf and eyes that function like sunglasses).     The commotion immediately causes all the children outside to begin crying, as small children do when tons of sudden loud noises and bright lights are suddenly foisted upon them through their near vicinity. This in turn instantly draws the attention of guards blocks around. Rune cannot actually see what is going on inside from the boat, but seems slightly afraid to leave after Song had put him there. A hot second later, the temple goes dark, its hearthstone no doubt pulled from its socket in back; all remaining magic still in the system completes its circuit through its emergency measures; that being the emitters in generic religious iconography stuck up on the walls, and the Elite who'd busted in furthest --namely Staren-- who is the target of multiple coruscating bolts of white hot silvery Essence lightning. Damocles spies nobody coming out the back. He does, however, spy a flock of small migratory songbirds taking wing away from all the noise.
Damocles	Sitting on his perch near the back of the church, Damocles can't tell exactly what's going on inside, but he can hear the bang of the explosion.  Also there was some talk about the use of explosives on the coms, so he's aware a fight has broken out. He stands up to his full height, the dark sorcerer looking tall and ominous as he stands atop a building like a dark avenger.  It's time to do something, and fortunately, Damocles knows exactly what he needs to do right now.  In a flash of violet fire, Damocles teleports away! A minute or so passes, before Damocles another flash of violet fire appears, right where Damocles was standing.  He's back, in the same exact spot, except this time he's holding an extra large cup from McDonalds and a bag with some fries.  He takes a drink from the cup, and settles back into watching. What, he has a job, and it's watching the church to stop anyone from escaping!
Gawain	Gawain is in the middle of a big 'you goofed' speech. He's got the monologue down pat. He's got them right where he wants them. A flashbang spins out. As it flares, Gawain starts on the radio, arguing, but then, it ignites, and... He's shocked. Reeled backwards, briefly stumbling onto the floor, enough time for Nerah to turn into a snake and start escaping. She must have gotten to the hearthstone, as Gawain brings himself up to his feet and charges forward straight into lightning, every second being wasted. His sword moves up to deflect the essence lightning, but it still surges into his armor, staggering, slowing, and causing pain - but no lasting damage from a single blast, as long as he keeps moving. "Nerah! You can't escape fate! Your story reaches the next chapter, whether it's the last or not! Perhaps this will be the conclusion!" Gawain extends his sense of hearing, listening for slithering of scales and hissing of tongues, and extends his senses to search for active magic emanations, trying to see if he can feel the 'essence' Nerah is putting out, if any. As he runs, he pokes his sword into the floorboards, trying to jab it into her and force her out of hiding. Hopefully, he can force her back into a larger shape by doing this, if she's still in snake-form.
Tamamo	While a great many things should be happening immediately, and several of them are of great importance, Tamamo's priority is, as one might expect, for the children. If she had had time, she could have done something to lock down the building before it became necessary to chase the fleeing villain, but that's the sort of thing that becomes more apparent in hindsight. <J-IC-Scene> Gawain reeling from flashbang, "Tamamo! Can you gather the children? We need their proclamation! I'll chase after Nerah!" <J-IC-Scene> Tamamo says, "With both care and haste, sir Gawain. For you, the latter, I should say."     The most she can do at this point to lend aid is to send Gawain off with her blessing. Being Tamamo, the blessing is more tangible than most, power invisibly (to most) passing from sun goddess to sun knight, not nearly so useful to Gawain as the appointed hours of daylight would be, but the high compatibility means it's still an effective quick-charge of energy for anything he'd like to do, so long as luck and fortune play a role in making it happen, and when do they not?     That's the most she has time to do, because she has a lot more children to take care of than she could have ever expected a week ago, and little warning for that. Talismans fly from her sleeves, slapped haphazardly against walls and roadposts as if by errant gusts. Within this small area, 'leaving' and 'entering' will be difficult, as if by mental block. It is exactly the same sort of barrier as keeps hidden shrines and secret mountain paths, though here put up in haste. It's not enough to help with Nerah, either in size or potency, but this is for the sake of the children, and for the inevitable on-lookers.     "Dare I hope you have some particular skills for dealing with affairs of children?" Tamamo asks Rune, with truthfully little hope of that. If there's nothing forthcoming, she'll have to fall back to calming them with that calming, attention-grabbing aura she's used on as varied occasions as seaside tourists and ancient kings, not that it isn't effective in its own right.
Tomoe	Tomoe is aware they are dealing with Fae, while they don't line up with the stories of the Fae on her world? She does get they need a story they need it to be dramatic as possible so certain tactics she'd normally use in a situation like this. She looks to Nerah for a moment her eyes narrow. They had the confrontation it was getting dramatic and then comes a flash-bang she barely has time to keep herself from getting blinded by it, even with that her ears are ringing and she's a little bit disorientated. "THE HELL!?" Her dramatic speech is forgotten for the moment as she will bolt after Gawain trusting in the Round Table Knight's abilities to locate their target, as the ringing start fade, she will follow Gawains lead using her sword sticking it into the floorboards as she goes trying to get more ground with it covered. With Tamamo protecting the children she has full faith in her to keep them safe.
Staren	Angry shouting between Staren and his (at least for today) allies picks up as the ultra-flashbang rings out... then children are crying and as he goes to secure the fallen guards, unexpected lightning blasts him from all around! He cries out in surprise and stumbles, armor blackened and melting in places.     It's some small comfort that Nerah being prepared for this with a snake transformation and slithering away at least, in his own mind, vindicates his attack.     And then Gawain is charging forward taking some of the lightning for him, much to his surprise. "Gawain...?!"     Staren remote-deactivates the flashbang. It's now more a problem for his allies than the defenders. His robotic body recognfigures, parts folding into other dimensions and others folding out and then he's a robotic housecat chasing after Nerah, trying to squeeze through the same small spaces with sensors that see in darkiness. The guards will probably be handled in the course of things, but the crafty mastermind must not escape!
Tina Natsumi	"... Huh. First time that's ever actually worked." Sounding pleased and surprised with herself, Tina keeps Uncle Sam on standby as she heads towards the entrance proper to rejoin the others. Instead of coming in to see what could have been the conclusion to the situation, however, she's alerted by lots of yelling, children crying, Gawain and Tomoe stabbing the ground, Tamamo setting up shop by the children, and Staren turning into a cat while Damocles does something potentially ominous from the rooftops.      "Hell'd I miss? Uh... Where's our gal?" She can already guess based on what she's heard thus far, and she's soon on the run again around the outside of the temple looking for a rear exit that their one time mission broker might try to escape through. Should she find one, she doesn't go straight for it herself. Instead, she goes for another bout of subterfuge.      Once again, those light illusions start getting thrown around, this time in the form of gushing lava blocking off the outdoor escape route. It's a little more liquid-looking than how real lava would look, but it's certainly bright enough to look like a potential threat for anything ground-locked.
Song of Rainbows	The flash and disorienting blast of pressure sweeps over the room, hiding whatever Nerah is reaching for. The roil of flesh, the hiss. Song laughs, wiping motes of light out of her eyes and rooting around underneath her eyelids to throw the disorienting essentia of the flare out of her head, tapping the side of her head with the butt of her palm to knock loose the pressure from her ears. She laughs, and calls with unrestrained amusement. "A snake! Ahahahaha, gone to find some grass then? Perhaps this will be at least a tiny bit entertaining!" She bounds after Nerah, leaping from the ground to spin about a support column and slingshot herself like an acrobat deeper into the darkened temple. The part lit with lightning blasts of essence. Despite her speed, her path is relatively easy to follow via the lingering contrail of silver she paints through the air, the light sticky, smeared onto reality in a dripping and viscous way. "Come back, come back! We didn't agree for the fairies to be their bitch! We agreed to make YOU their bitch!" "Make this more fun! More! For the children! Nehehehehehe--naaahahahahaha!"
Bloody Revelations	The small mercy of the situation is that, without its power source, the tiny makeshift manse isn't capable of shooting anyone with magical lightning more than once. After the energy flowing through the whole building is dumped into the tanks, it's gone, and they're left quite literally in the dark.     Following the giant snake entails having to open, or break down, a startlingly obnoxious number of doors on the way back, almost as if this building's asinine construction was chosen specifically as a hideout for the difficulty of exiting through the rear. Breaking through walls is probably easier for Song flinging herself straight ahead at this point. Stabbing through the floorboards jabs the foundations repeatedly, finding just enough of a crawlspace for someone to hide, but nothing down there.     When they arrive, they find no back door, or even much in the way of a back entrance; merely a pair of small window blinds --sized for allowing smoke out and fresh air in, nothing more-- currently fluttering and banging open.     Over a field of lava. There are no charred skeletons in it though. Just a flock of birds has been disrturbed and flown off, barely visible against the moon.     Rune has obviously never had to attend to a child in his life. He stands halfway and then ends up hovering around the collection of bawling children exposed to fireworks at point blank with his arms half open, shifting around as if he expects they're going to start running past and he'll have to catch them. Reconstructing technical marvels from ages long past based off of fragmentary scribbled diagrams is apparently easy enough for him, but kids being kids, less so. After being prodded by Tamamo, me makes a throatily annoyed sound, and then says "Fine fine, get going." when she throws the talismans up. His best attempts at dealing with panicking children, it seems, are a glowing golden light that acts like a sleep spell.
Tamamo	Tamamo 'gets going' in a general sense, though she hasn't stepped foot inside and isn't sure it would help at this juncture. She does shift her attention, a part of her mind still shushing children as they ease generally sleepward, but most of it on the list of names. A long list, given to her by the Fair Folk, all associated with a certain shapeshifter, only one of them being 'Nerah.' That name is unlikely to be 'true' in any meaningful sense, along with so many others. A finger trailing down the list, she ignores the paper itself and focuses on the words, not as stringed-together letters, but as complete symbols, reaching into that indescribable space where the strings of Fate dwell, to find which of these forms the strongest link.     A lock of hair and a drop of blood would make things so much easier, but the name alone will do, in a pinch. She doesn't need anything truly grand. Eyes alight and paper talismans burning away, yet more magic expended for a hasty cause, she seeps the not-quite-imaginary threads in curses like so much poison.     Lightning strikes, somewhere. Very possibly, upon a certain shapeshifter, if she does not have the capacity to shed Names. It won't stop striking for a little while longer, either.
Staren	Staren couldn't keep up. He arrives to a window and he'll bash through it if need be to get outside to--     A field of lava?! Staren looks around for a few seconds, then realizes Nerah must've turned into a bird and flown away -- a hypothesis which Tamamo's magic may soon confirm. Either way, he transforms back into a humanoid robot and takes to the sky on foot-thrusters, ready to follow the thunder!
Damocles	Damocles slurps his drink for a moment as he watches things transpire, listening to the chatter.  Guess things inside got chaotic, and they've lost sight of the target.  Oh well, guess it's actually take to take action, then.  Real action. He puts down his food and drink, and takes his staff to hand.  He was hoping to not have to nuke an entire flock of birds to catch the one that was hiding among them, but he's also hoping not to let the target escape, and well, that hope takes priority.  His body glows with an unworldly purple energy for a split second as he charges power into his staff, letting it amplify his energy as he raises it.  A second later, the energy is released, and the air around the small flock of birds erupts with crisp white lightning.  A cloud of arcing energy formed in the air, flickering and rumbling with a sharp crack of highly charged energy released all at once.  Rather than targeting any single bird, the field erupts around them all, a cloud of intense lightning crackling all around the small birds. Electricity is especially effective against birds, right?  Damocles is sure he read that somewhere.
Tina Natsumi	When nothing comes out of the window that would be a presumable escapee, Tina grunts in annoyance at the thorough lack of... Well, anything. Pursing her lips in annoyance, the Persona-user waves her mechanical guardian away along with that false lava pool. <<"Got the windows covered, but... Uh. I got nothin' back here, folks.">> She informs her allies while drawing a handgun from her hip.      <<"The thunder, huh? If she really did go all bird-brained...">> That might be enough of a clue. Taking aim at the disturbed flock, Tina watches in case one of them decides to take a detour alone or gets hit with a sudden case of lightning bolts. If she really does see the lightning, she'll follow along by shooting at that bird.      Otherwise, she'll just have to follow the thunder and hope there aren't too many winding paths or buildings that are too tall for Uncle Sam to fling her over.
Gawain	As Gawain spots the lava, he momentarily pauses, unable to decide what to do. And then, he decides to risk it, by breaking through the wall and jumping right before he'd hit 'the lava'. It's not real, but he doesn't know that. The knight leaps onto a roof, and then onto the roof of the hideout. From here, he extends his hearing again, and his sight out for the thunder, and prepares the thrusters on Galatine. His aim is simple: as soon as the thunder strikes, he's going to launch himself into the air, thrust forward, and hopefully land in a flying kick on top of Nerah, either sending her to the ground or knocking her back if someone already forced her out of 'bird form', should she be in it. If she's not, well, plan B! Gawain doesn't have plan B yet.
Tomoe	Tomoe is a bit worse for wear, as the chase goes on. Tomoe will smash through doors where she has to if she can't get them open, she has to wonder about this place's design as she keeps going. The stabbing of the floorboards, reveals the crawl space. That' useful for her to know. She keeps going and she does spot the lava and does have an idea. She will follow after Gawain and flare out her wings, using the moonlight she flares out her wings following after Gawain. She will fly right after him aiming to try and flying tackle Nerah, but timed so she doesn't hit before Gawain makes his own move.
Song of Rainbows	Fast enough to hurl and amorphous enough to slide through the obstacles placed in her way, the Song of Rainbows bursts into the room that Nerah had fled through, rewarded only with... An open window, and fluttering curtains. "Taken flight... Tsk..." Her fist strikes the window-frame, smashing out a chunk of it. "I had hoped she would strike like a cornered beast. It'd be such sweet poetry, backed into a corner and then..." Her fist drops. "I'm over it. Chasing down a bird in a city is for fools." She grumbles, annoyedly. Just then, Tamamo's thunder booms, and lightning crackles down to strike. "The bright sister's curse... It's a hunt! A wild hunt!" Leaping out the manse's window and sliding down the side of the building to sling herself back towards her boat, Rainbow whoops loudly. "A storm! A storm!" Landing on deck, she spins the wheel about, the ship scraping cobblestones as it pivots on the anchor. With a lean, her arm loops around the anchor chain with an inhuman stretch, splitting into rope-like and sucker-tipped tentacles that heave up the heavy anchor and send the boat careening through the streets of Whitewall. "The children will have their story tonight! Ah, bright sister, you are wonderful for keeping this interesting!"
Bloody Revelations	Just one of the names on a list of middle double digits strikes Tamamo's 'fancy'. It isn't exotic. It isn't a sobriquet. It isn't even slightly odd, like 'Rune', no doubt short for something. It's a rather humble one buried near the bottom of the list. 'Alise'. It's not a name any useful identity of the slightest importance would use, it feels.     Damocles fires his blast of warp lightning and catches the entire flock at once, sizzling birds fall out of the air, rather unceremoniously drifting to ground like scorched leaves. He seems to have gotten all of them at once. Nothing special. It doesn't seem like much --until one last vertical bolt of lightning drops out of a cloudy night sky and strikes one of the dead birds all over again. The charred carcass bursts and roils, shedding its carbonized exterior and instead taking on the smoking black of burnt fur as the hulking canid thing from the waterways tumbles out of the skies, curled up to defend itself from the shower of bullets that comes its way. Dozens of puncture wounds appear and disappear on its body like stipples of rain, the flesh itself seeming to absorb them like liquid. Staren was evidently correct in his assumption.     Gawain kicks her out of the sky. She cracks the cobblestones where she lands --not a fragile surface of asphalt or layer of concrete, but good, round rocks. Under the sheer pressure of landing, he can feel all of her bones flex unnaturally beneath him, and then all of that muscle and fur disappears as a white weasle wiggles its way through the cracks. Tomoe following right behind him attempting her own tackle causes her to land on it, and there's a nasty little crack. She can feel her shifting again, this time ready to hurl her off by taking on the form of something enormous.     Song comes eurodrifting around the corner to the clustered alley crossing just in time to see 'Nerah' transform under Tomoe, at first looking to be some sort of huge, bison-like creature. A moment later, its form diverges harshly and unnaturally, splitting like a fork where one end is furred and horned and the other all scales and snapping crocodilian maw, joined at a mad twist of flesh where their forms flow together, as some kind of horrible accident of splicing. Multiple thrashing tails and kicking hoofs do a reasonable job of keeping followup attacks at bay, until the whole creature convulses like a water balloon hitting the ground without quite breaking, and then breaks apart in a cloud of shaggy hair and scaled bony plates.     The person who lies retching on the stones is a girl younger than Tomoe is, pale, skinny, dirty blonde, wearing ordinary white cotton clothes, with no accessories or markings of note, now smudged and dirty. She is, for the moment, overtaking with violent nausea, struggling to stay propped up on her hands and knees. She vomits, full of beetle iridescence and bloodied fur tufts.     Rune is currently gripped to the floor of the boat, white knuckled and unready to let go just yet. The children have unfortunately all been hurled around enough by the advanced multi-oar drifting to be waking up again.
Staren	Lightning finds the target, and Staren follows, contributing a pair of beam cannon shots to the ensuing battle from the air when Nerah turns into big monsters, before readying a missile lock and then hesitating as he's not sure going that far will leave anything to sentence -- but the others finish the job anyway, revealing her true form of... a surprisingly young girl. Staren suspects that's how old she was when she started shapeshifting, or something.     He lands next to the others, keeping the arm with the cannons on it threateningly trained on her (though if she makes another break for it, he only fires warning shots -- it's been shown, now, how the others can find and secure her.)     Gawain's going to ask Why. At the moment, Staren doesn't care that much, but maybe he will when he hears it, if she spills. On the off chance she garners any sympathy, though, he'll only be sadder when her punishment has to be administered, so he kind of dreads it.     For now he watches, and waits, for Gawain's question, Nerah's answer, and for the children and the sentence.
Gawain	Gawain lands into a kick on Nerah, smashing her into the ground, and then leaps off, allowing her to transform. As she writhes, he grabs his sword cautiously, but her transformation...fails, and she's left on the ground. A youth. A girl. Young. Was she desperate? She had to be. She's not evil. Gawain can't believe she is. He sheathes his sword, and reaches down to offer her a hand. "I know you don't trust me, but here, stand up. Why did you do it? Were you desperate and hungry? Creation is a cruel mistress, I know. But I believe you'll be able to survive this. Just tell us, tell the children why you did it. Tell us the truth. They will judge you. And I will carry out the sentence." Gawain says, wearily...and then he pauses. "I don't think you have to die. I don't think the children will kill you. I don't think they have that in their hearts. And, should you survive the night, I will help you. Whether or not your reasons were selfish or selfless. Because everyone deserves a second chance." Gawain's trying to appeal to any sense of survival or decency inside Nerah. He holds his hand off his sheath. He doesn't need it close to draw, but it's the thought that counts.
Tomoe	It's quite the wild chain of events. Tomoe is tough, very tough. The grapple with this Exalt is nothing to sniff at as Nerah transforms after impact. She's felt it and becoming something else it's hard to hold down it's very hard for her to hold down. It's a good thing that Song comes in next as Tomoe would have a devil of a time keeping something like this under control for long. Tomoe would stand up once Nerah is down and they seem to have shifted into another shape. One younger than she is she looks down at them for a moment eyes wide. She takes a step back as the girl vomits up some very freaky stuff. "So this is what's behind the mask." Children, she thinks about some of her own formative years and what she had to do then. She looks to Gawain for a moment and she nods. "It's all in your hands and those who are to judge you." Tomoe doesn't have more to say she waits and watches now. Conflicted in how she feels but Gawain seems to have had an effect on Tomoe to keep her from going off for the moment. She now waits to see what 'Nerah' has to say and the children's response.
Song of Rainbows	Cutting a ship via MULTI-OAR DRIFTING through city streets is hard, but of course - the Song of Rainbows is more than equal to the task. The children, of course, get rattled, but that's what the very capable solar and the very incapable Rune are for! It's the transformations that draw Song's eye, her fang-beaked grin. "Ohhhhhh-ho-ho-ho, how cute! You know, I've heard this tale before. I love the script, but..." Pouring herself to the edge of the boat and draping herself against it, Song lingers and voyeurs, happily watching the colorful light be vomited up by the dirty girl-child. "You need to fold it, fold it! You're just not cut out to be the leading act, are you? Too bad. The Bright Sister has your name - all of them! And now comes, well, the closing act! Savvy, 'Alise'? If you had become a little more perfect before getting caught, maybe you'd have shed that name as well. Then..." Another happy sigh. "Well, I'm unsure if there'll be a sequel."
Tina Natsumi	When Song of Rainbows starts turning that flying ship in midair with brute force, Tina can't help it. She just slides her phone out of her pocket and starts recording.      She'll add the commentary track to that later at home.     With the bird identified and brought back down to earth, however, she gets right back to work in pursuing their attempted escapee to where she's fallen. She does't even bother keeping her gun trained on her, especially not after it's revealed that the culrpit has been a child this whole time.      "Well. Ain't that... Fucked." She drops the act with a grimace, uncertainty evident while she approaches 'Alise' and squats beside her. "Hey. You wanna come clean about all this and explain yourself? 'cause..." She glances at the rest of the group in turn once, then back at the kid with something resembling pity.      "... I mean, you're not gonna force your way outta this. Best you can do now is talk and maybe..." Her gaze goes to Gawain in particular, then back at Nerah. "You might get off a little easier. Can't hurt, right?" She forces herself to chuckle, although it's rather clear she's making herself keep the kid gloves on despite (or because of) that lingering discomfort.
Damocles	It seems like everything is on hand with Nerah, so Damocles doesn't bother to pop on down there to help.  If he's needed, he's close enough to be on hand.  For now though, their biggest danger, he thinks, is someone coming in for the 11th hour arrival. So, Damocles goes back to doing what he was doing:  He picks up his drink, takes a sip, and then munches on some fries as he keeps watch, keeping an eye out for anyone popping in and trying to disrupt the show. As for what's going on, he listens in and watches from his position, but he keeps a high watch position.  He doesn't need front row seats.  He doesn't care -that- much.
Tamamo	Again, a lot of things happen rather quickly. Tamamo finds a Name. Her curse follows it to its owner. Song of Rainbows, likewise, brings the boat to follow the peal of thunder. The storm, such as it is, doesn't last very long, nor need it last any longer than to mark out that specific quarry, knocked out of the sky. Tamamo doesn't need to pay any more attention to it after that point, as neither curses nor blessings need her continued involvement. They're handy that way, and it means she can pay more attention to the kids as they get a bumpy, mercifully short ride, boating through town at Song speeds.     There are still things to do, and however much the Fair Folk will enjoy the outcome, it's a deal she proposed, and to which she agreed, conditions applied. Maybe if she'd been human, with a proper, socialized human's understanding of laws, courts, and children, she'd have certain concerns about going through with this. That is, fortunately, not the case.     Having first ascertained that all the children are quite fine, her healing supplies at the ready, and none have anything more serious than the kind of bump that can be expected from children playing outside with minimal to moderate supervision, and having thanked Song for the (now extended) use of her ship, Tamamo sets about ensuring that all the children are awake and attentive for this next part. They need to be. They have to know their role in this, that they'll be the ones to decide. This isn't a court, they're not jurors, and they won't have a recess for deliberation. Herding them together is a difficult enough feat as it is, without resorting to outright magic. They'll just have to do the best they can, and she does the best that she can, to ensure they know what's happening.     They were kidnapped, here is the mastermind, the one who had them all kidnapped. Look at her. Listen to her. By the strength of heroes, she is captured. What should happen to her now?     And to 'Nerah' (whose new and less threatening appearance has precious little swaying power to someone accustomed to man-eating illusionists), Tamamo says, "The Winter Folk had one thing I wanted. 'The name of the one behind it.' They live because they gave this to me." Song has already named /that/ name, the one that matters. It lingers with importance, so Tamamo doesn't use it again. Gawain asked for the story, for his own reasons, though she expects, quite strongly, that she already knows the truth. Not 'what she'll say,' but the real reason. The kidnapper had said as much, after all. Like Tina said, talking to save herself would be the best course, here. The obvious, reasonable thing to do.     With neither mercy nor condemnation, Tamamo says, "Speak truthfully." It might be better if they'd not already told her who the judges would be. It's not as if 'Nerah' had been truthful up to now. She'd be a fool not to lie, here. Or driven by pride. Or anger. Or suspicion that her mind is being read.     No, Tamamo isn't feeling merciful to this particular shapeshifter, this shard-of-divine more-than-human. She's just going to listen, and ensure that judgment is passed with swift certainty, a clear conclusion in one direction or another.     Anything more depends on what is said. Alise had best hope Tamamo /can't/ smell lies.
Bloody Revelations	Of all things, when Alise is struck down, surrounded, and forced into debilitating fits of physical illness from shapeshifting, when Gawain offers his hand, she aggressively slaps it away. It doesn't hurt. She isn't even slightly strong. She is perfectly furious however, shakily turning herself over and at least not falling down.     "Why? *Hungry*?! don't patronize me!" she yells right back at him, unable to sound the least bit impressive for breaking into coughing fits between the effectiveness of a furious sixteen year old girl's tirade. "You think I couldn't-- you think something like that matters? Is that what you had in mind? Some sad little picture of a poor starving gutter orphan, huh?! Is *that* the worst thing you could think up?! I don't need the Guild's *money* you giant glowing privileged *ass!* She sits up straight enough to hold up one quivering hand. Flexing her fingers, the whole appendage swells with the clenching of too many muscles, then wobbles like lightly struck gelatin, discolours purple, then turns back to normal.     "This! It's *this!* Why in the name of all the gods would anyone suffer a fairy to live for food?! This is what's going to kill me, not you. The reason I needed those soulless bastards alive --what they have is the only thing keeping this at bay. The impossible things only those wretched masks stretched over hungry nothings can spin together with their deranged fingers --they *work*, and words and promises don't!"     "You want a justification? You want me to tell you how this saves more lives than it hurts in the end? Yeah I thought of one too, but you don't get to hear it, because it doesn't *matter!* Even if you put a sword through me right now, I don't care; I don't have any regrets, because in the end, I either did what I did, or I stopped . . . being me. Forever. You think I wouldn't because they're children? Like it's somehow more of a crime if it's innocent people instead of 'bad' people? Tell me why I should care! It's all the damn same in the end! Nobody cared when *this* happened to me, nobody wanted to help, they'd rather I'd just die and stop being a problem, so if that's how it is, they can die instead! If you feel the same way, then go ahead and put an end to it right now, 'cause then I've got nothing to lose anyways! I'll take you all with me! Even just one or two would be fine!"     The children waking up from the boat, obviously, don't really get what's going on. They're still much younger than Alise is. They just see an older girl surrounded by adults, on the ground, having a screaming fit and on the verge of crying. They flinch back when her hand and arm distorts, only peering over the wooden lip with the overly big eyes of kids who know they shouldn't be watching. One of them tugs on Tamamo and asks what's wrong with that lady. None of them recognize her --not her true form at any rate.
Gawain	Gawain frowns as his hand is forced back, and he dips his head down as Alise tears into him. He doesn't argue. "You're right. That was patronizing of me. I shouldn't assume, simply because I saw a face I could picture back in Orkney." He doesn't move to strike, because the kids haven't judged yet. But as she shows her problem, Gawain frowns. And then- "Wait. Wait! You don't have any tattoos! There's a cure, a cure!" His eyes widen. He's not talking directly to her, but to the group. "Moonsilver tattoos! There was one like her who mentioned them all the time. We may be able to save her, should the children spare her. We may be able to end this once and for all, without taking a life unnecessarily." A pause, to explain. "If we can get 'moonsilver', which I believe is one of the magical metals, we might be able to fix your transformations. But that's only if..." Gawain turns to the children. He doesn't say anything towards them. He doesn't want to prime this further.
Staren	Staren tilts his head slightly, but has nothing to say. Nerah's strange condition might have another cure, but right now it doesn't matter; her fate is in the hands of children, and Staren knows children are mostly vindicative little shits who will ostracise and pick on one of their own number just for behaving a bit weirdly. Who among them would show MERCY to someone who kidnapped and sold them into fairy slavery?     'What's wrong with that lady?'     Staren facepalms. The kids aren't even paying attention! Perhaps the stupid mindfog the fairies put on them is interfering with the sentencing after all... or maybe he's forgotten what it was like to be that young. Staren glances back at the children briefly, then turns back to Alise and Gawain. Someone else here is surely better equipped to explain to children what's going on than he is.
Tamamo	"She is sick." Tamamo says. She'd hoped not to have to keep on this, but there hadn't been so much time to prepare, and the existing ensorcelment makes things difficult. For that matter, she doesn't recognize this as a specific curse or illness for her own interaction, and has no knowledge of the cure Gawain mentions, beyond that it involves tattoos.     "She says that her sickness drove her to sell others to the Winter Folk." Would it be too much to repeat back her words? To be sure the children understand what she'd just said about them? "She is a shape-changer, you see. Your kidnapper, and the one you must judge." Those are the charges, and guilt has been admitted without remorse.
Tomoe	Tomoe watches Alise as she goes off on then and then the warping of their body for a moment as the flex, she's behind on Gawain catching it but the mention of Moonsilver tattoos do make her recall something briefly and it's enough to have her not think Gawain is grasping at straws at this. She will hold back she looks to Gawain and nods she now has to wait and see how this plays out but Gawain is hopeful here. It all comes down to what the kid's judgment at this point she looks back kid who asked 'What's wrong with that lady?' It's not her place to answer she only knows something bad happens without those tattoos that Gawain recalled. It all comes down to her victim's judgement and she has no idea how the kids are going to go with this. It's also sinks in she doesn't have any remorse for what she's done either...
Damocles	The information revealed by their mark turns out to be pretty interesting, at least to Damocles.  And to Tzeentch too, as it turns out. Well look at that.  She didn't want to help the faeries, she just needed them to give her a hand!  Eh? Gawain's talk about magical silver metal tattoos is also interesting.  Tattoos made of mystical metal that can contain magical corruption?  Reminds Damocles of something from his home universe.  Something that he's heard hinted at, but never gotten a straight answer on.  Some mystical metal that is used in containing the Warp, but is one of the most closely guarded secrets by anyone who has it. That makes this a potentially interesting area of study.  Whatever the children decide, this Moonsilver stuff seems like something Damocles wants to study.  Having a justifiable reason to do so is icing on the cake.
Song of Rainbows	Song mantles over the boat of her ship before casually leaning over the side from 'the other direction', a carefree hand razzling the hair of one of the precious burdens in her boat. "Don't look if you're not curious, children. If you see something you don't like, blame your own curiousity. Or don't! Forget and be free!" She smiles, just a hint of teeth and a brightness to her cheeks, before shoving off from the side and sauntering towards Alise. Gawain believes he knows a 'cure', and that gets the most sardonic, aggressively laugh yet. "You really don't know, you 'giant golden priveleged ass'? That's not a cure. Don't speak when you don't know. It's stasis. A way to make sure you don't ever slip out of a cage of scrollwork and etchings. To 'stay human'. Isn't that a disgusting joke?" Song kneels besides Alise, before canting back and reclining. "The Silver pact are fools!" Song announces, to the party. "Fools who would see this girl caged. Tell her what to do, and if she disagreed, kill her in their hypocrisy. Ah, beautiful girl, don't you see?" She runs her finger through the glowing beetle juice, before popping the finger in her mouth. "You've got a bit to go. The right mix takes being creative." She ventures, consideringly. "Keep at it. You're like a chrysalis: You're still you. Does it feel terrible to truly reside in a weak face? Throw it away! Does it feel powerful to be strong and tall and beautiful? Choose that. You can choose! You can *be*!" Song shrugs. "You just need to tell them you're sorry. That the world has bullied you. Or, well, if you truly want to die: If you have nothing to live for, tell them you're a monster that needs to be punished. It's up to you! But, if I were you, wearing that face, I'd know what *I* would pick." Song casts her gaze up at Gawain, his face so conflicted. "You're too honest to lie, I can tell. Try not to recklessly speak falsehoods with your priveleged light. It reflects on others."
Tina Natsumi	Merely looking at Tina's face makes it obvious she's only grasping about a quarter of the situation when Alise shows off that strange transformation of hers, and it's not until Gawain's talk of a cure that some things start to click into place. "You think so? Well... Why the hell not? I'm not gonna say 'no' if there's a chance to fix her up. Doesn't absolve her of any of the shit she did, but..."      Turning back to Alise, Tina adjusts her hat before crossing her arms over her chest. "I think it's better than just dying or putting her behind bars for the rest of her life. You ready to make it up to these kids if we get this done for ya?"      Song's words put doubt back into Tina's mind once more, however, and she rubs her forehead after a few moments. "Hey, hey, come on. Ain't tellin' her all that just gonna make it more confusing? Like a 'we know you know we know you know that we want you to say this' sorta thing? I mean... She could do both."      Tina gestures vaguely at both Gawain and Song next. "Get her shit together, become strong, but still remain human. Or... Uh." She furrows her brow. "Decent person...-y?"
Bloody Revelations	As much of 'a time' as the children have had, Tamamo explains thing in simple, patient, and calming enough tones that they appear to grasp the situation. At the idea they have to make a decision, they look mostly just sort of boggled, staring back and forth and milling around, until one of them has the bright idea to say that, if she's a criminal, then they have to hold a court. Because that's how it works in the city they grew up in.     The gaggle of them seems to find this very convincing and sensible, and they split up evenly onto several benches in the boat, trying to look like a panel of judges. They become completely engrossed in it immediately, piecing together fragmentary details of what they know about how the justice system works, from what they've heard from their parents when they cared to ask, for the most part. None of them are even ten years old. This is their understanding of justice. What the adults have told them is right, when dealing with people like these.     Alise looks, understandably, far more than wary when Gawain starts crowing about a cure. "As if I'd believe so quickly that something that convenient exists." she says. "Not in this world. Not in this life." She sounds hateful of the very idea, yet isn't old enough to have fully developed the full mask of cynicism to go with it, still showing cracks of that incorrigibly young desire to believe anyways. By contrast, she only looks baffled and intimidated when the Song of Rainbows gives her the opposite, visibly flinching away when she goes as far as to consume any quantity of Chaos-tainted fluids.     "What in hell are you even talking about? I don't know any of those people? Who's going to kill me if it isn't you?" Now she just sounds worried. But indignant. Still angry. "'Bullied'? The world is too hungry and stupid to 'bully' anyone on purpose. All it does is eat and eat, and all we do is ignore it when people fall into the maw. And *sorry?!* Would I be happier if I didn't have to do it --of course, who wouldn't be?! But do I regret doing it? Do I wish I hadn't? I refuse to even pretend. It's someone else, or it's me --and whoever else is around me when it happens, if that even matters. There was only one option, and I took it! I'm not going to apologize for *existing!* I have the same right to keep living as anyone else; I won't just roll over once it becomes inconvenient for someone else!"     The kids are done deciding though. They have the gist. That she's a bad older girl who did crime things, because she was sick. They understand well enough she's responsible for them being taken away, but given the treatment they'd blearily sleepwalked through after they'd been dumped off at the Winter Folk's abode, it seems they aren't moved to fury. Only a simple, black and white attempt at 'being grown up' and doing the correct thing by the societal norms and morals instilled in them by their parents.     All these kids were born and raised in Whitewall, thus it is the local custom they go by. The slightly shaky pronouncement for someone 'too bad to have in the city' but not 'the worst of the worst' is 'summer exile', they've all agreed upon. More or less, jailing until high summer then being kicked out into the wilds at dawn with 'whatever they can carry'. They're basically unaware that there's no way a Whitewall jail would actually work to hold Alise for the next several months, but that's how it is. They decided against Winter Exile, which would take even longer anyways.     The weird bottle of unmelting ice rattles in Gawain's grip the minute they do. It *physically absorbs* Alise's cracked sigh the minute it all sinks in, becoming a swirling confusion of ice blue and pale pink mist that coalesces inside, a black tarry ooze settling to the bottom quarter, slowly letting off tiny glimmers of something or other that float in the cloudy emotion-made-manifest. The stopper flies into the neck as if magnified, shutting quite impossibly firmly.
Gawain	Gawain sighs in relief as Nerah is chosen to be exiled. He grabs a pair of handcuffs from his kit, and moves to arrest her to bring to the Whitewall guard. "You don't trust me, I know. But please, from the short time we worked together, at least trust I wouldn't lie to you. After all..." "I am the knight who would make himself look like a fool to save those in need. Even if I am not truly searching for a wife at the moment." He smiles, full of hope. "If you want to try, to find a way to be what you want, I will be waiting on the road during exile. A knight does not go back on his word. I will help you to the best of my ability. I know a man - a doctor, who says he can fix anything." Hopefully, Nerah will take him up on it.
Staren	The kids are pretending to hold court with someone's life in their hands. It is both adorable and horrifying as Staren watches.     Exile.     It is an ancient punishment; harsher in worlds less cosmopolitan without ubiquitously-available technology like the Multiverse. Worlds like his own, really; Lazlo in particular just happens to go with killing the very worst and incarcerating those who need to be isolated from ANY society but aren't deemed the worst of the worst. Banishment is on the books but not the outcome of any high-profile cases Staren can recall. But most settlements can't afford to maintain prisons.     In any case, exile (well, summer exile; Staren has to ask the kids what that means) in the presence of this bunch of multiversal elites amounts to sparing. NOW Staren can begin thinking about Nerah's future.     He takes a few steps towards Gawain and turns to the new convict. "On this we are in agreement. You shouldn't have to apologize for existing... and if there is, truly, a way to let you exist without preying on others, and you are willing to try it, then our moral duty is to give you that chance. If the 'foolish knight'" he echoes Gawain's comment without malice "will allow, I will aid however I can."     Staren takes a breath for effect. "Of course, you can also choose to return to your previous path, but now that it is a /choice/... If you make it, endeavor not to run into us again."     After that pronouncement, he relaxes slightly. "...If there is a cure, do you have any idea what you'd like to do once you get it?"
Tomoe	Tomoe watches it all play out she's fairly quiet, the deal is the kids pass their judgement, she watches Alise and listens to her reactions to both Gawain, Song and the final judgment the kids pass. She watches and also gets a better idea of Whitewall's people from it. The children vote to exile Alise with what she can carry in the summer? She does not know how they will hold someone like that till the summer but she wonders about what Tamamo is going to do. She doesn't ask though and she chooses not to interfere with it. She gets exile in the summer means better weather, food is likely either to hunt or get ahold of though. She gets that much about it and she looks to Gawain for a moment simply nodding. "If you need help with this..." She shoots Alise a look for a moment and is at a loss for what to say.
Tamamo	Tamamo hasn't had that much time in Whitewall to get used to things, but when the children not only think to hold court, but arrange themselves as such, and apply the standards of punishment of their parents, as well as they're able, she claps her hands. "Oh, very good. Your families have good cause to be proud of you. And with this, your duty here is complete. They will wish to see you again. You may leave the handling of the guilty to we adults."     She says several things to Song, once out of easy earshot of the kids. Of immediate importance, "My part requires one more act, that might not so well fit the tale, and I would rather the children not see it. I will need a moment with our soon-to-be exile to exact an assurance that this ending is not summarily, in untimely fashion, undone."     She approaches, nodding with a smile to Gawain on the way, though there's some tension to it. She's smiling, certainly. It's a beautiful smile. But she's not happy. A nod, likewise, to Staren. "A moment, please," to the both of them. "I must have a word with her." They don't have to leave, but she's going to have to take up the teenaged shapeshifter's full attention for the duration of that 'word.'     She will, in fact, forcefully demand it. She does. Her eyes light with fire, and the fire spreads. Her tails /are/ flames. Her body shines with true Sunlight. The anima flare isn't the point. It's a side-effect of her divine influence acting directly on Alise, demanding she give her her full and undivided attention until decided otherwise. It's simpler, and easier, than asking, and such politeness isn't demanded by their respective stations.     "I am Tamamo no Mae, bunrei of Amaterasu-omikami, Goddess of a distant Sun. Now, you know me, and I know you, Alise of many names. Know further, that you have angered me." Her tone barely registers anger, and her expression not at all, but that she speaks truthfully will be obvious to Alise, even if no one else. The anger is in the heat of her presence, focused now onto her singular, intended audience, like a hot day in Spring with rumbling thunder, rolling over the plains. It doesn't need to be spoken. "By your own admission, you care not who must die for you. By your own admission, you care not for guilt, nor innocence. You have named yourself a thoughtless killer, beyond remorse, and beyond redemption. You seek no miracle, and spurned hope."     Tamamo reaches out, and grasps Alise by the head, palm just above her eyes, her grip as unyielding as a vise. "In every respect, you were wrong. On every point, you have erred. Now you will be given mercy, hope, and aid, should you accept it. Your alternative is death." She isn't 'just' holding the girl's head, but it'd take a real expert to guess more by just looking. Good thing she's about to explain. "You will accept your punishment of 'summer exile.' You will cooperate with it to the fullest extent you comprehend. You will do this, or you will die." A summer solstice, not a hint of shade in sight, heat rising from dust and sand. "I lay this curse upon you, to last until death claims you, or my will relents. Be grateful I take no further interest in you. Be grateful beyond measure that my allies see fit to forgive your sins so readily."     She pulls back. "Sir Gawain speaks honestly, and truthfully of a miraculous doctor. You do not deserve it. But you may accept it, as offered, regardless."     And that's all she has to do here. She goes back to normal, or at least, to what she chooses to present as 'normal' around those assembled here. She smiles again, having stopped at some point, nods, and turns to go.
Song of Rainbows	A tale good for children. Song works her pinky-nail against the spaces between her teeth as she reclines. "Bullied. They bullied you. Because they didn't understand. Tried to feed you poison and maiming as cure and proper shape. That they know better than your own power, your own soul. Do you think society is able to tell you how to live outside of it? Ha! Ha ha!" She drops into a cant. "Y'just listen to yer insides, savvy?" A finger - black-nailed - lightly taps Alise's heart. "You can be whatever you want. You can be everything, never choosing just one. That's what the Silver Pact wants you to do. Choose just one. Plus, trust me." She twirls a thick lock of her hair. It hisses breathily, slitted eyes opening among the strands. "It gets better." Kipping to a stand, she saunters back to her boat and mantles back over the edge, leaning her elbows, arms, and chin against the railing. "Bright Sister's wise about all these things, it sounds like she got socialized. A real shame."